The Best VPNs for Mac in 2022

What Is NordVPN?

With over 14 million users, NordVPN is one of the most popular solutions out there. It gained a lot of traction due to its focus on high speeds and great privacy.

Here’s what its offer looks like.

Pricing

NordVPN has three plans. All packages let you install the Mac VPN app on up to six devices and include all the essential features.

The one-month plan would cost you $11.95/month.

The one-year plan starts at $4.92/month and renews at $11.95/month after the first year.

The two-year plan is a bit cheaper, starting at $4.13/month, which amounts to a total of $99 for the first 24 months. After that, it is billed at $286.80/year.

For an additional fee, you can get NordPass—NordVPN’s password manager, and NordLocker—a file encryption solution. It’s great if you want to get multiple security services with your OSX VPN.

NordVPN Best Features

The VPN works on macOS and iOS. If you get a VPN router, you can encrypt all the traffic leaving your local area network.

• Vast network – NordVPN runs thousands of servers spread across 59 countries. This includes mainland China, so you can get around the Great Firewall.
• Advanced protocols – You can use OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec protocols, which is standard. A real treat, though, is the proprietary NordLynx tunneling protocol. It is based on WireGuard—one of the fastest protocols.
• Excellent security – The provider has many additional security measures. This is why NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs for Mac while remaining 100% private.
• Zero logs – If you’re looking for unbeatable privacy, you’ll love that NordVPN is based in Panama—a country that has no laws obligating VPN providers to keep logs. And NordVPN has a strict zero-logging policy.
• Complete privacy – The company ensures complete security by keeping no personally identifiable information (PII). And the servers themselves are diskless, meaning everything runs purely in RAM. All the data is erased whenever the server is shut down or restarted, protecting you if NordVPN's servers get seized.
• Flawless killswitch – The VPN for Mac features a built-in automatic killswitch. If your connection drops, the app will block all traffic to prevent your identity from being discovered.
• Trackless connection – The host stops ad traffic and all trackers, so sites can’t attempt to identify you. You’ll also find that the VPN blocks some suspicious domains known for malvertising or scams.
• Seamless streaming – The VPN software for Mac was also one of the first to support streaming. You can connect to Netflix from about 95% of the servers. Plenty of other services are supported too.
• Torrenting – P2P and torrenting are also completely allowed.
• Bypass firewalls – If your job or school has a VPN ban, you get the wonderful option to obfuscate your traffic. This makes it look like regular HTTPS traffic, so you can get around various blocks and firewalls. Just don’t let your boss see you.

What We Disliked

NordVPN has extensions for encrypted browsing through Chrome and Firefox.

However, many Apple users prefer Safari, which isn’t included. You’d need to install the entire app if you want to surf the internet privately from this browser.

NordVPN User Reviews

The OSX VPN gets an immense number of positive reviews. Thousands of users praise it as their go-to VPN. Plus, it gets 4.6/5 stars from Apple users in the App Store—an impressive result.

A few users did complain about NordVPN's complicated procedure for turning off auto-renewals or canceling plans. To be fair, you do need to jump through a few hoops, but NordVPN has a guide you can follow.

Overall, the impressions are positive.

We Recommend NordVPN For…

NordVPN is fantastic for anyone who wants top speeds without making any concessions in terms of privacy. It’s one of the best VPN software for Mac.

What Is ExpressVPN?

ExpressVPN is a premium service with a ton of advanced features. Let’s check out what this VPN software for Mac offers to its millions of users.

Pricing

ExpressVPN has a single tier that lets you connect up to five devices. Note that you can also set up ExpressVPN on your router and connect any device in your residence.

The price only depends on the period you prepay for:

• One month – $12.95/month
• Six months – $9.99/month
• Twelve months – $8.32/month
• Fifteen months – $6.67 for the first 15 months, $8.32/month paid annually after the initial subscription

ExpressVPN Best Features

Here’s what we loved about ExpressVPN

• Massive server network – ExpressVPN supports 160 locations across a whopping 94 countries, outclassing most VPNs by a massive margin. It is also the best VPN for Mac for routing from China.
• VPN Masking – Its obfuscated servers come in handy here. ExpressVPN can make your traffic look like ordinary HTTPS requests, so you can get around the Great Firewall or the VPN block in your office.
• In-house protocol – Even better, ExpressVPN has a proprietary tunneling protocol called Lightway. It's one of the fastest in use and it allows quick transitions when switching networks.
• Easy to connect – The Smart Location feature will always connect you to the best server, depending on speed, latency, and distance.
• No logging – ExpressVPN’s Macintosh VPN software operates out of the British Virgin islands—meaning there’s no logging.
• RAM-only machines – Servers run purely on RAM, so any attempts to seize them would result in data being erased. We got practical proof for that when the Turkish authorities seized an ExpressVPN server and ended up with zilch.
• User-friendly – Mac users can enjoy a very easy-to-use app. Alternatively, they can install the VPN on the router and not even worry about the software.
• Safari-friendly – One great advantage over NordVPN is the Safari extension. It communicates well with the app installed on your laptop, so you won’t get any conflicts.
• Great utility features – ExpressVPN for Mac is also great for streaming, supporting 20+ services like Netflix, BBC, and Disney+.
• Split-tunneling – You can always enable split-tunneling to encrypt your traffic and speed up regular browsing.
• Double encryption – On the other end, the provider supports double VPN and allows you to route traffic through Tor. Unlike most VPNs, it goes a step further and lets you purchase the service with Bitcoin on a dedicated .onion site. We don't usually recommend combining a VPN with Tor, but ExpressVPN does a lot to ensure 100% privacy.
• Torrenting – Though this VPN for Mac doesn’t advertise it, torrenting is allowed across all servers without any bandwidth restrictions.

What We Disliked

ExpressVPN does lack an ad blocker, so some sites might attempt to identify you with ad trackers. You can use a third-party app to prevent this, but it would be nice to have the option natively.

Another thing is that the automatic killswitch is missing on iOS. Yes, this doesn’t really impact users running the VPN on Mac, but most Mac fans also have an iPhone, so it’s worth keeping in mind.

ExpressVPN User Reviews

ExpressVPN gets thousands of stellar reviews. We’re not kidding—a rating of 4.7 across almost 7,000 reviews on TrustPilot is impressive. Many users love that the provider is blazing-fast and secure—especially since it implemented more robust encryption a couple of years ago.

A few VPN reviews from Mac users feature complaints about the iOS app being a bit clunky, which is a fair point. ExpressVPN is much smoother on Mac laptops and desktops than on mobile.

We Recommend ExpressVPN For…

Blazing-fast speeds and the highest possible cybersecurity measures. ExpressVPN might have premium prices, but it’s absolutely worth it. After all, you’re getting possibly the best VPN client for Mac.

What Is SurfShark?

Established in 2018, SurfShark is a relatively fresh face among VPN services. That said, it already has something of a reputation for being a stable solution.

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of this VPN app for Mac.

Pricing

The VPN is billed based only on how long you prepay for:

• One month – $12.95/month
• One year – $6.49/month
• Two years (+three months free) – $2.21/month

All in all, it’s relatively standard pricing with a nice incentive for a long-term commitment.

SurfShark Best Features

SurfShark's base is in the British Virgin Islands, so it's not obligated to keep logs.

