by You might assume that if you use any old VPNs while in China. You’ll be able to log in to your favorite social media and search platforms as usual. But, due to the country’s stringent censorship system, many VPNs are useless and harmful. Using a standard VPN within China is not only going to cause connection issues, but it could also compromise your security.
VPN functionality also changes depending on your physical location. To find out which VPNs function in China, our team spread across the country conducted extensive testing. If you want to use a virtual private network while in the nation, have it downloaded beforehand. After testing many VPNs, we have listed the best VPNs for China that you can consider in 2024.
Best VPNs For China 2024
Here are the best VPNs for china, as verified by our analysis, to hide your online identity and allow you to visit blocked websites within China.
1. ExpressVPN
When I’m in China, I use ExpressVPN because I know it will get me online quickly and reliably. It has received widespread acclaim as the world’s fastest VPN upon its public debut. ExpressVPN recognizes it has a huge customer base in China.
It goes above and above to cater to that customers and guarantees that blockages are infrequent and speeds remain fast. Because of the substantial resources they’ve committed to minimizing downtime, they’re my go-to provider.
ExpressVPN’s network of over 2,000 servers is spread across 94 different countries, including carefully placed nodes in Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan to provide fast, reliable connections to nearby areas.
ExpressVPN supports Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, so it’s suitable for users in China regardless of their preferred operating system. The only real drawback to this VPN service is its high price compared to other commercial VPNs.
2. NordVPN
Those in Beijing and Shanghai who value several connections at a reasonable cost will be pleased to hear that NordVPN now supports users in China. Considering that you may use six devices at once with a single, cheap NordVPN subscription, it’s clear that this provider provides the best overall value.
It can be used to access the geo-restricted content on Netflix US and Hulu, among others. P2P file sharing is allowed, and there are hosts in over 60 countries. NordVPN uses military-grade AES-256 encryption, does not record user behavior, and provides limitless bandwidth.
Anti-DDoS, ultra-fast streaming, double VPN, and Tor over VPN are just a few examples of the unique performance and security features available on certain of our servers. All apps have an in-built ad blocker and an immediate shutdown switch.
You can use any desktop app on Windows, macOS, or Linux in China. The mobile apps for iOS and Android should function similarly; however, in the event of problems, NordVPN provides manual setup support for both desktop and mobile platforms.
3. Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access (PIA) is another wonderful option if you’re not looking to spend much on your new China VPN. They’ve recently cut their prices and now offer a 2-year plan less than Surfshark’s. It presently has over 10,000 servers in 84 different countries, so you won’t have to worry about a lack of network connectivity.
It currently now operates online stores in China. You won’t be let down by the features, either. PIA has a variety of security protocols (including WireGuard), a top-notch kill switch, privacy-enhancing browser add-ons, useful open-source software, and accessible customer care via live chat.
The addition of SmartDNS and the successful application of obfuscation technologies make it possible to unblock content online and watch videos regardless of where you are physically located. We could access American Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ during testing.
However, while using WireGuard, its top speeds increased from 450 to 510 Mbps, making it a respectable but not exceptional VPN. The provider’s no-logging policy has been independently audited, and a comprehensive security review is currently in progress.
4. Astrill VPN
By utilizing its StealthVPN and OpenWeb protocols, Astrill VPN can get around restrictive network proxies and unblock restricted content. StealthVPN and OpenWeb are highly recommended by my Chinese coworkers to hide your online activities. They’re built to conceal your VPN usage, making them significantly more difficult to detect.
The Site Filter (or Smart Mode) then enables you to bypass the VPN for sites blocked in China while using your Chinese IP address for those accessible within the country. To get beyond the Great Firewall of China, you can use one of Astrill VPN’s 106 servers that have been optimized for use in that country.
Our Chinese coworkers have successfully established connections to these dedicated servers and can attest to their impeccable dependability. In addition, “Supercharged” servers are available for anyone needing a speed increase.
Some of its optimized servers were tested by this MacBook Pro of mine. My Google, Twitter, and YouTube searches were instantly translated into Chinese, and the entire process took less than 20 seconds. Although it wasn’t quite as quick as ExpressVPN, I experienced no significant lags.
5. TunnelBear
The GhostBear function of TunnelBear was developed specifically to circumvent internet censorship in countries like China. To bypass blocked networks while concealing your IP address, this function lets your encrypted traffic appear more like ordinary traffic. Settings in your app will enable this feature, but iOS users will be out of luck.
The experts on our China team put this feature through its paces in several cities across the country. They said the VPN was undetectable and that they had no trouble bypassing censorship. While in China, use the Fastest Tunnel function to connect to the fastest server. One way it accomplishes this is by automatically connecting you to the closest server.
This shortens the distance your data must travel, boosting the transfer rate. My Chinese colleagues who used servers in neighboring Taiwan and Singapore generally reported fast speeds (with a dip of around 18% being the norm).
I also tried a New Zealand server and obtained a download speed of 43.8 Mbps when I randomly picked it from the server list and labeled it “Fastest.” If your VPN use case is HD video streaming, this is more than adequate.
6. Hotspot Shield
Users in China can now unblock websites, social media, apps, services, news, and videos with Hotspot Shield. Streaming Netflix and a few other geo-blocked sites are safe and possible at lightning speeds. Additionally, it can be used to protect personal information on public Wi-Fi networks.
The company has revised its policy to keep no personally identifying logs due to internet privacy issues. With 3,200 servers in over 70 countries, Hotspot Shield has an impressive server network.
There is a built-in kill switch, but only in the Windows program. It employs a Catapult Hydra protocol, which is kept secret. There is always someone available to chat with you online.
A Chrome plugin is also included, and native apps are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. In addition to an unlimited number of server switches, you can connect up to five devices simultaneously.
