Best Mac VPN in 2024 (2024)

Malware, hackers, dodgy links and sites—the internet is full of threats, and Macs aren't immune to them. With a Virtual Private Network (VPN), however, you can protect your identity and mask your online activity, so nobody can trace it back to you. If you're a frequent traveler, the best VPNs will also help you access the sites and streaming services you use at home.

A VPN encrypts your data and routes it through one of its secure servers—making it impossible for nosy cybercriminals to read. VPN servers also replace your original IP address (your digital signature) and use the server IP. As a result, you'll be able to bypass geo-restrictions and access content abroad with total privacy.

The iMore team has over a decade of experience testing on Mac and iPhone, and our experts have pooled their knowledge to curate this list of the best services on the market. Check out our top three Mac VPN recommendations below:

The best Mac VPNs in 2024

There are tons of VPNs on the market, which can make finding your perfect match a time-consuming task. Luckily, me and the iMore team have whittled down the competition to the seven services we think offer the best value for money—and the most robust security. All of my picks are compatible with Mac devices, and I'll dig into their features, performance, and most recent test results.

The best Mac VPN overall

ExpressVPN does it all—and that's why it claims the top spot in my rankings. It's a super-secure service that won't leak your sensitive information, and the kill switch leaps into action if your VPN connection drops. Combine that with robust WireGuard encryption, and you've got a service that you can count on to safeguard your digital privacy.

It's also worth mentioning that ExpressVPN is a no-logs service. It's just not interested in keeping tabs on what you do online, or recording your personal information, and has proven its claims with multiple third-party audits. This is exactly what I like to see from one of the industry's top dogs—full transparency.

▶ Try ExpressVPN risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

ExpressVPN has an impressively vast server network, too, with more than 3,200 servers in 94 countries. You'll have no trouble unblocking the most popular streaming services, social media platforms, and news sites. So, if you fancy checking out what's new on Netflix US or UK, all it takes is a quick hop across a digital border.

In terms of performance, ExpressVPN is no slouch. You'll be able to enjoy HD content, jump into video calls, and even join online games without worrying about lag spikes and latency. If torrenting is more your thing, you'll be glad to learn that ExpressVPN comes with port forwarding and split tunneling; two important tools that'll help boost your speeds while maintaining your security.

The other big drawback of ExpressVPN is its price. It's expensive. For a 1-year subscription, ExpressVPN is 50% more than NordVPN and almost three times more expensive than Surfshark. To be fair, the level of security is impressive with ExpressVPN, but there are also other security options that may be a better overall value.

You do get 30 days to decide if you want to stick with ExpressVPN or try another service. ExpressVPN gives you a money-back guarantee if you cancel within the first 30 days of your subscription period.

Best Mac VPN with antivirus

NordVPN is a massive name in the world of VPNs—and it actually manages to live up to the hype generated across YouTube and social media. It's an all-in-one security suite brimming with features and covers your tracks with an audited no-logs policy. So, you can rest assured that anything you do online will stay private.

NordVPN's security offering includes a handy double VPN feature. It routes your data through two servers (rather than just one) and encrypts it twice. The double VPN will also double-assign an IP address making it that much more difficult to track your online movements back to you. I also like that NordVPN has its very own built-in ad-blocker, which will remove all of those intrusive (and sometimes downright dangerous) ads from your screen.

▶ Try NordVPN and take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Although NordVPN has its own set of antivirus tools, and although this is a pretty neat bonus, it's worth remembering that they're slightly limited compared to a true antivirus software program—like Bitdefender. It won't stop threats that are already lurking on your device, or prevent them from entering via your network connection, but it will help you avoid dodgy links and sites and accidentally downloading a virus in the first place.

There are a lot of NordVPN servers to choose from, too, with more than 5,600 in 60 countries. There are multiple servers available in popular locations, like the US and the UK, which means that there aren't hoards of users all clamoring to connect to the same server at the same time. This helps to negate congestion and ensures that NordVPN can deliver the lightning-fast speeds it's become renowned for.

