There is never too much security on iPhones and iPads, especially in a world where every network you can connect to can hide pitfalls, often invisible: think of the thousands of personal data stolen every time you connect to a public hotspot or to an open Wi-Fi that you know nothing about.
This guide will allow you to analyze the best VPNs for iPhone and iPad, analyzing all the parameters that can be useful to understand which service to choose based on specific needs and how to orient yourself between two or more identical services, thus obtaining a measure of always effective comparison.
On Apple devices, there is the Relay function (for Apple+ subscribers), which provides a system similar to a VPN; this function does not provide any useful settings for the user and does not provide any information on the nature of the servers chosen or the type of protection applied during the connection (we only know that it passes through Apple servers and that it provides a new IP address to users).
Those looking for protection from threats or who want to surf the web in complete anonymity, also hiding from providers, government agencies and monitoring services, must rely on a good VPN service, choosing one that knows how to combine speed, security and privacy, without underestimating other useful parameters such as the quality/price ratio, the size of the VPN network managed by the individual provider, the type of reimbursement offered, the specific security functions (tracker blocking or malware blocking), which connection protocols can be used and the type of assistance provided.
A VPN can be a valid tool for protecting users’ privacy using iPhones and iPads. Even if Apple’s operating system is currently one of the most effective in protecting user privacy, it can do nothing about the data traffic that passes through the Wi-Fi or cellular data network.
An Internet provider can discover all the sites an iPhone or iPad user visits, as can a government agency, or an attacker can capture the data traffic exchanged between the user’s phone and the Wi-Fi network (often a public hotspot), thus stealing access passwords and precious files. What is a VPN on iPhone for? Adding a VPN makes it possible to block any attempt to violate privacy, given that the connection will be encrypted and unassailable from the device to the requested web server.
Another need that can push users to use a VPN on iPhone and iPad is the need to change the IP address to be in another region or another state: many web services limit access to geolocalized IP addresses (for example, only American or Russian IPs) and in many countries around the world Internet content filtering systems are active, which effectively prevent navigation even on safe sites (think of the Great Firewall active in China). With a VPN, all these problems can be overcome, given that the encrypted connection cannot be intercepted and it is impossible to block it a priori, thus bypassing any control system and allowing login even to services available only in certain countries.
A VPN service must be reliable and secure, as it must encrypt user data and divert it to its servers during operation. To choose a fast and secure VPN for your iPhone, read the reviews of the best VPN services in the following chapters.
Some of the most requested features on a VPN for iPhone are automatic connection (activated when connected to public or unknown Wi-Fi networks ), the kill switch (to close the VPN connection quickly), and the ability to pay for the subscription with PayPal. Thus, you can pay safely without entering your credit card details or using less common payment systems (such as, Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies).
Even if the temptation to use a free VPN is strong, we invite you to always focus only on paid VPNs for the higher quality of the services offered.
This is why we have chosen the VPNs from our ranking in summary:
One of the best services you can try on iPhone and iPad is NordVPN. This VPN service offers over 6,200 servers in 104 countries, advanced 256-bit encryption, and a filtering system to block malicious links, trackers, and cookies while browsing.
Among the features that distinguish it from the competition, it is possible to try Meshnet, the direct VPN connection system (without server) capable of extending the local network to a remote level; Double VPN servers, useful for further hiding your identity when surfing the net; Onion Over VPN servers, useful for those who want to connect to the Tor network without leaving traces; P2P servers, optimized for downloading from the most famous P2P protocols (such as BitTorrent).
From a privacy point of view, it provides a strict no-log policy that is certified (through external audits) and strengthened by the presence of its registered office in Panama, a country outside international surveillance systems.
It supports OpenVPN and NordLynx on iPhone and iPad as connection protocols; to obtain maximum speed immediately, it is preferable to use NordLynx immediately. The latter is based on WireGuard, the best connection protocol currently available for a VPN. NordVPN has applied its changes to make it even faster and more responsive, particularly when connecting from an iPhone and an iPad.
NordVPN provides 24/7 support, operating via live chat and email contact, and it does not forget the page dedicated to suggestions and FAQs.
