Apple devices are known for their robust security. So if you’re a Mac user, you might think you don’t need the extra security of a VPN. But the fact is, MacOS can’t stop your internet service provider from tracking your browsing habits. Nor can it prevent your information from being compromised. That’s why, even if you’re a Mac user, using a virtual private network is probably a good idea. But what’s the best Mac VPN for you? That’s where our guide to the best Mac VPN comes in.
When determining the best Mac VPN for our readers, we evaluate a number of things that are specific to being a Mac user: First, while not every Mac device is faster than a PC and Windows product, we want to see a VPN service with a connection speed that complements MacOS machines’ rapid reputation. Further, if you’ve been using MacOS, you’re used to a clean, intuitive user interface with a minimal learning curve and a well-organized set of digital tools — that’s why a VPN’s usability weighs into our consideration.
We also know that for many MacOS users, a broad resistance to app-borne viruses and malware is a major reason for choosing that ecosystem over Windows devices. To that end, we scrutinize a VPN’s anti-tracker capacity and its general compatibility with Apple’s progressively heightened privacy policies.
Drawn from our directory of the best VPN services, these are our top recommendations for the best Mac VPN. Keep checking back here often since we regularly update this list as new VPN contenders emerge for the top spot.
Editors’ note, Feb. 9, 2022: The VPN industry has undergone significant change in the past few months, with all three of our top VPN choices announcing major changes in corporate ownership. In December, ExpressVPN announced that it had officially joined Kape Technologies, a company that already owns several other VPNs and has raised privacy concerns in the past. In February, NordVPN and Surfshark announced the two companies were merging, though they’ll continue to operate autonomously. We’re in the process of re-evaluating all of our top picks in light of these changes. We will update our reviews and, if necessary, our rankings to account for this new competitive landscape.
ExpressVPN
- Number of IP addresses: 30,000
- Number of servers: 3,000-plus
- Number of VPN server locations: 160 in 94 countries
- Number of simultaneous connections: 5
- Country/jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands
- 94-plus countries
- Three months free with one-year plan
ExpressVPN consistently proves itself one of the fastest VPNs on the market, and actively promotes its commitment to privacy. That’s why it tops our list as the best Mac VPN.
ExpressVPN has one of the world’s largest RAM-disk server networks, running on TrustedServer technology, which the company built to reduce any likelihood of user activity logging. In the privacy world, ExpressVPN has a strong track record, having experienced a server seizure by authorities which proved its zero-log policy true at the time, has routinely published transparency tools, and participates in organizations like the i2Coalition, which aim to boost industry service standards. We also like the number of server location options, the quality of the VPN’s setup guides, and the detailed information in its FAQ.
While its speeds consistently compete with heavy-hitting competitors, CNET’s 2020 speed tests saw ExpressVPN produce a 52% overall loss of normal internet speeds, representing a significant slowdown compared with its 2019 score of 2% speed loss. More recent testing has begun showing signs of significant speed boosts, however, particularly while using its open-source protocol, Lightway.
Like the others of the top five VPN services we’ve reviewed, ExpressVPN offers a useful kill switch security feature, which prevents network data from leaking outside of its secure VPN tunnel in the event the VPN connection fails. The provider gained points for being an early adopter in accepting Bitcoin as a payment method. Not all VPNs take Bitcoin, but it adds an additional layer of privacy during checkout.
In business since 2009, ExpressVPN’s substantial network is spread across 94 countries. This is the best VPN for protecting your online privacy, has best-in-class encryption, and provides unlimited bandwidth. Its best plan is priced at $100 a year for the annual package, which includes three months free. You can also get a biannual plan for $60 every six months or a monthly plan for $13 a month. ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not happy with the service for any reason.
ExpressVPN operates on Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, Linux and a slew of others.
Surfshark
- Number of servers: 3,200-plus
- Number of VPN server locations: 65
- Country/jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands
- $4 a month (69% discount) for the yearly plan
While Surfshark’s network is smaller than some, the VPN service makes up for it in features. And by currently achieving the fastest speeds in our most recent VPN tests. Surfshark and NordVPN announced a merger in February, but each VPN runs its own separate network.
The biggest win Surfshark offers is its unlimited device support. If you want to run your entire home or office on Surfshark’s VPN, you don’t have to worry about how many devices you have on or connected. It also offers antimalware, ad-blocking and tracker-blocking as part of its VPN software.
Surfshark received generally high marks when its Chrome and Firefox extensions were audited for privacy by German security firm Cure 53 (PDF link of full report) — though that audit was commissioned by Surfshark.
The VPN provider has a solid range of app support, running on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireTV and routers. Additional devices such as game consoles can be configured for Surfshark via DNS settings. We particularly like the feature that allows you to whitelist certain apps and websites to automatically bypass the VPN. For some business uses, this can be critically important.
Surfshark also offers three special modes designed for those who want to get around restrictions and more carefully hide their online footsteps. Camouflage Mode masks your VPN activity so your ISP doesn’t know you’re using a VPN. Multihop jumps your internet connection through multiple countries to hide your trail. Finally, NoBorders Mode “allows [you] to successfully use Surfshark in restrictive regions.”
Just be careful: Doing any of these three things could be illegal in your country and could result in severe penalties. During our testing, we saw no DNS or IP address leaks and had no trouble accessing Netflix.
