Canada doesn’t have many internet restrictions. Even so, using a VPN in Canada can help you unblock streaming providers like Hulu which isn’t available in Canada or help you access your TD Canada Trust or Scotiabank accounts if you’re traveling abroad.
We thoroughly tested 20+ VPN providers, and here is our list of the best VPNs for Canada:
- NordVPN: Best VPN for Canada overall
- Surfshark: Most affordable Canada VPN
- CyberGhost: Best beginner-friendly VPN for Canada
- ExpresVPN: Reliable Canada VPN with robust security
- PIA: VPN for Canada with the largest VPN server network
The best VPN for Canada at the moment, is NordVPN. This VPN offers excellent speeds for streaming, the most secure encryption, and can unblock any international site from any location.
Right now, you can get up to 65% off your NordVPN subscription!
Want to compare more options? Below, we highlight the best VPNs for Canada and show you which one is best for you, based on your personal preferences.
Canada is not known for its oppressive censorship. However, not all online content is readily available to Canadians. Some popular streaming services, such as Hulu, for instance, aren’t available in Canada.
Moreover, with the introduction of the Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11), the content you’ll get recommended may soon be shaped by government institutions. Want to make sure you always have access to any streaming services and apps you want? A VPN can help you out!
We tested 20+ VPNs to find the best VPN for Canada. Our #1 Canada VPN is NordVPN. This provider is an unblocking powerhouse and offers enhanced security features to help you bypass online restricitons. At the moment, NordVPN also has an exclusive deal that gives new users up to 65% off!
The Top 5 Best VPNs for Canada
Based on our rigorous testing, NordVPN is the best VPN for Canada. It’s a fantastic VPN that doesn’t just encrypt your data but also offers servers around the globe, meaning you can stream any TV show or movie from anywhere in the world!
Luckily for Canadian users, there are plenty of excellent VPNs that work well in the Great White North. Which VPN is best for you depends on your personal preferences.
In the table below, you can see how each of the best Canada VPNs compares to the rest.
| Feature | #1 NordVPN | #2 Surfshark | #3 CyberGhost | #4 ExpressVPN | #5 PIA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of servers | 5,800+ | 3,200+ | 9,000+ | 3,000+ | 33,000 |
| Number of countries | 60 | 100 | 91 | 94 | 84 |
| Canadian server locations | Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver | Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver | Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver | Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver | Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver |
| Protocols | OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard | OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard | OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard | OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec, Lightway | OpenVPN, WireGuard, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP |
| Price (USD) | From $3.19/month | From $2.30/month | From $2.19/month | From $6.67/month | From $2.19/month |
| Price (CAN) | From $4.35/month | From $3.14/month | From $2.99/month | From $9.10/month | From $2.99/month |
| Purchase | Get NordVPN | Get Surfshark | Get CyberGhost | Get ExpressVPN | Get PIA |
Keep reading below to learn more about what we have discovered through our extensive tests of the best Canada VPNs.
1. NordVPN: Best VPN for Canada overall
NordVPN is the best VPN for Canada—and for good reason! Our own review of NordVPN shows that the VPN provider offers ultra-fast servers, can unblock any streaming service you want, including Max and Hulu, and keeps your data encrypted at all times.
Why you should get NordVPN for Canada:
- Streaming powerhouse: Whether you want to watch Schitt’s Creek while traveling abroad or unlock the best K-dramas and international movies from your couch at home, NordVPN can do it all. During our tests, we could easily unblock Netflix, Hulu, Max, Amazon Prime Video, and more.
- 5,800 servers in 60 countries (incl. Canada!): NordVPN’s server network is large enough to give you access to any website or app. You can even request a dedicated IP address to optimize your VPN experience with a private server.
- Highly advanced security features: NordVPN is one of the most secure VPN services. It offers AES-256 encryption, an automatic kill switch we found to work like a charm, dedicated P2P servers for torrenting, and even a Threat Protection feature that kept malware and annoying ads at bay when we were testing the VPN.
- Affordable subscription plans: With NordVPN, your quality-to-cost ratio is unmatched! This VPN offers excellent deals throughout the year and won’t ever cost you more than a few bucks a month. You can also use NordVPN on six devices at the same time.
If you’re you looking for a fantastic Canada VPN with an extensive server network (480 Canadian servers!) and incredible security features, this should be your choice. We can offer you 65% off your NordVPN subscription if you make use of our exclusive offer today.
Want to test the VPN service first? Since NordVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can try the VPN risk-free for a whole month and see how it compares to other Canada VPNs.
2. Surfshark: Most affordable Canada VPN
If you’re looking for the best Canada VPN that offers affordable plans, we highly recommend Surfshark based on our tests. For next to no money, you get unlimited simultaneous connections, a CleanWeb feature to eliminate ads and malware, and a VPN that can unblock all major streaming services.
Why you should get Surfshark for Canada:
- 3,200 servers in 100 countries: With Surfshark, you can connect to Canadian servers in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montréal, as well as 99 other countries worldwide! Whether we were unblocking live sports streams or international Netflix libraries, Surfshark made streaming easy.
- AES 256-encryption and great security: This zero-log VPN won’t leak any of your data. Since Canada is known to exchange your private data with other governments, Surfshark’s DNS leak protection, RAM-only servers, and CleanWeb tool will keep your sensitive information protected.
- Premium budget VPN: Despite its low subscription costs, Surfshark is easily one of the fastest VPNs right now. You’re sure to get bang for your buck! What’s more, we could use Surfshark on unlimited devices and share our account with friends and family.
- Optimized servers for P2P: Surfshark has optimized servers for torrenting. You won’t have to sacrifice downloading speeds either, as Surfshark supports OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard (some of the fastest VPN protocols).
Surfshark makes it easy to bypass geographical restrictions of any kind. On top of that, they offer an impressive discount of 82% off at the moment! You can also use the 30-day money-back guarantee as a free trial.
3. CyberGhost: Best beginner-friendly VPN for Canada
This VPN for Canada is great for people new to using VPN services and don’t want to break the bank. Every time we test and review CyberGhost, we are impressed by its features, speed, and performance. It certainly deserves a top spot in our list of the best Canada VPNs.
Why you should get CyberGhost for Canada:
- Beginner-friendly VPN: This VPN is great for users who have never used a VPN before. We found the interface very easy to navigate, and we didn’t have to toggle much with any settings. There’s also a 24/7 customer support team to help you out with any questions or issues.
- Optimized servers for streaming and gaming: If you’re looking for a great gaming VPN, CyberGhost has special VPN servers that are optimized for gaming. The same goes for streaming. CyberGhost can unblock any major streaming service, including non-Canadian streaming sites like Hulu or BBC iPlayer.
- Advanced security features: You won’t have to worry about your security when using CyberGhost. The VPN has partnered with Intego to offer you a malware, spyware, and ransomware blocker. It also has an automatic kill switch that prevented our IP from leaking online and AES 256-bit encryption to let you safely access your Canadian bank accounts.
- Value-for-money VPN: CyberGhost is an affordable VPN. They offer great VPN deals throughout the year. You can have up to seven simultaneous connections for less than the price of a cup of coffee!
With thousands of server locations and counting, CyberGhost can unblock a world of entertainment for you. Want to see for yourself? Unlike other VPNs, CyberGhost has a 45-day money-back guarantee, giving you plenty of time to try out the VPN.
4. ExpressVPN: Reliable Canada VPN with robust security
ExpressVPN has been a top-performing VPN for many years. With AES 256-bit encryption and an array of VPN protocols — including the super-fast Lightway protocol — this is a great VPN to use in Canada.
Why you should get ExpressVPN for Canada:
- Leak-proof and secure VPN: If you opt for ExpressVPN, you can be assured you’ll get a high-quality VPN! With Express’s TrustedServer technology, no data ever gets written on any servers. On top of that, you get a built-in password manager with your plan.
- Unblock region-locked content: During our ExpressVPN tests, we discovered that this is an easy VPN to stream with. We found that it can unblock any streaming site or live sports channel we were interested in. With their obfuscated servers, you can even hide that you’re using a VPN.
- Online banking made easy: Access TD Bank, Scotiabank, or your BMO accounts from anywhere. The Threat Manager tool ensured that no malware could infect our device and that all trackers and ads were blocked when we were browsing the internet.
- Expert customer support: The team at ExpressVPN has been in the business for a long time and can help you out with any issues you might run into. There’s a 24/7 live chat available for immediate support.
You can use ExpressVPN on five devices at the same time. With 3,000+ servers in 94 countries (including Canada!), the server network is smaller when compared to other VPN services. But with ExpressVPN, you’re primarily paying for security and reliability.
At the moment, you can get 49% off a one-year plan! Since ExpressVPN is on the pricier side, you don’t want to miss out on this deal. Use the 30-day money-back guarantee to try this Canada VPN for a month.
5. Private Internet Access: VPN for Canada with the largest VPN server network
If you’re looking for a secure VPN service that’s reasonably priced and offers an expansive server network and unlimited simultaneous connections, Private Internet Access (also known as PIA) is the best Canada VPN for you. We know from testing Private Internet Access that it’s a VPN worth checking out if you’re on the hunt for the best VPN for Canada!
Why you should get PIA for Canada:
- Local Canadian servers and a huge VPN server network: PIA has the biggest server network in the VPN world right now, with 33,000+ VPN servers across 84 server locations. Get a Canadian IP address in Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver to browse Kijiji or Canadian news sites when you’re abroad.
- Unlimited connections: Following in Surfshark’s footsteps, you can now get PIA on unlimited devices, meaning you can share your account with friends and family and enjoy PIA’s security and unblocking powers together. It helps that PIA is also one of the cheapest VPNs.
- PIA MACE (built-in ad blocker): Whether we were streaming Netflix, Disney+, or just browsing the web, PIA would block annoying ads and detect malware before it could infect our device.
- Verified no-log VPN: While PIA is located in the US (part of the 5 Eyes alliance together with Canada), it has proven in court not to hold onto any private user data and adheres to the highest VPN security standards.
Like many of the best VPNs for Canada, PIA comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. So, you can use any of its 33,000 servers for free for 30 days and unblock your favorite sites without committing.
How We Picked the Best VPN for Canada
In order to score highly, a virtual private network has to give excellent results on multiple fronts, from online security to ease of use. There are several things we keep in mind when selecting the best Canada VPNs.
When selecting the best Canada VPN, we looked at the following factors:
- Security features: A VPN has to give you peace of mind. Each VPN in this list has been tested in Canada for DNS and WebRTC leaks. We also assess security features, including a kill switch, ad blocker, encryption, VPN protocols, and additional features such as split tunneling.
- Zero-logs VPN: Since Canada is part of the 5, 9, 14 Eyes Alliance, you want to ensure your VPN doesn’t store your data anywhere it can be retrieved. You want to pick a privacy-conscious VPN that’s ideally been independently audited.
- VPN speeds and daily use: Of course, if you’re going to purchase a VPN, you want to be able to use it with ease. You don’t want a significant drop in browsing or streaming speeds. All of the best VPNs for Canada performed exceptionally well while we were streaming content and when casually browsing.
- Server network: The larger your VPN’s server network, the better your chances of unblocking content you’re interested in. The best Canada VPNs have a diverse server network, with servers in different parts of the globe.
Why Do I Need a VPN in Canada?
Compared to places like Iran or Russia, censorship in Canada is limited. In fact, Canada has a very open media landscape; you don’t need a virtual private network to watch independent news or access your social media accounts.
However, a VPN has many benefits for users in Canada:
- If you’re looking to stream region-restricted content (content unavailable in Canada), a VPN can help you do that. With Bill C-11 on the table, it might become more difficult to stream American Netflix, for example. A VPN gives you access to a wider range of content.
- A VPN encrypts your internet connection. This means you are less likely to be identified and tracked online. Your internet traffic will be hidden from Canadian internet providers, and you’ll be able to safely partake in online banking, working remotely, and browsing securely.
- Most VPN providers offer additional features such as a password manager or secure cloud storage. That way, your overall cybersecurity is easily improved with a VPN.
Bill C-11: Is Canada censoring the internet?
The Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11) is in its final stages of adoption. This is because the bill grants the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) a lot more regulatory power.
Why does this matter? With Bill C-11, you’ll find that the content you get recommended on audio-visual platforms like Netflix and YouTube might change. This is because the bill aims to promote Canadian content (“CanCon”) as much as possible.
While the intent might be good, Bill C-11 has been criticized as a censorship bill for various reasons:
- It’s nearly impossible to create good guidelines for what “Canadian content” really means.
- Giving the CRTC such regulatory power sets a bad precedent for future censorship.
- Though the bill claims to regulate large companies and not individual users, user-generated content will be affected either way.
The best VPNs for Canada will let you bypass restrictions on global streaming services without issue.
Can I Use a Free VPN in Canada?
Generally, we’re careful to recommend using a free VPN service. Though there are some great free VPNs out there, they often come with limitations. The main risks include:
- Poor privacy policy: A free VPN might store your data and sell it to third parties.
- Data caps or bandwidth throttling: Most free VPNs usually offer a limited data volume or throttle the bandwidth.
- Small VPN server network: Free VPNs often have limited server networks.
Having said this, there are some great free VPNs you might explore if you are looking for the best VPN for Canada.
One we’d like to highlight specifically as one of the best free Canada VPNs is Atlas VPN because of the security and unblocking features it offers.
Atlas VPN: Best Canada VPN (free plan)
The best free VPN for Canada is AtlasVPN. This freemium VPN has been steadily climbing up the ranks!
With a local Canada server in Montréal, you can get a Canadian IP address no matter where you are. On top of that, the incredibly fast WireGuard protocol and the double VPN feature called MultiHop+ make Atlas VPN worthy of your consideration.
With 1,000+ VPN servers in 42 countries, this relatively new VPN has been quickly expanding. When testing Atlas, we were impressed by how easily Atlas VPN unblocked Netflix and other streaming services. The premium plan even supports P2P file-sharing!
You can get unlimited simultaneous connections—always a plus! Moreover, Atlas doesn’t keep any personally identifiable information anywhere. While the free plan works well, it has a 5GB data cap. Luckily, you can now get an 85% discount on the premium plan!
Are VPNs legal in Canada?
Yes, VPNs and other tools to bypass online censorship, such as a proxy server, are still legal in Canada. At some point down the line, the Canadian government might start targeting VPN service providers, especially in light of Bill C-11.
At the moment, however, using a virtual private network is perfectly legal. Unfortunately, not every single VPN is safe. There are certainly some to avoid.
VPNs to Avoid in Canada
Some VPN services do more harm than good, either because they have faulty software or are not as careful with your private data as they should be.
Here are some VPN providers to avoid in Canada:
| VPN Provider | Why You Should Avoid It |
|---|---|
| Beet VPN | Keeps extensive user data logs |
| Tuxler VPN | Lacks even the most basic online security features |
| Hola VPN | Logs all your data, and is a proxy server rather than a real VPN |
| X-VPN | Keeps logs and has some features that don’t work properly (kill switch) |
You won’t run into these issues with the best Canada VPNs recommended in this article.
Unblock the Internet From Anywhere With A Canada VPN
Using a virtual private network in Canada opens up a world of possibilities. With a Canadian VPN, you’ll be able to access streaming services from all around the world and bypass any regional internet restrictions.
On top of that, the best VPNs for Canada ensure that you’re much better protected against cyber threats, as well as surveillance tech. The #1 VPN we recommend for Canada right now is NordVPN.
With an extensive global server network, as well as 480 Canadian servers, NordVPN opens up the internet for you and encrypts your data while at it, and you can now make use of one of the best deals NordVPN has ever offered!
Check out some of our other articles if you want to find out how to use a VPN in different countries:
- Best VPN for India: Our Top Picks
- Best VPN for Iran: Safely Bypass Internet Censorship
- Best VPN for Pakistan: Top VPNs to Bypass Censorship
- The Best VPNs for Spain: Our 7 Top Picks (70+ VPNs Tested)
Do you have any questions about VPNs in Canada and why you might need one? Check out our FAQ section below.
The best VPN for Canada is NordVPN. This affordable VPN service offers lightning-fast speeds, excellent security, and tons of additional security features that will keep you safe online.
It also deserves the #1 spot in the list because it can unblock any streaming service you want access to.
One of our favorite free VPNs of the moment is Atlas VPN. This VPN has a great free plan available but also offers premium features! It’s a fast and easy to use VPN with a local server in Montréal.
VPNs are completely legal in Canada and work well! Ideally, we recommend that you avoid using free VPNs since they aren’t as reliable.
Canada isn’t known for internet censorship, but some of the issues Canadians may be facing is that they can’t access all streaming services or international sites in Canada. Here, a VPN can really help you out!
More importantly, a VPN encrypts your data so you can browse the web and partake in online banking without worrying about online threats.
