If you want to use a VPN on your Mac computer, there are a few factors you should keep in mind. Firstly, it's important to know whether the VPN software is compatible with Apple products. Fortunately, this is the case for many VPNs. Secondly, a VPN's speed can make a big difference. Trying to browse the web with a slow internet connection can make the whole experience a lot less enjoyable. Finally, any extra options a VPN offers could affect your choice as well.
We took all these considerations into account as we put together our list of the best VPNs for Mac. Eventually, ExpressVPN came out on top:
Download VPN for Mac. Good performance don't hurt with a Mac VPN client that is smarter, secure and easier to configure. Secure your Mac devices to become anonymous at all times. No matter where you are, access any content you want. Download free and stream content effortlessly. For all issues, our customer support team is available 24/7. On your Mac, choose Apple menu System Preferences, then click Network. Open Network preferences for me. Click the Add button in the list at the left, click the Interface pop-up menu, then choose VPN. Click the VPN Type pop-up menu, then choose what kind of VPN.
Do you own a Mac computer and would you like to secure it with the best VPN out there? Scroll down to have a look at our top 3 best VPNs for MacOS.
With a good VPN for Mac you can make sure you can browse the web safely and anonymously. In addition, a VPN helps you gain a lot more internet freedom, which you can use, for instance, to watch the Netflix content in another country. Moreover, you can use public Wi-Fi networks without having to worry about hackers stealing your personal information. In this article you will find out what the best VPN providers for Mac are.
A VPN For Mac: What to Look Out For
There are a lot of providers to choose from when you are looking for a VPN for your Mac. The most important condition is that the provider offers software for MacOS, the Mac operating system. Luckily, almost all of the premium VPN providers do so.
Another thing to look out for is connection speed, as it is very annoying when your internet is slowed down by your VPN. Therefore, we subject all VPN providers to speed tests to see if they perform well. Since the results can be very different, it's good to keep this in mind when selecting a VPN for Mac.
Finally, there are a lot of personal preferences as far as VPNs are concerned. One person might find it very important that the VPN provider allows for torrent downloading, while the other wants to be able to use his or her account on 5 devices at the same time. Therefore, the best VPN providers cater to everybody's needs and offer great value for money.
Best VPN Providers For Mac
Keeping in mind all the essential features, the following selection of VPN providers is most suitable for MacOS. All of the providers below have great software and apps for other operating systems, like Android, iOS, and Windows, as well.
ExpressVPN for Mac
You cannot make a list of good VPN providers for Mac without mentioning ExpressVPN. They offer a large number of servers (3000+) in an equally impressive number of countries (94). These servers allow for a fast and stable connection. Also, you can download through P2P networks and ExpressVPN even works with Netflix, meaning you can, for instance, watch the large selection of movies and series of the US version of Netflix.
ExpressVPN has excellent applications for all operating systems. This means that the app for MacOS, too, is very simple and clear. Their security measures adhere to the highest international standards so you will be very safe and anonymous. ExpressVPN has been in our top 5 for the last couple of years for a reason.
Best Vpn Client For Mac Os
- Very easy to use VPN
- Perfect for anonymous browsing, downloading, and streaming (i.e. Netflix)
- 3000+ servers in 94 countries
Surfshark for Mac
Surfshark is not just a very affordable VPN provider, but also offers a large server network, comprising more than 1000 servers in 61 countries. Moreover, Surfshark is surprisingly fast for a VPN in its price range and even gives many more expensive competitors a run for their money. Also, Surfshark too offers a great app for MacOS, which is very user-friendly and works very intuitively.
As far as safety and privacy go, Surfhark is right up there with the best too. Surfshark claims it doesn't collect and store user logs, which we find a credible claim, considering the jurisdiction it's bound by (The British Virgin Islands).
Surfshark also allows for torrent downloading, which it even offers special P2P severs for. Not all VPN providers allow torrent downloading but Surfshark is a download-friendly VPN provider. What's also great to know, is that Surfshark works well with the US version of Netflix.
