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A massive spike in brute-force attacks targeted Fortinet SSL VPNs earlier this month, followed by a switch to FortiManager, marked a deliberate shift in targeting that has historically preceded new vulnerability disclosures.

The campaign, detected by threat monitoring platform GreyNoise, manifested in two waves, on August 3 and August 5, with the second wave pivoting to FortiManager targeting with a different TCP signature.

As GreyNoise previously reported, such spikes in deliberate scanning and brute-forcing precede the disclosure of new security vulnerabilities 80% of the time.

Often, such scans aim at enumerating exposed endpoints, evaluating their significance, and estimating their exploitation potential, with actual attack waves following shortly after.

“New research shows spikes like this often precede the disclosure of new vulnerabilities affecting the same vendor — most within six weeks,” warned GreyNoise.

“In fact, GreyNoise found that spikes in activity triggering this exact tag are significantly correlated with future disclosed vulnerabilities in Fortinet products.”

Due to this, defenders shouldn’t dismiss those spikes in activity as failed attempts to exploit old, patched flaws, but rather treat them as potential precursors to zero-day disclosure and strengthen security measures to block them.

The Fortinet brute-force attacks

On August 3, 2025, GreyNoise recorded a spike in brute-forcing attempts targeting Fortinet SSL VPN as part of a steady activity it has been monitoring since earlier.

JA4+ fingerprint analysis, a network fingerprinting method for identifying and classifying encrypted traffic, linked the spike to June activity originating from a FortiGate device on a residential IP address associated with Pilot Fiber Inc.

“This overlap doesn’t confirm attribution, but it suggests possible reuse of tooling or network environments,” commented GreyNoise in its bulletin.

Two days later, on August 5, a new brute-force campaign from the same attacker emerged, which switched targeting from FortiOS SSL VPN endpoints to FortiManager’s FGFM service.

“While the August 3 traffic has targeted the FortiOS profile, traffic fingerprinted with TCP and client signatures — a meta signature — from August 5 onward was not hitting FortiOS,” explained GreyNoise.

“Instead, it was consistently targeting our FortiManager – FGFM profile albeit still triggering our Fortinet SSL VPN Bruteforcer tag.”

This shift suggested that either the same attackers or the same toolset/infrastructure moved from trying to brute-force VPN logins to trying to brute-force FortiManager access.

The IP addresses associated with this activity, and which should be placed on blocklists, are:

• 31.206.51.194
• 23.120.100.230
• 96.67.212.83
• 104.129.137.162
• 118.97.151.34
• 180.254.147.16
• 20.207.197.237
• 180.254.155.227
• 185.77.225.174
• 45.227.254.113

GreyNoise notes that the tracked malicious activity is evolving with time and is associated with a specific origin cluster that most likely performs adaptive testing.

In general, this activity is unlikely to be researcher scans, which are typically broader in scope and limited in rate, and wouldn’t involve credential brute-forcing, which is seen as an apparent intrusion attempt.

Hence, defenders should block the listed IPs, increase login protection on Fortinet devices, and harden external access where possible, restricting access only to trusted IP ranges and VPNs.

Canny kids are borrowing adult faces to get around the age checks now required to access popular websites in the U.K., but there’s an easier (if more expensive) method: just use a virtual private network to access the web from another country. A tried and tested method for use in other countries with heavy internet censorship, that football’s coming home. The Financial Times reports an explosion in use of VPNs there in the last week. [archive]

But to evade the new rules, a growing number of people in the UK are turning to tools more often used by citizens in authoritarian regimes to get around internet censorship. Apps offering virtual private networks — which route a smartphone or PC’s internet traffic to another country, bypassing local network providers — made up half of the top 10 most popular free apps on the UK’s App Store for iOS this weekend, according to Apple’s rankings. Proton VPN leapfrogged ChatGPT to become the top free app in the UK, according to Apple’s daily App Store charts, with similar services from developers Super Unlimited and Nord Security also rising over the weekend. Proton, the Swiss-based company behind the top VPN app, said it had experienced a more than 1,800 per cent increase in daily sign-ups from UK-based users after new age verification rules took effect on Friday. Nord said there had been a 1,000 per cent increase in UK purchases of VPN subscriptions since before the rules took effect.

An amazing quote from Proton: “We would normally associate these large spikes in sign-ups with major civil unrest.”

The so-called “Online Safety Act” does prohibit VPN companies from disclosing that their services can be used to circumvent censorship, but did not otherwise regulate their use. The omnishambles at hand–nothing successfully blocked and everyday Britons learning en masse how to browse more privately–has already got local media vaguely suggesting a VPN ban is now on the table.

If you are concerned about your privacy and security online using a VPN could give you some reassurance. Apple provides various measures in macOS that make Macs more secure, but if you want to ensure that the connection between your Mac and the internet is protected, rather than the computer itself, you need a VPN.

Our top choice for Mac users is NordVPN, read on to find out why.

Using a VPN essentially makes you invisible on the web–your data is encrypted, your IP address is hidden, and you can even make it look like you are surfing from another country. This latter reason is the main reason many people use a VPN: they want to access services that are locked to a particular region, such as accessing U.S. Netflix from the U.K. or BBC iPlayer from the U.S.

If you are looking for a VPN to protect your privacy and security online, and to grant you a way to access content as if you are in a different country, we are here to help. There are a lot of VPN providers vying for your business, which can make finding the best one to suit your needs difficult. To help you sort out the right provider for you, we’ve committed to extensive research and testing of VPN services that cater to Mac owners in our guide to the top VPN services for Mac.

Best VPNs for Mac: Reviewed & Ranked

Our top choice right now is NordVPN, which we feel stands out in many areas, from speed and privacy to unblocking and ease of use.

Below you will find the VPN services for Mac that we recommend based on our tests.

All of these VPNs will also work on your iPhone and iPad as well, and many with Apple TV, but you might want to check out our separate guides to the best VPNs for iPad and iPhone.

1. NordVPN – Fully featured and fast VPN option

Pros

• Easy to use
• Impressive WireGuard speeds
• Lots of servers

Cons

• Two separate apps can be confusing

Price When Reviewed:

Basic plan from $3.09 a month for two years. Usually $12.99.

• 5,300 servers
• 10 simultaneous connections

NordVPN is one of the biggest and best-known VPN services. It’s a fully featured VPN option that’s secure, easy to use, and unbelievably fast compared to its competitors. There are cheaper options, with unlimited connections and more in-depth VPN features, but NordVPN is our top choice right now because it stands out in so many areas, from speed and privacy to unblocking and ease of use.

There are more than 5,300 servers (none of which are virtual) available across 60 countries, which sounds great. You probably only care about the servers where you want to unblock content, but the more servers the better as it means you have a better chance of finding one that’s not overloaded. You won’t have to figure out which one to choose thanks to the handy ‘Quick connect’ feature that picks the server best suited to your needs.

Connections are fast and reliable, and NordVPN unblocks popular streaming services around the world including Netflix and BBC iPlayer. You can connect up to six devices simultaneously including your Apple TV.

Nord has added support for the faster WireGuard protocol in NordLynx, making it one of the fastest VPN services out there. However, it’s only available on the ‘IKE’ version of the app, which only offers a permanently enabled kill switch. To have more control, you’ll need to download the ‘OpenVPN’ version, albeit with slightly slower speeds.

Nord has an up-to-date independent audit. It also has specialty servers for specific purposes.

Nord frequently has deals on offer that save money on the usual monthly price if you take advantage of the two-year plan. NordVPN offers three tiers: Standard, Plus and Ultimate. You can get Plus features (data breach scanner and password manager) or the Ultimate tier adds cloud storage and insurance options.

Prices change all the time, so take a look at the prices and plans at NordVPN.com.

Read our full

NordVPN review

2. Surfshark – Easy to use, secure VPN

Pros

• Simple to use
• No device limits
• Great for streaming services

Price When Reviewed:

Starter plan from $1.99 a month for two years + 3 free months. Usually $15.45 a month.

Best Prices Today:

Surfshark (Monthly)

$1.99

• 3,200 servers in 100 countries
• Unlimited simultaneous connections

Surfshark is a reliable, affordable option with more than 3000 servers spread across 100 countries. Surfshark’s network is one of the widest and most varied of any VPN.

Its apps, which work with Macs, iPhones, and even Apple TV, as well as other devices, are easy to use. The macOS app offers light and dark modes, and you can opt to have it shown in the dock or the menu bar. The iOS version of SurfShark offers features like MultiHop and Dedicated IP – it’s not a watered-down versions of their desktop VPN.

