Updated on: September 6, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for The Philippines in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN : Offers encrypted servers in the Philippines and nearby countries, so your internet service provider or government can’t see your online activities. It’s very fast, it works with 100+ streaming sites, allows torrenting on all servers, and has easy-to-use apps for all popular operating systems. Plus, it backs all plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
I tested the top VPNs on the market to find the best VPNs for the Philippines. The ones that I recommend all offer server locations in the Philippines and neighboring countries, so you can securely and privately browse, stream, game, and torrent with fast speeds.
My top choice is ExpressVPN, as it provides industry-leading security features. In addition, you get access to a staggering 100+ streaming apps, like Netflix and Amazon Prime, and it’s the fastest VPN out there. ExpressVPN is the best VPN for P2P traffic and gaming, and it offers intuitive apps for virtually every device. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for the Philippines:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for the Philippines in 2024 (super fast speeds + a vast server network).
- 2. 🥈Private Internet Access — Excellent VPN for torrenting in the Philippines (with speed-boosting P2P features).
- 3. 🥉CyberGhost VPN — Great VPN for streaming with streaming-optimized servers & extra secure servers.
- 4. NordVPN — Privacy-friendly VPN for the Philippines + great for using Tor securely.
- 5. Surfshark — Easy-to-use VPN is a great pick for beginners + includes feature-rich apps.
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for The Philippines
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for the Philippines. It has servers in 105 countries, including the Philippines and neighboring locations like Taiwan and Japan. This way, you will get the fastest speeds. Plus, if a website is blocked in the Philippines, simply connect to a server in another country to access it.
ExpressVPN has is the fastest VPN on the market thanks to its proprietary Lightway protocol. In my tests, I could barely tell I was connected to a VPN — even when I picked a server across the world.
The provider has excellent streaming support. It accesses local streaming services like iWantTFC and iFlix, works with 100+ other streaming sites, such as numerous Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Max content libraries. It supports torrenting on all servers and works with top torrent clients, including uTorrent, BitTorrent, and qBittorrent.
ExpressVPN is also a great choice for gaming — you can access different international games from the Philippines. I like how its equipped with anti-DDoS (distributed denial-of-service attack) protection on all servers, so a sore loser can’t disconnect you from the game or the VPN server. The provider also supports cloud gaming services, so it works with PlayStation Now and GeForce Now.
ExpressVPN’s plans start at $6.67 / month. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for the Philippines. It has advanced security features, a large server network, including servers in the Philippines, maintains the fastest speeds in the industry, and is excellent for streaming, torrenting, and gaming. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Excellent VPN for Torrenting in The Philippines
Private Internet Access (PIA) is feature-rich for torrenting in the Philippines. It allows P2P traffic on all of its servers in 91 countries, including the Philippines. With servers also located in Vietnam, Japan, and Malaysia, it’s easy to find a nearby server outside of the country for the best possible speeds.
What I like about PIA is that it comes with extra P2P features that give you faster download speeds. PIA offers port forwarding on mobile and desktop, which lets you connect to more peers to get faster speeds, and you get access to SOCKS5 proxy servers, which change your IP address but don’t encrypt your traffic — this usually boosts your download speeds.
I’m a huge fan of how customizable PIA’s apps are, as you can tweak settings to improve your speeds. For example, you can switch to the slightly less secure 126-AES encryption and get faster speeds on really slow networks such as on public Wi-Fi for streaming or gaming.
PIA is great for streaming, too. It accesses a lot of Netflix, Disney+, and Max libraries and works with sites like BBC iPlayer and Hulu. It has anti-DDoS protection on all servers for gaming but doesn’t support cloud gaming like ExpressVPN.
