10 Best VPNs for Mac (2024)

Finding a good VPN for macOS is much harder than finding one for a PC. Not all VPN services provide full-featured software for Macs. Cooltechzone has listed the 10 best VPNs for Mac for you. These VPNs have been tested for security and offer the most powerful features.

On a Mac, VPNs are most commonly used to protect transmitted data and bypass the geo-restrictions of video streaming services. However, users are often more demanding in terms of data security than on other platforms.

At the same time, the macOS system itself has architectural features that complicate VPN software development. Not every company is ready to create really serious software with the ability to implement state-of-the-art technologies such as WireGuard, shadowsocks, and others.

We've selected 5 of the most effective and affordable services with paid subscriptions and 5 completely free VPNs with minimal restrictions. You can install a VPN from the App Store as well as from trusted third-party sources.

Below is a list of the VPNs that performed best in our tests. We tested their security, functionality, and support for geo-restricted video streaming. You can use the links in this article to access current promotions as well as get additional discounts on ExpressVPN - the best Mac VPN of 2024.

Best VPNs for Mac

1. ExpressVPN: Premium VPN. Allows you to select a VPN location in 105 countries and has its own powerful VPN tunneling protocol. Perfect for Netflix.
2. NordVPN: Unparalleled security and stability combined with state-of-the-art features. The reviewer’s choice for personal use.
3. Surfshark: A technically advanced budget VPN with unique privacy protection features. Its price is only $2.19 per month.
4. CyberGhost VPN: The largest VPN service, combining versatility with proven security. Great for US Netflix as well as UK, German and French content.
5. Private Internet Access: The most advanced VPN for situations where you need to tweak encryption. Supports Shadowsocks.

Free VPNs for Mac

1. ProtonVPN: Most powerful free VPN. Has no speed limits, is minimally different from the paid version, the functionality of which is optimized for maximum privacy.
2. Hide.me: 10 GB per month free at high speeds. Convenient, reliable VPN.
3. Hotspot shield: Easy to set up and use. 1 free location.
4. VPNGate: Completely free VPN operated by a community of volunteers. Oriented on Asian users. Launches on Mac via a third-party application.
5. TunnelBear VPN: Fastest of the free Mac VPNs. Has a large selection of countries, but severe bandwidth limits.

Free services have significantly limited speeds, location choices, and features. For example, they are almost always unable to unblock geo-restricted Netflix or Hulu content. Free ProtonVPN prohibits torrents. Free Hide.me has an insufficient selection of countries, and free Hotspot Shield only offers one VPN location. All these facts confirm that free VPNs are only suitable for a very limited range of tasks, and not for permanent use on any platform, including Mac.

What you should know about VPN on macOS

VPNs for Mac can be divided into 3 groups:

1. Software using built-in system functions. Typically, this is the IKEv2 protocol.
2. Software supporting non-macOS protocols, including such common ones as OpenVPN, WireGuard, etc.
3. Services that do not create their own software, but offer settings for third party VPN clients.

Considering the device system of iMac computers and MacBook laptops, the first two types of VPN programs are more popular. And this is a fact: services that do not provide their own software are not popular with Mac users.

Choosing between the first two groups of providers, I, as a professional, would prefer software that allows you to choose the tunneling protocols (the second group) - simply because I need it for my work. However, in other cases there is not much difference. But I do recommend using more technologically advanced software because it is often of better quality.

When installing a Mac VPN, we most often deal with the IKEv2 protocol, which is built into macOS

But there are services that work through the more efficient WireGuard, Lightway and NordLynx protocols. They will be discussed in the next chapter.Let’s go.

What's the fundamental difference between running a VPN on Mac and other platforms?

First of all, security issues are handled better on a Mac. For example, an additional Kill Switch function that blocks traffic when the connection to the VPN server is broken is not needed in VPN applications for macOS if the built-in IKEv2 is used. The system itself copes with this task quite efficiently within reasonable limits.Thus, individual applications are less responsible for the security of the connection.

