Being an integral part of China, it’s a relief knowing that Hong Kong isn’t as censored. However, in recent years, Chinese authorities started clenching their fists around the internet in this region, especially when it comes to monitoring and surveillance.
Emails, online activities, and messages are constantly monitored, which exposes your privacy and makes you feel uncomfortable. And while no censorship is imposed yet, who knows what can happen in the near future with the growing influence of the mainland?
Factor in geo-restrictions on sites like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and Disney+, and you’ll see that the internet here is still somewhat limited. However, the best VPN for Hong Kong will add a much-needed layer of encryption to your connection, conceal your IP, and make all your activities invisible to your ISP.
3000 servers
105 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
8 simultaneous connections
6300 servers
111 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
10 simultaneous connections
12000 servers
100 covered countries
45 days money-back guarantee
7 simultaneous connections
As a result, no one can monitor your activities or collect personal info, making it easy to browse the internet in complete anonymity. A Hong Kong VPN will also change your online location, allowing you to unblock geo-restricted platforms and enjoy free and secure internet.
Best VPNs for Hong Kong – Our Ranking for 2024
In countries and regions like this, it’s extremely important to use VPNs that focus on the privacy and security of their users. And don’t tell me every provider is doing this – for many, it’s just a facade. When talking about quality providers, we think about the premium ones.
Today, I have five of them on the menu and all of them are tested by our writers and business partners located in Hong Kong. Thus, I can confirm that they’ll work flawlessly and provide the necessary security and privacy to get rid of government surveillance once and for all.
My top 5 VPNs for Hong Kong are below, so take a look.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is my go-to option for censored countries or countries with excessive surveillance and monitoring. This provider offers 3,000+ servers in 105 countries, with many of them in Hong Kong. Its vast server network makes it great for people both in and outside of this country.
If you want to get an IP from Hong Kong, you can do it – but you can also get an IP from the US, India, Canada, and other countries. As such, ExpressVPN is excellent for bypassing geo-blocks and streaming on Netflix HK, Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, and Hotstar.
What’s more, this VPN for Hong Kong is P2P-friendly, which is essential for safe and secure torrenting. Speaking of that, you can expect features like 256-bit AES encryption and a reliable kill switch for preventing potential IP leaks that could ruin your privacy.
In addition, the provider uses Lightway, a proprietary protocol for better performance and stronger security. Indeed, this is THE fastest provider on the market, which you’ll find useful for 4K streaming, fast torrenting, or smooth web browsing.
Another thing worth mentioning is its no-logging policy. ExpressVPN stores no logs of your IP, browsing activities, DNS queries, or anything else that could jeopardize your privacy. This is a crucial addition for Hong Kong or any country that has any relations with China.
With RAM-based servers, ExpressVPN wipes every bit of collected info upon server restart, ensuring your information disappears from the server in a split second. The provider offers easy-to-use apps for all platforms, with 5 simultaneous connections and 24/7 live chat support.
If you’re interested, I recommend getting its 49% discount and 3 months free for the annual plan below. In doing so, you’ll also get a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans and claim this cheapest deal on my favorite Hong Kong VPN provider.
Pros
- Fast-speed servers in Hong Kong
- Certified zero-logging policy
- Trusted Server Technology
- It works in Mainland China
- Lightway VPN protocols for added performance and security
- Excellent streaming and torrenting performance
Con
- iOS users don’t get a kill switch
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is a very interesting provider with a history of impenetrable security and uncompromising privacy. It has 5,400+ servers in more than 60 countries with 70+ servers in Hong Kong. Granted, the server number isn’t very impressive but it’s more than enough for this relatively small region.
What makes NordVPN special is its focus on security. Aside from 256-bit encryption, it packs an automatic kill switch, split tunneling, and NordLynx – an in-house protocol based on WireGuard, making NordVPN one of the fastest providers as a result.
Moreover, it has many specialty servers for different activities. For example, Double VPN servers will double your encryption, while P2P servers are here for torrenting. I also like obfuscated servers for bypassing censorship in China or even Onion over VPN servers for use on the dark web.
The provider has a special Threat Protection bundle in which you can find malware protection and antivirus. Plus, you can utilize its Meshnet feature for hosting/joining LAN parties securely. Despite having no streaming servers, NordVPN is a great VPN for streaming.
It works with Netflix but it can also unblock HBO Max, Prime Video, and Disney+. In addition, I should mention its stringent no-logs policy which has two audits from PwC and one from Deloitte. This means it stores absolutely NO logs of any of your activities or IP address, which is, once again, crucial for this region.
