Apple always attaches great importance to the confidentiality of its users’ data. Its iOS operating system for iPhone is therefore considered to be one of the most user-friendly and safe in the world. During its development, advanced encryption technologies were used to reliably protect users from online fraudsters and malware. However, when connecting to Wi-Fi or downloading torrents, (i.e., when your traffic becomes public), even iOS may be vulnerable. When a VPN is not connected on your iPhone, it may be dangerous and lead to personal data falling into the hands of unauthorized persons.
To prevent this from happening, we recommend utilizing a VPN for iOS. Below is our overview of the most popular VPNs of 2022 as chosen by users. If you’d like to know how to get a VPN on iPhone or what a VPN on iPhone is, go on reading.
Why Do I Need a VPN for iPhone?
The use of virtual private networks helps you maintain the necessary privacy when using the Internet by making use of innovative encryption technologies that are built into each iPhone VPN.
They ensure that your user data will remain protected by transmitting it in encrypted form. As a result, online scammers cannot read or use your data for their own purposes.
In addition to ensuring confidentiality, this good VPN for iPhone provides the following benefits:
- access to blocked sites in your region;
- the ability to change your IP address, allowing you to completely mask your location;
- many foreign streaming services such as Netflix and Hula are available;
- the ability to download torrent files without restrictions and watch video content in high definition;
- provides anonymity when visiting any web resources – thanks to the best iPhone VPNs, your actions on the network will be impossible to track, even for your regional provider;
- quickly blocks portals with malware, preventing your device from being infected with viruses.
You can only enjoy all the benefits that VPN services provide for iPhones if you use verified programs. In order make the right choice, check out the 9 virtual private networks we’ve evaluated in this review. They have been recognized as the best VPN clients for iPhone in 2024 based on user reviews and expert opinions.
1st Place – Norton
This VPN for iPhone is one of the most popular in the world. It was developed by the American company Symantec in 2016 and its software ensures uninterrupted, safe operation on devices across all common operating systems, including those with iOS.
Price: 39.99$
You have to purchase a subscription in order to use Norton VPN in App Store. It costs $3.33 every month with an annual plan. The monthly payment will be more expensive by itself – $7.99. You can connect up to 10 devices to the program at a time with a single license. If this software winds up not being to your liking, however, you can receive a guaranteed refund within 60 days of purchase.
Security and Privacy
The developer has endowed Norton with 256-bit AES encryption, which means this app offers military-grade internet security. Norton also provides protection against DNS information leakage and automatically disconnects your device from the Internet if your VPN connection is interrupted.
However, this client lacks the advanced security feature iPv6, which may cause user data to be exposed in some cases. The greatest risks arise when visiting non-American web resources. However, users are guaranteed to have 100% confidentiality when surfing sites hosted on servers in the United States.
Norton’s Main Advantages
In addition to ensuring user data security and privacy, Norton offers a number of useful functions:
- Fast speeds when visiting American and European web-portals (speeds only take a dip when surfing South American sites);
- access to more than 70 servers in 29 countries around the world;
- No tracking of user activity – Symantec announced that it does not read or store data about its customers’ activity;
- A built-in ad blocker that prevents any advertising from appearing on the screen.
Of the shortcomings of this best VPN for iOS is its incompatibility with torrents and streaming services. The provider has excluded these services in order to ensure maximum privacy and security for its users.
Install Norton VPN Install Norton VPN2nd Place – Nord
This program is often considered the best iOS VPN service out there today. The market demand for it skyrocketed due to its use of military-grade encryption, which provides reliable user data protection. This сheap VPN for iPhone also uses other effective tools, including SyberSec, which blocks malicious scripts, and DoubleVPN, which ensures double encryption.
Price: 3.29$
These tools make user data leakage so improbable as to be impossible. This VPN is safe to use even when downloading torrents and using the Internet via Wi-Fi. To take full advantage of the software, we recommend buying an annual subscription for $4.92 per month. Refunds are provided within the first 30 days after purchase. Customers can also try out a 3-day demo version.
Nord VPN Download for iOS
The application is available for download on the official website. Users simply need to click on the “Download” button and then wait for the installation software. Next, install the program to your device and specify the corresponding region or country. NordVPN will then activate your VPN automatically.
NordVPN will grant you access to more than 5,000 servers across 60 countries. A single software license can be installed on up to 6 devices at once. Page loading and video playback speeds are fast on all servers except for American ones.
Other Functionalities
What else is this VPN on iPhone used for? NordVPN also offers the following additional benefits:
- Kill Switch functionality, instantly breaking your Internet connection when your VPN signal is lost – this completely eliminates the possibility of data leakage;
- the ability to download torrents with no restrictions;
- compatibility with popular streaming services such as Netflix;
- 24/7 technical support.
