Best VPN Services for Users in China (2026)
Choosing a VPN for use in mainland China is different from choosing one for streaming or public Wi-Fi. Many VPN connections are detected and blocked, so what matters most is whether a provider offers obfuscation (traffic disguising) and other fallback options — and how honest it is about their limits. Below we compare six well-known services that are commonly used by people who need access from China.
Information checked: October 17, 2026. Prices, features and availability change often. No VPN is guaranteed to work in China at all times — blocking methods change, and connections that work one week may fail the next. Check the provider’s own website before buying, and make sure your use complies with local laws.
Quick summary
- ExpressVPN — easiest to use: obfuscation is applied automatically; premium price.
- Astrill VPN — built around its own anti-censorship protocols (StealthVPN, OpenWeb); expensive and keeps limited connection records.
- NordVPN — obfuscated servers and the NordWhisper protocol plus several documented fallbacks; may need manual setup.
- Surfshark — NoBorders mode turns on automatically on restrictive networks; unlimited devices.
- Proton VPN — Stealth protocol on all plans, Swiss jurisdiction and annual no-logs audits.
- Mullvad — strongest privacy model (no email needed, flat price), but it states that its Asian servers are blocked in China.
Comparison table
| VPN | Anti-censorship option | Jurisdiction | Independent audits | Devices | Lowest advertised price* | Refund window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | Automatic obfuscation, Lightway protocol | British Virgin Islands | KPMG (privacy policy, 2024), Cure53, PwC (TrustedServer) | 10–14 (by plan) | $4.99/mo (Basic, 12 months + 3 free) | 30 days |
| Astrill VPN | StealthVPN, OpenWeb | Liechtenstein (Veloxee Corp.) | None published on its site | See note in review | $12.50/mo (2 years) | No refunds (all sales final) |
| NordVPN | Obfuscated servers, NordWhisper | Panama | Deloitte no-logs assurance (Dec 2025) | 10 | $3.49/mo (Basic, 2 years + 3 months) | 30 days |
| Surfshark | NoBorders mode | Netherlands | Deloitte no-logs (2023, 2025), Cure53 (2026) | Unlimited | $2.49/mo (2 years + 3 months) | 30 days |
| Proton VPN | Stealth protocol | Switzerland | Securitum no-logs audit (5th annual, 2026) | 10 (Free: 1) | $3.49/mo (VPN Plus, 2 years) | 30 days |
| Mullvad | Shadowsocks, QUIC, LWO, UDP-over-TCP | Sweden | Multiple (Cure53, Assured, X41 D-Sec and others) | 5 | €5/mo (flat, any period) | 14 days (not for cash) |
* Introductory prices in USD (Mullvad in EUR) from the providers’ official pricing pages on October 17, 2026. Long-term plans are billed upfront, and most providers charge more on renewal. Taxes may apply.
1. ExpressVPN
Key features. ExpressVPN uses its own Lightway protocol (open source, rebuilt in Rust in 2025) and says its network applies automatic obfuscation to keep users connected on restrictive networks — there is no separate “stealth” switch to manage. Its servers run from RAM only (TrustedServer), and the company lists servers in 113 countries.
Privacy. ExpressVPN reports a KPMG assessment of its privacy-policy claims (2024) and several Cure53 audits of its apps and Lightway protocol; TrustedServer was audited by PwC Switzerland.
Performance. In Cybernews’ test in Shenzhen (November 2025, China Unicom) ExpressVPN connected without manual setup and recorded about 438 Mbps down / 40 Mbps up — the lowest download speed of the five services tested there. Treat this as a single snapshot.
Price (checked Oct 17, 2026). Basic $4.99/mo, Advanced $5.99/mo, Pro $8.99/mo on the 12-month plan with 3 extra months. Basic is billed $74.85 for the first 15 months and then renews at $99.95 per year. 10, 12 or 14 devices depending on plan; 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- No configuration needed for obfuscation
- Long list of published audits
- Wide platform support
Cons
- Higher renewal price
- You cannot choose obfuscation settings manually
- VPN apps are not available in Apple’s China App Store
Best for: travellers and newcomers who want the simplest setup and are willing to pay more.
2. Astrill VPN
Key features. Astrill’s main selling point is its proprietary protocols. StealthVPN (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, routers) adds obfuscation that Astrill says is designed to avoid automated firewall detection, and OpenWeb (all major platforms including iOS) is described as performing well in countries with heavy censorship. Astrill itself notes that standard OpenVPN is often blocked in China. WireGuard and OpenVPN are also available.