NordVPN supports PayPal for payments, but nothing prevents you from directly using a credit card, a prepaid debit card (such as PostePay) or Apple Pay to subscribe or renew your subscription.
The cheapest subscription for NordVPN comes at €3.69 per month, but only on the 2-year plan; you can choose monthly and annual subscriptions, but the subscription cost goes up.
You can take advantage of the Satisfied or Reimbursed formula on all subscriptions. This formula allows you to obtain a refund within 30 days of signing up for the subscription, effectively benefiting from a free service trial.
Among the rapidly growing services is SurfShark, which has over 3200 servers in 100 countries. This immediately makes it one of the best solutions for choosing between various servers.
With SurfShark VPN, you can benefit from unlimited simultaneous connections. All devices in the home (not just Apple devices) can be protected without having to sacrifice a device’s protection due to the limits imposed by some VPN providers.
On the security side, it is possible to find all the best of VPN protection technology: WireGuard connection, AES 256-bit encryption, automatic kill switch, and DNS leak protection system, to prevent anyone from modifying the web page we have started or the provider can discover the sites we have visited.
A valid reason to use the service is NoBorders, which can bypass any censorship and Internet traffic control system and hide all browsing information from the provider. Those who often use VPNs in schools, universities, or countries with strong censorship can use Surfshark VPN to bypass any obstacles.
Surfshark offers it starting from €1.99 per month (on the 2-year plan); you can pay for your subscription with PayPal, which accepts credit and prepaid cards.
If you have second thoughts, the service refunds the expense within 30 days of signing up for the subscription. Furthermore, downloading the app directly from the store gives you a free 7-day trial period.
For users new to VPN services, CyberGhost has a minimal interface for launching the service.
The service offers over 10,700 servers in more than 100 different countries, making it one of the largest and most widespread networks in the world, for consistently high speed (even by choosing a server very far from the starting geographical position).
But it’s not just a question of an extended network: advanced 256-bit encryption is active on all servers and it is possible to use the WireGuard connection; from the app, however, an automatic kill switch system and a navigation filter are available to block malware and unwanted web content.
CyberGhost provides servers optimized for gaming, designed to protect your Internet connection every time you play online, thus avoiding DDoS attacks and bypassing servers only accessible from certain geographical locations.
CyberGhost also offers an app dedicated to Apple Watch, so you can start a secure connection (on your iPhone or iPad) directly from your smartwatch without opening the app on your device! In addition to the clock app, you can install it on a Smart TV to access multimedia content available only abroad.
The cheapest CyberGhost subscription is €2.03 per month, valid for a 2-year plan. This service lets you pay with PayPal, credit card, and Apple Pay.
The extended 45-day money-back guarantee is available for those who are not convinced.
For those looking for an extremely cheap VPN service to download files from P2P networks quickly, consider PrivateVPN. This service offers unlimited bandwidth and speed, making the most of the Internet connection used at that moment.
Anyone who wants to download a file from BitTorrent or any other P2P network has found the ideal ally: start PrivateVPN before downloading, start the download app and download the file at a speed that is difficult to reach with an unprotected connection, also thanks to port forwarding.
Stealth mode helps protect users while downloading files from the network and bypass web monitoring systems. Thanks to AES-256 encryption, support for the OpenVPN protocol, and leak protection on DNS/IPv6 requests, it brilliantly overcomes national firewalls and packet control systems.
PrivateVPN costs €2.08 per month and can be tried with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It accepts PayPal and credit/debit cards as payment methods.
Those looking for a high-speed VPN service capable of taking flight, even on FTTH connections, can try ExpressVPN. This service offers over 3,000 servers located in 160 countries.
All the VPN servers associated with the service are extremely fast and capable of maintaining the original connection speed practically unchanged: it will seem like you don’t have it active, even during 4K streaming.
The secret of such speed is Lightway, the security protocol created starting from WireGuard. This protocol is much lighter and, without sacrificing connection security, allows you to immediately connect to the best server available, obtaining maximum upload and download speed even from iPhone and iPad.
On the security and privacy side, it supports AES-256 as a security algorithm. It respects a strict no-log policy, which makes it a particularly good choice for those who want to combine speed and anonymity on the network.
