The best VPN for Mac: Expert tested

Note: The information presented in this table is accurate as of our last publish date, and prices, ratings, and other details may have changed since then.

Our laptops, together with our mobile phones, are now lifelines to day-to-day services, entertainment, communication, and work. 

With the right VPN, you can browse the internet anonymously, access geo-restricted content, and avoid being tracked by advertisers, hackers, and government surveillance. Furthermore, if you are on a remote or hybrid schedule, employers may require you to use a VPN (or set up one based on their own preferred service).

See also: What is a VPN and why do you need one?

A Mac VPN service is a virtual private network service that encrypts your internet traffic, hides your IP address, and provides you with an anonymous and secure connection while you're online. 

While Apple is well-known for locking down its ecosystem and being less susceptible to malware and cyberthreats than Windows and other operating systems, the OS alone can't stop you from being monitored online -- and so you should consider investing in a service that does.

Enabling split tunneling features allows you to route some traffic through a protected, encrypted VPN tunnel, while also allowing other traffic to bypass a VPN and be directly sent to a destination.

Split tunneling is a common feature of VPNs, but regarding the Apple ecosystem, there is a problem: it seldom works well or is a priority investment for VPN developers. Changes to libraries by Apple can also be a challenge to develop Mac-friendly split tunneling. 

While there are workarounds, it seldom works. However, some VPN provides, such as PIA, are attempting to solve the problem.

Many providers recommended in this list have been subject to in-depth testing and reviews by members of our ZDNET team. We've been talking about other VPNs for years, spoken with their management and their users, and developed a generally favorable impression.

ZDNET does test VPN services from multiple locations, but we can't test from all locations. Every home, every community, every local ISP, and every nation has a different infrastructure. 

We analyzed the best VPNs for Mac below using the following criteria that were most important in helping you make an informed decision:

• Performance: Our top VPNs must have a minimum level of performance. After all, there's no point in using a VPN while streaming if your connection continually drops or lags, making it intolerable.
• Simultaneous connections: Many VPNs limit how many devices you can connect to a service at the same time. If you have a phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and possibly even a smart TV you want to connect to a VPN, you'd need a service that allows at least five or six simultaneous connections.
• Security: There's no point using a VPN unless their security protocols and encryption levels are up to scratch. We also ensured the development team behind each recommended VPN cared about making security improvements over time and patching reported bugs.
• Kill switch: A kill switch prevents you from having an unprotected connection. It is an important feature for a VPN to have, as it protects by preventing a return to a default Wi-Fi connection should your internet connection unexpectedly drop.
• Geoblocks and streaming: We know VPNs can be key to accessing local content and services while you're away from home. We ensured that our top recommendations performed well in these factors and are unlikely to slow down your connection while you are streaming. 
• Platforms: What systems and devices can you run the VPN on? Our VPN recommendations, naturally, have to offer easy-to-use and intuitive mobile apps. 
• Countries & servers: In how many different countries does the VPN have servers? This can include physical and virtual servers and whether or not there are enough -- at least 50 or so -- to provide variety.
• Trial length & price: Each VPN we recommend has a solid money-back guarantee and many will offer mobile users a seven-day trial. 

For a more extensive breakdown, check out our comprehensive VPN testing methodology page.

When you are selecting your new Mac VPN, you need to consider the following factors:

• Cost: You need to consider the overall cost of your new VPN plan. Try to take advantage of promotions, but ignore countdown timers -- they typically are just marketing tools. While top-notch VPNs can cost upwards of $10/month, many are available for only a few dollars. Many VPN providers will also give users a free seven-day iPhone or iPad trial. We generally recommend that free VPNs are avoided -- with a few exceptions -- as they may sell your data or bombard you with adverts.
• Simultaneous connections: If you're paying for a VPN suitable for your Mac, you might still want to use it across multiple devices, such as on an iPhone. We recommend you sign up for a plan with support for at least six devices. Thankfully, many paid VPN plans now offer unlimited connections. 
• Streaming: If you intend to use your Mac VPN for streaming content, make sure that the VPN is able to accommodate your favorite services. It can be a cat-and-mouse game -- especially if you're away from home -- so it is worth researching whether or not your VPN has issues with accessing specific streaming services.
• Contract length: You also need to decide how long you want a VPN for. If you opt for a two-year term you tend to secure the best prices, but there are other options available. After you've made a selection, you typically have a 30-day money-back guarantee. 
• Apps and extensions: When selecting a VPN, you might want to try out its accompanying mobile apps and extensions to ensure you're getting the most out of your subscription. Some VPNs, for example, have great desktop software but lack in the mobile app department, which may not be as intuitive or easy to use. 

