There's a dangerous belief out there that macOS is somehow immune to attacks, that Apple's computers need no antivirus, and that Macs are intrinsically protected against spies and hackers. While it's true that Windows machines see more attacks, perpetrators of mass surveillance and online data thieves aren't discerning. That's why virtual private networks, or VPNs, are so important, even for Mac users.
The problem isn't your Mac, per se. It's the fundamental structure of the internet. The first bricks of the web were laid by government and university academics who were interested in making information sharing faster and easier. Privacy and security were secondary concerns. Fast-forward a few decades into the future, and things are quite different.
Video tutorial showing how to download, setup, and install a free unlimited lifetime VPN for MacOS, Mac OS X High Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, and earlier versions of Mac. You have to go for the best VPN software which can provide you with high security even your internet. When you connect iPhone with unknown Wi-Fi or hotspot of hotels, all the information that you switch within your device is known by that hotspot hub. Certainly, as well as competent antivirus, folks with a Mac need a quality Virtual Private Network just as much as anyone on Windows. 1-year + 1-year free - $48.95; How to choose the best Mac VPN.
Today, we use the web for far more than just trading academic papers. We transmit important documents filled with personal information; we file our taxes; we send money to our friends and request money from our enemies; we even exchange incriminating emails and compromising photos. And we do it all over a system that makes finding your location and intercepting your information very easy.
Editors' Note: IPVanish is owned by j2 Global, the parent company of PCMag's publisher, Ziff Davis.
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In short, just about everyone wants your data. Your personal information is valuable to hackers because it can be sold and resold on Dark Web marketplaces. Scammers and other criminals can then buy that information in order to commit fraud, which is not something people usually enjoy having done in their name.
In a similar vein, advertisers are keen to get your information so that they can better target you with online advertisements. Special trackers note information about you when you visit a website. When you navigate to a website that hosts another tracker from the same ad company, your movements are correlated across the web.
Even internet service providers (ISPs) are starting to get in on the act, now that Congress has given them the go-ahead to sell anonymized metadata about user activity. The ISPs argue that if advertisers can get a cut of the sweet>
Apple has polished macOS to a shine, and the company has always paid careful attention to stability and security. But out on the web, anything goes. That's why you need a VPN to provide a critical layer of security and privacy. It's a simple but powerful tool, and you'll be grateful for taking better control of your online experience.
While you're thinking about privacy for your Mac, you should also consider security. If you're not protected yet, you ought to read our roundup of Mac antivirus software.
Pros: Largest collection of servers. Specialized servers. Six simultaneous connections. Well designed, consistent user interface. Ad blocking and web protection.
Cons: Expensive. Lackluster speed test scores.
Bottom Line: NordVPN provides Mac users excellent network security, impressive features, specialized servers, and the largest network of VPN servers on the market, making it one of the best VPNs for macOS.
Read ReviewPros: Thousands of servers across dozens of locations. Good speed test scores. Excellent, advanced tools. No logging. Works with Netflix.
Cons: Minimal interface. No free version.
Bottom Line: The perfect choice for a security wonk, Private Internet Access is a no-frills macOS VPN with the most robust network we've yet seen, at a very reasonable price. Don't expect much hand-holding from the interface, however.
Read ReviewPros: The best overall speed test scores for macOS. Friendly, charming interface. Blocks ads. Excellent privacy policies. Unique features specifically for macOS. Plays nice with Netflix. Bears.
Cons: Few server locations. No P2P or BitTorrent allowed.
Bottom Line: TunnelBear has always offered a great experience and excellent protection with its VPN software, and it shines on macOS. With a robust network of servers, a killer interface, strong speed test scores, and unique features for macOS, it's an Editor's Choice.
Read ReviewPros: Excellent geographic diversity of servers. Specialized servers. Allows P2P and BitTorrent. Excellent privacy policy. Works with Netflix.
Cons: Few servers. IKEv2 and OpenVPN not supported in client. Unfriendly interface.
Bottom Line: PureVPN offers robust protection for your web data with an excellent collection of servers and strong privacy protections, but it isn't the fastest Mac VPN we've tested.
Read ReviewPros: Robust features, including split tunneling. Supports multiple protocols. Allows P2P and Bittorrent. Direct control of servers. Geographically diverse server options. Some stand-out speed test scores.
