Best VPNs for Philippines: Overcome restrictions

Online freedoms have been sliding in the Philippines for a while, but in the last few years, there has been a steady decline. In fact, in 2025, Freedom House labels the country’s digital landscape only “partly free”. If you’re living there or planning a visit, we strongly suggest using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to make sure your online activities stay private at all times.

VPNs encrypt your data, ensuring your activities can’t be monitored by local ISPs, the government, or public hotspot owners. This offers a significantly higher level of protection, but VPNs are also great for spoofing your location so you can access sites that aren’t normally available in the Philippines.

If you don’t have time to read the rest of this article, here’s our list of the best VPNs for the Philippines:

1. NordVPN: Our top choice VPN for the Philippines. Protects your privacy using a wealth of powerful security tools. Fast, reliable, and great for streaming, torrenting, and more. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for the Philippines.
2. Surfshark: Best budget VPN for the Philippines. Boasts powerful security features, a no-logs policy, and the ability to circumvent country-wide internet censorship. Can also access geo-restricted content.
3. IPVanish: Known for its excellent speed and secure service. Essential features like IPv6 leak protection and great support for P2P traffic. A popular choice for torrenting.
4. ExpressVPN: Fast speeds and great security features such as a no-logging policy and high-end encryption. Works with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and plenty of other streaming sites.
5. ProtonVPN: No-logs VPN with privacy at its core. Boasts a large network, impressive unblocking capabilities, and a wide range of advanced security tools, plus 24/7 support.
6. PureVPN: Beginner-friendly service with exceptional speeds and unblocking ability. Works almost anywhere in the world and provides all the security tools you’ll need to browse safely.
7. CyberGhost: Easy-to-use apps. Huge server network and faster speeds than most other VPNs. It is perfect for obtaining a Philippine IP address to watch Philippine content.
8. Private Internet Access: Servers in over 80 countries. Good speeds with unlimited bandwidth. Secure ten devices at once. Strict no-logs policy.

How we found the top VPNs for the Philippines

There are plenty of VPNs on the market, but they don’t all offer the same level of service. Our list of the best VPNs for the Philippines is based on the following factors:

• Fast Filipino servers and unlimited bandwidth
• The ability to access most geo-blocked sites and torrent freely
• Large network of servers around the world
• Strong encryption parameters to maintain privacy and anonymity
• Powerful obfuscation to help you bypass country-wide censorship
• Beginner-friendly apps for all major platforms
• Live chat and email support, preferably available 24 hours a day
• Money-back guarantee of at least 30 days so you can try risk-free

You can read more about our criteria and see the results of our tests in the methodology section below. First, let’s take a closer look at the VPNs that impressed us.

Note: This article is about the best VPNs to use when traveling or living in the Philippines. If you’re specifically looking to access Filipino content from abroad, check out our article on how to get an IP address from the Philippines.

Best VPNs for the Philippines: At a glance

We’ve researched and compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for the Philippines.

Best VPNs for the Philippines

Based on real-world experience and extensive testing, here’s our list of the best VPNs for the Philippines:

1. NordVPN

Mar 2025

NordVPN is our top choice for a VPN in the Philippines. It outperforms most VPNs in our speed tests and boasts a huge network of servers. The company operates over 7,000 servers in 110+ countries, making it a robust choice for an entire range of web activity. NordVPN works with many online streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. It supports torrenting.

NordVPN has historically performed very well in our industry-wide speed tests. However, it’s important to retest regularly since providers are constantly adjusting and optimizing their networks. We ran three tests on NordVPN’s US servers at different times of day; you’ll find the results below:

With an average speed of 205.74 Mbps, this was the quickest VPN we saw. Whether you’re hoping to stream, torrent, or make video calls, NordVPN can handle it without the slightest interruption. It was also quite consistent, its speeds barely dropping even at busy times of day.

This VPN provider is one of the few that helps you pick a server specifically for your requirements – this could be Double VPN or even P2P.  A fervent adopter of a completely zero-logs policy, it retains zero information about user sessions, traffic, or timestamps. The company encrypts internet traffic via the 256-bit AES protocol by default and uses 2,048-bit SSL keys. DNS leak protection is enabled.