As you'd expect, this speed comes in handy for HD streaming, torrenting, and online gaming—and NordVPN can handle it all. In fact, NordVPN is currently my #1 pick for unblocking Netflix libraries from around the world, as well as other popular platforms, including

The interface of this VPN looks nice and colorful. There is an interactive map that you use for choosing the server you want to use. There are other links to settings so you can customize your overall experience. For new users, NordVPN can be a bit busy and daunting to use. We recommend Surfshark or CyberGhost if you're just beginning with VPNs. These apps are a bit easier to figure out.

Best cheap Mac VPN

Surfshark is one of the most affordable Mac VPNs, but it also is one of the best with fast speeds, a good server network, and lots of functions needed to carry out your online work and activities in private. It's also one of the easiest to use and a good place for new VPN users to start.

To start with, Surfshark has over 3,200 servers worldwide. This isn't as many as NordVPN (5,000+) or Private Internet Access (20,000+) but is still a decent number to work with. These servers are in 100 countries, which is more than most VPNs. This means if you need to connect to a specific country, Surfshark likely has a server there.

▶ Try Surfshark risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee

If you need a streaming VPN, Surfshark is one of our top choices. It easily unblocked Netflix in all regions, including Japan and Canada, Amazon Prime, and Dinsey+. When we tested it, Surfshark also unblocked HBO Max, the BBC iPlayer, and both 9Now and 10Play in Australia.

When it comes to speed, it's difficult to find a VPN that's faster than Surfshark. We reached an average speed of 960 Mbps when we used it. This supports tv streaming on all of your devices without the risk of buffering or lag. It also helps with torrenting, which you can do with Surfshark, though it doesn't have the same dedication to tools and functions for this task compared to PIA.

Overall, Surfshark is really secure. We saw while connected to the VPN that data remained hidden and didn't see any issues with leaks. However, we did notice an issue with the kill switch. Sometimes when we forced the VPN to drop, the kill switch would engage without telling us it was on. Most of the time we didn't have this issue, but it happened enough that we took note. Also, it seemed to only happen when using Windows computers. We didn't see the same issue with Mac.

Surfshark is the best cheap VPN, but it's also an all-around good value. You get a lot for the price, and you can try it out risk-free. Surfshark comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you decide it's not the best fit for you, you'll get your money back without question.

Best of the rest

This Mac VPN takes security and privacy seriously. It allows deep audits of its services to verify its claims, and these results are available on its website for anyone to read. Proton VPN uses military-grade encryption to ensure your data can't be traced back to you. You can pay for your subscription with cryptocurrency or even cash to keep your identity completely private.

Proton VPN has a smaller server network compared to our top VPN picks. Still, at 2,900 servers worldwide you're able to tap into one in an area you need. However, if there is a specific country you need to access that Proton VPN doesn't cover, check out Surfshark. It has servers in over 30 more countries than Proton VPN.

▶ Try Proton VPN for free

You can try out Proton VPN for free. While other VPNs stick with just a 30-day money-back guarantee (which Proton VPN also offers), this service has a completely free version for you to use all the time. It is a bit limited. For example, you can't use it for streaming tv shows. But you can access up to 100 different servers around the globe. The free subscription also doesn't put any bandwidth caps, which means you can use it all the time without worrying about hitting a monthly usage maximum.

For unblocking tv streaming services, Proton VPN's paid subscription is one of the best. It doesn't have an issue accessing any of the Netflix regions, Hulu, Amazon, or Disney+. It also unlocks YouTube and the BBC iPlayer.

Speed is a bit of an issue with Proton VPN. In past speed tests, we saw it perform decently well. It's still fast, but our latest tests show it hit 510 Mbps with WIreGuard. This is below average for this protocol. However, you can choose to use the OpenVPN protocol and get up to 440 Mbps. This is impressively faster and well above average.

Proton VPN works on more devices than just Mac. It can be used for Linux computers and uses a GUI interface. It has a good mobile app for both iOS and Android and also works on routers. You can simultaneously connect 10 devices, which is more than most VPN services. However, there are a few, like Surfshark, that don't put any connection or device caps, just in case you have more than 10 you'd like to secure.

IPVanish is a fast, secure, and reliable VPN that has several customization options. It comes with cloud storage, so you can privately store backup files, media files, important documents, and other communication somewhere safe and away from prying eyes.

It's easy to connect to one of IPVanish's 2,200 servers and you'll be safe because it uses AES-256 level encryption, the highest and most secure available. No one will be able to figure out if it's you online or track your browser history back to you. Mac users get a benefit not included with other platforms. You can set the VPN to automatically connect when you access an untrusted Wi-Fi or Ethernet network, like a public hotspot, or even your home internet if you'd like.

▶ Try IPVanish and get a 30-day money-back guarantee

IPVanish works on so many different devices, including smart TVs and gaming consoles. it doesn't put a cap on the number of connections allowed, so you can use the VPN on just about every device in your home and keep it continually running without worrying about reaching a limit of any kind.

This VPN has fast connection speeds that range between 620 and 720 Mbps when you use the WireGuard protocol. This is on by default, so you can expect decent speeds from the moment it's installed. You can choose to use the OpenVPN protocol, but your speeds will only max out at about 120 Mbps, which is on the slower side of this protocol. Both speeds are still fast enough to support streaming, but WireGuard will be the better choice for online gaming.

IPVanish does unblock some tv streaming sites, but not all of them. For example, it didn't give us any problems unlocking US Netflix but wasn't as successful in giving us access to Netflix in Australia, Canada, or Japan. This VPN unblocks Amazon Prime, Disney+, and even the BBC iPlayer.

As a new user of IPVanish, you can take advantage of its good introductory pricing. It isn't as cheap as Surfshark, but it's still decently priced for what you get. It has a monthly-to-month option, though this is understandably more expensive than its 1-year or 2-year subscriptions. You are only covered by the 30-day money-back guarantee if you choose the 1- or 2-year option. Also, while it is cheap to get started, continuing to use IPVanish becomes expensive. If you renew for another 24 months, it will cost you a minimum of $100 more than the introductory price.

Private Internet Access (PIA) is one of the best for torrenting. This is first because all of its 20,000+ servers have been secured and configured for torrenting. Other VPNs tend to set aside a handful of dedicated torrenting servers, so having so many in such a vast network is amazing.

You can customize your torrenting experience by using PIA's port forwarding feature, or split tunneling. Both help you speed up download speeds to get your files in hand quicker. Overall, Private Internet Access has below-average speeds when compared to most other VPNs, but it is still plenty fast enough to support torrenting.

▶ Try Private Internet Access and get a 30-day money-back guarantee

PIA has a solid no-log policy. It promises to never record or store anything about your personal identity or your online activities. This has been challenged in court twice, and both times Private Internet Access has successfully proven its commitment to privacy. It doesn't have any information on any of its users, period.

The cost of using PIA is actually cheap compared to most VPN services, especially if you commit to the 2-year package. You can add additional features, including having a dedicated IP address to use just when you're connected to the VPN. This is helpful in unblocking some geo-restricted content, especially tv streaming sites that look for multiple users using the same IP address to access their content. This is a good sign that a VPN is being used. But with a dedicated IP address, you're still protected and hidden without raising any warning flags.

Since it is a highly configurable VPN, Private Internet Access isn't the easiest to use. In fact, it gets overwhelming really quickly for even old VPN pros. We really don't recommend using it if you're a new VPN user. Instead, look for an easier app like the one offered by Surfshark or CyberChost.

If you want to run your VPN on more than just one Mac, PIA is perfect for that as it allows up to 10 simultaneous connections which is more than many other providers. Private Internet Access also works on other devices and operating systems including iPhones, PCs, Linux, routers, and even game consoles.

CyberGhost has been a staple of the VPN world for years, now, and packs some of the most sturdy security features you'll find on the market. During my tests, I didn't detect a single leak, and the VPN's kill switch worked exactly how it should. What's more, CyberGhost makes good use of military-grade encryption to ensure that no third-party snoopers, hackers, or cybercriminals can intercept your sensitive information.

Recently, Deloitte audited CyberGhost to verify its security claims—and I'm pleased to announce that the provider passed with flying colors. It's hard to find detailed reports of the audit itself, however, and I combed through the CyberGhost site and Deloitte page. I'd prefer if this information was easier to access, seeing as it effectively proves that the VPN is doing everything it says it's doing to safeguard its users' privacy.

