Key Takeaways: These Are the Best VPNs for Taiwan
- ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Taiwan overall
- NordVPN — Fastest Taiwan VPN
- Surfshark — Taiwan VPN with unlimited simultaneous connections
- CyberGhost — Low-cost and beginner-friendly Taiwan VPN
- TunnelBear — Best VPN with free Taiwan servers
Facts & Expert Analysis About Using a VPN for Taiwan:
- Taiwan is a cybercrime hotspot: Taiwan experiences a massive number of cyberattacks each year and is a hotspot for cybercrime. The country’s cyber security department director Chien Hung-wei warned that the Taiwanese government alone faces 5 million daily attacks and scans 3, and in the first half of 2023, 55% of the billions of malware attacks that occurred in the Asia-Pacific took place in Taiwan. 1
- Concerns over website blocking: Although Taiwan’s internet is one of the freest in Asia according to Freedom House 2, there have been rising concerns over potential website blocks and bans in recent years. If this trend continues, a VPN is the best way to access restricted content and websites.
- Not all VPNs are great: You need a reputable VPN with strong security. We tested the top VPNs available to find the ones that work best for Taiwan.
With rising cybercrime and worrying trends of government censorship, it’s a good time to look into the best VPN for Taiwan. Although Taiwan still has a mostly free internet, the government has in recent years signaled an intent to block certain apps and websites, especially ones connected to China, such as TikTok. This has led to a decreased internet freedom score from watchdog Freedom House.
We reviewed the top VPNs on the market to find five of the best VPNs for Taiwan. Select any of the solutions in this guide to protect your privacy, access geoblocked content while in Taiwan, or watch Taiwanese content when traveling abroad. If you need a quick answer, we recommend using ExpressVPN.
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08/06/2024 Facts checked
We rewrote this guide based on recent VPN tests and changes made to the feature sets of top VPNs. We also provide an easier-to-read format.
Cloudwards Choice: ExpressVPN
Cloudwards Choice: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a premium VPN service and a top performer across the board. It offers top-notch security, fast connection speeds and a beginner-friendly interface. The virtual private network has Taiwan VPN servers that can help you acquire a Taiwanese IP address. Go ahead and try ExpressVPN — there’s zero risk thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.
How to Choose the Best Taiwan VPN
Here’s what we consider when selecting the best VPNs for Taiwan:
- Security: A VPN needs best-in-class encryption protocols (like OpenVPN and WireGuard) and ciphers (like AES-256 and ChaCha20).
- Speed: Connection speeds impact your browsing and streaming experiences. Fast connection speeds will ensure that you can stream content without lags.
- Unblocking capabilities: Top VPNs can easily unblock streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. If you plan to stream geoblocked content in Taiwan or watch Taiwanese content while abroad, you’ll need a VPN with a proven track record of bypassing geoblocks.
- Taiwanese VPN servers: The absence of a Taiwanese server isn’t a deal breaker. However, it does come in handy when you need to access local websites with geo-restrictions, such as your banking portal, while using the VPN to secure your connection.
The 5 Best Taiwan VPNs
| VPN: | Price | Taiwan Server | Unblocks Netflix | Speed | No-Logs Policy | Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
$6.66 per month | Very fast | AES-256, ChaCha20 | |||
 |
$3.55 per month | The fastest | AES-256, ChaCha20 | |||
 |
$2.49 per month | Very fast | AES-256, ChaCha20 | |||
 |
$2.37 per month | Not very fast | AES-256, ChaCha20 | |||
 |
$3.33 per month | Slow | AES-256 |
1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Taiwan Overall
89 Mbps
Very Fast
9 Mbps
Very Fast
6 ms
Very Fast
ExpressVPN is a premium VPN that performs well across the board, with excellent connection speeds, top-notch security and an extensive feature set. It also has Taiwan VPN servers that can help you acquire a Taiwan IP address. Once the VPN connection is active, it uses one of three protocols — OpenVPN, IKEv2 or Lightway — to protect you from surveillance.
It’s also the perfect solution for binge-watching geoblocked content — you get unlimited data and an unmatched ability to circumvent geo-restrictions. ExpressVPN helps you unblock popular platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu, and you can also stream high-definition content without any buffering.