SurfShark offers three tiers of features at varying price points. SurfShark Starter offers VPN functionality as well as an ad blocker and the option to generate a proxy email address and personal details. SurfShark One adds email and payment detail breach alerts, as well as personal data security reports, antivirus and other malware protection. And the One+ plan adds data removal from company databases and people search sites.

When we reviewed Surfshark previously we had some performance issues, but this time around things were a lot better. With WireGuard, SurfShark is the slickest VPN around, removing very little speed from my connection. OpenVPN, where we had problems previously, was much swifter this time around. Whichever protocol we used, we were able to flick between streaming libraries with ease.

Those protocols also offer varying degrees of encryption to keep your data secure. The Kill Switch feature is billed as a “safety net”, It’ll shut down your connection if your VPN connection falters, preventing personal data from sneaking out to bad actors.

Surfshark is is headquartered in the Netherlands and has a privacy-minded no-logs policy that’s regularly audited. Surfshark’s process means it logs a small amount of data that’s then scrubbed from its servers with 15 minutes of closing the connection. Surfshark confirmed to us in June 2025 that they had their no-logs policy independently verified again and Deloitte confirmed that they don’t monitor what our users do online and do not keep logs of their activities.

For even more security, the Antivirus Scan feature (available with Surfshark One and One+) can run scheduled background scans if you leave the app open. Ransomware Shield and Webcam Protection can stop your personal folders and hardware camera from falling into the wrong hands respectively, and the app will constantly look to update its database of viruses to cross-reference files.

Sign up to Surfshark here.

Read our full

Surfshark review

3. ExpressVPN – Fast, privacy-focused VPN

Pros

• Easy-to-use
• Broad device support
• Excellent speeds

Cons

• Illusive ExpressVPN team
• Expensive

Price When Reviewed:

From $4.99 a month for 2 years + 4 free months

Best Prices Today:

ExpressVPN (Monthly)

$4.99

• 2,000 servers
• 8 simultaneous connections

If you want to circumnavigate geoblocking to get access to content not available where you live, protect your data while browsing the web from a public network, and keep your web browsing habits private, ExpressVPN, with its server locations across 105 countries, can do just about all of this with two or three clicks.

ExpressVPN is remarkably easy to use, but if you have any difficulties the 24-hour live chat means you can be connected to a real human to discuss issues within minutes.

There are native apps on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Android and Windows. Plus you can use it on eight devices at once (the limit was five previously).

Like all VPNs there is some speed loss because you are routing via a server in another country, but ExpressVPN does well to mitigate this, dropping less than 13% of download speed in our testing. NordVPN remains faster with a 12% loss in our tests, but ExpressVPN’s 13% is still better than most.

ExpressVPN offers no fewer than six different choices for protocol. Lightway, the company’s own option, is rapid. For improved compatibility you can switch to another version of Lightway or OpenVPN – things slowed down with  24% of speed loss with the latter.

There’s no Malware protection with ExpressVPN, but you can install a password manager called ExpressVPN Keys.

The company is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, so it’s free from the majority of intelligence-sharing agencies’ jurisdiction. While it also operates a no-log policy, it doesn’t have PureVPN’s “always-on” audit process, but it undergoes audits each year.

ExpressVPN’s more expensive than many of its contemporaries and doesn’t allow access from unlimited devices (just eight). But you get a solid, speedy connection with minimal fuss, and you don’t have to tie-in for a two-year deal to get the best value. That latter point is important because VPN legislation can change regularly.

See ExpressVPN subscription plans here.

Read our full

ExpressVPN review

4. ProtonVPN – Full of features

Pros

• Simple to use
• Free plan
• Great speed

Cons

• Setup on macOS was a little fiddly

Price When Reviewed:

From $2.99 a month for two years. Usually $9.99 a month.

Best Prices Today:

Proton Technologies (Monthly)

$2.99

• 6,500+ servers in 100+ countries (access servers in 5 countries on free plan, on one device)
• 10 simultaneous connections

ProtonVPN’s free tier of membership helps to set Proton VPN apart from some of its rivals. It’s naturally limited, with US, Japan, and Netherlands as the server locations and some speed drop – but it’s still pretty usable

If you pay for the service it offers a sleek interface, impressive connection speeds and just about enough features to improve your day-to-day web experience without throwing too many complex concepts at new users. 

Proton VPN Plus offers a host of features, including an ad and tracker blocker and speed of up to 10 Gbps, as well as a 10-device limit. There’s Port Forwarding for downloads and gaming, too, as well as a Kill Switch for disconnecting should the VPN drop out.

Some VPN services offer features like dark web data notifications. Proton VPN sticks to the basics – and does so very well. The company’s “no-logs” policy confirms it doesn’t track sites, IP addresses, communications, or session lengths, nor does it track location-based information. Proton is Swiss-based, and only Swiss court orders can request data from the company, but since it doesn’t log data there’s very little it can offer to law enforcement.

For the privacy-minded, Secure Core, routes traffic through one of the company’s ‘Secure’ servers, minimizing the potential of a data leak. These secure servers are owned by Proton and are located in more than 90 countries.

Proton VPN does increase latency, but only by about 29% in our testing on a modest 60 Mbps broadband. In fact, it’s only about 7% slower when downloading and 5.5% slower when uploading, making it one of the slicker VPNs we’ve tested.

In terms of included VPN protocols, Smart will be ideal for most users, automatically setting the right protocol for your current usage, but WireGuard, WireGuard (TCP), IKEv2 and Stealth are also offered.

Proton VPN is an easy recommendation both for new and experienced users.

Sign up for Proton’s subscription plans here.

Read our full

ProtonVPN review

5. FastestVPN – Good for VPN newbies

Pros

• Great pricing, including lifetime plan
• Impressive speeds and features

Cons

• Fewer servers than some rivals

Price When Reviewed:

Lifetime special deal: $40, usually $600

Best Prices Today:

FastestVPN (Lifetime payment)

$40

• 800+ servers in 49+ countries
• 10 simultaneous connections

FastestVPN packs impressive VPN performance, but that’s only one facet of what makes it worth a look. It’s also relatively cheap compared to many rivals, and has seen a bunch of improvements since we took a look in 2021.

The app is sleek and easy to use and offers 10 simultaneous connections.

FastestVPN is headquartered in the Cayman islands and has undergone a third-party audit from Altius to confirm its no-logs policy.

Since the last time we looked at it it’s gained a number power user features like multi-hop connections. It also now features an Internet Kill Switch to shut down all traffic if your VPN drops for any reason. You can also use Smart Tunneling to ensure certain apps go via a VPN while others don’t.

Will FastestVPN help you get around geoblocks? Yes, in fact, FastestVPN highlights certain streaming-focused servers to help get around geoblocking.

You’ll find a variety of VPN protocols to choose from, with Wireguard, OpenVPN (TCP and UDP options) and IKEv2 available, and Servers have recently been updated to 10 Gbps options, but despite the name, it’s not the fastest around. However, it’s so affordable that it’s hard not to recommend, with a lifetime price of $40 (normally $600), which we’ve even seen reduced to just $30!

FastestVPN does a great job and for a lot less than others. FastestVPN has more than 800 servers, which is a lot – but in context, that’s dramatically less than NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Rivals do offer a larger server count, but the ease of use, and low barrier of entry, make FastestVPN one of our best VPN picks in 2025.

FastestVPN is available on Mac as well as Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and plenty more apps.

See FastestVPNs plans here.

Read our full

FastestVPN review

6. Mullvad VPN – All about privacy

Pros

• Privacy-focused sign-up
• Great for getting around geoblocks
• Great pricing

Cons

• 5 connections is lower than some rivals

Price When Reviewed:

$5.26 a month (€5)

• 700+ servers
• 5 connections

Mullvad doesn’t offer recurring plans, you pay €5 a month whether you sign up for a month, a year or longer. The only price change will be dependent on the exchange rate from euros at that time. This way you aren’t caught up in a recurring subscription and Mullvad doesn’t store your personal information – a great example of its privacy-first mindset. You can even buy prepaid cards if you don’t want to log payment information, which makes Mullvad the ideal VPN service for anyone looking to leave a minimal digital footprint.

Split Tunnelling, multihop connections and even an AI-focused defence mechanism called DAITA are included.

Performance is excellent and there are plenty of features that would be paid additions elsewhere. For example, the Kill Switch to cut traffic if the VPN drops, and a Lockdown Mode that forces the user to reconnect via Mullvad if the connection drops. Multihop will bounce your connection via multiple servers, and split tunnelling is available so you can send some traffic via the VPN and ignore it for others. There is also an ad blocker.

