If you’re planning a trip to China, you’ll need to have a VPN handy. The Chinese government heavily regulates content access within the country, so browsing your regular websites like Twitter or Facebook will be an issue.
Luckily, there’s a simple solution.
A VPN, or virtual private network, allows you to spoof your IP address, which fools your ISP (internet service provider) into thinking you’re accessing the internet from a completely different location so that you can access any content blocked in your area.
Here’s how VPNs work in China and the best VPN provider to keep you connected.
Why can’t I use a free VPN in China?
An average VPN provider won’t cut it as far as bypassing tight Chinese internet security. The free pre-installed browser VPN on your computer won’t work. Instead, you’ll need something better to get through the Great Firewall of China.
Paid VPN services have more robust features that can get through China’s internet security that would otherwise deter your average VPN. Incidentally, you’ll want to ensure you grab a provider with VPN obfuscation technology.
VPN obfuscation technology: What does it do?
Spoofing your ISP relies on obfuscation technology. A VPN isn’t a fool-proof method for bypassing regional blocks. In fact, services like Netflix have features that shrug-off low-quality VPN masking technology, leaving you in the lurch if you’re looking to access region-specific content.
Needless to say, a full-on government block on VPNs has more sophisticated security that even select premium VPNs can’t bypass.
That’s why you’ll need VPNs with obfuscation technology. Each VPN brand calls the feature by its own name, but in general, obfuscation technology masks VPN traffic and fools the ISP into thinking that your web traffic is going through a regular internet connection.
Obfuscation tech works in several different ways. Here are some common methods:
- Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP)—Your VPN traffic gets encrypted, or masked, to look like regular internet traffic.
- Stunnel—The VPN connects to an additional proxy server to encrypt your activities.
- Shadowsocks—A VPN connects to this open-source server to hide your VPN connection.
- Obfsproxy—This method adds a protective layer to the VPN traffic to change its appearance.
- OpenVPN Scramble—The simplest obfuscation method because data is scrambled rather than encrypted. It’s still effective but much easier to detect.
Our pick for best VPN in China: ExpressVPN
If you’re in the market for VPNs, you’ve probably heard of ExpressVPN. Well, you won’t hear anything different from us, because ExpressVPN still proves to be one of the best VPN solutions.
Even considering China’s VPN bans, ExpressVPN continuously updates to stay ahead of the Chinese government’s VPN detection. Additionally, ExpressVPN uses advanced encryption protocols to keep your traffic looking like standard internet usage.
Why use ExpressVPN?
Besides its robust obfuscation features, ExpressVPN provides exceptional features that outdo its competitors. First, it’s got one of the widest server presence of 3,000 servers located across nearly 100 countries. Thanks to the diverse selection, geo-blocking will never keep you from missing out on location-locked content.
For example, Netflix US doesn’t have a complete catalog of the Harry Potter movies. So if you’re a Potterhead, you’ll want an ExpressVPN subscription to get your fix. You’ll just need to connect to one of ExpressVPN’s Australian servers, then, presto—you’ve got all the magical content you’ll ever need.
Besides that, ExpressVPN doesn’t limit your connection speed as much as its competitors. You see, while connected to a VPN, you can’t get your full internet speed because you're forcing a connection to a VPN server farther from your ISP’s network. This extra distance introduces an obstacle that hinders your internet speed.
But, thanks to ExpressVPN’s optimized servers, the speed degradation isn’t as pronounced as it is with their direct competitors.
In fact, while connected to ExpressVPN, you can expect your downloads to get at least 80% of your rated speed, depending on the server location. It’s not the fastest VPN on the market, but it's still quicker than most services.
All in all, ExpressVPN is one of the best bangs for your buck as far as China VPN options go.
