is safari private a vpn

What is Apple Private Relay and is it worse than a VPN?

Is Apple's shiny new privacy tool really a 'VPN killer'?

(Edit: This article has been updated with comments from various VPN providers)

Apple has announced several important new privacy features at its annual development conference, WWDC 2021 . By far the most significant - and controversial - is 'private relay', a technology which enables users to browse the web without revealing their real IP address , making it more difficult for sites to track their web browsing activities.

The feature is one of several additions to Apple's upcoming iCloud + account. Despite the 'Plus', existing iCloud accounts will be upgraded at no extra cost, which means you could benefit from the private relay feature from as little as $0.99 a month with 50GB of cloud storage .

This doesn't necessarily mean it's time to ditch your VPN subscription; far from that. There are a number of reasons for that, and we'll get onto those later, but one of the most important is that private relay won't protect all your traffic: it covers Safari , Apple’s web browser, and insecure connections only (apps which use HTTP rather than HTTPS.) 

More crucially, the technology has other issues, too, which become clearer when you look under the hood.

• These are the best iPhone VPN services available

How does Apple Private Relay work?

Private Relay is easy to use, with none of the app hassles you'll see with a regular VPN. Just sign into your iPhone , iPad or Mac with an iCloud+ subscription, enable Private Relay in your iCloud settings, and the technology starts shielding your Safari activities. When you next connect to a website, Private Relay randomly chooses two servers to handle your traffic. 

Your device makes a speedy and secure QUIC/ HTTP3 connection from the internet to the first server, the Ingress, run by Apple. The connection is authenticated via a technique called RSA Blinded Signatures, which allows you access without having to transmit a username, password, or any account details at all - no need to have the best password manager here. The Ingress Proxy doesn't even know which website you're visiting, as that information is encrypted on your device. Read our primer on proxy servers .

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You could still be identified by your IP address, so the Ingress Proxy replaces it with an approximate geographical location. If you've a Staten Island IP address, for instance, it might simply use 'New York. (You can alternatively tell Private Relay to choose an IP from your country and time zone, giving it a much wider pool of IPs to choose from.)

The Ingress Proxy now makes an encrypted connection to the Egress Proxy, passing it your request. This second server is run by an independent content provider, not Apple and likely to be a partnering CDN provider, ensuring it has no way to figure out who makes any particular request. 

The Egress Proxy then decrypts your request, to find out which website you're visiting. This is the separation of knowledge which preserves your privacy: the Ingress Proxy knows a little about who you are (your IP address), but not what you're doing; the Egress Proxy knows what you're doing, but nothing about who you are.

The Egress Proxy doesn't know your IP address, but it has to pass something to the website you're trying to visit, to ensure it can display localized content. To make this happen, the Egress Proxy looks at the approximate location it's received ('New York'), and allocates you a random IP address from a pool in your approximate area. 'Manhattan? That'll do.'

This approach allows websites to have enough of an idea of your location to display relevant content, but not to identify you. The IP address they see changes every time you visit, and your real IP is never revealed. All they know is the connection was made via the Egress Proxy, so they pass their content back in an encrypted form to that address, and it's routed back to the Ingress Proxy, and then to you.

The Private Relay network

Sign up for a VPN and you'll want to check out all kinds of details about the network: how many servers it has, how many locations, who runs them, and more. Unfortunately, Apple hasn't released any details at all, not even who is running the website-facing side of the network, but other sources provide some major clues.

Users running Private Relay on the iOS 15 beta have reported that they're allocated Cloudflare IP addresses, for instance, a strong indication of at least one provider.

There's another clue in an Apple developer video, which explains that Private Relay uses 'Oblivious DoH' (ODoH.) This is a new DNS standard which encrypts requests to ensure that when you connect to Private Relay, the first server (the Ingress Proxy) can't see the website you're trying to access. It's a brand new technology developed by Apple, Cloudflare and Fastly , another big CDN provider who would make a lot of sense as a Private Relay partner.

A recently published report speculates that Akamai is Apple's third provider, and suggests the Private Relay link is behind a rally in the share prices for all three companies. If this is true, it's good news.

These are CDN giants - Akamai alone has 300,000+ servers in more than 130 countries - and adding Cloudflare and Fastly to the mix should ensure you're never far from a Private Relay server. That’s one or two orders of magnitude higher than any VPN provider out there.

Can you trust Apple Private Relay?

Private Relay's design looks good to us, but is it good enough? Tor also uses a system where your connections are routed through multiple relays. But while Apple stops at two, Tor defaults to three, and there can be many more. These are all run by volunteers, too, greatly reducing the chance that any one person can track what you're doing, and we've seen arguments that this makes Tor safer than Private Relay.

That sounds reasonable in theory, but there's a problem. Having Tor's servers provided by volunteers rather than big business might sound appealing, that doesn't make them any more trustworthy. Security researcher nusenu has been tracking Tor relays since 2020, and a recent blog post reported that '25% of the Tor network’s exit capacity has been attacking Tor users' using various attacks.

Private Relay's two-server approach, where Apple always controls the Ingress Proxy, a second big corporation runs the other, could still be seen as a problem. If you don't trust either of them, you're probably not going to be impressed by Apple's privacy promises.

It's likely that everyone running Private Relay will be under US jurisdiction, too, and we've seen user concerns that any anonymity will disappear just as soon as the first warrant or subpoena arrives.

Is this realistic, though? Apple isn't just promising not to log, it's saying the design makes that impossible. The Ingress Proxy doesn't know who you are beyond an IP address, or which site you're trying to access, so there's no way for Apple to spy on you; the Egress Proxy knows the site, but nothing about you, not the IP. Only your device knows everything.

You don't have to automatically trust Apple to realise the impact on its reputation if this turns out to be wrong, and it really does hand over user data as soon as it's asked. It would be goodbye to any claims of privacy expertise, and the greatest gift to Google and Microsoft they could ever give. No-one can know for sure, but it seems to us that's a very big incentive for Apple to be very, very, very sure that Private Relay works as promised.

• Also check out the best Mac VPN

A look at the performance of Apple Private Relay

Using Private Relay requires more encryption and routes your traffic through two extra servers before it reaches its destination, which suggests there's going to be some performance hit. But Apple has said there will be minimal speed impact: can it be right?

If your ISP throttles some traffic types - video, say - then the extra encryption bypasses that, immediately improving speeds. Private Relay's use of the speedy UDP-based HTTP/3 is a plus, and should help compensate for the extra server hops.

And while passing your traffic through two extra servers must affect speeds, Private Relay isn't like a regular double-hop VPN, where maybe one cheap VPS server in a data center somewhere connects to another. 

CDN providers like Cloudflare and Akamai use powerful hardware, smart routing and all kinds of other technologies to shave off milliseconds here and there, and that will keep any overheads to an absolute minimum. Delivering data securely and with as little lag as possible is what they do.

Put it all together and we expect to see some speed impact, though less than you'd get from a VPN. There are lots of factors to consider, though - your location, demand on nearby servers, your device and network - and we'll have to wait until release date to find out for sure.

What are the advantages of Apple Private Relay?

Private Relay improves on VPNs in a number of ways. 

Building it into the operating system reduces any technical hassles. You don't need to run an app, figure out which settings work best, or remember to connect before you do anything sensitive. Sign up for iCloud+, check a box to turn the technology on, and it just works.

The two-server approach, each run by a different company, means you no longer have to trust that your provider is living up to their privacy promises. A VPN server gets your account details when you authenticate, and then gets to see everything you're doing online, making it very easy to log your activities.

With Private Relay, Apple can't associate an internet action with an account, so it's unable to log what you're doing. And all your destination website sees is the randomly selected Egress Proxy IP address, leaving no way for any internet action to be connected back to you.

We're glad to see Private Relay encrypt DNS and protect insecure HTTP connections by default. Most VPNs do the same, but it's good to know these potential data leaks will be plugged.

We can't describe Private Relay's Safari-only protection as anything other than a weakness, but it does have one positive side: it won't cause issues with banking, payment or other apps which might complain if you're using a VPN. (Safari traffic may still be blocked by PayPal and others, as they're looking to use IP addresses as a record of identity, but we'll have to wait and see if Private Relay is more or less affected than VPNs.)

You don't have to choose between using Private Relay or a VPN, though: you can run both. Apple explains that 'if your app provides a network extension to add VPN or app-proxying capabilities, your extension won't use Private Relay and neither will app traffic that uses your extension.' Proxy traffic also ignores Private Relay, and your apps work just as they did before.

What are the limitations of Apple Private Relay?

While Private Relay is technically very smart, it's all about security and privacy, and it's never going to fully compete with a commercial VPN. 

There's no option to choose another location, for instance. And that's by design. Private Relay chooses the location of your Ingress and Egress Proxies, and it's those servers working together who get to decide your eventual IP address. There's no way to do that within the existing system.

It doesn't look like this will change in the future, either. An Apple developer session stated: 'Private Relay guarantees that users can't use the system to pretend to be from a different region, so you can continue to enforce region-based access restrictions.' An issue for users, but it makes sense for Apple. 

The company wants to work with content providers, not alienate them by providing ways to bypass their regional blocking schemes. It is a major content producer itself and the last thing it would want to do is become the go to VPN for Netflix .

Reuters highlighted a similar issue at the country level, reporting that Apple's new service won't be available in Belarus, China, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Uganda and the Philippines. 

If you're hoping to use Private Relay to get online from some VPN-unfriendly country, be prepared for disappointment. Don't expect that to change in future, either - Apple isn't going to compromise its China revenue by encouraging the breaking of Chinese law.

Keep in mind, also, that although Private Relay shields your real IP address, a website or network can still check that IP and see it relates to a Private Relay hostname. If you currently use a VPN to bypass network-level blocking policies on public Wi-Fi, Private Relay may not help, at least not for long. All any network admin has to do is block Private Relay's hostnames, and Apple is already explaining how that's done.

If you think Private Relay might bypass parental control services, that's unlikely to work, either. The technology allows content filters to inspect traffic before it travels through Private Relay, so they'll block all the same content as before.

Even where Private Relay does match a regular VPN, for normal browsing, it can't protect you from all tracking. If you sign into a web account or just accept cookies, for instance, the site already knows who you are. Private Relay isn't a complete privacy solution, and you'll still need to use features like private browsing and optimise Safari's privacy settings to keep yourself safe online.

How does Private Relay compare to other privacy solutions?

Proxies are poor, rating perhaps a lowly 2 out of 10 on our made-up privacy scale. They hide your IP address by routing your traffic through another server, a welcome plus. But you must set them up on every app where you'd like to use them (if that's possible at all), they don't encrypt your traffic, and a malicious server operator can see a lot, maybe all of what you're doing.

Tor is significantly better, encrypting your traffic and routing it through multiple randomly selected relays to conceal your IP. But various Tor weaknesses - including slower speeds - and attack vectors have appeared over the years, and headlines like '25% of the Tor network’s exit capacity has been attacking Tor users' suggest you really shouldn't trust it entirely. We'd still rate it 5/10.

VPN works system-wide, encrypting all your traffic by default, and allowing you to choose an IP address from one of many countries around the world. But you're placing all your trust in a single provider, and if a VPN wanted to log your internet activities, it could do that. And even if a VPN proves it's completely trustworthy, there may be scope for a hacker to gain useful data on users. We'll score VPNs 7/10.

Private Relay is (mostly) Safari only, but it does a great job of hiding your IP, and as no one entity knows who you are or what you're doing, there's no way for anyone to connect your account to any internet action. As our rating is about privacy more than features, we have to edge Private Relay in front with a score of 8/10. (Yes, VPNs can protect all your devices, but if they're all vulnerable to logging, that's not a big privacy plus.)

What would a 10/10 look like? Private Relay levels of protection for all your apps and devices would help, ensuring you're covered whatever you're doing. We'd like some transparency on the low-level details of how Private Relay works, too, so that others can take a view on how well the system works. The technology has only just been released, though, so there's likely a lot more information to come. We'll take a closer look when it arrives.

What comes next for Apple Private Relay?

Private Relay doesn't begin to deliver the features you'd get from a full VPN, but that's not what the system is designed to do. The technology is focused on improving your privacy, not breaking existing company and regional restrictions, and in many ways that's a plus. If Private Relay could be used to unblock various platforms, many companies would simply block its IPs, and that's no benefit to anybody. By living within the rules, rather than breaking them, Private Relay should stay working in more locations.

There's certainly scope for some improvement, though, most obviously in which traffic is protected. Making Private Relay a (mostly) Safari-only thing is a big plus for the browser, but it's hard to see it lasting long-term, and the service makes most sense as a technology that works system-wide.

Wherever Apple goes with Private Relay, it already outperforms the operating system competition. Right now, the best Google can offer is its VPN by Google One , for instance, a very standard US-only service which doesn't begin to match Private Relay for privacy. Google, Microsoft, maybe even Amazon are going to have to come up with some major privacy innovations of their own if they want to compete (leave Facebook out of the equation because… well, it didn’t go down well with Onavo ).

In the long term, if the top operating systems and devices begin moving into the VPN space, that puts pressure on specialist providers to up their game. 

The top VPNs have many more features, for instance, but if even a few users feel they don't need anything extra to protect their iDevices, that might leave them questioning whether it's worth buying a subscription to cover anything else. Providers may have to drop their prices to keep users on board.

The real issue is trust, though. With Private Relay designed to guarantee that no one provider can see what you're doing online, VPN website promises that 'we don't log, honest' look more unconvincing than ever. Will even no-log audits convince an ever more skeptical user base? It'll be interesting to find out. Watch this space.

So what do VPN Providers think of Apple's Private Relay?

NordVPN says : "Private Relay is part of Apple’s continued effort to foster a privacy-oriented operating system, but there will still be some caveats, and that is where solutions such as NordVPN will thrive.

Apple says Private Relay hides a user’s traffic from ISPs, advertisers, and even Apple itself. While there are similarities, when you turn on a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on your computer, smartphone, tablet, smart TV, or even router, it protects your data by putting everything you do online through a tunnel.

Private Relay is available only on Safari. This means Apple users who stick with Chrome or Firefox are not utilizing Private Relay whatsoever. Instead, these users will begin or continue to rely on VPNs like NordVPN . So unless you fully trust your data privacy, traditional VPNs such as NordVPN are still the go-to.

Although Apple does not appear to offer full-fledged VPN features, it will become the first step towards cybersecurity for many users who wouldn’t have considered taking action otherwise. I’d say that this will boost cybersecurity awareness in general, and this is a big win for the whole industry. 

Additionally, big tech entering the VPN market suggests the solidity and importance of the industry. Tougher competition raises standards and this is something users will benefit from.

Finally, tech companies stopped treating digital privacy and cybersecurity in the narrow sense of the words. NordVPN is also taking a step forward by offering the password manager NordPass as well as the file encryption tool NordLocker , which also has a cloud storage add-on. In the future, we might offer additional antivirus-like features."

• Also check out our complete list of the best VPN services

Mike is a lead security reviewer at Future, where he stress-tests VPNs , antivirus and more to find out which services are sure to keep you safe, and which are best avoided. Mike began his career as a lead software developer in the engineering world, where his creations were used by big-name companies from Rolls Royce to British Nuclear Fuels and British Aerospace. The early PC viruses caught Mike's attention, and he developed an interest in analyzing malware, and learning the low-level technical details of how Windows and network security work under the hood.

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• VPN & Privacy

Best VPNs for Safari

8 best vpns for safari in 2024 – with browser extensions.

In today’s digital age, securing your online privacy is paramount, especially when cyber threats lurk around every corner. We’ve pinpointed the best VPNs for Safari through exhaustive research and rigorous testing , ensuring rapid and confidential browsing.

Whether you’re yearning to bypass geo-restrictions to devour international content or unblock censored services, we’ve got you covered. And for all you proud Mac or iOS users – you’re likely familiar with Safari, your trusty built-in browser. At the same time, it’s true that Safari doesn’t cater to Windows, Android, or Linux, its exclusive ecosystem warrants specialized protection. Dive into this comprehensive guide to discover the ultimate VPNs for Safari and unveil the compelling reasons to fortify your online fortress.

Are you pressed for time? We’ve got a snapshot of our top VPNs for Safari coming right up.

We’ll cover more details about the Best VPNs for Safari in this post, but here’s our quick summary.

We found these to be the best VPNs for Safari based on user testing:

• NordVPN   Our #1 choice Safari VPN. Superfast servers that deliver on streaming. Tight privacy and robust security. Includes 30-day money-back guarantee. TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Safari.
• Surfshark : Great budget VPN for Safari. A no-logs VPN that works perfectly on iOS and MacOS. Decent speeds, excellent unblocking ability, and the ability to connect all of your devices at once.
• IPVanish : Works well with Macs and iOS devices. Good speeds, privacy, and secure connections.
• ExpressVPN : Secure and private connections. Unblocks restricted content with ease and great for streaming.
• CyberGhost : Huge network of servers and robust security features. Works with Macs and iOS devices.
• PrivateVPN : An increasingly popular Safari VPN service with fast speeds. Good for streaming.
• PureVPN : A fast, no-logs provider with thousands of servers and exceptional streaming ability. Offers 24/7 customer support over live chat and works great with Safari.
• ProtonVPN : Delivers consistently impressive speeds and includes a wide range of advanced security features. Works effortlessly with most region-locked sites. Connect 10 devices at once.

If you use the Safari browser to surf the web, you should know about extra protection that you can add on to your connections. A VPN will protect your privacy and allow you to get around regional restrictions that many websites impose on access. This means that you will be able to access video streaming services from other countries, even though your location would normally get you locked out.

Best VPNs for Safari – Our hands-on review

We’ve compared the most important features for the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for Safari.

Our criteria for Safari VPNs

There are many benefits to using a VPN, which you can read about further down in this report. However, your first decision is which VPN provider to choose. When looking for the best VPN for Safari, you need to take into account the following features:

• Can be installed on Macs and iOS devices and works well with Safari
• Works with streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu
• Has fast speeds and reliable connections for downloading and streaming
• Offers strong encryption and watertight security
• Doesn’t store any activity logs with no exceptions
• Can bypass regional content blocks
• Has reliable and responsive customer support
• Has fair pricing with a money-back guarantee

Here’s a list of the best VPNs for Safari:

Apps Available:

Website:   www.NordVPN.com

Money-back guarantee:   30 DAYS

NordVPN is our top pick for a Safari VPN. You get access to servers in over 100 countries and the app is excellent at getting around regional restrictions. NordVPN does not keep any logs, which helps hide your identity on the internet. You can connect to the service on six devices all at the same time, and the website has a long list of tutorials on how to install the VPN manually on your router — that counts as just one connection.

You can install the NordVPN app on Mac OS X, macOS, and iOS, to cover your Safari browser. There is also an app available for Windows and Android and you can install the system manually on Linux computers and devices.

NordVPN doesn’t offer a Safari browser extension . It’s unfortunately only available on Google Chrome, Firefox and Edge.. However, it does have a supplementary service, called an HTTP proxy, which you can set up on your browser. A tutorial on the website explains how to set it up. A web proxy isn’t as good as a VPN because it doesn’t give you any extra encryption or other security measures, it just changes your apparent location.

The NordVPN app includes many excellent online security features. These include encryption on all of your connections and there is also a kill switch. You can choose a double-hop route that will travel through two different VPN servers and encrypt your connections twice over. You may also connect to the Tor network through NordVPN. Your online privacy is protected further by NordVPN’s strict no-logs policy.

NordVPN speed test data

• Safari browser can be paired with a HTTP proxy, or you can install a dedicated app
• Blazing fast speeds
• Huge network of servers
• Most apps feature a process-specific kill switch
• Great customer support
• Desktop app can take some getting used to

BEST VPN FOR SAFARI: NordVPN is our top choice . Tops our list of the fastest VPNs and performs well in all other categories. Strong security features and allows up to 6 devices to be used simultaneously from one account. Includes 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark

Website:   www.Surfshark.com

Surfshark is a low-cost VPN that offers access to 3,200 servers across 65 countries, which alone would make it a robust choice. However, it also boasts a wealth of extra security features including 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and protection against WebRTC, IPv6, and DNS leaks. Best of all, this service allows you to connect as many devices as you like, ensuring you never have to browse the web unprotected.

This service takes your privacy very seriously. Surfshark doesn’t log any personally identifiable information but if you’re worried about anonymity, you can sign up almost completely anonymously by paying in cryptocurrency ( it accepts Bitcoin , Ripple, and Ethereum).

Surfshark doesn’t have a Safari browser extension, but it does offer apps for MacOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. Further, it can be manually installed on supported internet routers.

Surfshark speed test data

• Budget-friendly pricing
• Powerful security and privacy protections
• Fast enough for almost anything
• Unlimited simultaneous device connections
• 24/7 customer support
• Some features require a subscription to Surfshark One

BEST BUDGET VPN: Surfshark lets you protect every device you own. Better still, with a no-logging policy, high speeds, and strong multi-platform support, you don’t have to trade security for convenience. This service has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review.

3. IPVanish

Website:   www.IPVanish.com

IPVanish offers good speeds for accessing streaming video and the company has its server network in 60 countries . There isn’t an IPVanish Safari browser extension, however, there are apps for Mac OS X, macOS, and iOS operating systems, which will protect your browser traffic. You can also install an IPVanish app on Windows and Android, including manually on Amazon Fire devices and routers. The company gives you an allowance of five concurrent connections.

The company is based in the United States, which may worrisome because the NSA and other law enforcement are known to apply secret pressure to IT companies to access customer information. However, IPVanish offers strong security with the AES encryption system, using a 256-bit key through the OpenVPN methodology. The other VPNs in our list of the best VPNs Safari also use this level of protection.

A key privacy feature of the VPN service is that it keeps no logs. This is important if you want to download files with the BitTorrent protocol. Copyright lawyers in the USA are particularly active, so if your chosen VPN company retains activity or connection records, you would lose your privacy. The IPVanish app includes a kill switch and automatic wifi protection, which will prevent your real IP address from being detected by snoopers on the internet.

IPVanish offers a seven-day money-back guarantee.

IPVanish speed test data

• Provides secure apps for Mac OS X, macOS and iOS
• Keeps no logs, has automatic kill switch and wifi protection
• Works with Netflix US
• Apps don’t work in China
• Based in the US

UP TO 10 DEVICES: IPVanish has a large network of servers . Generally solid for Safari users. Adheres to the highest standard of privacy, unblocks a range of streaming sites. 7-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full IPVanish review.

4. ExpressVPN

Website:   www.ExpressVPN.com

ExpressVPN fulfills all the requirements for a Safari VPN. You can install the VPN app and use that to cover everything on your device. The ExpressVPN app is available for all of the operating systems that Safari runs on: Mac OS X, macOS, and iOS. You can also install the system on the Windows and Android operating systems, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Amazon Fire TV, Kindle Fire tablets, and Linux machines. You get an allowance of three simultaneous connections, so that you can have other gadgets covered by the VPN as well as your Safari browser at the same time.

ExpressVPN has an automatic installer for select routers. A router installation counts as only one of your five concurrent connection allowance even though it covers all of the internet-connected devices in your home.

ExpressVPN includes military-grade encryption, which is essential if you want to connect to the internet in repressive countries. As well as using 256-bit AES encryption with the OpenVPN system, it also employs 4096-bit RSA encryption for session establishment, which is the strongest available on the market.

This service is also very good at evading detection, which makes it a good option for places like China and Iran . It will also help you securely access all kinds of services including Netflix. ExpressVPN has an impressive network of servers in 94 countries, which gives you many options when you want to appear to be in a different country. The company does not keep connection logs.

Security features include a kill switch, which will prevent all the apps on your device from connecting to the internet if the VPN is not active. You also get automatic wifi protection with the ExpressVPN app, which is essential if you tend to use wifi hotspots in public places.

ExpressVPN speed test data

• Fast servers are great for streaming HD content
• Best-in-class encryption makes for solid security and privacy
• Gets around torrent tracker sites blocks without compromising privacy
• Excellent support
• A bit pricier than rivals
• Could offer more customizable features

GREAT UNBLOCKER: ExpressVPN is fast and reliable . It unblocks restricted content on all major streaming services. Strong security and privacy. The only VPN in this list with a dedicated Safari browser extension. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

5. CyberGhost

Website:   www.Cyberghost.com

Money-back guarantee:   45 DAYS

CyberGhost doesn’t have a Safari browser extension, but you can install it on Mac OS X, macOS, and iOS. Apps are also available for Windows and Android, and you can install the system manually on routers and Linux computers.

The service gives you access to a massive and secure server network of over 10,000 in 80+ countries and a special cloaking option will help you in places that have tough government restrictions on internet access. The VPN connections are connected by AES 256-bit encryption and 4096-bit RSA encryption for session establishment. A kill switch and automatic wifi protection are built into the app.

The company doesn’t hold any details on its customers. All payment processing is carried out by a third party and you are only identified on the CyberGhost system by an account number. The company does not keep activity logs and it is based in Romania where there are no data retention requirements.

The app’s interface opens with an activities screen where you can choose a VPN server adjusted for activities such as watching streaming videos or downloading. You get an allowance of five simultaneous connections with CyberGhost and the company gives all new customers a 45-day money-back guarantee.

CyberGhost speed test data

• The biggest server network on the market
• Easy to use apps work well with Safari
• Streams HD video content seamlessly
• Kill switch on all apps and keeps no logs
• Torrenting and P2P won’t work on all server locations
• Doesn’t work in China

GOOD FOR BEGINNERS: CyberGhost is easy to use. Fast and reliable internet connections with a good range of servers. Great privacy with zero logs and DNS leak protection. 45-day money back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

6. PrivateVPN

Website:   www.PrivateVPN.com

PrivateVPN is based in Sweden, but its support staff all speak excellent English. The support team can be contacted online during European office hours via a live chat window on the service’s website. The team is very competent and can even take control of your computer remotely to fix problems for you. However, you are unlikely to encounter any problems installing this app because it comes with an install wizard that will get the VPN operating without much input from you.

You can protect Safari browser by installing the PrivateVPN app on Mac OS X, macOS, and iOS devices. Apps are available for Windows and Android, and you can install the VPN manually on routers , Amazon fire devices, and the Linux operating system.

PrivateVPN runs servers in 56 countries. This is a particularly good option if you like to download with torrents because the company does not keep any logs. The OpenVPN protocol is protected with 256-bit AES solid encryption. You also get a kill switch and automatic wifi protection options with the PrivateVPN app.

The service gives each customer an allowance of six simultaneous connections and you get a 30-day money-back guarantee to try out the system.

PrivateVPN speed test data

• Has an easy install wizard for Mac OS X, MacOS and iOS devices
• Strong security and privacy protection features
• Keeps no logs whatsoever
• Support staff are good, but only operate during European business hours
• Small number of servers to choose from

GREAT SPEEDS: PrivateVPN is a good family choice . Speeds were surprisingly good at this end of the market. It could do with having more servers and lacks 24/7 support. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

Website:   www.PureVPN.com

Money-back guarantee:   31 DAYS

PureVPN has quite a large network, with more than 6,000 servers across 65 countries. These are exceptionally fast, averaging almost 400 Mbps, which means it’s a great option for data-intensive tasks like torrenting, making video calls, or watching TV. On that note, this VPN works effortlessly with major streaming platforms such as Prime Video and Disney+. We found PureVPN’s apps to be extremely user-friendly but if you run into any problems, staff are available 24/7 over live chat. Users can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously.

This service includes all of the tools you’ll need to browse the internet safely. For instance, it prevents DNS and IPv6 leaks , refuses to store any logs of your activities, and uses uncrackable encryption (no matter which protocol you choose). If PureVPN detects that you’re in a country with extreme censorship, it will automatically obfuscate your data, hiding any indication that you’re using a VPN in the first place. There are a couple of downsides, however; this service can’t block ads, and if you’d like to stop trackers, you’ll need a Plus or Max plan. Additionally, it doesn’t offer a kill switch on Mac or iOS.

PureVPN has its own apps for iOS, MacOS, Linux, Windows, and Android. Further, it can be manually installed on a wide range of routers, which lets you bypass the connection limit.

PureVPN speed test data

• A fast and reliable option for Safari users
• Simplifies online security
• Excels at beating online restrictions
• No kill switch or split tunneling on Apple devices
• Tracker-blocking not included as standard

CAN HANDLE ANYTHING: PureVPN is an extraordinarily versatile service boasting impressive performance and a good set of security tools. That’s not all: it also comes with built-in traffic obfuscation, a proven no-logs policy, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Check out our comprehensive review of PureVPN .

8. ProtonVPN

Website:   www.protonvpn.com

ProtonVPN is best known for its free plan, but for the best experience, you’ll want to upgrade. Doing so provides access to 3,800 servers in 85 countries, allows you to secure 10 devices at a time, and removes the speed cap. What’s more, paid subscribers can access just about any region-locked streaming platform, including Netflix, Paramount+, and Amazon Prime Video . You also get priority customer support, giving you the option to chat directly with staff should anything go wrong.

One thing is clear: this service takes your security seriously. For starters, it uses effectively uncrackable encryption and has been independently audited to prove that it doesn’t keep any logs of your activities. Additional safeguards include a kill switch, leak protection, automatic ad and tracker-blocking, and Secure Core servers designed with anonymity in mind. Experienced users will appreciate the more advanced features, such as port forwarding and split tunneling functionality, but it’s also a good choice for anyone looking to sign up without providing personal information since you can pay with Bitcoin or cash.

ProtonVPN offers apps for iOS, MacOS, Windows, Android, and Linux. Alternatively, you can follow manual setup instructions to get this VPN running directly on your router.

ProtonVPN speed test data

• High-speed VPN with a large network
• Works with all manner of streaming platforms
• Plenty of customizable security tools
• May be a little too advanced for novices
• Costs slightly more than some of its rivals

NEXT-LEVEL PRIVACY: ProtonVPN is a reliable service that goes above and beyond where privacy is concerned. Great choice for day-to-day usage thanks to its exceptional speeds and powerful security tools. All paid plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Why not read our full, exhaustive ProtonVPN review ?

How we found the best VPNs for Safari: Our testing methodology

In order to find the best VPNs for Safari, we had to test them out for ourselves! After all, not all VPNs offer apps that are compatible with the browser. Others may prove too slow or simply be lacking security. Read on to find out a little bit more about our methodology:

• Mac and iOS-compatible: All of the VPNs in this post provide apps for Mac and iOS and can therefore be used to secure apps on these devices as well as Safari browser traffic. Of course, they also include apps for Windows and Android just in case you have a few more devices that you’d like to secure.
• Servers worldwide: Many people use VPNs to bypass geographic and censorship restrictions. As such, it’s important for a VPN to provide servers in dozens of countries including the US, UK, and Australia. It also means there’s more likely to be a fast server close to your physical location.
• Speed: Some VPNs vary significantly when it comes to speed. While this may not make a huge difference when it comes to browsing, you’ll certainly notice the difference when streaming or downloading. Having found the fastest VPNs with unlimited bandwidth, you won’t have to worry about performance.
• Unblocking: Some websites and services are harder to unblock than others. That’s because some actively blacklist VPN IP addresses. Our tests have revealed the best VPNs for bypassing even the toughest of restrictions — even those of streaming services such as BBC iPlayer and Disney+.
• Security: A VPN is supposed to secure the internet traffic traveling between your browsing device and the Internet. Somewhat surprisingly, some fail to do this! However, you can rest assured that all of the VPNs recommended here provide encryption, a kill switch, and DNS leak protection.
• Privacy:  Having looked at some 140 VPN logging policies , we know which protect your privacy and which don’t (some will log and sell your browsing data to third parties!). In some cases, you can sign up to a VPN anonymously by using a burner email and by paying in Bitcoin.
• Ease of use: The Mac or iOS app you use with Safari will be quick and easy to use. They’re the most beginner-friendly on the market without compromising on advanced features. Live chat and email support are also included so that even if you encounter an issue, help (and hopefully a solution!) is available.
• Value for money: Ideally, a VPN should offer multiple subscription options. The longer the subscription, the lower the monthly amount you pay. The best VPNs for Safari offer this flexibility and even come with a money-back guarantee. What’s more, we even offer discount coupons so you’ll pay even less!

We look for a VPN to offer all of the above. However, we don’t just take them at their word. Instead, we try them out for ourselves as part of our VPN testing methodology .

Do free VPNs work with Safari?

It is better to avoid free VPN services. You won’t find any that will give you full privacy protection. Keeping ahead of restrictions and the detection systems of governments and websites costs a lot of money. So, you should be suspicious of companies that claim to offer a full VPN service for free. How do they pay their bills?

Some free VPNs are scams and rather than protecting your personal information, their VPN apps actually harvest it to sell to advertisers. A VPN is not a VPN without encryption and, surprisingly, many free VPNs don’t include any encryption at all. These services give you a false sense of security and can actually prove to be dangerous. All of the internet traffic that passes through your connection is available for any interceptor to read if your VPN does not use encryption.

Many reputable VPN services offer a free version to lure in new customers. Obviously, these free versions are not as good as the paid VPNs offered by the same company, otherwise, those providers would never be able to persuade anyone to pay for the service. Usually, those bona fide free services have restrictions imposed on them. These include a limit on the servers that you can access, a limit on the throughput speed, or a limit on the amount of data that you can use each month.

Although free VPNs are tempting, they are usually a waste of time. This is why we do not recommend that you spend precious online hours hunting for bargains. The VPNs on our list offer outstanding value for money.

VPN browser extension or app?

You will notice that ExpressVPN is the only service on our list that actually has a browser extension for Safari. You also get an app with ExpressVPN and nine times out of ten, you would be better off using the app rather than the browser extension. This is because the browser extension only covers the internet transmissions that go from and to your browser. In the meantime, lots of background processes and apps on your computer will also be accessing the internet.

When you only use a browser VPN, all of the other internet activities on your computer are not protected. This means that they all communicate using your real IP address and all of the computers that they connect to can also be recorded by your internet service provider. So, if you have a downloading client running on your computer and you are only using the browser extension VPN, those transactions performed by the downloader will all be visible to anyone on your network.

The HTTP proxy offered by NordVPN will change the location of all of your browser transactions, but won’t give you any encryption. As with the browser VPN extension, a web proxy set up in your browser won’t cover any of the other apps running on your computer that also connect to the internet. Overall, when you have a choice between a VPN app and a VPN browser extension, it is better to use the app.

VPNs for Safari – The conclusion

So, there you have it – our list of the best VPNs to use with Safari. All of these services will keep your connections encrypted and safe from prying eyes, and they will help you to bypass any regional restrictions that are stopping you from accessing your favorite websites or streaming services.

Take advantage of the money-back periods offered by the services on our list to give a few of them a spin without any risk.

Let me know in the comments below which VPN you decided to go with and how it is working out for you.

Safari VPN FAQs

Is safari browser available for windows.

There is a version of Safari that will work on Windows. However, this is an old version because Apple stopped developing Safari for Windows in 2012. To get Safari for Windows, you need to download Safari 5.1.7. This will run on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

How do I uninstall and reinstall Safari on Mac?

Safari is built into the operating system of Macs from OS X El Capitan (10.11), so it isn’t possible to uninstall it individually without removing and reinstalling the entire macOS operating system. For earlier versions, use the CleanMyMac X free utility. Once you have installed the software follow these steps to remove Safari:

• Run CleanMyMac X and select Preferences from the top menu.
• Click Ignore list and select Uninstaller.
• In the Uninstaller option, uncheck Ignore system applications. Scroll through the list of installed applications in the Unistaller tab.
• Click on Safari and select Complete Uninstallation.
• Press the Remove button at the bottom of the screen.

Apple doesn’t expect anyone to remove and reinstall Safari separately. However, there is a facility to update the browser and this will reinstall it if you removed Safari.

• Click on the Apple icon at the start of the top menu bar on your desktop and select App Store from the drop-down menu.
• In the App Store, click on the Updates top menu option.
• Look for the Software Update option and click on More in the description of the item.
• Look for Safari in the list and click the Update button on that line.

Is browsing in Safari's private mode the same as using a VPN?

No, the Private Mode on Safari is not the same as a VPN. The browser Private Mode deletes cookies and trackers from your hard drive when you close the browser window. A VPN secures the connections between your computer and the web servers of the websites that you visit by hiding your location and encrypting the connection.

Will a VPN allow me to browse anonymously on Safari?

VPNs encrypt your data which means that even if it were to be intercepted, it’s almost impossible to crack. The best VPNs also have strict no-logs policies, which means none of your data is collected or shared. As such, you can use a VPN to browse anonymously, be it on Safari or any other browser such as Chrome or Firefox . You can connect to these VPNs via desktop and mobile apps or even via browser extensions in some cases.

Does Apple recommend a VPN for Safari?

Apple neither recommends nor advises against VPNs. You can find a number of VPNs listed in the Apple App Store (including those listed in this post). It’s really up to you to decide whether you want and need a VPN, be it for accessing region-locked content or browsing with more security. Note that all major VPNs are compatible with Mac and iOS and many even allow you to connect multiple devices simultaneously.

What if Safari isn't working with my VPN provider?

Safari will work with the VPNs listed in this post. However, if you’re having some issues, there are some things you can try. First, check that you’re using the latest version of the VPN software. You should also clear your browser’s cache and cookies . If you’re still having issues, be sure to contact your VPN’s customer support for further assistance.

Can I use a VPN to hide my Safari search history?

A VPN encrypts your internet traffic so that your ISP (and others) can’t see what you’re doing online. However, you will still have a Safari search history stored on your browser. The good news is that there are things you can do to browse without building up a search history. One is to use Safari’s Private Browsing mode (incognito). You can also clear your Safari search history should you wish.

Does Safari have a built in VPN?

No, Safari doesn’t have a built-in VPN . However, you can use a VPN with it by downloading and installing one of the best VPNs for Safari as listed in this post. Your best bet is a desktop or mobile app because this ensures that all of your internet traffic is secured. This includes your Safari browser traffic and any apps you use. While you can use a VPN browser extension with Safari if you prefer, this will only secure your browser traffic.

Do these VPNs work with other browsers?

Yes. You can use these VPNs with Firefox, Chrome, Edge, or any other browser installed on your device.

Our recommended VPNs can be installed on Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android. Connecting to the VPN on any of those devices will protect your browsing habits in any browser.

In addition, some of the VPNs we have recommended have dedicated VPN extensions for Firefox , Chrome, and Edge. The important thing to remember, however, is that these browser extensions are proxies that do not provide the same privacy protections as the main VPN client.

A proxy browser extension will let you spoof your location and bypass blocks, however, it will not provide the security level provided by the encryption you get with the stand-alone VPN app.

For this reason, we always recommend using the main VPN app that comes with your subscription.  This will encrypt all of the data leaving your device, including the data coming and going from your browser.

How can I get the best price for a Mac VPN?

With so many VPN providers competing for your attention, it’s common to find sales on subscriptions. One of the best times of year to purchase a VPN subscription it to do so on Black Friday or between Christmas and New Year.

However, you can currently get the best price for a Mac VPN by taking advantage of the VPN discount coupons in this post . Below each review, you’ll find a coupon for that VPN service. All you need to do is click it and it’ll be applied automatically!

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Roundup - best VPNs for Safari

Privacy alert: websites you visit can find out who you are.

The following information is available to any site you visit:

Your IP Address:

Your Location:

Your Internet Provider:

This information can be used to target ads and monitor your internet usage.

Using a VPN will hide these details and protect your privacy.

We recommend using NordVPN - #1 of 72 VPNs in our tests. It offers outstanding privacy features and is currently available at a discounted rate.

Stephen Cooper

Reviewed by:.

Paul Bischoff

• Services & Software

No, Apple's Private Relay is not a VPN, but you can still try it out with iOS 15

Apple's new Private Relay encryption feature aims to give iOS 15 browsers and apps a privacy push.

Apple touted its privacy work at its online WWDC event earlier this year.

When Apple announced a trio of new privacy perks for its iCloud Plus subscription service in iOS 15  at  Apple's WWDC event in June, the headliner was Private Relay -- a browser-based encryption boost, aimed at the growing number of people who are turning to virtual private networks for better online privacy. Now, with iOS 15's arrival on Monday (here's how to download iOS 15 ), a wider swath of Apple users will be able to test drive the proxy service for themselves. 

Although Apple executives have begun positioning the new Safari encryption service as a trustworthy alternative to commercial VPNs , Private Relay is not, strictly speaking, a VPN. We're still waiting on the details of how the service works, but confusing it for a VPN may prove dangerous to those who rely on them for personal safety, and ineffective for those seeking ways around government censorship. 

On the other hand, Private Relay can be used alongside a traditional VPN, whether that's a personal or company VPN. According to Apple developers, that currently means Private Relay will ignore the traffic of your VPN. The tech behind Private Relay, however, could theoretically represent a significant leap forward for overall privacy among commercial (though not enterprise) VPN users as additional research emerges on its potential to prevent a shady VPN provider from identifying you . 

Read more : Apple privacy updates tell you more about how apps use your data

With an underlying technology that centers on encryption, it's unlikely Private Relay will be offered in countries where it may interfere with domestic surveillance or contradict anti-encryption laws. Apple confirmed Private Relay won't be available in China, one of its most important markets. Private Relay will also be unavailable in Belarus, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkmenistan and Uganda. 

Apple said it will offer Private Relay only in accordance with local laws but that other announced iCloud Plus privacy features, like Hide My Email, may be available in restricted areas as local laws permit. 

For the average US user , however, Private Relay's addition to Safari represents a potentially groundbreaking shift in how browsers can be fundamentally reshaped to better protect you from aggressive tracking by advertisers. More than raising the bar on browser privacy, however, a curious piece of underlying tech in Private Relay is poised to open a new chapter in the browser wars. 

Read more: Change these browser settings ASAP to protect your privacy in Chrome, Firefox and more

Apple Private Relay vs. a standard VPN

*Private Relay's browser-based IP address encryption benefits are limited to Safari

How Private Relay is different to a VPN

No device-wide encryption via the app : While many VPNs offer a secondary, browser-only plugin, a true standalone VPN is designed to encrypt all of the information coming out of your device through its app. It will then assign you a new IP address, and connect you to one of its network of servers before spitting you out at your destination website. In Apple's case, however, only some of your device's traffic is specifically handled by Private Relay for encryption. In its developer-focused presentation , Apple said Private Relay encryption only covers Safari, the DNS-related traffic on your device, and a small subset of traffic from apps. Developers said any connections your app makes over the local network or to private domain names will be unaffected, and that any traffic that comes from using a proxy will also be exempt. In other words, if you use the Chrome browser from your iPhone, don't expect any Private Relay protections or features.

No geo-blocking : A key feature of a VPN is the ability to overcome geographic restrictions and access global content on an open web. Some use that feature to access streaming media services while abroad and watch their home country's entertainment catalog. But for those in countries burdened by censorship and oppressive regimes, VPNs offer the ability to circumvent geo-restrictions to safely access crucial information and news. Private Relay is explicitly designed to comply with geo-blocking and does not hide your general region or city from internet providers or authorities. 

No web traffic obfuscation : Encrypted web traffic created by using a VPN looks a lot different than non-VPN traffic, but the best VPNs camouflage themselves to appear like normal traffic in a process called obfuscation or, as it sometimes specified, VPN obfuscation. The ability to overcome geo-blocking and escape organizational networks relies on more than appearing to be from a different location; it relies on your traffic looking inconspicuous. That's where VPN obfuscation comes in. Although Apple at times uses the term obfuscation in a non-technical sense to describe how their traffic may appear as normal traffic in some contexts, when you're using Private Relay to connect to a business or school network, Private Relay's proxy server traffic is readily identifiable and the service makes no effort to obfuscate itself with traditional VPN-type obfuscation. Accordingly,  Apple developers have clearly offered instructions to business and school network managers on how to make allowances for this traffic, or how to isolate it for exclusion by blocking the hostname of the iCloud Private Relay proxy server.

Split-tunneling differences : A handy feature found among most leading VPNs, split-tunneling is an option that allows you to forgo device-wide encryption, in favor of encrypting only one or more apps on your device. Thus, you create two "tunnels" of internet traffic. This feature is helpful in several use-specific cases, like if you want to use a VPN to achieve faster torrenting speeds but you'd like to continue browsing normally. Private Relay has a similar feature that works differently. You can still use Private Relay even when you connect to your workplace's private network, for instance. 

Multiple hop architecture : Many VPNs offer you the option of multi-hopping (or a "double hop"), which allows you to better cover your trail by connecting you to a series of servers, one after the next, before you land at a website. Private Relay offers what it calls "dual hop architecture," which is different from VPN multi-hopping. When using Private Relay, the two "hops" you make first give you a new, semi-anonymous IP address, and then secondly decrypt the name of the website you're requesting. 

Read more : Best iPhone VPN of 2022

Editors' note, Feb. 9, 2022 : The VPN industry has undergone significant change in the past few months, with all three of our top VPN choices announcing major changes in corporate ownership. In December, ExpressVPN announced that it had officially joined Kape Technologies , a company that already owns several other VPNs and has raised privacy concerns in the past . In February, NordVPN and Surfshark announced the two companies were merging , though they'll continue to operate autonomously. We're in the process of reevaluating all of our top picks in light of these changes. We will update our reviews and, if necessary, our rankings to account for this new competitive landscape. 

What we know about Private Relay

Private Relay has two end goals. The first is to limit how much data advertising companies and ISPs can see about your browsing. The second goal is to ensure Apple can see only who you are and not what sites you're visiting, while the third-party servers which get you to those sites can see where you're going and your rough location but not who you are. 

Here's how it's done. Privacy Relay is built into both the forthcoming iOS and MacOS versions, but it will only work if you're an iCloud Plus subscriber and you have it enabled from within your iCloud settings. 

Once it's enabled and you open Safari to browse, Private Relay splits up two pieces of information that -- when delivered to websites together as normal -- could quickly identify you. Those are your IP address (who and exactly where you are) and your DNS request (the address of the website you want, in numeric form). 

Once the two pieces of information are split, Private Relay encrypts your DNS request and sends both the IP address and now-encrypted DNS request to an Apple proxy server. This is the first of two stops your traffic will make before you see a website. At this point, Apple has already handed over the encryption keys to the third party running the second of the two stops, so Apple can't see what website you're trying to access with your encrypted DNS request. All Apple can see is your IP address. 

Although it has received both your IP address and encrypted DNS request, Apple's server doesn't send your original IP address to the second stop. Instead, it gives you an anonymous IP address that is approximately associated with your general region or city. 

That approximate location can mean different things in different places, however. "It's obviously very different technology but in general with approximate location on the iPhone, the size of the area can change depending on the place in the world you are and population density and things like this," an Apple spokesperson told CNET.

Using San Francisco as a hypothetical example, the size of that approximate location could narrow. 

"With the approximate location, I could be anywhere in the peninsula of San Francisco. So you could think that I'm up at the northern end of San Francisco near Ghirardelli Square or the app could be getting information that I'm down near Cesar Chavez [Street]. It still gets a precise location. It's just that my precise location bounces around within that general area in such a way that no one knows where I actually am," the spokesperson said. 

Once it has assigned the new IP address, the Apple proxy server sends the encrypted DNS request and that new IP address to the next stop. That second stop is another proxy server, one not run by Apple but by a currently unknown third-party company that's ready to decrypt your DNS request. 

Finally, that third-party proxy server decrypts your DNS request and sends it to your destination website along with your general location. While the destination website can't pinpoint your exact location because it doesn't have your true IP address, it can still see what region your device is in. 

The tech behind the curtain 

With the second proxy server's ability to see what websites you're requesting and your general city, the pressing question quickly becomes who's running that third-party server, a question Apple has so far declined to answer. 

Within hours of Private Relay being announced, however, it became evident that Cloudflare is at least one of Apple's partners in powering Private Relay when app researcher Jane Manchun Wong took to Twitter to confirm she'd been issued an IP address belonging to Cloudflare while using the currently available developer version of Private Relay. Wong's tweet was followed by a wave of other users noting the same results, drawing comparisons between Private Relay and proxy app Cloudflare Warp.

Cloudflare was a primary partner in Apple's push to standardize the potentially game-changing element of Private Relay -- its in-browser use of something called Oblivious DNS-over-HTTPS, or ODoH.

It's really awesome that iCloud Private Relay uses protocols Apple helped develop / spearheaded at the #ietf for standardization - It is using MASQUE ( https://t.co/nPBvN4vcoJ ) with Oblivious DoH https://t.co/c3wQsExXAA ) using QUIC and HTTP/3 — Paul Wouters (@letoams) June 8, 2021

What's the big deal with ODoH? It's poised to answer a major problem that has puzzled privacy advocates since 2018 when -- in a previous browser-encryption collaboration with Cloudflare -- Mozilla pioneered a way to route internet traffic called DNS over HTTPS, or DoH, from within a browser. A testament to its anti-surveillance effectiveness, the new method earned Mozilla the laughable award of " Internet Villain of the year " by a UK ISP lobby in 2019 -- meaning, essentially, the privacy technology had the potential to break the ISPs' business models that revolve around sucking up, bundling and selling as much of your usage data as possible. 

Though hailed as a breakthrough for privacy, the new method wasn't without its flaws. 

When Mozilla enabled DoH for US Firefox users in early 2020, CNET's Stephen Shankland dug into those flaws . The most pressing of which are that DoH could centralize DNS activity and that it could offer companies a new way to track you online . Among DoH's critiques, perhaps the most prescient quote came from Bert Hubert , creator of the PowerDNS software . 

"I find it highly disappointing that Mozilla decided, on behalf of all users it deems American, that this was a good idea," Hubert said in an email. "While encrypted DNS is great, it matters a great deal who you encrypt your DNS to ... They did not perform surveys, for example, on how people would feel about giving a trace of all their internet activities to Cloudflare."

Read more : Cloudbleed bug: Everything you need to know

Theoretically, ODoH would reduce the amount of identifiable information Cloudflare would obtain about a user, compared to that which they'd see with DoH. Cloudflare hasn't been free of security concerns, however. In 2017, a flaw dubbed Cloudbleed afflicted websites using Cloudflare's products. Cloudflare fixed the problem , but the exposure included usernames, passwords, messages and other potentially identifying information. 

Criticism of the ODoH protocol came in January of this year, when digital privacy advocates at the Electronic Frontier Foundation cautioned that the protocol could ultimately facilitate more censorship than it overcomes. 

