Known as the country with the Great Firewall, don’t be surprised if you are unable to access the internet normally in China. This is perhaps because the country has blocked access to Google, Facebook, YouTube, and various other apps and websites.
What is even more disappointing is the fact that most VPNs do not work in China, or are very slow. But this doesn’t mean that you cannot access the internet freely and securely in the country. You can, and this is what this article is all about.
In this article, we will have a look at the ten best and cheapest VPNs for travelers to China.
What to Look for While Choosing a VPN for China?
Undoubtedly, the most important requisite is that your chosen VPN service must work in China. However, apart from that, here are a few factors that should be considered:
• Download speed: The faster the VPN, the better it is.
• Reliability: Your chosen VPN must provide secure connection throughout with 99% uptime, at least!
• Ease of use: It should be easy to use without a complex manual configuration.
• Security: The VPN should be known for providing reliable services.
• Customer service: The least you would expect is waiting to receive the proper customer support in times of need. Thus, make sure that your chosen service provides round the clock support.
• Device compatibility: If you own a range of devices, it is highly recommended to choose a service which is compatible with all major platforms – Mac OS, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS and the like.
• Server location: To get better speeds, it is essential that your VPN has servers located in a country nearby. Thus, having servers in Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan or the West Coast of the United States should work fine.
• Cost: Undoubtedly, the cost is another important factor to look upon. Your VPN must provide you with a free trial and money-back guarantee as well.
That said, let’s have a look at the best VPNs for China.
Best VPNs for China
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is undoubtedly the best, reliable and fastest VPN for China. In addition to providing a safe internet experience, the VPN also lets you access blocked websites and apps like Facebook, YouTube, Google, and others.
Furthermore, the VPN is lightning fast and you can use it for your mobile, desktop, routers and other devices on the go!
2. NordVPN
All thanks to the obfuscation technology that the VPN comes equipped with, the NordVPN is one of the few VPNs that work significantly well in China. The VPN masks your internet connection, and lets you access the blocked websites, thus hiding you from the prying eyes of the Great Firewall.
If investing in a VPN sounds like a big deal to you, Tunnelbear is at your service with its reliable and free VPN services. This VPN offers 500MB bandwidth per month for free and works great in China.
What’s more? In addition to keeping you safe and protected on your desktop, this VPN also provides safe browsing on Android and iOS, all thanks to its mobile application.
4. Proton VPN
Proton VPN is another VPN service that will help you access the World Wide Web in China and will keep you safe from any prying eyes. This service is available both as a free as well as a paid version, and you can choose any one of them depending on your needs. The free version however, lacks various features and often provides throttled speeds.
If you are choosing to go for a free VPN, Windscribe VPN is one of the best services that you can plan to go for. Providing 10GB of data, along with access to Netflix, P2P/Torrenting, and a range of other amazing features – this VPN attempts to make your stay in China a pleasant one.
On top of that, Windscribe can be used on as many devices as you want. What more could you probably have asked for?
With more than 1000 servers in over 70 locations, VPN Unlimited satisfies your expectations while accessing the internet in China. It is safe, reliable, quick and provides top-notch user support at an affordable price.
VPN Unlimited allows you to connect to a range of servers located in Germany, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. All servers provide optimum speed, in addition to providing you with the unrestricted access to the content available in all of these regions.
7. Pure VPN
Pure VPN is another reliable service that you can use when traveling to China. From allowing you to access restricted websites, to keeping your identity safe and anonymous online, this VPN has a lot more to offer. It provides great speed and follows a no-log policy.
The VPN guarantees 99.00% uptime and claims that all its servers are self-managed in China. This makes it a recommended choice.
8. Vypr VPN
Equipped with a Nifty Chameleon security protocol, Vypr VPN can keep you protected and anonymous while you are in China. This VPN helps you bypass any geo-restrictions and provides impressive speeds.
The service makes use of a tier-1 VPN network which means that the company owns all of its servers, which indicates that none of them are managed by third-parties, thus ensuring your protection.
A service created primarily to help internet users in China, Ultrasurf VPN is an amazing VPN if you want to access the internet in China. This service allows you to bypass online censorship and lets you access restricted content. It does this by hiding your IP address and replaces it with one of its servers.
This VPN also has its Android app, which keeps you secure when you browse the web on your phone.
10. StrongVPN
StrongVPN is one of the favorite services of visitors and expats in China. This VPN comes with detailed manual setup instructions and has 682 servers in 46 locations. The service also follows a comprehensive set of protocols including StrongDNS, 2048-bit encryption amongst others.
Wrapping Up
Thus, are you now ready for your stay in China? Get any of the above-mentioned VPNs and you are good to go!