5 Best VPNs for Mac [2022]: Secure, Fast + Easy to Use

I tested several top virtual private networks (VPNs), to find the best VPNs for Mac in 2022.

Many VPNs have weak security for Windows. Some don’t work well with macOS versions. Others are made by companies that are not ethical. Other VPNs can be too difficult or expensive.

There are some VPNs that work on all Macs, including MacBooks. These apps are easy to use, have excellent security features, fast speeds, can be used with Netflix and other streaming services, as well as being very affordable.

Quick summary list of the best VPNs for Mac (2022):

• 1.🥇 ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Mac users in 2022.
• 2.🥈 Private Internet Access — Strong performance with fast speeds.
• 3.🥉 ProtonVPN — Decent free plan for 1 Mac device.
• 4. CyberGhost VPN — Intuitive macOS app with plenty of features.
• 5. VyprVPN — Secure with fast speeds and a wide range of protocols.
• Bonus. IPVanish — Unlimited simultaneous connections.

🥇1.  ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Mac in 2022

ExpressVPN has been my favorite VPN for Mac users since 2022.

ExpressVPN comes with many security features, including 256-bit AES encryption (and a kill switch), but ExpressVPN also offers extras like split-tunneling which allows you to choose the traffic that you want to route through the VPN and perfect-forward secrecy which is a high-security feature that ensures the VPN’s encryption strength.

ExpressVPN offers split-tunneling to Macs, but it is only available on macOS 10.15 or below. Private Internet Access, however, has split-tunneling across all macOS versions. I set ExpressVPN’s split tunneling settings to allow uTorrent to use it during my testing. This allowed me to route my P2P traffic through ExpressVPN while browsing on my internet service provider network.

ExpressVPN also offers:

• Independently verified in 2019, strict no-logs policy
• It’s a good VPN location, as it is based in British Virgin Islands. This country has strong data privacy laws.
• The fastest speeds (during my tests my average connection speed dropped was just 15%).
• The Lightway protocol (this protocol works faster than OpenVPN or IKEv2)
• Obfuscated servers are capable of bypassing internet restrictions and firewalls.

ExpressVPN’s intuitive design is one of my favorite things. The Mac app has many of the same features and is easy to use.

ExpressVPN supports torrenting from all its servers. It also works with all streaming sites including Netflix and Hulu. Unfortunately, ExpressVPN’s browser extension is no longer supported on Safari 12. Although the company claimed that it was developing an extension for Safari 12, the release date is unknown.

ExpressVPN can be a little expensive, but it is the best value. You can get it for only D152,380 per month, with our 49% discount. ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money back guarantee on all purchases. You can also pay with PayPal, UnionPay or AliPay.

Bottom line:

ExpressVPN has been rated the best Mac VPN that I have tested. It is highly secure and the fastest VPN available. You get standard security features such as 256-bit AES encryption and a kill switch. There are also extras like split tunnelling, perfect forward secrecy and Lightway, which is an extra-fast, extra-secure protocol. ExpressVPN’s excellent speed makes it great for streaming video high quality without buffering. It also supports torrenting on its more than 3,000+ servers. ExpressVPN lets you connect up to 5 devices and all its payment plans include a 30-day money back guarantee.

🥈2. Private Internet Access — High-Security VPN (with Fast Speeds)

Private Internet Access is a great option for fast internet access. It has excellent security features and speeds.

Although not as fast as ExpressVPN in my tests, PIA provided me with some of the fastest speeds when I connected directly to servers nearby. With an average drop rate of 45%, I was able to get decent speeds from distant servers. All servers allowed me to stream and torrent with reliable, fast connections.

PIA’s Mac application has all the security features, including 256-bit AES encryption and a kill switch. It also comes with split tunnelling and an ad-blocker — . Private Internet Access, unlike ExpressVPN, does not include split-tunneling. Moreover, PIA has had its “no logs policy” proven in court numerous times.

PIA can also be used for streaming. It works well with major sites such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ as well as smaller sites such as Pluto TV, Crunchyroll and VRV.

Private Internet Access offers 10 simultaneous connections and is one of the most affordable VPN plans. Plans start at D46,380 per month. It accepts credit cards and PayPal. Each plan comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.

Bottom line:

Private Internet Access is a great option for anyone looking to secure their Macs. It also offers split tunneling and fast speeds.

