Best Ivacy VPN Alternatives in 2026

Best Ivacy VPN Alternatives in 2026

If your Ivacy account was moved to PureVPN, you're probably deciding whether to stay or switch. Ivacy merged with PureVPN in August 2024, and existing subscriptions now run on PureVPN accounts. The change is a good moment to ask whether the service still suits you.

We compared six alternatives against Ivacy on the things that matter day to day: speed on near and distant servers, streaming, leak protection, kill switch coverage, privacy audits and price. Every score below matches our full review of that VPN.

Ivacy VPN alternatives at a glance

Ivacy scored 7.2/10 in our last review. Each pick below beats it on audited privacy and on at least one everyday task.

Best overall
NordVPN screenshot
NordVPN
Rated 9.0 out of 10
9.0/10 · Excellent
Check price →
Best free tier
Proton VPN screenshot
Proton VPN
Rated 9.0 out of 10
9.0/10 · Excellent
Check price →
Best for streaming
ExpressVPN screenshot
ExpressVPN
Rated 8.8 out of 10
8.8/10 · Excellent
Check price →
Best for unlimited devices
Surfshark screenshot
Surfshark
Rated 8.6 out of 10
8.6/10 · Excellent
Check price →
Best budget
CyberGhost screenshot
CyberGhost
Rated 8.4 out of 10
8.4/10 · Great
Check price →
Best for power users
Private Internet Access screenshot
Private Internet Access
Rated 8.4 out of 10
8.4/10 · Great
Check price →

Why look for an alternative to Ivacy VPN?

Ivacy is no longer an independent VPN service. In August 2024 it merged with PureVPN, one of its original backers, and now appears as "Ivacy Powered by PureVPN." PureVPN honors existing subscriptions and add-ons, and PureVPN's guide to porting an Ivacy account explains the move from the Ivacy Member Area to the PureVPN one.

The porting step itself takes only a few seconds, but the trouble tends to come afterward. The migration can ask for new payment details even on a paid plan, and some accounts hit login failures or upgrade prompts once the move is done. Support requests to Ivacy can also end up redirected to PureVPN without a fix.

Watch out

If you pay for Ivacy through the App Store or Google Play, cancel the subscription there first. An app-store subscription has to be stopped before the account can move to PureVPN billing.

The merger isn't the only reason to switch. Our Ivacy VPN review found weak spots that predate it:

  • No independent no-logs audit. The only third-party check is ioXT certification of the Android app.
  • Patchy kill switch. It covers Windows and Android only, with nothing on macOS or iOS.
  • Older protocols on Mac. The Mac app is limited to IKEv1.
  • Uneven speeds. Distant servers lost 58 to 72 percent of download speed, and Australia and Japan lost around 90 percent.

Ivacy does have strengths. It's registered in Singapore, outside the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on long-term plans. Trustpilot still rates it 4.5/5 from 3,705 reviews, although recent reviews there are dominated by migration and refund complaints.

The service underneath is PureVPN's now. When we ran a leak test on a US Ivacy server, the results listed PureVPN as the ISP, a clear sign the two share infrastructure. Staying with Ivacy now effectively means choosing PureVPN, which our PureVPN review also scores 7.2/10.

The Ivacy Member Area showing the account-porting screen, with payment-detail fields and a Port button that moves the subscription into the PureVPN Member Area.

What to look for in an Ivacy VPN alternative

Start with what Ivacy lacked. A good replacement closes those gaps without costing much more.

An audited no-logs policy. A privacy policy is a promise, while an independent audit by a firm such as Deloitte, KPMG or Securitum is evidence. Every pick on our list has had its no-logs claims checked.

A kill switch on every device. This is the biggest practical upgrade. On a Mac or iPhone, Ivacy gave you no kill switch at all, so a dropped tunnel could expose your traffic. All six alternatives protect every platform.

Speed on distant servers. Almost every VPN is fast nearby. The difference shows when you connect across an ocean, which is where Ivacy lost the most ground.

Streaming on regular servers. Ivacy leaned on special streaming servers. The stronger alternatives unblock the big services from ordinary servers, which gives you more locations to pick from.

Device limits and renewal pricing. Ivacy allowed 10 simultaneous connections. Surfshark and Private Internet Access offer unlimited devices, while CyberGhost caps you at 7. Check the renewal price too, because most VPNs charge far more after the first term.

Tip

Treat the money-back window as a trial. Install the new VPN on every device, run your usual streaming services and a speed test, and cancel inside the refund period if it doesn't fit.

How we tested the Ivacy VPN alternatives

We scored each VPN on the problems Ivacy users actually run into. Speed came first. We measured every pick on nearby servers and report distant-server results where we have them, since long-distance connections were Ivacy's weakest point. We then checked which streaming services each VPN could open and whether it needed special servers to do it.