"One possibility worries us: Using ODoH gives software developers an easy way to comply with the demands of a censorship regime in order to distribute their software without telling the regime the identity of users they're censoring," EFF said. 

In other words, by choosing a reputable ODoH proxy that refuses to resolve censored websites, software companies could make headway into distributing software in heavily censored countries like China and Saudi Arabia so long as that censorship was baked in, such as by distributing a censored version of the software.

"This would remove any potential culpability that software developers have for revealing the identity of a user to a government that can put them in danger, but it also facilitates the act of censorship. In traditional DoH, this is not possible. Giving developers an easy-out by facilitating 'anonymous' censorship is a worrying prospect," EFF said.

Cloudflare didn't return CNET's request for comment. 

Aside from Apple's reluctance to name their proxy partners, another roadblock for Private Relay users may be their own individual school or business networks. Most leading VPNs take measures to camouflage themselves and blend in with non-VPN traffic, but proxy servers are readily identified and blocked by most private networks. That means it's going to be up to individual campuses and companies to allow proxy traffic from Apple devices. Otherwise, Apple said, you won't be able to use the service. 

For right now, more is unknown than known about Private Relay. We expect more specifics and documentation to emerge about the gears of Private Relay as the full launch of iOS 15 and new MacOS/iPad OS approaches in the fall. Since a slow leak of discrete partnerships is par for course with Apple -- at least as far back as its Maps-TomTom collaboration -- we also expect more information to emerge about the nature and scope of its partnerships with third-party intermediaries.

Until then, Apple's choice to blind themselves to user DNS requests with Private Relay could allow the company to put some distance between itself and the contentious debate over encryption more generally that it has recently been mired in. What remains to be seen is whether the tech giant's use of the new ODoH protocol will push other browsers to adopt their own versions of it in lieu of the more widespread DoH. 

But even if Private Relay falls short of being a full-fledged VPN, Apple may well view it as a win-win: it gets to wrap itself in the privacy flag (a continuing differentiation upsell to users versus Google and Facebook), even as it collects less and less user data by default -- potentially obviating subpoenas when government agencies come calling . 

• WWDC 2021: Everything Apple revealed
• WWDC21: Apple previews iOS 15 for the iPhone
• FaceTime gets Android, Windows support in browser

Update, June 16 : Adds clarifying language distinguishing app-routed from default device encryption, VPN-specific obfuscation from other obfuscation types and specifies browser-based IP address encryption benefit requirements.

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5 Best VPNs for Safari in 2024: Secure & User-Friendly

• 🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Safari in 2024
• 🥈2. Private Internet Access — Great for P2P File Sharing & Accessing P2P Sites on Safari
• 🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Beginner-Friendly VPN With Convenient Automation for Safari
• 4. NordVPN — Great Safari VPN for Browsing Securely & Privately
• 5. Surfshark — Budget-Friendly VPN for Safari

Quick Comparison Table

How to choose the best vpn for safari in 2024, frequently asked questions, quick overview of my top recommendations:, short on time here’s the best vpn for safari in 2024:.

• 🥇 ExpressVPN : Comes with high-end security features, fast speeds, excellent P2P and streaming support, and easy-to-use iOS and macOS apps. Moreover, ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

While Safari is secure, it doesn’t protect your online data from hackers. Unfortunately, third parties can still monitor your web traffic and even try to target it with cyber attacks.

A VPN solves that issue by encrypting your traffic, but not all VPNs work with Safari. That’s because many VPNs have very poor macOS and iOS apps, cause noticeable slowdowns, or just lack essential security and privacy features.

Luckily, after weeks of thorough testing, I found 5 great VPNs for Safari. My favorite is ExpressVPN since it has excellent apps for iOS and macOS devices, the fastest speeds on the market, and really great security and privacy features. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.

Try ExpressVPN

Quick summary of the best VPNs for Safari:

• 1.🥇 ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for Safari in 2024 with fast speeds and user-friendly macOS & iOS apps.
• 2.🥉 Private Internet Access — Secure VPN for browsing torrenting sites & sharing P2P files on the Safari browser.
• 3.🥈 CyberGhost VPN — Beginner-friendly VPN with convenient automation settings for the Safari browser.
• 4. NordVPN — Great VPN for Safari with tons of high-end security features for safe browsing.
• 5. Surfshark — Budget-friendly VPN for Safari with intuitive apps (good for new users).

Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company

🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Safari in 2024

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Safari in 2024. It lacks a Safari extension, but that’s not an issue — you can just use its macOS or iOS apps instead, which are super intuitive. Plus, this way you secure all your device’s web traffic, not just the browser’s traffic. This is also why we’ve ranked ExpressVPN as the top VPN for Macs and iOS .

ExpressVPN has really user-friendly, feature-rich apps for Safari users. The iOS and macOS apps are intuitive, with simple navigation that makes it easy to connect to a server with just one click. Plus, they’re super easy to install — I downloaded the apps on my phone and computer in under a minute.

ExpressVPN offers really great support for streaming and torrenting. It works with 100+ streaming platforms, including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Max, and more. It’s also good for downloading since it allows P2P traffic on all servers and works with popular P2P clients like BitTorrent and Vuze.

What’s more, you also get other cool perks. First, ExpressVPN has Threat Manager, which prevents you from accessing malicious sites on Safari. It also comes with split-tunneling, which lets you customize which apps use the VPN and which don’t. It also comes with an ad blocker, which filters out most ads and stops them from loading and appearing on your browser.

ExpressVPN offers plans starting at RUB610 / month. Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Bottom Line:

ExpressVPN is an excellent choice for Safari users, as it has excellent iOS and macOS apps, really good support for streaming and torrenting, and great security and privacy features. Plus, it has additional features like Threat Manager and split-tunneling. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read the full ExpressVPN review

🥈2. Private Internet Access — Great for P2P File Sharing & Accessing P2P Sites on Safari

Private Internet Access (PIA) is excellent for torrenting since it allows P2P traffic on servers in all 91 countries. Plus, it comes with port forwarding, which allows you to connect to more peers for faster speeds, and SOCKS5 proxy support, which also provides faster speeds but doesn’t encrypt your traffic.

In addition, I really like the MACE feature, which is the best ad blocker on the market. It’s available on the macOS app, and you can use it while accessing P2P sites on Safari to avoid annoying ads on torrent trackers and also avoid malicious P2P websites.

The VPN also has other great security features. It comes with perfect forward secrecy, full leak protection, an audited no-logs policy, and open-source apps so that anyone can check the code for vulnerabilities.

And the VPN’s macOS and iOS apps are really intuitive and customizable. You get access to different options, such as movable widgets, selecting or deselecting features with a single click, and quick-connecting to one of the 6 most recently-used servers. Plus, the VPN allows unlimited connections, meaning you can use it on as many devices as you want.

PIA is great for streaming, too, as it supports over 30 popular streaming sites, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. That said, I prefer ExpressVPN for streaming since it works with 100+ streaming platforms.

Private Internet Access has affordable plans starting at RUB200 / month. Also, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Private Internet Access is great for torrenting on Safari. It allows P2P traffic on all servers and provides access to the best VPN ad blocker on the market. It also provides other cool security features and very intuitive iOS and macOS apps. Its plans are affordable and backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read the full Private Internet Access review

Editors' Note: Private Internet Access and this site are in the same ownership group.

🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Beginner-Friendly VPN With Convenient Automation for Safari

CyberGhost VPN is a simple-to-use VPN that’s suitable for beginners. Its macOS and iOS apps have incredibly user-friendly interfaces that have a large power button for connecting to the VPN. The apps also provide helpful explanations for all their features, so you’ll easily figure out how to use all the different options. I found the installation and setup process to be a breeze (it took me less than 3 minutes to install the app and make an account).

CyberGhost also offers strong security and privacy features. It has strong leak protection, RAM-only servers that wipe data with every server reboot, and perfect forward secrecy.

CyberGhost VPN’s plans are cheap (as low as RUB200 / month), and it covers long-term purchases with a 45-day refund and monthly purchases with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

CyberGhost VPN is a really user-friendly VPN — it has very beginner-friendly iOS and macOS apps. In addition, its macOS app provides convenient automation scenarios that can be configured to work with Safari. Also, the VPN has very good streaming support. All of its plans are affordable, and there’s a 45-day refund for long-term purchases.

Read the full CyberGhost VPN review

Editors' Note: CyberGhost and this site are in the same ownership group.

4. NordVPN — Great Safari VPN for Browsing Securely & Privately

NordVPN comes with plenty of advanced security features, making it an excellent choice for Safari users who prioritize online security and privacy. The VPN has an audited no-logs policy, full leak protection, perfect forward secrecy, and uses RAM-only servers.

I really enjoy using NordVPN’s iOS and macOS apps. They’re both really user-friendly with an intuitive interface. Plus, there are helpful explanations for all settings and features, so you never feel lost using the VPN.

NordVPN is good for streaming and torrenting. It works with over 10 popular platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+. However, if streaming is your priority, I recommend choosing ExpressVPN or CyberGhost VPN , as they work with way more streaming services. NordVPN is good for torrenting since it has 4,500+ P2P servers, and it also comes with SOCKS5 proxy support.

NordVPN comes with monthly and yearly plans starting at RUB290 / month. Each plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

NordVPN is a secure VPN for Safari. It includes several advanced security features plus extras like Threat Protection and Dark Web Monitor. It also has great iOS and macOS apps, great streaming and torrenting support, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read the full NordVPN review

5. Surfshark — Budget-Friendly VPN for Safari

Surfshark is a budget-friendly VPN for Safari. Its plans are cheap since they start at only RUB200 / month, and the VPN provides very good value as well.

Its iOS and macOS apps are also really good, with quick-connect options and organized server lists. Plus, installing the apps only took me a couple of minutes. Surfshark also allows unlimited connections, which is convenient for big families that use Safari on Apple devices.

Surfshark offers multiple advanced security features, including perfect forward secrecy, RAM-only servers, and an independently audited no-logs policy. Unfortunately, it only has DNS leak protection (but it still never leaked my data in my tests).

Surfshark also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee — so you can easily test the VPN risk-free.

Surfshark is a great Safari VPN if you’re on a tight budget. It has really affordable plans and a great range of features including user-friendly apps, unlimited connections, streaming and torrenting support, and advanced security features. Plus, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read the full Surfshark review

• Pick a VPN with good iOS and macOS apps. Very few VPNs have extensions for Safari, so it’s important to pick a VPN that has intuitive and feature-rich apps for iOS and macOS. All of my top picks have very good iOS and macOS apps.
• Look for strong security. Ensure your VPN offers industry-standard security features like 256-bit AES encryption, strong leak protection, a no-logs policy, and a kill switch to prevent data leaks.
• Prioritize fast speeds. Though all VPNs affect your speeds because of encryption, a good VPN should provide fast and stable internet connections for Safari users. ExpressVPN has the fastest speeds on this list for browsing, streaming, and downloading.
• Pick a good VPN for streaming and torrenting. All the VPNs I recommend work with popular streaming sites like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime. Also, they allow P2P traffic on most of their servers.
• Select a VPN that offers good value for money. Look for a VPN that provides good value for money. Every VPN on my list offers affordable plans, additional features like an ad blocker or split-tunneling, and generous money-back guarantees.

Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut

• PrivateVPN. Although PrivateVPN offers strong security, great streaming and torrenting support, and affordable long-term plans, it’s not as feature-rich as the other VPNs on my list.
• IPVanish. IPVanish has good speeds, strong security, and support for unlimited connections. That said, it’s not good for streaming, as it isn’t compatible with most top streaming services.
• TunnelBear. TunnelBear’s user-friendly interface and solid security features make it a good overall VPN. It even allows split-tunneling on iOS devices, which most VPNs don’t support. However, it isn’t as fast as the others on my list.

Will using a VPN affect my internet speed in Safari?

Yes, using a VPN affects your internet speed to some extent, as your data needs to be encrypted and travels a longer distance to the VPN server, which takes time. However, with a high-quality VPN service, this impact is usually minimal and may not even be noticeable. ExpressVPN is my top choice since it has the fastest speeds on the market.

Can I use a free VPN with Safari?

Yes, you can use a free VPN with Safari, but I don’t generally recommend it. That’s because free VPNs often have limitations such as data caps, fewer server options, slower speeds, and a lack of advanced features.

Paid premium VPN services offer much better features and functionality, as they provide very fast speeds, unlimited data, consistent access to streaming platforms, and very good security and privacy features.

What’s the best VPN for Safari?

My top pick for Safari is ExpressVPN . Even though it doesn’t have a Safari extension, it still encrypts your entire device’s traffic via its VPN app. Plus, it has very intuitive macOS and iOS apps, it’s super fast, and it’s also really good for streaming and torrenting.

How does a VPN protect my privacy when using Safari?

A VPN protects your privacy on Safari by encrypting your internet connection. When you connect to a VPN server, all the data you send and receive travels through an encrypted tunnel, which prevents outsiders like hackers, ISPs, or even government agencies from seeing what you’re doing online.

Furthermore, a VPN masks your real IP address and makes it appear as if you’re browsing from the location of the VPN server you’re connected to. This makes it much more difficult for websites, advertisers, or other online trackers to monitor your activities and collect data about you.

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The best VPNs for Safari (including browser extensions)

We are reader supported and may receive a commission if you buy using links on this page

James Milin-Ashmore

• November 26, 2023

Safari is one of the more secure options if you’re looking at web browsers. Exclusively available on Apple devices, it, unfortunately, doesn’t work with Windows, Android, or Linux. Rather than looking at the best VPN for the Safari browser, it’s more accurate to say that this is a list of the best providers for Apple devices.

Some VPNs do have browser versions, but they’re often lacking in comparison to a dedicated app. It makes sense to look at the best VPNs for Apple devices, which can then be used with Safari, as well as protecting all other traffic in the process. If you're in a rush and don't have time to read the full article, you can see the summary of our top picks below.

Best VPNs for Safari:

• NordVPN : Our top pick overall for Safari. Exceptional apps for iOS and macOS, NordLynx protocol for Apple devices, great speeds, lots of additional features like Threat Protection and Meshnet, available via App Store, and comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Surfshark : Affordable deals, capable Apple apps, decent speeds and server spread, rotating IP addresses, and a private search engine.
• ExpressVPN : Unparalleled streaming access, Lightway protocol for Apple devices, great speeds, and beginner-friendly apps for iOS and macOS. 
• Mullvad : iOS app uses WireGuard protocol exclusively, has decent speeds, transparent service, and a good reputation in the industry. 
• ProtonVPN : No logs, open-source, apps for iOS and Android, leak protection, and can access some streaming services. 
• CyberGhost : Seven-day free trial on iOS, thousands of servers worldwide, and great Apple apps.
• IPVanish : Works well with iOS and macOS, has solid speeds and security, and owns and operates its entire network.

Summary Table

We used the following criteria to identify the best VPNs for Safari, but you can also read a lot more about our testing methodology further in this article:

• Apps and usability: We look at the VPN apps on offer, as well as how easy they are to use. (Of course, we’ll be focusing on Safari and Apple devices in this case.)
• Speed: The provider should have impressive connection speeds.
• Security: We check out security, including the logging policy, leak protection, and any additional features used to improve privacy.
• Streaming: Is the provider able to access international streaming services ?
• Customer support: We check out the quality of customer support options.
• Value for money: Can you get the VPN for a fair price? Does it offer a money-back guarantee?

To make the top three we only accept VPNs that tick all of the following boxes:

• Providers who have consistently pushed VPN technology forward – with a special focus on VPN apps.
• The VPN must not log identifying data on customers and must have had its logging policy audited by a reputable third party (such as PWC). This ensures that VPNs which claim to adhere to certain practices actually do so.
• The VPN must have been through a technical security audit by a third party. As opposed to a logging policy audit, this tests the security of the VPN product itself.
• The VPN provider must operate a 100% diskless server network.

WANT TO TRY THE TOP VPN RISK FREE?

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There are no hidden terms - just contact support within 30 days if you decide NordVPN isn't right for you and you'll get a full refund.   Start your NordVPN trial here .

Best VPNs for Safari: Detailed reviews

Here’s a rundown of our recommendations for the best VPNs for Safari:

NordVPN is our top pick overall for Safari, offering a wealth of security features that make it a great pick for both the Safari browser, and Apple devices. As well as a dedicated iOS and macOS app, you’ll be able to set up your VPN connection manually using OpenVPN or the IKEv2 protocol. 

The Quick Connect feature is brilliant for beginner users, automatically connecting you to the optimal server location. NordLynx is a proprietary protocol built around WireGuard , offering a chance to experience its speed benefits without compromising privacy. The NordLynx protocol is available for both iOS and macOS, and includes features like Threat Protection Lite, which uses DNS filtering to block ads and malicious domains. 

Its network includes 5,900+ servers in 60+ countries, and they can all be used with the Safari browser. It can also be used to bypass regional restrictions, including blocked social media platforms and streaming services. 

• Exceptional connection speeds
• Six simultaneous device connections
• Available in Mac App Store
• Diskless infrastructure
• Fully audited no logs policy
• Can be slow to connect

BEST VPN FOR SAFARI: NordVPN pairs nifty iOS and macOS apps with a heap of notable features. Includes NordLynx protocol, great performance, is easy for beginner users, and comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Read our full  review of NordVPN .

2. Surfshark

Surfshark takes the runner-up spot, as a capable VPN for Safari that works in a variety of scenarios. 

There’s no denying that Safari is a capable browser, but one of the benefits of Surfshark is its new search engine. ‘Surfshark Search’ works to prevent tracking and targeted ads without leaving any digital footprints with your searches. It ensures that your search results will be unaffected by previous searches or your real location, and you’ll be able to connect unlimited devices at the same time with a single account.

Surfshark Nexus is an exclusive technology that permits multiple advanced features, such as the ability to periodically change your IP address without disconnecting you from the VPN. Once again, there’s no dedicated browser extension, but there are apps for macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux . 

It’s great for streaming, and it doesn’t log any personally identifiable information. A seven-day free trial for iOS is great for new users, and it has a range of affordable deals to take advantage of. Surfshark merged with Nord Security in 2021, however, the companies still operate independently.

• Lots of great budget deals – including a seven-day free trial for iOS
• Diskless infrastructure 
• Unlimited device connections 
• Private search engine
• Apps have been audited
• Can sometimes cause captchas when browsing on mobile

BEST BUDGET SAFARI VPN: Surfshark is a viable pick for any users who need a capable budget service. Great macOS/iOS apps, streaming support, advanced features, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full  review of Surfshark .

3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN was one of the few providers to actually offer a Safari extension, which essentially allowed the user to control a VPN app via the browser. However, it's no longer supported, so we’ll be looking at the dedicated client apps for Apple devices.

If you’re planning to stream via the browser, ExpressVPN is invariably one of the best options for accessing blocked websites and services. This includes the likes of Apple TV , Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Showtime, Sling TV, and many more. It offers guides and support for the services listed above. There are servers in 105+ countries, and it’s ideal for bypassing blocks or censorship.

The proprietary Lightway protocol is great for speed and privacy, and it’s available with Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and routers .

However, it’s more expensive than the average provider, so look elsewhere if you need a low-cost VPN. 

• One of the best VPNs for unblocking sites and services
• Capable Safari app 
• Lightway protocol 
• Audited zero logs policy
• Plans are pricier than the competition

GREAT STREAMING SUPPORT: ExpressVPN has been around for a while , but still has more notable features than many newer providers. Capable Apple apps and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full  review of ExpressVPN .

4. Proton VPN

If  Proton VPN rings a bell, that’s likely due to an association with the popular ProtonMail service. The VPN has apps for iPhone, iPad , and Mac devices, even if it lacks a Safari browser extension. In terms of notable features, you can add a Proton VPN widget in iOS14 and above, and the code itself is open-source. 

It offers access to Netflix, Amazon, BBC iPlayer, and other popular streaming services, and it uses bare metal single-tenancy physical servers.

Proton VPN was the provider that first disclosed an unpatched security vulnerability affecting iOS 13.3.1 or later that prevents VPNs from encrypting all traffic and can lead to some internet connections bypassing encryption to expose users' data or leak their IP addresses. 

A Switzerland-based provider, it’s worth mentioning that ProtonMail notably gave up the IP address of one of its users, which came to light in 2021. After being asked why Proton handed over a climate activist’s IP address, founder and CEO Andy Yen tweeted:

“Proton must comply with Swiss law. As soon as a crime is committed, privacy protections can be suspended and we’re required by Swiss law to answer requests from Swiss authorities.”

Note that VPNs in Switzerland cannot be compelled to begin logging, as these are protected differently to email services like ProtonMail. This means that the data request that affected Proton Mail does not affect its VPN subscribers, which are protected with a solid no-logging policy. It also comes with port forwarding, and a free tier that offers strong encryption and DNS leak protection. 

• Good streaming support 
• Capable apps for Apple devices 
• Well known brand
• Smaller server selection 

SOLID SAFARI VPN: ProtonVPN has a selection of apps that work well with Apple devices and the Safari browser. Open-source, has good streaming support, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full  review of Proton VPN .

Mullvad has a solid reputation as one of the more dependable providers on the market. Built with a focus on privacy and security, five of its apps were independently audited by Cure53 in June 2020. 

The iOS app uses the WireGuard protocol exclusively, which is great in terms of speed and security. (It works on iOS 12 and newer iOS versions.) Advanced features include automatic WireGuard key rotation, while the macOS app also offers port probing, traffic obfuscation, an advanced kill switch, and MultiHop. This is a great result, especially as some developers are slow to add new features to Mac devices. Port forwarding is permitted, which makes this service a great option for torrenting .

Based in Sweden, it is decent from a privacy perspective due to the lack of mandatory data retention directives. We will note however that the region is still part of the 14-Eyes intelligence agreement. (This also includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US, the UK, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, and Spain .) 

The iOS/iPadOS app lacks split tunneling, and you’re out of luck if you plan to use the service for streaming.

• Various advanced features available on macOS
• Audited by Cure53
• Not the best pick for streaming 
• Sweden is a 14-Eyes country 

GREAT VPN FOR PRIVACY: Mullvad offers transparency and affordability and numerous advanced features on macOS and iOS. It’s great for Safari and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of Mullvad .

6. CyberGhost

CyberGhost comes with a collection of 10,000+ VPN servers dotted across 100+ countries worldwide. It means you’ll never struggle to find a local server, and there are native apps for iOS and macOS devices. Many are optimized for streaming, so you’ll be able to use the browser to catch up with heaps of previously blocked content. 

It’s based in Romania, which is out of the jurisdiction of any known intelligence agreements. Even if it has nothing that can be tied to a user, CyberGhost does keep some connection logs, and the website collects a lot of user info. It’s also another provider that is owned by Kape Technologies, alongside ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and ZenMate VPN.

If you’re planning to use a VPN with iOS devices, it comes with a seven-day free trial, as long as you’re running iOS 13 or later. The provider comes with unlimited bandwidth, and will mask your online activities while in use. 

• Great streaming support 
• Free seven-day iOS trial 
• Solid Apps for iOS and macOS 
• Keeps some connection logs 
• Only a 14-day money-back guarantee for one-month plans 

THOUSANDS OF SERVERS: You’ll never struggle to find a local server with CyberGhost. It has native apps for iOS and macOS devices, works with multiple streaming services, and subscriptions of six months or longer are covered by a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full  review of CyberGhost .

7. IPVanish

IPVanish has a pair of handy apps for iOS and macOS, ensuring that you’ll be able to access Safari with over 2,000 servers spread across 75+ locations worldwide. The WireGuard protocol ensures decent speeds, and it offers unlimited connections , so you’ll never have to worry about connecting multiple Apple devices. However, there’s no Safari browser extension.

Notable features include split tunneling, while IPVanish owns its entire server network. It’s great for changing your online location and accessing US services like Netflix and Hulu. IPVanish won't leak your real IP address, and the vast majority of servers offer access to HD content.  

Based in the United States, this does mean that it’s within reach of various intelligence agencies, as well as the jurisdiction of Five Eyes intelligence-sharing agreements. Monthly customers don’t qualify for the money-back guarantee, which is a notable downgrade compared to the majority of the competition.

• Secure apps for all Apple devices 
• Owns and operates its entire network 
• Works with services like Netflix US
• Based in the USA (Five Eyes)
• No money-back guarantee for the monthly plan 
• Doesn’t work in regions like China 

UNLIMITED SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS: IPVanish is another respected name within the industry, offering streaming support and unlimited connections. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available for yearly/24-month plans.

Read our full review of IPVanish .

Methodology: How we find the best Safari VPNs

No two providers are the same. Everything from servers to speeds will differ depending on which VPN you’ve chosen. We used the following criteria to come up with this list of the best VPNs for Safari:

• Apple apps and usability: We looked at the VPN apps on offer, as well as how easy they are to use. Generally, we focus on every app, but this time we’re looking at performance on iOS and macOS devices for Safari. 
• Speed: The provider needs to offer top-notch connection speeds. If you plan to stream via the browser, or you don’t have the fastest internet speeds to begin with, it’s even more important. 
• Security: We check out security, the logging policy , leak protection, and any additional features used to improve privacy. We also take ownership, protocols, encryption, and more into account. 
• Streaming: What international streaming services is the provider able to access? It’s always great to have the option to access content from home while abroad. 
• Customer support: We check out the quality of customer support options. Is there 24/7 live chat, does the service have guides for Safari and Apple devices?
• Value for money: Can you get the VPN for a fair price? Is it simple to redeem the money-back guarantee just in case?

