NordVPN vs IPVanish: PCMag's Conflict of Interest Problem

Here’s something that should piss you off: PCMag reviews IPVanish VPN. PCMag is owned by Ziff Davis. IPVanish is also owned by Ziff Davis.

Let that sink in. The independent review site and the product have the same owner.

But wait, there’s more. In 2016, IPVanish claimed they had a “zero-logs policy” - then handed user data to Homeland Security during a police investigation. The logs they “didn’t keep” identified the suspect perfectly.

Meanwhile, NordVPN spent 18 months hiding a 2018 server breach before finally disclosing it.

What actually works:

1. Mullvad - Swedish police raided them in 2023, found nothing
2. ProtonVPN - Swiss laws with actual enforcement
3. NordVPN - If choosing between these two disaster scenarios
4. IPVanish - Proven liars with media company self-dealing

Let’s break down why both fail basic trust tests.

⚡ Quick Take

The setup: IPVanish caught logging in 2016 (ownership changed since then). NordVPN concealed breach 18 months. Ziff Davis owns PCMag, CNET, Speedtest, and IPVanish. The entire review ecosystem is corrupt.

Who wins? Neither deserves your privacy, but NordVPN is less catastrophically compromised.

The problem: IPVanish provably lied about logging (2016 court case). Ziff Davis self-dealing creates untrustworthy review ecosystem. NordVPN’s 18-month cover-up remains a trust problem. Both have superior alternatives.

The honest alternative: Mullvad survived a Swedish police raid with zero data to hand over. No email, no affiliate program, €5/mo forever.

My Rankings Explained

Mullvad (#1):

• Police raid found nothing (2023)
• No affiliate program exists
• €5/mo forever, no increases

ProtonVPN (#2):

• Real Swiss privacy laws
• Open source, auditable, port forwarding

NordVPN (#3):

• 2018 breach hidden 18 months
• Deloitte 2024 audit verified no-logs

IPVanish (#4):

• 2016: Handed logs to HSI despite no-logs claims
• Ziff Davis ownership (PCMag parent company)
• Schellman 2025 audit verified current no-logs

Verify independently. Don’t trust me or anyone else without checking sources.

2016: When IPVanish’s “No-Logs” Became Evidence

The Homeland Security Case

March 2016: Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Scott Sikes investigating child abuse case on IRC (Internet Relay Chat). Suspect posts link containing child sexual abuse.

The IP trace: Suspect’s IP (209.197.26.72) traced to Highwinds Network Group (IPVanish’s then-parent company).

First response: Highwinds claimed no logs exist:

“To protect customer data, we do not log any usage information.”

Second subpoena: HSI requested more detailed subscriber information.

What Highwinds/IPVanish provided:

• Source IP address: 50.178.206.161 (suspect’s real Comcast connection)
• Connection dates and times
• Disconnection timestamps from IRC network
• Full activity logs despite “zero logs” claims

The contradiction: IPVanish advertised “zero logs” while maintaining detailed connection logs that identified the suspect perfectly.

Sources: TorrentFreak investigation, Court documents, Restore Privacy analysis

Ownership Changes Since Then

2017: StackPath acquired IPVanish from Highwinds

2019: Ziff Davis (then J2 Global) acquired IPVanish from StackPath

Current stance: “Previous management, not us” defense

2022 audit: Leviathan Security verified no-logs under Ziff Davis

2025 audit: Schellman Compliance verified no-logs again

My take: New ownership can’t erase proven logging history. Trust destroyed in 2016 remains destroyed. Audits verify current practices, not historical integrity.

The Ziff Davis Self-Dealing Problem

Before we even compare technical features, understand who owns what.

Ziff Davis owns:

• IPVanish VPN (the product)
• StrongVPN (another product)
• PCMag (reviews the products)
• CNET (also reviews the products)
• Speedtest by Ookla (tests the products’ speeds)
• IGN, Mashable, ZDNet, Lifehacker (all publish VPN content)

Think about that structure:

1. Ziff Davis owns the VPN
2. Ziff Davis reviews the VPN
3. Ziff Davis runs the speed test proving the VPN works
4. Ziff Davis profits from affiliate links to competitors

This is reviewing your own homework.