What, then, is the main advantage of using a VPN on a Mac?

Basically, this is the presence of advanced functionality. These are functions that expand the capabilities of a regular VPN, and at the same time are in demand by users.

Examples include support for Netflix, TV platforms and game consoles, obfuscation to circumvent censorship, etc. Though note that this is not a complete list of what a good VPN should be capable of...

This is where we most often see a large number of third-rate applications that only allow you to select a country and turn the VPN connection on or off.It's almost impossible to learn about the necessary features without trying a VPN for yourself.

Therefore, Cooltechzone has created special collections of VPN services based on their test results on different platforms and for different tasks.The 5 VPN services below have state-of-the-art, full-featured Mac software in their arsenal. At the same time, their technological infrastructure is quite extensive, provides good speed and meets high security standards.

The best VPN for Mac based on the test results

The VPN service with the highest score on macOS is ExpressVPN...

NordVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost VPN all closely follow ExpressVPN. They also have outstanding characteristics that I will discuss below.

1. ExpressVPN

The best Mac-VPN

ExpressVPN is a top-tier VPN service that is a great fit for Mac. It offers all the most recent features that are needed to reliably protect the user with almost any purpose in mind.

ExpressVPN is only unable to bypass VPN protocols blocking. It also doesn’t have the Dedicated IP, Double VPN, and special server lists for streaming and torrenting.

Features

• hide IP addresses;
• encrypt any requests to websites;
• reliably protect data;
• secure the user in public Wi-Fi hotspots;
• unblock websites;
• let you watch Netflix, Hulu, etc.;
• do torrenting;
• manage other cases where VPN technology is applicable.

ExpressVPN’s extra features available on Mac:

• Setting the VPN up for certain apps only;
• Kill Switch.

I’d like to mention that ExpressVPN also has browser extensions. They allow not only protecting the browser traffic but also controlling the ExpressVPN app which affects the entire macOS system.

Its confirmed no-logs policy is also very important. ExpressVPN is guaranteed not to log its users’ activity.

Prices of ExpressVPN:

ExpressVPN has a 7-day free trial but only on Android. On all other platforms, there’s a 30-day refund.

You may want to read the full review of ExpressVPN

2. NordVPN

Protect your macOS with top VPN service.

NordVPN is registered in Panama. Combined with the fact that it certainly doesn’t keep user activity logs, it makes the service a great choice for even for the most delicate tasks.

High speed, reliable personal data protection, ability to bypass blocks, streaming support— NordVPN checks every mark consistently and decently.

It is available on MacBook as an exe file and in the App Store. The setup doesn’t require any extra knowledge while the initial settings are chosen automatically for optimal privacy and speed.

It’s hard to find a more popular paid VPN service than NordVPN. And that isn’t just because of marketing. It is the result of consistent quality work.The incredible 5900+ servers located in 60 countries make it the largest VPN in the world as well.

NordVPN is the only one among all VPNs that offers two apps for Mac.

One is called NordVPN IKE. It’s a simplified version that supports only the standard protocol for macOS. This app is convenient because it’s available on the Mac App Store.

The second app is available on the official website and is identical in its functionality to the PC app. It offers the choice of VPN protocols, obfuscation, and many other features.

No issues were found in either version while testing them. Everything works as intended and the connection is stable. The speed of NordVPN is among the best ones.

Features

• Hiding the IP-address;
• Encrypting any requests to websites;
• Reliable information protection;
• Secure public WiFi use;
• Website unblocking;
• Watching Netflix, Hulu, etc.;
• Safe torrenting;
• KODI;
• Roku;
• Other cases where VPN technology is applicable.

I’d like to specifically mention the kill switch function that dependably protects your computer when a reconnection occurs (if a location changes or an emergency happens). This simple but often underrated feature prevents the user’s real IP-address from leaking.

Extra features of NordVPN available on Mac:

• Dedicated servers for torrenting (almost 5000);
• VPN obfuscation (helps to bypass VPN blocks);
• Dedicated IP (allows Web-browsing with the same IP address constantly);
• Double VPN (double protection);
• Dedicated Onion Over VPN servers (3 in 2 countries);
• You can use up to 6 devices simultaneously;
• A 30-day money-back guarantee.

NordVPN is also recommended by Redditors for almost any purpose including streaming and torrenting.

NordVPN is rated very highly on the App Store:

Peculiarities of using on Mac

• Super-quick connection;
• Full functionality.

Tariffs of NordVPN

The only way to use NordVPN on MacBook for free is to request a refund during the first 30 days. It can be done by contacting the 24/7 customer support.

You can read the full review of NordVPN.

3. Surfshark

Best cheap Mac-VPN

During literally one year of its existence, Surfshark turned into one of the leading VPN providers. Its multifunctional nature and the levels of its service have become almost on par with the largest VPNs in history.

3200 servers in 100 states are just the right amount to be considered among the best. Moreover, P2P/torrenting is allowed on all those servers.One of Surfshark’s main advantages is the fact that the DNS is set up on every server (the DNS server transforms the domain name into an IP-address). This allows for the guaranteed hiding of the addresses of the websites you visit. Many of Surfshark’s competitors use only a few DNS or even free public DNS (not 100% safe).

Surfshark is registered in the British Virgin Islands in the offshore jurisdiction. That allows it to be less vulnerable to political or other pressure. Concurrently, Surfshark doesn’t keep logs and protects its users’ traffic with “banking-grade” encryption technologies.

Another advantage of Surfshark is the presence of 15 double VPN variants. This technology doubles the already high degree of user privacy. So, if you’re feeling paranoid… :)

Isn’t Surfshark a perfect solution for the most delicate tasks?

Surfshark is available on MacBook not only as an executable file but also on the App Store so its installation doesn’t cause any problems.

The Mac app is nicely designed and very convenient to use with a mouse. On a touchpad, however, it’s hard to scroll the server list. This sad drawback may cause some inconvenience in public spots where very few people use a mouse.

Features

• Hiding the IP address;
• Great encryption of any requests to a website;
• Reliable data protection;
• Website unblocking;
• Public Wi-Fi protection;
• Streaming Netflix, Hulu, etc.;
• Safe torrenting;
• KODI;
• Roku;
• Other cases where VPN technology is applicable.

The kill switch is always on by default but can be turned off at any moment.

Surfshark’s extra features available on Mac:

• MultiHop (double VPN);
• CleanWeb. Blocks ads and cookie tracking;
• You can connect up to 7 devices simultaneously;
• 30-day money-back guarantee.

Surfshark’s rating in the App Store is not yet calculated.

Peculiarities of using it on Mac

• Surfshark VPN app is available for download on the App Store and from the official website as a dmg installer;
• No traffic obfuscation present by the PC version;
• No protocol choice.

Surfshark’s tariffs

You can get a refund within 30 days by contacting the 24/7 support team.

Alternatively, you can read the full review of Surfshark.

4. CyberGhost VPN

Start using CyberGhost

CyberGhost VPN is one of the largest VPN services. Its history begins in 2011, and it has proved to be one of the best general-purpose VPNs as well as one of the best VPNs for Netflix.

It has more than 10200 servers in 100 countries and this number constantly grows.

It’s under the safe Romanian jurisdiction and has a strict no-logs policy. These facts make it an excellent choice for torrenting and other tasks that require extra privacy. Moreover, just like NordVPN, it has servers solely dedicated to torrenting (on Mac, they’re called “For downloading”).

Some of the great features of CyberGhost VPN include:

• a free trial;
• servers for streaming. Every server on the list actually has a tip telling which video service or TV channel it is optimized for:

The installation of CyberGhost VPN is done with the help of a pkg installer file. The implementation of a trusted digital signature doesn’t force the customer into doing any extra work. The initial setup is done automatically so there’s no need to set up anything else for the first launch.

The interface of the app is intuitive as all the connection settings, as well as the server selection, are represented on the main screen.

CyberGhost VPN uses the IPsec tunneling protocol which is employed by most VPN apps for macOS.

Features

• Hiding the IP-address;
• Encrypting any requests to a website;
• Reliable data protection;
• Public Wi-Fi protection;
• Unblocking websites;
• Streaming Netflix, Hulu, etc.;
• Safe torrenting;
• KODI;
• Many other cases where VPN technology is applicable.

The kill switch function is integrated into the app but isn’t mentioned in the settings. It makes people think that CyberGhost VPN doesn’t have it, which isn’t true. It is there and always active.

Extra features of CyberGhost VPN that are available on Mac:

• Dedicated servers for torrenting in 25 countries (no US servers on this list);
• Dedicated servers for streaming (more than 40 in different countries);
• Block Ads, Block Malicious Websites and Block Online Tracking (cookie);
• You can use up to 7 devices simultaneously;
• A 45-day money-back guarantee.

Server speeds are generally great but there are slow locations. It’s hardly a problem, though, as the app allows for a manual server selection inside a specific country.

CyberGhost VPN isn’t that popular on Reddit. There, it’s most often mentioned in discussions of free VPN services and as a perfect tool for watching Netflix.

Peculiarities of using it on Mac

Functionality differences from the full PC version are caused by macOS’s peculiarities. One example of it is the “Smart rules” menu that doesn’t have an option to turn the VPN off for selected apps and URLs.

Here’s the list of the differences I’ve found during the tests:

• In some cases, the kill switch can “freeze”. Even after you connect to a server, your traffic remains blocked for some reason. It’s best to contact the support team in this case.
• No protocol choice.
• No choice between TCP/UDP.

Tariffs of CyberGhost VPN

CyberGhost VPN also offers a 24-hour free trial or a 45-day refund that you can get by getting in touch with the 24/7 support team.

I recommend using CyberGhost VPN not only on Mac but on the devices running on other OS as well. It’s perfect for streaming, torrenting, sites unblocking and other things I’ve covered in this part.

Read the full review of CyberGhost VPN.

5. Private Internet Access

Start using PIA

Private Internet Access (PIA) is one of the most technically advanced VPN services. It provides not only the more popular extra features such as a kill switch and the UDP/TCP choice but also has settings of encryption (that allow even turning it off completely) and authentication, handshake, port forwarding, and some others.

Thanks to its unprecedented number of settings in apps for all platforms, high speed and a huge choice of locations (3300+ in 32 countries), PIA is considered to be a professional-grade VPN.

Drawbacks of PIA are:

• under certain circumstances, its Android app works unstably. I have to mention it because PIA allows using up to Unlimited devices simultaneously. You can read more about it in our NordVPN and PIA comparison;
• the US jurisdiction (the 5 Eyes alliance).

Features:

• hides IP addresses;
• encrypts any requests to websites;
• reliably protects data;
• secures the user in public Wi-Fi hotspots;
• unblocks websites;
• lets you watch Netflix, Hulu, etc. (PIA copes with it but you have to search for a working server);
• allows torrenting;
• manages other cases where VPN technology is applicable.

PIA’s extra functions available on Mac:

• VPN tunnel precise settings;
• Kill Switch;
• Port forwarding.

I have noticed no discernible peculiarities of using PIA on MacBook. Its developers made the app just as functional as its PC version which is the fullest one for most VPNs.

Prices of PIA

PIA offers no free trial but guarantees a 7-day money-back period.

Or you may read the full review of PIA

Price comparison table

For your convenience, I put every tariff plan and lowest price into a single table:

Mac VPNs: Prices comparison

Top 5 free VPNs for MAC

Before I start telling you about specific providers, I have to warn you: free VPNs that I know of all have substantial drawbacks.

Here’s the list of possible drawbacks of a free VPN:

• Very slow speed
• Traffic limit (to 1-10 Gb per month)
• Number of locations is limited to as few as 1-3
• No streaming support
• Keeps logs
• Huge amounts of ads
• Giving personal data away to third parties
• Various combinations of the above faults.

You have to choose either the high functionality of a VPN or a larger amount of traffic.

I’ll elaborate.

Free VPN services (which are more correctly called free plans of paid VPNs) restrict those parameters that may cause a maintenance cost increase.

For example, all VPNs that don’t limit traffic either limit speed to 20-80 Kbps (when the standard is 20-80 Mbps) or simply forbid torrenting and don’t support video streaming (Netflix, Hulu, etc.).

And vice versa, if all of the above is allowed, then traffic is going to be limited. It makes using a VPN for traffic-heavy purposes unviable.

It concerns every platform, including macOS.

I have tested dozens of such providers and chosen the least restricting ones in terms of both functionality and traffic.

Having tried dozens of such providers, I’ve selected the least limited of them.

1. Free ProtonVPN: Best free VPN for Mac

Are you familiar with Swiss quality? ProtonVPN is an example of it. This Swiss VPN was commercialized in 2017 and had good IT security groundwork with its ProtonMail service. As of this day, it is the most professional free VPN with the best attributes available.

The PC app provides the service of the highest quality but the Mac app outdoes other free VPNs as well.

A full-fledged free trial period of the best premium plan lasts for 7 days. It provides an opportunity to try out the power of VPN technology.

But that’s not it! After it runs out, you don’t have to buy a subscription. Instead, you can keep on using it for free but with a few restrictions:

1. Only the slower free servers are available in 3 countries: US, NL and JP.
2. No torrenting allowed
3. Doesn’t work with Netflix

Besides, there are several important points I’ll list as pros and cons.

Despite its significant drawbacks, I placed ProtonVPN first for its good combo of the unlimited bandwidth and acceptable speed.

Or you can read the full review of ProtonVPN.

2. Free Hide.me for Mac: 2 Gb per month, good speed

Hide.me is a Malaysian service best suited for one-off tasks. It’s server speeds are good enough for a free VPN but it has too little free traffic. This makes its permanent use impossible.

The only useful setting present on macOS is the kill switch.

Hide.me is a simple VPN with a small location choice but it fits well for the rare usage or one-off downloads of 1.5-2 Gb files.

You can also read our hide.me review.

3. Free Hotspot Shield for Mac: Maximally easy to use

This service is one of the oldest free VPNs. It works great on Mac, effectively securing your internet connection.

Hotspot Shield features a daily data limit, not a monthly one. This is convenient for constant use, since there is no risk of running through your entire bandwidth in 1-2 days.

HotspotShield is suitable for safe web surfing. Its free plan doesn't support Netflix. To unblock geo-restricted video streaming services, you can upgrade to an inexpensive paid plan.

4. VPN Gate for Mac: 100% free

The only good 100% free VPN service suitable for Mac is VPN Gate.

Something that all fully free VPNs have in common is the absence of apps. To use them, you have to install third-party programs. VPN Gate also doesn’t have apps for Mac. But if you want to and have a bit of time, you can install Tunnelblick (a free OpenVPN client for Mac) and set it up to work with VPN Gate.

You can download the OpenVPN client for Mac that supports the VPN Gate configuration by following this link.

Detailed review of VPN Gate

Besides, you can read our VPN comparison with 10 really best providers of 2024.

5. Free TunnelBear: 0.5 Gb per month, good app

TunnelBear’s traffic limit is even more severe: 500 Mb per month. It can be used only to solve some one-time small tasks because it’s too little for regular web-surfing.

TunnelBear has arguably the most well-designed app for Mac. Every action of the user is accompanied by an amazing animation. A cute bear digs tunnels and looks out of the spot of the virtual VPN connection on the map.

The free TunnelBear version offers locations in 26 countries, which is more than the same parameter of most other free VPNs.

It also has a kill switch and GhostBear (obfuscation to bypass state-imposed blocks). However, GhostBear doesn’t help to bypass censorship in China as TunnelBear’s servers are blocked there.

The provider offers the opportunity to increase the traffic limit up to 1 Gb. To do that, you need to twit about TunnelBear:

To start using the free version of TunnelBear, you have to choose the Free plan on TunnelBear’s website, sign up by entering your email, and download and install the app.

Or you may read the full review of TunnelBear.

How to manually set up a VPN on MacOS

If you were sent a file with VPN settings, double-click on it. This will open the network settings.

Go to Apple → "System Settings" → "Network" → "Actions". Click on "Import configurations" and click on "Import".

Now for the full manual installation:

• Apple Menu → "System Preferences" → "Network".
• Click on "Add" → "Interface" and add "VPN".
• In the "VPN Type" menu that opens, select the protocol you want to use.
• Name the VPN and click "Create".
• Write the server address, account name.
• Click on "Authentication Settings" and enter the information you got from the network administrator.
• You can further configure the proxy in the "Advanced" section.
• Click on "Apply" → "OK".

How to manually set up a VPN on MacOS

If you have been sent a file containing your VPN settings, double-click on it. The network settings will open.

Go to Apple → "System Settings" → "Network" → "Actions". Click on "Import configurations" and click on "Import".

Now for the full manual installation:

• Apple menu → "System Settings" → "Network"
• Click on "Add" → "Interface" and add "VPN"
• In the "VPN type" menu that opens, select the protocol you want to work through
• Name it VPN and click "Create"
• Enter the server address, account name
• Click on "Authentication settings" and enter the information you got from the network administrator
• You can also set up a proxy in the "Advanced" section
• Click on "Apply" → "OK"

Alternatively, here are detailed instructions on how to set up a VPN connection on your Mac:

• Disable IPSec through the Terminal:

Go to "Finder" - "Programs" - "Utilities" - "Terminal" and enter the following line: sudo bash
The system will prompt for an admin password. Enter the password.
Then enter the following lines:
echo "plugin L2TP.ppp" >> /etc/ppp/options
echo "l2tpnoipsec" >> /etc/ppp/options
You have now disabled IPSec verification on the system. You can close the terminal and continue with the configuration.

• Go to "Finder" - "Programs" - "System settings" under "Internet and wireless networking" - "Network".
• Then go to "Placement" and select "Edit Placement".
• "Placement" - at the bottom press Plus (+) and name the new placement, e.g. Mysecur. Press the "Done" button.
• "Placement": Mysecur.

Select from the menu on the left - Ethernet.
Configure IPv4 - Using DHCP.
Click on "Apply".
The local network is configured. Now create a connection to the internet VPN (L2TP).

• In the menu on the left, press Plus (+): select interface and enter the name of the new service.

Interface: VPN
VPN type: L2TP over IPSec
Service name: Mysecur L2TP
Click on the button "New".

• In the menu on the left, select Mysecur L2TP.

Configuration: Default
Server address: Enter the address of your VPN server, which you can get from your VPN provider. Address vpn.myvpn.com is given as an example!
Account name: Your login name (for example 0892)
Check the box "Show VPN status" on the menu bar. Click on "Apply".

• Click on "Identity settings".

Check the Password box. Enter your password
Press "Оk"

• Click the "Advanced" button:

In the Settings menu, tick the checkboxes:
Disable when user account is switched
Disconnect when user logs off

Send all traffic through VPNIn the TCP/IP menu:
Configure IPv4: Using PPP
Configure IPv6: Off
Press Ok

• At the bottom left, click on the gear.

In the Select Service Order list... In the window that appears:
Your location: Mysecur
Service order: The Mysecur L2TP service must be placed first. To do this, drag it to the top.
Click on "Ok" and then on "Apply".

• The configuration is now complete. Click on "Connect".

FAQ