• Lots of servers – It supports thousands of servers across 22 countries. It’s kind of slim compared to the other best VPN software for Mac, but its Hong Kong location is a welcome addition.
• Great against VPN blocks – In fact, if you are in a heavily regulated region, SurfShark’s no borders mode will suggest appropriate servers to connect to automatically. It’s a breeze to use and performs great in China.
• Many protocols – SurfShark offers OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2 protocols with standard AES-256 encryption.
• RAM-only – The Mac VPN provider runs RAM-only servers, so any authorities that try to forcefully seize the data would come away empty-handed.
• Solid for torrenting – SurfShark supports torrenting. If you only want to run traffic from certain apps (like your BitTorrent client) through a VPN, split tunneling is also available.
• Streaming included – The provider can help you access geo-blocked content on multiple streaming sites, including Netflix (in 15 countries), Disney+, HBO Now, Amazon Prime, and more.
• Killswitch – The macOS X VPN has a killswitch that prevents accidental data leaks.
• Multiple encryption layers available – SurfShark features a multihop option that routes traffic through multiple VPN servers—for when you really want to avoid detection.
• Ad-blocker software – The VPN blocks ads, trackers, and potentially malicious sites—great for safe browsing.
• VPN masking – You can use obfuscation tools to make it appear as if you’re not using a VPN and avoid blocks.
• No device cap – Lastly, possibly the best advantage is that SurfShark is one of the few unlimited-device VPN apps for Mac. You can connect all the laptops and iPhones you have without extra charge.

What We Disliked

One minor issue has to do with SurfShark’s claims to be independently audited.

There was indeed one audit done by Cure53, a pen-testing firm. It merely confirmed that there were no security issues with the browser extensions.

This is a far cry from a comprehensive inspection where the auditing firm gets access to the code and the infrastructure.

Sure, we're glad to hear SurfShark's extensions aren't easily compromised. However, such a young company would instill a lot more confidence with a comprehensive audit (which some VPNs for Mac do have).

SurfShark User Reviews

SurfShark is well-liked among its customers. 7,000+ users on TrustPilot gave it an average rating of 4.3, which is decent. Redditors praise it too. Like all VPNs, there are server issues here and there, but nothing major worth pointing out.

We Recommend SurfShark For…

Connecting unlimited Macs to a fantastic VPN. The provider has all the cutting-edge protection of high-end providers while retaining reasonable prices and not limiting you on the number of devices.

What Is IPVanish?

Founded in 2012, IPVanish gained a reputation for speed and reliability shortly after that. It was even voted one of the top VPN startups in 2016.

Let’s see if it’s the best Mac VPN in 2022.

Pricing

IPVanish has two plans.

The first gets you just the VPN and lets you connect up to ten devices, which is hefty. It would cost you $3.20/month billed monthly or $38.38/year with the annual subscription. Keep in mind only the first year is discounted. The prices shoot up to $89.99/year when you renew the plan.

The second macOS VPN plan adds 500GB of cloud storage to your VPN deal. The prices are similar, starting at $3.91/month billed monthly or $46.91/year with the annual package. Once you renew the subscription, the cost goes up to $109.99/year.

The introductory deals are attractive, but IPVanish is kind of pricey when the first subscription term expires.

IPVanish Best Features

• Global coverage – IPVanish covers 75 locations with 1,600+ servers, which is decent. It doesn’t work in China, though.
• Standard encryption tools – The VPN for Mac runs pretty standard encryption with acceptable speeds over OpenVPN TCP/UDP and IKEv2 protocols.
• Failsafe – The VPN has a built-in killswitch, so you won't get deanonymized by accident.
• Decent for streaming – IPVanish unblocks US Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max but covers few other services.
• Split tunneling – It recently added split tunneling support. You can save bandwidth by only routing the traffic you really want to hide.
• Torrenting-friendly – Torrenting is allowed. With decent speeds and split tunneling, you should find it a breeze to download P2P.
• Blocks ad networks – The Mac VPN app adds an ad and tracker blocker, which is always handy.
• Cloud storage included – For a few extra bucks on top of the annual subscription, you can get SugarSync to go with your VPN. This is a cloud backup service that can connect to IPVanish. Albeit not our favorite in terms of security, SugarSync is still one of the top storage providers. The plans start at $2.62/month, which is a pretty affordable deal for a stable VPN service.

What We Disliked

IPVanish is based in Orlando, Florida, subjecting it to all the nasty US anti-privacy laws. If compelled by the authorities, the VPN would have to hand over all the data requested.