Overall, NordVPN is an amazing choice for this country, although its desktop apps can be confusing for newcomers. However, I can assure you that it works perfectly on Windows, iOS, macOS, Linux, and Android, as well as platforms like Fire TV Stick and Apple TV.
It has 6 simultaneous connections and 24/7 live chat support that’s quick to respond. Finally, its cheapest deal is a 2-year plan that packs a 30-day money-back guarantee that also applies to other plans. Thus, if you’re intrigued by what I said, check it out below!
You can find more details about the service in our NordVPN review here.
Gain Privacy in Hong Kong With NordVPN
Pros
- More than 70 servers in Hong Kong
- Double VPN servers add another layer of encryption
- Threat Protection
- Works with Firestick TV and Smart TV
- P2P servers for anonymous torrenting
Con
- Not the most intuitive desktop app
3. CyberGhost
CyberGhost is another great VPN for Hong Kong in 2024, this time, with significantly cheaper prices. Cheap prices don’t automatically mean a bad product. In fact, I’d venture to say this is one of the best providers overall, especially with its 9,100 servers in almost 100 countries in the world.
It even offers 50 servers in Hong Kong, and with other servers in many other countries, it’s great for users in and outside this region. One of its highlights is the presence of dedicated P2P and streaming servers for torrenting and… well, streaming.
The latter are especially interesting given their ability to unblock a myriad of streaming services. I use them for watching Netflix US but also foreign TV channels like ITV, BBC, RTHK, TVB Jade, and many others. In terms of security, CyberGhost is all but “cheap”.
You get bank-grade encryption along with WireGuard support, plus IPv6/DNS leak protection for eliminating the possibility of leaks. CyberGhost even has an ad blocker, which works perfectly on ad-ridden websites that often display annoying pop-ups.
Given its Romanian jurisdiction, you can expect it to store no logs. And indeed, its no-logging policy is available on the site, as well as transparency reports that the company publishes a few times a year, which adds to its trustworthiness and makes it far more transparent than its competition.
One thing I don’t like about CyberGhost is its unintuitive desktop app that some users might find confusing – especially the Settings menus. Also, I’ll mention that it doesn’t work in mainland China, although it still works perfectly in Hong Kong.
The good news is that it has 24/7 multi-language support with 7 simultaneous connections. I recommend checking its 2-year plan that offers a huge discount and a 45-day money-back guarantee – no other provider on the list will give you this level of commodity!
To find out more, check out our full CyberGhost VPN review.
Pros
- Dedicated streaming and torrenting servers
- IPv6 leak protection
- Support for WireGuard and OpenVPN
- Stores no logs of your activity
- Allows you to watch Netflix US in Hong Kong
Cons
- The Windows app could use an overhaul
- It doesn’t work in Mainland China
4. Surfshark
Now that I mentioned an affordable CyberGhost option, let me go with another one – Surfshark. Surfshark is a well-known provider with servers in 95 countries, including Hong Kong. Unlike CyberGhost, it doesn’t have dedicated servers except for MultiHop servers.
These are here to double your encryption and route your traffic through two different servers. Furthermore, I found Surfshark to be very capable of streaming and torrenting, albeit, with a slightly lower level of performance compared to previous providers.
That’s not to say it’s extremely slow, though. For me, the main appeal of this provider lies in its security, which consists of features like AES-256 encryption, split tunneling, kill switch, and IP leak protection. The provider includes an ad blocker, too, and it fully supports OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols.
What I like as well is the ability to purchase Surfshark One for $1.49 a month on top of your subscription. Here, you’ll get antivirus, true incognito mode, and Alerts, which functions as a full-fledged dark web monitor we’ve seen with NordVPN.
Thanks to the NoBorders mode, it’ll also work in the mainland, and with its strict no-logs policy, you can be sure your private information remains just that – private! People purchase Surfshark for another great reason which is unlimited simultaneous connections.
This means it can protect as many devices as you want at no additional cost. And having in mind its broad device compatibility, it’s easy to utilize Surfshark on any device with no issues. Overall, this is an awesome provider, especially having in mind its 2-year plan that costs way under three bucks a month.
Before you ask, there’s a 30-day refund period too, so don’t be afraid to test it risk-free by using the button below. Apart from average performance, this provider will beat many other more expensive VPNs, even the next one…
Read our Surfshark VPN review to find out more about its features.