ExpressVPN advanced features
If you thought that's all ExpressVPN has in store for you, you’ll be happy to find out that you’re mistaken. Some other ExpressVPN’s stand-out features include:
- Split-tunneling—ExpressVPN can isolate your VPN connection to selected programs. In other words, you can use ExpressVPN to connect your Netflix to an Australian server while using your web browser with your regular internet traffic.
- Private DNS—The service has dedicated DNS servers to make your connections more secure than other VPN services.
- Threat Manager—The VPN comes installed with anti-threat security keeping your device safe from malicious activities.
- No log collection—ExpressVPN doesn’t collect your data on your traffic which adds an extra layer of protection.
- TrustedServer Technology—No data is saved in any of ExpressVPN’s hard drives, which keeps your information safe against potential data breaches.
And while it’s not exactly an “advanced feature,” we’d be remiss to forget ExpressVPN’s exquisite return policy. If you have second thoughts about your subscription, ExpressVPN provides a 30-day money-back guarantee. That way, you’ll have almost a full month to decide if ExpressVPN is the right fit for your needs.
If that’s not enough to convince you, you can read more about the software’s complete feature list from Express VPN’s guide on its available features.
The alternatives
If you aren’t 100% convinced by ExpressVPN, other options are still available. After all, ExpressVPN isn’t the only VPN on the market that can bypass China’s strict internet censors. Here are some top competitors:
NordVPN
NordVPN is another one of the most wide-used VPNs on the market today. Like ExpressVPN, its formidable obfuscation technology bypasses China internet blockers to keep you connected on an international scale.
Though NordVPN’s server saturation isn’t as expansive as ExpressVPN’s, it makes up in sheer numbers—it has servers in over 80 countries, with a total server count of 5,500 versus ExpressVPN’s 3,000.
On top of that, NordVPN has an exclusive feature called Meshnet. Meshnet allows NordVPN users to create a secure connection across multiple devices while connecting to a singular NordVPN server. This feature allows you to create a device network that bypasses geo-blocking with just a single NordVPN account.
Finally, its price point is NordVPN’s most enticing “feature” over ExpressVPN. NordVPN’s yearly subscription is nearly a third of the price of ExpressVPN’s. So if you’re on a budget, NordVPN might be the better partner.
Although, there’s one thing that gives us pause when it comes to NordVPN and the factor that keeps ExpressVPN on top: security. In 2021, NordVPN experienced a data breach in one of its servers, which exposed everyone connected to that specific server to potential data theft. Luckily, NordVPN resolved the issue, but when you compare the brief data breach to ExpressVPN’s spotless data breach record, you’ve got to give the edge to ExpressVPN.
SurfShark
If speed reliably is your top concern, SurfShark is your catch. Unlike ExpressVPN, which compromises some speed to keep a stable VPN connection, you’ll barely feel any speed loss when connecting to SurfShark. In fact, SurfShark ranks first when it comes to VPN speed. Its speed is so well-regarded that it’s one of SurfShark’s highlights on its product page.
If that’s not enough to convince you, SurfShark is also unbeaten with simultaneously connected devices. In fact, ExpressVPN’s 5-device limit pales in comparison to SurfShark. And the reason is: SurfShark has no limit for simultaneous connections.
On top of that, SurfShark provides a unique trick for bypassing China’s VPN security. The VPN uses a double VPN hop for its connections, making it more difficult for systems to detect the VPN traffic. And just like ExpressVPN, SurfShark comes installed with Private DNS encryptions making it more secure against potential data breaches.
Browse without restrictions with a VPN
If you’re planning a trip to China, you’ll need more than just your passport for your vacation. If you’re like most people who can’t live a day without browsing their social media feeds, you’ll need a VPN while visiting the country.
Without a VPN, you’ll face an internet connection that blocks most sites, including your favorite social media platforms. That’s why securing your VPN subscription is vital before you take a trip to China.
Desiree Wu • Editor
Desiree is a full-time Honours Business Administration student at Ivey Business School at Western University. She also served as an Editorial Intern at Flixed. Desiree is based in London, Ontario.
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