5 Best VPN (Free & Paid) for iPhone and iPad without App Store 2024
iOS devices are very secure, but the only way to fully protect your browsing is to use a free or paid VPN for iPhone and iPad. A good iOS VPN secures unsafe public WiFi networks, unblocks websites and apps around the world, and hides your web activity from your ISP and mobile carrier. Keeping your iPhone usage private and secure has never been easier. Choosing the best VPN for iPhone doesn’t have to be a laborious task when their pricing, features, security, and usability has been reviewed for you. Some of our top-rated options include ExpressVPN, Surfshark and NordVPN.
1, How to set up a VPN connection for your iPhone or iPad?
Most VPNs have apps designed specifically for iOS and are easy to install. Installing it should be no different from any other app in the App Store.
Below you will find a step-by-step guide on what are the best iOS VPN and how to install the app on your iPhone:
Create an account on the website of your chosen VPN provider.
Download the VPN app from your chosen VPN provider’s website or open the App Store and select the VPN app from your VPN provider to download and install.
Log in with the account you have created.
The VPN app has been installed and you are logged in. You will now be on the app’s home screen. Here you can select different options and adjust settings, depending on the VPN provider you have chosen.
If necessary, adjust the server to the location you want and turn on the VPN. Usually, this is done with the click of a button. You will now see an icon clearly placed on your iPhone screen, indicating that the VPN is active.
The VPNs for iPad recommended by us all have an app that is easy to install. You can simply download it from the App Store and use it like any other app:
Create an account with the VPN provider of your choice by visiting their website.
Grab your iPad, open the app store and search for your VPN provider’s app (or use the links provided on the website of your VPN provider).
Download and install this app.
Open the app.
You will often need to log into the app to use the VPN. Use the account you have created previously.
The VPN app is now activated, but to secure your connection you must first enable the VPN. Most VPN apps have a distinct button to do this.
When the VPN is switched on you will see an icon clearly placed at the top of your iPad screen. You can use the VPN app to connect to a server in a different location. Make sure that you enable the VPN again (assuming this is not done automatically).
2, How to set up a VPN on your iPhone or iPad without an app
?
You can also choose to change your network settings to set up a VPN on your iPhone. This works as follows:
On your iPhone, go to ‘Settings’
Go to ‘General’
Scroll down to ‘VPN’
Press ‘Add VPN configuration…’
Enter the details of your VPN provider here. These can often be found on the website of the VPN provider of your choice (these are mostly found on your account page when logging in to the website).
Press ‘Done’ and your settings will be saved.
Enable the VPN by clicking the switch next to the VPN profile you have created. The VPN is now turned on (shown by the ‘VPN’ icon at the top of your iPhone screen).
If you do not want to download an app, you can also change your network settings to set up the VPN on your iPad. You can do this as follows:
Go to the ‘settings’ on your iPad
Go to ‘General’.
Scroll to ‘VPN’.
Click ‘Add VPN configuration…’.
You will now be taken to a screen where you have to fill out certain data about your VPN provider. You can find this information on their site.
Click on ‘Done’.
Turn on the VPN by clicking the switch for the VPN profile in question. You will now see a VPN icon at the top of your iPad screen.
3, What are the ways to download iOS VPNs without using Apple’s App Store?
The vast majority of apps on iPhones can only be installed through the App Store.
Apple does not provide an official way to install software outside of the App Store using an installation file downloaded from the internet, a process called “sideloading.”
Apple reviews every app to assure users that iPhone apps are free of malware, offensive content, and security holes. Software makers who can’t abide by its rules can build websites instead, Apple says.
If you are an iOS user, you cannot download all the apps you want from the App Store. Fortunately, you can now download apps without App Store with these easy and safe ways.
3.1, iOSEmus App
iOSEmus App is a third-party application that allows you to install what you want onto your Apple device. This installer was made to assist iOS users to get applications that are not available on the App Store. Moreover, using this tool does not require you to use Cydia or Jailbreak tools to get the apps that you need. Furthermore, this app allows you to download apps without Apple ID.
3.2, AppEven
The next alternative tool is very similar to the Apple App Store, and its name is AppEven. Just like the App Store, it is very easy to use and navigate. The advantage of this app is that some paid apps on the App Store are free in this store.
In addition, it also provides dual-plus versions of applications, such as Facebook++, Whatsapp++, etc. Compared with the original version, these applications have better features. However, this tool is only compatible with devices running iOS 9.1/9.2/9.3, iOS 10/10.1/10.2/10.3, iOS 11/11.1/11.2 and iOS 12. In addition, it supports multiple devices, such as iPad and iPhone.
3.3, Tutu Helper
One such alternative app store is Tutu Helper. Designed for ease-of-use and as an alternative method for maximizing an iPhone’s potential without having to jailbreak the device, Tutu helper allows you to install all kinds of apps. This is a great alternative to more cumbersome methods that might alter a device, such as jailbreaking.
4, Does iPhone have a built-in VPN?
No, iPhone doesn’t have a built-in VPN. iPhone has built-in support for IKEv2, IPSec, and L2TP tunneling protocols. This means you don’t have to install anything, and your phone will have configurations for these pre-installed.
What this doesn’t give you is the server that will accept your incoming connections. You’ll either have to set it up yourself or turn to a third-party VPN service provider. Without one, it’s the same as having a call function on your phone but no contacts to reach out to.
5, What is the best VPN for iPhone and iPad?
The VPNs recommended below are for those seeking mobile browsing protection for iPhone or other iOS devices. They focus on the things that really matter: ease of use, speed, reliability, and state-of-the-art encryption methods. This makes the app one of the best VPN services on iOS.
Due to its impressive performance and unlimited device support, Surfshark is our current top choice for the best iPhone VPN. NordVPN, our second choice, is a stubborn heavy hitter. It is more expensive than Surfshark, but cheaper than Express, has a huge network, is constantly getting faster and more secure, and is easily the most reliable service we have tested. ExpressVPN is close behind in our selection, it provides a simple and effective iPhone VPN application. It is not the cheapest, but it is the most respected of all VPN options.
5.1, Surfshark
Pros
Includes kill switch
Built-in adblocker
Automatic NoBorders mode
Unblocks Netflix
Smart DNS
Strict no-logs policy
24/7 live chat support
Data breach alerts
Private search engine
Unlimited simultaneous devices
Free trial for Android and iOS users
30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
No free version
No logs policy hasn’t been audited
If you want a cheap iPad VPN that's fast, easy, feature-rich and effective , Surfshark offers a very tempting option.
Although it's priced like a budget provider it can compete with far more expensive products, and it's the cheapest VPN worth having today.
You'll get all the essentials like industry-standard 256-bit encryption, over 3,000 servers and great speeds, but Surfshark doesn't stop there. You'll get full WireGuard support, a few useful options like Double Hop, and a kill switch, all paired with a seriously easy-to-use interface.
Although the server fleet is smaller than NordVPN or ExpressVPN, Surfshark makes up for this with its impressive features and competitive speeds.
Let's start off with the biggest win it offers: unlimited device support. If you want to run your entire home or office on Surfshark’s VPN, you don’t have to worry about how many devices you have on or connected.
It is also very excellent for streaming and can unblock almost all the services we have tested, including iPlayer, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime.
Surfshark's fast speeds during the test pushed the service to immediately past Other VPN's tested speeds, with an average speed loss of 22%, and ahead of other speed-intensive VPNs such as ExpressVPN and NordVPN. This is particularly impressive given the comparatively small size of Surfshark's server fleet.
Surfshark's iOS VPN app (and Android) provides a very intuitive interface for first-time users. It took a few seconds to download the Surfshark iOS app onto our iPhone, and a few seconds later, we were connected to a private VPN in the United States.
You want to watch Netflix from any country? Surfshark's watertight DNS features make that possible. You want to torrent quickly and privately? Surfshark routes you to its own P2P-configured servers out of the US. You want to block fingerprinting trackers, use a private search engine and camouflage your traffic so it looks completely normal with the assurance of a kill switch? Surfshark's CleanWeb ad-blocker, Blindsearch search engine and on-board obfuscation covers you.
Unlike many other VPN providers, Surfshark doesn't offer a one-year plan. Its best offer is $2.49 a month, for its two-year plan (you pay about $60 up front). A six-month plan is $6.49 a month (about $39 up front), and month-by-month plans are $13 a month. Definitely take advantage of its generous 30-day trial to decide if you like this service (and if you choose the two-year plan, maybe set a reminder in 23 months to see if you can talk it into a continued discount rate).
