3 Best Alternatives to NordVPN Proven to Work in China 2024
NordVPN is a top-choice VPN for streaming, torrenting, browsing the web, and more. However, NordVPN is not the best option for making connections from China — if you’re planning to travel to China, you’ll need to use an alternative VPN.
I have learned about your experience testing VPN services and identifying the top 3 options that work reliably in China, offering strong security and fast speeds for activities like streaming and online gaming. Among the VPNs you’ve tested, ExpressVPN stands out as the top choice for China overall.
Even better, you can try ExpressVPN in China risk-free, as it’s backed by a money-back guarantee. If you’re not completely satisfied, you can get a full refund by contacting customer service.
Connect in China with ExpressVPN
Important! Non-government-approved VPNs are illegal in China. While there have been no public cases of tourists being penalized for using one, you are still at risk of prosecution if caught. Using a VPN does not allow you to commit illegal acts, so please exercise a basic level of caution when connecting to a VPN in China.
Quick Guide: How to Get a VPN for China in 2024
- Download a high-quality VPN before you arrive in China. This is essential, as you won’t be able to access VPN websites when you’re in the country — I recommend you try ExpressVPN as it’s the most reliable service for China.
- Open the app once you’ve landed in China. As long as your VPN is on your device before you arrive, you’ll be able to access an encrypted connection.
- Connect to a VPN server and start streaming, browsing, and more! ExpressVPN has more than 3,000 servers for quick, uninterrupted connections.
The Best VPNs for China (Tested in 2024)
1. ExpressVPN — High-Level Security Features on All Servers Guarantees Secure Connections When in China
Key Features:
- 3,000+ servers in 105 locations — best servers in Hong Kong, India, Japan, UK, and US
- Obfuscation on all servers ensures solid connections from China
- AES-256-bit encryption, data leak protection, and audited zero-log policy
- Supports 8 device connections at the same time
- 30-day money-back guarantee
ExpressVPN’s obfuscation technology provides easy connections from China, and it’s available on every server. Obfuscation masks your VPN connection, making it look like regular traffic and so avoiding China’s proxy detection. This ensures you can make a successful connection when you travel without having to make manual changes to the app.
To further protect your connections from prying eyes in China, ExpressVPN has the following high-level security and privacy features for its servers:
- AES-256-bit encryption — keeps all data and activity secure within an unhackable tunnel, so no third parties can see what you’re doing online.
- Data leak protection — stops accidental DNS, WebRTC, and IP leaks from exposing your true location to avoid detection by China’s Great Firewall.
- Secure connection protocols — including OpenVPN and ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol, designed for top speeds and security.
- TrustedServer technology — RAM-based servers are physically unable to store data, as proven when Turkish authorities seized an ExpressVPN server but recovered no data.
- Audited zero-log policy — independent audits confirm ExpressVPN never logs or stores your data while you’re connected to its servers.
I was pleased to find ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN I’ve tested. On average, my connection speeds were only reduced by 18% from my regular speed. This was more than fast enough for streaming, torrenting, and more without interruptions. Even long-distance connections are blazing-fast, so you shouldn’t notice a significant impact when connected.
These fast speeds ensure you can use the internet freely and access your favorite content when you travel to China. ExpressVPN is a top choice for streaming Netflix, torrenting large files, and playing online games without lag. From China, ExpressVPN can connect to the following services:
| Netflix | Disney+ | Amazon Prime Video | Hulu | HBO Max |
| YouTube | Skype | BBC | Wikipedia | |
| New York Times | …and more! |
While ExpressVPN is a little more expensive than other services, I think it’s worth the cost to ensure a secure and reliable connection when traveling to China. Its prices start at $6.67 per month for a 1-year + 3 months plan, which is a significant 49% discount from its regular prices.
I suggest you try ExpressVPN when you travel to China and see how it works for you. If you’re not satisfied, you have up to 30 days to request a refund. When I tested the process, it took just a couple of minutes for a live chat agent to arrange my refund with no questions asked. I had my money back within 5 days.
ExpressVPN works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Nvidia Shield, Xiaomi Mi Box, Google Chromecast, Roku, Android TVs, smart TVs, routers, and more.
