Oct 16, 2014 Any free reliable vpn services? Discussion in 'Mac Apps and Mac App Store' started by anonymous4a, Sep 23, 2013.
Finding a VPN for Mac ins’t as simple as it sound.
First off, many VPNs don’t have a standalone app for Mac devices. That means need to install a third-party software (like the separate OpenVPN client) and manually set it up. So instead of downloading a simple Mac app and getting connected instantly, you’ll have to fumble around with this complicated workaround to manually connect to the VPN.
A dedicated Mac app is just the beginning, though.
You don’t want to sacrifice speed for the security or the opposite. Many VPNs can be slow performing or simply leak your IP or DNS address. Mac VPN should use the latest protocol and encryption options, like OpenVPN and AES-256 bit encryption. Strict “no-logging” policies are acceptable. Otherwise, the VPN could track your activity and sell it off to the highest advertiser.
Finally, you won’t really be able to stream anything on Netflix or use torrenting unless your server speeds remain fast.
However, we’ve done the leg work and tested and reviewed over 78 VPNs. Below is a list of 7 best VPNs for Mac users in 2019:
1. NordVPN – Best VPN for Mac ($3.49/mo)
NordVPN is the best pick for regular MacBook users based on our tests.
The Mac app features a drag-and-drop map to select a new server location.
All 5,200 servers in 62 countries are also featured on the left-side menu. And it comes with a built-in kill switch that will automatically cut your connection if your WiFi drops (so your true location isn’t accidentally exposed).
NordVPN is available across Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, and Linux. Plus, about 40 other operating systems and routers. You can use up to six simultaneous connections at any time.
The industry standard, OpenVPN, is the default protocol on the Mac app. But they also allow you to switch over to IKEv2/IPSec if needed.
NordVPN is also the only VPN provider on this list that features both a double VPN and obfuscated servers. The Double Data Encryption wraps your connection in two VPN layers for additional security. While the obfuscated servers can help you bypass network firewalls, so it’s perfect for people with restricted access in your home country.
Their connection speeds are solid, too. We started off with a speed of around 98 Mbps (without a VPN), and after connecting to NordVPN, we averaged 74 Mbps. That’s still plenty of speed to get lag-free streaming on Netflix (no restrictions) or torrenting (on their specially-designed P2P servers).
But the best part about NordVPN?
They’re currently running a special where you can get NordVPN for just $3.49 per month with a three-year commitment. That’s massive cost savings from the $11.95/month normal price, so locking in that low deal makes sense if you’re serious about privacy and security.
Visit NordVPN.com to get the Mac app Read more in our full NordVPN Review
2. ExpressVPN – Fastest Speed Performance on Mac ($6.67/mo)
The ExpressVPN Mac app features one-click connection that automatically joins the closest Smart Location.
These VPN servers are optimized to deliver the best performance out of the box. Just open the app, hit the “Connect” button, and you’re logged on in seconds.
If you’re trying to bypass local restrictions, you can manually select any international server directly from the main screen (without having to dig through countless menu options).
ExpressVPN’s Mac app isn’t just pretty to look at, though. It’s also blazing fast. We started with a 100 Mbps connection before logging in, and the secure connection only dropped the download speed to 83.15 Mbps. Barely noticeable!
ExpressVPN doesn’t skimp on security to deliver these speeds, either. They have a kill switch and anonymous IP address available for all of their 3,000+ servers in 93 countries. Netflix, torrenting, and P2P servers all worked like a dream as well.
We’re happy to report that their Mac app is 100% leak-free. And it defaults to OpenVPN, the best protocol in the world with rock-solid AES 256-bit encryption, while still offering access to SSTP, L2Tp/IPsec, and PPTP protocols.
As good as all of that sounds (and it is good), the major drawback with ExpressVPN is its price.
It’s more expensive at $6.67/month (for annual plans with our deal). All plans do come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. But this isn’t a wallet-friendly service for people on a strict budget.
Visit ExpressVPN.com to get the Mac app Read more in our full ExpressVPN Review
3. Surfshark – Cheapest Quality VPN for MacBook ($1.99/mo)
The Surfshark Mac app has a “Quick Connect” button that will instantly get you on one of their servers within seconds.
From there, you can switch to any of the other 800+ servers in 50 countries or change protocols from OpenVPN to IKEv2/IPsec within about two clicks each.
Beyond Mac devices, Surfshark has prebuilt apps for iOS, Windows, Android, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, and routers (through OpenVPN).
