For many years, Internet rules have been very strict in China. The Chinese government monitors the activities of Internet users and censors many websites and applications. Faced with such restrictions, the only solution to browse freely and anonymously is to equip your connected devicesVirtual Private Network (VPN) software.
It seems simple in idea but unfortunately fewer and fewer VPNs manage to work correctly in China. The key is therefore to choose one that is efficient and effective enough to circumvent the blockages in place in this country. You will need to subscribe to the VPN before going to China, because their site is blocked by default by local internet regulators.
Below we have made alist with the 3 best VPN companies for China. They will allow you to bypass local censorship to access all your favorite sites and social networks. The best known of all, Facebook, will only be accessible if you use such software. For a Westerner, a VPN in China is almost mandatory to access everyday services.
Before going into detail about each of the VPNs that we have selected, here is first a first list of the major players available in China. As you will see, the number 1 in our overall ranking NordVPN is also the one we recommend when you are in China. Besides this VPN, there are also ExpressVPN and Surfshark. We have not included CyberGhost in this comparison since it is sometimes limited in certain censored countries.
The best VPNs for China in 2024:
NordVPN is the world leader in consumer cybersecurity software. Known to be a good VPN in China, it is one that is available in all heavily censored countries. If ExpressVPN and Surfshark cannot say the same, it should still be noted that they are excellent in China. If you installed them before your departure, you will be able to access the entire web in China thanks to this software which will run in the background of your computer or phone.
The 3 best VPNs for China in 2024
As the Middle Kingdom has tightened its Internet censorship policy, local operators are becoming more and more adept at detecting connections from Virtual Private Networks and blocking them. It is therefore in your interest to opt for a VPN that works correctly in this territory (and not just to subscribe tothe cheapest VPN offer).
We offer you 3 technology providers that provide security, reliability and stability in China. We constantly update this data with people on site to ensure its accuracy. Once again, you must download the software before you leave the country. Once there, the websites to subscribe to NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark will no longer be accessible.
Whatever your choice, don't forget to equip your devices before leaving for China because, once there, it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to download these VPNs. As you might expect, these sites are blocked by the authoritarian Chinese regime.
1. NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the most used VPNs in China. If Internet users appreciate it so much, it is thanks to its unique features aimed at strengthening online protection and the ergonomics of its application.
Through its network of more than 6,000+ servers spread across 111 countries, NordVPN manages to secure your connection by establishing a bridge between you, its server and the internet filtering out all prying eyes. Once in China, you will only have to choose a country from its list and NordVPN will take care of changing your location to bypass the restrictions.
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To maximize your anonymity and protection, you can even use its Double VPN feature which encrypts your web traffic twice by routing it through two separate servers. With Anti-Threat Protection, you will also be able to surf the Internet safely because this function detects malware and avoids control of botnet networks.
With NordVPN, you will be assured of being completely protected since it does not keep any logs of its users' activity and does not share your private data. It's the same principle at ExpressVPN. If you want to know more about its privacy policy,do not hesitate to consult our full review.
For all countries with internet restrictions like China, NordVPN recommends using its NordLynx protocol. If that doesn't work, you always have the option to do a manual setup on your computer or phone.
If the VPN ever encounters problems when used in China, the Kill Switch will be there to save you. In fact, it will cut off your internet access and no one will see that you have used its service thanks to the Kill Switch emergency shutdown. That said, in navigation it can sometimes be a little more annoying. Nothing serious that said, NordVPN remains the world leader in the VPN market, and for good reason!
2. ExpressVPN
Thanks to its intuitive application, its reliability and its rather exceptional performance in China, ExpressVPN has quickly become one of the favorite VPNs of Internet users in China. In 2024, it is one of the only ones truly capable of providing fast and uninterrupted service in China. So of course, it is a little more expensive than its counterparts, but it is well worth it. ExpressVPN is also one of the most popular VPNs currently worldwide.
Access to 3000 servers in 105 countries
From its application (computer, mobile, tablet), you can connect to one of its 160 locations in order to simulate a new location. As soon as you click the connect button, you will immediately get a new IP address and your Chinese IP will be hidden. In the eyes of your local ISP, you will no longer be located in China with this VPN.
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ExpressVPN will give you access to all your favorite sites and applications in a very simple way. The only condition is to choose a country other than China. Moreover, the provider recommends six locations for a trouble-free connection: namely the United Kingdom (Wembley server), France (Alsace), the United States (Santa Monica and Los Angeles), Japan (Yokohama) or Singapore (Marina Bay). By favoring the last two servers (closer to China), this ensures better speed.
Fast, highly secure servers
ExpressVPN also encrypts your traffic end-to-end to prevent the Chinese ISP from being able to steal information and monitor all your personal data. The AES 256-bit encryption key is used. Suffice to say that you will have nothing to fear, it has been recognized as being the most robust and it is even used by international intelligence services.
With an infrastructure of over 3,000 servers all offering unlimited bandwidth, ExpressVPN's speeds are excellent. You will be able to watch YouTube videos in China without latency and the same goes for other streaming services and TV channels. It's a good way to stay in touch with the Western world despite censorship.
To optimize your connection in China, make sure you have the latest version of the VPN application up to date and do not select a protocol manually. By choosing the “Automatic” option, ExpressVPN will choose the most appropriate protocol for your Chinese local network for you. As mentioned previously, the OpenVPN protocol is blocked on Chinese territory. Instead, you will be connected to IKeV2 or Lightway, ExpressVPN's in-house protocol.