This service offers an app with a comfortable and simple-to-use interface (just a touch on the screen to change IP and choose a new server). It supports all versions of iOS from 8.0 onwards and allows you to browse protected without limits up to a maximum of 5 devices simultaneously.
The cheapest subscription is €6.29 monthly, valid on a 12-month plan. ExpressVPN provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is great for trying out the service and deciding whether to use it daily. Furthermore, it accepts payments via Apple Pay or PayPal, offers an app optimized for iPad, and allows access to foreign streaming services, overcoming geographical limitations.
To install a VPN optimized for the mobile experience, try IPVanish. It boasts simple-to-use and very convenient apps for iPhone and iPad.
IPVanish has a network of 1,300 servers in over 75 countries and, again from a mobile perspective, provides some functions that make access to the protection system even easier, such as automatic connection to unknown Wi-Fi networks, to be protected as soon as you connect the Apple device to a public hotspot or one of the Wi-Fi networks is available.
Among other noteworthy features, it is possible to use AES-256 encrypted connections, IKEv2/IPSec connection protocols, and DNS/IPv6 protection, which is necessary to protect requests made to visit new web pages.
The cheapest subscription is €2.49 per month on a two-year plan. Shorter-term subscriptions are also available, but costs inevitably rise.
This service supports PayPal as a payment system. For those undecided, you can try it for free for 7 days by directly installing the mobile app. This allows you to test the service properly and only later choose whether to keep it.
HideMyAss, also called HMA, can become the best VPN app for iPhone and iPad for those looking for a VPN service at a very competitive price and with a superior level of security.
This service offers access to over 960 VPN servers in 190 countries worldwide, providing a new anonymous IP address that effectively hides the user’s identity. Security is guaranteed by AES-256 encryption, active both on the tunnel and on the servers (which are, therefore, totally encrypted and impossible to violate).
The most interesting feature of HMA is the double kill switch: from the app settings, it is possible to activate both the general kill switch (which can block the entire connection) and the app kill switch, which can only be activated for a list of selected apps; if the Internet connection fails or there is some problem accessing the server, only the indicated apps will be blocked, leaving the user full freedom of configuration.
HideMyAss! can be tried for free for 7 days, as long as you do not exceed 10 GB of traffic in this period.
Those who want a subscription can choose the cheapest one at €2.99 per month, which is provided only for the 3-year plan. Also, through the satisfaction or refund policy, a full refund can be obtained on this service if requested within 30 days of signing up for the subscription.
TunnelBear is a free VPN service for iPhones and iPads that does not require a subscription.
This service provides 2 GB of protected traffic to access a limited selection of servers. Given the slow speeds, it is designed for simple web browsing (no P2P and no unblocking of streaming).
To obtain maximum connection speed and to choose other premium servers, it is best to subscribe to the Unlimited plan, available at €3.33 per month. This subscription unlocks 4,000 servers in over 55 countries, allows you to access even the fastest servers, and provides advanced encryption and DNS leak protection.
TunnerBear is only compatible with iOS 10.0 or later, and you must enter your credit card information to purchase the subscription. The big problem is the lack of a refund policy: if you purchase the subscription, you cannot benefit from the satisfaction or refund policy seen in the providers tested.
VPNs that offer a free trial period or a “money back” guarantee allow you to test the service for a certain period. Once the trial period has expired, you can interrupt the service and get your money refunded. For this reason, we always recommend taking advantage of these promotions and trying a paid VPN immediately, confident that you can test the service as best as possible and see if it suits your needs.
100% free VPNs, therefore, without a subscription, are quite rare (the service costs in terms of infrastructure, even for a company) and often hide some defects such as poor connection speed, few servers to choose from, and low level of security. The navigation data and generated logs are sometimes sold to maintain the service. To have a safe and reliable VPN, it is therefore necessary to focus on services that require the payment of a monthly or annual fee to have maximum security and transparency when using the VPN on iPhone and iPad.
Many users wonder if using the VPN is legal and does not violate some laws of the state in which they are located. In Europe and America, the use of VPNs is completely legal, whatever we intend to do with it: privacy protection is guaranteed by many national laws, and using such a tool is not automatically synonymous with illicit actions. The situation is different for what we do behind a VPN: committing a crime behind a VPN will not protect you from a conviction if you are intercepted or your identity is associated with a specific person (even without digital traces).
