The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico is a wildly popular travel destination. Much of that is down to its rich history, breathtaking scenery, colorful culture, and vibrant cities. But as with anywhere else, you have your online safety to worry about. And when you’re abroad, you’re cut off from some websites and online services due to geo-blocks. For instance, you can’t watch Netflix US there, even though it is technically a part of the United States. For these and other reasons, you need a VPN for Puerto Rico.
This article will explore the best VPN providers in Puerto Rico, discussing why you should hop on them. Let’s get down to it.
The Best VPNs for Puerto Rico — Our Picks for 2024
To be clear, we’re only recommending premium VPNs for Puerto Rico. While free VPNs can come in handy as a last resort, they are rarely worth the effort.
On the flip side, the providers below offer everything you need for the price of a cup of coffee.
3000 servers
105 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
8 simultaneous connections
3000 servers
100 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
Unlimited connections
12000 servers
100 covered countries
45 days money-back guarantee
7 simultaneous connections
6300 servers
111 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
10 simultaneous connections
1. ExpressVPN
The best VPN you can use in Puerto Rico is ExpressVPN. The provider comes loaded with the right combination of functionality, performance, and reliability.
It has a network comprising 3,000+ servers spanning 94 countries. Puerto Rico does not make it to that list. However, it’s the ideal VPN when you live or travel in Puerto Rico and need the mask offered by a foreign IP address.
For one, it arguably leads the pack of the fastest VPNs you can pay for. Over the course of several tests, we’ve found that ExpressVPN has barely perceptible impacts on your Internet connection speed. That means you can stream in 4K or download large files without bothering about lags or buffering.
Security-wise, the VPN is loaded. It scrambles your traffic with military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, so snoops cannot make any sense of it. ExpressVPN’s servers are RAM-based and wipe clean after each reboot. It has an automatic kill switch and IP/DNS leak protection, so you’re not exposed to data leaks.
On top of that, it comes with obfuscation, Private DNS, and support for the Tor network. These features will prove helpful when there’s a heightened need for privacy.
No website or streaming service can withstand ExpressVPN’s geo-unblocking abilities — we’ve tried. It’s the best VPN for Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and other major platforms. In other words, you can easily binge-watch titles only available in certain countries.
ExpressVPN has a 49% discount on its yearly plan. In addition, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have enough time to confirm how good the VPN is.
2. Surfshark
Surfshark is the best VPN with servers in Puerto Rico. While it comes with a budget price, there’s no doubt this is one of the best VPN services in the market overall.
The Netherlands-based VPN offers more than 3,200 servers in 100 countries. That’s a nice global spread which means you’re likely to have nearby connection options from anywhere. If you’re looking to get a Puerto Rico IP address, the location is the capital city, San Juan.
They are pretty fast, too. So you can browse, stream, and download without worrying about annoying buffering or lags. For torrenting, the provider lets you connect to specialized servers optimized for speed and safety.
As you’d expect from one of the best Puerto Rico VPNs, Surfshark comes stacked with privacy and security features.
It implements AES 256-bit encryption to protect your data. That’s the industry standard, so there’s no worry about hackers breaking through. There’s also an automatic kill switch, leak protection, and an audited no-logs policy.
Surfshark offers several other features. They include split tunneling, for when you prefer some traffic going directly through your ISP. MultiHop layers your security, and Camouflage Mode, an obfuscation feature, hides your VPN use.
When you’re abroad, staying tuned to your favorite programs on local platforms like WKAQ-TV is easy, thanks to the Puerto Rico IP address you can get on Surfshark VPN. In the same vein, the provider will unblock geo-restrictions on the major streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, and more.
It has unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can use one Surfshark account across all your devices. A 30-day money-back guarantee comes attached when you purchase a plan.
3. CyberGhost
CyberGhost is an excellent choice for Puerto Ricans who are VPN beginners. It offers a comprehensive range of features, including strong encryption and swift speeds, all at a budget-friendly price.
The provider boasts an extensive server network, with over 9,700+ servers spread across 91 countries, ensuring excellent coverage. Some servers are optimized for activities like torrenting, gaming, and streaming.
While it may not match the speed of ExpressVPN, CyberGhost still provides impressive connection speeds. Because Puerto Rico is not one of its locations, you can combine WireGuard with the “Best server location” feature for optimal performance.
The VPN employs robust 256-bit AES encryption to safeguard user data, and it has undergone an audit by an unrelated third party to confirm that it does not store sensitive logs.
CyberGhost automatically selects the optimal protocol based on your connection to ensure the highest level of security. Features like DNS/IP leak protection, a kill switch, RAM-only servers, and split tunneling further enhance its security capabilities. Plus, an automatic Wi-Fi protection feature kicks in when it detects a new public network.
