As VPNs are becoming more popular, more and more service providers keep popping up.
And while competition might be good for the free market, the saturation of the VPN market can be intimidating.
So which VPN do you choose?
Inside I’ll show you precisely which VPNs work the best as the result of our extensive testing.
A quick google search for “VPN providers for Mac” brings up more than 18 million web pages making finding the best MacOS VPN incredibly difficult.
Instead of having you waste away while sifting through the results, we’ve compiled a list of what is widely considered to be some of the best VPN offerings out there.
Before we begin, I just want to note that I tested the following applications on the latest edition of the Mac Operating System.
Table of Contents
Top 10 VPN services for Mac
| RANK | PROVIDER | PRICE | COUNTRY LOCATIONS | SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  | $6.67 /mo | 94 | 5 | VISIT |
| 2. |  | $2.99 /mo | 62 | 6 | VISIT |
| 3. |  | $2.75 /mo | 60 | 7 | VISIT |
| 4. |  | $2.99 /mo | 63 | ∞ | VISIT |
| 5. |  | $6.49 /mo | 60 | 10 | VISIT |
| 6. |  | $2.99 /mo | 74 | 10 | VISIT |
| 7. |  | $4.99 /mo | 31 | 10 | VISIT |
| 8. |  | $5.83 /mo | 21 | 12 | VISIT |
| 9. |  | $5.00 /mo | 64 | 5 | VISIT |
| 10. |  | $6.55 /mo | 190 | 5 | VISIT |
With that out of the way, let’s begin with one of my personal favourites – ExpressVPN.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the world’s leading VPN service and is the best VPN for Mac.
They have over 3000 servers worldwide that provide you with the fastest VPN connection speeds. Their fast speeds are perfect for online streaming services.
They have a proven no logs policy that has been fully audited by a third party, ensuring your data is safe and secure in your own hands.
ExpressVPN has a wide selection of easy to use dedicated apps that can be downloaded to your Mac from the Mac App Store. They also have apps for iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and others.
With ExpressVPN, you can have up to 5 simultaneous connections, so all of your devices can be protected using your VPN.
Speaking of protection, ExpressVPN has 256 bit AES encryption, IKEv2 protocols, and a built-in kill switch that will ensure your Mac is kept secure even if you lose connection to the VPN.
ExpressVPN has 24/7 live chat and they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so your investment in their VPN is risk-free. As a Mac user, you will have a great user experience with ExpressVPN.
If you are technically minded, they provide you with an OpenVPN GUI (Graphical User Interface) to set up an OpenVPN connection.
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2. NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the best choices of VPN provider for your Mac and is popular amongst many Mac users.
They offer a relatively large number of servers, 5438+ globally, covering over 59 countries, bringing you fast speeds and secure connections no matter where you are in the world.
Due to their fast servers, they are one of the best VPNs for streaming from Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, etc.
NordVPN has some standout security features such as giving you a dedicated IP address so that every time you connect to their servers, you will be the only one using the IP address they give you.
They also allow you to run your connection through 2x IP changes, doubling the security of your connection.
For those of you who like to get technical, you can manually set up an OpenVPN connection.
NordVPN has a fully audited no-log policy and 24/7 customer support (24/7 live chat support included) that is world-class.
If in the unlikely event you are unhappy with NordVPN and their service, then you are protected by their 30-day money-back guarantee. Although, I am pretty confident you won’t ever need to use it.
With NordVPN, you will also have a built in kill switch that will give your connection leak protection.
NordVPN is one of the best VPNs for Mac. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
3. CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost VPN has one of the world’s largest collections of VPN servers, a staggering 6700+ servers in 112 locations around the world.
After 15 years in the business, they have one of the leading VPNs in the industry.
Not only do they offer a large number of servers, but CyberGhost VPN has excellent security with their 256 bit AES encryption, IKEv2 protocols, a built-in HTTPS redirect mode, and kill switch to provide users with leak protection.
CyberGhost VPN is a fully no logs VPN provider that works on most of the popular devices, including Mac, iOS, Android, Windows, and others.
They work great for unlocking content from streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and BBC iPlayer.
With CyberGhost VPN you can have 7 simultaneous connections which should be more than enough to cover all of your devices.
They are so confident in their service that they offer a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is one of the longest warranties in the business.
Selecting CyberGhost VPN as your VPN is always a good choice.
4. Surfshark
If you are looking for a Mac VPN that is extremely cheap, fast, and secure, then Surfshark VPN is the one you want.
Even though Surfshark VPN is one of the cheapest Mac VPNs on the market, they don’t lack quality.
They have over 1700 servers in over 63 countries that you can connect to and each has private DNS servers.
Surfshark VPN works exceptionally well with Netflix (not all do), allowing you to hop between different regions Netflix libraries at will.
You will have access to Netflix libraries such as Netflix US, Netflix UK, Netflix Japan, and Netflix Canada. These are all packed full of fantastic content.
One stand out feature is the ability to have unlimited simultaneous connections to your VPN account, meaning ALL of your devices can be protected with their VPN. So not only will your Mac be secure, but your entire family can be too.
Surfshark VPNs built-in Camo-mode will hide your VPN usage even from your ISP (Internet Service Provider). So you can surf the web on your Mac in complete privacy.
Just like the other Mac VPN services, they also provide you with a kill switch.
Their app is very easy to use, I’m sure all of you Mac users will be pleased, making Surfshark VPN one of the best Mac VPNs on the market.
Just like the other VPNs, Surfshark VPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee, making this investment a no brainer.
If you would like to set up an OpenVPN connection, you will be happy to know that Surfshark supports OpenVPN.
5. IPVanish
IPVanish is a rather popular VPN, and there is a good reason for why IPVanish is so popular amongst VPN users – their service is both reasonably priced and reliable.
Taking a look at the Mac OS app, you’ll notice the intuitive interface, and you shouldn’t have any trouble setting it up – even if you’re a complete beginner.
Like most other VPN providers, IPVanish offers a quick connect “one-click” solution, that allows you to connect to the fastest server. The ‘quick connect’ is a handy feature if you just want to use a VPN for protection.
If you’re looking to select a more geographically specific server location, that’s not hard to do, either. More experienced users can switch between a number of connection protocols such as OpenVPN, and even play around with DNS configuration.
Currently, IPVanish spans over 40,000+ IPs on over 400 servers, in over 60 countries, and they’re still growing. And it’s because of this vast network, IPVanish can offer some of the fastest VPN speeds on the market.
6. PrivateInternetAccess
Private Internet Access has the largest amount of VPN servers out of all the VPNs on my list. They offer you the ability to connect to over 17,674 servers worldwide, covering 74 countries.
They have been in the business for over 10 years and have a proven no-log policy, which is always a good sign when it comes to choosing a Mac VPN.
Private Internet Access has a wide array of dedicated apps that cover most of the common devices of today, including macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, and others.
They have a built-in adblocker that automatically blocks adverts before they even have the chance to load up.
Nobody likes random adverts, so this is a very useful feature to have. Along with a built in kill switch and top encryption (IKEv2 and AES 256 bit), Mac users like you will be well protected.
One of my favourite features is the ability to pay for your Private Internet Access subscription using Cryptocurrency. This means you don’t have to share any personal information with the company.
With Private Internet Access, you will have the ability to have 10 simultaneous connections.
They also offer excellent customer service and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
This is one of the best Mac VPN providers around.
7. WeVPN
WeVPN is a relatively new VPN service, however, don’t let this put you off. The people behind the service have a lot of experience in the industry, so they know what they are doing.
They currently offer 43+ fast-paced servers and this number is growing all the time. They don’t keep any logs which is definitely what you want to hear.
WeVPN offers apps for all of the popular devices that you’d expect, such as MacOS, iOS, Windows, Android, etc.
WeVPN has excellent prices, as low as $4.99/month, which is pretty great in my opinion.
Offering a strong encryption using AES 256 bit, and IKEv2 protocols, making this a very secure Mac VPN.
They offer 24/7 customer support and have a 30 day money back guarantee, so if you aren’t happy, you can get your money back.
With the ability to connect up to 10 devices at once, it is a great VPN service to be used for streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, BT Sport, etc.
8. StrongVPN
StrongVPN is the choice for minimalists – or people that don’t want to do much configuration.
When you first launch Strong on macOS, you’ll notice a big blue button that will allow you to quickly connect to one of their servers.
You can also select a specific server, simply click the globe icon next to the “Connect” button and you’ll be greeted with a complete list of Strong servers.
Although there aren’t as many options as you get with IPVanish and other competitors, there are more than enough locations to choose from.
Once you’re connected to a server, you can simply close the window and the client will continue running in the background – which is frankly my favourite feature.
Similarly to what you’d find in the “advanced” panel of IPVanish, Strong allows users to choose between PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, and OpenVPN. If you don’t know what that means, you should leave it on its default setting.
As far as limitations go, StrongVPN is fairly basic in terms of configuration. That being said, if you’re new to the VPN world, or if you’re just looking for an easy cross-platform solution with fast speeds, Strong is definitely up for the task.
9. VyprVPN
VyprVPN used to be my default VPN for about 6 months. Their offering is similar to other providers listed here, but they have a slight advantage when it comes to network management.
Everything from software design to the hardware and the DNS is managed in-house, meaning that Vypr is likely one of the most secure solutions out there and one of the best Mac VPN options.
Looking at the app itself, you’ll see a minimal footprint window, that will greet you with that infamous “Connect” button, which will simply link you up with the fastest server.
Similarly to the rest of the providers mentioned here, you can select a more specific geographic location, and adjust the connection protocols to your liking.
Unlike the other providers, VyprVPN offers a visual representation of their network speeds via a real-time graph.
As I mentioned, VyprVPN is a top-tier solution, but I personally stopped using the service due to the limited download speeds. Despite spanning more than 200,000 IPs on 700+ servers, VyprVPN always seemed to lag behind its competitors.
10. HideMyAss
The HideMyAss MacOS application is incredibly customizable, which unfortunately comes at a cost. The app itself is rather bloated, and if you’re trying to find something for the first time, it might take a while. That being said, let’s take a look at some of the configurations.
After connecting to the desired server, you’ll see your connection information displayed under the “Dashboard” tab. Here you can also switch between servers, and diagnose your connection.
Another interesting feature that HMA! offers that other providers seem to overlook is the ability to reassign the IP address every X minutes.
The rest of the tabs house configurations similar to what was mentioned with other service providers. The only other difference that I could spot is the ability to configure a proxy.
Users can choose between connecting directly to the internet, HTTPS, or SOCKS.
HMA! Is a decent service, and ignoring the heavily layered app I only have one gripe with the service. It seems that regardless of the server I choose, I can’t get the download speeds to match any of the competitors, and in some cases, it doesn’t even come close.
Whilst it’s certainly not the top VPN for MacOS, some of the features may make them the solution for you.
How we tested & assessed our selection
When it came to selecting the VPNs on this list, I took into consideration several factors that I will discuss below:
1. Security and privacy policy
When it comes to using a VPN, it is essential that you choose a provider that has your security and privacy at the top of their minds.
Most VPNs come with 256 bit encryption which is some of the strongest protection out there and IKEv2 protocols. But when it comes to a VPN connection, you need a bit more.
This is why my number 1 priority when compiling this list was to ensure that all of the providers have a zero logs policy that has been fully audited independently.
I also selected VPNs that are outside of the jurisdiction of the 5, 9, and 14 eyes, such as ExpressVPN who is based in the British Virgin Islands.
A VPN with a strong privacy policy and no logs policy is a must when looking for leak protection.
2. Connection speeds
When it comes to connection speed, you want nothing but the best. This is why all of the VPNs in my list offer the fastest connection speeds around.
I continuously monitor the download speeds of each VPN provider by using speed tests.
For example, at the time of testing ExpressVPN offered the fastest connection speeds around which is perfect for streaming Netflix, BBC iPlayer, etc on your Mac, which is one of the reasons why they are top of my list.
3. Dedicated VPN Apps
Nowadays, VPNs need to be versatile and user-friendly. A Mac VPN that can offer many different apps covering all the popular devices (both desktop and mobile devices) such as iOS, Android, Windows, and of course Mac, have made it on my list.
With emphasis on an easy to use Mac App.
