Best VPN for the Philippines 2020: 6 VPNs for 7,641 Islands
The Philippines is made up of 7,641 islands, giving you plenty of choices for snapping an amazing selfie. However, while you’re busy wandering around the spectacular island cluster, you’ll most likely go online, and that’s where your exploring could be halted. Blocks and online dangers can be awaiting, but installing one of our best VPN for the Philippines picks will help.
We’ll talk about all of those blocks and dangers later, but the upshot is that a virtual private network will protect you and help you bypass any restrictions, including censorship and geoblocks.
We’ll recommend five of the best VPN services for the job, but if you need an answer now, we recommend that you install ExpressVPN. It also has servers in the Philippines, meaning you can get a Filipino IP address.
Quick Guide: The Best VPN for the Philippines
- ExpressVPN — Excellent security and privacy, fast, Filipino servers, best for streaming
- CyberGhost — Great security and privacy, dedicated streaming servers, cheap
- NordVPN — Top security and privacy, double-hop servers, affordable plans
- Private Internet Access — Great security and privacy, good speeds, cheap
- Windscribe — Good security, free plan and cheap build-a-plan, unlimited connections
How to Unblock Sites With the Best VPN for the Philippines
- Subscribe to a decent VPN provider (ExpressVPN is the best Philippines VPN)
- Download the app for your device, open it and log in
- Find and connect to a VPN server outside of the Philippines and surf the internet as usual
Important Features for a Filipino VPN
VPNs have many different features, but some of those features are more important for the Philippines. Below, we’ve listed some of the most crucial factors when it comes to choosing a VPN to use in the Philippines.
- Security — Having good security will ensure you’re protected from online dangers. We’ll talk more about those online dangers later, though.
- Privacy — Online privacy is important and a no-logs policy will ensure it.
- Server network — You need servers outside of the Philippines to access blocked content, but you’ll also need Filipino servers for the country’s content.
- Fast speed — A Filipino internet connection can be slow, so it’s a good idea to choose a VPN that won’t restrict speeds too much.
The 5 Best VPNs for the Philippines
With the criteria above in mind, we’ve picked five of the top VPNs for the Philippines. There are some differences with each one, though, so make sure you choose one that suits your needs.
1. ExpressVPN — The Best Philippines VPN
Pros:
- Excellent security & privacy
- Lightning-fast speeds
- Gets into streaming services easily
Cons:
- Pricey
ExpressVPN is the best Philippines VPN. Aside from its strong security and strict no-logs policy, it has the fastest VPN speeds you can get — and considering the Filipino online infrastructure, you’re going to need them. It has a large server network that covers 94 countries around the world, too, and that includes servers in the Philippines, so you can access Filipino content.
If the content you want to access is of the streamed variety, then you’ll be pleased to know that ExpressVPN is our best VPN for streaming. It can get into pretty much any platform you throw it at, and you won’t need to worry about bandwidth because the allowance is unlimited.
It’s also the easiest-to-use VPN, even for beginners, and you can use it on most operating systems with up to five devices connected at a time. You can read more in our ExpressVPN review, or just go ahead and subscribe with the knowledge that you’re covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you don’t like it.
2. CyberGhost
Pros:
- Dedicated streaming servers
- Huge server network with 76 servers in Manila
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- Inconsistent speeds
Our next pick is CyberGhost, which has great security and privacy. It has a massive network of servers covering around 90 countries, and that includes 76 servers in Manila. It also has optimized streaming servers for particular platforms, so if you want to stream Netflix, you just pick a suitable server and off you go (CyberGhost is also one of our top VPNs for Netflix).
You get unlimited data, and its speeds are fast, although you might find that some servers are slow. If you do, just connect to another one. CyberGhost is easy to use and is compatible with most devices. It also lets you connect up to seven simultaneous connections.
Our CyberGhost review goes into more detail, but you can see how good it is for yourself by taking advantage of the free trial that’s available. You get seven days on mobile, or 24 hours on desktop. You could also make use of the free Firefox or Chrome browser extension, though you won’t benefit from all of the VPNs features or have access to all the servers.
There’s also a 14-day money-back guarantee with the monthly plan, and 45-days with longer plans.
3. NordVPN
Pros:
- Top security with double-hop encryption
- Affordable long-term plans
- Gets into streaming services
Cons:
- Inconsistent speeds
- No Filipino servers
NordVPN is a great VPN service that offers top-notch protection through its security and privacy features. It has a large network of over 5,000 servers, but none of them are in the Philippines, so you won’t be able to access Filipino content.
If you’re more interested in accessing other countries’ content, such as other Netflix libraries, then NordVPN is a good contender with its ability to get into all major platforms.
One downside with NordVPN is its inconsistent speeds. Much like CyberGhost, though, you can just switch servers to find a fast one. You get unlimited data, and it’s easy to use. It can be installed on most devices and up to six can be connected at a time. Read more in our full NordVPN review.
Pricewise, NordVPN’s monthly rate isn’t great. It’s more affordable if you opt for a longer plan. In case you’re a bit wary of diving in the deep end, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.
4. Private Internet Access
Pros:
- Good security & privacy
- Mostly fast speeds
- Cheap plans
Cons:
- Not great at getting into streaming platforms
- Sometimes slow
Private Internet Access has good security and privacy, but it’s set at 128-bit encryption by default. A quick visit to the settings menu will let you change that to the better 256-bit encryption, though. PIA’s server network isn’t as big as our other picks, but it still has enough for getting past government restrictions, and there are 24 servers in the Philippines, too.
