Best Available and Stable VPN in China 2026

A VPN service that provides stable connectivity is an essential necessity in China

I am a freelancer who has lived in China for many years. You can call me "Bashige". My work is primarily online, including copywriting, website development, and related services. Because of my job, I frequently need access to websites such as Google, ChatGPT, YouTube, and GitHub. Due to China's Great Firewall and its restrictions on overseas websites, a VPN service that remains stable and reliable over the long term has become an essential part of my work. I have been using VPN software in China for seven years. Below, I will share my experience and discuss which VPN services can currently provide stable access to the international internet. If you are a foreigner traveling to China or working remotely from there, I hope my experience can be helpful to you.

Some VPN services I have used before, but they are no longer working

VyprVPN

The first VPN I used was VyprVPN. Its logo featured a black snake, which looked very cool. At the time, it could connect normally from China, and it was reasonably priced at just US$48 per year. I subscribed to it for a few months as a trial. For a while, it was very stable, and I had considered using it as my long-term VPN. However, I later found that I could no longer log in, possibly because of China's Great Firewall. Its login page would not load properly, so I could not access my account or use the service. But if I installed and enabled another VPN that worked properly on my phone, I could access and log in to VyprVPN's login page. Once logged in, I could also connect to its VPN server nodes normally. In other words, to use a VPN service in China, you first need to be able to log in to your account before connecting to a VPN server. Even if the VPN servers themselves are accessible, it is still a problem if the initial login page is blocked.

ExpressVPN

Now let's talk about the well-known ExpressVPN. My assessment of ExpressVPN can be summed up in one sentence: "the most expensive, but also the fastest and most reliable." ExpressVPN is probably the VPN service with the largest user base. As far as I know, many foreigners in China use it, including employees of foreign companies and media journalists. I used it myself for a period of time, and it connected quickly every time. Speeds were excellent across all server locations, and even watching 8K videos on YouTube was very smooth. In previous years, it could still connect normally even when internet restrictions were particularly stringent. Calling it the leading brand in the VPN industry would not be an exaggeration. As the Chinese proverb goes, "the tallest trees catch the most wind." Precisely because of its high profile, it was inevitable that ExpressVPN would attract the attention of China's Great Firewall. Earlier this year (2026), China intensified its VPN crackdown, and ExpressVPN has also stopped connecting reliably.

NordVPN

NordVPN is second only to ExpressVPN and ranks among the top VPN services in the industry. How would I describe the experience of using NordVPN in China? China has three major internet service providers—China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Mobile—as well as a number of smaller private providers. Each differs slightly in areas such as DNS servers, outbound bandwidth, and IP address ranges. Even within the same provider, firewall restrictions vary by province. For example, GitHub may be accessible directly in some regions, while in others it can only be accessed through a VPN. At times, international websites may also perform differently depending on whether you are using mobile data or a home broadband connection. NordVPN does not work properly in the province where I live, yet it works in some other provinces, which I find quite strange. If you need to travel across different parts of China, NordVPN may not be the best option.

Clash, V2ray, Shadowsocks, Trojan

There are also some open-source VPN software in the network, such as Clash, V2Ray, Shadowsocks, etc. These software are free, but require paid subscriptions for network nodes. The only advantage of open-source VPN software is its "low cost," with very cheap subscription prices for server nodes. However, it has many disadvantages. First, because these software are open-source, anyone can modify their code (including hackers). If the open-source VPN software you download isn't from the original author, it's likely that malicious code will be inserted, leading to your information being leaked or even financial loss, such as crypto wallets being stolen. Second, these cheap open-source VPN service providers are usually operated by small workshops or even individuals. Their websites don't contain any company information, and they often run away with money. Many people are too afraid to subscribe for a long time. Third, the network nodes of these cheap service providers are very unstable. Since most of them use open-source network encryption protocols like Vless, which have already been recognized by Chinese firewalls for network data packet characteristics, line outages occur frequently during some sensitive periods in China. I believe that using open-source VPN can serve as a backup emergency solution, not the main method.

Is there any free VPN available on Google Play for use in China?

So is there any VPN service that can be used stably in China for a long time? Of course!

After numerous tests, I found it

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, VPN is essential for my work. After the aforementioned VPN services became ineffective or unstable, I kept looking for new alternatives. Through numerous downloads, installations, and tests, I finally found a very reliable VPN service, which is F-Secure VPN. I have been using it for 4 months, and it remains stable to this day.

F-Secure VPN is not a separate VPN software, but an important feature integrated into F-Secure, a Finnish antivirus security software. Many security software in the world, such as Bitdefender, Norton 360, ESET NOD32, Avast, McAfee, AVG, Avira, etc., all currently have VPN functions for users' network security protection. I tested all these antivirus security software by downloading and installing them, and only F-Secure's VPN function can be used normally in China.

Let me explain why F-Secure VPN can work stably in China

Compared to popular VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, F-Secure VPN is relatively less well-known and less shared on various social media networks. This is precisely why it hasn't received special attention from Chinese firewalls and operates stably in a low-profile manner.

F-Secure VPN incorporates three network encryption protocols: OpenVPN, Wireguard, and Hydra. These two very conventional protocols have already been detected by Chinese firewalls, as their data packet characteristics can be easily identified and intercepted. Most VPN services on the market use these two network encryption protocols, so it is inevitable that they will become ineffective in China.

The Hydra protocol is a commercial, closed-source protocol, which is fundamentally different from the open-source OpenVPN and WireGuard. Simply put, OpenVPN is an established all-rounder, WireGuard is a modern, efficient and minimalist new player, while Hydra is a commercial advanced tool designed specifically for dealing with network censorship and long-distance transmission. The Hydra protocol has been specially optimized for network data transmission, with traffic disguised as ordinary HTTPS, making it particularly suitable for fast data transfer over long distances in weak networks. From the beginning of its design, obfuscation was the core selling point. Its packet encapsulation method makes it appear completely identical to ordinary, secure web browsing traffic (HTTPS). Therefore, when breaking through high-intensity network censorship, campus networks, or company firewalls, it performs significantly better than other protocols that do not undergo additional disguise. When I switch the network protocol from Hydra to OpenVPN or WireGuard, the network becomes interrupted, indicating that Hydra indeed has its unique advantages.

How is its stability and speed?

Regarding stability, during the few months I've been using it, there hasn't been a single instance of connection failure, whether I use my mobile network, home broadband, or switch to different network providers.

As for speed, when connected to the server node in the best location, it can smoothly play 4K or even 8K videos on YouTube. Of course, the network transmission speed is also related to the bandwidth speed of the network provider you use.

What precautions should be taken when using F-Secure VPN?

To ensure normal network connectivity, be sure to set the VPN protocol to "Hydra" on the settings page. Other protocols will not allow connection in China.

If you only prioritize speed and don't care about specific countries, just select "Best Location". This will automatically connect you to the server node with the fastest speed in your current country.

Can I pay for F-Secure VPN only and not subscribe to F-Secure security software?

F-Secure VPN is an important feature of F-Secure security software, and it is also operated separately. Therefore, either by paying for F-Secure or purchasing F-Secure VPN individually is possible. As a well-established security software from Finland, F-Secure offers multiple security protection functions such as virus protection, fraud prevention, device protection, ID monitoring, and password vaults. It also consumes minimal system resources and can completely replace Windows' built-in Windows Security Center.

Can I use it on my mobile phone?

Of course, F-Secure VPN offers Android and iOS versions, and you can use it on any mobile device.