Apple Macs do not have built-in VPNs, but the operating system does support the use of one through the use of various protocols. It does, however, offer users Apple Private Relay.

Functionally, Apple Private Relay does act in a similar fashion to a VPN. As explained by Apple:

"When iCloud Private Relay is on, the traffic leaving your iPhone is encrypted and sent through two separate internet relays. This prevents websites from seeing your IP address and exact location while preventing network providers from collecting your browsing activity in Safari."

However, Apple Private Relay is limited to the Safari browser only and is not available in all countries or regions. It will mask your IP address, though.

Mac is often considered more secure than Windows. By virtue of both the smaller number of units sold (making it a less juicy target for hackers) and Apple's tight lock on hardware/software integration, the Mac is somewhat more secure than Windows. That means less malware runs on the Mac platform.

But a VPN isn't used primarily to protect against malware. You use a VPN to protect the data you transmit and receive, in addition to preventing your location from being determined by your site visits.

So, yes, you need a VPN on the Mac if you want to protect your communications and current location.

In general, if a VPN service has invested heavily in making a great product for macOS devices, it'll often have solid offerings for iOS products including the iPhone and iPad. This is why our best VPNs for iPhone and iPad list is similar to our best Mac VPNs list. At the moment, we consider NordVPN to be the top choice.

If you want a VPN for Apple mobile devices and desktops or laptops, then the services we've highlighted here should meet your needs, considering they belong to the same developer's ecosystems.

There are a number of free VPNs which are compatible with Apple devices, but if you opt for free options there are limits you need to be aware of. 

With free VPNs, you run the risk of using a service that doesn't have the resources, or intention, to keep your data secure and private. It costs money to develop and run a VPN service. If you're not paying, then the company needs to find another source of revenue. This could be through adverts, or with less reputable providers, by selling your data. 

There are reputable VPN services we recommend that have a free version of the paid service. But, there are also practical issues. The free version of the VPN may be just as secure as the paid service, but the performance is often limited so the service becomes impractical for real-world use on a daily basis. Many of these free VPNs have data and speed restrictions. 

If you find these limits acceptable, we recommend trying out Proton VPN's free plan, or alternatively, check out Windscribe.

To check if your VPN is safe and working properly, first of all, choose a reputable vendor known to have a strong security background. 

The easiest way to check that your VPN is working properly is to compare your IP address before and after enabling a VPN connection. You can find this easily by visiting whatismyipaddress.com. If they both display the same IP, your VPN may not be working properly. 

You can also visit dnsleaktest.com to see if any DNS leaks have been detected while you are using a VPN, which could be a sign that your information is being leaked. 

Finally, be careful with free VPNs being offered by unknown or shady companies, especially if they are outside of the official App Store. Apple is known for its stringent controls on third-party apps and its ecosystem tends to be more secure than Windows, for example, but executing unknown software could still open your device up to surveillance or malware. 

Mac VPN services are legal in the United States, but the legality of using VPNs varies from country to country. It is important to check the laws of your location before using a VPN. Some countries ban their use outright, such as North Korea, Belarus, and Iraq, whereas other countries frown upon the use of any VPN that is not state-controlled -- including Russia and China.

For a list of countries where VPN usage is illegal, check out NordVPN's guide. 

If you've investigated or tried out the products on our best Mac VPNs list and haven't quite found what you're looking for, there are other services you should consider. Our other recommendations are listed below.