

(They have to make money some way, I guess!) If this doesn’t bother you, go for it. The main difference between a free and paid VPN is the security.įree VPNs will often sell on your data to third parties. However, if you’re in China long term, a paid VPN is much more reliable and a worthy investment. If you’re only in China for a few days, then a free VPN or a VPN free trial may be perfect for you. The first question you have to ask yourself is whether you’re happy to pay or want to be frugal and compromise on service. It’s time to choose your ideal VPN for China. If you live near one of the borders, head to Macau or Hong Kong! The Great Firewall of China doesn’t extend to these territories.īeat the Great Firewall with These 10 Best VPNs for China Should I use a free or paid VPN for China?.If you’re roaming, you shouldn’t have a problem accessing anything. Use the data from your home country’s SIM.Download an APK (Android Package Kit), a type of file used by Android to open and read apps (using Yahoo or Bing to do the search).Head to a foreigner-friendly, high-end hotel where they have a VPN built into the Wi-Fi.There are a few strategies to get a VPN when you’re already in China. Try using the internet without Google for more than five minutes. Or you thought you could slide by without one. Maybe you missed the memo on having to download a VPN to access anything in China. New Zealand’s Netflix just introduced Harry Potter to the collection and I haven’t even started! I’m dreading the day when it will, though. It’s a bigger problem for Chinese citizens to own one.Īs an expat in China, you’ll hear the same news once every few months about how the government is cracking down on limiting VPNs and that they’re really serious about it this time! But this threat has yet to come to fruition. It’s a very gray area, but you shouldn’t be worried about using one as a foreigner. Does that mean using a VPN in China is illegal? Well… yes and no. So China blocks a lot of its websites because it doesn’t want you to access them. In fact, I’m using a VPN right now to write this blog post.

The Great Firewall of China shows no mercy, and I can almost guarantee that you’ll regret not buying a VPN before you go. Have a further read on this comprehensive list of sites that are blocked in China to see if you think it’s necessary to get a VPN. Other popular blocked sites include YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and the recent edition of BBC. Want to work from home? Maintain flexible hours? Make a positive impact? Be part of an empowering and collaborative community?Ĭlick here to join our team! Why you need a VPN for Chinaĭue to the Great Firewall of China blocking many favorite websites, expats coming to live in China or tourists coming to visit will need to download a VPN to access everything from WhatsApp to Google.