Like an increasing number of other VPNs, Surfshark offers several different introductory pricing packages that are cheaper the longer your contract, but that get more expensive after the first term of your subscription plan. One of your options is to lock in 26 months of service for about $60 — which Surfshark frames as “24 months +2 Free” for $2.30 a month. It’s a decent intro deal, but the plan then recurs at $60 annually. For the standard yearly subscription plan, you’ll pay about $48 initially for the first year of service, then $60 per year for any additional years of service.
Surfshark’s regular monthly plan offers no discounts and is available for $13 a month. If you’re not satisfied with the service, Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
NordVPN
- Number of IP addresses: 5,400-plus
- Number of VPN server locations: 83
- Country/jurisdiction: Panama
- 60 countries
- $5 a month for the yearly plan
NordVPN is one of the most recognized brands in the VPN field. It offers Mac VPN users a generous simultaneous connection count, with six simultaneous connections through its network, where nearly all other providers offer five or fewer. The VPN provider also offers a dedicated IP option, for those looking for a different level of VPN connection. NordVPN offers a kill switch feature, and the ability to VPN into Tor. We detected no privacy leaks during our tests, and found its speeds to be reliably fast.
NordVPN’s pricing structure is similar to that of its sister company Surfshark, but more expensive. A two-year plan carries an introductory price of about $96, but that price increases to a little under $100 annually for each subsequent year of service. If you opt for the yearly plan, you’ll pay $60 for the first year of service, then just shy of $100 per year for any additional years. NordVPN’s monthly plan is a dollar cheaper than Surfshark’s, though, at $12 a month. And like most other VPN services, NordVPN offers a full 30-day money-back guarantee in case you’re not satisfied with the service.
While NordVPN has lived on this list for a long time, we moved it to the penalty box in October 2019 to re-evaluate our recommendation after a report emerged that one of its rented servers was accessed without authorization in 2018. Nord’s actions following the discovery included — eventually — multiple security audits, a bug bounty program and heavier investments in server security.
While we’d have preferred that Nord had self-disclosed the issue much earlier, the fact that the breach was limited in nature and involved no user-identifying information served to further verify that NordVPN keeps no logs of VPN user activity. As a result, Nord remains on this list of the best Mac VPN as a recommended vendor. It operates on Mac, Windows, Android, iOS and Linux.
What’s the best Mac VPN right now?
ExpressVPN is the current CNET Editors’ Choice for best overall VPN. We evaluate VPNs based on their overall performance in three main categories: speed, security features and price. Express isn’t the cheapest, but it’s among the fastest, and so far, is the most secure. At lower costs, Surfshark is a close second among our picks, thanks to its impressive performance and unlimited device support. NordVPN, our third choice, is a die-hard heavy-hitter. It costs more than Surfshark but less than Express, has an enormous network that’s constantly getting faster and more secure, and is easily the most reliable service we’ve tested.
Use a mobile-friendly VPN to avoid slower speeds and ensure greater data privacy for your whole device. Mobile VPNs generally have a smaller memory footprint, and require less processing power than desktop VPNs, so they run faster and save more battery. Our top three VPNs listed above all have excellent, easy-to-use mobile VPN app options for their services. Some VPNs will only work with one type of platform — like Apple or Android — and some are universally compatible. To find the right mobile VPN for you, check out our mobile-specific VPN guides below. We routinely update them with our retesting information so check back often.
What’s the best free VPN service?
None of them. Seriously. While there are plenty of excellent free security and privacy apps online, VPNs, sadly, aren’t among them. Safe VPNs cost companies a lot of money to operate and keep secure, and free ones are almost always malware-laden data snoops. But there’s good news: The burgeoning VPN market is hyper-competitive right now, so prices for even the best VPNs regularly drop to less than $5 a month. In fact, the least expensive paid VPN option we’ve seen so far ranks in our top three VPNs overall for security and speed. Check out our quick list of budget-savvy VPNs to find one in your price range.
What’s the most secure VPN for Mac?
Each of the three VPNs we highlight on this page offer the same level of AES 256-bit encryption. You’ll be able to secure your connection via the same encryption standards whether you’re using ExpressVPN, Surfshark or NordVPN. Each has also been independently audited for security, and each one operates a RAM-only server infrastructure, which helps reduce the possibility of data being stored on a VPN server. Our DNS leak tests of all three providers revealed no leaks of any sort, and each one’s kill switch worked flawlessly.
Can you get in trouble for using a VPN?
You can potentially get in legal trouble for using a VPN if you’re in a country like China or Iran that bans or outlaws VPN use altogether. Otherwise, in the vast majority of regions around the world, you don’t have to worry about getting into any legal trouble just for using a VPN. Just remember that if you’re doing something illegal online, it’s still illegal whether you’re using a VPN or not. And if you’re in a country where VPN use is illegal or restricted in any way, it’s imperative that you connect to an obfuscated server so your VPN traffic is disguised as ordinary HTTPS traffic. This hides the fact that you’re using a VPN in the first place.
What does my ISP see when I’m connected to my VPN?
Your ISP will see that you’re connected to a VPN and it will see the IP address of the VPN server you’re connected to, along with the amount of data you’re transmitting. It will also see timestamps of when you connected to the VPN. Other than that, it won’t see your browsing history or the websites you visit since your internet traffic is encrypted and rendered unreadable when you connect to a VPN.
