Editor’s note: I’ve updated some parts of the article in April 2023. Financially, I’m not able to fly out to China again. If you’re in China and would be interested in testing some VPN services, send me a message.
Looking for a VPN in China that actually works?
To help you choose the right one, we flew out to Beijing and tested 28 paid VPNs against two of their ISP networks.
The reason we did this is because China is the most censored country in the world, so you can forget about accessing sites like Google, Facebook, or Twitter using their standard internet connections.
Even premium VPNs rarely work.
And that’s not ideal, especially for expats and residents looking to access what the rest of the world can access without a problem.
So what’s the solution?
Identifying which VPNs actually work in China.
A Few Things Before We Dive In
Disclaimer: Our testing period was three days in Beijing. Using a VPN in China can be very tricky, since networks always try to block VPNs. So what worked for us may not work for you and vice versa. Furthermore, what may work in Beijing may not work in other parts of China.
We recently took a trip to China to continue our mission of letting you know the best VPN services based on hands-on experience and thorough testing. We reviewed a host of VPN services while there to figure out which is the best VPN for China.
Before we start, some facts:
- We tested 28 VPN services on two Chinese ISPs:
- China Unicom
- Ultra Kings Limited (or Voiz Plus)
- Of the 28 VPNs we tested, only 19 worked on Ultra Kings Limited, and only 13 worked on China Unicom.
- Both ISPs blocked the homepage of 26 of the 28 VPNs we tested. Nine of the 28 VPNs can be downloaded in the Chinese app store through Ultra Kings Limited, while 10 of the 28 VPNs can be downloaded in the Chinese app store through China Unicom.
- For VPNs that connected successfully, we tested them on 19 different sites. Those sites are:
- We also tested the VPNs that connected to see whether we could use Whatsapp, Telegram, Viber, and Skype.
- Only 11 of the 28 VPNs we tested worked on both ISPs.
- Of the 11 that worked, the best 7 are featured below.
On the first ISP we tested, Ultra Kings Limited, we got a benchmark download speed of 3.9Mbps and an upload speed of 3.3Mbps.
On the second ISP we tested, China Unicom, we got a benchmark download speed of 5.14Mbps and an upload speed of 0.52Mbps.
It’s also worth mentioning that Ultra Kings Limited looks to be the better ISP for VPNs, as China Unicom seems to ban more VPN IPs.
18 out of 28 worked with Ultra Kings Limited, but only 11 worked with China Unicom. China Unicom was a little bit faster though.
Top 7 Best VPN for China
Below are the best seven VPNs for China based on our hands-on tests. The full link to our testing spreadsheet can be found here.
1. ExpressVPN
Finding a VPN that packs both privacy and performance can be hard. Especially one that actually works from inside China.
What Our Tests in China Revealed
- Our first-hand experience shows ExpressVPN to be the best VPN for China.
- It’s one of the few VPNs we tested in China that worked on both ISPs: Ultra Kings Limited and China Unicom.
- ExpressVPN also successfully accessed all 19 sites we tested. Not only that, but Whatsapp, Telegram, Viber, and Skype worked on both ISPs.
ExpressVPN had a download speed of 2.7Mbps and an upload speed of 2Mbps on Ultra Kings Limited (with benchmarks of 3.9Mbps and 3.3Mbps respectively).
For China Unicom, we got a download speed of 4.28Mbps and an upload speed of 0.4Mbps (vs. the benchmarks of 5.14Mbps and 0.52Mbps).
Even more impressive is ExpressVPN’s dedication to staying one step ahead of Chinese censors by proactively monitoring its servers for accessibility in China and using advanced technology protocols behind the scenes.
ExpressVPN Summary
ExpressVPN’s no-logs claim has been tested in the real world: the Turkish government once raided their datacenter and seized their servers in an attempt to access logs on a particular user. Guess what they found? Nothing. This, and the fact that ExpressVPN is located in the British Virgin Islands, a VPN-friendly jurisdiction, makes it an attractive for China VPN users.