It’s available on Mac, Windows, iOS, iPadOS, and Android. It’s accessed exclusively from the menu bar on Mac. The iPhone and iPad apps pack plenty of power user features that in some services are limited to desktop, like multihop connections and the DAITA protection. DAITA (Defence against AI-guided Traffic Analysis) will add ‘network noise’ so data packets are all the same size.

The main disadvantages are the five device limit, which is lower than many VPNs, and. a lower server count. It has 700, but this is still lower than the likes of NordVPN with over 7,000. Mullvad’s servers are all real, not virtual, servers though. Connection speeds are impressive.

Mullvad is a fantastic VPN service that’s about as privacy-minded as can be. It might not have the most servers, but that’s a small price to pay for the service on offer.

Sign up to Mullvad here.

Read our full

Mullvad review

7. Hide.me – feature packed

Pros

• Free tier
• Streaming-focused servers included
• Advanced features

Cons

• Fewer servers than other options

Price When Reviewed:

From $2.69 a month

• 2,600+ servers in 90 countries
• 10 simultaneous connections

Hide Me is a versatile VPN with a free plan (though limited). It unblocks Netflix libraries globally and keeps data secure.

Hide Me is available on various devices, with native apps for Windows, Mac, iPad, Android, and iOS. The Mac app has a main window and a Menu bar icon for quick access. The initial setup is straightforward, focusing on quick app usage.

Want to quickly connect to a server? Open it and click the Enable VPN button. It’s great to see 10 simultaneous connections available, so one plan can cover a family’s devices. You can choose where you’re connecting from a list of locations or a list of streaming-friendly options.

While it offers advanced features like Split Tunnelling and multi-hop servers, these are easily accessible. Split-tunnelling lets you send traffic via the VPN on a per-app basis, while a Kill Switch can stop all traffic when your VPN connection wavers.

Multi-Hop connectivity is included in the price, which means your data bounces between servers, further hiding it and making it harder to trace, though it does slow down connectivity.

OpenVPN is supported, as expected, but IKEv2, SoftEther, and SSTP are also available, so you can easily switch to an alternative protocol if needed.

We found sub-10% download speed drops across multiple servers, making it one of the slicker VPNs we’ve tested.

Geo-unblocking is great, as Hide Me switches your location to various streaming-friendly servers.

Privacy-wise, Hide Me is an ‘Offshore VPN’ with its headquarters in Labuan, Malaysia, giving it anonymity from the Five Eyes intelligence coalition and other countries.

The company has a strict no-logs policy, preventing it from keeping any data from users and their sessions. 

There’s a free plan with basic features, but it lacks multihop functionality and streaming support.

Easy to use, Hide Me is a great service with many features, such as split tunnelling and multihop connections, a device limit of 10 (double some rivals), and excellent streaming support. The only downside is the limited server count. 

See full Hide.me pricing here

Read our full

hide.me VPN review

8. Private Internet Access

Pros

• Lots of servers
• Fast WireGuard speeds
• Split tunneling works well
• Unblocks BBC iPlayer

Cons

• Clunky Mac app
• Based within 14-eyes

Price When Reviewed:

From $2.19 a month for two years + 4 free months. Usually $11.99 a month. Unlimited devices.

Best Prices Today:

Private Internet Access (Monthly)

$2.19

• 35,000+ servers, 91 countries
• Unlimited connections

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a powerful VPN designed for savvy users, offering “power user” tools and features such as custom DNS, connection rules, split tunnelling, and more at a lower cost than many competitors. The PIA Mac app offers pretty much everything its Microsoft counterpart does. 

The app can be used on any device and offers servers in 91 countries. In my testing, the “auto” setting did a good job of picking servers that balanced speed and privacy.

The main window provides information on performance graphs, download and upload speeds, and quick settings for tools like Light Mode, Port Forwarding, and LAN connections.

While you can use PIA for getting around geoblocked content on your streaming services, PIA is more privacy-focused than other VPNs, with features like the Advanced Kill Switch, Split Tunnelling, port forwarding, and Multi-Hop server obfuscation. PIA also offers customizable features like automation setup and DNS options. 

Private Internet Access can’t beat the speeds of NordVPN and Surfshark, and its stablemate CyberGhost VPN offers more impressive speeds, but at the cost of some power features. In our testing, we saw a reasonable drop of around 8% on Mac while using the PIA VPN. Upload speeds dropped considerably– by around 25%, which may be an issue if you do a lot of uploading. 

Its zero-log policy has been verified by Deloitte Audit Romania.

Despite inconsistent speeds, Private Internet Access is a great VPN for all budgets with a wealth of features for privacy-inclined users.

Subscribe to Private Internet Access here.

Read our full

Private Internet Access review

9. ClearVPN

Pros

• Nice design.
• Great for getting around geo-blocks.

Cons

• Lacks some features like split tunneling.
• Not the fastest.

Price When Reviewed:

Three day trial. Currently $44.99 a year, usually $119.88 a year ($9.99 a month).

Best Prices Today:

MacPaw (first year, 6 devices)

$44.99

• More than 50 servers
• Six device limit

MacPaw’s ClearVPN service is a VPN that lacks many more advanced features offered by its rivals, but on the other hand, it’s one of the easiest to use. With a nice UI and easy-to-use features it’s thoughtfully designed for VPN newcomers. It really is as simple as hitting a button to connect.

In the settings are options to block ads, keep ClearVPN in the dock, and a Kill Switch so that you can cut traffic from your device if the connection to the VPN is broken.

It’s all pretty basic stuff, but it’s offered in such an easy-to-use way that it’s hard not to appreciate the simplicity. There are also handy keyboard shortcuts to move around the app.

There are more than 50 servers, which sounds like a lot, but it’s dwarfed rivals who have thousands of servers. That means your choices are limited, but at least ClearVPN lets you filter between Optimal Location or jumping straight to something like Disney Plus US or UK.

One of the more common power user features for VPNs is split tunneling, which lets some traffic go through the VPN while some goes around it. That’s not supported here.

Sadly, MacPaw’s VPN speeds also need some work. We saw considerable speed drops across multiple servers – even closer ones. We saw drops of around 20 to 30 percent in download speed, and around 50 percent for upload speed. It’s still fast enough to use Netflix, but it’s slower than the majority of alternatives out there.

Most VPN companies use external auditors to verify that they’re not recording user or session data, but ClearVPN hasn’t undergone one at the time of writing. This shouldn’t mean anything untoward as the company is headquartered in Ukraine, which falls outside of various surveillance alliances, so it can’t be asked to share your data.

ClearVPN is priced affordably, but prices and the deals on offer change all the time with VPNs. Look out for low monthly prices that don’t lock you in for too long. There’s a six-device limit.

If you’re new to using a VPN service, ClearVPN makes a compelling case to be your first choice, and stress-free access to Netflix around the globe, it’s a great starter option. Still, the speed drop and lack of common features like split tunneling likely mean power users should look elsewhere. You can save money by paying for the first year up front, but you can also pay monthly.

See full ClearVPN pricing here.

Read our full

ClearVPN review

10. PureVPN

Pros

• Easy to use
• Works on multiple devices
• Additional power user features

Cons

• Obtuse pricing model.
• Caused many websites to question whether we were “human”

Price When Reviewed:

Standard plan from $2.14 a month for two years + 3 free months, $58.05 a year (usually $349.65).

Best Prices Today:

PureVPN (Monthly for first year)

$2.14

• 6,500 servers, 78 countries
• 10 simultaneous connections

If you’re looking for a flexible VPN service that will get around geoblocking and is easy to use, PureVPN is well worth a look.

The basic plan includes the VPN service and nothing more, but you can add a Password Manager and File Encryption tools in the Plus plan. The Max plan adds a Digital Privacy Manager that requests your records be scrubbed by data brokers, blocks web trackers, and recommends ways to maximize your privacy.

Whichever plan you opt for you’ll be able to connect 10 devices at once. PureVPN will run on your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, and is easy to use on each to let you connect to over six thousand servers.

As far as getting around geo-blocks, we found PureVPN to be as easy as any other service to use. Select a location, load your streaming service or app of choice, and you’re off.

PureVPN is registered in the British Virgin Islands, which is more privacy-friendly than Hong Kong where it operated previously. PureVPN offers one of the more impressive no-logging policies, with an ongoing “always-on” audit process whereby an auditor can request confirmation of that policy at any time.

PureVPN has been winding down its virtual servers, of which it has less control. There are still 23 such servers, but PureVPN is transparent about which servers are virtual and which are physical – you can see a small ‘v’ next to each virtual server on the PureVPN website.

At the time of writing PureVPN is offering more than a whopping 80% off its plans if you sign up for 24 months. Two years is a long time in the world of VPNs, but at least means the full monthly pricing won’t kick in twelve months time.