But IPVanish is a zero-logging Mac VPN software, isn’t it?

Well…

Despite the no-log claims, the provider handed over one of its customers’ details to the Department of Homeland Security. The info included the name, IP address, and exact times when they connected/disconnected from the VPN.

The company has since been acquired by J2 Global, which once again promises no logging, but it's up to you if you want to forgive and forget.

IPVanish User Reviews

With an average score of 4.7/5 across 6,000+ VPN reviews by Mac users, IPVanish is easily one of the most reputable VPNs. The negative comments are few and far between, which is great to see.

We Recommend IPVanish For…

It's a reliable solution with all the features you might need. Admittedly, some of the privacy concerns will be difficult to put behind. Still, IPVanish is one stable service and a strong contender for the best VPN for Mac.

What Is VyprVPN?

VyprVPN is a VPN service by Golden Frog, one of the biggest advocates for online privacy.

Let’s see how the Swiss-based company helps its clients stay anonymous.

Pricing

VyprVPN recently switched to single-tier pricing. You can prepay for an extended period and get a discount, though.

• One month – $15/month
• One year – $8.33/month

VyprVPN used to be a midrange Mac VPN service, but its new single-tier pricing offers some pretty affordable deals. Plus, you can connect up to five devices, which is ideal for most users.

VyprVPN Best Features

• Global coverage – VyprVPN has servers in 73 locations, Hong Kong included. It has only around 700 servers, which is a bit short. However, it owns all of them, which means it has more control than most other companies.
• Industry-standard encryption – The encryption is 256-bit AES-CBC with 2,048-bit RSA handshake and SHA256 authentication—pretty standard stuff to protect the data flow.
• Extremely beginner-friendly – It is the best VPN app for Mac in terms of ease of use. If you run an Apple TV in addition to that or have a VPN router, you can install the software on them as well.
• An ally to privacy – Golden Frog, the company behind VyprVPN, is heavily dedicated to privacy. In fact, it was the company that first filed a complaint with the FCC that AT&T was assisting the NSA with warrantless mass surveillance.
• No logging confirmed – It is also the first VPN provider to do a fully-public no-logging audit, which confirmed that VyprVPN keeps no personally identifiable information (PII).
• Streaming support for some services – You can use the Mac VPN software for streaming, but its performance depends on the location. The service passes geo-blocking well enough in the US, but it’s a bit of a hit-and-miss for other countries.
• Invisible to VPN blocks – VyprVPN has an obfuscation protocol called Chameleon, which is recommended on Mac. It can help you if you’re in a country like China or Russia or if your workplace runs anti-VPN rules on its firewall.
• Business VPN available – Another cool feature this Mac VPN app offers is the VPN cloud. It lets you deploy VyprVPN on top of your own cloud server (currently works with AWS, DigitalOcean, and VirtualBox). It’s handy if you run a business relying on cloud solutions like Salesforce.

What We Disliked

A minor inconvenience is that there are no browser extensions, so you can't skip the app and anonymize just the browsing sessions. If you’d like to see the best VPN for Safari, check out ExpressVPN.

VyprVPN is also known for disabling accounts based on copyright notices, meaning it’s not ideal for torrenting.

One last thing we’d like to see included is an anonymous crypto payment system. As things stand, VyprVPN only supports credit and debit cards, UnionPay, and PayPal.

VyprVPN User Reviews

VyprVPN reviews are so-and-so—users equally dislike it and praise it.

There are no comments about the Mac app specifically. Still, some complaints have to do with the complicated cancellation procedures and the Chameleon protocol not working perfectly. These are some things to be aware of before signing up.

We Recommend VyprVPN For…

Very affordable Mac VPN deals with top-of-the-line security features. It might not be ideal if you’re in it for torrenting or streaming, but VyprVPN takes the cake when it comes to old-fashioned browsing privacy.

What Is Hotspot Shield?

Hotspot Shield is one of the most well-known cross-platform VPNs. It supports an array of devices, including the ones running macOS or iOS.

