Best VPN for China in 2026: 8 Options Ranked by Anti-Censorship Features

Last verified 4 October 2026. The best VPN for China to start with is Proton VPN: its China guide is the most detailed advice from any vendor here, its Stealth protocol and alternative routing are free, and you can install and test the free plan before paying for anything. No VPN can promise to work inside mainland China, because the Great Firewall changes often, and free VPNs rarely hold up, so this guide ranks 8 paid and free options on what each vendor publicly states about obfuscation, China guidance and refund terms. We have not tested any of them inside China.

The need is concrete. The UK Foreign Office lists Google, Facebook, YouTube and X as permanently blocked in China, and Surfshark's China guide adds Gmail, WhatsApp and Slack to its list of blocked sites. If you rely on those or on work tools that sit behind them, install your VPN before you fly.

Toolradar data: of the 35 VPN tools in our catalog, 5 are completely free and another 16 are freemium.

Quick Comparison

Our picks: the best VPNs for China, ranked

1. Proton VPN

Proton's China guide is the most complete setup advice from any vendor here. It tells you to set up Proton VPN before you travel, and to use two free anti-censorship features. Stealth wraps VPN traffic in an obfuscated TLS tunnel over TCP so it looks like regular HTTPS, which makes it harder for deep packet inspection to flag. Alternative routing, on by default, sends your connection through third-party networks if Proton's own servers are blocked. If you still cannot connect, Proton says to switch between Stealth and Smart protocols and restart the app.

Proton is candid that no VPN service can guarantee 100% reliability in China. Its guide suggests servers in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore for speed, and says to try farther ones if those are blocked. The free plan covers Japan and Singapore among its 10 countries, with one device at a time and Stealth included. Paid plans add country choice and up to 10 devices, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pick it if you want the most documented China setup and a free plan you can test before you board.

2. Windscribe

Windscribe's help article says whether it works in China is not straightforward: some people connect and others cannot. It points to two protocols. Stealth wraps OpenVPN in a TLS tunnel, and WSTunnel wraps it in a WebSocket. A separate troubleshooting guide says IKEv2 and OpenVPN often get blocked in high-censorship regions, and recommends trying Stealth, WireGuard and WSTunnel on port 443, then other servers if one fails.

The free plan includes all six protocols and 10 countries, Hong Kong among them, so you can try it first. Pro costs $9 a month or $69 a year. WSTunnel on Android needs a special build linked from that guide. Refunds are limited to 7 days and under 10 GB of use.

Pick it if you want to switch between several obfuscated protocols and start on a free plan with a Hong Kong server.

3. ZoogVPN

ZoogVPN's Shadow protocol combines obfuscated proxy technology with a VPN so traffic looks like regular HTTPS. ZoogVPN names China as a target, and its page stamps a "latest check" of 4 October 2026 next to it. If a country blocks the app itself, a manual IP resolution setting lets you enter an address from ZoogVPN's 24/7 support. ZoogVPN has a free plan with 10 GB a month.

Its own comparison is blunt: the free plan "may have difficulties overcoming restrictions," while Premium lists reliable circumvention. Premium costs $9.99 for a month or $39.99 for a year, with a 7-day money-back guarantee.

Pick it if you want a protocol built for censored networks at $39.99 a year, and a free plan to try first.

4. Astrill

Astrill sells itself to expats and international professionals on restrictive networks. Its proprietary StealthVPN protocol is inspired by OpenVPN, adds obfuscation, and runs over UDP or TCP on any port, so you can mimic HTTPS on TCP 443. It requires Astrill's own app. Astrill lists 142 cities across 56 countries, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and Korea.

The cost is the catch. A single month is $30 on Astrill's pricing page, and its refund policy says all sales are final: no refunds if your ISP blocks the service, and it suggests buying the shortest plan to try it. That is a real risk if you cannot test inside China first.

Pick it if you want a purpose-built stealth protocol with Asian servers and accept no money-back window.

5. Surfshark

Surfshark's NoBorders mode switches on automatically when the app detects network restrictions, and shows servers that work best under them. You can also turn it on under Settings, then Advanced. Camouflage mode hides typical VPN traffic patterns on OpenVPN. Surfshark's China guide says to set up before you arrive, because you may not reach its website afterward, to try a manual setup if the app is blocked, and that it cannot guarantee flawless access.

Surfshark says no free VPN works in China and recommends against free offers. Its server list has Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan among 4,500+ servers in 100 countries, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pick it if you want automatic restriction detection and a 30-day refund window.

6. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN lists automatic obfuscation on every server on supported platforms, which keeps connections working when networks interfere with VPN traffic, with no setting to change. It has servers in 113 countries, including Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan, and a 30-day money-back guarantee for first-time users.

ExpressVPN's support article tells users in countries with heavy censorship to contact its support team rather than giving a China-specific setup guide, and its travel page says some places only allow approved providers.

