Unless you have a working VPN. No Google, no WhatsApp, no Maps. Most VPNs are blocked too, so we check every week which ones still get through, based on field reports from travellers and expats.
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Easiest choice
Built for China. The expat favourite for over a decade.
From ~$12.50/mo · StealthVPN, OpenWeb, WireGuard
Get AstrillCheaper backup
Cheap, unlimited devices, and NoBorders mode for restricted networks.
From ~$2.50/mo · WireGuard, OpenVPN, NoBorders mode
Get SurfsharkInstall both before you fly. If one has a bad week, the other usually works.
Blocked for almost everyone, no matter what their adverts say.
Big providers publish hundreds of servers. The Great Firewall collects and blocks them.
Deep packet inspection spots OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2 traffic and drops it.
Early June, March and October see crackdowns. Even good VPNs go down for days.
The VPNs that get through use stealth protocols that disguise VPN traffic as ordinary web browsing, so the firewall has nothing obvious to block.
These are the options most consistently reported as working by travellers and expats. Install at least two before you fly.
From ~$12.50/mo · StealthVPN, OpenWeb, WireGuard
The long-time expat favourite. Expensive, but its StealthVPN and OpenWeb protocols are built specifically to get through the Great Firewall and are consistently reported as working.
From ~$2.50/mo · WireGuard, OpenVPN, NoBorders mode
NoBorders mode is built for restricted networks and switches on automatically when Surfshark detects the Great Firewall. Cheap enough to carry as your second option alongside Astrill, with unlimited devices on one plan.
Big-name VPNs that sometimes get through. Fine as a second option, risky as your only one.
From ~$8/mo · Lightway, OpenVPN
Used to be the default recommendation for China. Still works for many people using the Lightway protocol, but reports on Reddit are mixed and it can go down for days during sensitive periods.
From ~$5/mo (paid tier) · Stealth, WireGuard, OpenVPN
The Stealth protocol on paid plans works for some users. The free tier is almost always blocked. Worth having as a backup rather than your only option.
Popular VPNs that most people report as blocked inside mainland China, regardless of what their marketing says.
From ~$3.50/mo · NordLynx, Obfuscated servers
Despite the marketing, NordVPN is mostly blocked in mainland China. Obfuscated servers occasionally connect but most Reddit reports say it is not worth relying on.
€5/mo · WireGuard, OpenVPN, Shadowsocks bridge
Excellent privacy VPN, but its public server list is well known and blocked. The Shadowsocks bridge mode sometimes works, but do not count on it.
Free
Free VPNs from the app store are almost universally blocked in China, and the ones that do connect often sell your data. Skip them.
Install before you fly
VPN sites and app-store listings are blocked inside China.
Carry two options
Blocking changes weekly. A backup saves your trip.
Try roaming or an eSIM first
Foreign SIM data bypasses the firewall. Often no VPN needed on mobile.
Use stealth mode
Obfuscated protocols beat default WireGuard or OpenVPN.
Expect slower speeds
Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and US West servers are fastest.
Download offline maps
Google Maps is blocked. Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay too.
Every week we go through the latest VPN threads on r/chinalife, r/China, r/travelchina, r/chinatravel, r/VPN, r/shanghai, r/beijing and note who says each VPN worked or failed on the ground, then update the statuses by hand. Nothing is flipped automatically.