Updated on: October 7, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for Iran in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN : Works 100% of the time in Iran. It supports obfuscation across all servers in 105 countries and includes protocols that get around Iran’s firewalls. It has blazing-fast speeds over obfuscation for all online activities, includes top-notch features that protect your privacy from the Iranian government, and it’s simple to use. It offers affordable plans backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
After lots of research and testing, I found the top VPNs for Iran. The VPNs I recommend here include obfuscation, which hides your VPN traffic and allows you to bypass the Iranian government’s Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and firewalls it uses to censor the internet. Plus, these VPNs encrypt your data, preventing an Iranian internet service providers (ISPs) from seeing your online activities.
Every VPN on my list is worth considering, but ExpressVPN is my favorite for Iran — it supports obfuscation across all servers and protocols, offers incredibly fast speeds, and has strong security and privacy features.
Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Quick Summary of the Best VPNs for Iran
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Iran
ExpressVPN is my top choice for Iran. It bypasses the Iranian government’s DPI technology, IP blocking, and content filtering 100% of the time thanks to its obfuscation feature. This tool makes your VPN traffic look like regular HTTPS traffic. This means the Iranian government won’t know you’re using a VPN and won’t block your access to the free internet — and it’s why it’s a top VPN for bypassing censorship.
The best part about ExpressVPN’s obfuscation is that it’s turned on automatically when you use the Automatic protocol, so there’s no risk of going online without it and your Iranian ISP blocking it.
ExpressVPN supports obfuscation on all protocols, so there’s room to experiment in case your connection isn’t optimal. You can also connect to any servers in 105 countries, including nearby server locations like Israel and Georgia, which allow you to access popular apps like WhatsApp and Instagram.
ExpressVPN’s security features are great for a censorship-heavy country like Iran. It doesn’t log your online activities and uses RAM-only servers, which delete all data with every reboot — this means the VPN won’t have anything to share with the Iranian government about your online activities even if legally required to.
I also like its Threat Manager, which stops ad trackers from spying on your traffic and prevents you from accessing malicious sites. You get full built-in leak protection against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks, too, to ensure your real IP address and DNS queries remain hidden at all times.
ExpressVPN provides excellent value with a starting price of $4.99 / month. Even though it is one of the pricier options on my list, ExpressVPN provides the best value on the market. It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is my top choice for Iran. Its obfuscation feature bypasses the Iranian government’s DPI technology, IP blocking, and content filtering. Plus, it automatically turns on obfuscation and supports it across all protocols and servers. It has strong security features to protect your privacy from the Iranian government. Its plans offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Great Customizability for Iran
Private Internet Access (PIA) is excellent for customizing your connection in Iran. It bypasses Iran’s DPI technology and various firewalls thanks to its Shadowsocks proxy servers, which are located in 5+ countries. They’re located in the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Japan, and there’s even a setting that picks the fastest server based on your location.
All of these locations allow you to access apps like Signal, Snapchat, and WhatsApp. Unlike ExpressVPN, you have to manually enable the obfuscation feature in the PIA app — it’s under Multi-hop in the Settings menu.
If you want to connect to a nearby server instead, like Israel or Georgia, PIA lets you route your traffic through TCP port 443 with the OpenVPN protocol. This port is hard for authorities, like the Iranian government, to block because it’s crucial for secure HTTPS traffic.
Another option that PIA gives you for bypassing censorship in Iran is creating custom configuration files to optimize connection stability and performance through PIA’s control panel. For example, you can select specific servers and ports and connect via a direct IP address to PIA’s server to avoid detection from your Iranian ISP.
PIA protects your privacy and security in Iran with an audited no-logs policy, RAM-only servers, and full leak protection. The VPN also includes PIA MACE, which is the best VPN ad blocker out there — it also blocks ad trackers and malicious websites.
Private Internet Access is value-packed and affordable, with plans starting at only $2.03 / month. Plus, its 30-day money-back guarantee ensures you can try the service risk-free.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is an excellent choice for customizing your connection in Iran. It bypasses Iran’s DPI technology and firewalls with Shadowsocks proxy servers in 5+ countries, allows you to get around blocks in Iran via port 443, and you can even create a manual obfuscation setup for optimal performance. It also has the best ad blocker on the market for safe browsing in Iran. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
Editors' Note: Private Internet Access and this site are in the same ownership group.
🥉3. PrivateVPN — Great VPN for Beginners
PrivateVPN is great for VPN beginners that need a VPN in Iran. It’s pretty good at getting around Iran’s firewall thanks to its Stealth VPN feature that provides obfuscation and easily bypasses the government’s DPI technology, IP blocks, and content filtering.
PrivateVPN makes it super simple to enable its obfuscation feature, as it keeps Stealth VPN in a separate tab in the Settings menu, which you can access once you select Advanced View.
