The Best VPNs in China | Top 10 Reviewed for 2024

When you’re looking for the best VPN in China, there’s a lot to take into account. Whether you’re just visiting and want to watch TV from home, or you’re a Chinese citizen who needs to access the internet outside of China, you’ll need to know you’re protected. A good VPN can be the difference between browsing in peace and a knock at your door. With so many different choices out there, it can be hard to find the right one.

Thankfully, we’ve looked at many different VPNs to bring you the top 10 best VPNs in China for 2024. We’ve reviewed these VPNs based on their speed and uptime, plus their security and affordablility. Read on to learn how you can bypass the Great Firewall of China thanks to providers like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access. Each of these providers offers the highest level of safety when browsing in China.

The Best VPN in China in 2024 | Quick Answer

You might have some concerns. Given that there are so many different products to choose from, how do you pick a VPN that isn’t subpar or a scam? Our top 10 review aims to make this process far easier. We’ve come to the conclusion that NordVPN is the best VPN you can use in China right now, but here’s a quick breakdown of the market’s top 10 choices:

1. NordVPN — The Best VPN For Browsing In China
2. ExpressVPN — Premium VPN Features and Huge Server Farms
3. Private Internet Access — Guaranteed No-Logs Browsing
4. SurfShark VPN — Unlimited Devices for One Subscription
5. VPN.AC — Top VPN Provider for Device Compatibility
6. VyprVPN — VPN Obfuscation with Chameleon Protocol
7. Astrill — In-Depth Kill-Switch Options Available
8. WindscribeVPN — Highly Customisable Malware Blocker
9. VPNArea — Obfuscated VPN on a Budget
10. PrivateVPN — Highly Privacy Focused VPN

The Best VPN in China in 2024 | In-Depth Reviews

Below we’ve compared each of the best China VPNs in depth to help you find the one best suited to your needs. Let’s dive right in.

1. NordVPN — The Best VPN For Browsing In China

NordVPN is based in Panama, which makes it resistant to court requests and extraditions. It’s our top pick for this review based on a few factors. For one, it’s very secure, thanks to a mixture of obfuscated OpenVPN technology and NordVPN’s custom NordLynx VPN protocol.

These powerful encryption technologies, combined with NordVPN’s investment into high-quality servers, bring you the fastest, most reliable connections you can get to a VPN from China.

Even better, it comes available on all major OSes like Windows, MacOSX, Linux, Android, and iOS. You can even run NordVPN on your SmartTV, your browser, and your router.

NordVPN stands out for its advanced security protocols, which include IKEv2, OpenVPN, and NordVPN’s proprietary protocol, NordLynx. NordLynx, based on the WireGuard protocol, offers high speed while maintaining a high level of security.

NordVPN also includes a kill switch, a mechanism that instantly halts data transfer in case of VPN failure or breach. This is important for preventing any data leaks to unauthorized parties when you’re working on a home connection.

When it comes to their server coverage and locations, NordVPN is very tough to beat. With over 5,000 servers worldwide, NordVPN is definitely the leader in this category as well.

For the best performance you can get in China, NordVPN offers you servers in countries in close proximity to China, such as Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and many more.

When you take into account NordVPN’s fantastic speeds and highly secure browsing options, it should be no surprise we’ve picked NordVPN for the top of our list of best VPNs in China.

Pricing

NordVPN provides three different plan options:

By choosing an annual or two-year payment option on the Standard plan, the price drop represents a significant saving of over 50% compared to the monthly payment option.

The Plus plan follows the same pattern. Monthly payments begin at $12.99, but choosing annual or two-year options reduces the price to $5.99 and $5.19 per month, respectively. With it, you’ll also get NordPass, a cross-platform password manager.

The Complete plan starts at $14.49 per month for the monthly option. The annual and two-year options offer even greater value at $7.49 and $6.69 per month, respectively. This plan gives you everything plus an additional one TB of encrypted NordLocker cloud storage.

Try NordVPN now and make use of their 30-day money-back-guarantee.

2. ExpressVPN — Premium VPN Features and Huge Server Farms

ExpressVPN is a close second in our list of the best VPNs in China. Established in 2009, ExpressVPN is another trustworthy VPN with resistance against court orders due to being based in the British Virgin Islands.

