Bahrain is a country in which the majority of the population has access to the Internet. With over 98% Internet penetration, citizens enjoy fast speeds and country-wide connectivity.
Unfortunately, in spite of the outstanding penetration percentage, the country is quite backward when it comes to online freedom with the royal family having strict control over the internet.
The antidote to this problem can be found in a VPN service.
ExpressVPN is our #1 recommendation as to the best Bahrain VPN due to its low price, extensive server network, and ability to access censored and blocked content within the country.
6 Best VPNs to Use in Bahrain
Censorship and government monitoring of users’ activity is performed tenaciously in Bahrain. As such, citizens naturally have strong reasons to take measures for safeguarding their own privacy online, which is guarded by the following top-rated providers:
1. ExpressVPN – Overall Best Bahrain VPN
ExpressVPN consists of 3,000+ servers in 94 different locations, with none of these in Bahrain. Also, the provider is located in the British Virgin Islands (one of the safest VPN jurisdictions) and has a strict privacy-focused logging policy that promises zero customer data retention.
These servers are strongly capable of working with Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, torrents, and unblocking all types of websites in Bahrain with ease. Its unblocking potential and super fast speed make it one of the best streaming VPNs out there in the market.
However, it is one of the more expensive options, since it costs $6.67/mo . Nonetheless, its 30-day refund period and privacy-enhancing features can effectively guard users’ privacy against authoritarian government surveillance.
Read our ExpressVPN review for more details.
2. Surfshark – Fastest VPN for Bahrain
Surfshark has a network of 3,200+ servers in 65 countries, but none of these are in Bahrain. Still, it’s the offshore servers that should concern you, since these are the servers that will help you bypass geo-restrictions and access censored websites within Bahrain. Since censorship is a common issue in Bahrain, this makes Surfshark quite useful for people in the country.
It is the fastest VPN service with an impressive downloading speed of 27.91 Mbps. The provider is also quite efficient for unblocking US Netflix in Bahrain to gain access to content only available within America.
Surfshark is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, which is a country that does not impose any data logging laws on VPNs/ISPs. This is why the provider guarantees zero-logging of any personally identifiable information of users.
In addition to this, the VPN offers a variety of features such as CleanWeb, WhiteLister, and MultiHop to boost online privacy. With unlimited simultaneous connections and a 30-day money-back guarantee at the price tag of $2.49/mo , Surfshark is one of the most options available for Bahrain citizens looking to elevate their online privacy.
Read the full Surfshark review for more details.
3. NordVPN – Best for bypassing geo-blocks in Bahrain
NordVPN has a huge network of 5,500+ servers in 59 countries with none of these in the country of Bahrain. The overseas servers are quite powerful and are built to bypass firewalls and all sorts of censorship on the web. This makes NordVPN great for the heavily regulated internet of Bahrain.
The provider is based in Panama and strictly follows a no-logging policy, taking advantage of the privacy-friendly laws of their jurisdiction. This makes this VPN particularly efficient for Bahrain where censorship from the government is a persistent issue.
Furthermore, NordVPN supports torrenting and Netflix, so if you are a fan of streaming and like to try things out by downloading them first through torrents, you can safely do so with this VPN.
Finally, it offers features like Double VPN, CyberSec, Onion over VPN, kill switch for added anonymity. So, in case you want to completely erase any fears of monitoring from the government, these features come in handy.
Although a bit higher priced at $3.71/mo , the 30-day money back guarantee, 6 simultaneous connections, in combination with the above-mentioned features make it well worth the price.
Find out more in our NordVPN review.
4. PureVPN – Budget VPN for Bahrain
PureVPN offers more than 6,500+ servers in 140+ countries, with 6 of these in Manama, Bahrain. This range of servers gives a lot of options for citizens in Bahrain to change their virtual location. This enables you to rise above censored websites in the country while also keeping your identity hidden from government authorities and agencies.
PureVPN is based in Hong Kong, a country free from data retention requirements. It follows a zero-logging policy, so you can trust this VPN to avoid logging your private information. If you need better privacy protection and prevent the Bahrain government from tracking your online activities, you can rely on PureVPN.
The VPN is equipped with features like split-tunneling, kill switch, and ad-blocker to give enhanced control to users on their online privacy and security. To top it off, PureVPN is the best VPN for cheap due to its impressive price of $3.33/mo along with a 30-day refund policy and 10 simultaneous connections.
For more information, read our PureVPN review.
5. CyberGhost – Secure VPN for Bahrain
CyberGhost has 6,600+ servers spread throughout 89 countries, but none in Bahrain. The provider is considerably efficient for a variety of purposes including streaming, torrenting, as well as general purpose.
CyberGhost is based in Romania which is does not apply any form of data logging which gives users the privacy they need online. Many of these servers support torrenting and also unblock US Netflix if you need access to exclusive content not available in Bahrain.