We also like this VPN for its ability to unblock a wide variety of streaming services, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and Hulu. You’ll get the best results when connected to one of its dedicated streaming servers.
Moreover, CyberGhost works effectively for accessing other geo-restricted websites and services. The dedicated IP add-on lets you rent a personal server, enhancing the chances of bypassing such restrictions.
You can protect up to 7 devices simultaneously with a single account. CyberGhost offers a generous 45-day refund policy, allowing ample time to commit confidently.
4. NordVPN
Panama-based NordVPN places serious emphasis on privacy and security. In addition, you’ll forget you’re using a VPN; that’s how reliable the connection is.
The Panamanian VPN provider comes with 5,700+ servers spread across 60 countries. We would have preferred a more extensive spread and locations in Puerto Rico. Still, there’s plenty more to like.
For instance, it has dedicated torrenting servers for users interested in the activity. And a significant chunk of its network is colocated, which means the provider owns and manages them itself.
What’s more, NordVPN offers blazing-fast speeds. It consistently performed excellently in our speed tests and is only marginally slower than ExpressVPN. For the best results in this area, use NordLynx, the VPN’s proprietary protocol built around WireGuard. It’s faster than OpenVPN, but you’re not trading off any security.
Speaking of which, NordVPN brings out the big guns. As you’d expect, it has the usuals sorted. There’s bank-level encryption, a kill switch, and leak protection. Plus, NordVPN has proven that it will not store any user logs in its servers.
Beyond that, the provider has in-built Onion over VPN functionality for complete anonymity in Puerto Rico. Double VPN hides your IP address behind two servers, encrypting your data twice and ensuring that brute-force attacks are pointless.
If you’re interested, you can take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee to test the VPN. One subscription covers up to 6 devices at the same time.
How We Ranked the Best VPN for Puerto Rico
Everywhere you turn online, a VPN provider is bragging about guaranteeing your private and open access to the Internet. In reality, you’re better off not trusting the safety of your information to many of these services.
We tested dozens of options to arrive at our selection of the best Puerto Rico VPNs, ranking them based on their results against set criteria. If you’re interested in knowing the metrics we used, here are some of them:
Server Network
The best VPN providers invariably have large networks of servers in scores of locations around the world. This ensures that you can always find a nearby server for better speeds and reliable connections.
We would prioritize those with servers in Puerto Rico, but the territory is not a popular hotspot for VPNs. That said, Surfshark fits in here, with its location in San Juan capable of getting you a Puerto Rico IP address.
Security and Privacy
At the barest minimum, a VPN should encrypt your traffic and hide your IP address, protecting your online identity. We look out for providers with robust features to ensure this, such as AES 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and a strict no-logs policy. It also matters what jurisdiction they operate out of.
We look beyond, taking note of VPNs with advanced and extra tools, such as obfuscation and MultiHop. More points if they have proven their logless policies through independent audits.
Unblocking Geo-restrictions
Many people use VPNs to access content that would ordinarily be blocked to them. This includes certain websites, streaming platforms, and other services restricted to other regions.
We look out for providers that let you see shows and movies on platforms outside Puerto Rico. For instance, connecting to an ExpressVPN server in the United Kingdom will let you watch exclusive BBC iPlayer programs.
Speed and Performance
A VPN encrypts all of your traffic, which adds a layer of overhead to your data transfer. This can slow down your internet connection, especially if you have a slow internet connection to begin with. To mitigate this, we recommend providers that keep that drop in speed to a minimum.
Can You Use a Free VPN for Puerto Rico?
Everyone loves a good deal. Having your Internet privacy covered without shelling out any money for it seems like one. But when you take a closer look at it, the cracks begin to show.
The saying, “Nothing is ever free,” certainly applies to VPNs. Sure, no money leaves your account, but you’ll probably pay with your data. After all, free VPN providers run a business and have to keep the lights on somehow. One of the more common ways is collecting information on your browsing habits and selling to third parties.
In addition, free VPNs are usually hamstrung by numerous limitations, including capped data and bandwidth, slow speeds, and inadequate security tools. In addition, there’s little chance you can stream your favorite geo-blocked Netflix show.
In a pinch, the best free VPNs can step in. We recommend these over most free options out there. However, consider checking out these cheap providers if you can manage it.
Conclusion
Virtual private networks are necessary, considering how prevalent malicious actors are on the Internet these days. In addition, annoying geo-restrictions mean you’re severely restricted regarding the content you can enjoy in the territory without one.
Our #1 recommended VPN for Puerto Rico is ExpressVPN. The service covers your online privacy and protects your data from prying eyes. It also bypasses content blocks to give you access, whether you’re in Puerto Rico or away. That said, the other providers on this list can stand in too.
And if you absolutely want a VPN with servers located in Puerto Rico, turn to Surfshark. This is the only viable option for getting a Puerto Rican IP address in 2024.