Most of these apps have a kill switch, except for the Android version (currently in development).
Surfshark has a legitimate no-logging policy. We even ran their connection through five different leak tests and found that all of them came back negative.
I was able to easily stream Netflix on six different servers (from LA to South Korea). Torrenting and TOR are also 100% allowed.
The only slight hiccup was some speed inconsistencies. For example, our initial download speed was 98.71 Mbps. A Netherlands server was 25% slower (71.06 Mbps), while a U.S. server was 50% slower (48.99 Mbps) and the Hong Kong one was nearly 75% slower (25.74 Mbps).
The sliver lining is that the pricing is the lowest we’ve seen from over 70+ different VPN companies. The two-year plan is only $1.99 a month!
You can sign up for the free 30-day trial to try them out. Then, if everything looks good, use everything from major credit cards to PayPal, cryptocurrencies, Dragonpay, Tenpay, and Alipay to pay.
Surfshark even throws in a 30-day money-back guarantee if anything happens during the first few weeks.
Visit Surfshark.com to get the Mac app Read more in our full Surfshark VPN Review
4. ProtonVPN ($4.00/mo)
ProtonVPN’s Mac app features a giant map with tiny pins that highlight all 345 servers in 32 countries.
Thats not the largest number of servers, but it does make it easy to flip through them all on the map or menu on the left-hand side.
If you’re looking for an automatic connection, the “Quick Connect” button will log you on to a smart server ASAP.
ProtonVPN has a ready-made apps for Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, and Linux, in addition to DD-WRT, AsusWRT, and Tomato routers.
Even though the total server count might be on the low side, they allow you to connect up to ten devices at once.
The ProtonVPN Mac app defaults to OpenVPN (UDP/TCP) with best-in-class AES-256 encryption. Except, this is also the only protocol that they offer. So that might not work if you’re using older (or limited) devices like Chromebooks.
Fortunately, we didn’t find any leaks on this connection and Proton has a strict no-logging policy in place.
However, their speed tests left a lot to be desired. We started with the same benchmark connection speed as the others. Then, we connected to their servers in the US, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and the UK. Almost all of them were slow, killing our Internet speed anywhere from ~40% to ~80%.
We were able to stream Netflix on one of ProtonVPN’s Netherland servers, but the other four failed. They also don’t allow restriction-free torrenting, limiting you to certain P2P servers and reiterating that you should only be using them for personal (not commercial) use.
ProtonVPN’s main paid option (“Basic”) starts at $4/month for the year (with upgrade plans that get even more expensive).
All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, with a catch that your refund balance will be prorated based on use.
Visit ProtonVPN.com to get the Mac app Read more in our full ProtonVPN Review
5. IPVanish ($6.99/mo)
IPVanish offers a fully-featured Mac app.
You can customize nearly anything on it. However, that also means there are more settings and options to filter through initially.
IPVanish provides access to over 60 countries and 1,200 different servers. And you can connect up to ten devices to these servers. The Mac and Windows apps do now come with kill switches, too.
You’ll be happy to know that IPVanish gives you access to OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP protocols. (Stick with OpenVPN and its bank-grade AES-256 encryption if you’re unsure.) They also have a SOCKS proxy server that gives you privacy without needing to download any app at all.
Our leak tests all came out clean. However, IPVanish’s history with logging gave us a slight pause. On paper, it’s a legit “no logs” policy. But in 2016 there was some news about their user data ending up in the hands of Homeland Security.
Only one of the four servers we tested with Netflix worked (Chicago). Though, they do highly encourage both torrenting and TOR.
IPVanish also delivered inconsistent speed tests. The EU (Amsterdam) server only dropped a little from ~100 Mbps to 82.67, but the US (New York) one fell all the way to 34.71 Mbps.
The best deal I was able to find was the $77.99 annual plan ($6.49 per month), which is still pretty high when you compare it to the top three cheaper (and better) options on this list.
If you’re interested, you can give them a go using credit, PayPal, or Bitcoin, and enjoy a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Visit IPVanish.com to get the Mac app Read more in our full IPVanish Review
6. TunnelBear ($4.99/mo)
TunnelBear might have the most enjoyable Mac app out of all 70+ VPNs we’ve reviewed.
The visual interface shows you a little bear next to your location. When you click on a server location that’s close by, the bear literally tunnels to the new destination.
They’ve managed to make something as dry and boring as picking a server location entertaining. You could probably spend an entire afternoon clicking through each of their 350 servers in 22 countries and not completely hate it.
Besides the Mac app, this same fun plays out on iOS, Windows, Android, Chrome, and Opera. These come with kill switches, an anonymous IP, “Ghostbear” that will hide mask your VPN connection, and up to five device connections.
The Mac, Windows, and Android apps default to OpenVPN, while iOS apps get IPSec/IKEv2.
TunnelBear did not leak any data in our five tests, and they do not log any of your personal information, either.
But even though TunnelBear’s support claimed that their servers worked with Netflix, we weren’t able to successfully stream anything. Thankfully, torrenting and TOR are allowed.
The other downside was the speed decrease. Our 100 Mbps connection was quickly slashed in half to 52.26 Mbps on their EU servers, and it continued to get worse — a London server only managed a 7.54 Mbps (!) download speed.
TunnelBear’s lowest pricing is $59.99 for the year (~$4.99/month). However, instead of a money-back guarantee (there is none), they provide access to a limited free version for you to try out.
Visit TunnelBear.com to get the Mac app Read more in our full TunnelBear Review
7. Windscribe ($4.08/mo)
Windscribe’s Mac client has zero frills.
Click on the icon at the top, and it drops down a few different server options.
That’s about it. No as much fun as TunnelBear, but it does exactly what it’s supposed to: connect you within seconds.
You can access over 480 servers in 50 countries on pretty much any device in your home, including iOS, Window, Mac, Linux, Chrome, Opera, Firefox, select routers, Amazon, Nvidia Shield, and even Kodi!
We did spot an issue with that server number claim, though. Their website listed New Zealand as a location. However, when we tried looking for it inside the app, it didn’t exist! So you might not actually get up to the 480 they’re claiming.
On the other hand, Windscribe did not have any leaks or logging in our tests.
Major protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2, and SOCKS5, are all offered. But you might want to switch the default IKEv2 back over to OpenVPN in most cases to get the strongest encryption.
Windscribe’s speeds let us down, getting anywhere from 56% slower in some cases (EU server) to 82% in others (UK).
You’ll have to use their special “Windflix” servers to stream Netflix (‘normal’ ones didn’t work). And you will also need to use special servers to torrent, too.
Windscribe’s cheapest plan comes down to $4.08/month for a year. They also have a “Build a Plan” plan that only costs a dollar per location. You can pay with credit, PayPal, or Bitcoin.
But if you think you might want to get a refund, you’ll need to do it within three days of purchasing the product and you can’t go over 10GB of bandwidth during that time.
Visit Windscribe.com to get the Mac app Read more in our full Windscribe Review
Which VPN Mac App Should You Choose?
Unfortunately, not all Mac VPN apps are secure or fast.
Some “Mac” ones don’t even actually work on Macs without jumping through a ton of confusing, time-consuming hoops.
That’s why we picked out the top 7 VPNs for Mac devices based on our actual experience testing each one.
NordVPN comes out at the top of the list with a winning combination of strong security, tons of features, the most available servers, and affordable pricing.
ExpressVPN and Surfshark are a close second and third respectively. The first one will get you better speeds, but the second one is significantly cheaper.
ProtonVPN, IPVanish, and TunnelBear all have a few positives… with a few glaring negatives as well. They’re OK overall, but not anywhere near the top three.
And Windscribe had issue after issue, so we can’t recommend it at all.
Public Wi-Fi is a great way to download podcasts, movies, and music when on the go without burning through your data cap. Even checking Twitter and sending emails can start to add up if you’re away from home a lot. Public Wi-Fi isn’t always secure, though.
Editor’s note (August 30, 2017): Cloak recently underwent a brand change, which means the new name of the service is Encrypt.me. Apart from the name, not much has changed, but we will continually review the service as more features and changes are released.
Most technology enthusiasts have probably heard the term VPN. It’s especially thrown around the enterprise IT world. In fact, “per app VPN” is one of the key enterprise features of iOS 7.
So what exactly is VPN? VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. In short, it connects a client device (Mac, PC, iPhone, etc.) that is using an unsecured Wi-Fi or wired connection to a secured network before transmitting data.
Apple has great support for VPN built right into Mac OS X and iOS. With Apple’s recent renewed interest in the enterprise through it’s partnership with IBM, VPN is a critical solution for customers of all sizes. iOS devices send and receive a lot of personal data, and public Wi-Fi isn’t as safe as many of us would like to believe it is.
