Top Vpn For Mac
Top Vpn For Mac Rating: 3,1/5 8146 reviews
If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s the susceptibility of Mac computers to suffer privacy and security breaches.
- ExpressVPN is our top choice for the best all-round VPN on the Mac. The firm's dedicated app is intuitive and very user-friendly, featuring a one-click option for connecting, as well as some.
- Oct 04, 2018 You can achieve all that if you are using the best free VPN for Mac. Although there are dozens of providers that can unblock websites, only a few of these are reliable enough to trust our privacy with. In this blog, I will mention only the most trustworthy VPN services you can rely on the next time you surf the web on your Mac.
- The best VPN services for Mac 2019 NordVPN: Best overall nordvpn.com. VyprVPN: Best for security/privacy goldenfrog.com. CyberGhost: Fastest VPN cyberghost.com.
- 10 Best VPN for Mac to Download in 2019 1. CyberGhost VPN for Mac OS. Private Internet Access. Hidden24 VPN for MacOS. Buffered VPN.
The number of malware attacks on Mac OS computers in 2017 jumped up to 80% as per Symantec, pushing people to search for solutions to enhance their cybersecurity and privacy on the web:
One definite action that you can take to instantly consolidate your online privacy is to use a VPN service compatible with your Mac.
Best VPN for Mac 1. From all our testing, we reckon that ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Mac and, indeed. Hotspot Shield. This is very good VPN for both speed and affordability. CyberGhost says it's created its software specifically for Mac. Jan 18, 2019 BEST VPN FOR MAC USERS: ExpressVPN is our #1 choice. A fast and reliable choice which unblocks all major streaming services. A fast and reliable choice which unblocks all major streaming services. Best-in-class security and privacy with 256-bit AES encryption, keep no browser logs, kill switch and leak protection.
PureVPN is our top recommendation as the best Mac VPN in 2019. It offers a broad set of features to allay your privacy concerns while also giving you the freedom to access blocked websites/services (including Netflix, p2p etc.) at will for only $1.65/mo.
We have tested and reviewed over 150 VPNs, but found only 5 of them capable enough to make it into this article.
Let’s get started.
5 Best VPNs for Mac
Here are our top VPN picks for systems running on MacOS:
- PureVPN ($1.65/mo)
- Surfshark ($1.99/mo)
- ExpressVPN ($8.32/mo)
- CyberGhost ($2.75/mo)
- NordVPN ($3.49/mo)
1. PureVPN ( $1.65/mo )
Number of Servers: 2000+ Countries: 140+ Simultaneous Connections: 5
PureVPN is known primarily for the vast geographical diversity of network. It is the best cheap VPN for Mac due to its impressive pricing plan of $1.65/mo.
There are 2,000+ servers distributed over 140+ countries around the world.
This VPN comes with security features like AES 256 bit encryption and OpenVPN tunneling (among other options). It consists of a very responsive kill switch for an added measure of privacy and security for your web traffic.
The zero-logging stance of the company makes it well-worth the attention of users seeking to enhance their privacy as well.
Although the Windows app of the VPN supports split-tunneling, this feature is unfortunately unavailable for Mac yet.
PureVPN has a very minimalistic app design and UI for Mac and offers a smooth user experience.
It is dead simple to use and the option to simultaneously connect up to five devices to one subscription makes it dirt cheap to afford.
If you don’t end up liking their service, then you can always get your money back with their 31-day money back guarantee.
Prices:
- Ultimate discount deal 85% Off, $1.65/mo – 5 year plan
- [47% off], $5.81 a month – 1 year plan
- $10.95 a month – 1 month plan
Read complete PureVPN review for more details.
2. Surfshark ($1.99/month)
Number of servers: 800+ Countries: 50 Simultaneous connections: Unlimited
Surfshark is the fastest VPN you can get for your Mac ($1.99/month). Despite its low cost, it doesn’t compromise on quality on any front.
It offers 800+ servers in 50+ countries around the world.
For added security, there is a built-in kill switch for Mac. It serves as an insurance policy should your connection drop and reveal your real IP address (though the service is free from any IP leaks).
Apart from this, Surfshark also supports split-tunneling through its WhiteLister feature – a handy tool to split your VPN and non-VPN web traffic.
Surfshark’s Mac VPN app has a very intuitive design to facilitate user accessibility.
On the privacy front, the provider has a policy of zero-logging so you can forget worrying about your sensitive information being monitored for any purpose.
The British Virgin Islands jurisdiction ensures that you are free from any data logging from the provider.
Finally, there is no other highly-rated provider in the industry offering unlimited simultaneous VPN connections per subscription.
Combined with a full 30-day money back guarantee, Surfshark is a valuable VPN service to have for Mac.
Prices:
- [50% off], $5.99 a month – 12 months plan
- $11.95 a month – 1 month plan
Read complete Surfshark review for more details.
3. ExpressVPN ($8.32/month)
Number of servers: 3000+ Countries: 94 Simultaneous connections: 5
ExpressVPN is not the cheapest option out there, but its excellent speed and strong privacy policies make it an easy choice for those who can afford it.
The VPN is powered by 3,000+ servers in 94 countries of the world, having a strong capability to unblock any censored/restricted website. With such a huge server base, it’s one of the best option for VPN streaming as well.
The app for MacOS has Network Lock (the company’s proprietary kill switch) to interrupt your connection and prevent your IP from leaking to the wider internet.
Like its young counterpart (Surfshark), ExpressVPN is operating under the jurisdiction of British Virgin Islands and has an excellent no-logs privacy policy.
The split-tunneling feature for Mac gives the user complete control over which apps should use the VPN and which shouldn’t.
You can use up to 5 simultaneous connections on one subscription and avail a 30-day money back guarantee.
Simply put, ExpressVPN covers all bases as a VPN for privacy and internet freedom on your Mac.
Prices:
- $9.99 a month – 6 months plan
- $12.95 a month – 1-month plan
Read ExpressVPN review for more details.
4. CyberGhost ($2.75/month)
Number of Servers: 3500+ Countries: 59 Simultaneous Connections: 7
CyberGhost covers a lot of key bases that are of interest for an average privacy-seeking Mac user.
It possesses a network of 3,500+ servers that use powerful encryption protocols (AES-256).
For VPN tunneling, you can choose from PPTP, L2TP, and OpenVPN protocols as your preference. There is a built-in kill switch in CyberGhost and IP leak protection for ironclad security and privacy.
Moreover, the service offersplenty of servers in a multitude of locations that support both P2P and streaming services without any data logging.
The fact that it is based in Romania shows that the provider is under a safe jurisdiction for user privacy, since the country repealed its data retention (demanded by EU), in 2014.
CyberGhost Mac client is amongst the most user-friendly applications we have ever used.
It automatically tweaks itself to offer the best experience depending on what you intend to do with it.
You can connect up to 7 devices simultaneously on one CyberGhost subscription plan.
As always, it offers a full 45-day money back guarantee for ultimate peace of mind.
Prices:
- $5.99 a month – 1 year plan
- $3.69 a month – 2 year plan
- $12.99 a month – 1 month
See CyberGhost review for more details.
5. NordVPN ($3.49/month)
We don’t recommend NordVPN at the moment due to its security vulnerabilities.
Number of Servers: 5500+ Countries: 60 Simultaneous Connections: 6
NordVPN keeps no user logs and grants users the ability to access any website on the web, all for a cost of $3.49/month.
The provider offers excellent features like AES-256-CBC ciphers encryption and OpenVPN, IKeV2 protocols.
It also sports a huge arsenal of 5,500+ servers in 60 countries around the globe for ultimate coverage and fast speed.
However, the kill switch that NordVPN uses for Mac terminates applications when your connection drops, rather than shutting down your entire Internet for maximum protection.
Other than this, the service throws some amazing extra features in the mix such as DoubleVPN and Onion over VPN.
The doubleVPN feature is basically the multihop feature that routes your traffic through two separate VPN servers for even stronger-than-default security.
Onion over VPN servers combine the features of Tor and VPNs as another mechanism of bolstering your web security.
The interface is smooth and responsive, so much so that there are literally no lags or crashes in the Mac application.
The user-friendly privacy policy ensures no logging of user data.
The privacy benefits of NordVPN are further vindicated when you consider that it is based in Panama. The country has no mandatory data retention requirements (read our article on Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes for more detail).
Nord also offers the ability to connect 6 devices simultaneously.
To top it off this provider also offers 30-day full money back guarantee, so you can try out their service without any strings attached.
Prices:
- [66% off], $3.99 a month – 2 year plan
- [41% off], $6.99 a month – 1 year plan
- $11.95 a month – 1 month plan
Read NordVPN review for further details.
The Insecurity Underlying Mac Systems
The idea that Macs are secure from malware and data breaches has existed as long as Mac itself and actually been repeatedly emphasized by Apple.