There’s support for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android. You can also connect up to 10 devices at the same time.

BEST PHILIPPINES VPN:NordVPN is our top choice. A good all-rounder that works well with popular streaming services. Strong security features and allows up to 10 devices to be used simultaneously from one account. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee for a risk-free deal.

Here’s our in-depth review of NordVPN.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark is a budget-friendly provider that boasts a network of more than 3,000 servers spanning 100 countries. This VPN has fantastic streaming ability and allows users to access platforms like Netflix US and BBC iPlayer from anywhere. Further, although most providers limit you to a handful of simultaneous connections, Surfshark lets users connect as many devices as they like.

You might be surprised to hear that this low-cost service has gained a reputation for out-pacing some of its more expensive rivals. We wanted to see for ourselves how quick Surfshark is, so we tested its US servers at three times of day (the morning, noon, and the afternoon). You’ll find the results in the chart below:

Surfshark managed to deliver an average speed of 193.39 Mbps. That’s the second-highest result of any provider on this list, and it is only a little bit slower than NordVPN. As such, you shouldn’t notice any performance issues while connected, even if you’re doing data-intensive tasks like video calling or if multiple users are connected at the same time.

This service offers numerous tools for the security-conscious individual. There’s 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and protection against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks, for a start. You can also take advantage of split tunneling functionality, a combination ad-blocker/malware-scanner, and a NoBorders mode that lets you access the internet freely in countries with strict online censorship. Surfshark doesn’t log any data that could be traced back to you although you can pay in cryptocurrency for even greater privacy. If you need any help, customer support is on hand 24/7 via live chat and email.

Surfshark offers iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux apps. It can also be manually configured to work with your home router.

BEST BUDGET CHOICE:Surfshark provides decent speeds and can unblock plenty of region-locked services but more importantly, it keeps no logs and includes a wide array of security features. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of Surfshark here.

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3. IPVanish

IPVanish doesn’t compromise on any facets of a premium VPN service – and is mindful of maintaining user privacy and anonymity while offering great speeds. With over 2,200 servers spread across 100+ countries, a suitable connection is never out of reach. It also works well with streaming services such as Netflix US.

Let’s talk about performance. IPVanish’s network uses 10 Gbps server, so in theory it should provide high speeds without too much variance throughout the day. Our experts ran three tests on a 250 Mbps connection to measure not only how quick this VPN is, but also how reliable its speeds are. Let’s take a look:

Well, IPVanish is certainly one of the more consistent services we’ve seen. There was just 4 Mbps difference between its highest and lowest results, and overall, it achieved an average speed of 183.79 Mbps. For context, that’ll let you stream around a dozen 4K videos simultaneously or download a 1GB file in about 45 seconds.

This VPN provider declines to hold information on users with its zero-logs policy. Tough security parameters mean your data should remain protected. IPVanish leverages 256-bit encryption on the OpenVPN protocol by default, SHA512 authentication, and a DHE-RSA 2,048 key exchange with perfect forward secrecy. An internet kill switch is included within the system architecture and adds an additional layer of security.

IPVanish offers one of the best value month-by-month plans, so it is great for those who don’t want long-term commitments. It also recently began offering a great value Advanced Tier, which comes with a Secure Browser and 1TB of cloud storage. There are apps for both iOS and Android, as well as desktop support for Windows and macOS.

UNLIMITED CONNECTIONS:IPVanish allows unlimited simultaneous connections and is great for families. Recommended for its high standard of privacy and fast speeds. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our review of IPVanish.

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4. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN offers a large network spread across 100+ countries, including some in the Philippines. These options make it a handy choice for expatriates living in the country as well as local residents traveling abroad who wish to keep in touch with local content. The service lets you securely access content on Netflix without any issues. It works with Hulu and BBC iPlayer as well and supports torrents.

Every VPN will slow your connection to some degree, but ideally, there should be minimal noticeable impact. ExpressVPN has historically performed quite well in this regard, but we wanted to see how well it performed with its speedy Lightway protocol and US servers. Take a look at the chart below to find out:

ExpressVPN delivered three results within 10 Mbps of one another, which is pretty impressive. Its average speed was 128.12 Mbps, which is respectable, though there’s room for improvement. It’s still more than enough for streaming, playing online games, or torrenting, though.

