The 4 Best VPN for Mac (2023 Update)

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How we test the best VPN for Mac

We selected 30 of the best VPN providers. Next, we thoroughly tested them using the 16 criteria below on various platforms, including Windows 11, Windows 10, macOS, iOS, and Android.

> Test 1: Logging policy

What is a logging policy?

Although the goal of using a VPN is to ensure privacy, not all VPN providers have the same level of protection.

When you use a VPN service, your traffic is routed through their servers. Therefore, the company can see your approximate location through your IP address. They can also track what you’re doing online, including the sites you visit.

Unfortunately, many free solutions, such as Hola VPN, take advantage of this and collect and sell users’ data. Your information ends up being a commodity, which defeats the purpose of using the service in the first place. About 30% of VPN services store users’ IP addresses, while 5% even keep track of their browsing habits.

Knowing what the VPN provider is going to do with your sensitive information is essential. This is where their logging policy comes into the picture. You can find out whether a VPN provider logs your data by reading this document. Admittedly, these policies are often written in difficult language, which is why we already went through them for you.

What do we test for?

Not all the data that VPN services collect is sensitive. Some of it helps providers improve their services and provide a better user experience. However, storing personal information is unacceptable, and you should avoid VPNs that didn’t pass our privacy test.

We read each provider’s policy carefully to learn which ones you can trust to keep your information safe. The collection of the following data is a major red flag:

• Your originating IP address: This piece of information shows not only your location, but also the internet service provider you use.
• Your browsing habits: A good VPN should not keep track of which sites you visit, what you stream, and what you download.

Reputable VPNs will only log information about bandwidth usage and server load.

> Test 2: Ownership

What do we mean by ownership?

The ownership of a VPN service goes well beyond the name of the provider. The service is owned by a company, which is often owned by another company. The higher up this hierarchy goes, the more businesses have access to your data, possibly without your knowledge.

And that’s not all. Where the businesses in question are registered also affects how your data will be handled since every country has its own data retention laws. Even if the VPN service may be based in the U.S., their parent company could be anywhere in the world. Learning about who owns the service and where they are actually based is therefore crucial.

Although a Google search returns numerous VPN services you can choose from, the selection isn’t as wide as it may seem. In fact, most of the popular services are owned by the same companies. Here are some examples and the services they own.

• CyberSpace (Netherlands) – Atlas VPN, Surfshark, NordVPN
• Aura or Pango (U.S.) – TouchVPN, Hotspot Shield, JustVPN, and offers VPN technology for Kaspersky, Bitdefender, Panda, etc.
• Kape Technologies (U.K.) – CyberGhost VPN, ExpressVPN, ZenMate, Private Internet Access
• Gaditek (Pakistan) – Ivacy VPN, PureVPN, Unblock VPN
• Ziff Davis (U.S.) – Buffered VPN, Encrypt.me, IPVanish, SaferVPN, StrongVPN, Perimeter 81, etc.

What do we test for?

It’s important to know who has access to your data. We checked the owner of each VPN service and where the companies are registered. We analyzed the data retention laws that apply to the jurisdiction in question. In addition, we did a background check on each company to see if they have a history of scandals.

Companies often rebrand after such incidents, so users often aren’t aware of their provider’s notorious history. A good example is Kape Technologies, which used to operate under the name Crossrider. Their development platform for browser extensions was abused by malware creators and ad injectors, which naturally resulted in a bad reputation. The company ended up changing its name in 2018 to mitigate the damage caused by the incident.

Data mishandling isn’t a rare occurrence either. For instance, IPVanish got tangled up in a scandal in 2016, when it was revealed that they sold user data to Homeland Security. Since the company wasn’t supposed to store this data according to its logging policy, the repercussions were even greater.

> Test 3: Independent audit

What is an independent audit?

It’s easy for VPN providers to make stellar claims in their marketing campaigns. But how can we be sure that big words like “Zero-Log Policy” are actually true?

When a VPN company wants to assure its customers that their claims are valid, they hire an independent auditor. The auditor will review the VPN provider’s operations to give credibility to their claims. Some of the most frequently audited areas are the provider’s privacy policy and server infrastructure.

Here are a few examples of independent audits popular VPN providers underwent in recent years:

• Deloitte audited Private Internet Access (PIA) in 2023 to see whether their server environment corresponds to the privacy policy of PIA.
• Cure53’s 2021 audit investigated SurfShark’s server infrastructure.
• PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) conducted a thorough audit of NordVPN’s infrastructure, technical logs, and configuration in 2020. PwC also interviewed the employees of NordVPN.
• In 2019, PwC also investigated whether ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer technology truly wiped all data at every server reboot.

What do we test for?

We examine whether the VPN service providers were subjected to an independent audit. If so, we check what aspect of their service was audited, how well the company performed, and its flaws.

> Test 4: Available VPN protocols

What is a VPN protocol?

A VPN protocol allows a VPN app to communicate with the VPN server. It determines everything from how the two sides identify each other to how the data is transferred and encrypted.

VPN services typically use one of the following common protocols:

• PPTP – An obsolete VPN protocol that has security issues.
• L2TP/IPSec – An older and slower VPN protocol.
• IKEv2 – A VPN protocol made by Cisco and Microsoft. Although secure, this protocol is still not the fastest today.
• OpenVPN – A fast, secure, and popular open-source VPN protocol.
• WireGuard – A notable new contender that delivers high download speeds.

Most VPN services use OpenVPN today, but many offer WireGuard and IKEv2 as well. In addition, some providers have their own proprietary protocols:

• NordLynx – NordVPN’s WireGuard-based VPN protocol
• Lightway – ExpressVPN’s proprietary protocol
• Catapult Hydra – Hotspot Shield’s own VPN protocol

What do we test for?

While there’s no right answer to the question of which VPN protocol is the best, it’s important to know what each provider offers.

We investigated which protocols are available at the VPN providers included in our review. We also verified whether the protocols are available on all operating systems or not.

> Test 5: Supported encryption standard

What is an encryption standard?

Every VPN service needs to use reliable encryption to keep customers’ data safe. An encryption standard is what determines how this will be achieved.

The first encryption standard was developed in 1977. The Data Encryption Standard (DES) is a symmetric key algorithm that uses the same key for both encryption and decryption. This encryption standard was used by the government but is outdated today. Nevertheless, it served as an important basis for the further development of cryptography.

Since 2002, the government has been using a more reliable encryption standard. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a version of Rijndael encryption. It uses a block size of 128 bits and a key size of 128, 192, or 256 bits.

Today’s VPNs typically use AES-128 or AES-256 (GCM or CBC version).

What do we test for?

Data encryption is key for a secure VPN service. For that reason, we checked the default encryption standard each provider offers. Ideally, they should use either AES-256 or AES-128 (GCM).

> Test 6: Basic security features

What are basic security features?

In addition to offering privacy, a VPN should have strong security. VPNs are designed to keep you safe online and how secure it is depends on several factors, including encryption and VPN protocols. Every service provider should offer the following basic security features:

• A reliable VPN protocol: The most commonly used and best open-source protocols are OpenVPN and WireGuard.
• Secure encryption: AES-256 encryption is the most reliable encryption standard no cyberattack can penetrate.
• Split tunneling: This feature allows certain programs to connect to the internet directly, bypassing the VPN. Split tunneling gives you the option to decide which apps use the VPN and which ones don’t.
• A kill switch: If the VPN tunnel encryption fails, the kill switch automatically blocks the internet connection.

What do we test for?

We verified whether each VPN provider offers all of these security features. In addition, we also tested whether the split tunneling and kill switch features work as they are supposed to.

> Test 7: Advanced security features

What are advanced security features?