For security, we started with Ivacy itself. DNS leak protection passed but shipped switched off by default, and connecting took 10 seconds or more on some servers. For each alternative, we confirmed that a kill switch ships on every platform and weighed its latest no-logs audit, jurisdiction, ownership, device limit, and both promotional and renewal prices. Ratings mirror each VPN's full HTS review.

Two speed test results side by side, one on a nearby VPN server and one on a distant server, showing how much download speed drops with distance.

The best Ivacy VPN alternatives

We start with the pick we'd give most Ivacy users and work down to the more specialised choices. Each section opens with the main reason it beats Ivacy.

1. NordVPN - best Ivacy VPN alternative overall

NordVPN fixes nearly every Ivacy weakness at once, which is why it earns 9.0/10 in our NordVPN review and the top spot here. Its no-logs policy has been verified six times, twice by PwC and four times by Deloitte, with the sixth independent no-logs assurance published in February 2026. The company is based in Panama.

Speed is where the gap with Ivacy is widest. On nearby US servers, NordVPN kept 95 percent or more of a gigabit line, landing at about 825 to 903 Mbps. We streamed 4K video and sat through video calls without buffering, and regular servers unblocked Netflix, Max, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer. Double VPN was the one feature that cost us, cutting throughput to around half on a fast line.

Its NordLynx protocol has carried post-quantum encryption in all apps since 2025, and NordWhisper disguises VPN traffic as ordinary web traffic. Basic costs $3.49 a month on the 2-year plan, $5.49 on the 1-year plan or $14.99 month to month, and covers 10 devices with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Complete adds antivirus and a password manager for $4.49 a month.

Pros

  • Live chat answers within minutes
  • Double VPN, Onion Over VPN and obfuscated servers
  • Threat Protection Pro blocks ads and malware

Cons

  • Map-based interface feels clunky on small screens
  • Renewal price jumps well above the promotional rate
  • No free plan
Our top pick NordVPN logo
NordVPN
For most Ivacy users who want one plan that handles streaming, video calls and everyday browsing.
$3.49/mo2-year plan
Check price →

2. Proton VPN - best free-tier alternative

NordVPN has no free plan, but Proton VPN is the only pick here you can use for free. It shares the top score of 9.0/10 in our Proton VPN review, and its no-logs policy is audited by Securitum every year, with five consecutive audits from 2022 to 2026. Proton AG is based in Switzerland and majority-owned by the nonprofit Proton Foundation.

The free plan is a genuine fallback if you just want to stop paying for a VPN. It covers 1 device at a time at medium speed. The limits are clear, though: the app picks your server from 10 countries, and streaming and torrenting are off the table.

VPN Plus is where Proton competes with the rest of this list. Paid servers cut our download speed by no more than about 8 percent, and VPN Accelerator helped on distant servers, exactly where Ivacy struggled. Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and HBO Max unblocked consistently. The app installed in under two minutes and explains each setting in plain language.

Plus costs $2.99 a month on the 2-year plan or $9.99 monthly, covers 10 devices and opens 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Secure Core multi-hop, the Stealth protocol and NetShield ad blocking are included.

Proton VPN's free plan on Android showing the Quick Connect screen, with the app choosing a free server automatically and the country list locked.

Pros

  • Free plan with no data cap or ads
  • Minimal speed loss on paid servers
  • Open-source apps

Cons

  • Free plan can't stream or pick a country
  • Live chat isn't 24/7 or open to free users
  • Secure Core runs about 35 percent slower
Proton VPN logo
Proton VPN
For Ivacy users who want to stop paying now and upgrade later only if they need to.
$2.99/mo2-year plan
Check price →

3. ExpressVPN - best for streaming and speed

If Proton's free tier is the cheapest way out of Ivacy, ExpressVPN is the easiest way to keep streaming. Where Ivacy was solid mainly on Netflix US, our ExpressVPN review found it unblocked Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Prime Video and Hulu across many regions. It has servers in 113 countries and in all 50 US states.

Its in-house Lightway protocol held roughly 450 to 720 Mbps on US and UK servers from a gigabit line. On a slower home line, downloads dropped about 37 to 39 percent on nearby servers, a bigger hit than NordVPN or Proton VPN. Streaming access also shifted from week to week, with the occasional proxy error. The Network Lock kill switch fired correctly when a server timed out, and a refund request through 24/7 live chat was approved in under five minutes.

We score it 8.8/10. A KPMG assessment published in 2025 backs its no-logs claims, and its TrustedServer RAM-only servers date to 2019. ExpressVPN is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and owned by Kape Technologies, which also owns CyberGhost and PIA. Basic starts from about $3 a month on the 2-year plan and covers 10 devices, but renews at $99.95 a year. There's a 7-day free trial on iOS and Android and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pros

  • One-button apps with a recommended Smart Location
  • Lightway and post-quantum WireGuard protocols
  • Fast 24/7 live chat support

Cons

  • Bigger speed drop on slower home lines
  • Renewal jumps to $99.95 a year
  • No multi-hop option
ExpressVPN logo
ExpressVPN
For people who stream across several regions and never want to open a settings menu.
From about $3/mo2-year plan
Check price →

4. Surfshark - best for unlimited devices

ExpressVPN stops at 10 devices, the same cap Ivacy had. Surfshark removes the limit entirely, and our Surfshark review confirms that every plan allows unlimited simultaneous connections, so one subscription covers a whole household.

It was also fast where Ivacy was slow. Surfshark slowed our downloads by only about 10 percent, even on a transatlantic server. Netflix worked reliably across several regions. The macOS app performed better than the Windows app, where ping spiked on some servers.

It scores 8.6/10 with us. Deloitte verified Surfshark's no-logs policy under ISAE 3000 in 2023 and again in 2025. The company is Surfshark B.V. in the Netherlands, offering 4,500+ servers in 100 countries plus CleanWeb and MultiHop. Starter costs $2.49 a month on the 2-year plan and renews at $79 a year, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Surfshark's native Android TV app on a living-room television, showing the connect button and a server list navigable with a TV remote.

Pros

  • Torrents run only about 5 percent slower with Camouflage Mode on
  • Native Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV apps
  • RAM-only servers

Cons

  • Windows app showed ping spikes on some servers
  • MultiHop slows connections significantly
  • Month-to-month plan is among the priciest
Surfshark logo
Surfshark
For households that stream on the TV as much as on phones and laptops.
$2.49/mo2-year plan
Check price →

5. CyberGhost - best budget alternative

Surfshark is cheap on its 2-year plan, but CyberGhost undercuts it and fixes Ivacy's streaming weakness along the way. Our CyberGhost VPN review scores it 8.4/10. It costs $2.19 a month on the 26-month plan, or $12.99 month to month. Its 45-day money-back guarantee on long plans is the longest on this list.

Each streaming server is labelled for a specific platform. The servers for Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and Prime Video loaded on the first try without server-hopping. Long distance was the weak spot: downloads fell more than 55 percent on Australia and South Africa servers, against about 20 percent nearby.

Deloitte has audited CyberGhost's no-logs policy three times, most recently in a report published February 24, 2026. The Romania-based company has been owned by Kape Technologies since 2017 and runs servers in 100+ countries. Watch the renewal: the first one roughly doubles the effective monthly rate to about $4.75, and the auto-renew toggle is easy to miss.

CyberGhost's Windows app with the "For streaming" tab open, listing servers labelled Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and Prime Video.

Pros

  • NoSpy and RAM-only servers
  • Dedicated torrenting servers
  • Connects to a nearby server in under ten seconds on first launch

Cons

  • 7-device cap fills up fast in a busy household
  • Big slowdowns on long-distance servers
  • Frequent CAPTCHAs on streaming servers
CyberGhost logo
CyberGhost
For budget-minded viewers who mostly stream from servers close to home.
$2.19/mo26-month plan
Check price →

6. Private Internet Access - best for power users and customization

CyberGhost points you at a labelled server and stays out of the way. Private Internet Access goes the other direction and gives you the control Ivacy never did. Its apps expose kill switch levels, protocol and encryption choices, and port forwarding, which suits tinkerers more than beginners.

It ties CyberGhost at 8.4/10 in our PIA VPN review. Deloitte audited PIA's no-logs policy in 2022 and 2024, and the claim has also held up in US court cases. That matters because PIA is based in the United States and has been owned by Kape Technologies since 2019.

Performance was mixed. Some US and UK servers lost around three quarters of a gigabit line, while others lost closer to 12 percent, so it pays to try a few locations. Netflix US streamed on the first attempt. HBO Max blocked a standard US server, then played in 4K once we switched to a streaming-optimized server.

PIA costs $2.03 a month on the 3-year plus 3-month plan, $3.99 on the 1-year plan and $11.95 monthly. It covers 91 countries and adds a 30-day money-back guarantee plus a 7-day free trial on iOS and Android.

Pros

  • Open-source apps
  • Unlimited devices
  • Quick, knowledgeable live chat

Cons

  • Speeds vary a lot between servers
  • Busy interface for beginners
  • US jurisdiction
Private Internet Access logo
Private Internet Access
For tinkerers who want to choose their own protocol, encryption and kill switch level.
$2.03/mo3-year + 3-month plan
Check price →

Ivacy VPN alternatives compared

This list shows how the six picks line up against Ivacy, which sits in the last row as the baseline. Ivacy is no longer sold under its own plans, so its row shows PureVPN's current price, trial and refund terms.

Comparison of the best Ivacy VPN alternatives, with Ivacy VPN (now PureVPN) as the baseline
Product Starting price Servers / countries Devices Jurisdiction Audited no-logs Free plan / money-back Buy
NordVPN logo
NordVPN
9.0/10Rated 9.0 out of 10
Top pick
$3.49/mo (2-year) About 9,000 / 129-149 10 Panama Yes (PwC, Deloitte) No / 30-day Check price →
Proton VPN logo
Proton VPN
9.0/10Rated 9.0 out of 10
$2.99/mo (2-year) 20,000+ / 140+ 10 (1 on free) Switzerland Yes (Securitum) Yes / 30-day Check price
ExpressVPN logo
ExpressVPN
8.8/10Rated 8.8 out of 10
From about $3/mo (2-year) Unverified / 113 10 British Virgin Islands Yes (KPMG) 7-day mobile trial / 30-day Check price
Surfshark logo
Surfshark
8.6/10Rated 8.6 out of 10
$2.49/mo (2-year) 4,500+ / 100 Unlimited Netherlands Yes (Deloitte) No / 30-day Check price
CyberGhost logo
CyberGhost
8.4/10Rated 8.4 out of 10
$2.19/mo (26 months) About 9,900 / 100+ 7 Romania Yes (Deloitte) No / 45-day Check price
Private Internet Access logo
Private Internet Access
8.4/10Rated 8.4 out of 10
$2.03/mo (3 years + 3 months) Unverified / 91 Unlimited United States Yes (Deloitte) 7-day mobile trial / 30-day Check price
Ivacy VPN (now PureVPN) - baseline logo
Ivacy VPN (now PureVPN) - baseline
7.2/10Rated 7.2 out of 10
About $2.15/mo (PureVPN 2-year) About 5,700-6,000 / about 65 10 Singapore No (ioXT app check only) $0.99 7-day trial / 31-day (PureVPN)

Final thoughts

Moving off Ivacy doesn't have to be hard. Pick the alternative that matches how you use a VPN:

  • Best overall: NordVPN, for the best all-round mix of speed, streaming and privacy.
  • Best free option: Proton VPN, if you want to stop paying without giving up an audited provider.
  • Best for streaming: ExpressVPN, if you stream across several regions and want an app you never have to configure.
  • Best for many devices: Surfshark, which covers a whole household on one plan.
  • Best budget choice: CyberGhost, for cheap platform-labelled streaming servers.
  • Best for power users: Private Internet Access, for deep settings at a low long-term price.

FAQ

What happened to Ivacy VPN?
Ivacy wasn't simply shut down. The brand lives on as a PureVPN-run service, and Ivacy-branded apps still appear on some app listings. Whether an old Ivacy app still connects depends on whether your account has been migrated, so porting it is the safest way to keep your coverage.
What happens to a lifetime Ivacy plan?
PureVPN has no lifetime plan. Former lifetime holders can find their coverage turned into a fixed 5-year term with renewal pricing after it. The terms depend on where the licence was bought, so check the expiry date in your PureVPN Member Area.
Should I stay with PureVPN after the Ivacy merger?
It depends on how much weight you give its history. PureVPN now has an "always-on" arrangement with KPMG that allows unannounced no-logs audits. But in 2017 an FBI affidavit said PureVPN's records linked a cyberstalking suspect to his home and work IP addresses, as described in the Justice Department's 2017 announcement of the case. The suspect was later sentenced to more than 17 years in prison. In our PureVPN review, a DNS leak reproduced even with leak protection on. The Standard plan costs $12.95 monthly, and the 2-year plan renews at $47.95 a year.
Which VPN is the cheapest alternative to Ivacy VPN?
Proton VPN's free plan costs nothing. Among paid picks, Private Internet Access is lowest upfront at $2.03 a month. Compare renewal prices before you commit, though: Surfshark Starter renews at $79 a year and ExpressVPN Basic at $99.95, so the cheapest first term isn't always the cheapest in year three.
Is it safe to use a free VPN as an alternative to Ivacy VPN?
A free VPN is only as safe as the company that provides it. Look for a published independent no-logs audit, no ads in the app and a clear limit on what the free tier includes. If you'd rather test a paid VPN risk-free, ExpressVPN and PIA both offer a 7-day free trial on iOS and Android.
Can I get a refund on my old Ivacy subscription?
No published policy covers refunds on migrated Ivacy subscriptions. PureVPN's 31-day money-back guarantee applies to first purchases, not renewals, so a ported plan may not qualify. Contact PureVPN support with your original order details before you cancel anything.