Want to cut straight to the chase? The best China VPNs right now are ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access.
When it comes to traveling or relocating to other countries, there are so many things that come into play. From booking the right and most affordable airline to getting a reservation for a quiet and home-like hotel, and from settling down to getting used to the new climate, you have got a lot to consider and include in your plan.
For most people, these are the only important things they plan for. They forget the fact that not all countries are friendly when it comes to browsing the internet.
If you’re planning to vacate or live in China, you must include in your game plan how to get a working VPN, or else you may never be able to have the same access to certain internet content or services as you do back home.
You may be wondering why for God’s sake you need a VPN. Well, let us see why using a VPN is inevitable in China before we even start to talk about the best VPN you can get for your sojourn in the country.
Why Do You Need a VPN In China?
If you have ever heard of the “Great Farewell of China” you most likely understand how restrictive China is in terms of internet censorship. Internet censorship in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) goes beyond restricting only the publishing material it also covers viewing online material. It is believed the country has one of the comprehensive and sophisticated internet censorship in the world.
The government blocks access to online content and monitors internet access as well as activities. Some of the preventive measures they used to block internet access include blocking access to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, DNS spoofing, resetting, and more.
So, if you consider all the above restrictions placed on internet access, you know already you may not get much done without working china VPN.
A VPN comes in handy for many reasons. It doesn’t just help you unblock geo-blocked content it also helps ensures your online security and privacy by offering strong encryption for your internet traffic.
In this article, we have tested various VPN services and narrowed down our list of best VPNs for China. Follow through to find out what our recommended VPNs are for you as you plan to live in China.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a VPN For China
There are countless numbers VPN providers available on market today and sifting through the market can be more than confusing. The truth is in choosing the right VPN you don’t necessarily have to tick all the right boxes. You only need to know what factors are the most important indicators of a good VPN. To cut the crap, below is what you need to consider choosing the best VPN for China:
Security and Privacy
If there is anything that is most important in a VPN it’s undoubtedly the security and privacy it offers. When buying a VPN or contemplating buying one, you must endeavor to find out what security and privacy experience have previous buyers have with the product. If possible, go as far as getting your provider to provide you with proper proof that the VPN works in terms of online security and privacy.
Go For Paid VPN Instead of Free One
The harsh truth about free things is that the provider always has hidden motives. Just as in the case of free VPNs, most of them tend to collect your data and sell it to a third party. And for those who don’t sell, they make money by flooding your screen with ads. You know how obstructing and boring this is. Don’t you?
Privacy Policy
Today nearly all providers claim they maintain a strictly no-logs policy when in reality it isn’t true. Most VPNs keep your browsing history and log-in details. These are sensitive information that you need to make sure is kept private. So right from when you’re planning to buy a VPN, take your time to study the provider’s privacy policy diligently.
Best VPN For China
| Brand | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. ExpressVPN | $8.32/month | Encrypts Users’ Web Traffic |
| 2. Private Internet Access | $2.19/month | Easy access |
| 3. IPVanish | $10.99/month | Support |
| 4. CyberGhost | $4.49/month | Fast gaming |
| 5. PrivateVPN | $8.99/month | High security |
| 6. HMA | $2.99/month | Streaming |
#1 ExpressVPN
This provider has been largely favored by most people for being one of the best in terms of ease of use, large server networks, and privacy, to name but a few. Founded in 2009, ExpressVPN has to be at the top of other providers when it comes to anonymous browsing, streaming, and downloading. With over 3,000 servers covering 94 countries and 160 server locations, you’ll get access to a large network of servers anywhere in the world.
With a single subscription on ExpressVPN, you can connect up to 5 devices concurrently. When it is time to connect to the server, this VPN offers grade-A connection at incredibly fast speed thereby making it easy for you to stream, browse and download.
When it comes to security and privacy, ExpressVPN offers high-level encryption security that surpasses any breach from prying eyes and other snoops. Furthermore, this VPN maintains a strictly no-logs policy. This means they don’t either require you to submit your personal or log-in details nor keep your browsing history.
More interestingly, this provider allows torrenting and they have native apps for Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, and Mac. Plus, you can pay with anonymous payment methods like such as Cryptocurrency. This further ensures your data remain completely incognito.
If you decide to try out this VPN today, you have nothing to lose as they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. In other words, should you not be happy with what your get, you can ask for a full refund – No story.
Pros
- Ease of use
- Fast connection
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Excellent downloading and streaming potential
- Large servers
Cons
- Expensive when compared to other services
Get started with ExpressVPN today.
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#2 Private Internet Access
To be frank with you this VPN isn’t without any flaws but it is really a good option for so many reasons. We picked it for its affordability and strict adherence to the no-logs policy. Apart from being one of the most widely recognized VPNs on the market, Private Internet Access has some exciting features such as an easy-to-use interface, strong security, and unblocking potential for streaming services such as NetFlix, Amazon Prime Video, UK Hulu, etc.
With over 35,550 servers distributed in 78 countries, this provider has large servers that can cater to all users regardless of where they are in the world. However, there is one drawback to this VPN – unstable speed and connection for streaming. The only solution to this is to keep switching till you find a location with fast speed and connection. But doing this can be very frustrating if you aren’t patient.
