In an age where cybercrime is rampant, a strong virtual private network has become an indispensable shield to ward off hacking or data tracking. While there is no dearth of free VPN apps in the market, not all of them do what they advertise – certainly not the ones that come from China. When it comes to security and privacy, Chinese apps have a dubious track record. Be it apps like TikTok, WeChat, or VPN apps from China, they have all been caught red-handed. If you are on the hunt for a reliable VPN app that doesn’t have a Chinese connection in some way or the other, look no further than these best non-Chinese VPN apps for Android and iOS in 2021.
In this roundup, I’ve picked out the VPN apps that excel in three important aspects: Security, fast connection, and ease-of-use. Besides, I have also ensured they offer wide coverage which comes into play when you want to be fully covered during globetrotting.
- Proton VPN
- Windscribe VPN
- IPVanish VPN
- ExpressVPN
- NordVPN
- HotspotShield
- StrongVPN
- Encrypt.me
- Betternet
- VPN 360
1. Proton VPN
Proton VPN is one of the best non-Chinese VPN apps you can use. It offers a boat load of features that make it one of the best VPN apps out there. One of the best things about Proton VPN is the fact that it has a solid free tier that brings unlimited data. The only limitation in the free version is the number of servers you can connect to.
Another non-Chinese VPN app for Android and iPhone, Windscribe is headquartered in Canada. Plus, it offers a lot of desirable features including double-hop encryption, which encrypts your data, and routes it through two servers. You also get a kill switch here, along with support for split-tunnelling. Windscribe VPN offers security from DNS leaks and WebRTC leaks, and uses SHA512 encryption.
There’s a free tier here as well, and it offers a solid 10GB of monthly bandwidth, which is quite a lot for a free VPN of this calibre. Windscribe’s servers support P2P traffic, and the company has a strict no-logging policy to keep your data safe.
Founded in 2012 by Mudhook Media Inc. which is an independent subsidiary of Highwinds Network Group located in Orlando, Florida, IPVanish has long been one of the best VPN services. The app is designed to work as a tunnel to let you browse the web with the needed security.
In terms of privacy, IPVanish keeps onlookers and data trackers at bay to ensure your online activity remains safeguarded. Further, Mudhook Media’s offering also has a reliable zero-log policy which makes it a trusted bet for surfing the web. On top of all, IPVanish has a neat interface and is pretty easy to set up.
Touted to be the most trusted VPN service across platforms, ExpressVPN has got all sorts of features under its armory to live up to the expectation. What sets it apart from the rest is the fast VPN connection coupled with wide coverage. With more than 3000 VPN servers in 160 locations across 94 countries, it ensures you can remain at peace while globetrotting.
On the privacy front, ExpressVPN delivers high-end encryption (UDP, TCP, IPsec, and IKEv2 protocols) to shield your data against hackers. Add to that the trusted privacy policy with no retention of logs and it becomes really hard to look beyond this powerful non-Chinese VPN app for Android and iOS. As for pricing, it starts at $12.99 (7-day free trial) which may seem a touch expensive but given the features, ExpressVPN deserves the premium pricing.
Very few VPN apps are as feature-packed as NordVPN. So, if you are looking for a VPN app that can tick off most boxes, while still keeping the user-interface neat, it can be a better choice. Having more than 5300 VPN servers worldwide, it has got you fully checked off during your international travel.
The company says that it performed the audit of its no-log policy by independent auditors, which further goes on to show how committed it is towards safeguarding the information of users’ data. Privacy aside, it’s hard to beat when it comes to fast VPN connection thanks to the WireGuard protocol. Furthermore, it also provides unlimited data and the protection of 6 devices with one account so that you can switch from one device to the other smoothly.
Going by the numbers (4/4.5 stars out of 10.4M/120K ratings), HotspotShield (over 700 million users) can safely stake the claim of being a top-notch non-Chinese VPN app for Android and iOS. The app provides servers in more than 70 locations across several countries. And with a fast network connection, it’s fully equipped to let you carry out web browsing or streaming media at a fairly good speed.
Notably, HotspotShield provides a decent freemium model with the basic features, which are more than enough to let you browse the web by keeping your identity hidden. Not just that, you don’t need to sign up or register to use the freemium version of the app. Though HotspotShield’s premium plan (7-day free trial) comes for $12.99, the monthly price will come down to $5.99/month if you choose its yearly plan.
Claiming to deliver the fastest VPN speed, StrongVPN has got the features to warrant a safe spot in this round-up. Established in 1995, the app has got several years of experience. And looking at its track record, it’s also quite reliable. So, you can count on it to not only offer the fast VPN connection but also keep your personal information safeguarded.
Another feature worth taking note of in this VPN app is the intuitive user-interface that makes navigation a breeze. Besides, the neat UI also gets rid of the stiff learning curve, which is yet another plus if you don’t prefer to spend a lot of time on learning complex tools. While StrongVPN is available for free, you will need to choose either the monthly ($9.99) or yearly ($69.99) plan to unlock all the goodies.
If you have set your sight on a lightweight yet quite efficient non-Chinese VPN app that can get your job done without any fuss, you shouldn’t miss out on Encrypt.me. The app has a clutter-free UI and is incredibly simple to set up. So, you can get started with this VPN app without having to go through a long learning process.
Even on the security and privacy front, Encrypt.me is no pushover. The app automatically secures your online activity to guard your private information against the prying eyes. Just like most of its counterparts, it also doesn’t store your activity and connection logs. As for the price, it’s available for free. But if you want to unlock all of Encrypt.me’s features without any restriction, you will need to shell out $9.99/month.
I have always rated Betternet very highly as a VPN service. Probably the best part about this VPN app is a pretty good freemium model that offers almost all the basic tools. So, if you are on the lookout for a VPN app that can let you surf the web anonymously without costing you anything, it would be worth checking out.
When it comes to speed, Betternet may not be the fastest VPN service. You can, however, count on it to let you go about your job smoothly. Being lightweight, it feels pretty snappier and also features an interface that’s easily manageable. Overall, Betternet is one of the top free/paid non-Chinese VPN apps for iOS and Android.
As the name itself suggests, VPN 360 is designed to take care of all the important aspects. While it may not be as feature-packed as some of its popular rivals like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, you can bank on it to let you surf the web and stream media with the needed protection and flexibility.
To save you from the hassle of connecting to a better server manually, the app automatically detects your location and connects you to the fastest server. Hence, you can get started with your task right away. As for pricing, VPN 360 is available for $11.99/month. But if you go for the one-year-plan, it’s comparatively cheap at $35.99.
