What are the best VPN apps for Macbook & iMac in 2024?

Whether you use a Macbook Pro, Air, or iMac, you want a VPN that offers you the same level of privacy as Windows users. In this guide, we show you the best VPNs for Macbook and iMac. 

Using an Apple device can give you the sense that you're not vulnerable to the risks associated with web browsing, like hacking, malware infections, and tracking. But the truth is that MacOS has become an equal target for these activities as its popularity grows. This has made a VPN app essential for Macbook and iMac users nowadays.

A VPN app can encrypt your Mac's internet traffic and route via a VPN server to shield your activities from surveillance. It will even conceal your IP address, giving you a new one based on the country of the server you choose to connect to – very handy for unblocking streaming services when traveling and other restricted websites.

This guide aims to show you the best VPNs for Mac users based on our testing. We will cover a range of VPN apps specifically created for Apple devices, including Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, and iMacs. If you are interested in extending protection to your other Apple devices, check out our list of best VPN apps for iOS. 

So, let's get started with a summary of the best VPN apps for Mac users.

The best VPN apps for Macbook and iMac 2023:

1. NordVPN: The best VPN for Macbook users. A fast, secure, and highly reliable VPN for Mac. Has diskless servers in 61+ countries run on. Strong on privacy and security. The Mac VPN app has many advanced privacy features. Works with Netflix and other popular services. Comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark: The best low-cost VPN for Mac. Lets you connect an unlimited number of devices. Superb Mac app with many advanced features. Throws in a free Smart DNS service. Works to access Netflix, Hulu, and more.
3. ExpressVPN: A premium VPN for iMac and Macobook. Over 3,000 servers in 105+ countries. The Mac app includes a kill switch and obfuscation. Zero-logs policy. Allows torrenting throughout its network. Super-fast Lightway protocol for streaming in HD. Works with Netflix, Hulu, and more.
4. Proton VPN: Advanced VPN apps for all Apple Mac devices. Includes a kill switch, Stealth VPN, split tunneling, and port forwarding. Servers in 71+ countries. Super-fast WireGuard protocol. Works to access popular streaming services.
5. PrivateVPN: Secure and reliable VPN for Mac. Excellent speeds. One of the best Mac VPNs for torrenting due to its port-forwarding feature. Works with over a dozen Netflix regions. Servers in 63+ countries.
6. CyberGhost VPN: One of the fastest VPN apps for Mac. A simple VPN with fewer features. Great for beginners. Has over 10,000 servers in 100+ countries. Ideal for streaming, video-conferencing, and other data-intensive tasks. Works with Netflix.

Summary Table

At BleepingComputer, we use a specific set of criteria to find the best VPNs. Below, you can see exactly which features we looked for. Later in this guide, we will provide our testing methodology for finding the best VPNs for Mac in 2023.

• VPN apps specifically designed for MacOS
• Excellent ease of use
• Fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth
• Strong security features and privacy measures, including a kill switch and 256-bit AES encryption for comprehensive protection
• A global server network
• Outstanding accessibility and unblocking capabilities
• To qualify for a top three position, a service must own its entire network infrastructure; servers must be diskless/RAM-only, and the VPN must have had its logging policies (infrastructure) audited by a respected third-party

We picked the best VPNs for Mac by reviewing the world's top VPNs. Our summaries will help you pick the Mac VPN that best suits your personal needs.

Best VPNs for Macbooks and iMacs: An in-depth analysis

NordVPN is the best VPN for Mac users for various reasons. The VPN has an impeccable reputation for providing strong privacy and continues to push VPN technology forward. It is based in Panama, a location that is strong on privacy because of a lack of mandatory data retention and overreaching intelligence agencies.

Panama has recently adopted GDPR-style legislation (Law No. 81 on Personal Data Protection 2019) that safeguards against improper data access in law. This means that customers who use NordVPN get data protection roughly equivalent to what they’d get in Europe, with a significantly lower risk of government surveillance.