Connect in China with ExpressVPN
2024 Update! ExpressVPN has dropped prices for a limited time to a crazy $6.67 per month for the 1-year plan + 3 months free (you can save up to 49%)! This is a limited offer so be sure to grab it now before it's gone. See more information on this offer here.
2. PrivateVPN — Stealth VPN Protects Your Data and Connections in China
Key Features:
- 200+ servers in 63 locations — best connections in Canada, Japan, and Taiwan
- Stealth VPN obfuscates VPN traffic to avoid detection by the Great Firewall
- AES-256-bit encryption, leak protection, and audited zero-log policy
- Secures up to 10 devices
- 30-day money-back guarantee
PrivateVPN’s Stealth VPN feature makes connecting from China simple. By disguising your VPN traffic, Stealth VPN avoids VPN blocks and firewalls that use DPI. This makes it easy for PrivateVPN to get around China’s Great Firewall to connect to restricted sites and services you can usually access when at home.
As well as Stealth VPN, PrivateVPN keeps your connections from China secure and anonymous with its other top-tier features, including:
- Military-grade encryption — every server is protected by AES-256-bit encryption to keep your online activity and personal data hidden.
- Kill switch — cuts access to the internet if the VPN connection is interrupted, constantly maintaining high-level security for your data.
- Data leak protection — prevents accidental DNS and IP leaks that could compromise your privacy.
- Auto connect — automatically connects to a server when you start up your device so you’re always using a secure connection.
- Audited privacy policy — independently audited to prove PrivateVPN never logs or stores your data when you’re using its services.
While it does have a smaller selection of servers than many VPNs, PrivateVPN offers servers close to China. Locations like Japan and Taiwan provide smooth, reliable connections. Distant connections were slower with some buffering and occasional lag. Fortunately, PrivateVPN can reliably connect to the following services worldwide:
| Netflix | Disney+ | Amazon Prime Video | Hulu | HBO Max |
| YouTube | Skype | Twitch | …and more! |
My issue with PrivateVPN is it’s slower than other options. My speed tests showed drops of up to 60% on long-distance connections, which could impact your streaming, torrenting, online gaming, and browsing. This slowdown is due to Stealth VPN, but I think it’s worth a few moments of waiting or buffering for guaranteed secure connections in China.
If you’d like to try PrivateVPN, you’ll find it’s an affordable option — one of the top monthly VPNs in 2024, which is ideal if you only need it for a short time. Plans start at $2.00/month for a 3-year subscription, and every new plan is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Should you change your mind about PrivateVPN, it’s easy to get a full refund. I sent a request by email and had a confirmation response the same day. Best of all, my money was returned within a week.
PrivateVPN works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Raspberry Pi, Chrome, Firefox, PlayStation, Xbox, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku, smart TVs, routers, and more.
Connect in China with PrivateVPN
3. VyprVPN — Proprietary Chameleon Technology Avoids Detection By China’s Great Firewall
Key Features:
- 700+ servers in 63 locations — top connections in Hong Kong
- Proprietary Chameleon technology easily avoids China’s Great Firewall
- AES-256-bit encryption, leak protection, kill switch, and zero-log policy
- Supports up to 10 devices at the same time
- 30-day money-back guarantee
VyprVPN’s Chameleon technology is easily able to get around China’s Great Firewall. By scrambling the data packet metadata of your online traffic, China’s network can’t detect your VPN connection using DPI (Deep Packet Inspection). Plus, Chameleon uses Smart IP, rotating your IP address without disturbing your connection so you cannot be tracked.
Alongside Chameleon technology, VyprVPN has multiple top-tier features to protect your data and anonymity when in China. These include:
- AES-256-bit encryption — military-level protection keeps your data secure within the encrypted tunnel, ensuring your privacy and ability to access content outside of China.
- Data leak protection — prevents accidental IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks from exposing your true location and identifying data.
- Public WiFi Protection — automatically connects to a secure server when using public WiFi so your data is always safe.
- Owns and operates entire server network — reduces the risk of network vulnerabilities, such as third-party interference.
- Audited zero-logs policy — an independent audit proves VyprVPN won’t log or store your data.
During tests, VyprVPN’s servers in Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan provided fast, reliable connections. I found VyprVPN’s connections were quick to establish, so I could start browsing, streaming, and chatting online almost immediately. VyprVPN can connect to the following services easily:
| Netflix | Disney+ | YouTube | Omegle |
| Spotify | …and more! |
Disappointingly, VyprVPN’s long-distance connections are much slower which could significantly impact your online activities. Servers more than 5,000km away caused buffering when streaming, and increased my ping so online games were laggy and difficult to play. This could be an issue if you need to connect to a specific, distant location from China.
Fortunately, VyprVPN is reasonably priced, with long-term plans starting at just $3.00/month. Plus, VyprVPN is backed by a 30-day guarantee, so you can test the service risk-free when in China. If you change your mind, you can get a full refund — I contacted customer service after canceling my account and had my money back in a week.
VyprVPN works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Raspberry Pi, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku, smart TVs, routers, and more.
Why You Need a VPN in China
China boasts one of the most stringent online networks globally, implementing extensive restrictions. In an effort to safeguard its citizens from potentially detrimental content, the government imposes blocks on access to popular websites and services. This regulatory measure extends to tourists and visitors as well, who are prohibited from visiting these sites even though they may have unrestricted access in their home countries.
When traveling to China, it becomes necessary to utilize a VPN in order to maintain access to platforms like WhatsApp, YouTube, and Facebook. By employing an encrypted VPN, your online traffic is redirected through a server located outside of China, enabling you to enjoy unrestricted access to your preferred content while you are on the go.
However, not all VPNs will work — many don’t have the top-tier security and privacy features necessary to avoid detection by China’s Great Firewall. After extensively testing the top VPNs in 2024, only 3 VPNs consistently and reliably work in China. Of these VPNs, ExpressVPN is the top choice for China, with fast, reliable connections.
Make sure you download your VPN before arriving in China, otherwise, you’ll find the VPN website is blocked and you may get stuck without one. I recommend getting a Chinese SIM card for your smartphone to avoid roaming fees, and choosing a reliable ISP — China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile are good options, depending on where you stay.
What to Do If ExpressVPN Stops Working in China – 3 Solutions
China’s Great Firewall is continually being updated, so you may occasionally find an ExpressVPN server connection isn’t working how you expected it to. Fortunately, there are a few easy steps you can take to get connected and use the internet freely in China.
Before trying the following tips, make sure you have waited for ExpressVPN to complete its connection requests. From inside China, connections can take up to 30 seconds to complete, so I suggest waiting until the connection has definitely failed before retrying. I also recommend exiting the ExpressVPN app and restarting your device before attempting another connection.
1. Adjust your settings
To ensure you can reliably connect to ExpressVPN in China, there are a couple of changes you can make to your settings:
- Set the VPN protocol to “Automatic” — ExpressVPN supports multiple protocols that can be changed, depending on your connection. However, some are more easily detected by China’s technology than others. By switching your protocol to “Automatic” in the “Protocol” settings menu, ExpressVPN will choose the best option for your connection.
- Clear your browser cache and cookies — occasionally, location data can be stored in the cookies stored in your browser. This causes a conflict between the VPN server location and the location data in your cookies, so websites will refuse your access. By clearing this data, the conflict is removed so you can connect to your desired sites and services.
2. Switch to a different server
It’s possible that some ExpressVPN connections are blocked or down for maintenance, so switching to a different server is an easy way to fix the issue. If you don’t need to connect to a specific location, try typing “Pick for Me” in ExpressVPN’s server menu. This will find the top working location that is accessible for China.
I took a look at ExpressVPN’s support site and found that these servers are recommended for reliable connections when in China: Japan – Yokohama, USA – Los Angeles – 5, UK – Wembley, Singapore – Marina Bay, and France – Alsace.
3. Contact ExpressVPN’s customer support by email
ExpressVPN has a live chat feature on its website, but you may not be able to connect to the site while you’re in China. You can try ExpressVPN’s mirror site (https://expressvpn.xyz/) but this isn’t guaranteed to work all the time.
Fortunately, ExpressVPN has reliable email support with quick responses — I had replies to my emails in under 30 minutes! You can contact ExpressVPN at support@expressvpn.zendesk.com. Make sure you use an email service that works in China, like Yahoo Mail.
Connect in China with ExpressVPN
FAQs About VPNs in China
How does ExpressVPN work in China?
Basically, ExpressVPN reliably works in China by keeping its servers outside of the country and using obfuscation.
Not one of ExpressVPN’s 3,000+ servers is located inside China. This means it isn’t a government-approved VPN, and it doesn’t have to comply with the government’s regulations. It’s free to disregard China’s data retention requirements and content restrictions, helping you connect to servers beyond China’s firewall.
ExpressVPN also uses obfuscation on every server connection, providing an extra layer of encryption to hide your data and your connection type. An obfuscated server disguises your connection, changing its appearance to look like regular HTTPS traffic instead of a VPN. This makes the firewall think your VPN connection is standard internet traffic, letting it pass through without restriction.
Why should I use a VPN in China?
Using a VPN in China ensures you can visit the online accounts and websites you would usually have access to at home. Many popular services like WhatsApp, YouTube, and Google, are blocked in China, so unless you’re using a VPN you won’t be able to make a connection.
It’s important to note that China only permits the use of government-approved VPNs. These services track and store user activity and data, making it available to the government to monitor citizens. Using the VPNs listed in this article is prohibited, as they are not government-approved.
However, arriving in China with a VPN is unlikely to cause you issues, as long as you are not engaging in illegal behaviors. Keep in mind that the protection of a VPN doesn’t give you license to commit illegal acts (like downloading copyrighted content), so please exercise a basic level of caution when using a VPN in China.
Is using a VPN legal in China?
It’s complicated. Technically, VPNs in China aren’t legal unless they are government-approved. However, unless you use a VPN with a strict no-logs policy, military-grade encryption, and other security measures, you risk exposing your private data to the government. In my research, I’ve found that fines for using a non-approved VPN apply mostly to Chinese nationals rather than foreign workers or tourists.
You can legally use a VPN that is registered with the government, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Using a government-approved VPN won’t protect your online activity or give you access to your home country’s accounts (like Gmail or Netflix). Approved VPN services have to follow government-mandated restrictions. These include blocking websites and logging user data – putting your activity and data at risk.
Why does China block websites and services?
The Chinese government restricts access to the internet to protect its citizens from what it deems to be unsuitable content. This means you’ll need to use a VPN to access blocked websites and services when you’re visiting the country.
While the intention to shield individuals from harmful content is respectable, the restrictions have grown in scope over time. As a result, the use of any website that posts information considered to be “against the government” is forbidden. This could include celebrity rumors, criticism of the government or party leaders, or blog posts written by activists.
Many controversial events, like the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest, are censored from the Chinese internet — and any foreign sites that mention them are blocked.
Which websites are blocked in China?
The Chinese government is continually blocking popular websites that people in other countries use freely every day. This is why it’s so important to download a VPN before you visit China, as you won’t be able to access VPN websites from within the country. As the list changes so frequently, there’s no way to tell just how many websites are blocked from public view.
Popular sites blocked in China include:
- Search Engines — Yahoo and Google (including Google platforms like Google Docs and Google Drive).
- News providers — NY Times and BBC.
- Messaging sites — Gmail, WhatsApp, and Snapchat.
- Social media — Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
- Streaming services — Twitch, YouTube, and Spotify.
- Information providers — Wikipedia and Quora.
Will my VPN work on my phone in China?
Can I use a free VPN in China?
It’s unlikely a free VPN will work in China. There are only a handful of premium VPNs that reliably work in China, and free VPNs simply don’t have the high-level features necessary to avoid China’s tough network restrictions.
While there are some safe and secure free VPNs, they’re not a good choice for use in China. Instead, I’d recommend taking a look at PrivateVPN’s money-back guarantee — ideal if you’re traveling to China for a short time. Simply claim a refund within 30 days by sending an email to customer support and you’ll have your money back within a week.
Using a VPN in China Keeps You Safe and Unrestricted
The Chinese government closely monitors and restricts internet use, even for tourists and visitors to the country. To ensure you can freely and securely access your favorite sites and services, you’ll need to use a top-tier VPN when you travel to China.
Only a few of the best VPNs in 2024 can successfully make connections from China. I found 3 premium services that provide reliable access to services outside of China, with ExpressVPN being the top choice. ExpressVPN’s obfuscated servers and fast speeds make it ideal for China, consistently connecting you to your local accounts when you’re traveling.
You can try ExpressVPN risk-free as the service is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not fully satisfied, you can get a refund with no questions asked, giving you peace of mind.
