The best VPN for Mac for 2025 we tested and reviewed

Most VPN vendors offer a VPN application for MAC computers, but it can be difficult to choose the right provider with so many options available. Based on our extensive research and practical testing of VPN over the years, these are the most important factors to take into account when choosing VPN:

Confidentiality

The main consideration for each VPN – including Mac VPN – must be confidentiality. If your Mac VPN is not able to protect your online privacy enough, then your VPN is useless. At a minimum, your VPN should use the standard AES 256-bit encryption (with OpenVPN or IKEV2 VPN protocols) or Characha20 (with Wireguard or IKEV2 VPN protocol), along with offering basic confidentiality protection as a murder switch, DNS leak protection and login -free policy. For critical privacy needs you will also want a VPN provider, which is based on a confidential jurisdiction, offers confusion and has architecture only for RAM. Additional confidentiality features to be careful include TOR over VPN capabilities, ads and tracking blockers and multitacks. Also, look for VPN, which undergoes regular third -party security audits, as audits can help enhance the trust in VPN’s ability to protect the confidentiality of its users.

Speed

Mac computers are usually known to be quite fast so you’ll probably want a Quick vpn This can provide excellent speeds. The speed of your VPN may have a great effect on activities such as streamingDownload, video conferencing, games and total surfing on the network. All VPNs somewhat reduce the speed of your connection to keep things working as smoothly as possible, you will want to look for a VPN that will have the most minimal impact on your regular speeds on the Internet. Overall, the best VPN only drops the internet download speed with an average of 25% or less, with the best performers -Nordvpn, Mullvad and Surfshark -below 20% average loss of download speed.

Usability

MacOS is designed to be clean and intuitive, so if you are used to the feeling of the operating system, you would probably want a similar experience with the VPN software you are using. A good Mac VPN should work smoothly and have a declared user interface that is easy to use, regardless of your technical expertise. It should have a large network of servers around the world so that you can connect easily and reliably from where you are, and you should be able to help you access geo-limited content from different regions. You should also consider advanced features such as specialized servers (such as Tor over vpn and darkened servers), Double hop/multi-hopSpecial IP address and tunnel separation (which allows you to use a VPN connection for some VPN applications, but not others).

Spending

VPN pricing varies greatly from the supplier to the supplier, so if you are on a budget, you may want to consider the costs and total value of your MacOS VPN. You can usually expect to spend about $ 5 to $ 13 a month on a monthly VPN subscription plan. If you want to save money, you can choose an annual subscription where prices can range from approximately $ 30 to $ 100 a year. Be careful with free VPN, as you can eventually put your privacy at risk instead of protecting it if you go with a free option. Proton VPN is currently the only one Free VPN This CNET recommends. However, most VPNs offer a money back guarantee, which can be from a week to 45 days. You can also get a seven -day free trial with many VPN if you sign up for the Apple App Store. So you will probably have the options to try different Mac VPNS risk-free before deciding whether to fully invest in one.

Device support

You will want a VPN that works well on your Mac devices such as your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Mini, Mac Studio or Mac Pro. In addition, if you are highly rooted in the Apple ecosystem, you might want to think VPN that works well on your iPhoneiPad and even Apple TVS Fortunately, most VPN supports MacOS and iOS/iPados, and compatibility with Apple TV is increasingly common. With the greater part of VPN suppliers, you can install VPN on all your Mac devices, from MacBooks and Mac desktops for the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV streaming fields.

Streaming

VPN may increase your streaming experience thanks to their ability to hide your public IP address, thus making applications and websites think you are in a different geographical location. For example, you can use VPN to unblock content limited by the region by watching Max (before HBO Max) while traveling outside the US, or watching the BBC IPlayer while resting outside the UK. Alternatively, you can access foreign video libraries Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime. Consider streaming services you want to use with VPN, and make sure these applications work with the VPN you want. If you want to install a VPN on your Smart TVAndroid TV device, Amazon Fire TV or Apple TVMake sure your VPN provider has a compatible application for this device. Use of a VPN for streaming can even help you save money on services for streaming services.