The Best VPN For Vietnam (September 2021 Updated)

Vietnam might be a tourist hot spot, but the country’s cyberspace is heavily regulated and censored. It is rated as an “Enemy of the Internet” by Reporters without Borders. By implementing their so-called Bamboo Firewall that works similarly to China’s GFW, the Vietnamese government heavily monitors the internet and blocks foreign websites and social networking sites like Facebook.

Considering the deteriorating condition of Vietnamese cyberspace, We have come up with a list of some of the best VPN for Vietnam you can use in 2021 to bypass internet censorship and restrictions.

If you’re in Vietnam, you might face issues accessing streaming sites, social media platforms, blogs, journalist sites, torrent sites, and more. With a VPN, you can mask your real IP address and have unrestricted access to the internet.

So without further ado, let’s start with a brief overview of our handpicked VPNs that work best in Vietnam. We have shortlisted 6 providers after testing 150+ VPNs.

6 Best VPN For Vietnam (September 2021 In-Depth Analysis)

We have tested over 150+ VPNs to find the 6 best VPNs for Vietnam. These VPNs have been tested on various performance criteria like security, speed, geo-blocking, money-back guarantee, and more.

1. Best VPN for Vietnam – ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Vietnam offering amazing speeds, encryption, and features that are just perfect for Vietnamese. It is perfect for every task – be it streaming, unblocking sites, gaming, torrenting, or browsing.

ExpressVPN offers 3000+ servers across 94 countries, including one server in Vietnam. With the help of its local server, you can watch Vietnamese TV, Sports, and news channels like VTC1, VTC2, VTC3, and more from abroad.

Using ExpressVPN’s global servers, you can access any streaming service you like including Netflix, Hotstar, HBO, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, ESPN, and more.

ExpressVPN also offers a free Smart DNS feature called MediaStreamer to help you access blocked streaming sites in Vietnam at faster speeds. With the help of MediaStreamer, you can enjoy streaming your favourite shows and movies on your Smart TV, Apple TV, gaming consoles, and more.

Apart from unblocking, ExpressVPN also offers top security features including, 256-bit military-grade encryption, RAM servers that wipe off all the data on every reboot, and an automatic kill switch. It also offers DNS leak protection and a no-logging policy. We conducted IP leak tests on its US – New York server and there were no IP leaks at all.

You can connect 5 devices at the same time with one ExpressVPN subscription. It is available for $6.67/mo with a 30-day money-back guarantee. So, you can use ExpressVPN free of cost for 30 days in Vietnam and see if meets your requirements.

See this detailed ExpressVPN review for more details.

2. Budget-friendly VPN for Vietnam – Surfshark

Sufshark is the most budget-friendly VPNs in the industry starting at just $2.49/mo . Surfshark comes packed with some of the finest security features, unblocking ability, and privacy for users in Vietnam.

Surfshark offers 3200+ servers across 65 countries with 1 server in Vietnam that will let you unblock local TV channels such as VTV Go, VTVcab, Hanoicab, and more from abroad. The international set of streaming platforms that you can access in Vietnam with this VPN includes Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Channel4, UKTV, BT-Sports , and more.

Surfshark is based in the British Virgin Island, a place with no mandatory data retention laws. So, with Surfshark, you don’t have to worry about data logging policies in Vietnam. It also offers other cool features like CleanWeb (adblocker), WhiteLister (split tunneling), and MultiHop (encrypts traffic by passing it through 2 servers).

Surfshark also offers IP and DNS leak protection. During testing, not once did it leak our actual IP address. This is a great feature for Vietnamese users who want to boost their online privacy.

What’s best is that with one Surfshark account, you can secure unlimited devices at the same time. It costs $2.49/mo with a full 30-day money-back guarantee.

All in all, Surfshark is perfect for evading the eyes of the Vietnamese government and bypassing geo-blocks. Read more about the provider in our Surfshark review.

3. Secure VPN for Vietnam – NordVPN

NordVPN is the most secure VPN for Vietnam. It is known to offer some of the best security and encryption tools that are not available with any other provider. NordVPN is based in Panama, one of the most privacy-focused jurisdictions in the world. In addition, it is equipped with privacy-enhancing features such as an internet kill switch, Onion Over VPN, CyberSec, and Double VPN.

It has a strong network of servers consisting of 5200+ servers across 60 countries, with 10 servers in Vietnam. You can use them to watch the local Vietnamese channels like VTC1, VTV, VTC Digital, and more abroad.

With NordVPN’s international server you can bypass geo-restrictions and censorship within Vietnam. These servers also allow you access to geo-blocked streaming services like BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, and Netflix in Vietnam. It also allows 6 multi-logs so you can stream on multiple devices at the same time.