🥉3. ProtonVPN — Best Free VPN for Mac

ProtonVPN offers a great free plan that includes unlimited data, no logs, strict no-logs policies, access to 3 VPN servers and 1 active connection. ProtonVPN claims that users who are not paid have “medium” speeds. However, I was able to test my internet speed using its servers in the US, Japan and the Netherlands. I experienced an average drop in speed of 22%. This is quite good considering it’s free (it’s comparable to premium VPNs like Private Internet Access).

ProtonVPN is frequently regarded as one of the most secure and private VPNs. ProtonVPN’s base is in Switzerland. This country has strong data privacy laws. All of its apps can be inspected openly, which means the source code can be freely accessed by anyone.

ProtonVPN’s Mac application also has many other security features, such as perfect forward secrecy and Secure Core servers that send traffic through multiple servers. Tor over VPN allows you to connect directly to servers in order to use Tor network within your browser.

ProtonVPN FREE is a good free VPN. However, it does not support torrenting or streaming. ProtonVPN Basic is available at D913,390 per month. It adds torrenting, 2 connections and access to servers in 40+ nations. NetShield (an ad-blocker) is also included. ProtonVPN plus is the most affordable and costs D182,770 a month. It adds streaming support and access to servers in 60+ nations, 10 connections, the fastest speed, Secure Core servers and Tor over VPN. ProtonVPN Visionary also adds a ProtonMail address for D548,300 per month. ProtonVPN’s paid plan comes with a prorated 30-day guarantee of money back

Bottom line:

ProtonVPN provides a free plan that allows you to use unlimited bandwidth on one device. It also offers decent speeds and is open-source. Three paid plans are available that include torrenting support and access to streaming services. You can also connect to up to 10 concurrently.

4.  CyberGhost VPN — Best for Ease of Use

CyberGhost VPN is one of the easiest Mac apps. It takes just a few minutes to install and set up CyberGhost. All security features have been enabled.

CyberGhost VPN has a great way to display load percentage (how active users are on each server), and ping (how long data takes to travel to the VPN server). This makes it easy to identify which servers to connect to to get the fastest speeds.

CyberGhost offers all the standard VPN security features.

• AES encryption with 256 bits
• Internet kill switch
• No-logs policy.
• Based in Romania, a country that respects privacy.

I found that CyberGhost had a 34% reduction in my download speeds. This is more than ExpressVPN. However, I was able to stream content and surf the web without any major lags or bugs.

CyberGhost’s macOS application has specialized servers that allow streaming and torrenting. However, it can’t bypass internet restrictions or firewalls so it is not recommended if you are in a country with restricted internet access. ExpressVPN would be a better choice. CyberGhost, on the other hand is one of my top gaming VPNs for 2022.

CyberGhost VPN offers several plans. There’s a monthly plan that costs D296,770 per month, and one that costs D98,010 per month. All yearly plans include a generous 45-day guarantee. The monthly plan comes with a 14-day guarantee.

Bottom line:

CyberGhost VPN is a well-designed macOS application that offers great speed for file sharing and streaming. It also has excellent security features. CyberGhost cannot currently bypass internet firewalls in restricted countries. If you need a VPN to access China, you will need another provider. CyberGhost offers a long 45-day money back guarantee on its annual plans.

5. VyprVPN — Best Selection of macOS Protocols

VyprVPN offers high security, fast speeds, and works with streaming services. It also supports a wide variety of connection protocols, including IKEv2, OpenVPN and WireGuard.

VyprVPN has built-in support of OpenVPN, WireGuard and I love it. However, Chameleon is my favorite VyprVPN protocol because it is highly secure and can be used to bypass firewalls at universities and companies. It also allows you to bypass internet restrictions in high risk countries such as China.

VyprVPN offers all the usual VPN security features. This includes 256-bit AES encryption and DNS leak protection. A no-logs policy has been independently audited. VyprVPN’s headquarters are in Switzerland. This country is well-known for having strong privacy laws.

It is also very fast. I tested VyprVPN with my MacBook and it only took 21% to slow down my connection (faster than CyberGhost or ProtonVPN but slower than ExpressVPN). VyprVPN boasts 700 servers located all over the globe.

VyprVPN supports 30 concurrent connections and offers multiple payment plans (starting from D190,310/month). All plans come with a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee.

Bottom line:

VyprVPN offers security, speed, unblocks many geo-blocks and supports a wide variety of protocols, including its proprietary Chameleon protocol, which is capable of bypassing restrictions in countries that have heavy internet censorship. VyprVPN allows you to connect five devices simultaneously and offers a 30-day money back guarantee.

Bonus. IPVanish — Use on Unlimited Devices (Mac + All Other Devices)

IPVanish has all the necessary privacy features and torrenting support.