Pros
- AES-256 encryption
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- NoBorders mode for bypassing censorship
- Cheap 2-year plan
Cons
- Average speeds
- Rare kill switch issues
5. ProtonVPN
And the next one – the last one – is ProtonVPN. Is this the best VPN for Hong Kong? Well, it’s surely not #1 but it’s a pretty good choice for people looking for privacy. It’s a Swiss-based provider with one of the best zero-logs policies, storing only minimal logs for the service to function.
Its security is among the best out there, too. ProtonVPN bases its servers on RAM and uses military-grade encryption to secure your connection. This, in conjunction with WireGuard, a kill switch, and features like port forwarding and split tunneling make ProtonVPN very powerful.
Unlike Double VPN in NordVPN, ProtonVPN has something called Secure Core. It’s a feature for routing your traffic through THREE different servers, which effectively triples your encryption. Its ad blocker called NetShield is another addition and I found it extremely reliable for getting rid of ads online.
But what about servers in and out of Hong Kong? To be honest, its server fleet isn’t impressive, as it has around 2,900+ servers in 65+ countries. In Hong Kong alone, it has 34 servers, which is far less than what ExpressVPN or NordVPN offers.
Still, it’s great that ProtonVPN works with Netflix and offers P2P servers in this country. As a result, you can use them to torrent anonymously and enjoy encryption during the process. ProtonVPN has 10 simultaneous connections as well, so it’s better than many providers on this list in this regard.
Its weaknesses aren’t numerous but for some users, they might be a deal-breaker. For example, ProtonVPN has no 24/7 live chat support and it’s quite expensive even in its 2-year plan, which is the cheapest one. Here, it’ll cost you exactly double the price of Surfshark’s 2-year plan.
On the flip side, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee but also a completely free version with unlimited bandwidth and no P2P/streaming support.
Pros
- Secure Core servers are great for security
- Stores only minimal logs
- Great for streaming on Netflix and BBC iPlayer
Cons
- No live chat support
- Only 34 servers in Hong Kong
- Expensive long-term plans
Can I Use a Free VPN in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong isn’t suffering from censorship like mainland China, so you can expect a good portion of VPNs to work in the country. To be honest, even free providers will work here, so they’re perfectly usable. In other words, you CAN use a free VPN in Hong Kong, but the real question is – should you?
Well, the answer to that question is NO and I’ll explain to you why.
First of all, free VPNs don’t have any servers in this country, so they aren’t suitable for getting an HK IP address abroad for accessing local content. If you live in the country and you don’t travel often, this won’t bother you, right?
What will surely bother you is the slow speeds that free VPN providers have, further exacerbated by limited bandwidth that can go anywhere from 500 MB to 10 GB a month. The best VPN for Hong Kong should impose such limits, so it’s easy to see why free providers didn’t make it on our list.
Those that offer unlimited bandwidth – like ProtonVPN – tend to have much slower speeds or lack streaming and P2P support. Ultimately, free providers will display a very low level of security with weaker encryption and no advanced protocols and features.
This is usually combined with intrusive logging practices that are surely going to infringe on your privacy. To cut it short, due to these annoying compromises, we do NOT recommend using a free VPN in Hong Kong or outside of the country.
Free VPNs We Recommend
I know. I just said you shouldn’t use a free provider in this country but if you don’t have the money to pay for one and you really want a VPN, is there anything you can do? Sure, you can at least try safe and secure free providers despite their limited nature.
Atlas VPN
Atlas VPN is a provider we haven’t mentioned. It’s a premium service but much like ProtonVPN, it has a 100% free VPN with 5 GB of monthly data. Sure, it’s quite limited but at least it’s safe and secure, thanks to 256-bit AES encryption, an automatic kill switch, and a certified no-logs policy.
Atlas VPN comes with apps for all platforms and it’s really simple to use. In its free version, it gives you 3 server locations, although none of them is in Hong Kong. This means it’s great only for people living in Hong Kong who want a US or Dutch IP, as the 3 server locations are in these countries.
Interestingly, Atlas VPN allows P2P traffic but it’s quite limited due to the bandwidth cap. For streaming, it’s not going to work and you won’t be able to unblock any popular streaming platform. Finally, we should mention its lackluster support along with one connection per account.
For a free VPN for Hong Kong, Atlas VPN is far from bad. However, on a greater scale, it’s painfully mediocre – as a free service. As a premium service… well, it’s actually good.