Bonus points

As well as the criteria noted above, we also awarded bonus points to the top three VPN providers in this list that provide the following:

• Providers who have consistently pushed VPN technology forward: Rather than opting to do just enough to provide an acceptable service, the VPNs that make up our top three have consistently improved at any opportunity. For example, NordVPN and ExpressVPN bucked industry trends by creating their own unique connection protocols, while Surfshark was one of the first (along with CyberGhost) to offer tools like antivirus software and ad-blocking directly in its apps. Each is a great choice for Apple devices, and Safari. 
• Based in countries not part of any known intelligence alliance: Various murky intelligence alliances exist. The best-known alliance of this type is probably The 14 Eyes (officially called SIGINT Seniors Europe, or SSEUR) which includes the UK, USA, Germany, France, Spain, and nine others, though other alliances (such as Maximator and the Afghanistan SiGINT Coalition) also exist, and it’s likely there are more partnerships that we are not aware of. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark are all based in Panama or the British Virgin Islands, clear of any known treaties. 
• Regular application and server audits from a respected third party: A server audit examines things like whether the VPN’s infrastructure inadvertently collects data that would disprove no-logging claims. Application audits check the apps that a user runs on their device and look for exploits that can be used to unmask your activity or otherwise compromise your hardware. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark have had both types of audits performed, so you won’t have to take their claims at face value.
• Diskless infrastructure: Moving processes to RAM means that no information can be physically taken from servers and it is wiped on shutdown, so no stored data can be accessed if they're hacked or seized. 

How to use a VPN with Safari

If you’ve never used a VPN before, we’ve put together a guide to take you through the process. Rather than using a VPN with Safari specifically, here’s how to install it on either your macOS or iOS device:

Here's how to use a VPN with Safari:

• Choose a VPN service, and sign up. ( NordVPN is our top recommendation for Safari.)
• Download and install the VPN app on your Apple device. You can check the App Store, or download it directly via the VPN website.
• Sign in, and pick a VPN server to connect to. (For example, you could use a local server if you don’t have a location in mind. Many VPNs will allow you to Quick Connect to the best available option.)
• Open Safari to begin browsing safely. 

Your device should now be protected by the VPN, and it will have been assigned a new IP address. This is what is used to access previously blocked content.

Should I use a VPN browser extension or the app?

It’s worth noting that the vast majority of providers don’t actually have a Safari app. Even if there is an opportunity to use a browser version of a VPN, we’d always advise using the dedicated app if possible. VPN apps tend to have more features, and they will encrypt all traffic, rather than only your Safari browser traffic. 

For example, any other apps you use outside of Safari will be unprotected, which isn’t ideal if you’re using a VPN as a means to improve online privacy. A VPN browser extension is more like a proxy in this respect, and it can’t measure up in comparison. 

Browse safer with a VPN for Safari

Nowadays, there are a growing number of threats to Apple Mac computers and laptops. Hackers are aware that professionals use macOS for business purposes, which provides an opportunity for locking up computers with ransomware. These small businesses and individuals, often deeply require the data on their devices for the projects they are working on, meaning that they will often pay a ransom to regain access to their files.

A VPN conceals your IP address from the websites and services you visit, which can help protect you against drive-by malware infections. The leading providers in this guide even use DNS-based filtering to block malicious websites and malware infections, which can add another layer of protection when you browse on Safari.

The important thing to remember is that macOS is not as invulnerable to attacks as it used to be. Cybercriminals are making concerted efforts to attack Mac computers, meaning that you should seek to protect yourself using a VPN and an antivirus for Mac. Some examples of known threats for Mac include KeRanger Ransomware, Pirrit Adware, Flashback Trojan, Shlayer Trojan, and Silver Sparrow Malware. These illustrate the importance of a VPN and reliable antivirus for your Mac device.

Besides these threats, a VPN for Safari also helps to hide your digital footprint. It conceals your IP address from the websites you visit, which removes a persistent layer of tracking. This helps to prevent online marketing and allows you to visit websites without them creating a personalized profile of your preferences.

Using a VPN for Safari not only enhances your protection against malware and cyberattacks but also safeguards your digital privacy, allowing you to browse the web with greater peace of mind. Your Internet Service Provider won't know what you're up to, as long as you pick a provider with strong encryption and no IP leaks.  The VPNs we've mentioned above come with strong security features, and can access geo-blocked content. 

Safari VPN: FAQs

Do free vpns work with safari.

Yes, although there are flaws to consider. If you’re planning to use a VPN to improve your online privacy, a free provider is likely to be found. After all, if you’re not paying for the service with a monthly subscription, it’s likely that the free VPN is extracting value from the user in other ways. This might be in the form of selling data to third parties or spamming the user with endless adverts. 

The majority of completely free VPNs are also hamstrung to some degree. Connection speeds are going to be far slower than the premium options we’ve mentioned above, and the same goes for bandwidth. That's why we only recommend premium VPNs . If you need a VPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost both offer free trials for iOS, with no limitations. 

Can I browse anonymously with Safari?

Safari alone won’t allow you to browse anonymously. However, when paired with a VPN, all of your data will be encrypted, making it tough to identify what the user is up to. Our top VPNs can all be used with Apple devices and will help to improve your level of online privacy.

Does Safari have a built-in VPN?

Not in the traditional sense. Apple does offer Private Relay if you have a paid subscription to iCloud+. It works by sending requests through two separate, secure internet relays. Not even Apple can see what you’re up to. However, iCloud Private Relay is not available in all countries or regions. It’s also likely to be under US jurisdiction, given the service is provided by Apple itself.

Meanwhile, Apple developers have confirmed that you won’t be able to use the system to pretend to be from another region. In other words, it’s not a great choice for accessing local sites and services while you’re abroad. 

Will Safari work with all VPNs?

Yes, as long as the VPN has a relevant iOS/macOS app. The good news is; most premium providers will have a dedicated app for all Apple devices, allowing for at least five simultaneous connections at any given time. Split tunneling may also be of interest, as it lets you connect just the apps where you need privacy. You could turn on the feature solely for Safari if you prefer.

Can I use a VPN to hide my Safari search history?

A VPN works to encrypt your traffic, ensuring anyone from your ISP to online snoopers will be unable to see what you’re up to while online. If you’re aiming to hide your Safari search history, turn on Private Browsing. This ensures that your browsing information won't be saved, and the websites you visit won't be shared with any of your other devices. Safari won't remember the pages you visit, your search history, or AutoFill information. 

Do Mac users need a VPN?

macOS has a reputation as being ‘more secure’ than Windows, mostly due to the fact that Apple devices were less popular in the past. Basically, this means that there were more viruses created for Windows, although the same isn’t necessarily true today. 

As for iOS, it’s sold as a secure platform in comparison to Android, but it’s still possible to collect lots of user information depending on your app permissions. We’d recommend using a VPN for Safari, whether you plan to browse on iOS or macOS. 

Can I watch Netflix on Safari with a VPN?

Yes. If you are a Netflix subscriber who is on vacation, you can easily regain access to your home services by using a VPN. Simply connect to a VPN server in your usual country, and when you log in to Netflix, you will see your usual catalog of titles. It is worth noting that a VPN may work better to watch Netflix on Safari than it does in the dedicated Netflix app. For this reason, if you are having any trouble watching Netflix with your VPN, you may want to try Safari or some other browser instead of the app.

Remember that cookies left in your browser can also affect your VPN, and GPS can also potentially give away your location. You can delete cookies in your browser and turn off GPS to ensure it works without problems. Contact your VPN's live chat support to get help with either of these things.

Can a Safari VPN protect me on public WiFi?

Yes. When you connect to a VPN, all the data leaving your Mac device is encrypted. This stops local networks, ISPs, government agencies, and public WiFi hotspots from being able to track your web visits. This encryption is extremely important if you use public WiFi regularly because those hotspots will use your data for profiling purposes, and even create a profit by selling it to third party marketing companies and data brokers.

The encryption provided by a VPN also makes you safer on public WiFi by preventing your data from being intercepted by hackers also connected to the hotspot, and prevents you from being victimized on badly implemented WiFi hotspots that lack adequate security or by Evil Twin attacks.

Did you know

The following information is available to any site you visit:

Your IP Address:

Your Location:

Your Internet Provider:

BLEEPINGCOMPUTER RECOMMENDS:

Using a VPN will hide these details and protect your privacy. We recommend using NordVPN - #1 VPN in our tests . It offers outstanding privacy features and is currently available with three months extra free.

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About iCloud Private Relay

iCloud Private Relay — part of an iCloud+ subscription — helps protect your privacy when you browse the web in Safari.

How Private Relay works

Normally when you browse the web, information contained in your web traffic, such as your DNS records and IP address, can be seen by your network provider and the websites you visit. This information could be used to determine your identity and build a profile of your location and browsing history over time.

iCloud Private Relay is designed to protect your privacy by ensuring that when you browse the web in Safari, no single party — not even Apple — can see both who you are and what sites you're visiting.

When Private Relay is enabled, your requests are sent through two separate, secure internet relays.

Your IP address is visible to your network provider and to the first relay, which is operated by Apple. Your DNS records are encrypted, so neither party can see the address of the website you’re trying to visit.

The second relay, which is operated by a third-party content provider, generates a temporary IP address, decrypts the name of the website you requested, and connects you to the site.

All of this is done using the latest internet standards to maintain a high-performance browsing experience while protecting your privacy.

Set up iCloud Private Relay on all of your devices

Manage Private Relay for specific websites, networks, or system settings

iCloud Private Relay is not available in all countries or regions. Without access to your IP address, some websites may require extra steps to sign in or access content.

Private Relay and network speed tests

Private Relay uses a single, secure connection to maintain privacy and performance. This design may impact how throughput is reflected in network speed tests that typically open several simultaneous connections to deliver the highest possible result. While some speed test measurements may appear lower when Private Relay is enabled, your actual browsing experience remains fast and private.

Additional resources for developers and network administrators

If you're a website owner or developer, network administrator, or app developer, learn how to provide the best possible experience for users of Private Relay on your network .

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

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iCloud+ Private Relay FAQ: Everything you need to know

If you’ve downloaded iOS 15, you might have noticed something different about your iCloud account. Apple is upgrading all paid iCloud accounts to something it calls iCloud+ . It includes several interesting new features on top of the existing iCloud storage, sync, and cloud features, but the most interesting might be something Apple calls iCloud Private Relay. At first, it sounds like a VPN : your web-browsing traffic is encrypted and sent through a relay to hide your exact location, IP, or the contents of your browsing traffic.

It’s not a VPN, though. Not quite. There are important differences, which we’ll describe here. But iCloud Private Relay may be enough for most people, giving the most obvious benefits of a VPN to millions of users who would never consider signing up for one. Here’s what this Private Relay feature is, how it works, and how it’s different from a traditional VPN.

Update 01/12/21: Some users are reporting that some carrier features are blocking access to iCloud Private Relay. Apple has added new wording to iOS 15.3 beta to clarify the situation.

How do you turn on iCloud Private Relay?

iCloud Private Relay is a free upgrade in iOS 15 for anyone who pays for iCloud storage either separately or as part of an Apple One bundle . To turn it on, head to the Settings app, then tap your Apple ID name at the top. Then tap iCloud and Private Relay (Beta) and flip the toggle green to turn it on. You can also choose between two IP address locations: General “so that websites can provide local content in Safari” or broader country and time zone for more anonymity.

What is iCloud Private Relay?

When Private Relay is enabled, all of your browsing activity in Safari will be routed through two internet “hops,” or relays. Your data is encrypted and then sent to Apple, so your ISP can’t see any of your web browsing requests. Once at Apple’s proxy server, the DNS request (the thing that points a domain name like “macworld.com” to a specific server IP address) and your iPhone, iPad, or Mac’s IP address are separated. Your IP address is retained by Apple, while your DNS request is passed on, encrypted, to a “trusted partner” that has the decryption key, along with a fake intermediary IP address that is based on your approximate location. Apple didn’t name its partners, but some web sleuths have figured out that they are major internet backbone companies such as Akami, Cloudfare, and Fastly.

This means that Apple knows your IP address but not the name of the sites you’re visiting, and the trusted partner knows the site you’re visiting but not your IP (and therefore not who or where you are). Neither party can piece together a complete picture of both who you are and where you’re going .

The website you’re visiting typically gets your exact IP address and DNS request, so it can easily build a pretty detailed profile of exactly who you are, where you are, and where you’re going online. Combine that with a few cookies, even innocuous-seeming ones, and it’s pretty simple to have your entire online activity profiled, tracked, traced, and sold to advertisers (and others).

What iCloud Private Relay does is make the websites you’re visiting totally ignorant of this information, so the sites can’t build profiles of your activity.

The IP addresses Apple uses in place of your real one are still roughly approximate to your general area; it’s not enough to identify you personally, but it will allow sites that use your IP address to deliver local news, weather, sports, or other info to keep working fine. There’s an option to use an even broader IP address, but it might make some of those sites work incorrectly.

Note that Apple does not allow you to choose an IP address or even a region, and won’t ever make it seem like you’re coming from a totally different place. In other words, if you want to use it to access geographically locked content in Netflix or other online services, you’re out of luck.

How is iCloud Private Relay different from a VPN?

As cool as this Private Relay feature is, it’s definitely not a VPN. It will do a great job of preventing profiling of your web activity based on your basic connection data. But it has a lot of shortcomings compared to a real VPN. Some of these include:

• It only works with Safari, not any of the other apps or web browsers you use. Technically, some other DNS info and a small subset of app-related web traffic will use it, but it’s best to think of it as a Safari-only thing.
• It’s easily identifiable as a “proxy server,” which many large networks like those at schools or businesses will not work with. Most good VPNs disguise themselves to look like regular non-proxy traffic.
• As mentioned, it can’t hide the region you’re connecting from, only your specific IP location, so you can’t access content locked out of your region or experience websites as if you’re connecting from another country.

If all you really want to do is stop websites from building a profile of you and selling it around to advertisers and data brokers, then using iCloud Private Relay on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac is a great option. It’s fast, easy, and if you already pay for any amount of iCloud storage, you’ll get it for free.

You should know that, as of iOS 15.1 and watchOS 8.1, iCloud Private Relay and Mail Privacy Protection do not work on Apple Watch. If you use the Mail app on your Apple Watch or open a web link (say, sent to you via Messages), the watch will use your real IP address.

If you want real privacy and security for everything you do on the Internet, or want to access content that’s available in countries other than your own, you’ll still need a VPN. Fortunately, we have some VPN recommendations for you.

Can your carrier block iCloud Private Relay?

Yes, your cellular provider can disable the feature. In iOS 15.3, Apple has tweaked the wording in Settings in iOS 15.3 to let people know what’s going on:

Private Relay is turned off for your cellular plan. Private Relay is either not supported by your cellular plan or has been turned off in Cellular Settings. With Private Relay turned off, this network can monitor your internet activity, and your IP address is not hidden from known trackers or websites.

A few carriers in Europe have disabled the feature for some users, and T-Mobile here in the U.S. has done so for some of its customers. This is not always malicious, or merely about collecting and selling user data (though it could be, in some cases!). Some carriers provide content filtering features like parental controls, and iCloud Private Relay prevents them from working. In order to ensure compatibility with these features, iCloud Private Relay must be disabled.

The more elegant solution, of course, would be to allow users to enable iCloud Private Relay and simply warn them that such features may not work on that device, rather than taking the choice out of their hands entirely.

Author: Jason Cross , Senior Editor, Macworld

Jason has written about technology for more than 25 years - first in the gaming press, then focusing on enthusiast PCs and general technology. He enjoys learning how complicated technology works and explaining it in a way anyone can understand.

Recent stories by Jason Cross:

• iPhone users in the EU will soon be able to delete the App Store, other core apps
• Apple’s free Passwords app can replace your paid password manager (kinda)
• An iPhone bug lets you crash the interface with just four characters

• Virtual Private Network (VPN)

The 5 Best Safari VPN Services: Paid & Free Browser Extensions

Cloudwards.net may earn a small commission from some purchases made through our site. However, any earnings do not affect how we review services. Learn more about our editorial integrity and research process .

Safari is one of the most secure web browsers. However, using a Safari VPN ensures your data’s privacy from your ISP and helps you access to geoblocked content. Read on to learn about the top Safari VPNs on the market.

Last Updated: 09 Aug'24 2024-08-09T17:10:22+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

Key Takeaways: Best VPNs for Safari

• ExpressVPN — Excellent speed and security for Safari browsing
• NordVPN — Fast VPN for Safari users
• Surfshark — Unlimited simultaneous connections for Apple device collection
• Proton VPN — Best free VPN for Safari
• CyberGhost — Affordable VPN with automation features

A Safari VPN helps add privacy to what your internet service provider (ISP) can see and also helps you access geo-blocked streaming services, block ads and more. Although none of the premium VPN services offer a Safari browser extension, the lack of a dedicated Safari browser extension shouldn’t be a major problem — you can still use most features using the VPN app.

For example, VPNs with split tunneling can also help encrypt just the Safari browser’s traffic while other apps on your device use the unencrypted connection.

VPN providers differ greatly in terms of feature sets and performance. If you’re looking for the best VPN overall, give our best VPNs guide a read. In this guide, we talk about the top VPNs for Safari, their feature sets, performance and pricing. If you don’t want to read the full guide, we recommend ExpressVPN.

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Updated the article to reflect ExpressVPN’s recent increase of 5 simultaneous connections to 8, as well as its expansion of server presence to 105 countries, previously 94.

We updated the guide to reflect the changes in the new version of the Safari web browser and the VPN services we recommend.

Updated Windscribe pricing: the paid plan increased to $5.75 per month from $4.08. The Build-a-Plan minimum purchase also increased to $3 from $2.

What Makes the Best Safari VPN?

We chose five best VPNs for Safari based on our hands-on testing. Below, we discuss why the services we selected are an excellent choice for Safari.

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We considered four critical factors when picking these top VPNs for Safari: feature set, security and privacy, connection speeds and the ability to bypass geoblocks.

The best VPNs also include an ad blocker and malware blocker, and the option to change the security protocol and other advanced security features like split tunneling and a killswitch.

The best VPNs for Safari ensure your Safari browser traffic is kept private while delivering fast connection speeds. Add the ability to bypass geoblocks to the mix, and you’ve got a secure, fast VPN browser extension that helps stream high-quality content without buffering.

Since there are no VPN extensions for Safari, and the web browser is deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem, the providers listed here are similar to the best VPNs for macOS .

The 5 Best VPNs for Safari

We found five of the best VPNs for Safari users based on the criteria discussed in the previous section. Give each section a read for a thorough comparison of your best options, or go with our top pick, ExpressVPN, if you’re short on time.

1. ExpressVPN – The Overall Best Safari VPN Service

More details about ExpressVPN:

• Pricing: $6.66 per month (15-months plan)
• Free plan: None; 30-day money-back guarantee
• Provider website: expressvpn.com
• Fast & secure servers
• Unlocks big streaming apps
• Wide VPN server network

ExpressVPN offers everything you’d expect from a top VPN service. It offers great security, fast connection speeds and the ability to unblock all popular streaming services — it’s our best VPN for streaming . While ExpressVPN doesn’t have a Safari extension, it has one for Google Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Moreover, ExpressVPN has split tunneling, so you can use the VPN connection just for Safari.

Thanks to ExpressVPN’s fast connection speed, you can stream online content in high quality without buffering. We talk more about ExpressVPN’s capabilities in our extensive ExpressVPN review .

Excellent Security

ExpressVPN’s fast speed doesn’t come at the cost of security. ExpressVPN uses best-in-class security protocols like OpenVPN and its proprietary Lightway protocol . The app has a kill switch, which blocks your internet connection should the VPN connection abruptly drop. ExpressVPN also offers DNS leak protection .

ExpressVPN is a premium VPN service and its pricing reflects that. The best deal (the annual plan) costs $6.66 per month. Shorter-term plans are also available. The six-month plan costs $9.99 per month and the monthly plan costs $12.95 per month. You can try ExpressVPN risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee.

• Unlimited GB

2. NordVPN – The Fastest Safari VPN Option

More details about NordVPN:

• Pricing: $3.09 per month (two-year plan + three months)
• Provider website: nordvpn.com
• Fastest average VPN
• Secure protocols
• Specialty servers
• Specialty servers not available on NordLynx

NordVPN is one of the fastest VPN providers on the market according to our speed tests . If you need a Safari VPN because you want to stream geoblocked content on websites like Netflix and BBC iPlayer, NordVPN is an excellent pick given its ability to bypass geoblocks effectively and fast connection speeds.

It is also a great service if your primary purpose is to secure the internet traffic when using Safari. It offers two security protocols: OpenVPN and NordLynx, the latter of which is NordVPN’s proprietary protocol based on WireGuard .

The VPN app includes a kill switch that terminates the internet connection should the VPN connection drop abruptly. It also has split tunneling, so you can choose to encrypt only Safari traffic or encrypt traffic from all apps.

Specialty Servers

The service offers five types of specialty servers to add an extra layer of security to your connection: obfuscated, dedicated IP, P2P, Onion over VPN and double VPN .

Note that NordVPN secures your connection even when not using one of these servers. However, these servers offer extra security when performing certain activities. For example, P2P servers offer extra security for torrenting . We discuss more about these servers and other features in our comprehensive NordVPN review .

NordVPN offers superior performance considering its pocket-friendly price. The best-value, two-year plan costs $3.09 per month. Shorter term plans include the annual plan and the monthly plan, costing $4.99 per month and $12.99 per month, respectively. If you’re not fully confident, you can always try NordVPN risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee.

• *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.

3. Surfshark – The Best Option for Simultaneous Connections

More details about Surfshark:

• Pricing: $2.19 per month (two-year plan + three months)
• Provider website: surfshark.com
• Unlimited connections
• Fast streaming
• Feature-rich
• High latency

Surfshark’s dedicated VPN app offers three VPN protocols to choose from — OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard. These protocols, combined with AES-256 or ChaCha20 encryption, ensure nobody can intercept your data, including your internet service provider. Surfshark has servers in 100 countries. Like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, all Surfshark servers are RAM-only, which means they wipe out information with every reboot.

In addition to great security, Surfshark has the ability to unblock geoblocked content on all the popular streaming sites. It’s also one of the fastest VPNs on the market, which means you can use it to stream content in Safari without any buffering. Moreover, Surfshark also has an extensive feature set, as we explain in our detailed Surfshark review .

Unlimited Simultaneous Connections

Surfshark is one of the few VPNs that offers unlimited simultaneous connections. If your friends and family also need a Safari VPN, Surfshark could be an excellent pick. It’s already a low-cost VPN on long-term plans, and you can reduce the cost further by sharing your account. Since the service offers unlimited bandwidth, sharing your account won’t have any negative impact on the performance.

Surfshark is a pocket-friendly VPN. The best deal (the two-year plan) costs $2.19 per month. Shorter term plans include the annual plan costing $2.99 per month, and the monthly plan costing $15.45 per month. Like other VPNs on the list, Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it yourself without any risks .

• Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $231.75 for one year, $417.15 for two years

4. Proton VPN – The Best Free VPN for Safari

More details about Proton VPN:

• Pricing: $4.49 per month (two-year plan)
• Free plan: Yes
• Provider website: protonvpn.com
• Unlimited free plan
• Stealth VPN obfuscation
• Free servers only in 3 countries

Proton VPN is an excellent free Safari VPN. We generally refrain from recommending free VPNs, especially the ones in our worst VPNs list, because free services are generally slow and insecure. That’s why we recommend using the free version of a premium VPN. However, Proton VPN is the best free VPN for Safari and tops our list of the best free VPNs .

With Proton VPN, you can further secure Safari traffic on both Mac and iOS devices. The desktop and mobile apps for iOS and Mac users include four VPN protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard and Stealth. Other security features include a kill switch and DNS leak protection. Unfortunately, split tunneling is only available on Windows and Android apps.

Generous Free Plan

Proton VPN is one of the few VPNs that offer free data on the unlimited plan. The free plan offers servers in three countries: the U.S., the Netherlands and Japan. You can access other servers by switching to one of the paid plans. However, if you don’t need access to more servers, the free plan offers access to ample features too, as we explain in more detail in our Proton VPN review .

Proton VPN’s paid plans are a little more expensive than premium services like NordVPN. The best value plan (the two-year plan) costs $4.49 per month. Shorter term plans include the annual plan costing $4.99 per month and the monthly plan costing $9.99 per month. You get a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans, so you can try the service yourself for free .

• Renewal prices are different after the first year for the 1-year plan, and after the second year for the 2-year plan.

5. CyberGhost – The Cheapest Safari VPN

More details about CyberGhost:

• Pricing: $2.19 per month (two-year plan + two months)
• Provider website: cyberghostvpn.com
• Intuitive desktop interface
• Automation features
• 45-day money-back return
• Slow download speeds

CyberGhost is the cheapest Safari VPN option on the list, except for Proton VPN’s free plan. Don’t be misled by CyberGhost’s pocket-friendly pricing, though. It’s one of the top VPNs on the market, with servers spread across over 90 countries.

The apps for Apple devices include two VPN protocols: IKEv2 and WireGuard. When using Safari on your iPhone, select the IKEv2 protocol from the iOS app for optimum performance. WireGuard is best when using the VPN on a Mac device. 

The CyberGhost app has a kill switch and split tunneling, though the latter is not available on the iOS app. Learn more about CyberGhost in our comprehensive CyberGhost review .

Automation Features

The app also has automation features that simplify VPN-related tasks. For example, you can configure the app to auto-connect when you launch Safari. The feature is called “smart rules” on the app. The feature is essentially a workflow that triggers when a certain event (such as starting the browser or visiting a specific URL) occurs.

CyberGhost’s best deal (the two-year plan) costs $2.19 per month. The shorter term plans include the six-month plan costing $6.99 per month and the monthly plan costing $12.99 per month. The two-year and annual plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee, while the monthly plan comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee .

• *The 2-year plan includes 4-months free which breaks down the 56.94 t0 $2.03 per month. *The price under the 2-year plan is billed yearly after the first two years.

Are There Completely Free VPNs for Safari & Are They Safe?

Free VPNs are generally a bad idea. A free VPN might steal your data, offer poor connection speeds and, in worst cases, infect your device with malware. There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as Proton VPN , TunnelBear and Windscribe . These are premium VPN services that offer a generous free plan as a preview to their paid version.

If you’re looking for a free VPN provider for Safari, using one of the best free VPNs is critical to ensure your connection’s security and performance. Most of the reliable free VPN services come with restrictions. For example, you can only connect to servers in specific locations and use only a handful of features, depending on the service you choose.

Safari Not Working With VPN? What to Do

VPNs that have an automatic kill switch might keep Safari from accessing the internet connection if your VPN connection drops abruptly. 

• Launch the VPN app and see if the kill switch is turned on. 
• If it is, turn it back off and see if that helps.

If the kill switch isn’t the problem, then: 

• Quit Safari and the VPN app. 
• Restart your computer and relaunch Safari and the VPN app. 

In most cases, this should resolve the problem.

Final Thoughts

Safari is an excellent browser. Nevertheless, a VPN for Safari ensures your traffic is private and that you can access geoblocked content on websites like Netflix. Although there aren’t any Safari VPN extension options, the VPNs we recommend work well with the browser.

Need a VPN for various different purposes? Have a look at our articles on what the best VPN for Snapchat is, as well as our guide to the best VPN for Xbox One .

Have you tried using a VPN with Safari before? Which service did you use and what was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thank you for reading.

FAQ: The Best VPN for Safari

Yes, there are VPNs for Safari, but all of them vary in terms of performance and pricing. We recommend ExpressVPN for Safari , but you might also consider other low-cost options, like NordVPN and Surfshark.

Safari doesn’t have a built-in free VPN. However, you can use Proton VPN’s free plan to secure your connection for free when using Safari. The free plan comes with limitations, so you might consider switching to Proton VPN’s paid plan. You might also consider other low-cost VPNs like NordVPN, Surfshark or CyberGhost.

Apple doesn’t have a recommended VPN service. The VPNs in this guide are excellent choices if you’re looking for a VPN for Safari. If you don’t mind paying a premium price to use the best VPN, consider ExpressVPN. NordVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost are great low-cost options, while Proton VPN offers a generous free plan.

We recommend using ExpressVPN for Mac because it offers great security and speed. If ExpressVPN seems expensive, consider services like NordVPN , Surfshark or CyberGhost. Proton VPN has a generous free plan if you’re looking for a free VPN.

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The Best VPNs for Safari in 2024

Our number one pick, NordVPN, provides a native extension, state-of-the-art encryption, and double-hop technology for Safari users.

• Enhances Safari security with AES-256 encryption and available double-hop technology
• Lightning-fast speeds on Macs
• Offers a browser extension specifically made for Safari

• Conceals your IP address when using Safari
• Mac and iOS versions include both split tunneling and a kill switch
• Easy to set up on Safari

• With five simultaneous connections, protect your iPhone, iPad, and Mac laptop with one subscription
• Allows you to spoof your geolocation data in Safari to match your VPN server location
• Apps available for both iOS and MacOS

Statistics show that nearly a third of smartphones and computers in the United States have Safari as their default browser, behind only Chrome. 1 But statistics are boring, so let’s stick to what we know. First off, Safari is one of the most secure mainstream browsers. It even has a feature that blocks trackers which goes a long way in protecting your privacy. Secondly, we know that Safari is the gateway to the internet for most Apple users. And what are Apple devices known for? Tenacious security and privacy. Lastly, Safari’s Private Browsing mode is as good as it gets, in terms of private browsers.

That being said, browsing with Safari isn’t as safe and private as you may think. Safari doesn’t automatically make you private. Even in its most secure configuration, your internet provider can still see your browsing activity, Big Brother can still watch your every move, and the websites you visit can still see your IP address. That’s why even though Safari is a private browser , we recommend using a VPN.

>> Learn More: What Can Someone Do With Your IP Address

What Are The Best VPNs for Safari?

• NordVPN - Best Privacy and Security Features
• Private Internet Access VPN - Best VPN with Split Tunneling for macOS
• ExpressVPN - Most User-Friendly Safari VPN
• IPVanish - Best for iPhones and iPads
• CyberGhost - Best for Streaming and Downloading

Choosing a VPN for Safari

Unlike Chrome, Safari doesn’t offer VPN browser extensions. It’s vital that we say that right off the bat, because many of those who are looking for a Safari VPN want a VPN they can access just on their browsers and not for the entire device. If that’s you, you might want to consider using Chrome instead with any of our top-pick VPNs for Chrome .

When we say “best VPNs for Safari,” we’re actually referring to the best VPNs that work on macOS , iPhones, and iPads. With these VPNs enabled, all your device’s traffic, including your Safari browsing, is encrypted by the VPN and routed through a secure server.

There is one feature that can help you isolate Safari traffic and route it through your VPN without affecting any of your other traffic. It’s called split tunneling . Unfortunately, not a lot of VPNs offer it to Mac, iPhone, and iPad users. 2  It’s usually a Windows VPN feature. The only VPN we’ve seen with split tunneling for macOS (but not iOS) is Private Internet Access. It’s second on our list.

Let’s not get too hung up on what features are missing. The top-pick Safari VPNs we listed above all offer excellent security privacy through encryption and tunneling. They can hide your real IP address when browsing, unblock websites and give you access to georestricted content, and help you stay anonymous. They are also user-friendly on any Apple OS — even iPhones and iPads — and they are affordable.

To help in your decision-making, we’re going to highlight three key areas:

• Privacy policy and protection

Performance

We’ll also discuss why we believe they’re the best VPNs for the job based on our personal experience with each VPN during a three-week testing period. Let’s start with a quick overview in the form of a chart.

The Best Safari VPNs Compared

A closer look: the best vpns for safari, 1. nordvpn - best privacy and security features.

Product Specs

Privacy policy and protection.

NordVPN proudly maintains a “no-logs” privacy policy for its VPN apps. This means it keeps zero logs of any type of data that can identify or track what a customer is doing while connected to the VPN infrastructure. This has become expected from the top VPNs .

When we tested NordVPN, we enjoyed strong encryption and tunneling thanks to the proprietary NordLynx protocol, which was the default for the macOS and iOS apps. The NordLynx VPN protocol is NordVPN’s unique take on the widely implemented WireGuard protocol, 4 which is secure but also very fast compared to other options like OpenVPN. In fact, as you’ll see below, NordLynx gave us the lowest speed loss among the VPNs we tested.

>> Related: VPN Speed Tests: Top VPNs Compared

Thanks to NordLynx, NordVPN’s performance was lightning fast. Since we wanted to test its browsing speed, we accessed the Ookla Speedtest tool via Safari and compared its speed to our network speed when not connected to the VPN. Our network download speed read 249 Mbps; NordVPN averaged 226 Mbps in three tests. That’s a 9 percent drop — barely noticeable even if you’re downloading or streaming.

That’s unsurprising. NordVPN ranked first in our roundup of the fastest VPNs , thanks to its ability to produce fast connections consistently. We also named it one of the fastest gaming VPNs . We don’t exactly play online games on our MacBook, and certainly not on Safari, but that just goes to show that NordVPN is both fast and reliable when it comes to connection speed.

>> Check Out: Best VPNs for Brave Browser

Those privacy features and NordVPN’s excellent performance do come at a higher cost than other VPNs. The most affordable Safari VPN we recommend is Private Internet Access, which offers subscriptions as low as $2.19 per month. With its cheapest option, a NordVPN plan is $3.79 per month.

One thing you should know about VPN pricing is the longer you sign up for, the better the rates you’re going to get. The cheapest NordVPN plan is the Standard Plan for two years. It costs $90.96 for those two years, which averages out to $3.79. It may be a little pricier than the most affordable options, but that price isn’t going to break the bank. And besides, NordVPN offers better privacy and features than most other VPNs.

What We Like

• Verified and audited no-logs policy
• Great speeds on macOS
• User-friendly app with a sleek user interface
• Plenty of extra features, like malicious website blocking

What We Don’t Like

• A little pricier than other options
• No free trial on iOS and macOS, unlike on Android
• No split tunneling for macOS and iOS
• App occasionally runs slow

The app doesn’t get talked about a lot when comparing VPNs, but to us, it’s one of the most important aspects you should look into when choosing a VPN. Your entire user experience will hinge on the VPN app .

NordVPN’s macOS and iOS apps offer unique functionalities that we think can elevate your browsing experience. Let’s start with Threat Protection. You know how Safari can detect and block trackers? It’s kind of like that, but aside from trackers, it also blocks malicious websites (e.g., phishing sites ) and ads. Best of all, it runs silently in the background. We didn’t even notice it was on until it blocked an email link we tried to open. Lesson: Don’t open links from strangers.

Multi-hop was another unique feature we’ve had the pleasure to test. It was listed in NordVPN’s server menu under Specialty Servers. Basically, it routed our MacBook’s traffic through two VPN servers, doubling down the encryption. It did make our network speed even slower, but it was a perfect match for Safari’s Private Browsing. If you don’t want Apple logging your browsing history for a specific browsing session, you surely don’t want your ISP or Big Brother doing the same. Multi-hop — or Double VPN as NordVPN calls it — is the solution.

>> Learn More: Is Incognito the Same as a VPN?

2. Private Internet Access VPN - Best-Priced Safari VPN

Private Internet Access (PIA) may not be as stout as NordVPN and ExpressVPN when it comes to technology, but it provides more than adequate privacy. The default encryption on macOS and iOS, for example, is 128-bit AES. That’s a little lower than the typical 256-bit AES that VPNs offer, but it’s still impossible to crack with current computing technology. 6

A lower encryption standard can actually be beneficial, especially if you want to prioritize speed when changing your Mac’s location ; for example, to access a different Netflix library region on Safari. If you really want top-notch encryption, you can easily change PIA’s encryption to 256-bit AES using the Mac app (or iPhone/iPad app if you’re on mobile).

Encryption aside, we liked Private Internet Access’ policies for privacy. You know how you can adjust your privacy references on Safari? 7 PIA has something similar. You see, even “no-logs” VPNs do log some data. The data they collect is benign and usually anonymized so it can’t be tied back to you. With PIA, however, you can opt out of all data logging completely. That was actually the default for PIA’s macOS and iOS apps.

As mentioned earlier, you can prioritize speed by opting to stay with the 128-bit AES encryption setting, but we wanted to test Private Internet Access on its most secure configuration, so we switched over to 256-bit AES.

Once we did, we saw download and upload speeds drop significantly. Download speeds averaged 208 Mbps, while upload speeds went down to around 185 Mbps. PIA wasn’t very fast, but it was fast enough to let us stream and download on Safari. We downloaded torrent with the BitTorrent Web client for Mac, which ran on Safari. Again, PIA wasn’t exceptionally fast, but it let us download a 2 GB file in under 20 minutes. Not bad.

>> See More: How to Download Torrent Using a VPN

Private Internet Access is really an affordable VPN that provides more value than it costs. Our three-year Private Internet Access plan cost us just $79, which is even cheaper than NordVPN’s two-year plan and ExpressVPN’s one-year plan.

Despite its low cost, it gave us full access to VPN benefits; it let us change our iPhone’s location , kept our Safari browsing on our MacBook private, and gave us much-needed access to different streaming apps on our iPad, even those that aren’t available in the U.S., like BBC iPlayer and All4. Did we mention that PIA has no device limits? We set up the VPN on our MacBook , iPhones, iPads, and even our Windows work laptops — 14 devices in total.

• No device limits
• Customizable encryption and tunneling standards
• Affordable price (starts at $2.19 per month)
• Split tunneling for macOS in Beta testing
• Set to 128-bit AES by default
• Tends to run slow when set to the highest privacy configuration
• Slow tech and customer support
• Sign-up process could be improved

We really liked the value we got for our money from our Private Internet Access subscription , but we like it even more now that it’s starting to bring back split tunneling to macOS. Split tunneling disappeared in macOS 12 and 13 due to a networking change in the operating systems’ architecture. But Private Internet Access somehow managed to offer it again to newer macOS versions. PIA is mum on how it did that, but right now, the macOS split tunneling is in Beta testing.

What’s the use of split tunneling? Well, let’s say you’re on a video call with your boss and you need to send a confidential file. If you connect to PIA, it will encrypt your Mac’s network. Your video call might even drop. To avoid that, you need a VPN that can exclude traffic from some apps while others enjoy encryption. In the example, you could exclude your video conferencing app so it continues to connect to the normal network.

Split tunneling can be useful in many different scenarios, but mostly for professionals and students who might need to multitask. And the fact that Private Internet Access is the first to bring it back to macOS makes it worthy of being one of the top VPNs for Safari users.

That’s just one of the many features Private Internet Access added to our digital security toolbelt. It also gave us a VPN kill switch , which is a must-have VPN feature , access to thousands of servers in over 90 locations worldwide, and an encryption-free proxy that let us change our IP address location to the Netherlands without the slowdowns of a VPN connection.

>> Learn More: The Differences Between Proxy and VPN

3. ExpressVPN - Most User-Friendly Safari VPN

ExpressVPN is another option that provides excellent privacy to MacBook and iPhone users. It takes being a “no-logs” VPN to the next level by switching to a RAM-only server network.

Traditional VPN servers run on hard disk drives (HDDs). You know how you can recover some files even after they’re wiped from a hard disk? That can happen to data in normal VPN servers, which poses a privacy risk. RAM-only servers, on the other hand, are completely wiped after every reboot. ExpressVPN reboots its servers every week or so, and that’s how it ensures that absolutely no data is stored in its servers.

When we tested ExpressVPN, we saw no security and privacy vulnerabilities. It passed all our IP address leak tests, including our WebRTC leak test. WebRTC leaks are a particular concern because it’s a feature built into most browsers, including Safari, that can compromise a VPN connection if the VPN is not secure enough.

>> Learn More: How to Check If a VPN Is Working

Beyond its security, we praise ExpressVPN for its fast connections. “Express” is right in the name, so we expected nothing less than fast, reliable, and consistent speeds, and it did not disappoint.

ExpressVPN averaged 222 Mbps for downloads and 202 Mbps for uploads on our MacBook. That’s a decrease of about 11 percent and 19 percent, respectively, compared to our baseline internet speed. It may not have been as fast as NordVPN, but we had no trouble watching Hulu on Safari besides the clearly reduced playback quality. Hulu plays in 720p on browsers. 5

>> Further Reading: The Top 5 VPNs for Watching Hulu

ExpressVPN is a strong option that could rival NordVPN, but all things considered, ExpressVPN’s pricing is its biggest kryptonite. It costs $12.95 on a monthly basis. That’s on par with NordVPN’s monthly plan. But when you look at the longer subscription options, you’ll start to see NordVPN take the upper hand. ExpressVPN costs $8.32 per month if you buy a one-year subscription. With NordVPN, the same subscription costs nearly half – $4.79 per month.

ExpressVPN also doesn’t have subscriptions longer than one year, whereas with NordVPN, you can go for a two-year subscription to lower the monthly rate to $3.79. In short, ExpressVPN’s lowest price is $8.32 monthly, while NordVPN averages as low as $3.79 monthly.

>> Compare:   NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN

• RAM-only servers for complete privacy
• Friendly user interface with multilingual option
• Decent browsing speed
• Strong IP address leak protection
• Pricey subscriptions (minimum of $8.32 per month)
• No live phone support
• Kill switch for macOS only
• Device limit (five to eight connections only)

ExpressVPN really won us over with its user-friendly apps for Macs and iPhones. The apps were actually identical, so if you have multiple Apple devices, you have to learn to use ExpressVPN only once. On that note, it was one of the very few VPNs to offer a quick tutorial after the initial setup. We’ve tested a lot of VPNs so we know our way around VPN apps, but this can be helpful to those who are still learning how to use a VPN .

ExpressVPN was also super easy to set up. After buying a subscription, we opened our account dashboard on Safari, and from there, we were able to email ourselves download links. This may come as a surprise, but one of the struggles we usually face after buying a VPN plan is finding where to download the apps, particularly the desktop apps. We’re happy that wasn’t the case with ExpressVPN.

Don’t get us wrong: ExpressVPN is every bit as secure as other top VPNs for Safari. It offers 256-bit AES encryption, which is our gold standard; it has its own VPN protocol called LightWay which is very much like NordVPN’s NordLynx; and it gets around website blocks pretty well. All those features, combined with its user-friendly interface, make it a really great choice for securing your Safari browsing.

>> Related: How to Set Up an iPhone VPN

4. IPVanish - Best for iPhones and iPads

IPVanish made our list of the best iPhone VPNs for its top-of-the-line encryption that utilizes something called perfect forward secrecy. VPNs encrypt traffic, but they also decrypt it with the encryption key when it gets to the destination (either your device or the VPN server). To enable forward secrecy, IPVanish uses the DHE-RSA 2048 for key generation, which we were able to verify on our Windows laptop. Essentially, it’s like changing the locks everytime a door opens, so even in the slim chance that someone gets ahold of the encryption key, future encryptions can’t be compromised.

It’s nice to know that IPVanish takes extra precautions to keep users private, but that’s probably too technical for an average Safari user. Let’s shift our focus to IPVanish’s privacy policy. It’s yet another VPN with a “no-logs” policy. We like how it outlines what types of data it collects. For example, we learned that it collects personal information upon signing up, such as email addresses and payment information, but does not keep logs of anything related to a user’s browsing.

>> Learn More: What Is Personally Identifiable Information?

IPVanish’s speed didn’t let us down. Our speed loss on Mac while connected to IPVanish was just 14 percent for downloads and 19 percent for uploads. That translated to speeds averaging 215 Mbps and 202 Mbps, respectively, on our 250 Mbps wired internet connection. It was just as speedy as NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

We all liked how IPVanish sat right in the middle in terms of VPN pricing. At $2.99 per month for the two-year plan, it wasn’t as affordable as Private Internet Access, but it was cheaper than NordVPN and ExpressVPN. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is sort of like a risk-free trial that would allow you to cancel and get a refund for your two-year subscription if you do so within 30 days of buying. That’s nothing to write home about, as most VPNs, including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and CyberGhost also have similar policies for refunds.

>> Related: The Best VPN Free Trials

• Encryption with perfect forward secrecy
• User-friendly interface, especially for iPhones
• Fast download and upload speeds
• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Shaky past in terms of logging
• Based in the U.S. (not the most privacy-friendly country)
• No OpenVPN protocol for iOS (only WireGuard and IKEv2)
• No money-back guarantee for monthly plans

IPVanish worked great on our MacBook, but if you’re browsing Safari through an iPhone or iPad , this is another great VPN to consider. We liked IPVanish’s iOS app because of its straightforward interface. It wasn’t complicated to use; to connect, we simply launched the app, selected a server, and tapped the huge connect button in the middle of the screen. It even had some cool animations, like the spinning globe that shows the location of the server selected. Be sure to enable Dark Mode. It looks much sleeker than the regular mode.

IPVanish was more than just a pretty face. We could tell it was designed thoughtfully. For example, after connecting, it showed us our current VPN IP address. That beats having to find our iPhone’s IP address if we ever needed it. It also has a useful server filtering feature that allowed us to sort the servers alphabetically, based on their distance to us, and, our personal favorite, by latency.

While not as prominent as upload and download speeds, latency is an important internet speed metric when you’re connected to a VPN. It measures the delay of your network, which is something you want to minimize when video conferencing, playing online games, or streaming on Safari. Thanks to IPVanish’s ping filtering, we knew exactly which server to connect to when we wanted to stream an episode of “Breaking Bad” on our lunch break.

>> Related: Top VPNs for Streaming

5. CyberGhost - Best for Streaming and Downloading

CyberGhost is a sister company of Private Internet Access, as they are both owned by Kape Technologies. There was some question as to whether Kape Technologies can be trusted because of its past as an advertising company, but as we saw earlier from PIA, the VPN brands it owns can have a separate privacy policy.

CyberGhost maintains that it does not log any VPN usage data that can identify or compromise a user’s browsing. While it doesn’t have the same opt-out option as PIA, it clearly outlines what types of information are monitored, specifically, anonymized VPN metrics that it uses to improve its services.

When it comes to performance, CyberGhost actually outperformed Private Internet Access. It was about 10 Mbps faster in terms of both upload and download speeds, averaging 213 Mbps for downloads and nearly 200 Mbps for uploads.

CyberGhost was less flexible than PIA, though, because it offers only 256-bit AES encryption (if you use OpenVPN) or ChaCha20 (if you use WireGuard). Unlike PIA, it didn’t let us customize our connection to make it either faster or more secure.

>> Learn More: Fixing Common VPN Speed and Connection Issues

CyberGhost was the second-most-affordable VPN we tested for Safari. A two-year subscription to CyberGhost costs only $56.94; that’s $2.37 per month on average. Moreover, it has a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is the longest trial period among the five VPNs here.

However, CyberGhost doesn’t offer unlimited simultaneous connections like Private Internet Access. It has a limit of seven devices. That’s not necessarily a deal-breaker, but it’s something to keep in mind if you choose CyberGhost.

• 10,000+ servers in 100 countries (almost twice as many as NordVPN)
• Affordable pricing
• Based in Romania (privacy-friendly)
• Servers optimized for downloads
• Split tunneling for URLs only
• Device limit
• Slow customer service
• Non-adjustable encryption

Among the things we do on Safari, downloading and streaming are two of the most bandwidth-heavy activities. That doesn’t mean you should skip using a VPN for those activities; just find a VPN that can accommodate your network requirements.

We found CyberGhost a great VPN for downloading torrent and P2P files as well as streaming because it has servers optimized specifically for those. They’re right there in the server selection list. The P2P servers compatible with torrenting are under the For Downloading menu, while the servers optimized to unblock georestricted streaming content are under the For Streaming menu.

We used CyberGhost to access streaming services on Safari, including Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. It had no problem accessing Amazon Prime, but we did have to try several times to access Disney+, even with the optimized servers. That wasn’t a huge problem. We found while testing the best VPNs for Disney+ (CyberGhost is one of them) that it has a stronger ability to block VPNs than most other streaming services. We’re just glad we got to access Disney+ after three tries.

Methodology: How We Picked the Best VPNs for Safari

That’s our list of the top VPNs for keeping your Safari browsing private, but how exactly did we come up with this list? Hours after hours of testing.

First, we narrowed down our list to VPNs that work on macOS and iOS; that didn’t help at all because pretty much any VPN right now is compatible with Apple. However, we previously tested VPNs for MacBooks and iPhones, so we decided to retest those to see which ones work best for Safari browsing.

Next, we did some performance tests. We measured VPN speed using the Speedtest by Ookla website, which was accessed using Safari. We also did some security and privacy tests, such as DNS and WebRTC leak tests.

Finally, we spent at least three days with each VPN, testing their numerous features and observing their performance further. All that amounted to more than three weeks of testing.

For more information on our testing procedures, head over to our complete VPN guide , where we explain in detail every VPN feature we test.

» Learn about: Best VPN for Firefox

Are There Any Free VPNs for Safari?

While we didn’t test any free VPNs, a free VPN should work on Safari provided that it has apps for macOS and iOS. Be careful, though. Not all free VPNs are trustworthy. Some are just after your browsing data so they could sell it to advertisers, while others have more sinister motives, like injecting malware into your devices.

>> Related: Do MacBooks Have Built-in Anti-Malware?

To be safe, use only the free VPNs that we have verified. You’ll find them in our roundup of the five best free VPNs . You can also check the best free iPhone VPNs ; they’re the same free VPNs in the other list, but we highlight how they work on iPhones and iPads specifically.

Does Safari Really Need a VPN?

Whether you choose one of our premium VPN recommendations for Safari or a free VPN, it’s important to know what a VPN can do for you. Not to be a spoiler, but you’ll find that a VPN is necessary even though Safari is quite secure and private itself.

• Encryption: This is one of the most important functions of a VPN. Safari may be secure, but your traffic is not while in transit to the internet. Your internet provider can see every bit of data your MacBook or iPhone transmits, and the government can as well. That’s why we all need encryption. Encryption doesn’t hide the fact that we’re using the internet, but it hides our browsing activity from prying eyes.

• Hiding your IP address: Find your MacBook’s IP address ; that’s your unique identifier on the internet. If it falls into someone else’s hands, they can find out where you are, track what you’ve been doing online, and even send you malicious files like malware and spyware. You wouldn’t post your home address publicly, so you shouldn’t let your IP address be public. Using a VPN hides your IP address by putting a VPN server between you and the internet.
• Fighting censorship: Besides lack of privacy, another concerning issue with the online world today is censorship, especially in countries that don’t enjoy much online and press freedom. Internet censorship limits what you can see online in an attempt by some governments and organizations to control the flow of information. With a VPN, however, you can become anonymous and get around even the strongest censorship apparatuses like the Great Firewall of China.

>> Related: Three VPNs That Work In China

Private Browsing vs. a VPN: Which Should I Use?

We get this question a lot when discussing VPNs for MacBooks: Are VPNs better than Private Browsing?

The answer depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. In Private Browsing mode, Safari sort of closes its eyes to give you privacy. It won’t record your browsing history, cookies, and autofill information. It does keep your browsing private — for instance, from a roommate who likes to snoop — but it doesn’t stop websites, your internet provider, or the government from seeing your activity. If you want privacy from those, use a VPN.

That being said, a VPN won’t hide your search and browsing history , so if someone were to check your Safari history, they’ll see what you’ve been up to.

See where we’re going here? Safari’s Private Browsing mode and a VPN actually complement each other. The former prevents your browser from recording your activity, while the latter stops any sort of spying from outside sources.

Safari provides a great browsing experience. It’s one of the things we like most about our Apple devices. It’s elegant, functional, streamlined, and, most importantly, more secure than many other browsers.

However, Safari alone can’t protect you. When you’re on social media websites, connecting to public Wi-Fi, or downloading from online sources, you need a VPN to accompany you. You might as well choose one that works with Safari.

Don’t go away just yet. We’ve got a few more answers for you, below.

No, Apple does not recommend a specific VPN to use with its products. If you’re using a Safari browser on your Mac, we recommend NordVPN because it provides maximum security and fast speeds on Macs. Other great VPNs for Safari include ExpressVPN, IPVanish, and CyberGhost.

No, Safari does not come with a built-in VPN. We recommend you add one since without a VPN you are vulnerable when you log on to public Wi-Fi networks.

NordVPN does support Safari. In fact, NordVPN is at the top of our list when it comes to VPNs that work well with Safari. It is located outside Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes jurisdictions. In addition, it maintains a strict logging policy. Plus, it offers multi-hop technology, so all internet traffic is routed through multiple servers.

ExpressVPN works well with Safari. Not only is ExpressVPN one of the best VPNs out there on the market, but it also provides extras like split tunneling and Netflix access.

StatCounter. (2023). Browser Market Share United States Of America . gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/all/united-states-of-america

ExpressVPN. (2023). Split tunneling not supported on macOS 11 (Big Sur) and above . expressvpn.com/support/troubleshooting/split-tunneling-not-supported-macos-11/

Private Internet Access. (2023). Split Tunneling – Customize Your Security by App . privateinternetaccess.com/vpn-features/split-tunneling

WireGuard. (2023). WireGuard: Fast, Modren, Secure VPN Tunnel . wireguard.com/

Hulu. (2021). System recommendations for your computer . help.hulu.com/s/article/supported-computers

App Sealing. (2023). Understanding AES-128 Encryption And Its Significance In The Current Threat Landscape . appsealing.com/aes-128-encryption/

Apple. (2023). Change Privacy settings in Safari on Mac . support.apple.com/en-ge/guide/safari/sfri35610/mac

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> VPN > The Best VPNs for Safari in 2024

The Best VPNs for Safari in 2024

Need a quality VPN provider to protect and enhance your online travels in the Safari browser? Here are the top six VPNs for Safari.

The Safari web browser comes already installed with Apple devices, such as the iPad, iPhone and Mac. It’s no surprise that, with the popularity of Apple devices, Safari currently ranks as the second most popular browser in the world , with a 15.4% share of the market as of April 2022.

If you’re one of the many internet users who choose to browse online with Safari, I will show you how you can improve your browsing experience by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

• How Can a VPN Improve My Safari Browsing Experience?

A VPN encases your internet connection in a tunnel of encryption and routes it through the VPN’s servers. This makes you more secure online, hides your real location, and helps you gain access to more content, such as overseas video streams that are blocked by region.

The thing is, most VPNs don’t offer a Safari browser extension. This is because Apple doesn’t support many third-party extensions, and charges an annual fee to the ones it does.

But that’s okay because browser extensions don’t protect all of your online activities as a full VPN app does. In fact, I always recommend that users opt for a full VPN app rather than a browser extension, as it gives you more protection and covers all traffic from your device.

In this article, I go over the six best VPNs for use with the Safari browser.

• How to Use a VPN With Safari

In order to get started using a VPN with Safari, you need to take a few simple steps.

• Choose a VPN that works well with Safari and can provide robust security and privacy. I would also recommend choosing a VPN that can unblock content from overseas to give you options when traveling abroad. I’ve rated NordVPN as the best VPN for Safari.
• Install the VPN app for your device from your VPN provider’s website.
• Launch the VPN app, log into your account and select a VPN server to connect to .
• Once connected to the VPN server, launch the Safari web browser . When using the VPN app, all web traffic from your device, including the Safari browser, will be fully encrypted and safe from hackers and online surveillance.
• Best VPNs for Safari

If you’re looking for a quick answer on which VPNs are the best VPNs for Safari, you can read the summary below. I will go into more detail in the full review later on.

• NordVPN : #1 VPN pick for Safari. The provider offers lightning-fast speeds, strong security and privacy protections, and excellent content-unblocking ability.  
• Surfshark : Budget-priced Safari VPN. A newer, but growing, budget-priced VPN provider that performs very well on security, with reasonably good speeds and top-level security and encryption. Capable of unlocking major content streaming services.
• ExpressVPN : Premium Safari VPN. ExpressVPN was the only VPN to offer a dedicated Safari browser extension, but has dropped support for the extension. It offers fast speeds, excellent security, and a great content-unblocking ability.
• CyberGhost : Easy-to-use VPN for Safari. A VPN with top-level encryption standards and rapid speeds. Offers a large number of servers and is able to unblock big-name streaming websites, like Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
• Private Internet Access : Reliable protection for Safari. This well-established and respected VPN delivers comprehensive online protection and reliable access to geo-controlled content.
• PrivateVPN : Comprehensive online protection. This provider has a small but well laid out global server network, reliably unblocking geo-restricted content. Offers high levels of security and privacy.

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There's no catch, just contact support within the 30 day trial period if you decide the service isn't right for you and you'll get a full refund. Begin your NordVPN trial now .

To rank the best VPNs for Safari, I used the following criteria:

• Works well with Safari
• Strong security/encryption
• Good range of servers
• Can unblock streaming sites like Netflix
• Easy-to-use apps
• Best VPNs for Safari – Summary table

Below, I’ve compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for Safari.

Here are my full reviews of the top six VPNs for Safari.

Apps Available:

Website:   www.NordVPN.com

Money-back guarantee:   30 DAYS

NordVPN ranks as the #1 best VPN for Safari thanks to its solid encryption, comprehensive privacy protections, blazingly fast speeds, and extensive content-unblocking ability.

NordVPN has a large network of servers and several easy-to-use desktop and mobile apps, which work well and encrypt all traffic to and from your device. This includes any apps you have running in the background and any data sent while you are using the Safari browser.

Since there is no Safari browser plugin, you’ll have to use the full NordVPN desktop client or mobile version, which provides the best security. This includes 256-bit encryption, which is the same grade of security that the U.S. military uses.

NordVPN’s connection speeds scored as some of the fastest of all of the VPNs I’ve tested, making it an excellent provider if you have a need for speed.

Because NordVPN operates one of the largest VPN networks available, at the time of this article the provider had over 5,400 servers in 60 countries , you have the option to unblock content from almost anywhere around the globe.

In tests, I found several versions of the Netflix website, including U.S. and U.K. libraries, could be unblocked. You can also bypass geo-restrictions for BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video with this VPN.

There’s a number of top privacy and security settings available, including government-grade encryption, a kill switch , DNS and IP leak protection, and a zero-logs policy on user traffic and metadata. The provider also lets you pay with the privacy-friendly Bitcoin.

The provider owns and operates its entire global server network (keeping third-party operators away from your personal data). Plus, the provider runs all of its servers 100% exclusively from RAM. This means no data is written to a physical hard drive, erasing it whenever the server is rebooted.

There are apps available for devices operating on Windows, macOS (including M1 Mac support), Android, and iOS, as well as Amazon Fire, Android TV, and Linux. Also available is comprehensive router support.

• Encrypts Safari traffic to military standard
• Unblocks Netflix and BBC iPlayer
• Ridiculously fast speeds
• Strong privacy settings
• Large server network
• Connection to some servers can be slow

BEST VPN FOR SAFARI: NordVPN offers the best protection and performance for your Safari browsing adventures. The provider offers fast download speeds, extensive content-unblocking ability, and impressive security and privacy protections. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available.

Read our full review of NordVPN .

• 2. Surfshark

Website:   www.Surfshark.com

Surfshark offers its high level of service at a budget-friendly price. Although a relatively new VPN provider, it has already shown that it has strong capabilities.

It offers over 3,200 servers in 65+ countries, giving a wide range of access to different content. This includes the ability to bypass geo-restrictions on streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more. (The provider delivers access to more than 30 Netflix libraries around the globe.)

Speeds register as very fast , making it good for streaming TV online, and security is good for all traffic sent via Safari and on the rest of your device.

Available security features include bank-grade encryption and DNS and IP leak protection, while the Windows and Mac versions have a kill switch that automatically disconnects you from the internet should your connection to the VPN unexpectedly drop.

Privacy-wise, Surfshark does well, keeping no logs of your online activities and accepting Bitcoin in exchange for its services.

A popular feature of this VPN is its allowance of unlimited simultaneous connections to the VPN from a single plan, so every device can be covered.

Surfshark supports a wide range of platforms, including Windows, macOS (also offers M1 support), Android, iOS, Linux, Android TV, and Amazon Fire. The apps are user-friendly and have an easy-to-use interface. The provider also offers excellent router support.

• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu
• Speedy connections
• Advanced settings are missing

BEST FOR BUDGET: Surfshark offers its exceptional service at a surprisingly low price. The provider boasts fast speeds and an unlimited simultaneous connections policy, allowing you to connect as many devices as you want to its servers at once. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available.

Read our full review of Surfshark .

• 3. ExpressVPN

Website:   www.ExpressVPN.com

ExpressVPN was the only VPN service on this list that offered a dedicated browser extension for Safari. However, Safari version 12 and up changes the way browser extensions are allowed, and ExpressVPN dropped their browser extension support for Safari.

it should be noted that ExpressVPN’s app does work just fine with the Safari browser, and provides excellent protection with Safari and any other Mac browser.

When it comes to the full ExpressVPN app, connections are fast and reliable. There’s a large selection of servers, and at the time of writing, this includes 3,000+ servers in 160 locations across 94 countries .

ExpressVPN does an excellent job of unblocking geo-restricted content, and it’s able to stream Netflix U.S and U.K, Amazon Prime Video , Hulu , BBC iPlayer , and many of the growing number of network-based streaming services, including All 4 , ABC Go , and others.

The ExpressVPN desktop client and mobile app provide military-grade AES encryption of your data – Additional security features include a kill switch on the desktop version, IP and DNS leak protection, and a no-logs policy.

Privacy protections include the fact that ExpressVPN follows a no-logs policy and accepts Bitcoin as a secure payment method. All ExpressVPN servers are run exclusively from RAM, never writing any information to a physical hard drive. This ensures that all data is wiped from a server when it is rebooted.

Apps are available for all major operating systems, including iOS, Mac, Windows, and Android, as well as Amazon Fire, Linux, and Chrome OS. The provider offers some of the best router support in the industry, offering custom firmware for numerous routers.

There’s no free trial with ExpressVPN, but there is a 30-day “no-hassle” money-back guarantee.

• Fast connection speeds
• Military-grade encryption
• Unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, and more
• Operates a network of more than 3,000 servers spanning 94 countries
• More expensive than other VPNs
• Only allows 5 simultaneous connections

GREAT FOR STREAMING: If you have a hankering for international streaming content, ExpressVPN may be for you. Its fast speeds, excellent content-unblocking ability, and wide global server network allow you to access content all over the world. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available.

Read our full review of ExpressVPN .

• 4. CyberGhost

Website:   www.CyberGhost.com

Money-back guarantee:   45 DAYS

Using CyberGhost is easy thanks to apps that are quick to download, easy to install and simple to use, with a clean and intuitive interface.

All your web traffic sent through Safari will be encrypted to the current highest available standards, 256-bit. In addition, any background applications accessing the internet from your device will be encrypted, and all data will be secured.

If one of the reasons you’d like to use a VPN is to access geo-restricted content from around the world, CyberGhost performs well, unblocking all the major streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. One downside is that it currently struggles to unblock Amazon Prime Video.

There’s a good choice of servers, with over 7,900 servers in more than 90 countries . DNS and IP leak protection is available to mask your real IP address at all times, and there’s a kill switch that works on all supported platforms. Military-grade encryption is the standard here.

CyberGhost protects your privacy with a strict no-logs policy and an acceptance of Bitcoin as a private payment method.

Supported platforms include Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, Amazon Fire, and Android TV. Also available is compatibility with multiple routers.

CyberGhost also offers other security and privacy features, including password management, antivirus and anti-malware protection, a feature that alerts you when your email address is included in a data breach, Windows privacy customization and much more.

• Strong, secure encryption
• Easy-to-use desktop and mobile apps
• Good choice of server locations
• Has trouble unblocking Amazon Prime Video
• Not many advanced options

BEST FOR BEGINNERS: CyberGhost is a good choice for users looking to encrypt Safari browser traffic and all other traffic going to and from their device. Rapid speeds make it good to use for streaming, and the apps are very easy to use. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of CyberGhost .

• 5. Private Internet Access

Website:   www.privateinternetaccess.com

Private Internet Access VPN (PIA) provides reliable online protection and enhancement for Safari browser users, along with protecting users of other devices, browsers and routers.

PIA offers native app options for the Windows, Linux, macOS, Android and iOS device platforms. The provider also supports multiple router makes and models.

The provider’s global server network includes 3,300+ servers stationed in 80+ countries around the globe, providing reliable access to geo-fenced content around the globe.

Although this provider’s connection speeds are not as fast as the other VPNs on this list, it can easily handle any of your favorite online activities (as long as your usual ISP-provided download speeds can handle them, of course).

All PIA-provided connections are well-protected by government-grade encryption, IP/DNS leak prevention and a kill switch . The provider also offers ad and tracker blocking, malware protection and malicious sites.

The provider’s servers save no server logs of any kind. Plus, the provider accepts Bitcoin, keeping your payment information incognito when you use a disposable email address to sign up.

The provider covers your support needs, via a live support chat option, a trouble ticket form and a searchable support library.

Up to 10 devices can be simultaneously connected on a single user account.

• Protects Safari and other online activities
• Excellent online security and privacy
• Up to 10 devices can be connected at once
• No streaming or downloading-optimized servers
• Has issues working properly in some restrictive regions

WELL-ESTABLISHED VPN: Private Internet Access  provides comprehensive online protection for most popular devices. An impressive global server network provides access to geo-protected content in most areas of the world. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available.

Read our full review of Private Internet Access .

• 6. PrivateVPN

Website:   www.PrivateVPN.com

PrivateVPN is a smaller VPN in terms of the size of its server network, with just 200 servers available to choose from. However, the servers within this network are well distributed across 60 countries, giving it a good reach.

The desktop and mobile apps are easy to use and can provide high-level encryption for all data going to and from your device on the internet, including all web traffic on Safari.

Users will be able to change their IP via the VPN connection and access restricted content from around the globe, including streaming sites like BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Netflix video content.

PrivateVPN is also one of the fastest VPNs currently on the market, making it a good choice for watching video content, and users should have no problems with buffering or lag, even when watching in HD.

Privacy is assured, as PrivateVPN makes it almost impossible for anyone to access your details. There’s a zero-logging policy , and even your ISP can’t see what you’re doing online.

Easy-to-use apps are available for iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. No browser extensions to be found here. However, router support is.

The provider’s support options include live chat, email, a contact form and a FAQ page.

• Great speeds
• Excellent customer support
• Unblocks Netflix U.S., U.K., and others
• Live chat is not available 24/7
• Small number of servers

GREAT SPEEDS: PrivateVPN protects your traffic sent through Safari with top encryption standards and privacy features, and it delivers some of the fastest VPN speeds available. A downside is that the provider’s server network is relatively small. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of PrivateVPN .

• Methodology for Assessing VPNs for Safari

While Safari does offer some excellent online privacy features on its own, it doesn’t change the fact that browsing the web can be perilous. The categories below are what I consider when ranking VPN providers for use while with Safari:

• Safari Device Compatibility: While none of the VPNs on this list currently offer a Safari extension, all of them offer apps for the macOS, iOS and iPadOS device platforms. This ensures that all of your Safari-related browsing is well-protected and enhanced.
• Security and Privacy: A VPN should protect its users’ connections with (at the very least) banking-level encryption, a kill switch and DNS /IP leak protection. A VPN should never save server logs recording your online activities. All of the VPNs on my lists offer this and more.
• Connection Speed: Slow connection speeds can make a browsing session less than enjoyable. The less a VPN slows down your internet connection, the better. None of the VPNs on my list slows down your connection to an unusable level.
• Value: A VPN should never ask for more than its worth. Their asking price should be in line with their service offerings. All of the VPNs on my list deliver a good value for the money.
• Ease of Use: Ease of use is an important factor to consider when mulling VPNs, as you’ll likely be using your Safari browser off and on during the day. The VPNs on my list offer easy-to-use apps providing fast connections for most popular platforms, including macOS, iOS and iPadOS.
• Server Network: A large global server network provides reliable access to geo-fenced content around the globe. Look for a provider that has a large number of servers in each location, helping to prevent individual servers from having its performance taking a hit by being overloaded with too many users at once.
• Streaming: Streaming video is a popular activity among online users. Any VPN worth considering should offer access to popular streaming services. Most VPNs that I include on my lists deliver reliable access to many popular streamers, such as Netflix , Amazon Prime Video , Hulu and others.

While the above list covers many factors that should be considered when mulling over a VPN decision, the research does not end here. This list is just a small part of what I research as part of my comprehensive VPN testing methodology . This approach helps me to better understand VPN providers and their services.

• Why Is a Full VPN Better Than a Browser Extension?

Many VPN providers offer a lightweight browser extension for Google Chrome and Firefox, but none that I have seen offer a Safari browser extension.

It is possible that Apple’s notorious compatibility issues and its selectivity when it comes to approving third-party apps are the reasons why most VPN providers don’t offer browser extensions for Safari . The Cupertino firm also now requires that all Safari browser extensions be approved by them.

This is not a major problem, though, as browser extensions are not full VPNs and cannot deliver the best security and privacy standards for your device. A full VPN can cover all your Safari browser traffic in addition to the rest of your device’s traffic, all at the same time.

Web browser extensions work via encrypted proxies that act as a middle man, hiding your real location. This server sits between your web browser and the internet, obscuring your real IP address and replacing it with the server’s IP instead.

This kind of proxy server can be used in your browser to bypass geo-restricted content and encrypt your traffic. However, browsers have a vulnerability to WebRTC leaks, which can expose your IP address. A full VPN is able to protect you against WebRTC leaks, keeping your security intact.

• What Browser Is Right for You?

When using a browser to use the web, there are a number of factors that influence which one is best for you.

These can include compatibility with your operating system, speed, built-in security features, compatibility with other plugins, VPNs, and tools that you may want to use.

Below, you can find a quick overview of the pros and cons of each browser.  This can be used to help you decide which browser will best fit your needs.

The Onion Router (TOR)

Tor is considered one of the most secure and private browsers around. It offers a little bit more than a standard browser, offering a suite of security tools.

Traffic in the Tor browser is routed via random points around the world, making your online activity very difficult to track. Tor also blocks tracking cookies and store no data.

On the negative side, the performance of Tor can be slow.

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge browser is a secure and fast web browser. It comes with Windows 10 and is now also available on Android and iOS. It performs well at blocking malware and phishing websites.

This browser is bulky, at 23 MB compared to other mainstream browsers, like Chrome and Firefox, which are much lighter. Another negative is that Microsoft Edge isn’t compatible with Mac computers or PCs running early versions of Windows.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is the most popular browser available today, with over 1 billion users worldwide.

The browser offers reliable and fast performance, it’s compatible with countless plugins, and it can be extended and tweaked to really make it a personal experience that works for you. Most top-tier VPNs also offer a dedicated Chrome plugin.

Privacy can be a concern, as Google collects and uses user data, and the browser is quite resource-hungry, not performing well on machines without adequate RAM.

Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is a very light and fast browser with lots of functionality.

It’s light on system resources, so it can be used even on older laptops or systems with less RAM. Firefox is great for privacy tools, and as it’s produced by Mozilla, a non-profit company, it does not have the same incentive to sell user data, as other browsers do.

Firefox has a decent number of compatible plugins and can block ad trackers. Most top-tier VPNs also make a browser extension that is compatible with Firefox.

Safari is native to Apple’s iOS and macOS and is the best browser for Apple devices. Safari is also compatible with Android phones and tablets, but it doesn’t work with Windows-based PCs.

Safari is fast to launch and load pages quickly, and it does a great job of warning users about dangerous websites, malware, and phishing.

Safari can’t match browsers like Firefox and Chrome for plugins and customization options. However, it does offer added privacy protections over Edge, Firefox, and Chrome.

• Which VPNs Offer VPN Extensions for Safari?

At the time of writing, none of the major VPN providers offer VPN extensions for Safari.

• What Is the Best iPhone VPN?

The best VPN for Safari is also the best VPN for iPhone: NordVPN. With its fast connections, iPhone native app and more, the VPN will offer excellent service for both Safari and iPhones. See my Best VPN for iPhone article for more information.

• Does Safari Have a VPN?

No, Safari has no integrated VPN functionality. That makes it important to get a VPN app to protect your internet travels while you're using Safari.

Encrypting your web traffic comes with many benefits, including better online security and the option to stop anyone else from seeing your online activity, even your ISP.

NordVPN is the best VPN for Safari. Although it doesn’t offer a standalone Safari browser extension, considering the fact that it’s safer to just use a full VPN app, NordVPN is the best option. Its lightning-fast speeds, wide global server coverage, and strong security and privacy protections make it attractive.

Contents [ hide ]

Roundup - best VPNs for speed

Privacy alert: websites you visit can see these details about you:.

The following information is available to any site you visit:

Your IP Address:

Your Location:

Your Internet Provider:

This information can be used to target ads and monitor your internet usage.

By using a VPN you can hide these details and protect your privacy.

I recommend NordVPN - the top provider in my testing . It offers outstanding privacy features and there is currently a discounted rate available through this link .

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iOS 17 Safari makes private browsing more secure — here's how

You can use Face ID to lock private browsing tabs in Safari

The private browsing feature in iOS 17 Safari gets an extra layer of privacy, as the your private browsing tabs can now lock when you're not using the feature. But to make sure prying passersby don't see your browsing activity, you've first go to turn on locked private browsing in iOS 17 .

When you turn on locked private browsing, you're setting things up so that your open tabs can only be unlocked with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. The advantage of having that safeguard in place should be clear — no one will be able to see your private browsing tabs except for you. That way, you can keep those tabs open when you need to move on to other things, secure in the knowledge that whatever sites you've visited in Safari will remain private.

Here's how to turn on locked private browsing in iOS 17, as well as as a guide to the updated interface for private browsing in mobile Safari.

How to turn on locked private browsing

1. go to safari settings.

Launch the Settings app , and scroll down until you find Safari. (It's in the block of settings that contain the other built-in iOS apps.) Tap Safari .

2. Turn on locked private browsing

In the Safari setting screen, scroll down to the Privacy & Security section. There's an entry for Require Face ID to Unlock Private Browsing. Move the slider right to turn on the feature.

For phones without Face ID — essentially the iPhone SE, at this point — the menu item lets you require Touch ID instead.

Once that slider is set, your private browsing sessions will now require you to unlock the page using Face ID (or Touch ID) before you can view any open tabs. You can also unlock pages by tapping Unlock and entering your passcode.

As a reminder, here's how to enter private browsing in Safari on your iPhone.

1. Go to the tabs page

In Safari, tap the tabs button . (It's the one on the far right of Safari's menu bar at the bottom of the screen.)

2. Launch private browsing

Swipe right on the tab menu so that the private browsing tab now appears on the center of the page. Tap Done to begin private browsing.

3. Turn on iCloud Private Relay (optional)

If you subscribe to iCloud Plus, you've got access to Private Relay . That's a a VPN-esque proxy service that encrypts your data and masks your IP address and DNS requests. That way, website and network operators can't build a profile using your browsing history.

Safari was just one of the apps to get an update as part of iOS 17, as you can see in our iOS 17 review . We can also show you how to take advantage of other new iOS 17 features, such as how to download offline maps in iOS 17 Maps , how to use the new Check In features in Messages and how to use gestures in FaceTime video chats.

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Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.

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5 Best VPNs for Safari: Tested & Verified

• Written by Bram Jansen
• Fact-checked by Kevin Parker
• Updated on January 5, 2024

NordVPN is the best VPN for Safari browsers if you want to surf the internet anonymously.

It has a reliable ad and tracker blocker that keeps pop-up ads and other malicious trackers at bay. The VPN also has unique user privacy features to stop snooping parties like your ISP from seeing your Safari browsing history.

Alternative VPNs that can get the job done include Private Internet Access ( reliable ad blocker ), ExpressVPN ( fastest Safari VPN ), CyberGhost ( best for accessing restricted content ), and Surfshark ( affordable price plans ).

Top 3 VPNs for Safari Browser

ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN on this list, perfect for fast downloads and buffer-free streaming on Safari. It features AES 256-bit encryption and a kill switch for IP and DNS leak protection. ExpressVPN is also compatible with iOS and macOS.

NordVPN has Threat Protection against malware, trackers, and ads and can be triggered through Siri. It also offers encryption for keeping snoopers out and a kill switch for IP leak protection. Likewise, you get fast streaming and download speeds on Safari with this MacOS- and iOS-compatible VPN.

Private Internet Access is equipped with PIA MACE, which handles all Safari ads, trackers, and malicious links. It also features military-grade encryption, IP leak protection, and fast speeds to handle buffer-free streaming. The VPN is compatible with macOS and iOS too.

Compared to other browsers like Google Chrome (notorious for data collection), Safari is a little more advanced regarding user privacy and security. For instance, Safari’s private mode allows users to control the information they share online.

However, keeping track of privacy and security settings can be daunting for most Safari users, especially new ones. This is why a VPN is necessary, as it encrypts everything that goes through it.

Keep Trackers & Annoying Ads Away and Browse Anonymously on Safari With These VPNs

You can keep your Safari browsing activities hidden from prying eyes like your ISP by using any of these 5 VPNs:

• NordVPN – Most Reliable Privacy and Security Features for Safari Browser
• Private Internet Access – Best Tracker and Ad Blocker for Safari Browser
• ExpressVPN – Fastest VPN for Safari Browser
• CyberGhost – User-Friendly macOS and iOS Apps
• Surfshark – Best for Multiple Devices Using Safari Browser

Streaming on Safari for my tests was surprisingly smooth for each VPN. 

I used base internet speeds of 30 Mbps for all the speed tests, which is sufficient for 4K content without issues.

5 Best VPNs for Anonymous Browsing on Safari

This is a detailed head-to-head comparison of how these 5 VPN providers work with the Safari browser and the main features that make them tick. By the end, you should know how to set up a VPN for Safari to get the most out of it without compromising your privacy.

NordVPN - Most Reliable Privacy and Security Features for Safari Browser

NordVPN has a Threat Protection ad blocker that scored 65/100 on the adblocker test on the Safari browser. In real-life tests, I didn’t experience severe pop-up ads when I opened Pirate Bay , a notoriously ad-ridden platform , to grab some torrent files.

Furthermore, this VPN app provider offers military-grade encryption , which stops unauthorized monitoring of your Safari browsing activities.

That’s why I can use the VPN to queue up torrents , access my online banking safely , and log in to online accounts on the public WiFi at my favorite Starbucks .

Another critical security feature is the kill switch that disconnects your internet when your VPN connection drops. That stops your IP address from being seen by advertisers, your ISP, or other trackers on the Safari browser.

NordVPN is also the only service here that has Siri support. 

Thus, I created a simple, personalized shortcut for Siri on my Macbook to automatically launch the VPN through a simple voice command.

Mac users can also download NordVPN directly from the NordVPN official website or install it directly from the App Store. I prefer the App Store version because the updates are automatic, unlike the other version.

Moving on, I averaged 26 Mbps with NordVPN using the NordLynx protocol and a P2P server . Thus, streaming You on Netflix through the Safari browser was smooth without buffering.

The other good news is that NordVPN is compatible with macOS and iOS , the two native Safari-enabled devices. Likewise, you can use this Safari VPN on up to six devices simultaneously !

Grab this NordVPN discount and enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• Features “Threat Protection” to block malware, trackers, and ads
• Reliable encryption plus IP leak protection
• Fast and stable speeds for streaming and downloads
• Compatible with Apple Voice Control
• Has native apps for iOS and macOS
• No Safari extension

Private Internet Access - Best Tracker and Ad Blocker for Safari Browser

Private Internet Access’s ad-blocker, MACE, scored 73/100 on my ad blocker test, the highest on this list. When activated, it managed to keep out a lot of ads on most of my favorite anime streaming services like Crunchyroll when browsing through Safari.

In fact, this is a much better option than premium standalone Safari ads and malware blockers that cost a lot.

Like the other VPNs, PIA has industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption , which keeps your internet traffic safe from snoopers, your ISP, or anyone else.

I tested it via Wireshark, and the VPN passed my encryption test with flying colors.

This VPN service is the only alternative with two kill switches for macOS and iOS . You get the regular VPN kill switch and an advanced kill switch , preventing IP leaks if your VPN connection randomly drops.

PIA doesn’t come with Siri voice control, though, so you have to launch it the traditional way every time. It also lacks a Safari browser extension like ExpressVPN, but its app is safe enough anyway.

However, after several tests with different VPN servers, it scored the slowest speeds, averaging 22 Mbps . But 22 Mbps is still plenty, even for 1080p HD streaming , so I didn’t experience any issues when watching Poker Face on the web version of Peacock through Safari.

You can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously via PIA and enjoy safe Safari browsing. Besides having more connectivity options than NordVPN, it’s also less expensive !

Remember to check out our exciting discount deals if Private Internet Access meets your needs.

• Features PIA MACE, which blocks trackers, ads and malware on Safari
• AES 256-bit encryption + 2 macOS kill switches to prevent IP leaks
• Reliable speeds for streaming and downloads
• Offers 10 simultaneous device connections
• Cheaper than NordVPN
• Slowest speeds

ExpressVPN - Fastest VPN for Safari Browser

ExpressVPN is the only alternative on this list without an adblocker.

Still, it more than makes up for that with its stellar speeds and top-notch security. Furthermore, Safari’s website tracking and Hide IP address features can more than handle most of the ads-related issues you may face anyway.

Using the Lightway UDP protocol , ExpressVPN averaged 29 Mbps , handling everything I threw at it without buffering: from live streaming to heavy downloads.

The military-grade encryption offered by this Safari VPN also ensured no prying eyes as I hopped from one site to another. In this case, I tested a few ExpressVPN servers for IP and DNS leak tests , all of which came back negative !

To further bolster your privacy on Safari, ExpressVPN has a Network Lock kill switch for IP leak protection in case of a VPN connection drop.

I switched from WiFi to mobile on my iPhone, and that momentary disruption triggered the kill switch, disabling the internet until the VPN connection was restored.

Although ExpressVPN has an extension for the Safari browser , it isn’t supported on the latest browser versions. Fortunately, the VPN app itself is more than enough.

You can also install ExpressVPN on iOS and macOS, as well as other operating systems that allow you to download the Safari browser (PC, Android, etc.). However, you can only connect up to 5 devices simultaneously with ExpressVPN , lesser than the other listed providers offer.

Likewise, it’s the most expensive on this list. Fortunately, we have fantastic discounts you should take advantage of right now.

• AES 256-bit encryption + a kill switch for user security and privacy
• Fastest speeds for Safari streaming and downloads
• It offers a dedicated Safari browser extension
• No ad blocker
• Only 5 simultaneous device connections

CyberGhost - User-Friendly macOS and iOS Apps

CyberGhost has a clean app interface. Thus, finding the features you need for a smooth Safari browsing experience on a preferred device isn’t complicated.

This VPN also features an adblocker ( Block Content) that only works with the WireGuard protocol. But it only scored 47/100 , lower than NordVPN and PIA. Thus, a few ads slipped through on some sites I tested it with.

CyberGhost also uses industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption that prevents external parties (like advertisers and your ISP) from monitoring your online activities over Safari.

You don’t have to worry about your IP address leaking accidentally when the VPN connection drops, either. There’s a reliable kill switch that disconnects your internet until the VPN reconnects, keeping your actual details safe during that window.

Unlike ExpressVPN, though, CyberGhost doesn’t have a VPN Safari browser extension.

As for the speeds, CyberGhost averaged 25 Mbps across a few servers I tested it with. These speeds ensured I loaded pages quickly, streamed 4K movies onto my external screen , and downloaded huge files in record time.

CyberGhost has desktop and mobile apps for Safari browser-supported devices, and you can connect up to 7 devices simultaneously .

If this sounds like something for you, grab your CyberGhost discount deals .

• AES 256-bit encryption + a kill switch for security and IP leak protection
• Reliable and stable speeds for streaming, gaming and downloads
• Has native apps for Safari-supported devices
• Reliable ad blocker
• Slower than ExpressVPN

Surfshark - Best for Multiple Devices Using Safari Browser

First, Surfshark offers an ad and tracker blocker called CleanWeb , which fared the same as CyberGhost (47/100) in my testing. That meant some aggressive ads beat CleanWeb, but it’s better than ExpressVPN , which has nothing against these ads .

On top of this, Surfshark’s military-grade encryption also keeps other parties from seeing what you’re up to when browsing the internet using the Safari browser. The VPN passed the Wireshark test with flying colors, proving the encryption is real.

You also get a kill switch that shuts down your internet promptly when your VPN connection is compromised. This may sound inconvenient, but it saves you from further damage by preventing potential IP and DNS leaks .

But there’s no Safari extension support , falling behind ExpressVPN in that department.

Impressively, Surfshark was the second fastest VPN on this list after ExpressVPN, with 27 Mbps . I don’t need to say that it breezed through 4K movies on Netflix without hiccups and ensured fast downloads over RARBG and The Pirate Bay .

One of Surfshark’s most significant selling points is its unlimited simultaneous connections . That allows you to connect as many devices (Apple or otherwise) with the Safari browser installed or for other purposes!

Even at that, Surfshark is one of the cheapest providers when you use our discount offers .

• AES 256-bit encryption and IP leak protection
• Fast, reliable, and stable speeds
• CleanWeb for blocking ads, trackers, and malware
• Unlimited device connections

How to Set up a VPN for Safari Browser?

Setting up a VPN for the Safari browser is easy. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide:

• Download and install a reliable Safari VPN. I’ll recommend NordVPN ( get discounts ) for the best performance.

• Launch the VPN and log in with your details. You’ll be redirected to the NordVPN login page to complete your login.

• Ensure you have NordLynx protocol selected, and also check to see if the Threat Protection feature is active.

• Connect to a VPN server of your choice.

• Launch the Safari browser and enjoy surfing the internet anonymously.

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What Is the Best Free VPN for Safari Browser?

AtlasVPN is the best free VPN for anonymous Safari browser usage. 

It offers AES 256-bit encryption that blocks surveillance from ISPs, and you also get a kill switch for IP and DNS leak protection. However, it only provides three servers and a 5GB monthly bandwidth limit which may restrict your security and privacy applications.

Does Safari Track Users?

Safari browser doesn’t actively track its iPhone, iPad, or Mac users. 

In fact, it’s one of the few browsers that provides users with tools that prevent tracking attempts by advertisers and other parties. However, these tools may not be aggressive enough to block everyone, so using a VPN to improve your privacy further is highly recommended.

Now, You Can Browse in Peace!

The Safari browser may have reliable user privacy features, but I recommend using NordVPN for extra privacy and online data security.

Ensure to use its Threat Protection feature and in-house NordLynx protection to enjoy iron-clad encryption, IP leak protection, and incredible speeds over Safari.

Ready? Grab your discounted NordVPN subscription now.

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8 Best VPNs for Safari in 2024

If you’re a macOS or iOS user, you already have the Safari browser installed in your computer system. Since all major VPN services offer apps for macOS and iOS users, you should have no problem finding a VPN service to keep your personal data secure from snooping third parties while you use the internet. In this article, I’ll go through some of the reasons to consider using a VPN and which ones are the best for Safari.

VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, are privacy tools that are useful for both keeping you secure online and unblocking geo-restricted streaming content. VPNs will secure your traffic with a layer of encryption and route it through an intermediary server located somewhere else in the world before your internet service provider (ISP) has a chance to look through your browsing history. The encryption also keeps your personally identifiable data from being exposed to third parties. If you’re mainly interested in streaming high-definition video content unavailable in your region, then you’re in luck – a VPN will give you the appearance of watching a streaming service from another country, which means you will be able to access geo-restricted content on streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu while you’re traveling abroad.

I’ll go into each of these VPNs in detail, but for now, here’s a quick summary of my top picks.

Best VPNs for Safari:

• NordVPN : The best VPN for Safari users . Grants access to thousands of fast servers around the world that can smoothly stream HD video. Zero logs. Comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Surfshark : A budget VPN that meets a high standard for security and speed. Works well with Safari on iOS and macOS devices and offers unlimited simultaneous connections.
• ExpressVPN : Remarkably fast speeds for HD streaming on iOS and macOS devices. Keeps no logs and employs strong encryption.
• CyberGhost : A user-friendly Safari VPN great for beginners. Offers 9,000+ servers in 91+ countries around the world, making it the largest server network on this list.
• PrivateVPN : A VPN newcomer that works great on Safari and is a great choice for streaming HD video.
• IPVanish : Fast speeds, strong privacy protections, and no connection limit. Works seamlessly on Safari.
• Private Internet Access : A lightweight and secure option that works seamlessly with many browsers including Safari.
• Atlas VPN : A fast option that can unblock many different services. It also works well with Safari.

While there are many great VPNs on the market today, some are better for Safari users than others. I’ve assembled this list of VPNs based on the following criteria:

• Compatible with macOS and iOS devices
• Fast streaming speeds
• Powerful encryption standards
• Lifts geographic restrictions

For more information about the criteria I used, make sure you check out my in-depth testing methodology section later in this article.

• The Best VPNs for Safari

Here is my list of the best VPNs for Safari:

NordVPN is my top pick VPN for Safari users. This fast, privacy-oriented VPN can be installed on macOS and iOS to protect the internet traffic running through your Safari browser. Apps are available for Windows, Android, and Linux as well, with the latter requiring manual configuration. It allows up to six simultaneous connections under a single account.

The provider doesn’t include a Safari browser extension, but it does include an HTTP proxy that can be configured with your browser. Web proxies aren’t as effective at protecting your privacy as VPNs, however, as they don’t encrypt your internet traffic or provide any other security benefits.

NordVPN’s security offerings include 256-bit AES encryption, 2,048-bit SSL keys, DNS leak protection, and a strict no-logs policy . That means none of your personal data will be stored on the company’s servers, so you will be able to use the internet anonymously.

It runs one of the largest server networks on the market with more than 5,600 servers in 59+ countries to choose from. It offers specialty servers that are optimized for anti-DDoS, video streaming networks, double VPN, Tor over VPN, and dedicated IP. NordVPN can circumvent geographical restrictions on popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer, and it also supports torrenting .

• Compatible with macOS, and iOS
• Remarkable connection speeds
• Over 5,600 servers worldwide
• Safari-compatible HTTP proxy
• Military-grade encryption and strong security protections
• The desktop app is somewhat challenging for VPN novices

BEST VPN FOR SAFARI: NordVPN is my favorite VPN to use with Safari. Strongest security standards in the industry including a zero-logs policy. Comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

• 2. Surfshark

Surfshark is perfect for Safari users on a budget. Even at a low price, Surfshark offers great security features such as 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and protection against WebRTC, IPv6, and DNS leaks. If you own a large number of devices, this provider will protect all of them with its unlimited simultaneous connections . There are over 3,200 servers to choose from, most of which are great for streaming HD content.

Surfshark follows a no-logs policy and lets customers sign up anonymously by accepting payments in Bitcoin , Ethereum, and Ripple. Although it doesn’t feature a Safari browser extension, it does offer apps for macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. Supported internet routers can be manually configured with the app.

• Strong emphasis on privacy and security
• Fast connection speeds are suitable for HD streaming from abroad
• Unmetered connections
• You might run into a few slow servers here and there
• Customer support can be hard to reach

TOP BUDGET CHOICE: Surfshark is great for families who need to protect a lot of devices. Comes with reliable security protections that you can trust, including a zero-logs policy. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• 3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN covers all operating systems that Safari comes with by default, including macOS and iOS. It is the only VPN on this list that comes with a dedicated Safari browser extension . It will also run on Windows and Android operating systems as well as Amazon Fire TV Stick, Amazon Fire TV, Kindle Fire tablets, and Linux devices. Five simultaneous connections are permitted at once.

ExpressVPN’s robust security offerings include 256-bit AES encryption with the OpenVPN protocol, and 4096-bit RSA encryption for session establishment – the strongest encryption available on the market today. Other security features include automatic WiFi protection and a kill switch to halt all web traffic in the event of a sudden loss of connection, keeping you from using the web without encryption.

Its server network is spread across 94+ countries and gives users a wide selection of 3,000+ servers to choose from, making ExpressVPN a good choice for those who are mainly interested in unblocking geo-restricted streaming content.

• Thousands of fast servers worldwide for streaming, downloading, and gaming
• Military-grade encryption and strong privacy protections
• Bypasses geo-blocks easily
• Safari browser extension
• One of the more expensive VPNs
• Isn’t the most customizable VPN

STREAM ANYTHING: ExpressVPN is a great VPN for streaming HD video , but it doesn’t slack when it comes to privacy, either. It’s the only VPN in this list with a dedicated Safari browser extension. Try it for 30 risk-free days.

• 4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a user-friendly VPN that works with Mac OS X, macOS, and iOS, but does not feature a Safari browser extension. Apps are available for Windows and Android as well, and can be manually configured on some routers and Linux systems.

CyberGhost is a suitable option for those who have never used a VPN before due to its easy-to-use interface . Users can select a server based on the desired activity, such as downloading or streaming, and even lets you select a server by streaming service. Up to five devices can be protected simultaneously.

It offers a server network of over 9,000 servers in 91+ countries and includes a special cloaking option for additional protection in countries with strong government restrictions on internet services. Your traffic is secured with AES 256-bit encryption and 4096-bit RSA encryption for session establishment. CyberGhost features a built-in kill switch and automatic WiFi protection.

• 9,000+ servers in 91+ countries
• Optimized servers for high-performance streaming and security
• Tough encryption protocol
• Easy for novices
• No Safari browser extension
• Experienced VPN users may want to look elsewhere for customizable features

FIRST-TIME VPN: CyberGhost is beginner-friendly. Largest server network on this list. Great for streaming and secure online browsing. Comes with a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.

• 5. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN is another no-logs VPN that offers access to 200+ servers in 63+ countries. Your Safari browser is protected with apps for macOS and iOS devices. Apps are also available for Windows and Android, and can be manually configured on supported routers, Amazon fire devices, and Linux operating systems.

With PrivateVPN, your internet connection is secured with 256-bit AES encryption on the OpenVPN protocol. This VPN also includes a kill switch and automatic WiFi protection to keep you safe on unsecured public networks. PrivateVPN’s customer support is available during Swedish business hours via live chat, and they can even take control of your computer remotely to configure your VPN for you, with your permission.

A single account will grant you a total of 10 simultaneous connections and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• Compatible with Mac OS X, macOS, and iOS devices
• Excellent suite of security features
• Unblocks and streams just about anything
• Small server network
• Customer support only available during Swedish business hours

GOOD ALL-ROUNDER: PrivateVPN is a great VPN for streaming, but maintains high security standards as well. Doesn’t have 24/7 support or very many servers. Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• 6. IPVanish

IPVanish is a reliable VPN service for both streaming and privacy purposes. Its server network spans over 2,000 servers in 75+ locations around the world. It doesn’t feature a Safari browser extension, but apps are available for macOS and iOS operating systems. Additional apps are available on Windows and Android devices, and can be manually configured on Amazon Fire devices and routers. IPVanish is one of the few VPNs that permits an unlimited number of simultaneous connections .

Although the company is based in the United States and is therefore vulnerable to the demands of law enforcement agencies like the NSA, customers’ data is fortified with 256-bit AES encryption on the OpenVPN protocol. Other security features include a kill switch and automatic WiFi protection. Furthermore, IPVanish keeps no logs on its users’ data, which means that the company wouldn’t be able to disclose your information to the authorities even if they wanted to.

• Compatible with Mac OS X, macOS, and iOS
• 256-bit AES encryption, kill switch, automatic WiFi protection
• Stores no logs
• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Relatively small server network
• Doesn’t work in China

NO CONNECTION LIMIT: IPVanish emphasizes security above all. Doesn’t consistently work with Netflix but it comes with powerful security protections and a zero-logs policy. Features a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• 7. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a lightweight option that makes use of the fast and efficient WireGurd VPN protocol. This ensures that users have the speed that they need when carrying out activities such as streaming. It works well with Safari too, allowing users to access services like YouTube TV and BBC iPlayer. PIA’s app interfaces can be customized as well to suit your preferences.

The provider also has strong security measures in place. These include AES 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and split tunneling. This service also stores no logs.

PIA also provides apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. In addition, PIA has an excellent customer service team in place. They are available 24/7 via live chat. 10 simultaneous connections are also allowed.

• Strong security measures are in place
• PIA can provide secure access to many different services
• The fast and efficient WireGuard protocol is supported
• Several customization options are available
• Doesn’t work reliably in China
• App design is lacking in some ways
• 8. Atlas VPN

Atlas VPN has servers in over 40 locations. In total, this provider has more than 750 servers and its network is fast enough to allow for the streaming of services such as Netflix without lag or buffering . While this provider’s VPN network isn’t the largest, it offers high-quality service and is a great choice for browsers such as Safari.

In addition, Atlas VPN has strong security features including AES 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and protection against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks. This service stores no logs either. There are also MultiHop servers available that can encrypt your data twice .

Apps are available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. An unlimited number of connections is also supported.

• Able to access many different streaming services
• Fast connection speeds
• MultiHop servers encrypt data twice
• No identifying logs are stored
• Customer service could use some improvement
• Methodology: How I found the best VPNs for Safari

Not all VPNs work with Safari, so I try and test each VPN myself to check for compatibility. There are also other aspects I consider before recommending a VPN to my readers. Here are some of the criteria I use when assessing VPNs for Safari:

• Sever network : I look at the number of servers available and their geographical coverage. This ensures that there are enough servers for busy periods and that you can use the VPN when traveling to different international destinations.
• Speeds:  The speed of a VPN is incredibly important, especially if you are using it for streaming, gaming, or downloading. I run my own speed tests to ensure that the Safari VPN can maintain good speeds over an extended period of time.
• Privacy and security : Any decent VPN will have some security measures in place, but only the best services will include premium safety features. Things I look for include AES encryption, a n0-logs policy , and a reliable network kill switch.
• Compatibility : The VPN is tried and tested on Safari and is only recommended if it works perfectly on the browser. Following that, I also check the VPN on different browsers, operating systems, and devices. This is particularly important if you want to protect multiple devices.
• Safari VPN FAQs
• Can I get a free VPN for Safari?

Yes, you can, but I strongly suggest avoiding free VPNs. VPNs are intended to be tools that protect your privacy, not compromise it – and yet free VPNs often leave their users more exposed to security threats than they would otherwise be without using one. If an online service is free, that raises the question: how are they making their money?

Some providers profit from collecting and selling their users’ personally identifiable information to third parties without the users’ knowledge or consent. These third parties are usually advertisers. Free VPN providers have also been known to insert ads into the user’s browser , and some even come with malware . A reputable, paid VPN service protects your data online with a layer of encryption, but a large number of free VPNs don’t even include that. Without encryption, a VPN is hardly a VPN at all, and free providers lure their users into a false sense of security that can expose them to serious security threats.

Performance is an issue as well. Usually, free VPN providers lack the resources to invest in a large number of fast and secure servers, so there is a high chance that your internet browsing experience will be disrupted with frequent interruptions, buffering, and dropped connections. They operate only a handful of servers that tend to overflow with more users than the servers can handle, so speeds are typically slow, or at least unreliable.

If you're on a tight budget, then check out my list of cheap VPNs .

• Browser extension or VPN app: Which is best?

Whenever you have the option between using a VPN browser extension or a VPN app, it is always better to go with the app. VPN browser extensions will only encrypt communications passing through your browser and leave every other internet-connected process on your computer wide open to monitoring. That means each of your unencrypted internet communications will use your real IP address and every computer you’re connected to will see it, including internet service providers.

• Is Safari browser available for Windows?

To use Safari on a Windows operating system, you will need to download Safari 5.1.7. This version runs on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

• How do I uninstall and reinstall Safari on Mac?

Because Safari is built into the Mac operating system since OS X El Capitan (10.11), Safari can’t be uninstalled individually without the use of third-party tools. If you still want to uninstall it, download the free CleanMyMac X utility and follow these steps:

• Run CleanMyMac X and select Preferences from the top menu.
• Click Ignore list and select Uninstaller.
• In the Uninstaller option, uncheck Ignore system applications.
• Scroll through the list of installed applications in the Unistaller tab.
• Click on Safari and select Complete Uninstallation.
• Press the Remove button at the bottom of the screen.

