Best VPNs for Philippines: Overcome restrictions

The leadership may have changed but surveillance and censorship are apparently in the Philippines to stay. The authorities block access to a wide variety of news outlets and websites critical of the government, but has recently begun “red-tagging” activists and journalists (claiming they’re communist in an attempt to discredit them, silence them, or make them fear for their physical safety). If you’re visiting the Philipinnes, we strongly suggest using a VPN to protect yourself at all times.

VPNs encrypt your data, ensuring your activities can’t be monitored by local ISPs, the government, or public hotspot owners. What’s more, this allows you to sidestep most web-filtering and internet-blocking systems so you can browse the web freely. It’s even possible to access region-locked services since VPNs let you spoof your location and make it seem like you’re actually somewhere else in the world.

Here’s our list of the best VPNs for the Philippines:

1. NordVPN: Our top choice VPN for the Philippines. Protects your privacy using a wealth of powerful security tools. Fast, reliable, and great for streaming, torrenting, and more. Includes a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for the Philippines.
2. Surfshark: Best budget VPN for the Philippines. Boasts powerful security features, a no-logs policy, and the ability to circumvent country-wide internet censorship. Great for streaming. Has no simultaneous connection limit.
3. Total VPN: A reliable and speedy VPN boasting a large network, a strict no-logs policy, 24/7 customer support, and impressive unblocking ability.
4. ProtonVPN: No-logs VPN with privacy at its core. Boasts a large network, impressive unblocking capabilities, and a wide range of advanced security tools, plus 24/7 support.
5. ExpressVPN: Fast speeds and great security features such as a no-logging policy and high-end encryption. Works with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and plenty of other streaming sites.
6. IPVanish: Known for its excellent speed and secure service. Essential features like IPv6 leak protection and great support for P2P traffic. A popular choice for torrenting.
7. PureVPN: Beginner-friendly service with exceptional speeds and unblocking ability. Works almost anywhere in the world and provides all the security tools you’ll need to browse safely.
8. CyberGhost: Easy-to-use apps. Huge server network and faster speeds than most other VPNs. It is perfect for obtaining a Philippine IP address to watch Philippine content.
9. Private Internet Access: Servers in over 80 countries. Good speeds with unlimited bandwidth. Secure ten devices at once. Strict no-logs policy.

How we found the top VPNs for the Philippines

There are plenty of VPNs on the market, but they don’t all offer the same level of service. Our team goes to great lengths to make sure we only recommend the best of the best. Our process involves examines candidates in five important areas; we’ll cover each of these in more detail below:

• Speed: Everyone uses the internet in different ways so we have to be sure that our top VPNs are fast enough to handle anything you throw at them. This involves running multiple tests at different times of day while replicating a typical US broadband connection
• Network features: First off, we ensure that providers have servers in the Philippines, then examine how many other countries their networks cover and whether they offer any form of obfuscation.
• Security and privacy: Your VPN has to be able to adequately protect your privacy, which is why we look for unbreakable encryption, powerful safeguards, and VPNs offering a no-logs policy.
• Ease of use: We’re big fans of providers that make day to day usage as simple as possible. For instance, they may offer task-specific servers, 24/7 customer support, or stealth modes that allow you to browse safely in high-censorship countries.
• Streaming: This is one of the most popular reasons for using a VPN, which is why we test each potential recommendation against a long list of major streaming platforms (including Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+).

You can read more about our criteria and see the results of our tests in the methodology section below. First, let’s take a closer look at the VPNs that impressed us.

Note: This article is about the best VPNs to use when traveling or living in the Philippines. If you’re specifically looking to access Filipino content from abroad, check out our article on how to get an IP address from the Philippines.

Best VPNs for the Philippines compared

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

Best VPNs for the Philippines

Based on real-world experience and extensive testing, here’s our list of the best VPNs for the Philippines:

1. NordVPN

Jan 2026

NordVPN is our top choice for the Philippines. It offers access to more than 8,000 servers spread throughout 120+ countries including the Philippines and works with just about any geo-blocked streaming service. For instance, we were able to watch Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer as well as multiple Filipino channels. This VPN has servers optimized for torrenting, permits up to 10 simultaneous connections, and offers 24/7 customer support over live chat.