The security features mentioned above are the bare minimum. Advanced security features provide added layers of protection. Here are some of the most important advanced security features to look for in a VPN.

• Providing a dedicated IP address – A unique IP address can come in handy in many situations. You can access restricted servers, prevent getting blacklisted, and avoid issues that a constantly changing IP address can cause.
• Blocking ads, trackers, and malicious websites – This feature keeps the user safe from tracking cookies, suspicious URLs, disruptive ads, and more.
• Double VPN feature – Routing your data through two VPNs instead of one provides ultimate privacy. Your encryption will double, and your IP address will be under two layers of protection.
• Overriding GPS location – This VPN feature changes your GPS location to that of the VPN server. By spoofing your location this way, apps that track your GPS location will no longer have access to this information.
• Obfuscated VPN servers – Some sites try to block VPN traffic. An obfuscated server encrypts your data in a way that hides the fact that you’re using a VPN.
• RAM-only servers – These special VPN servers only store information in the server’s Random Access Memory. This means no one will be able to get a hold of user data by confiscating the server. As soon as the server is restarted, all the data on it will be wiped.

What do we test for?

We checked whether VPN providers offer these added security features. We also tested the features to ensure they actually work.

> Test 8: IP leak

What is an IP leak?

The main goal of using a VPN is to keep our IP addresses private. If your IP address is visible despite using a VPN, we are talking about an IP leak.

Your devices have two IP addresses: a private and a public address. They use the former to communicate with each other, and the latter to communicate over the internet. Your public IP address is the same for all your devices. Your Internet service provider (ISP) allocates you with this address, and it’s either an IPv4 or IPv6.

Your IP address should be kept private since it indicates your location. Based on your browsing habits, this piece of information can be used to identify you personally.

You can prevent this scenario by using a VPN. A VPN will encrypt your data and change your visible public IP address to that of its server. With your real IP address hidden, apps and websites won’t be able to track you. In addition, your ISP won’t see what you do on the internet. All they will know is that you’re using a VPN.

What do we test for?

We verify whether the VPN provider can effectively hide your IP address. We connect to their server and conduct an IP address lookup. If the results show our real IP address, it constitutes an IP leak, which is a serious issue.

> Test 9: DNS leak

What is a DNS leak?

Websites all have their own IP addresses as well. However, we don’t need to remember these. All we need to know is the domain of the site we want to visit, and we’ll be taken to the right address. This is possible thanks to the DNS protocol.

The job of a Domain Name System (DNS) is to translate domain names into IP addresses of websites. This is done through a DNS server. Therefore, we use DNS servers every time we type a web address into our address bar.

The problem is that DNS servers are typically operated by ISPs. This means that your ISP will see each IP address you visit. Your entire internet history is at their disposal unless you use a VPN with its own DNS servers.

Good VPN services offer their own dedicated DNS servers to ensure your ISP can’t spy on you. But even this solution isn’t always foolproof. If your DNS query ends up going to your ISP’s DNS servers instead of the VPN’s, we’re talking about a DNS leak.

What do we test for?

Not all VPNs have their own DNS servers, but these servers are key to ensure your browsing history will remain private. Accordingly, we checked for DNS leaks at each provider by connecting to their server and running a DNS server lookup.

> Test 10: WebRTC leak

What is a WebRTC leak?

Streaming live feeds poses yet another security problem when trying to keep your IP address private. To deliver live video and audio streams, your browser needs to communicate with websites in real-time. It creates special communication channels for this purpose. This mechanism is called WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication).

As you’re streaming, various pieces of data travel through this channel, including your IP address. Preventing this from happening isn’t easy, and many VPNs don’t offer WebRTC protection. If your IP address is visible through WebRTC despite using a VPN, you’re looking at a WebRTC leak.

What do we test for?

A good VPN allows authorized WebRTC connections without letting your IP address leak. We checked whether the VPNs in our review protect against WebRTC leaks by connecting to their service and running a WebRTC lookup. The VPN should send its own IP address through the channel.