Here are some high points that pushed ExpressVPN to the top of the list:
- Accounts are protected by a kill-switch feature that cuts your internet access altogether when your VPN connection fails, effectively preventing your connection from switching to a publicly visible alternative.
- The service provides strong AES-256 encryption with OpenVPN support, availability of P2P servers for torrenting, and support for up to five simultaneous connections.
- The customer support team is readily available and reliable, especially considering they have a 24/7 email and live chat support that’s not blocked in China.
Although ExpressVPN is a bit expensive at $6.67/mo, we are quite impressed with its real-life performance in China. We believe the cost is justified if you want a reliable VPN for China. They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full ExpressVPN review.
2. ProtonVPN
What Our Tests in China Revealed
- Overall, ProtonVPN performed well on both ISPs we tested in China.
- Unfortunately, it could only access 18 out of the 19 sites we tested on the first ISP (it couldn’t access Pornhub).
- It accessed all 19 sites on the second ISP, however.
- Whatsapp, Telegram, Viber, and Skype were accessible on both ISPs.
On Ultra Kings Limited, with a benchmark of 3.9Mbps download and 3.3Mbps upload, we got 3.7Mbps download and 3.7Mbps upload. (That increased upload speed isn’t a typo. A VPN sometimes does improve speed! – mostly because of ISP bandwidth throttling)
On China Unicom, with a benchmark of 5.14Mbps download and 0.52Mbps upload, we got 4.69Mbps download and 0.53Mbps upload.
We find their customer support to be decent as well. They understand fully well that their VPN may work in China today and not tomorrow, and that connections can vary significantly from one Chinese region to another. As such, they have a support team on standby to help with workarounds while they continuously work on countermeasures.
ProtonVPN Summary
ProtonVPN is run by the Swiss company Proton Technologies AG. They’re also the brains behind the popular ProtonMail service, which happens to be the world’s largest encrypted email network.
Run by privacy advocates, ProtonVPN understandably doesn’t log any of your personal browsing data. They are also located in Switzerland, a privacy-friendly country that takes individual privacy rights extremely seriously.
Compared to ExpressVPN, our top pick, ProtonVPN has:
- A much smaller server park (400 in over 30 countries)
- The same super-secure AES-256 encryption
- A kill-switch
- Netflix support
- Up to 10 simultaneous connections
ProtonVPN has a number of affordable paid plans, but they’re the only VPN on this list that has a free option. Their free plan provides:
- Medium speed
- Access to three countries
- No data cap
- Can be used on one device
Otherwise, their cheapest plan costs just $4/mo, allowing access to all countries and can be used on two devices. You can get a prorated refund with their 30-day money-back guarantee. Considering the fact that they offer a free, no-strings-attached option, this is still quite impressive.
Read our full ProtonVPN review.
3. Mullvad
What Our Tests in China Revealed
- Mullvad was able to unblock all 19 websites we tested on both ISPs, as well as Whatsapp, Telegram, Viber, and Skype.
- We find their customer support to be quite weak, though.
On Ultra Kings Limited, with a benchmark download speed of 3.9Mbps and upload speed of 3.3Mbps, we got a perfect download speed of 3.9Mbps and an upload speed of 3.5Mbps. (Yet another instance of a VPN performing better than the ISP on speed tests.)
On China Unicom, with a benchmark of 5.14Mbps download and 0.52Mbps upload, we got a download speed of 4.4Mbps and an upload speed of 0.46Mbps.
Mullvad Summary
Mullvad is one of our favorite VPNs because it is one of the few services that doesn’t require an email address or a password to use it.
You simply generate an account number on their site and you’re good to go. Payment options that include the ability to pay with a cryptocurrency further enhance its privacy. Mullvad’s strong focus on privacy allays our fears about their being located in Sweden, a member of the 14 Eyes Alliance.
One way Mullvad ensures Chinese residents are able to access blocked websites is through port forwarding and port selection. Except for a few blocked ports to control spam and other security issues, Mullvad can be run on practically any port. Plus, it’s highly supportive of Shadowshocks, an open-source proxy project specifically created to jump the Great Firewall.