PCMag includes disclosure notes like “IPVanish is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag’s parent company” - but buried mid-article where most readers never see it.

The illusion: PCMag gives IPVanish mediocre ratings (3/5 stars) to appear objective while still driving awareness and traffic to a product they own.

Why this matters: You can’t trust PCMag, CNET, or Speedtest results for IPVanish. The conflict of interest corrupts everything.

Read the full exposé: PCMag Reviews VPNs It Owns

October 2019: NordVPN’s Secret Keeping

March 2018: Datacenter provider added unauthorized remote management interface to NordVPN server. Server compromised.

April 2019: NordVPN learned about breach. Server destroyed immediately.

October 2019: Public disclosure - 18 months after the breach.

What leaked:

• One expired TLS key from single server
• Zero user logs (none existed)
• No traffic data, credentials, or personal information

Why it matters:

The breach itself? Minor technical incident. The 18-month silence? Trust obliterated.

Privacy companies live or die on transparency. NordVPN chose silence when disclosure was required.

Recovery efforts since 2019:

• Deloitte no-logs audits (2024)
• Cure53 penetration testing (2024)
• RAM-only server infrastructure
• Quarterly transparency reports
• Bug bounty programs

Sources: NordVPN official disclosure, TechCrunch coverage

My take: Six years of rebuilding doesn’t erase 18 months of concealment. When choosing privacy tools, remember who kept secrets and who didn’t.

Side-by-Side Technical Comparison

Pricing: IPVanish Cheaper Renewal

NordVPN Costs

Advertised:

• “From $3.09/month!”

Actual breakdown:

• Monthly: $12.99
• 2-year intro: $3.09/mo ($83.43 upfront for 27 months)
• Yearly renewal: $12.99/mo ($155.88/year)
• Increase: 320% jump

Source: NordVPN pricing

IPVanish Costs

Advertised:

• “From $2.19/month!”

Actual breakdown:

• Monthly: $12.99 (Essential) / $14.99 (Advanced)
• 2-year intro: $2.19/mo ($52.56 upfront)
• Yearly renewal: $7.49/mo ($89.99/year)
• Increase: 242% jump

Includes: 250GB SugarSync cloud storage

Source: IPVanish pricing

Pricing Champion

Intro: IPVanish ($2.19 vs $3.09)

Renewal: IPVanish ($7.49 vs $12.99)

Long-term: IPVanish cheaper by ~$66/year after renewals

Winner: IPVanish wins pricing (but can’t buy back trust)

Speed & Infrastructure: NordVPN Faster

NordVPN Network

Coverage:

• 7,900+ servers across 118 countries
• NordLynx protocol (WireGuard implementation)
• RAM-only servers (no hard drive persistence)

Performance:

• ~90% base speed retention in tests
• 4K streaming works smoothly
• Occasional iOS/Mac disconnects reported

IPVanish Network

Coverage:

• 2,400+ servers across 90+ countries
• WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 protocols
• Custom port selection (443, 1194, 8443)

Performance:

• Good speeds, slower than NordVPN
• SOCKS5 proxy available (helps torrent speeds)
• US-based servers (Five Eyes jurisdiction)

Sources: Independent speed tests from Cyberinsider, TechRadar, VPNMentor

Speed Winner

Server count: NordVPN (7,900 vs 2,400)

Raw speed: NordVPN (90% vs lower retention)

Winner: NordVPN for performance

Streaming: NordVPN Dominates, IPVanish Limited

NordVPN Streaming

What works:

• Netflix: 30+ regional libraries
• Disney+, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer: All functional
• SmartPlay: Auto-detects and bypasses geo-restrictions

Devices: 10 simultaneous connections

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, smart TVs, routers, browser extensions

IPVanish Streaming

What works:

• Netflix: US and UK only
• Prime Video: Works
• Hulu, HBO Max: Don’t work reliably

Devices: Unlimited simultaneous connections

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, routers

Source: IPVanish Netflix testing

Streaming Winner

Netflix access: NordVPN (30+ libraries vs 2)

Device limit: IPVanish (unlimited vs 10)

Trade-off: Better streaming (Nord) vs connect everything (IPVanish)

Winner: NordVPN unless you need 20+ devices connected

Torrenting: Both Mediocre (No Real Port Forwarding)