NordVPN offers a Double VPN feature that encrypts your traffic not once but twice to ensure online privacy. It also offers foolproof protection against DNS and IP leaks. With NordVPN we were able to hide our actual IP address, as you can see from the following leak test.

Considering its wide variety of features, NordVPN is reasonably priced at $3.30/mo (VPN Awareness Month - 2 year plan at 72% off + 3 months FREE) and you can cancel NordVPN and get money-back within 30 Days.

You can also read our NordVPN review for more details.

4. Fastest VPN for Vietnam – IPVanish

IPVanish is one of the fastest VPNs in the industry, and a great choice for users in Vietnam. During testing, it managed to output a high speed of 90 Mbps on a 100 Mbps base connection. It was more than enough for data-intensive tasks like streaming, gaming, torrenting, and downloading large files.

IPVanish also offers a decent network of 1900+ servers across 75+ countries. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a server located in Vietnam at the moment. However, with its international servers, you can easily unblock streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Hotstar, Zee5, Voot, NBC Live, Foxtel, and Fox-Sports from within Vietnam.

Just like Surfshark, IPVanish also allows unlimited simultaneous connections so you can protect as many devices as you want on one account. It is compatible with Windows, iOS, Android, Mac, Linux, and routers.

IPVanish also offers top security features like military-grade 256-bit encryption, kill switch, SHA512 authentication, and IP leak protection to help you safely browse online in Vietnam. We also ran IP leak tests by connecting to IPVanish’s Singapore VPN server and found no leaks.

IPVanish is also affordable, available at $3.75/mo, which also includes a 31-day refund policy. Considering the heavy surveillance underway in Vietnam, this log-free service makes IPVanish an excellent choice for the locals and travelers.

Read our IPVanish review for more information on this provider.

5. User-friendly VPN for Vietnam – CyberGhost

Cyberghost is the most user-friendly VPN for Vietnam. Aside from being compatible with all major devices such as macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, Android TV, Firestick, and routers, CyberGhost also has a very user-friendly design for all of its VPN applications. It is a great choice for beginners.

CyberGhost also offers dedicated servers for streaming, torrenting and gaming, that are marked so you can find the server according to your requirement. In total, it offers 7000+ servers in 90 locations, including 12 servers in Hanoi, Vietnam.

With servers in Vietnam, people from abroad can catch up with their favorite shows on local TV channels such as AVG, K+, VTC, HTVC, and many others. Similarly, with its international servers, you can access international sites like Netflix, FOX, NBC, Disney+, TVNZ, BBC iPlayer, Foxtel, and more.

Not only that, CyberGhost’s Romanian jurisdiction is free from data retention laws which means none of your data is logged at all. Cyberghost also offers 256-bit encryption, kill switch, and HMAC authentication along with IP leak protection.

I tested CyberGhost’s IP leak protection and found it efficient and foolproof. As you can see from the screenshot below, my actual IP was completely masked.

Best of all, CyberGhost costs  $2.25/mo and is covered by an extensive 45-day refund policy. To check out the complete list of features, read our CyberGhost review.

6. Best VPN for Torrenting in Vietnam – PIA VPN

Private Internet Access (PIA) is the best VPN for torrenting in Vietnam offering advanced features like SOCKS5 proxy, and a kill switch to ensure online safety.

PIA also features one of the largest server networks of 35500+ servers, across 78 countries. All these servers are optimized for P2P. It also offers 24 servers in Vietnam, so you can access local websites like Shopee, VNExpress, Thanhnien, and more from abroad. Similarly, with its international servers, you can unblock sites like Netflix, Disney+, HBO, Hulu, Hotstar, and more in Vietnam.

It uses 256-bit encryption to secure your data. PIA also offers a whole range of features like automatic kill switch, port forwarding, dedicated IP, and DNS leak protection to help you protect against potential data leaks.

Since Vietnam is an extremely oppressive country, PIA with its latest security protocols can help you freely access the web without worrying about your online privacy. We also ran an IP leak test while connected to PIA’s Australia server, and it did not leak our real IP address throughout the session, as you can see from the screenshot below:

PIA costs only $2.08/mo . For this price, you also get 10 simultaneous connections and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Overall, if you are going to be using a VPN in Vietnam for torrenting, PIA is a great choice. Read our PIA VPN review for more information.

