Change Your China IP Address: The Best VPN in 2021
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How can you change your China IP address, and why would you need to in the first place?
One of the biggest challenges people living in China face is the geo-restrictions and extreme internet censorship they undergo; the only way people in China can feel like they are actually a part of this world is by using VPNs to change their China IP address and bypass the Great Firewall of China and connect to the global network.
So, what is the Great Firewall of China and how does it affect people?
Internet Censorship in China
Before Xi Jinping became president, China had been a "free" country with minimal internet censorship. However, Xi Jinping changed the whole game; he decided that China must have an independent internet with local content that the Communist party monitors.
Even though we say China was freer before him, we should not forget that the Great Firewall of China had already been there when he became president. The Great Firewall of China was created in 2006; it was made to prevent any China IP address from being routed. Unfortunately, by doing so, the government imposed countless geo-restrictions on the citizens.
The 989 million internet users in China (70.4 percent of the population) don't have access to the most basic websites like Google, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube.
So, how do people living in China stay connected with the world? Why, VPNs, of course!
VPNs in China
Are VPNs legal in China?
Some countries strictly ban VPNs, some partially ban VPNs, and some allow VPNs completely.
No law in China bans VPNs. So, technically speaking, VPNs are legal. However, there have been multiple incidents in which people who had been caught using a VPN were interrogated for it. So, to be accurate, China falls under the second category of countries that allow VPNs but with limits.
How can VPNs help?
According to Statista, 31% of internet users in China had used a virtual private network in the second quarter of 2017. There are multiple reasons why people use VPNs in China, including but not limited to:
- Masking their China IP address: By doing so, people can have private, safe access to the internet, where no one can keep track of their activity.
- Bypassing geo-restrictions: By using a VPN, people can access blocked websites like Facebook, Google, and Youtube.
How to choose a good VPN
We have certain criteria we use to evaluate VPN services before we make a list of the best ones. Some of the features that need to be in a good VPN include:
- AES-256-bit Encryption: This is the strongest data encryption; it is so strong that governments, banks, military bases, and other official parties use it to protect their most confidential info.
- Zero-logging Policy: A no-log policy denies third-party apps access to your info, as the VPN itself will never save your login info and internet traffic.
- Servers run on RAM (No data is written on hard drives): This gives you more security by storing your data on RAM servers that get erased every time the server is rebooted.
- Kill-Switch: A kill switch is a feature that severs your internet connection if your VPN connection drops suddenly, preventing your real IP address from being exposed.
- Split Tunneling: This feature will allow you to choose which apps run on the VPN server and which ones stay on the public network.
- Unblocking streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, HBO Go, and so on.
Choosing a good VPN also depends on the quality of the customer service of the company, the devices the VPN is compatible with, the languages supported by the VPN provider, and the prices.
But we know it can be such a pain to go through every single VPN service on the internet to look for these features. So, we did the work for you and summarized what we found in a list of the best VPNs for China.
The Best VPN to Change Your China IP Address
1. NordVPN
NordVPN is the ultimate choice. It combines great service with affordable prices, making it a great VPN for China.
Features checklist:
- AES-256-bit Encryption - Available.
- No-log Policy - NordVPN has a true no-log policy.
- Servers run on RAM - NordVPN has RAM-based servers.
- Kill-Switch - NordVPN has a kill-switch.
- Split Tunneling - NordVPN has this feature only for Windows and Android.
- NordVPN unblocks content Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Kodi, Sling TV, fuboTV, YouTube TV, DAZN, ESPN+, CBS All Access, Showtime, Vudu, and more.
NordVPN works across Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, Linux, Firefox, Chrome, Amazon Fire Stick, Amazon Fire TV, and routers.
NordVPN supports four languages; Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and English. It also offers 24/7 customer service through live chat, blogs, emails & tickets, and the knowledge base.
NordVPN offers three plans, both allow up to 6 devices:
- A one-month plan for $11.95/mo.
- A one-year plan for $59.00 ($4.92/month).
- A two-year plan for $99.00 ($4.13/month).
All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. StrongVPN
StrongVPN is the second go-to VPN when you want to change your China IP address.
Features checklist:
- AES-256-bit Encryption - Available.
- No-log Policy - StrongVPN has a true no-log policy.
- Servers run on RAM - StrongVPN does NOT have RAM-based servers.
- Kill-Switch - StrongVPN has a kill-switch.
- Split Tunneling - StrongVPN has this feature only on the mobile app.
- StrongVPN unblocks content for Netflix US, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.
StrongVPN works across iOS, Windows, Android, macOS, and Linux. It also has a Firefox and Chrome extension.
StrongVPN has 950 servers in 46 different cities in 20 countries. This means that when you change your China IP address, you'll have a wide variety of servers to choose from.
StrongVPN supports four languages; Chinese, Spanish, Russian, and English. It also offers 24/7 customer service through live chat, phone support, emails & tickets, and the knowledge base.
StrongVPN offers two plans, both allow up to 12 devices:
- A one-month plan for $10/mo.
- A 12-month plan for $41.99/year ($3.50/mo).
Both plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is our third pick for a VPN for China.
Features checklist:
- AES-256-bit Encryption - Available.
- No-log Policy - ExpressVPN has a true no-log policy.
- Servers run on RAM - ExpressVPN has RAM-based servers.
- Kill-Switch - ExpressVPN has a kill-switch.
- Split Tunneling - ExpressVPN has this feature.
- ExpressVPN unblocks content for Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO NOW, Spotify, Amazon Prime Video, and more.
ExpressVPN works across Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Chromebook, Kindle Fire, browsers, and routers.
ExpressVPN has 160 servers in 94 countries, so far.
ExpressVPN supports four languages; English, Korean, and Japanese. It also offers 24/7 customer service through live chat, emails & tickets, blogs, and a knowledge base.
ExpressVPN offers three plans:
- A one-month plan for $12.95/mo.
- A 6-month plan for $9.99/mo, billed $59.95 every 6 months.
- A 12-month plan + 3 months for free ($6.67/mo), billed $99.95 at first for 15 months, then billed every 12 months.
All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.