NordVPN Torrenting

P2P support:

• Dedicated P2P servers
• No port forwarding (removed)
• Downloads work fine
• Seeding limited

Legal shield:

• Panama jurisdiction (no DMCA requirements)
• Deloitte-verified no-logs (2024)
• Can’t identify users

Grade: B- (downloads yes, seeding no)

IPVanish Torrenting

P2P support:

• All 2,400+ servers allow P2P
• No port forwarding (but SOCKS5 proxy available)
• SOCKS5 improves speeds somewhat
• Still limits seeding effectiveness

Legal shield:

• US jurisdiction (Five Eyes - concerning)
• Schellman-verified no-logs (2025)
• 2016 logging incident haunts credibility

Grade: C+ (US jurisdiction + logging history)

Sources: IPVanish torrenting guide

Torrenting Winner

Winner: Neither - both lack real port forwarding

For actual torrenting with seeding: ProtonVPN (app-level port forwarding) or Mullvad (also has port forwarding).

Customer Support: NordVPN More Consistent

NordVPN Support

Availability: 24/7 live chat

Response time: 2-3 minutes typical

Refund policy: 30-day money-back (first purchase, not renewals)

Quality: Generally helpful

Grade: B+ (reliable but not exceptional)

IPVanish Support

Availability: 24/7 live chat

Response time: Variable (inconsistent reports)

Refund policy: 30-day money-back (yearly/2-year plans only, not monthly)

Quality: Mixed reviews on Reddit

Grade: B- (less consistent than NordVPN)

Support Winner

Winner: NordVPN for consistency

Security: Both Audited, Both Closed Source, Both Have Issues

NordVPN Security

Code: Closed source (trust required)

Recent audits:

• Deloitte (Nov-Dec 2024): No-logs verified
• Cure53 (Jun-Aug 2024): Penetration test + code review

Features:

• Kill switch
• DNS leak protection
• Split tunneling
• Double VPN
• Onion over VPN
• Threat Protection (malware/ad blocking)

Trust issue: 2018 breach hidden 18 months

IPVanish Security

Code: Closed source (trust required)

Recent audits:

• Schellman (Feb 2025): No-logs verified
• Leviathan (2022): No-logs verified

Features:

• Kill switch
• DNS leak protection
• Split tunneling
• SOCKS5 proxy
• Scramble (obfuscation)

Trust issue: 2016 proven logging despite no-logs claims

Sources: IPVanish 2025 audit, Schellman report

Security Winner

Current audits: Tie (both recently audited)

Historical trust: NordVPN (cover-up vs proven lying)

Winner: Neither - both have trust problems, NordVPN slightly less catastrophic

Why You’re Looking at the Wrong Options

You searched “NordVPN vs IPVanish” because:

• Both advertise cheap long-term pricing
• Comparison sites rank them highly (for affiliate money)
• PCMag recommends both (while owning IPVanish)
• Both claim no-logs policies

What they don’t advertise:

IPVanish problems:

• 2016: Provably logged users, handed data to HSI
• Owned by Ziff Davis (PCMag/CNET parent - conflict of interest)
• US jurisdiction (Five Eyes)
• Only 2 Netflix libraries work
• Closed source code

NordVPN problems:

• 2018 breach hidden 18 months
• Panama = marketing theater
• Removed port forwarding
• Closed source code
• 320% renewal jump

Better question: “Which VPN didn’t get caught logging AND didn’t hide breaches?”

What Actually Works

Maximum Privacy: Mullvad

Skip: IPVanish (proven logging) and NordVPN (breach concealment)

Use: Mullvad

Why Mullvad works:

• No email: 16-digit random account number only
• No affiliate program: Actually independent
• Payment options: Mail cash, crypto, credit cards
• €5/month forever: No intro tricks, no renewal spikes
• Open source: Code on GitHub for verification
• Port forwarding: Available for torrenting
• Raid-tested: 2023 Swedish police found nothing to seize
• Independent: Not owned by Ziff Davis, Kape, or anyone

Read full Mullvad review

Streaming + Privacy: ProtonVPN

Skip: Mullvad (doesn’t unblock streaming)

Use: ProtonVPN

Why ProtonVPN works:

• Swiss jurisdiction (real privacy laws with enforcement)
• Open source apps (auditable by anyone)
• Port forwarding (torrenting-friendly)
• 10 Netflix libraries + major streaming platforms
• Not owned by Ziff Davis or Kape
• No logging scandals
• Independent operation

Read full ProtonVPN review

Forced to Choose Between Nord and IPVanish?