Testing Methodology: How we tested the best VPN for Vietnam

We have shortlisted the 6 best VPN for Vietnam after testing 150+ providers on various performance criteria. So, when you are looking for a VPN in Vietnam, make sure to consider the following important criteria:

1. Server network: The best VPN in Vietnam should offer a large server network with global coverage so you can access international content. It should also offer servers in Vietnam.
2. Robust encryption: Make sure to choose a VPN that uses 256-bit AES encryption for data protection. It should also offer other security features like a kill switch, IP leak protection, and more.
3. Ability to bypass geo-blocks: The VPN you choose for Vietnam should have the ability to bypass geo-blocks and give you unrestricted access to social media apps and streaming sites in Vietnam.
4. Device compatibility: Best VPN for Vietnam should be compatible with all major devices like Windows, iOS, Android, macOS, and Linux. It should also support at least 5 simultaneous connections.
5. 24/7 customer support: Make sure to choose a VPN for Vietnam that offers 24/7 customer support so you can reach out to them and ask for help in case of connectivity issues.
6. Money-back guarantee: The best VPN in Vietnam should offer at least a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test the service before buying. Amongst the VPNs mentioned above, CyberGhost is the only one offering a 45-day money-back guarantee.

3 Reasons Why You Need a VPN in Vietnam

If you are wondering, do I really need a VPN in Vietnam? The answer is yes, you definitely need a VPN in Vietnam, and here are 3 major reasons why:

The Bamboo Firewall

The Bamboo Firewall of Vietnam effectively filters social media platforms, news websites, and any blog or content piece that critiques the Vietnamese government.

On April 23, 2021, three independent reporters Nguyen Thanh Nha, Doan Kien Giang, and Nguyen Phuoc Trung Bao have been arrested on charges of “abusing democratic freedom” and are facing up to seven years in prison.

The Reporters without Borders ranks Vietnam 175/ 180, which is very poor – meaning freedom of speech, religious freedom, and internet freedom is highly restrictive and limited in Vietnam. The internet and online media platforms are in control of the Communist party. Considering the situation in Vietnam, a VPN can grant you anonymity online along with privacy and security.

Online Censorship

Vietnam has been rubbing the restrictions and forceful censorships on the faces of its Netizens for a long time now. The Decree 72 law was introduced in September 2013 and states that the users shall not be allowed to post anything that questions the credibility of the Vietnamese government.

Just like the Middle-Eastern countries, Vietnam forbids its users from expressing their opinions on the internet through social media and personal blogs. But unlike the Middle-Eastern countries, Vietnam has a strict policy for global websites as well that target the Vietnamese people.

This is exactly why you should consider using a premium VPN in Vietnam. A VPN will create an encrypted tunnel and allow you to use the internet freely in your country. With a VPN’s encryption, the internet service providers (ISP) and the government will be unable to track you online.

Accessing geo-restricted websites

Another major reason why you need a VPN in Vietnam is to access geo-blocked and restricted sites. With a VPN you can have access to popular streaming platforms like Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ in Vietnam. To access these sites, all you need to do is connect to a VPN server, and acquire an IP address of a different country to bypass geo-restrictions.

This way you can also unblock social media sites like Facebook, Yahoo, and YouTube in Vietnam that the government sometimes blocks because they don’t bring profits home. Similarly, the government has also blocked other popular platforms in the past including WordPress, Medium, Twitter, and more using the deep packet inspection technology.

Fortunately, the VPNs mentioned above use 256-bit encryption to encrypt your data, thus effectively bypassing deep pocket inspection and granting full access to international sites in Vietnam.

VPNs to Avoid in Vietnam

Not every VPN is capable of offering what is promised. And even if they are capable, some VPNs have a bad history of violating user’s online privacy. On that note, here are two VPNs that you should avoid using in Vietnam:

1. Hotspot Shield:

Hotspot Shield was accused by a privacy advocacy group of tracking and storing user cookies without their consent. They then sold this data to third-party advertisers for personal gains. This VPN had also been accused of redirecting people to affiliate links just so the VPN provider can earn a commission.

2. Hola VPN:

Hola VPN, an Israel-based VPN service illegally used users as botnets to undertake dangerous activities like launching DDoS attacks. A part of users’ data was set aside to be used in the distribution of copyrighted content, DDoS attacks, and pornography without any consent

VPN guides for Other Countries

• Top VPN for Malaysia
• Top VPN for Thailand
• Top VPN for the Philippines
• Top VPN for Taiwan
• Top VPN for Romania
• Top VPN for Japan
• Top VPN for Cambodia
• Top VPN for Hong Kong
• Top VPN for Sri Lanka

Best VPN for Vietnam FAQs

Final Thoughts

The Communist Party in Vietnam has imposed some of the harshest internet restrictions and censorship laws in the country. The internet is heavily regulated and freedom of speech is close to zero, as you can be imprisoned for speaking against the ruling party.

To stay unaffected by Vietnamese laws, it is recommended to you use the best VPN for Vietnam. The VPNs mentioned above will give you excellent security and privacy online. Our top recommendation for Vietnam is ExpressVPN. It also offers an amazing deal of “12 Months + 3 Months Free“, which comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee as well.