Just take a look at this advertisement from the early 2000s:
While it is true that Mac machines are more secure than their Windows counterparts, they are not immune to the exploits of cybercriminals.
In fact, experts now believe that Mac OS is just as vulnerable to data breaches and other vulnerabilities as Windows machines.
3ric Johanson, a security researcher, asserted:
“If you look at the number of published vulnerabilities in software and the number of users and compare Windows versus Mac OS you will discover that Mac OS has far more published vulnerabilities per user than Windows does so I think the data pretty much speaks for itself.” – [Source]
Statistics accurately support this assertion, as the chart compellingly illustrates below:
Source: AV-Test Security Report 2017/18
Another research by Cybersecurity ventures revealed that the world will receive a massive hit of approximately 6 trillion dollars by 2021 as a consequence of cybercriminal activities alone.
This calls for Mac users to take their web security seriously.
For this, it is essential to ensure your anti-malware suites are updated.
And while you’re at it, don’t forget to take additional preventive measures like using VPN services on your Mac system-wide to fill any digital cracks capable of compromising your privacy.
Final Verdict
We recommend PureVPN as the best VPN for Mac due to a wide range of security features, watertight privacy, and a huge list of servers to choose from for gaining access to restricted sites all at highly affordable pricing.
In short, you can’t go wrong with any of these VPNs listed above, but the best value providers are PureVPN and Surfshark.
Finding a VPN for Mac ins’t as simple as it sound.
First off, many VPNs don’t have a standalone app for Mac devices. That means need to install a third-party software (like the separate OpenVPN client) and manually set it up. So instead of downloading a simple Mac app and getting connected instantly, you’ll have to fumble around with this complicated workaround to manually connect to the VPN.
A dedicated Mac app is just the beginning, though.
You don’t want to sacrifice speed for the security or the opposite. Many VPNs can be slow performing or simply leak your IP or DNS address. Mac VPN should use the latest protocol and encryption options, like OpenVPN and AES-256 bit encryption. Strict “no-logging” policies are acceptable. Otherwise, the VPN could track your activity and sell it off to the highest advertiser.
Finally, you won’t really be able to stream anything on Netflix or use torrenting unless your server speeds remain fast.
However, we’ve done the leg work and tested and reviewed over 78 VPNs. Below is a list of 7 best VPNs for Mac users in 2019:
1. NordVPN – Best VPN for Mac ($3.49/mo)
NordVPN is the best pick for regular MacBook users based on our tests.
The Mac app features a drag-and-drop map to select a new server location.
All 5,200 servers in 62 countries are also featured on the left-side menu. And it comes with a built-in kill switch that will automatically cut your connection if your WiFi drops (so your true location isn’t accidentally exposed).
NordVPN is available across Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, and Linux. Plus, about 40 other operating systems and routers. You can use up to six simultaneous connections at any time.
The industry standard, OpenVPN, is the default protocol on the Mac app. But they also allow you to switch over to IKEv2/IPSec if needed.
NordVPN is also the only VPN provider on this list that features both a double VPN and obfuscated servers. The Double Data Encryption wraps your connection in two VPN layers for additional security. While the obfuscated servers can help you bypass network firewalls, so it’s perfect for people with restricted access in your home country.
Their connection speeds are solid, too. We started off with a speed of around 98 Mbps (without a VPN), and after connecting to NordVPN, we averaged 74 Mbps. That’s still plenty of speed to get lag-free streaming on Netflix (no restrictions) or torrenting (on their specially-designed P2P servers).
But the best part about NordVPN?
They’re currently running a special where you can get NordVPN for just $3.49 per month with a three-year commitment. That’s massive cost savings from the $11.95/month normal price, so locking in that low deal makes sense if you’re serious about privacy and security.
Visit NordVPN.com to get the Mac app
Read more in our full NordVPN Review
2. ExpressVPN – Fastest Speed Performance on Mac ($6.67/mo)
The ExpressVPN Mac app features one-click connection that automatically joins the closest Smart Location.
These VPN servers are optimized to deliver the best performance out of the box. Just open the app, hit the “Connect” button, and you’re logged on in seconds.
If you’re trying to bypass local restrictions, you can manually select any international server directly from the main screen (without having to dig through countless menu options).
ExpressVPN’s Mac app isn’t just pretty to look at, though. It’s also blazing fast. We started with a 100 Mbps connection before logging in, and the secure connection only dropped the download speed to 83.15 Mbps. Barely noticeable!
ExpressVPN doesn’t skimp on security to deliver these speeds, either. They have a kill switch and anonymous IP address available for all of their 3,000+ servers in 93 countries. Netflix, torrenting, and P2P servers all worked like a dream as well.
