Top 10 Best Mac VPN Software for Mac (Owners in 2024)

Best Mac VPN Services

Intro

A virtual private network service (Mac VPN), if you are concerned about privacy while using your Mac on the internet, could be a solution. You can easily hide your IP and your location by using a VPN. Anyone looking in from the outside will think you are somewhere else. No one can link your IP address to you.

VPN usage was on the rise even before the global pandemic. When lockdowns became a reality, VPN use exploded. As more people began working from home, the demand for VPNs soared, sometimes by as much as 41%. Privacy is the main motivation for VPN users, especially when they use public Wi-Fi.
VPNs are not only great for protecting your privacy, but they can also help you bypass geo-blocking. If you live in the US, you can use a VPN on your Mac to access UK Netflix. VPNs trick websites and apps into believing you are in another country.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting a VPN. There are many different VPNs available for Macs. We’ve put together 10 of the best VPN services available today to help you choose.

What makes a VPN app good for Mac?

When looking for a VPN for your Mac, there are some things you should consider:

• Reliable speed: The VPN you choose for Mac will depend on the way you plan to use it. You don’t have to use the fastest speeds if you only want anonymity or to hide your location. If you plan to download large files or do P2P file-sharing, faster speeds are better.
• A kill button: For many users, the kill switch is a great idea. If the VPN stops working for whatever reason, it will disconnect your Mac from the internet. This prevents your IP address from being visible to anyone outside.
• Locations:Most VPNs provide connections to the major European countries and other countries, such as the USA and Canada. If you are looking for connections to Africa, Asia, and other parts of the globe, make sure that your VPN has servers in those areas.
• Affordable pricing: Nearly all VPNs that we tested require a subscription. You can’t try them without signing up. You have to pay, cancel the automatic renewal, and then ask for a refund. It’s still possible to get a refund, but we would prefer not to go through the hassle. A VPN that offers a free trial is a great bonus.

1. NordVPN

NordVPN for Mac is easy to use, as it comes with several preset VPN connections that are optimised for specific tasks, such as downloading, browsing, and speed. The presets will choose the country for you. However, if you go into the settings, you can specify specific countries. NordVPN’s price starts at $11.99 a month and offers over 5,000 servers. You can connect six devices simultaneously.
NordVPN was able to connect at 91% of the full broadband speed in our tests. Although it wasn’t the fastest Mac VPN at all times, it was always the fastest and most consistent.

Four VPN protocols are available: NordLynx (UDP), IKEv2, OpenVPN (TCP), and OpenVPN (UDP). You can also get useful features such as a kill button, which will disconnect your internet in the event of a VPN failure. This helps you hide your IP address. And if you’re worried about your anonymity, you’ll be glad to hear that PricewaterhouseCoopers AG audited NordVPN twice and confirmed it to be fully compliant with its no-logging policies.

NordVPN comes with a number of security features you won’t find in most VPN software. CyberSec is one of them. When enabled, it blocks access to harmful sites. Dark Web Monitor is another useful feature that notifies you when your email address appears on leaked lists on the dark web. Statistics is a more recent feature that lets you know how long you spent on NordVPN servers.

Features:

• Fast VPN servers
• A good selection of VPN protocols
• Monitors your ID for breaches
• Web browsing safety features

Pros

• There are thousands of high-speed servers.
• Additional security features
• Protect your identity with the Kill Switch.

Cons

• No antivirus features
• No free trial

2. MacKeeper

MacKeeper differs from other VPN apps on our list. This is not a VPN, per se, but a privacy, security, and performance toolkit that includes an integrated VPN. This is a great tool if you’re looking to protect your Mac and improve its browsing experience.

There’s plenty to love about VPNs. MacKeeper has 296 servers in 50 countries. This includes multiple locations in South America and one in Africa. It’s less than other VPNs on this list, but not bad for a tool that has multiple uses.

MacKeeper VPN is simple to use, and it connects quickly. However, its download speeds were slow, reaching only an average of 32 percent of the full speed during our tests. This VPN is good for light video streaming and browsing, but not for large downloads. You won’t be able to find VPN-specific features such as split tunnelling and a kill button, despite the impressive list of extra features.

MacKeeper is a great option if you’re looking for a security and optimisation tool that also includes privacy features. It offers antivirus, a duplicate finder, a memory cleaner, and more. There’s also an ad blocker, ID protection, update tracking, and a lot more. It’s impressive that it comes with a VPN client for no additional cost. The price starts at $10.95 per month.

Features:

• VPN works well enough for everyday use
• Includes real-time antivirus
• Cleaning features help save disk space
• Optimization tools can give you a speed boost

Pros

• One-stop solution for cleaning, protection, and optimisation
• Real-time antivirus protection
• Find duplicates tool

Cons

• VPN servers are smaller.
• No-kill switch

3. CyberGhost

CyberGhost, a VPN service founded in Romania, has become popular among PC and Mac users. It offered seven simultaneous connections to 7,900 servers in 91 different countries. All servers tested delivered medium-high speeds.

It’s an excellent VPN solution that has many positive features. It boasts split tunnelling, multihop, and a strong policy on privacy. CyberGhost has a content-blocking feature that blocks DNS domains associated with ads, trackers, and malware. The only downside is that it works with the Wireguard Protocol. It also supports IKEv2 and other protocols.

CyberGhost’s owners are still a mystery, as they have not been audited independently since 2012. It does, however, have a policy of zero-logging, so you can remain anonymous.

The free trial is a huge plus. CyberGhost is different from most other apps that we have tested in that you don’t need to give your credit card information before trying it. You can try it out before deciding whether or not to purchase it. Prices start at $12.99 per month.

Features:

• Connects to thousands of servers
• Decent connection speeds
• Ad and tracker blocking included
• Offers a free trial

Pros

• Free trial without credit card
• Connection speeds that are acceptable
• Blocking ads and web tracking is a feature that can be enabled.

Cons

• It is long overdue for an independent audit.

4. Surfshark

Surfshark, founded in 2018, has seen a lot of growth in a very short time. This VPN is great for Mac users with its rich features, fast download speeds, and wide variety of servers.

It’s easy to use, quick to connect, and easy to navigate. This is ideal for new users. You can also connect to static IP and multi-hop servers, as well as the nearest country.

Surfshark is compatible with two protocols, IKEv2 and Wireguard. CleanWeb is also included, which is an ad-blocker and tracker-blocker. It also has important features, such as a kill button. It also offers rotating IP, which allows you to keep your VPN location while changing your IP address.

Surfshark was audited by Cure53 in Germany and passed with flying colours. You can be assured that your privacy will always be protected, as it doesn’t record user activity.

Surfshark was a great performer in our tests, as some servers gave us up to 99% of the full internet speed. However, other locations, such as South Africa, were significantly slower and only gave us 15%. Surfshark is a good service that offers high speeds for the most part.

Surfshark has no limits to the number of devices that can be connected at once. You can connect to your Mac as well as mobile devices, PCs, and smart devices such as Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks.

Surfshark One is available for a few dollars extra per month.

Features:

• There are many fast servers available around the globe.
• Add security and ID protection to your order.
• Easy-kill switch
• Rotation of IPs at a single location

Pros

• Enjoy good speeds on all servers.
• Easy-to-use kill switch
• Ad blocking built-in features

Cons

• Extra cost for security features

5. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN connects you in a matter of seconds with its standard features and wide range of servers. It is easy to use on a wide range of devices, and the interface is simple and clean. ExpressVPN, which is owned by the same company as Private Internet Access and CyberGhost, was acquired by Kape Technologies in 2021.

Five VPN protocols are available. It supports Lightway, both UDP and TCP. It has many familiar features, such as a kill button, a browser add-on, and a threat manager that blocks third-party trackers.

ExpressVPN did well in our testing. Although its servers were not the fastest in all locations, they consistently scored high. We can’t say the same about other VPNs. ExpressVPN’s average speed was 74%, but a few poor results brought down the otherwise good scores.

Your privacy is assured too, thanks to zero-logging policies, as confirmed by a PricewaterhouseCoopers audit. You also get the standard 256-bit AES encryption.

Overall, this is a good Mac VPN. There’s no limit to the number of devices that can be connected to your account. You can connect up to five devices at once. You can’t get a free trial, but you can ask for a refund if you use it within 30 days. The price starts at $12.95 a month.

Features:

• Compatible with a wide range of devices
• Good speeds are generally the norm.
• Intuitive user interface

Pros

• High speeds are generally considered to be a good thing.
• A clear and simple interface
• It works on multiple devices.

Cons

• No free trial
• No security features

6. Private Internet Access

Private Internet access is a great value and has a large network. Its presence in 84 countries and more than 35,000 servers is impressive. You can also connect up to ten devices simultaneously. The price starts at just $11.99 a month.

It worked well in some locations. When we connected with a country that was more distant, our connection speed dropped to 5% on average. The connection speed varied from server to server. We got 92% downloads but only 65% uploads.

PIA Mace is a domain blocker that blocks ads, trackers, and malware. It supports dedicated IPs as well as split tunnelling, multi-hop servers, and dedicated IPs.

Although an independent audit was discussed, it has not yet been conducted. The site claims not to record user activity. You can select between 128-bit or 256-bit AES. Open VPN (UDP/TCP) and Wireguard are supported.

Features:

• Easy to use
• Selecting the right server
• DNS Settings
• Split tunnelling (multi-hop) and split tunnelling

Pros

• VPNs with a good selection of features
• Blocking ad servers and tracking servers

Cons

• Slow servers
• No free trial

7. VyprVPN

VyprVPN performed well in our tests. It performed well, like all VPNs tested, in our local area but also in other countries. It was one of the fastest VPNs in the test group when connected to Ukraine. The average download speed was 94%, and the upload speed was 93%. Although it wasn’t always the fastest, it was still good enough to watch movies and share files.

This is a simple VPN solution with all the basics, such as a kill-switch feature and startup upon launch. You can manage VPN access per app. VyprVPN also has a zero-logging VyprDNS to protect you further. It is also proud of its ability to unblock georestricted material with ease. However, it has problems accessing US Amazon Prime.

VyprVPN is compatible with a number of protocols, including IKEv2, Wireguard, and OpenVPN, which are designed to combat censorship. Leviathan Security has independently audited it to ensure its credentials for no-logging are legitimate. It uses encryption to ensure that your activities are always private.

VyprVPN does not offer a free trial but will refund your money within 30 days. The price of VyprVPN starts at $15 per month.

Features:

• Public Wi-Fi Protection
• Connection speeds are generally good.
• The best VPN protocols
• Money-back guarantee

Pros

• Most good speeds
• Choose the right protocol.
• Manage VPN per app

Cons

• No free trial
• No security features

8. PureVPN

PureVPN was founded in 2006. It is among the oldest VPNs available. This longevity should give you confidence that you are dealing with a reliable company. If you still need convincing, PureVPN is committed to transparency. In 2018, it changed its policy to no-data-logging and was audited by KPMG twice to confirm that status.

PureVPN comes with all the features that you would expect from a VPN. This includes a kill switch, a P2P server, and the ability to save locations as favorites. PureVPN provides a recommended location. You can sort by popularity or name. There’s no option to sort or filter servers according to speed, nor can you filter out those that do not allow P2P.

You can choose between IPSec or IKEv2 in the settings. You can also change the startup behaviour and whether or not your Mac will automatically connect after it wakes from sleep. The interface is simple and straightforward, even though it’s not feature-rich. Optional extras include dedicated IP and port forwarding.

PureVPN was able to use around 84% of our bandwidth in our tests. It was also the fastest VPN for South Africa, with a speed of around 125 Mbps, while the other apps only managed to reach 25–30 Mbps.

PureVPN offers a seven-day trial for $0.99, or you can take advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee. The price for a 1-month plan is $10.95.

Features:

• Consistently high speeds
• Kill Switch feature
• Four VPN protocols
• Seven-day Trial

Pros

• Try it for seven days.
• Certain servers offer a high level of speed.

Cons

• It doesn’t have any security features.

9. NetShade

NetShade, which is independently owned and operated and has servers in 18 different countries, is among the most affordable VPNs available. A three-year subscription costs $149, or $4 per month. It is also available for free, without requiring any payment information.

NetShade has fewer servers compared to other VPN software. There are only 22 servers in those 15 countries. Most of them are located in Europe, with some in the US and Canada. We saw good speeds in the areas closest to us. However, when we connected with a server located on the other side, the speed decreased, though it was still good enough to use every day.

NetShade 8 is the latest version of this app, and it has many new features. One of them is a kill button. This is a great feature for a solution that’s so affordable. The software also includes some additional features, such as access, speed, and Ping tests. It also supports VPN, HTTP, and SOCK proxy connection modes.

NetShade’s auditing has not been done independently. It does not log anything, but it is committed to full transparency. Prices start at $19 for 90 days.

Features:

• Low price
• Decent Speeds
• Free trial
• Test your network with these features.

Pros

• Low-cost VPN
• Tests of speed and ping
• Try it for free.

Cons

• Limited number of servers

10. TunnelBear

TunnelBear is one of the easiest VPNs to use for beginners. It may not have the extensive list of features that its competitors offer or the vast networks they boast.

You know where you stand with your transparency and no-logging policies when it comes to your data. It has even had its software independently tested and is committed to public audits each year. These audits, like SurfShark’s, are also completed by Cure53.

TunnelBear’s price is lower than other Mac VPNs, but its features are more limited. It only covers 49 different countries and offers fewer options for specific cities. Prices start at $9.99 per month. VigilantBear, the company’s kill switch, is available. You won’t be able to choose the VPN protocol. The free version is also available, but only offers 500MB per month. It’s more of a limited trial.

TunnelBear has another feature called GhostBear that tries to disguise encrypted traffic as normal traffic.

TunnelBear’s download speed varies a lot depending on the location. When connecting to Albania, the speed was around 92%. We saw the speed drop to just 12% when we connected to South Africa.

In general, however, TunnelBear servers are very good. If you’re willing to sacrifice a few advanced features and locations, this is a good option.

Features:

• Offers a limited, free account
• Easy to use
• Can disguise encrypted traffic
• Cheap VPN

Pros

• Priced affordably
• Get 500MB for free.

Cons

• Select Servers Limited
• Not the fastest

Conclusion

Any of the Mac VPN apps in this group test will be fine for everyday use. So you can browse the web in complete privacy without worrying about who can see your data. But if you want to do more demanding things like downloading files, streaming video, or playing games, you’ll need to look at one of the VPNs with more reliable and fast connections.

NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access should all have servers that will stand up to these kinds of tasks. Depending on your particular needs and where you need to connect, you might also be okay with the other apps here.

If you want more than just a VPN, then MacKeeper is likely your best option. It offers a range of features to optimise, protect, and clean your Mac. You can also add some security features to Surfshark for just a few dollars a month.

Whatever you need a VPN for, make good use of free trials and money-back periods so you can find the right tool for you. Check not only speeds but also other features. And, if possible, get a solution that’s been independently audited.