Pros
- Unrestricted bandwidth
- Up to 10 devices connections at the same time
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Strictly no-logs policy
- Easy-to-use interface
- Lots of advanced security measures
Cons
- Unstable speed and connection
Get started with Private Internet Access today.
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#3 IPVanish
We picked this VPN because of its being one of the providers with robust security features, blazing-fast connections, and ease of use, among others. With IPVanish, unblocking and accessing streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, Vudu, is easy leveraging the provider’s incredible speed.
Headquartered in the United States, IPVanish has 1,600 server networks distributed in 60 countries and it allows connections to unlimited devices using a single license.
Additionally, this provider offers a great VPN for torrenting in that it allows unrestricted peer-to-peer connections. The good thing about this feature is that it helps to keep your torrenting safe and completely anonymous.
Furthermore, IPVanish maintains a strict no-logs policy, which means they keep your information incognito. However, this wasn’t really the situation until it take-over by StackPath in 2017. Based on their claim, you can rest assured they now maintain the policy as they promised.
On security, IPVanish offers uncrackable 256-bit AES encryption, which makes it completetly impossible for hackers and government agencies to read your data should they intercept your internet traffic. Moreso, there are other amazing security features such as automatic kill switch and DNS leak protections. However, the Kill switch feature is only available for Windows and MacOS. This is really a big drawback considering the benefits they offer.
Above, this provider has apps available for all the popular platforms such as Windows, iOS, macOS, Fire TV, Linux, Android, and many more.
Pros
- Ease of use
- 24/7 live chat support
- Lots of amazing security features
- Strictly no-logs policy
- Unlimited connections to devices on a single license
- Unlimited peer-to-peer connections
Cons
- Kill switch only available for Windows and macOS
Get started with IPVanish today.
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#4 CyberGhost
CyberGhost is one of our best options when it comes to choosing the best VPN that works in China. From affordable plans to robust unblocking potential, and from ease of use and seamless streaming capability, there are unlimited benefits to gain from this provider.
On unblocking potential, CyberGhost’s server works perfectly in ublocking streaming content such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and more. All in all, this VPN unblocks a good number of popular streaming services.
Without a fast speed, you can’t go far with streaming let alone playing games. This provider equally offers a blazing-fast speed on local servers. As of the time of writing this article, CyberGhost has 7,400 servers spanning across 91 countries. All these are made available for you to access the internet easily, not to talk of their dedicated servers for streaming, gaming and torrenting.
Additionally, CyberGhost offers amazing encryption and security features such as military-grade 256-bit encryption, and a kill witch. Most importantly, your information is safe with this provider as they maintain a strict n0-logs policy.
Pros
- 24/7 live chat support
- Up to 7 devices connections at the same time
- Great for torrenting
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- Streaming-optimized servers
- Ease of use
- Less pricey
Cons
- Some servers are slow
- The gaming server is weak in highly-censored countries like China
Get started with CyberGhost today.
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#5 PrivateVPN
This is one of working VPNs you can rely on while traveling or living in China. Apart from its amazing internet security, it’s a good VPN when it comes to unblocking popular streaming services. It unblocks geo-Netflix streaming based in countries such as the UK, US, Japan, and Canada, to mention just a few. It allows streaming other popular services such as Disney+, Hulu, and more.
Furthermore, this provider is good in terms of fast connection and ease of use. Plus, it allows you to stream live HD, browse, play games and torrent.
On security, PrivateVPN has robust security features such as a strict no-logs policy, automatic kill switch and DNS leak protections, 256-bit AES encryption, and lots more. However, one of the drawbacks we noticed in this VPN is that it doesn’t have an ad-blocker. Above all, this is one of the VPNs that work in China.
Pros
- Ease of use
- Strong unblocking potential
- Tor support
- Lots of standard security features
- Fast speed
- Great for streaming, torrenting, etc.
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Anonymous payment method like Cryptocurrency
Cons
- No split tunneling
- No ad-blocker
- Kill switch is only available for Android and Windows
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#6 HMA
HMA is an acronym for “Hide My Ass”. With over 1,100 servers distributed in over 290 countries, HMA makes it easy for you to access the internet anonymously from anywhere in the world. Apart from having dedicated servers for streaming and peer-to-peer streaming, the provider offers lots of amazing features such as a smart kill switch, no-logs DNS, split tunneling, and lightning connect with 20 Gbps connection speeds. Other features include fast server, OpenVPn protocol, IP shuffle, etc.
The good thing about this popular provider is that it offers you a 30-day money-back guarantee to try it out. So you don’t have anything to lose.
Additionally, this provider allows you to connect up to 5 devices at a time and there are apps available for Windows, iOS, Android, routers, Linux, and Mac.
Pros
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Up to 5 devices simultaneous connections
- User-friendly interface
- Blazing-fast speed
- Powerful unblocking potential
- Lightning connect
Cons
- Inability to work for streaming services like Disney+, HBO, etc.
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Wrapping Up On Best VPNs For China
There you have our top picks for the best VPNs for China. Go ahead and make your choice. We are confident we not go wrong in doing that!