While many companies offer VPN solutions for Mac OS X and iOS, Encrypt.me is our favorite. TunnelBear is a close second.
With its “set it and forget it” approach, Encrypt.me is the easiest VPN to use. It automatically connects to the VPN from any Wi-Fi network except the ones you have white-listed. TunnelBear has more competitive pricing, but it requires you to manually connect when you want to secure your connection.
Wait. There’s a Bonus….
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Why is a VPN important?
So why is VPN important for Mac and iOS users? For one, iOS makes it really easy to connect to guest WiFi. While LTE connections are very fast, it’s always ideal to connect to WiFi when possible to avoid eating into your cellular data cap. On the Mac, when you are away from home, you really have 2 options for connectivity: cellular tethering or guest Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi, for all its great qualities, can be insecure if deployed incorrectly. How do you know that someone isn’t sniffing packets on your local coffee shop’s Wi-Fi? How do you know what security measures are put into place at the hotel you are staying at? You don’t.
Man in the middle attacks and rogue access points are among the security concerns you face with Wi-Fi. My rule of thumb is that you should never connect to a Wi-Fi network that you didn’t install without using a VPN. This includes Wi-Fi that requires a password. The existence of a password does not mean that it is secure once you connect to it.
Using a VPN
For Mac and iOS users, what are the options? We want to use free WiFi when it is available, but how do we stay secure? There are so many VPN services to help ensure your browsing is secure, but I’m going to focus on 3 for the purposes of this article.
The home-made VPN
On the scale of ease of use, this is the most difficult. It’s going to require that you know how to set it up and make it work. This can include running it on a server you have at the house, a Mac mini at Mac mini Colo, or a general third party service that uses the OpenVPN app from the App Store.
While the other two options I am looking at are more “consumer driven” type services, these are more manual. If you’ve got a spare Mac mini, the folks at Mac mini Colo have a nice blog on configuring it with Mavericks Server. As you can see, it requires a decent amount of setup. As I mentioned, the OpenVPN app for iOS is free. For the Mac, I really recommend Viscosity. It’s frequently updated and is fairly easy to use. Again, OpenVPN and Viscosity are just applications. The applications are worthless without the actual VPN service. Are these services hard to setup? It really just depends on your knowledge of VPN and servers. The Mac makes it a lot easier than other platforms. If you’ve got a static IP address and a Mac that is always on at home, you could even set this up for very little money out-of-pocket.
TunnelBear
TunnelBear is a VPN service that supports PC, Mac, Android, and iOS. The thing that TunnelBear does that more generic services don’t is that it’s built for regular people, not IT administrators. Pricing is fairly simple, but check their pricing page for the most up-to-date information.
Mac and iOS pricing:
500 MB/month: Free
1 month unlimited: $9.99
12 months unlimited: $59.88
iOS-only pricing:
500 MB/month: Free
1 month unlimited: $3.99
3 months unlimited: $9.99
12 months unlimited: $29.99
Setting TunnelBear up on iOS is incredibly simple. You download the app and then create an account. Upon first login, you are prompted to install an iOS configuration profile. It’s important to note that iOS handles VPN configuration itself. One of the great things about iOS is that Apple is building various toolkits that companies can plug into. This creates a uniform solution for end-users. Once it’s installed, you are likely to not use the TunnelBear app again unless you are purchasing a plan. To activate the VPN, you go to Settings.app → VPN → Choose your VPN server, and then flip it on.
On the Mac side, you drag the app to the Applications folder and then sign into your account upon first launch. The app is extremely simple to use. Once you are logged in, you can select the country you want to use and then flip the switch. Once that switch is flipped, all your traffic is secured.
You’ll notice that there are different countries. Why is this helpful? Let’s say that you are traveling to another country, but want to enjoy your Netflix subscription. By connecting to a US-based server, you’ll be able watch US-based content. Depending on how much you travel and visit places with open Wi-Fi networks, it’s possible the 500 MB plan might be enough. If you are doing more than general web browsing, you will likely burn through it pretty quickly. One of the nice bonus options that TunnelBear offers is a 1 GB Twitter bonus that you can do once a month. If you combine that with the 500 MB free plan, you’ve got 1.5 GB for free.
TunnelBear is a really nice service and works as advertised. Using any sort of VPN connection is slightly slower than a direct connection, but I barely noticed it. It’s a fantastic service.
Encrypt.me
Encrypt.me is another “set it and forget it” type VPN service. Like TunnelBear, it’s aimed at regular consumers rather than IT professionals. On the surface, it looks similar to TunnelBear, but just more expensive on the unlimited plans:
Through iOS In-App Purchase:
1 Week Pass: $3.99
30 Day Pass: $9.99
12 Month Pass: $99.99
Through the Encrypt.me website, you have several account options at varying price points. They outline all the options and prices on their Pricing page.
Passes: These are short-term passes that offer unlimited data during the term. These range from a week, a month, to a year.
Subscriptions: Subscribing on a monthly or yearly basis gets you unlimited data.
Families: Same thing as subscriptions, but for up to 5 members.
Teams: A convenient way to centrally manage, administer, and pay for a team of members. As you might expect, you get price breaks as you add more users.
There’s also a Mini Plan that offers 5 GB of data for $2.99 a month, which is a good deal if you only need to use the service lightly.
Encrypt.me also offers a similar tweet bonus that Tunnelbear does if you are on the 5 GB plan.
All of these plans are unlimited. So if you compare prices, TunnelBear is quite a bit cheaper per year than Encrypt.me on the unlimited plans. You might be asking, why would anyone sign up for Encrypt.me at those prices?
Encrypt.me has one killer feature: it automatically connects and disconnects based on the Wi-Fi network you are connected to. Here is how this might work in practice: Your home network and your work network are set to trusted. When you are connected to those networks, your VPN is off. When you visit your local coffee shop, Encrypt.me will automatically connect and secure your connection. When you leave that Wi-Fi connection and switch back to LTE, Encrypt.me will disconnect (you can set cellular connections to untrusted if you want to).
Why is this important? It’s because it makes security automatic. With OpenVPN-based services and TunnelBear, you have to remember to turn the VPN on whenever you need it. With Encrypt.me, unless you have specified the Wi-Fi network you are using as trusted, it will connect. When you connect to Target’s guest Wi-Fi, it will connect. When you connect to Starbucks’ guest Wi-Fi, it will connect. When you connect at home, it will not connect.
Installation of Encrypt.me for Mac and iOS is extremely simple. On the Mac, you download the application and drag it to your Applications folder. Once you launch it, you log into your account and you are off and running. Encrypt.me makes it very easy to modify trusted networks vs. untrusted, and it also includes an option to always trust non-WiFi based networks (ethernet, etc).
On iOS, installation is simplified even further. You download the app from the App Store and it walks you through the installation process. It’s a very similar process to TunnelBear since you install an iOS configuration profile. As I mentioned earlier, the secret sauce of Encrypt.me is that once you tell the app your trusted networks, you no longer have to interact with the app. It will turn itself on and off automatically.
So, what’s the best option?
Encrypt.me and TunnelBear each have 2 distinct advantages. TunnelBear is cheaper on the unlimited plan, but Encrypt.me has the auto-connect feature.
If you are the type of person who frequently uses public Wi-Fi (traveling, coffee shop meetings, etc.), I recommend Encrypt.me. If you are the type person who spends the majority of the day at home and work (and you trust your work Wi-Fi), then TunnelBear is probably a better choice because it’s 50% cheaper on the yearly plan (or 70% if you only use iOS).
Encrypt.me offers a 14-day free trial and TunnelBear offers a free 500 MB a month plan, so there is no reason not to try both and see which one works best for you. Both companies offer a “tweet” bonus, where you can tweet about their service for a quota bonus.
Encrypt.me is our favorite based on its ease of use. It’s still inexpensive for everything it offers. Once you get your “whitelisted” networks setup, you’ll likely not need to use the app again unless you are managing your account. It’s is truly a “set it and forget it” type service.
Whatever you do, if you use Wi-Fi that you don’t manage, make sure you are using a VPN.
Wait. There’s a Bonus….
Custom Productivity Templates
We have a set of custom productivity templates that work well with the iPad app, GoodNotes. And if you want to try them out, we’ve put together a free guide that can help you.
We’ll show you…
How to create and save custom page templates in GoodNotes.
How to use those page templates to transform GoodNotes into your own productivity notebook (or any other type of notebook replacement).
Plus, we also have included a couple of our custom productivity templates for you to get started with. These templates are right out of our popular productivity course.
The custom templates and the guide are available for FREE to our email subscriber community. And you can get it right now. By joining the Sweet Setup community you’ll also get access to our other guides, early previews to big new reviews and workflow articles we are working on, weekly roundups of our best content, and more.