Private Internet Access offers low-cost plans starting at $2.19 / month. Each purchase is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is an excellent pick for torrenting from the Philippines. You can torrent on any of its servers, including local Philippines servers, and it comes with speed-enhancing extras like port forwarding and SOCKS5 proxy servers. It has good streaming and gaming support, and every plan has 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. CyberGhost VPN — Great VPN for Streaming in the Philippines
CyberGhost has streaming-optimized servers that work with 50+ streaming services, including several Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Max libraries. Although none of them are located in the Philippines, CyberGhost has regular servers in the Philippines for streaming local content on apps like iWantTFC and iFlix.
I like how CyberGhost has NoSpy servers, which are located in the provider’s headquarters in Romania, a privacy-friendly country that doesn’t have mandatory data retention laws. They also can only be accessed by in-house staff, so there’s less of a risk that your data might be compromised and leaked for the Philippines government to see.
I’m a fan of CyberGhost’s automation rules (Smart Rules) that help you avoid the risk of your online activities being seen by your local ISP in the Philippines or the government. You can set the VPN to automatically connect you to any server when you launch the VPN app or detect an unsecure Wi-Fi network (like public Wi-Fi). It can also connect you to any server location when you open an app on your device (like a streaming app) or open a specific app when you connect to a chosen server location.
It’s good for torrenting from the Philippines, too. It allows P2P traffic on its servers in the Philippines, as well as nearby countries like Japan and Taiwan, but there’s no extra P2P features, like SOCKS5 proxy servers or port forwarding, like with Private Internet Access.
CyberGhost VPN’s plans start as low as $2.03 / month. Long-term plans have a 45-day money-back guarantee and the monthly plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN is great for streaming in the Philippines. It has streaming-optimized servers for 50+ streaming services. It has great automation rules, and its NoSpy servers are great for extra privacy. Its long-term plans have a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
Editors' Note: CyberGhost and this site are in the same ownership group.
4. NordVPN — Privacy-Friendly VPN With Great Tor Support
NordVPN has great features to protect your privacy in the Philippines. It has dedicated Onion Over VPN servers that allow you to access .onion sites directly in your regular browser, like Opera. These servers, which are located in the Netherlands and Switzerland (privacy-friendly countries), route your traffic through the Tor network, so it’s a very convenient feature for anyone who deals with sensitive information.
I really like the Double VPN servers, too, which route your traffic via 2 servers instead of just 1. This makes it much harder for anyone to trace your online activities back to you, including your local ISP or the Philippines government. Note that the double encryption will slow down your traffic — for the fastest speeds, it’s best to connect to the Hong Kong location from the Philippines.
This VPN has decent streaming support and works with local streaming services like Vivamax and Cignal play for securely watching your favorite Filipino TV shows and movies. It can also access several Netflix, Max, and Disney+ libraries, but not as many as ExpressVPN.
It also lets you torrent on its servers in the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan, and you get SOCKS5 proxy support. However, it doesn’t have port forwarding like Private Internet Access does.
Finally, you get a unique feature for gaming with your friends, called Meshnet, which lets you create private LAN parties for up to 60 devices to securely game with your friends online, regardless of whether or not they’re in the Philippines.
NordVPN’s plans start at $3.09 / month. Every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN is a VPN with excellent Tor support, making it a great choice for anyone that needs an extra layer of privacy in the Philippines. It features Onion Over VPN servers for accessing .onion sites, Double VPN servers for enhanced security, and can access local and international streaming services. NordVPN’s plans all come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — Intuitive VPN That’s Great for Beginners
Surfshark is a beginner-friendly VPN with servers in the Philippines and Taiwan and Japan. You can mark these as favorites, which puts them at the top of the server list for quick access. Plus, you can connect to the nearest server or the nearest country with 1 click. I also like how you can customize its quick-connect button to connect to a specific server location.
My favorite Surfshark feature for the Philippines is IP Rotator. This tool regularly changes your VPN IP address without dropping your VPN connection, making it difficult for local ISPs to track your location.
If you need extra privacy from the Philippines government, Surfshark’s Dynamic MultiHop server routes your traffic through 2 VPN servers. Plus, unlike NordVPN, you can manually select any 2 server locations for your double VPN connection.
