Despite being more secure than the competition, Apple computers and laptops are still susceptible to being hacked. A VPN is a great way to keep your data safe, ensuring prying eyes stay away from your personal data. Most VPN providers have a dedicated Mac client, but some are undoubtedly better than others. Although there are many complimentary VPN services on the market, it is really important only to consider and choose the most suitable VPN service for your Mac. That’s why in this article I would like to share some of the best VPN for Mac, which can not only protect our privacy, our computer, but more importantly save a lot of money as well.
How does a VPN work?
A VPN hides our true IP address by allowing us to connect to the internet through a server run by the VPN service. The entire data passing between our device and the VPN server is encrypted. Thus, the function of a VPN service is that it will:
- Will guarantee our privacy by hiding our internet activity from snooping parties such as our ISP or government
- Help us to evade censorship
- Enable us to “geo-spoof” our location and access geo-restricted content
- Protect our data from hackers while on public Wi-Fi hotspots.
Why we need a VPN for Mac?
A VPN is also awesome for entertainment purposes because it lets us unblock online services and streams from all over the world. What’s more, a VPN’s privacy means we can even access pirated content if we want. First and foremost, using a VPN with your Mac is the best way to keep your personal information secure. Governments, advertisers, and hackers are keen to get their mitts on your data, for a range of reasons that aren’t ideal.
While MacBooks are known for being less likely to getting viruses and malware compared to other operating systems, it’s still relatively easy for hackers to gain access to the machines using various methods. Hacking into your internet connection and intercepting the data is just one of the ways that hackers and other criminals steal your credit card info, passwords, banking accounts and other sensitive information.
Aside from security, VPNs can be used for a range of purposes. You’ll be able to access geo-restricted content, and you could even see an increase in your overall connection speeds. Whether for communication or entertainment, bypassing restrictions will allow you to surf in peace. We’d strongly recommended using a Mac VPN for accessing sport streams or adult content.
Macs are infamously expensive, so an additional layer of security will help to protect your expensive metal baby. So if you’re hoping to get the best VPN for your new MacBook, it’s worth taking a look at the one of my review of Best VPN for Mac as following.
- ExpressVPN
It is no surprise when ExpressVPN ranks first on the list of top best VPN for Mac. It’s intuitive and speedy, with great customer service and tight security. It only takes a few clicks to get their VPN Mac client up and running with over 90 countries around the globe.
Bandwidth is unlimited, and ExpressVPN keeps no logs of user data. You’ll also be able to use P2P software for torrenting.
If you do run into any issues, they have an average response time of roughly 30 minutes. It’s quicker than the competition, although you’re unlikely to find much to complain about. If the server does cut out unexpectedly, ExpressVPN has a kill switch (Network Lock) to ensure that any sensitive apps or websites will automatically close.
ExpressVPN is an awesome Mac OS X VPN that has everything you need. It is lightning fast and has servers in 94 countries, which gives you the ability to unblock just about anything. Privacy is guaranteed thanks to military grade encryption. In addition, the privacy policy is outstanding. The VPN for Mac OS X is very easy to use. In addition, you can install it on three simultaneous connections – which means you can put it on all your devices, no matter what platform they run on.
ExpressVPN will keep your data secure both at home and on public WiFi. What’s more, the VPN is fully featured with a kill switch, stealth mode, and Domain Name System (DNS) leak protection.
Customer care is provided via 24/7 live chat and the VPN has a no quibbles, 30-day money-back guaranteeso that you can test the service and unblock anything securely with this unbelievable VPN.
Highlights
- Special Deal: Save 49% Today!
- Super Fast for Streaming
- Works brilliantly on Mac
- No usage logs
- Servers in 100+ countries
- Excellent 24/7 live chat support
- Smart DNS proxy.
- Over136 VPN locations in nearly 90 countries.
- 30-day money-back refund
- NordVPN
NordVPN is an efficient provider of best VPN for Mac, emphasizing safety and security. While security is a key feature of their Mac client, it’s also highly accessible for the average user. Once you’ve signed up and downloaded the app, you just have to pick a server destination from the map to get started. It’s easy to use, with an intuitive setup and excellent speeds. (They have dedicated apps and clients for all of the major PC and mobile platforms.)
You’ll face little to no slowdown using their servers. NordVPN doesn’t apply any speed or bandwidth restrictions, so you’ll be able to download and stream as much as you like.
They keep no records of user data, and you can even pay with Bitcoin. Their 24-month deal at $3.29 per month is great value for money, even if it is a long contract.
Their Live Chat feature wasn’t working for us, and response times via the ticketing system will take a few hours on average. Overall, it’s a worthy contender to ExpressVPN and we strongly recommend NordVPN.
NordVPN is an excellent and highly secure VPN with lots of top-end security features. As such, it’s a great choice for people who need all those extra features from their VPN. These include: DNS leak protection, a kill switch, VPN into Tor, stealth mode, and double hop.
Servers are lightning fast and are located in over 60 countries, so perfect for unblocking content from all over the world. As with ExpressVPN, peer-to-peer (P2P) is permitted. NordVPN is extremely easy to use and a reliable vpn, which is why it’s such an amazing Mac VPN for the price. Finally, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Highlights:
- Fantastic Mac compatibility
- Zero logs
- Outstanding security features
- Servers in over 60 countries
- Excellent customer support
- 30-day refund period.
- Great VPN apps.
- Double VPN.
- IPVanish
Although based in the US (so not for the more NSA-phobic out there), this high-profile VPN for Mac has good privacy credentials. It keeps no logs (at all), accepts payment in bitcoin, and permits torrenting. IPVanish also throws in a free Smart DNS service for all customers. Much like its Windows client, IPVanish’s Mac OS VPN app is a little basic. However, it’s easy to use and works well, making it a great VPN for Mac OSX.
Additional features include apps for Android and iOS, and servers in 61 countries.
Highlights:
- No logs at all
- Five simultaneous connections
- Smart DNS included
- Accepts bitcoin
- P2P allowed
Actually this VPN for Mac is an incredibly fast VPN, and well respected in the industry based their vast experience. They have a lot of servers worldwide, with near unmatched download speeds.
Their Mac VPN client is well rounded, and it’s sleek and easy to get to grips with. However, they are based in the USA, which means they’re close to the watchful eye of the NSA. (That being said, they do operate with a strict ‘zero logs’ policy.)
There’s no limit in terms of bandwidth. In fact, they don’t mind what you do as long as you don’t try to use the same account on more than one IP address at a time.
It’s priced at $6.49 per month for a yearly package, which is reasonably good considering their speeds. They provide 24/7 customer support, but there’s no Live Chat feature. You’ll have to send an email via their ticketing system, which will be responded to on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis.
- PureVPN
Undoubtedly one of the best VPN for Mac, PureVPN offers a solid client with a range of features. Additional functionality is their unique selling point, with antivirus software and ad blocking for safer browsing.
You’ll be able to gain use their browser extension for the above. The VPN also comes with more traditional features, including a kill switch and server tests to check speeds. There’s no bandwidth cap or limit, but they do have a ‘fair use’ policy in place. If you’re a heavy user, it could be best to go for another Mac VPN for your downloading needs.
They keep no user logs, aside from a record of when you’re using the service. It’s not ideal, but it could be worse. Customer support comes in the form of Live Chat, (which was available) as well as numerous guides on their website.
At the time of writing, their 24-month plan is heavily discounted at $3.25 per month. It’s a worthwhile choice if you’re looking for an all-in-one Mac VPN package.
- PrivateVPN
Located in Sweden, PrivateVPN has servers in over 50 countries. Their VPN for Mac got a solid client base, with a few additional features. You can have multiple connections at the same time, and they will remotely set up the service if you encounter any problems when you’re starting off.
If you’re looking for an affordable Mac VPN, it’s cheap at the current discounted rate of $2.98 per month for 15 months, although it’s normally priced at $10.95 for 1 month. There’s no cap on bandwidth, and while our speed tests showed that PrivateVPN is a bit slower, we found the difference to be inconsequential.
Despite these minor lag at times, there are numerous servers to choose from. We also got an instant response via their Live Chat customer support system.
If you are looking for a VPN for Mac to keep your computer safe, PrivateVPN will do the job. It is a secure VPN with a zero log policy and boasts an uptime speed of 98%.
- SaferVPN – 65% Off
SaferVPN is fast, simple and efficient to use. Even better – it’s one of the true ‘no-log’ VPNs on the market, meaning you can guarantee your session isn’t being tracked by the VPN software, either while browsing or for any amount of time afterwards.
After installing the Mac-applicable software, you log in, choose your server – and start surfing! If you’re looking for something specific to help you get started, then SaferVPN’s site has an excellent, in-depth FAQ page and customer support to point you in the right direction.
With unlimited bandwidth and speed, as well as unlimited location switching, you’re unlikely to run into a problem with any browsing or streaming, much less downloading. When you subscribe, you can even pay with Bitcoin, and their 12-month deal for $4.99 a month is one of the cheapest deals we’ve seen on the VPN market. But if you don’t want the 12-month commitment, SaferVPN also offers one-month option at $9.99. Their current promotions run at $3.49/mo for a 2-year contract. The VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with all plans over one month.
Each VPN for Mac will possess some strengths and weaknesses as well, let’s consider carefully and choose the most appropriate solution for your Mac.