When providing its services, NordVPN does not keep logs. Regular audits showed zero user activity logs and no connection metadata.
Install Nord VPN3rd Place – Hide.ME
Hide.ME is often ranked as one of the best iPhone VPN applications in terms of security and privacy. The Malaysian firm eVentureLimited incorporated military grade AES-256 encryption when developing this solution.
Users can also manually set protocols such as OpenVPN, L2TP, SoftEnter and a number of others, making it impossible for others to steal your data even when visiting web-portals via a Wi-Fi connection.
Key Features of the Software
To access Hide.ME, you should first download it from the official portal and install it by following the step-by-step guide. Next, register under a unique username and password. Only then will you be able to connect to VPN servers for iPhone. Hide.ME offers over 1,400 servers in 55 countries around the world.
This VPN for iPhone is free to download. You can use the program both for free and for a fee. There are 2 paid plans: Plus and Premium, which cost $5.42 and $11.67 a month respectively, assuming that you purchase a one-year subscription. Users are allowed to connect up to 5 devices simultaneously. The free subscription has certain restrictions in place. For example, you can connect only 1 device and have access to just 3 servers.
What else is notable about Hide.ME?
Before using the program, it is important to consider a few more of its key selling points:
- Hide.ME provides you with access to torrents but does not allow you to use streaming platforms;
- The connection speed of the VPN on iPhone is only fast with paid versions, with the free version’s speed dropping to 3 Mbps/s;
- Hide.ME does not keep logs, which allows its users to surf with complete anonymity;
- Hide.ME uses powerful DNS tools, Kill Switch and IPv6 to protect users from data leakage.
Among the advantages of this service, it is worth noting that technical support is highly responsive. You can get help via online chat if you need professional advice or by submitting tickets when you need more technical assistance.
4th Place – Surfshark VPN
The best iOS VPN, Surfshark, was developed by the eponymous company operating in the British Virgin Islands. The offshore location of the organization guarantees absolute data confidentiality, which the company guarantees by using advanced encryption tools. Many of these tools were used to create the world’s most powerful antivirus software solutions.
Price: 2.49$
In terms of prices, Surfshark for iPhone outperforms many competitors by offering 3 favorably priced rates. The “12 + 12” package is the obvious choice for most users, as it costs just $2.49 a month when you purchase an annual plan and come with an extra 12 months absolutely free. There is even a money-back guarantee for the first 30 days after purchase.
Software Functionality
Surfshark offers a rich and diverse array of features. In the settings menu, users can choose from the following:
- Clean Web – recognizes ads and blocks them in real time;
- Kill Switch – automatically disconnects your device from the internet if it detects that the VPN signal has been interrupted (making personal data leakage impossible);
- OpenVPN, IKev2 and WireGuard protocols – designed to encrypt user data, and users have the ability to choose any one they’d like;
- Shadowsocks – this is an additional protocol that encrypts information in your browser.
As a bonus, the MultiHop service applies an extra layer of encryption to your personal data and users can select the “Static Servers” option to get a stable IP address.
Surfshark’s Main Advantages
Surfshark has been consistently recognized as the best VPN app for iPhone, and there are many reasons for this:
- a wide range of servers – more than 3,200 in over 60 countries;
- the ability to unblock prohibited sites, including resources with state filters and streaming platforms;
- P2P support and private DNS;
- Fast speeds (up to 80-90 Mbps/s) on American and European servers, thanks to which Surfshark is often called the fastest VPN for iPhone;
- A simple interface with an extremely clear menu.
Many users express a preference for Surfshark because they do not keep logs. An audit carried out by Cure53 found that this iOS VPN app did zero tracking of user activity.
Install Surfshark VPN5th Place – Atlas
The number of Atlas users has been growing regularly since it first went live in the US in January 2020. Atlas offers its clients over 500 servers in 17 countries, all of which work quickly and smoothly on iOS devices, giving users unlimited access to blocked sites.
Atlas VPN offers both paid and free versions. The first opens up more technical possibilities such as the ability to connect an unlimited number of devices to the software simultaneously. An offer like that is rarely seen on the market in general, let along with other providers. You can download this VPN for iPhone and purchase a Premium account for $9.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
As for the free version, you do not have to register in order to activate it. Despite a lack of several options, the test version offers strong encryption using advanced tools such as AES-256, as well as unlimited internet traffic.
Technologies and Anonymity
To protect user data, the Atlas VPN employs the super powerful IPv6 protocol as well as private DNS and WebRTC. Users can also choose IPSec and IKEv2 in the app’s settings. These tools help ensure a level of security that is employed by leading military and financial institutions.
User activity data is not recorded by the provider, which means you can browse with total anonymity. The only information the VPN collects is information about the devices and applications used by clients. According to Atlas, the company keeps this data in order to improve the program’s performance.
Streaming and Torrents
With Atlas, there are no restrictions on your Internet traffic. You can watch videos on streaming sites for as long as you’d like. This best VPN for iPhone is compatible with Netflix, Prime, HBO and other popular services, and you can also browse video content in 4K and at high speeds. These features are available in both the paid and free versions of the program.
This VPN does not restrict clients when downloading videos and torrents can be downloaded from all 500+ servers. However, you have a maximum download speed of only 800 Kbps until you purchase a paid subscription.
What other benefits does this virtual network offer?
Atlas VPN offers the following to its clients:
- high speed on servers in all countries except for the USA;
- round the clock technical support that can be quickly contacted via online chat;
- an ad blocker that prevents various advertisements from popping up on your screen;
- P2P applications.
Altogether, the Atlas service is one of the best VPN-clients out there, featuring fast speed, versatility, and enhanced privacy.
6th Place – HMA
The popular British provider without which no VPN for iOS list is truly complete. The application is in great demand thanks to its simple functionality, high-quality technical support and huge server room a network of 1,000 servers in 190 countries.
To access all the benefits, this best VPN app for iOS must be purchased with one of three plans. The most profitable is a 3-year subscription with a monthly cost of $2.99.
You can purchase a plan with a credit card, electronic payments or cryptocurrency. Hide My Ass will return your money if you are not satisfied with the work of their program and you can pre-test it for free for 7 days.
Software Features
After purchasing HMA VPN, you need to create an account by completing the same standard procedure as on most sites (by inputting a valid e-mail). You will then receive an activation key that must be entered when creating your profile. Once your account has been activated, you can download the VPN to your iPhone.
The first time you launch the software, you will be prompted to create or authorize an account. Choose the latter and enter your activation key.
The application interface for iPhone is simple to navigate. There is a large switch in the center and a VPN servers for iPhone are installed by default. The user can choose any other location by opening the dropdown list. If a portal fails to open, all you have to do is update the IP address.
Main Advantages of HMA
The developer Hide My Ass has created a multifunctional and convenient VPN that meets all the standard security requirements. Users get access to the following when downloading/purchasing it:
- the ability to use a VPN on up to 5 Apple devices at the same time;
- reliable protection against data leaks thanks to built-in DNS, IPv4 and IPv6 functions;
- fast download speed for torrents;
- Encryption-protected Internet traffic;
- the ability to watch videos on American Netflix;
- The unlocking of sites banned for censorship or geographic reasons.
For added user data security, HMA comes with a Kill Switch function, which instantly turns off your Internet connection if your VPN is interrupted. As a result, the leakage of personal information into the virtual network is virtually impossible.
7th Place – Rus
This is the only Russian VPN provider on this list. Since it was first released in 2017, Rus has developed a multifunctional application that guarantees privacy and security on the network especially for devices running iOS/Android. Military-grade encryption is applied using the AES-256 protocol, which eliminates the possibility of unauthorized access to user data.
Fair warning – before activating Rus VPN, you should note that the interface is entirely in Russian. You can pay for your plan using different currencies. The most cost-beneficial plan is for the three-year plan, where a monthly subscription costs only $2.99.
The user has the right to a refund for 30 days after purchase, provided that they have not used more than 500 megabytes of traffic during the specified period. The conditions for refund aren’t the most competitive, especially given that other providers (such as Express VPN for iPhone) offer the same 30-day guarantee no matter how much surfing you’ve done.
Service Capabilities
The Rus service is able to solve many problems that the best VPN-clients contend with:
- hiding your real IP address;
- unblocking prohibited web-resources;
- downloading torrents at fast speeds;
- encrypting outgoing and incoming Internet traffic;
- ensuring security on public networks.
However, this application for iPhone has its drawbacks, including a lack of an ad blocker and tools responsible for recognizing and neutralizing malicious scripts. Therefore, we can’t say that this VPN service for iPhone is 100% safe.
That said, the provider makes up for these disadvantages with several other offerings, including the ability to watch videos through popular streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and BBC Player.
Confidentiality of Personal Data
Enjoy encryption of incoming and outgoing traffic via the AES-256 protocol, as well as Kill Switch and DNS functions. These tools make it impossible for even your ISP to read your data. Even if your information were to fall into the wrong hands, it would have zero value because your data would be rendered as an incomprehensible series of symbols and numbers.
When protecting users’ online presence, Rus does not collect or store IP addresses, names or other personal data. The company only keeps a record of the email addresses used for registration, as well as the devices from which you use your VPN. It records this information to conduct market research and anonymized analysis of its clients.
8th Place – Hola
This VPN-service, owned by the Israeli firm Hola Networks Ltd, launched in 2012. However, it isn’t really a private virtual network, as it does not have its own servers to connect to. Hola operates on the principle of a peer-to-peer VPN, where all users provide other participants with their home Internet in exchange for the ability to connect to a common web-network.
You can also become a member of this network using VPN if you download the Hola application to your iPhone on iOS. After installing the software, you can enjoy access to blocked sites and unlimited traffic. The application can be used via paid and free plans.
The paid version of Hola has more benefits as you won’t need to share your IP address with other members, allowing you to use your personal channel while maintaining confidentiality. Your data will be securely encrypted using the AES-256 protocol. When using the free version for iOS, there is no need to rely on security, since all of your personal information is in the public domain.
What else should you consider when connecting?
There are a few more things to consider with the Hola VPN:
- client is not compatible with streaming services;
- no way to download torrents;
- ad blocker not provided;
- the service keeps log files (absolutely all information about your activity is taken into account), which means you have no anonymity on the network;
- there is a high risk of falling prey to scammers, since any member of the network can get access to your home Internet.
Therefore, we can only recommend the Hola VPN on iOS to users who aren’t concerned about online privacy. They will be able to visit blocked resources for free and easily change their IP address. If anonymity and security are a priority, then you should consider other, more reliable VPN services.
9th Place – VPN Unlimited
The developer of this virtual private network is KeepSolid, a company from New York. While creating its software, great attention was paid to user security and privacy and several data encryption protocols were utilized at once, incluidng OpenVPN, IKEv2 and OpenVOM. You can choose from whichever protection protocol suits you best.
Price: 3.99$
Seeing as VPN Unlimited seamlessly integrates with many well-known operating systems, using this VPN on iPhone is possible. By purchasing a paid subscription, you can check out all the advantages of the application for yourself. Prices for plans are approximately equal to those of other providers. The only package that particularly stands out is the $199.99 Lifetime Connection. Refunds are only available for the first 7 days after purchase.
Specifications
This VPN makes it possible to connect to more than 1,200 servers in 70 countries. Rare cities and regions of the United States are also available to connect to, but bear in mind that their Internet connection speed is 2-3 times slower than that of servers in EU countries. Regardless of which plan you have, you get access to an unlimited amount of traffic.
Clients can use VPN Unlimited on up to 10 iPhone devices simultaneously. Purchasing a family account allows you to increase that limit to 50 gadgets and gives up to 5 users access to one profile. If you have any questions, you can contact technical support, but only via email.
Key Benefits of this VPN
VPN Unlimited regularly improves its service, but offers clients several quality features as-is:
- compatibility with Netflix and BBC iPlayer;
- powerful protection against hacker attacks provided by the KeepSolidWise protocol, which uses TCP 443 ports for secure web-traffic;
- the ability to connect to your own dedicated server or IP address;
- convenient search function and stylish design.
The VPN Unlimited application does not track the online activity of its customers. The service only makes temporary records about your connections and the amount of traffic used in order to receive information about network congestion and consumed resources. This data is subsequently deleted from their archives forever.
Install VPN Unlimited10th Place – Panda
PandaVPN hasn’t been out for so long. Their operation started in Seychelles in 2018 and with their services, you will find it very useful for a basic VPN. It contains more than enough servers to get the job done. They also back it up with zero bandwidth restrictions and an unbreakable AES-256 bit technology.
Price: 2.49$
Panda comes in clutch for your iOS because it contains the basic requirements for VPNs. There are no data leaks and in case of any connection breakage, the automatic kill switch would get the job done.
What makes PandaVPN effective?
PandaVPN offers a great value for cost deal. You could choose to go with the free plan that limits you to only 150mb per day but upgrading pays off more because there is so much to enjoy. One license gives you access to five devices. If you have the whole iOS family like iPhones and iPads, you have nothing to worry about.
A subscription lifts the 150mb restriction and gives you no limit to the bandwidth usage. You could be connected the whole day without the fear of exhausting your trial.
Every connection is closely monitored and protected with the AES-256 bit that has proved to be dependable over the years. In case of any connection interruption on your iOS, the kill switch has you covered. It remotely stops the VPN and connectivity for a while until everything is stable. This measure prevents data leaks.
PandaVPN also guarantees you 100% anonymity with their zero log policy. It basically encapsulates everything you need in a VPN for your iOS. So why shouldn’t you use it?
We hope that now you have a comprehensive understanding to the often oversimplified question – “What is VPN on my iPhone?”.
Install Panda VPN