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5.2, NordVPN
Pros
Cons
NordVPN is one of the most recognized veteran brands in the VPN field. It has many advantages, making this heavy-hitter product one of the best mobile VPNs we recommend, including its status as the reigning champion of value, excellent features, the latest and fastest VPN protocol, and improved security . There is no doubt that you aren't going to get a VPN service provider anywhere else that can do more than NordVPN does, as cheap as NordVPN does it.
When it comes to a seamless integration onto iOS and the iPad, NordVPN is right up there. The NordVPN iOS app is just as easy to interact with as its desktop client, with a similar design. It poses no learning curve if you're new to the app and looking to move from desktop to a mobile iOS device like an iPhone or iPad.
Boasting the protocols you'd expect from one of the top VPN picks (WireGuard NordLynx, OpenVPN, IKEv2), NordVPN also offers a speciality server list including Double VPN, P2P, Onion over VPN support, and Obfuscated and Dedicated IP servers. In fact, for iOS users, you're getting far more protocol and server options than NordVPN's Windows and Android options.
NordVPN can provide more than 5,400 servers in 59 countries/regions, a zero log policy, and the jurisdiction of Panama. It is an encryption powerhouse that has recently switched to RAM disk mode, and has a feature that allows you to VPN into Tor.
In our most recent speed tests, NordVPN performed on par with many of its competitors. We found that NordVPN is very fast.
There were never any sudden dips or service interruptions, and it is still one of the most consistent and stable VPNs we have ever used.
As a speed bonus, NordVPN's SmartPlay feature lets it do with ease what so many other VPNs struggle with: streaming video.
Nord offers a generous simultaneous connection count, with six connections allowed through its network -- nearly all other providers offer five or fewer.
For all that, how much are you paying? The company's two-year subscription plan costs $4.13 per month ($99 billed at once). Although the annual price is lower than some other contenders, the month-to-month price of $12 is at the high end of the spectrum. The company also offers a one-year plan for $4.92 a month. And yes, NordVPN also has a full 30-day refund policy if a VPN user isn't happy with the service.
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5.3, ExpressVPN
Pros
Cons
ExpressVPN has always maintained its supremacy, it has muscled its way ahead of the virtual private network (VPN) pack in 2019-2020, offering outstanding speeds and a reputation for reliability and security.
Its easy-to-navigate interface makes it a suitable choice for newbies who are just learning about VPNs, and its multi-platform compatibility
expands its value to a wide base of consumers. These factors more than justify ExpressVPN's slightly higher-than-average prices, starting at $6.67 a month.
You may have heard a lot about ExpressVPN. I can confirm that the part about their fast speed is correct.
However, due to its high price, compared to the unbeatable speed measured in 2019, I was disappointed to see a 51% speed loss in 2020 and 2024 tests. In our most recent speed tests, ExpressVPN resulted in less than 51% overall loss of speed, narrowly edging ahead of NordVPN, with which we saw a 52% speed loss.
Make no mistake, ExpressVPN is still a speed demon. Although, Lightway (an in-house protocol based on Wireguard, which is currently in development), their fastest proprietary tunneling protocol, isn’t available on iOS. OpenVPN (UDP/TCP) and IKEv2 work well, and you can still get very fast VPN speeds.
Its network is powered by TrustedServer technology, which ExpressVPN has built to ensure that there will never be any logs of users' online activities. In the area of privacy, ExpressVPN has a strong track record and experienced server seizures by the authorities, which proved their zero-log policy true at the time.
This VPN provider based in the British Virgin Islands offers more than 3,000 servers in 160 locations and 94 countries. It may have fewer servers than NordVPN, but they are located in more countries. If your server connection is interrupted, ExpressVPN will also reconnect. However, it is worth mentioning that the app does not include a kill switch.
Still, ExpressVPN unblocks most streaming services, so if you’re looking for a VPN for entertainment, it will work wonderfully. You can unblock Netflix, the BBC iPlayer, DAZN, to name a few.
Compared with NordVPN’s six connections, ExpressVPN only provides five simultaneous connections, but
It is still very popular thanks in part to its wide hyper-flexible platform compatibility. Android, iOS, Blackberry, Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox - if it's something you surf on, ExpressVPN is probably going to work with it. By contrast, NordVPN doesn't appear to have any gaming console apps.
