Key Takeaways: What Is the Best Afghanistan VPN?
- ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Afghanistan, but doesn’t have Afghan IP addresses
- HideMyAss — VPN with a large server network including Afghan servers
- PureVPN — Budget-friendly VPN with Afghan servers
Facts & Expert Analysis
- Securing online freedom: Afghanistan’s online freedom is affected by government surveillance and blocked websites.
- Evading restrictions: By using a secure VPN, you can bypass content restrictions and avoid surveillance.
- Accessing local content: If you want to access Afghan content, you need to get an Afghan IP address using a VPN with Afghanistan servers.
If you’re in Afghanistan and want to evade surveillance, you need an Afghanistan VPN. A VPN connects to a server in another region and encrypts your connection so you can safely browse online. However, if you want to watch your favorite Afghan content while connected or when traveling outside Afghanistan, you’ll need to use a VPN with Afghan servers to get an Afghan IP address.
VPNs also help you access restricted services when you’re in Afghanistan. If you want to watch U.S. Netflix or other American streaming services that are geoblocked in Afghanistan, connect to a VPN server in the U.S. In this guide, we focus on the best VPNs for Afghanistan and those with Afghan servers. Give our best VPNs guide a read to learn about the top VPNs on the market.
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12/14/2021
Cloudwards.net updated the article to reflect changes and updates to VPN providers.
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11/23/2023
Updated to include our experience of HMA’s money-back guarantee.
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01/20/2024
Updated our experience with HMA’s money-back guarantee.
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03/08/2024 Facts checked
We updated the article to include the best VPNs for acquiring an Afghan IP address, as well as the best options for using a VPN in Afghanistan.
How to Get an Afghanistan IP Address With a VPN
Getting an Afghanistan IP address is easy once you’ve installed a VPN app on your device. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to acquire an Afghan IP and perform basic tasks using HideMyAss (HMA).
- Download and Install the VPN App
Once you’ve selected a VPN service, download the VPN app from the provider’s website and install it on your device. HMA is the best VPN with Afghan servers.
- Connect to an Afghan Server
Search the server list to find an Afghan server. Connect to the Afghan server. Once you’re connected, your device will have acquired an Afghan IP address.
- Access Afghan Content
Once you’re connected to an Afghan server, you should be able to access Afghan content, such as Netflix Afghanistan.
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The 3 Best VPNs for Afghanistan
Not many VPNs offer Afghan servers. If you’re already in Afghanistan, you won’t need an Afghan server in most cases. You can just use your unprotected connection to access local content, though it won’t be encrypted. When you need encryption, you can connect to a foreign server. With that in mind, let’s talk about the best Afghan VPN options.
1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Afghanistan
92 Mbps
Very Fast
9 Mbps
Very Fast
5 ms
Very Fast
Pros:
- Fast streaming speeds
- Independently audited
- Built-in ad & malware blocker
Cons:
- No Afghan servers
- Expensive
ExpressVPN doesn’t offer an Afghan server, which means it can’t help you acquire an Afghan IP address. However, it’s still the best VPN on the market. When you’re in Afghanistan, ExpressVPN keeps your connection secure so your internet service provider (ISP) and the government can’t read your data, even if they manage to intercept it.
Since ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs around, it can help you stream content without any interruptions. The VPN app offers additional features like the Threat Manager (a malware blocker) and an ad blocker, which will improve your experience and keep you safe when surfing the Afghan web.
ExpressVPN Hands-On Testing
When you launch the app, you can click on the big “connect” button directly. The app will connect you to the best location (called the “smart location”) based on your current physical location. Alternatively, you can scan the server list to connect to a desired region. The app is fairly intuitive, so you’re unlikely to face any major issues while working your way around it.
Notes From the Lab: ExpressVPN Speed Test Results
Upload Speed (Higher is better)
Latency (Lower is better)
Our speed tests show that ExpressVPN delivers consistently fast connection speeds and maintains low latency. The VPN offers unlimited bandwidth and up to eight simultaneous connections. This means you can share your accounts with friends or colleagues without worrying about any adverse effects on performance.
Notes From the Lab: ExpressVPN Security Analysis
| Protocol | Encryption | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| OpenVPN* | AES-256 | All |
| IKEv2 | AES-256 | macOS iOS |
| Lightway* | AES-256 ChaCha20 |
All |
ExpressVPN is the most secure VPN out there. Based on the device you’re using, you can choose from five VPN protocols — OpenVPN (TCP or UDP), IKEv2 and Lightway (TCP or UDP). Lightway is ExpressVPN’s proprietary protocol — our tests confirm that it’s fast, secure and reliable, so you won’t have to worry about the Afghan government snooping on you.
ExpressVPN Pricing & Value
ExpressVPN is a premium service, and its pricing reflects this fact. The best deal (the annual plan) costs $6.66 per month. The short-term options include a six-month plan at $9.99 per month and a monthly plan at $12.95 per month. ExpressVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free, or you can learn more about it in our comprehensive ExpressVPN review.
- Unlimited GB
- 8
- Yes
2. HideMyAss — Large Server Network Including Afghan Servers
Pros:
- Afghanistan server
- Independently audited
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Slow
HideMyAss offers an Afghan server, so it’s one of the few VPNs that can help you acquire an Afghan IP address. While HMA isn’t the fastest VPN, it does have a wide server network spread across more than 210 countries, including Afghanistan.
The VPN has a strict no-logs policy, so you’ll never have to worry about HMA sharing your private data with anyone, including the government. Unless you’re on Windows, HMA won’t allow you to change your protocol. However, it does offer OpenVPN and AES-256 encryption, which means it’s quite capable of securing your connection.
HideMyAss Hands-On Testing
The app’s home screen is fairly straightforward — there’s a “connect” button and a server list. Click on the list and search for Afghanistan if you want to connect to an Afghan server.
Clicking the arrow at the top-right corner reveals a panel where you’ll find settings like the kill switch and auto-connect, as well as data usage details. To open the settings, click on the cog wheel in the top corner. The app is well designed; but as we mentioned earlier, you can’t change the VPN protocol on any app but Windows.
Notes From the Lab: HideMyAss Speed Test Results
| Location | Ping ms |
Download Mbps |
Upload Mbps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unprotected | 36.67 | 51.69 | 45.63 |
 United States |
628 |
30.76 |
4.80 |
 United Kingdom |
611 |
25.78 |
10.50 |
 New Zealand |
752 |
15.04 |
17.19 |
 Brazil |
690 |
21.38 |
18.27 |
 South Africa |
320 |
17.56 |
23.97 |
 Malaysia |
599 |
15.38 |
22.28 |
| Average |
600 |
20.98 |
16.17 |
HMA delivers average speeds. It’s fine for accessing geoblocked Afghan websites and browsing the web. However, you might experience lags when streaming geo-restricted content in HD or playing games. HMA does offer five or 10 simultaneous connections (based on the plan) and unlimited bandwidth, so your performance won’t deteriorate further if you choose to share your account.
Notes From the Lab: HideMyAss Security Analysis
| Protocol | Encryption | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| OpenVPN | AES-256 | Windows Android |
| IKEv2 | AES-256 | macOS iOS |
HMA has all the essentials for securing your connection — multiple VPN protocols (depending on your device), AES encryption, a kill switch, and IPv4, IPv6 and DNS leak protection. We also didn’t find any IP or DNS leaks during our tests. While it’s no match for ExpressVPN in terms of security, it does offer adequate protection for your data when surfing the web in Afghanistan.
HideMyAss Pricing & Value
The best deal is the three-year plan, which has five simultaneous connections. It costs $2.99 per month, while the annual plan costs $4.99 per month. To use one of HMA’s paid plans, you’ll need to pay for at least 12 months up-front, but you can try the service out using its 7-day free trial. If you want more information before deciding on HMA, read our extensive HideMyAss review.
- 7-day free trial option
- Unlimited GB
- 5
1-month plan, 6-months plan, 1-year plan, 2-year plan
3. PureVPN — Budget-Friendly VPN With Afghan Servers
Pros:
- Budget-friendly
- Afghan servers
- Obfuscation
Cons:
- Poor customer support
PureVPN is a secure VPN with Afghan servers, which means it can help you acquire an Afghan IP address. With advanced encryption algorithms and obfuscation, PureVPN does a fine job of securing your internet connection, so you can rest assured that none of the Afghan authorities will be able to trace any online activity back to you.
You can unblock all the popular streaming services, including U.S. Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video using PureVPN. However, unless you connect to a nearby server, you might experience buffering when streaming HD videos — PureVPN slows down your internet speed quite a bit when connected to a distant server.
PureVPN Hands-On Testing
The interface is easy for someone who already has some VPN experience. If you’re completely new to VPNs, you might need to spend a few minutes figuring out how things work. We like that there’s a filtering option above the server dropdown menu that allows you to quickly find virtual, P2P and quantum-resistant servers.
Notes From the Lab: PureVPN Speed Test Results
| Location | Ping ms |
Download Mbps |
Upload Mbps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unprotected | 7 | 82.12 | 25.09 |
| United States (NY) |
130 |
81.24 |
25.72 |
| United Kingdom |
126 |
77.11 |
21.22 |
 Australia |
430 |
70.84 |
13.79 |
| Brazil |
360 |
73.22 |
20.61 |
| South Africa |
461 |
79.47 |
9.62 |
 Singapore |
352 |
68.09 |
39.93 |
| Average |
310 |
75 |
21.82 |
Our speed tests show that PureVPN’s speeds are good when connected to a nearby server. The speeds drop fast as we move farther away, though. You might still be able to stream Afghan content when traveling abroad without interruption, provided that you’re streaming in standard quality. However, it’s not the best VPN for gaming or streaming 4K content.
Notes From the Lab: PureVPN Security Analysis
| Protocol | Encryption | Devices |
|---|---|---|
| WireGuard | ChaCha20 | Windows macOS iOS Android |
| TCP | AES 256-bit | Windows iOS Android |
| UDP | AES 256-bit | Windows macOS iOS Android |
| IKEv2 | AES 256-bit | Windows macOS iOS Android |
PureVPN’s app packs in many security features like a kill switch and split tunneling (available on Android and Windows). It also has PureEncrypt (only for Windows and macOS) — a tool that secures your connection with AES 128-bit, 192-bit or 256-bit encryption ciphers. The service also offers quantum-resistant encryption keys that further bolster your connection security.
PureVPN Pricing & Value
PureVPN is the cheapest service on the list. The best value plan is the two-year plan at $2.29 per month. Shorter plans include the annual plan, which costs $3.75 per month, and the monthly plan, which costs $12.45 per month. PureVPN offers a 31-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the service out. If you’re not confident yet, check out our PureVPN review to learn more.
- Only VPN. Two extra months free on 2-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- Adds password manager and file encryption software. Two extra months free on 2-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
How to Choose the Best Afghanistan VPN Service
When looking for an Afghanistan VPN, you’ll need a highly secure service, but that’s not all. Here’s a quick overview of what to look for when choosing an Afghan VPN provider:
- VPN server in Afghanistan or nearby: A VPN can only provide you with an Afghan IP address if it has an Afghan server. The next best option is a VPN with a server near Afghanistan, but this won’t allow you to access content restricted to Afghanistan.
- Strong security: Examples of security features to look for in a VPN include secure VPN protocols and encryption ciphers, obfuscated servers, a kill switch, split tunneling and DNS leak protection.
- Good speeds: VPNs almost always slow down your connection speed. Look for VPNs that keep this reduction to a minimum.
- Ability to unblock geo-restricted websites: Check if the VPN can effectively unblock geo-restricted websites or services so you can view local news websites when traveling.
Can You Use a Free VPN for Afghanistan?
Most free VPNs aren’t great at securing your connection. While there are thousands of free VPNs available in the app store, most of them offer poor security and connection speeds, and can’t unblock streaming sites. Some free VPNs — especially the ones in our worst VPNs list — can even infect your device with malware or collect your data.
We only recommend using a free service from our best free VPNs list. Most of these services are previews to their full versions, so they have some limitations. However, they’re safe and reliable, and most of them offer great speeds. We recommend using Proton VPN or TunnelBear if you’re looking for a free Afghan VPN. However, none of the free services we recommend have Afghan servers.
Why You Need a VPN for Afghanistan
Afghan citizens are subject to online and offline surveillance according to the Freedom in the World 2023 report. Criticizing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) or its moral code and showing sympathy towards the National Resistance Front (NRF) can lead to an arrest. Plus, over 23 million websites had been blocked in Afghanistan by August 2022.
The lack of online freedom and having little to no access to content that’s available to the rest of the world are major concerns for Afghan internet users. That’s where VPNs can help. A VPN secures your connection, protecting you against any sort of surveillance from your ISP or the government. VPNs also help you access geoblocked content from around the world.
Final Thoughts
The political situation and overall lack of internet freedom in Afghanistan warrant the use of a secure VPN service. With a VPN, you can access geoblocked websites and protect yourself from government surveillance. We recommend ExpressVPN as it’s the most secure VPN on the market and effectively unblocks geo-restricted websites. If you need an Afghan IP, HMA and PureVPN are your best options.
Have you ever used a VPN to acquire an Afghan IP address before? Which service did you use and what was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thank you for reading.
FAQ: Best VPN for Afghan IP Address
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You can get an overseas IP address using a VPN. Select a VPN service — we recommend ExpressVPN — then download and install the app on your device. Launch the app and connect to a foreign server to acquire an overseas IP address.
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HideMyAss and PureVPN have servers in Afghanistan, which means they can help you acquire an Afghan IP address.
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You can get a free IP address using a free VPN service. There are only a few free VPN providers that we recommend. Consider using a premium service with a free plan, like Proton VPN, if you must use a free service.
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