Best VPN for Canada in 2023

Best Canada VPN: Cloudwards Editor’s Choice

ExpressVPN is the top VPN for Canada due to its user-friendliness, outstanding speed and industry-standard encryption. It offers multiple servers within the country and an extensive global network. Plus, it reliably unblocks all major streaming platforms due to its server monitoring system. We talk more about ExpressVPN later in the article, plus four other best Canada VPNs.

How to Choose the Best Canada VPN

ExpressVPN stands out as the top choice, followed closely by NordVPN, which is our fastest VPN. Surfshark is third with its unlimited simultaneous connections. Close behind are Proton VPN and CyberGhost. You’ll want to consider server network, speed, reliability and affordability in your search for the best Canada VPN.

1. ExpressVPN — Fast, reliable and can be counted on for protection and unblocking streaming services
2. NordVPN — Top-level privacy features 
3. Surfshark — A high-quality, budget-friendly VPN with lots of features
4. Proton VPN — Open-source and privacy-focused VPN with a free plan
5. CyberGhost — User-friendly apps and a vast server network

Content unblocking and speed are important when looking for a VPN. Any VPN you choose should bypass geo-restrictions and grant access to global content, streaming services and websites that may be restricted in Canada. A top VPN must provide consistent high-speed connections for smooth streaming, gaming and browsing so that your online activities aren’t disrupted.

Furthermore, privacy is key considering Canada’s affiliation with the Five Eyes. Five Eyes member countries usually have legal frameworks in place that allow government agencies to request user data from tech companies. Given this, robust encryption and a strict no-logs policy are essential. Look for services with AES-256 bit encryption and a clear commitment to safeguarding user data.

Basic features shared by quality VPN services include a kill switch, which prevents data leaks if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly, a wide server network spanning various countries (Canada being key for our purposes), user-friendly apps for easy navigation, multi-device support and reliable 24/7 customer support to assist with any tech issues.

The 5 Best VPNs for Canada

We will have a closer look at each of the top five VPNs for Canada, with ExpressVPN being our top suggestion.

1. ExpressVPN

More details about ExpressVPN:

• Pricing: $6.66 per month (15-months plan)
• Free plan: No; 30-day money-back-guarantee
• Provider website: expressvpn.com

With more than 3,000 servers in 105 countries, including five in Canada, ExpressVPN offers excellent content access and the ability to bypass geo-restrictions. This allows users to stream, watch and browse websites with geoblocks, such as Netflix Canada or BBC iPlayer, even when traveling.

Privacy is at the core of ExpressVPN’s service, with an audited no-logs policy and secure AES-256 encryption. It allows users to change their IP address securely and offers the option to pay with cryptocurrencies. ExpressVPN’s user-friendly apps are compatible with a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, routers, game consoles and smart TVs.

ExpressVPN has its jurisdiction in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), which is not part of any international surveillance alliances that share data amongst member countries, such as the Five Eyes. This means that although Canada is a Five Eyes country, your data remains out of reach. For a more in-depth analysis, read our full ExpressVPN review.

ExpressVPN Hands-On Testing

Using ExpressVPN is a seamless experience. Upon launching the app, users are greeted with an intuitive and straightforward interface that makes it easy to connect to the server of choice. There is a search bar for easy location-based searches, as well as the option to save preferred servers for future access.

Notes From the Lab: ExpressVPN Speed Test Results

ExpressVPN consistently achieves high-speed connections and can easily handle server switching without noticeable lag or disruptions. There wasn’t much of a dip in download, upload or latency when connecting to U.S. or Canada servers through ExpressVPN, with speeds very similar to results without a VPN. Have a look at our speed comparison for more detailed stats.

Notes From the Lab: ExpressVPN Security Analysis

ExpressVPN uses industry-standard AES-256 bit encryption and its own proprietary Lightway protocol to protect user data. It supports multiple VPN protocols, including OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec.

Pricing & Value: Is ExpressVPN Worth It?

ExpressVPN offers three subscription plans. The 12-month (plus three months free) plan is the best deal, coming in at just $6.66 per month, billed annually. There is also a six-month plan at a price of $9.99 per month. The one-month plan is $12.95. Although ExpressVPN’s prices are higher than some others, it may be worth it if you want a VPN you can trust.

Although there is no free trial, all plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee (even the monthly plan). To explore ExpressVPN’s features in detail, read our full ExpressVPN review.

ExpressVPN Plans

• Unlimited GB
• 8
• Yes

30-days money-back guarantee

1-month plan

$12.95/month

6-months plan

$9.99/month

$59.94 billed every 6 month

Save 22%

15-months plan

$6.66/month

$99.95 billed first 15 months and 12 months thereafter

Save 48%

2. NordVPN

More details about NordVPN:

• Pricing: $4.99 per month (one-year plan)
• Free plan: No; seven-day free trial on Android, and a 30-day money-back-guarantee
• Provider website: nordvpn.com

NordVPN has an extensive server network of over 5,800 servers across 60 countries and territories, including Canada, ensuring exceptional content access and the ability to easily bypass geo-restrictions. 

Whether you’re streaming, watching or browsing, NordVPN’s user-friendly apps are available on platforms including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, routers, game consoles and smart TVs.

Privacy is the cornerstone of NordVPN, with its independently audited no-logs policy. The option to pay with a selection of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple, adds a layer of anonymity.

Operating from Panama, NordVPN is in a jurisdiction independent of international surveillance alliances such as Five Eyes, ensuring that all data remains beyond the reach of government surveillance, even when connecting from or within Canada, so it’s an excellent choice for when you need a Canadian IP address. Have a look at our full NordVPN review for more information.

NordVPN Hands-On Testing

NordVPN is simple to use, with an intuitive map interface. The app incorporates a user-friendly search bar for efficient location-based searches, along with a handy auto-connect feature that allows you to enable your VPN to automatically engage when you connect to any network, including WiFi, Ethernet and mobile networks.

The cluttered mobile app interface is less than ideal, though.

Notes From the Lab: NordVPN Speed Test Results

NordVPN consistently delivers on speed, giving users a reliably lag-free online experience. NordVPN maintains low latency and fast upload and download speeds. It is a very fast VPN that maintains very steady speeds.

Notes From the Lab: NordVPN Security Analysis

NordVPN uses tried-and-true AES 256-bit encryption and the OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec protocols, as well as its own NordLynx protocol, which is built around WireGuard and uses ChaCha20 encryption. There’s also an ad blocker, a tracker blocker and malware protection.

Pricing & Value: Is NordVPN Worth It?

NordVPN’s security suite offers three plans with three different payment periods. The Standard plan includes only the VPN, while the Plus plan adds a password manager in the form of NordPass (read our NordPass review). Finally, the Complete plan adds access to NordLocker (check out our NordLocker review), which is a cloud storage and file encryption service.

You can subscribe for one month, one year or two years. The two-year plans are the cheapest, starting at $3.19 monthly for the Standard plan and going up to $5.19 with the Complete plan that includes 1TB of NordLocker cloud storage. This is a great deal, considering it’s still cheaper than ExpressVPN’s cheapest plan. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read more in our full NordVPN review.

Standard

• Unlimited GB
• 6
• Yes

30-days money-back guarantee

1-month plan

$12.99/month

1-year plan

$4.99/month

$59.88 billed every year

Save 61%

2-year plan + 3 month

$3.19/month

$86.13 billed every 2 years

Save 75%

3. Surfshark

More details about Surfshark:

• Pricing: $3.99 per month (one-year plan)
• Free plan: No; seven-day free trial for macOS and mobile devices plus a 30-day money-back-guarantee
• Provider website: surfshark.com

Surfshark has 3,200 servers across more than 65 countries, including over 100 servers in Canada spread across three cities. Surfshark has privacy features like a kill switch, multi-hop and DNS leak testing that are on par with the best VPNs, making it challenging for Canadian surveillance agencies to trace anything back to real IPs.

Although Surfshark has its jurisdiction in the Netherlands, which is a Nine Eyes nation, its independently audited no-logs policy, multi-hop double VPN and the ability to pay with Bitcoin add a layer of privacy. Its “CleanWeb” feature for ad blocking provides valuable privacy. 

Surfshark reliably unblocks popular websites, including CBC Canada and Sportsnet NOW. Surfshark caters to a wide range of user preferences with user-friendly apps compatible across a wide range of platforms. There is a seven-day free trial on Android, Mac and iOS, along with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can easily try Surfshark before you commit.

Surfshark Hands-On Testing

Surfshark isn’t quite as straightforward to use as ExpressVPN or NordVPN, but it is still very intuitive. Surfshark’s numerous features are all easily accessible via labeled tabs.

Notes From the Lab: Surfshark Speed Test Results

Surfshark’s speeds stayed consistent during testing, even while switching servers. Surfshark has consistently high international upload and download speeds, but it didn’t do as well with latency, coming in higher than other top-tier VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN.

Notes From the Lab: Surfshark Security Analysis

Surfshark uses AES 256-bit encryption and WireGuard’s ChaCha20 encryption, with OpenVPN, and L2TP protocols to protect user data. Its long list of security features includes private DNS leak protection, a kill switch, split tunneling (it calls it Bypasser), obfuscation (Camouflage Mode) and a strict no-logs policy.

Pricing & Value: Is Surfshark Worth It?

Surfshark has several subscription tiers, starting with a monthly option at $15.45 per month. For those looking for better value, the one-year plan is $3.99 per month and the two-year plan is available at $2.49 monthly, billed every two years at $59.76. The two-year plan puts Surfshark up there with the cheapest VPNs and is a great deal considering all the VPN’s features.

Surfshark offers a seven-day free trial for Android, macOS and iOS, and all plans (even the monthly plan) are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. For more about the VPN, read our full Surfshark review.

Surfshark Starter

• Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker.
• Unlimited GB
• Unlimited
• Yes

30-days money-back guarantee

1-month plan

$15.45/month

1-year plan

$3.99/month

$47.88 billed every year

Save 74%

2-year plan

$2.49/month

$59.76 billed every 2 years

Save 83%

4. Proton VPN

More details about Proton VPN:

• Pricing: $5.99 per month (one-year plan)
• Free plan: Yes, limited to 3 server locations; 30-day money-back-guarantee for paid plans
• Provider website: protonvpn.com

Proton VPN has a network of over 3,000 servers across 69 countries, including 44 in Canada if you’re using one of its paid plans. Although you won’t be able to get a Canadian IP address on the free plan, you can connect to servers in the U.S., Japan and the Netherlands. This gives you access to plenty of international streaming content, such as U.S. Netflix.

Privacy is paramount for Proton VPN’s service. It maintains a strict no-logs policy and uses industry-standard encryption methods on both paid and free plans. It also offers Secure Core servers, which route internet traffic through multiple secure data centers in countries with strong data protection laws.

Proton VPN’s apps are compatible with most platforms, including Linux. Its jurisdiction is in Switzerland, a country with strong privacy regulations and no affiliation with data-sharing alliances. On top of this, it has an independently audited no-logs policy. Read more about a free Canada VPN in our article.

Proton VPN Hands-On Testing

Proton VPN is easy to install and use. Both the free VPN and paid versions look the same, with a wider selection of servers in the paid version, as well as access to advanced features like Secure Core servers, NetShield (which blocks ads, trackers and malware), the kill switch and port forwarding.

Notes From the Lab: Proton VPN Speed Test Results

Proton VPN maintains similar speeds when using the paid or free versions, although Proton Plus is definitely faster on all fronts. Download speeds were slightly lagging when compared with ExpressVPN or NordVPN, but upload speed was notably fast. Latency with Proton VPN was low. 

Notes From the Lab: Proton VPN Security Analysis

Proton VPN’s Secure Core feature routes traffic through secure servers in privacy-centric countries, while industry-standard protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard protect user data from prying eyes. It has a strict no-logs policy, and its NetShield feature blocks ads and trackers. Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, which is not part of any data-sharing alliances.

Pricing & Value: Is Proton VPN Worth It?

If you need more than the three server locations provided with the free plan, Proton VPN’s paid plans start at $4.99 per month for the two-year plan (billed biannually at $119.75) and go up to $9.99 for the one-month plan. You can bundle the VPN with the rest of the Proton security suite, including Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive and Proton Pass for $12.99 on the monthly plan or $9.99 on the yearly plan.

Proton Pass is a password and identity manager and Proton Drive is end-to-end encrypted file storage, so along with the email and calendar, this is a cost-effective data management option. NordVPN offers a similar bundle starting at $14.99 monthly. To find out more about Proton VPN, read our full Proton VPN review.

30-days money-back guarantee

Free

• Unlimited GB
• 1
• Yes

FREE

Plus

• Unlimited GB
• 5
• Yes

1-month plan

$9.99/month

1-year plan

$5.99/month

$71.88 billed every year

Save 40%

2-year plan

$4.99/month

$119.75 billed every 2 years

Save 50%

5. CyberGhost

More details about CyberGhost:

• Pricing: $2.37 per month (two-year plan)
• Free plan: No; seven-day free trial and 45-day money-back-guarantee
• Provider website: cyberghost.com

With an enormous server network of around 9,000 servers across more than 90 countries, boasting nearly 500 in Canada, CyberGhost offers access to content in much of the world. 

It also offers specialty servers for streaming, torrenting and gaming. CyberGhost also allows you to search servers according to the streaming service they are optimized for, such as Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and so on.

CyberGhost prioritizes security with a no-logs policy, dedicated IPs, a kill switch, DNS leak and WiFi protection. The VPN offers unlimited bandwidth and seven simultaneous connections, although it should be noted that this is limited to seven devices in total.

CyberGhost Hands-On Testing

CyberGhost has a wealth of features, all neatly organized to the left of the user screen. You can save your favorite servers for gaming, torrenting or streaming. The VPN allows up to seven simultaneous connections and has native apps for most systems, including Linux and Amazon Fire TV stick. It only takes a few minutes to get a handle on how it all works, and there is a user guide on first sign-in.

CyberGhost offers one-click connectivity, IP masking, which hides your actual IP address, and strong encryption. 

Notes From the Lab: CyberGhost Speed Test Results

CyberGhost has inconsistent speeds, and there is occasional noticeable lag when using the VPN. Latency and download speeds are particularly variable, while upload speeds tend to remain more stable. That said, it still has decent performance and speeds overall.

Notes From the Lab: CyberGhost Security Analysis

CyberGhost prioritizes security with its strict no-logs policy, AES 256-bit encryption, dedicated IPs, DNS leak protection, automatic kill switch and support for multiple VPN protocols, such as OpenVPN and IKEv2.

Pricing & Value: Is CyberGhost Worth It?

CyberGhost’s plans start at $2.37 per month on the 27-month plan (two years, plus three months free), making it one of the cheapest VPNs out there. The next plan is six months at $6.99 per month, and there is also a monthly plan for $12.99. All plans have a 45-day money-back guarantee, apart from the monthly plan, which has 14 days. Read our full CyberGhost review for details.

CyberGhost Plans

• Unlimited GB
• 7
• Yes

45-days money-back guarantee

1-month plan

$12.99/month

6-months plan

$6.99/month

$41.94 billed every 6 month

Save 46%

2-year plan

$2.37/month

$56.94 billed every 2 years

Save 81%

Can You Use a Free VPN for Canada?

While a free Canada VPN sounds great, the vast majority of free VPNs available in app stores and online come with significant drawbacks. Many have unreliable performance, sluggish connection speeds and subpar or nonexistent content unblocking ability. Even more importantly, some free VPN providers have been exposed for engaging in data collection practices.

That said, there are some free VPNs that are worth using, including Proton VPN, Windscribe and TunnelBear.

The Best Free Canada VPN: Proton VPN

Proton VPN is the best free VPN service for Canadian users, offering a reliable and secure service including a strict no-logs policy, robust encryption and open-source apps.

How to Use Canadian VPN Servers

We will demonstrate how to use Canadian VPN servers using the top provider on this list, ExpressVPN. To get started, follow these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a VPN

   Go to a VPN provider’s website and sign up for a plan. Choose the plan length that suits you and enter your contact details and payment information.

   

2. Download the VPN App

   Downlad the appropriate install file for your device and follow the instructions. Once the installation has finished, launch the app. Log in with your credentials when prompted to do so.

   

3. Connect to a Server

   By default, ExpressVPN will connect you to the fastest server available, but you can select any server (Canadian or otherwise) by clicking on the “server location” tab to the right of your screen and selecting one from the list presented.

   

That’s it! Now you have access to Canadian websites and a Canadian IP address as if you were physically in Canada.

Why You Need a Canada VPN

Canada is a member of the Five Eyes alliance and as such is subject to data-sharing agreements with other nations, so it’s worthwhile for privacy-conscious internet users to safeguard their online presence.

Additionally, a Canada VPN will allow you to bypass geo-restrictions and access Canadian or international content (such as Hulu) that may be blocked or limited based on your location. There are several movies available on Netflix US. and abroad, including popular South Korean dramas and films, that can’t be viewed from within Canada without a VPN.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right VPN for Canada involves considering privacy, content access and speed. ExpressVPN is our top choice due to its extensive server network, top-notch security features, and fast speeds.

Whether you’re looking to unblock geo-restricted content, secure your online presence or enjoy fast and reliable connections, a VPN will allow you to surf the web knowing that your data is protected and your digital experience is optimized.

As you consider the best VPN for your needs in Canada, we’d love to hear from you. What factors are most important to you when choosing a VPN? Have you had any experiences either positive or negative with VPN services in Canada? Do you have any questions about VPNs and their use? Please share your thoughts below. Thank you for reading!

FAQ: Best Canadian VPN

• How Do I Get a Canadian VPN?

  To get a Canadian VPN, start by selecting a reputable VPN provider, such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN. Once you’ve chosen a provider, sign up for a subscription and download and install the app onto your device. Launch the app, log in using the credentials you set up, and connect to a Canadian server from the list provided. That’s all there is to it!

• Is There a Free Canada VPN?

  While there are many free VPN services, they tend to come with drawbacks such as slow connection, blocked sites and potentially compromised data. That said, Proton VPN has a fantastic free option, as do Windscribe and TunnelBear.

• Does a Canadian VPN Work in the US?

  Yes, a Canadian VPN can work in the U.S. and vice versa. VPN services aren’t contained within geographical borders, but rather wherever the VPN has servers.

• How Do I Use a US VPN in Canada?

  Choose a VPN provider that has U.S. servers and sign up for the service. Download the VPN app and after installation, log in and connect to a U.S. server from the list. This will route your internet traffic through U.S. servers, enabling access to U.S.-specific content.

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