Head to head
The gap
The security score is not a total of good things. It starts at 100 and eight channels each take a share of what is left, so one channel can settle a record on its own. Both records are drawn here on the same scale — the model’s own cap of 0.9 — rather than on a scale fitted to this pair, which would make every comparison look equally dramatic.
Line by line
Every field the contract publishes about a provider, in the contract’s own groups, including the rows where the two agree — a table that printed only differences would invent a disagreement, and one that printed only the interesting rows would be us choosing what is interesting. Open a group to read its rows; each one says how many it holds and how many of them the two records answer differently.
A green cell means the methodology itself prices that value below the other one, not that we prefer it. Rows the model does not price carry no mark at all: price is never marked, because nothing in the model says cheaper is safer, and neither is coverage, platform count or devices. Where a value was never established the cell says so instead of showing a zero.
What actually happened
Other pairs
Pairs within the top ten get a page — 80 comparisons in all. Records below that are not paired here: a comparison earns a page where the choice between the two is a real one, and that choice is made near the top of the register.
Security
Usability
Rank 3 of 68 in the register
Gibraltar · Commercial VPN
Exits in 41 countries
No demand on the public record
1 documented demand, none of which produced data
Security
Usability
Rank 4 of 68 in the register
Italy · Commercial VPN
Exits in 23 countries
Notes
On the record as a whole.
AirVPN is a sole proprietorship ("AirVPN di Paolo Brini") registered in Perugia, Italy, and explicitly refuses service to residents of Italy (stated on every page footer and in the Terms of Service §1) — the practical effect is that its own home jurisdiction cannot compel it to log its own resident customers, though this is not evidence of a broader logging-mandate exemption.
AirVPN prices only in EUR (airvpn.org/buy/): 7.00 EUR/month, 49 EUR/year (4.08 EUR/month), flat on renewal. U04_price_monthly (8.11) is 7.00 EUR/month and U04b_price_yearly (56.74) is the 49 EUR/year total, both converted to USD at 1.158 EUR/USD — the rate Mullvad publishes on its own pricing page for the same date, where 5 EUR is shown as 5.79 USD — hence confidence C and a second source for the rate. Multi-year plans drop as low as 2.75 EUR/month.
A notable practice data point: public US federal court transcripts in United States v. Klyushin (D. Mass., docket 61629108, documents #183 and #217, found via CourtListener/RECAP) show a law-enforcement pen register was placed directly at the hosting company (DediPath), not at AirVPN, to monitor an AirVPN server's IP from Jan–Feb 2020; AirVPN's own staff, replying on their forum, confirmed the company had no knowledge of or involvement in the tap and that the device had to be installed outside AirVPN's own systems.
This is recorded in P12_case_history as a court_order/nothing_produced event, sourced to AirVPN's own forum confirmation (not to the PACER PDFs themselves, which returned 403 to automated fetches and were read only via a secondary summary).
On the record as a whole.
First fill 2026-08-26. Sourced entirely from ivpn.net's own pages, the Cure53 audit PDFs and IVPN's blog — no affiliate or review-aggregator site cited.
AirVPN and IVPN were assessed by the HushFleet team and both placed in the Weak band: AirVPN scores 37/100 for security, IVPN 38/100. They share independent ownership and sign-up without an account. The 1-point gap opens widest on Silence — “Ten years, millions of users and nothing on record?” — taking 24% from AirVPN and 0% from IVPN.
