Best VPN for Mac

CyberGhost VPN is a top VPN for Mac computers. It’s compatible with practically any device, but the Bucharest-based provider designed its software specifically for Macs. It imposes a strict no-logs policy, therefore storing no data, not even about your bandwidth usage. Your privacy is further guaranteed with 256-bit encryption.

CyberGhost relies on the OpenVPN protocol - the optimal industry choice. This provider also has one of the biggest server networks on the market, with over 7,000 servers in 90 countries, including specialized servers for torrents and streaming with excellent connection quality.

The software unblocks Netflix and other streaming services such as Hulu, HBO GO, and BBC iPlayer. Torrenting also works well, with minimal speed losses, making this the best VPN for Mac torrenting.

However, all these features don’t come cheap. The monthly subscription fee is $12.99. If you sign up for an annual plan, the price goes down to $3.99/month, while the two-year package costs $3.49/month - that’s a 73% discount on the original price.

The monthly subscription comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and simultaneous connections for up to 7 devices, which is slightly more than what other providers offer.

And although it's costly without a long-term subscription, the software’s many impressive features still make it the best VPN for Mac and iPhone users.

Much like a James Bond villain with a secret lair on a remote island, ExpressVPN is safely nestled in the British Virgin Islands. But unlike a villain, ExpressVPN is there to help those looking for the best VPN for Mac and Android.

This company’s service is provided by a network of 3,000 servers across 95 countries. Although other providers, like CyberGhost or NordVPN, have more servers, this is still perfectly adequate. ExpressVPN’s strength doesn’t seem to lie in numbers, anyway, as the software enables you to browse with speed losses of no more than 5% - an entirely unnoticeable drop in most cases.

What’s more, ExpressVPN is perfect if you are searching for the best VPN for Apple for streaming videos. It unblocks Netflix content restricted to certain parts of the world, giving you access to regional libraries in HD. Traditionally, ExpressVPN has been one of the most capable providers when it comes to circumventing Netflix’s VPN defenses. This VPN is also ideal for torrenting and is compatible with Tor. It even has its own Tor Onion website - a rare feature for a VPN.

ExpressVPN features prominently on all “best VPN for your PC and Mac” lists, partly due to its impeccable privacy track record. Thanks to where it’s located, the company operates outside the scope of Western intelligence-sharing agreements. This allows it to adhere to a strict no-logs policy. The software also relies on the OpenVPN protocol and employs 256-bit encryption.

An obvious downside is that you can connect to only five devices with one paid plan, which might be limiting for some users. ExpressVPN also ranks as one of the priciest options. While the software is widely regarded as the best VPN for Apple’s Mac, a monthly subscription will cost you $12.95. However, if you choose the annual plan, the price drops to $6.67/month.

NordVPN is one of the best-known VPN providers, and for many Apple users, it’s the best VPN for Mac. Its nearly decade-long existence and millions of satisfied users are the best testaments to the effectiveness and reliability of this VPN.

NordVPN has an enviable server network, counting 5,409 server units across 59 countries, so you’d be hard-pressed to find a location in the world that does not have a NordVPN server nearby. The software comes with malware protection too, so it’s the perfect choice for those in need of the best antivirus and VPN for Mac. Besides having a strict no-logs policy, NordVPN has successfully undergone several independent security audits that underscore its commitment to user privacy. Of course, NordVPN also has a no-logs policy, so you can rest assured that it won’t be able to provide any identifiable user information to a third party.

In terms of bypassing restrictions, NordVPN has exceptional unlocking abilities: It allows you to access geo-blocked content on popular streaming services, including Netflix, BBC iPlay, and Hulu. This is also the best VPN for a Mac in the USA because it’s based in Panama and doesn’t fall under the jurisdiction of the Five and Fourteen Eyes data collection agencies. You’ll be well-protected while downloading and uploading content at consistent and usable speeds.

However, NordVPN’s basic plan is more expensive than most of the products on our list. However, while a monthly subscription fee is $11.95, a two-year plan costs only $4.89/month. One paid plan allows you to connect up to 6 devices simultaneously - one more than the competition average. The longer subscription plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee, too, allowing you to switch to other top VPN for Mac options if you’re not satisfied.

Judging by NordVPN reviews on TrustPilot, this provider truly is a user favorite.

We were initially skeptical about the quality of service provided by iTop VPN. The provider offers a free plan, their paid plans are suspiciously cheap, and we couldn’t really find out much about the company, except that it’s probably based in Hong Kong.

However, after closer examination, it became apparent that this is a top-quality VPN provider. First of all, this is a no-logs VPN for Mac. That means there is no risk of your data being stored or handed over to authorities. This is an important feature given justifiable concerns over Beijing's influence in Hong Kong and China’s history when it comes to VPNs and privacy in general.

iTop VPN has over 1,800 servers in its network, which is more than decent. And while it doesn’t begin to match the 5,000+ offered by giants like NordVPN, most users will find iTop’s server network sufficient for torrenting, streaming, or unblocking censored sites.

