A large crackdown on VPN services in China that often transpires leads to more VPNs not working properly in the country. Many are still wondering – is ProtonVPN working in China? In today’s article, we’ll report our findings and see how well the provider performs in this country.
Bear in mind that we tested both free and paid versions as part of this analysis. On our site, you’ll find a full review of ProtonVPN that’ll give you more info. Today, we’re focusing strictly on the aspect of bypassing censorship in China and whether or not you can use this service in this country in 2024.
Is ProtonVPN Working in China?
As part of our team, we have several writers and testers residing in this country. Our team gladly provided them with a copy of ProtonVPN for testing purposes. The result wasn’t so happy in the end and the takeaway is that, in 2024, ProtonVPN is NOT working in China.
Deep packet inspection or DPI in this country is extremely strong, thus, blocking dozens, if not hundreds of providers. The authorities use many advanced censorship tools, such as keyword and URL filtering, which makes the situation far worse.
The free plan, essentially, behaves like the paid plan. During our testing procedure, we frequently altered between free and paid VPN apps of ProtonVPN, only to hit the Great Firewall and fail miserably. After performing these tests and seeing that ProtonVPN in China isn’t working, we went to its site.
And there, among many support-related articles, we saw this:
As you can see, access to ProtonVPN is BLOCKED as a part of a large crackdown on internet freedom in China. The article dates back to 2019 but as explained, it’s still valid. The company offers a solution in the form of Tor Bridge but it’s nothing like using a VPN, after all.
The conclusion is that, despite so many attempts to make it work in this country, we failed.
Alternatives to ProtonVPN That Work in China
With this provider failing to overcome the Great Firewall, the only option is to switch to another one. Now, if ProtonVPN isn’t working in China, you might be wondering which providers to use. Well, we have a few options – read on to find out more about them.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a top-of-the-line provider with a great focus on user privacy and security. The provider works in China thanks to obfuscation that masks your VPN connection and makes it look like a “normal” connection. This, in many ways, helps to bypass DPI and use the internet normally.
The best thing is that obfuscation is applied to all your connections without further tweaks. You just have to select a server location, connect to it, and you’re all set. ExpressVPN has 3,000 servers in 94 countries and 160 locations, so you have a heap of locations to pick from.
Moreover, as ExpressVPN works in China with excellent performance, so its 10+ Gbps servers can reach their full potential. You can use this provider for streaming, torrenting, and even light gaming in China, without worrying about ISP throttling or censorship.
Security-wise, it’s even better. The company built its reputation on a stringent no-logging policy with jurisdiction in the British Virgin Islands. This ensures total privacy and with RAM-only servers, you can be sure no excessive logging is happening in the background.
On top, ExpressVPN boasts Private VPN, a proprietary DNS server for handling your DNS requests. This is further improved with the presence of AES-256 encryption and a kill switch. Mobile users also get Threat Manager, a feature for blocking malicious sites and dangerous trackers.
With apps for all platforms, 8 simultaneous connections, and 24/7 live chat support, you can’t go wrong with it. Plus, there’s a 49% discount and 3 free months for the annual plan.
Compared to ProtonVPN which isn’t working in China, it’s priced similarly, yet, offers so much more for the money.
Pros
- Obfuscation automatically applied
- 10+ Gbps servers
- Based in the BVI (no logging)
- Private DNS
- 8 simultaneous connections
Con
- Slightly expensive (not more than ProtonVPN)
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is a household name with millions of active users. Its obfuscated servers do wonders for people in censored countries like China. Being among the top 3 China VPNs, its obfuscated servers will mask your VPN traffic the same way, hiding your online identity completely.
This allows you to slide under the Great Firewall and breathe fresh air on the internet. NordVPN is capable of delivering staggering performance thanks to NordLynx and 5,500+ 10 Gbps servers. Furthermore, the provider is P2P-optimized, with servers close to China for fast torrenting.
NordVPN is easy to use as well, and additional setup in China isn’t required. You just have to install the app and enjoy it. Bear in mind that it also has Double VPN servers for two layers of encryption, along with Threat Protection to keep viruses, ads, and malware at bay.
We should mention NordVPN’s certified zero-logging policy thanks to its Panamanian jurisdiction. Take into account its kill switch, AES-256 encryption, split tunneling, and Private DNS as well. All of these features make it one of the safest, most reliable companions for online privacy.
Users in China reported that NordVPN shows excellent results in terms of bypassing geo-blocks. As such, it will work with Netflix and Hulu. Its Meshnet feature is useful for gamers, while security geeks will enjoy its Dark Web Monitor for protecting personal information.
NordVPN is cheaper than ExpressVPN and ProtonVPN. Its longest plan is equipped with a 30-day refund policy, much like all other plans. Getting NordVPN is risk-free, henceforth, and if you don’t mind the high prices of short-term plans, this is a pretty fine VPN for day-to-day use in China.
Pros
- Fast obfuscated servers
- Optimized for torrenting and streaming
- 256-bit AES encryption
- Dark Web Monitor
- Cheap 2-year plan
Cons
- Expensive monthly plans
- Very rare connection problems on Windows
What About Astrill VPN?
Since ProtonVPN in China isn’t working, we’ve covered you with two great alternatives. However, many wonder if Astrill VPN is working in this country as well. The answer is YES. It’s incredibly reliable as well but it’s a VPN we wouldn’t recommend buying and using.
It’s way too expensive, so much so, that the price alone will deter you from buying it. ExpressVPN’s most expensive plan will have you pay about $13 a month, while Astrill’s cheapest plan costs $12.5 a month. The cheapest plan is a 2-year deal at a whopping $300 every 2 years.
Let’s not forget its VIP add-ons and a private IP with limited traffic, both of which can raise the price of this VPN significantly. We tested Astrill VPN recently and if you read this review, you’ll see that we weren’t particularly impressed with what we got for the price.
ExpressVPN and NordVPN, therefore, remain much better choices that you’ll pay several times less.
Does ProtonVPN Work in China? The Final Verdict
After a thorough examination, it’s clear that using ProtonVPN in China isn’t such a smart idea. Both free and paid plans do not provide any usability in this country, despite offering different protocols and security features. Even its Secure Core servers fail to perform under the pressure of the Great Firewall.
The solution is always to get another provider, and we recommend ExpressVPN or NordVPN. As the two most prestigious VPNs, you’ll find them reliable in China, Iran, the UAE, Russia, Turkey, and many other countries. Price-wise, they’re very similar to ProtonVPN, yet, offer more.
We don’t advise using Astrill VPN unless you have excess money you want to spend. It’s too opulent for what it offers, with blatant pricing of basic plans and bonus features. Instead, use the buttons we left above to get special discounts on ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
You’ll not only save money but also get impeccable performance and slide under the radar of the Chinese authorities with a click of a mouse.
