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Apple devices come with a relatively high level of security, but they are not immune to online attacks. Installing one of the UK’s best VPN services is one of the most effective ways to bolster the protection and safety of a Mac and can help reduce security breaches.
Some of the best VPNs for Mac can help obscure your online activity from third parties and disguise your IP address, ensuring your private information is kept away from prying eyes. A VPN provider can also help you to watch streaming content via various platforms without restrictions.
VPNs can come with a wide array of security features, such as split tunnelling, kill switches and AES-256 encryption. However, not all VPN services are created equal; many VPN providers do not provide the same advanced protection features for Mac users in the same way as VPNs for Android or Windows.
Having spent hundreds of hours testing VPN services for performance, security, privacy, and more, we’re ready to determine which VPN provides the best overall experience for Mac users.
There are three great VPN options for Mac, depending on what your priority is. If speed is your main concern, then you should go for NordVPN. If you’re new to VPNs and just want something that’s plug and play, then Surfshark is the VPN for you. If you want the best all-round option, albeit at a slightly higher price than the other two, then ExpressVPN will suit you perfectly. Whichever VPN you choose from these three you’ll get a fantastic product.
There were several factors that we considered to find the best VPN for Mac.
Security is one of the most important elements of any VPN, and most top providers use AES-256 encryption, which is considered to be the highest level of security and has been proven to be unhackable. VPNs with a no-log policy will ensure users’ data and IP addresses are never stored, and the top providers will usually have these policies independently audited.
Additional security features such as split tunnelling, kill switch and a choice of VPN protocols have also been considered and more specifically if they’re available for Mac apps – we’ve found that privacy features can be lacking for Mac apps amongst VPN providers.
Internet speed is also high on the priority list, which is why we’ve tested all of the VPNs’ download and upload speeds.
VPN’s subscription price is also an important factor and, of course, having access to a plethora of security features is ideal – but only if it’s good value for money.
NordVPN is available on all Mac devices, and works out to be one of the best options in a number of different scenarios. For example, it’s ideal for accessing streaming services securely, while average speeds are faster than much of the competition.
We take an average of nine daily speed tests conducted weekly, and Nord is consistently at the top for the majority of devices. Mac VPN speeds are no different, and are impressive via server locations in regions like the US and the UK:
Download speed (Mbps) | Upload speed (Mbps) | Latency (ping) | Percentage of base download speed | Percentage of base upload speed | |
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No VPN | 537.26 | 214.67 | 7.00 | ||
UK to UK | 341.78 | 144.85 | 26.33 | 64% | 67% |
UK to US | 325.61 | 39.19 | 125.67 | 61% | 18% |
UK to Aus | 196.16 | 23.25 | 370.67 | 37% | 11% |
NordVPN for MacOS comes with a range of notable features, including over 6,300 servers found in 111 countries, and Threat Protection to lock down your Mac. The latter works as a malware and tracker blocker, and includes file protection for any downloads to your device. There are labelled servers for browsing the web, along with P2P-friendly servers found on the desktop app.
More often than not, VPNs don’t always have every feature available for every operating system. This is the case with NordVPN’s split tunnelling feature, which, unfortunately, is not available for Mac users. However, Meshnet – a feature that allows users to create secure VPN tunnels and route all of their traffic through another device – is available and it’s really useful.
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Overall score: 26/30
Final verdict:
NordVPN is my personal pick as the best VPN for Mac devices. It’s faster than most of the competition, the provider is great for secure streaming, and it isn’t lacking if you’re hoping for advanced features like Meshnet and Threat Protection. It’s also independently audited. Thousands of server locations in 111 countries work out to be one of the largest networks on the market, and it comes with a cast-iron 30-day money-back guarantee to give you peace of mind.
Read our full NordVPN review.
Surfshark is compatible with Big Sur, Catalina, Monterey and Ventura. Its dedicated MacOS VPN app is quick and easy to install, and comes with various privacy and security features, including a kill switch and MultiHop servers.
