Best VPN for Mac - Why Do You Need a VPN on Your Mac?
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Mac is known as one of the best and safest devices that you can use today. It certainly has a lot of power under the hood. But you can make it even safer by adding the best VPN for Mac to the equation. With it, your Mac will become unstoppable online and you’ll be able to access any kind of content anywhere.
If that sounds interesting to you, just keep reading. We will soon explain what Mac VPN is, as well as what it can do.
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Which Is The Best VPN For Mac?
Selecting the right VPN for Mac is not a simple task. As you might know, the VPN market is currently full of new providers because of the sudden increase in VPN popularity. Because of that, people who are not familiar with this technology can often subscribe to a really bad and faulty provider.
We can recommend several providers for you to choose from as well. They all excelled during our tests:
Now, let’s take a closer look at what they’re capable of.
IPVanish
IPVanish is one of the best VPN services on the market. The developing team has done outstanding work to implement the service whose quality is right now almost unparalleled.
IPVanish is the only Top Tier VPN in the industry that amazingly enhance your privacy and security. Plus, IPVanish has designed a specific software for Mac for a great user experience.
IPVanish comes with a vast array of features to fully unleash the power of your Mac. Security is never an issue with IPVanish since the company offers you OpenVPN protocol with 256-bit encryption. Plus, the company has a strict no-logs policy that makes your data even safer.
You may be pleased to know that it supports P2P giving you the possibility to download and share any content safely. Speed too is excellent, so if you are an avid streamer, this is a perfect choice for you.
IPVanish has a 7-day hassle-free money-back guarantee, which means that if within this time frame you change your mind for whatever reason, they will refund you. Even though IPVanish doesn’t have a free trial, the money back guarantee is a super safe way to test the service.
IPVanish
Use IPVanish for untraceable and completely secure connections on your Mac.ExpressVPN
The first thing that you need to find is a provider with fast servers so that your Mac wouldn’t have to suffer from a slow connection. And if speed is what you need, then ExpressVPN is the best one for you.
Its ratesare excellent, and it also has servers in 94 different countries. That will make it easier to find a server with the lowest ping.
High speeds are also very useful for online streaming. ExpressVPN is also great to have if you are traveling and in need of protection for your Mac. Public networks are dangerous, and you can never know who do you share them with.
That is why ExpressVPN has multiple security protocols, as well as strong 256-bit encryption that will protect you at all times.
It offers many other features, among which are 30 days of money-back guarantee, as well as 24/7 customer support. Also, it doesn’t restrict your speed or bandwidth. It also keeps no logs of your activities, but it does keep some connection logs.
ExpressVPN
Connect to a secure ExpressVPN server for unbreakable online privacy.NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the most secure VPNs on this or any other list and works great even on older Macs. It proves that customer safety is their number one priority by introducing a rare feature, which is double encryption. Most other VPNs only use one encryption, and they manage to keep their users safe with that. Nord uses two of them at once, which means that nobody will ever get any data off your Mac’s connection.
Of course, this will slightly lower your speed, but the increased protection is worth it. NordVPN’s customer service is also noteworthy, as well as the fact that it doesn’t keep any logs. It is also well known for supporting P2P traffic, which many VPNs refuse to do.
It works great with a majority of devices, including Mac, of course. It offers servers in over 47 countries. This will make your Mac capable of unlocking any content under restriction. Finally, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, just in case you don’t like it.
NordVPN
Use NordVPN for top-level privacy and fast Internet on your Mac!What Is A VPN For Mac?
VPN is a type of online service that you can use to protect your connection while surfing the web. It protects you, keeps you anonymous, and on top of that, it allows you to bypass geo-restrictions.
It does that by employing three different security measures: protocols, encryption, and a server network.
With security protocols, it shields your data from prying eyes by forming a tunnel between your Mac and the Internet. Data will go through the tunnel, and nobody from the outside will know what you are doing on the internet.
Encryption is there as an extra security measure. Even if someone does collect your data, they won’t be able to decipher it.
Finally, there are server networks. They are made of servers located all around the world. By connecting to one of them, you mask your original IP address and get a new one.
So basically, a Mac VPN is a special tool that you can use on your Mac to hide your digital tracks. This includes protection from ISP, hackers, malware, as well as the Government.
What Else Can Mac VPN Do?
Another thing that VPN can do came as a pleasant consequence of hiding your IP address. Namely, when you swap your IP with the one that the remote server provides you with, you get an IP that is local to the area where the server is at.
This is important because it allows you to access content that you otherwise could not. Many online services and websites limit their content to a certain area, like a specific country. If you are not from that country, the website will know, and it will restrict access to its content.
The website knows where you are from because that information is part of an IP address. So, by hiding your real IP address, and using one from the server located in the area that has access to that content, you can actually trick the website. It will now think that you are from an allowed location.
This is great news for all the TV lovers and movie addicts out there. With the right kind of VPN, your Mac will become a much wider window to the online world. Sports lovers will now easily watch any game of any sport.
Additionally, VPN can also help you save money while buying tickets for planes, or reserving hotel rooms from different countries. This is useful because some countries get to pay a cheaper price for the same thing.
Are There Free VPNs For Macs?
Yes, there are free VPNs for Macs. Now, the bad news is that you should try to avoid them. There are multiple reasons for this, but the most important one is security. Free service simply can’t provide protection equal to the premium service.
Additionally, they have to get the money from somewhere. Most often, they bombard you with their sponsors’ ads, or they sell them your browsing data.
Other issues include a limit on your bandwidth and very slow speeds. The number of servers very rarely goes above 5 or 10, and there are no extra features like kill switches at all.
You have only one alternative, and that is to find a provider that offers a free package. Of course, that one will also have a lot of limits, and many users only try them out as a sort of free trial, to see if they like the provider. You can do that as well. Protection for your Mac will stay very limited, but at least you will know what you are getting into before you actually pay.
Those that don’t offer a free package often have a money return guarantee. It doesn’t always last equally as long, but you can use it to test a service without any commitments.
How Safe Is A VPN For Mac?
The safety often depends on which provider you choose. All of them offer different things and different combinations in their packages. All VPNs have three things in common, and those are encryptions, protocols, and server networks. However, even this is not equal to each provider.
Some have slow servers, others have fast ones. The number varies from provider to provider as well. The level of encryption also differs and even the protocols that they offer.
Strong, capable providers will make you safe, but in order to find them, you will have to dig a bit. Or to try out those that we recommend. There are hundreds of services out there, so you can’t really search them one by one.
What To Look For In The Best VPN For Mac?
There are a lot of things that you would ideally want as a part of your VPN for Mac. And many providers do their best to actually provide you with various options and features. Here are the most important things to keep in mind while browsing for a VPN:
Decent Server Network
VPN is only as useful as its server network. At least when it comes to providing you access to content under restriction. The more servers it has, the better, of course. But what is even more important is that it has servers in strategic places.
Good Speeds
VPN will slow your Mac by default when you use it. Depending on its speeds, it can slow you down a bit, or it can slow you down a lot.
The reason for this is that it applies encryption, and then it sends your data to the server of your choice. If it is far away, data will, naturally, take longer to get to it. Therefore, VPNs with decent speeds will allow you to use your Mac for streaming, uploading, downloading, and even online gaming.
If you are a businessman who travels a lot and has online conferences, you need good speeds in order to make that work. Because of these reasons, speed is among the most vital parts to consider.
Security and Privacy
All of the VPNs we recommended will provide you with the best security and privacy options. From the best encryptions to the best protocols, and following features that are there to assist the main ones.
For example, pretty much all of them use OpenVPN since is the most secure protocol to date. And whenever a VPN gives you an option to choose protocol by yourself, that is the one you should look for. That way, your Mac will have the ultimate safety tunnel for your data to flow through.
Also, their privacy policies are all very strict, and they won’t record your online activities. And since they don’t have anything about you, nobody can take it from them. Not even a court order can take something that is not there.
Other Features
Many VPNs have extra features. For example, there is a DNS leak protection, that will add an extra layer to the tunnel that protects your data. Then, there are kill switches, that will instantly cut your internet connection if your VPN falters for any reason.
Many providers also include auto-connection, so that your Mac will stay safe as soon as it connects to the internet. Port forwarding, stealth mode, and similar features also help with bypassing firewalls and similar restrictions. As you can see, with a good provider, you will truly get a lot of extra security.
The Danger Of Public Networks
If you often have to connect to public WiFi with your Mac, you could be in danger. Public hotspots are often a breeding ground for hackers and malware. People will usually connect to any free internet when they have a chance, and hackers are counting on it. They also count on the weak security, which will allow them access without much of an effort.
That is why you should always use Mac VPN whenever you have to connect to a public network.
How to Set Up VPN For Mac On Sierra
All VPNs are subtly different, but the general set-up procedure is the same. Here’s how to configure a VPN on Sierra by yourself:
- First, you must choose which VPN you wish to use. After you do that, go to its website, subscribe, and get its app. Install the app, launch it, and log into it.
- Now that you have your VPN app up and running, you should choose your protocol. Our recommendation is to use OpenVPN if possible. If not, the best alternative is L2TP/IPSec. If a VPN features a kill switch, enable it as well.
- After you are done with settings modification, simply choose a server that you wish to connect to, and enjoy the open internet.
How To Set Up OpenVPN On Mac VPN
If you want to install OpenVPN, follow these instructions:
- Get the software by the name of Tunnelblick on your Mac. Then, go to your VPN’s website, and download configuration files for the OpenVPN.
- Launch the file by double-clicking on it, and the installation will start
- Launch Tunnelblick as well. If you don’t turn it off when you shut down your Mac, it will activate itself automatically when you next turn it on.
- Tunnelblick will require user privileges, which is why it will ask you for username and password of the administrator. This will only happen when you run it for the first time, and it is necessary because it needs to change network settings in order for everything to work properly.
Unblock Content With A Mac VPN
Now that your VPN is completely set, all you need to do is go online and visit the websites that interest you. This process will unblock TV channels, radio stations, but also different apps that were not available in your area.
For example, you can unblock BBC iPlayer. Usually, it is only available to those within the UK. If you are from somewhere else, and you connect to the server in the UK, you will get access to the iPlayer as well.
Watch Netflix USA With Your VPN For Mac
Even if Netflix is available in your country, chances are that you do not have access to its full library. Only US citizens have, which is why you should connect to a server in the US.
If you don’t have access to Netflix at all, this same process will grant it to you. It is a great help to those who love watching various shows, but can’t find them in one place.
Read more
- Best VPNs for iPhones
- How to Set Up Double VPN on Mac [Step-by-Step]
- How to Share VPN from iPhone to Mac [and Troubleshooting]
Conclusion
Advantages that VPNs bring into internet users’ lives are slowly but surely becoming clear to everyone. Because of that, their popularity is growing, together with the awareness of online threats. It is not the happiest reason, but it is what it is.
With a VPN, you can access content under heavy restrictions, and you can do it securely from the comfort of your own home. Best of all, it will protect your entire traffic.
Your online reach will increase exponentially, and you will wonder how you ever functioned without this tech. In this article, we also gave you instructions on how to set up the VPN on your Mac. Basically, by now, you should know everything that you need to know in order to protect your online activities.