NordVPN has a solid no-logs policy, so it never tracks your source IP or the VPN servers you use. It also stores no data about your use of the VPN. However, it’s not completely perfect, as it suffered a security breach in 2018. Apps are available for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux. You can also install the VPN on Firesticks and VPN-compatible routers.

The NordVPN app for Mac comes with a choice of protocols, AES encryption, a kill switch, split tunneling, ad blocking, malware filtering, double VPN (MultiHop), obfuscated servers, Tor over VPN, and a free Smart DNS service. This makes it one of the most well-rounded VPNs for Mac – especially considering a subscription starts at just $3.49 per month.

RAM-only servers are located in 61+ countries, and the VPN has over 6,000 in total, running all of its servers on RAM instead of traditional storage. It's great for bypassing local network blocks, government censorship, and region locks. The VPN is ideal for data-intensive tasks thanks to its super-fast NordLynx protocol. It is also one of the best VPNs for streaming, providing access to Netflix US, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, and many others.

You can install and use the VPN on up to six devices simultaneously, which is usually enough for most power users. Note that we have recommended VPNs below that provide unlimited connections, so if you have a large family, you may decide on something else. Live chat support is available 24/7, and you can try the VPN risk-free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.

BEST VPN FOR MACBOOK USERS: Fast, secure, and impressive value for money. Fully featured Mac VPN app. Watertight, no logging policy. Works with many popular streaming services. Consistently fast speeds thanks to its NordLynx protocol. Risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee to try the service.

Read our full review of NordVPN.

Surfshark burst onto the scene in 2019. Since then, it has quickly risen to be one of the world's favorite VPNs for Macs, and with good reason. Cybersecurity is an ever-changing field, but Surfshark continues to be one step ahead of the game and was one of the first providers to offer tools like antivirus software and ad-blocking directly in its apps.

You can also use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices. This means you can use it on all your devices and even share your account with friends and family. Apps are available for Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, and Firestick. It also has a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Those wanting to install it on routers can do so using the setup guides on its website.

The Mac app has many useful features: a choice of protocols, AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, DNS leak protection, obfuscation (camouflage mode), auto-connect, malware filtering, and ad blocking. This is pretty remarkable, considering the VPN starts at just $2.05 per month. The servers are located in 100+ countries, and there are over 3,200 in total.

This makes it a fantastic VPN for bypassing VoIP blocks, government censorship, local network restrictions, or geo-restrictions. Surfshark can also access over a dozen Netflix regions, including Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and many others. It also has an excellent track record of working in China, which has a VPN-blocking system that is one of the most sophisticated in the world. Chinese internet restrictions can still be a problem for Surfshark users, but it performs a lot better than the majority of other providers on the market.

Surfshark is one of the fastest VPNs, thanks to its WireGuard protocol. This makes it great for torrenting, gaming, streaming, and videoconferencing. You can get help at any time of day and try it out using its 30-day money-back guarantee. 

BEST BUDGET OPTION: Impressive Mac app is packed with features. Ideal for streaming Netflix and many other services. Allows unlimited connections. Super-fast WireGuard protocol.  Allows torrenting. Live chat support and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Solid no logs policy.

Read our full review of Surfshark.

ExpressVPN is a provider that has been around for 13+ years. This makes it a true veteran in the VPN space. With users in 180+ countries, it should come as no shock that ExpressVPN remains one of the best VPNs for Mac, with unique feature offerings that include a custom app for routers and parallel connection technology for faster access.

The application for Mac comes with DNS leak protection, OpenVPN with AES encryption, a kill switch, auto-connect, split tunneling, and a choice of protocol – including its proprietary Lightway protocol, which is specifically designed to provide faster speeds.

It also has a solid no-logs policy, which means it retains no records of what you do while connected, your source IP address, or the servers you use. Unlike most VPNs, which have often only undergone infrastructure audits, ExpressVPN has both its infrastructure and software audited. This shows that it's committed to transparency and is serious about resolving potential vulnerabilities before they become a problem—a real benefit if you’re a privacy-conscious user.