In addition, the provider offers 7 simultaneous connections and a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is more than the industry average. For $2.25/mo , privacy-conscious users in Bahrain will find CyberGhost an attractive a privacy-enhancing measure on the web.
For more information, read our CyberGhost review.
6. PIA VPN – Best for Torrenting in Bahrain
PIA VPN offers 23,000+ servers, but there are none within Bahrain. The closest server you can connect to is in the UAE. Nonetheless, it is the offshore servers that you will need most because these will allow getting past social media censorship and strict online regulation in Bahrain.
The provider also works extremely well for accessing streaming platforms. You can use US servers, for instance, to access Netflix within Bahrain with all the US exclusive content. Similarly, it works with other platforms like BBC iPlayer and Hulu.
Furthermore, PIA VPN ensures user privacy by following a trustworthy no-logs policy. No user activity is stored within the logs of this VPN which puts a cloak over your online sessions as protection from government surveillance and other spying Bahraini agencies. To further enhance user privacy, it uses features like DNS Secure, IPv6 leak protection, and kill switch.
The service costs $2.69/mo and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and 10 simultaneous connections as part of the package.
To learn more, see this PIA VPN review.
How to choose the right VPN?
The VPN you choose for Bahrain should have some essential features which characterize all-powerful VPN services. These are:
- Server locations: The more servers a VPN offers, the merrier. A large network of servers reduces the chances of any single server being overcrowded. Moreover, it allows you to bypass restrictions placed on different geographical regions more easily.
- Download speed: All VPNs cause a drop in your Internet speed to some extent. However, it is the mark of a good VPN if your speeds before and after turning the VPN on are affected only to a small degree.
- Encryption: For surveillance states like Bahrain, strong encryption is extremely important. Therefore, make sure you consider encryption as an important factor when purchasing a VPN.
- Privacy policy: Finally, VPN providers should value your privacy and take measures that prevent your privacy from being compromised. VPNs located in countries outside of the Five Eyes and which have a transparent privacy policy.
Why you Need a VPN in Bahrain?
VPN services have a number of important uses for users in Bahrain. These include the following:
Bahrain and Internet Censorship
The government censors various content, sites, and services in Bahrain. If you are unable to access a certain page on social media or a video on YouTube, chances are it is banned by the Bahraini government.
In addition to websites, some messaging apps such as Telegram are blocked in the country. Certain religious and political sects encounter face censorship more persistently than others. Journalists, bloggers, and activists critical of the Bahraini government are particularly targeted. Simply put, internet censorship is a serious obstacle to freedom of speech in Bahrain.
The online activities of users in Bahrain is not protected by any official laws. The government takes advantage of the lack of any legal barriers to prevent it from spying digital activities of citizens. In fact, since 2016, the Bahraini government has been taking measures on social media to promote pro-government views while suppressing critical viewpoints of activists and citizens.
The lack of privacy laws that protect freedom of speech and user privacy is a serious problem for Bahraini governments. Naturally, citizens search for a way to get under the surveillance radar of the government and freely speak their minds. A VPN for Bahrain is the most convenient solution to enhance security and lay down hurdles against government spying on user activity online.
Streaming Apps and Services Unavailable
It is hard to list down all the streaming services available in Bahrain. I will list down the popular services that are not available in Bahrain, so you can have a better idea of whether you should get a VPN and gain access to these.
These popular streaming apps and sites are not accessible in Bahrain:
The streaming service giant Netflix is fortunately available in Bahrain, but it only offers a limited library as compared to Netflix US. You will need to use a VPN having US servers if you want to access Netflix US from Bahrain.
Bahrain offers its own version of Netflix branded as Iflix which is owned by the largest telecom provider in the country, Zain Bahrain. It is basically following the footsteps of Netflix, featuring Hollywood and Bollywood movies for local subscribers in the country.
Is it Safe to Use Free VPN Proxy in Bahrain?
Free VPN/proxy services are known to track and sell user data to other companies and may even provide it to governments without your permission.
As such, using a free VPN can defeat the whole purpose of why we need VPNs in the first place, which is to maintain your privacy. If your privacy is something of value to you, then you should not risk it by opting for free services. This is why I do not recommend a free VPN and encourage you to do your research and get a premium VPN that you can trust.
Bahrain VPN Law
Internet laws in Bahrain is quite rudimentary and hardly has any explicit penalties for any kind of activity. There is no law that prohibits the use of VPN in the country.
So, yes it is legal to use a VPN in Bahrain. I would, in fact, recommend making VPNs a permanent part of how you connect to the internet. It is better to stay safe than sorry, considering how strict the Bahraini government is against free speech on the web.
VPN Guides for Other Countries
Best Bahrain VPN: Finishing up
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Bahrain to bypass geo-restrictions and maintain online privacy effectively. The prevailing internet problems have made it a necessity for VPNs to use stay safe online and obtain freedom on the internet as per their democratic right. This situation is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Thankfully, we have VPNs to rely on to counter the problems on the internet.