Other noteworthy Mullvad features:
- Offers 370+ servers in over 30 countries
- Allows up to five simultaneous connections
- Offers P2P servers that support anonymous torrenting
- Provides a kill-switch
- Uses the industry-standard AES-256 encryption
Part of Mullvad’s simplicity is that you don’t have to worry about VPN plans. All features can be accessed for the same flat rate of €5/mo. While not the cheapest, it isn’t the most expensive, either. And, more importantly, you don’t have to be worried about missing key features because there aren’t any other more expensive plans. They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for all payment methods other than cash.
Read our full Mullvad review.
4. StrongVPN
At #28 in our general ranking of VPN services, StrongVPN is far from being a favorite. However, we must confess that we were quite impressed by its performance in China.
China’s Great Firewall has a reputation for rendering once-effective VPNs useless. This explains why many other name-brand VPNs fail to work in China.
What Our Tests in China Revealed
- StrongVPN worked really well on both ISPs we tested.
- StrongVPN was also able to access all 19 websites we tested.
- Whatsapp, Telegram, Viber, and Skype worked on both ISPs we tested, too.
On Ultra Kings Limited, with a benchmark download speed of 3.9Mbps and a benchmark upload speed of 3.3Mbps, we got 2.7Mbps download and 2.8Mbps upload.
On China Unicom, with a benchmark download speed of 5.14Mbps and a benchmark upload speed of 0.52Mbps, we got a download speed of 4.76Mbps and an upload speed of 0.4Mbps.
StrongVPN Summary
Especially for Chinese residents, StrongVPN offers Scramble, an advanced obfuscation technique that works as an added layer of security for users, making it harder for government censors to detect VPN traffic.
Additionally, StrongVPN assigns dynamic IP addresses instead of the usual static IP addresses other VPN vendors provide. This can also be a drawback because while they have quite a lot of servers, you don’t have much of a say in which server you get to use. StrongVPN randomly assigns servers to users whenever they connect.
Adding to the list of StrongVPN’s core features are:
- A reliable no-logs policy
- Strong AES-256 encryption
- Netflix support
- P2P servers that allow for anonymous torrenting
The fact that StrongVPN has quick and helpful customer support also makes it an attractive option. That said, being located in the U.S. is a disadvantage in our book.
Starting at $5.83/mo, StrongVPN packs a strong 680+ servers spread across 25+ countries. This server number lands them somewhere in the middle of our overall list (not the most, but not the least, either). While we believe that this is a bit overpriced, it’s worth noting that they have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full StrongVPN review.
5. PrivateVPN
PrivateVPN’s Swedish home base places them firmly inside the 14 Eyes jurisdiction. That’s a problem, considering we also found their logging policy questionable.
So this isn’t in any way among our top choices when it comes to a privacy-oriented VPN.
That said, when it comes to VPNs in China, beggars can’t be choosers.
What Our Tests in China Revealed
- PrivateVPN turned out to be one of our best-performing VPNs.
- Besides being comparatively fast, PrivateVPN also succeeded in unblocking all 19 sites we tested on both ISPs, as well as Whatsapp, Telegram, Viber, and Skype.
On Ultra Kings Limited, on a benchmark of 3.9Mbps download and 3.3Mbps download, PrivateVPN had a download speed of 4.1Mbps and an upload speed of 3.1Mbps, which is pretty much a perfect speed.
On China Unicom, on a benchmark of 5.14Mbps download and 0.52Mbps upload, PrivateVPN had a download speed of 3.81Mbps and an upload speed of 0.56Mbps. That’s still pretty impressive in our book!
PrivateVPN Summary
What makes PrivateVPN a good option for Chinese residents is its stealth mode. In a nutshell, stealth VPN disguises VPN traffic as regular traffic in an effort to fool censorship applications and firewalls. With this feature, PrivateVPN is able to create a VPN tunnel through the Great Firewall, allowing users access to their chosen websites.
