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Buying Guide: The Best VPNs for Russia in 2024

We at PCMag are not legal experts in the simplest of circumstances, and certainly not when it comes to foreign law in an authoritarian state in the middle of a chaotic, grinding crisis. Even if we had all the information, which we do not, the situation changes daily.

Given Russia's recent crackdown on free speech and its ongoing war with Ukraine, the risk to individuals' safety is real. While we stand by our work, we urge readers in Russia to think carefully and weigh the risks of using these services.

Readers should also remember that a VPN can only do so much. Other tools can help in other ways: Multi-factor authentication protects your accounts from takeovers, and antivirus software can root out malicious tools before they can affect your privacy. Encrypted communication apps, like Signal and WhatsApp, ensure conversations stay private. 

Why Do You Need a VPN in Russia?

"The war on the information front is a major aspect of what is happening on the ground," Bill Budington, the senior staff technologist at the non-profit EFF, told PCMag when we first published this story in March 2022. The way to win that fight, he said, is with reliable information. "The more information Russians get from outside the country, the better."

One of the problems with this information war, Budington explained, is the fragmentation of the internet. What was once the World Wide Web is now anything but global. He pointed to a 2019 law that gives the Russian government broad control over how its people access the internet. "That allows them to cut off all non-Russian internet from Russian citizens," Budington said.

According to Freedom House's annual Freedom on the Net assessment, Russia scored just 21/100 in 2023, down almost a third from 30/100 just before the war. In its assessment, it notes the blocking of major social media destinations, including Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram in March 2022 as an understandably major reason for the downgrade. The information censorship organization within Russia, Roskomnadzor, launched a campaign against VPNs, blocking over 20 of them during that coverage period.

(Credit: Getty/Prykhodov)

The report states, "As of March 2022, 20 popular VPN services were blocked in Russia, including Betternet, Cloudflare WARP, ExpressVPN, Hola! VPN, IPVanish VPN, KeepSolid VPN Unlimited, Lantern, NordVPN, Opera VPN, PrivateTunnel, Red Shield VPN, Speedify, Tachyon VPN, VyprVPN and X-VPN."

We've spoken to several of these companies, and to maintain anonymity, we will only report that some are committed to continue operating in the region, while others say they've pulled their servers from the country and won't be offering sales of plans to those located within Russia.

This blocking effort within Russia's borders means that special consideration needs to be taken when selecting your next VPN in the country. And although 20 services might sound like a lot, there are hundreds of other alternatives that Russia seems to have missed.

Connecting to a VPN server outside of Russia will get you privacy benefits and let you use sites and services that may not be available or would be difficult to use in Russia, including Instagram and Facebook, which were banned in the country as of March 2024. It's likely that using a Russia-based VPN server from within Russia will yield more reliable performance.

Can You Evade Censorship in Russia With a VPN?

Connecting to a VPN server outside of Russia may be the easiest way to get around government censorship. The VPN's encrypted connection shuttles your data outside of Russia and into another country—wherever the VPN server is. In that way, the VPN lets you view the web as it appears from that other country. 

Given that VPNs generally perform better the closer they are physically to the individual using them, a person in Russia should look for a non-Russian server that's not too far away, geographically speaking, and that doesn't censor the web. For example, someone in the western part of the country might choose a server in Estonia, Latvia, or Finland.

VPNs can be effective tools for getting past censorship, but as we've seen over the past several years, they can also be blocked for the exact same reason. During our recent questioning of whether or not VPN providers would continue operating in Russia after the coming ban/"examination" by the country, some—we won't be saying who—have committed to continue running servers and offering services without much concern for what the Kremlin does or doesn't decide about its people's right to privacy.

Many VPN services include features that disguise VPN traffic as standard HTTPS traffic. Some VPN providers give this tactic a branded name. TunnelBear VPN calls it Ghost Bear and Proton VPN calls it Stealth. Notably, both of these services provide obfuscation to free users. Look around your app's settings to see what's available.

Are VPNs Allowed in Russia?

The Russian government has paid special attention to VPNs recently, as it wages a disinformation and censorship war with Ukraine, making it harder for many providers to operate within the country. The country attempted to ban as much access to certain VPN protocols and services as it could in March 2024. However, the VPN companies we've spoken to have said they don't see many avenues where Russia could realistically enforce the ban from a technical level. Some have pointed to to threat of deep-packet inspection (DPI) techniques, but those only work on certain VPN protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard. Almost every service we've tested offers more protocol options to connect with than solely these two.

Another recent challenge is that the international isolation of Russia has meant that official app stores may not always be accessible within Russia, just as we've seen the removal of access to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter since the invasion started. Google Play, for example, still allows downloads of some apps but payment through the app store has been suspended. A huge uptick in VPN usage suggests people are making it work, though. Here are a few things users might try to get access to blocked VPNs.

First, you can manually configure a VPN using configuration settings provided by the VPN company. Generally, you'll just have to open your computer or mobile device's OS network settings and use the information from the VPN company to create a connection manually. It's not hard, but it is not an intuitive process. It also requires you to update the configuration whenever there are any changes on the VPN's end. You may be better off manually configuring a VPN connection once and then using it to download a VPN client.

Second, many VPN companies provide direct downloads to their client applications from their websites. Getting a VPN on your mobile device is a bit trickier. There's no easy way to sideload apps (that is, manually install without using an official app store) onto an iPhone, and doing so with an Android device can open you up to installing malware. No matter how you get your VPN configurations or apps, make sure they're from a source you trust. A malicious app could harm your device or, worse, make it possible for you to be tracked online.

It may be useful to reach out to the VPN company directly for assistance in obtaining VPN client software. For example, Proton VPN's website was blocked within Iran but the company used word-of-mouth and its customer support system to distribute its application.

Are VPNs Safe to Use in Russia?

VPNs can also present some risks in themselves. "Not all VPNs are created equal," said Budington. "You can have a VPN that sucks up all your information and monitors your browsing habits [or] you can have a VPN that has a reputation for integrity and not keeping logs." With its record of censorship and surveillance, many Russians already assume their government is doing this anyway, meaning that, on the whole, the risk doesn't feel like anything new in their internet culture. In fact, many would and do trust these VPN companies with their data more than they trust the regional government, which tells you much of what you need to know about the current situation with internet freedom in the region.

In our reviews of VPNs, we look at the privacy policy of each service. One thing to look for is third-party audits that verify that companies are sticking to their promises of protecting customer privacy. Having an audit by a trusted third party means you don't have to take the VPN provider at its word. In every review we write of a VPN service, we note its country of origin. None of the VPNs listed here are based in Russia. "Using popular VPNs that have a good reputation is a good call," said Budington. "A small VPN that's very activist-based could be a red flag within Russia," Budington suggested looking at the EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense guide for more information on how to communicate safely in dangerous situations.

It's difficult to say with certainty to what degree the Russian government is monitoring VPN usage and the difference between rhetoric and actual enforcement. The government has talked big about its plans to crack down on VPN users in the past, but those announcements have had little real-world implications for users or VPN companies operating directly within Russia.

What About Kaspersky?

Kaspersky Secure Connection VPN is an affordable VPN service that offers VPN servers within Russia. Security company Kaspersky was a mainstay of our antivirus roundups for years, but we were forced to reevaluate our position on endorsing the company's products after the Federal Communication Commission declared the company a national security risk on March 27, 2022.

That declaration has since evolved into a total ban on all Kaspersky products being sold in the United States, including its VPN. The United States will stop any new deals with Kaspersky after July 20, 2024, and all updates to its products for US-based users will cease after September 29, 2024.

Note that Kaspersky announced plans to halt new VPN subscriptions from within Russia starting in December 2022. There's no word as to the future of its VPN server presence in Russia.

What Are the Best VPNs for Russia?

Mullvad VPN and Windscribe use unique account systems for maximum privacy protection. They also accept anonymous payment methods for even more privacy. These two VPNs are dedicated to transparency, making them strong choices for those concerned about where their personal data may end up.

Finally, it's worth noting that with economic pressure for sanctions and limited options for international payments, the cost of a VPN for anyone in Russia is a major consideration. Several of the VPNs listed in this story have free subscription tiers, but some will place some restrictions on how much data free users can consume. Windscribe is our top choice for free users, boasting no data restrictions.

If cost is your primary concern, our lists of free VPNs and cheap VPNs can help you find a service that fits your budget.

Mad Eddy contributed to this article.