PrivateVPN has nearby servers in free countries, such as Israel or Cyprus, which you can connect to in order to access social media like Instagram and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal. There are also servers in Bulgaria and Romania, which should provide great speeds from Iran.
If you’re not sure which one offers the best speeds, PrivateVPN shows each server location’s ping next to it — the ping is the distant between your device and the server.
PrivateVPN is very secure. It has a no-logs policy and offers DNS and IPv6 leak protection. I also really like its Application Guard feature, which closes selected apps when the VPN disconnects. This is very useful if you only need the VPN for specific apps when in Iran.
PrivateVPN is very affordable with plans starting at $2.00 / month. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
PrivateVPN is great for VPN beginners in Iran. It easily bypasses Iran’s firewall with its Stealth VPN feature for obfuscation, which is super simple to enable in the app. It has nearby servers for fast speeds and offers strong security features. It’s very affordable and has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full PrivateVPN review
4. TunnelBear — Minimalistic VPN for Iran
TunnelBear is a decent VPN for Iran. It uses an obfuscation feature called GhostBear to hide your VPN traffic from your Iranian ISP. GhostBear reliably gets around Iran’s DPI technology and can bypass the government’s IP blocking and content filtering. It’s very simple to enable, too — just toggle the switch next to it from the Settings menu under Connection.
TunnelBear gets you access to all servers in 47 countries, including a nearby server location like Cyprus and Greece that access messaging apps like Signal. That being said, ExpressVPN offers more than double the number of server locations, including more countries near Iran.
It’s got great security features for Iran, including a no-logs policy and WebRTC and IPv6 leak protection. There’s an Encrypted Server Name Indication (ESNI) feature for Android, too, that hides the identity of the server your device connects to by encrypting the SNI field. This prevents Iran from detecting your VPN traffic.
TunnelBear has affordable plans starting at $3.33 / month. Unfortunately, there’s no money-back guarantee, but there’s a free plan with a 2 GB monthly limit.
Bottom Line:
TunnelBear is a really good VPN for bypassing Iran’s DPI technology. Its GhostBear feature provides obfuscation with 1 click, and it has a simple-to-use interface along with great privacy features. TunnelBear doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee, but there’s a limited free plan.
Read the full TunnelBear review
5. VyprVPN — Secure VPN for Browsing in Iran
VyprVPN is a secure choice for going online in Iran, thanks to its strong obfuscation capabilities. This VPN uses its proprietary Chameleon protocol to disguise your VPN traffic as regular internet traffic and bypass Iran’s DPI technology and other strict censorship and surveillance measures.
One standout feature of VyprVPN is it refreshes your IP address throughout your session without interrupting your connection or changing your chosen server location. This means that if your Iranian ISP blocks your IP address, VyprVPN will just assign you a new one.
You get great online security in Iran with a no-logs policy and a malicious site blocker, and you can connect to a nearby server, like Israel, to get the fastest possible speeds and access apps like WhatsApp. However, it only protects against DNS leaks — ExpressVPN has full leak protection against WebRTC and IPv6 leaks.
VyprVPN’s plans start at $3.00 / month and are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
VyprVPN is a secure choice for browsing in Iran. Its proprietary Chameleon protocol bypasses Iran’s strict censorship measures, and it has useful extras like refreshing your IP address, great security features to protect your privacy in Iran, and can access all top messaging apps from the country. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Quick Comparison Table
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
I followed our comprehensive testing methodology to ensure I only recommend the top-performing in Iran. Each VPN was tested based on several critical criteria to determine their suitability for users in Iran. Here’s how I tested and ranked each:
- I checked each VPN’s functionality in Iran. Every VPN on this list offers obfuscation that can get around firewalls, DPI, and other types of blocks that the Iranian government uses to block access to the internet and to ban VPN traffic. So all of these VPNs are able to access social media sites like WhatsApp and Signal and consistently work in Iran.
- I assessed security features. The VPNs listed here have industry-standard security features to ensure your privacy and protect you from government monitoring in Iran. These include a no-logs policy, so the VPN doesn’t have any data to share with the Iranian government, a kill switch and leak protection to prevent your IP address from leaking (and getting blocked) and 256-bit AES encryption to stop your ISP from spying on your online activities.
- I tested speeds on local and distant servers. VPNs slow down your traffic because of the encryption process and this slowdown is often exacerbated when you add obfuscation to the mix. I made sure every VPN I recommend here maintains great speeds for browsing and activities like streaming and torrenting, so you won’t have to deal with annoying buffering when going online from Iran. ExpressVPN is the fastest.
- I evaluated user-friendly features. I chose VPNs that make it quick and easy to enable the obfuscation feature and quickly connect to a server. Many of the VPN I recommend also include an option to automatically connect to a server, so you don’t go online unprotected.
- I analyzed value for money. I focused on VPNs that balance features and cost — this is why all these VPNs are affordable and offer either a free plan or a money-back guarantee for testing its performance in Iran.
Why You Should Use a VPN for Iran in 2024
Iran is known for stringent regulation of internet use. This involves blocking certain websites and curbing online freedom of speech, particularly during periods of political turmoil or demonstrations. Thus, using a VPN in Iran becomes essential, whether you’re a resident or merely a visitor, to preserve your digital liberty. Here’s why you should contemplate using a VPN in Iran:
Bypass Censorship
While in Iran, you might be unable to visit some of your favorite sites, including many Western social media platforms and news outlets. This is due to the Iranian government’s extensive internet censorship. But a VPN can come to your rescue. By rerouting your internet traffic through a server in a different country, a VPN makes it appear as if you’re browsing from outside Iran. This bypasses local restrictions, giving you access to the global internet just like everyone else.
Tip: If your VPN connection is blocked, try switching to a different server or VPN protocol that supports obfuscation, such as OpenVPN. If the VPN allows it, try port 443.
Regain Freedom of Speech
A VPN isn’t just a tool for bypassing censorship, it’s also your digital megaphone. In Iran, speaking out online can have serious consequences, but a VPN helps you to protect your right to free speech. By hiding your IP address, it allows you to voice your opinions online without fear of being tracked. This means you can express your thoughts without the fear of surveillance or landing in jail.
Tip: Make sure to enable the VPN’s kill switch feature before connecting to the VPN and going online. This will help prevent any data from being exposed if your VPN loses connection to the server or during the reconnection process.
Getting Public Wi-Fi Protection
Public Wi-Fi hotspots are a godsend when you’re out and about, but they’re also a hunting grounds for hackers — and in Iran, possibly even state security agencies — looking to steal your data or spy on your activities. A VPN creates a secure, encrypted connection for your data, safeguarding you from these cyber threats. It’s like having a personal bodyguard for your data whenever you’re using public Wi-Fi in Iran.
Tip: Always connect to your VPN before accessing public Wi-Fi to ensure your data is encrypted from the start. If you experience frequent disconnections, switch to a different Wi-Fi network or use mobile data as a hotspot.
Downloading Torrents Anonymously
If you’re a fan of torrenting, you know the importance of maintaining your anonymity. Iran has been known to crack down on torrenting activities, but with a VPN, you have less to worry about. By hiding your IP address, a VPN makes it incredibly difficult for anyone to trace your online activities back to you.
Tip: Set up your torrent client to only work when the VPN is active to avoid exposure if the VPN connection drops.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- IPVanish. IPVanish offers an impressive network of servers in 105 countries, user-friendly apps, and unlimited simultaneous connections. However, it doesn’t work in Iran.
- Proton VPN. Proton VPN delivers exceptional security and privacy features, including a strong no-logs policy and Secure Core servers. On the downside, it isn’t great at bypassing internet censorship, so it isn’t a great choice for Iran.
- NordVPN. NordVPN would be an excellent choice since its robust security and privacy features are great for countries like Iran with strict internet activity monitoring. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work in Iran or other restrictive countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a VPN in Iran?
Yes, if you want to protect your security and privacy and gain access to the open internet. ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Iran as its obfuscation feature works really well in the country, it offers super fast speeds, even over obfuscation, and it’s got lots of advanced security features like an audited no-logs policy and RAM-only servers to protect your privacy from your Iranian ISP and government. Plus, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to test the service risk-free.
Can I use a free VPN in Iran?
While it’s possible to use a free VPN in Iran, it’s super hard to find one, considering not that many VPNs offer obfuscation that gets around Iran’s restrictions. TunnelBear has a free plan and an obfuscation feature that works well in the country, but it only offers 2 GB monthly, which is around an hour of browsing with obfuscation.
I recommend either upgrading to the paid plan or consider getting my top pick ExpressVPN, which offers consistently high speeds, excellent security measures, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Which VPN is best for Iran?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for users in Iran, providing a secure and reliable service to bypass restrictions and protect your privacy. With fast speeds and top-notch security, ExpressVPN stands out among competitors. Additionally, its 30-day money-back guarantee allows you to try the service without any risk.
Will VPN use in Iran slow down my speeds?
Using a VPN may cause a slight decrease in speed due to encryption and server distances; however, choosing a high-quality VPN like ExpressVPN minimizes this impact. ExpressVPN is known for its fast connection speeds and numerous server options, allowing you to find the best server for your needs to ensure a smooth internet experience.
Is it safe to use a VPN in Iran?
Yes and no. A VPN can bypass censorship and protect your online privacy, but note that the Iranian government actively blocks many VPN services and may penalize users for bypassing state censorship.
To use a VPN safely in Iran, I recommend getting one like ExpressVPN that offers strong obfuscation and security features, including an audited no-logs policy. That said, I believe it’s best to first familiarize yourself with local laws and regulations and make sure you follow them to avoid any legal trouble.
