The Best VPNs for Safari in 2025

1. NordVPN - Best Privacy and Security Features

SecurityScore:

9.7 /10

View Plans Links to NordVPN

How We Review

Product Specs

Multihop	Yes
Obfuscated Servers	Yes
Kill Switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

View Plans Links to NordVPN

Who NordVPN is Good For

Anyone whose primary goal of using a VPN is to improve their security should choose NordVPN. Their features prioritize security without adding any inconveniences. For instance, their “Threat Protection Pro” feature for macOS devices automatically scans downloads checking for malware. It also detects and blocks phishing sites, preventing users from clicking scam links.

Severs, Streaming, and Torrenting

NordVPN has over 7,200 servers in 118 countries and counting. Sure, Private Internet Access has more servers, but their servers are only spread across 91 countries. And yeah, HMA VPN lets you connect through 210 countries, but most of those are with virtual servers and they only have 1,100 servers overall. NordVPN offers a great balance.

Streaming with NordVPN was easier than any other VPN we’ve used and it works on all major streaming platforms. They offer a feature called SmartPlay that automatically changes your DNS servers when a website blocks access. That means when we pulled up Netflix on Safari and it detected our VPN, NordVPN automatically switched our server to get around the block all while keeping our connection encrypted the whole time. Plus, it’s one of the fastest VPNs so we didn’t run into any buffering.

>> Related: VPN Speed Tests: Top VPNs Compared

User Experience

Both the iOS and macOS apps for NordVPN are easy to use. We consider them beginner-friendly apps, but they still offer the customization we like to see to stay versatile. We found it easy to customize, too. There’s a dedicated tab for all things VPN which lets us either quick-connect to a nearby server or choose a specific server. Then, there are submenus within the VPN window for more settings.

This same approach goes for the “Threat Protection Pro,” “Meshnet,” “Dark Web Monitoring,” “Presets,” and “Statistics” tabs too. They’re each easy to start using while still providing customizability. However, NordVPN limits simultaneous connections to 10 devices.

Security & Privacy

Every VPN in this list has a no-logs data policy that’s been third-party audited. That means they don’t store your IP address or any other personally identifiable information aside from what’s necessary for billing. What makes NordVPN stand out is that they audit their no-logs policy on an annual basis. They recently passed their fifth audit. That’s more verification of privacy than we get from any other provider and why we named NordVPN the best no-logs VPN.

NordVPN helped us keep our MacBook Pro safe too. Their “Threat Protection Pro” feature we mentioned earlier scans files we download, checking them for malware. We tested it by downloading sample malware from EICAR and it prevented the download. “Threat Protection Pro” also gives a warning if you try to navigate to a potentially malicious site such as phishing sites. You need at least the “Plus” plan for access to “Threat Protection Pro,” which we recommend. This feature put NordVPN on the top of our list of the best VPNs for macOS.

Pricing

There’s no getting around it. NordVPN is on the expensive side of the industry. It’s not the most expensive, but there’s more affordable options out there, such as our next pick, Surfshark. However, we think NordVPN gives great value because of their advanced features and impressive server infrastructure. Plus, their 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans lets you try them risk free. Here’s how much NordVPN costs:

>> Read About: How Much Does a VPN Cost? | 2025 Average VPN Pricing

2. Surfshark - Best for Extra Features

SecurityScore:

9.5 /10

View Plans Links to Surfshark

How We Review

Product Specs

Multi-hop	Yes
Camouflage Mode	Yes
Kill switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

View Plans Links to Surfshark

Who Surfshark is Good For

We recommend Surfshark to anyone who’s looking for a feature-rich VPN to use on Safari. The VPN’s macOS and iOS apps come packed with many useful additional tools. The list includes split-tunneling, ad-blocking, double VPN connections, and more.

Servers, Streaming, and Torrenting

Surfshark has a huge server network. It consists of over 3,200 servers, which are located in 100 countries. This prevents server overcrowding, and also makes it easy to use nearby servers to ensure you get fast speeds.

Surfshark also performed very well in our streaming tests. We were able to use it to access many popular streaming services, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Max. We also think Surfshark is an excellent VPN for Netflix since it works with many popular libraries, like Netflix US, Netflix UK, and Netflix Japan.

We’re also pretty happy with Surfshark’s torrenting support since it allows P2P downloads across all of its servers. Our only complaint is that it doesn’t have additional features to boost torrenting speeds. For example, Private Internet Access provides access to port forwarding and SOCKS5 proxy connections.

User Experience

We installed and tried out Surfshark’s macOS and iOS apps. Overall, we were really happy with them. They’re very simple to download and install — the whole process won’t take you more than two minutes on average. We also like how Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections, meaning you can use it on as many devices as you want.

Both apps also come with a very intuitive interface. It shouldn’t take you more than a few seconds to manually find and connect to a VPN server. We also really like how the apps provide quick, helpful explanations for all settings and features. We never felt lost while using the apps because we always knew what everything does.

Security & Privacy

Surfshark provides built-in access to many useful security and privacy features. Like NordVPN, it provides support for double VPN connections. But we like Surfshark’s double VPN support better. That’s because it lets you set up custom double VPN connections. Basically, you can use any server location you want as an entry or an exit server.

We also like the “IP Rotator” feature. It changes your VPN IP address every five to ten minutes, and it does so without disconnecting you from the VPN server. We think this provides enhanced privacy since it makes it harder for anyone to track your VPN IP address.

We also read through Surfshark’s no-logs policy, and we think it provides great transparency. It clearly says that the VPN doesn’t log your web traffic or real IP address. What’s more, Surfshark’s no-logs policy has also been independently audited, which makes it easier to trust.

Pricing

Surfshark has three tier-based subscriptions: “Surfshark Starter,” “Surfshark One,” and “Surfshark One+.” We recommend the “Surfshark Stater” tier since it provides access to all VPN features, as well as the Alternative ID tool. Its month-to-month price is a bit steep, so we recommend getting a long-term plan instead. With the longest plan, you only pay $1.99 per month.

If you want access to even more features and services, try one of Surfshark’s higher subscription tiers. The “Surfshark One” tier adds access to Surfshark Antivirus, a privacy-focused search engine, and data breach monitoring via Surfshark Alert. And the “Surfshark One+” tier adds access to Incogni, which is a good data removal tool.

3. Private Internet Access - Best for Torrenting

SecurityScore:

9.4 /10

View Plans Links to Private Internet Access

How We Review

Product Specs

Multihop	Yes
Obfuscated Servers	Yes
Kill Switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

View Plans Links to Private Internet Access

Who Private Internet Access is Good For

If you primarily plan to use your VPN for torrenting, Private Internet Access is the way to go. All 35,000-plus servers that Private Internet Access runs support torrenting. That means you can just hit connect and start torrenting in private without Big Brother or your ISP looking over your shoulder. Plus, they have servers in all 50 U.S. states so you’ll always be near a server that can give you fast speeds.

Servers, Streaming, and Torrenting

While we prefer NordVPN’s server infrastructure, Private Internet Access is a close second with the most servers we’ve seen a VPN offer at over 35,000. There’s also one in every U.S. state, so you’ll never need to connect to one that’s far away. That makes it a top pick for the best VPNs for gaming since latency goes up significantly as you get farther away from a server, resulting in lag.

All servers also allow torrenting.. Plus, all of its servers (except the US ones) also support port forwarding making it one of the best VPNs for torrenting. With it, you can boost your P2P speeds. And for even faster speeds, Private Internet Access offers SOCKS5 proxy servers as well. They don’t encrypt your traffic, which makes them faster than VPNs, but they still change your IP address.

Our main issue with Private Internet Access was its ability to get into streaming sites. Every time we tried to connect to a streaming platform like Hulu or Netflix, we had to cycle through multiple servers until we found one that wasn’t blocked. Now that’s not the end of the world, but it is inconvenient. Unlike NordVPN, whose servers are all optimized for streaming, there are only a handful of dedicated streaming servers from PIA VPN.

>> Learn More: Proxy vs. VPN: What’s the Difference?

User Experience

Private Internet Access doesn’t have nearly as many features as NordVPN. But, that makes their VPN app more streamlined. There’s just one main screen for connecting to their servers. That, along with their support for unlimited simultaneous connections, makes it easy when you want a basic connection.

That said, navigating their advanced settings (such as switching from AES-128 to AES-256 encryption) can get confusing. We were able to make our way through its settings because we’re already familiar with the terminology of VPNs. But if this is your first time hearing about split tunneling or a VPN kill switch, expect to reference their support center often. At least in the beginning.

Security & Privacy

Surprisingly, Private Internet Access uses the same firm, Deloitte, to audit their no-logs policy as NordVPN. Although NordVPN’s audit was more recent, PIA had an audit last year so we trust that they don’t store any customer information aside from what’s necessary. We also appreciate that they open sourced their code so anyone can check for vulnerabilities.

As for our own security, Private Internet Access offers a similar feature to NordVPN’s “Threat Protection” called “MACE” — and that’s only one similarity we found when comparing PIA and NordVPN. It blocks ads and trackers, but it prioritizes malicious ads that send you to phishing sites or try to get you to download malware. They maintain a database of these known malicious domains and block them from showing up on any site you visit. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work on iOS but it still works on macOS.

>> Read More: How to Install and Use a VPN on a Mac in 2025

Pricing

If you’re ready to subscribe to a VPN for the long haul, Private Internet Access is ready to give you a good deal. They’re one of the most affordable VPNs in the industry for long-term subscriptions. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is why we didn’t have a problem spending $79 up front for their three-year plan. Here’s an overview of PIA’s pricing:

4. ExpressVPN - Most User-Friendly Safari VPN

SecurityScore:

9.1 /10

View Plans Links to ExpressVPN

How We Review

Product Specs

Multihop	No
Obfuscated Servers	Yes
Kill Switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

View Plans Links to ExpressVPN

Who ExpressVPN is Good For

ExpressVPN’s macOS and iOS apps are easy to navigate with an intuitive design that anyone can use. That makes it a good choice if you want a VPN that simply works. It still offers all the customization you need in a VPN, but the main screen is streamlined so you can get started using it right away.

Servers, Streaming, and Torrenting

Although ExpressVPN no longer shares how many servers they have, the last time they published that number, they had over 3,000. They still share that they have servers in 105 countries, though, making it a good alternative to NordVPN at least in terms of the server network.

We also appreciate ExpressVPN’s investment into their server infrastructure recently upgrading all of their servers from 1 Gbps servers to 10 Gbps servers. These are all servers that support streaming and torrenting, too – VPN activities where fast speeds are a must.

User Experience

Setting up a VPN should be easy and ExpressVPN takes that to heart. The layout of both the macOS and iOS apps just makes sense. They cleanly showcase all of your server options in a window pane on the right with your connection status on the left. Then, all of the advanced features are tucked away neatly in the three-bar menu from the top right. We just had to make sure we didn’t go beyond their limit of eight simultaneous connections when setting up new devices.

In the same window pane on the right that shows your connection status, that’s also where ExpressVPN’s Shortcuts sit. We didn’t think much of this feature when we first saw it, but after testing it, we now see how convenient it is. It lets you set up buttons to automatically connect with specified settings and open up a specified app. We set up a shortcut for Netflix that connects us to a Canadian server so we can go straight to watching Netflix every time.

>> Read About: How to Install and Use a VPN on an iPhone in 2025

Security & Privacy

ExpressVPN undergoes regular security audits. They generally audit everything from their apps to the technology their servers use. Plus, they publish all of the results transparently. To cut it short, most audits came up with a few vulnerabilities that ExpressVPN promptly addressed. Needless to say, they didn’t have any WebRTC leaks or other security issues.

For personal security, ExpressVPN offers a built-in password manager on iOS that they call ExpressVPN Keys. Even better, it comes with every subscription. Since it’s built into the app, using ExpressVPN Keys doesn’t take any extra steps. Just save your passwords when prompted and log in with one click from there on out.

>> Learn About: How to Check If a VPN Is Working

Pricing

The long-term subscription for ExpressVPN is expensive, but it’s what we recommend. Compared to the monthly plan, the one- and two-year subscriptions each save you about $5 per month on average. ExpressVPN also offers discounts every once in a while, but it’s not near the discount we’ve seen from NordVPN, Surfshark, or Private Internet Access. That said, they offer one of the best VPN free trials for up to seven days on top of a 30-day money-back guarantee. Here are the prices of ExpressVPN’s subscriptions:

>> Check Out: NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN

5. IPVanish - Best for iPhones and iPads

SecurityScore:

9.3 /10

View Plans Links to IPVanish

How We Review

Product Specs

Multihop	Yes
Obfuscated Servers	Yes
Kill Switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

View Plans Links to IPVanish

Who IPVanish is Good For

Most VPNs struggle to add as many features on their iOS app as their macOS app due to restrictions Apple imposes. IPVanish found work-arounds to most of these restrictions giving them one of the most feature-rich iOS VPNs. So, if you’re looking for a VPN to primarily use on your iPhone, IPVanish offers some unique features we rarely see on iOS like split tunneling which put it on our list of the best VPNs for iPhones.

Servers, Streaming, and Torrenting

Despite IPVanish only having about 2,400 servers, they provided us with some of the fastest download speeds. They only slowed our base download speeds by about 4 percent, while ExpressVPN slowed us down by almost 8 percent. NordVPN and Private Internet Access sat in the middle with NordVPN, offering slightly faster speeds than PIA.

IPVanish gives access to all major streaming platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, ESPN+, Max and more. They don’t have streaming-optimized servers, though, which kept them off our list of the best VPNs for streaming.