IPVanish has AES encryption of 256 bits, a kill switch and a no logs policy. However, it is based in the US which is a member the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. A minor incident occurred several years back when IPVanish provided the name and IP address of a suspect to authorities. This led to an arrest. However, this was long ago and was under the previous owner.

IPVanish is very fast. IPVanish was very fast during my speed tests. The average speed drop was around 30%, which is comparable to CyberGhost VPN and ExpressVPN. IPVanish doesn’t work well with streaming services. Although I was able watch Netflix, Hulu and Disney+, other streaming services such as Amazon Prime noticed that I was using a VPN. They wouldn’t allow me to access their libraries.

IPVanish offers four payment plans starting at D85680 per month. It accepts credit cards as well as Paypal, but not cryptocurrencies, and provides a 30-day money back guarantee for both annual and monthly plans.

Bottom line:

IPVanish offers fast speeds and unlimited simultaneous connections. However, it is not compatible with all streaming services. I was able access Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime but not Hulu. IPVanish offers a 30-day money back guarantee on its annual plans.

How to choose the best VPN for Mac 2022

• Strong security. A VPN that is reliable and trustworthy should have industry-standard security features such as 256-bit AES encryption and no-logs policies, VPN protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, and a kill switch to prevent data leakage if the VPN is disconnected.
• It is easy to use. It should be simple to use a VPN. The interfaces of all the brands in this list are intuitive and well-designed. This will make it easy to use them on a Mac. They all let you connect to remote servers, enable/disable functions, and perform nearly any function in a few clicks.
• High speeds. All VPNs will slow down your internet connection by at least a small amount. A good VPN won’t slow down your internet connection, even if you connect to distant servers. These VPNs reduced my connection speed by about 20-30% on average. I was able to surf the web, download files, and stream videos with a stable and fast internet connection. ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN available.
• Additional features. Extra features. Many VPNs include split tunnelling, split-tunneling, which allows you to choose which traffic is routed through the VPN, and dedicated P2P server for torrenting and file-sharing optimization. To ensure that they are truly worth the money, I tried all the additional features offered by these brands.
• Value. Choose VPNs with at least 5 simultaneous connections. They should also offer different payment options and a money back guarantee.

Top Brands that Didn’t Make it to the Cut

• HolaVPN. HolaVPN works with most streaming services and is quick to use. However, it is not as secure as other brands. It does not have 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, or routing traffic through HolaVPN users rather than through secure servers.
• TunnelBear. TunnelBear offers a free plan, is easy to use (it even has a cute interface with bears), but the Mac app is not as good as its Windows counterpart. There is no money-back guarantee for paid subscriptions.
• SecureLineVPN.Avast is a well-known cybersecurity brand. However, it was accused in stealing user data to make a profit. You can read more about the incident here. We no longer recommend Avast products.

Which VPN is best for Mac?

ExpressVPN was my favorite Mac VPN in 2022. It’s easy to use, has many great features, is reasonably priced, and comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.

There are many excellent Mac VPNs. Private Internet Access offers great security and features, ProtonVPN’s macOS app is feature-rich, and CyberGhost, a top choice, is for beginners.

What is a VPN for Mac?

These VPNs reroute your data through encrypted tunnels. Your browsing activity from your Mac is encrypted using military-grade encryption before it reaches the destination website. The website will then send encrypted data back to you.

This stops hackers and anyone else from monitoring your internet activity. VPNs also allow you to bypass restrictions by replacing your IP address with a virtual address from another country. ExpressVPN is one of the best Mac VPNs. It can do all these things and more.

Isn’t macOS equipped with a VPN client built in?

Although macOS does have a built-in VPN client it is very different to a VPN service. MacOS VPN Client connects users with a VPN at their school or workplace — so remote workers can access files and network information, while students and faculty members can log in to their campus network.

A VPN service provider such as ExpressVPN or ProtonVPN, on the other hand, will allow you to connect to secure servers all over the globe while masking and encrypting data. This allows you to securely browse the internet, stream videos and share P2P files.

Do you have any free VPNs available for Mac?

Some VPNs are free, but not all. Many free VPNs don’t offer enough security, are slow to connect, store data and store user information. ProtonVPN is a free VPN that works on MacOS. It offers unlimited bandwidth, good speeds, and it’s very simple to use.

If you are looking for a VPN with multiple simultaneous connections, advanced security features, streaming support, torrenting and other useful features, a premium VPN is the best choice. ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access are my top choices. They all offer money back guarantees so you can test them risk-free.

Source : #safetydetectives
Editor by : BEST Antivirus KBS Team