5 Best VPNs for Russia – Tested and approved in 2024

Finding a trustworthy and working VPN service in Russia might be complicated. Russian internet is difficult to use since it is solely controlled by the government. On the one hand, each online activity is logged for years, while on the other, Roskomnadzor is adamant about online freedom, banning any website they choose.

If you’re feeling trapped and insecure about what you’re getting from the Russian internet infrastructure, I’ll help you identify the finest VPN service that works perfectly in Russia. This way, you may easily encrypt your Internet traffic, visit any website, and avoid internet throttling.

This post will teach you not only how to find the best VPN provider, but also how a VPN service may assist you in Russia.


1. SurfShark: Based in the British Virgin Islands, no-log policy; 3200 servers in 65 different countries; Best price/performance ratio; Unlimited simultaneous connections; Starting from 2.3$/month.

2. CyberGhost: Based in Romania, no-activity-log policy; 7400 servers in 91 different countries; 7 simultaneous connections; Starting from 2.25$/month.

3. VeePN: Based in Panama, no-activity-log policy; 2500+ servers in 42 different countries; 10 simultaneous connections; Starting from 1.67$/month.

4. NordVPN: Based in Panama, reliable no-log policy; 5134 servers in 60 different countries; Privacy oriented but expensive; 6 simultaneous connections; Starting from 3.99$/month.

5. VyprVPN: Based in Switzerland, proven no-log policy; 700 servers in 40 different countries; 30 simultaneous connections; Starting from 1.81$/month.


How did I choose the best VPNs for Russia?

Depending on your needs, the demanded VPN service may vary drastically in Russia. Once you find the VPN provider, there raises another issue: accessibility!

Russian government blocks VPN services as well as proxy providers via a blacklist. Even if some of the providers are accessible in Russia, they might not work because of the deep pocket inspections.

To investigate the online censorship and VPN embargo, I went to Russia and check the all internet providers in person.

In order to find the working VPN services in Russia, I visited St. Petersburg and purchased Russian sim cards.

Leaving tourism behind, and sticking back to our topic, I purchased the sim cards of the most popular mobile carriers of Beeline, Megafon, and MTC. In addition to that, I also ran VPN tests with a local fiber connection by Prometey RU.

Overall, the tests consist of the following criteria for Russia:

  • Accessibility

Russia’s internet is well-known for its online censorship and VPN ban embargo rooting back to 2019. Because of the passed bills, it is quite hard to find an accessible as well as working VPN provider in Russia. Therefore, I made sure each VPN provider’s website is reachable and the VPN service is working properly with the preffered internet provider.

  • Privacy policy

Knowing the fact that Russia tracks any online data through Roskomnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media), a true no-log VPN provider is a must. We had sure that the chosen VPN should not keep any online traces behind.

  • Streaming servers

Depending on your situation such as being a local, ex-pat, or tourist, a VPN service should be streaming friendly. This is the only way you can access streaming services operating outside of Russia.

As for the locals, I also made sure that some of the VPN providers have Russian servers so that when you are outside of Russia, you can access the Russian streaming platforms such as Match TV, Okko, etc…

  • Speed performance

Browsing the internet should require a decent-speed internet connection. However, the probability of having slower internet when connected to a VPN server is quite high.

I tested several VPN providers in the market and only offered you the best performance providers.

  • Compatability and pricing

There should be no problems with compatibility no matter what device you have. That’s how you can get the most out of a VPN service on any of your devices.

Finally, we’ll discover how many devices we can connect to the services at the same time and how much we should expect to pay for a good VPN service.

5 Best and working VPNs for Russia

Here are my top 5 VPN recommendations for Russia. The VPN services on the list are simply the finest of the best, and they will fulfill your highest expectations. However, keep in mind that each VPN service varies in terms of privacy, streaming, and speed efficiency.

Make sure to completely study the list before deciding which VPN is suitable for your requirements.

1. SurfShark

FeaturesSurfShark
HeadquartersBritish Virgin Island
Log policyAudited no-logs
Servers coverage60 countries
Performance45+ Mbps
Price2.3$/month
Official sitewww.surfshark.com

SurfShark review covers pricing; compatible apps, privacy policy, server locations and customer support experience.

SurfShark is a VPN service based in the British Virgin Islands that is dedicated to protecting consumers’ online privacy. Surfshark is exempt from keeping any user activity records due to its off-shore legislation. In addition, the company had its service reviewed by an independent cybersecurity firm to ensure that it was a log-free VPN service.

According to my tests in Russia, Surfshark’s website is available and accessible by all internet providers in the country. Even if the internet providers try to block certain protocols, Surfshark automatically performs connection tests on the unimpeded ports and makes sure that you are always connected to VPN servers.

Once you are connected, Surfshark will not only grant you an encrypted internet connection but also make the geo-restricted contents available at ease. You can enjoy Netflix catalogs, Hulu, Fubo TV, and more with SurfShark’s deployed worldwide deployed servers in 60 different countries. Simply, you can get rid of local restrictions with this service.

All of these features demands quality speeds as well. Keeping this necessity in mind, I ran speed tests with Surfshark from three different locations around the world. Here are the results:

  • USA: 20.48 Mbps download, 55 Mbps upload
  • Germany: 65.54 Mbps download, 50.99 Mbps upload
  • Australia: 50.02 Mbps download, 25.05 Mbps upload

SurfShark features several applications that work with the most common mobile devices. It follows as:

  • PC: Linux, Windows, MacOS
  • Mobile devices: iOS, Android
  • Browsers: Google Chrome, Firefox
  • TVs: Android TV
  • Consoles: Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
  • Others: Flashrouters, FireStick, Chrome cast

You may use a single account to access all of the platforms listed above. What’s more intriguing is that the SurfShark may be used on an unlimited number of devices at the same time. The cost of such a fantastic service starts at $2.3/month.

PROS:

  • Best working VPN in Russia – Rustelekom, Beeline, Megafon, MTC
  • Huge server coverage
  • Best for streaming/unblocking content
  • It has Russian servers as well

CONS:

  • US servers are not fast enough.
  • The price increases after the discounted period are over.

2. CyberGhost

FeaturesCyberGhost
HeadquartersRomania
Log policyNo activity logs
Servers coverage93 countries
Performance38+ Mbps
Price2.25$/month
Official sitewww.cyberghost.com


Cyberghost is another working VPN service provider in Russia. The company was not targeted by the Russian government so far and it is accessible by all ISPs.

Currently, the company operates in Romania with a strict no-log policy. However, such service is available with their “no-spy” servers only. If privacy is your main concern, I do not recommend Cyberghost. On the other hand, there so plenty of features you can enjoy with the provider. Let’s check them out.

CyberGhost has an easy-to-use VPN app. The company covers more than 90 countries with 7700 servers around the world. These numbers make Cyberghost one of the best providers with the most coverage available in the market.

The performance results from these servers look promising as well:

  • USA: 45.49 Mbps download, 14.56 Mbps upload
  • Germany: 53.68 Mbps download, 34.44 Mbps upload
  • Australia: 18.30 Mbps download, 33.13 Mbps upload

With the speed given, you can stream US and EU zone services with the best quality possible. However, the speed results from the far east might let the users down.

CyberGhost provides a lot of compatibilities even if it is one of the cheapest options in our list:

  • PC: Windows, MacOS
  • Mobile devices: iOS, Android, Blackphone
  • Browsers: Google Chrome, Firefox
  • TVs: Android TV, Amazon Fire, Apple TV.
  • Consoles: Playstation 3/4, Xbox One & Xbox 360
  • Others: Routers

When you buy CyberGhost, you get 7 simultaneous connections on the platforms listed above with a single account. CyberGhost plans start at 2.25$/month, making it a competitive participant in the market.

PROS:

  • The website is accessible by all internet service providers
  • Generous pricing with 7 simultaneous connections
  • Huge country/server coverage

CONS:

  • Low-speed performance from Australian servers
  • Does not work with MTC

3. VeePN

FeaturesVeePN
HeadquartersPanama
Log policyAudited no-log
Servers coverage42 countries
Performance32+ Mbps
Price1.67$/month
Official sitewww.veepn.com


VeePN is a brand new VPN provider operating in Panama. Thanks to its new appearance, Russia has not targeted and blocked this provider. Currently, the company is accessible with all internet providers from Russia and works without any issues.