Privacy concerns are eased by ExpressVPN’s policy of not storing any traffic logs at all. Encryption protocols are stringent. ExpressVPN uses 256-bit AES-CBC with the utilization of both HMAC authentication and perfect forward secrecy. An internet kill switch temporarily halts all web traffic if the connection drops unexpectedly. If you’d still like to remain completely anonymous, it’s possible to sign up with a burner email account and pay via Bitcoin. This means your digital footprint is largely hidden.

There are apps for Android and iOS, as well as desktop support for Linux, Windows, and macOS.

PRIVACY-FIRST VPN:ExpressVPN is a secure, private VPN. It’s optimized for high-speed connections. Great on privacy and security. Plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our review of ExpressVPN.

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5. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN has over a dozen servers in the Philippines and 3,800 total across 85 countries. You can even access stubborn platforms like Disney Plus and Hulu during your stay. It’s worth noting, however, that ProtonVPN’s website may be inaccessible in the Philippines, so you’ll have to install the service and make a note of the support email address before leaving home.

If you’re interested in streaming or torrenting, you’ll need a pretty quick connection. ProtonVPN has gained a reputation for its fast and stable speeds, so we had high hopes. As ever, we ran three tests on its American servers (at varying times of day) and recorded the results. Let’s take a look:

ProtonVPN never fell below 140 Mbps in any of the tests we performed, and achieved an average speed of 144.05 Mbps. This places it firmly in the middle of the pack, meaning it’s a solid option for anyone hoping to stay safe while using the internet in the Philippines.

This VPN definitely impresses when it comes to security. By default, it keeps you safe using uncrackable encryption, a kill switch, and protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks. Additionally, it can block ads and trackers automatically and follows a strict, independently verified no-logging policy. If you’d like a little extra privacy, you can connect to one of the many Secure Core servers that send your traffic through multiple countries. ProtonVPN accepts cash and Bitcoin payments, too, so that you can sign up as anonymously as possible.

Proton VPN has its own Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS apps. Alternatively, you can follow manual setup instructions to get it running on just about any router.

SECURE FILIPINO SERVERS:ProtonVPN is an ultra-fast service that’s perfect for anyone looking to browse safely in the Philippines. With strong security, a decent local presence, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans, there isn’t much more you can ask for.

Take a look at our in-depth ProtonVPN review.

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6. PureVPN

PureVPN is a solid choice for international travelers looking to protect themselves while visiting the Philippines. It offers servers in 65 countries and works with many popular services, including Amazon Prime Video, and can beat just about any form of digital censorship. Users can connect up to 10 devices at the same time and although the apps are very easy to use, live chat-based support is available 24 hours per day.

Users in the Philippines can’t settle for a slow VPN. After all, this makes browsing the web frustrating and could actually leave you unprotected if the connection drops. Our team performed multiple speed tests on PureVPN’s US servers to make sure that its performance was up to scratch. Check out the results in the following chart:

PureVPN had an average speed of 127.18 Mbps. That’s pretty good, but it could be higher if the service was slightly more consistent. After all, two of its three results were above 130 Mbps — there was a small drop in the evening test that pulled the average down. Regardless, PureVPN is fast enough for any day-to-day task.

One of the great things about this service is that it doesn’t overcomplicate things. For instance, it blocks IPv6 and DNS leaks, uses unbreakable encryption, and has a kill switch enabled by default. PureVPN follows a no-logging policy and boasts an extensive audit history; in other words, it doesn’t know what you get up to online and can’t hand over details of your activities even if asked to. There’s no need to manually configure anything either since PureVPN will automatically obfuscate your data if it realizes you’re in a country with strict online restrictions.

Apps are available for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. It can be manually installed on most home routers in case you need to protect more than 10 devices simultaneously.

FASTER THAN MOST:PureVPN delivers top-tier performance and doesn’t compromise on security. Can help you access whatever you like in the Philippines and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.

Read our full review of PureVPN to learn more.

