Best VPNs for China in 2024

When we mention the Great Firewall of China, we think of something volatile. Ever-changing. Something that makes finding a great VPN for China incredibly difficult. This firewall and political beliefs are the reason why the internet in this country is limited and under heavy surveillance.

Chinese residents can’t use Google, YouTube, Gmail, Instagram, and at least 10,000 other sites and services. Simultaneously, many of the best VPNs for China in the past don’t work anymore, leaving them helpless. Well, not everything is so black in 2024.

A part of our experts’ team resides in this country, and luckily for us and you, they have been able to test dozens of VPN services in China. This discussion will feature 5 providers that worked reliably in our tests and are still usable in this huge country in 2024.

Best VPNs That Still Work in China – Our Top 5

After testing dozens of providers, we were baffled at how the majority of them couldn’t make it past the Chinese firewall. This is the reason why our list contains “just” 5 options.

After extensive trial and error, we found that we can rely on these 5 most of the time:

1. NordVPN

Many people say that commercial providers don’t work well in this country. Well, NordVPN begs to differ, as it was and still is our best VPN for China in 2024. The secret lies in its obfuscated servers that mask your VPN traffic and make it look like a normal one.

This lets you bypass deep-packet inspection of the Great Firewall and access the internet normally. While obfuscating your traffic, NordVPN keeps the performance high, ensuring you get some of the best VPN speeds around. This comes down to its great server infrastructure.

You see, NordVPN uses 10 Gbps servers and has 6,400+ of them globally. Obfuscation uses OpenVPN TCP, which is still very fast but apart from that, its NordLynx protocol also works occasionally in this country. NordLynx, as many know, is one of the fastest protocols.

NordVPN excels in privacy and security, which Chinese VPN users will oblige. The provider uses strong 256-bit encryption coupled with a kill switch to prevent IP leaks. Another perk is Threat Protection, which removes trackers and ads to keep you even safer.

NordVPN doesn’t store logs and is based in Panama, which enhances your privacy further. Even if the Chinese authorities seize any of its servers, they would find nothing because NordVPN uses RAM-only servers that wipe their data with each restart. What about entertainment?

Well, NordVPN works with Netflix if you need that. It also has dedicated P2P servers that you can use for torrenting. The VPN works like a charm on macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and many other platforms. As the icing on the cake, it’s also affordable, at around $3.5/mo.

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2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN doesn’t struggle in China like some of its competitors. Having tested it, we can say it’s a reliable VPN to use in China without special tweaks. We love its built-in obfuscation that comes with every connection. This means you can pick ANY server and go with it.

The provider will automatically obfuscate your traffic, making you anonymous online. Speaking of anonymity, this VPN doesn’t store any logs and has well over 15 audits on its no-log policy, apps, and other aspects. As one of the leading VPNs in China, it’s safe to use.

You’ll, again, get AES encryption, a reliable kill switch, and IP/DNS leak protection. We appreciate its Private DNS servers that prevent third-party DNS providers from tracking your activities. Like NordVPN, ExpressVPN relies on RAM-only servers – a handy thing to have.

In addition, its Lightway protocol supports obfuscation, so its performance can be fully utilized when using this great VPN in China. We don’t like its absence of Double VPN servers but ExpressVPN makes up for it with Advanced Protection for blocking ads and trackers.

This provider’s simplicity is undeniable and its easy-to-use apps will be advantageous for people in Beijing, Shenzhen, and other cities. Bear in mind it offers 8 simultaneous connections – less than NordVPN’s 10 – but this should be enough for most people.

ExpressVPN isn’t particularly cheap when you pin it against NordVPN. The great news is a 49% discount thanks to 3 free months for the 1-year plan. This means you can enjoy a top VPN for China for about 50% off at the moment. Test it risk-free below.