See PureVPN offers here.

Read our full

PureVPN review

11. Malwarebytes Privacy VPN

Pros

• Killswitch and other advanced features
• Decent speeds

Cons

• Fewer servers than some rivals
• Inconsistent geoblocking

Price When Reviewed:

$39.99 a year for one device

Best Prices Today:

Malwarebytes (first year, 1 device)

$39.99

• More than 245 servers
• 32 countries

Malwarebytes is probably best known for antivirus software and advice (see our review of Malwarebytes Premium for Mac), but it also offers a standalone VPN service called Malwarebytes Privacy VPN. It’s an easy to use app with the right kind of privacy promises – as you’d expect.

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is easy to use and offers speeds that are better than many of its rivals for both downloads and uploads. It also has split-tunnelling via its ‘Connection rules’, and a Kill Switch to cut all traffic if the VPN drops out.

There are some caveats — namely that it features fewer server locations than its rivals, and getting around geoblocks for different versions of streaming services can be a tad inconsistent.

There’s no multi-hop server jumping, but the company does have a verified no-logs policy in place which means information isn’t held about a user’s activity.

See full Maywarebytes pricing here

Read our full

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN review

12. CyberGhost

Pros

• Simple to use
• Decent speeds
• Plenty of servers

Cons

• Two-year plans are much cheaper
• Lacking some power user features

Price When Reviewed:

$2.19 a month for two years + 2 free months. Usually $12.99 a month.

Best Prices Today:

CyberGhost (Monthly)

$2.19

• 11,000+ servers in 100 countries
• 7 simultaneous connections

CyberGhost is a user-friendly app that connects to numerous servers worldwide, making it ideal for streaming Netflix from different countries and routing traffic away from untrustworthy open Wi-Fi networks. 

It offers core features like kill switch support, split tunnelling, and no bandwidth restrictions. CyberGhost’s no-logging audit history is thorough, and there is a 45-day free trial available.

CyberGhost apps can be downloaded for various platforms, including Chrome extension and game consoles (we tested on Mac and iPhone). The app offers a simple “click and go” connection process, with a list of server nations and multiple locations. Encryption is standard across servers, and split tunnelling prioritizes traffic where needed. An automated kill switch can cut connections if the VPN drops out, while ‘Block content’ blocks DNS domains for ads, trackers, and malware.

The app does not offer anything like Proton VPN’s Secure Core or additional features like a Password Manager, but subscription tiers are based on adding a dedicated IP address. The VPN has over 9,000 servers located in over 100 countries, with plans to expand in South America and Asia in late 2023.

CyberGhost VPN has an impressive no-logs policy, meaning no one can access records of your activity while connected to the VPN. The app does not offer the Dark Web monitor offered by NordVPN, but it does have an automated kill switch to cut connections if the VPN drops out. The DNS blocking feature is easy to use but doesn’t allow you to choose what to block.

CyberGhost offers a compelling package with just one main plan and a 45-day money-back guarantee. It’s an excellent VPN for newcomers, with impressive audits, an array of servers, decent speeds, and easy-to-use apps.

See CyberGhost pricing here.

Read our full

CyberGhost review

13. Norton Ultra VPN

Pros

• Antivirus protections
• Cloud Backup and Password Manager
• Email tracking quarantine

Cons

• Slower than rival VPNs
• Inflexible payment options

Price When Reviewed:

First year is from $39.99 Norton Secure VPN; $49.99 Norton Ultra VPN; $59.99 Norton Ultra VPN Plus. Renews at a higher price of $79.99/$109.99/$129.99.

Best Prices Today:

Norton (first year)

$49.99

Norton has decades of experience protecting devices from cyber threats (read our review of Norton 360), but what or its VPN?

Norton’s VPN plans are, outside of the basic tier, tied into its security software. It also comes with a password manager, dark web monitor, and cloud storage, but the VPN side of things is a little lacking.

Perhaps it’s from testing so many of the best VPN services that we’ve grown used to a certain set of non-negotiables. Chief among them is browser extension options to allow for quick switching, but at the time of writing, there’s no such offering from Norton.

Norton’s VPN does include plenty of accoutrements that other VPNs either don’t have or charge extra for. You can install the app on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and all three platforms have apps that work well and run nicely in the background.

Norton offers Browser Protection, which scans sites as you browse. Norton also scans files before they land on your device. This worked well in testing, with barely added any additional time to the length of downloads. There’s a password manager, but it’s tied to the middle subscription tier and above.

VPNs naturally decrease your internet speeds as your signal is fired across the globe, and Norton has servers in 32 countries – a steep drop from the 111 in NordVPN’s portfolio – but it does offer four protocols to choose from. IKEv2, OpenVPN and WireGuard are pretty commonly found across the board of rivals, but Norton has its own Mimic protocol which is intended to be ideal for unblocking international streaming services. Sadly, testing on a 70 Mbps connection saw a consistent speed drop-off. As for Mimic, Norton’s own VPN protocol, I was disappointed to find some international streaming services simply weren’t able to be unblocked with it. Norton clarified that Mimic is specifically designed for customers with special use cases who are unable to use WireGuard. We did have more luck with the more standardized protocols.

VPNs worth their salt should always focus on privacy as their primary concern, and Norton does a good job, having undergone an audit from VerSprite, a security firm.

It’s not a bad VPN, and if you’re looking for an option that packs a whole host of cyber-security tools into one easy-to-use package, it’s a great option. It’s disappointing that there is only a pay yearly option, where other VPNs have the option to pay monthly. Added to that is a steep jump in price for the second year. 

See full Norton Ultra VPN pricing here

Read our full

Norton Ultra VPN review

14. VyprVPN

Pros

• Fast WireGuard speeds
• Very easy to use
• Unblocks Netflix and BBC iPlayer
• Low starting price

Cons

• Comparatively few servers
• Not clear which servers are virtual
• Patchy support experience

Price When Reviewed:

From $3 a month for two years. Usually $10 a month.

• 70 servers
• 5 simultaneous connection

VyprVPN offers everything most people are looking for in a VPN, without needing to spend much money.

You get fast WireGuard speeds, alongside separate protocols focused on reliability, anti-censorship and ease of use. It’s also excellent at unblocking geo-restricted content, whether that’s local versions of Netflix or BBC iPlayer & ITV Hub from outside the UK. Premium features such as split tunneling and a kill switch are here too, even if the latter can’t be customised. 

VyprVPN’s no-logs policy has been independently audited, and the service adheres to a strict Privacy Policy from parent company Golden Frog. More than 700 servers in over 70 countries should be plenty for most people, although there’s often only one per country. It’s also not clear which of these are physical and virtual.

Nonetheless, it’s still speedy, reliable and affordable.

See full VyprVPN pricing here

Read our full

VyprVPN review

How we test VPNs

For each VPN service we review, we conduct tests at three different times of the day: morning, afternoon, and evening, using Ookla Speedtest. We start by measuring the speed of our unprotected internet connection before testing the upload/download speeds of the VPN service. These tests are conducted to servers located in North America, the UK, Europe, Oceana, and Asia over an ethernet connection with a service provision of 100Mbps.

To test upload and download speeds, we close down all background internet processes on the Mac, using TripMode. The only traffic on the system able to upload or download any data is Ookla. We use this setup to ensure that the numbers that Ookla produced were not stymied by anything else that the computer may have been doing at the time. The speeds Ookla captured were then averaged, providing us with a final numeric score.

We then use those scores to calculate a percentage of difference in speeds, which is what you’ll see in our reviews. Since internet speeds change constantly based on server load, how fast your connection is, and a gazillion other factors, we feel this provides a better picture of what you can expect from a service, on the whole, than merely quoting the exact upload/download speeds we encountered during testing.

Speed isn’t the only quantifiable metric that we look at. The number of countries that a VPN offers servers in, total number of servers worldwide, and how much it’ll cost you to connect to those servers on a monthly or annual basis are also taken into consideration when recommending a VPN service to you.

Additionally, we conduct hours of research into the VPN providers to find out who owns them, where they’re based, what they do with subscriber information, and whether the provider has a track record of questionable business practices.

Why you can trust Macworld’s advice

The team at Macworld has been testing Mac hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. We put every product through its paces using rigorous benchmarking and hands-on evaluation. We’d never recommend something we wouldn’t use ourselves. We conduct through testing of VPNs, focusing on the practicalities of device compatibility (iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, and Mac), the number of devices supported, geo-restrictions and ease of use. We also pay attention to security – and validate the privacy promises made by each VPN company. We use the software ourselves so our reviews are based on our own experience with the software and include our own insights and unbiassed opinions. Macworld’s VPN specialist Lloyd Coombes has made it his aim to assess every VPN going.

What to look for in a VPN

A clear privacy policy. A good VPN should offer an easy-to-understand privacy policy that outlines what, if any, information the company collects from its users. It’s important that this policy details what they do with this information. Some VPN providers, especially those that offer their services for free, sell their user information to advertisers and other interested parties, just like an ISP does. Choose a provider that offers a level of privacy that suits you.

Know where the provider is based. Many countries have no laws demanding that VPN providers maintain logs of their users’ activity. This makes maintaining your privacy more assurable than it would be if you use a VPN located in a country that requires that user-activity records be maintained. Some companies, in an effort to make their network of servers look bigger or more varied than it actually is, spoof the locations of their servers.

The more servers, the merrier. Choosing a VPN provider with a ton of servers around the world is important for a couple of reasons. First, having a multitude of servers to choose from means that you won’t be forced to connect to an overpopulated server where the data flows like mud.

Second, having a wealth of servers to choose from both at home and internationally means more opportunities for spoofing your location, allowing you to hide where you are or access region-locked content with ease.

Multiple payment options. It’s a vicious circle. Paying for a VPN with a credit card online before you have access to a VPN could allow your financial information to fall into the wrong hands. Look for providers that offer alternative payment options such as PayPal, Bitcoin, AliPay, or via the Mac App Store.

An easy-to-use interface. It takes a lot of digital wizardry to connect to a VPN. Some people want to see how their VPN operates, behind the scenes. Using an open source VPN client like Tunnelblick is great for this. Most folks, however, just want their VPN to work with minimal frustration. Look for a VPN service that offers a Mac client with an easy-to-use interface.

Protection for all of your devices. A good VPN service will offer licenses for multiple devices to protect your loved ones’ computers as well as your personal smartphone and tablet. To this end, before investing in a VPN subscription, make sure that it provides software clients for all of the devices you own.

What to avoid when choosing a VPN

The price of a VPN might look attractive, but the price can rise over time. Most VPNs will cost less than $3/£3 per month if you sign up for a one- or two-year deal. However, once the deal period ends the price often jumps significantly. By the time your deal is up you may not notice the extra cash leaving your bank account so our advice is to set a reminder to shop around a month before your subscription runs out so you can search for a better deal.

Best Free VPNs for Mac

You may be able to save money if you take a look at our round-up of VPN deals. But, if you were hoping to spend nothing, there are also a number of free VPNs available, just beware that some severely restrict which servers (and therefore countries) you can connect to and the amount of data you can download through those servers.

Our recommendation is ProtonVPN, which has a free tier that may be sufficient for your needs.

It’s important to read the terms and conditions before using a free VPN, as in rare cases they sell your data to third parties to offset the cost of you using it without paying. It’s a bigger problem on iPhones and Android where unscrupulous companies try to cash in on the VPN ‘gold rush’ and offer up poorly put together apps. Stick with our recommendations and you’ll be safe from these, though.

If you know anything about a crypto hack, you’ve probably heard of the Lazarus Group.

They’re pretty much the final boss of crypto cybercrime – a North Korean state-backed hacking group responsible for some of the biggest thefts in the industry, including the Bybit hack earlier this year.

They’ve always carried this boogeyman of blockchain, mysterious vibe. But a new BitMEX report pulled back the curtain a bit.

And turns out… they’re not as flawless as some might think.

Over time, Lazarus seems to have split into smaller teams, and not all of them are equally skilled. Some are pros. Others – not so much.

Case in point: a BitMEX employee got a message on LinkedIn about joining a crypto project.

If you’ve followed Lazarus’ past scams, you know this is something they’ve done before – so the employee flagged it to the security team.

They were sent a GitHub repo with a Next.js/React project that – surprise – contained malware.

The attacker wanted them to run the code locally, which would’ve let malicious scripts execute on the employee’s computer.

Now, here’s what BitMEX found in the code:

• It used JavaScript’s eval() function, which takes a piece of text and treats it like code. So if it says “delete everything,” your computer will actually try to run that command – and that opens the door for attackers to sneak in harmful code;

• The malware tried to connect to suspicious URLs to download even more code – the kind of infrastructure Lazarus has used before in past attacks;

• It collected data like usernames, IP addresses, operating systems, and uploaded all of it to… wait for it… a public Supabase database

Yes. Public.

This is like using Google Sheets to store stolen data… and then leaving the spreadsheet unlocked.

The BitMEX team took a look and found nearly 900 logs from infected machines.

And in one of them, they caught a big oopsie: a hacker forgot to turn on their VPN and exposed their real location in Jiaxing, China.

Instead of treating this oopsie as a one-off discovery, BitMEX saw an opportunity here – they built a tool to keep checking the database.

This lets BitMEX:

• Track new infections as they happen;

• Figure out who’s being targeted – devs, exchange workers, or random users;

• Watch for repeat mistakes by the hackers (like more IP leaks);

• Potentially map out patterns – like locations, time zones, or organizational targets.

Lazarus is still dangerous – no doubt about it.

But the more we learn about their tricks (and their mistakes), the easier it becomes to protect people from falling for them.

If you want to unblock regional content on streaming services like Netflix, iPlayer, and Prime, or access websites that aren’t available in your region, a VPN is an essential tool. A good VPN will work with all your Apple devices, including a Mac, iPad, iPhone, and even an Apple TV in some cases.

VPN services can also give you online privacy as well as letting you securely connect to open Wi-Fi networks in cafes, hotels, airports and other places. It’s something well worth packing when you go on vacation.

VPNs tend to have complex pricing structures, with long-term contract pricing and offers that seem to offer huge discounts, making identifying a good deal more complex than it is with other types of software. We have tested the Best Mac VPNs (and Best VPN for iPad and Best VPN for iPhone) and we use them daily, so we know which ones offer the best features and we know which ones offer the best value for money.

In this article we will help you find the cheapest VPN to suit your needs. Every month we assess the best VPN for Mac deals so we can keep an eye out for the best discounts on offer right now and let you know the latest prices and best deals so you can find the VPN that suites you at the best price.

Before we share the best VPN deals you may be hoping that you can get a VPN for free…

Best free VPN

There are a few free VPNs on offer but our advice is usually to be very cautious about them. Companies that give stuff away will be making money somehow, and you can’t be sure they aren’t selling your data.

One decent VPN that does offer a free tier is Proton VPN (read our review). You can use Proton VPN for nothing, as long as you’re happy with U.S., Japan, and Netherlands as your server locations. It’s also limiting in that you can only connect a single device, and speeds are slower than the paid plans, but the free version is available on all platforms and if you like it you can always subscribe to get the whole package which will unblock a host of features, including an ad and tracker blocker and improved speed of up to 10 Gbit, as well as an expanded 10-device limit. There’s Port Forwarding for downloads and gaming, too, as well as a Kill Switch for disconnecting should the VPN drop out.

Best VPN deals and cheap VPNs

VPN providers tend to offer year-round discounts, however with most deals you will be locked into a monthly fee for a couple of years, so we recommend setting a reminder in your calendar to cancel and look for a new deal to replace the one you had at the end of the contract period. Deals change all the time.

The deals below save a significant amount compared to paying for each of these services on a rolling monthly subscription. We some great VPN deals for shoppers in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia below.

One deal to take a look at is FastestVPN’s Lifetime plan – which with 93% off is an absolute bargain as you pay once and have access to the VPN for life. It’s a one-off $40 (approx £33). The company says that the full price would be $600.

Read How to use a VPN on a Mac for more information, and if you still aren’t sure why you need a VPN read: Should I use a VPN on my Mac/iPhone?

1. NordVPN

Pros

• Incredibly easy to use
• Plenty of server options

Price When Reviewed:

Basic plan from $3.09 a month for two years. Usually $12.99.

NordVPN is a fully featured VPN option that’s secure, easy to use, and unbelievably fast compared to its competitors.

Prices change all the time. NordVPN’s Basic plan is currently $2.99/£2.59/CA$4.69/A$ a month for 2 years.

Read our full

NordVPN review

2. Surfshark

Pros

• Simple to use
• No device limits

Price When Reviewed:

Starter plan from $1.99 a month for two years + 3 free months. Usually $15.45 a month.

SurfShark is a great VPN option that’s as easy to use as the best of them, while maintaining security across an unlimited number of devices – something we don’t see often.

Right now Surfshark’s Starter plan is $1.99/£1.69 a month for 2 years + 3 free months.

Read our full

Surfshark review

3. Private Internet Access

Pros

• Lots of power features
• Privacy-minded
• Great value

Price When Reviewed:

From $2.19 a month for two years + 4 free months. Usually $11.99 a month. Unlimited devices.

Private Internet Access (PIA) offers a robust feature set that makes it one of the more impressive VPNs out there.

Right now PIA Has a deal that means you pay $2.03/£1.69 a month for two years and get two months free.

Read our full

Private Internet Access review

4. CyberGhost

Pros

• Simple to use
• Decent speeds
• Plenty of servers

Price When Reviewed:

$2.19 a month for two years + 2 free months. Usually $12.99 a month.

CyberGhost takes a lot of the complexity out of VPN usage, for better and for worse. On the one hand, some users may want more power-user features.

At the moment you can get 82% off at Cyberghost. This is $2.19/£1.92 a month for 2 years with 2 free months. It’s fully refundable for 45 days, according to the company.

Read our full

CyberGhost review

5. hide.me VPN

Pros

• Dedicated streaming servers
• Impressive free tier

Price When Reviewed:

From $2.69 a month

Hide.me is a solid VPN with a great free tier, but the UI isn’t particularly intuitive.

Hide.me’s deal means you pay $3.84/£3.84 a month for 26 months.

Read our full

hide.me VPN review

6. ProtonVPN

Pros

• Simple to use
• Free plan
• Great speed

Cons

• Setup on macOS was a little fiddly
• Only sells in $, € and Swiss Franks

Price When Reviewed:

From $2.99 a month for two years. Usually $9.99 a month.

Proton VPN’s free tier, ease of use, and impressive speeds put it right near the top of our VPN recommendations.

There is a free tier of Proton VPN, but if you want a bit more flexibility and a few more features prices start at $4.49/€4.49 a month for two years. Usually $9.99/€9.99 a month. The Swiss-based company doesn’t seem to like pounds, so it’s dollars or euros, unfortunately.

Read our full

ProtonVPN review

How to find the best VPN deal for Mac

VPN subscriptions typically work out cheaper if you commit for a year or longer, which saves a lot of money. Prices rarely exceed $6/£6 per month with multi-year subscriptions and are often closer to $2/£2… or even less.

Many major VPN providers offer discounts through the year, and sometimes even offer permanent discounts. These discounts can look impressive at first. It’s not uncommon to see a countdown timer telling you when the deal ends – but these are almost always to induce FOMO – the fear of missing out – in order to persuade you to sign up immediately.

Large discounts are par for the course with VPN services, especially when you’re subscribing for several years. This makes it all the more important to look into the various providers and what each has to offer, before jumping into a long-term commitment.

All VPNs we’ve tested offer cross-device coverage too, so you can use them on your Mac, iPhone, iPad and more.

For our recommendations of Mac Antivirus Software that we have tested see: Best Antivirus for Mac Top Security Software Compared.

A VPN is an essential tool for iPad users wanting to access streaming services in countries where they don’t exist (such as HBO Max in the U.K. or BBC iPlayer in the U.S.) or to watch content that isn’t available where you are on services like as Disney+, Netflix, or Amazon Prime. While this is likely to be against the terms and conditions of these services, if you are paying to watch the content it’s got to be better than piracy. If you’re traveling abroad and missing out on your favorite shows you can use a VPN to connect to a server in your own country and carry on watching as if you were at home.

Plus, when you’re browsing the web using your iPad, your online activity is visible to your internet service provider (ISP), your government, and potentially others. But because a VPN changes your real IP address for a different one and encrypts the data going to and from your iPad, it makes it practically impossible to spy on you. The new IP address can make it appear that you’re located somewhere else in the world. That could be in the same country, or it could be halfway across the globe.

Best iPad VPN 2025: Reviewed & Ranked

We’ve tested many VPN services on Macs and also iPhone VPNs, but these are our recommendations for iPad owners.

Below you will find the VPN services for iPad that we recommend based on our tests. Most of these cost less than $3/£3 per month if you sign up for a one- or two-year deal. However, once that deal period ends the price can jump, so it’s worth setting a reminder to shop around a month before your subscription runs out so you can search for a better deal, alternatively, you might be able to cancel and sign up with another email address. You may be able to save money if you take a look at our round-up of the best VPN deals.

March 2025 Update: We’ve added Mullvad VPN and updated our Surfshark review.

NordVPN

Pros

• Lots of servers around the world
• Impressive speeds
• Independently audited

Cons

• Not the cheapest option
• Connections aren’t unlimited

Price When Reviewed:

Basic plan from $3.39 a month for two years. Usually $12.99.

• Up to 6 devices at once.
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Amazon Fire TV and tvOS.

NordVPN is easy to use and one of the fastest VPNs around and shouldn’t slow down your internet connection. It’s an excellent choice for iPad owners.

The map view is fun to use on a screen larger than your phone’s, and it connects you swiftly to one of Nord’s thousands of servers (there are 5,300 in total across 60 countries, which means you can always find a server in the location you need that isn’t overloaded).

It unblocks many services, including Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer.

It also ticks the privacy box, carrying out regular audits. It features a kill switch, which is important to keep your data and location hidden if the VPN connection stops unexpectedly. Based in Panama, it’s outside of the jurisdiction of the ’14-eyes’ (a group of countries that have agreed to collect, analyze and share information). 

You can connect up to six devices to NordVPN at once, and there are also apps for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Amazon Fire TV.

You can get great discounts by signing up for a couple of years. See the deals on NordVPN’s website.

Read our full

NordVPN review

Surfshark

Pros

• Unlimited devices and connections
• Multi-Hop servers
• Security features and audited no-logs policy

Cons

• Kill switch can’t be customised
• Price doubles on renewal

Price When Reviewed:

Starter plan from $2.19 a month for two years + 3 free months. Usually $15.45 a month.

• Unlimited devices.
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Apple TV, Windows, Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions.

Surfshark is an easy-to-use and intuitive VPN with a slick iPad app that has more features than you might expect given the low price.

The service has more than 3,200 servers across 100+ countries but, importantly, lets you watch Netflix shows, BBC iPlayer and other streaming services that aren’t normally available in your region. We were able to flick between streaming libraries with ease, do a bit of shopping for digital goods, and there were no real issues with connectivity.

The iOS version of Surfshark includes features like MultiHop, which routes your connection through two countries instead of just one, and Dedicated IP baked in. Many mobile apps are watered-down versions of their desktop VPN offerings, but there’s even an Alternative ID function here.

It supports multiple protocols and excellent encryption. With WireGuard, Surfshark the slickest VPN around and we saw very little speed lost from our connection.

You’ll find security features including a kill switch, which is like a like a safety net that will shut down your connection if your VPN connection falters. Surfshark is run from the Netherlands, which is privacy-friendly. It has a strict no-logs policy that’s regularly audited, uses two-factor authentication (2FA), and is one of the members of the VPN Trust Initiative.

There’s also an Antivirus Scan that will run scheduled background scans if you leave the app open.

Just beware that the price increases substantially on renewal–a gotcha with quite a few VPN services and one that’s easily missed when signing up. Our advice is to cancel before it renews and sign up for a new deal.

It really is one of the best VPNs around, and also one of the fastest thanks to the use of the WireGuard protocol.

See the current deals on Surfshark’s website and read our Surfshark review for more details.

Read our full

Surfshark review

ExpressVPN

Pros

• Simple to use on all platforms
• Big focus on privacy and transparency
• 105 countries

Price When Reviewed:

From $4.99 a month for 2 years + 6 free months

• Up to 8 devices at once.
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, tvOS, Mac, Android, Windows, Chrome, XBox, Playstation, Switch and more.

Also among our favourite VPNs for the iPad is ExpressVPN, which has 105 country options and a network of more than three thousand servers.

ExpressVPN unblocks more video services than rivals. It claims to reliably unblock over 200 streaming service and also gives you a backup option – the MediaStreamer proxy service – if you find that the VPN isn’t unblocking at the exact moment you want to watch.

It bills itself as the premium option, and justifies this partly with the long list of video services it works with. There is also 24/7 live chat support and Threat Manager blocks traffic from websites known to be malicious. There’s also an ad blocker and an adult site blocker.

You can expect fast speeds thanks to its proprietary Lightway protocol and privacy is good thanks to the TrustedServer setup (where the software runs entirely in RAM and doesn’t save any data to the hard drive). The company is registered in the British Virgin Islands, a self-governing territory that isn’t subject to British laws. It operates a no-logs policy.

As well as using it on your iPad, there are also apps for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Fire TV and more. There’s a limit of eight devices at once (up from 5 previously).

While not the cheapest, ExpressVPN does run discounts, with the best deal being the one-year subscription, which is almost half-price.

Read our full

ExpressVPN review

ProtonVPN

Pros

• Simple to use
• Free plan
• Great speed

Cons

• Set up is a little fiddly

Price When Reviewed:

From $4.49 a month for two years. Usually $9.99 a month.

• Up to 8 devices at once.
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, tvOS, Mac, Android, Windows, and more.

ProtonVPN’s free tier of membership sets Proton VPN apart from some of its rivals. It’s limited, with US, Japan, and Netherlands as the server locations and some speed drop – but it’s usable.

If you subscribe, you get a sleek interface, impressive connection speeds and more than enough features, without throwing too many complex concepts at new users. 

Proton VPN Plus features include an ad and tracker blocker and speed of up to 10 Gbps, as well as a 10-device limit. There’s Port Forwarding for downloads and gaming, and a Kill Switch for disconnecting should the VPN drop out.

The company offers a “no-logs” policy – meaning it doesn’t track sites, IP addresses, communications, or session lengths, nor does it track location-based information. Proton is Swiss-based, so only Swiss court orders can request data from the company, but since it doesn’t log data there’s very little it can reveal.

Secure Core, routes traffic through one of the company’s ‘Secure’ servers, minimizing the potential of a data leak. There secure servers owned by Proton in more than 90 countries.

Proton VPN does increase latency, but only by about 29% in our testing on a modest 60 Mbps broadband. It was only about 7% slower when downloading and 5.5% slower when uploading – one of the slicker VPNs we’ve tested.

Of the included VPN protocols, Smart will be enough for most users, automatically setting the right protocol for your current usage, but WireGuard, WireGuard (TCP), IKEv2 and Stealth are also offered.

Proton VPN is an easy recommendation both for new and experienced users.

You can sign up for Proton VPN here.

Read our full

ProtonVPN review

FastestVPN

Pros

• Impressive WireGuard speeds
• Dedicated downloading and streaming servers
• Independent audit

Cons

• No split tunneling
• Price doubles on renewal

Price When Reviewed:

Lifetime special deal: $40, usually $600

• 10 devices at once.
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows, and more.

FastestVPN does a great job and for a lot less than others, with the option of a one time payment of $40 (sometimes reduced to $30). It’s also seen a bunch of improvements since we took a look in 2021.

The app is sleek and easy to use and offers 10 simultaneous connections. FastestVPN will help you get around geoblocks. It actually highlights certain streaming-focused servers.

It boosts a number power user features like multi-hop connections, an Internet Kill Switch to shut down all traffic if your VPN drops for any reason, and you can use Smart Tunneling to ensure certain apps go via a VPN while others don’t.

FastestVPN is headquartered in the Cayman islands and has undergone a third-party audit from Altius to confirm its no-logs policy.

You’ll find a variety of VPN protocols to choose from, with Wireguard, OpenVPN (TCP and UDP options) and IKEv2 available, and Servers have recently been updated to 10 Gbps options, but despite the name, it’s not the fastest around.

FastestVPN has more than 800 servers, which is a lot – but in context, that’s dramatically less than NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Rivals do offer a larger server count, but the ease of use, and low barrier of entry, make FastestVPN one of our best VPN picks in 2025.

FastestVPN is available on Mac as well as Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and plenty more.

You can sign up for Private Internet Access here.

Read our full

FastestVPN review

Mullvad

Pros

• Impressive WireGuard speeds
• Dedicated downloading and streaming servers
• Independent audit

Cons

• No split tunneling
• Price doubles on renewal

Price When Reviewed:

$5.26 a month (€5)

• Unlimited devices.
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows, and more.

Private Internet Access (PIA) is designed for savvy users, with power user tools and features such as custom DNS, connection rules, and split-tunneling. Despite this, it comes in at a lower cost than many competitors.

The app offers servers in 91 countries. In testing, the auto setting did a good job of picking servers that balanced speed and privacy.

The main window provides information on performance, download and upload speeds, and quick settings for things like Port Forwarding and LAN connections. PIA also offers customizable features like automation setup and DNS options. 

While you can use PIA for getting around geoblocked content on your streaming services, PIA’s main focus is privacy, with features like the Advanced Kill Switch, Split Tunnelling, port forwarding, and Multi-Hop server obfuscation. Its zero-log policy has been verified by Deloitte Audit Romania.

Private Internet Access can’t beat the speeds of NordVPN and Surfshark, and its stablemate CyberGhost VPN offers more impressive speeds, but at the cost of some power features. In our testing, we saw a reasonable drop of around 8% while using the PIA VPN. Upload speeds dropped considerably – by around 25%, which may be an issue if you do a lot of uploading. 

Despite inconsistent speeds, Private Internet Access is a great VPN for all budgets with a wealth of features for privacy-inclined users.

You can sign up for Private Internet Access here.

Read our full

Mullvad review

Private Internet Access

Pros

• Impressive WireGuard speeds
• Dedicated downloading and streaming servers
• Independent audit

Cons

• No split tunneling
• Price doubles on renewal

Price When Reviewed:

From $2.03 a month for two years + 4 free months. Usually $11.99 a month. Unlimited devices.

• Unlimited devices.
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows, and more.

Private Internet Access (PIA) is designed for savvy users, with power user tools and features such as custom DNS, connection rules, and split-tunneling. Despite this, it comes in at a lower cost than many competitors.

The app offers servers in 91 countries. In testing, the auto setting did a good job of picking servers that balanced speed and privacy.

The main window provides information on performance, download and upload speeds, and quick settings for things like Port Forwarding and LAN connections. PIA also offers customizable features like automation setup and DNS options. 

While you can use PIA for getting around geoblocked content on your streaming services, PIA’s main focus is privacy, with features like the Advanced Kill Switch, Split Tunnelling, port forwarding, and Multi-Hop server obfuscation. Its zero-log policy has been verified by Deloitte Audit Romania.

Private Internet Access can’t beat the speeds of NordVPN and Surfshark, and its stablemate CyberGhost VPN offers more impressive speeds, but at the cost of some power features. In our testing, we saw a reasonable drop of around 8% while using the PIA VPN. Upload speeds dropped considerably – by around 25%, which may be an issue if you do a lot of uploading. 

Despite inconsistent speeds, Private Internet Access is a great VPN for all budgets with a wealth of features for privacy-inclined users.

You can sign up for Private Internet Access here.

Read our full

Private Internet Access review

ClearVPN

Pros

• Impressive WireGuard speeds
• Dedicated downloading and streaming servers
• Independent audit

Cons

• No split tunneling
• Price doubles on renewal

Price When Reviewed:

Three day trial. Currently $44.99 a year, usually $119.88 a year ($9.99 a month).

• Up to 6 devices at once.
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows.

MacPaw’s ClearVPN lacks some of the advanced features offered by other services, but it’s one of the easiest VPNs to use. It’s thoughtfully designed for VPN newcomers: you need only hit a button to connect. It’s all pretty basic stuff, but we think those new to VPNs will appreciate the simplicity.

There are options to block ads and a Kill Switch to automatically cut traffic from your device if the connection to the VPN is broken.

ClearVPN can grant access to more than 50 servers, which sounds like a lot, but thats a fraction of what’s offered by rivals. But you only really need a server in the country you want to be surfing, so it may not matter.

One common power user feature offered by VPNs is split tunneling, which lets some traffic go through the VPN while some goes around it. That’s not supported by ClearVPN. 

MacPaw’s VPN speeds aren’t as good as the competition. We saw speed drops across multiple servers – even ones close to us. We saw drops of around 20 to 30 percent in download speed, and around 50 percent for upload speed. It’s still fast enough to use Netflix though.

Most VPN companies use external auditors to verify that they’re not recording user or session data. ClearVPN hasn’t undergone one at the time of writing. This shouldn’t mean anything untoward as the company is headquartered in Ukraine, which falls outside of various surveillance alliances, so it can’t be asked to share your data.

ClearVPN is priced affordably, but prices and the deals on offer change all the time with VPNs so look out for low monthly prices that don’t lock you in for too long. There’s a six-device limit that can include Macs, iPhone and iPads. 

If you’re new to using a VPN service, ClearVPN makes a compelling case to be your first choice., and stress-free access to Netflix around the globe, it’s a great starter option. Still, the speed drop and lack of common features like split-tunneling likely mean power users should look elsewhere.

You can sign up for ClearVPN here.

Read our full

ClearVPN review

PureVPN

Pros

• Impressive WireGuard speeds
• Dedicated downloading and streaming servers
• Independent audit

Cons

• No split tunneling
• Price doubles on renewal

Price When Reviewed:

Standard plan from $2.14 a month for two years + 3 free months, $58.05 a year (usually $349.65).

• Up to 6 devices at once.
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows.