Admittedly, the VPN is a touch more expensive compared to our other recommendations. However, it allows torrenting throughout its network, and it works to access numerous international streaming services, including 24 different Netflix regions, Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, and many others. It even includes a free Smart DNS service with every subscription.

ExpressVPN was the first VPN to pioneer 24/7 live chat support, and it remains one of the most impressive services in terms of customer support. The website is packed with useful resources, including FAQs, a blog, and a bunch of useful guides.

Anybody wanting a VPN that will protect all the devices in their home will note that you can only use the VPN on five devices simultaneously. However, you may be interested in its custom apps for Asus, Linksys, and Netgear routers. Plus, you can set it up manually on many others. It even sells a VPN router that comes ready to use with ExpressVPN right out of the box. 

EXCELLENT ALL-ROUNDER: ExpressVPN for Mac has plenty of useful features, including a kill switch, AES encryption, and obfuscation. Fast for gaming and streaming thanks to its Lightway protocol. Excellent zero-logs policy. Split tunneling. Allows torrenting. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of ExpressVPN.

Proton VPN is an excellent service for anybody who wants a Mac VPN that is feature-packed. The team that brought you ProtonMail developed the VPN in Switzerland, and the provider takes its job as a privacy service extremely seriously. A no-logs policy ensures that the VPN has no identifying records about its users. It never tracks your source IP address or the servers you connect to.

Apps are available for all popular platforms, and you can use them simultaneously on up to ten devices. The VPN app for Mac comes with a kill switch, DNS leak protection, AES encryption, a choice of protocols, Stealth VPN, and auto-connect.

Servers are located in 71+ countries, which gives you plenty of options for bypassing censorship or region locks. In addition, this VPN works to access Netflix US, Hulu, iPlayer, and other popular streaming platforms. Unfortunately, unlike the top three providers on this list, it’s only capable of navigating China’s sophisticated blocking system on certain servers.

The VPN might not be the fastest, but it provides decent speeds thanks to its WireGuard protocol. This makes it good for streaming and gaming. What’s more, Proton VPN is the only service on this list that has both port forwarding and split tunneling. As a result, it is an excellent option for torrenting on a Mac.

The biggest drawback is that you don’t get live chat support. However, you can ask questions and get help via email. You can test it yourself on a MacBook or Mac Pro thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.

STRONG ON PRIVACY: A no-logs VPN based in Switzerland. Many advanced privacy and security features for Mac. Split tunneling and port forwarding. Ideal for torrenting. Apps for all platforms, including Mac. Allows ten simultaneous connections. Works with Netflix. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of Proton VPN.

PrivateVPN is a provider based in Sweden. This is a country that is good in terms of privacy because it lacks any mandatory data retention directives. As a result, the VPN has a solid no-logs policy that promises never to harvest user IPs, connection logs, or usage logs.

Further, the VPN lives up to its name by retaining complete control over its servers. Apps are available for all popular platforms, and those apps are rich in features. A port forwarding feature makes it excellent for torrenting, and the Mac app also has a kill switch, a choice of protocol, DNS leak protection, and AES encryption. The only things it lacks compared to the services above are extras such as split tunneling, ad blocking, and malware filtering.

PrivateVPN only has 250+ servers in total. However, they are located in 63+ countries, meaning it is still extremely useful for bypassing online blocks. It is also one of the few VPNs that work to watch around 20 Netflix regions, iPlayer, Hulu, Prime Video, and other popular international streaming services. It is also worth noting that this VPN provides decent speeds despite not having the popular WireGuard protocol. To get the best speeds, we recommend sticking to OpenVPN UDP, but we will note that it is still not as fast as CyberGhost, Surfshark, or NordVPN.

You can try the VPN yourself using its 30-day money-back guarantee, and it has recently upgraded its live chat support to be 24/7.

GOOD FOR TORRENTING: PrivateVPN is secure and reliable. Works to access many streaming platforms. Servers in 63+ countries work to watch around 20 Netflix regions. Reliable privacy and security features for Macs, including a kill switch, port forwarding, and obfuscation. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of PrivateVPN.