▶ Try CyberGhost VPN and get a 45-day money-back guarantee

On the other hand, I was glad to see that CyberGhost can block ads and trackers, and even give you a heads-up about malicious sites. It'll also default to the HTTPS version of a site if it's available—so, if you're visiting a site like Amazon where you'll need to fork over your personal details, CyberGhost makes sure that it's doing its part to keep it secure. This collection of features goes a long way to making the web a safer place to be—which is doubly important if you've got kids taking their first steps into the digital world.

CyberGhost's interface is pretty straightforward. It doesn't look dated, isn't full of clutter, and all of the features are exactly where you'd expect them to be. For beginners, it's one of the VPNs we recommend using because it is laid out intuitively, doesn't require a lot of configuration to get started, and is easy to learn to navigate. And because it is so simple in its design, it doesn't get overwhelming while using it. CyberGhost has a few smart features, including Smart DNS to help you set up the VPN on game consoles.

Most popular streaming sites are easily unblocked by CyberGhost, except Netflix. We were able to watch Netflix US, but all the other regions remained locked tight. We also couldn't watch Disney+. However, CyberGhost is one of the few VPNs that unblock HBO Max. It's also really fast clocking a top speed of 730 Mbps. It's a dip from previous speed tests, but still well above average and speedy enough to support streaming, gaming, and even torrenting.

CyberGhost doesn't have the best support options. There are online articles, but they're not very thorough, are hard to find, and some are too technical to follow. It does have live chat available, but agents aren't always reachable. You can try out CyberGhost to see if it's a good fit for you. If you choose to cancel, you can get a refund within 45 days of your purchase. This is one of the longest refund periods of the VPNs we reviewed.

How to choose a Mac VPN

Since the majority of VPN services work across platforms, finding the best VPN for Mac essentially boils down to finding the best VPN for you. Though the task may seem daunting, it's actually not too bad once you know what you're dealing with.

While you'll obviously want it to have a functional and easy-to-use app, you don't really spend too much time in the app beyond the initial setup, with most offering the ability to turn on or off the VPN with one click, often from the menu bar alone. Most VPN services offer iOS apps too, so you can use the service across all of your Apple gear.

Being the discerning Mac user that you are, you probably also want your VPN to focus on security and privacy. Fortunately, most do – especially the ones we've listed below – so you know your personal info is being protected. If you're in doubt, it's worth checking to see if the VPN provider you're considering has a clear privacy policy when it comes to any data it keeps about you.

Cost is another key factor. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for, but that doesn't mean VPNs are super expensive. Most cost just a few bucks a month if you're willing to subscribe for the long-term, and free trials/money-back offer means you don't have to spend any money to find out if the service is right for you.

How we test Mac VPNs

Every VPN claims to be safe and secure, but we physically test each one to see which ones really are. To start with, we look at the encryption protocols VPN clients have available and the encryption level they offer. We want to see VPNs use the highest security level, AES-256. This is the same level used by militaries, government agencies, and banks to secure their data. It's also important that a VPN uses the WireGuard, OpenVPN, or IKE2v protocols. There are other encryption protocols out there, but these three are currently the most secure and the ones we recommend using.

We download and use the VPN as recommended. But we also try really hard to break it. We put a lot of pressure on a VPN to see if we can cause it to leak any information. Those that make our best lists are the ones we've seen that stay securely connected. Security doesn't stop there, though. We force a VPN to drop (this is harder to do with some VPNs than others) in order to test the kill switch. We want to see how quickly the kill switch turns on when something happens to the VPN, and how solid it continued to shield your information. You don't want your information to be leaked while the VPN connection is down, so this test is important.

Our final security evaluation includes looking at each VPN company's no-log privacy policy. This gives us an idea of how well your personal information is protected from law enforcement and online trackers, or from being sold to partners. Some countries are part of the Five Eyes Alliance, a contract of sorts between countries that promise online companies based in that country will keep logs on their users and share the information in criminal investigations.

Finally, while the VPN is installed, we check out all the tools and features included. If there is an important tool, like split tunneling or port forwarding, we check it out. We also attempt to connect to geo-restricted content like tv streaming sites to see how well the VPN works around the blocks. While we're in there, we count the number of servers, countries, and locations then compare them to the claims made by the VPN company to make sure it's accurate.

Mac VPN FAQs

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:

1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).

2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.

We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.