The Best Mac VPN (2022 Edition)

Mac OS X is known for its strong security features. They give average users a false sense of safety. It is common for the Mac community to believe that it doesn’t need any special protection. In reality, even the most reliable operating system isn’t capable of safeguarding its users from Internet threats. Spies, thieves, hackers, ISPs, and others can still track people’s activities and even steal some of their data. The smartest way to avoid prying eyes is to install a VPN on your device. But which one to choose? In this post, we are going to help you out and present our pick for the best Mac VPN.

What is the Best VPN for Mac?

Every person has his/her own idea of the best VPN. Most people are interested in improving their security via data encryption and identity concealing. Needless to say, a good Mac VPN must provide unbreakable ciphers as well as ensure access to a large number of shared servers. But that’s not the only thing you should demand from a top-tier VPN. A solid service needs to deliver DNS and IP leak protection and an emergency disconnection tool aka Kill Switch.

The beauty of VPNs is that they can change user virtual location. While being physically in Germany, for instance, you can get an American IP address and pretend to be located in the USA. This is the so-called IP masking, and it can open up lots of new online experiences. If you are looking to access the largest video library on Netflix US or benefit from lower prices on games or other products intended for users from certain countries, a good VPN for macOS will come in handy. You shouldn’t forget about connection speed – what’s the use in a VPN if it makes your Internet unbearably slow? So, the best macOS VPN must be uncompromisingly fast.

One of the reasons you opted for a Mac device is its ease of use. A VPN shouldn’t be any different. A clean, user-friendly interface, ease of navigation, and a clear idea of what its features are and where to find them, all of this is essential for a VPN designed for macOS.  

The best Mac VPN will have all these features in place and even more such as multi-logging, obfuscation, or special-purpose servers. 

The Best VPN Services for macOS

Now that you have an idea of features a solid VPN should have, let us show you pick for the top-5 best VPNs for Mac. We tested every single provider on this list to confirm that they really are a great tools for your device.

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the largest VPN providers on the market thanks to its 5400+ servers in 60 countries. Not only can its users have a great variety of server locations but also benefit from a fast connection and smooth access to geo-blocked content. While other services may struggle to unblock Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and other suchlike services, NordVPN does it without much hassle. It even provides specialized servers for this purpose, which you can easily find on its macOS app. Overall, NordVPN is the best option if you’re looking for specialized servers. It has Obfuscation, Double VPN, Onion over VPN, and even Dedicated IP servers.

NordVPN is doing great in the security department as well. It has military-grade AES-256 encryption and a variety of tunneling protocols providing different levels of speed and protection. An automatic Kill Switch prevents accidental IP address exposure, and CyberSec technology won’t let you access suspicious and dangerous websites. Besides standard security functionality, you can order add-ons such as Password Manager and Cloud file encryption.

The service’s app has a pretty intuitive interface despite having so many features. You can use it for a variety of purposes including gaming, torrenting (it has no P2P restrictions), streaming, and many others.

Reasons to get NordVPN for your macOS:

• 5100+ servers in 60 countries;
• Unbreakable encryption;
• A great variety of security functions including standard and extra ones;
• Specialized servers;
• Bypasses geo-restrictions;
• Zero-logging policy;
• 6 connections at once;
• 24/7 customer support.

NordVPN weak points:

• NordVPN seriously has no downsides. Nothing that we could find.

2. PureVPN

Despite being among the newest VPNs, PureVPN is one of the fastest-growing security providers. Strong user protection, complete anonymity, and the best value for your money are some of the reasons to opt for PureVPN. 

The service’s app for macOS provides an intuitive design. Even being packed to the brim with features, it is a breeze. Besides macOS, you can install PureVPN on virtually any other VPN-compatible device, and thanks to 5 simultaneous connections, you can use them all at the same time. 

PureVPN gives access to 6500 servers in 78 countries. No matter which one you choose, it will provide great connection speeds suitable for gaming, online streaming, and other internet activities. On top of that, PureVPN delivers specialized servers for 2p2 traffic (you can use them for torrenting) and obfuscation (those are a must for countries such as Chine and UAE). 

Being a security expert, PureVPN supplies all the latest features including AES-256-GCM encryption and a range of connection protocols from the industry-standard OpenVPN to cutting-edge WireGuard. Our tests showed no leaks when we were connected to PureVPN. Thanks to Kill Switch, you can be sure that your real IP won’t be exposed in the event of connection failures. Last but not least, PureVPN belongs to the class of zero-logging VPNs. It means it never monitors your activities and doesn’t let others do this. You can be fully anonymous on the Internet with this provider.

Reasons to get PureVPN for your macOS:

• Has neither connection nor usage logs;
• Strong security features;
• Good connection speeds;
• 10 parallel connections;
• Unblocks Netflix and other geo-restricted services;
• User-friendly software for macOS;
• Fast and friendly customer service;
• Affordable 1-Year subscription plan. 

PureVPN weak points:

• Confusing macOS app
• Too many virtual servers

3. ExpressVPN

This service has Express in its name for a reason. It carries the title of the fastest VPN around. Its server network is optimized for a blazing fast connection whether you play games, watch videos, download torrents, etc. Since improved connectivity lends itself well for streaming, it makes sense to use ExpressVPN for VoD services, especially when it is so good at removing their geo-restrictions. 

ExpressVPN benefits from industry-standard encryption AES-256 and reliable OpenVPN protocol. A zero-logging policy is responsible for user anonymity. ExpressVPN has no idea what you do online and it’s unable to share any data regarding its users with the third parties. Thanks to TrustedServer technology, ExpressVPN servers never record any permanent data. To keep your real IP address secret at all times, the service provides its own DNS servers, leakage protection, and Kill Switch.

ExpressVPN has one of the most well-designed apps for Mac devices. We enjoy how fast and simple it is – one click is normally enough to make it run the way to want. The service has professional tech support working 24/7 if you encounter any issues and want to resolve them ASAP.  

Reasons to get ExpressVPN for your macOS:

• Blazing-fast connection;
• Intuitive and easy to use app for macOS;
• 3000+ servers in 94 countries;
• 5 simultaneous connections;
• Zero-logging policy;
• Trusted Server technology;
• Split tunneling;
• Strong encryption.

ExpressVPN weak points:

• A fairly expensive subscription.

Final Thoughts

Despite having the strongest security among all operating systems, macOS can’t ensure 100% user protection. In particular, it has no way to safeguard the data your computer sends or receives over the Internet. That’s why you should install specialized security software on your device such as VPN. With one of the best VPNs for Mac, you can save yourself from the prying eyes that range from hackers to your own ISP.