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7. CyberGhost

CyberGhost has increased its selection of servers significantly and does the job especially well for beginner users who don’t want a ton of customizable options. Speeds are fast, there’s an easy-to-use interface, and privacy standards are stringent. With over 11,000 servers spread across 100 countries, there are plenty of options for an adequate connection.

Now, having a large network doesn’t mean much if the VPN can’t provide adequate speeds. We tested its US servers on a 250 Mbps connection to see how much of an impact CyberGhost had and how much its speeds varied throughout the day. You’ll find the results in the chart below:

With an average speed of 152.63 Mbps, this service is the fourth fastest on our list and certainly capable of handling anything you throw at it. Streaming 4K video, for instance, only requires download speeds of about 25 Mbps. Are there quicker providers out there? Undoubtedly, but CyberGhost’s performance was both competitive and extremely stable.

The company, which is incorporated in Romania, says it has a strict no-logs policy and doesn’t store any user logs or data. CyberGhost uses 256-bit AES encryption on the OpenVPN protocol by default, along with 2,048-bit RSA keys and MD5 HMAC authentication. An internet kill switch is included, too, which means web traffic will be halted if the connection drops.

Apps are available for both Android and iOS, as well as desktop support for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

BEGINNER FRIENDLY:CyberGhost has a simple set up. Works well in the Philippines. Good option if you are looking for a fast, reliable connection and an easy-to-use interface. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Here’s our full review of CyberGhost.

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8. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access has an impressive network of servers that covers more than 90 countries at the time of writing. It’s well placed to securely access a variety of geo-blocked content, be it Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, or even Filipino TV channels such as ABS-CBN. Thanks to the fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth, you should be able to stream without having to deal with lag and buffering.

So, is Private Internet Access quick enough to meet your needs? To find out, we tested its servers in the US multiple times and recorded the results. See for yourself:

Let’s address the elephant in the room: this provider is quite a bit slower than the other VPNs we’ve covered. However, with an average speed of 36.64 Mbps, it can handle everyday tasks like making video calls, live streaming, and playing games without too much trouble.

With just one PIA account, you can connect any number of devices at the same time. This is a highly secure service with 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch feature. There’s plenty of versatility, too, with the option to purchase premium add-ons such as a Windows antivirus or a dedicated IP address. Your privacy is very much protected because PIA also operates a strict no-logs policy.

Private Internet Access has apps for the following: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, and Amazon Fire TV. You can also use browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. Manual setup is required to use PIA with routers.

GLOBAL NETWORK:Private Internet Access has servers in over 80 countries and doesn’t throttle your bandwidth. Stream Filipino TV and Netflix without lag. 24/7 support and allows ten simultaneous connections. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Private Internet Access review.

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Our Methodology: How we found the best VPNs for the Philippines

Digital privacy is a concern for everyone, but internet users in the Philippines have more to worry about than most. With draconian censorship laws and arrests for online activities becoming increasingly common, there’s no space for anything less than the best in our recommendations. To find the best VPNs for the Philippines, we carefully considered how each performed in the following areas:

Speed

Speed should be one of the main things you consider when choosing a VPN. If your speeds are too slow, there are all sorts of consequences. For instance, you may only be able to watch low-resolution video (if you’re able to get it playing at all). You could also face random disconnection from the VPN, which is not what you want when browsing the web in a country with repressive censorship.

To get the fairest, most accurate view of each VPN’s performance, we ran speed tests in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. These were run using a 250 Mbps connection, using the VPN’s US servers (whichever was fastest). Then, our team normalized the results, giving each provider a score out of 10, as shown below.

NordVPN was the fastest, so it earned a perfect 10 points. Surfshark wasn’t far behind, with IPVanish taking third place. It’s worth noting that every service we tried ended up being reasonably consistent, though IPVanish definitely had the lowest variability overall.

Network features

Next, we looked at the VPN’s infrastructure. Server count isn’t as big a deal as you might think since each provider optimizes their servers differently. Instead, we focused on how many countries they supported, whether they offered servers pointing to the Philippines, and whether they had some form of obfuscation that could sidestep the extreme online censorship present in the Philippines. Here are our scores:

ProtonVPN came out on top here, scoring 9.9 points thanks to its strong privacy focus, extremely large network, and powerful obfuscation. PureVPN and NordVPN both ranked highly for similar reasons, with CyberGhost’s more basic obfuscation leading to its low score.