Pick it if you want obfuscation that needs no configuration and a 30-day refund.

7. NordVPN

NordVPN runs its Obfuscated Servers category on the NordWhisper protocol, which makes VPN traffic resemble regular web traffic. But Nord's own China support pages are cautious. They say the NordVPN macOS, iOS and Android apps are fully blocked in China and give a manual IKEv2/IPsec setup instead, using a certificate and service credentials from your Nord Account. For Windows, they say server configurations for manual connections and apps were recently blocked and developers are working on a fix.

The refund window is 30 days. Because the manual setup needs your Nord Account and email access, do it before departure.

Pick it if you are comfortable setting up a manual IKEv2 connection before you fly.

8. Mullvad

Mullvad has the most technical toolkit: LWO (lightweight WireGuard obfuscation), QUIC, Shadowsocks and UDP-over-TCP. Its guide to restrictive locations, updated April 2026, says the Great Firewall is blocking all Mullvad servers in Asia, so try US servers with obfuscation, and use Multihop if you cannot reach the exit you want.

Pricing is a flat €5 a month, with a 14-day money-back guarantee except for cash payments. There is no free plan.

Pick it if you are happy to test each obfuscation method yourself and want flat pricing.

How to choose a VPN for China

Install before you fly. Proton and Surfshark both say to set up before arrival, and vendor sites and app stores are generally blocked in China. Sign in on every device and keep any manual configuration files offline.

Pick a named obfuscation feature. Windscribe says IKEv2 and OpenVPN often get blocked in high-censorship regions, and Mullvad says plain WireGuard does not defeat packet inspection. Look for Stealth, Shadow, StealthVPN, NoBorders or NordWhisper, and learn how to switch protocols, since Proton and Windscribe both say the working option changes.

Carry a backup. Proton Free and Windscribe Free include obfuscation, so a free second app costs nothing and gives you another route.

Read the refund terms. Refund windows run from none at Astrill to 7 days at Windscribe and ZoogVPN, 14 at Mullvad and 30 at Proton, Surfshark, ExpressVPN and Nord. You cannot test the Great Firewall at home, so buy close enough to your trip that the window is still open when you land.

Choose nearby servers, then farther ones. Proton suggests Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore first. If they fail, try farther away, as Mullvad's guide advises with the US.

Expect it to change. Proton says China changes its blocking methods frequently, and the UK Foreign Office notes that internet access can be limited around key political events and dates. Treat every VPN here as likely to need adjustment.

Is using a VPN in China legal?

China only permits government-approved VPN services. The UK Foreign Office's China travel advice says Chinese cybersecurity laws require online products and services, VPNs among them, to be licensed by the government, and tells travelers to stay informed and follow Chinese law.

Enforcement has mainly targeted providers and sellers. Sixth Tone reported in 2019 that a 2017 industry ministry campaign aimed at individuals and domestic companies using unapproved VPNs, that sellers were jailed for nine months and for five and a half years, and that one man in Guangdong was fined 1,000 yuan (about $150) for using one. Rules and enforcement change, so check your own government's current travel advice before you go. This is general information, not legal advice.

FAQ

What is the best VPN for China?

Proton VPN is the best starting point: a dedicated China guide, Stealth and alternative routing on every plan including free, and a 30-day refund on paid plans. Windscribe and ZoogVPN are the next options, and no vendor can guarantee a connection.

Does a free VPN work in China?

Rarely. Surfshark says no free VPN works there. Proton Free and Windscribe Free include obfuscation protocols, and TunnelBear's free plan keeps GhostBear, but all are limited, and ZoogVPN says its free plan may struggle. Use a free plan as a test or backup. For more, see our guide to the best free VPNs.

Can I download a VPN once I am in China?

Plan not to. Vendor websites and app stores are generally blocked there, and Surfshark warns you may not reach its site. Install, sign in and test before departure, and keep manual configs.

Which protocol should I use in China?

Use the vendor's obfuscated option: Stealth on Proton, Stealth or WSTunnel on Windscribe, Shadow on ZoogVPN, StealthVPN on Astrill, NoBorders on Surfshark. If one fails, switch to another.

Which server locations are best?

Proton suggests Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore first. Surfshark, ExpressVPN and Astrill list servers in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan. Mullvad says Asian servers are blocked and suggests the US.

Will WhatsApp, Gmail and Google work with a VPN?

Those services are blocked in China, which is why people use a VPN. Whether a given VPN reaches them depends on that day's blocking, so do not assume it will.

Bottom line

Start with Proton VPN: install it and test the free plan at home, and upgrade to a paid plan before you fly if you need country choice or more devices. Add Windscribe Free or ZoogVPN as a second app. Choose Astrill only if you accept no refund, and treat NordVPN as a manual IKEv2 setup. Whatever you pick, install it before departure and expect to switch protocols once you arrive.