Getting a VPN service for your iPad shouldn’t be hard. And you should demand only the best – after all, those will be your web whereabouts that could be screened by prying eyes. So you don’t want to save on a service that keeps you and your privacy protected.
All services in our list of best 5 VPNs for iPad have millions of users and you can hardly go wrong by picking any one of them. But for the best overall experience, get the top service and forget about it. Let it do its magic in the background while you safely and securely browse the web, access streaming services, download files and so on.
So without further ado, here are the best 5 VPNs for iPad you can buy today:
Pros
Cons
- 5,000+ servers in the network
- Easy to use - install it and forget it
- One license is good for up to 6 devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Chrome extension is just a proxy
Summary
The company's iOS app is easy to use, delivering one of the fastest download rates on the market. Once started — you won't even notice that NordVPN is running on your iPhone (or iPad). What is lacking though, is the ability to select a VPN protocol — which is something advanced users would appreciate.
Also working in NordVPN's favor are its zero-logs policy and protection against WebRTC leaks, as well as advanced privacy features that put you, the user, in control — rather than major tech giants like Google and Facebook.
Pros
Cons
- Feature-rich yet easy to use
- One of the best VPNs around
- Strong no-logging policy
- Reliable support you can reach 24/7
- Limited number of servers in Africa and the Middle East
- Kinda pricey
Summary
On the downside though, ExpressVPN for iPhone doesn't have all security features found on desktop apps, such as a kill switch. Something's gotta give on the small screen, I guess.
Nonetheless, we still highly recommend ExpressVPN for iPhone users.
Pros
Cons
- It's super fast!
- Works with Netflix, BBC and others
- Easy to use apps, browser extensions
- You can try it for free!
- Some advanced features are not configurable
- Not the best for high-censorship countries
Summary
Your privacy is equally well protected, with the software only collecting some anonymized that to continually improve its service.
There is one caveat though - it won't work that good in high-censorship countries like China. If you don't need that in the first place, we can highly recommend Hotspot Shield to you.
As that's typically the case with most VPN services out there, the longer you commit - the better deal you get. However, what makes Hotspot Shield even better is the fact that it offers a 7-day free trial of its service. A few other top VPN providers do the same. Plus, its money-back guarantee lasts for 45 days, making for a risk-free purchase. Cause, you can always get your money back. Sweet and just the way we like it.
Pros
Cons
- Reliable download and upload speeds
- Works with Netflix and BBC iPlayer
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Lets you use it on unlimited number of devices
- Low number of servers in Africa and Australia
Summary
You can rely on it for streaming and torrenting, with included extra features like CleanWeb and MultiHop, delivering a that much better — and more secure — experience.
Surfshark, the company, is based in the British Virgin Islands and with its zero-logs policy makes for a powerful combo to anyone looking to keep its web whereabouts under the radar.
The service is easy to use and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
Cons
- One the best VPNs for torrenting
- Works well with Netflix
- Simple setup on all popular devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Doesn't work with BBC iPlayer
- Doesn't work in China
Summary
Also, chances are you are not using a VPN service exclusively on your iPhone and/or iPad, so we need to look at the bigger picture. IPVanish will keep your identity protected no matter which device you use, offering fast download and upload speeds, dedicated P2P resources and so much more.
It works with Netflix though there are better options out there. However, when it comes to torrenting - only a few services come close to what IPVanish is offering.
iPad 101
iPad is Apple’s tablet that runs the iPadOS mobile operating system.
The original device, which used to run the same OS as the iPhone – iOS, was announced on April 3, 2010 and has ever since made a history.
Today, users can choose between the “regular” iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro — with or without cellular connectivity. There are optional keyboards you can buy for your iPad, as well as pencils for those requiring more precise drawing.
As of September 2020, Apple has sold more than 500 million iPads.
Why do you need a VPN for iPad?
As an Internet-connected device, what you do on an iPad could be leaked. Specifically, an intrusion to your data could happen when you are not connecting to a secure network or when you’re not accessing a secure website (HTTPS).
At those times, a tech-savvy malicious actor could snoop into your traffic, potentially getting ahold of your personal information. These, so-called “man in the middle” attacks have been growing in popularity in recent years, and are especially common in public places (and spaces) offering free Wi-Fi.
With a VPN running on your iPad, you don’t have to worry about any of that, with the VPN app doing the hard work in the background. And that hard work involves encrypting all data flying between your iPad and the Internet. This way, even if someone manages to intercept your traffic, he/she will not be able to decipher it — they’ll get random code they can do little with (if anything).
Another thing to consider is when you travel to other countries and would like to keep access to video streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. Because of the way the market is structured, they won’t let you get your movie fix from abroad — except if you first connect to your iPad to a VPN server in your home country. Then, the likes of Netflix won’t have a clue that in reality, you are in some other place and will let you in.
Finally, when you run a VPN on your iPad, you get to circumvent various restrictions that may come your way. We’re talking about places like schools & universities, workplaces and — most notably — high-censorship countries, where IT admins are giving their best to block people from accessing the Internet in its entirety.
That being said, you shouldn’t get a VPN only for your iPad; rather, you should…
Get a VPN for everything!
Think beyond your iPad – get a VPN for everything. You’ll want the one that works for:
- Accessing content that could otherwise be restricted in your physical location.
- Preventing tracking and minimizing your digital footprint so that no one can track you online (at least not that easily).
- Avoiding throttling from your ISP – which is known to happen when you’re torrenting or accessing video streaming services.
- Bypassing firewalls in a workplace, university, school and so on.
- Bypassing censorship in places like China, North Korea, countries in the Middle East, and even Turkey and Russia.
- Securely connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots – with a VPN encrypting all the traffic coming to and from your devices.
The bottom line is – get a VPN for all your needs. The top contenders (which also work with your iPad) include the following:
