The best Mac VPN 2024 (2024)

A virtual private network (VPN) boosts your online anonymity and encrypts your information whilst you surf the net. With the best VPNs, you can evade various cyber threats and surveillance, bypass censorship, and even unblock geo-restricted content. In addition to spoofing your digital location, your VPN will help you stay secure on notoriously dodgy public Wi-Fi networks by preventing snoopers from monitoring your browsing activity.

However, VPNs aren't all made equal. There are hundreds of providers on the market—which means finding your perfect match can be a daunting task. To help you out, I've leveraged my years of reviewing VPNs (and constantly testing their speeds and what services they unblock) to curate this shortlist.

I selected VPNs based on key criteria like their available features, performance, unblocking capabilities, server locations, and price. All of my top picks have awesome (and easy-to-use) apps for MacOS, too. So, let's dig into my top Mac VPNs in 2024.

The three best Mac VPNs in 2024

In a hurry? I've got you covered. Here are my three top Mac VPN picks:

The five best Mac VPNs in 2024

Let's take a deeper look at our top picks and see how each of them differ so you can find the one that suits your needs best.

The best VPN for Mac overall

Some VPNs neglect their Mac user base, offering apps that don't have all the features you'll find in their Windows counterparts. Luckily, ExpressVPN bucks this trend. With ExpressVPN, you're getting a premium service that really, truly, prioritizes your privacy, and gives users a ton of tools to play with.

The ExpressVPN Mac clients look awesome. The user interface is modern and artsy, without being obnoxious, and all the features are right where you'd expect them to be. So, you don't have to be a VPN expert to make the most of the service. If do have experience with VPNs, however, you can check out ExpressVPN's more advanced features—like an auto-connect tool that makes sure you're always connected to a secure server. The kill switch is reliable and incredibly handy; ExpressVPN will automatically deny internet access to your Mac if the VPN connection drops, so third parties (like your ISP and the sites you visit), can't check out your browsing data and real location even if the VPN connection is interrupted.

▶ Try ExpressVPN, the best Mac VPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee

ExpressVPN has high-speed servers in most parts of the world, including Africa, South and North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Connecting to any server in a country of your choice grants you access to any local news website, sports channel, or streaming services. For example, you can watch your favorite TV shows and movies on foreign streaming services, such as Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, or Disney+.

Although it doesn't offer more servers than NordVPN, or some of its other close competition, each ExpressVPN server is Peer-to-Peer (P2P) friendly and offers blazing-fast speeds. That means you can torrent large files safely, enjoy buffer-free streaming, or browse the internet without slowdowns. Although it allows for only five simultaneous connections per subscription, our previous tests have shown it reaches maximum download speeds of around 560 Mbps, enough to stream shows in 4K Ultra HD on all your devices, which requires only 25 Mbps.

ExpressVPN justifies its slightly higher cost by offering unparalleled quality and unique advanced features. However, its higher price point can become problematic if you need its services on more than five devices because it doesn’t offer unlimited simultaneous connections like Surfshark. In addition, it provides a smaller server network than NordVPN, making it a worse pick for optimal performance.

We should also mention ExpressVPN’s outstanding privacy policy and server security. It keeps no records of its users’ online activities, and its TrustedServer technology, which utilizes RAM instead of hard drives, ensures every server reboot wipes the user data. It provides the best Mac VPN service for most use cases and lets you rest easy knowing your privacy is respected.

The best Mac VPN with built-in antivirus

Ringing in a close second, NordVPN takes things seriously. Its optional 'Double VPN' technology encrypts data twice, meaning data passes through two separate VPN servers for extra security. It also boasts other helpful features like encrypted chat, web proxy extensions, and Meshnet (perhaps the most valuable built-in bonus VPN feature).

If you are looking for a VPN for streaming, NordVPN may be the best Mac VPN for you. It offers excellent speeds of up to 820 Mbps and effortlessly unblocks streaming sites. It enables access to numerous foreign Netflix catalogs, including BBC iPlayer, Disney+, YouTube, and more, as well as a dedicated Apple TV VPN app.

▶ Try NordVPN for a full Mac security suite

This provider is P2P-friendly and has a strict zero logs policy that's audited annually by PricewaterhouseCoopers (good to know if you're after a VPN for torrenting). The IKEv2/IPsec security protocol is the default for iOS and macOS apps, or you can choose from its WireGuard-based technology NordLynx and OpenVPN. Unlike ExpressVPN, NordVPN offers built-in ad-blocking and antivirus protection to keep you safe and streamline your online activity.

NordVPN also offers excellent device support and is considered one of the best iPhone VPN providers. It seamlessly integrates with any Mac device, including Mac Mini, Mac Pro, iMac, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. You can configure your Mac device to automatically connect to a secure server when using an untrusted network, such as a hotel, airport, or café Wi-Fi network.

Although it offers a user-friendly interface, NordVPN doesn’t allow unlimited simultaneous connections, making Surfshark a better pick for families or business owners. Also, despite extraordinary unblocking abilities, NordVPN has servers in 59 locations only, which is significantly fewer than competitors, making ExpressVPN a better choice if you require access to more countries.

The best cheap VPN for Mac

With recent upgrades to meet Apple M1 compatibility, Surfshark boasts the fastest connections worldwide and a beautifully straightforward-to-use interface. Besides its excellent service quality, this product always finds its place on the top of our best cheap VPN list.