Our best cheap VPN, a single Surfshark account can be used with an unlimited number of devices at the same time. In other words, you can share your login information with friends and family, lowering the asking price even more. Performance is another plus point, even if it can’t match up to the speeds seen with NordVPN’s UK servers during this week’s tests:
Download speed (Mbps) | Upload speed (Mbps) | Latency (ping) | Percentage of base download speed | Percentage of base upload speed | |
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No VPN | 449.10 | 212.64 | 2.00 | ||
UK to UK | 262.60 | 163.41 | 24.00 | 58% | 77% |
UK to US | 362.08 | 30.45 | 124.00 | 81% | 14% |
UK to Aus | 190.82 | 11.38 | 357.67 | 42% | 5% |
Surfshark users benefit from a Rotating IP feature that can automatically rotate their IP address while their location remains the same. This prevents your connection from using the same IP all the time – making it harder for third parties to track your activity. Another feature found in Surfshark’s MacOS app is CleanWeb, which blocks ads and trackers when connected to the VPN.
As one of the best cheap VPNs on the market, Surfshark ticks most of the boxes for any would be Mac users. It’s great for streaming despite a lower price tag, and can reliably access most geo-restricted services via a web browser.
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Overall score: 25/30
Final verdict:
Surfshark’s VPN Mac app was easy to use, with servers found in 100+ countries. The provider is capable of mixing it with the best in the business for the most part, and it’s one of the most affordable options available when looking at longer subscriptions.
Read our full Surfshark VPN review.
Proton VPN offers both a free and paid subscription – the latter gives you access to all of its privacy and security features and you can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously. It offers a Mac app that is sleek in design and offers a good level of privacy – although there’s no split tunnelling feature for Mac users, which isn’t uncommon amongst the top VPN providers.
Navigating Proton VPN’s app was quick and easy and you’ll be able to find all of its privacy and security features within seconds. This includes Secure Core servers, which route user traffic though privacy-friendly locations before reaching its destination. The provider is fully audited, and keeps no logs. Proton VPN has a sturdy kill switch available for Mac, while the NetShield tab allows you to block malware, ads, and trackers.
Proton VPN speeds are especially fast when looking at UK to UK connections, averaging 337 Mbps during testing. US servers were performant, but there was a slight drop when factoring in for locations such as Australia.
Download speed (Mbps) | Upload speed (Mbps) | Latency (ping) | Percentage of base download speed | Percentage of base upload speed | |
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No VPN | 580.00 | 210.94 | 2.00 | ||
UK to UK | 337.07 | 270.75 | 13.00 | 58% | 128% |
UK to US | 254.01 | 19.66 | 124.67 | 44% | 9% |
UK to Aus | 105.78 | 11.56 | 405.67 | 18% | 5% |
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Overall score: 24/30
Read our full Proton VPN review.
ExpressVPN offers an easy-to-navigate Mac app with a number of relevant privacy and security features.
It has fast download and upload speeds, and the MacOS app allows users to customise their VPN experience by switching protocols. This also includes ExpressVPN’s custom-built Lightway protocol, which is designed to run faster, use less battery and is well suited to all online activities. To that end, connection speeds were reliable from a wide selection of locations:
Download speed (Mbps) | Upload speed (Mbps) | Latency (ping) | Percentage of base download speed | Percentage of base upload speed | |
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No VPN | 567.52 | 217.74 | 3.33 | ||
UK to UK | 260.66 | 243.52 | 12.33 | 46% | 112% |
UK to US | 278.04 | 19.07 | 124.67 | 49% | 9% |
UK to Aus | 218.14 | 18.42 | 323.67 | 38% | 8% |
With ExpressVPN for MacOS, you’ll have access to its kill switch (Network Lock), which disconnects all internet activity should the VPN connection drop, keeping the user’s IP address and data safe at all times. TrustedServer is an interesting audited extra, aiming to protect your data by using RAM-only servers.
The provider is capable of accessing the majority of streaming sites, ensuring access to content whether you’re on a desktop or mobile device.
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Overall score: 24/30
Final verdict:
ExpressVPN has a wide range of security features available on its MacOS app, its VPN servers also only affected our internet speeds minimally and its app was aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate.
Read our full ExpressVPN review.
