Best android VPN apps for China
The recent VPN ban has rendered a wide majority of services in China useless. Hundreds of VPN apps have been discarded from the Google Play and iTunes stores.
As such, finding a VPN on Android in China is a different ballgame altogether, as you need to find a VPN that offers a mirror website that is accessible by Chinese residents.
Now, you can simply click on the link below to get a suitable VPN for your Android device in China, or read the complete guide for detailed information:
Analysis of the 3 Best Android VPN Apps for China
Here are 3 China VPNs for Android that deliver the best value, described in detail after comparing their costs, payment plans, and performance in China:
| Rank | VPN | Price | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ivacy | US$ 1.19 /mo 77% Discount | Visit Ivacy |
| 3. | Surfshark | US$ 2.49 /mo - Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee | Visit Surfshark |
| 2. | ExpressVPN | US$ /mo | Visit ExpressVPN |
1. Ivacy
Best China VPN for Android
- Price: US$ 1.19 /mo 77% Discount
- Trustpilot rating: 4.8
Responsible for the creation of the “Split Tunneling” feature and introducing a dedicated Chinese app called IvacyPrime for natives, the Singapore-based provider is the best China VPN for Android.
No other provider offers such an incentive and neither do they offer two mirror websites like Ivacy. Yes, the provider offers two “working” websites for downloading IvacyPrime on either Android, Windows or Mac.
Ivacy’s Chinese Mirror Websites:
https://www.ivacyforcanada.com/affiliate-china/
https://www.ivacyforcanada.com/special-offer-vpn/
For more information, check out this full 2019 review of Ivacy
2. Surfshark
Cheapest China VPN for Android
- Price: US$ 2.49 /mo - Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee
- Trustpilot rating: 4.4
Based in the British Virgin Islands, Surfshark is a reliable and privacy-focused provider. Surfshark is incredibly affordable, starting at a measly US$ 2.49 /mo - Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee on a 2-year plan.
It offers a mirror website for download their app on Android and a unique “NoBordersTM Mode”, which allows for the bypassing of the “Great Firewall” for accessing blocked websites/services.
Surfshark’s Chinese Mirror Website: https://shark-cn.com/
For more information, check out this full 2019 review of Surfshark
3. ExpressVPN
Fastest China VPN for Android
- Price: US$ /mo
- Trustpilot rating: 4.8
Based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN delivers super-fast speeds for users in China. It uses obfuscation to bypass the algorithms and technology employed by the “Great Firewall.”
It is pricy at US$ /mo , but you get the best security, powerful China unblocking capabilities, dedicated China site, multiple apps, and the best live chat support in the industry.
ExpressVPN’s Chinese Mirror Website: http://exp4links4.net/
For more information, check out this full 2019 review of ExpressVPN
Why You Need a VPN for Android in China?
China has perhaps the most stringent internet censorship laws in the whole world. The country is one of the few ones of the globe where concepts like democracy, free speech and free access to content are frowned upon.
While this may surprise people that have never visited China and it might even seem unbelievable to some as to how people in China are surviving without having access to services like Google, Facebook, Whatsapp among others.
These websites that have become irreplaceable in the whole world are sadly not available to Chines citizens. However, Chinese users could bypass the geo-restrictions they face on the Chinese internet.
Through the use of a VPN, you can bypass the “Great Firewall” and finally unblock “foreign services” which includes VoDs like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and more.
How to Download a VPN on Android while already in China
Usually, downloading and installing a VPN on Android is quite a straightforward task. You just need to go to your provider’s site and click on its Android download link to be redirected to Google Play Store and download your VPN app from there.
However, China’s VPN ban in so stringent that firstly, you cannot find the most popular VPN apps on the Google Play store and secondly, the websites of VPN providers cant be accessed directly.
This is why I have listed the mirror websites for each provider above. Simply visit the mirror link and download the app for Android manually to start using a VPN in China.
Free China VPN Android
Many users are on the lookout for any reliable free VPN service that works in China.
I advise t is an activity in futility in our opinion. This is because Free VPNs don’t often have the security infrastructure neither the features that can help a user bypass the Great Firewall in China.
On the other hand, many free VPN apps on the Android platform are risky to sign up with and they often server some ulterior motives like making money by selling user data or user bandwidth, implant tracking codes or malicious software into user devices among others.
We even found a VPN app on the Android Play store that was owned by a Chinese data mining firm!
So, we recommend that you stay away from Free Android VPN apps in China to avoid the risk and be safe through signing up with a reliable service, no matter if its paid.
China’s Own VPNs for Android/iPhone
While it may come as a surprise to you but a country that is dubbed as the “World’s Factory” for its scintillating and sometimes even mind-numbing, ability to produce almost anything for any cost that you want it to, China doesn’t have any local VPN services!
This is because, China banned VPNs from operating in the country last year and since the service is banned in the country, any indigenous or local provider also ceased to exist.
There have been rumors that China plans to offer its own VPN services in the future, but those will have to be compliant to existing surveillance and censorship laws in the country, which in our view, won’t serve any purpose except for existing with the name of a VPN.
Wrapping Things Up
The censorship laws in China, as well as the extent to which the country’s current regime intends to control what its citizens can access on the internet, are set to become ever murkier and more stringent as time passes by.
If you want to leverage anonymity on your Android devices, Ivacy should meet all your needs. However, if you are in search for an affordable alternative, consider signing up with Surfshark.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate on dropping a comment below. Also, feel free to share the guide with others looking for a suitable China VPN for Android!
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