Which VPN works best for macOS?
In recent decades, we’ve seen a big rise in the number of Mac users. A lot of people are attracted to the macOS platform and Apple products for their style, sophistication, and security advantages. While Macs are renowned for being safer than other devices, they’re not impenetrable.
Mac users are still at risk of various hacks, cyber-attacks, and prying eyes spying on their online activities. This is where a virtual private network (VPN) can come into play. A VPN works to encrypt your connections and hide your identity. Read on to learn all about the best VPNs for Mac.
Here’s a summary of the best VPNs for Mac today
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Expressvpn — Visit Site | Read Review
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NordVPN — Visit Site | Read Review
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CyberGhost VPN — Visit Site | Read Review
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Private Internet Access — Visit Site | Read Review
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UltraVPN — Visit Site | Read Review
How to Choose the Best VPN for Mac
Since macOS is such a popular platform, most of the big commercial VPNs work flawlessly on Mac devices, so you’ve got a lot of options to choose from. So how do you tell them apart and what factors should you focus on when looking for the best VPN for Mac?
Well, one of the key factors is speed. Many Mac users want to be able to access the internet, play their music, and download big files without any delays, so it’s imperative to find a VPN for Mac that can offer solid upload and download speeds.
Security and privacy are very important too. Most people invest in a VPN for Mac because they want to feel safer online, reducing their risks of falling prey to hackers and trackers. So, try to focus on finding a VPN that can offer excellent standards of security and great privacy features.
You’ll also want to take things like price and customer service into account when choosing a Mac VPN. Many people like to find a VPN that fits their budget and offers great value service, and it always helps when your VPN provider has a reliable customer support system.
Here Are ’s Best VPN for Mac - Full Reviews
One of the best-known brands in the VPN world right now, ExpressVPN is marketed as one of the fastest and most secure VPNs of them all. It certainly lives up to those lofty expectations in action, proving to be immensely fast and reliable in all tests, while also offering some of the finest security standards in the industry, helping to make it one of the best VPNs for Mac.
Key Features:
- Easy to use Mac client
- Thousands of servers all over the world
- Lightning-fast speeds with no interruptions
- Super performance
- Protect your Mac with military-grade encryption
Speed and Performance
If you’re looking for high speeds, with minimal delays and no interruptions to your usual online activities, ExpressVPN has got you covered. This is one of the fastest VPNs of them all, boasting thousands of servers worldwide.
Privacy
If privacy is a big concern for you and you want a VPN that can help you stay anonymous online, no matter what you’re doing, ExpressVPN is an excellent choice. It makes use of the latest and greatest security protocols and privacy features, ensuring that every user is able to enjoy absolute anonymity on every device, including iPhones and Macs.
Customer Support and Ease of Use
As well as being renowned for its lightning-fast speeds, ExpressVPN is also a serious contender for the title of most secure VPN. It offers all the best privacy protocols and a lot of advanced features for Mac users to enjoy.
Pricing and Payment Options
ExpressVPN isn’t the cheapest VPN around, but it’s relatively competitive in terms of its subscription plan prices, and you can choose to pay however you like, using cards, PayPal, and even cryptocurrencies.
Dedicated Mac Client
ExpressVPN has its own dedicated Mac client, making it super simple to set up. It has plenty of pages, video guides, and tutorials designed purely for macOS users, so you shouldn’t have any issues getting this VPN up and running.
Pros
- Very fast speeds
- Excellent performance
- State of the art security
Cons
- Not the cheapest
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for the best VPN for Mac, ExpressVPN simply has to be on your list. It’s one of the fastest, strongest, and most dependable VPNs of them all, and has no major flaws to worry about whatsoever.
Next up on our list of the best VPNs for Mac comes NordVPN. Like ExpressVPN, this brand has developed a great reputation and is widely regarded as one of the industry leaders. It offers thousands of servers, super speeds, solid performance, and world-class security, too.
Key Features:
- State of the art security
- Plenty of advanced features
- Over 5,000 servers worldwide
- Easy to use app
- Peerless privacy performance
Speed and Performance
NordVPN has thousands of servers all over the world in countries like the US, the UK, Australia, South Africa, France, Germany, Italy, and so on. No matter where you are, you’ll be able to enjoy amazing levels of speed and performance with this VPN.
Privacy
Privacy is clearly something that the team behind NordVPN takes very seriously. This is widely considered to be one of the strongest and most secure VPNs of them all, offering lots of advanced features for privacy like obfuscated servers, dedicated IPs, and even a kill switch.
Customer Support and Ease of Use
If you need any help, you can head over to the official NordVPN site. There, you’ll find plenty of well-written guides, tutorials, and so on, introducing you to the VPN and showing off how the various features work. You can also get in touch with friendly customer service agents very easily.
Pricing and Payment Options
NordVPN is fairly priced, and the company runs lots of sales and discounts all through the year, especially around key holidays like Black Friday and New Year, so you can get several years of protection for very low prices.
