Of the numerous other VPNs we've tested, the three providers outlined below are the most notable alternative choices. Though none are the best of the best, each is a capable option for anyone looking for something other than what the top three Mac VPNs offer.
Proton VPN
Proton VPN is a Swiss-based open-source VPN provider that offers excellent privacy features for Mac users. While Proton VPN's primary focus is on privacy and transparency, its Mac app is easy to use and it does a decent job unblocking content on various streaming platforms. And if you're looking for a free VPN, Proton VPN's free tier is the only one that CNET recommends.
While Proton VPN's free tier doesn't include access to all of its servers, its ad-blocker tool or advanced privacy features (which include its Secure Core servers or Tor Over VPN function) there are no usage limits, and the encryption, obfuscation and leak protection is all the same for free users as they are for paid users. Premium plans are priced at $10 a month, $60 for your first year or $108 for your first two years (the one- and two-year plans renew at $80 annually), with a 30-day money-back guarantee included.
Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access is one of the most budget-friendly VPNs in the business. PIA offers a $12 monthly subscription, $40 annual tier and a three-year plan at $79. Unlike many VPN rivals including ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark, PIA foregoes price hikes, making it one of the cheapest MacOS VPNs. Like Proton VPN and Mullvad VPN, its apps are all open-source. However, PIA is a US-based VPN, which may be a deal-breaker if you have heightened or critical online privacy needs. Nevertheless, PIA issues semi-annual transparency reports, has been independently audited and has had its no-logs claims tested in the wild.
PIA's Mac app is highly customizable, so it's great for anyone who likes to tinker with their VPN connection or have a dashboard with a lot of information at hand. PIA is decent for unblocking streaming services. But its high speed loss of 49% in our 2024 tests -- up from 24% in our 2023 benchmarks -- means it’s not ideal for folks with slower or more unreliable connections, like satellite internet.
IPVanish
IPVanish is another US-based VPN provider that's a good option for VPN newbies or casual users. Its Mac app is simple and user-friendly and offers a multitude of options to connect to a VPN server. IPVanish's Quick Connect feature is the quickest and easiest way to connect to a server. Speeds proved underwhelming, with a 44% average internet speed loss in our 2024 tests, and you can use IPVanish to access geo-blocked content, but its kill switch feature on Mac is limited to the OpenVPN protocol -- which means you could be sacrificing your connection speeds if you want to enable IPVanish's kill switch on your Mac.