Best VPN for China: Bypass the Great Firewall in 2025

By Arthur Sabayi

Last update: September 22, 2025

Best VPNs for China

Best VPNs for China 

1. Mullvad — The best VPN for China that consistently works.
2. VyprVPN — A VPN with obfuscation while in China.
3. Astrill — An expensive VPN with a virtual Chinese VPN server for a local IP address.
4. Surfshark — A secure and affordable VPN that might work for China.
5. CyberGhost— A VPN with a huge server network for China.

Overall Rating 8.4 / 10

Visit Mullvad

Mullvad is the best VPN for China because it has worked consistently in the country for several years, while other virtual private networks get completely blocked.

According to the RSF index, China is among the top 10 most censored nations in the world.¹ Many sites are blocked in the country, from social media apps like Facebook to Western news outlets like CNN. If you’re traveling there and want to maintain access to blocked websites and apps, you need the best VPN for China.

The Chinese government controls the internet and media to maintain the status quo. This limits public dissent and government criticism, which the administration considers problematic. 

Additionally, local and foreign companies in China must let the government access private user data if they wish to operate there. Many of the best VPN services like NordVPN are actively blocked by the Chinese government. That said, some virtual private networks (VPNs) still work in China, and that’s what I’ll be covering today. 

The Best VPN Services for China Compared

Finding the best VPNs for China wasn’t easy because Chinese censorship is no joke, involving advanced surveillance and strict enforcement. Even the top VPN providers that I’d usually recommend have run into issues over time as Chinese censorship adapts to block VPN IP addresses and connections. 

I don’t live in China, so the VPN recommendations in this post reflect a combination of testing conducted outside the country, plus research from reputable online forums. These five VPNs are the most likely to break through China’s firewall, and below is a quick summary.

1. Mullvad — Consistently the Best VPN for China

Topping our list of the best VPNs for China is Mullvad VPN. In particular, two Mullvad VPN features can help you evade the strong censorship in China. First, you can enable Shadowsocks, which makes it difficult for firewalls to differentiate between encrypted and regular internet traffic. Shadowsocks is available on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.

Next, Mullvad has two types of kill switches that prevent IP leaks. The regular kill switch disconnects your internet when the VPN connection is interrupted. Then there’s lockdown mode, which blocks internet access until you connect to Mullvad VPN. Mullvad also stops DNS leaks by encrypting your DNS requests, ensuring that no one can see the websites you’re visiting.

On top of this, Mullvad comes with 87 server locations in 49 countries. You can choose any of these servers from within China if you want to access restricted content like streaming sites and social media platforms, as well as news channels like CNN or BBC. Find out more in our Mullvad VPN review.

My Experience With Mullvad: Hands-On Performance

I have used Mullvad VPN for macOS, Windows and Android, and all the apps have a great layout that lets you easily locate what you need. For example, there’s a search function for server locations, and you can quickly switch between protocols in the VPN app settings.

What stands out the most for me is the server IP override feature, which lets you override blocked IP addresses with new functioning ones provided by the Mullvad support team. This is perfect for a country like China, where the government excels at finding and blocking VPN IP addresses.

However, since Mullvad VPN doesn’t have a live chat option, getting the crucial server IP override files from its support team may take a while. You’d need to contact them via email, and that can take up to 48 hours to get a response.

Mullvad Test Results

To check if Mullvad protects internet traffic as it claims, I connected to a U.S. server and ran an encryption test through Wireshark. The results below show random text, numbers and symbols only, which is proof that Mullvad’s encryption works. A failed test would reveal your actual IP address.

Mullvad Pricing and Value

Mullvad comes with a fixed monthly price plan that costs 5 euros per month (around $5.68). You simply load your account with the funds, and Mullvad VPN deducts the monthly fee until the money runs out. 

The VPN offers anonymous account creation, and you can even pay with cash. You also get a 14-day money-back guarantee for all payment methods except for cash and crypto subscriptions.

1. $5.40 (one-month plan)
   

   Overall Rating 8.4 / 10

   Visit Mullvad

2. VyprVPN — A Good VPN with Obfuscation for China

VyprVPN maintains its ability to bypass Chinese censorship with its Chameleon protocol. This offers obfuscation for bypassing high-level censorship in regions like China. Obfuscation is a VPN technology that disguises your traffic as regular HTTPS internet to avoid VPN detection on networks that censor them.

This VPN also owns and operates all its servers, unlike some VPN services that rent theirs. All your internet traffic is secured with its in-house VyprDNS, so no one can see DNS requests coming from your devices. 

VyprVPN also comes with a reliable kill switch, which you should always keep active. The kill switch immediately disconnects your internet anytime the VPN connection drops. This protects your IP address and browsing activities from being seen.

My Experience With VyprVPN: Hands-On Performance

I find the VyprVPN app easy to use; it color codes the servers depending on their speeds. Green indicates fast speeds, orange is for average and red is for slow. With these indicators, you automatically know which servers to connect to and which to avoid, saving you time.

You can activate obfuscation in the app settings. Simply switch to the Chameleon protocol without any extra configurations. We have more on this and other features in our VyprVPN review.

VyprVPN Test Results

VyprVPN offers strong encryption that I confirmed with a Wireshark test; it returned a mixture of symbols and texts without revealing any sensitive information about my online traffic.

VyprVPN Pricing and Value

VyprVPN comes with three price plans. You can choose the 24-month plan for $3 per month, the 12-month plan for $5 per month or a monthly plan that costs $10. All these plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

1. $3 per month (two-year plan)
   

   Overall Rating 9.2 / 10

   Visit VyprVPN

3. Astrill — A Consistent VPN With a Virtual China VPN Server

Astrill is another handy VPN that works reliably in China, with servers in 142 cities across 56 countries. Astrill is also one of the few options in this list that offers virtual servers in China, which you can use while abroad to access Chinese content.

One feature you should focus on is the smart mode. It automatically switches your IP address to a different one whenever the one you’re using is blocked. This is essential if you hope to beat the aggressive Chinese censorship.

My Experience With Astrill VPN: Hands-On Performance

Compared to the other alternatives, the Astrill VPN app lacks aesthetic appeal, but that doesn’t matter much when it comes to functionality. For example, you have a choice of four secure protocols — WireGuard, OpenWeb, OpenVPN and Stealth VPN — which you can readily switch between on the main interface. 

OpenWeb allows you to encrypt your browsers only, with support for Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera and Chrome. On the other hand, Stealth VPN is best suited for obfuscation, where you can use the VPN without being detected. 

Astrill VPN Test Results

Astrill VPN is just as secure as any other China VPN on this list. I connected to a German server and ran the encrypted connection through Wireshark. No details involving my IP address, device or internet service provider were displayed. 

Astrill VPN Pricing and Value

Astrill is not a cheap VPN, and it comes with three price plans. There’s a 24-month option that costs $12.50 per month, followed by a 12-month plan going for $15 per month and a monthly option that costs a staggering $30. Furthermore, Astrill VPN purchases are final, so there are no refunds or money-back guarantee periods.

1. $12.50 per month (two-year plan)
   

   Overall Rating 6.8 / 10

4. Surfshark — An Affordable VPN That Might Work in China

While its connections sometimes prove to be tricky, Surfshark is one of the few mainstream VPNs that still usually works in China. Its unlimited simultaneous device connections offer a key advantage that lets you secure all your devices as you travel through China. You also get NoBorders mode, which automatically switches you to servers that work best under VPN censorship.

Additionally, Surfshark has one of the most affordable long-term plans, making it a cost-effective option for users on a budget. You can also bypass VPN censorship through the camouflage mode (obfuscation). This feature disguises your VPN traffic as a regular connection, tricking firewalls into letting it through.

Surfshark’s speeds are also among the fastest in the industry, so you won’t experience buffering when streaming or gaming on your devices. You can learn more about this in our Surfshark review.

My Experience With Surfshark: Hands-On Performance

I’ve never experienced issues finding my way around Surfshark’s apps — everything vital is within reach. For instance, the server list comes with a search function you can use to find the locations you want instantly.

You can also activate or disable all the key features, like the kill switch, rotating IP and protocols, in the VPN app settings. Even a first-time user won’t struggle to navigate Surfshark’s interface.

Surfshark Test Results

Surfshark is a secure VPN that combines AES-256 and ChaCha20 to protect your entire traffic from being intercepted. As illustrated below, the VPN passed my encryption test on Wireshark.

Surfshark Pricing and Value

While it may be among the most affordable VPNs overall, Surfshark also happens to have one of the costliest monthly plans at $15.45. The long-term plans offer better prices — the 27-month plan costs $1.99 per month, followed by a 15-month plan that costs $3.19 per month. All the plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

1. $2.49 per month (two-year plan + three months)
   

   Overall Rating 9.2 / 10

   Visit Surfshark

5. CyberGhost — A Large Server Network for China

Unlike Mullvad and VyprVPN, which have been confirmed to work in China, CyberGhost isn’t as consistent. Still, when it does work, you get reliable VPN features, like a large server network that offers plenty of IP address options in case of IP bans. You also get the highly private NoSpy servers, which reduce the risk of external interference or data access.  

You can also use the virtual mainland China server to access local content if you’re traveling abroad. However, the lack of obfuscation is a huge drawback because it makes CyberGhost more easy to detect and block. One way around this is to use the VPN’s IP masking feature and keep switching to a new server whenever your current server location is blocked.

CyberGhost’s connection speeds are decent, especially when you connect to the specialized streaming, gaming and torrenting servers.

My Experience With CyberGhost: Hands-On Performance

CyberGhost is a user-friendly VPN that beginners can get started with straight away. The specialty servers are my favorite feature because they save you time when looking for the right server to unblock specific streaming sites.

Key features like the kill switch, VPN protocols and ad blocker are all accessible from the app settings, regardless of the device you’re using. See our CyberGhost review for more details.

CyberGhost Test Results

CyberGhost is a very secure VPN that uses the latest encryption ciphers such as AES-256. I put it to the test using Wireshark and, as expected, nothing sensitive was exposed. It just displayed a string of random characters — proof that its encryption works.

CyberGhost Pricing and Value

CyberGhost is a relatively cheap VPN with the longest money-back guarantee of 45 days for its long-term plans. The cheapest option is the 28-month plan going for $2.03 per month, followed by a six-month option costing $6.99 per month. The final option is the monthly plan at $12.99, which comes with a shorter 14-day money-back guarantee.

1. 

   Overall Rating 7.5 / 10

   Visit CyberGhost

Alternative VPNs That May Work in China

During my research, I came across a few VPN suggestions that may work in China, but we haven’t tested them ourselves. Therefore, I can’t authoritatively recommend them, but it’s important to mention them.

• LetsVPN: Reddit and Quora cite many strong recommendations for LetsVPN. It sports multiple protocols, has DNS leak protection and comes with a kill switch. However, there have been complaints about its high bandwidth usage in the background, and users have reported that it is easily detected and blocked.
• V1VPN: On its website, the provider claims that it’s 100% optimized for China, but based on some Reddit reviews, V1VPN is prone to being blocked despite offering a stealth mode (obfuscation).
• SimpleLink: This is another common name among the Chinese VPN discussions that also claims to work without issues. It has an obfuscation protocol called Trojan, and there’s not much evidence online confirming whether it is truly reliable for bypassing the Great Firewall of China.

How to Use a VPN in China Safely

To use a VPN in China safely, follow the steps below. For demonstration purposes, I’m using Mullvad VPN, but these steps can be applied to other VPNs.

1. Subscribe to a VPN

Find a VPN that works in China and purchase a subscription that fits your budget. 

2. Download and Install the VPN

Go to the VPN’s website and download an app compatible with the device you’ll be using in China. You’ll need to download and install the VPN before you enter China, as you won’t be able to access VPN websites after crossing the border. It’s even better if you download two to three VPNs to increase your chances of success.

3. Sign In to Your Account

Sign in to your VPN account with the login credentials you used to create one when you subscribed to the service.

4. Connect to a Server

Connect to a server location based on what you want to unblock. Once that’s done, you’re free to browse the internet from China.

Does a Travel eSIM Bypass China’s Internet Restrictions?

Yes, a travel eSIM can bypass China’s internet restrictions. An eSIM activates international roaming, which connects you to non-Chinese servers. Your internet traffic gets routed through foreign networks outside the Chinese government’s control. As a result, the Great Firewall can’t inspect or block it.

Note that not every eSIM can bypass the Chinese censorship. It must be a roaming eSIM that’s tied to a provider outside China, like the U.S. In addition, eSIMs from nearby locations like Singapore and Hong Kong also work. If you get an eSIM from a provider partnered with a Chinese network like China Mobile, it won’t bypass the firewall.