Privacy. Astrill’s privacy notice says active-session data is removed when you disconnect, but it keeps the last 20 connection records per account (time, duration, country, device type and app version) for support purposes. We did not find an independent audit published on its website.
Performance. Cybernews measured about 547 Mbps down / 32 Mbps up in Shenzhen (Nov 2025); 9 of 10 test sites opened.
Price (checked Oct 17, 2026). $30 per month, $15/mo on the 1-year plan ($180), or $12.50/mo on the 2-year plan ($300). A VIP add-on starts at $10/month. A separate iOS-only plan bought in the iOS app costs $29.99/month or $179.99/year for one device. Device limits differ between Astrill’s own pages (its pricing page mentions unlimited household devices, its iOS page says up to five devices on the standard plan) — confirm before you buy. Astrill’s refund policy states that all sales are final and refunds are not possible — so test carefully before committing to a long plan.
Pros
- Protocols designed specifically for censored networks
- Router support
- Long track record
Cons
- The most expensive option here
- Keeps recent connection records
- No published independent audit; confusing iOS plan
Best for: long-term residents and business users who put connection reliability first and accept the cost and logging trade-off.
3. NordVPN
Key features. NordVPN offers obfuscated servers that disguise VPN traffic as regular HTTPS, used together with its NordWhisper protocol. Its help centre lists a sequence of fallbacks for restricted countries: NordWhisper, obfuscated servers, OpenVPN (TCP), a network reset and a manual IKEv2 connection. NordVPN says obfuscated servers are “not intended for casual use”.
Privacy. NordVPN has completed its sixth no-logs assurance engagement: Deloitte Lithuania assessed its systems between November 10 and December 12, 2025 (ISAE 3000), including obfuscated servers. The full report is available to logged-in customers.
Performance. In Cybernews’ Shenzhen test the first connection failed; it worked after installing the IKEv2 certificate and enabling obfuscated servers, reaching about 551/36 Mbps.
Price (checked Oct 17, 2026). Basic $3.49/mo on the 2-year plan ($94.23 for the first 27 months, then $139.08 per year), $5.49/mo on the 1-year plan, or $14.99 month-to-month. Complete and Prime tiers cost more. 10 devices; 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Several documented fallback methods
- Recent Big Four no-logs assurance
- Low price on long plans
Cons
- May require manual configuration
- Renewal price is much higher than the first term
Best for: cost-conscious users who are comfortable changing protocols and settings when needed.
4. Surfshark
Key features. NoBorders mode (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS) is designed for networks with restrictions such as government censorship. Surfshark says it usually switches on automatically when the app detects restrictions and then offers a list of servers that perform best in those conditions; it can also be enabled manually. All servers are RAM-only, and Surfshark lists 4,500+ servers in 100 countries.
Privacy. Deloitte checked Surfshark’s no-logs policy in 2023 and 2025; Cure53 audited its infrastructure in 2026, and SecuRing assessed its apps and network in 2025.
Performance. Surfshark was the fastest in Cybernews’ Shenzhen test (about 602/37 Mbps) and needed no advanced setup.
Price (checked Oct 17, 2026). From $2.49/mo on the 24-month plan with 3 extra months ($67.23 for the first 27 months, Starter plan). Renewal is charged at Surfshark’s renewal price, which is higher. Unlimited simultaneous devices; 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Automatic NoBorders mode
- Unlimited devices
- Low introductory price
Cons
- Renewal price not shown on the main pricing page
- Higher tiers bundle extras you may not need
Best for: households and people with many devices who want an affordable option.
5. Proton VPN
Key features. Proton’s Stealth protocol uses obfuscated TLS tunnelling over TCP to make VPN connections harder to detect. It is available on all plans, including Free, in the Android, Windows, macOS and iOS apps (on Linux you first enable Proton protocols). Proton says Stealth can get past “most firewalls” — not all — and that it keeps adapting it. The apps are open source, and Secure Core multi-hop servers are available on paid plans.
Privacy. Securitum has audited Proton VPN’s no-logs policy every year since 2022; the 2026 report found no evidence of logging of browsing activity, DNS queries or user-identifiable connection metadata on the reviewed servers.
Performance. In Cybernews’ Shenzhen test the paid plan worked consistently (about 568/41 Mbps), while the free tier was not effective in China.
