The best Canada VPN in 2024 (2024)

If you're in the Great White North, it's a good idea to use the best Canada VPN to protect your privacy, hide what you're searching for on the web, and even access more streaming content on sites like Netflix.

The best VPNs work by encrypting your data, making it unreadable to anyone looking at your connection – that could be a hacker, but more often than not it's your internet service provider. By blocking their access you can avoid them harvesting and selling your data, and when you consider a large amount of Canadian data passes through the US, it's even clearer that protecting yourself from prying eyes is paramount.

My team of experts and I have tested and reviewed dozens of VPNs, and here I'm rounding up the five best Canada VPNs on the market. If you're ready to go, simply pick from the best three VPNs for Canada below. If you need more info, just keep scrolling for my in-depth reviews of all five.

The 3 best Canada VPNs today

The best Canada VPNs of 2024

In my in-depth testing, I consider the following five providers the gold standard against which any other VPN for Canada should be measured. There are options for different price points, and I'm comfortable recommending any one of these services to individuals living in or traveling to Canada.

1. ExpressVPN: The best Canada VPN

It's easy to see why ExpressVPN is the best Canada VPN of 2023. Not only does it offer excellent connection speeds all over the world, but it can unblock just about every streaming service around, is perfect for torrenting, and is incredibly private and secure to boot. As my only 5-star rated VPN, my ExpressVPN review is testament to its quality.

First things first, ExpressVPN boasts industry-standard AES-256 encryption combined with a selection of protocols, Perfect Forward Secrecy, and an audited no-logging policy. The PFS feature safeguards end-to-end encrypted messages from being compromised by regularly changing keys, and the key takeaway here is that even if a key were to be compromised, it won't allow the attacker to get through to any past or future messages.

It also has a kill switch to protect you if your connection drops, plus split tunneling, which can route some of your traffic through the VPN while keeping some untouched.

When it comes to streaming, ExpressVPN is hard to beat. It does an awesome job of unblocking Canadian content – which comes in handy if you're traveling overseas and want to stay up to date with your favorite shows – and has no trouble accessing other international goodies. That includes shows and movies on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more.

Although ExpressVPN is pricier than the competition, a streaming-focused MediaStreamer tool makes up for that by allowing you to stream geo-restricted content on devices that don't natively support a VPN, like Smart TVs and gaming consoles.

Topping out at over 950 Mbps Surfshark and NordVPN are a little faster compared to Express's 750 Mbps, but ExpressVPN still gives you over 20 times the speed needed for streaming in 4K Ultra HD and gaming online, so there's nothing to worry about.

Don’t be intimidated by Express’s comprehensive list of features – if all you want to do is press a button and get connected, you can do that too. While fine-tuning a VPN is fun for some, we really appreciate how ExpressVPN works perfectly out the box and is perfectly suited for those that just want to plug and play – especially on mobile devices.

Should you face any issue using ExpressVPN, prompt and friendly 24/7 support will help you out in no time at all. And a rich catalog of helpful articles is the cherry on top, particularly useful when you need help on the fly.

Overall, there’s not a VPN service out there that can match ExpressVPN. Simply put, it can basically do everything. But, if you’re not sure, it also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test the service. If you change your mind, you’ll get a full refund, no questions asked.

2. Surfshark: the best cheap Canada VPN

If you're on a budget, Surfshark is my top-rated cheap VPN – and it just so happens to be an excellent VPN for Canada, too. With all the features you need and none you don't, my Surfshark review found that it's faster than any other at a fraction of the price.

With AES-256 encryption and several protocols including WireGuard, plus an ad blocker, kill switch, tracker-free web browsing, antivirus, and even a built-in data breach notifier, its desktop clients are powerful and reliable. It’s easy to install and provides quick access to Surfshark’s 3,200+ servers worldwide – with around 90 of them in Canada itself. That's great news for folks for want to shore up their security without sacrificing performance. Why? Well, if you connect to a nearby server, your data doesn't have to travel as far as it would if you connected to a server on the other side of the world.

Although its server count is not as impressive as Nord or PIA, it's present in a staggering 100 countries (including China) and is a force to reckon with when it comes to bypassing geo-restrictions on streaming sites.

From BBC iPlayer to Netflix and everything in between including Hulu, Prime Video, and YouTube, you'll be able to binge your favorite movies and TV shows no matter where you are.

Peaking at an excellent 950 Mbps, Surfshark is one of the fastest VPNs when using the WireGuard protocol. That said, its OpenVPN speeds of 130 Mbps fall behind some of the industry heavyweights.

However, that will only be a problem if you want to use Surfshark on a third-party app, want to install it on a router, or need to use obfuscation (known as Camouflage mode in Surfshark-speak). For everything else, you can just set the apps to use WireGuard and enjoy lightning-fast speeds.

The mobile apps are polished and professional, offering a very simple way to get connected anywhere in the world. There's a nifty NoBorders mode that gives you a list of the best-performing servers near you so that you can choose the fastest one.

What's more, they also solve one of ExpressVPN’s only downfalls – with unlimited simultaneous connections, you can cover as many devices as you like, whether that’s 5 or 105. If you need whole-family cover, Surfshark is an excellent choice.

Some users may find Surfshark’s apps too simple, and beyond protocols and the kill switch, there’s not a lot to change – but that really won’t matter to many, and the provider’s charm is in its simplicity. It’s cheap, easy, and reliable. What more could you want?

3. NordVPN: the fastest Canada VPN

NordVPN is arguably the biggest name in the VPN world, so it’s no surprise it works great as a Canada VPN. With class-leading privacy features and streaming power to match, my NordVPN review found it to be one of the best services around today, and it’s also really easy to use.

The provider has over 400 servers located in Canada, and that all but guarantees you’ll be able to get great speeds for streaming and regular browsing no matter where you’re located. Plus, with over 5,000 servers worldwide, if you’re on holiday or on a business trip, you should be able to get connected with ease.

It's not only one of our top-rated Netflix VPN services, but it also knocks it out of the park when it comes to unblocking. From niche Netflix libraries to Aussie sites 9Now and 10Play, I tested it with everything, and it passed with flying colors. So, whether you want to check out what's new on US Netflix or catch up on Canadian classics when you're out of the country, NordVPN has you covered.

Plus, a top speed of over 950 Mbps puts it at the upper echelon of the fastest services around, and it offers a worry-free streaming experience.

For those looking for ultimate privacy, Nord has a lot to offer. You'll get AES-256 encryption as standard, a good kill switch, and a range of protocols including the speedy in-house NordLynx.

NordVPN has also recently been independently audited, which should allay any fears about the company’s 2018 data breach.

NordVPN is a runaway winner when it comes to additional security features, and an in-built antivirus, a data breach scanner, dark web monitoring, NordLocker cloud storage, and NordPass password manager separate it from its peers as it's more a complete security package and not just a VPN solution.

Also, its fairly new Meshnet feature is a unique innovation unmatched by any other provider, and looks like it could offer a ton of power for gamers, streamers, and anyone else who wants to share an encrypted network with up to 60 of their friends.

NordVPN offers a great range of apps for tons of devices, but do be aware that the interface can be a little awkward as a mobile VPN – I’d much rather see a list of servers than a map.

It's worth noting that only 6 simultaneous connections slightly dampen Nord's overall appeal, especially when providers such as Surfshark and PIA allow you to protect unlimited devices on a single plan.

However, if you’re looking for a trusted name in cybersecurity, you could do a lot worse than NordVPN.

The best of the rest

In my most recent Private Internet Access review, I found that the provider has recently upped its game, both in terms of its network and its general usability.

Boasting more individual servers than all of its competitors, PIA has thousands of servers in Canada alone, meaning it's super simple to find a speedy server close to where you are. It nails it as a US VPN too thanks to having a server in all of the 50 states.

The most notable addition to PIA's armory is unlimited simultaneous connections. The number was previously 10, and thanks to this mammoth jump, PIA is now on par with Surfshark as far as being an ideal choice for those looking to cover a lot of devices on a single subscription is concerned.

If you're looking to unblock YouTube, Disney+, or Amazon Prime Video, you're in luck, as in my testing, PIA got us access without a hitch. You'll also be free to check out Canada Netflix, or the international content libraries, to your heart's content. The Aussie streaming site 10Play caused some issues in my last round of testing, but in my most recent tests, this seems to have been cleared up, making PIA a very good streaming VPN.

In addition to the essentials like a kill switch, split tunneling, and AES-256 encryption, PIA is also the only VPN to have proven its no-logs policy in court, twice, ensuring complete peace of mind.

Privacy-wise, PIA is seriously impressive. With a comprehensive zero-logging policy alongside interesting advanced features like port forwarding and a command line tool that allows you to write your own scripts that automate the program, it'll definitely appeal to the techier user.

There's a lot to play around with – from encryption level to server location and everything in between, you can craft an entirely custom experience for yourself.

However, beginners may find this many options overwhelming, and although a well-put-together resource catalog and 24/7 customer support are of great help, there's no arguing that services like ExpressVPN and Surfshark are tailor-made for beginners with everything easy to find and understand.

For those using mobile devices, PIA functions well as both an iPhone VPN and an Android VPN, and although the apps aren't quite as polished as the very best, it's still great to use on the go.

One of the few negatives is that PIA's connection speeds are fairly slow compared to the competition, but with WireGuard connections reaching more than 510Mbps, these speeds should be satisfactory for just about any user – and for the price, it's a great value Canada VPN.

5. Proton VPN: Swiss security + great free version

Proton VPN is a benchmark for what security in a VPN looks like, and on the back of an incredibly impressive Proton VPN review, here it is on yet another top 5 list.

Although it has fewer servers in Canada than rivals Surfshark and PIA, it's a great fit for those looking to globetrot Netflix in privacy, as in my testing it was able to unblock UK, US, and Canadian libraries – much better than a lot of the competition. Plus, it can access BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, YouTube, and more. Basically, you'll be spoiled for choice regardless of whether you're in Canada or overseas on holiday.

It's worth noting that although Proton VPN has a fantastic free VPN, it doesn't come with unblocking capabilities as that's reserved for paid users only. That said, the limited free plan provides access to servers in the US, so those in and around the region (Canada included) will be able to make the most of Proton's free offering.

Privacy is also a high priority for Proton VPN, and as well as a full bare-metal DNS network and safe servers all over the world, you'll also be able to use the Secure Core feature.

Essentially, this routes your connection through an ultra-secure server (Iceland, Switzerland, or Sweden) before sending it on to your location of choice. This is great if you also need a UAE VPN, Turkey VPN, or any other similar risky location by ensuring your identity is protected even if your endpoint is compromised – an already extremely unlikely circ*mstance at the worst of times.

Like Private Internet Access, Proton VPN too offers open-source apps, meaning anyone with the necessary expertise will be able to access its code and check for vulnerabilities to assure themselves of the service's reliability.

Thanks to the very stringent and secure Swiss privacy laws at its core and an always-on VPN feature for round-the-clock protection, Proton VPN is as good as it can get for you if you're a privacy purist.

One minor drawback could be its 10 simultaneous connections, which although very reasonable, is bittersweet – sweet because it's more than Express and Nord and bitter because it's less than Surfshark and PIA.

Overall though, Proton VPN is a seriously potent, private VPN, and while it does lack live chat support (right now), it's definitely worth considering if privacy is at the top of your list.

How to choose a Canada VPN

Most users will want a good all-rounder as their Canada VPN. Rock-solid privacy and a watertight zero-logging policy come first, and will ensure your data stays private from your ISP, the government, and any other dodgy snoopers on public Wi-Fi.

Then, excellent apps for a good range of devices will be important for most, as staying protected on the go is just as important as at home. Streaming support is also a big plus, and in my testing the most private services are also the best for this, so no sacrifices need to be made.

Overall, I rate ExpressVPN as the very best Canada VPN. With plenty of servers both in and outside Canada, top streaming support and excellent, audited privacy credentials, it's the full package.

How we test the best Canada VPNs

Every six months my team of experts and I undertake a comprehensive review process of the best providers. Our expert team tests the reliability of apps on a range of devices, digs deep to find flaws, and sees if features like kill switches are truly up to task.

We also test them with streaming services – in this case, access to Canadian sites is prioritized – to see if they're able to unblock everything a potential user might want it to.

Servers located in Canada are also a must here, and every provider on this page has a good range of Canadian IPs to choose from.

Finally, we judge how good a package the VPN provides as a whole. This includes comprehensive speed testing on our 1Gbps uncontested line, checking out the live chat support, seeing how intuitive the apps are, and any extra goodies like bundled antivirus or darkweb monitoring.

Best Canada VPN FAQ