To reinstall the browser, you will have to manually update Safari by performing the following:

• Click on the Apple icon at the start of the top menu bar on your desktop and select App Store from the drop-down menu.
• In the App Store, click on the Updates top menu option.
• Look for the Software Update option and click on More in the description of the item.
• Look for Safari in the list and click the Update button on that line.
• Is browsing in Safari's private mode the same as using a VPN?

No, the private mode included on many browsers is completely different from using a VPN. Private mode deletes cookies and trackers from your hard drive when you close the browser window, but your internet traffic remains unencrypted and exposes your data and IP address to monitoring by third parties. A VPN solves this problem by securing your traffic with a layer of encryption before it reaches the ISP and the servers of the websites you visit online.

• Will a VPN allow me to browse anonymously on Safari?

If your VPN provider follows a no-logs policy and protects your traffic with a strong encryption protocol, then you’re on your way to anonymous browsing . Just make sure to use Safari’s private mode in combination with the VPN, as you could still be identified by a tracking cookie or another identifier if you use the VPN by itself.

• Does Apple recommend a VPN for Safari?

Apple neither recommends nor advises against the use of VPNs – that decision is up to you. The Apple App Store contains a wide range of VPN apps available for download, including the ones on this list. All major VPNs are compatible with Mac and iOS platforms.

Contents [ hide ]

Latest Posts

Can I Use A VPN And Apple Private Relay Together?

Among the highlights of WWDC 2021, we had the iCloud+ Private Relay. While Private Relays and VPNs are comparable, we have to know if a VPN and Private Relay can work together.

A VPN is still the best option if you want to access restricted content in your country. It is also the only option that masks every bit of data that leaves your iPhone or Mac. Private Relay is a great feature for the casual user who’d like less tracking and more privacy.

Can I Use VPN And Private Relay Together?

We’ve covered how Private Relay works and the difference between Private Relay and a VPN . You can use a VPN and Private Relay together. It is so because Private Relay has filters that exempt some categories of traffic to bypass it.

Apple explained Private Relay in an Apple Developers video , where it also mentioned the traffic that’ll be exempt from Private Relay. Developers can update their apps to enjoy these exemptions and keep their apps working with a VPN, even when Private Relay is turned on.

If an app asks to connect to a local network, private domains, network extensions, VPNs, and proxy, Private Relay will identify this traffic and let it pass.

In simple words, if a VPN is active, Private Relay won’t interfere. Similarly, if your VPN is turned off, you can still use Private Relay or choose to disable it.

What Will Change For You?

If you’re using a VPN service to mask your IP address, you can choose between Private Relay and the VPN. Both options will do the job. If you’re someone who still prefers a VPN, you can turn it on, and Private Relay will get out of your hair.

Using a VPN and Private Relay together is just a layer of added security on iOS and macOS. Even if you don’t want the potential of a VPN, you can enjoy regional content without compromising on privacy.

To summarize, developers will have to make the relevant changes for apps to work with Private Relay. It doesn’t affect you if you’re an end-user. Rather, it gives you an option to maintain your privacy. Moreover, if you are interested in knowing about VPNs that are open source , do check out our linked article here!

VPN And Private Relay FAQs

Private Relay can mask your IP address, like a VPN, but you can’t change your regional location with Private Relay.

Yes, you can use Apple’s Private Replay and a VPN together.

No, using a VPN and Private Relay together won’t slow down your browsing speed. Private Relay lets your VPN traffic flow independently.

With a Master’s degree in journalism, Manik writes about big tech and has a keen eye for political-tech news. In his free time, he’s browsing the Kindle store for new stuff read. Manik also adores his motorcycle and is looking for new routes on weekends. He likes tea and cat memes. You can reach him at [email protected]

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Browsers With VPN

by chung chinyi | Aug 25, 2024 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Many people enjoy browsing the Internet but worry internet promises privacy and is being tracked. It can be unsettling to think that someone might monitor every click, search or website visit. But with the help of a VPN (Virtual Private Network), you can protect your online activities and browse with peace of mind.

VPNs provide a secure connection between your device and the Internet, preventingInternetfrom tracking your online behaviour. This means you can access your favourite websites, news, recipes, and more without worrying about being monitored or having your data intercepted.

Using a VPN also allows you to browse anonymously. It hides your IP address and encrypts your data, making it much harder for others to trace your online activity back to you. This enhanced security ensures that you can maintain your privacy while exploring the Internet.

In addition to safeguarding your personal information and protecting against tracking, VPNs offer other benefits, such as accessing region-restricted content or bypassing censorship. With a VPN, you can enjoy unrestricted and secure browsing no matter where you are located or what content is available in your area.

By using a VPN browser online, you can explore the web without fear of intrusion or surveillance. With its advanced encryption and security features, a VPN gives you control over your online privacy and ensures that your browsing experience remains private and protected.

Browsers with VPN

A browser with a built-in VPN is a type of web browser that includes a VPN feature within its interface. This enables users to access the Internet through a secure Internet connection, shielding their online activities from prying eyes. By utilising this integrated VPN functionality, users can enhance their privacy and protect their data while browsing the web.

Benefits of using browsers with built-in VPN

Utilising web browsers with built-in VPN offers a range of advantages. Firstly, it enhances privacy and security by concealing the user’s IP address and encrypting online activity, making it harder for third parties to monitor activities and safeguard personal information. Additionally, it allows access to geo-restricted content by connecting to servers in different locations. This ensures that users can view blocked content without the need for additional software or complex settings adjustments. Furthermore, using a VPN integrated into the browser protects from online threats such as hackers, phishers, and viruses. It also contributes to faster browsing speeds without compromising safety and privacy. The integration of the VPN into the browser makes it user-friendly and convenient. Users can quickly toggle the VPN on and off without requiring extra software installation.

Purpose of VPN browsers

VPNs are included in browsers to provide online anonymity, making them a popular choice for anonymous browsing. However, while these browsers offer some security features, such as hiding IP addresses and preventing data capture by trackers and cookies, they are less secure than a trustworthy VPN. These VPN add-ons for browsers are essentially proxy-based routing systems rather than true VPNs. Despite their limitations, they can still be a reliable method for evading location-based restrictions.

Browsers With Built-in VPN in 2024

Maxthon is a popular free browser known for its built-in VPN feature, which makes it convenient for those seeking online privacy and security. The inclusion of the VPN allows users to browse the Internet without being tracked Internetored by third parties. This added layer of protection enhances the overall experience for individuals who prioritise their online anonymity. Upon launching Maxthon, users can easily access the VPN feature with just a few clicks, providing instant peace of mind when browsing online. The browser’s seamless integration of the VPN ensures a smooth and uninterrupted connection, allowing users to enjoy a secure internet experience without any hassle. With servers located in various regions around the world, Maxthon’s VPN enables users to bypass geo-restrictions and access content that may be otherwise unavailable in their location.

Maxthon’s VPN feature, available in its browser, provides users with the ability to bypass geo-restrictions and access content that may be inaccessible in their current location. This feature is particularly beneficial for individuals who want to stream content from different regions or access websites blocked by their local network. Maxthon’s online VPN allows users to browse the web securely and anonymously, ensuring their privacy and data protection. By connecting through virtual servers in various locations, the VPN enables users to appear as if they are accessing the Internet from a different countInternetting them access to region-specific content. Additionally, it encrypts users’ internet traffic, protecting their sensitive information from potential cyber threats. With this VPN functionality seamlessly integrated into the Maxthon browser, users can enjoy an unrestricted online experience while maintaining their security and anonymity.

Maxthon’s innovative built-in VPN feature ensures that users can surf the web securely and anonymously, with their sensitive data shielded from potential cyber threats. This integrated VPN functionality offers an additional layer of protection against hackers and malicious entities who seek to compromise personal information. By encrypting internet traffic and routing it through secure servers, Maxthon’s browser ensures that users can browse online without sacrificing their privacy or security. Whether accessing public Wi-Fi networks or conducting sensitive transactions, the built-in VPN provides peace of mind by safeguarding user data from potential breaches and unauthorised access. With the click of a button, users can activate the VPN directly within the browser interface without having to rely on external software or services. This seamless integration enhances not only data security but also user convenience, offering a one-stop solution for both browsing and privacy protection. As more individuals strive to maintain anonymity online and protect their digital footprint, Maxthon’s built-in VPN streamlines the process of staying safe and secure while navigating the web.

In order to enhance privacy and security, Maxthon’s built-in VPN also helps protect sensitive information from potential cyber threats, such as hackers or data breaches. Whether using public Wi-Fi networks or conducting personal transactions online, users can rely on the browser’s VPN to encrypt their data and shield them from potential risks. Maxthon’s combination of a free browser with built-in VPN functionality offers users an all-encompassing solution for safe and unrestricted internet browsing.

The Aloha browser has quickly become a popular choice for mobile users seeking a secure and seamless online experience. Its built-in VPN feature ensures privacy, making it one of the most reliable browsers available. Compatible with various devices, including Android, Aloha offers flexibility to its users. Newcomers and seasoned web surfers alike appreciate the browser’s intuitive design and extensive range of customisation options. It allows users to tailor their browsing experience according to their preferences. Whether it’s for streaming, general browsing, or accessing geo-restricted content, Aloha’s VPN functionality provides added convenience. With its user-friendly interface and robust privacy features, Aloha has earned its reputation as one of the top choices among modern internet browsers.

In 2016, Opera introduced a new feature called Opera VPN to its desktop and mobile web browsers, providing a free VPN service. The purpose of this service was to protect users’ privacy and security while browsing the Internet and to access Internet-Related content. The user-friendly and straightforward design aimed to make it easy for customers to use. Before Opera acquired SurfEasy in 2015, Opera VPN utilised the SurfEasy VPN network. Founded in 2011, SurfEasy was a VPN service based in Canada with over a thousand servers in 28 countries. Initially available only in the browser’s development edition, it later became accessible in the stable version for all users. Notably, no data is ever logged. The browser also includes an automatic ad and tracker blocker that eliminates unwanted advertising and trackers. It has servers located in five different countries: Canada, the United States, Germany, and Singapore. While the browser incorporates a VPN feature, users need to toggle an option to use it manually. Some websites may block access when using this feature. In addition to its speed and reliability, the Opera browser now offers integrated messaging and simple file-sharing capabilities. The paid version is recommended for those requiring more than three connections at once and access to three thousand servers.

In 2013, the British company Globus Partners Ltd introduced a VPN service called Globus, which is seamlessly integrated into the br wser. Users can trust that their privacy and security are fully protected while using this browser, as it routes all of their data through a secure VPN connection. The server prevents third parties from monitoring online activities by encrypting user data and hiding their IP address. The VPN service relies on the trusted OpenVPN protocol for security. In addition to its core service, the Globus VPN includes ad and tracker blockers and a browser history cleaner to enhance privacy and security. The browser is available in multiple languages and features an intuitive user interface. It employs powerful traffic encryption to conceal digital footprints and includes a reliable firewall that blocks viruses and hackers. This free VPN client makes it easy to bypass censorship in any country. While the VPN browser’s interface is modern and user-friendly, it lacks extensive personalisation options and does not offer lightning-fast speeds.

In 2016, Tenta made its debut in the market as a newcomer with a strong focus on user privacy and security. However, its browsing speeds may be lacking; the built-in VPN and unique interface more than compensate for this shortcoming. Advanced features, such as device syncing, are exclusively available through a paid subscription. Windows and iOS versions are currently being developed and are slated for release in 2019. The review device used was an Android 8.1-powered Nexus 5x, which offers additional security measures such as fingerprint or PIN lock protection. Tenta also provides DNS security through DNS over TLS, DNSSEC, and decentralised DNS, along with an integrated VPN that employs AES-256-bit encryption to safeguard user data. Additionally, the Storage Safe for Private Media feature eliminates tracking and ads. Despite its advanced security and privacy features, Tenta boasts a simple user interface. The VPN browser’s settings offer options to organise tabs by VPN location or use the same mode for all tabs. Furthermore, it supports Web 3.0 architecture while providing built-in anonymity. Tenta is a secure VPN browser that can be used for free or upgraded to a paid version.

The Epic Browser, powered by the Chromium web engine, prides itself on being a highly secure and private option for online browsing. It is built on an open-source project by Google and is equipped with various integrated tools to shield users from online tracking, fingerprinting, and phishing attempts. Notably, the browser features an encrypted proxy that automatically directs all internet traffic through a secure server to conceal the user’s IP address and location. This enables anonymous web browsing without leaving any traceable digital footprints. In addition to its always-on private mode, the Epic Browser offers several privacy and security features such as WebRTC filtering to prevent IP leaks, non-recording of user-entered information or visited websites, anti-tracking and advertising measures, and default secure connections (HTTPS) for all URLs. The browser also includes an accessible VPN server with encryption that imposes no data usage limits. Users can connect to servers in eight countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, India, and Singapore. Beyond safeguarding browsing history and credit card information, the Epic privacy browser provides additional functionalities, including a secure vault, music queue management tools, a movie downloader feature, and a reading mode.

A cutting-edge web browsing solution, UR Browser caters to both Mac and Windows users, placing utmost importance on safeguarding their security and privacy. Unlike traditional browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, UR offers a secure online experience and ensures the protection of your privacy.

As users’ awareness of data vulnerability grows, there is a surging demand for a browser that prioritises their interests. Thankfully, UR Browser fulfils this need by diligently working to make your browsing experience secure and hassle-free. It blocks ads from other sites, eliminates tracking cookies, and offers a stealth mode that erases all information at the end of each session. Additionally, it features integrated anti-virus scanning and default 2048-bit RSA encryption for private search engines such as Qwant, Lilo, Ecosia, and StartPage. It enforces secure connections (HTTPS) for all URLs. UR Browser is highly adaptable and user-friendly. Users can personalise their browser home screen with high-definition photos and 3D parallax wallpapers. They can also customise the interface by adding or removing widgets and changing the background. The browser’s efficient file categorisation system facilitates rapid downloads. UR Browser provides a comprehensive VPN-based online browsing experience that prioritises user security without compromising on usability or customisation options.

When using the Brave Browser, users can enjoy freedom from intrusive advertisements and trackers and secure protection for their online fingerprints. However, it’s important to note that the browser does not shield privacy from Internet service providers, government entities, hackers, or other external parties. For those seeking complete security and privacy while browsing, the best option is to use Brave Browser, which has a top-notch virtual private network that ensures encrypted data and enhanced online privacy.

Additionally, users can access previously restricted media content based on their location. The browser automatically blocks fingerprinting attempts and cross-site trackers, eliminates cookie consent prompts, and comes equipped with malware and phishing defences. It also turns off bothersome advertising while upgrading connections to the more secure HTTPS protocol. One of Brave’s most intriguing features is its anti-ad stance – it replaces removed webpage ads with its own network’s advertisements and prevents ad tracking to safeguard user anonymity. Furthermore, the introduction of Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) distinguishes Brave from other browsers; these tokens are earned by viewing advertisements and can be used to purchase premium website features and content.

The story of this innovative VPN-enabled browser showcases how it enhances online security while offering unique features for a more private browsing experience.

Using Tor over a VPN connection, also known as Tor over VPN or Onion over VPN, conceals your home IP address from any Tor nodes you connect to, ensuring privacy protection. By encrypting traffic and routing it through a VPN server, your home network will be unable to detect your use of Tor. This combination allows access to the Tor network in restricted environments such as corporate and school networks and specific countries. Additionally, using a VPN before accessing the Tor Browser can safeguard against potential security flaws. Despite its robust security measures, entry and exit relays still expose the fact that you are using Tor to your ISP and other parties. This may lead to unwarranted suspicion from individuals who are unaware of your online activities. The multi-layered encryption employed by the Tor browser safeguards sensitive information and maintains user anonymity by concealing their IP address. Although the Tor browser’s Tor browser’s user interface may be complex, its privacy and security features are top-notch.

Psiphon Pro

The Psiphon Pro app is a highly respected virtual private network (VPN) designed for Android devices. With an impressive rating of 4.2 stars from nearly a million users, the app’s quality speaks for itself. By creating an encrypted tunnel and concealing your online activity, Psiphon Pro ensures your safety when using public WiFi. It shields you from prying eyes by establishing a secure connection between your device and the Internet, offering access to various servers worldwide through a unified network. Psiphon Pro can be used immediately after downloading without the need for account sign-up or personal information provision. It also allows for custom proxy configurations, giving you the flexibility to apply it to the entire device or select specific apps to use the VPN connection. For those seeking additional features and enhanced security, a subscription provides access to exclusive extras and top-tier protection. While the free version includes advertising, it remains functional. The app employs AES-256-bit encryption for file security and utilises the L2TP IPSec protocol. Furthermore, it offers both VPN and proxy modes separately. Overall, Psiphon Pro is an exceptional choice for those seeking a reliable VPN browser with solid online security measures in place.

Mozilla VPN offers a secure way to connect to the Internet, safeguarding your data from potential threats such as hackers and third-party access. Utilising the advanced WireGuard protocol, Mozilla VPN encrypts your data on up to five devices, allowing you to engage in various online activities like streaming, gaming, and shopping without compromising your security. Mozilla is a prominent advocate for user privacy online and is committed to creating a safe and valuable internet environment. The browser also provides additional security features such as firewall protection for cookies, HTTPS-based DNS encryption, ad blocking, malware detection, phishing defence, and password management. Furthermore, Mozilla Firefox’s customisation options extend beyond privacy and security to include cross-device data synchronisation and a translation function. The built-in reader mode enhances the browsing experience by making reading more convenient.

The integration of virtual private networks into web browsers has revolutionised the way users can browse the Internet with enhanced privacy and security. These specialised browsers allow individuals to create an impenetrable shield against unwanted surveillance and prying

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Your VPN’s ‘no-log’ policy: What it is and why it matters

Connecting to a VPN server hides your traffic by rerouting it through an encrypted tunnel. Your ISP and other outside parties are no longer able to see your online activity—but the one who owns the tunnel still can. All of your data is then solely handled by a VPN provider and that’s why trusting the service to not keep any logs of your activity is imperative.

Almost every major VPN provider today will claim to have a “no-logs” policy. But what does that mean exactly, and why is it critical when choosing a VPN service? I’ll break it all down, discuss why it matters, and how to feel safer with your online privacy while using a VPN.

If you’re looking for a VPN that you can trust, all of my picks for best VPN services have been thoroughly vetted via independent no-logs audits, so you can rest assured your data will be in safe hands.

What is a no-logs policy?

A VPN’s “no-logs” policy means the service does not collect—or log—any traffic that passes through its servers, such as private data including browsing history, home IP address, cookies, and files downloaded. This policy represents a VPN’s stance on data retention and commits the company to comprehensive, across-the-board user privacy measures.

The issue with no-logs claims is that it’s impossible for a user to verify that their data isn’t being collected from the outside. That’s why many top VPNs go the extra step of hiring external auditors to substantiate these claims. The very best no-logs VPNs provide as much transparency as possible, not only clearly laying out their data collection practices, but also regularly undergoing independent audits.

Of course, VPNs do need to collect some user data to make sure the service is properly maintained and running optimally. If the VPN imposes a device limit, it will need to log connection activity. To make sure that servers are not overloaded, a VPN will need to track data usage. 

The key here is to make sure that all of these logs are anonymous and/or temporary. A VPN should only store your connection activity for the time you’re online and no longer. Data usage should be taken in aggregate across all users rather than user-by-user in order to fully anonymize each individual’s traffic. All of these practices should be clearly laid out in a VPN provider’s privacy policy and verified via independent audits.

Why does no-logs matter with a VPN?

If you’re using a VPN it means that you are trying to gain some privacy and anonymity in one way or another. Even if you only use a VPN to get around geo-blocking restrictions with streaming services, you are still looking to hide your true identity and connection location. 

Since privacy is the whole point of a VPN, it should go without saying that the VPN shouldn’t act in any way to compromise that privacy. This is where a no-logs policy comes in. It is the cornerstone of a VPN’s commitment to keeping your activity private and anonymous while connected.

Casual VPN users might not be too worried about a VPN recording your traffic, but for political dissidents, journalists, lawyers, and people under oppressive regimes, it’s a huge concern. Without sounding too hyperbolic, for those in high-risk situations, a VPN’s trustworthiness can be a matter of life or death.

Even in the worst-case event where a government were to seize control of a VPN’s servers, if the service is abiding by a no-logs policy there would be nothing for the authorities to find. This was the case in 2017 for ExpressVPN when Turkish authorities seized one of its servers while investigating a high-profile assassination. ExpressVPN’s no-logs policy was ultimately vindicated as authorities were left empty-handed.

I’m not at all saying that VPNs should be used to hide criminal activity, but they should stay true to the policies they promise.

How to check what data your VPN collects

IPVanish provides a good example of what a clear and transparent privacy policy should look like.

If you’re looking to use a VPN to keep you safe online, especially when the stakes are high, then you want a service with a clear and transparent privacy policy as well as a proven no-logs track record. 

For users who demand the utmost privacy from a VPN, it’s imperative that you meticulously read through the company’s privacy policy before using the service. Sometimes it can be a bit tricky to find these privacy policies through the provider’s website. Your best bet is to do a Google search for “(VPN’s name) + privacy policy” then choose the link directing you to the company’s website.

Some privacy policies can be extremely detailed and full of legal boilerplate. It might be a slog to get through, I know, but it’s worth it to find out what data is being collected. As a rule of thumb, if a company does not clearly and transparently describe the data that it does and does not collect, then you should avoid that service. 

Also, be sure that the policy states how long the VPN keeps collected data. This may include connection logs and overall data usage. All of this should be either anonymized or stored for a short time only. If your VPN uses RAM-only servers your data is likely to be safer as anything collected is deleted when the servers restart.

Lastly, while a company may have a transparent privacy policy, you’ll have to take them at their word unless they can show proof of independent audits. Third-party audits of a VPN service are one of the best (and only) ways a no-logs policy can be verified. Personally, I do not use a VPN unless it has gone through at least an audit in the last year or two. Ideally, a service will go through regular, yearly or twice-a-year audits.

Author: Sam Singleton , Assistant Editor, PCWorld

Sam Singleton is PCWorld's VPN beat reporter and jack of all trades. When he's not on the hunt for the best computer deals he's covering VPNs, productivity software, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade hardware and software.

Recent stories by Sam Singleton:

• Fastest VPN 2024: We identify the speediest performers
• Best VPNs for torrenting 2024: Speed, privacy, and security matter
• Best VPN services 2024: Top picks for speed, price, privacy, and more

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Kaspersky releases enhanced apps for iOS and Android

Kaspersky has announced the release of its upgraded iOS and Android mobile apps, with updates focusing on security, privacy and improved usability. Among new features available in the iOS app are the Security Scan button, Private Browsing option and a Siri shortcut that effortlessly turns on the VPN.

Woburn, MA – June 12, 2024 – Kaspersky has announced the release of its upgraded iOS and Android mobile apps, with updates focusing on security, privacy and improved usability. Among new features available in the iOS app are the Security Scan button, Private Browsing option and a Siri shortcut that effortlessly turns on the VPN.

According to StatCounter data , mobile devices now account for nearly 60% of global web traffic. With the growing prevalence of mobile usage, it is crucial for users to maintain robust and comprehensive cybersecurity.

To ensure safety for mobile users, Kaspersky is presenting its updated apps for iOS and Android. These enhancements offer new features providing a higher level of protection in the digital realm, increased privacy, and improved usability for a smooth and convenient user experience.  

Kaspersky for iOS devices have been updated with a set of new features:

• A Security Scan button, which checks all security systems on the smartphone and helps users enable the best protection. For example, users can receive recommendations to turn on a VPN, Anti-Phishing, and other security features.
• A Private Browsing extension for the Safari browser. It prevents tracking systems from collecting information about users’ activity to monitor their behavior. Additionally, iOS users can use Safari's Anti-Banner element to block banner ads, including potentially malicious ones.
• A Siri Shortcut feature for improved usability: users can effortlessly turn their VPN on and off with voice commands. This option is available for consumer solutions equipped with a VPN, such as Kaspersky VPN standalone, Kaspersky Premium and Kaspersky Plus.

Privacy protection for both mobile platforms is enhanced with a new Identity Theft Check feature. It empowers users to track all leaks from accounts linked to a particular phone number and to take immediate protection measures, such as changing the password on the affected account. Currently, Identity Theft Check is exclusively available in the most comprehensive tier of consumer solutions – Kaspersky Premium — and can be activated on a smartphone after purchasing it at the Kaspersky website. Later this year, Kaspersky Premium will also be available directly for purchase within apps.

Another long-awaited update is Dark Mode. This is an important aspect of UX design available both on iOS and Android platforms, allowing users to enjoy a more comfortable viewing experience.

“As we spend a significant amount of time online on our smartphones, mobile devices require protection that is as strong as, if not stronger, than that available on desktops,” said Marina Titova, vice president, consumer product marketing at Kaspersky. “We are continuously developing and improving our mobile apps for iOS and Android, incorporating a wide range of functions for comprehensive protection, including anti-phishing, VPN, anti-spyware, online privacy, identity protection and of course, antivirus. The superior quality of our protection is further validated by independent testing organizations like AV-Comparatives, which recognized our consumer product line as product of the year in 2023.”

More information on comprehensive mobile protection for iOS and Android is available here .

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About Kaspersky

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. With over a billion devices protected to date from emerging cyberthreats and targeted attacks, Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection, specialized security products and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. We help over 200,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com .

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