China is actively blocking VPN services. The government is going to leave only those companies in the country that have received the appropriate license. Most of the articles on the situation with VPNs in China are outdated, so be aware!
You can only trust the services we will tell about now. Of course, other VPNs may also be useful, but we are ready to give you a guarantee that the VPN services in this article will be able to protect you reliably.
All VPN services from this list were tested in 2024 for usual activities in China.
China has passed some of the strictest laws in the world that restrict free access to the Network.
Accordingly, to access familiar sites and applications, you will probably need a VPN. We have tested many services to find the best and fastest VPN providers for you in China that won’t let you down.
Benefits of using VPN
China’s Golden Shield, also known as the Great Firewall, is the strongest virtual security screen in technology that covers people’s access to many of the world’s resources, which is supposedly done to protect the moral values of the population.
The channels do not completely overlap, because the state receives a significant contribution to the budget through businesses and trades, and ordinary people quietly comply with the rules. You need to download VPN for China in advance since you will no longer have access to the VPN services at the entrance to the country.
In this article, we will tell you about the best premium VPN services for China. According to our observation, free services are, in many ways, inferior to paid ones. It also hits the reliability factor due to the absence of the no-log policy. Therefore, we firmly recommend sticking to paid VPN services.
If you want to access the internet with complete freedom in China, then be sure to select the VPN service from this list. At the end of the article, we will pick the VPN service, which we believe is the best one among them.
Great Chinese firewall
As you know, the Great Wall of China is one of the most prominent landmarks in the world, but what about the Great Chinese firewall?
This term, in a broad sense, means the laws, rules, and technologies by which the government of China controls the access to the Network in the territory of this country.
To help control access to these services, the Chinese government uses a national content filter called “The Great Firewall of China.” The filter is used to block access to websites that are anti-state (anti-government) in nature or for any reason that seems legit to the government. In fact, the filter is designed to limit the flow of information from sites such as BBC News, whose materials may be contrary to the opinion of official state media.
What Messengers Are Blocked In China?
Practically, all the messengers we use daily are blocked in China. It also includes social networks and other platforms for communication, file sharing, and more:
- Facebook and Messenger;
- YouTube;
- Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram;
- Instagram;
- Skype and ICQ;
- Google, Gmail, all their services;
You will not be able to connect to these services without a reliable VPN, which will not only hide all your traffic from government screening but also increase the speed of the connection. Only in this way will it be possible to make free video calls or use popular instant messengers, access social networks, watch and share videos in China from a mobile phone and laptop.
A serious problem for foreign visitors
The great firewall filters traffic to every Internet connection in China, and therefore banned sites are blocked absolutely for everyone, and not just for Chinese citizens. This means that a foreign tourist will not be able to connect, for example, to his account on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.
Similar restrictions also apply to those who visit China as part of a business trip. They may also experience problems when trying to access the online services they use for the purpose of their business, including Google Docs and Dropbox. A number of enterprises use them for business purposes.
Using VPN to bypass filters
Chinese users can bypass national content filtering using VPN services (a virtual private network). The VPN service creates an encrypted tunnel for data exchange between the user’s computer and a secure server located outside of China. All web traffic passing through the VPN is encrypted, and therefore, the Chinese content filter cannot “read” it. Then, encrypted web traffic can be used to access blocked resources in normal mode.
It is no longer a rarity that travel agencies recommend users to connect to a VPN service before traveling to China.
The Game of Cat and Mouse
China has blocked access to a VPN several times in the past, but service providers tend to react quickly enough. Reconfiguring your VPN servers allows you to restore access to bypass channels in a matter of hours or days.
If you plan to visit China in the near future, do not forget that you need to install a suitable VPN service and configure it before leaving for China. Otherwise, you may encounter the fact that you cannot read news from your favorite sites, search for information through Google, or send an email through your email account.
It is worth noting that users of the Fastest VPN have access to the fastest VPN service. Therefore, you can go to China and feel safe in the knowledge that the Great Firewall of China will not be able to restrict your Internet access.
The Best and Fastest VPN for China
We have tested and checked all the VPN services that we will recommend to you in this article. You can rely on them if you need secure and unlimited internet access from China. Whether you’re looking for a VPN for Beijing, Shanghai, or just want to protect yourself on the road, only these VPNs will provide you with everything you need.
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Fastest VPN
Fastest VPN tops our list of fastest VPN for China. It is one of the most reliable VPN services available. With low-priced packages, Fastest VPN provides more than 250 connections worldwide to its users. It has a good amount of coverage around China, which allows its users to get the fastest VPN speed.
In all the VPN services, there is always an uncertainty of the leakage of data. This uncertainty is due to the origin of all the VPN services, which usually fall under the Five Eyes. Due to its origin in the Caymans Islands, Fastest VPN makes sure that the privacy and security of its users’ data is the top priority. It is under no obligation to share its users’ data with any form of authority.
What we liked the most about Fastest VPN is its kill switch. Where VPN servers usually drop, and we all know how strict the Chinese government is, it can easily track us if it detects that we were accessing VPN services. To prevent this from happening, Fastest VPN offers kill switch which automatically disables the internet if the VPN server drops.
It also offers 14-days money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied by the service it provides. You can always ask for a refund and contact customer support whenever you come across any issue.
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Express VPN
Express VPN is said to be one of the most recommended VPN services by all sources and millions of users. The stable performance runs on all platforms (Android, iOS, Mac OS, Windows). It is installed instantly, does not need to be configured (unless you need to choose a connection method: automatic, UDP, TCP, IPsec; choose TCP. IPsec can also work, but this is an unreliable method. It starts up with a single button and, by default, immediately connects to Hong Kong. However, they are often loaded, so that the VPN works quickly and connect to other points in Asia (Japanese, Korean, and Singaporean) or Australia.
Express VPN does not have a trial period, but you can get a refund within a month if the conditions do not work. The program has impeccable technical support so that when problems arise, issues are resolved in about 20 minutes.
- Speed
- Number of servers
- Ease of use
- Works with mobile devices
- Works better than others with P2P
- all flow goes through this VPN
- Cannot use VPN in one browser
- Unable to download files to bypass the VPN
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VyprVPN:
High performance in comparison to Express VPN, but fewer servers. Communication seldom disappears, different protocols are used, so if some problems arise (and the Golden Shield is updated regularly, blocking the channels), users have almost no difficulty with the connection.
This service has excellent software, and if you need a VPN for China on Android or iOS, and you are going to manage the options yourself, consider this offer. It also works under Windows and Mac and gives a chance to flexibly configure which traffic to drive through VPN and which to bypass. Three connections are allowed.
There is a test period of 3 days, but install VyprVPN before entering, as it is impossible to download VyprVPN within the boundaries of China, and the authorization service is also disabled. To get a VPN, you need a VPN, which creates certain difficulties.
It has a maximum of protocols, including the unique Chameleon, created specifically for the Middle Kingdom, as well as Nat Firewall, which provides additional confidentiality.
Pros: speed, number of servers, security, compatibility with mobile devices, traffic management.
Cons: The price is high.
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PureVPN:
If you are interested in the most economical and, at the same time, fast VPN, especially for a short trip, choose this one. It offers a maximum of 5 connections. It interacts with Android, iOS, Mac OS, Windows, and even with consoles and Smart-TV. It has extremely detailed instructions on how to connect.
There is no trial period; there is a way to refund money, but with the fulfillment of a whole list of conditions. Some of its features are;
- The cheapest option
- Ability to connect through states
- Traffic separation
- Difficult in refunds
- NordVPN: It works somewhat slowly, but it provides a high level of security due to powerful dual encryption. One of the few VPNs in China for a computer that successfully works with P2P technology (provides access to powerful multi-gigabyte games, movies, high-quality music).
- One license can connect 6 devices
- Double VPN and Tor VPN servers available
- Broadband servers available
- Price is good
In conclusion, to save oneself from the Great Firewall of China, a good VPN connection is a necessity. Especially, if you are a foreigner and are used to have all the services available to you, you must download the fastest VPN, having the most reliable connection, before entering the boundaries of China. Although some of the hotels’ internet connections have a built-in VPN connection, it is still advisable to be prepared. If you want to go for the speed, we would highly recommend you to go for Fastest VPN. You can easily find it on the respective stores. Fastest VPN tops our list of the best and the fastest VPN services for China.