In terms of encryption, Surfshark offers OpenVPN and several other protocols for you to choose from - including the super speedy WireGuard (during our last test, it jumped at #1 fastest VPN, reaching a peak of 950Mbps). In addition, it utilizes AES-256 encryption to ensure that nobody can discover what sites you've been using, together with a strict no-logs policy.

▶ Try Surfshark on unlimited devices at the same time

Surfshark also offers Incogni, a service that automatically requests the deletion of personal data stored by data brokers. This way, it protects your privacy from invasive data-tracking practices and companies. Incogni can remove your private information from more websites than any similar service, including marketing, recruitment, financial information, risk mitigation, and people search websites.

In addition, Surfshark can help you avoid malicious ads, phishing scams, annoying cookie pop-up requests, and malware with its Clean Web 2.0 feature. While a VPN program can’t help if malware makes it onto your Mac, Surfshark can help you avoid that issue entirely by blocking infected websites. Its database of malicious URLs is updated daily and currently numbers over one million web addresses.

However, our testing showed some issues with Surfshark's kill switch, making it a potential downside to its overall reliability. If you suspect an accidental IP leak could put you in danger, you should go for ExpressVPN or NordVPN. But if you're after a VPN for streaming, Surfshark is an excellent pick since it can reliably unblock Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, or HBO Max. However, NordVPN outperformed it in recent tests.

With its versatile features and excellent speeds, Surfshark offers undeniable value for your money. Unlike the competitors, one subscription covers unlimited devices, so besides your Mac, you can activate it on your other devices or share its protection with your family, friends, or coworkers.

The best of the rest

Private Internet Access (PIA) is likely the only VPN that has proven its no-logs claims in court twice, and nothing gives peace of mind like having your policies proven true. It stands out from the competition by offering servers across 129 locations in more than 90 countries. It also has dedicated streaming servers that make it easier to unblock your favorite shows and more IPs on offer than any other pick on our list.

Having so many servers available means you’ll never experience lag or other issues caused by too many users using a single server, as you can always simply reconnect to another one. PIA has a comprehensive search function that allows you to sort the servers alphabetically and according to their latency. In addition, it displays the speeds you can expect by connecting to a server.

▶ Try PIA's proven service with a 30-day money-back guarantee

PIA has a reliable split-tunneling feature that allows you to use the VPN with specific apps or IP addresses. For example, you can encrypt the internet traffic sent through one browser while all your other apps remain unencrypted. Although PIA never restricts your bandwidth, encrypting some apps leads to slower speeds, making split-tunneling great for freelancers, gamers, and streaming.

However, testing PIA on Mac showed some inconsistent server speeds. If you're mostly browsing or streaming, it should be fast enough, but those to whom performance is one of the priorities should choose NordVPN or Surfshark. Besides, desktop apps are better suited to more advanced technical users, so PIA generally lacks that intuitive feel and attention to detail that comes with ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark.

Similarly to Surfshark, PIA supports unlimited connections, which makes it stand out from other top competitors. It is quite reasonably priced and worth trying out. For peace of mind, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee in case it does not meet your needs.

A service that keeps improving, Windscribe has addressed some of the issues that kept holding it back. Unlike some competitors, we are glad it held onto the same interface and functionality for both its Mac and Windows VPN apps. It also introduced more advanced features like static IPs, port forwarding, split tunneling, kill switch, MAC spoofing, proxy support, and more.

Windscribe offers an excellent MAC spoofing feature that makes you appear as a brand-new user every time you connect to a public WiFi network. Public WiFi operators usually store your MAC address in their database, which allows them to track your activities across different networks operated by the same company. MAC spoofing prevents that by allowing you to generate a new MAC address every time you connect.

In terms of encryption protocols, Windscribe offers WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN, supporting strong AES-256 encryption and stealth technologies. Your privacy is secured by a strict no-logs policy, too. We've even tested its tracker and malware-blocking system and confirmed it works as intended, making Windscribe a good option for users who want to enjoy a clutter-free browsing experience.

Its main downside is the lack of 24/7 live chat support, which might be an issue for some users, especially seeing its numerous advanced features integrated into the software. Because of that, first-time users might have difficulties using Windscribe, making NordVPN a superior choice.

Like Surfshark and PIA, this service allows unlimited connections and offers advanced features. However, its privacy policy isn't as transparent as its competition's, making PIA a better option for privacy-conscious users. But on the other hand, unlike most competitors, this service provides a free plan which gives you 10 GB a month and access to all the main features, so you can see if it works for you completely risk-free.

How to choose your Mac VPN

It goes without saying that the first thing you need to check before investing in a new Mac VPN is whether the software actually supports macOS. That should not be so much of a problem, though, as nowadays, almost every service works on Apple devices. They certainly do all those listed below.

If protecting your privacy is your main priority, you should look out for a diverse array of powerful security features and a clear no-logging policy to ensure your online anonymity at best.

Good performance levels obviously don't hurt, either, especially if you want to use your Mac VPN for streaming and torrenting. Plus, if watching content is the main reason behind your purchase, then make sure your chosen provider has a strong reputation for unblocking the likes of Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and other popular streaming services.

If you wish to cover all your Apple devices with one subscription, opt for a provider that also offers a brilliant iPhone VPN app. However, if protecting all your family is what you're after, you might want to consider a Mac VPN that allows plenty of simultaneous connections with a single subscription.

Mac VPN FAQs

January 02, 2024 update notes

This update saw no significant differences between our top picks. We added up-to-date information about NordVPN launching a dedicated Apple TV VPN.

We also double-checked the pricing, deals, server locations, and unblocking capabilities to make sure the information on this page was as accurate and up-to-date as possible.