The Best VPN for Mac – Tried & Tested in April 2022!

Are you out on a quest to find the best VPN for Mac? Well, welcome to the club!

Apple claims itself the champion of providing security and privacy to its users; in fact, it’s pretty much their entire selling pitch. But all Cupertino’s geniuses are completely helpless against Government ISP, advertisers, and all sorts of intruders seeking ways to track your internet activities. We know Mac devices are renowned for their supposed “immunity” to cyberattacks and privacy threats. Still, it pretty much operates the same way as windows in terms of handling information after it leaves your device.

Once your data is out there on the internet, there’s no way you can protect it unless you use a reliable and best VPN for Mac. It doesn’t even matter if you have a Mac or Android; malware doesn’t discriminate against devices; they intend to harm regardless of the type of devices you use! But with the help of a reliable VPN service in Canada, you can wrap around yourself a protective bubble to bounce off all sorts of harm approaching your way.

But you know what? A Mac VPN does more than just protection. In fact, it’s widely used for unblocking geo-restrictions enforced by various streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and many more. It helps break the blockage to provide access to foreign content, otherwise inaccessible from your region. So, if you’re out here seeking to purchase the best VPN for Mac, you need to make sure that it does all of its jobs efficiently!

Speaking of which, we have compiled a comprehensive guide to help you choose the best VPN software for Mac devices. So, scroll down and unleash the greatest VPN services that best suit Mac and learn to download them on your macOS.

The Best VPN for Mac – Quick summary!

We have compiled a list of the best VPN for Mac Canada based on rigorous testing criteria so you can have the best Mac VPN to fulfill your VPN needs. All of these VPN services are tested on iMacs and MacBooks to see how it functions:

What makes the best Mac VPN?

First and foremost, your Mac VPN should be a powerful privacy tool. No matter how lucrative a VPN may sound, it is worthless if it fails to provide adequate privacy!

The second most important thing is speed and unblocking capabilities. Let’s face it: we Canadians are avid streamers, so we need a VPN on macOS that can bypass even the most potent geofencing on Netflix US, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or any other streaming services. But that too depends on the speed. So your chosen VPN provider should have a super-fast speed to provide you with a buffer-free streaming experience.

In addition to fast speed, overall performance and compatibility with macOS are also worth considering since you will be using it on your iMac or MacBook. Finally, the best VPN for Macbook should have a vast network with servers all around the globe.

Considering all of these aspects of the best VPN for Mac, we have crowned ExpressVPN as the best pick for Mac users. This VPN provider has everything the best VPN for Mac should have – stellar streaming speed, excellent functionality, and powerful unblocking capabilities! Check out our detailed review on ExpressVPN here.

How do we choose the best VPN for Mac?

Our testing criteria for the best VPN for Mac include:

• Speed test: should have the maximum streaming speed.
• Compatibility test: designed to function well with macOS.
• Customer support: cooperative customer support with 24/7 availability.
• Simultaneous connection: should allow connections to up to five different devices.
• Additional security features: all of our shortlisted VPN providers offer extra security features like kill switches, split tunneling, and much more.
• No-logging policy: Our chosen candidates have strict no-logging policies. It means they don’t keep tabs on your online activity as most free VPNs do.
• Server network: should have a massive server network in multiple countries.
• Strong encryption: should have military-grade encryption.

The Best VPNs for Mac

Let’s get into more technical details of the best VPNs for Mac that we have selected for you.

1. ExpressVPN – the best Mac VPN!

ExpressVPN consistently proves itself one of the best VPN providers in the industry. It offers over 3,000 servers in 94 countries, helping users to access content on Netflix and various other restricted channels/ websites. As far as speed is concerned, it shows an average speed of 94 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection. In addition to fast speed, ExpressVPN also offers a Lightway protocol – a better alternative to WireGuard protocol and more secure than OpenVPN.