ProtonVPN
As mentioned, ProtonVPN has a free plan with unlimited bandwidth that’s still safe and secure and has a no-logging policy. However, it has only 3 server locations in Japan, the US, and the Netherlands, so you won’t find any servers in Hong Kong.
It has no streaming and P2P support, making it suitable only for casual browsing. In addition, it offers only one connection per account and its speeds are significantly slower, so don’t expect miracles from it but look at it as a short-term solution.
Hide.me
Hide.me offers impenetrable security with full OpenVPN support and a certified no-logging policy. It has an easy-to-use app with just 5 server locations – 2 in the US and one in the Netherlands, Canada, and Germany. No Hong Kong on the list.
Sadly, it caps your monthly bandwidth to 10 GB, which, when spent, goes into the “unlimited” mode with one server location in the Netherlands. In this case, Hide.me significantly slows down its speeds, so much so, that it’s barely usable for browsing, let alone streaming or torrenting.
Premium VPNs for 30 (or 45) Days
If you don’t want to bother with slow speeds or limited bandwidth, you can go for another solution. You can use the premium VPNs for Hong Kong I talked about for free for 30 or 45 days if we’re talking about CyberGhost.
This is quite simple, as you’ll just need to subscribe to one of the providers (ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, NordVPN…) and then request a refund in the first 30 or 45 days. In this case, they’ll give you a full refund upon request, so you’ll lose no money, yet, you’ll be able to enjoy a premium provider fully.
Just think about it. You can apply this trick to every provider from the list, and having in mind their money-back guarantees, you can get up to 165 days of FREE usage from the 5 best VPNs for Hong Kong in 2024.
In Conclusion
In 2024, using the best VPN for Hong Kong is imperative given the state of the country. Although censorship isn’t a thing (yet), you’ll want a high-quality provider to avoid surveillance, monitoring, and data collection from Beijing that will infringe on your privacy.
A great provider will also help you bypass geo-restrictions and watch Hong Kong TV channels abroad or enjoy a variety of streaming platforms in the country. Not to mention their P2P capabilities that will make torrenting safe and anonymous regardless of your location.
For me, the best Hong Kong VPN service is ExpressVPN, but other solutions on the list will work too. If you’re on a budget, I recommend CyberGhost or Surfshark, with NordVPN and ProtonVPN being amazing choices for privacy, although not the cheapest.
So, what’s it gonna be? Are you going to let your privacy be taken away from you or are you going to take things into your hands and never let that happen again? I think the choice should be obvious.
Hong Kong VPN FAQ
Let’s finalize this guide with answers to a few frequently asked questions.
Is using a VPN illegal in Hong Kong?
No, it’s perfectly fine to use a VPN in Hong Kong. You won’t have any legal issues or end up in jail for using a VPN to change your online location or encrypt your connection. In fact, none of the providers are blocked in the country, so you can freely download the app you want.
Of course, if you’re using it to conceal your illicit activities, this is considered illegal and you shouldn’t use a VPN for this purpose in the first place. As for streaming, torrenting (non-copyrighted files), and other “typical” activities, you should have no worries.
Can I unblock TikTok in Hong Kong with a VPN?
YES! By changing your IP address to another country, you can freely access TikTok. It’ll see that you’re outside of Hong Kong and give you access as long as you connect to the server in the country where TikTok isn’t banned. For example, the US or the UK.
If you’re interested, we recently published an article presenting the best VPNs for unblocking TikTok.
Does the Great Firewall of China affect Hong Kong?
Currently, no. However, it’s vital to mention that Chinese authorities are already monitoring online activities and messaging in Hong Kong, despite imposing no censorship on social media and other popular websites.
With the growing power and authority of China in the world, Hong Kong can easily succumb to its authority and get its online freedom taken away. But at the moment, this is a censorship-free region where you can enjoy the internet, albeit, with alleged surveillance from Beijing.
To make sure you’re away from the watchful eyes of the authorities in the country, it’s best to use a VPN. You never know when the laws are going to change, so it’s better to be prepared properly. We recommend ExpressVPN if you want to make sure your VPN will always work.
Can I watch American TV channels in Hong Kong?
By default, you can’t, as they require you to be in the US. But with the help of a Hong Kong VPN, you can easily get a US IP address and unblock any channel from this country, no matter your location. The same applies to Hong Kong TV channels that can be unblocked too!
You just need a VPN with servers in this country, and thankfully, all premium services we presented today will give you that. Albeit, we recommend ExpressVPN in this case because it’s the fastest, most reliable provider for streaming that’ll unblock anything you want.
ExpressVPN
