Best Mac VPN for 2024

When it comes to Apple products, people have come to expect every device released by the company to have strong privacy features already installed. This especially goes for Apple's lineup of Mac computers. Many Mac users assume installing a virtual private network (or VPN) to their computer would be pointless. We're here to break that mindset. Installing a VPN to your Mac desktop or laptop computer can absolutely improve your safety when online.

A virtual private network will mask your IP address, making your physical location hidden from public viewing. This means the websites and apps you frequent will not be able to access this information. Using a VPN will stop your internet service provider from tracking your browsing behavior on both iOS and MacOS. Simply put, the best Mac VPNs on the market stop all sorts of invasive threats. If you want to maintain your privacy online, selecting one of the recommended VPN services in our list below is a wise choice.

CNET has named ExpressVPN as the best VPN provider for Macs thanks to its attention to privacy and transparency, its high-quality Mac app and quick connection speeds. The experts at CNET put nearly a dozen popular consumer VPN services through a rigorous testing process on a variety of MacOS devices to ascertain overall performance. Along with ExpressVPN, we underscored a handful of solid VPN options for Mac users. Each provider comes with its own set of features and characteristics, giving you the ability to select the one that would work best for your particular preferences and needs.

Of the numerous other VPNs we've tested, the three providers outlined below are the most notable alternative choices. Though none are the best of the best, each is a capable option for anyone looking for something other than what the top three Mac VPNs offer.    

Proton VPN

Proton VPN is a Swiss-based open-source VPN provider that offers excellent privacy features for Mac users. While Proton VPN's primary focus is on privacy and transparency, its Mac app is easy to use and it does a decent job unblocking content on various streaming platforms. And if you're looking for a free VPN, Proton VPN's free tier is the only one that CNET recommends. 

While Proton VPN's free tier doesn't include access to all of its servers, its ad-blocker tool or advanced privacy features (which include its Secure Core servers or Tor Over VPN function) there are no usage limits and the encryption, obfuscation and leak protection is all the same for free users as they are for paid users. Premium plans are priced at $10 a month or $72 a year, with a 30-day money-back guarantee included.   

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access is one of the most budget-friendly VPNs in the business if you opt for the annual plan at $40 a year. And like Proton VPN and Mullvad VPN, its apps are all open-source. It's a US-based VPN, which may be a deal-breaker if you have heightened or critical online privacy needs. That said, PIA issues semi-annual transparency reports, has been independently audited and is one of the only VPNs that has had its no-logs claims tested in the wild. PIA's Mac app is highly customizable, so it's great for anyone who likes to tinker with their VPN connection or have a dashboard with a lot of information at hand. PIA has decent speeds, but has issues unblocking streaming services. In addition to the $40 annual plan, PIA offers a $12 monthly subscription and a three-year plan at $79 every three years.   

IPVanish

IPVanish is another US-based VPN provider that's a good option for VPN newbies or casual users. Its Mac app is simple and user-friendly and offers a multitude of options to connect to a VPN server. IPVanish's Quick Connect feature is the quickest and easiest way to connect to a server, but the feature typically didn't connect us to the most optimal server when we used it to connect. For optimal performance via IPVanish's Mac app, we recommend connecting manually to a server displaying a light server load. Speeds are decent (when you connect manually), and you can use IPVanish to access geo-blocked content, but its kill switch feature on Mac is limited to the OpenVPN protocol -- which means you could be sacrificing your connection speeds if you want to enable IPVanish's kill switch on your Mac.

When we determine the best Mac VPN for our readers, we address a number of factors that are fundamental to being a Mac user: First, if you're a MacOS user, you're used to a clean, intuitive user interface with a minimal learning curve and a well-organized set of digital tools. That's why we thoroughly test each VPN's features and overall usability. In addition, though not all Apple products are faster than a Windows or PC device, we test each VPN's connection speeds to see how it complements MacOS machines' reputation for being fast. 

We also know that for a lot of Mac users, a broad resistance to app-borne viruses and malware is a big reason for choosing that ecosystem over Windows. To that end, we assess a VPN's antitracker capacity and its general compatibility with Apple's increasingly bolstered privacy policies. We test for leaks and we test each service's kill switch functionality to ensure it's working as it should. We test each VPN's ability to circumvent geographical restrictions, and we evaluate each provider's pricing to determine the service's overall value. 

Most VPN providers offer an app for Mac computers, but it can be difficult to choose the right provider with so many options available. Based on our extensive research and hands-on testing of VPNs over the years, these are the most important factors to consider when choosing a VPN: 

Privacy

The primary consideration for any VPN -- including a Mac VPN -- should be privacy. If your Mac VPN is unable to sufficiently protect your online privacy, then your VPN is useless. At a minimum, your VPN should employ industry standard AES 256-bit encryption along with offering basic privacy protections like a kill switch, DNS leak protection and a no-logs policy. For critical privacy needs, you'll also want a VPN provider that's based in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, offers obfuscation and has a RAM-only server architecture. Additional privacy features to look out for include Tor over VPN capabilities, ad and tracker blockers and multihop connections. Also, look for a VPN that undergoes regular third-party security audits, as audits can help bolster trust in the VPN's ability to protect its users' privacy. 

Speed

Mac computers are generally known to be pretty fast, so you'll probably want a fast VPN that can deliver excellent speeds. The speed of your VPN can have a major effect on activities like streaming, downloading, video conferencing, gaming and general web browsing. To keep things running as smoothly as possible, you'll want to look for a VPN that will have as minimal an impact on your regular internet speeds as possible.  

Usability

MacOS is designed to be clean and intuitive, so if you're used to the feel of the operating system, you'd probably want a similar experience with the VPN software you use. A good Mac VPN should run smoothly and have a decluttered user interface that's easy to use regardless of your technical expertise. It should have a large network of servers around the world so you can connect easily and reliably from wherever you are, and it should be able to help you access geo-restricted content from various regions.     

Cost

VPN pricing varies greatly from provider to provider, so if you're on a budget, you may want to consider the cost and overall value of your MacOS VPN. Typically, you can expect to spend about $5 to $13 a month for a monthly VPN subscription plan. If you want to save money, you can opt for an annual subscription, where prices can range from roughly $30 to $100 a year. Be careful with free VPNs, though, because you may end up putting your privacy at risk instead of protecting it if you go with a free option. Proton VPN is currently the only free VPN that CNET recommends. However, most VPNs offer a money-back guarantee that can be anywhere from a week to 45 days. You can also get a seven-day free trial with many VPNs if you sign up through Apple's App Store. So you'll most likely have options to try various Mac VPNs risk-free before you decide whether to fully invest in one.