Its best plan is priced at less than $7 a month for an annual package, which includes three months free, and you can pay with credit card, PayPal or Bitcoin. If you want to try ExpressVPN, you can get it for 7-days free through the app store. Or, better yet, click through and sign up from the ExpressVPN website to get an extra 3-months free on your subscription and still have the option for a full refund during first 30 days.
If you want to get a free VPN, you need to know the facts. First, they may bring hidden costs - you may get ads injected into your browser or, even worse, end up having your data sold or your device used as an exit node for other users.
If you want the best service possible, we'd recommend signing up to a paid provider. In terms of speed, security, and low price, the best VPN is Surfshark. For less than $2.50 a month, you will have unlimited data and simultaneous connections, as well as in-depth features that free VPNs don’t have.
However, If you're dead-set on testing out a free VPN, below we've rounded up the best 2, which manage to avoid compromising usability too much, and offer viable alternatives to paid services for casual users.
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6, What is the best free VPN for iOS?
6.1, Proton VPN
Pros
Cons
My first choice for the best free VPN app on iPhone is definitely Proton VPN. Proton VPN has done many things right, the most important of which is that the free tier of Proton VPN is completely usable.
With Proton VPN, you can get unlimited bandwidth for free. In addition, you can choose between servers located in the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands, so you can almost visit websites across three different continents.
Obviously, Proton VPN supports more servers. In fact, it has more than 560 servers in 43 different countries, but accessing them requires a paid subscription.
And, what sets ProtonVPN apart from the pack is the fact it delivers unlimited data – this is the only free VPN you really can set and forget without worrying about how much data you're using.
However, in addition to this, Proton VPN also provides a lot of useful VPN features. You can get support for always-on VPN, P2P servers and torrent support. Proton VPN uses AES-256, 4096-bit RSA and HMAC with SHA384 encryption. Unfortunately, although Proton VPN provides Kill Switch on Windows and Mac, it is not available in the iPhone app.
The basic speed of ProtonVPN makes it surpass most of our tested services. Like Surfshark, ProtonVPN achieves these speeds with a relatively small server base than its larger competitors.
Of course, there are some limitations – the provider does want you to start paying at some point, after all. At peak times you'll find that speeds drop as paying users have priority over bandwidth, you'll have access for only one device at a time, you'll get no P2P or Secure Core support, and only three locations to play with.
Compared to the competition, ProtonVPN's zero-logging policy, excellent unlimited data plan, and support for a wide range of devices, plus its functional leak protection, split tunneling and custom DNS servers all combine to make the most well-rounded free VPN we've tested to date by far.
6.2, Windscribe
Pros
Cons
Windscribe VPN, another free VPN for iPhone and iPad you can use, provides many reasons to make it the VPN of choice on your iOS device.
After regularly testing more than 60 VPNs, we found that Windscribe is the only free iOS VPN that works with US Netflix.
Windscribe also unblocks Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and every other streaming service we tested. All the other freemium VPNs we tested reserved streaming functionality for the paid plans, so it’s refreshing to see Windscribe provide this to all users.
When you sign up you'll get the chance to bag either 2GB a month without handing over any info, or 10GB if you provide an email address. You can extend this to 15GB by tweeting a promotional link for the company, but this still isn’t enough. This is one major drawback to Windscribe Free.
You can pick from a selection of servers, including North America, Europe, Hong Kong, and the recently added Turkey. Of course, if you upgrade you'll get a far larger selection, but this is generous for a free VPN.
When you use Windscribe on your iPhone, it uses double-hop encryption, which means your data is encrypted twice and travels through two servers before it gets to the internet.
Windscribe VPN offers a kill switch, which means your data will absolutely never wander out of your VPN tunnel.
Plus, it offers split-tunnelling, which means you can use both public and private networks at the same time. It also uses SHA512 encryption to secure your data. Windscribe VPN is also secure from WebRTC leaks and DNS leaks.
Plus, it supports P2P servers and torrenting as well.
Windscribe VPN has a no-log policy, but the company is headquartered in Canada, which is a part of the Five Eyes intelligence coalition, so it may be forced to share whatever data it has on you with government agencies. That includes things like the amount of data you use every month, as well as the timestamps for your activity.
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