Abroad, you must be extremely careful when using a VPN, especially in countries with massive control over Internet communications. It is frowned upon in China or similar countries and can lead to unpleasant situations. Therefore, it is advisable to limit the use of the service when we have people nearby and to use it to access our blocked web services such as Gmail, YouTube, or some streaming services.
For users who wish to use a VPN to access Netflix catalogs abroad (such as, for example, Netflix USA), it is preferable to use some specific VPN services capable of easily circumventing the geolocation system used by the streaming service to block national catalogs from unauthorized access. The best VPN services to use for Netflix on iOS are:
By choosing one of the VPN services mentioned above, we will be sure to be able to access any Netflix catalog. Open the service app, choose a server in the country whose catalog we want to access, and, once the connection is active, open the Netflix app to access content inaccessible from your country.
To activate a VPN connection on an iPhone, download the app of the chosen service, log in with the credentials obtained at the time of registration or subscription (by pressing the Login or Sign In button ), choose the server to connect to, and press Connect, Connect, or similar items.
At this point, the iPhone will show a warning message about the VPN connection configuration: confirm and, on the next screen, enter your fingerprint on Touch ID or show your face to the front camera (for Face ID) to add the connection VPN.
Starting the subsequent connections will be much easier after the first one: simply open the app and press Quick Connect or the Quick Connection button. Some services also support Siri voice commands (configured via Shortcuts or already available when installing the app), so you can start a VPN connection on your iPhone simply by saying a voice command like “Hey Siri, turn on the VPN”.
Using a VPN, it is possible to get the most out of Internet browsing from iPhone and iPad, with any Wi-Fi connection and with any cellular data connection: even by connecting to the other side of the world, it will always be possible to open different sites as if we were in the relevant country and vice versa, connect to foreign services or catalogs without crossing national borders: choose the server located in the desired country to obtain a valid IP for access to services blocked at a regional level.
Suppose our priority is to prevent someone from intercepting our browsing data. In that case, the VPN services mentioned in the article are right for us: they all adopt a strict no-logs policy, use secure encrypted connections, and protect users with advanced protections against DNS Leaks or security systems designed to block or mitigate the effects of VPN connections.
As good film and TV series enthusiasts, a paid VPN is mandatory to access the Netflix catalog available in the United States (much richer in exclusives and interesting content) or to try any other streaming service not available in your country (for example, HULU or HBO Max).
Connecting to a VPN from an iPhone or iPad is simple and fast, given that the apps are designed to be simple to configure and use: in most cases, in fact, just tap on the large central button to be immediately protected without having to fiddle with the settings or configuration parameters. For more expert users, it is possible to choose the country where the iPhone’s IP appears but also choose the type of protocol and additional security systems to activate (which is also excellent for protecting the iPhone from malicious links).
Several factors should be considered: server speed, advanced security and privacy functions used on multiple devices, compatibility with streaming services (such as Netflix), and a reasonable price compared to the quality of the service.
A quality VPN protects user privacy using encryption systems and "no logs" policies. This guide has selected the VPN products with the greatest security guarantees. For these reasons, be wary of VPNs (perhaps free) with opaque policies. When analyzing a VPN's security, consider the anti-log policy, the type of cryptographic module, security protocols, the kill switch option, IP address obfuscation, any anti-malware protection, and HTTPS redirection.
Several free VPNs still offer more protection than a "normal" connection. However, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the limitations and possible problems in terms of speed and usability (as well as the invasiveness of any advertising content). For further information, see our guide to free VPNs.
To activate VPNs on iPhone, you can download the app for the chosen service and, after subscribing, log in to the app and choose which server to connect to. If you don't know what to choose, there is always a quick connection button to find the best server to use immediately. Alternatively, you can go to the Settings -> VPN menu and manually activate the VPN connection; apps from various services can also install their VPN profiles in the iPhone's menus, making connecting directly from your phone much easier.
On iOS, VPNs can be updated by opening the App Store, pressing the username at the top right and pressing the Update All button (if present). Alternatively, you can directly search for the name of the installed VPN app and, in the summary screen, press Update to start the dedicated update.