NordVPN has historically performed very well in our industry-wide speed tests. However, it’s important to retest regularly since providers are constantly adjusting and optimizing their networks. We ran three tests on NordVPN’s US servers at different times of day and recorded an average speed of 205.74 Mbps. As such, NordVPN is the fastest provider we saw, and more than capable of handling any day to day task.

If security is a concern, you’ll appreciate NordVPN’s strong toolkit. To start with, it uses uncrackable encryption (AES-256 or ChaCha20 depending on your chosen protocol). This is backed up by a kill switch, multi-hop servers, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a combined tracker and ad-blocker. NordVPN has been audited to prove it doesn’t keep logs, and it even has its own protocol (NordWhisper) capable of beating country-wide censorship. This means it’s a perfect choice for anyone traveling in the Philippines, China, or the Middle East.

There are NordVPN apps for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android. Its website provides detailed configuration instructions in case you want to install NordVPN on your router (which would let you bypass the 10-connection limit).

BEST PHILIPPINES VPN:NordVPN is our top choice. A good all-rounder that works well with popular streaming services. Has a strong security focus, a generous connection limit, and very high speeds. All plans come with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Here’s our in-depth review of NordVPN.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark is the best budget VPN for users in the Philippines. That said, it delivers a level of quality that many of its more expensive rivals can’t match. For instance, it has roughly 4,500 servers in 100+ countries and unlike most of the competition, it lets you connect every device you own. This is a great VPN for Filipino TV but also works well with international platforms like Netflix US and BBC iPlayer from anywhere. You can get help at any time using Surfshark’s 24/7 live chat service.

To find out what kind of speeds you can expect, our team tested Surfshark’s US servers three time (in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon). It achieved an average speed of 193.39 Mbps, sitting just below NordVPN in terms of performance. You shouldn’t have any issues, even when doing bandwidth heavy activities like torrenting, watching Filipino TV, or making video calls. Here are our full results:

This service offers numerous tools for the security-conscious individual. There’s 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and protection against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks, for a start. You can also take advantage of split tunneling functionality, a combination ad-blocker/malware-scanner, and a NoBorders mode that lets you access the internet freely in countries with strict online censorship. Surfshark doesn’t log any data that could be traced back to you although you can pay in cryptocurrency for even greater privacy. If you need any help, customer support is on hand 24/7 via live chat and email.

Surfshark offers iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux apps. It can also be manually configured to work with your home router.

BEST BUDGET CHOICE:Surfshark provides decent speeds and can unblock plenty of region-locked services but more importantly, it keeps no logs and includes a wide array of security features. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of Surfshark here.

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3. Total VPN

Total VPN has one of the largest networks we’ve seen, offering access to speedy, reliable servers in the Philippines and 80+ other countries. It’s also a very strong option for anyone hoping to access region-locked platforms like TikTok, Netflix, or BBC iPlayer during a trip abroad. Users can connect up to five devices at the same time and get help using this service’s 24/7 support ticket system.

This service has a great reputation where performance is concerned but we like to periodically retest providers to see how their speeds have changed. The table below shows how fast Total VPN’s American servers were at various times of day, which gives us a better understanding of how much slowdown you can expect during peak times (such as evenings or weekends). See for yourself:

With an average speed of 176.94 Mbps (when tested on a 250 Mbps) connection, Total VPN was actually one of the three fastest services we tried. There was only around 9 Mbps of variance too, so it’s a great choice for anyone who needs consistency. This VPN was more than fast enough for streaming, torrenting, and playing online games, so you shouldn’t have any issues even if multiple people in your home are using the internet at the same time.

This service delivers a high degree of privacy thanks to its unbreakable 256-bit AES encryption. That’s not all, though: it also provides automatic DNS and IPv6 leak protection and a kill switch that stops sending data the moment your connection to the VPN drops. For additional protection, you can switch to the Hydra protocol or make it so that certain sites only load if the VPN is active. What’s more, Total VPN follows a no-logs policy and can’t reveal your activities under any circumstances.