ExpressVPN is renowned for providing top-notch privacy to its users, with an absolutely no-log policy. It means you can safely venture into the online world without having to worry about snoops and ISPs. We also like the number of server options it provides to its users, impressive usability, and excellent compatibility with Mac devices. Its automatic connect button connects you to the nearest server from your location. And if you’re looking for a specific server, you can find it in its handy search bar.

This British-based VPN service also offers a kill switch security feature, which prevents your location from leaking outside the VPN tunnel in case of connection failure. Furthermore, unlike any other provider, ExpressVPN receives tremendous praise for supporting bitcoin as a payment method – which adds an additional layer of security during a checkout stage.  Its annual subscription cost is available for

CA$ 8.98/mo (US$ 6.67/mo) - Save 49% and get 3 extra months FREE with 12-month plan that also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

With its massive server coverage, ExpressVPN makes circumventing geofencing a five-finger exercise. It is effective on all the primary streaming services like TNT Canada, TF1 from Canada, DStv channel, CNBC network, and many more. Honestly, it was smooth sailing while accessing streaming services like Optus Sport or BT Sport with ExpressVPN. The speed was also good enough to stream titles in Ultra HD quality without any buffering. All in all, it’s a good choice, especially if you intend to purchase a VPN for streaming purposes. It’s a perfect IP address changer for Mac devices.

2. Surfshark – Affordable VPN for Mac

Surfshark is renowned among the cybersecurity industry due to its exceptional security and unblocking abilities. Available for only CA$ 3.1/mo (US$ 2.30/mo) - 82% off VPN deal on 2 year plan with 2 months free, it allows unlimited simultaneous connections on a single subscription – more generous than the rest of the contenders on the list. It has a user-friendly application for macOS with access to 3200+ servers in 65 countries.

It is remarkable when it comes to unblocking geo-restriction content on various streaming channels like Voot, Disney+ Hotstar Canada, Hulu, Cravetv Canada, Sling TV streaming live from Canada, and more.

In addition, it supports torrent/P2P activities and is quite dependable for this reason. In fact, all of its servers are P2P-friendly. In our speed test, it shows an average speed of 75.12 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection. – not that bad if you ask us! In fact, we haven’t faced any difficulties in steaming EPL in Canada with Surfshark.

Not just that, it allows you to choose from 14 servers with the MultiHop feature on all Apple computers in Canada. This feature is particularly useful for adding an extra layer of security while browsing online.

Staying true to its generosity, Surfshark also offers a 30-day risk-free experience for those who are indecisive and want to revert their subscription.

3. NordVPN – Reliable Mac VPN client in town!

NordVPN is another strong contender in the market, offering excellent streaming speed, breach-proof privacy, and robust security features to Mac users, including MacBook Air Canada. Moreover, it has a massive server network of 5200+ servers in 60 countries to provide you access to content on various streaming platforms. The VPN provider also offers a specific IP option, especially for those looking for a different level of VPN connection.

We haven’t noticed any privacy leaks during our testing and found its speed absolutely astounding. – it delivers an average speed of 82 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

As far as torrenting is concerned, it offers P2P-optimized servers in 45+ countries. So even if you tend to torrent from a regular server, it will automatically connect you to its P2p servers. Furthermore, if you want to boost your internet speed during torrenting, the provider offers a SOCKS5 proxy.

Being true to its claims, NordVPN works with all the major streaming platforms like ORF, Live CNBC, Spanish content on Telemundo Canada, Kiwi content on TVNZ in Canada, and more. As a result, we did not face any difficulties while accessing American-based VRV in Canada. It’s safe to say that NordVPN is one of the best IP blockers for mac.

You can purchase its 2-year subscription package for only CA$ 4.43/mo (US$ 3.29/mo) - 2 years with 60% off + Threat Protection for free. And yes, just like ExpressVPN, NordVPN also offers a risk-free experience for 30 days, allowing you to revert your transaction if you have a change of heart.

How to download VPN on macOS?

After selecting the best VPN for Mac, downloading a VPN on macOS is no rocket science. Follow these 3 simple steps to download VPN for mac.

How to set up a VPN for Mac manually?

A manual setup is needed when your device:

• Does not let you download VPN apps (for example: if your work laptop restricts downloading any external apps).
• Does not support a security protocol that you want to use.

In these cases, you are required to choose a VPN protocol before setting it up manually. Here are your options:

1. Open VPN  – the best Mac VPN client for maximum security
2. IKEv2 – Lightweight and known for its fastest speed.
3. L2TP/IPSec – less secure than the above VPN protocols.

How to set up an L2TP VPN connection on macOS?

L2TP is quite similar to OpenVPN and has built-in support for macOS:

How to set up a VPN with Viscosity on a Mac device?

Viscosity is an alternative to OpenVPN for Mac users. You can set up Viscosity on your Mac device by following these steps:

How to set up a VPN with Tunnelblick on a Mac device?

Tunnelblick is a free and open-source client designed to use OpenVPN on Mac devices. Here’s how you can set it up on your device:

Why should Mac owners use a VPN?

Despite Mac’s reputation of being immune to cyberattacks, the fact is that malicious attacks on macOS are still persistent, with Shlayer Trojan affecting 1 in every 10 MacOS systems since 2019. This shows that macOS is far from secure than popularly assumed. Therefore, you need a reliable VPN connection to protect your devices from malicious actors online.

Moreover, Mac devices don’t provide any protection against advertisers and ISPs tracking your every move. This is where VPN comes in to help you reclaim your online privacy. A VPN hides your online activity from ISPs and other snoopers online. Furthermore, it routes your internet traffic through an intermediary server located anywhere around the globe.

In addition to privacy and security, a VPN helps break the geo-blockage implemented by various streaming channels that prevent you from accessing the content of a region other than your own. With a reliable VPN connection, you can easily bypass this restriction and access content wherever you want. For example, if you reside in Canada and connect your device to a US-based server, you can easily watch titles from Netflix’s US library exclusively available to US viewers.

Can I use a Free VPN on Mac?

No, we advised against using a free VPN for Mac. Do you know why? Because these services are not exactly “free.” The latest research found that 26 out of the 117 popular VPN services record user data despite touting contrary claims in their marketing campaigns. Truth be told, VPN services require a massive budget for meeting their server maintenance and engineering cost. And nobody can afford that if they sell their services for free.

So, to keep their businesses afloat, they monetize by other means like selling users’ data to third-party advertisers. So, if you’re tempted to use any form of free VPN service, not only is it doubtful that you will be secured, but there’s a big chance that your data would be compromised and sold to the highest bidder.

If you’re looking for a reliable yet cheaper option, consider subscribing to Surfshark, as it provides impressive security and privacy on a pocket-friendly budget.

Is it safe to use a Mac without VPN?

Well, actually not! While it’s true that macOS is a safer option than windows, Apple VPN does not guarantee the protection of your data once it leaves your device. Hence, it is essential to use a VPN that conceals your online activity and provides you with a safe, secure network to browse online – even when using a public network at a local coffee shop or at your workplace.

So, it’s settled! Macs are indeed great at preventing malicious software from entering into your system, but they can’t do anything to protect your data outside its territories. And you need a VPN to safeguard your online identity.

FAQ

Final Verdict!

To conclude, macOS has a pretty secure system, but it still has several vulnerabilities that put you at risk of privacy and security breach. To ensure maximum protection of the Mac device, you need to install a VPN. The best VPN for Mac provides you with an extra layer of security you need to protect yourself against any unwarranted online threats. In addition to this, the best Mac VPNs can bypass geo-restricted content on streaming sites from anywhere in the world.

We have crowned ExpressVPN as our top pick for Mac users. It shows excellent compatibility with macOS and offers outstanding VPN services to fill your every VPN need.