The following VPN services are recommended for use in China, as they can swiftly navigate Chinese government regulations and offer transmission speeds conducive to a seamless internet experience.
Internet censorship in China, termed the “Great Firewall,” poses significant challenges for both locals and expats who wish to access global websites and apps. With lists of “best VPNs for China” often lacking verifiable testing, it’s crucial to find trustworthy sources for this information. VPNs not only allow users to bypass these restrictions but also provide a safe path in a nation known for intensive surveillance.
Here are top six recommendations for the most effective VPNs for China, based on our comprehensive testing. Given China’s active measures to block VPN access, it’s advisable to install your VPN app before entering the country.
VPN Life is operated by the SNI team, which has extensive experience living and conducting business in China. Our team members are based in various Chinese cities, including Tianjin, Suzhou, Yuyao, and Nanchang, where they use VPNs as part of their daily work and personal lives. In addition to these home bases, we also verify VPN connection stability across different network environments in major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xiamen during business trips.
Tips to Choose the Best VPN for China
When choosing the best VPN for China, there are several key factors you should take into account.
- Adapting Swiftly to Chinese Government Regulations
- Ensuring Satisfactory Communication Speed
Adapting Swiftly to Chinese Government Regulations
The most crucial attribute for a VPN in China is its demonstrated ability to adapt rapidly to Chinese government regulations. VPN usage is regulated in China, with authorities vigilantly monitoring services that facilitate access to foreign video services, social networks, and other platforms. Consequently, it’s not unusual for a VPN server to abruptly become unavailable. Thus, it’s vital to select a VPN provider proficient in evading regulatory obstacles to ensure consistent service.
Ensuring Satisfactory Communication Speed
Even if a VPN provider is adept at handling regulatory challenges, it cannot provide a satisfactory internet experience if its communication speed is inadequate. This speed is dependent on your original internet connection speed and your geographic location within China. Note that the connection speed in China may significantly differ from what you’re accustomed to in other countries. Therefore, it’s advisable to avoid VPN services that are known to perform poorly in terms of speed within China.
Best VPN Services for China
Here are some excellent VPN services we recommend for China.
We conducted VPN connection checks in several cities across China, including Shanghai, Nanchang in Jiangxi Province, Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, and Ningbo in Zhejiang Province. The two images below show examples of the actual locations where we carried out these tests.
| 12vpn | UCSS | ExpressVPN | |
| Prices | 1-Month: $27.99 12-Months: $12.50/month 24-Months: $10.00/month | UCSS Lite 1-Month: $29.00 UCSS 3-Months: $12.00-$70.00/month UCSS 12-Months: $9.00-$52.50/month | 1-Month: $12.95 12-Months: $6.67/month 24-Months: $4.99/month |
| Money-back Guarantee | 14 days | None | 30 days |
| Countries | 31 | 16+ | 105 |
| Servers | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 3,000+ |
| Maximum devices supported | 6 | 3 | 8 |
| Connection Speed | Ultra Fast | Ultra Fast | Fast |
| Security | AES-256 | AES-256 Kill Switch | AES-256 Kill Switch |
| Privacy | No-logging | No-logging (Excluding Korean servers) | No-logging |
| Support | 24/7 Email Support | 24/7 Email Support | 24/7 Live Chat Support |
12vpn (12vpx): VPN Renowned for Stability in China [Subscription Available from China!]
| Prices (standard plan) | 1-Month: $27.99 12-Months: $12.50/month 24-Months: $10.00/month |
| Money-back Guarantee | 14 days |
| Countries | 31 |
| Servers | Not disclosed |
| Maximum devices supported | 6 |
12vpn is a VPN provider based in the Netherlands, particularly well-regarded for its reliable performance for users in China. A key strength is its dedicated link, allowing users to subscribe even from within China.
- Quick to adapt to internet restrictions in China
- Responsive customer support
- Can subscribe from within China via a dedicated link
- Generous 6 simultaneous connections
- Easy to operate via Google Chrome extension
- Relatively expensive
- Primarily need a VPN for use in China.
\14 day Money-Back Guarantee/
UCSS: VPN Optimized for China with a Reputation for High-Speed Connections
| Prices (standard plan) | UCSS Lite 1-Month: $29.00 UCSS 3-Months: $12.00-$70.00/month UCSS 12-Months: $9.00-$52.50/month |
| Money-back Guarantee | None |
| Countries | 16+ |
| Servers | Not disclosed |
| Maximum devices supported | 3 |
UCSS is a service operated by a South Korea-based security company, functioning more accurately as a Shadowsocks provider rather than a traditional VPN. It is reportedly managed by a multinational team of experts.
The service is specifically optimized for use in internet-restricted environments like China, priding itself on delivering stable connections and high-speed communication.
- Fast and stable connections
- Optimized for use in China
- High level of security
- Compatible with a wide range of devices
- Relatively expensive
- Data usage limits apply
- No money-back guarantee or free trial
- Fewer simultaneous connections
- Want to fully enjoy streaming services like Netflix while in China.
- Are looking to play online games in China without interruption.
- Require a consistently stable internet connection for work in China.
＼Achieve a Seamless Online Experience!／
ExpressVPN: Ultra-fast Internet Speeds
| Prices | 1-Month: $12.95 12-Months: $6.67/month 24-Months: $4.99/month |
| Money-back Guarantee | 30 days |
| Countries | 105 |
| Servers | 3,000+ |
| Maximum devices supported | 8 |
ExpressVPN offers some of the fastest internet speeds among the VPNs we have used. All VPNs may slow down your internet connection, but ExpressVPN is one of the fastest, and you rarely notice the difference. Review sites consistently rank ExpressVPN as one of the fastest VPNs. Additionally, with over 3,000 servers in 105 countries, you have a wide choice of countries to change IP addresses to. Real humans are available 24-hour live chat support to help you with setup and troubleshooting. ExpressVPN also has a no-log policy.
After you’ve registered with ExpressVPN, you can use it to easily browse the internet just by downloading their app.
- Excellent speed and stability
- Fast and user-friendly app
- Strict no-logs policy
- Wide range of server countries
- Accepts Bitcoin payments
- Slightly more expensive than competitors
- Place a high importance on internet speed
\30 day Money-Back Guarantee/
Is it legal to use a VPN in China?
The use of a VPN may also be restricted by Chinese regulations and policies, so it needs to be used with caution. But as far as individuals are concerned, it is unlikely that they will be caught if they are just accessing the internet across borders, playing games or browsing the web for personal use.
For more detailed about using a VPN in China, please refer to the following articles.
Notes on Using a VPN in China
When using a VPN in China, there are three important considerations to keep in mind.
- Securing a VPN Contract Before Travelling to China
- Maintaining Multiple VPN Subscriptions
- Steering Clear of Free VPNs
Securing a VPN Contract Before Travelling to China
Using a VPN in China can present a catch-22: you often can’t access a VPN provider’s official site from within China without already having a VPN. Thus, we advise arranging your VPN services before your arrival in China. The exception lies with certain providers like 12vpn, which offers a China-specific login URL that enables access to their site, sign-up, and configuration file downloads even from within China. (You can purchase 12vpn from this link, even if you are in China.)
Maintaining Multiple VPN Subscriptions
If you’re visiting China for a brief business trip, one VPN service may suffice. However, for expats, having multiple VPN services is paramount due to the risk of sudden server unavailability resulting from regulatory interventions by the Chinese authorities. As accessing VPN providers’ websites can prove challenging within China, having an alternate VPN is advisable. Even though providers strive continuously to overcome regulatory restrictions, their success is never guaranteed. Hence, we recommend designating one VPN as your primary service and maintaining another as a backup.
Steering Clear of Free VPNs
Though free VPNs like VPN Cat and VPN Gate exist, we discourage their usage due to compromised communication speed, security vulnerabilities, and inadequate response to Chinese regulations. Notably, a free VPN service in Hong Kong previously caused a massive data breach, compromising 20 million users’ information. (Reference: Report: No-Log VPNs Reveal Users’ Personal Data and Logs)
Maintaining robust security and competent support always incurs costs. For China, responding promptly to regulatory shifts also entails financial implications. Subscribing to two paid VPNs typically costs around $10 to $15 per month, amounting to a daily expense of 30 to 50 cents. Given the secure and comfortable internet experience this provides in China, it’s a reasonable investment.
FAQ
What sites and apps are blocked in China?
Here are some notable examples of services blocked in China:
- All Google services (including Gmail, Google Translate, Google Search, Google Drive, Google Docs etc.)
- Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Pinterest.
- Video sharing platforms including YouTube, Vimeo, and Twitch.
- News media sites like the BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.
- Various other platforms such as Dropbox, GitHub, SoundCloud, Flickr, Skype, WhatsApp, Spotify, Hootsuite, Slack, and Wikipedia.
The duration of these blocks can vary, with some sites being blocked temporarily, while others are blocked permanently.
Regardless of restrictions, users in China can unblock most of these websites and apps by employing a reliable VPN service. Always remember to arrange your VPN service before entering the country for seamless internet access.
What is today’s best VPN in China?
It is ExpressVPN which stands out as the best VPN for use in China today. It’s reliable, fast, secure, and remarkably easy to set up and operate. An assurance of its no-logging policy is given by the audit conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, providing users with the confidence that their identities will be well-protected while surfing the web and streaming content in China. Moreover, ExpressVPN is unrivaled in its ability to unblock and bypass restrictions on banned websites and services. These qualities combined make ExpressVPN the prime choice for navigating the internet in China.
Which VPN country should I use when in China?
In China, the use of VPNs is not straightforwardly illegal. While it is technically illegal to use non-government approved VPNs, this law primarily targets companies and corporations rather than individuals. Therefore, the risk of personal VPN use being detected is considered low. If detected, there could be penalties such as fines or imprisonment, but cases of individuals being prosecuted for illegal personal use of VPNs are almost non-existent.
There are four recommended things for using a VPN in China:
- Use it only for personal use and don’t publicize it,
- Don’t disseminate information from overseas unnecessarily,
- Avoid content that is critical of the government,
- Avoid using free VPNs.
Recommended VPN services for use in China include those with a proven track record in the country, such as ExpressVPN. As long as you use these VPNs responsibly and in accordance with the recommended guidelines, it is unlikely that you will face prosecution in China.
Conclusion
- Importance of VPNs in China: Due to China’s “Great Firewall,” locals and expats often struggle to access global websites and apps. Reliable and thoroughly tested VPNs are vital in such a scenario, offering a secure solution to bypass internet restrictions and surveillance.
- Considerations for Choosing a VPN: Five key factors to consider when selecting a VPN for use in China include its ability to swiftly adapt to government regulations, provide satisfactory communication speed, and the feasibility of securing its contract before traveling to China. For long-term stay, it’s recommended to have more than one VPN subscription due to possible server disruptions. Free VPNs, while tempting, often suffer from slow speeds, security vulnerabilities, and poor responsiveness to Chinese regulations. Investing in paid VPNs is the best way to ensure a secure and comfortable internet experience in China.