It’s a great option for general use and particularly well-suited for use in China thanks to fast speeds, strong security, and dependable connections. Plus, combined with its proprietary Lightway protocol and vast server selection, ExpressVPN is a formidable contender.

It’s available on a wide range of platforms, including Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Linux, various browsers, and TVs. Any devices you can’t directly install ExpressVPN on can still be covered thanks to a router firmware app which protects all the devices connected to that router.

ExpressVPN supports multiple VPN protocols, including IKEv2 and OpenVPN, plus its own in-house protocol, Lightway. Lightway is a modern protocol that offers excellent security, speed, and versatility, making it a reliable choice no matter what you’re using it for.

It’s particularly impressive that ExpressVPN offers obfuscation for their Lightway protocol when most other providers make you choose between Obfuscated OpenVPN and the speed of a custom protocol. ExpressVPN gives you both, so you don’t have to worry.

ExpressVPN also includes several other features that enhance security and versatility. The in-app kill-switch operates seamlessly, and the split tunneling feature allows you to bypass VPN connections for certain apps and enforce VPN-only connections for others.

With that said, it also excels in server locations and proximity. With over 2,000 servers worldwide and many servers located near China, it’s an excellent choice for a VPN in China.

Additionally, ExpressVPN utilizes RAM-only servers, ensuring that your data isn’t only not logged but also can’t be stored on the servers — and this server architecture has been independently verified by PwC, one of the biggest auditing firms in the world.

When it comes to staying safe, ExpressVPN has you covered.

Pricing

ExpressVPN offers only one plan tier, which makes it easy to ensure you’re getting the full ExpressVPN experience when you buy in. While it might be a little more expensive than the competition, ExpressVPN is truly a premium service:

The best value for money is undoubtedly the 12-month subscription. Unsure? Try ExpressVPN now for a full month without risking any money.

3. Private Internet Access — Guaranteed No-Logs Browsing

Private Internet Access VPN is another top pick for our top VPNs in China. Based in the United States, it might be easy to dismiss PIA over fears of being spied upon. However, time and time again, PIA has demonstrated in court that its “no-logs” claim is absolutely real.

This is in addition to excelling as a VPN. Not only does PIA offer superior security, speed, and reliability, but also has the added benefit of being completely open source — so if you’re paranoid about what VPN software you’re running, you can verify it line-by line and compile it yourself.

It’s available on a wide range of platforms, including Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Linux, various browsers, routers, and smart TVs. Plus, PIA offers almost every modern VPN protocol that you can come up with, including IKEv2, OpenVPN, and WireGuard.

Together, these protocols allow you to choose how much you prioritize speed or security. PIA also comes with reliable automation tools, which can do things like automatically connect or disconnect you from the VPN on specific networks.

This makes Private Internet Access one of the easiest VPNs to fit snugly into the rest of your digital life. On top of that, it also boasts advanced security features, such as a kill-switch to immediately disconnect you from the internet if your VPN connection is compromised or interrupted.

This is especially valuable for those looking to use a VPN in China, where the government closely monitors internet activity. In cases like this, you want a VPN that’s absolutely watertight. We’ve tested PIA, and it’s exactly that.

In terms of network capacity, Private Internet Access is massive, with over 35,000 RAM-only servers. This makes it by far the largest of any top-tier VPN provider. This means that you’ll have no trouble switching servers in case any become inaccessible in China.

With so many servers located near China, including those in Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and many more, Private Internet Access VPN is an excellent option for use in China.

Pricing

With Private Internet Access VPN, you can pay as little as $2.03 per month when you choose the 3-year package. They only have one plan to choose from, but it includes a wide range of features such as the MACE Ad Blocker and Multi-Hop server coverage.

There’s also an additional add-on which costs extra. For another $5 a month, you can buy a token which gives you an anonymous permanent IP to preserve your privacy.

Additionally, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee — try it risk-free now.

4. Surfshark VPN — Unlimited Devices for One Subscription

Hailing from Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Surfshark is a provider that offers a wide range of technology solutions at exceptionally affordable prices.

Their VPN service is the flagship offering, but Surfshark also comes with an antivirus, anonymous web searching, and a dark-web scanner that’ll tell you if your details have been leaked online.