If you have the slightest problem, you can count on its technical team available 24/7. If you want to use one of the best VPNs for China, remember to download it before leaving or you will be blocked. Please note that at the moment, the publisher is offering a nice discount if you subscribe to its offer for one year. To find out more about this VPN, click here:
3. Surfshark
Surfshark VPN is newer than its two counterparts but thanks to its effective secure tool in China and its competitive prices, it deserves its place in this ranking of the best VPNs in China. It is today the best value for money on the market in the premium VPN niche. It is 3 times cheaper than ExpressVPN, and half the price of NordVPN.
Like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, Surfshark has a no-log policy, meaning it doesn't keep track of your activity logs or connection logs. It is therefore perfectly secure for use in China. No one will know what you are doing. This obviously concerns China but also all the other countries in the world in which you will travel.
Surfshark VPN manages to bypass Chinese censorship so you can browse online freely. Its server network extends across 100 countries with 3,200 servers, which gives you a wide choice of locations to simulate to obtain an IP address foreign to China. A simple connection to a server will very easily allow you to access Facebook, WhatsApp and other social networks normally blocked in China.
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At the same time, Surfshark encrypts your data and online activities so that they are safe from surveillance by Chinese authorities. To complete its system, Surfshark provides the “NoBorders” mode which can be activated through the settings. This feature allows you to bypass the strictest Internet restrictions. The NoBorders option is therefore particularly recommended for China. Camouflage mode is also very interesting because it allows your Internet traffic to appear normal. With this feature, the Chinese Internet Service Provider will not notice that you are using a VPN.
Finally, whether you are on a Mac, Windows PC, iPhone, iPad, tablet or Android mobile,the Surfshark appis compatible on these main supports. If you have several terminals, all of them can be protected because Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections from a single account. It's the only VPN that offers unlimited connections, which is pretty awesome. It differs from others which generally limit a maximum of 8 or 10 connections.
Once again, you will need to install this VPN before leaving for China and activate it before browsing the net.
Why use a VPN in China?
Internet restrictions are everywhere in China
If you plan to go to China for a short or long term, you will be confronted with the Great Firewall when connecting to the Internet, a sort of great digital wall. It will block you from accessing Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, YouTube and even Wikipedia and major media sites. If you don't use a VPN, you will very quickly cut yourself off from the Western world.
Originally, the “Golden Shield” project set up by the Chinese regime aimed to silence opponents of the Democratic Party.
Today, the reasons are always political since they aim to limit speech on the internet, but also economic. The aim is to help Chinese digital companies grow by preventing access to certain foreign applications and platforms. By limiting the popularity of platforms not controlled by the government, the government can easily identify potential opponents.
That said, all expats in China use a VPN to stay in touch with their families and loved ones. It is a very standard tool which is widely democratized among all foreigners residing in China.
A VPN to modify your IP address and geo-location
There is a solution that allows you to bypass these many restrictions: the VPN. Like proxies, these apps are able to hide your IP address so that you get a different one temporarily (as soon as the VPN is activated), allowing you to move around virtually. It is thanks to this that you will be able to navigate without constraints. Seeing that the Internet user is not located in China, access to the website cannot be refused by the local network.
In addition, by using the IP address of the VPN network which has thousands of them, you will be anonymous and risk nothing. Local operators will have no way of tracing it back to you. VPN in China is a completely democratized practice. Without this software, you will really be limited to Chinese services which have no connection with the services available in France.
A VPN to secure your connection
In addition to changing the IP address and location, VPNs secure the internet connection, something that the proxy does not do. To do this, the VPN encrypts all users' web traffic using very powerful algorithms including AES-256. This encrypted tunnel avoids any type of online surveillance since it makes your browsing data unreadable for anyone who does not have the decryption key. And to date, 256-bit AES has not experienced any flaws. With a good VPN for China, Chinese authorities will have no way of gaining access to your online activities.
Is it legal to use a VPN in China?
The question that many people ask themselves before going to China is whetherwhether using a VPN is legal. You should know that for some time now, the Great Firewall has been further strengthened. It becomes capable of detecting certain VPN connections and blocking them, including the OpenVPN protocol recently. The Beijing government has also tightened controls on the web by prohibiting local companies from developing their own Virtual Private Network.
In theory, VPNs are therefore prohibited in China. In practice, these rules target the local population rather than expatriates and tourists. In fact, many foreign companies established in China use it daily to carry out their international business. The use of VPNs also seems tolerated for the urban population present on all social networks.
However, it is recommended to use a no-log VPN (which does not keep any connection logs or activity logs), reliable and secure, so as to avoid leaving traces indicating that you are using a VPN. By choosing one of the best VPNs below, you will have no problem at this level. They all offer ultra-secure solutions, and are legitimately positioned as the best VPN in China.
Conclusion: NordVPN, No. 1 for China
Faced with the particular case of China, we really cannot rely on just any VPN. The best VPN in China should obviously be able to bypass the Great Firewall to access all blocked sites while providing complete anonymity and smooth browsing. Don't be afraid: all expatriates use such software in China, it's a common thing. You take no particular risk if you opt for the most effective and popular VPNs.
The suppliers selected above are all impeccable in terms of reliability and speed. That said, NordVPN is undoubtedly the best VPN for China. And if we offer it to you, it is also because it offers 10 simultaneous connections, complete anonymity and real stability of the connection in China. If you want to convince yourself, you can test NordVPN for 30 days. During this period, you can request your refund at any time from customer support.
To find out more about this VPN for China, click here:
