Here are the best VPN apps for Mac
Apple revealed some new Macs during its “Unleashed” virtual event last month. If you have bought the latest MacBook Pro 2021, it’s important to keep it protected by using a case. Regardless of the model you have, VPN apps offer protection when it comes to your digital identity and fingerprint. When using a Virtual Private Network, tracking and profiling you becomes harder. Additionally, you can access regionally blocked websites. Here are the best VPN apps for Mac.
Here are the best VPN apps for Mac
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield is my go-to VPN Mac app. It offers basic protection and functionality for free. You can optionally subscribe to a premium plan to unlock all features, but the app works just fine without even having an account. The subscription includes access to 1Password, server region selection, digital identity guard, and other perks.
The free plan — which requires no registration — has a 2mbps speed limit. So you can depend on it for basic browsing and small downloads, but if you plan on using the internet extensively, it might become an annoyance. Personally, I use it to access regionally blocked websites from time to time. Otherwise, I just leave it off.
Some people prefer having VPN turned on at all times. If that’s the case with you, either subscribe to their paid plan, or consider using another VPN app that doesn’t have a speed limit — but those are hard to come by. Another perk of paying for the service is getting dedicated streaming servers that are faster than regular ones when streaming from certain sources.
- Hotspot Shield offers a free, easy to use VPN service that can be toggled with a click of one button.
ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is a Switzerland-based service and has a lot to offer. There are four different plans — including a free one — to choose from.
The Free plan offers:
- 23 servers in 3 countries
- 1 VPN connection
- Medium speed
- Strict no-logs policy
- Access to blocked content
The Visionary plan — which is the most expensive out of the four, priced at $24/month — offers:
- 1300+ servers in 61 countries
- 10 VPN connections
- Highest speed (up to 10 Gbps)
- Strict no-logs policy
- Access to blocked content
- P2P/BitTorrent support
- Adblocker (NetShield)
- Streaming service support
- Secure Core VPN
- Tor over VPN
- ProtonMail Visionary account
So regardless of your needs and budget, you will find a plan that works for you. The other two plans are priced at $4 and $5.99 per month, and they include certain perks that match their price tags.
This VPN service offers secure core services, a kill switch that protects your IP address, DNS leak prevention, a VPN accelerator that can boost the connection’s speed by up to 400%, and it doesn’t leave any traces behind. It’s a great app to have on your Mac, even if you don’t plan on paying for it. The app is also supported on other platforms, so you can access your subscription from all of your devices.
NordVPN
NordVPN is another decent virtual private network app for your Mac. Unlike Hotspot Shield and ProtonVPN, this service requires a paid subscription to work. It costs $83.99 if you sign up for annual billing or $11.99 per individual month. This service offers over 5000 different servers in 60 countries, so you have plenty of virtual regions to teleport to.
Enabling this app is as simple as can be — you just click a single button. Your traffic is encrypted using IKEv2/IPsec protocols, no logs or traces are left behind, there’s no limit on your bandwidth. While this service offers solid features and protections, it’s not the best out there. If I personally had to pay for a VPN service, I would likely go for ProtonVPN. They offer more features for a lower price tag.
hide.me VPN
hide.me VPN app offers a free plan so you can protect your digital identity without paying a cent. It claims to be the fastest VPN out there, but we haven’t confirmed that ourselves. If you’re not sure how the whole VPN thing works, this app is for you. It’s easy to set up and requires no advanced knowledge in tech.
This service tunnels your connection over multiple virtual locations, so your digital identity is even more private and secure. It automatically selects the fastest and best performing server for you, too. The new IP address you get is being used by multiple people, so your online activity won’t be linked back to you.
hide.me VPN is available across most popular platforms, including macOS, iPadOS, and iOS. So you can use it on your Mac and other devices as well.
- hide.me VPN is a free VPN service with an optional paid subscription. It uses multiple virtual locations and the same IP address with different users to ensure that profiling you is as tough as it gets.
Betternet VPN
Betternet VPN is another free service with an optional paid subscription. The app doesn’t require you to register, so you can just install and get started. If ads bother you, you want to unlock more virtual locations, or you want no speed limits, you can pay $11.99 per month or $35.99 per year in the US to make the most out of it. Once subscribed, you can link up to 5 devices.
This app is available on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, Chrome (as an extension), and Windows. So no matter what devices you use, you will be able to access this same app from all of them. So whether you want to protect your web surfacing activity on public networks, access regionally blocked websites, or just make it harder for pages and trackers to profile you, hide.me provides a solid service for free.
- Betternet VPN is a free VPN service with an optional paid subscription. Its monthly subscription allows you to use it ad-free, remove speed limitations, and get priority customer support.
Personally, I use Hotspot Shield (free plan) for my occasional VPN needs. If I decide to actively use an app or service for that, though, I would most likely subscribe to one of ProtonVPN‘s paid plans. I think they offer the most value for their relatively low price tag. It’s important to use VPN, especially if you often work from public places, such as Internet Cafés. So make sure to keep your data and digital identity private and secure.
Which VPN app do you use the most, and do you pay for a subscription? Let us know in the comments section below.
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