The VPN itself features all standard protocols, a variety of features, and RAM-only servers, making it a formidable option. It’s available on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and most popular browsers.

Surfshark’s features include most of the standard options but also offer a few unique features that set it apart from the competition. It includes a kill-switch, which is paramount in locations where privacy and security are of huge importance, such as China.

The split-tunneling feature referred to as “Bypasser,” is also included. However, the standout feature of Surfshark is its MultiHop feature, which allows you to connect to two different VPN servers, providing an additional layer of security and improving all aspects of privacy.

It can also be used to improve connection speeds, as a direct route isn’t always the fastest. The IP rotator feature, which changes your IP address regularly without disconnecting from the VPN, makes it even harder for potential threats to track you down — is also unique.

Surfshark VPN’s server coverage and locations are also exceptional. With over 3,200 servers in 100+ different countries, Surfshark is a provider positioned at the top of the market without the top-tier costs.

Pricing

For a low monthly cost of $2.05, you can use SurfShark VPN:

One thing to keep in mind when looking at Surfshark is that it offers unlimited devices in a single plan.

While more expensive options like NordVPN and ExpressVPN might limit the number of devices you can cover in a single subscription, Surfshark offers a super low cost and complete coverage for all your devices.

Click the button below now to try Surfshark and take advantage of their 30-day-money-back-guarantee.

5. VPN.AC — Top VPN Provider for Device Compatibility

VPN.AC is next up on our list. This VPN service is based in Romania. This puts it outside the jurisdiction of any “14 Eyes” agreements among western intelligence agencies. Despite being a relatively small-scale VPN provider, it’s certainly not lacking in features or reliability.

It offers a good balance of security, high speeds, and a reasonable price point, along with many of the features commonly found in VPN providers. It’s available on the Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS platforms.

When looking at any VPN, the first thing to consider is the protocols it supports. VPN.AC offers every modern standard protocol, including OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard, providing a strong combination of security, speed, and reliability.

The addition of its premium obfuscation technology makes it a solid choice for use in China. All you have to do is select the “I am in China” option in VPN.AC’s settings, and you’ll be given an alternate server list of obfuscated servers specifically designed to avoid Deep Packet Inspection.

VPN.AC’s features are built with privacy in mind, including a double-hop feature that allows you to connect to not just one but two VPN servers in sequence, providing an additional layer of security. Even if the endpoint VPN you use is compromised, all it would show is a connection to another VPN server.

VPN.AC also comes with split-tunneling, which lets you pick which connections will be protected under the VPN, letting you adjust your preferences for things like gaming or p2p connections.

Plus a kill switch which halts all your traffic over the network if it detects that your VPN has stopped working. On the whole, these are all essential features for anyone using a VPN in China.

Pricing

You can get VPN.AC for as little as $3.75 per month, and like most services, VPN.AC offers only plan tier:

VPN.AC’s monthly plan starts at $9 per month, but you can save by choosing a longer plan. Additionally, VPN.AC offers a 7-day money-back guarantee — not as long as others on this list, but nevertheless, it’s enough time to determine whether it’s for you.

6. VyprVPN — VPN Obfuscation with Chameleon Protocol

VyprVPN is a VPN provider based in Switzerland that’s worth considering for those who want to use a VPN in China. It’s available on various platforms, including Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, and some routers and smart TVs.

It supports a variety of modern VPN protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard, as well as its own proprietary protocol called “Chameleon,” which sits on top of OpenVPN.

Chameleon provides a strong combination of speed, security, and reliability, with the added bonus of obfuscation to protect your VPN traffic against Deep Packet Inspection.

It’s been designed to bypass firewalls that block other VPNs, which is useful when dealing with the Great Firewall.

VyprVPN also offers useful automation tools, such as Public Wi-Fi protection, which automatically connects you to the VPN when accessing an unknown Wi-Fi network. This is handy as hackers often sit on public Wi-Fi networks and capture the traffic that’s sent through them.

Of course, VyprVPN also has an in-app kill-switch, which disconnects you from all networks in case of VPN interruption or compromise, and split-tunneling functionality along with integration with a bunch of different devices you won’t find anywhere else, such as the QNAP NAS.

With over 700 servers, it has a medium-sized network and good local coverage options in countries such as Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. Overall, VyprVPN is a solid choice for anyone looking for a VPN from China.

Pricing

VyprVPN only has 2 plans available. They’re priced as follows:

The 12-month plan provides a whopping 50% discount. Try VyprVPN now risk-free for a full month with its money-back guarantee.

7. Astrill — In-Depth Kill-Switch Options Available

Astrill VPN is a premium VPN service based in Seychelles that offers a variety of features and its own in-house VPN protocols. It’s available on multiple platforms, including Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and certain routers.

Astrill VPN stands out with its wide range of protocols, including the standard options OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard, as well as its own proprietary protocols OpenWeb and StealthVPN.

These protocols, coupled with its high-performance servers, make Astrill VPN a top contender in the VPN market. Like most proper VPN providers, Astrill VPN also offers a kill switch feature which worked flawlessly in our testing.

Additionally, it offers advanced kill switch functionality on Windows that allows you to set up the killswitch separately for specific apps. It’s a rarity to see a kill-switch offer this much control over which apps it covers, which is particularly useful for p2p and gaming applications.

In situations where you’re more concerned with 100% uptime than 100% VPN coverage, Astril VPN is worth checking out.

Plus, it also offers extra features as add-ons, such as Private IPs in over 25 different countries, Multi hopping, and extra-powerful servers, which are available for their VIP add-on. However, it comes with a premium price tag.

Pricing

Astrill VPN only has one pricing tier with the following price tags:

It’s worth noting that the private IP add-on is available for $5/IP/month, and the VIP add-on is available from $10/month.

8. WindscribeVPN — Highly Customizable Malware Blocker

Windscribe is a VPN service based in Canada. This isn’t the ideal place for a VPN provider considering Canada’s less than friendly data laws, but Windscribe has continued to offer great service for a small provider.

There are some interesting plan options that may appeal to those looking for a VPN, particularly for use in China. Plus, it’s available on Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, and Linux platforms, as well as some routers.

Windscribe supports standard protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard, as well as its own proprietary “StealthVPN” protocol. StealthVPN provides strong obfuscation, which is essential for bypassing the Great Firewall of China.

It includes a kill switch, which is an essential feature for high surveillance countries like China or Iran. We’ve tested Windscribe’s kill-switch in a variety of disconnect scenarios, and it performs well.

It also has a split-tunneling feature which allows you to maintain security while optimizing performance for tasks such as gaming or p2p file transfers.

Besides this, it also features a built-in IP tracking, ad-blocker, and content filter called “R.O.B.E.R.T,” which is highly customizable and can block any unwanted content. While many VPN services offer a DNS level ad-blocker, it’s exceptionally rare to see one that you can customize yourself.

Even better, Windscribe makes it easy to block the content you don’t want by offering several pre-made block lists that you can further tailor yourself with an easy to use UI.

Pricing

Windscribe is a little interesting in its price point, with the standard prices starting at $5.75. However, Windscribe features an interesting plan called build-a-plan, which seems to be completely custom.

If you’re looking for a tailored plan, check out Windscribe’s website.

Plus, it’s also worth noting that Windscribe also offers a free version; however, like with most of the best free VPNs, it has a data limit, and the amount of servers you can choose is also limited, so we always recommend going for one of the paid plans instead.

9. VPNArea — Obfuscated VPN on a Budget

We’re nearing the end of this list of top VPNs in China, but not before we talk about VPNArea. VPNArea is a small-sized but reliable VPN provider that offers advanced obfuscation and a great price point. It’s available on Windows, MacOS, Android, and Linux devices.

VPNArea supports the OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols and uses Stunnel for strong obfuscation. Stunnel works by hiding your VPN traffic inside a normal TLS tunnel.

This makes all your traffic like encrypted browsing traffic, making it easy to evade the Chinese government’s surveillance and bypass the Great Firewall. It also offers a Double VPN feature, allowing you to connect to two VPN servers simultaneously.

This adds an extra layer of security that makes it harder for potential attackers to track your internet movements without compromising on speed — in fact, it may even improve it, depending on the original route.

VPNArea is particularly suitable for P2P and torrent applications. Each one of the 130 servers is P2P enabled and optimized, resulting in blazing fast file transfers and P2P gaming.

