Best VPN Apps for Ethiopia in 2023

The Internet in Ethiopia is too restricted nowadays. Violation of user rights is not a new phenomenon here but a norm. Restrictions, blocking, and monitoring are habitual for this African country. Thus, a reliable VPN app is a must-have tool in the country.
I’ve tested 70+ services to pick out the ones that work without the speed drop and leaks in Ethiopia. I’ve used the VPN spiral method during my tests.
Well, here’s what you’ll find out after reading over this article:
- Everything you need to know about restrictions in Ethiopia
- Best VPN apps that work in the country in 2022
- Functions a good VPN performs
- The full truth about free VPNs
- ExpressVPN: Best VPN for Ethiopia with unlimited bandwidth and military-grade encryption.
- Surfshark: Good VPN provider for Ethiopia with strict no-logs policy and extra security functions.
- NordVPN: Robust VPN with fast speeds and 24/7 customer service for all platforms.
- CyberGhost VPN: Not expensive provider with access to over 6400 servers worldwide.
- Mullvad VPN: The provider has 660+ servers, AES 256-bit ciphering, and 2 reliable protocols for your data protection.
Recommendation: While choosing a VPN for Ethiopia, pay attention to their protocols, methods of data encryption, security features (e.g. kill switch), and test results. It’s recommended to make use of a VPN free trial period before paying for a long-term plan and check if it suits you.
What’s the reason to use a VPN in Ethiopia?
In the lead up to the May 2015 elections the increased number of critical news and oppositional websites were blocked.
Six bloggers were arrested and charged with terrorism when two of them were unexpectedly released.
A university political science teacher who is known for his Facebook activism was arrested and sentenced with terrorism too. Besides, the Ethiopian diaspora of journalists was attacked with surveillance malware from hacking team.
Internet censorship in Ethiopia
Since the year of 2016 numerous social media platforms and services for communication have been undergoing blacklisting in Ethiopia.
Thus, in case one browses with an Ethiopian IP address, the following services will be inaccessible:
Unfortunately, this is not the whole “story”. In case a website, a blog or a post contains material on forbidden topic, it will be banned as well.
Here are few examples of taboo topics for Ethiopia:
- LGBTI issues;
- critics towards politics;
- human rights organizations.
Monitoring in Ethiopia
Content restrictions are not the only problem of the Ethiopians. As “Human Rights Watch” reports the government spies on its citizens through ZTE gadgets.
Phone calls and messages are eavesdropped and recorded. In such a way, there is no means to communicate free.
All these facts make Ethiopian netizens subscribe for a reliable tool – VPN.
Comparison of the main features of VPN services for Ethiopia
Service | Ranking (out of 10) | Stealth level (out of 10) |
Speed, Mbps | Country selection | Number of servers | Price (monthly) |
ExpressVPN | 10 | 9 | >100 | 94 | 3000+ | $6.67-12.95 |
Surfshark | 10 | 10 | >50 | 59 | 1700+ | $2.49-12.95 |
NordVPN | 10 | 10 | >60 | 63 | 5100+ | $3.30-11.95 |
CyberGhost | 9 | 9 | 40-70 | 90 | 6400+ | $2.25-12.99 |
Mullvad | 9 | 9 | 40-65 | 36 | 660+ | €5 |
The best VPN to use in Ethiopia
In this part of the article, I’ll tell you about the best VPNs that work in Ethiopia and cope with the tasks relevant to this country. I’ll pay attention to figures, functions, and test results.
ExpressVPN
Main advantages
- 3000+ servers
- 94 countries
- 30-day refund
- 7-day free trial (Android)
Overview
ExpressVPN is the best VPN app for Ethiopia because it serves to overcome content restrictions and monitoring when using any device (even router). 4 reliable protocols protect your data, whereas IPs of 160 locations help to unblock any site or service.
Price
The table lists the ExpressVPN plans and prices
1 month | 6 months | 1 year | |
Price (monthly) | $12.95 | $9.99 | $6.67 |
Money-back guarantee (days) | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Conclusion
|
Main advantages
- 1700+ servers
- 63 countries
- 30-day refund
- 7-day free trial
Overview
Despite its really low cost, Surfshark is one of the best VPNs for Ethiopia. And here’s why. The provider offers the feature of obfuscation. It means that it serves to unblock sites even in China. Also, HackLock and BlindSearch make subscribers hidden from the prying eyes.
Price
The table lists the Surfshark plans and prices
1 month | 6 months | 2 years | |
Price (monthly) | $12.95 | $6.49 | $2.49 |
Money-back guarantee | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Conclusion
|
Main advantages
- 5100+ servers
- 59 countries
- 30-day refund
- 7-day free trial (Android, iOS)
Overview
Having installed the NordVPN app on your device (by the way, 6 are allowed), no one can know what you do online. All your traffic passes through a reliably protected VPN tunnel.
Price
The table lists the NordVPN plans and prices
1 month | 1 year | 2 years | |
Price (monthly) | $11.95 | $4.92 | $3.29 (2022 Winter promotion) |
Money-back guarantee | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Conclusion
|
- 6400+ servers
- 89 countries
- 14-45-day refund
- 24-hour free trial
Overview
The level of security CyberGhost provides is high enough to be convinced nobody knows about your browsing history. Besides, servers in 90+ regions of the world allow unblocking any content.
Price
The table lists the CyberGhost VPN plans and prices
1 month | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years | |
Price (monthly) | $12.99 | $3.99 | $3.49 | $2.25 |
Money-back guarantee | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
Conclusion
|
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Mullvad VPN
Main advantages
- 660+ servers
- 36 countries
- 30-day refund
- No free trial
Overview
This VPN is on the list of the best ones for Ethiopia because it has not only fast servers but also a unique Bridge mode. It’s a chain of 2 servers that provide 100% anonymity on the Internet.
Price
The table lists the Mullvad VPN plans and prices
1 month | |
Price (monthly) | €5 |
Money-back guarantee | 45 |
Conclusion
|
Read more:
FAQ
How does the best VPN for Ethiopia work?
The finest VPN for Ethiopia presents several functional possibilities aimed at your online protection while using the Internet in Ethiopia.
⇒ IP masking
⇒ Traffic encoding
⇒ Anonymous web browsing
⇒ Access to Ethiopian content being abroad
⇒ Ad-free Internet surfing
⇒ Private conversations
Is it legal to unblock VoIP apps with a VPN?
It’s legal to use VPNs. Besides, when using a reliable VPN, your activity won’t be tracked by the ISP. Although Google Talk, Skype, and other apps are blocked in the country (since 2012), VPN will help to change your IP and unblock the service.
Can I use a free VPN in Ethiopia?
It’s not recommended to use free VPNs because they are too limited in functions and can keep logs. It’s better to use cheap VPN apps.
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