CyberGhost VPN is compatible with various Mac operating systems and comes with security features you’d expect such as a kill switch and AES-256 encryption. More often than not, VPNs for Macs will come with fewer features than their Windows and Android app counterparts. CyberGhost has recognised this and has built a fully customisable Mac VPN app.
It offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is more than most other providers.
CyberGhost’s Mac app is relatively straightforward to use and is ideal for beginners. The app is easy to navigate and, within the settings, there are options to customise your VPN experience. For instance, Smart rules is a feature that allows you to choose when the CyberGhost app opens, as well as how you connect via Wi-Fi.
The tab on the left in the main CyberGhost menu is where you’ll find optimised servers for tasks like streaming and file sharing. In this respect, it’s a powerhouse, and can be used to access numerous popular platforms such as Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer, and Netflix.
Speeds are excellent if you’re aiming to connect to local servers, as seen in the table below. However, they did dip whenever I connected to more distant locations:
Download speed (Mbps) | Upload speed (Mbps) | Latency (ping) | Percentage of base download speed | Percentage of base upload speed | |
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No VPN | 588.16 | 214.56 | 3.00 | ||
UK to UK | 313.28 | 307.98 | 11.33 | 53% | 144% |
UK to US | 200.55 | 42.10 | 125.67 | 34% | 20% |
UK to Aus | 164.25 | 22.00 | 340.67 | 28% | 10% |
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Overall score: 23/30
Final verdict:
CyberGhost is another secure solution if you’re looking for the best VPN for Mac devices. It’s perfect for streaming, and UK servers are relatively nippy. An extended 45-day money-back guarantee makes it easy to test it out for yourself at no risk.
The following criteria was used to come up with this list of the best VPNs for MacOS.
MacOS features and support: some providers offer fewer features on Mac devices, whether it’s split tunnelling, or something else. We’ve specifically looked at what you’ll be able to find with the Mac version of each VPN app.
All of our VPN articles are verified by our in-house team of fact-checkers, so you can be assured that our content is as accurate and up-to-date as possible. To find out more, read our article on how we review VPNs.
Here, we’ve displayed the download and upload speeds we achieved with each of our top 10 VPN services on a Mac.
No VPN Download speed (Mbps) | No VPN Upload speed (Mbps) | UK to UK Download speed (Mbps) | UK to UK Upload speed (Mbps) | UK to US Download speed (Mbps) | UK to US Upload speed (Mbps) | UK to Aus Download speed (Mbps) | UK to Aus Upload speed (Mbps) | |
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NordVPN | 564.14 | 232.72 | 358.70 | 139.46 | 341.32 | 42.54 | 190.17 | 16.75 |
Surfshark | 530.37 | 233.71 | 366.37 | 115.48 | 329.09 | 14.33 | 188.38 | 16.63 |
ExpressVPN | 581.61 | 232.78 | 320.23 | 160.59 | 318.37 | 37.54 | 207.05 | 19.74 |
CyberGhost | 544.18 | 214.12 | 300.49 | 219.71 | 158.16 | 40.18 | 96.30 | 20.11 |
Proton VPN | 573.22 | 214.29 | 244.64 | 211.07 | 249.18 | 86.56 | 70.72 | 16.10 |
PIA | 576.70 | 241.13 | 87.27 | 62.10 | 117.08 | 32.55 | 75.64 | 26.55 |
Windscribe | 525.39 | 207.23 | 188.44 | 100.72 | 182.98 | 27.37 | 62.57 | 41.41 |
PrivadoVPN | 571.52 | 227.49 | 143.88 | 62.17 | 215.96 | 32.93 | 146.68 | 22.65 |
IPVanish | 561.23 | 229.43 | 195.25 | 82.33 | 97.60 | 67.61 | 122.89 | 25.02 |
Mullvad VPN | 533.00 | 241.55 | 191.80 | 47.97 | 148.34 | 36.82 | 46.75 | 21.06 |
Retained UK to UK Download speed | Retained UK to UK Upload speed | Retained UK to US Download speed | Retained UK to US Upload speed | Retained UK to Aus Download speed | Retained UK to Aus Upload speed | |
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NordVPN | 64% | 60% | 61% | 18% | 34% | 7% |
Surfshark | 69% | 49% | 62% | 6% | 36% | 7% |
ExpressVPN | 55% | 69% | 55% | 16% | 36% | 8% |
CyberGhost | 55% | 103% | 29% | 19% | 18% | 9% |
Proton VPN | 43% | 98% | 43% | 40% | 12% | 8% |
PIA | 15% | 26% | 20% | 13% | 13% | 11% |
Windscribe | 36% | 49% | 35% | 13% | 12% | 20% |
PrivadoVPN | 25% | 27% | 38% | 14% | 26% | 10% |
IPVanish | 35% | 36% | 17% | 29% | 22% | 11% |
Mullvad VPN | 36% | 20% | 28% | 15% | 9% | 9% |
A VPN works by routing your device’s internet connection through a remote server, which hides your IP address and your geo-location. This secure and encrypted connection makes it difficult for third parties to track your online activity.
