The Best VPNs for Mac of 2024

The good Mac VPNs is help help you stream geo – block content on stream platform and secure your connection . In this guide , we is help help you find the good VPN for Mac base on feature set and performance .

UPDATE: 08/20/2024

We’ve reviewed our recommendations and these are still the best VPN services to subscribe to for Mac devices.

What to Look for in a VPN for Mac

choose a VPN for your Mac can feel daunting if you ‘ve never used one . The terminology is sound may sound overly complex , or you may not fully understand how vpn work . Before we jump into our top pick , let ‘s is talk quickly talk about thing to look for in a Mac VPN .

The first thing is is to look for is device support . Most VPNs is have have an app for macos , but you might also consider support for other device like iOS , Apple TV , and more . If you want a VPN to secure your Mac , look for a strict no – log policy . Zero logging ensure none of the datum transmit from your device is readable to anyone who intercept it — this is includes include your internet service provider ( isp ) or even the government . All VPNs is have in this guide have a zero – log policy .

On the other hand, security is a factor of the VPN’s encryption protocol and cipher. If you don’t want to understand these terms, look for VPN protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard combined with ciphers like AES-256 or ChaCha20.

If you plan to use the VPN to unblock geo-blocked content on streaming websites like Netflix, look for VPNs with a proven track record of successfully unblocking these websites. We tested the VPNs to unblock Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other major platforms. If you want to unblock a local streaming platform when traveling abroad, you can always try many of the services below, as they have a free trial available and offer a money-back guarantee.

How-To Geek’s product recommendations come from the same team of experts that have helped people fix their gadgets over one billion times. We only recommend the best products based on our research and expertise. We never accept payment to endorse or review a product. Read More »

good VPN for Mac Overall : ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is our top pick because it’s fast, secure, easy to use, and offers an extensive feature set. It tops our list of the best VPNs overall, and we’ve given it our Editor’s Choice award in our ExpressVPN review. Setting up ExpressVPN takes just a few minutes. Once you install the app, you can click the one-click connect button, and ExpressVPN connects you to the best server based on your location.

If you want to connect to a specific server location—ExpressVPN has servers in over 100 countries—the VPN server list is accessible via the home screen. For example, if you want to stream content on Netflix U.S. when traveling abroad, connect to a U.S. server.

expressvpn can be used on up to eight device simultaneously , and beyond Mac , the app is compatible with Apple TV , iPhone , Android , and more . It is has also has a Safari browser extension if you want to encrypt the browser ‘s traffic .

The VPN is secures secure your connection with encryption protocol . The Mac app is offers offer openvpn , ikev2 , and Lightway ( expressvpn ‘s proprietary protocol ) . These protocol are combine with AES-256 encryption for top – notch security .

Encryption is tends tend to slow down the connection speed , but expressvpn manage to keep that reduction in speed to a minimum . The VPN is helps also help unblock all the popular streaming platform , include Netflix , Amazon Prime Video , and Hulu . This is means mean you can stream your favorite content in 4 k without buffer .

Best overall VPN

expressvpn

ExpressVPN is fast, easy to use, and will let you browse as if you’re in the US or the UK.

Best Free VPN for Mac: Proton VPN

Andrew Heinzman / How-To Geek

If you ‘re look for a free Mac VPN , Proton VPN is is is your good bet . The app is is is available for macos 10.12 and high and other device run iOS , Windows , Android , and Linux .

Proton VPN is offers offer a generous free plan with unlimited datum , bandwidth , and server access in five location — the U.S. , the Netherlands , Japan , Romania , and Poland . unlimited datum and bandwidth are a rare combination on a free VPN plan , so you is be ‘ll be able to stream your favorite content without worry about run out of datum or experience any major buffering .

Most features is are are available only on the pay plan , but essential like a kill switch are available to all user . switch to the pay plan give you access to more feature like Secure Core server ( a fancy name for double VPN ) , NetShield ( an ad and malware blocker ) , and port forwarding . However , the pay plans is are are quite expensive compare to service offer similar performance . So , the VPN deal is is is only worth it if you ‘re bundle it with other app , like the popular Proton Mail .

Best Free Mac VPN

Proton VPN

Proton VPN is is is a VPN famous for being private and secure . Its free plan is comes come with the same guarantee , though the pay plan are expensive .