Security and privacy

Security is an extremely complex area, so it’s difficult to accurately measure. Our team decided to see what each VPN offered in 16 separate areas and deduct points for each area where improvements could be made. Here’s a full list of the criteria we scored on, and how our top providers fared:

Once we’d gathered all of the data, it was normalized and formatted into an easily understandable comparison chart.

NordVPN and Surfshark both scored 9.5 points, with just a couple of areas where they could improve moving forward. We also had a tie for second place between ProtonVPN and Private Internet Access. That said, no provider scored below 8.7, which shows how strong these providers are when it comes to security.

Ease of use

If you’re going to use a VPN regularly (and in the Philippines, you really should), you’ll need a service that streamlines the process as much as possible. This could be by offering automatic connection, no device limit, or just task-specific servers. We require our recommended VPNs to offer live chat-based support too. That’s because if something goes wrong, the faster it’s resolved, the better. Let’s see how our top VPNs for the Philippines scored on ease of use:

We have another tie for first place, this time between NordVPN and PIA. These providers both explain what each setting does, offer extensive support sections on their websites, and make it very easy to find a suitable server. We also really appreciated IPVanish and ExpressVPN’s newcomer-friendly design.

Streaming ability

These days, most major streaming platforms have some form of VPN-detection built-in. That’s a problem because if you’re constantly having to deactivate your VPN, there’s a chance you’ll forget to reactivate it and accidentally browse unprotected.

Our experts tried each VPN against a wide range of popular streaming services. This allowed us to see, first of all, whether they could actually access a given platform and, secondly, how straightforward the process was. We also checked for the presence of streaming-optimized servers since these can really simplify things.

NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN all scored 9.2 points in this category. These providers worked with every platform we tried. Not only that, but we were also able to stream using the first server we chose in the vast majority of cases.

Of course, this isn’t the only testing we do. To find out more about how we put services through their paces, check out our full VPN testing methodology post.

Using a free VPN for the Philippines

There are definitely plenty free VPNs lurking around on the interwebs, but don’t expect the same speeds and encryption standards that paid options offer.

Free VPNs usually monetize by deluging you with all sorts of invasive advertisements, inserting tracking cookies, and selling your data. There have also been instances of services hijacking your bandwidth and turning you into a foot soldier in a massive botnet army.

The VPNs listed in this article offer money-back guarantees or a free trial, and Proton VPN offers a good free tier (though it does come with restrictions). These are all handy options if you’re not sure whether to fully commit to a VPN or not. But we recommend you avoid the random free ones that exist on the internet. They’re not worth the risk.

Internet freedom in the Philippines

The latest report by Freedom House, a global advocacy body, says internet freedom in the country has declined from its rankings last year and slipped to a ‘Not Free’ status.

It cites the forced closure of the news site Rappler as a particular area of concern, along with an increasing number of arrests of journalists and bloggers. The government also allegedly purchased sophisticated surveillance equipment, pointing to a greater environment of repression.

In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled against certain tenets of the Cybercrime Prevention Act which would have allowed the Department of Justice carte blanche authority to block content without obtaining a court order. One of the few things restricted is online libel and defamation, but other than that Filipinos can write, blog, and participate in discussions online without a significant threat of blowback.

However, there are areas of concern. Current president Duterte’s crackdown on criminals and open encouragement of extrajudicial killings seem to have instilled a sense of fear across the country. Freedom House notes that digital activism seems to have decreased since his election – although it doesn’t proffer any hard data to substantiate this claim.

Violence against journalists is also an issue. Since 1992, at least 77 local journalists have been killed in relation to their work. A poor rate of conviction has drawn criticism from human rights bodies with some current journalists also receiving threatening messages via digital mediums. President Duterte hasn’t done much to allay concerns either – saying journalists getting paid to attack or defend politicians deserve to be killed.

Related: How to blog anonymously, a guide for activists, whistleblowers, and journalists.

VPN for Philippines FAQ