How to Choose the Best VPN for China

China’s aggressive VPN censorship has drastically reduced the list of VPNs you can successfully use while in the country. Here are the factors to keep in mind when choosing the best VPN for China.

• Proven track record in China: I combined tests and research to determine the VPNs most likely to bypass Chinese firewalls — even providers that may work the first time can fail the next. Therefore, use our recommendations and conduct your own research before settling on a VPN. 
• Obfuscation technology: This is an important feature that hides your VPN activity from the government. Check to see if your desired VPN offers reliable obfuscation, as this feature doesn’t always work with some providers.
• Server network size: A VPN with a well-distributed global server network is a better fit because it provides more server options. Having more servers also means you can switch to a new IP address if the one you’re using gets blocked.
• Fast speeds: You’ll be connecting to servers farther away from China, which usually comes with slow speeds. To reduce latencies and mitigate speed losses, choose a VPN with server locations closer to China, like Hong Kong and Taiwan.
• Affordability: You need a VPN service that doesn’t break the bank and allows you to get a refund quickly if it doesn’t work in China. Look at the affordability of the long-term plans and the availability of money-back guarantees.

Are VPNs Legal in China?

Yes and no. The legality of VPN usage in China depends on two things. Firstly, it may be considered illegal for Chinese nationals, but there are no recorded consequences for a foreigner trying to use a VPN. Most times, even when it involves a Chinese national, the VPN provider faces the consequences rather than the individual.

Secondly, the Chinese government allows some VPNs to operate for business use as long as they grant the government complete access to user data. This is why most VPN services, like NordVPN, chose to pull out of China rather than violate user privacy in this manner.

Why Does China Block VPNs?

China blocks VPNs to stop its citizens from accessing restricted online content. This includes Western media like news channels, streaming sites and social media sites. The government implements these restrictions to limit political dissent and preserve what it considers social stability. It believes that Western content may spread ideas that could challenge political authority. 

The Chinese government also seeks to protect what it considers a crucial cultural narrative that can be diluted through foreign influence. Another key reason for banning global platforms like Google and Facebook is to create a non-competitive environment within China that allows local tech companies to create their own platforms.

All these factors contribute to why the Chinese government actively bans and blocks VPNs in any way possible, with high rates of success.

Does China Care If You Use a VPN?

Yes, China cares if you use a VPN, which is why it actively bans them. The exception is for businesses, and they must get a permit. However, as far as enforcement of VPN laws is concerned, the average user rarely faces the consequences when caught. Outlawed VPN service providers are the ones most likely to be penalized, and this usually comes in the form of fines and complete bans.

Is It Safe to Use a Free VPN for China?

In terms of privacy, it’s relatively safe to use a free VPN in China. However, due to aggressive Chinese censorship, even reliable free options like Proton VPN don’t work in China. Most free VPNs don’t stand a chance in China because they lack crucial features like obfuscation and solid no-logs policies. Overall, it’s best to steer clear of free services in this context.

Conclusion

Finding a working VPN for China is challenging; a VPN that works today may not work tomorrow. Mullvad remains my top choice because it has maintained a good track record of consistently working in China. Other alternatives you can use include VyprVPN, Astrill, Surfshark and CyberGhost. I recommend downloading at least a couple VPNs before traveling, just in case one doesn’t work.

Have you ever been to China and tried using a virtual private network? Did it work, or did you experience problems? Tell us all about that, and keep reading our blog for more informative pieces like this.

FAQ: Bypassing the Great Firewall

• Does NordVPN Work in China?

  At the time of writing, NordVPN no longer works in China. The effectiveness of the Great Firewall makes it hard for NordVPN to consistently work in mainland China.

• Does ExpressVPN Work in China?

  ExpressVPN doesn’t reliably work in China. It may be among the strongest VPN services around, but the high-level censorship and strict regulations that govern VPNs in China make it hard for ExpressVPN to work. It’s highly likely that China specifically targets top-performing VPNs like ExpressVPN to ensure they’re completely unusable.

• Does Surfshark Work in China?

  Yes, Surfshark can work in China as a backup VPN, but you may run into connection issues due to the Chinese firewalls. You can improve your chances by using camouflage mode to bypass VPN blocks, along with NoBorders mode to stop your virtual IPs from being tracked and blocked.

Sources

1. RSF — Country Index