CyberGhost VPN is a secure provider that is well-suited to anybody who wants a solid but simple Mac VPN. The service doesn't have that many bells and whistles. However, it has an app for Mac that includes an automatic kill switch feature, DNS leak protection, AES encryption, and a choice of protocols, including WireGuard.

What it lacks in features, it makes up for in speed. The VPN has over 10,000 servers in 100+ countries. It is also currently the fastest VPN for Macs available on the market, according to our most recent tests. It has apps for Windows, iOS, and Android (you can use it on up to seven devices, which makes it a decent all-rounder. It also works well with Safari.

Like NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN, CyberGhost VPN also runs a diskless configuration. Along with its speedy network, the VPN performs impressively for watching streams. It works with Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and most other popular international streaming services, making CyberGhost a great VPN for travel.

Its fast speeds make it a brilliant choice for playing games or torrenting. However, note that it does not have split tunneling or port forwarding. Live chat support is available on its website 24/7, and you can try the VPN yourself thanks to its industry-leading 45-day money-back guarantee—decent value for money for anybody looking for a secure Mac VPN that is spectacularly fast.

IDEAL FOR BEGINNERS: CyberGhost VPN is fast and secure. Servers in 100+ countries work with most popular streaming platforms. Reliable privacy and security features, including a kill switch and DNS leak protection. Protects your privacy at home and on public Wi-Fi. The Mac app is easy to use. Generous 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of CyberGhost VPN.

Finding the best VPN for Mac: Our testing methodology

The internet is full of competing VPNs to choose from. We aim to help consumers by evaluating each service using specific criteria. This allows us to recommend the highest quality VPNs that are better for Macs – or other specific use cases. Even the best VPNs for Macs have some differences. That’s why we provide detailed summaries to help you pick.

Below, we have provided the important features we looked for when recommending the best VPNs for Mac.

• A VPN app for Mac: We only recommended VPNs with a reliable app for Mac. Our recommendations also include apps for Windows, iOS, and Android (and, in some cases, routers and Firesticks) to let you use the VPN on all your devices.
• A large global server network: This allows you to get an IP address in any country, to change your location, and bypass online censorship and sidestep geo-restrictions.
• A wide selection of privacy and security features: We check each VPN for important features such as AES encryption, a kill switch, obfuscation, split tunneling, port forwarding, MultiHop connections, auto-connect, malware scanning, and ad-blocking. There should be no security concerns to speak of.
• A solid no-logs policy: We check each VPN’s privacy policy to ensure we only recommend VPNs that provide watertight data privacy. None of our recommendations store usage logs or keep records of your source IP or the servers you connect to.
• Servers that work with popular streaming platforms: We check that each Mac VPN works with a wide cross-section of popular streaming platforms. The VPN will be able to access websites that were previously blocked, along with news sites. social media apps, and more geo-restricted content. 
• Fast connection speeds: The best VPNs have fast servers that will allow you to stream, play games, torrent, and make video calls with lag, buffering, or other complications. VPN speeds will have an impact on most online tasks. 
• Servers that allow torrenting: We check that the VPN has servers that allow P2P connections to let you torrent with added privacy and security.
• Third-party audits: You are essentially placing more faith in your VPN provider than you are in your ISP, so trust is essential. Almost every provider says they are a ‘no logs' VPN, but the only ways to test this claim are either through audits or the courts. That's why we will only consider providers for our top three positions if they have undergone infrastructure audits from a reputable third party. While this doesn't 100% confirm its no logs credentials, it's the closest the industry has to a verification process for logging policies.
• Diskless infrastructure: Again, all of our top three providers must meet this particular criterion. Moving processes to RAM means that no information can be physically taken from servers, and it is wiped on shutdown. It can also easily be wiped as a part of regular security procedures.

How to use a VPN for Macbook

We have provided instructions below if you have never used a VPN on a Mac. Follow each step to get a VPN subscription and to use your VPN to gain online privacy and freedom on your Mac.