By circumstance
| AirVPN | IVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Torrenting | Allowed yes | Allowed on some servers partial |
| Streaming | Not reachable no | Some services reachable partial |
| Devices at once | 5 | 5 |
| Under censorship | Claimed to work claimed | Claimed to work claimed |
| Exits in mandate countries | None | None |
| Hosting in those countries | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
| Company under a mandate | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Secret orders | Orders go through a judge judicial_only | No secret-order regime on record none_known |
| ChannelPressure taken from what was left | AirVPNDominant channel: Retention0 to 0.9, longer is worse | IVPNDominant channel: Retention0 to 0.9, longer is worse |
|---|---|---|
| RetentionDoes a record exist that links traffic to a person, and who checked? | 0.349 | 0.526 |
| SilenceTen years, millions of users and nothing on record? | 0.240 | 0.000 |
| IgnoranceHow much of this did nobody establish? | 0.162 | 0.061 |
| HygieneWhat identifying material is collected in passing, and can the client be checked at all? | 0.066 | 0.063 |
| ArchitectureWho operates the exit, and what does it do to the traffic? | 0.050 | 0.050 |
| JurisdictionCan someone compel what exists, without the provider getting a say? | 0.000 | 0.030 |
| DisclosureHas it already handed something over? | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| IntegrityHas it been caught saying one thing and doing another? | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| What is left of 100The channels multiply: each one takes a share of what the one before it left standing | 37 | 38 |
| AirVPN | IVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Security | 37 weak · rank 4 of 68 | 38 weak · rank 3 of 68 |
| Usability | 57 out of 100 | 66 out of 100 |
| Record completeness | 82% usability 100% | 89% usability 100% |
| AirVPN | IVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Who operates the exit | Run by the provider itself provider_operated | Run by the provider itself provider_operated |
| Retention as declared | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkable | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkable |
| RAM-only diskless servers | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declaredBairvpn.org · | Part of the fleet partialBivpn.net · |
| IP allocation model | Exit address shared between users shared | Exit address shared between users shared |
| Signup without email | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declared | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declared |
| Anonymous payment options | Cryptocurrency paid directlyBairvpn.org · | Cash · Cryptocurrency paid directlyBivpn.net · 2 sources · |
| Own DNS inside the tunnel | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declared | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declared |
| Worst third-party SDK category in the app | No third-party SDK none | No third-party SDK none |
| Worst third-party tracker category on the site | No third-party tracker noneBairvpn.org · | Analytics analyticsBivpn.net · |
| Who owns the hardware | Rented from third parties rentedCairvpn.org · | — not establishedno source published |
| Offered countries that sit under a logging mandate | None | None |
| Hosting in the mandate countries it offers | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
| Incorporation country mandates retention | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Beneficial owner sits under a retention regime | No such regime noBairvpn.org · | — not establishedno source published |
| Persistent device identifier | None held noneBplay.google.com · | An identifier scoped to the app app_scoped_idBivpn.net · |
| Weakest protocol still offered | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
| What the exit does to passing traffic | — not established | — not established |
| AirVPN | IVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| At least one independent audit | No independent audit noCbleepingcomputer.com · | Yes, and the report was read yes_verifiedAcure53.de · 3 sources · |
| How the report is published | — the question does not ariseno source published | The full report is published full_pdfAcure53.de · 3 sources · |
| Subject of the audit | — the question does not ariseno source published | — not establishedAcure53.de · |
| Server fleet coverage | — |
| AirVPN | IVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Server seizure by law enforcement | No seizure on record none_known | No seizure on record none_known |
| Actual disclosure history | No disclosure on record none_known | No disclosure on record none_known |
| Court record of compelled production | No court record none_knownno source published · | Told a court it had nothing to produce unable_to_produceBivpn.net · 2 sources · |
| Response to a national logging mandate | Was never present in that country no_presence | Was never present in that country no_presence |
| Transparency report | — not establishedno source published | Current, with request numbers fresh_with_numbersBivpn.net · |
| AirVPN | IVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Documented gap between claim and behaviour | No documented lie none | No documented lie none |
| Marketing against audit findings | — the question does not ariseno source published | No gap on record noneCcure53.de · 3 sources · |
| Ownership structure transparency | Ownership is stated and checkable clear | Ownership is stated and checkable clear |
| Adverse events on the owner group record | Nothing adverse on record clean | Nothing adverse on record clean |
| How the service is paid for | Paid subscriptions only paid_only | Paid subscriptions only paid_only |
| Claims of 100% anonymity or military-grade crypto | Makes no such claim no | Makes no such claim no |
| Aggressive lifetime subscriptions | Does not no |
| AirVPN | IVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | AirVPN di Paolo Brini — Via Sagittario 4, Perugia (PG), Italy. VAT ID IT03297800546, REA PG-279011 (individual/sole-proprietor enterprise)Bairvpn.org · | IVPN Limited, 5 Secretary's lane, GX11 1AA, GibraltarBivpn.net · |
| Where the company sits | Italy ITBairvpn.org · | Gibraltar GIBivpn.net · 2 sources · |
| Year the service launched | 2010Bairvpn.org · | 2009B |
| AirVPN | IVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms with a client | 8 Android, Android TV, Fire TV, iOS, Linux, macOS, Routers, WindowsBairvpn.org · | 6 Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, RoutersBivpn.net · |
| Countries with an exit | 23 countriesBairvpn.org · | 41 countriesBivpn.net · |
| Paying monthly | $8.11 per monthCairvpn.org · 2 sources · | $6.00 per monthBivpn.net · |
| — the question does not arise |
| Auditor name | — the question does not ariseno source published | Cure53Acure53.de · 3 sources · |
|---|
| Auditor category | — the question does not ariseno source published | A security specialist security_specialistno source published · |
|---|
| Assurance standard | — the question does not ariseno source published | Another standard otherno source published · |
|---|
| Date of latest report | — the question does not ariseno source published | 2024-04-08Acure53.de · |
|---|
| Audit cadence | — the question does not ariseno source published | An annual series annual_seriesBivpn.net · 4 sources · |
|---|
| Total published audits | 0Cbleepingcomputer.com · | 7Bivpn.net · |
|---|
| Retention as the report states it | — the question does not ariseno source published | The report does not address retention not_statedBivpn.net · |
|---|
| Client source code published | Every client all | Every client all |
|---|
| Reproducible builds | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Separate pentest | — not establishedno source published | Yes, and the report was read yes_verifiedAcure53.de · 3 sources · |
|---|
| Strength of the assurance opinion | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
|---|
| Reported numbers plausible for this scale | — the question does not ariseno source published | The numbers are plausible at this scale plausibleno source published · |
|---|
| Warrant canary discipline | — not establishedno source published | Kept current maintainedBivpn.net · |
|---|
| Requests received | — not establishedno source published | 34Bivpn.net · |
|---|
| Requests that produced data | — not establishedno source published | 0Bivpn.net · |
|---|
| Secret-order regime | Orders go through a judge judicial_onlyCairvpn.org · | No secret-order regime on record none_knownBivpn.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Chronology of documented enforcement events | 1 documented demandBairvpn.org · | 0 No demand on the public recordBivpn.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
Does not no |
| Coverage exists only on affiliate sites | Covered outside affiliate sites too no | Covered outside affiliate sites too no |
|---|
| Security incident and how it was disclosed | No incident on record none_knownno source published · | Disclosed by the provider, promptly self_disclosed_promptBivpn.net · |
|---|
| Affiliate programme and payout tier | A standard payout standardBairvpn.org · | No affiliate programme noneBivpn.net · |
|---|
| Owner-run review media discloses the tie | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
|---|
| App store declaration | The store form matches the published policy matches_policy | The store form matches the published policy matches_policy |
|---|
| User base scale (mass >=10M, mid >=1M, niche <1M) | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Ultimate beneficial owner as written | Paolo Brini, sole owner/operator trading as 'AirVPN di Paolo Brini'. The service began in 2010 as a project of a small group of Rome-based activists/hacktivists (initially operated by a company called Iridium), and was formalized under a dedicated company with Brini as owner in November 2012.Bairvpn.org · 2 sources · | Nicholas Pestell, founder and CEO, 100% owner of IVPN LimitedBivpn.net · |
|---|
| Other businesses of the owner group | None disclosed | None disclosed |
|---|
| Country of the ultimate beneficial owner | ITBairvpn.org · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Owner group | independent | independent |
|---|
| Date the current owner took control | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
|---|
| Role of this brand inside the group | The group's principal brand principal | The group's principal brand principal |
|---|
| Infrastructure shared with cluster siblings | Separate infrastructure separate | Separate infrastructure separate |
|---|
| Paying yearly | $56.74 a year at renewal, billed onceCairvpn.org · 2 sources · | $60.00 a year at renewal, billed onceBivpn.net · |
|---|
| Usable free tier | No free tier none | No free tier none |
|---|
| Works under active censorship | Claimed to work claimed | Claimed to work claimed |
|---|
| Protocols offered | 3 WireGuard, OpenVPN, An obfuscated protocolBairvpn.org · | 4 WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, An obfuscated protocolBivpn.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Kill switch coverage | On some platforms partialCeddie.website · 2 sources · | On every platform all_platformsBivpn.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Split tunneling available | Not available noCbleepingcomputer.com · | Available yesBivpn.net · |
|---|
| Simultaneous connections | 5 | 5 |
|---|
| Friction to start using it | No account needed no_account | No account needed no_account |
|---|
| P2P allowed | Allowed yesBairvpn.org · | Allowed on some servers partialBivpn.net · |
|---|
| Major streaming services reachable | Not reachable noCbleepingcomputer.com · | Some services reachable partialBivpn.net · |
|---|
Open questions
Still open on this record.
Retention, unchecked by anyone. No independent audit has ever been commissioned (V01=no, based on consensus among reviewers and the absence of any AirVPN announcement of one, rather than a primary AirVPN denial) — retention (C01) rests entirely on the provider's own privacy notice, never checked by an outside party.
No transparency report, no canary. No transparency report of government/legal requests and no warrant canary could be found on airvpn.org (P05, P07 unknown) — the site does publish periodic 'mission' reports, but those cover donations to NGOs, not law-enforcement requests, so they do not establish P05.
What the forum threads show. Forum threads show users repeatedly asking AirVPN for a warrant canary with no confirmation from staff that one exists, which is suggestive but not a primary denial, so P07 stays unknown rather than 'none'.
Counts nobody publishes. Request/data-handover counts are consequently also unknown (P08, P09), and total subscriber count is never disclosed (M08 unknown) — AirVPN publishes only a live concurrently-connected-users counter, not a registered-user or subscriber total, so silence/ignorance carry real weight here.
Builds and pentests. Reproducible builds are not documented on AirVPN's own build-from-source page (eddie.website/support/build/), and no dedicated client/infrastructure pentest could be found (V13, V14 unknown). Kill switch scope and split-tunneling behaviour are sourced to a third-party review rather than AirVPN's own documentation (U08, U09 at confidence C) because the relevant FAQ pages could not be reached directly through the site's routing (they render via JavaScript and returned only a loading shell to a plain fetch).
Coverage outside the affiliates. Press coverage is not affiliate-only: BleepingComputer, a mainstream outlet outside the affiliate-aggregator list, has published an independent review carrying its own affiliate-disclosure notice rather than being confined to affiliate directories (X08=no). Its same review also found AirVPN failed every streaming service it tried — Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ABC, NBC, CBS — which is why U12b_streaming_works now reads no rather than the addictivetips.com-sourced partial it carried before that host was ruled forbidden.
The yearly price. U04b_price_yearly=4.08 is the EUR effective-monthly rate of the one-year plan (49 EUR/year) on airvpn.org/buy/, flat on renewal like every AirVPN term.
The wordmark. AirVPN serves its wordmark only as PNG (/static/img/logo/web_header.png, logo_horiz.png) and has no press or brand page, so logos/airvpn.svg is left absent per AUDITOR.md §1 rather than tracing a raster.
Still open on this record.
One no-logs audit, in 2019. IVPN is unusually explicit about what it does not do: its own post states that its last and only no-logs audit was Cure53 in March 2019, and that it has deliberately not repeated the format because such a stamp describes one day and not the days after it.
What the claim rests on now. Every audit since targets apps and services, so the no-logs claim on the infrastructure rests on the March 2019 engagement and on the February 2023 gateway review, not on anything recent.
The audit not yet published. The eighth annual Cure53 audit was scheduled for July 2026 and no report for 2025 or 2026 is published yet, which is why the latest report date is the April 2024 one.
The August 2026 incident. In August 2026 an attacker exploited a vulnerability in the self-hosted BTCPay Server, before it was public, and took IVPN's own Lightning operating funds. IVPN published the account four days later, unprompted, and scoped it to that machine: the VPN gateways were not involved, no customer records were reached, no customer money was lost.
Why it costs nothing. The model charges nothing for this, which is the point — an operator that says so promptly is behaving the way the field is meant to reward, and the entry is here so a reader knows it happened rather than to move a number.
What the engagements covered. The app pentest (iOS, Android, Electron, the daemon) is from March 2022 and the gateway/server-OS review from February 2023; neither tested the no-logs claim itself, the 2023 report says so explicitly, so retention rests on the privacy policy declaration alone.
The latest report is not the relevant one. April 2024's engagement, Cure53's sixth with IVPN, tested the customer account website, API and hosting; its own scope page names client apps and VPN servers out of scope, so it extends neither the app nor the gateway evidence, and V03_audit_subject reads unknown for it rather than carrying that credit forward. The seventh engagement, on the new email and DNS services, was only announced for May 2025; no report for it is published.
What the primary site never establishes. RAM-only is recorded as partial because IVPN describes it as a transition with test deployments under way, and has not announced its completion. Server hardware ownership (leased vs owned), traffic modification at the exit, and the beneficial owner's personal jurisdiction are unestablished: no primary IVPN page states any of the three, nor does user-base scale.
Three fields the knowledgebase answers, not the pages read at first fill. IP allocation is shared by design — "crowding" pools users on one address to blunt attribution. P2P is allowed everywhere, but IVPN asks customers to avoid US exits, citing upstream DMCA pressure. Streaming carries no guarantee, though the company says many customers do reach it.
Recent changes
12 Sep 20265 changes
Major streaming services reachableU12b_streaming_works
partial changed to no
Usability scoreusability.score
60 changed to 57
Security scoresecurity.score
40 changed to 37
Monthly price USD, month-to-month plan, as chargedU04_price_monthly
8.11 changed to 8.12
Yearly plan price USD, first term as chargedU04b_price_yearly
56.74 changed to 56.84
12 Sep 20265 changes
Security scoresecurity.score
42 changed to 40
IP allocation modelC03_ip_sharing
not on the record changed to shared
P2P allowedU12a_p2p_allowed
not on the record changed to partial
Major streaming services reachableU12b_streaming_works
not on the record changed to partial
Subject of the latest auditV03_audit_subject
app_security, infrastructure changed to not on the record