> Test 11: Download speed via OpenVPN

What is OpenVPN?

VPNs use a VPN protocol to communicate. One of the most reliable VPN protocols today is OpenVPN. This protocol is open-source and has been continuously improved over the past two decades, making it fast and secure. It’s also compatible with all common desktop and mobile operating systems.

The OpenVPN protocol has two versions:

• OpenVPN UDP (User Datagram Protocol): Offers the highest download speeds
• OpenVPN TCP (Transmission Control Protocol): Provides superior data transmission control but slower download speed

Since OpenVPN UDP provides the fastest download speed, it is usually the default option.

Recently, WireGuard was introduced as a faster and more advanced VPN protocol alternative. Nevertheless, the best VPNs still use OpenVPN, while some offer WireGuard as well.

What do we test for?

Using the Windows version of the VPN, we compared the download speed each provider offers while set to the OpenVPN protocol. We used a 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps) internet connection to find out how fast the VPN can operate.

> Test 12: Supported speed via WireGuard

What is WireGuard?

WireGuard is a new contender among VPN protocols. It’s an open-source protocol that is simpler and faster than earlier iterations like OpenVPN and IPsec.

While OpenVPN and IPsec have nearly 500,000 lines of code, WireGuard does the job with only 4,000. The latter is much easier to debug and audit with lesser lines of code, making this protocol more efficient. Our tests also suggest that this protocol tends to be about 60% faster than OpenVPN.

WireGuard was originally designed for Linux, but today it’s available on all of the common desktop and mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS.

What do we test for?

We used the Windows app of each VPN provider to test their download speed when set to the WireGuard protocol. A 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps) internet connection was used in the process to test the limit of each service.

> Test 13: (Virtual) VPN servers and locations

What are (virtual) VPN servers?

VPNs require software to create encrypted VPN tunnels with VPN clients. The VPN server hosts this software, which sometimes has specialized hardware as well. For example, Surfshark and NordVPN have RAM-only servers that were designed specifically for VPN services.

VPN servers can be physical or virtual, but most are physical and located across various countries in the world. When you launch your VPN app and choose a country to tunnel to, you’re technically picking the location of the VPN server you’re going to use. Your internet traffic is then routed through these physical servers, lending you a local IP address from the country in question.

But not every country has this local server infrastructure for a physical server. This is where virtual servers come in. For example, Andorra doesn’t host any physical servers, but you can still use an IP address from this country at certain VPN providers. In that case, the virtual server is located in Andorra, while the physical server behind it might be in a neighboring country.

These virtual servers are servers not physically located in the country but will get you a local IP address from, even when the physical server is actually situated somewhere else. Usually, a VPN provider has physical servers in up to 60 countries, so a number higher than this indicates virtual servers.

What do we test for?

We evaluate each VPN provider’s availability of servers and locations offered. Additionally, we also look at the servers whether it’s physical or virtual and whether these servers can be chosen based on a country or city level.

> Test 14: Streaming compatibility

What is compatibility with a streaming service?

A lot of content on streaming services is only available in specific countries. A VPN can help users override these geo-blocks and access any show they want – at least in theory.

Some streaming services such as Netflix don’t like this practice and try to block traffic coming from a VPN. If you’re going to use your VPN for streaming, therefore, finding a compatible provider is key. Unfortunately, only some VPN providers are able to stay ahead of the VPN-blocking efforts of streaming apps.

What do we test for?

We tested whether each VPN service is capable of unblocking streaming services. Our tests included the U.S. version of the following services:

• Amazon Prime Video
• Disney Plus
• HBO Max
• Hulu
• Netflix
• BBC iPlayer

In addition, we checked whether the VPN works for Netflix with the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the UK.

> Test 15: Torrenting compatibility

What is compatibility with a torrent network?