It also includes a built-in ad-blocker that works effectively, stopping adverts from ever reaching your computer by blocking them at the DNS level. With its low price point, VPNArea offers great value for money.

Pricing

You can get VPNArea for as little as $3.21 per month. VPNArea similarly only has a single tier of plans available:

On the whole, these price points are incredibly competitive, plus there’s a solid 30-day money-back-guarantee that allows you to try it risk-free without losing any money.

10. PrivateVPN — Highly Privacy Focused VPN

Finally, we have PrivateVPN, a small to medium-sized VPN service based in Stockholm, Sweden. PrivateVPN has demonstrated its effectiveness in bypassing the Great Firewall of China, earning a spot on our list. It’s available on Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS platforms.

In terms of protocols, PrivateVPN supports OpenVPN and IKEv2, as well as WireGuard. There’s also a StealthVPN feature we’ll get into in a little bit, but basically, PrivateVPN also offers obfuscation to protect against Deep Packet Inspection while you’re browsing from China.

Like most VPNs, PrivateVPN has a kill switch feature, which disconnects you from all networks in case of VPN interruption. This ensures your data is protected from spying third-parties, which is particularly important in China.

It also has built-in obfuscation through its proprietary Stealth VPN protocol that masks your traffic as SSL traffic, allowing it to effectively bypass surveillance from ISPs and governments.

PrivateVPN works particularly hard in this regard to keep their obfuscation technology up to date, as sometimes outdated methods for obfuscation end up being blocked by the Great Firewall.

For this reason alone, let alone all the other great features, we recommend PrivateVPN if you’re browsing in China.

Pricing

You can get PrivateVPN for as cheap as $2 per month. Here are your options:

Not sure? As with most, PrivateVPN also offers a 30-day money-back-guarantee. Try it risk-free now.

How We Chose the Best VPN in China

In order to find the best VPNs for China, our team tested nearly 100 VPNs and judged them by the following criteria:

1. Speed — We tested the speeds of each VPN for browsing, streaming, and gaming. It can often be frustrating to deal with low speeds through a VPN, which makes turning it off tempting. The best VPNs we’ve seen make the connection process essentially invisible like you wouldn’t even know you’re browsing through a VPN.
2. Security — We evaluated the protocols, encryption, and additional features used to protect users’ privacy and identity from potential attackers, including the Chinese government. Users browsing from China are going to be concerned about potential repercussions from using a VPN, so we opted to choose VPNs with secure obfuscation implementations.
3. Server locations — We focused on VPNs with servers in countries close to China, such as Japan, Korea, or Singapore, to ensure optimal performance. These servers will naturally be quicker to access than those in America or Europe, so any VPN provider that has a large server bank of Asian locations is considered a winner in our book.
4. Kill-Switch — A kill-switch is crucial in countries with high levels of surveillance, like China, to ensure that the Chinese government can’t access users’ personal information. Even a second of unencrypted traffic during a VPN session might be enough evidence for further prosecution, so we’ve only picked VPNs with robust kill-switches.
5. Reliability — We ensured that each VPN on the list was able to consistently and effectively bypass the Great Firewall of China. Naturally, any VPN that can’t get past the Great Firewall is essentially useless if you’re living in China.
6. Affordability — We considered the cost-effectiveness of each VPN to ensure that users get the best value for their money. Most of the options on this list are pretty affordable, but there are some premium options on the list, like ExpressVPN, that are well worth the additional cost.

How to Set Up a VPN | Step-by-Step Guide

Getting set up with a VPN is way easier than you may think. Here’s all you have to do:

1. Step 1 — To set up NordVPN on your Android device, first off, we need to search for NordVPN in the Play Store.
2. Step 2 — Install NordVPN and launch the application.
3. Step 3 — In the main menu, you’re get two options, one that says “SIGN UP” and one that says “LOG IN”. Click sign up to get started.
4. Step 4 — Create your account and pick your plan (remember that you have a full 30-day money-back guarantee by your side.)
5. Step 5 — Log into the application.
6. Step 6 — Click the “Quick Connect” button on the main page or pick a server on the map or drop-down list.

And that’s it. You’re now ready to make use of NordVPN’s super secure VPN servers.

China VPN FAQs