Price (checked Oct 17, 2026). VPN Plus $3.49/mo on the 2-year plan ($83.76 for the first 24 months, then $83.88 per year); Proton Unlimited $7.99/mo. 10 devices on VPN Plus; the Free plan allows 1 device and servers in 5 countries. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Stealth protocol on every plan
- Annual no-logs audits, open-source apps
- Renewal price close to the first-term price
Cons
- Free plan was unreliable in China testing
- Fewer support options than some rivals
Best for: privacy-focused users who value transparency and Swiss jurisdiction.
6. Mullvad VPN
Key features. Mullvad’s apps offer several anti-censorship methods: Lightweight WireGuard Obfuscation (LWO), QUIC on UDP port 443, Shadowsocks and UDP-over-TCP. Mullvad is unusually open about China: its help page says the Great Firewall blocks all Mullvad servers in Asia and suggests trying US locations with obfuscation enabled — with no guarantee that any method will work.
Privacy. Accounts are a random number — no email required — and you can pay in cash or cryptocurrency. Mullvad publishes many independent audits, including a 2026 source-code audit of its payment and account backend (X41 D-Sec) and a 2026 audit of its WireGuard implementation (Assured).
Performance. We found no recent, dated third-party speed test from inside China. Because Asian servers are blocked, connections go to more distant servers, which usually means higher latency.
Price (checked Oct 17, 2026). A flat €5 per month whether you pay monthly or for years ahead; up to 5 devices; 14-day money-back guarantee (cash payments excluded).
Pros
- Minimal personal data, flat honest pricing
- Extensive audit history
- Several obfuscation methods
Cons
- Asian servers blocked in China, per Mullvad
- Not designed primarily for censorship circumvention
Best for: privacy purists, or as a backup VPN alongside a service built for restrictive networks.
Practical tips before you travel
- Install and sign in before you arrive. Provider websites are often blocked in China, and VPN apps are not available in Apple’s China App Store.
- Have a backup. Keep at least two connection methods ready — for example a second protocol or a second provider.
- Learn the settings for obfuscation, protocol choice and the kill switch while you still have unrestricted access.
- Save the provider’s help pages offline or bookmark them, and keep the app updated.
- For a broader checklist, read our guide How to Choose a VPN for Privacy and Restricted Networks.
Conclusions
There is no single “best” VPN for China. If you want the simplest experience, ExpressVPN handles obfuscation automatically. Astrill is built around censorship-resistant protocols but is expensive and keeps limited connection records. NordVPN and Surfshark offer strong value with dedicated anti-restriction features, while Proton VPN stands out for transparency and a Stealth protocol on every plan. Mullvad leads on privacy design but openly warns about blocking in China. Whatever you choose, use the money-back period to test the service on the networks you actually use.
FAQ
Is any VPN guaranteed to work in China?
No. Network blocking changes over time and can differ between cities, internet providers and mobile networks. Test results are snapshots, so check recent information and keep a backup option.
Is it legal to use a VPN in China?
Chinese regulations require cross-border VPN services to be approved, and most consumer VPNs are not. How rules are enforced can vary and change. We are not lawyers; check the rules that apply to you before using a VPN.
Can I rely on a free VPN?
In Cybernews’ November 2025 test, Proton VPN’s free tier was not effective in China. Free plans typically have fewer servers and features, so they are best treated as a last resort.
Will a VPN make me anonymous?
No. A VPN hides your traffic from your local network and changes your visible IP address, but websites can still identify you through accounts, cookies and browser fingerprinting, and the VPN provider itself can see connection data. Choose a provider whose logging policy and audits you trust.
Why does the renewal price differ from the advertised price?
Most providers advertise a discounted first term. After it ends, the plan renews at a higher standard rate unless you cancel or switch plans. We list renewal prices where providers publish them.
Sources
Official pages and reports checked on October 17, 2026:
- ExpressVPN — pricing, about us (audits, jurisdiction, TrustedServer), VPN apps removed from Apple’s China App Store
- Astrill VPN — pricing, VPN protocols, privacy notice, iOS plan
- NordVPN — pricing, obfuscated servers, troubleshooting in restricted countries, Deloitte no-logs assurance
- Surfshark — pricing, NoBorders mode, trust center (audits, jurisdiction)
- Proton VPN — free vs paid plans, Stealth protocol, no-logs audit
- Mullvad — pricing, using Mullvad in restrictive locations, audits
- Third-party test: Cybernews, best VPNs for China (testing in Shenzhen, November 2025; article updated August 25, 2026)
Editor: Alex Chang. See How We Review VPNs.