No Logs Policy
One of the best things about NordVPN that appeal to those who crave high standards of security from their VPN providers is its no-logs policy. This company will never store or use your data against you, they respect your privacy and identity entirely.
Pros:
- Lots of discounts
- Military-grade security
- Very easy to use
Cons:
- Finding the best servers takes time
Bottom Line
Affordable, easy to use, and highly impressive in all the key areas, NordVPN is quite clearly one of the very best VPNs for Mac that money can buy right now. It covers all the bases and generally offers everything you would hope to find in a VPN.
As the name implies, Cyber Ghost, another contender for the title of best VPN for Mac, aims to help its users feel like ghosts online. It hides their IP addresses, masks their identity, and encrypts their connections. Not only can nobody track or trace them online, but their risks of being hacked or harmed are much lower.
Key Features:
- Protect your Mac with 256-bit encryption
- Flawless customer service
- Industry-leading privacy protection
- So simple to use
- No lags or delays
Speed and Performance
Thanks to its massive server network, which includes dozens of different locations all over the world, Cyber Ghost ranks highly when it comes to speed and performance. You shouldn’t notice any lags or delays when using this VPN.
Privacy
In terms of security and privacy, Cyber Ghost continues to stand head and shoulders above much of the competition. It makes use of industry-leading privacy protocols and a wide range of security features to protect every use. Plus, it has a no-logs policy.
Customer Support and Ease of Use
If you need any help, you can head over to the official NordVPN site. There, you’ll find plenty of well-written guides, tutorials, and so on, introducing you to the VPN and showing off how the various features work. You can also get in touch with friendly customer service agents very easily.
Pricing and Payment Options
So how much will you have to pay for the privileges and benefits of Cyber Ghost? Well, surprisingly enough, despite being one of the best VPNs for Mac, it’s also one of the most affordable! You can sign up for a long-term subscription for an attractive monthly rate.
Simultaneous Connections
One of the most impressive parts of Cyber Ghost is that it allows up to seven devices to be connected and protected at once. This is much higher than rival VPNs, which typically only allow around 4/5 devices to be simultaneously connected to the VPN service.
Pros:
- Seven simultaneous connections
- Industry-leading privacy
- Highly affordable
Cons:
- Doesn't work well in China
Bottom Line
Overall, Cyber Ghost is one of the few VPNs out there that really honors its name and makes you feel the absolute invisibility of an ‘online ghost.’ It lets you do anything you like on the internet without fear of being spied on, offering some super security settings and great speeds as well.
Private Internet Access stands out from the crowd when it comes to commercial VPNs available for Mac. This is an open-source VPN, meaning that the code is freely available for users and communities to investigate and improve. This helps Private Internet Access to be in a state of constant evolution, always getting better and maintaining its title as one of the best VPNs for Mac.
Key Features:
- An open-source, ever-evolving VPN
- Highly affordable protection for your Mac
- Industry-leading security
- Thousands of servers worldwide
- No logs policy for peerless privacy
Speed and Performance
At the last count, Private Internet Access boasted close to 3,000 servers in more than 45 different countries around the globe, including all the big names like the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK. In speed tests, it performs flawlessly with no lags or interruptions.
Privacy
In terms of privacy, Private Internet Access is one of the best options you can find right now. Offering strong encryption, leading privacy protocols, ad blocking add-ons, P2P support for torrent users, and so on, it comes with a long list of impressive security and privacy features.
Customer Support and Ease of Use
If ever you need any assistance with your Private Internet Access account, all you need to do is visit the official PIA site. You can find a live chat box to help you speak with a customer support agent and get answers to your questions in a matter of minutes.
Pricing and Payment Options
Private Internet Access is a surprisingly affordable VPN, especially when you consider just how impressive it is overall. This is especially true if you opt for the monthly or yearly plans, which are much cheaper overall than the basic monthly plan. You can pay using a wide variety of methods.
No Logs Policy
Another huge unique selling point of Private Internet Access is the fact that the company has a no-log policy. This means that you never have to worry about PIA storing your data, selling it to other companies, or providing it to government agencies. You’re totally safe when you choose this VPN.
Pros:
- No logs policy
- Great prices on the longer plans
- Always improving
Cons:
- Monthly plan is a little expensive
Bottom Line
Overall, anyone searching for the best VPN for Mac needs to know about Private Internet Access. It succeeds in all the key areas, from speed to performance to security and so on, with no real flaws and a whole host of advanced features that experienced VPN users will really enjoy.
Another of the big names in the VPN industry, UltraVPN lives up to its name, it offers ultra-strong protection and privacy, along with ultra-fast speeds and ultra-dependable customer service. It’s by far one of the best VPNs for Mac, especially for those who want to feel totally safe and secure while carrying out their online activities.
