7 Best VPNs for Canada in 2024

Canada boasts the strongest security policies that protect the people against all major threats. However, when implementing these rules, the Canadian government strongly monitors users’ online activities. This makes the visitors and citizens vulnerable to tracking. Hence, whether you live in Canada or are visiting there, you need a VPN if you want your online activities to remain private and secure.

Today, hundreds of VPNs are available in the market. However, not all of those services are reliable.

So, how would you find the one that will serve your needs without compromising your privacy? Read along to learn the answer, as this guide lists the seven best VPNs for Canada alongside a quick comparison of their features.

Quick list of best Canada VPNs – Top 3

Are you in a rush to try a VPN now? No problem. Below is a quick list of vetted services that you can use in Canada:

1. NordVPN: Offers military-grade security, breakneck speed, and tremendous unblocking ability. Moreover, its 30-day money-back guarantee is all you need to test the VPN without worries.
2. Private Internet Access: Boasts excellent speed and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Moreover, you can connect unlimited devices at once.
3. Surfshark: This option is suitable for users who are on a budget but still require value. It works great in Canada and can unblock any geo-restricted service. Plus, the service allows unlimited simultaneous connections and does not keep data logs.

How to use a VPN in Canada? The quick guide

It isn’t difficult to protect your online activities in Canada. Just follow these steps and go anonymous within minutes.

Why do you need VPNs for Canada?

Most discussions about online surveillance frequently revolve around American surveillance. Particularly, since Edward Snowden discovered the country’s National Security Agency PRISM program and other covert operations, America is in the eye of the storm. Consequently, people keep questioning the morality of bulk interception, mass surveillance, encryption, and government-sponsored online monitoring.

Though, the cybersecurity policies of the US attract more attention because of its economic and military power. Yet, many other countries also implement similar online surveillance that crosses the line between national security and spying on ordinary citizens. One such country is Canada. It came up with an Anti-Terrorism Act in 2015, allowing agencies and ISPs to gather and share information, the same way the NSA does.

Canada is a part of the ‘Five Eyes’ countries that share each other’s intelligence, which predominantly includes information about people’s online activities. While this may serve some useful purpose, such sharing infringes on users’ privacy and security.

Thus, as a Canadian resident or visitor, your ISP servers can easily intercept your internet browsing, the forums you use, and who you message. The information is passed on directly to the government.

Moreover, this can quickly be taken advantage of by nefarious persons and hackers interested in mining your data for mischievous uses. Even though the country is seemingly making efforts to protect the privacy of people better. Sadly, millions of Canadians have their data and identity stolen and sold online.

Hence, to ensure your privacy and that of the people you are communicating with, consider investing in Canadian VPN deals.

VPN, short for Virtual Private Network, encrypts all of your device’s internet traffic. It then channels the data through an intermediary server in your preferred online location. Hence, your ISP, the Canadian government, and hackers fail to monitor your online activities.

Canada’s internet censorship through Bill C-11

The objective of Bill C-11 is to boost and protect Canadian-made content. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) already implements strict rules for broadcast media concerning “CanCon.” 

For instance, radio stations must allot 35% of their airtime to Canadian musicians, and television stations must air around 50% of Canadian content. The Canadian government now aims to extend these regulations to audio-video streaming services to ensure that they prioritize Canadian content online as well.

Bill C-11 empowers the CRTC to control “discoverability,” or the content that is suggested to you based on your preferences. This enables the CRTC to promote Canadian content creators on platforms such as YouTube or Netflix. In addition, large corporations may be required to contribute to the Canadian Media Fund if they want to maintain their operations.

There are several challenges with Bill C-11, including:

• The difficulty in defining what constitutes “Canadian content.”
• The granting of significant power to the CRTC raises concerns about net neutrality and the potential for future censorship.
• Although the bill aims to regulate large companies, it will also impact user-generated content.

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Important factors to consider before subscribing to a VPN

With many VPN services in the market, choosing the right VPN can be tricky. But to make things easy, first, determine what’s important to you. For example, while some people may want the best VPN for Netflix, others may wish for VPNs best for amateurs.

Nevertheless, here are the most important factors that you should always bear in mind before investing your money in a VPN service.

1. Speed: Speed, measured in megabits per second (Mbps), refers to how fast downloads happen with a VPN. The higher the speed, the better.
2. Location: A VPN’s location significantly impacts users’ privacy. Some VPNs are based in regions where the government can force them to hand over consumers’ data through established laws. Thus, always choose a VPN based in a region free from government inspection and ISP surveillance.
3. IP Leak: This refers to an unwarranted exposure of your actual IP address online despite an active VPN connection, which triggers cybersecurity risks. An efficient VPN should hide your IP address always.
4. DNS leak: DNS leaks occur due to errors in network configuration. This results in the network sending DNS queries over insecure links rather than using a VPN connection. To avoid this situation, you should test your VPN for DNS leaks.
5. Server network: The more the number of servers a VPN offers for a single location, the faster the connection speed.
6. Features: Features, such as AES encryption, VPN protocols, kill switch, and split tunneling represents the dedication of a VPN service provider towards user privacy. The more features it offers, the better.
7. Streaming: Most people use a VPN to unblock geo-restricted streaming content. While all VPNs may claim to do this, some VPNs are better at it than others.
8. Compatibility with operating system: Make sure the VPN you subscribe to supports all your devices.
9. Obfuscation: Obfuscation isn’t a must-have feature in VPNs. However, its presence enables the VPN to let you browse freely in countries like China. Also, you can use such VPNs to bypass local content restrictions, such as in your office or at school.

Best VPN for Canada – Detailed analysis

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is a famous name in the VPN world. With military-grade security, ease of use, and excellent streaming power, this VPN unsurprisingly attracts Canadians with premium performance.

The service provider features over 400 servers in Canada alone. It offers lightning-fast speed suitable for streaming HD content and regular browsing. Also, it has over 5100 servers globally. So, you can easily connect to any server of your choice to change your IP location.

If privacy is a significant concern for you, NordVPN has you covered. It has powerful encryption, a range of protocols, and a reliable kill switch. Moreover, it enables some devices to use its WireGuard-based, super-fast NordLynx protocol.

Recently, the VPN provider was independently audited, a move that allayed fears of the company’s 2018 data breach scandal.

NordVPN allows users to select from servers specialized for some scenarios, including Tor Over VPN, double VPN, and HD streaming. Plus, it can seamlessly unblock Netflix USA, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, etc.

Besides, NordVPN offers dedicated VPN apps for many devices, including macOS, iOS, Android, and Windows. Like the others, it has responsive 24/7 customer support and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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2. Private Internet Access (PIA)

If you own a Windows computer and are looking for an ideal VPN for it, look no further than PIA VPN. Although ideal for Windows, it’s also one of the best Canadian VPNs for Android, Linux, macOS, and iOS devices. While based in Denver, United States, a country among the Five Eyes alliance, the company does not log its users’ information.

Private Internet Access VPN offers excellent speed, making it perfect for HD streaming, gaming, and torrenting large files. It also scores high in terms of security and privacy. This is because it has several key features, including DNS/IPv6 leak protection, port forwarding, secure VPN protocols, a kill switch, split tunneling, malware protection, and ad blocker, as well as industry-certified encryption.

Moreover, it provides dedicated browser extensions for Opera, Chrome, and Firefox. However, depending on the platform in use, some features may not work.

Also, it allows users to connect unlimited devices with just one subscription simultaneously.

Furthermore, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. So although you won’t find any free trials with this VPN service provider, the subscription plans are quite cheap for a paid trial.

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3. Surfshark

Surfshark is the best cheap VPN for Canada. However, despite its low prices, it offers excellent value. Although Surfshark’s speed varies from server to server, this is nothing different from other providers. In general, the VPN boasts a breakneck speed, making it suitable for streaming in HD and torrenting large files.

Security is its forte. This VPN never logs your online activity. It also has the best self-select encryption protocol you will ever come across. Besides, the VPN supports IKEv2 and OpenVPN along with the contemporary WireGuard protocol. Plus, it uses a 2048-bit DHE-RSA key exchange, SHA512 authentication hash, and 256-bit AES encryption. It also ensures thorough DNS and WebRTC leak protection.

With a modest server network, it’s an excellent option for residents in Canada to unblock region-blocked content from anywhere in the world. This includes BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and so on. The VPN also enables users to use Kodi and supports torrenting.

Furthermore, it has vigilant 24/7 customer support via live chat and email support. If you have quick questions, the Surfshark FAQ takes care of that as well. Like NordVPN, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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4. ExpressVPN

If you are looking for a provider that you can trust as the best VPN for Canada, ExpressVPN is your best bet. It is located in the British Virgin Islands, a region independent of the UK’s jurisdiction. It offers numerous servers across three different Canadian cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. At the same time, it provides fast speed with a performance second to none.

ExpressVPN boasts world-class data security powered by SHA256 authentication, 256-bit encryption, 4096-bit RSA keys, and perfect forward secrecy. While it does log some non-identifying metadata such as the date (but not the time) the VPN service was used and the duration. Yet, it does not keep a record of your online activities or your IP address.

Besides, the VPN offers DNS leak protection and an automatic kill switch named “Network Lock.” It can also unblock geo-restricted streaming sites and content, including Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Hulu, and more. For users’ convenience, the provider supports macOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and some types of WiFi routers with dedicated VPN apps.

One of the most appealing things about ExpressVPN is its ease of download and use. New users won’t face trouble setting it up on their smartphone, PC, or streaming device.

Furthermore, with just one subscription, users can connect up to eight devices simultaneously. Also, it has an excellent customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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5. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN isn’t a newbie in the industry. Yet, it has gained popularity among users at a slow yet steady pace. Although, it has its base in Sweden, a country with some compulsory data retention laws as it’s part of the 14-Eyes alliance. However, it’s not a part of the Five Eyes.

Regarding speed, PrivateVPN is at par with other top shots. Hence, it is one of the best Canadian VPNs for streaming, downloads, uploads, online gaming, and general browsing. Moreover, its high level of security is another attraction of this VPN company.

The level of encryption you get will depend on whether you use the TUN or TAP interface in conjunction with OpenVPN. While TUN uses 256-bit encryption, TAP uses 128-bit encryption. Though both are effective and uncrackable, the former ensures better security. Also, the VPN offers perfect forward secrecy, has an automatic kill switch, and has DNS and IPv6 leak protection.

Besides, it is another log-free VPN in Canada with a strict policy not to record users’ activities. Although it presently offers a limited number of server locations, it is rapidly expanding its network.

PrivateVPN can unblock everything thrown in its path, from BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video to Netflix and Hulu. Also, it supports macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android systems with dedicated VPN clients.

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6. IPVanish

IPVanish under the new management has become a force to be reckoned with in the VPN world. It delivers promising results in all aspects, including speed, security, privacy, and app features.

To start with, the provider features several servers across the world, including Canada. With 256-bit encryption, its secure servers excellently support HD streaming, online gaming, and torrenting.

Although, the provider is located in the United States, a country that can force VPN providers to hand over customer data. Yet, IPVanish claims not to log clients’ information.

Also, this VPN offers considerable device compatibility. It has dedicated apps for most operating systems, including Android, macOS, iOS, and Windows. Plus, it supports unlimited device connections on a single account.

As for the freedom of the internet, it boldly unblocks major streaming sites and other restricted content.

Furthermore, IPVanish has good customer support, including a 24/7 live chat feature, FAQ bank, and email option.

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7. Perfect Privacy

The next on this list of the best Canada VPN providers is Perfect Privacy. It exhibits premium performance – something you always expect from a VPN provider. Besides, the service allows you to choose any of its fastest servers located globally, including Canada.

Most of its servers feature bandwidths that are up to 1000 Mbps and have IPv6 addresses. Also, you can trust its privacy and security as it offers robust encryption with strong VPN protocols. These include OpenVPN (AES 256-bit), SSH, and IPsec, which support all operating systems.

Admittedly, Perfect Privacy does pose some challenges in terms of compatibility as it only has apps explicitly developed for Linux and Windows devices. However, it has advanced anonymity features and allows for an unlimited number of device connections with one subscription.

It offers top-notch support for its users, including an extensive FAQ section to answer quick questions you may have. However, it does not feature a live chat but does have an email option.

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Top Canadian VPN – Quick overview

	NordVPN	PIA	SurfShark	ExpressVPN	PrivateVPN	IPVanish	Perfect Privacy
Ranking	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th
Servers in Canada	3 locations (480+ servers)	N/A	3 locations (90 servers)	4 locations	2 locations	3 locations (55 servers)	1 location
Monthly Plan	$3.99-$11.95	$2.69-$9.95	$2.49-$12.95	$8.32-$12.95	$2.50-$8.99	$2.62-$10.99	$8.95-$12.99
Contract Length	One-24 months	One-24 months	One-24 months	One-12 months	One-12 months	One-12 months	One-24 months
Split tunneling	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Netflix	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Torrenting	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
IP addresses	Static shared or dynamic	Dynamic	Dynamic or Static	Dynamic	Dynamic	Dynamic	Dynamic
Five eyes, nine eyes, and 14 eyes member	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No

How do I watch CBC outside Canada?

To watch CBC (or any other Canadian OTT or streaming service) outside of Canada, follow the steps below:

• Sign up for any good VPN.
• Download the VPN app and install it on your device.
• Open the application and then select a server located in Canada.
• Proceed to connect to the VPN server.
• Next, open the CBC app or site and start streaming!

Should I use a free VPN in Canada?

Although there are free VPNs available in the market, you should ideally avoid them. Given that they are free but require money to operate, they will preferably make money off you, often through shady practices. For instance, these free VPNs can record users’ activities, insert ads into web pages or even inject tracking cookies in web browsers. Such actions defeat the purpose of a VPN in terms of privacy.

Also, free VPNs often have limited server locations, user data caps, long waiting queues, and bandwidth limits. In some cases, these shady-free VPNs spread malware and adware too. Some of this malware is a known honeypot for law enforcement and intelligence agencies. If you are concerned about your online safety and security, you must refrain from using a free VPN.

Some VPNs you should avoid

With so many VPNs on the market, not every one of them is what they claim to be. In fact, there are some you should avoid at all costs. They include:

Hola

This isn’t a regular VPN. Instead, it’s a VPN that uses a peer-to-peer browser extension and a few central servers. This means that your internet traffic passes through other users’ homes.

A few years back, Hola VPN stole its customers’ data without their knowledge and used it to create a mass botnet army. The army, on its part, then used this information to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and give out pirated media.

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PureVPN

The company recently came under heavy scrutiny after the VPN gave the American authorities a user’s data leading to the suspect’s arrest. Indeed, the actions of the arrested man (he was stalking people using the VPN) are condemnable. Yet, it doesn’t justify the act of data logging from VPNs that claim not to log their users’ data.

Although PureVPN claims to have only handed over timestamps and IP addresses to the authorities and not actual online activities, it was enough to arrest the man and send him to jail.

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TunnelBear

TunnelBear is one of the best free VPNs in the market. However, it has its base in Canada. Hence, Canadians should avoid it at all costs.

Although, it’s not clear whether Canadian VPN service providers qualify as internet service providers. However, it’s safer not to take any risks. Intelligent agencies and law enforcement agencies could force the VPN to provide customers with information.

Also, TunnelBear does not allow torrenting.

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SurfEasy

You also need to avoid using SurfEasy for the same reasons you should avoid TunnelBear. The service has its base in Canada and is subject to the same possible government demand for client information. Also, SurfEasy has not been open about its encryption protocols.

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Are VPNs legal in Canada?

Absolutely! VPNs are 100% legal there. There are no laws that prevent people from using any VPN service provider within the country. However, note that while it’s legal to use a VPN, you must ensure responsible use of it. Using a VPN for harmful or illegal purposes is strongly discouraged.

VPN for Canada is not working

If you encounter issues while using a VPN in Canada, here are some potential solutions:

First, ensure that you have installed the most recent version of the VPN.

Also; 

• Verify the stability of your internet connection.
• Try connecting to a different server located in Canada.
• Turn off your firewall temporarily.
• Reach out to your VPN provider for assistance.
• Consider switching to another VPN service with servers in Canada.
• Ensure that you have installed the most recent version of the VPN.

FAQs