How to use a VPN for Mac:

1. Choose a VPN for Mac. We have provided various options for you to pick from. Each of our recommendations is excellent, depending on your needs. However, we recommend NordVPN because it is fast, reliable, and secure.
2. Head over to the VPN’s website and subscribe. You can pick the subscription length that you need. You can also try the VPN risk-free using its money-back guarantee.
3. Subscribe to the VPN and provide a valid payment method. You can pay using a card, PayPal, or even Bitcoin if you prefer to pay anonymously.
4. Download the VPN software and install it on your Mac computer.
5. Login to the VPN using your credentials.

Once you have installed the VPN on your Mac, you are ready to protect your internet connection. Simply pick a server in the location you require and click connect. When the VPN software connects, the VPN’s encryption will protect you, and you will have an IP address in the location you picked.

Mac VPN: FAQs

Why do I need a VPN for Mac?

Every time you connect to the internet, it is possible for local network administrators, WiFi providers, and ISPs to track everything you do online. The websites you visit can also track your IP address. This allows them to keep tabs on you each time you visit their website. Companies use this data to profile you and will often sell details about you to third parties to create a revenue stream. As a result, the things you do online will impact your privacy.

In countries with mandatory data retention, your ISP will not only track what you do online – but also store those records to share them with government snoops. In the US, ISPs can even sell your browsing history to third parties to create a revenue stream.

Due to all this online tracking, using a VPN with your Mac is vital. The encryption provided by a VPN prevents anybody from being able to see what you do online. In addition to providing you with online privacy, a VPN protects your data against hackers on public WiFi. This allows you to connect to the internet from anywhere without fear that you may fall victim to evil twin attacks, session hijacking, replay attacks, and DNS hijacking that redirect you to malicious websites.

Finally, you can use a VPN to gain freedom on your Mac. You can use a VPN to bypass restrictions placed on a local network, bypass overreaching government censorship, and get around region locks

Can I get a free VPN for Mac?

Although there are some free VPNs available on the market, these are not suitable for getting watertight online privacy for your Mac. Free VPNs have insecure apps that cannot properly protect your data against online snoops. They also often suffer from IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks, which means that your ISP will still be able to detect what you are doing online.

Free VPNs have worrying privacy policies that allow them to track everything you do online. They use this data to create a revenue stream by selling your data to advertisers, data brokers, and other third parties who are willing to pay. This means that the VPN is giving you a false sense of security.

In addition, studies have revealed that free VPNs often suffer from server vulnerabilities, they lack encryption to protect your data from hackers and eavesdroppers, and they often contain spyware or tracking libraries in their apps. This makes free VPNs an enormous risk to your online privacy and the security of your Mac.

Unfortunately, there is no comparing a reliable premium VPN to the free VPNs you will find in app stores. That said, a few leading VPNs, like ProtonVPN and AtlasVPN, have a limited free plan you can use to try their services. Just remember that these free plans only provide access to a few server locations, have usage limits, and implement speed restrictions. They also do not work to stream Netflix and other popular services.

Can I get a VPN extension for Safari?

Although VPNs often have browser extensions for Firefox, Chrome, and Edge, it is much rarer to find a VPN that has an extension for Safari. In this guide, we have recommended one VPN that has a browser extension for Safari: ExpressVPN. The important thing to remember is that the lack of a Safari extension is not really much of a drawback.

VPN browser extensions are usually proxies that are not as secure as the full VPN tunnel. For this reason, you are better off connecting with the VPN app rather than the browser extension. The good news is that this is not the case with ExpressVPN. Its browser extension remote controls the main ExpressVPN client from inside your Safari browser. This means that you get full protection from the VPN when you use its extension

Which VPN protocol is more secure for Mac?

If your VPN offers a choice of protocols for your Mac, we recommend that you stick to the protocols below. These protocols are secure, which means they will all protect you online.

1. OpenVPN. An open-source VPN protocol that has previously been audited. It is well-known for providing high levels of privacy and online security, as well as fast speeds.

2. IKEv2. A VPN protocol that provides decent speeds and reliable AES encryption for your data.

3. WireGuard. A lightweight protocol that is stealthy, secure, and lightning-fast. Perfect when you want to stream or play games.