PrivateVPN boasts:
- Strong AES-256 encryption
- Availability of P2P servers that allow for anonymous torrenting
- Works perfectly with Netflix
- Strong customer support
We find PrivateVPN to be expensive when compared to the other available options, however. Starting at $5.95/mo, they only offer access to a conservative 150+ servers in about 60 countries. They could certainly do much better, but it’s still a decent option to bypass China’s firewall. If you don’t like them, you can also take advantage of their 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full PrivateVPN review.
6. Hotspot Shield
We aren’t big fans of Hotspot Shield for a host of reasons that include DNS leaks, a misleading logging policy, and virtually zero customer support. It didn’t help that Hotspot Shield is located in the U.S.
However, we have to give it to them when it comes to China: Hotspot Shield works!
What Our Tests in China Revealed
- Our test of Hotspot Shield showed a strong performance inside China. Users, however, report a hit-or-miss, with the majority leaning on the “miss” side of things, so we’re glad it worked so we can let you know how it fared.
- Hotspot Shield was able to unblock 18 out of the 19 sites we tested on the first ISP (TorProject.org was inaccessible) and all 19 sites on the second ISP.
- Whatsapp, Telegram, Viber, and Skype were also accessible on both.
On Ultra Kings Limited, on a benchmark of 3.9Mbps download and 3.3Mbps download, Hotspot Shield had a download speed of 3.4Mbps and an upload speed of 0.9Mbps.
On China Unicom, on a benchmark of 5.14Mbps download and 0.52Mbps upload, Hotspot Shield had a download speed of 3.77Mbps and an upload speed of 0.76Mbps.
Hotspot Shield Summary
Hotspot Shield has been in business since 2005 (a lot longer than most of the other options on this list). They boast a user base of 650 million users.
Hotspot Shield has:
- A secure AES-256 encryption
- Support for P2P servers
- Netflix compatibility
While they have a free ad-supported version (that we’re wary of for privacy reasons), their premium plan is quite affordable at $3.49/mo. The paid plan comes with servers in 70+ countries and supports up to five simultaneous devices. We’re not impressed with their customer support, but a 45-day money-back guarantee is enough assurance to give them a try.
Read our full Hotspot Shield review.
7. VPNSecure
Finally, we have VPNSecure, an Australian-based VPN founded in 2010.
What Our Tests in China Revealed
- Performance-wise, VPNSecure could only access 18 out of 19 websites with both ISPs we tested (SoundCloud was inaccessible on both).
- Whatsapp, Telegram, Viber, and Skype were all accessible, thankfully.
- Their speed performance was just okay overall.
On Ultra Kings Limited, with a benchmark of 3.9Mbps download and 3.3Mbps download, we got a download speed of 2Mbps and an upload speed of 2.6Mbps.
On China Unicom, with a benchmark of 5.14Mbps download and 0.52Mbps upload, we had a download speed of 2.81Mbps and an upload speed of 0.61Mbps.
VPNSecure Summary
VPNSecure’s logging policy is very difficult to decode. So we can’t say exactly where they stand on logging your browsing or downloading activity.
They do offer a very limited 80 servers in 50 countries (the smallest among all the other options on this list). And at a super expensive price no less: their cheapest plan starts at $6.66/mo!
Just like PrivateVPN, what makes VPNSecure work in China is its stealth VPN protocol. The stealth mode, however, currently only works for desktops.
They boast:
- A kill-switch
- Support for unlimited devices
- P2P servers
- Both AES-256 and AES-128 encryption
- Support for Netflix
- Impressive customer support
They only offer a seven-day money-back guarantee, however, which is on the low side compared to the other options on this list.
Read our full VPNSecure review.
Conclusion
China’s Great Firewall can be unpredictable.
VPNs that are known to work impressively well suddenly get blocked, particularly during significant political events when the ruling Communist Party deems it necessary to suppress dissent and carefully control access to information.
While there is no guarantee that the above VPNs will always work in China, our personal hands-on tests from inside China show that these seven work well at the time of writing this review.
For other VPN reviews and more information on how VPNs work and what they can do for you, check out the best VPN services for 2020.
What happened to Nord VPN in your China test ?
NordVPN just didn’t do that well inside the Great Firewall.
I have used express with less than satisfactory results in recent months. But a mate swears by Astrill and although I used it many years ago and thought it was rubbish, he said it was holding out strong despite the recent attack on VPNs. I wonder if it’s worth switching back. But how does it fare?
Hey!
Astrill is a great VPN provider. The reason you don’t see Astrill in the top 3 is mostly because it’s just too expensive compared to others. The cheapest option, signing up for one year will still set you back 150 USD. If you don’t mind, get back to us after you’ve used tried it out. Financially, we’re not able to fly out to China again to conduct proper tests.
Well, I have to say that this review has let me down BIG TIME by not including Astrill. I know that sounds suspiciously like a comment s.b. from Astrill would write but let me explain. I believed this review to the point that the only VPN I have and would consider in China for the last few years was Express, and I would point people to the research done by this article. But it’s been a shit show to be frank. With express you’re still paying for premium services but when the govt in China wanna block, it will be done. But my mate who had Astrill insisted his always worked even during big political events. I’ve been sceptical cos it wasn’t on this list. Well, after 2 weeks of restricted internet 97% of the time from Express, and dozenz of weeks of similar throughout the year, I asked to test his Astrill acount on my computer. Boom, it just bloody worked. Hello youtube, finally. So I’m quite anoyed that I have persevered with the wrong service for so long. Not only has this had adverse affects on my wind-down time after work (couldnt just watch nextflix with the missus), my work, but also connecting with my friends and family abroad whilst I am de facto forced to remain here because of travel rules issues (it’s a long story).
I see that the authors have mentioned in the comments that they exluded astrill because it was too expensive. Well, you need to factor in this – people could share an account. It’s really a big deal when express cant do it’s job for weeks at a time. And another thing they fail at is alerting you when there’s a new update. Even then, the updates to pretty much f all these days. You have to manually keep checking if there a new update by going to their website. Only about 10% of the time do they show an update banner in the app. Recently they started saying ‘you need to update’ at the bottom of the app but it’s like fine print. Not seamless. Not doing its job.
You guys should have been more impartial and let the readers make up their own choice. It raises questions about impartiality and whether you have been paid off.
Hey Dan,
Thank you for your comment! I hope that people will be driven towards Astrill through your input here. We had limited time in China & were testing it on very slow internet. I think our tests are more for tourists rather than expats that live in China. We just didn’t have the time to experience & test the VPNs as someone who would be living there daily. We flew out to Beijing only to test VPNs for 5 days. Financially, I won’t be able to do it again – but I’m looking for people who live there who have a bit of time to test the services once again.
Thank you for your feedback!
Best wishes,
Rob
To the editer, sorry I’m not trying to bust your balls here but it is quite clear your article is no longer applicable and will likely lead people to make bad choices.
I recently mentioned about Express, here’s another: I can confirm Proton no longer works in China (never did for me). Been in correspondence with them. They are quite inept. In a recent email where I criticised their lack of preparedness to help with people in China, or have working mirror websites or instructions for people in China a member of their team said:
“Please keep in mind that China has taken some of the strictest and most aggressive measures to block and interfere with VPN connections. Our team is closely monitoring the situation and actively working on finding new solutions to bypass the restrictions in order to provide our users with the best possible service.”
In other words they aren’t ready and the service is ineffective. Not only aren’t they ready now, but they weren’t ready a couple of years ago when I wanted to check out the free trial then too. Even back then I couldn’t even log in to their app because of blocks. Couldnt. Even. Log. In. Same now. They have no workarounds in place for people who experience this. You have to contact them via THEIR BLOCKED WEBSITE which is outrageous. Their app didn’t have an email address you could contact them on. (Well actually it did but it BOUNCED!). So I connected to a working VPN in order to inform them theirs doesn’t work. Nice service guys.