Here’s how the app works.

Pricing

There are a few VPN tiers.

• Free – 500MB bandwidth cap, up to 2Mbps speed, one device
• One month – $12.99/month, five devices
• One year – $7.99/month, five devices
• Three years – $2.99/month, five devices

Overall, the prices are fair. What’s more, the free tier, albeit limited, makes Hotspot Shield the best free VPN for Mac.

To top it off, the paid plans offer a 45-day money-back guarantee. This is longer than standard and it gives you more than enough time to test the service.

Hotspot Shield Best Features

• Solid around the globe – Hotspot Shield works in 99 locations all around the world. It is also one of the few VPNs with stable functionality in China.
• Hydra tunneling protocol – The provider developed its own protocol called Hydra. It maintains top security while retaining decent speeds. If you'd like something more vanilla, though, the Mac VPN also supports OpenVPN TCP/UDP, IKEv2, and WireGuard, covering all the big ones.
• Split tunneling – The proprietary protocol supports split tunneling, so you can save a bit of bandwidth. An automatic killswitch is included to ensure that no data will leak out.
• Invisible to blocks – All the traffic going through Hydra is obfuscated to look like regular HTTPS, so you can avoid VPN blocks.
• Fast streaming – Hotspot Shield boasts about its streaming capabilities—and for a good reason. We found that the paid plans can pass geo-blocking from all major streaming providers with incredible speeds.
• Fast torrenting as well – The VPN displays pretty fast times in torrenting as well. Factor in the split tunneling and it’s easily the best VPN for Mac torrenting.
• Security tools included – Lastly, the two largest plans come with a full suite of security services, including an antivirus, identity theft protection, spam blocking for iPhone, and a password manager. The add-ons are fantastic if you want to get all the security essentials in one place.

What We Disliked

Hotspot Shield is based in the US, which implies some privacy-related trouble. The VPN claims it keeps no logs, but a base in a more privacy-friendly location would be preferable.

Hotspot Shield User Reviews

The Mac VPN application has mostly positive customer feedback. Most users rate it as excellent on common review sites.

There are some comments by Redditors complaining about the insufficient support quality. However, they may be talking about the free tier, which leaves you with the knowledge base only. Otherwise, support might be a bit slow, but its performance is entirely satisfactory.

We Recommend Hotspot Shield For…

Blazing-fast streaming, torrenting, and gaming. Hotspot Shield is one of the fastest VPNs for Mac, all the while offering numerous server locations and a full suite of computer security apps.

What Is ZenMate?

When it started out, ZenMate used its free offer to amass 47 million clients. Unfortunately, the service no longer has a free tier, yet its deals are still top-rated.

But does ZenMate have anything else going for it than just good marketing? Let’s find out.

Pricing

ZenMate has two tiers.

The Pro tier would cost you $1.99/month billed annually, $3.19/month paid every six months, or $7.99/month charged monthly. This plan only lets you connect to ZenMate via a browser.

Still, it's a very affordable option if you only need to secure your sessions. Just keep in mind it doesn’t work on all browsers, so you’d need something like ExpressVPN if you want the best VPN for Safari.

The Ultimate tier gives you the full power of the Mac app. It would cost you $1.51/month billed every three years, $4.49/month with the one-year plan, or $10.99/month paid monthly. It’s pretty good value, especially with the longest subscription.

ZenMate Best Features

• Lots of locations – ZenMate maintains servers in 78 countries. China is included here through Hong Kong, although the service isn’t the most stable.
• Standard encryption practices – ZenMate features standard 256-bit AES encryption with 2048-bit RSA keys. It all goes through IKEv2 or OpenVPN protocols.
• Ready for streaming – The top VPN for Mac also has servers optimized for streaming. It can unlock content on most major platforms, including Netflix, BBC, Amazon Prime, etc.
• Torrenting support – The provider allows torrenting as well. Some servers are faster for this purpose, though there are a few even quicker VPNs.
• Killswitch built in – The VPN has a killswitch, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally disconnecting.
• Basic browser app available – The basic app works only on a browser, but it comes at a much more affordable price. Just keep in mind it doesn't support Safari, so you would have to be on Chrome or Firefox.