Key Features:
- Give this VPN a try with a fully free trial
- Enjoy the highest standards of security
- Fantastic privacy protocols to hide your identity
- So easy to use, even for beginners
- Dedicated macOS app for Mac users
Speed and Performance
In terms of speed and performance, UltraVPN ranks highly among Mac VPNs, even if it isn’t quite the fastest option out there. It has servers in more than 50 locations around the world, so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting connected and shouldn’t notice any delays or difficulties.
Privacy
Privacy is one of the areas in which UltraVPN really excels. It offers state of the art, military standards of encryption and works wonders when hiding your IP address in order to keep you safe from hackers, ISPs, and prying eyes.
Customer Support and Ease of Use
UltraVPN has a live chat help system over on the official site, so it’s always quick and easy to get in touch with someone who can help you out. In general, though, you probably won’t need too much help as this is one of the easiest VPNs to use on Mac.
Pricing and Payment Options
Part of what makes UltraVPN stand out when compared to other commercial VPNs is the fact that it comes with a fully free trial mode, letting you test the waters and see what it can do for you before making the upgrade to a paid variant. The paid plans are all fairly priced too.
Dedicated Mac App
Some VPN companies focus more on their Windows and Android audiences, but UltraVPN certainly hasn’t overlooked the Mac-using crowd. With this VPN, you’ll find a dedicated, easy-to-use Mac app, along with several pages of tutorials and guides to help you set up UltraVPN on your Mac.
Pros:
- Free trial
- Great levels of security
- Excellent for Mac users
Cons:
- More server locations needed
Bottom Line
Overall, UltraVPN definitely ranks alongside some of the other best VPNs for Mac, especially when it comes to security and privacy. For those who want to stay safe online and reduce the risks of hackers and trackers spying on their activities or stealing their data, this is a great VPN to choose.
Quick Setup Guide: 3 Easy Steps to Install a VPN on Mac
If you’re ready to get the benefits of a VPN on your Mac, you’ll be happy to hear that the installation process is super simple. Here are three quick and easy steps to help you out.
- Find a VPN that’s right for you — The first step is to read through reviews, consider your options, and find a VPN for Mac that meets your needs.
- Download and install your VPN — Once you’ve decided which VPN for Mac you want to use, download it from the official site and install the client or app.
- Log in and connect — Once the client has been installed, all you need to do is open it up, log into your account, and click the Connect button to join a secure server around the world.
FAQ
Do you need a VPN on a Mac?
If you want to be secure while using your Mac, then yes, you do need a VPN. VPNs aren’t necessary to use and run your Mac, but they will massively help to protect you, especially when connected to the internet on public or unsecured connections. They can help to hide your IP address, mask your identity, get around geo-restrictions on certain sites and services, and much more.
Do Macs support VPNs?
Yes, Macs are fully compatible with many VPNs and most of the big VPN providers like ExpressVPN and Cyber Ghost offer their own dedicated Mac apps and clients, just like on other platforms such as Windows or Android.
Do I need a VPN on my iPhone?
You don’t need a VPN on your iPhone in order to use it, but it is recommended for anyone who wants to be able to browse anonymously and stay safe on public networks, as well as access geo-blocked content.
Is a Mac VPN illegal?
No, there’s nothing illegal about using a VPN. These products are trusted by millions of people around the world and generally regarded as one of the best options for online security and privacy.
How to set up a VPN on Mac?
Setting up a VPN on your Mac will depend on which VPN you choose, but the process is usually very simple. Head to the official site for your chosen VPN, make your account, download the client for Mac and then install it.
How to Connect to a VPN on Mac?
To connect to a VPN on your Mac, simply load up the VPN program and click on the corresponding button to connect to a server.
Is there any free VPN for Mac?
There are some free VPNs for Mac out there, but many have data limits or other restrictions, so they can only be used for short amounts of time.
Do you need a VPN on a Mac?
You don’t necessarily need a VPN on a Mac to be able to use the device, but it is recommended to get one in order to stay safe every time you go online, as well as being able to enjoy online privacy, and unrestricted access to various sites and services.
Is there an Apple VPN for Mac?
No, Apple does not yet provide its own in-house VPN service for Macs, so Mac users have to seek out third-party options.
Will a Mac VPN work on my iPhone?
It’s highly likely, yes. The vast majority of VPNs that are compatible with macOS, like ExpressVPN and UltraVPN, also work perfectly well on iOS devices like iPhones and iPads.
VPNs that Mac users should avoid
- Hola – Users of Hola are connected on a P2P network, meaning that their IP addresses are shared with one another, which could be a security risk. Hola also doesn’t have a no logs policy.
- VPN Gate – VPN Gate has developed a bad reputation in terms of its low standards of privacy and security.
- Betternet VPN – This VPN company collects data from its users to create personalized ads. It also has no kill switch, which is a serious security flaw.
Summary
Mac is one of the best-operating systems of them all and one of the most secure, but Mac users are still at risk of hacking attempts and ISPs spying on their behavior. With a VPN, you can avoid these risks and enjoy safer online activities. Get the best VPN for Mac today and give your online security an upgrade.