People in China or outside China have been facing region-blocks on numerous platforms like Facebook, Google, Gmail, YouTube, WhatsApp, Youku, Bilibili, WeChat, Weibo, etc. Due to the Great Firewall, not all VPNs can evade the restrictions imposed in China. Therefore, for your ease, I have come up with the list that includes all the working VPNs for China in February 2020.
I lived in Beijing for more than 5 years as an expat. Initially, I was unable to access my favorite media from home due to the geo-restrictions imposed by the Great Firewall.
Hence, I started using local Chinese services like Youku, QQ Music, Bilibili and others for streaming content. Luckily, one of my colleagues recommended me to use the best VPN for China that offers servers around the world specially the US, my home country.
Little did I know, not all VPNs worked in China because of the Great Firewall implications. Now, that I am back to my home country I can recall the struggles faced by me during my stay in China.
With that being said, during my stay in China, I also developed liking for local Chinese content, which unluckily is not available in my home country.
The only reason I have written this guide is to educate people like me.
So for your ease, I have shortlisted a handful of 5 VPN providers that I have bought and tested myself and can claim for these VPNs to work in China or outside China (best of both worlds)
- PureVPN – Powerful budget-friendly VPN with servers in both Shanghai and Beijing.
- Ivacy – Ideal for streaming both Chinese & Foreign Content.
- Surfshark – Extremely low-cost VPN with a Camouflage Mode feature to evade VPN blocking
- ExpressVPN – Fastest VPN on the market with powerful obfuscated servers to tackle the GFW.
- NordVPN – Affordable VPN that offers dedicated obfuscated servers to bypass GFW limitations
Note: The Chinese government constantly cracks down on VPN services. To avoid any issues while you’re in China, it’s better to download and set up your VPN apps before you enter Chinese jurisdiction.
Why will you need a Working VPN? (Within China & Outside China)
You are bound to use a China VPN since it will help you to overcome Chinese censorship instantly. Likewise, it allows you to access region-blocked streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Pandora and so on.
A VPN China service helps you on two fronts:
- Firstly, you can access restricted platforms and websites through the best VPN app for China, since it offers servers across the globe. This enables you to unblock websites and social platforms like Facebook that are inaccessible in China
- Secondly, a China VPN enables you to access your favorite Chinese website and platforms including streaming sites if you reside outside China for any reason For e.g. you are traveling away from China due to business meetings
Considering the implications of the Great Firewall, I have selected some of the
top VPN services for 2020 you can use in or outside China based on the criteria I have mentioned below:
- Obfuscated servers
- Port forwarding (to transfer your traffic on port 443)
- Wide range of list of tunneling protocols
- Internet Kill Switch
- Keeps no logs
- Servers across the globe including China
- Can be downloaded while being in China
Also when you connect to a Chinese server via China VPN, you can change your IP with an encrypted connection, enabling you to bypass the Great Firewall restrictions.
Best Working VPNs for China
Here are my top VPN picks to use in or outside China keeping in mind the above-mentioned criteria:
