Israel has great connectivity and top-notch tech, but internet users do face a few restrictions when it comes to content accessibility. That’s why you need a VPN (virtual private network). In this guide, we help you select the best Israel VPN so you can access content without any restrictions.
Key Takeaways: Israel VPN
- Internet censorship in Israel isn’t as bad as in China, but it does exist. Using a VPN can help ensure security and restriction-free internet access.
- ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Israel. However, you can also choose one of the other services like NordVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost.
- If you need a free VPN service, Proton VPN is the best option for Israel.
A VPN can also protect you against the government’s intrusive policies. The government’s “Facebook bill” has also been criticized by various institutions in Israel since it allows authorities to block posts from websites like Facebook, Google, YouTube and news sites.
VPNs encrypt your connection, ensuring you’re completely anonymous when online. It also makes your connection more secure so that no third party — including the government and your internet service provider (ISP) — can steal your data. In this article, we list five of the best Israeli VPN picks, but if you need a quick answer, we recommend using ExpressVPN.
-
03/17/2023 Facts checked
Article rewritten to reflect the recent changes in the VPN services.
-
You can get an Israeli VPN by going to a VPN service’s website, signing up and installing the VPN app on your device. If you need an Israeli IP address, make sure you choose one with servers in Israel.
-
ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost all offer an Israel server. Proton VPN also offers an Israeli server, but only on the paid plan.
-
You can get an Israel VPN for free by signing up for a reliable free VPN service like Proton VPN. Once you’ve signed up, download and install the Proton VPN app on your device, launch the app and connect to a VPN server.
-
None of the free VPNs that we’ve checked and found to be reliable offer a free server in Israel. Some of the free VPNs out there might just offer a free server in Israel, but we don’t recommend using those services. They can be insecure, slow and in some cases, can infect your computer with malware.
{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How Do I Get an Israeli VPN?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
You can get an Israeli VPN by going to a VPN service\u2019s website, signing up and installing the VPN app on your device. If you need an Israeli IP address, make sure you choose one with servers in Israel.\n”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Which VPN Gives an Israel Server?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost all offer an Israel server. Proton VPN also offers an Israeli server, but only on the paid plan.\n”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How To Get Israel VPN for Free?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
You can get an Israel VPN for free by signing up for a reliable free VPN service like Proton VPN. Once you\u2019ve signed up, download and install the Proton VPN app on your device, launch the app and connect to a VPN server.\n”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Which VPN Has an Israel Server for Free?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
None of the free VPNs that we\u2019ve checked and found to be reliable offer a free server in Israel. Some of the free VPNs out there might just offer a free server in Israel, but we don\u2019t recommend using those services. They can be insecure, slow and in some cases, can infect your computer with malware.\n”}}]}
Top VPNs for Israel
-
1
- : PayPal, Credit card, Bitcoin, PaymentWall
- : 5
- :
- :
- :
- :
Average speedDownload Speed91 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency4 ms -
2
- : PayPal, Credit card, Google Pay, AmazonPay, ACH Transfer, Cash
- : 6
- :
- :
- :
- :
Average speedDownload Speed92 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency2 ms -
3
- : PayPal, Credit card
- : Unlimited
- :
- :
- :
- :
Average speedDownload Speed85 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency100 ms -
4
- : PayPal, Credit card, bitcoin, Amazon Pay
- : 7
- :
- :
- :
- :
Average speedDownload Speed69 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency40 ms -
5
- : PayPal, Credit card, Bitcoin, cash
- : 10
- :
- :
- :
- :
What Makes the Best Israel VPN
The best VPN for Israel should offer a combination of great speed, security and the ability to bypass georestrictions. Having Israel servers to get an Israeli IP address is a nice addition, but not a necessity. Here are the best VPNs for Israel:
- ExpressVPN — Best VPN overall
- NordVPN — Fastest VPN for Israel
- Surfshark — Unlimited simultaneous connections
- CyberGhost — VPN with automation features
- Proton VPN — Best free VPN for Israel
When selecting a VPN, you need to look at multiple factors including the VPN’s connection speeds, level of security and the effectiveness with which it can unblock georestricted content.
The best Israeli VPNs offer lightning-fast connection speeds. Speed is an important factor because all VPNs reduce your internet speed to some extent as your internet traffic travels through an intermediary VPN server when connected to a VPN. However, the best VPNs ensure this reduction in speed is minimal. In addition to great speeds, you should also select a VPN that can effectively bypass georestrictions.
VPNs should also offer top-notch security. The best VPNs use security protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard and ciphers like AES and ChaCha20. You should also ensure the VPN’s privacy policy commits to zero logging.
The 5 Best VPNs for Israel
We considered all aspects discussed in the previous section to pick five of the best VPNs for Israel, starting with our top pick, ExpressVPN.
1. ExpressVPN
More details about ExpressVPN:
- Pricing: $6.66 per month (15-months plan)
- Free plan: None, 30-day money-back guarantee
- Provider website: expressvpn.com
Pros:
- Lightning-fast speeds
- Excellent security
- Israeli servers
Cons:
- Expensive
ExpressVPN has all the features you’d want in a VPN. It offers excellent connection speeds that allow streaming without any buffering. Moreover, it has Israeli VPN servers, which means you can acquire an Israeli IP address. With great speeds and an Israeli VPN server, you can watch your favorite Israeli content even when you’re traveling overseas.
By default, ExpressVPN is set to automatically select the best security protocol for your connection. It offers multiple protocols, including OpenVPN and Lightway (ExpressVPN’s proprietary protocol) and the AES-256 cipher for top-notch security. The app includes security features like a kill switch and split tunneling, and the service has been audited for security and privacy, making it the most secure VPN.
ExpressVPN has server locations in over 90 countries, including Israel. Only Surfshark offers servers in more countries, but that margin is still slim. This means you can access content in as many as 90 countries. Read more about ExpressVPN’s feature set in our ExpressVPN review.
Excellent for Streaming
ExpressVPN tops our list of the best VPNs for streaming. If you like streaming content on websites like Netflix and BBC iPlayer or accessing geo-restricted content on Israeli TV channels, ExpressVPN’s unblocking capabilities, fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth come in handy.
ExpressVPN also comes with a feature called MediaStreamer. The feature lets you access another country’s streaming library without encrypting your connection. Not encrypting your connection minimizes loss of performance, allowing you to stream high-quality content without buffering.
ExpressVPN is a premium VPN and it’s priced as such. The best deal (the annual plan) costs $6.66 per month (including the three free months). If you want a shorter commitment, you can get the six-month plan for $9.99 per month and the one-month plan for $12.95. If you’re unsure about the service, you can always try it risk-free using the 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Unlimited GB
- 5
- Yes
2. NordVPN
More details about NordVPN:
- Pricing: $3.49 per month (two-year plan)
- Free plan: None, 30-day money-back guarantee
- Provider website: nordvpn.com
Pros:
- Fastest VPN
- Extensive security features
- Unblocks all streaming apps
- Has an Israeli server
Cons:
- No specialty servers with NordLynx protocol
NordVPN is the fastest VPN, according to our VPN speed comparison. Speed isn’t the only great thing about NordVPN — it’s often compared to ExpressVPN, given the similarities in their capabilities. Moreover, NordVPN’s server network is one of the largest, with over 5,000 servers spread across 60 countries, including Israel. This means you can acquire an Israel IP address with NordVPN.
Users get four encryption protocols within the app, including IKEv2 (only available on Windows, macOS and iOS), OpenVPN (with TCP and UDP) and NordLynx (NordVPN’s take on WireGuard). We tested NordVPN for DNS leaks and it came out clean every time.
If you stream a lot of content, you’ll appreciate that NordVPN can get past geoblocks on almost any website. You’ll be able to access U.S. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Hulu from Israel, or access Netflix Israel when traveling overseas. If you want to learn more, we discuss NordVPN in greater detail in our NordVPN review.
Specialty Servers
NordVPN offers four types of specialty servers: double VPN, obfuscated, Onion over VPN and P2P. These servers are optimized for performing specific tasks, but they’re not the only way to perform a task on NordVPN. For example, you can torrent using all NordVPN servers, but using P2P servers offers better performance.
Double VPN is a great option when you want to increase your connection’s security by adding another server to the equation. The double VPN servers add an extra layer of security to your VPN connection by transmitting your internet traffic via two intermediary servers instead of one.
While NordVPN’s capabilities pretty much match ExpressVPN, it’s priced considerably lower. The best value plan (the two-year plan) costs $3.49 per month. Alternatively, you can opt for the one-year plan costing $4.99 per month or the monthly plan costing $11.99.
If you’re not ready to commit for the long term, you can try NordVPN for 30 days. If you’re not satisfied, you can claim a full refund using its 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Unlimited GB
- 6
- Yes
- Unlimited GB
- 6
- Yes
3. Surfshark
More details about Surfshark:
- Pricing: $2.49 per month (two-year plan)
- Free plan: None, 30-day money-back guarantee
- Provider website: surfshark.com
Pros:
- Excellent feature set
- Pocket-friendly
- Great connection speeds
Cons:
- High latency
Surfshark is an excellent pocket-friendly option. The service hasn’t been around for as long as most other services on the list, but has managed to build a robust VPN app and a massive server network. Surfshark’s entire server network includes more than 3,200 RAM-only servers (which means it doesn’t retain any data transmitted through it) across 100 countries, including Tel Aviv, Israel.
Unlike most other premium VPN services, Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections. For context, NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer six and five simultaneous connections, respectively. This means you can share your Surfshark account with as many people as you like. Since Surfshark also offers unlimited bandwidth, you won’t need to worry about too many people using the VPN account at the same time.
Surfshark is also a secure VPN that offers VPN protocols like OpenVPN (UDP and TCP), IKEv2 and WireGuard. We also ran tests and didn’t see any DNS leaks or IPv6 vulnerabilities. Surfshark also commits to zero logging. It logs connection timestamps and user ID but deletes them after 15 minutes. Learn more about this pocket-friendly service in our Surfshark review.
Many Additional Features
Surfshark offers a ton of additional features. For example, it offers CleanWeb — a malware and ad blocker. The great thing about CleanWeb is that it blocks ads from loading in all apps, not just the browser.
The VPN also offers NoBorders Mode (activated by default), which auto-detects network restrictions and selects servers specifically configured to get past those restrictions. Moreover, the VPN app offers MultiHop Servers, which is another name for double VPN. You also get a feature called IP address rotation, which automatically changes your IP address every few minutes.
Surfshark is a low-cost VPN service. The best value deal (the two-year plan) costs $2.49 per month. Shorter term plans are available as well — the annual plan costs $3.99 per month and the monthly plan costs $12.95 per month. Like most VPNs, Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the service risk-free.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
4. CyberGhost
More details about CyberGhost:
- Pricing: $2.37 per month (two-year plan)
- Free plan: None, 45-day money-back guarantee
- Provider website: cyberghostvpn.com
Pros:
- VPN automation features
- User-friendly desktop app
- 45-day money-back return
Cons:
- Slow download speeds
CyberGhost is a secure service that ensures nobody, including your ISP or the government, can monitor your internet traffic. This is why it’s one of the best VPNs for Google Fiber. The desktop app offers three VPN protocols, including IKEv2, OpenVPN and WireGuard, while the mobile apps offer OpenVPN and WireGuard (and IKEv2 if you’re using iOS). Both apps use the standard AES-256 encryption.
CyberGhost VPN users have access to a massive server network, including over 7,000 servers. The servers include over 50 Israeli servers in Jerusalem, which means CyberGhost can help you get an Israeli IP address. Learn more about CyberGhost’s feature set in our CyberGhost review.
The service claims that it has streaming-optimized servers for various streaming services, but our tests suggest that these servers often fail to access platforms. We couldn’t get into Amazon Prime Video at all, and unblocking Disney Plus and BBC iPlayer took a few attempts at changing server locations. However, CyberGhost did unblock HBO Max and Hulu easily.
VPN Automation Features
The feature called “smart rules” allows you to automate specific VPN-related tasks when using the CyberGhost app. For example, you can set a rule where each time you launch the CyberGhost app, it automatically connects to one of the Israel servers.
CyberGhost is the cheapest VPN service on the list. The best value plan (the two-year plan) costs $2.37 per month. Alternatively, you can choose the six-month plan costing $6.99 per month, or the monthly plan at $12.99. CyberGhost also offers a longer-than-average 45-day money-back guarantee, which gives you a longer window to try the service risk-free.
- Unlimited GB
- 7
- Yes
5. Proton VPN
More details about Proton VPN:
- Pricing: $4.99 per month (two-year plan)
- Free plan: Yes, limited to three locations
- Provider website: protonvpn.com
Pros:
- Unlimited data on free plan
- Intuitive user interface
- Excellent speeds
Cons:
- No Mac/iOS split tunneling
- No Israeli servers on free plan
Proton VPN is one of the best free VPNs on the market. We generally don’t recommend using free VPNs because they can be insecure and slow, especially the ones in our worst VPNs list. However, there are a few exceptions, like Proton VPN, that offer great speed and security even on the free plan.
The service offers three protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard and multiple ciphers including AES-256 and ChaCha20. Proton VPN also has a clear zero-logs policy, which is great considering how many free VPNs try to steal user data. Learn more about Proton VPN’s free and paid versions in our Proton VPN review.
Unlike most free VPNs, Proton VPN is a great option for streaming. It unblocks all major services including Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video. Proton VPN has over 2,000 servers in 67 countries, including eight servers in Petah Tikva, Israel. However, the Israeli servers are only available on the paid plan. The free plan offers servers in three countries: the Netherlands, U.S. and Japan.
Unlimited Data
Most free VPNs offer limited data since free plans are generally a preview of the full service. However, Proton VPN is one of the few services that offer unlimited data and top-notch connection speeds. This means you can stream geo-restricted content without worrying about running out of data.
Proton VPN’s paid plans are rather expensive. The best deal (two-year plan) costs $4.99 per month. Shorter term plans are also available — the annual plan costs $5.99 per month while the monthly plan comes in at $9.99. Like other VPN services, Proton VPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the paid version risk-free before committing.
- Unlimited GB
- 1
- Yes
Why You Should Use an Israeli VPN
The Israeli internet isn’t completely free. In 2017, Israel introduced a law regulating internet access. The law primarily targeted gambling websites, ads with child pornography content or prostitution, online dealing of hard drugs and synthetic cannabinoids, and terror group websites. In fact, if you’re caught gambling online in Israel, you’ll need to pay a fine or end up in jail. Israel is also the world’s leading exporter of cybercrime.
Moreover, services like Netflix only offer specific content based on your region. Using a VPN ensures safety when surfing the Israeli web and helps you bypass geo-restrictions.
A VPN encrypts your internet connection, making it unreadable to anyone. Even if a hacker manages to get their hands on your data, they won’t be able to read it. That’s why you need an Israeli VPN.
Can You Use a Free VPN for Israel?
Yes, you can use a free VPN for Israel. We generally don’t recommend using free VPNs because most are unsafe and slow. However, Proton VPN is a reliable VPN with a generous free plan. It can help you encrypt your internet connection and offers top-notch security. You also get unlimited data and fast connection speeds with Proton VPN. Other solid free options include Windscribe and TunnelBear, though these have data limits.
Final Thoughts
Using a VPN protects your online activity and identity when you’re surfing the Israeli web. It can also help you unblock geoblocked websites and access geoblocked Israeli services when you’re traveling overseas.
However, not all VPNs are equally effective in bypassing geo-restrictions. They also differ in terms of security and performance. We’ve discussed five of the best VPN services for Israel in this guide — ExpressVPN being the best VPN for Israel.
Have you used a VPN in Israel before? Which one, and what was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thank you for reading.
The post Best Israel VPN in 2023: Stay Secure in Israel With a VPN Connection appeared first on Cloudwards.