Surfshark is great for streaming in the Philippines — it can access 50+ streaming services, like Netflix and Max, as well as local services such as Upstream and iWantTFC. However, this is fewer than ExpressVPN, which works with more than 100. You can also torrent on all servers.
Surfshark has affordable plans starting at $2.19 / month. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is a great VPN for beginners, offering quick access to servers in the Philippines and nearby countries, and customizable connection options. Its enhances your privacy with its IP Rotator feature and the Dynamic MultiHop feature that adds an extra layer of security. Plus, it’s good for streaming and torrenting in the Philippines. Each plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
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 created this list of the best VPNs for the Philippines following our proven testing methodology. This included looking at and testing various features, including server networks, security, and ease of use. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of how I chose and ranked each VPN:
- I checked the VPN’s server network. The VPNs on this list have at least 1 server in the Philippines and nearby countries, like Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
- I looked into security features. Every VPN on this list comes with industry-standard VPN security features, like 256-bit AES encryption to hide your online activities from the Philippines government and local ISP, a kill switch (shuts down your internet connection if the VPN connection drops), and an audited no-logs policy. They also have strong leak protection — I ran leak tests while connected to servers in at least 10 countries and only saw my VPN IP address.
- I evaluated the speeds. All VPNs slow down your speeds due to the encryption process, but I barely noticed any difference when I tested the VPNs I recommend, including when I connected to very distant servers. The fastest was ExpressVPN.
- I considered ease of use & device compatibility. Each VPN here makes it super easy to find a Philippines server, a nearby location, or any other server location in its server list. Plus, all of them have apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS devices.
- I ensured the VPN provided good value. The VPNs I recommend have affordable plans with a money-back guarantee of at least 30 days. Moreover, they allow multiple connections with a single subscription.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- TunnelBear. TunnelBear offers excellent security and privacy for the Philippines and is an excellent pick for anyone new to VPNs due to its easy-to-use apps. However, it’s slower than most VPNs on my list.
- IPVanish. IPVanish is a highly secure VPN with advanced privacy features, good speeds, and decent streaming support. However, it’s missing a few advanced features like RAM-only servers — and all the VPNs I recommend have it.
- Norton Secure VPN. Norton Secure VPN has user-friendly apps, but it only offers servers in 29 countries and none in the Philippines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best VPN for the Philippines?
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for the Philippines. It has servers in the Philippines and nearby countries like Japan and Taiwan. It offers top-notch privacy and hides all of your online activities from your local ISP and the government in the Philippines. Plus, it can access 100+ streaming sites, including local services in the Philippines like iWantTFC, and it maintains the fastest speeds on the market.
Can I use a free VPN in the Philippines?
Yes, but I don’t recommend it. Many free VPNs have small server networks and lack servers locations in the Phillipines and nearby countries. Plus, a lot of free VPNs impose strict data caps and restrict speeds. Most free VPNs don’t guarantee they won’t collect your data and share it with the government or advertisers.
Instead, I recommend purchasing a premium VPN, like ExpressVPN. It has servers in the Philippines and nearby countries, maintains the fastest speeds on the market, and doesn’t log your online traffic — so, it doesn’t have anything to share with third parties, including the Philippines government.
Is it legal to use a VPN in the Philippines?
Yes, it’s completely legal to use a VPN in the Philippines — in fact, I recommend it to keep what you do online away from the prying eyes of your local ISP and the government in the country. It even helps you avoid online censorship there as the government bans certain sites.
However, engaging in illegal activities online remains unlawful, regardless of whether you use a VPN. It’s important to use VPNs responsibly and comply with local laws and regulations.
How do I set up a VPN in the Philippines?
Setting up a VPN is straightforward:
- Choose a VPN provider. I recommend ExpressVPN as it has servers in the Philippines and nearby countries.
- Download & install the app. Follow the on-screen instructions. It shouldn’t take longer than 1–2 minutes.
- Open the VPN app & connect to a server. Now, you’re all set to browse securely in the Philippines!