Total VPN provides apps for MacOS, iOS, Windows, and Android devices.

FAST FILIPINO SERVERS:Total VPN boasts a large network, with speedy servers in the Philippines. Strong on security, with exceptional streaming ability, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on annual plans (and a 14-day guarantee on shorter subscriptions).

Interested? Take a look at our full Total VPN review.

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4. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a versatile, well-respected provider with dozens of servers in the Philippines. In fact, its network covers an impressive 120 countries, so you’ll never be too far from one of its 15,000+ servers. Streaming won’t be a problem: we were able to access stubborn platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, three of the trickiest services around. You can secure up to 10 devices at once and there’s around the clock customer support over live chat.

If you’re interested in streaming or torrenting, you’ll need a pretty quick connection. ProtonVPN has gained a reputation for its fast and stable speeds, so we had high hopes. As ever, we ran three tests on its American servers (at varying times of day), resulting an average speed of 144.05 Mbps. That’s roughly 10 times the recommended speed for streaming 4K video, so you shouldn’t have any issues when torrenting, gaming, or video calling either. Here are our complete test results:

This VPN definitely impresses when it comes to security. By default, it keeps you safe using uncrackable encryption, a kill switch, and protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks. Additionally, it can block ads and trackers automatically and follows a strict, independently verified no-logging policy. If you’d like a little extra privacy, you can connect to one of the many Secure Core servers that send your traffic through multiple countries. ProtonVPN accepts cash and Bitcoin payments, too, so that you can sign up as anonymously as possible.

Proton VPN has its own Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS apps. Alternatively, you can follow manual setup instructions to get it running on just about any router.

SECURE FILIPINO SERVERS:ProtonVPN is an ultra-fast service that’s perfect for anyone looking to browse safely in the Philippines. With strong security, a decent local presence, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans, there isn’t much more you can ask for.

Take a look at our in-depth ProtonVPN review.

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5. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a beginner-friendly provider offering servers in 100+ countries including the Philippines. It’s a great choice for anyone traveling abroad since it automatically obfuscates your traffic as needed and can reliably access virtually any major streaming platform. Torrenting is permitted too, and there’s 24/7 customer support via live chat in case you need any help. Users can secure up to 14 devices at the same time, depending on the plan they choose.

ExpressVPN generally performs quite well in our testing. We decided to test its US servers at various points during the day while using a 250 Mbps connection. This VPN delivered an average speed of 128.12 Mbps, with all three results being within 10 Mbps of one another. That’s well above what you’ll need for streaming 4K video, torrentign anonymously, or playing fast-paced online games. Let’s take a look:

There’s no need to worry about your privacy with this provider. That’s because ExpressVPN uses quantum-resistant encryption, a kill switch, and WebRTC, DNS, and IPv6 leak protection. There’s also a fully-audited no-logging policy, and a combined ad and tracker-blocker, plus ExpressVPN will automatically obfuscate your traffic if it detects you’re in a country with extreme online censorship. You can even sign up anonymously by using a disposable email and paying in Bitcoin.

ExpressVPN now has a tiered pricing system. This means that you can get the base VPN service at a better price than ever before, with slightly more expensive plans including additional features.

There are apps for Android and iOS, as well as desktop support for Linux, Windows, and macOS. This VPN is also the only one with its own router firmware, making it a natural choice for anyone hoping to secure their whole home network.

PRIVACY-FIRST VPN:ExpressVPN is a secure, private VPN. It’s optimized for high-speed connections. Great on privacy and security. Plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our review of ExpressVPN.

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6. IPVanish

IPVanish is an easy to use VPN with a lot to offer. It owns and operates more than 3,200 servers in 100+ countries including the Philipinnes and works with all manner of streaming platforms. For instance, we were able to use Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Paramount+ while connected. Better still, IPVanish is one of the few services that lets you connect as many devices as you like. There’s even 24/7 customer support over live chat in the unlikely event that you run into any problems.

IPVanish’s network uses 10 Gbps, which should mean high speeds with minimal variance. To verify this, our experts performed three speed tests on its American servers. IPVanish achieved an average speed of 167.13 Mbps, with just 4 Mbps between its best and worst results. It’s a solid result, and with speeds like this, you won’t have to worry about stuttering, lag, or sudden disconnection from the VPN.

If you’re mostly concerned about staying safe online, IPVanish would be a strong choice. This service uses unbreakable encryption (AES-256 by default), backed up by a kill switch and automatic leak protection. This VPN doesn’t keep any logs of your activities and can even block ads and trackers. Recent additions to its privacy toolkit include multi-hop servers and a unique link safety-verification tool. IPVanish can even scramble your traffic, though only on OpenVPN connections.

IPVanish offers one of the best value month-by-month plans, so it is great for those who don’t want long-term commitments. It also recently began offering a great value Advanced Tier, which comes with a Secure Browser and 1TB of cloud storage.

This VPN has its own apps for Windows, Android, MacOS, and iOS. Check out its website for step by step guides to setting up IPVanish on Linux systems and routers.

UNLIMITED CONNECTIONS:IPVanish allows unlimited simultaneous connections and is great for families. Recommended for its high standard of privacy and fast speeds. 30-day money-back guarantee on all long-term plans.

Read our review of IPVanish.

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7. PureVPN

PureVPN makes it as easy as possible to protect yourself during a trip to the Philippines. Its apps are newcomer friendly and offer access to 6,000+ servers in around 65 countries. What’s more, this service can bypass almost any regional restriction, meaning you can stream Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and more, wherever you are in the world. Up to 10 devices can be protected at the same time and live chat-based customer support is available 24 hours per day.

Now, obviously, this doesn’t mean much if your VPN is too slow to actually be useful. Following a full day of testing, PureVPN achieved an average speed of 127.18 Mbps, which is excellent, though its results varied by 20 Mbps which is a little higher than we’d like. Still, even with this fluctuation, PureVPN remained quick enough to handle anything you throw at it. Let’s take a look at those full test results:

One of the great things about this service is that it doesn’t overcomplicate things. For instance, it blocks IPv6 and DNS leaks, uses unbreakable encryption, and has a kill switch enabled by default. PureVPN follows a no-logging policy and boasts an extensive audit history; in other words, it doesn’t know what you get up to online and can’t hand over details of your activities even if asked to. There’s no need to manually configure anything either since PureVPN will automatically obfuscate your data if it realizes you’re in a country with strict online restrictions.

Apps are available for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. It can be manually installed on most home routers in case you need to protect more than 10 devices simultaneously.

FASTER THAN MOST:PureVPN delivers top-tier performance and doesn’t compromise on security. Can help you access whatever you like in the Philippines and includes a 31-day money-back guarantee on all plans.

Read our full review of PureVPN to learn more.

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8. CyberGhost

CyberGhost has one of the most expansive networks around with thousands of servers spread across 100 countries. Better still, it’ll tell you exactly which are best for streaming your favorite shows, torrenting, and playing online games. This VPN can even help you access stubborn platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video from abroad. Users can protect up to seven devices simultaneously and get help using CyberGhost’s 24/7 live chat service.

To make sure that CyberGhost is really fast enough for day to day usage, our team performed a series of tests in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon, using a 250 Mbps connection. This provider returned average speeds of 152.63 Mbps, with roughly 8 Mbps of variability throughout the day. As such, you shouldn’t notice any performance problems, even while undertaking data-intensive tasks at peak times.

One of the things we really like about this service is that it keeps you safe with minimal setup required. By default, it uses unbreakable 256-bit AES encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a kill switch that’ll stop sending data the moment you lose connection to the VPN. That’s not all, though: CyberGhost follows a strict no-logs policy and includes a wide range of advanced features inlcuding ad and tracker-blocking. There’s also basic obfuscation and the ability to automate connections in certain circumstances.

Apps are available for both Android and iOS, as well as desktop support for Windows, macOS, and Linux. If you’d like to install this VPN on your router, just follow CyberGhost’s manual setup instructions.

BEGINNER FRIENDLY:CyberGhost has a simple set up. Works well in the Philippines. Good option if you are looking for a fast, reliable connection and an easy-to-use interface. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Here’s our full review of CyberGhost.

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9. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access has more than 35,000 servers spread throughout 90+ countries, meaning its network dwarfs most other provider on the market. As if that wasn’t enough, this VPN works effortlessly with major streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, or even Filipino TV channels such as ABS-CBN. Need help? No problem, just contact staff using the 24/7 live chat system. Private Internet Access doesn’t have any connection or bandwidth limits either, so it’s great value.

The real question is whether PIA is quick enough for everyday usage. Our team tested its American servers at three times of day, keeping a close eye on both its speed and consistency. Private Internet Access averaged 36.64 Mbps, making it quite a bit slower than the other services in this list. However, this remains well above the recommended speeds for live streaming, gaming, and video calling.

PIA comes equipped with everything you’ll need to browse safely in the Philippines. For instance, it uses uncrackable AES-256 encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a kill switch, plus there’s a strict no-logs policy in place. It’s a very customizable service too, allowing users to set up split tunneling and port forwarding, block ads and trackers, and change everything from the protocol to packet size. Users are able to obfuscate their connection, connect automatically, and access whatever websites they like, hidden from the government’s prying eyes.

Private Internet Access has apps for the following: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, and Amazon Fire TV. You can also use browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. Manual setup is required to use PIA with routers.

GLOBAL NETWORK:Private Internet Access has servers in over 90 countries and doesn’t throttle your bandwidth. Stream Filipino TV and Netflix without lag. 24/7 support and allows ten simultaneous connections. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Private Internet Access review.

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Using a free VPN for the Philippines

There are definitely plenty free VPNs lurking around on the interwebs, but don’t expect the same speeds and encryption standards that paid options offer.

Free VPNs usually monetize by deluging you with all sorts of invasive advertisements, inserting tracking cookies, and selling your data. There have also been instances of services hijacking your bandwidth and turning you into a foot soldier in a massive botnet army.

The VPNs listed in this article offer money-back guarantees or a free trial, and Proton VPN offers a good free tier (though it does come with restrictions). These are all handy options if you’re not sure whether to fully commit to a VPN or not. But we recommend you avoid the random free ones that exist on the internet. They’re not worth the risk.

Why use a VPN in the Philippines?

There are actually all kinds of reasons you might want to use a VPN during your trip to the Philippines. For instance, there’s no denying that VPNs make it easier to keep your browsing habits hidden from the government, public hotspot owners, or anyone else who might be monitoring your network. Their encryption also means that your ISP won’t be able to track your activities and as such, will be less likely to automatically throttle your speeds.

Of course, that’s not the only way a VPN can help you out. These services also let you spoof your location, which can help you stream Pinoy TV from abroad, access Western streaming platforms while visiting the Philippines, and keep your actual location hidden from the websites you visit.

Finally, because you’re using a new IP address and appear to browsing from a different location, you’re effectively starting over fresh. As such, you’ll notice that flights and hotels may be cheaper, since booking websites can’t tailor prices based on your browsing history.

Internet freedom in the Philippines

Digital freedoms in the Philippines have been in steadily decline since 2016. During this period, Freedom House has reclassified the country from “Free” to “Partly Free”, citing organized disinformation campaigns, legal repercussions or extrajudicial violence for speaking against the government, and a high degree of self censorship as reasons for the country’s continuously falling freedom rating.

Even though Duterte is no longer in charge, Filipino activists and journalists still can’t speak freely. While they’re less likely to be murdered for their work, the new administration has been known to claim (without merit) that these people are communists in the hopes that this will attract enough hostile attention to stop them from talking. Let us not forget too, that at least 77 journalists have been murdered in the country since 1992, with a conviction rate of around one percent, so there is still work to be done.

Related: How to blog anonymously, a guide for activists, whistleblowers, and journalists.

VPN for Philippines FAQ