Pick NordVPN if:

• 2016 proven logging bothers you more than 2018 cover-up
• You need 30+ Netflix libraries
• You want faster speeds
• Ziff Davis self-dealing concerns you

Pick IPVanish if:

• 18-month cover-up bothers you more than proven logging
• Unlimited devices matters
• Better renewal pricing ($7.49 vs $12.99) appeals
• You trust current audits over historical actions

Honest answer: Neither. Both failed basic trust requirements. Choose better alternatives.

What Reddit Says About Both

NordVPN Reddit Sentiment

Common complaints (2024-2025):

• 2018 breach trust issues persist
• Billing problems during promotions
• Port forwarding removal frustrates torrenters
• Split tunneling bugs on Windows
• Random disconnects on iOS/Mac

Positive notes:

• Fast speeds
• Netflix reliability
• Six years of transparency efforts

IPVanish Reddit Sentiment

Common complaints (2024-2025):

• 2016 logging scandal never forgotten
• Ziff Davis ownership (PCMag self-dealing)
• US jurisdiction concerns
• Limited Netflix support (only US/UK)
• Mixed customer service quality

Positive notes:

• Unlimited devices
• Better renewal pricing
• Recent audits show improvement
• SOCKS5 proxy helps torrents

Sources: r/VPN, r/privacy, r/vpnreviews discussions

Common Thread

Both VPNs share fundamental problems:

• Historical trust violations
• Closed source code
• No real port forwarding
• Better alternatives exist at every price point

Final Verdict: NordVPN vs IPVanish

If absolutely forced? NordVPN edges out IPVanish.

Reasoning: IPVanish’s 2016 proven logging is worse than NordVPN’s 2018 breach concealment. Logging contradicts the entire purpose of a VPN. Ziff Davis self-dealing adds corruption layer. NordVPN’s cover-up was bad, but they’ve rebuilt trust through six years of audits and transparency.

The real answer? Neither deserves your money or privacy.

What to do:

1. Need hardcore privacy? → Mullvad (€5/mo, raid-tested)
2. Need streaming + privacy? → ProtonVPN (Swiss jurisdiction, open source)
3. Absolutely forced between these two? → NordVPN (less horrible than proven logging + self-dealing)

Verify Everything

Want to see the raw data behind my claims? Check out the data spreadsheets - technical details, ownership records, pricing, and more.

Don’t trust me. Check sources yourself:

IPVanish 2016 logging:

• TorrentFreak investigation: IPVanish Led HSI to Comcast User
• ProPrivacy analysis: No-Logs IPVanish Hands Logs to HSI
• Court documents: Restore Privacy coverage

Ziff Davis conflict:

• Full exposé: PCMag Reviews VPNs It Owns
• Ownership info: Ziff Davis brands

NordVPN 2018 breach:

• Official disclosure: NordVPN response
• Media coverage: TechCrunch investigation
• 2024 audit: Deloitte no-logs verification

IPVanish 2025 audit:

• Schellman verification: No-logs confirmed
• Analysis: Cyberinsider coverage

Commission transparency:

• IPVanish affiliate exists (I don’t promote Ziff Davis)
• NordVPN affiliate exists (verified)
• Mullvad has no affiliate program: Check their site

Better alternatives:

• Try Mullvad: €5, no email
• Try ProtonVPN: 30-day refund
• Independent reviews: NYTimes/WireCutter, Wired

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Legal disclaimer: All facts sourced and linked. Opinions clearly marked. IPVanish’s 2016 logging is documented in court records. NordVPN’s 2018 breach concealment is documented in their own disclosure and media coverage.

Affiliate disclosure: I earn from NordVPN and ProtonVPN affiliate links. I earn nothing from Mullvad (no affiliate program exists) and nothing from IPVanish (I don’t promote Ziff Davis products). Ranking Mullvad #1 despite no commission.