Hundreds of VPNs saturate the market and just about everyone claims to be the best VPN for Mac, so which should you choose? Some VPNs leak your IP address and compromise your privacy, others won’t work with your favorite content and streaming services, and then there are those that are just so slow you’ll want to turn them off.
VPNs are becoming a necessity for Mac users who value their privacy and online freedom or who want to access geo-blocked content. Macs may be less susceptible to malware than PCs, but they’re just as much at risk when it comes to online threats and obstacles:
- Spying on your online activity by governments, corporations, and hackers
- Attacks that intercept, modify, or divert your internet connection
- Geo-locked content such as videos that can only be watched from certain countries
- Websites and apps that track your location and device address
- Web censorship by governments and corporations
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Short for Virtual Private Network, a VPN encrypts all of a device’s internet traffic and routes it through an intermediary server in a location of your choosing. In this article, we’ll look at the all-around best VPNs for Mac users.
That means they’re suitable for bypassing censorship, securing public Wi-Fi, unblocking geo-locked websites and apps, torrenting, and using Kodi. They’ll work on any type of Macbook, Macbook Air, Macbook Retina, or Macbook Pro.
Older versions of MacOS and OSX should all be supported. For those of you that take the security of your Mac seriously, we’ve sifted through what’s on offer to find the best options available. We’ve selected some favorite VPNs for MacOS and OSX based on the following criteria:
- A MacOS/OSX app is available from the provider
- Tested and working on all common Mac operating systems including Mojave, High Sierra, and El Capitan
- Strong encryption and a no-logs privacy policy
- Fast connections with unlimited bandwidth and no data caps
- A large, global network of servers to unblock geo-locked content (Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, etc.
We’ll delve into the details of the best VPNs for Mac further down.
1. Surfshark
Our top pick and, in our opinion, the best VPN for MacBook users. Fantastic security, good speeds, and allow Camouflage Mode that makes sure that even your internet provider can’t tell that you’re using a VPN. Stay private, always. It also includes:
- CleanWeb – Surf in a clean cyber ocean with no ads, trackers, malware and phishing attempts.
- Unlimited devices – Connect & use all your family devices simultaneously. You can protect as many devices as you’d like at once.
- Whitelister – Allow specific apps & websites to bypass the VPN. Works great with mobile banking apps.
- Strict No-Logs Policy – We don’t monitor, track, or store what you do online. That means no connection or activity logs.
- Kill Switch – It’s a safety net in case your VPN connection drops. Your activities and sensitive data are never exposed.
- Private DNS & Leak Protection – With private DNS on each server and leak protection when using IPv4 stack, we take our security to the next level.
- MultiHop – Connect via multiple countries at once to take ID protection & footprint masking to a whole other level.
- NoBorders Mode – Internet should be open to everyone. This mode allows to successfully use Surfshark in restrictive regions.
- Hide Your IP – Protect your privacy by hiding your real IP address that can be connected to your digital identity.
- Encryption – We guard your personal data by using industry-leading AES-256-GCM encryption.
- Secure Protocols – IKEv2/IPsec is a default protocol on all of our apps. If you prefer, you can still select to use OpenVPN.
2. NordVPN
Huge server network so there’s always a fast one available. Can unblock Netflix and other streaming sites. Zero logs and strong security.
- Double data encryption
- Good performance
- Loads of servers
- Overly simple apps
3. CyberGhost
Beginner-friendly apps that won’t break the bank. Unblock Netflix while keeping your connection private. Clients have plenty of smart features.
- Good performance levels
- Torrents are supported
- Website support is under par
- Slow connection from some servers
4. IPVanish
Torrent-friendly VPN with good speeds and strong security. A favorite among Kodi users.
- Fantastic performance
- Netflix unblocking
- Split-tunneling function
- Apps aren’t always the easiest to use
5. PrivateVPN
A lesser-known option that punches above its weight class when it comes to speed, security, and the ability to unblock streaming sites like Netflix.
- Low price
- Great download speeds
- Super-easy to use
- Only works with the official apps
So, as you can see, there are plenty of options for you to choose from and depending on what you are after, they all have their pros and cons. However, our pick is clear and you do well in reading up on all of them, but the one that we urge you to try is SurfShark.
If you are interested in even more technology-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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