Penka Hristovska
Updated on: December 26, 2023
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for China in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN: Offers obfuscated servers that work in China 100% of the time, includes industry-leading security features, maintains the fastest speeds on the market, and has a large server network for connecting to servers in many countries near China. Offers affordable prices and backs each purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The only way to securely browse the web in China is to use a VPN. This is an online app that encrypts all of your traffic, making it unreadable, and allows you to browse the web through a new IP address.
That said, very few VPNs work in China due to the country’s sophisticated firewall. And out of the ones that do, many have poor security features, come with very slow speeds, and provide access to poorly-designed apps that are confusing to use.
Fortunately, there are still a handful of really good VPNs that work in China. All of the VPNs that I picked for this list allow you to surf the web freely in China, but I think the best one is ExpressVPN as it’s super secure and the fastest VPN out there.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for China:
- 1.🥇 ExpressVPN — Best VPN for China in 2024 (has obfuscation on all servers + the fastest speeds).
- 2.🥈 Private Internet Access — Highly customizable with fast speeds on all apps for browsing the web in China.
- 3.🥉 PrivateVPN — Minimalistic interface with a great obfuscation tool for working in China.
- 4. TunnelBear — Very secure & user-friendly VPN with intuitive apps (good for beginners).
- 5. VyprVPN — Good VPN for securing all online activities in China with decent speeds.
- Bonus. Astrill VPN — Security features specifically designed to work in China + easy-to-use apps.
- Comparison of the Best VPNs for China.
NOTE: Using an unauthorized VPN in China may be illegal. So far, there haven’t been any recorded instances of the government punishing foreigners or individuals for using VPNs, but it’s best to be cautious. I neither encourage nor support the use of VPNs for illegal activities and would advise adherence to all local laws and regulations.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Speeds, Security, and Reliability for Use in China
Approved by our experts
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for China in 2024. It works in China, as confirmed by multiple customer support representatives, maintains fast speeds across all servers, and comes with a wide range of security features.
ExpressVPN works in China thanks to its obfuscated servers, which keep your VPN traffic completely hidden. The VPN supports obfuscation on all servers and protocols, but a support rep told me it’s best to use the Automatic protocol setting in China.
The VPN also comes with tons of advanced security features, including full leak protection and perfect forward secrecy, which changes your encryption key each time you connect to a different server. It also has RAM-only servers that wipe all data every time they’re rebooted, which minimizes the risk of third parties accessing your data and information. Also, it has an independently audited and confirmed no-logs policy.
Another useful feature is split-tunneling. It allows you to choose which apps go through the VPN’s obfuscated servers and which don’t, so you can get faster speeds when you’re using apps that you don’t want to go through the VPN tunnel.
When it comes to speeds, ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN on the market. It has servers in 105 countries worldwide, including Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore, allowing you to connect to the nearest server to your location to get the best speeds.
And the provider also uses mirrored links, which are copies of its site that use different URLs. That way, you can visit the ExpressVPN site to download the VPN in China in case you’re having trouble accessing the original site. To get access to a mirrored link, you just have to email ExpressVPN’s customer support team
ExpressVPN offers several plans that start at $6.67 / month — it’s a bit expensive compared to some other VPNs, but ExpressVPN offers the best value, plus it usually includes additional free months with its longest-term plan. It accepts credit cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, and international processors including UnionPay and AliPay. ExpressVPN’s plans all come back with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN works in China. It allows users to browse the web and stream videos thanks to its obfuscated servers and fast speeds. ExpressVPN also comes with a wide variety of security features, including full leak protection, RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and an audited no-logs policy. ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of its plans.
Read our full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Great Security & Highly Customizable Apps
Private Internet Access (PIA) is secure, fast, and good for browsing the internet in censor-heavy countries. It uses its Shadowsocks obfuscation protocol to disguise your VPN traffic as regular traffic, so you can use it in China.
Similar to ExpressVPN, PIA also has high-security features like full leak protection, perfect forward secrecy, and RAM-only servers. It also comes with MACE, which is one of the best VPN ad blockers on the market.
PIA’s claims of not logging user data have been tested in multiple court cases and verified to be true each time, as well as via an independent audit. PIA also releases regular transparency reports where it proves that it doesn’t keep logs or share user data with the authorities. Also, PIA’s apps are fully open-source, meaning anyone can examine the source code to ensure they’re secure.
What’s more, PIA has the most flexible and customizable apps out of any other VPN on this list. All of its apps are well-designed, intuitive, and offer tons of customization for users, including different levels of encryption (128-bit AES and 256-bit AES), IP and app whitelisting, local port connections, automation rules, and more.
PIA also has a good server network, with servers in 91 countries around the world, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Despite not being as fast as ExpressVPN, PIA provides very good internet speeds and allows for seamless, uninterrupted browsing.
Private Internet Access offers plans that start at just $2.11 / month. It accepts credit cards, PayPal, cryptocurrencies, and even gift cards for payment in order to shield its customers’ identities. Private Internet Access covers each of their payment plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is secure, highly customizable, and fully open-source. PIA’s Shadowsocks obfuscation protocol disguises your VPN traffic as regular traffic to let you browse the web without detection. It maintains fast speeds, comes with a ton of security extras, and is very easy to use across all apps. All of PIA’s plans are backed with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. PrivateVPN — Simple Interface With Good Speeds
PrivateVPN is pretty good at ensuring your privacy online in China. It provides an obfuscation setting known as Stealth VPN, which uses obfuscation to disguise your online traffic and make it look like regular traffic.
PrivateVPN is great for both beginners and advanced users. It’s easy to find and enable Stealth VPN, manually connect to a server, and switch from Simple View (keeps customization options to a minimum) to the Advanced View, which allows you to change, enable, or disable more settings.
PrivateVPN has 200+ servers in 63 countries, including Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. Although it doesn’t have speeds as fast as ExpressVPN or Private Internet Access, PrivateVPN still performed quite well in my speed tests. I was able to browse, stream, and download content on the internet with little issue.
PrivateVPN is also very secure. It comes with perfect forward secrecy and DNS and IPv6 leak protection. And in addition to a regular kill switch, it also has Application Guard, which shuts down selected apps if the VPN disconnects — I tested this feature with 3 different P2P clients, and it always worked really well.
PrivateVPN has very cheap prices that start at $2.00 / month. It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, along with flexible payment options (including paying with cryptocurrency).
Bottom Line:
PrivateVPN is very easy to use, and it maintains good speeds on all servers. It hides your VPN traffic using its proprietary Stealth VPN feature, and it has strong security features, including an app-based kill switch that works very well. PrivateVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full PrivateVPN review
4. TunnelBear — Great VPN for beginners
TunnelBear is a user-friendly VPN that works very well in China. It has an easy-to-use obfuscation tool (GhostBear) that you can enable with a single click and that is successful at disguising your VPN traffic as regular traffic.
Its apps are very intuitive and fun to use, as they’re littered with cute digital bears and funny bear-themed puns. Plus, the VPN allows unlimited connections, which is really good.
TunnelBear has servers in 47 countries, which is fewer than many premium competitors, but they’re spread out all across the globe and located in countries that are near China, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
TunnelBear has decent speeds, but isn’t quite as fast as ExpressVPN or Private Internet Access. I was still able to browse and stream social media content with little in the way of lag or buffering.
TunnelBear provides pretty strong security features. It comes with full leak protection, and its server infrastructure, apps, and codeware undergo regular security audits.
TunnelBear has competitive prices (starting at $3.33 / month), but it doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee — instead, there’s a free plan with only 2 GB available per month to test out the product.
Bottom Line:
TunnelBear is very user-friendly and intuitive, making it a particularly good option for beginners. It also comes with unlimited connections, decent speeds, and good security and privacy features (including obfuscation). TunnelBear doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee but has a free option with a 2 GB limit per month.
Read our full TunnelBear review
5. VyprVPN — Secure China VPN
VyprVPN provides strong security features so you can safely browse the web in China. The VPN uses its own proprietary Chameleon protocol that hides your connection, keeping all of your online activities private.
VyprVPN’s server network includes servers in 64 countries, including several locations near China such as Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. While its internet speeds aren’t as fast as ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access, they’re still quite good.
VyprVPN is also very secure. It provides good DNS leak protection, comes with perfect forward secrecy, and its no-logs policy has been independently audited.
And the provider also has user-friendly apps that provide helpful explanations for all settings and features. Also, VyprVPN allows up to 10 connections, which is great for families.
But with prices that start at $5.00 / month, VyprVPN is a little expensive. It backs each purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
VyprVPN is a decent option for securely streaming in China. Its Chameleon proprietary protocol masks your VPN traffic. It also maintains fast speeds and comes with its own DNS protection service. VyprVPN offers a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee with each purchase.
Bonus. Astrill VPN — Stealth VPN & Smart Mode for China’s Firewall
Astrill VPN offers some pretty robust features for letting you freely browse the web in China. This includes a Stealth VPN obfuscation protocol and Smart Mode, which optimizes your speed through regional IP addresses.
Astrill has servers available in 58 countries, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Japan. While it’s not quite as fast as many of the other VPNs on this list, I experienced very little disturbance while browsing.
Unlike other VPNs on this list, Astrill VPN is not very intuitive and is much more complicated for beginners to use. However, Astrill does have customizable desktop clients, which are great for advanced users.
Astrill VPN has pretty expensive plans starting at $12.50 / month and doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee on any purchases.
Bottom Line:
Astrill VPN is fast, works in China, and has industry-standard security features. Its Stealth VPN obfuscation protocol and Smart Mode work great in China and both are able to do so successfully while remaining undetected. Astrill also maintains decent speeds, but its plans are pretty expensive and doesn’t have a money-back guarantee.
Read our full Astrill VPN review
Comparison of the Best VPNs for China in 2024
How to Choose the Best VPN for China in 2024
- Find a VPN that works in China. All of my VPN recommendations allow you to freely and securely browse the web in China (ExpressVPN is the best).
- Make sure the VPN has strong security. All of my top picks come with industry-standard security features including 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch to disconnect you from the internet if your VPN connection fails, and a no-logs policy to ensure that the VPN provider doesn’t log any of your browsing data or your IP address.
- Get a fast VPN. All VPNs slow down your connection speed due to the encryption process and the fact that they route your traffic through their servers (which means your data travels a bit more than usual). That said, my picks have very fast speeds on all of their server locations. The fastest is ExpressVPN.
- Select a VPN that’s suitable for beginners. The VPNs on my list feature easy-to-use apps for all platforms, ensuring you won’t face any issues locating and activating the obfuscation tools needed for the VPN to be able to work in China.
- Get a VPN that provides good value. All the VPNs on my list offer access to extra features (like an ad blocker or split-tunneling), provide flexible payment plans, and allow connecting at least 5 devices. And most of them also have a money-back guarantee.fthat will allow you to safely and securely
Why You Should Use a VPN in China
China has an extremely regulated internet, so services, websites, and access to information are strictly controlled. Here are the top reasons why a VPN is essential if you’re living in or traveling to China:
Ensure Public Wi-Fi Protection
Public Wi-Fi spots, whether in cafes or airports, are often targeted by hackers. And in China, this might also include government surveillance programs trying to monitor your online behavior or infiltrate your devices. A VPN provides a secure, encrypted tunnel for your internet connection, shielding you from these cyber threats. This is particularly useful if you’re handling sensitive data or conducting important online transactions.
Free Speech
China’s tight internet regulations make it risky to voice dissenting opinions online. But with a VPN, you can mask your IP address, allowing you to express your views openly and anonymously. Your online activities get encrypted, which means you don’t have to be constantly worried about surveillance or facing repercussions for sharing your thoughts and beliefs.
Private Conversations
In China, you may have concerns about the privacy of your conversations online. A VPN encrypts your data, making it difficult for anyone (including governments and hackers) to snoop on your communications. This means you can chat, conduct VoIP calls, email, and share files without worrying too much about someone eavesdropping on you.
Download Torrented Files Safely
Torrenting and Tor networks are subject to scrutiny and restrictions in China. By hiding your real IP address, it becomes exceedingly difficult for anyone to trace your online activities back to you. This offers a layer of anonymity that can be especially valuable for downloading torrents or accessing restricted networks.
Top Brands that Didn’t Make the Cut:
- IPVanish. IPVanish is a useful VPN for torrenting and gaming, but it doesn’t work in China.
- CyberGhost VPN. CyberGhost VPN is a great, easy-to-use VPN with specialized torrenting and gaming servers. It even has servers in China, but it only maybe works in that country.
- Proton VPN. Proton VPN is an excellent VPN option with high-privacy features. However, even though the VPN provides obfuscation, there’s no guarantee it works in China.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do VPNs work in China?
Most VPNs don’t work in China. This is because the Chinese government has banned all unapproved VPNs and made a strong effort to block their traffic.
Government-approved VPNs are not great for security, however, as they are forced to give the government backdoor access. Fortunately, there are still some secure VPNs that work in the country, such as ExpressVPN (confirmed by customer support representatives). It also provides blazing-fast speeds and has excellent privacy and security features, making it the #1 VPN for China.
What is the best VPN for China?
ExpressVPN is my top pick for bypassing China’s firewall in 2024. It works well in China, it’s fast, it comes with excellent security features, and it has a very user-friendly interface.
How do I use a VPN in China?
Bypassing China’s firewall with a VPN requires only 3 steps:
- 1. Get a reputable VPN before traveling to China. I recommend ExpressVPN because it has strong security, the fastest speeds on the market, and very intuitive apps.
- 2. Download and install the VPN. This process should only take a few minutes — just follow the installation wizard’s instructions.
- 3. Connect to a server. Open the app and select a nearby server for the fastest possible speeds. That’s it! You can now freely and securely browse the web in China.
Can I use a free VPN for China?
China’s firewall blocks most free VPNs — so you’ll probably need a paid VPN service for the fastest and most reliable browsing. While some VPNs may offer a free plan that works in China, most have slower speeds and set a limit on your bandwidth.
The best option is to purchase a reasonably-priced VPN that will allow you to safely and securely browse the web in China with no restrictions. My top recommendation is ExpressVPN since it works in China, provides very fast speeds, and is ultra secure.
