China has its own internet landscape, featuring many apps and services unknown in other countries. In fact, most services commonly used elsewhere are inaccessible there, making really dificult the communication with the outside world. Currently, using a VPN is the easiest and most effective method to circumvent these restrictions.
As expatriates who have lived in China since as early as 2010, we have had to face the challenges brought by every update of the Great Firewall many times. In this monthly-updated article, we want to share our experience in using VPNs in China to get unrestricted internet access.
Best Working VPNs for China (our choice)
ExpressVPN: Fast and a reliable VPN for China. The recommended choice for non-tech-savvy people.
PureVPN: Affordable, complete, and easy to use. Recently one of the most reliable choices for China.
Surfshark: Cheap, very complete and it has a good performance in China. A good alternative to the big providers.
Ivacy: Good performance in China at a very low price. The recommended choice to have as a backup.
Important: You should always keep your VPN updated to make sure it works at its best.
What is a VPN and Why Do I Need One in China?
As you probably already know, the internet doesn’t work like we would like it to in China, and a large number of websites and apps are blocked by the “Great Firewall.” Among these websites and apps that you can’t access are Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and all Google Services.
There are many other blocked websites, and depending on what you do, it may be virtually impossible for you to work in China without a VPN (Virtual Private Network). In addition, most of the services that aren’t blocked but are allocated outside China, are extremely slow.
To solve this problem, you can install a VPN, which masks your I.P. address so that your laptop appears to be connected from the U.S. or Japan even if you are in China
A VPN will allow you to bypass the firewall and access any website you want. However, you need to choose wisely, even though there are dozens of VPN services available, only a few work well in China. We have tested several of them for more than 10 years and today we’re going to review the ones we like the most.
Essential Tips for Using a VPN in China
- Update the VPN app or software: It’s essential for you to always have the latest version of the VPN program or app. The Great Firewall of China is constantly being modified to limit VPN use in the country. The majority of the software updates offered by the main VPN providers have the purpose of ensuring that their VPN continues to be accessible in China.
- Install the VPN before traveling to China: If you wait until you’re in China to install (and purchase) the VPN, it can be quite difficult due to the following reasons:
- Google Play is blocked in China.
- The Apple AppStore (and other app markets) don’t let you download VPN apps
- Many VPN provider websites are blocked in China.
- Use obfuscated servers: The Chinese Great Firewall has the capability to detect VPN connections and block them. However, some VPN providers, such as the ones mentioned here, offer obfuscated servers that mimic regular internet traffic. This technique helps bypass VPN blocking and allows users to access restricted content in China.
- Check VPN provider’s recommendations for China: The best VPNs normally offer constantly updated information about how to connect effectively your VPN in China. Here you’ll find some tips on how to connect the most popular VPNs in China.
- The closest servers are usually the fastest: A VPN’s speed often depends on the distance between your connection and the server. Servers in countries surrounding China, such as Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong, tend to be the fastest. However, sometimes servers in the United States are faster because they have fewer users connected to them.
- We recommend having a backup VPN: No VPN is infallible, and even less so in China. If you’re going to be in China for a long time and having unrestricted Internet access is essential for you, you should consider having at least one backup VPN.
Pressure on VPNs has greatly intensified over the past years, and all VPNs have undergone breakdowns in service at some time. Even though a good VPN tends to recover in a few hours or days, having a second VPN can be very useful if needed.
- Test out your VPN before going to China: It’s important to become familiar with your VPN before going to China. Check its connectivity, speed, and whether it’s capable of giving you access to geographically restricted websites or services (such as a local streaming service). If the VPN doesn’t offer good performance in your country, it probably won’t work in China.
- There’s no best VPN for China: No VPN is better than the others all the time and everywhere in China. The majority of VPNs have different performances depending on the place in China, the type of connection, the device you are using, among other circumstances. Many VPNs offer a money-back guarantee, so you can try out multiple options before committing.
Note: Some VPNs offer alternative websites that are accessible in China. We try to make it so that the links that you find in this article are also accessible from China, but this isn’t always possible.
How to Choose a VPN for China
- Does it work in China? The large majority of VPNs don’t work well in China. The VPNs that we recommend in this article normally work well in China and have a have a proven record of adapting when the restrictions are intensified.
- Is it fast? Although there are VPNs that work in China, their speed leaves a lot lacking. After trying many VPNs, we can say that ExpressVPN, PureVPN, Surfshark and, Ivacy are among the fastest that we have used. In any event, a VPN isn’t a magical solution, so don’t expect to have the same speeds as when you’re in your country.
- Is it stable? Another common problem is that the connection is unstable (it gets constantly disconnected). The VPNs that we have chosen rarely lose their connection once they are connected.
- Does it offer good technical support? It’s essential for a VPN to have 24-hour technical support that can solve your problems in a few minutes if you have any questions or problems with your connection. Besides, the technical support should be capable of quickly solving the problems that may come up during each update to the Great Firewall.
- Is the software updated regularly? This is very important because, in China, new measures affecting VPN performance are implemented constantly. The best VPNs regularly update their software in order to adapt to the new restrictions imposed in countries like China.
- Does it offer obfuscated servers?: This is an essential feature to consider when choosing a VPN. Without obfuscated servers, your VPN most probably won’t be able to connect. However, while obfuscated servers are essential, they alone may not be sufficient to ensure reliable and effective VPN performance.
- Does it offer encryption protocols that work in China? Good VPNs offer multiple encryption protocols to ensure security and good performance. Currently, it’s important for the VPN that you choose to have at least two of the following protocols: Open VPN, Lightway, Wireguard, IKEv2/IPsec and L2TP/IPsec.
Best VPNs for China (comparative table)
| Features |  |  |  |  | What’s the Best? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Advantage | Fastest and Easiest to Use | ||||
| Money Back Guarantee | 30 days | ||||
| Monthly Plan | 12.95 USD | ||||
| Yearly Plan | 6.67 USD/month(exclusive offer: 3 months free) | ||||
| Support | 24/7/365 | ||||
| Server Count | 3,000+ | ||||
| Countries with Servers | 105 | ||||
| Payment Methods | Credit Card, Paypal, Bitcoin, Alipay, Union Pay and others | ||||
| Desktop Apps | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook | ||||
| Browser Extension | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari | ||||
| Mobile Apps | Android, iOS, Windows Phone | ||||
| Simultaneous Connections | Yes (until 8) | ||||
| Encryption Protocols | Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | ||||
| Dynamic IPs | No | ||||
| Languages Supported | 16 | Try ExpressVPN➤ |
VPN Features Description
- Money Back Guarantee: This is an important feature when choosing a VPN, most of all in China. Even though the four VPN generally work well in China, every place is different. One VPN can work better than another in Shanghai but worse in Changsha, so it is important to have the opportunity to test the VPN before making a year commitment.
- Support: When it comes down to using a VPN in China, it’s extremely important to have access to a support team that can help you when your configuration, for any reason, doesn’t work anymore.
- Server Count: This is a very important feature, as the more servers there are, the less likely it is that your connection will be slow or get cut out due to too many users using the same server.
- Countries With Servers: This is a basic function, especially if you want to access content restricted to a specific country. Besides, it is also necessary to obtain a good browsing speed, as the closer you are to the server, the better the potential speed will be. Therefore, having a large number of servers in countries around China increases the possibility of finding one with good services.
- Browser extension: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari, the two most widely used browsers, allow the possibility of adding small programs (or extensions), which provide new useful tools when browsing the web. Some VPNs offer extensions for these browsers that are used to be able to control a VPN and see the state of the connection easily from your browser while surfing the web. Although it is not an essential option, it makes the use of VPNs much easier and avoids closing and opening the browser every time you change servers or want to connect/disconnect the VPN.
- Simultaneous Connections: Today, being able to have simultaneous connections is a basic feature of a VPN, as having a reliable and free connection to the internet is not just necessary for your laptop but also for your cell phone, tablet or other devices. Having simultaneous connections saves you from the problem of having to connect the VPN depending on which device you want to use to access the internet. With this, for example, you can check Google Maps on your cell phone while you check your Gmail on your computer.
- Encryption Protocols: Encryption protocols are important to improve security. Having various possibilities will ensure that you have more weapons to avoid the Great Firewall, as some encryption protocols don’t work at times. The protocols that tend to work the best are OpenVPN (desktop) and IKEV2 (mobile devices), although the newer protocols WireGuard and Lightway offer better speed and stability.
What VPN Should I Use in China?
We know this is a lot of info to digest and if you aren’t a tech expert, you might be a bit lost. To help you make the right choice, we suggest that you choose the best VPN depending on your priorities (speed, price, user-friendliness, and security).
- If you’re looking for a fast VPN, then ExpressVPN offers the Lightway protocol, a good number of servers close to China and in our tests, tends to always be one of the fastest.
- If you’re looking for a user-friendly VPN then, once more, ExpressVPN is the easiest of the four VPN to use.
- If you need a secure connection for transmitting sensitive data, then you should go for VyprVPN, which offers more protocols including Chameleon, their own servers and Nat Firewall, for an extra layer of security.
- If you all you care about is the price, then Ivacy is the cheapest option among the best VPNs.
- If you need a VPN that can connect to servers from many different countries, ExpressVPN is the one that offers the most possibilities.
Still not sure what VPN should you choose?
Top VPNs in China (survey)
Your opinion is important for us, click here and tell us what’s your favorite VPN for China!
Most popular VPNs in China
Below you’ll find a short review of some of the most popular VPN in China. These reviews are based on our experience using these VPN in China, so they are based on subjective criteria.
ExpressVPN
PriceExclusive Discount
ExpressVPN is currently one of the most popular and recommended VPN in China due to its ease of use fast connections, and reliability. Additionally, ExpressVPN has exclusive access to the Lightway encryption protocol, which is very efficient in China. It’s a great option for those who don’t want complications.
PureVPN
Software Technical serviceExclusive Discount
PureVPN is a comprehensive VPN service at a competitive price. However, its low price is reflected in its less efficient technical service and occasional problems with its software. This VPN is a good option if you are willing to trade off some service quality for a lower cost. PureVPN has recently been one of the most reliable services.
Surfshark
Annual price
Surfshark offers a good performance at a very good price, particularly for the 2-year plan. One of its main advantages is that it is one of the few VPNs that offer both Shadowsocks and the newer WireGuard protocol. Additionally, it offers dynamic IPs through Nexus, a software-defined networking technology. However, significant discounts are only available for at least 2-year subscriptions.
Ivacy
Number of serversExclusive Discount
Ivacy is a lesser-known but innovative VPN, which was one of the first to offer split tunneling. Despite being a low-cost service, it offers a quite good performance in China. Ivacy is one of the few VPNs that have working servers in China and can bypass the Great Firewall in both directions. However, its number of servers and connection speed may be slightly lower compared to the big VPN providers. It can be a good alternative when large VPN providers experience problems or as a backup VPN.
NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the top VPN services in China, known for its completeness, speed, and ease of use. Despite recently is facing severe issues in China, it generally performs well. Although it may be more expensive than other options, its added security and anonymity features make it worth the cost. Overall, NordVPN is a solid choice, particularly if you’re interested in options like a dedicated IP address or setting up your own VPN server with Red Mesh.
VyprVPN
Technical service StabilityExclusive Discount
VyprVPN is considered one of the best VPNs for China, particularly if you prioritize having a highly secure connection. It offers its own servers, its proprietary encryption protocol (Chameleon™), and an additional security layer through Firewall NAT. It also supports the newer WireGuard protocol. However, it has experienced some reliability issues in China in recent times.
VPN Area
Number of servers Website
VPN Area is a high-quality VPN service that offers stability, fast speeds, and reliability at a reasonable price. Due to being less well-known than other VPNs, it may be less likely to be targeted by the Great Firewall of China. However, it does have a smaller number of servers and may require technical assistance to function properly in China. Despite this, VPN Area is a solid alternative worth considering if you are looking for an effective alternative to the major providers.
Astrill VPN
Support service Reliability Number of servers Price
Astrill is a well-known VPN in China and is one of the most effective VPNs bypassing the Great Firewall. In the past had some reliability issues, but after restructuring its service, it has improved its performance and is considered one of the most reliable VPNs in China. However, it’s currently one of the most costly VPNs and it’s known to have poor after-sale service, making it less desirable option compared to other VPNs.
StrongVPN
Extra options
StrongVPN is one of the pioneers in providing high-quality VPN services and for many years, it was one of the most dependable VPNs for use in China. Last years it’s services have been greatly improved, which makes it a less popular but a good option to consider.
TorGuard VPN
Performance in China
TorGuard is a highly comprehensive VPN service that offers competitive pricing. It provides many options such as proxies for Shadowsocks, WireGuard, dedicated IPs, DDOS protected IPs, Stealth VPN, and more. However, during periods of restrictions in China, its performance may not be optimal.
Fastest VPN in China
Determining which VPN is the fastest is quite a complicated question, as it depends on a lot of factors (encryption protocol, Chinese city from which you are connecting, the website you want to visit, and the VPN server you connect to, among many other factors).
To try to answer this question, we tested the connection speed of the VPNs that we recommend in China. We tested the ping, download speed, and upload speed while connected to different VPN servers while accessing websites located in the United States, Europe, and Hong Kong. While the results obtained are complicated to interpret due to the high number of parameters involved, we have been able to come to some conclusions:
- The VPNs tested offer good connection speeds: In general, tests show a ping of less than 250 ms and upload and download speeds which in the majority of cases are better than speeds without a VPN.
- ExpressVPN seems to be the fastest VPN: In the different tests that we carried out, in the majority of cases, ExpressVPN is the VPN that offers the best results for the three indicators (ping, download speed, and upload speed).
- The values of the tests vary greatly: In China, the connection speed is subject to substantial fluctuations depending on the day and time, which directly impacts the VPN’s performance. Additionally, the speed can also vary depending on the specific server you are connected to and the geographical location of the website or data source you are trying to access.
While ExpressVPN seems to be the fastest, this may depend on the place in China from which you are connecting. If you want to verify the performance of your VPN, in this article you can test your connection speed and also explain how to interpret the results obtained.
With these results, you will be able to know if your VPN works well (the values will be similar to or even better than without the VPN). You will as well find out the quality of your connection in China (the values you obtain without a VPN).
Main VPN Encryption Protocols
Encryption protocols are an essential feature when it comes to choosing a VPN, as they determine its level of security and its ability to overcome internet blocking in China and other countries. Below you can find the main encryption protocols:
- PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol): PPTP, with 128 bits, is the weakest encryption protocol, and because of this, it is faster than other protocols. In addition to its speed, it has the advantage of being supported by the majority of devices.
- L2TP/IPSec (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol/Internet Protocol Security): L2TP/IPsec is a 256-bit encryption protocol that is very robust but quite slow. Its main advantage is that this protocol can be used on the majority of mobile devices.
- OpenVPN: OpenVPN can be either 160 or 256 bits, and is a protocol that offers a very high level of security combined with a more than respectable speed. The main problem it has is that it is often not supported by default in many mobile devices, in particular, iOS systems.
- IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange version 2): IKEv2 is often used in conjunction with IPsec for secure communication. It is lighter and more stable than OpenVPN while retaining a certain level of customization. However, it’s only available over UDP. IKEv2 has significant advantages, particularly in terms of speed. Its ability to quickly reestablish connections if they are interrupted makes it especially suitable for mobile devices that frequently switch between networks.
- Chameleon: Chameleon is a protocol very similar to OpenVPN 256 bits, offering a good speed with very robust encryption. It has the feature that it is specially designed so that the connection cannot be identified as a VPN, therefore avoiding it being blocked.
- StealthVPN: Encryption protocol based on OpenVPN with an additional layer of traffic obfuscation. StealthVPN works with both TCP and UDP, and like Chameleon, it is designed specifically to prevent connections through automatic firewalls from being detected.
- OpenConnect: Open source protocol that works with both TCP and UDP. It was designed to replace Cisco’s AnyConnect SSL VPN. The protocol uses a TLS authentication system and DTLS to encrypt traffic. It usually has performance similar to OpenVPN.
- SSTP (Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol): This is one of the fastest protocols, and can even be faster than PPTP. Also, it offers encryption that is almost as robust as LTP2/IPSec. However, this protocol is difficult to implement on the majority of systems and is normally only compatible with Windows.
- WireGuard This is a new open-source protocol with a lot of potential and that should be taken into account. Some VPN providers like NordVPN, VyprVPN, Surfshark, StrongVPN, PureVPN, or TorGuard already offer it. It is a very fast, stable, and secure protocol since it works directly at the kernel level of the operating system. The protocol still needs some development
- Lightway: This is a new open-source protocol and exclusive to ExpressVPN which is similar to WireGuard. It’s faster and more stable than OpenVPN while maintaining very robust encryption.
With regards to China, most VPN protocols are currently blocked in China and it’s necessary additional measures, like obfuscated servers to bypass the Great Firewall. The protocols that tend to be the most secure and stable are OpenVPN, WireGuard, and Lightway. In the case of mobile devices, IKEV2 tends to work quite well.
Performance of VPNs in China
Before starting this section, we would like to inform you that these conclusions are not based on objective data; rather, they are based on our personal experience using VPNs in China.
- VPNs work better outside of large cities: We haven’t found any technical data to confirm our observations, but it seems like the Great Firewall is particularly effective in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. As a result, it’s harder for VPNs to connect reliably in these places. Some VPNs don’t work in these cities at all, while others work better in smaller cities.
- Poor internet connections limit VPN performance: When your VPN won’t connect, it’s easy to assume that the problem is with the VPN itself. But poor internet connections can actually be the main reason, especially in places like hotels or cafes where Wi-Fi may be spotty. Even mobile data connections in big cities can be so congested that VPNs can’t function properly.
- Different VPNs don’t always behave the same: It’s common that depending on the place you’re connecting from, some VPN work better than others. For example, ExpressVPN might work better from your workplace internet connection, whereas NordVPN might work better from home.
What to do if your VPN doesn’t work?
China is constantly updating the Great Firewall to make VPN connections harder, and even the best VPNs can fail or have difficulties connecting.
Some providers offer regularly updated pages with the current status of the VPN in China and offer suggestions on the best way to connect them in China. Below is a list of links to the most popular VPN information pages:
Below you’ll find some general recommendations in case your VPN stops working:
- Update its software: It’s important to always be running the latest version of the software, as many of the updates are done to prevent the VPN from being blocked by the Great Firewall.
- Give the VPN permissions: Sometimes VPNs can be detected as malware by your operating system or your anti-virus. Try deactivating your Firewall/anti-virus and see if this solves the problem. If you want to use the VPN, you will have to give it permission so that your firewall doesn’t block it. It’s important to make sure you’re using a trustworthy VPN (like the ones we recommend in this article), as many VPNs can be dangerous for your laptop or smartphone.
- Check if you are using obfuscated servers: Some VPNs, such as ExpressVPN, automatically enable obfuscated servers by default in China. However, many VPNs have this option disabled by default due to the potential impact on connection speeds.
- Change server: Even though many VPNs have the option to connect to the server with the best performance automatically, sometimes it’s useful to test which server works the best with your connection. As a general rule, choose servers located in countries nearby for better VPN performance
- Change encryption protocol: In our experience, currently, the only protocol that works well in China is OpenVPN (or versions of it, such as Chameleon). However, if you experience difficulties, you can always try other protocols, which sometimes work as well. In order, I would try the following protocols: WireGuard / Lightway, OpenVPN UDP, OpenVPN TCP, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, and SSTP. Don’t bother trying PPTP, as it has never worked in China.
- Contact the technical service: If none of the above has worked for you, you can contact your VPN’s technical department to find out what is happening (it might be temporarily out of service in China) and get a recommended configuration for getting around the Great Firewall. This is why we place a lot of importance on the quality of the VPN’s technical service. Good VPNs respond efficiently and are capable of quickly reacting when the Great Firewall blocks their service.
- Port forward to port 433: This is a more technical solution and isn’t usually necessary. We don’t recommend it for the majority of users.
What is IP leaking and how can it affect me?
When you use a VPN, in theory, your IP address is masked and external observers and the websites you visit can’t determine your real IP address.
To put it simply, IP leaking is when your real IP address is discovered by the webpage you are visiting (normally through the execution of a script) despite you using a VPN. This causes you to lose your anonymity and your geolocation may be detected.
In addition to the anonymity problems that this may pose, IP leaking can make a VPN useless for accessing geographically restricted websites.
While there are many ways of avoiding IP leaking, some of them are quite complicated for people who aren’t experts on the subject. Even so, there are simple measures that can substantially reduce the likelihood of this happening.
Obviously, the better your VPN, the lower the likelihood of IP leaking.
The other precaution has to do with choosing your browser. Studies carried out on multiple browsers show that without a doubt, Microsoft Edge is the worst of them all and in this sense, Safari is the most secure. Opera and Google Chrome are similar and despite being better than Edge, are quite insecure. Mozilla Firefox is quite secure without reaching the same level as Safari.
Is it legal to use a VPN in China?
We aren’t lawyers and we are certainly not qualified to provide any legal advice. So what follows is result of our extensive research on the topic.
There are many rumors and contradictory information on the subject, but as far as we know, using a VPN isn’t illegal in China. Even if it’s true that VPN gets often blocked, on the other hand, VPN is a necessary tool to improve security at companies, and because of this, it would make little sense to declare all VPN to be illegal.
However, at the beginning of 2017, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology declared that the VPN services in China need to obtain a government approval.
While this legislation appears to only refer to VPN providers operating from within China, it’s not clear how this legislation is also being applied to VPN providers operating outside of China like the ones we recommend.
Since 2017, the apps for the main VPNs have not been available in the Apple App Store in China. However, this doesn’t stop you from using them (you can download them outside of China or configure the VPN manually).
In any event, you should keep in mind that when using a VPN, it doesn’t necessarily have to be illegal: it depends on the situation, and whether what you do with the VPN can be illegal or not. For example, if someone uses a VPN (to avoid being identified) to scam people, it’s obvious that this activity is illegal and will, therefore, be prosecuted.
For more information on the subject, we published a comprehensive guide on Chinese 2017 cybersecurity law and its consequences.
What Websites are Blocked in China?
The list of websites blocked in China is long and changes every day. Generally speaking, the most popular social networks (Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc), messaging applications (WhatsApp, Messenger, Snapchat, Line, etc.), blogging platforms (WordPress.com, Blogspot, etc), Google services (Google.com, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Hangouts Google Docs, etc) and media websites that may be or have been critical towards China (The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and LeMonde, just to provide some examples) are blocked.
Then, there are websites or software that aren’t blocked but are so slow that they become practically useless. The most common example is probably Skype, which works on and off (for calls, messages usually work fine).
Generally speaking, most of the websites that aren’t hosted on a Chinese server will be slow, when you try to connect from within China.
The best way to overcome this problem is, of course, to choose a VPN that is working well in China!
Best Free VPNs for China
We recommend that you NEVER use a free VPN. They are normally a serious risk to your security and privacy or simply don’t work. Maintaining a VPN that works in China implies a significant financial expense, and therefore you should ask where the VPN is getting this money from.
My recommendation is that you should carefully examine any VPN of this type before installing it, as in many cases, it will install other things, such as programs that display ads while you are browsing, programs that store your browsing data to sell it to third parties or programs that use your computer as a server (your laptop and your Internet connection will work much more slowly). Plus, in the worst case, they are simply viruses or malware.
Given that they only a few USD a month, there is no doubt that the best option is to buy a decent VPN.
If I haven’t convinced you, this article gives some recommendations on free VPNs for China.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
If you have an Apple device (iPhone or iPad), first you have to manually configure the VPN (see the instructions on the VPN provider’s website), connect, and then later use the App Store to download the app. Keep in mind that if you try to download the VPN app directly from the App Store before connecting your VPN, you will get an error message. You can get more detailed information in this article.
Nonetheless, the large majority of VPN websites are blocked and their apps have been withdrawn from the App Store and Chinese app markets.
In any event, China has services that are equivalent to those that are blocked, such as Baidu, WeChat, and Weibo, among others.
However, it’s important to cancel recurring payments if you want to avoid automatically being charged the fee for the following month.
However, you should know that once in China, the App Store will prevent you from downloading (or updating) VPN applications. If you want to use a VPN on your Apple device, you will have two options: downloading the app outside of China or configuring it manually (VPN websites tend to have detailed instructions on how to do this).
Remember that once the VPN is connected, you will be able to download or update the app without any problem.
However, many apps aren’t available unless you use a VPN, such as VPN apps, WhatsApp, Skype, and many others.
Photo Credits: 1. Photo by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay
2. Photo by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay
3. Photo by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay
Dear Furio Fu,
Hi, I have recently moved to Shanghai from Singapore (originally from the US) and overall I have found your website to be extremely useful.
However, I must say, that I naively followed your advice with regards to VyprVPN, and I regret it now. Half the time the connection doesn’t work at all, and if and when it does actually connect, the connection is painfully slow (as in, 1990s speeds), to the point where it is functionally useless. Yes, maybe 10% of the time it works enough to browse facebook (slowly), and even watch a youtube video after ages of buffering. This is irrespective of device or location (I try on my tablet + my phone), and my internet without VPN is perfectly fine and normal (minus Google, etc, of course).
Moreover, their customer service is horrible (whereas in your article, you said they had great customer service). I could excuse the slow speeds if it were an internet issue, but the customer service is really disappointing. They take upwards of 24 hours to respond, and give me pointless tests to do (that don’t solve anything, and that I’m unable to complete) over and over again.
So in the end, I wish you could reconsider, in all fairness, your recommendation of VyprVPN. You say that it works in China, which is simply not the case, and people who read your otherwise extremely helpful website should not be fooled. By browsing your comments, it seems that I’m not the only one having issues with VyprVPN.
Thanks all the same for the website.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Ryan,
I’m sorry to hear that. Please consider the following:
1. Vypr overall is still one of the best VPN for China. We monitor VPNs constanly and ask feedback to readers we know are using them. The problems on the comments is that usually only people that have issues let a comment. People that aren’t having issues are happy so they don’t feel the need to let a comment here.
2. VPN are a complicated technology. Sometimes a given VPN will work better or worse on a given laptop/network, according to many factors such IPs, other installed software and so on.
3. As for customer service, I don’t know what’s up. I wrote an email to Vypr and asked them to get back to you ASAP
4. We make our best to only suggest the best products, however it’s not easy to always be on top of everything. If we would think that a given VPN is not working in China as it should, we would update this article as soon as possible.
I hope this helps!
Cheers
F.
Thanks, I appreciate your quick and helpful response. I will keep trying with them. Otherwise, next time I leave China, I will try a different one and see if results are better.
Thanks again for your useful website.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
You are welcome, Ryan. We are glad you like SDC : )
Hi Fu,
I just wanted to update you (and other readers) on my situation.
I decided to give Express VPN a try….. and everything works perfectly! So far I would recommend that service instead of VyprVPN. But maybe I was just unlucky…
Hi Ryan thanks for sharing with us.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi Ryan,
thank you for updating us! I also received an email from Vypr telling us that they reached out to you.
Cheers
F
I am not in China. Want a vpn that can access chinese apps. Any recommendation? Thank you.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello, our recommendation are on the article!
Is there any restriction/problem with any of this VPN services if I use a usb 3G stick with a laptop? if not, which one is a good brand or where can I find one to work in China? I just need it for 2 weeks…
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
I don’t think it’s a problem at all. I guess you can find it on a electronic store; I never bought a usb 3G stick myself!
Hi could you display and compare the speed test for each one of them.
Currently express vpn is crapy. Always disconnected, slow speed on my current speed of 20mb/s i have after expressvpn service only 50k to 800kb/s. The speed look like 20 years ago.
Also their platform have difficulty to connect now to the server in hongkong, japan, syngapore etc..
They 72 servers but most of them can connect or if connected crazy slow. useless.
Please comment and show us the speed after china telecom to hong kong vpn service to compare the speed. Please also do a tracert to see the number of hope for anyone.
At least make a smart compare of VPN service.
Thank you
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
we plan to add speed tests in future and to have a routine to compare more VPNs on a regular basis. However please understand that this is just one of the hundreds and hundreds of articles published on SDC; we publish new articels every single week in 3 language and we are only two people handling all this.
There is a limited time we can devote to the VPN article…
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Also, notice that speed tests are affected by 1. Your connection 2. Your location 3. Your laptop 4. The particular condition of the Chinese net on a given day… so our speed tests most likely will be differently from yours. We receive a ton of feedback and so far Express is mostly getting positive feedback. Then sure, another VPN may work better for your specific case.
Express VPN is crappy
The only thing that is powerfull on Express VPN is their advertisement
I have a 100 mb/s T1 line ,my internet is good untill i connect with ExpressVPN then everything slow down , it is like im using a dial in modem
72 servers and none works decent , complains do not help
Calling the “help”desk is useless , they dont care
Management never answer on the emails you send them
vyprvpn: I read that chameleon does not run on iOS devices, which is a problem – Also while testing vypr on ipad within the us, netflix stopped working during playtime – warning that “this content may not be available for your country” – Turning off vpn fixed the issue, which means vypr is no use on ipad (at least without chameleon).
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
may I know what server you chose to test Netflix? Cause if you tested it on a server that wasn’t in US, it’s perfectly normal that Netflix gave a problem
Hello,
I am going to Shanghai in 2 weeks and I don’t really know which VPN to get. I am going to stay there for a year until next summer and my priority is to use Facebook, Youtube, Instagram normally. Could someone advise me what should I do, please?
Thank You
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello, at this moment ExpressVPN seems the one that’s going better in China.
Hi, im moving to Shanghai in 2 days and this is very helpfull about the blockage of the Great Firewall. But I have a question, is this ilegal? Could I get in trouble if I start using a VPN? I dont really know anything about this.
Thank you very much
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
as we said on the article, is borderline and we can’t really reply to you as we aren’t lawyers.
Use ExpressVPN. This is what I am using for work in Beijing, not just for personal fun. It is reliable in both PC and my iPhones. I also tested in Shanghai and it did well. The speed is good. Though it is $12.95/month, it is worth every penny!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Terry,
yes, we are keeping receiving good feedbacks on a steady way for Express VPN
Hi Sborto,
As I read the latest comment from some readers here, I saw that VyprVPN doesn’t work anymore in China. But actually, I prefer not to believe them unless you tell me it is not working anymore. If they are not working anymore, please advise which VPN service should I go for now. VyprVPN is my 1st choice because they can sign up by monthly as I will be in Shanghai for only a week, probably will get the yearly package later after my move on October.
By the way in my personal opinion, what’s the point for bro to explain whether you are earning commission from the VPN company or not? I mean this is really a stupid question, at least to me. You are scratching a lot of useful information just for public convenience, therefore, you deserve the commission for the hard effort. By signing up either personally or provided link, it is still the same price I need to pay for. So why not I rewards someone who have put in some effort and convenience to us without paying more? Therefore, I don’t see a point here by asking this kind of question just because of their jealousy mindset and not happy with someone that get rich on true efforts.
Thanks
Regards
Kimi
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Kimi,
VyprVPN is still working in China, as well as ExpressVPN and StrongVPN. Some people may have problems for so many reasons (their operative system, other software installed that make a conflict, their internet connection, and so on).
When they have such a problems, they blame the VPN and, sometimes, they stop by and let a comment. Also, notice that many people that let comments are just working for other VPNs (there are a ton out there). However, since we can’t know who is letting a genuine comments and who is just trying to discredit a given VPN, we prefer to let all comments (unless they are overly spammy or offensive).
As for the commissions discussion, we don’t only earn money from VPN; we also do for hotels and more products. If it wasn’t like that we would have closed the site years ago cause we spend a lot of time on it and we have a lot expenses (especially writers and translators, we publish in 3 languages, but also hosting, webdesign and more).
Thank you for your understanding and good look for your new adventure in China!
Thank you for your honesty. Cheers..
Yeah, VyprVPN is shady. What’s worse, I never managed to get it to work in China. Switched back to Astrill, never had any problems… Bad and very, very slow customer service (guess why). Since I am not the only one with the same issues, Vypr certainly cannot be considered as one of top 5 VPNs for China IMO.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello, thank you for sharing your opinion. However our experience is different and we think that Vypr is overall superior than Astrill. There will always be someone having problems with a given VPN; and since here we review Vypr, people complain about Vypr.
I remember that when we used to recommend Astrill, back in 2012, people would complain about Astrill : )
The truth is that often, when there is an update on the Great Firewall, Astrill is the first VPN that stops to work, probably because it’s the most popular. And if you already paid for 6 or 12 months, it sucks.
Hi, Woohoo,
Thanks for sharing your vyprvpn experience in China. That’s what I am worried about. PureVPN worked once there for me and I couldn’t use any Google Apps there for the rest of my trip. I really wonder why this article puts vyprvpn and PureVPN in its top three VPNs comparison list when they don’t actually work!
Further, I’d like to learn how Furio’s team actually tests Express, Vypr and PureVPN. Where are their servers located in China if any there.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
We don’t have any servers in China. We are not a test company for VPNs… We are a website that writes on topics related to Live and travel in China. Our writers – based in China – test the VPNs on their personal laptops, exactly as our readers.
We get a ton of feedback (both positive and negative) and this article, which we update often, it the result.
FYI,
I am still dealing with vyprvpn bullshit. And yes, I’m being profane, because there is no other suitable word for it. If you’re sensitive to such matters, I apologize for offending by calling a spade a spade.( And yes, I’m posting this on multiple blogs. In fact, the same ones that I read, in order to find a new VPN provider.)
So the deal is, is that I tried to pay using Paypal. Only, Golden Frog said the had to do a security review. So, would I please provide them with with:
1) The name of the financial institution associated with my PayPal account
2) My location
3) The email address associated with the financial institution.
I replied:
Nunya business
I’m in China, logged into a VPN sevrver in LA, California
This email (the one I was using to communicate with Golden Frog, aka the “from:” header)
(Now I realize just how stupid it was to give them the email, and am now going to have to change it with Paypal, as that’s HALF the info needed to log in to my PayPal acct.)
Anyway, they say, Ok, you need to log out of your VPN, then go to their “what is my IP address” site and then provide that to them. Oh, and they still need the email address associated with my financial institution…
I told them “meh, I’m done. I’ll be sure to let Paypal know to take you off the approved payee list”.
They say, if I don’t respond, then I get no service….. I though fine, and didn’t reply.
It was a few hours later… I get a notice from PayPal saying that Golden Frog had added themselves to my payee list. Those bastards. I’m not compliant enough to get their service, but they’ll bill me anyway?
ExpressVPN.net is working well for me at the moment, but I’m mostly just sad that connections to AirVPN’s servers are so problematic. Both services took my Paypal payment, and in the case of ExpressVPN seem to be nice and steady. AirVPN served me well for YEARS outside of China, but I can’t keep an SSL tunnel up very long, now that I’ve been in one location for a month.
S
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
it seems that you had a payment issue with Paypal… this can happen (it happened several time to me with several services, not related to VPN), but we can’t certainly help you with that. I always solved it discussing with Paypal or the service that was causing problems (the last time was Skype).
WHY DID YOU DELETE MY PREVIOUS QUESTION???
DO THE VPN YOU RECOMMEND OFFER YOU ANY KIND OF INCENTIVE???
SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A PAID FOR ARTICLE.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
We deleted it because your email address ([email protected], I covered it for matters of privacy) and name looks like the exact profile of a spammer. We receive a shitload of spam on ALL our article and we are sick of it.
Yes, we get a commission for the VPN, as well as for other services we recommend. It’s certainly not a secret, in fact we link to our disclosure from each page of this website, from our e-book and so on. Here you are: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/disclosure/
Having said that, we receive emails from VPN services every single week offering us higher commission and so on… However, we only recommend product we tested and liked.
Hi there! I’m visiting China in a week and a half and I was wondering if these VPNs still work. Thank you in advance!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello, yes, they are all working!
hii, im moving to beijing in 2 weeks and i will stay there for a whole year, are these vpns still working?? :) thank you
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello,
yes, they are still working!
Thanks for the article.Why using a VPN when you can use a DNS service like UnoTelly? The DNS option is much faster and easier to use.
“When you are connected to your VPN you are acting from the country where the server is located (typically U.S.). This means that you’re subject to U.S. copyright laws (and not to Chinese laws, which are much more relaxed on this matter). Do it at your own risk!”
I don’t think anyone in China has anything to worry about. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act has no power there and since the Chinese government doesn’t really like the US government, they’re not going to do anything US courts may demand or even request.
Probably, nothing is going to happen to you directly, but the VPN provider might be forced to close your account. Anyway, for obvious reasons we can’t promote the violation of the copyright laws.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Well, if you are a US citizen (or if you plan to visit the US in future) I’d be very very careful before infranging US copyright laws!
So, we recommend you don’t infrange any copyright law (from any state, not only US), either you are in China or another country.
Is this a paid article? Honestly none of the services mentioned in here worked for me and my friend in China! We had to try among the long list of servers from purevpn before we paid, thanks to their free trial. You may wanna look and compare!?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I heard Pure VPN is also a good choice! We are actually considering to review it too. It does take time and effort as we keep monitoring the VPNs we recommend to make sure they are still working.
What you say is incorrect: all the VPN we mention work well. There will always be somebody complaining that a given VPN is not working. Sometimes they are “honest” readers, other times they work for VPN that we don’t recommend. Difficult to assess, especially when they use anonymous emails address & names as you do! Andrew / [email protected]? Come on!
Astrill is also a viable choice. Personally I used it for years and I stopped because it does have a drawback: since it’s the most popular, when China decides to enforce more control (near elections etc), it’s one of the first VPN to fall.
As for paid/not paid articles, you can read our disclosure: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/disclosure/
It’s quite straightforward
Thank You, Andrew!!!
My friend is recently went china without install vpn.she is struggling to get google,gmail.how to get vpn or anyother bypass for gmail.after arraive china
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Just contact the support team of the VPN you bought and tell them to send you the software to install without using Google Play
I’ve been using Witopia since 2010. It’s still a robust VPN. If there are issues, all that’s required is an email to them, and within half an hour to one hour the problem is solved. Superb service and support.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I’m familiar with Witopia. I started to use it on May 2010 and it stopped to work after 6 months. It didn’t work at all in 2011. Therefore we can’t recommend it.
Well, I have to say that I’m surprised as so many foreigners have managed how to pass through the Great Fire Wall (GFW) in China. However, buying an existing VPN seems like a rather popular solution for them. On one hand, it’s convenient because there should be some customer service agents who will be helpful especially for new users. On the other hand, the VPNs are uneconomical, and it will probably increase the latency while browsing Chinese local websites. If they just want to access the full internet in China, they could have made their own private proxies instead. VPS, the abbreviation of Virtual Personal Server, is less well-known in the strictly censored country. Being famous here as an VPN, as some related articles of this websites have mentioned, could be quite awful. The fact is, PPTP/L2TP/OpenVPN all have their own issues, Which means these VPN services might become unavailable anytime without a notification. GFW has cracked the encryption methods of them, thus they could be simply blocked. What about a VPS? As far as this is concerned, it works fine, unless we want to play an online game outside China. A VPS is much stabler and safer.
Well, I figure it’s a little bit long for a casual comment online, so I’ll end it here. Don’t hesitate to reply me once you need more details.
Very interesting comment, Amell, could you provide a bit more details on how to work with a VPS to set up a personal VPN? Can you provide some online resources as well?
yes please!! :D :D :P