Don’t expect to be able to seed torrent files as IPVanish doesn’t have port forwarding. That can also impact download speeds, as some seeders require port forwarding so you won’t be able to download files from as many people. When we used IPVanish for torrenting, we used their SOCKS5 proxy server. We sacrificed our encryption, but it let us torrent with satisfactory speeds.

User Experience

Installing IPVanish is an easy process. They list all of their apps at the top of every page on their site. All it takes is picking your platform, downloading the app, and then following their instructions for installation. We installed IPVanish on every device we own since they support unlimited simultaneous connections, too.

Like we mentioned, we were most impressed with IPVanish’s iOS app. They’re one of only a few providers (like Surfshark) that offer split tunneling for iPhones. It’s not app-based split tunneling like they offer on Android, but we could still set specific domains to bypass our VPN connection. App-based split tunneling lets you choose specific apps to bypass your VPN connection like your social media apps for better speeds and fewer CAPTCHA. This extends to iPads, too, making it one of the best VPNs for iPads.

Security & Privacy

We like to rip the bandaid off. In 2016, IPVanish was involved in a scandal related to their compliance with their own no-logs data policy.2 They turned over user records containing personally identifiable information they shouldn’t have had in the first place to the U.S. government, which led to an arrest. Shortly after, IPVanish was acquired by a new company and they started taking their privacy policy more seriously.

Since then, IPVanish went through a third-party audit in 2022 confirming their compliance with their no-logs policy. They also haven’t been in any other controversies since.

>> Defining Terminology: What Is Personally Identifiable Information?

Pricing

The starting price for IPVanish is $2.19, which isn’t bad. That’s in between Surfshark and NordVPN. They also have a 30-day money-back guarantee for the one- and two-year plans. Be warned though: It doesn’t extend to their month-to-month plan like it does for PIA and NordVPN. Here’s a quick look at IPVanish’s plans:

>> Check Out: NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN

6. CyberGhost VPN - Best for Streaming and Downloading

SecurityScore:

8.9 /10

View Plans Links to CyberGhost VPN

How We Review

Product Specs

Multihop	Yes
Obfuscated Servers	No
Kill Switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

View Plans Links to CyberGhost VPN

Who CyberGhost VPN is Good For

CyberGhost is a good choice for anyone buying a VPN to unlock more content on their subscribed streaming services. It’s one of the few providers to list every streaming service they can unblock and there are a lot of them. We’re talking over 50. With CyberGhost, you’ll never run out of content to watch.

Servers, Streaming, and Torrenting

At the beginning of 2024, CyberGhost stopped publishing their server count. The last time they published it, they were at over 11,000 in over 100 countries. What sets CyberGhost’s servers apart is how they offer servers optimized for specific tasks. Some are optimized for streaming, others are optimized for torrenting, and most are optimized for anonymity.

Those streaming-optimized servers in over 20 countries give you fast speeds to watch your favorite shows in 4K. We’re not as impressed with the torrenting-optimized servers though. Sure, they work, but they don’t support port forwarding, so you can’t boost download speeds.

>> Learn About: Best VPN Service for Disney+ Streaming in 2025

User Experience

Overall, we like CyberGhost’s iOS and macOS apps. They make it easy to find their optimized servers with dedicated tabs for both streaming servers and downloading servers. Each server shows its current load too. We actively avoided high-load servers to keep our speeds up.

CyberGhost’s “Smart Rules” makes it easy to set up connections. You can either automatically open up an app, such as Safari, when you connect to CyberGhost. Or, you can have CyberGhost automatically connect when opening specific apps. That’s our preference because it ensures we’re connected through a VPN every time we open Safari.

Security & Privacy

In the past, CyberGhost’s logging policy allowed them to collect IP addresses while connected to their servers. They’ve since rectified that and no longer employ that practice which we’re happy about as we considered it a security concern. CyberGhost didn’t just change their logging policy to a no-logs policy. They verified their compliance with it through a third-party audit in 2022.

Other than keeping your internet use private through its VPN, CyberGhost doesn’t offer much in terms of online security. There’s a built-in ad-blocker you can turn on, but we prefer NordVPN’s “Threat Protection Pro” if you’re looking for extra online protections.

>> Learn More: How to Find Your iPhone’s IP Address

Pricing

We like CyberGhost’s pricing. They don’t make you sign up for three years like Private Internet Access does, but they still offer very low pricing starting at $2.03 per month. Plus, they offer a generous 45-day money-back guarantee on their six-month and two-year plans, while most providers offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Here’s an overview of CyberGhost’s plans: