There has never been a more important time for people in Taiwan to sign up for a VPN. Chinese aggression towards Taiwan is growing for the first time since the start of the internet era. And cyber-attacks are one of the many new tools they are using.
Some may look at Taiwan and wonder why a VPN is necessary. The internet in Taiwan is one of the freest in Asia, with little online censorship or surveillance. Statistics also suggest that up to a third of Taiwanese internet users already use a VPN.
But the threat to Taiwanese internet users doesn’t come from at home. It comes from across the Taiwan Straits where the Chinese Communist Party employs an internet army which is intent on pushing their sovereignty claims over Taiwan by any means possible.
And while VPN use is already fairly high in Taiwan, many are making use of ‘free’ VPNs. As we have explained elsewhere, Free VPNs offer very little online security and privacy protection.
While a VPN is increasingly important for online security and privacy in Taiwan, there are a lot of other benefits to using one as well:
The benefits of using a VPN in China
Watching TV and Movies from abroad
Overseas TV and movies are hugely popular in Taiwan. Content from places like China, South Korea, Japan, and the USA is watched by almost everyone. But trying to stream new content from TV channels in those countries, almost always doesn’t work. This is because these channels use geo-blocking to stop people overseas from watching.
But using a VPN lets you get around this geo-blocking. By connecting to a server in Japan, you can log in and watch content on almost all Japanese streaming services. The same is true in South Korea, the USA, and almost everywhere else. With a VPN you can watch your favorite shows and movies from all over the world.
Online Gaming
There are many new online games which are not currently available in Taiwan. Some do not make it here at all. Games publishers use geo-blocking just like TV channels do. But with a VPN, you can play any online game you like in Taiwan by connecting to an overseas server. And you can even save money when buying games from online stores like Steam.
Accessing blocked websites
There isn’t much online censorship in Taiwan, but there is some. But it doesn’t matter with a VPN, because you can easily bypass online censorship and access any website in the world.
Accessing Taiwanese websites abroad
Some Taiwanese websites may use geo-blocking to stop people outside Taiwan from accessing them. In some countries, especially China, some Taiwanese websites may be censored and inaccessible. But if you connect your VPN to a Taiwanese server, you can access all the same websites as anyone else in Taiwan.
Visiting and working in China
Many Taiwanese people live, work, or visit China and are therefore unable to access many popular websites, such as Facebook, Google, and LINE, which are unavailable there. But using a VPN lets you get around the Great Firewall and access all your favorite sites in China as usual.
Why Taiwanese internet users mustn’t use a free VPN
Many Taiwanese VPN users are signed up with so-called ‘free’ VPN services. This is a bad idea. ‘Free’ VPNs may not charge a fee, but they will make money in other ways. Often this is by selling your online data or failing to keep it secure or private.
Signing up for a professional VPN only costs a few NT$ a month. But they offer secure encryption, a guarantee that your online data is private and secure, access to censored content in China and elsewhere, and much more besides.
What is the best VPN for Taiwan?
This is a difficult question to answer. There are a lot of VPN providers and not all of them are ideal to use in Taiwan. Choosing the right VPN depends on what you want to use it for too. For example, if you are planning to visit China, you need to choose a VPN which works there.
But, in general, there are a few things that most people in Taiwan are looking for from a VPN:
- Strong encryption and security features
- Good privacy protections
- Fast connection speeds
- Servers in Taiwan or neighboring countries
- No restrictions on how much data you can use
- Multiple connections with one account to keep all your devices secure
- Affordable subscription rates
To help you choose, we have tested all the major VPN providers using these criteria to discover the best VPN for Taiwan. These five VPN providers are the ones that came top of our list:
NordVPN
- Mandarin service: Yes
- VPN Servers: 4,480 servers in 62 countries
- Taiwan Servers: Yes
- Work in China: Yes
- Simultaneous Connections: 6
NordVPN offers terrific value money services. It is one of the lowest priced providers around, but its service is among the very best. NordVPN has 5 Taiwan servers to connect to, as well as plenty more in other countries around the region. It has strong encryption as standard and a fantastic no user logs guarantee. There are tons of bonus features too, including a regional double-VPN service which routes traffic through both Taiwan and Hong Kong, for extra security and privacy.
NordVPN has apps for almost every device and allows six connections with every account meaning you can protect all your devices and even some of your families too. They offer a free trial and also a 30-day money back guarantee, so there is nothing to lose by trying them out.
Buffered VPN
- Mandarin service: No
- VPN Servers: Multiple servers in 44 countries
- Taiwan Servers: No
- Work in China: Yes
- Simultaneous Connections: 5
Buffered VPN is quite new but is already a favorite thanks to its lightning-fast connection speeds and excellent encryption. There are no Taiwanese servers yet (they are coming), but plenty in nearby countries like Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea. Their service does work in China and the company also offers a workaround for any customers who do experience problems.
Buffered VPN works on all devices, allows five connections with each account, and is also pretty cheap. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee too and there is currently a free month given to anyone signing up for their annual package. Buffered VPN is a young, dynamic VPN which is perfect for Taiwanese internet users.
ExpressVPN
- Mandarin service: No
- VPN Servers: 2000+ servers in 94+ countries
- Taiwan Servers: Yes
- Work in China: Yes
- Simultaneous Connections: 3
ExpressVPN is one of the most famous VPNs, and one of the best. They offer super-fast connection speeds, great security, and a huge network of servers. This includes servers in Taiwan as well as 19 other countries in the region. Their speeds make them perfect for online gaming and streaming movies and TV shows, while their privacy policies are among the very best available.
ExpressVPN has dedicated apps for most devices, although these are not available in Mandarin at the moment. They are not the cheapest either, but their service is simple, easy to use and there is a great 30-day money-back guarantee too.
VyprVPN
- Mandarin service: Yes
- VPN Servers: 700+ servers in 70+ countries
- Taiwan Servers: Yes
- Work in China: Yes
- Simultaneous Connections: 5
VyprVPN is one of the few premium VPNs which offers its service in Mandarin as well as English. This will reassure some Taiwanese users but is not the only reason to choose them. They have servers in Taiwan and 13 other east Asian countries. Their encryption is excellent especially if you choose their premium package which includes their unique Chameleon protocol. (If travelling to China you will be able to access this on their basic package too).
VyprVPN’s privacy is exceptional. They keep no user logs and also own and operate all of their servers and infrastructure. For all this, they are extremely affordable too. And they even offer a free 3-day trial available, so you can try their service before you sign up.
IPVanish
- Mandarin service: No
- VPN Servers: 1000+ servers in 60+ countries
- Taiwan Servers: Yes
- Work in China: Manual Connection only
- Simultaneous Connections: 10
IPVanish is another well-known VPN provider. Their security and privacy offerings are as good as any other provider we recommend, and they have a huge server network too. They do not currently have any servers in Taiwan, but they do have a total of 76 servers available in the region among more than 700 globally.
IPVanish’s connection speeds are fast and reliable across their network, which makes them great for streaming or downloading things. And with a huge 10 simultaneous connections with each account, you can keep family and friends secure too. For their mid-range prices, IPVanish offers a premium service, with great apps for most devices and a 7-day money back guarantee if you are not totally satisfied.
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