Like many other providers, VeePN chooses Panama as a headquarter location. This makes the company a true no-log VPN provider in the market. In addition to that, an independent audit firm Cure53 confirms the privacy measurement of the company.

Being a new company in the market has its downsides as well. Contrary to other providers in our list, VeePN has the least country coverage of 42 countries along with 2500 servers.

At some point speed performance looks fine, yet, there is still room for improvement.

  • USA: 48.44 Mbps download, 15.74 Mbps upload
  • Germany: 41.01 Mbps download, 48.84 Mbps upload
  • Australia: 7.84 Mbps download, 4.34 Mbps upload

Similar to other providers, VeePN fails with the far-east servers. On the other hand, if you plan to access US or EU zone platforms, VeePN can be your best option.

As of now, the provider works with the following platforms:

  • PC: Linux, Windows, MacOS
  • Mobile devices: iOS, Android
  • Browsers: Google Chrome, Firefox
  • TVs: Android TV, FireTV
  • Consoles: N/A
  • Others: Flashrouters

If you are planning to use the VPN service with one of the mentioned devices, VeePN is the cheapest option in the market offering 10 simultaneous connections from 1.67$/month.

PROS:

  • The website is accessible by all internet service providers
  • Cheapest provider in our list
  • It has 7 different Russian servers from different parts of Russia. Great choice if you want to keep your local IP address.

CONS:

  • Low-speed performance from Australian servers

4. NordVPN

FeaturesNordVPN
HeadquartersPanama
Log policyAudited no-logs
Servers coverage60 countries
Performance55+ Mbps
Price3.71$/month
Official sitewww.nordvpn.com


NordVPN is a Panama-based VPN company that focuses on daily consumers’ and businesses’ online privacy. NordVPN, like many other VPN providers, had its service examined by a cybersecurity tech firm and received certification as a real log-free VPN provider.

Furthermore, NordVPN runs all of its infrastructure on RAMDisk servers, making server-side monitoring impossible. Such infrastructure makes online browsing and streaming faster as well.

According to my Prometey RU fiber cable speed test results, NordVPN is the fastest VPN provider on our list. Check out the outstanding performance outputs below:

  • USA: 53.77 Mbps download, 51.76 Mbps upload
  • Germany: 68.11 Mbps download, 64.28 Mbps upload
  • Australia: 46.74 Mbps download, 32.61 Mbps upload

As seen on the performance list above, no matter which server you choose around the world, you will get the best speed performance from NordVPN.

Once you’ve decided on NordVPN, you may use a single account on up to six devices at once, including the following platforms:

  • PC: Linux, Windows, MacOS
  • Mobile devices: iOS, Android
  • Browsers: Google Chrome, Firefox
  • TVs: Android TV
  • Consoles: Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
  • Others: Flashrouters, FireStick, Chrome cast

Unlike other low-cost VPN providers, NordVPN prefers to keep its service costs higher. You may get the greatest value by signing up for a two-year plan, which starts at 3.99/month.

PROS:

  • Reliable no-log VPN provider
  • Amazing speed performance
  • Great pick for privacy geeks

CONS:

  • Not recommended for streaming purposes
  • Limited simultaneous connections
  • Pricy VPN plans
  • Does not work with Megafon provider

5. VyprVPN

FeaturesVyprVPN
HeadquartersSwitzerland
Log policyAudited no-logs
Servers coverage63 countries
Performance20+ Mbps
Price1.81$/month
Official sitewww.vyprvpn.com

VyprVPN is a VPN service founded in Switzerland that claims to be the first to be audited and no-log authorized on the market. VyprVPN differentiates itself from other VPN services by optimizing and using its server in each data center. In the event of a breach or a leak, the corporation will have complete control over personal data and web traffic.

In a nutshell, VyprVPN keeps your data secure.

VyprVPN, unlike many other VPN services, strives to keep the number of servers as low as possible. Currently, the firm operates 700 servers across 63 countries. The coverage seems to be adequate. The number of servers, on the other hand, may seem inadequate.

