Best VPN for China

China VPNs are packed with features to help protect you online and unblock content. We are confident that all 5 of our China VPNs will perform well and have extensive server locations nearby for reliable use. We do recommend those VPNs with extra security features like VPN kill switches. Our favourites are simple to download, very easy to use and have strict log polices.

Usually for the best speeds you would want to connect to a VPN server in the country you are in for or that of the countries content you want to access. This isn’t possible in China as VPN servers can’t be located in mainland China. Our best VPNs for China offer the high speeds by having VPN servers in neighbouring countries such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and India. A VPN will slow your connection slightly but with readily available fast internet speeds in China you shouldn’t notice much difference.

This is a slight grey area for the VPN market in China. VPNs are needed and are knowingly used for many Chinese companies to conduct business internationally on a secure basis. The government have tried to clamp down on businesses using VPNs for illegal purposes and rightly so. It is possible that an individual could be fined or even imprisoned for using a VPN in China. However, there is very little information or history of individuals being tracked down. Instead the government have tried to block the VPN providers themselves from working in China.

Yes. The government have made many attempts to ban Chinese VPNs. This included removing China VPNs from the Apple App store and Google Play (which can’t be accessed in China without a VPN). The VPN providers have to use “stealth servers” to ensure that their own server IP addresses aren’t blocked by the Chinese allowing VPN usage in China. We strongly recommend downloading a VPN before you visit China as it may be more challenging to access a VPN providers sites once you are there.

Overseas visitors will face the same challenges with VPNs as Chinese citizens if they want to download one on arrival in China. Its therefore highly recommend and advantageous to equip yourself with a best China VPN before you leave so that you aren’t restricted by the ‘Great Firewall of China’.

No. You will need a VPN as Google is banned in China following major fallout with the government in 2009. It is thought that Google and the Chinese would allow a censored version of the platform which is very unpopular with the Google hierarchy and doesn’t look like it will materialise anytime soon.

Thankfully there are some sites and applications that can be used without a VPN in China. These would include Netflix/Hulu (technically, although most content isn’t licensed or allowed in China so you will need a China VPN), Online banking, iMessage, FaceTime, LinkedIn, WeChat (Chinese owned).

Most VPNs are banned in China so it’s critical for the ones to work to use stealth protocols. These cleverly add additional layers of obfuscation to help disguise VPN traffic from Chinese censors.

During testing its evident that on occasion a VPN can be working fine one day and then blocked the next in China. Our VPN providers are constantly working on keeping reliable access in China by continually outwitting the government who block their IP addresses. If your VPN stops working its likely to be only temporary but if you do have long term issues consult your VPN provider’s technical support.

Line, the Japanese messaging service, is hugely popular in China despite it being banned and firmly on the governments blocked list. Therefore, the only method know to us is via a VPN. You will need to download a recommended VPN for China to successfully use Line.