ExpressVPN Hands-On Testing
ExpressVPN has a beginner-friendly interface — the home screen features a one-click “connect” button, an expandable server list and shortcuts to your most commonly used apps. All the settings and features are packed away inside a separate window. You can access them by clicking the hamburger menu at the top-left corner and selecting “options.”
ExpressVPN Security Analysis
| Protocol: | Encryption | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| OpenVPN | -AES-256 | |
| IKEv2 | -AES-256 | |
| Lightway | -AES-256 -ChaCha20 |
|
The DNS leak tests we ran on ExpressVPN while using the OpenVPN protocol revealed no issues. This isn’t surprising given ExpressVPN’s focus on security. The VPN offers strong encryption protocols and ciphers, a Threat Manager that prevents you from accessing malicious websites, and RAM-only servers that wipe your data clean every hour.
ExpressVPN Pricing & Value
ExpressVPN is a premium VPN and the most expensive on our list. The best deal is the annual plan at $6.66 per month. Short-term options include the six-month and monthly plans, which cost $9.99 and $12.95 per month, respectively. You can try ExpressVPN risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee, or learn more about the service in our ExpressVPN review.
- Unlimited GB
- 8
- Yes
2. NordVPN — Fastest Taiwan VPN
72 Mbps
Fast
9 Mbps
Very Fast
5 ms
Very Fast
If you have a need for speed, NordVPN is your best bet. According to our speed tests, NordVPN is the fastest VPN around. It provides top-notch performance and costs significantly less than ExpressVPN. Note that its performance doesn’t come at the cost of security — NordVPN has a wide range of security features.
The VPN also offers an extensive server network of over 6,000 servers spread across more than 110 countries, including Taiwan. This means NordVPN can help you acquire a Taiwanese IP address and secure your internet traffic so you can access things like online banking when outside Taiwan.
NordVPN Hands-On Testing
NordVPN’s interface can seem a little overwhelming, but for good reason. The VPN app offers a wide range of features that are split into six sections, along with an additional “settings” section. This means you get almost every VPN feature available. Moreover, connecting to a server is fairly simple: Just go to the home screen, choose a server location and hit the “connect” button.
NordVPN Security Analysis
| Protocol: | Encryption | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| OpenVPN | -AES-256 | |
| NordLynx | -ChaCha20 | |
As usual, NordVPN passed our DNS leak test with the OpenVPN protocol. Along with two of the most secure VPN protocols, NordVPN offers various security features. These include malware protection, specialty servers (dedicated IP, Onion Over VPN, double VPN, obfuscated and P2P) and a dark web monitor that notifies you if your sensitive data is publicly exposed online.
NordVPN Pricing & Value
NordVPN is a steal if you consider its performance level and features. The two-year plan is the best value, costing $3.55 per month. Alternatively, you can choose one of the short-term plans — the annual plan costs $4.99 per month, while the monthly plan costs $12.99. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can read our extensive NordVPN review to learn more.
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
3. Surfshark — Taiwan VPN With Unlimited Simultaneous Connections
devices and simultaneous connections.
94 Mbps
Very Fast
9 Mbps
Very Fast
119 ms
Good
Surfshark is already a low-cost VPN, but its unlimited simultaneous connections let you reduce your costs even further by sharing your account with friends or colleagues. Since Surfshark also offers unlimited bandwidth, there’s no downside to sharing your account from a performance point of view.
You get a complete package with Surfshark — fast connection speeds, excellent security, great unblocking capabilities and a wide range of features. You also get Taiwan servers that help you acquire a Taiwanese IP address.
Surfshark Hands-On Testing
The desktop app is well-designed and intuitive, but it does take quite a while to load. The home screen includes plenty of details and options, such as a “quick connect” button, a server list, server types and the active connection details. On the Windows app, you’ll see a “speed test” option next to the location search bar. Everything else is stacked in the left sidebar.
Surfshark Security Analysis
| Protocol: | Encryption | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| OpenVPN | -AES-256 | |
| IKEv2 | -AES-256 | |
| WireGuard | -ChaCha20 | |
Surfshark Pricing & Value
Surfshark is a low-cost VPN service. At $2.49 per month, the two-year plan is the best deal. The short-term plans include the annual plan, which costs $3.49 per month, and the monthly plan at $15.45. Like other services, Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee that you can use to try it out. To learn more before you sign up, give our Surfshark review a read.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $231.75 for one year, $417.15 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $239.25 for one year, $430.65 for two years.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $269.25 for one year, $404.65 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
4. CyberGhost — Low-Cost and Beginner-Friendly Taiwan VPN
73 Mbps
Fast
9 Mbps
Very Fast
46 ms
Fast
CyberGhost offers one of the best desktop app interfaces out there. It’s clean, attractive and easy to use. The app has a vast server network of over 11,600 servers spread across more than 100 countries, including Taiwan. If you’re looking to acquire a Taiwan IP address to secure your connection and access content that’s geoblocked outside of Taiwan, CyberGhost can help.
The VPN has dedicated servers for various activities, like gaming, streaming and torrenting, that offer better performance based on your use case. You also get a VPN automation feature called “smart rules” that lets you create trigger-based automations. For example, you can configure CyberGhost to auto-connect to a specific server location whenever you launch the browser.
CyberGhost Hands-On Testing
CyberGhost’s desktop VPN app is one of the best. The settings are grouped intuitively in a separate section that you can access via the sidebar, and the sidebar itself isn’t cluttered. The server types are accessible from a left panel on the home screen. When browsing the server list, you can sort based on physical distance or server load to find the most optimal server.
load when browsing CyberGhost’s server list.
CyberGhost Security Analysis
| Protocol: | Encryption | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| OpenVPN | -AES-256 | |
| IKEv2 | -AES-256 | |
| WireGuard | -ChaCha20 | |
CyberGhost isn’t the fastest VPN out there, but it’s still a safe option. It offers the most secure VPN protocols and has built-in security features, including ad and malware blockers as well as NoSpy servers.
CyberGhost Pricing & Value
CyberGhost offers a budget-friendly long-term plan. The two-year plan is the best-value plan priced at $2.37 per month. Shorter plans include the six-month plan at $6.99 per month and the monthly plan, which costs $12.99.
CyberGhost provides a longer 45-day money-back guarantee on all plans except the monthly plan, which instead comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. This means there’s no risk to giving CyberGhost a try. If you want to learn more about CyberGhost’s features and capabilities, head over to our CyberGhost review.
- *The 2-year plan includes 4-months free which breaks down the 56.94 t0 $2.03 per month. *The price under the 2-year plan is billed yearly after the first two years.
- Unlimited GB
- 7
- Yes
5. TunnelBear — Best Free Taiwan VPN
TunnelBear is one of the few free VPNs that we trust. Most free VPNs are unreliable — some don’t work and others can even harm your device — but that’s not the case with TunnelBear. You get free access to server locations with ip addresses in over 40 countries, including Taiwan. This means you can use TunnelBear to acquire a Taiwanese IP address for free.
The free plan includes 2GB of free data. This likely won’t be enough to stream content, but TunnelBear isn’t a great VPN for streaming anyway. TunnelBear offers good privacy but lacks a strict no-logs policy. Its privacy policy says that it collects data, like your email and Twitter ID, but the details will stay within Canada and be treated as per Canadian data protection laws.
TunnelBear Hands-On Testing
TunnelBear’s interface is fairly straightforward, largely because it doesn’t offer many features and options. The home screen includes a map, a “quick connect” button and a server list at the top. Everything else is housed in the “settings” section, which you can access from the sidebar.
TunnelBear Security Analysis
| Protocol: | Encryption | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| OpenVPN | -AES-256 | |
| IKEv2 | -AES-256 | |
| WireGuard | -ChaCha20 | |
TunnelBear is a secure VPN — we didn’t notice any DNS leaks when we tested it using OpenVPN. However, it offers only a handful of additional security features, such as VigilantBear (a kill switch) and GhostBear (an obfuscation feature).
TunnelBear Pricing & Value
If you need unlimited data and connections plus city-level server selection, consider upgrading to a paid plan. The individual plan costs $3.33 per month if you subscribe for three years. The short-term plans include the annual plan, which costs $4.99 per month, and the monthly plan at $9.99. If you’re curious about any TunnelBear features, read our extensive TunnelBear review.
- 2GB
- 2GB
- Unlimited
- Unlimited GB, unlimited devices, priority customer service
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Unlimited GB, centralized billing, account manager, price per user per month (minimum 2 users)
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
Our Methodology: How We Tested the Best Taiwan VPN Providers
We tested all the top VPN providers to find the best VPNs for Taiwan. Here are the factors we considered:
- Security: We prioritized VPNs that offer the best VPN protocols, such as OpenVPN and WireGuard. We also tested each VPN for DNS, IP and WebRTC leaks, and we included only those that passed all of the tests.
- Speed: We tested VPN speeds to compare each provider’s performance and impact on our internet speed on a Taiwanese server, and we noted the fastest ones.
- Unblocking capability: We used VPNs to unblock streaming sites like Netflix and prioritized those that were able to get around geoblocks.
- Taiwanese servers: We looked for VPNs that have Taiwanese servers.
Are VPNs Legal in Taiwan?
Yes, VPNs are legal in Taiwan. However, using VPNs for unlawful activities is still illegal. For example, using a VPN to encrypt your connection when accessing your bank account is completely legal. On the other hand, if you use a VPN to distribute copyrighted content via torrents, you’re violating the law.
Why You Need a VPN for Taiwan
Taiwan offers one of the most unrestricted digital environments in Asia. Its competitive democratic system supports uncensored internet access. However, the country still experiences a lot of cybercrime and there’s been signals from the government that they will increasingly begin blocking websites and applications.
A VPN can help you get around these potential restrictions while allowing you to access geoblocked content on sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Can You Use a Free VPN for Taiwan?
Yes, you can use a free VPN in Taiwan. While most free VPNs are unreliable and slow, a handful of them offer great security and performance. If you’re looking for a free VPN with a Taiwanese server, there aren’t many options.
The Best Free VPN for Taiwan: TunnelBear
As mentioned already, TunnelBear is the best free VPN for Taiwan. Other free VPNs, such as PrivadoVPN, are more than adequate if you want to tunnel out of the country. However, if you need a free Taiwanese server, TunnelBear is the only reputable free VPN that can help. The sole downsides are the 2GB monthly data cap and the lack of streaming capabilities.
How to Use a Taiwan VPN
To use a Taiwan VPN, you need access to a VPN service. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how you can use a Taiwan VPN:
- Sign Up for a VPN: Sign up for a VPN service — we recommend ExpressVPN. Select a subscription plan on ExpressVPN’s website and make the payment.
- Install the VPN on Your Device: Download the ExpressVPN app and install it on your device. Launch the VPN app once it’s installed.
- Connect to a VPN Server: Browse through the server list and connect to your preferred location. Once connected, your browsing activities will be secure.
Final Thoughts
The Taiwanese government doesn’t pose a significant threat to the country’s internet users, but cybercriminals do. A VPN can protect your connection and prevent ISP throttling and monitoring, making it impossible to track any activity back to you. You can also use a VPN to access geoblocked content on streaming sites.
While there are plenty of options out there, we recommend ExpressVPN because it offers excellent security, fast speeds and top-notch performance. Have you used any VPNs for Taiwan before? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thank you for reading.
FAQ: VPN Taiwan
-
Most VPNs work in Taiwan, but only a few offer the security and performance you’ll need. ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Taiwan. Alternatively, you may consider a cheaper option like NordVPN.
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Yes, VPNs are legal in Taiwan. However, using a VPN for illegal activities is still against the law.
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Launch your VPN and connect to a Taiwanese server. That’s all you need to do to get a Taiwanese IP.
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Yes, Surfshark works in Taiwan.
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Sources:
- Taiwan hit by 15,000 cyberattacks per second in first half of 2023 — Taiwan News
- Taiwan Freedom on the Net — Freedom House
- Taiwan Government Faces 5 Million Cyberattacks Daily: Official — SecurityWeek
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