You can try out Surfshark on your Mac for 30 days with their 30-day money-back-guarantee.
- Very user-friendly and works with Netflix and torrents
- 30 days money back guarantee. No questions asked!
- Cheap with many extra options
Private Internet Access for Mac
Private Internet Access also has a nice app for MacOS. This provider puts their clients' privacy at number one. They offer excellent security standards, safe encryption protocols and don't keep any logs. PIA also allows torrent downloading.
Another big plus is that PIA is very affordable. Since Macs are expensive enough as it is, it might be nice to save some money on your VPN. You can get a subscription with PIA for just a couple of dollars a month.
- Strong focus on privacy and security
- Good price
- Fast and stable servers
Free vs. paid VPNs
Free VPNs can seem very attractive, just because they are free. However, many free VPNs are not secure at all. For example, they often keep logs of users or they sell your personal information to third parties. Sometimes they even leave malware on your device.
Secondly, many free VPNs have a data or speed limit, so you can only protect a certain amount of MBs or GBs of Internet traffic with the VPN. Speed limits often slow down your internet dramatically.
Best Vpn Client For Mac Download
If you're okay with working within these limits, we recommend you take a look at our top 5 best free VPN services. This way, you can be sure which free VPN guarantees your security. It's also a good option to check out the best cheap VPNs if you don't want to spend too much money.
Installing a VPN on Mac
With a subscription to one of the providers mentioned above, it is very easy to set up a VPN connection on your Mac. Most premium VPN providers offer an easy application that makes their VPN very user-friendly. However, you might want to set up your VPN connection yourself. Use the following steps to manually set up a VPN for your Mac:
Best Vpn Service For Mac
- In the Apple menu, go to 'System preferences'.
- Select 'Network'.
- Click on the plus sign in the bottom left corner.
- Select 'VPN' under Interface.
- Select the protocol that you prefer. OpenVPN is the safest and generally best option, but depending on the circumstances, MacOS might not provide that option when setting up a VPN manually. In that case, choose IKEv2.
- Fill in your login information. You can get this information from the website of your VPN provider.
We recommend using the easy installation wizard and the app that most VPN providers offer, simply because it is easier. Moreover, if you set up a VPN connection manually and you want to change the settings you will have to go back to your system preferences, while the VPN app can change everything for you automatically.
Final Thoughts
ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and Private Internet Access are all good options if you want to use a VPN for your Mac. For a few dollars every month you can be much more protected and anonymous online. Use their easy applications to create a secure connection through one of their VPN servers. If you want to, you can also set up the VPN connection yourself.
Do you have specific problems you can't solve yourself? Then take a look at our frequently asked questions below; you might find a quick answer.
ExpressVPN has a large amount of servers in many locations. On all these servers, downloading torrents via P2P networks is allowed. ExpressVPN also works with Netflix. This provider offers excellent software for all operating systems. On MacOS, too, ExpressVPN is very simple and clear. It's the combination of speed, stability and excellent customer service that makes this the best VPN for Mac.
There are several good free VPNs that work well on MacOS. However, a common drawback of these free versions is that they have speed or data limits. Would you rather surf the Internet without limitations? In that case, there are several good paid VPNs, including some very cheap options.
There are two ways to set up a VPN on your Mac. You can install the VPN software and then enable it; we recommend this, because it's simply the easiest way. You can also set up the VPN in your System Preferences. Learn how to do that here.
A VPN provides a secure connection between you and the internet. Whether you use MacOS, Windows or Linux, the data traffic of your internet connection is always encrypted with a VPN. If you are connected to the Internet with a VPN, all of your data is sent through an encrypted virtual tunnel, routed over one of your VPN provider's servers.
Because a VPN secures your Internet connection, you can surf the Internet more securely, anonymously, and freely on your Mac. Among other things, a VPN allows you to prevent external actors from accessing your personal information. With the right VPN, you can also access media in other countries, such as foreign Netflix catalogs.