Because the number is so low, you may believe you’ll have trouble streaming or viewing information online. VyprVPN, on the other hand, pays close attention to both global and local Russian content via its server in Moskow. However, I ran across a little snag when evaluating VyprVPN’s speed.

  • USA: 19.55 Mbps download, 40.37 Mbps upload
  • Germany: 38.57 Mbps download, 66.36 Mbps upload
  • Australia: 5.14 Mbps download, 3.01 Mbps upload

The performance of the western servers may seem to be adequate. However, VyprVPN struggled when I ran the speed test from Australia.

If you believe VyprVPN is the right choice for you, below are the platforms where you may install it.

  • PC: Windows, MacOS
  • Mobile devices: iOS, Android, Blackphone
  • Browsers: N/A
  • TVs: Android TV
  • Consoles: N/A
  • Others: Flashrouters, Anonabox

VyprVPN, unlike the other providers, does not support a wide range of devices. They are, nonetheless, fairly competitive in terms of price. A single account allows for 30 simultaneous connections and costs just 1.81$ per month.

PROS:

  • Reliable audited no-log VPN provider
  • VyprVPN website is accessible by all ISPs in Russia
  • Generous simultaneous connections up to 30 devices
  • Works with global and local streaming services

CONS:

  • Average speed
  • Insufficient compatibility
  • Does not work with Megafon mobile internet provider

How can a VPN help you in Russia?

Now that we’ve selected the top 5 VPN services for Russia, let’s take a closer look at how they may assist you.

As previously said, each VPN has various use goals and may not match your all-in-one expectations. However, in general, a VPN may assist you with the following issues.

  • Online privacy

Russia is one of the top five countries in terms of cyber hacking incidents. Almost all public Wi-Fi in Russia lacks passwords, and many of them are insecure.

As shown in the image below. The screenshot represents my hotel’s internet connection.

When you try to establish an internet connection with your hotel Wifi, you will have an unsecure connection.

When you connect to one of these hotspot connections, hackers have an open door to your internet activity and even personal data. In such instances, a VPN will layer your connection with second-tier protection and route your online activity over a private tunnel. This will prevent hackers from obtaining your personal information.

  • Accessing global content

Even if you are a short-term visitor, ex-pat, or resident. A VPN might assist you in expanding beyond your current restrictions.

Russia is not a member of the EU and does not use a shared platform for streaming operations.

In other words, if you are in Russia, you may have difficulties streaming video from another nation. Furthermore, everything you will hear and see in Russia will be in Russian. If you are unfamiliar with those languages and want to access information in your own tongue, you will need a VPN service with a server in your own region.

If you want to watch sports from Germany, just connect to the VPN’s Germany server and begin streaming DAZN or ZDF, for example.

  • Bypassing censorship

When it comes to internet censorship, Russia is a repressive nation. If a website fails to comply with the Russian monitoring agency Roskomnadzor, it is placed on the blacklist and is prohibited by all internet service providers.

In this instance, a VPN service comes in helpful for bypassing Russian internet restrictions and enjoying the internet with complete freedom.

Furthermore, when you connect to a VPN server, you will leave no trace, and internet service providers will not be able to monitor your browsing history.

  • Watch porn in Russia with a VPN

You cannot visit any pornographic websites in Russia unless you provide proof of your age. In Russia, xHamster, youporn, and numerous more large sites are now restricted. Only pornhub is functional. You must, however, get your age confirmed by vk.com.

Russia blocks porn websites and without verifying your age, you cannot access adult websites.

Unless you have a vk.com account or do not want to expose your personal info, you can simply use a VPN service to disguise your location to one where porn is legal and unrestricted. Such as the Netherlands, Belgium, and so on…

Summing up the article

Even if you are visiting Russia for a short or extended period of time, you will need a VPN service. With this need in mind, I traveled to Russia and personally evaluated their local and mobile online internet services.

SurfShark, CyberGhost, VeePN, NordVPN, and VyprVPN stood out as the top VPN options for Russia in terms of privacy, streaming, speed performance, and censorship.

However, keep in mind that each VPN has unique characteristics that set it apart from the others. Make careful to choose one based on your own requirements or use patterns.

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