We’re happy to report that their Mac app is 100% leak-free. And it defaults to OpenVPN, the best protocol in the world with rock-solid AES 256-bit encryption, while still offering access to SSTP, L2Tp/IPsec, and PPTP protocols.
As good as all of that sounds (and it is good), the major drawback with ExpressVPN is its price.
It’s more expensive at $6.67/month (for annual plans with our deal). All plans do come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. But this isn’t a wallet-friendly service for people on a strict budget.
Visit ExpressVPN.com to get the Mac app
Read more in our full ExpressVPN Review
3. Surfshark – Cheapest Quality VPN for MacBook ($1.99/mo)
The Surfshark Mac app has a “Quick Connect” button that will instantly get you on one of their servers within seconds.
From there, you can switch to any of the other 800+ servers in 50 countries or change protocols from OpenVPN to IKEv2/IPsec within about two clicks each.
Beyond Mac devices, Surfshark has prebuilt apps for iOS, Windows, Android, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, and routers (through OpenVPN).
Most of these apps have a kill switch, except for the Android version (currently in development).
Surfshark has a legitimate no-logging policy. We even ran their connection through five different leak tests and found that all of them came back negative.
I was able to easily stream Netflix on six different servers (from LA to South Korea). Torrenting and TOR are also 100% allowed.
The only slight hiccup was some speed inconsistencies. For example, our initial download speed was 98.71 Mbps. A Netherlands server was 25% slower (71.06 Mbps), while a U.S. server was 50% slower (48.99 Mbps) and the Hong Kong one was nearly 75% slower (25.74 Mbps).
The sliver lining is that the pricing is the lowest we’ve seen from over 70+ different VPN companies. The two-year plan is only $1.99 a month!
You can sign up for the free 30-day trial to try them out. Then, if everything looks good, use everything from major credit cards to PayPal, cryptocurrencies, Dragonpay, Tenpay, and Alipay to pay.
Surfshark even throws in a 30-day money-back guarantee if anything happens during the first few weeks.
Visit Surfshark.com to get the Mac app
Read more in our full Surfshark VPN Review
4. ProtonVPN ($4.00/mo)
ProtonVPN’s Mac app features a giant map with tiny pins that highlight all 345 servers in 32 countries.
Thats not the largest number of servers, but it does make it easy to flip through them all on the map or menu on the left-hand side.
If you’re looking for an automatic connection, the “Quick Connect” button will log you on to a smart server ASAP.
ProtonVPN has a ready-made apps for Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, and Linux, in addition to DD-WRT, AsusWRT, and Tomato routers.
Even though the total server count might be on the low side, they allow you to connect up to ten devices at once.
The ProtonVPN Mac app defaults to OpenVPN (UDP/TCP) with best-in-class AES-256 encryption. Except, this is also the only protocol that they offer. So that might not work if you’re using older (or limited) devices like Chromebooks.
Fortunately, we didn’t find any leaks on this connection and Proton has a strict no-logging policy in place.
However, their speed tests left a lot to be desired. We started with the same benchmark connection speed as the others. Then, we connected to their servers in the US, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and the UK. Almost all of them were slow, killing our Internet speed anywhere from ~40% to ~80%.
We were able to stream Netflix on one of ProtonVPN’s Netherland servers, but the other four failed. They also don’t allow restriction-free torrenting, limiting you to certain P2P servers and reiterating that you should only be using them for personal (not commercial) use.
ProtonVPN’s main paid option (“Basic”) starts at $4/month for the year (with upgrade plans that get even more expensive).
All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, with a catch that your refund balance will be prorated based on use.
Visit ProtonVPN.com to get the Mac app
Read more in our full ProtonVPN Review
5. IPVanish ($6.99/mo)
IPVanish offers a fully-featured Mac app.
You can customize nearly anything on it. However, that also means there are more settings and options to filter through initially.
IPVanish provides access to over 60 countries and 1,200 different servers. And you can connect up to ten devices to these servers. The Mac and Windows apps do now come with kill switches, too.
You’ll be happy to know that IPVanish gives you access to OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP protocols. (Stick with OpenVPN and its bank-grade AES-256 encryption if you’re unsure.) They also have a SOCKS proxy server that gives you privacy without needing to download any app at all.
Our leak tests all came out clean. However, IPVanish’s history with logging gave us a slight pause. On paper, it’s a legit “no logs” policy. How to get flash player for mac. But in 2016 there was some news about their user data ending up in the hands of Homeland Security.