If you’re want a VPN service that will get around geoblocking and is easy to use, PureVPN is a good option.

The basic plan only includes the VPN service, but the Plus plan adds a Password Manager and File Encryption tools. The Max plan adds a Digital Privacy Manager that recommends ways to maximize your privacy.

Whichever plan you opt for you’ll be able to connect 10 devices at once. PureVPN will run on your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, and is easy to use on each to let you connect to over six thousand servers.

As far as getting around geo-blocks, we found PureVPN to be as easy as any other service to use. Select a location, load your streaming service or app of choice, and you’re off.

PureVPN now registered in the British Virgin Islands, which is more privacy-friendly than Hong Kong where it was previously. PureVPN offers one of the more impressive no-logging policies, with an ongoing audit process that means auditors can request confirmation of the no-logs policy at any time.

PureVPN has been winding down its virtual servers, of which it has less control. There are still 23 such servers, but PureVPN is transparent about which servers are virtual and which are physical – you can see a small ‘v’ next to each virtual server on the PureVPN website.

You can sign up for PureVPN here.

Read our full

PureVPN review

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN

Pros

• Impressive WireGuard speeds
• Dedicated downloading and streaming servers
• Independent audit

Cons

• No split tunneling
• Price doubles on renewal

Price When Reviewed:

$39.99 a year for one device

• Pay per device (up to 20 devices).
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows.

Malwarebytes is, of course, known for it’s antivirus software, and it’s one of the options we’ve looked at in our round up of the Best Antivirus for Mac, reviewed here Malwarebytes Premium for Mac review. Malwarebytes Premium also has a VPN element to it that can also be purchased separately if you just want a VPN.

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is easy to use and offers speeds that are better than many of its rivals for both downloads and uploads. It also has split-tunnelling via its ‘Connection rules’, and a Kill Switch to cut all traffic if the VPN drops out.

There are some caveats — namely that it features fewer server locations than its rivals, and getting around geoblocks for different versions of streaming services can be a tad inconsistent.

There’s no multi-hop server jumping, but the company does have a verified no-logs policy in place which means information isn’t held about a user’s activity.

However, it offers a pretty compelling package of features and Malwarebytes VPN is available just about anywhere, Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, with Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and plenty more apps.

You can sign up for Malwarebytes Privacy VPN here.

Read our full

Malwarebytes Privacy VPN review

CyberGhost

Pros

• Impressive WireGuard speeds
• Dedicated downloading and streaming servers
• Independent audit

Cons

• No split tunneling
• Price doubles on renewal

Price When Reviewed:

$2.03 a month for two years + 4 free months. Usually $12.99 a month.

• Up to 7 devices at once.
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Android, Windows and more.

CyberGhost is really easy to use and one of the least-expensive services when you sign up for a couple of years. 

CyberGhost has more than 7,000 servers across 90 countries, so you’re bound to find a connection that suits your needs. CyberGhost allows seven simultaneous connections.

Of potentially more interest to most people is the fact it’s pretty reliable for unblocking streaming services. It unblocks Netflix, Disney+, HBOMax, Amazon Prime and others. CyberGhost even provides a streaming list so you can choose the best server to unblock specific streaming services on specific devices.

CyberGhost is based in Romania, which is good for privacy. Deloitte has audited CyberGhost’s privacy claims and found no issues.

With support for WireGuard, CyberGhost offers speedy connections and one subscription allows you to use the service on up to seven devices at once.

You can sign up for CyberGhost here.

Read our full

CyberGhost review

Norton Ultra VPN

Pros

• Impressive WireGuard speeds
• Dedicated downloading and streaming servers
• Independent audit

Cons

• No split tunneling
• Price doubles on renewal

Price When Reviewed:

First year is from $39.99 Norton Secure VPN; $49.99 Norton Ultra VPN; $59.99 Norton Ultra VPN Plus. Renews at a higher price of $79.99/$109.99/$129.99.

• Norton VPN Standard: 1 device. VPN Plus: 5 devices. VPN Ultimate: 10 devices.
• Apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Android, Windows and more.

Norton is best known as an antivirus solution (see our review of Norton 360), but it also offers a VPN solution which can be tied to the antivirus or purchased separately.

Norton’s VPN includes plenty of accoutrements that other VPNs either don’t have or charge extra for. If you’re looking for real-time protection it remains a good security-focused option, but with geoblocking being inconsistent in our testing, you might want to look elsewhere for your international Netflix fix.

Norton has servers in 32 countries – a steep drop from the 111 in NordVPN’s portfolio – but it does offer four protocols to choose from. VPNs naturally decrease your internet speeds and we found Nord’s VPN did lag behind some rivals.

Norton’s Browser Protection scans sites as you browse, so you do get the benefit of real-time detection alerts if a site might be unsafe.

Norton does a good job with privacy, with a 2024 VerSprite audit confirming Norton’s VPN “no logs” policy.

You can install the app on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and all three platforms have apps that work well and run nicely in the background.

You can sign up for Norton Ultra VPN here.

Read our full

Norton Ultra VPN review

For more advice about accessories and software for your Mac, iPad or iPhone see all our Best Picks.

Do iPads need a VPN?

You might be wondering if iPad users even need a VPN. Since Apple introduced iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey in 2021 the company has offered iCloud Private Relay to iCloud subscribers, which is a little like a VPN. iCloud Private Relay encrypts your Safari-based browsing and sends it through a relay to hide your location, IP, and any information about what you were browsing. iCloud Private Relay means that companies cannot build a clear picture of you on the web, thereby protecting your privacy. You do need to be a subscriber to iCloud, and only use Safari, but iCloud Private Relay will provide you with some anonymity when you are surfing the web.

However, iCloud Private Relay only works when you are using Safari, requires a subscription to iCloud, and it won’t allow you to surf via a server in another country in order to access content that is locked to a particular region. iCloud Private Relay does not allow you to choose an IP address or a region, and you won’t be able to make it look like you’re coming from another location. So you can’t watch geographically locked Netflix content, for example.

You can also learn how to use a VPN on iPad once you’ve chosen a service.

For more information on the legalities and whether it is safe to use a VPN read: Is a VPN safe for iPad? If you’ve still got some questions and want to find out more, read what is a VPN and are VPNs legal?

A large-scale brute force password attack using almost 2.8 million IP addresses is underway, attempting to guess the credentials for a wide range of networking devices, including those from Palo Alto Networks, Ivanti, and SonicWall.

A brute force attack is when threat actors attempt to repeatedly log into an account or device using many usernames and passwords until the correct combination is found. Once they have access to the correct credentials, the threat actors can then use them to hijack a device or gain access to a network.

According to the threat monitoring platform The Shadowserver Foundation, a brute force attack has been ongoing since last month, employing almost 2.8 million source IP addresses daily to perform these attacks.

Most of these (1.1 million) are from Brazil, followed by Turkey, Russia, Argentina, Morocco, and Mexico, but there’s generally a very large number of countries of origin participating in the activity.

These are edge security devices like firewalls, VPNs, gateways, and other security appliances, often exposed to the internet to facilitate remote access.

The devices conducting these attacks are mostly MikroTik, Huawei, Cisco, Boa, and ZTE routers and IoTs, which are commonly compromised by large malware botnets.

In a statement to BleepingComputer, The Shadowserver Foundation confirmed that the activity has been ongoing for a while but recently increased to a much larger scale.

ShadowServer also said that the attacking IP addresses are spread across many networks and Autonomous Systems and are likely a botnet or some operation associated with residential proxy networks.

Residential proxies are IP addresses assigned to consumer customers of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), making them highly sought after for use  in cybercrime, scraping, geo-restriction bypasses, ad verification, sneaker/ticket scalping, and more.

These proxies route internet traffic through residential networks, making it appear that the user is a regular home user rather than a bot, data scraper, or hacker.

Gateway devices such as those targeted by this activity could be used as proxy exit nodes in residential proxying operations, routing malicious traffic through an organization’s enterprise network.

These nodes are considered “high-quality” as organizations have a good reputation, and the attacks are harder to detect and stop.

Steps to protect edge devices from brute-forcing attacks include changing the default admin password to a strong and unique one, enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA), using an allowlist of trusted IPs, and disabling web admin interfaces if they’re not needed.

Ultimately, applying the latest firmware and security updates on those devices is crucial in eliminating vulnerabilities that threat actors can leverage to gain initial access.

Last April, Cisco warned about a large-scale credential brute-forcing campaign targeting Cisco, CheckPoint, Fortinet, SonicWall, and Ubiquiti devices worldwide.

In December, Citrix also warned about password spray attacks targeting Citrix Netscaler devices worlwide.