Cons: Lacks ad-blocking. Small number of servers.
Bottom Line: Golden Frog VyprVPN not only provides the secure encryption of a virtual private network, but it also packs a host of advanced features into a slick macOS app.
Read ReviewPros: Numerous advanced settings. Very robust network of some 3,000 servers. Five simultaneous connections.
Cons: Unfriendly interface. Does not automatically select best server. Fewer options than Windows version.
Bottom Line: TorGuard is meant to be the VPN for BitTorrent acolytes, and it delivers a raft of advanced features confident users will appreciate, but it's not for networking newbies.
Read ReviewPros: Affordable, flexible pricing structure. Nifty Touch Bar integration. P2P and BitTorrent allowed. Supports OpenVPN. Specialized servers. Information-dense client.
Cons: Lackluster overall speed performance. App Store and downloadable versions offer different features. Small number of servers.
Bottom Line: KeepSolid VPN Unlimited is a solid service with unparalleled flexible pricing, and robust security technology, but its interface feels clunky for a Mac app, and its speed tests results were only fair.
Read ReviewVPN services prevent anyone on the same Wi-Fi hotspot from intercepting your web traffic, which is useful particularly for travelers using public Wi-Fi networks. Hiding your computer’s IP address is another feature of VPNs, thus giving advertisers a hard time to track you online.
There are VPN for PC and Mac, free VPNs and paid VPN Services, they come with a price. But the price is not the factor to be focused on. Most companies provide free trial for Windows VPN software and Mac VPN apps, take advantage of that and make sure you get what you want from the service before paying.
Let us see the best VPN Services for Mac and Windows (Paid and Free) to secure you.
The Express VPN is one of the best VPN services out there in market and company claims as the fastest VPN. Express VPN has over 1000 servers on about 145 locations spreading over 94 countries. This VPN supports three devices maximum and has P2P support on all its servers, with unlimited usage. Express VPN has a no Ad policy, offers own DNS service, and aids in prevents tracking the user by using the DNS request.
The Express VPN is against keeping user logs and does not keep information about user’s web traffic. Express VPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, which has no data retention laws and no logging policy. Even though there is a no logging policy, Express VPN keep track of aggregate data transfer amount and choice of server locations, to improve network resource allocation. But then no information that is capable of matching IP and track back the user is not kept. Express VPN comes with a Kill Switch uses Open VPN encryption and has both Windows VPN and Mac VPN applications.
Key Features: Number of servers- 1000 | Server Locations-145 | IP Addresses-NA | Maximum Device Supported- 3 | No Logs | Streaming Channels | Unlimited Data Transfer | Wi-Fi Encryption | Automatic Kill Switch | P2P Support | Block Ads | Multi-Device Support | Dedicated IP- NA | Streaming Service Support | Download: Mac | Windows
Related: 8 Free Light Weight Antivirus for Windows and Mac
TunnelBear is one of the few top VPN services which provide a free version with data restriction of 500MB. Tunnel Bear does not allow ads in the free version. In terms of the number of servers, Tunnel Bear is behind its competitors. Tunnel Bear has only 14 servers across 20 countries. This may cause sluggish performance in a high traffic scenario. But Tunnel Bear claims that they expand their server network when a heavy activity starts to bring things down.
TunnelBear offers unlimited data transfer, suitable for a household as it supports up to 5 devices at a time and no log activity to ensure privacy for the users. Tunnel Bear lacks P2P support and streaming services are supported. TunnelBear follows Open VPN encryption protocol and the user gets military-grade 256-bit encryption. The unique feature IntelliBear from Tunnel Bear helps to whitelist and blacklist websites by the user. The websites such as YouTube could be whitelisted, so as to automatically get better video streaming speeds when TunnelBear is turned off, and bank websites could be blacklisted so transactions are always protected by VPN.
Key Features: Number of servers- 14 |Server Locations-20 | IP Addresses-NA | Maximum Device Supported- 5 | No Logs | Streaming Channels | Unlimited Data Transfer | Wi-Fi Encryption | Automatic Kill Switch | P2P Support- NA | Block Ads | Multi-Device Support | Dedicated IP- NA | Streaming Service Support | Download: Mac | Windows
Related: Best VPN for Android and iPhone
PureVPN is one of the VPN service providers with 750+ servers and supports 5 devices. As a majority of VPNs, PureVPN also has a no logging policy and unlimited data transfer is possible with PureVPN. PureVPN supports 256 bit OpenVPN encryption protocol along with other multiple protocols to choose from. The PureVPN support P2P, but lack of ad blocking capability.
PureVPN comes with a rare feature, dedicated IP, which is found only in some VPNs. This feature helps the users to have complete control of their online reputation, security, and privacy. PureVPN offers over 80000+ IPs. It also has a Kill Switch. A feature called Split Tunneling helps users to selectively send data through VPN and ISP.
Key Features: Number of servers- 750+ | Server Locations-180 | IP Addresses-80,000+ | Maximum Device Supported- 5 | Free/Paid- Paid | No Logs | Streaming Channels | Unlimited Data Transfer | Wi-Fi Encryption | Automatic Kill Switch | P2P Support | Block Ads-NA | Multi-Device Support | Dedicated IP | Streaming Service Support | Download: Mac | Windows
One specialty of Hotspot Shield VPN is the ability to alert about phishing websites (which is based on a database of 3.5 million malicious sites). Hotspot Shield uses a different approach when it comes to encryption protocol, uses a proprietary protocol called Catapult Hydra. Hotspot Shield has a no ad policy and lacks the no logging policy.
It keeps a log of email and payment information, which may not be big of a deal. But it also keeps browsing and connection information even though it will be deleted when the VPN is closed. Like most VPNs Hotspot Shield also support five devices simultaneously. Another feature it lacks is P2P support. It does not come with an unlimited data transfer. A limitation o 750MB per day exists, which reset every 24hrs.
Key Features: Number of servers- 2000 | Server Locations-20 | IP Addresses-NA | Maximum Device Supported- 5 | No Logs – NA | Streaming Channels-NA | Unlimited Data Transfer-NA | Wi-Fi Encryption | Automatic Kill Switch | P2P Support-NA | Block Ads | Multi-Device Support | Dedicated IP-NA | Streaming Service Support- NA | Download: Mac | Windows
Betternet has pretty much all the basic features that a VPN should have. This VPN Service has a no ad policy and does not keep log the of any user data. The Betternet VPN has the multi-device support of up to 5 devices and P2P support. Users can transfer unlimited data through Betternet. Betternet VPN does lack the Kill Switch though. The encryption used is 128 bit OpenVPN encryption protocol and also offer a DNS leak protection.
Key Features: Number of servers- NA | Server Locations-NA | IP Addresses-NA | Maximum Device Supported- 5 | No Logs | Streaming Channels-NA | Unlimited Data Transfer | Wi-Fi Encryption | Automatic Kill Switch- NA | P2P Support | Block Ads |Multi Device Support | Dedicated IP-NA | Streaming Service Support | Download: Windows
The VPN Service, IPVanish has a pretty good number of servers, 750+ servers, even though some competitors have way a high number of servers which is around 3000. IPVanish is in high numbers when it comes to a number of IPs, 400000. There is no need to worry about data usage since it has got unlimited data transfer. No log policy is checked on this VPN also and has got P2P support.
The encryption used is a 256 bit OpenVPN encryption protocol along with other multiple protocols. It can support a maximum of 5 devices. There is no ad blocking on this VPN. There is a Kill Switch feature as many of its competitors do.
Key Features: Number of servers- 750+ | Server Locations-NA | IP Addresses-400000 | Maximum Device Supported- 5 | No Logs | Streaming Channels-NA | Unlimited Data Transfer | Wi-Fi Encryption | Automatic Kill Switch | P2P Support | Block Ads-NA | Multi-Device Support | Dedicated IP-NA | Streaming Service Support | Download: Mac | Windows
PrivateTunnel has a different way of pricing. Users have to pay for the data used rather than paying for the period of usage. The schemes the company is enough for a user who has to browse and occasionally stream videos. PrivateTunnel follows a no logging policy, uses OpenVPN encryption protocol and also P2P support is checked.
The astonishing fact is that it supports an unlimited number of devices, which is very rare in a VPN. A downside is that it is based in the US where data retention laws exist. This makes the company’s no logging policy suspicious. The servers are spread over 12 locations in 9 countries.
Key Features: Number of servers- NA | Server Locations-12 | IP Addresses-NA | Maximum Device Supported- unlimited | No Logs | Streaming Channels-NA | Unlimited Data Transfer-NA | Wi-Fi Encryption | Automatic Kill Switch-NA | P2P Support | Block Ads-NA | Multi-Device Support | Dedicated IP-NA | Streaming Service Support | Download: Mac | Windows
Vypr VPN has about 700+ at 70+ locations spread over 6 continents.VyprVPN has a no log policy and servers use over 200000+ global IPs. There is no need to worry about data usage since the unlimited data transfer covers it. In terms of encryption protocol, it uses OpenVPN encryption protocol as most VPNs do.
Vypr has a unique feature under its sleeve called Chameleon. Some websites have the practice of blocking VPN connections. What Chameleon does is that it defeats such VPN blocking. Multi-device support comes with a standard limit of 5 devices. P2P support which is default in many VPNs is applicable for this one too. It comes with a proprietary DNS server called VyprDNS and an automatic Kill Switch.
Key Features: Number of servers- 700+ | Server Locations-70+ | IP Addresses-200000+ | Maximum Device Supported- 5 | No Logs | Streaming Channels-NA | Unlimited Data Transfer | Wi-Fi Encryption | Automatic Kill Switch | P2P Support | Block Ads-NA | Multi-Device Support | Dedicated IP-NA | Streaming Service Support | Download: Mac | Windows
Nord VPN is based on Panama jurisdiction where there are no data retention laws, which is a plus point in itself. Along with that, there is no logging policy. If that is not enough, Nord VPN comes with unique double data encryption. The protection is double with Nord VPN. The encryption protocol is 256 bit OpenVPN encryption protocol. NordVPN does not have an ad blocking feature though, and there is a Kill Switch present.
Nord VPN has 750 servers spread across 57 countries and comes with a rare feature of dedicated IP. Using this feature a user can get a specific IP. Users can also order a static IP for a server (additional payment required); by this, a user can make sure they are the only one using that particular IP. Nord VPN gives simultaneous access to 6 devices, P2P support is ready in Nord and also supports streaming services.
Key Features: Number of servers- 750 | Server Locations-NA | IP Addresses-NA | Maximum Device Supported- 6 | No Logs | Streaming Channels | Unlimited Data Transfer | Wi-Fi Encryption | Automatic Kill Switch | P2P Support | Block Ads-NA | Multi-Device Support | Dedicated IP | Streaming Service Support | Download: Mac | Windows
This one has got an unconventional name and it is unconventional in one or two other things also. It has 900 servers at 240 locations in 190 countries, which is pretty normal. But when it comes to multi-device support it only supports 2 devices. It does not stop there; these 2 devices have to be connected to two different servers. It uses OpenVPN encryption protocol. A Kill Switch is present.
One thing to be noted is that HMA is based in the UK where data retention exists. Obviously, the company keeps logs, which includes information such as user IP address, IP address of VPN and time of connection. This information is kept or 2 to 3 months. It does block ads though. P2P support and streaming services are not present.
Key Features: Number of servers- 900 | Server Locations-240 | IP Addresses-NA | Maximum Device Supported- 2 | No Logs- NA | Streaming Channels-NA | Unlimited Data Transfer | Wi-Fi Encryption | Automatic Kill Switch | P2P Support-NA | Block Ads | Multi-Device Support | Dedicated IP- NA | Streaming Service Support-NA | Download: Mac | Windows
Related: 10 Best Android Antivirus & Mobile Security Apps with Antitheft Protection
What is wrong with accessing free network to escape from expensive cellular data? The answer is simple; these places are an excellent route for attackers to obtain your personal information. When you shop around for VPN Service, there are several factors to keep in mind, such as performance, transparency, ease of use, support and so on. As long as the VPN is concerned, the number of servers is an important factor. The more number of servers, users have more options to spoof their location. Kill Switch is another feature, which stops apps from connecting to the internet if the VPN is inactive.
Thus there is a long list of VPNs available. It is unclear who is virtually looking over your shoulder to see your online activities. Many agencies are interested in all types of information about individuals. Scammers, government agencies, commercial organizations, hackers; there is a lot of eyes from which user online requires protection. This proves the significance of VPNs. The above list may help you to choose the VPN that you need.