The provider offers dedicated apps for both macOS and iOS. We found the apps to be very well designed and simple, which makes them incredibly enjoyable and easy to use. Unlike with some competitors, the free plan doesn’t constrict you to browsers or a certain platform, placing iTop VPN in the best free VPN for Mac OS category.

iTop VPN’s focus is on unblocking streaming content, helping you access region-specific libraries on Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney +, Spotify, and others. The company recently added P2P-ready servers, meaning you can download torrents while using iTop VPN.

One of iTop’s major drawbacks is the limited selection of VPN protocols. You can only use TCP, UDP, and HTTPS. TCP and HTTPS are pretty secure, while UDP is the fastest and most ideal option for streaming and gaming. Still, the lack of newer protocols like OpenVPN is unfortunate.

iTop VPN’s free plan limits you to 16 servers and 700 MB of traffic per day. The price for paid plans, which remove all of these blocks and give you access to ad blocking and anti-malware, ranges from $1.66/month for a three-year subscription to $3.99/month for a single year.

We found iTop VPN to be one of the best free VPN Mac solutions out there. The paid plans are feature-packed and some of the cheapest on the market. You can game, stream, and torrent without any hiccups. We definitely recommend this VPN as an affordable alternative to household names.

Mullvad is a lesser-known VPN provider with a smaller network than the other products on our list. It has only 760 servers in 37 countries, and most of them are located in developed countries. Still, we feel comfortable characterizing it as the best OpenVPN client for Mac because of the level of privacy it offers its users.

You don’t need an email or password to access Mullvad - instead, the software generates a 16-digit code that serves as your credentials for using the service. This is excellent news for users who are wary of leaving any kind of personal information online. 

In addition, Mullvad doesn’t collect or store any information about its users apart from the amount of time you have left on your subscription and the number of devices you connected to its network. Several other features support Mullvad’s claim about being the best VPN for Macs, including its use of the OpenVPN protocol and 256-bit encryption.

Mullvad’s main downside is its inability to unblock Netflix. This might be a pretty major thing for some users, even if they’re not avid Netflix watchers. If Mullvad wasn’t this cheap, it wouldn’t be a forgivable offense, but the low price and the fact that Mullvad does work with HBO GO are its saving grace. As far as torrenting goes, all of Mullvad’s servers allow P2P traffic, and, just like the other best VPN providers, the software performs well on speed tests.

Mullvad has a few more tricks up its sleeve, too: It grants you the option to install the WireGuard protocol, an advanced VPN protocol with improved cryptography.

As mentioned before, this software is very affordable. The monthly subscription comes in at only $5, which is considerably less than many other VPN providers. The fee has not changed since Mullvad’s conception, meaning you’ll be paying the same amount for however long you use their VPN. Those who are in the market for the best VPN client for macOS and are especially concerned about maintaining their anonymity should definitely consider Mullvad.

StrongVPN is another up-and-coming provider, but it has already established its service as a fast and easy one. We put it to the test to see if it belongs on the “best VPN for Mac speed-wise” leaderboard.

StrongVPN gained popularity between 2014 and 2016, when it provided free accounts to dissidents in Turkey, Iran, and Bangladesh as they grappled with government censorship online. This proved that StrongVPN's software is effective and gave the company a PR boost.

One of its main features is that it gives users the option to choose different VPN protocols. The protocols include IKEv, PPTP, L2TP, and OpenVPN. We suggest OpenVPN, which is widely regarded as the most secure. But you can also try others like PPTP for streaming or torrenting.

StrongVPN might not be the best VPN for torrenting on Mac because only several of its servers are P2P compatible. However, the connection was stable and fast during speed tests on both P2P and regular servers, which is great news for any user planning to torrent - so long as they connect to the right server. Unfortunately, StrongVPN does not have a vast server network, which means you might have to connect to far-away servers that could result in higher latency.

On the plus side, StrongVPN unblocks Netflix, granting users access to HD streaming content. Many avid gamers consider this product to be the best VPN for Android and Mac and best-suited for gaming due to its connection quality.

As any good VPN should, StrongVPN adheres to a strict no-logs policy, has a kill-switch feature, public Wi-Fi protection, and 256-bit encryption. If you wish to further your anonymity, you can pay for the service using Bitcoin. Keep in mind, however, that the baseline offer from StrongVPN is on the expensive end. A one-month subscription fee is $10 ($5 for the first month). Luckily, the monthly rate goes down to $3.33/month with an annual deal, but it doubles after the first year. All in all, StrongVPN might not be the best VPN for Mac users in terms of price, but it certainly has a lot to offer.

Surfshark is another provider based in the British Virgin Islands vying for the title of the best VPN for Mac.

The software has some of the most affordable plans on the market. The monthly subscription fee is nearly identical to that of NordVPN - $12.95 - but the genuinely frugal option is the two-year plan, which costs only $2.49/month. If two years is too long for you, there are other offers with various discounts, too.

Affordability sometimes equals lackluster features, but not with Surfshark. This service successfully unblocks Netflix US, UK, France, India, Japan, and the Netherlands, practically unlocking all Netflix region-specific content. In addition, Surfshark’s servers are P2P-compatible, meaning you won’t have to switch servers every time you want to torrent.

Any provider hoping to be the best iOS VPN has to perform well on macOS, too, and Surfshark does exactly that. The app runs smoothly and is easy to use. When it comes to the server network, SurfShark’s 3,200+ servers in more than 65 countries are pretty admirable for a smaller-scale VPN in this price range.

SurfShark also has multiple protocols available, including OpenVPN and Shadowsocks, which are based on SOCKS5. Besides the kill-switch option, which shuts down your internet connection if you’re disconnected from the VPN, Surfshark also has the NoBorders mode, a feature reserved only for the top-rated VPN providers. NoBorders allows you to connect to the VPN in countries where the technology might be restricted or prohibited and where other services might not be able to help you.

Surfshark might not be the fastest VPN around, but the speed test results show a reliable and stable connection. In most cases, the speed loss shouldn’t have a visible impact on your browsing or streaming experience. All things considered, Surfshark is one of the best VPNs for Mac users on a budget.

Like some of the other entries on our list, Hotspot Shield initially gained global recognition thanks to political activists. During the Arab Spring protests, this VPN was used to circumvent online censorship. Today, the US-based provider is especially popular among those looking for the best free VPN software for Mac, but Hotspot Shield’s plans, in general, are considered to be some of the best on the market.

The provider prides itself on speed, with good reason: Hotspot Shield performed admirably without any noticeable loss in connection during speed tests. Of course, we can’t crown it the fastest VPN around, because some of its reviewed counterparts had similar results, but there’s no doubt that Hotspot Shield meets all expectations you might have from a premium VPN product.

Like any other good VPN for Mac, Hotspot Shield unblocks Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. Its high speeds guarantee quality streaming.

Hotspot Shield also has 1,800 servers across 80 countries. It’s powered by Catapult Hydra, a proprietary protocol that is said to be 2.4 times faster than OpenVPN. This speed difference should prove significant when you’re streaming, torrenting, gaming, or performing any other internet activity that relies on high-speed connections.

You can also expect to get a password manager, as well as malware, identity theft, and robocalling protection with this safe VPN for Mac. The software runs smoothly, and the company offers customer support via email and live chat. It also adheres to a no-logs policy and allows P2P sharing. Although the free plan comes with all the safety features available, it limits you to 2 Mbps in speed and 500 MB of bandwidth, and you only have access to a single server, which is located in the US. Using the free version also means you will receive targeted ads.

A one-month subscription with this software is $12.99, dropping to $7.99/month if you sign up for the annual plan. Those looking for the best VPN for their Macbook will find Hotspot Shield attractive.

IPVanish was founded in 2012 by Mudhook Media Inc., a subsidiary of Highwinds Network Group. It’s a reputable commercial VPN used by millions of clients worldwide to protect their privacy and ensure safe browsing. Hundreds of VPN reviews on Trustpilot praise IPVanish as the best VPN for Macbook due to its extensive network of servers, effective security measures, and zero-logs policy.

With an IPVanish account, you’ll be able to use the app for all your Mac devices. The configuration process is quick and straightforward, and the only thing you need to do is choose the connection you want to secure. Moreover, the app is available on other platforms, including Android, Windows, and Linux. The best thing is that you can connect an unlimited number of devices at the same time.

Although IPVanish provides an excellent VPN-for-Mac service, it isn’t available for old macOS versions. However, if you have macOS 10.10 or any newer version, you don’t need to worry. With 1,600+ servers in dozens of countries around the world, you can rest assured that you’ll always have a reliable connection.

IPVanish is especially praised for its zero-logs policy; this means the company doesn’t track your internet activity and collect information on how you use its VPN. In other words, it doesn’t have any of your personal information to share or sell to third parties. This is the best VPN for iPhone users who want to protect their messages, emails, or other activities. Also, you don’t need to provide detailed information to purchase this VPN. Aside from your name and payment method, IPVanish doesn’t require anything else.

Another notable feature is the kill switch, which automatically disconnects your device from the internet if the VPN connection is interrupted for any reason. Once the connection with IPVansih is reestablished, you’ll be able to pick up where you left off.

IPVanish is a relatively cheap VPN solution, with a monthly fee between $3.75 and $4.99 depending on subscription length. Additionally, they regularly offer discounts, so you could probably pay even less if your timing is good enough.