1. Best Vpn Service For Mac

Although it is generally believed that Apple products, mainly MacOS, are somewhat superior to the ones of Microsoft (Windows), the Mac users shouldn’t be too complacent about the integrity of their personal data. The cybercriminals, as well as the government authorities, both of which dream about laying their hands on your sensitive information, are getting more and more resourceful in breaching various firewalls and deciphering the encrypted data. Back in the days, an antivirus solution used to be more than enough for protecting your privacy and security. However, in 2018, your personal data will always be in danger unless you use a Virtual Private Network. In most countries, including the US and the UK, the ISP (Internet Service Provider) is obliged to keep logs on its users and give the government access to their private data. Therefore, all Mac users could benefit from some extra security measures. But instead of trying to build an impregnable security system, which consumes a lot of system resources and can’t provide total protection, you could just wear a digital camouflage which will conceal all your online activities, so you would be able to surf the Web completely undetectable.

The disguise which we refer to is called VPN (Virtual Private Network), a technology that can help you change (digital) faces just like Jaqen H’ghar from Game of Thrones. TOP-3 High-Ranked VPNs for Mac. What is the best VPN for Mac? Without at least some basic understanding of what it’s all about, you’re running the risk of wasting your money on a Network that’s moderate at best. Here’s what you should be looking for in a Virtual Private Network: first of all, make sure that it follows the no-logs policy. That means the provider won’t have anything to give to the government when they request your personal logs, simply because they were never collected.

Mar 8, 2018 - We've dug around to find the best VPN services that cater to Mac owners. Best VPN services: Reviews and buying advice for Mac users. Find the best VPNs for Mac for FREE. Stay protected, unblock websites, and browse anonymously with a free VPN for your Mac.

Security also matters (obviously). Features like Kill Switch (kills the connections whenever the VPN goes offline) and Double Encryption (puts your connection through two servers at the same time) will make sure you’re well protected. As far as the security protocols go, 256-bit encryption is the industry standard today. Speed and performance come next. The more servers a provider has, the higher the speed will be. Our experts took it all into consideration and made a list of the best Virtual Private Networks for Apple’s OS. And while they all have their pros and cons, it’s safe to say that every single VPN in this review is money well spent.

Without further ado, we would like to give you our list of the best VPNs for Mac. ExpressVPN has been the leader of Virtual Private Networks for years now. It excels at providing high (and stable) connection speeds, keeping the hackers/government agencies at bay, and provides an impressive list of features. Those include Split Tunneling (allows you to hand-pick which programs/apps should be protected by the VPN) and Kill Switch. Add AES 256-bit encryption, IP address masking and support of OpenVPN, and you’ll understand why ExpressVPN is always on top.

Privacy And Security ExpressVPN never logs traffic data, DNS queries, or any other data that could potentially hurt the privacy of a user. They stick to the no-logs policy and even allow you to pay with Bitcoins. Security has always been one of this provider’s strongest suits, and with the aforementioned 256-bit encryption, secure servers, and amazing browser extensions, it took online privacy to another level. The company’s HQ is located in the British Virgin Islands.

You might’ve heard about the “barbaric” online privacy laws in the United States. Well, you won’t have to deal with any of that with ExpressVPN. Again, they do not log your browsing history, traffic, IP address, or anything else that can be later used to pinpoint your location. Torrenting And Streaming The fact that this Network is very stable and almost always provides high connections speeds automatically makes it an excellent pick for the fans of torrenting and streaming. With 2000+ servers to choose from, you’ll find the fastest and most reliable one in just a couple of clicks.

Plus, with ExpressVPN, you can unblock any restricted connect from across the globe Usability On Mac ExpressVPN is compatible with all devices that run on MacOS, from MacBook to Mac mini. The dedicated Mac client is considered to be one of the best ones on the market. The installation of this VPN client takes only a couple of minutes. Just go to the official website, choose the plan you like, use one of the available payment methods, and download the client. The installation process is very straightforward. The interface is equally stylish and professional.

Everything is within reach, and you can see that the team took its time with the clients/apps. Pricing Plans Here are the available packages:. As you can see, ExpressVPN is far from being the cheapest VPN for Mac, but given its extraordinary level of security and download speed, it is well worth its price. There is no free trial, but you can (and should) take advantage of the 30-day MBG (Money-Back Guarantee). First of all, NordVPN has one of the largest collections of servers out there – 4900 servers in 62 countries around the globe.

It was launched in 2012, and over the years the company managed to turn it into one of the most commercially successful Networks. Compared to ExpressVPN NordVPN is more reliable and you’ll rarely (if ever) experience any drops in speed and performance. Privacy And Security If you are wondering whether this VPN is secure, then you should know that they utilize the latest IKEv2/IPSec protocols (along with OpenVPN, of course). So, rest assured that your MacBook will be well protected from cybercriminals and intelligence agencies.

The Kill Switch feature will also make sure that your privacy is never in danger. The provider follows the no-logs policy, just like ExpressVPN, plus, they also have a massive number of servers with the Double VPN feature. They put the user’s traffic through not one but two servers thus making the connection literally impenetrable. The NordVPN HQ is located in Panama, a country that is very open when it comes to online privacy.

They keep absolutely no logs, and that includes time stamps, traffic logs, bandwidth, etc. Again: there’s no government surveillance in Panama, and that’s exactly why we called NordVPN the most secure and reliable Network. Torrenting And Streaming Stability is this Network’s second name. It might not be the fastest offer on the market, but, again, if you put reliability and durability first, then you won’t be disappointed with its performance. Furthermore, specific servers give the users unique IP addresses.

Good news for users from China with its Great Firewall, North Korea, and other authoritarian governments where Internet traffic is heavily regulated: NordVPN offers a solution called the obfuscation servers which entangle the traffic making it impossible to trace. And, thanks to SmartPlay, you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite streaming services and websites (Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other restricted online services) with just a single click of the mouse. Usability On Mac The team responsible for the clients and the apps did a fantastic job, and we are happy to say that the Mac version works like a clock. It’s fast, intuitive, straightforward, and won’t take much time to get used to.

Performance is on par with the best apps on the market. Just like any other modern-day VPN, Nord is incredibly easy to download, install, and use. The interface is very friendly, and you’ll make sense of it all within minutes.

Pricing Plans Here are the available packages:. Yes, there are more than enough plans to choose from, and the yearly plans are pretty generous. Plus, along with the 30-day MBG, NordVPN also comes with a 3-day free trial. Remember we said that NordVPN is not particularly fast, but it’s reliable? Well, if fast is what you’re looking for, then CyberGhost might be #1 on your list.

CyberGhost is a VPN provider based in Romania. By the way, this country is perfect for the provision of VPN software for Mac due to its official stance on intelligence gathering by the transnational spying agencies, particularly the notorious 14 Eyes. With this VPN, you can protect up to 5 devices, take advantage of 1250+ servers, enjoy amazing 24/7 customer support, and the fancy Mac client.

And, it’s incredibly fast. Privacy And Security The Constitutional Court of Romania has deemed unconstitutional the EU legislation concerning online security (which involved the covert data gathering). This decision puts the country out of 14 Eye’s hands reach, and it means that CyberGhost will not share any information about their customers and their online activities with any international law enforcement agencies.

Moreover, they fully comply with their strict no-logging policy, so you can surf the Internet without leaving any traces whatsoever. Security-wise, CyberGhost features 256-bit encryption and all the latest protocols (including OpenVPN). We already learned that CyberGhost’s HQ is in Romania, they keep no logs, and they put the privacy of their customers first. So, even if the Romanian government would suddenly change its online privacy laws, the company would still have nothing to show them, just because there would not be any logs to show in the first place.

Torrenting And Streaming As for the technical features of CyberGhost, it offers an enormous number of servers, which amount to 2800+, and good streaming capacities. You can choose from the variety of servers which are located in 64 countries, depending on your browsing needs.

However, we would recommend using European servers since they offer better downloading and streaming speed. Plus, this VPN client is great for passing different access restrictions, mainly Netflix.

Usability On Mac While the Mac systems are the new normal today, they used to lag behind the Win systems, and to this day, the Microsoft OS is still getting more top-of-the-line clients than any of its rivals. Thankfully, that’s not the case with CyberGhost.

The dedicated Mac client is equally stylish, smooth, and user-friendly. All you have to do is choose a plan, download it, and click install – the program will do the rest. The interface is quite fancy and comes with clear images. Scrolling through the list of available servers, configuring the VPN, and watching your favorite streaming service is easy and fun. Pricing Plans Here are the available packages:.

It is not the cheapest option, but it is one of the finest in terms of security and user-friendliness. And, the 1-year-plan is more affordable compared to ExpressVPN. The affordable plans are this VPNs biggest selling point, but we’ll talk about that a bit later. Compared to ExpressVPN, Nord, and CyberGhost, it may not be as feature-packed, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be protected 24/7. Kill Switch would’ve been a nice addition, and sometimes, you may feel a lack in servers, but, again, nothing critical. The quick and friendly live customer support is a huge plus; the same goes for the nimble Chrome extension.

Privacy And Security AES 256-bit encryption, support of all the modern-day protocols, and the no-logging policy turn Goose VPN is a solid pick for privacy and security. Sadly, there’s no Double Encryption, for that, you’ll be better off with ExpressVPN.

But if you’re looking for some basic protection at an affordable price, then don’t count this Network out just yet. The HQ is located in the Netherlands (Rotterdam, to be exact). This country is known as a liberal, open-minded state.

Plus, the company follows the Zero-logs policy, and just like all the other VPNs we reviewed today, doesn’t keep any logs on the users (which is confirmed by many third-party organizations). Torrenting And Streaming Both torrenting and streaming are available on select servers. But we have to say that accessing geo-restricted content won’t always be easy. You might already know that streaming services are always “fighting” with VPNs and finding ways to block them. Right now, GooseVPN isn’t a perfect choice for unblocking US and UK websites/services. Usability On Mac Goose VPN is great for Mac users.

It is very easy to install and use thanks to its intuitive interface. Navigation is also straightforward: all functional elements are right there in front of you. Although Goose VPN is not the best VPN for Mac from the standpoint of speed and the number of servers, it is an excellent example of a VPN that offers a very user-friendly client.

Don’t worry even if you have never used VPN before; Goose VPN will automatically set up the basic configuration allowing you to engage in secure browsing in a matter of minutes. At first, the interface might not seem like much, but give it some time: soon, you’ll find yourself making good use of all the available features. As mentioned, it’s not the most feature-packed Virtual Private Network, but for the average user, it’s great.

Pricing Plans Here are the available packages:. It is not the cheapest option, but it is one of the finest in terms of security and user-friendliness. SaferVPN is perhaps one of the most budget-friendly VPNs for Mac. But its strongest suit is the incredibly simple and user-friendly interface. We’re not saying that all the other VPNs we reviewed today are hard to understand and use, but if you’ve never had to deal with one, we suggest you go with SaferVPN. Plus, it’s rather fast and reliable, which is a huge plus.

Finally, it’s unexpectedly fast. Privacy And Security DNS and IPv6 leak protection, Kill Switch, and 256-bit encryption turn this VPN into a brick wall. As far as privacy goes, even though the company follows the no-logs policy, it’s not as private as ExpresVPN or NordVPN. Every time you use the service, they log the session start/end dates, the amount of data you transmit during that time, the servers you connect to, and from which country you do that. Some privacy, huh?

The HQ is located in New York, and we all know that the online privacy laws in the United States aren’t exactly user-friendly. Plus, as we just mentioned, the privacy policy leaves a lot to be desired, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why this VPN isn’t very popular, even though it is fast, reliable, and affordable. Torrenting And Streaming One of the things that make SaferVPN stand out is its download speed. The average download speed of the European servers of SaferVPN is 79 Mbps; with the US servers, it may drop to 57 Mbps. With that kind of speed, streaming will be very enjoyable.

However, P2P transfers (used for torrenting) are pretty bad. The team is working on improving the experience, but for now, it’s disappointing. Usability On Mac The Mac client is just as great as all the other ones. Everything is fast and ease here, just like it should be in a modern VPN. Recently, the company updated all of its clients and apps, and now they look and work even better. There are also some fantastic add-ons that turn SaferVPN into one of the best Networks on the market.

SaferVPN is one of the best VPNs for Mac in terms of the easiness of installation and the interface intuitiveness. SaferVPN doesn’t require system reloading after installation; therefore, it has a super-fast installation time. The entire process of registering, paying for the plan, and installation will take no longer than 3 minutes. Pricing Plans Here are the available packages:. Not all users are willing (or capable) to purchase the plans of the best VPNs listed above. For those of you who are not engaged in active streaming or downloading, we present TunnelBear, the best free VPN for Mac.

TunnelBear has all characteristics of the top VPNs, including AES-256 encryption and decent speed. But the best part is that TunnelBear offers a free plan that includes 500MB of data every month. It’s not much, but if you plan on using VPN, for example, only to protect your bank account, these 500 megabytes will be more than enough. If it’s not the case, and you need your vpn to be a more versatile tool, we have prepared another for you.

Just bear in mind that none of them is as good at protecting your privacy and security as TunnelBear. Privacy And Security AES-256 will make sure you’re safe and sound. The company doesn’t keep any logs, as they always put the privacy of their customers first. There’s even a Kill Switch feature built-in (here, it’s called VigilantBear). The company’s HQ is located in Canada (Toronto, to be exact).

And while the US is out of linebad when it comes to online privacy laws, Canada is not nearly as strict. Besides, as we just learned, they keep no logs. Torrenting And Streaming Sadly, torrenting is not an option with this VPN right now. It used to work great, but in 2018, TunnelBear has been having all kinds of problems with it. The same goes for streaming. If you want a VPN for watching Netflix/other streaming services, TunnelBear is one of the worst choices.

Even SaferVPN is better. Usability On Mac The Mac client is friendly and intuitive. It is fast, never breaks down, and everything is right there in front of you. These days, the downloading/installation process of a VPN is always extremely smooth and fast. Just follow the on-screen instruction, and you’re all set. The interface might look a bit “cartoony,” but in reality, it’s actually pretty well-constructed and you’ll get used to it in no time. Pricing Plans Here are the available packages:.

Bottom Line As you can see, there are enough offers on the market to choose from. Use the information you learned today the next time you find yourself looking for a new Virtual Private Network. ExpressVPN is the “king of kings,” but for most modern-day users, all those additional features aren’t crucial. Thus, you can go with something more affordable, like NordVPN or Goose VPN. A free VPN is also a good choice, but only if you’re planning to use it on special occasions (otherwise, you’ll go over the traffic limit). One final thing: while choosing a Network, always think about the things that matter to you the most: if it’s privacy, then go with TunnelBear or CyberGhost.

If security is #1 on your list, pick a VPN with the best encryption, like ExpressVPN or NordVPN.

Table of Contents. A is a great way to take control of your online experience and protect yourself from the hazards of digital life. With a lot of players on the market, though, the choice of which to use can be daunting. We’ve taken a look at some of the options to find the best VPN for Mac. The Mac has had far less security issues than Windows over the years., though, and it pays to take security seriously. Using a VPN will give you an edge against hackers and snoops.

If you’re using your Mac as an entertainment hub you may be frustrated at being unable to access overseas content. Mac users traveling the world may also find themselves in countries that restrict access to news or social media websites. A VPN can help you get around geoblocks and access the content you want in safety. ExpressVPN, our overall winner, scores well on all these points, but more on that later.

The Best VPN for Mac 2018. What Makes a VPN the Best For Mac Some built-in features on macOS, such as, are nice to have, but can be improved upon, as our article shows. Is another area where you might want to look at an external service. Many of the benefits of a VPN are not dependent on the operating system. Our general article on explains the benefits a quality VPN service can provide, but there are things that will make a service especially suitable for Mac owners. Mac software tends to be well-designed, simple and offers a clear, intuitive user interface. VPN apps that are a good should integrate well with the platform and follow the appropriate conventions.

It should be easy to use and able to run without much fuss. While options for power users are welcome, being able to get up and running without having to do too much tweaking will score points here. Quality customer service is also a key feature of the Mac experience, so we’ll be checking VPN providers for that, too. We’re looking for services that provide fast, reliable support, preferably via multiple channels.

Thankfully, finding one of those wasn’t too hard. Best VPN for Mac: Much like the Mac, ExpressVPN is slick, easy to use and expensive. That makes it a great fit for the OS.

As discussed in our, it gets almost everything right. Using the app is simple, with a big round button to click when you want to connect. The button turns green when connected.

A smaller button lets you choose from the many server locations. It adds an icon to the Mac menu bar which you can click to quickly access its features. With AES 256-bit encryption and a strict no logging policy, ExpressVPN has you covered for security and privacy. It features split tunneling, which lets you control which of your apps use the VPN. It’s useful if you have specific services that work fine over your regular connection. We don’t see this feature included on VPNs often enough, so big points to ExpressVPN here. There’s also a killswitch to prevent your VPN traffic from going through your other connection if the VPN fails.

That can be important if you’re worried about the privacy of your regular connection. Other Reasons We Like ExpressVPN ExpressVPN offers blistering speeds and was the quickest in our roundup of the. You can test the server speeds in the app and switch servers easily. Its speeds make it ideal for streaming, gaming or torrenting. Customer service is excellent, offering live chat around the clock and email support. ExpressVPN also has an extensive knowledgebase and clear FAQ.

You are limited to three devices, which, price aside, is our only real gripe with the service. On the plus side, it supports a wide range of devices, including apps for PlayStation, Xbox and Apple TV, along with all major OS and smartphone platforms. It also has browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Safari. ExpressVPN is not cheap, coming in at $99.95 per year. We think it is worth the price, though, considering the quality of service you get. In addition to being the best for Mac, we consider it the overall provider.

There is a for the first 30 days, too. It features auto-connect and a killswitch, so, once you set it up, you don’t need to worry about it much.

It does lack split tunneling, though. Customer service is good, with a large knowledgebase and responsive live chat service available. There is also email support, but we found it slow. Still, should you run into an issue with NordVPN, you are well-served. Other Reasons We Like NordVPN It has an impressive network with over 4,000 servers in 62 countries, meaning it is likely to be fast wherever you are in the world. It also does well at connecting to streaming services.

Our test results included successful connections to Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. We saw the occasional speed drop over long-distance connections, but you have access to many servers and will usually be able to find a faster one. NordVPN also offers “speciality servers” that cater to different needs.

They include peer-to-peer servers, obscured servers for those in countries that restrict internet usage and other options focused on security and privacy. Those wanting to use a VPN for Netflix may want to check out our guide on, too. Much like ExpressVPN, NordVPN offers a, so take it for a spin. Ooh pretty The tile-based start-up UI might give Mac owners the uncomfortable feeling that they’re using Windows, but the app is straightforward and presents its server list and many options clearly. The brightly colored tiles are plainly labeled and allow you to navigate the app in a task-oriented fashion. The various screens allow you to change settings based on your focus.

There are options to help with unblocking streaming services, as well as adjust your privacy and security settings. The “choose my server” tab, for example, lets you rank the available servers by speed. CyberGhost is fast, especially in Europe, and connected to all the streaming services we tested, but we needed to switch servers a couple of times to get the best out of it. It lacks split tunneling, but has a killswitch and an “app protection” feature that automatically tunes the settings on start-up to the apps you have running. Privacy and security are also strengths. It keeps no logs and doesn’t need any information from you besides your email address, which makes it ideal for privacy-conscious users. Like most of our favorite services, it uses AES 256-bit encryption for extra security.

CyberGhost activates automatically when connecting to wireless networks. Though convenient, WiFi networks can leave you vulnerable to hackers, as mentioned in our article, so that is a useful feature. Other Reasons We Like CyberGhost CyberGhost provides the quality customer service that Mac owners expect with responsive live chat agents and email inquiries handled in good time.

It also has an extensive knowledgebase to search through if you have problems. At $59.88 for its annual plan, CyberGhost is easier on the wallet than the two services above and, like them, offers a.

The three-year plan is even better value at $99.99. You can also take advantage of its seven-day free trial if you want to dip your toe in the water before signing up.

Overall, CyberGhost is a good service that’s cheaper than our two top picks, but comes with a couple of minor quibbles. Private Internet Access is famous for its advocacy of and its service prioritizes security and privacy. It is a good choice if those are your concerns. After going through the straightforward sign up and installation process, you have to enter your login details. The UI is minimalist and launched from the menu bar, though it does contain many options if you look for them. Connecting is just a matter of selecting “connect” from the menu.

You can accept the default server or pick from a list of countries and, in some cases, cities. You can also send a slow speed complaint from the menu, presumably allowing PIA to get on to fixing the problem. PIA is very fast and hit impressive speeds throughout the world during our testing. That, combined with its low ping scores, makes it an ideal VPN for. It isn’t as hot on streaming, though. Hulu and iPlayer blocked us.

PIA is big on privacy and, in addition to keeping no logs, allows you to sign up without providing much identifying information. It is also strong on security, using the OpenVPN protocol by default and passing all our leak tests, as described in our. Customer service is via a knowledgebase and a support system that uses email and a web form. There’s no live chat and the response to our test email took a few hours to arrive. Though the knowledgebase is good, we wouldn’t describe customer service as one of PIA’s strengths. Other Reasons We Like PIA In addition to a killswitch, PIA includes automatic malware and ad blocking, but it doesn’t have split tunneling., including five simultaneous connections, PIA is priced well for a quality service.

It lacks a few frills, but the core features are excellent. We recommend it for price-conscious and technically confident users who are happy to solve their own problems. Those who need quick, regular support are best served elsewhere.

GooseVPN is a new kid on the block, but already boasts many impressive features backed by excellent support. Setting it up is easy. Once installed, it looks pleasant, but the UI has minor issues, such as the client window not being dragable and the options menu being hidden when first opened.

It has a no-logs policy and offers several protocols. We recommend OpenVPN because it’s the most secure, if slower than the others.

The AES 256-bit encryption should help keep hackers at bay, too. It has a killswitch, activated by the “VPN always on” setting, which isn’t as clear as it could be. Split tunneling is not yet available, but will be soon, apparently. Speeds are fast and GooseVPN has several P2P servers, making it a good choice for. Its pings are high for gaming, though, and connecting to streaming services was a mixed bag. We got into Netflix but not BBC iPlayer. Its server network is limited, but that will hopefully improve.

It has just over 100 servers, which are mostly in Europe and North America. Africa and South America only have one server each, so take a look at to confirm that it has servers where you need them. Other Reasons We Like GooseVPN GooseVPN claims it will try to add a server in a particular location if you let the company know you need it. As customer service goes that is impressive. Support is a strength of GooseVPN’s, with help offered 24/7. As well as a live chat service, there is email support. During our testing, we got a response in less than an hour.

The company says support is in-house, rather than outsourced. There’s also a FAQ and knowledgebase that includes useful YouTube videos. As detailed in our, the customer service is second to none and a strong point for Mac owners used to comprehensive support. The, which isn’t too bad and allows unlimited connections. Overall, GooseVPN is a nice, fast option with great customer service and one that we hope will improve further over the coming months.

Final Thoughts As we’ve seen, Mac users have many strong choices for a VPN that works well on the platform. Comes out as our best option for the Mac, thanks to its speed, support and all-around quality, but there are other good choices. We found to have the best customer support of the offerings, with also doing well. NordVPN has a fantastic network for streamers, too, while GooseVPN is adding servers all the time. For the budget-conscious, CyberGhost is cheaper than ExpressVPN and easy to use. PIA is even cheaper, with strong core features and low ping scores that make it ideal for gamers. We’d love to hear your experiences with the VPNs on our list.

They all have their strengths and we hope you can find one that matches your needs. If you know of any other VPNs that work well with the Mac, we’d like to hear about those, too.

Best Vpn Service For Mac

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