Torrenting is the act of downloading content through a decentralized network that relies on peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing. Using a torrent client, users can share content without the need for servers. This often makes torrenting more efficient for downloading large files.

While torrenting isn’t illegal, it’s often used to share copyrighted content, which is illegal. Hence, many people associate this sharing method with piracy.

What do we test for?

Not all VPNs are compatible with torrenting. We tested whether the providers in question allow the use of peer-to-peer sharing networks, and whether they do so on all their servers.

> Test 16: Annual price and price per device

What is the annual price and price per device?

Most VPN services offer various payment plans, including monthly and annual plans. Naturally, the longer the subscription period, the lower the price will be per month.

To make an accurate comparison, we checked the price of a one-year subscription at each VPN provider. We concluded that most services have a similar price tag. ExpressVPN is an exception that costs considerably more than other similar solutions.

In addition, we also looked at how much their services cost per device. Some VPNs, like IPVanish and Surfshark, don’t limit the number of devices you can use with their service. This makes them a great option if you have many devices or are sharing your subscription with friends.

What do we test for?

We compared the price of an annual subscription at each VPN provider on our list. We also calculated the price per device for each plan by dividing the price by the number of simultaneous connections the contracts allow.

What VPNs for Mac have we tested?

We have tested 30 paid and free VPNs (Virtual Private Networks). Proton VPN is the best free VPN service. But if you have the money, we recommend getting a paid VPN service.

In the best case, the free version allows you to protect only one device and doesn’t offer you unlimited bandwidth / unlimited data. And in the worst case, the free VPN providers show you ads or secretly sell your browsing history to advertisers and your internet service provider.

And should you be strapped for cash, don’t opt for an expensive VPN like ExpressVPN. Instead, get a cheap VPN, like Surfshark, that allows you to install it on an unlimited number of devices and share the cost with a friend.

• Astrill VPN
• Atlas VPN
• Avast SecureLine VPN
• Betternet VPN
• Bitdefender VPN
• CactusVPN
• CyberGhost VPN
• ExpressVPN
• HideME VPN
• HMA VPN (HideMyAss VPN)
• Hola VPN
• Hotspot Shield VPN
• IPVanish VPN
• Ivacy VPN
• IVPN
• Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection
• McAfee Safe Connect VPN
• Mozilla VPN
• MullVad VPN
• NordVPN
• Norton Secure VPN
• Private Internet Access VPN
• PrivateVPN
• Proton VPN
• PureVPN
• StrongVPN
• Surfshark VPN
• Tunnelbear VPN
• VyprVPN
• Windscribe VPN

The best are: CyberGhost, NordVPN, and Surfshark.

Frequently asked questions

Languages, comparisons and Sources

Other comparisons on SoftwareLab.org:

• Best Antivirus of 2023
• Antivirus for Windows 11
• Antivirus for macOS
• Antivirus for Android
• Antivirus for iOS
• Antivirus with a VPN
• Best VPN of 2023

VPN privacy policies and independent audits:

• CyberGhost – Privacy Policy
• CyberGhost – Transparency Report
• ExpressVPN – Privacy Policy
• ExpressVPN – PWC Audit
• ExpressVPN – Lightway Audit
• ExpressVPN – Browser Extension Audit
• IPVanish – Privacy Policy
• NordVPN – Privacy Policy
• NordVPN – Privacy Policy Audit
• Surfshark – Privacy Policy
• Surfshark – Infrastructure Audit

VPN testing tools:

• BrowserLeaks – Data Leak Test
• Fast – Speed Test
• Speed Test – Speed Test
• Exodus – Privacy Audit Android

Custom VPN protocols:

• ExpressVPN – Lightway protocol
• NordVPN – NordLynx Protocol

VPN mergers and acquisitions:

• NordVPN and Surfshark merger
• Kape technologies buys CyberGhost
• Kape Technologies buys ExpressVPN
• Kape technologies buys Private Internet Access