One premium feature of most VPN services is split tunnelling. Split tunnelling allows users to direct certain device traffic through the encrypted VPN while giving other applications direct access to the internet.
Having two connections running at the same time means that users can still protect sensitive or private data via the VPN connection while avoiding bottleneck issues and conserving bandwidth since the internet traffic is able to pass through more than one server.
Certain VPNs, such as ExpressVPN, are compatible with split tunnelling on Mac, but only for MacOS 11 or above. Other services, like NordVPN and Surfshark, do not offer split tunnelling for Mac users at all, which may make them better suited for users who are just starting out with the software.
Although Macs come with a high level of security and privacy, installing a VPN increases the protection of your online security. Using a VPN on your Mac encrypts your internet traffic, masks your IP address and allows you to bypass geo-restrictions. A VPN also protects you when you’re connected to a public wifi network, where you may fall victim to cybercrime threats.
To set up a VPN on a Mac, follow these steps:
Consider the following when purchasing a VPN for a Mac:
While there are plenty of free VPNs for Mac available on the App Store, you should consider how secure they are. Most free VPNs have limited security and privacy features as well as offering limited monthly data allowance and few simultaneous device connections. Free VPNs may also collect and sell user data to third parties to make money.
A VPN works on a Mac by creating a secure encrypted tunnel between your device and a VPN server. Using a VPN routes all of your internet traffic through a server which masks your IP address and location, making it difficult for third parties to track your online activity. Most VPN providers generally offer fewer features for their Mac apps than their Android and Windows devices, and more often than not split tunnelling features are not available.
Although Macs come with a good level of security, using a VPN adds another layer of privacy. It will mask your IP address and keep you safe and secure when using both a home or private wifi network. A VPN can also block ads, malware and trackers.
There are lots of good VPNs with dedicated MacOS apps, but it’s best to choose one which has the features that suit your privacy needs. Some VPNs won’t have all of their privacy features available for Mac devices, so you’ll need to compare them. Some of the best VPNs for Mac include ExpressVPN, Surfshark and NordVPN.
While Apple Macs come with a decent level of security, Mac users can benefit greatly from the high level of security that a VPN service provides. A VPN will protect Mac user’s online identity, and conceal their real IP address. The best VPNs for Macs will come with advanced security features like a kill switch that automatically disconnects your internet connection if your VPN connection fails. A good VPN can also allow Mac users to bypass geo-restrictions to access content on streaming platforms.
No, Apple Mac devices do not come with a built-in VPN. However, all Macs support automatic and manual configuration of a VPN. Mac users can download their chosen VPN service from the Apple App Store.
Free VPNs can provide a minimal level of security, which is fine if that’s all you require. There are plenty of free VPNs available for Mac users from the Apple App Store. Most free VPNs come with a long list of limitations compared to paid VPNs. Typically, a free VPN will have a small data allowance, very few security features and most likely will not have an independently audited no-logs policy. If you’re looking for a VPN with robust security features, it’s best to choose a paid VPN.
The data in this review is reported from a neutral stance and should be used for informational purposes only. We review VPN services from the perspective of:
Independent Advisor does not endorse the streaming of content from regions other than where the subscription is held, nor does it endorse the downloading or consumption of illegally pirated content.