You can use PIA on most devices and have up to 10 connections at a time. It comes with unlimited data and its speeds are mostly fast, but it isn’t the top VPN for getting into streaming platforms. PIA can get into Netflix and BBC iPlayer without an issue, but other services are often inaccessible. You can read more about PIA’s streaming capabilities in our PIA review, though.
PIA is one of the cheapest VPNs, but you need to consider its speed and streaming issues. That said, if you want to give it a try, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee in place.
5. Windscribe
Pros:
- Windflix streaming servers
- Servers in the Philippines
- Free plan & cheap build-a-plan
Cons:
- A bit slow
- Filipino servers are only on the paid plan
Windscribe is another VPN service you can use in the Philippines, and it’s also one of the top free VPNs. That’s because it offers both a free and paid plan, though we’ll fill you in on the limitations of the free plan.
It has good security, and although its privacy policy does state that it collects some information, it’s nothing that can be traced back to you. You can read more about that in our Windscribe review, though. It has a decent number of servers, including in the Philippines, but you only get access to a handful of them with the free plan, and the Filipino servers are not included.
Windscribe’s speeds are decent, and you get up to 10GB of bandwidth with the free plan or unlimited bandwidth with the paid plan. You can install it on most devices with an easy-to-use interface. You also get unlimited connections with all plans. Plus, its Windflix servers are built for streaming, but you need to be on a paid plan to use them.
The free plan is good, but if you need to get past its limitations, you’ll need the full plan or Windscribe’s build-a-plan option. The beauty of building a plan is that you can choose unlimited data and a specific server — including a Windflix server — for just $2 per month, making it one of the cheapest VPNs for the Philippines. You also have three days to get your money back, if you don’t like it.
Why You Need a VPN for the Philippines
It’s wise to use a VPN in any country, but there are specific reasons for using one in the Philippines. Although internet freedom in the Philippines is mostly unrestricted — with social media and communication apps free to use — certain websites are blocked.
That includes porn sites and torrent sites. If you like to torrent, you should know that if you’re caught, you could receive a fine or prison sentence under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Our third pick, NordVPN, is our best VPN for torrenting.
There’s also the issue of net neutrality. There’s no legislation to protect it in the Philippines, and although access to websites and services is generally neutral, that could change. By connecting to a VPN server, ISPs won’t know where you are or what you’re doing online, so you won’t be slowed down or restricted.
On top of that, there are concerns over government surveillance in the country. President Rodrigo Duterte admitted to wiretapping politicians, and other reports show evidence of the government buying spyware in 2018 worth $185,000.
The same spyware equipment could be used to monitor users in the Philippines, including conversations and internet activity, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Is It Safe to Use a VPN in the Philippines?
It’s not illegal to use VPN services in the Philippines, so if you get caught using one, it won’t be an issue. What could be an issue, though, is what you’re using the VPN for. If you’re accessing illegal content or hiding behind it while you post hate speech, you could get into trouble.
Libel is a criminal offense and you could be punished for it. After all, Duterte himself said that corrupt journalists should be assassinated.
With that and the fact that the Philippines is a target for cyber attacks, it would be more unsafe to not use a VPN. A VPN keeps you anonymous and offers protection from cybercrime and other online dangers, which makes using one even more important if you use public WiFi.
What Is the Best Free VPN for the Philippines?
We can understand why you’d want a free VPN — it’s free. A quick search in your app store will return a ton of choices, but “free” doesn’t mean good. Although we can’t vouch for all free VPN services, the majority of them are rubbish, and installing one could bring you more harm than good. Just read our worst free VPN providers roundup as an example.
You might fall into a trap where the VPN collects and sells your data, has infected your device rather than protected it, and worst of all, it might not include any of its stated protection features.
With all that said, there are a few exceptions. Many reputable providers have free plans available. They’re usually limited in some way, but the plan might just get you what you need in the Philippines.
For example, take our last recommendation, Windscribe. Its free plan was good enough to come first in our best free VPN service piece. You’ll be able to bypass censorship and geoblocks, but as we mentioned, there are a couple of limitations to the service. You won’t be able to access all servers, including the Filipino servers. Plus, streaming could be a problem, and there’s a data cap.
Final Thoughts
The Philippines is a beautiful place, but you’ll need to take care to escape the nasties on the internet. By using a VPN, you’ll benefit from its protection, as well as the ability to get past restrictions and unblock content.
For a good experience, though, you need to make sure the VPN service has good security and privacy, includes a decent number of servers and is fast. Plus, you’ll need servers in the Philippines for content restricted to there.
ExpressVPN meets those requirements and more. It has excellent protection features, ultra-fast speeds and a large server network that includes Filipino servers. With its 30-day money-back guarantee, you’ve got nothing to lose.
Have you used a VPN in the Philippines? Do you agree with our recommendations? Or did you use a different VPN provider? Let us know about your experience in the comment section, and as always, thank you for reading.
Sandra Pattison is from the rolling hills of the United Kingdom where, when she’s not enjoying that one day of summer, she researches and writes on online security and censorship around the world. Writer by day, mother morning, noon and night, during her little free time she enjoys photography and likes to be spontaneous, but mostly ends up sipping tea with her pinky out.