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3. Surfshark

Surfshark might surprise many, as it’s high up on our list of recommended VPNs in China. Well, this cheap little provider offers something titled NoBorders. This feature is obfuscation, which, as said, masks your VPN traffic and makes it easy to get over the Great Firewall.

After testing it for weeks, our team members saw how efficient it was. Surfshark works approximately 8 out of 10 times, which is a great result for a provider that costs a speck over $2 a month. For this price, you’re getting solid security and privacy.

For instance, this provider uses WireGuard, which ensures connection stability and no leaks. Then, we have MultiHop servers to double your encryption by routing your traffic through two VPN servers in different locations.

IP Rotation is also there. It rotates your IP periodically while keeping your connection active to make you untraceable. Surfshark’s app involves an ad blocker, split tunneling, and even an antivirus, which you can get in its One plan. This antivirus was surprisingly effective in our Surfshark review.

While it’s based in the Netherlands, which isn’t optimal, Surfshark is still a no-log service. This is easily verified by sifting through its audits and people’s experiences. Surfshark’s biggest benefit is unlimited simultaneous connections, which you won’t find in many VPNs.

The provider is great for streaming too, unblocking over 30 Netflix catalogs. It offers optional extras too, such as Smart DNS, dedicated IP addresses, and the option to delete your data from data brokers in the most expensive plan. Check it out – it’s pretty interesting.

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4. Astrill VPN

Astrill VPN is a very popular VPN that works in China in 2024. In fact, from time to time, it might be even more reliable than Surfshark and ExpressVPN. This provider has all you need to make it work in China. There’s the Stealth VPN protocol that masks your VPN traffic, for example.

However, we’ve also tested its OpenWeb protocol that works in China without a hitch. This provider is a technological marvel, working in this country with stellar performance and incredible reliability. Its 10 Gbps server fleet spans over 118 cities, so it’s great too!

Astrill VPN includes a myriad of security features, such as MultiHop, kill switch, WireGuard, and IPv6 leak prevention. The provider is also famous for its privacy, which is much needed in the best VPN in China. Atrill is based in the Seychelles Islands.

This is a privacy-friendly jurisdiction with no data retention and other intrusive laws. This allows the provider to not store logs and makes you 100% anonymous in China. We love its unlimited simultaneous connections that let you protect every device you own.

It’s undoubtedly one of the best-rated VPNs for China but comes with a fatal flaw for many. You see, Astrill VPN’s price is outrageous and the cheapest 2-year plan is a whopping $12.50 a month. For comparison, NordVPN’s equivalent costs around $3.50 on average.

Yes, Astrill has LOTS of features but so do NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark at way lower prices. It’s worth noting that Astrill doesn’t offer a free trial or a money-back guarantee, so you can’t get a refund. Therefore, you must be sure you really want this VPN for China.

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5. Mullvad VPN

Mullvad VPN gets tons of praise from people residing in this beautiful country. This VPN can be used in China effectively thanks to obfuscation support that showed decent results. Now, in our tests with Mullvad, it was far from the best option, as it still had some issues occasionally.

However, we can approximately say it works 7/10 times, which is still great. This provider uses secure 10 Gbps servers with AES-256 encryption and OpenVPN/WireGuard support. You’ll also find its MultiHop or Bridge Mode useful to increase your safety.

Mullvad’s overall performance is stellar. However, it’s good to know that enabling obfuscation will slightly decrease the speed at the cost of privacy. Mullvad isn’t fond of logging, which the best VPNs for China shouldn’t do anyway.

This is accompanied by the fact that it doesn’t require your email for registration, instead, relying on account numbers to provide service. Mullvad is simple to use and works on all devices, so even iPhone and Android users can enjoy a wealth of security features.

However, being at the last spot on our list, Mullvad suffers from a few problems. Our tests indicate it’s poor for streaming and won’t unblock any Netflix libraries or, let’s say, BBC iPlayer. Its torrenting abilities are great but P2P speeds could be hastier.

Mullvad limits you to only 5 simultaneous connections, which is obsolete in 2024. At least it doesn’t require commitment, so you can pay as you go, without the need to commit to 1-year, 2-year, and longer plans. If you’re unsatisfied, use its 30-day money-back guarantee.

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How to Use a VPN in China? Our Few Recommendations

You now know all about the best VPNs for China in 2024 but using one can be problematic for some. VPNs are usually very simple to use and require you to connect to a server to start reaping all of their benefits. Well, China is a bit different and requires a tad more effort.

First, we need to determine if you’re traveling to this country or you live there. If you’re traveling, you must subscribe to a VPN beforehand. VPN websites are blocked in the mainland, which prevents you from getting a service and installing it.

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When you arrive in this country, the process of using this service should be like this:

• Open the app and sign in.
• Enable the kill switch to prevent unwanted data leaks.
• Connect an obfuscated server (NordVPN). If you’re using ExpressVPN, you can connect to any server without tweaks. If you’re using Surfshark, enable NoBorders first and then connect to a server.
• Go ahead and test the connection – everything should work reliably.

Do Free VPNs Work in China in 2024?

While the premium providers we presented offer unwavering performance, free providers drop the ball and aren’t as great. During our testing procedure, we involved a few great free VPNs as well but had no luck using them. Think of them as “Lite” versions of paid VPNs.

They’re made for basic browsing, average security, and… well, not much else. The biggest flaw of free VPNs is their lack of advanced security features, and consequently obfuscation. We tested Proton VPN, Hide.me, Windscribe, PrivadoVPN, and a few others.

While these providers were safe and with no logging, they couldn’t get over the Great Firewall no matter what we did. Some of these providers offer unlimited bandwidth, for example, and Proton VPN even supports OpenVPN TCP which is often used for these cases.

However, our tests were unsuccessful in the end. We don’t recommend free VPNs for China because many of them aren’t safe enough. 100% free options like Turbo VPN, Hola, Urban-VPN, and others are notorious for logging and even IP/DNS leaking.

Such services are better left untouched even outside of this country. The best VPN for China should fire on all cylinders and be both safe AND fast. These providers lack both aspects, making them a poor option overall. Now, that’s not the end of the world.

You can still use NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and others for free. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee that allows a refund in 30 days. That said, if you no longer need them, you can request a refund and be reimbursed. It’s as if you were using a free VPN for a month.

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Why Use a VPN in China? Do You Really Need It?

In most cases, we say that this service is unnecessary. You can go online, play games, and do your thing without the added security and privacy. However, China makes things quite difficult if you’re not using a capable VPN in this country. Let us remind you of this.

Chinese authorities block over TEN THOUSAND websites, apps, and platforms. Some of them include:

• Google (including Google services like Gmail, Docs, …)
• Social media sites (Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, …)
• Porn sites (Pornhub, Xvideos, RedTube, …)
• Streaming sites (YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, MAX, …)
• News platforms (Bloomberg, Reuters, The New York Times, …)
• VoIP services (Skype (replaced by Chinese TOM-Skype), Viber, Telegram, Signal, …)

As you can see, it’s impossible to use the internet ‘properly’ and enjoy every other app or platform that users worldwide can. These websites can only be unblocked by bypassing censorship, which is exactly what the best VPN for China does.

Apart from censorship, the authorities don’t shy away from spying and surveillance. For example, they have their version of Skype called TOM-Skype, which allows the government to spy on your conversations. The government in this country will monitor your every step.

They’ll know which sites you’re on, what you’re downloading, with whom you’re talking, and much more. A reliable VPN that works in China can disconnect you from this matrix, hide your IP address, and encrypt your traffic to prevent monitoring and spying.

This, in return, allows for a greater degree of internet freedom and privacy. So, to answer the second question, we think you need a VPN in this country. It’s pretty much a necessity in 2024.

Popular VPNs That Don’t Work in China

Many popular providers advertise themselves as being great for bypassing censorship, even going as far as offering Stealth VPN and other functionalities. In practice, many of these providers are great only for mild censorship and weaker firewalls – not for China.

We’ll list a few of them in this article to help you avoid pitfalls and spending your money in vain.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost is an excellent option if you want to stream movies on Netflix or download torrents. Unfortunately, as much as we love it, we mourn its lack of obfuscation which seriously harms this provider’s reliability in China and similar countries. Have we tested it?

Yes – this VPN wouldn’t work in China no matter what we tried. Again, this comes down to the lack of obfuscation that would allow you to get over deep-packet inspection. Our experts recommend changing CyberGhost for NordVPN before you go to the mainland.

Proton VPN

Proton VPN openly admits to not working in this country and this is honest, which we respect. Interestingly, Proton offers Stealth VPN on macOS. It works well in the UAE, Turkey, Qatar, and other “mildly” censored regions but fails miserably in the mainland.

Compared to our #1-rated VPN for China, which is NordVPN, this one is as secure. But you need much more if you’re in this country. In 2024, Proton VPN’s firepower won’t suffice to jump over the wide and tall Great Firewall.

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access was mentioned many times on Reddit as a VPN working in China. Unfortunately, this was a few years ago when PIA’s obfuscation with Shadowsocks could beat the Great Firewall. In 2024, very few people use this provider successfully.

We know of some users satisfied with PIA in China. Even our team managed to make it work from time to time but not reliably and with great speeds. PIA is more reliable than Proton VPN and CyberGhost, don’t get us wrong. However, it’s far from usable in this country.

IPVanish

IPVanish often makes it to the lists of the best overall VPNs. Practice showed that this provider is far from NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark. Its lack of proper obfuscation also isn’t great news because IPVanish is hard to use in harsh censorship like the one in China.

After testing IPVanish multiple times, our team couldn’t connect to it. We switched to OpenVPN, then WireGuard, and used a kill switch and all the security features we could conjure. As said, nothing worked and IPVanish remained useless indefinitely.

Are VPNs in China Legal?

Contrary to Turkmenistan, Belarus, and a few other locations where VPNs are strictly illegal, we can deem China a gray zone. The government restricts the use of VPNs but doesn’t outright ban them. This means you won’t end up in jail for using one.

Simultaneously, VPNs and their websites are heavily blocked in the country, which is why it’s recommended to subscribe to a service before you arrive in China. If you’re already there, you can use tourist hotels’ WiFi networks to do this because they’re less censored.

Either way, we haven’t heard of anyone going to jail or being fined for using reliable VPNs in China. You can use them to watch content, unblock sites, and preserve your privacy. The only thing to worry about is selling and/or promoting VPNs, which IS illegal.

The authorities let people use only government-approved providers but this isn’t viable for many because they keep logs and lack privacy. If you’re going to use a provider in this country, better do it without bragging, promoting, or anything similar.

Above all, ask a Chinese lawyer about VPN-related laws if you’re unsure what to do. A lawyer will explain to you how to use it and what not to do. You can also refer to our short guide where we address the question of VPNs’ legality in many regions.

Summary

China is a specific country for good or bad. Its culture and cuisine are some of the most revered in the world but its politics, censorship, and surveillance deter many people from visiting it. With the best VPNs for China in 2024, things will be much easier.

At least you can visit this country and still enjoy the internet as intended – with utmost privacy and freedom. NordVPN and ExpressVPN work particularly well, with a great price-to-performance ratio. Surfshark is the cheapest premium VPN for China, for example.

Its unlimited connections and NoBorders mode are a perfect match for budget-oriented users. Astrill VPN is likely more efficient than Surfshark but roughly 6 times more expensive for the same 2-year plan. We then have Mullvad, which is the most anonymous option.

It’s time to get over the ever-present Great Firewall and reclaim your freedom. Choose your VPN and make it happen.

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