Will a VPN slow down my Mac?

For a VPN to give you online privacy and security, it must encrypt your data and route it to a server in a remote location. This will cause added latency for your internet connection, slowing you down. Some VPNs only have a few servers, which means they suffer from congestion when a large number of users connect. Other VPNs have slow server networks made up of cheap third-party servers, which makes those VPNs very slow.

The VPNs we have recommended in this guide have plenty of servers to help you avoid congestion. They also have fast VPN protocols and Tier-1 servers that are designed to give you fast speeds. This makes our recommendations perfect for streaming in HD, playing online games, torrenting, or video conferencing on your Mac.  

Can I unblock streaming services with a VPN for Mac?

Yes. When you connect to a VPN server location, your local IP address is concealed and you get a valid IP address in the location of the server. This means that you can connect to a VPN server back home when you go on vacation. Thanks to the VPN connection provided on your Mac, you can navigate to your usual streaming services in your browser and watch your favorite TV shows while overseas.

The only caveat is that not all VPNs work to access popular streaming services. Streaming services understand that many internet users leverage VPNs to bypass region locks. Streaming services must attempt to prevent this from happening in order to comply with the content licensing agreements they have entered into. For this reason, streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, ESPN, and many others, work hard to black as many VPN IPs as possible.

Unfortunately, streaming providers and TV networks are getting better and better at detecting and blocking VPNs, which means that very few services still work to watch TV on vacation. The VPNs that we have recommended in this guide have all been tested and work to access various platforms. You can find out more about which platforms each VPN works with by reading its full review on our site.

Alternatively, you can actually test any of the VPNs you are interested in with your own streaming services risk free. All our recommendations have a money-back guarantee to let you test their service and then get a refund if you prefer. 

Can I bypass blocks at work with a VPN for Mac?

Yes. A Mac VPN can easily let you bypass restrictions at work and in school by encrypting your internet traffic and altering your IP address. When you activate a VPN on your Mac device and connect to a VPN server, your online activities are encrypted, making it extremely hard for network administrators to monitor your online activities.

A Mac VPN can let you connect to servers in various global locations. This lets you overcome geographical limitations, such as accessing websites or services exclusive to specific regions - perfect if you need to test website localization. It can also let you bypass locally imposed blocks on a work network with complete privacy.

That said, it's imperative to be mindful of company policies. Some institutions may enforce rules against VPN usage on their networks without prior authorization. Breaching these policies may lead to disciplinary consequences, so it's crucial to assess the safety of using a VPN and to stick to services that provide watertight online privacy,

Some employers may block VPN traffic, requiring the use of a reputable VPN service equipped with technologies designed to make VPN traffic less detectable. All the VPNs featured in this guide are secure for workplace or school use. However, it's essential to recognize that employing a VPN carries risks, and should only be used during your personal time to avoid ramifications.

Can I bypass blocks at work with a VPN for Mac?

Yes. A Mac VPN can easily let you bypass restrictions at work and in school by encrypting your internet traffic and altering your IP address. When you activate a VPN on your Mac device and connect to a VPN server, your online activities are encrypted, making it extremely hard for network administrators to monitor your online activities.

A Mac VPN can let you connect to servers in various global locations. This lets you overcome geographical limitations, such as accessing websites or services exclusive to specific regions - perfect if you need to test website localization. It can also let you bypass locally imposed blocks on a work network with complete privacy.

That said, it's imperative to be mindful of company policies. Some institutions may enforce rules against VPN usage on their networks without prior authorization. Breaching these policies may lead to disciplinary consequences, so it's crucial to assess the safety of using a VPN and to stick to services that provide watertight online privacy,

Some employers may block VPN traffic, requiring the use of a reputable VPN service equipped with technologies designed to make VPN traffic less detectable. All the VPNs featured in this guide are secure for workplace or school use. However, it's essential to recognize that employing a VPN carries risks, and should only be used during your personal time to avoid ramifications.