Best VPNs for Mac/MacBook users: Top 2024 picks and what to avoid

Want to unblock websites or streaming services on your Mac? Interested in preventing the government from tracking everything you do online? Perhaps you want to watch TV platforms on vacation? This guide recommends the best VPNs for Mac and MacBook to gain privacy, online freedom, and access region-locked content.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts all the internet traffic from your Mac and directs it through a VPN server in your chosen location. This prevents local networks, ISPs, and government agencies from tracking you online. It also protects you against hackers on public wifi. Not all VPNs are suitable for your Mac, but in this guide, you’ll find a roundup of the best providers.

Our recommended Mac VPNs are versatile and serve multiple purposes, including bypassing censorship, securing public Wi-Fi, and accessing region-locked websites and apps like Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu. Whether you own a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, these VPNs are compatible and ready to enhance your online experience.

Don’t worry if you’re using an older macOS version, either. These VPNs are designed to support all versions. Thanks to our comprehensive testing and research, you’ll be able to find the perfect Mac VPN for your personal needs and gain privacy no matter where you connect to the internet. Let’s dive in and discover the best VPN options for Mac.

Below is a quick summary of the best VPNs for Mac in 2024. Keep scrolling for detailed summaries that will help you pick between them:

1. NordVPN: Our top pick VPN for Mac. Huge server network so there’s always a fast one available. Can access Netflix and other streaming sites. Zero logs and robust security. 30-day money-back guarantee included.TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Macs.
2. Surfshark: Best budget Mac VPN. A great all-rounder with secure, reliable connections, a no-logs policy, and superior unblocking potential. Doesn’t set a connection limit.
3. IPVanish: Torrent-friendly VPN with excellent speeds, strong security, and no connection limits. A favorite among those using Kodi on Mac.
4. CyberGhost: Beginner-friendly Mac app that won’t break the bank. Access Netflix while keeping your connection private.
5. PureVPN: A solid everyday VPN that makes it as easy as possible to secure your connection. Doesn’t include a kill switch on Mac but works in China and provides ultrafast speeds.
6. Private Internet Access: A solid choice for any Mac user thanks to its steady speeds, exceptional streaming ability, and high level of protection.
7. ProtonVPN: This no-logs VPN is fast, customizable, and suitable for any task. Provides 24/7 customer support and refuses to compromise where your privacy is concerned.
8. ExpressVPN: Solid security, fast connection speeds, and securely accesses most streaming sites like Netflix on Mac. Allows you to split tunnel by application.
9. PrivateVPN: A lesser-known option for Mac users that punches above its weight class when it comes to speed, security, and the ability to watch streaming sites like Netflix.

Best VPNs for Mac and Macbook – Our hands-on review

We’ve compared the most important features for the top VPNs here. Prefer to read our in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for Mac and Macbook.

How we choose the best Mac VPNs

Most VPN providers make macOS apps, but only a few are worth your time and money. Here are some of the criteria we use for assessing VPNs for Mac:

• A user-friendly app for MacOS packed with powerful features
• A large selection of worldwide servers
• Reliable speeds for streaming and downloading
• Strong encryption and a strict no-logs policy
• A generous connection allowance (unlimited is preferred)
• Reliable customer support available on live chat
• Fair pricing, with annual discounts and a money-back guarantee

You will find much more about our VPN testing methodology later in this article.

The 9 best VPNs for Mac

Here is our list of the best VPN providers for Mac and Macbooks:

1. NordVPN

Dec 2024

NordVPN offers over 5,500 servers in 59 countries, nearly half of which are in the United States. The VPN keeps no logs about your connection or your activity and is protected with military-grade encryption. Live customer support is available on the website. An app-specific kill switch, full kill switch, and DNS leak protection come built-in, making it one of the most secure VPNs on the market. You are allowed up to ten simultaneous connections.

NordVPN has specialized servers for several tasks, including double-hop VPN, Tor over VPN, ultra-fast optimized servers for streaming, and more. The app’s server list lists these. NordVPN works with popular geo-locked streaming sites, including Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video.

This VPN is fast enough for any day-to-day task, whether live streaming, torrenting, video calling, or playing online games. During our testing, it delivered average speeds of 122 Mbps, though there was a fair degree of variance depending on the time of day. Still, unless you’re already used to an extremely quick connection, it’s unlike you’ll notice any tangible difference. Below, you’ll find a more detailed breakdown of our speed test results:

You can get NordVPN’s MacOS app from the App Store or directly from NordVPN’s website.

Apps are also available for Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.

BEST VPN FOR MAC USERS:NordVPN is our first choice. A security-first provider that works reliably with major streaming platforms. Connects up to 6 devices simultaneously. Try it risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our review of NordVPN.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark currently has around 3,200 servers in 100+ countries. It’s fast and offers more comprehensive protection than many of its rivals. There’s effectively uncrackable 256-bit encryption, for instance, as well as a kill switch (in all versions), automatic ad and malware blocking, and protection against WebRTC, IPv6, and DNS leaks. Further, Surfshark doesn’t log any personally identifiable information.

Despite its attractive and budget-friendly price point, Surfshark was the second-quickest provider we tested. After three tests at different times of day, it returned an average speed of 195.33 Mbps. For context, that’s enough to stream a dozen 4K videos simultaneously. Even if your family all tend to use the internet at the same time, you shouldn’t experience any notable slowdown of performance issues, which is really saying a lot. Let’s take a closer look at Surfshark’s speeds:

This service securely accesses many popular services abroad, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu. It’s a great VPN for streaming since there’s no connection limit, and if you have any issues, you can reach support 24/7 over live chat.

Surfshark also offers apps for iOS, Windows, Android, and Linux.

Read our full review of Surfshark here.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark delivers well in most areas, including online security, privacy, unblocking, and ease of use. Affordable option with no connection limit and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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3. IPVanish

IPVanish is a veteran provider that operates over 2,200+ servers in over 50 countries. Connection speeds are excellent, and connections are super reliable. Security boasts strong encryption and perfect forward secrecy. A kill switch, traffic obfuscation, DNS leak protection, and IPv6 leak protection can all be toggled in the settings. You can also set your IP address to change at a specified interval. IPVanish stores zero logs about users’ activity and connection details.

This service has a well-optimized network and can easily handle anything you throw at it. With average speeds of 182.67 Mbps, it’s more than up to the task of streaming 4K video, downloading large files, or helping your game safely. Better still, its results were consistent regardless of whether we tested in the morning, at noon, or in the evening. If you’re sick of VPNs with wildly varying performance, IPVanish would be an excellent alternative. Here are the complete test results:

IPVanish isn’t as great for unblocking streaming services as the other VPN providers on this list, but it’s great for P2P traffic and Kodi. Thanks to a simple, lightweight app and remote control-friendly interface, Kodi users with Android-based devices will have no problem setting up and using IPVanish. IPVanish works with all of the Kodi add-ons we’ve tested.

Apps are also available for Windows, iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire TV Stick.

NO DEVICE LIMIT:IPVanish is great for families with unlimited multiple connections. Easy to use with Kodi and preferred by users who need high standards of privacy. Can’t unblock as many streaming services as some of its rivals. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full IPVanish review.

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4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost allows you to choose a server by country and according to how you plan to use it. For example, you can opt for a server that works for streaming US Netflix or one to use for P2P filesharing. The Romania-headquartered provider upped its game recently, expanding its server network and unblocking capabilities. It scored well above average in our download speed tests. CyberGhost now operates 9,000+ servers in 89+ countries. It can access Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer.

CyberGhost delivered the highest average speed of any provider in this list, a stunning 223.33 Mbps. Even more impressive is that our base connection speed was only around 20 Mbps higher than this, telling us there’s virtually no slowdown when connected. It was a little bit slower in the morning, but CyberGhost hovered around the 200 Mbps mark even then. In short, it’s a fast VPN perfect for anyone hoping to stay safe without compromising performance. You’ll find the results of all three tests below:

The company stores no logs of users’ data. Strong encryption protects all internet traffic to and from your Macbook. Additional features include malware, ad blocking, anti-tracking, and automatic HTTPS redirect.

Apps are also available for Windows, Android, Linux, and iOS.

Easy-to-use apps:CyberGhost is easy to use. A great option for users on a budget. Strong on privacy. Streams HD video reliably. Works with most streaming sites, and has dedicated servers for streaming platforms in dozens of countries. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of CyberGhost.

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5. PureVPN

PureVPN is another solid choice for Mac users. For starters, it operates more than 6,000 servers in 65 countries. This means that you can count on a high-speed, low-latency connection no matter where you are. Unlike some of its competitors, PureVPN can access platforms that typically block VPNs outright, such as Netflix and Disney+. The apps are very simple and easy to use, but if you run into any problems, don’t panic; support staff are available 24 hours per day via live chat.

This is another provider boasting exceptional performance. After three tests, PureVPN’s average speed was 173.33 Mbps – enough to watch around a dozen UHD videos simultaneously or download a 1GB file in just under six seconds. What’s more, there wasn’t too much difference between its highest and lowest results, meaning you can count on a fairly stable connection. Below, you’ll find a chart showing the detailed results of our speed testing:

This VPN keeps you safe using uncrackable 256-bit AES encryption (or ChaCha20 encryption with the WireGuard protocol). Further, it prevents IPv6 and DNS leaks and automatically obfuscates your traffic if it realizes you’re in a country with extreme online censorship. Best of all, PureVPN has undergone four independent audits, Proving that it doesn’t like any data that could identify you. There is also a kill switch but this doesn’t work on Apple platforms, and a tracker-blocker, though this is only included on Plus and Max plans.

PureVPN has its own apps for Mac S, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. It provides detailed setup instructions for users looking to run this service directly on their router.

READY FOR ANYTHING:PureVPN is just as comfortable streaming as it is torrenting or making video calls. It boasts better than average speeds, strong security, and a 31-day money-back guarantee so you can try it for yourself.

Read our full review of PureVPN to learn more.

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6. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access is a reputable provider with servers in over 90 countries. It excels at beating regional restrictions, making it ideal for any Mac user looking to stream their favorite shows while on a trip abroad. Further, this VPN delivers steady speeds, averaging 78.33 Mbps in our most recent testing. That’s more than enough for most day to day tasks, so you shouldn’t notice much (if any) slowdown during busy times. Let’s take a closer look at those results:

This service does a great job of keeping you safe. For starters, it uses unbreakable encryption and industry-approved protocols. There’s also a kill switch, ad and tracker-blocking, and port forwarding functionality, plus an independently-verified no logs policy. You can even choose to enable the obfuscation feature, which can help you use sites that normally block VPN traffic entirely. It’s also possible to activate the VPN automatically whenever you connect to specific networks. However, we should mention that the split tunneling feature isn’t available on Mac systems.

Private Internet Access has apps for MacOS, iOS, Windows, Linux, and Android. It’s also possible to manually install this service on most routers in case you need to secure more than 10 devices at a time; just follow the instructions on its website.

Read our full review of Private Internet Access here.

SECURE AND RELIABLE:Private Internet Access is a well-rounded VPN, that delivers impressive performance, a high degree of privacy, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.

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7. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN has a free plan, but we’d suggest upgrading to a paid subscription if possible. This grants access to a network of roughly 3,800 servers in more than 80 countries, 24/7 customer support, and the ability to secure up to 10 devices simultaneously. Additionally, paid users can access plenty of stubborn streaming services and no longer have their speeds restricted. That’s a big deal, considering this provider averaged 330 Mbps in our most recent tests.

ProtonVPN’s performance is better than that of many of its rivals, making it a natural choice for data-intensive activities like streaming, gaming, or torrenting. After testing its US servers at three times of day, it returned an average speed of 161 Mbps, with 143 Mbps being its absolute lowest result. With roughly 30 Mbps of variance, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to tell the difference unless you already have an extremely quick connection. Here’s a full breakdown of its speed test results:

Let’s talk about security. ProtonVPN uses industry-approved encryption, a kill switch, tracker-blocking, and leak protection to ensure your activities are always kept private. It even operates special Secure Core servers that are stored in underground data centers for maximum security (though understandably, these are quite a bit slower). This provider follows a no-logging policy, which has been confirmed by external auditors. Finally, it accepts Bitcoin and cash payments, making it easy to sign up without providing any personal information.

ProtonVPN offers apps for iOS, MacOS, Linux, Windows, and Android. It can also be installed on a wide range of routers, though you’ll have to follow manual setup instructions.

CUSTOMIZABLE SECURITY:ProtonVPN has everything you’ll need to browse the web safely on Mac. There are also plenty of advanced features including automatic ad and tracker-blocking. Better still, this service includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Check out our complete ProtonVPN review.

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8. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a solid all-around VPN for Mac. Fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth ensure you can stream in HD and download large files quickly. It operates upwards of 3,000 optimized VPN servers in 94 countries. Strong encryption pairs with perfect forward secrecy for best-in-class security. ExpressVPN keeps no logs of your activity or real IP address. A kill switch, dubbed “network lock”, and bulletproof leak protection come built-in. ExpressVPN’s Mac app includes a split tunneling feature that allows you to choose which apps are tunneled through the VPN and which use the normal, unencrypted internet connection.

This isn’t the fastest provider on the market, but it can certainly hold its own. This is partially due to its well-optimized network and its custom Lightway protocol, which reduces the amount of slowdown you’ll experience when using servers that are far away. In our latest round of testing, it delivered average speeds of 98 Mbps. That’s impressive enough, but consider this: there was just 8 Mbps of difference between its quickest and slowest results, making it the most consistent provider in our list. Let’s see those results:

ExpressVPN provides secure access to sites like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer. Not all servers can do the job, though, so contact 24/7 live chat support to ask which ones work with your favorite streaming site.

Apps are also available for Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, certain wifi routers, and Amazon Fire TV Stick.

VERSATILE MAC VPN:ExpressVPN is capable of handling almost anything. Fast, reliable, and able to unblock all major streaming services. Great security and online privacy with 256-bit encryption. Keep no browser logs. Kill switch and leak protection. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of ExpressVPN.

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9. PrivateVPN