A VPN app that is easy to use is a must, so I ensured that each Mac VPN on my list offers a user-friendly, great looking app that is easy to find on the app store and simple to set up.
4. Price
Nobody likes paying extortionate prices for something, this is why all of the VPNs I have selected offer very competitive prices.
Some VPNs such as Surfshark VPN offers prices as little as $2.20/month, which is an absolute bargain for what you are getting.
Do I need a VPN on a Mac?
It has been known that Macs are generally “safe” as they don’t produce as many viruses or Malware for them compared to Windows.
However, privacy breaches can happen on ALL devices, including your Mac, and it happens more often than you might think.
The last thing you want is to think you are safe, when in reality you aren’t.
For example, if you are sitting in a cafe using your MacBook while connected the free public Wi-Fi, then you are putting yourself at risk.
You see, hackers love to hang around public Wi-Fi hotspots so that they can gain access to any unprotected devices and steal your data.
Oh, and they never want your information for anything nice.
By using a VPN, you will prevent this from happening, keeping your data safe and private.
A VPN will also prevent your ISP and websites from profiling you using your cookies.
What is the best free VPN for Mac?
When it comes to using free VPNs for Mac, you want to avoid most of them like the plague.
Wired.com said
We always advise readers against using free Mac VPN services because they tend to have less robust security and privacy policies. Many of them collect user data that can be used to drive advertising revenue, which defeats the purpose of using a VPN for privacy. (Source).
However, while this is the case in most instances, I have found two paid services that actually offer a free VPN that people can use, but they do have limitations.
I recommend ProtonVPN, they offer a Mac VPN that has servers limited to the US, Japan, and France, allowing you to have one connection at a time.
There is also Tunnelbear, offering you the chance to test their VPN with 500Mb of usage before you need to pay, this could be a good option for you if you only use a tiny amount of data.
Try to stick to these two free VPN services, as I can’t vouch for any others. As I said before, most of them aren’t trustworthy and could leave you in a spot of bother.
Does Apple offer a VPN service?
As it stands at the moment, Apple doesn’t offer a VPN service. But, any of the VPNs on my list will be more than adequate for what you need. Each one has been carefully selected, ensuring it is one of the best for macOS.
How to Setup a VPN on Mac?
Let’s get you set up with a VPN on your Mac.
- Begin by visiting the ExpressVPN website on your Mac. Click on the link that says “Get ExpressVPN” and set up your account by selecting a VPN package, entering your email address, and entering your payment information. Confirming your subscription by clicking “Join Now”.
- Next, on the ExpressVPN website, click on “My Account” and log in using your email address and password.
- Then click on the “Download for Mac” button. This will begin the installation process on your Mac device.
- Once the macOS app has been installed on your Mac, find the app and open it.
- Log in to the macOS app using your email/password.
- Select a region to connect to and then click the connect button.
After 10-15 seconds, you will be fully connected and your Mac and your internet traffic will be secure from data breaches.
Final Thoughts
Listed above are some of the best VPN solutions available for macOS, and as you can see – these providers are quite competitive.
There is a lot of overlap when it comes to features but our standout favourite is ExpressVPN.
There are many similar features, so if you end up choosing one of the other providers, you’ll get a reliable service too.
It all boils down to preference, so do some soul searching and get ready to experience a more private internet.
If you want to recap what the Best VPN for macOS is then take a look at our table.
| RANK | PROVIDER | PRICE | COUNTRY LOCATIONS | SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | | $6.67 /mo | 94 | 5 | VISIT |
| 2. | | $2.99 /mo | 62 | 6 | VISIT |
| 3. | | $2.75 /mo | 60 | 7 | VISIT |
| 4. | | $2.99 /mo | 63 | ∞ | VISIT |
| 5. | | $6.49 /mo | 60 | 10 | VISIT |
| 6. | | $2.99 /mo | 74 | 10 | VISIT |
| 7. | | $4.99 /mo | 31 | 10 | VISIT |
| 8. | | $5.83 /mo | 21 | 12 | VISIT |
| 9. | | $5.00 /mo | 64 | 5 | VISIT |
| 10. | | $6.55 /mo | 190 | 5 | VISIT |