If you want the full VPN app for Mac, it is completely supported on MacBooks and a breeze to set up.

What We Disliked

ZenMate is based in Germany, which falls under the Fourteen Eyes surveillance alliance—known for its lack of tolerance for seeding or leeching torrents.

The provider also openly states it keeps records of your email address and the IP of anyone visiting its site. Although the PR team claims there is no way to connect the two to see what you were doing through a VPN, it’s not the ideal state of affairs.

Lastly, the provider is kind of lagging behind in features compared to the best VPNs for Mac. It just recently enabled OpenVPN and still lacks options like split tunneling, which is commonplace.

ZenMate User Reviews

ZenMate is a popular VPN and the great majority of users praise it. Most like the ease of access to locked content on streaming platforms.

We Recommend ZenMate For…

ZenMate is pretty decent for unlocking content on various streaming platforms. It’s not the absolute best VPN for Mac and iOS, but it does the job.

What Is CyberGhost?

CyberGhost used to be among the more reputable independent VPN providers. Its location in Romania allows it to offer reliable 100% private services.

That said, it recently got acquired by a different company. Let’s see how it fares after the change of ownership.

Pricing

CyberGhost has a single plan with discounts for longer subscription periods.

• One month – $12.99/month
• One year – $3.95/month
• Two years – $3.15/month
• Three years – $2.15/month (three extra months free for the first subscription cycle)

These Mac VPN plans are overall reasonably priced and flexible. One thing to watch out for is that the two-year plan doesn’t offer the best value for money—you would pay almost the same amount upfront as with the three-year plan. You might as well pay the extra fee and go for the longer subscription.

CyberGhost Best Features

• Standard basics – CyberGhost has servers in 88 countries, but that doesn’t include China. The VPN runs AES 256-bit encryption and the IKEv2 VPN protocol, which is standard.
• Easy setup – The VPN service on Mac is straightforward to set up. You can hit one button and get an encrypted connection to the nearest server. Note that this might not be the fastest one, so you can play around to get higher speeds.
• Works great on a Mac – The software is sort of optimized for Mac, so you can expect slightly better performance than Windows users.
• You can add protected apps – CyberGhost launches automatically whenever you start them. You can enable the same function when you connect to WiFi, which goes a long way in terms of security.
• Streaming capabilities – CyberGhost supports 35+ streaming platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. The MacBook VPN features dedicated servers for getting around streaming geo-blocking.
• Dedicated IP addresses available – You can get a dedicated IP address if you don’t want to risk the shared one getting flagged. But note that this makes it easier to associate your account to the IP. To balance out this privacy issue, CyberGhost gives you a dedicated token to access the address every time.
• Router support – CyberGhost protects up to seven devices, which is solid. Or, like with most providers, you can install it on a router and connect all your gadgets.
• Prevents VPN leaks – The VPN features excellent leak protection and a killswitch.
• Torrenting supported – Torrenting is allowed on select servers, though they might be a bit slower than the usual ones.
• Blocks ads – The VPN software for Mac includes an ad blocker that stops most trackers. However, there is no system to redirect you from sites known for malware, so it pays off to run some type of browsing protection.

What We Disliked

The thing that concerns us about CyberGhost is the aforementioned change of ownership. The company was acquired by Kape Technologies, which is an Israeli-based firm behind many VPNs. Not too bad, right?

Well, Kape Technologies used to be Crossrider. Some of you might remember it as the nasty advertisement and data mining company. Not really who you want to see when looking for the best VPN for Mac.

Even worse, Crossrider gained notoriety for injecting adware into its product bundles, mainly aiming it at Mac users. Adware is software that hijacks your browser and forces displaying weird ads—yeah, that thing.

Now, Crossrider rebranded into Kape specifically to avoid being associated with such technologies. That said, we'd still be wary of handing over data to a company known for exploiting Macs.

Our second concern is that CyberGhost claims no logging, but that isn’t exactly true. If you open your account, you can clearly find the list of devices you’ve installed the CyberGhost app on. Storing data about the devices you use is the definition of logging!

CyberGhost User Reviews

Few services are as popular as CyberGhost—and not just in the VPN world. The macOS VPN provider has over 11,000 user reviews on TrustPilot, nearly 10,000 of which give it five stars. Most companies can’t even dream of those numbers.

One legitimate complaint we found is that CyberGhost plays fast and loose with renewal reminders. Notification emails don’t even contain CyberGhost's name and frequently end up in spam. It pays off to be careful and switch off the auto-renewal if you want to cancel the service.

We Recommend CyberGhost For…

CyberGhost is excellent for fast browsing. Plus, it’s the best VPN for Apple devices if you want to stream content. However, we would be wary of trusting the owner company with our data’s privacy.

What Is Private Internet Access?

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a reputable US-based VPN. Its main selling point is high privacy at low prices.

Let’s see how the deals work out for Mac users.

Pricing

The Mac VPN service charges you only based on the length of your subscription:

• One month – $9.95/month
• One year – $3.33/month
• Two years – $2.69/month (plus two months free)

The deals are relatively competitive, making PIA one of the cheapest solutions for Mac users.

PIA also has a 45-day money-back period, which is longer than usual. Just note it doesn’t apply to the month-to-month subscription.

Private Internet Access Best Features

The VPN software for Mac is pretty easy to set up. You can install it on up to ten devices, which should satisfy even the biggest tech geeks out there.

• Global coverage – Private Internet Access is available in 76 countries, including China, albeit the latter is a tad unreliable. On top of that, it has a server count of almost 30,000—the largest one we’ve seen by far.
• Granular controls – The service is very configurable, letting you choose the protocol, encryption type, and handshake method. You can even set the VPN to switch on during certain times of the day.
• Proprietary CLI – There is also a PIA CLI, which lets you get really granular with the settings. You can go through your system processes and pick precisely when you want the OSX VPN to boot.
• Killswitch built in – There is a solid killswitch to prevent data leakages.
• No logging confirmed in practice – PIA claims to keep no logs and we are inclined to believe it. It was subpoenaed by the court twice so far and provided no usable data.
• Ad blocker – The service comes with inbuilt ad tracking and malware protection, so it will keep you away from anything unwanted.
• Torrenting is also fully supported.
• Dedicated streaming servers – There are some streaming capabilities, which work best for Netflix. BBC can be reached occasionally. The blocked Disney+ and Amazon Prime databases are accessible only via a couple of servers. All in all, PIA isn’t the best VPN for Mac for getting around geo-blocking.

What We Dislike

Private Internet Access is owned by Kape Technologies, leading to the same concerns we have with CyberGhost. Kape isn’t known for being very privacy-friendly, which spells trouble for the macOS VPN.

Even worse, the parent company of PIA, London Trust Media, recently got a new CTO—Mark Karpelès. Despite being a competent technology officer, Karpelès was convicted twice—once for fraud and once for data manipulation. He misled the investors in his crypto company and misplaced $400 million. Probably not the type of guy you’d want securing your data.

Lastly, PIA is based in the US, which is among the worst places regarding data privacy laws.

It all amounts to a very poor background for the VPN.

Private Internet Access User Reviews

Despite all of the above, PIA has a decent reputation as the best VPN for Mac and iPhone. It has around 6,500 user reviews on TrustPilot. 4,000 rate it with five stars and 1,000—with four stars. It’s a solid ratio of positive to negative comments.

We Recommend Private Internet Access For…

PIA is the most affordable VPN encryption for Mac. You can connect up to ten devices for $2.69, which is an offer other companies can’t compete with. There are more powerful providers, but none with such good deals.