Best VPN for China
Looking for the best China VPN to use when visiting China? Trying to bypass China’s strict censorship laws to unblock Google, WhatsApp, Twitter and many more blocked sites? Check out our best VPN China guide below.
Best VPN for China explained
What do you need from a VPN in China?
A VPN for China needs to be able to bypass strict Chinese censorship, be fast, reliable, and ultimately be very online privacy friendly. Our best VPN reviews for China cover:
- Unblocks websites, applications and content blocked by Chinese censorship
- Large VPN server choice in proximity to China
- Military grade privacy protection and strict logging policies
- Fast and reliable speeds
- Well designed VPN applications and easy to use
Melvyn's top 5 VPNs for China
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN are one of the most recognisable names on the market, offering best-in-class zero logs privacy, fantastic speeds, awesome features and easy to use applications. ExpressVPN is a true market leader, and whilst it comes with a premium price tag (compared to others), users are rewarded with an outstanding product!
Compatible with
Summary
Blazing-fast speeds, exceptional app usability and 24/7 customer support… ExpressVPN is a real force to be reckoned with!
Our score:
4.8
Price from:
$8.32
per month
Pros
- Blazing-fast servers with up to 170Mbps download speeds
- Extremely user-friendly applications on all devices
- Kill switch, DNS leak protection, 256-bit AES encryption
- Access to over 3,000+ servers spanning 94 countries
- Unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer and great for HD streaming
- Peer-to-peer (P2P) torrenting permitted
- Defeats content and government censorship
- One of the most trusted names out there
Cons
- Only allows you to protect 3 devices
- Premium brand so you pay a premium price
PrivateVPN
PrivateVPN are a first class, zero logs VPN provider and are one of our top picks if you’re concerned about online privacy. Combining market leading security with excellent speeds produced from its global network of servers, you can safely enjoy torrenting or stream HD content from all the popular providers such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer with ease. Private by name and private by nature… this VPN is hard to beat!
Compatible with
Summary
Exceptionally privacy focused, ultra-quick download speeds and ridiculously competitively priced… you don’t want to overlook PrivateVPN!
Our score:
4.7
Price from:
$1.89
per month
Pros
- Fast reliable servers with up to 323Mbps download speeds
- 2048-bit encryption with AES-256
- Kill switch, DNS and IPv6 leak protection
- Peer-to-peer (P2P) torrenting permitted
- Unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer and all other popular streaming sites
- Zero logs policy
- Full 30-day money back guarantee
- One of the cheapest VPNs available
Cons
- Server choice could be larger
- Currently no web browser extensions
- Live chat directed us to email in testing
NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the best and most popular VPN providers out there. It strikes the perfect balance for privacy concerned users and those looking for lightning fast speeds. It’s great for unblocking content such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer and also supports P2P and torrenting. Add to this its no logs policy and impeccable security, Nord sure does tick all the boxes!
Compatible with
Summary
Outstanding speeds, zero logs, and award winning 24/7 customer support… NordVPN is up there with the very best in the VPN market!
Our score:
4.9
Price from:
$3.71
per month
Pros
- Super-fast reliable servers with up to 226Mbps download speeds
- Extremely user-friendly applications on all devices
- Kill switch, DNS leak protection, 256-bit AES encryption
- Access to over 5,400+ servers spanning 59 countries
- Unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer and all other popular streaming sites
- Peer-to-peer (P2P) torrenting permitted
- Double VPN security feature for extra protection
- One of the most popular VPNs available
Cons
- Alternative security protocols need manual configuration
- Speeds can be compromised on some distant connections
VyprVPN
VyprVPN is a remarkably secure, zero logs VPN provider that sets out to keep its users safe and secure online with an array of great features. For those locked out in areas of high government censorship, their proprietary chameleon protocol overcomes censorship barriers anywhere in the world which ideal for users in China, the UAE and India etc. And with servers in 70+ worldwide locations, decent speeds can be achieved whilst doing so.
Compatible with
Summary
Unprecedented focus on user privacy, great speeds and competitively priced… if you’re looking to get around government censorship, look no further!
Our score:
4.7
Price from:
$2.50
per month
Pros
- Zero logs (verified by third party audit)
- Kill switch, DNS leak protection, 256-bit AES encryption
- High-end encryption/NAT firewall
- Chameleon technology works well for users in China, the UAE, India etc
- Unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer and all other popular streaming sites
- Peer-to-peer (P2P) torrenting permitted
- One of the best for bypassing government censorship
Cons
- Top features only available on premium plan
- Middle of the road speeds
Ivacy
Compatible with
Summary
Well polished user-friendly apps, market leading speeds and an outstanding price… Ivacy are major players in the VPN market!
Our score:
4.7
Price from:
$1.16
per month
Pros
- Fast, reliable servers with up to 256Mbps download speeds
- Kill switch, DNS leak protection, 256-bit AES encryption
- Access to 1,000+ servers spanning 100+ countries
- Slick applications which are full of features
- Unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer and all other popular streaming sites
- Optimised peer-to-peer (P2P) torrenting servers
- Strict no logs policy
- Protect up to 10 devices with one account
- One of the cheapest VPNs available
Cons
- OpenVPN not available on all servers
- Long distance connection speeds
China related news
China VPN FAQs...
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.
- Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype, Pinterest, Tumblr, Google +, Quora
- Streaming & Content Providers: YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, Twitch, Periscope, Spotify, Soundcloud, Pandora
- Messaging Services: WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Signal, Line, Slack, KaKaoTalk
- Search Engines: Google, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, Amazon (Alexa)
- Business Related: Gmail, Dropbox, All Google apps (Calendars, Drive, Docs, Maps etc), Hootsuite, Google Play, Microsoft OneDrive
- News Media: BBC, New York Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, CNN, TIME and many more
- Blog Platforms: WordPress, Blogger, Medium
- Others: VPN websites, porn websites, politically sensitive websites
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.