Ivacy VPN launched in 2007 under PMG Pte Ltd, a Singapore-registered company. It has since become one of the longest-running VPN services on the market. However, its corporate history is more complex than it appears. PMG Pte Ltd shares ownership ties with Gaditek, the Pakistani technology conglomerate that also owns PureVPN. In recent years, Ivacy formally merged with PureVPN, with existing Ivacy subscribers migrated to a combined platform branded as Ivacy Powered by PureVPN. This shared corporate lineage is worth noting for users who prioritize provider independence and transparency.
Based in Singapore, Ivacy operates outside the traditional Five Eyes alliance, though Singapore has been identified by security researchers as a cooperative partner in global surveillance networks. The company claims a strict no-logs policy, stating it does not record browsing activities, connection timestamps, originating IP addresses, DNS queries, or traffic data. The only information retained is an email address, payment method, and an optional name field. Ivacy has referenced IOXT certification for its security practices, but no independent third-party audit report has been made publicly available for verification, which is a notable gap compared to competitors like NordVPN and Surfshark that publish regular audit results.
On the technical side, Ivacy operates over 5,700 servers spread across more than 100 countries, with a mix of bare-metal and virtual server instances. DNS resolution is handled in-house. Protocol support varies significantly by platform. Windows and Android users get the best experience with access to WireGuard, OpenVPN (UDP and TCP), and IKEv2. The macOS app is considerably weaker, limited to IKEv2 and IPsec, and notably lacks a kill switch and split tunneling. The iOS app offers IKEv2 and IPsec. Linux support is command-line only via OpenVPN with no kill switch. Encryption uses AES-256 across the board.
Speed performance is a mixed picture. Independent tests show nearby server connections losing around 23% speed with WireGuard on Windows, which is acceptable. However, distant servers show reductions of 49% or more, and OpenVPN TCP connections suffered drops as steep as 91%. Multiple reviewers measured average download speeds of roughly 73 Mbps on a fast connection, with peak speeds reaching over 700 Mbps in best-case scenarios. Torrenting performance was consistently flagged as a weakness, with P2P downloads taking significantly longer than competing services.
Streaming is one of Ivacy's stronger suits. Testing confirmed it unblocks US Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max, though some reviewers noted occasional quality reduction with grainy playback. The service supports P2P traffic on dedicated servers and offers optional port forwarding for an additional $1 per month, along with dedicated IP addresses in seven countries for $1.99 per month.
Pricing is Ivacy's most compelling feature. The 5-year plan comes in at roughly $1.17 to $1.19 per month, making it one of the cheapest VPN options available. A 1-year plan runs about $3.99 per month, and the monthly plan costs approximately $10 to $13. A 7-day trial is available for $0.99, and plans of one year or longer include a 30-day money-back guarantee. Some reviewers noted that the refund process involved multiple support interactions with retention attempts.
Security testing has been generally positive. No IPv4, IPv6, DNS, or WebRTC leaks were detected across multiple independent reviews. The kill switch functions correctly on Windows and Android. Split tunneling is available on those same platforms but is limited to an allowlist approach and is incompatible with WireGuard. Notable omissions include the lack of multi-hop connections, a built-in ad blocker, and automatic Wi-Fi protection.
The main concerns around Ivacy center on three areas. First, the shared ownership with PureVPN and the quiet merger raise questions about whether Ivacy operates as a truly independent service or functions as a budget tier of PureVPN's infrastructure. Second, the significant quality gap between the Windows and macOS applications means Mac users get a materially inferior product. Third, the absence of a published independent audit puts Ivacy behind the transparency curve set by leading competitors.