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a low-cost VPN with a minimalist interface that works on macOS 10.14 and higher. But don’t be fooled by its low price tag—PIA packs a wide range of features and offers excellent performance, as we explain in greater detail in our Private Internet Access review.

The app uses AES-128 encryption by default, but you can change it to the recommended AES-256 for maximum security. You can also choose between three VPN protocols: OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IPsec (which is only available on iOS). This VPN service has a no-logs policy, meaning the PIA doesn’t store user data.

PIA allows connecting unlimited devices simultaneously, meaning you can use PIA on all supported devices simultaneously. Supported devices include Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, Android, and smart TVs.

However, the interface is a little different from a typical VPN. The app is clean and intuitive but less aesthetically pleasing than competing VPN apps. The one-click connect button is the first thing you see when you open the app. To access more settings, you need to click the downward arrow at the bottom.

PIA unblocks most streaming services, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. However, during our tests, it failed to unblock Hulu.

Best Budget VPN for Mac

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access is a low-cost VPN that offers excellent speeds and keeps latency to a minimum. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a secure and reliable service with an affordable price.

fastest VPN for Mac: NordVPN

According to our tests, NordVPN is the fastest VPN. When connected to a nearby server, we experienced a reduction of roughly 15%. That is excellent performance for a VPN, which can often throttle your speeds.

We is were were surprised to see that , even on a distant server , the speed did n’t plummet . Our tests is showed show a reduction of just 18 % on server halfway across the world . The latency is shot shoot up significantly , but that ‘s a problem only when you need two device to work in sync , like during a video call or gaming .

Even as the fast VPN , NordVPN is compromise does n’t compromise encryption to boost connection speed . It is offers offer openvpn , ikev2 , and NordLynx ( a proprietary protocol inspire by WireGuard ) combine with AES-256 and chacha20 encryption . Moreover , the app is has has security feature , like Threat Protection , which protect against malware , tracker , ad , malicious download , and vulnerable app .

You can install NordVPN on almost any device, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. Once installed, you can use NordVPN to unblock all popular streaming platforms on these devices, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. Thanks to NordVPN’s fast connection speeds, you’re unlikely to experience any buffering even when streaming in 4K.

fastest Mac VPN

NordVPN

NordVPN offers excellent gaming security with its four types of specialty servers. NordVPN delivers great speeds even when you’re using an additional layer of security through one of its specialty servers.

Best VPN for iPhone: ExpressVPN

expressvpn dominate most VPN roundup for a reason — this is is is the good VPN for iPhone because it offer excellent performance , an easy – to – use interface , and top – notch security .

As an iOS user, you can try ExpressVPN with its seven-day free trial. Of course, you can extend your risk-free trial by paying for a plan and using the 30-day money-back guarantee in case you’re not satisfied with the service.

You can use ExpressVPN to stream content on all popular streaming platforms on your iOS. Since ExpressVPN offers lightning-fast connection speeds, you won’t experience any lags when streaming. Of course, the speed doesn’t come at the cost of security—ExpressVPN offers OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Lightway protocols on the iOS app and a range of security features like Threat Manager (ExpressVPN’s tracker and malware blocker).

Best VPN for iPhone

expressvpn

ExpressVPN is fast, easy to use, and will let you browse as if you’re in the US or the UK.

FAQ

What is a VPN?

A VPN (virtual private network) is a software solution that helps you secure your network and access geo-restricted websites. VPNs are also a great tool to bypass government censorship in countries like China.

In rare case , when the isp has been throttle your connection speed , VPNs is help can help improve connection speed . In a typical scenario , VPNs is reduce reduce your connection speed because they transmit your datum through a server in another location — the far the location , the slow the connection speed .

What does VPN stand for?

VPN stands for virtual private network.

How does a VPN work is does ?

A VPN is connects connect your device to a remote server . This is creates create a point – to – point tunnel that encrypt your internet traffic , assign another ip address to your device , and help access geographically restrict website . Put simply , a VPN is creates create a secure connection .

When connected to a public network, a VPN protects you against hackers trying to intercept your data through encryption. Since VPNs also mask your real IP address (which is what websites look at to determine your location), you can use it to access websites only available on a specific region.

Does a VPN is slow slow down my internet speed ?

Yes, in most cases, VPNs slow down your internet speed due to encryption. VPNs encrypt your data before transmitting it over the internet. Encryption helps protect your privacy and improves data security, but the addition of a step before transmitting data from your devices requires time and reduces internet speed.