Only one of the four servers we tested with Netflix worked (Chicago). Though, they do highly encourage both torrenting and TOR.
IPVanish also delivered inconsistent speed tests. The EU (Amsterdam) server only dropped a little from ~100 Mbps to 82.67, but the US (New York) one fell all the way to 34.71 Mbps.
The best deal I was able to find was the $77.99 annual plan ($6.49 per month), which is still pretty high when you compare it to the top three cheaper (and better) options on this list.
If you’re interested, you can give them a go using credit, PayPal, or Bitcoin, and enjoy a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Visit IPVanish.com to get the Mac app
Read more in our full IPVanish Review
6. TunnelBear ($4.99/mo)
TunnelBear might have the most enjoyable Mac app out of all 70+ VPNs we’ve reviewed.
The visual interface shows you a little bear next to your location. When you click on a server location that’s close by, the bear literally tunnels to the new destination.
They’ve managed to make something as dry and boring as picking a server location entertaining. You could probably spend an entire afternoon clicking through each of their 350 servers in 22 countries and not completely hate it.
Besides the Mac app, this same fun plays out on iOS, Windows, Android, Chrome, and Opera. These come with kill switches, an anonymous IP, “Ghostbear” that will hide mask your VPN connection, and up to five device connections.
The Mac, Windows, and Android apps default to OpenVPN, while iOS apps get IPSec/IKEv2.
TunnelBear did not leak any data in our five tests, and they do not log any of your personal information, either.
But even though TunnelBear’s support claimed that their servers worked with Netflix, we weren’t able to successfully stream anything. Thankfully, torrenting and TOR are allowed.
The other downside was the speed decrease. Our 100 Mbps connection was quickly slashed in half to 52.26 Mbps on their EU servers, and it continued to get worse — a London server only managed a 7.54 Mbps (!) download speed.
TunnelBear’s lowest pricing is $59.99 for the year (~$4.99/month). However, instead of a money-back guarantee (there is none), they provide access to a limited free version for you to try out.
Visit TunnelBear.com to get the Mac app
Read more in our full TunnelBear Review
7. Windscribe ($4.08/mo)
Windscribe’s Mac client has zero frills.
Click on the icon at the top, and it drops down a few different server options.
That’s about it. No as much fun as TunnelBear, but it does exactly what it’s supposed to: connect you within seconds.
You can access over 480 servers in 50 countries on pretty much any device in your home, including iOS, Window, Mac, Linux, Chrome, Opera, Firefox, select routers, Amazon, Nvidia Shield, and even Kodi!
We did spot an issue with that server number claim, though. Their website listed New Zealand as a location. However, when we tried looking for it inside the app, it didn’t exist! So you might not actually get up to the 480 they’re claiming.
On the other hand, Windscribe did not have any leaks or logging in our tests.
Major protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2, and SOCKS5, are all offered. But you might want to switch the default IKEv2 back over to OpenVPN in most cases to get the strongest encryption.
Windscribe’s speeds let us down, getting anywhere from 56% slower in some cases (EU server) to 82% in others (UK).
You’ll have to use their special “Windflix” servers to stream Netflix (‘normal’ ones didn’t work). And you will also need to use special servers to torrent, too.
Windscribe’s cheapest plan comes down to $4.08/month for a year. They also have a “Build a Plan” plan that only costs a dollar per location. You can pay with credit, PayPal, or Bitcoin.
But if you think you might want to get a refund, you’ll need to do it within three days of purchasing the product and you can’t go over 10GB of bandwidth during that time.
Visit Windscribe.com to get the Mac app
Read more in our full Windscribe Review
Which VPN Mac App Should You Choose?
Unfortunately, not all Mac VPN apps are secure or fast.
Some “Mac” ones don’t even actually work on Macs without jumping through a ton of confusing, time-consuming hoops.
That’s why we picked out the top 7 VPNs for Mac devices based on our actual experience testing each one.
NordVPN comes out at the top of the list with a winning combination of strong security, tons of features, the most available servers, and affordable pricing.
Top 5 Vpn For Mac
ExpressVPN and Surfshark are a close second and third respectively. The first one will get you better speeds, but the second one is significantly cheaper.
Top Ten Free Vpn For Mac
ProtonVPN, IPVanish, and TunnelBear all have a few positives… with a few glaring negatives as well. They’re OK overall, but not anywhere near the top three.
Top Ten Vpn For Mac
And Windscribe had issue after issue, so we can’t recommend it at all.