The country boasts considerable online freedom. Even then, illegal torrenting is prohibited and the country is not free of cybercriminals either. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is your best bet against prying ISPs, authorities, and hackers in Taiwan. If you are a Taiwanese traveling abroad, a VPN can also help you unlock local content. In this article, we have rounded up the best VPNs for Taiwan.
Best VPNs With Servers in Taiwan
Are you a Taiwanese traveling outside the country? You will find that most of your favorite channels back home are unavailable when abroad.
Do not sweat it, though. With a good Virtual Private Network, you can catch up with Taiwanese shows from anywhere in the world. People in Singapore also like to use a VPN to watch popular shows in Taiwan.
To stream the likes of Formosa Television and San-lih, you would need a VPN with servers in Taiwan. This way, when you connect to the respective server, the app will assign you a new IP address.
With the new IP, it will look like you are there, even though you are obviously in another country.
Our top picks for VPNs with servers inside the country are:
- ExpressVPN: This provider boasts over 3,000 servers in 160 locations, including Taiwan. It has fast speeds, unlimited bandwidth, and top-tier encryption. Streaming local content with ExpressVPN is safe and seamless.
- CyberGhost: At the time of writing, CyberGhost has at least 28 servers in Taipei. You will not have a problem finding a suitable server to connect to, to stream local content.
- NordVPN: NordVPN has 5,000+ servers with at least 16 of them located in the country. It also boasts super-fast speeds and double encryption for a safe and consistent streaming experience.
Why Do People in Taiwan Use a VPN?
People enjoy widespread internet freedom. The country’s constitution protects freedom of speech, press, and internet access. For the most part, authorities respect these staples.
That being said, you will still need a VPN to browse the internet safely and freely. Whether you are traveling to or residing in Taiwan, here’s why using the best VPN might come in handy:
Protection against cyber-crimes
As is the case in many countries, hacker attacks are increasingly becoming a major concern in Taiwan. Using public Wi-Fi in places such as airports, hotels, schools, and hospitals can easily expose you to cyber-criminals.
Due to the open nature of public internet connections, hackers can easily intercept your traffic. This can result in them stealing your information including bank details, credit card information, and passwords.
A solid VPN encrypts your traffic, changes your IP address and location, so you won’t be bothered. This makes it difficult for hackers to spy on any of your information online.
By the way, if you are on a tour of East Asia and you are looking to head to Thailand, we recently wrote an article about the best VPNs in Thailand. Internet freedom in that country is not as widespread as it is for Taiwanese residents.
You should definitely pack up a solid VPN on your way there.
Safe torrenting
Taiwan has strict laws against the downloading and sharing of the copyrighted material. After three strikes, you could face hefty fines and possibly a jail sentence.
Even if you are torrenting legally, your ISP could assume that you are engaging in piracy. This can cause them to throttle internet speeds or discontinue internet service.
Using a VPN is the best way to torrent safely. The privacy app hides your online activities and your ISP will not even know that you are using a VPN.
Avoid Chinese surveillance
Taiwan is a democratic country. However, there is no denying the influence of China in the region.
Numerous reports show that China continues to use its vast resources to influence and monitor online activities in neighboring countries including Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Journalists and activists should definitely use a Virtual Private Network to ensure online privacy and anonymity. You should also use a privacy app if you are concerned about mainland authorities spying or eavesdropping on your conversations with loved ones while you are in the country.
Bypass geo-restrictions
Whether you are on vacation or living in Taiwan as an ex-pat, a VPN makes it easy to catch up with your favorite shows. A good provider will mask your real IP. This way, you can unblock Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, BBC iPlayer, and more.
The Best VPNs for People Living in Taiwan
Not all VPNs are suitable for use in Taiwan. In particular, if you want to torrent safely and consistently unblock Netflix, you should go for a provider that is tried and tested.
We’ve saved you the trouble and tested tons of solutions. In the end, our three top choices were:
- ExpressVPN
- CyberGhost
- NordVPN
Let’s now take a look at each of these providers:
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is our favorite VPN for Taiwan. It is the fastest we have tested and is an excellent choice for streaming Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, and many more.
Other than that, you get top-of-the-class security features. These include AES-256 military-grade encryption and a Kill Switch. There’s also a strict no-logs policy and TrustedServer technology that wipes out all user data from the servers.
With 3,000+ servers spread out in more than 90 countries, you will have no problem finding suitable servers to connect whether it is for streaming or torrenting.
Apps are available for Android, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Wi-Fi routers. With a single subscription, you can connect up to 5 devices simultaneously.
Right now, subscribing to the yearly plan qualifies you for a 49% discount plus 3 months free. That’s a total of 15 months of premium VPN service!
- 24/7 customer support
- Fastest provider
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Easy-to-use application
- Company based in the British Virgin Islands
- No IP/DNS leaks found
- Not the cheapest provider
2. CyberGhost
CyberGhost is our budget option. However, that is not the only reason why we recommend it. This provider offers best-in-class security features. These include military-grade encryption, leak protection, automatic kill switch, and keeps no logs.
Additionally, it boasts 6,800+ super-fast servers located in more than 90 countries. You will easily find plenty of servers in Europe and the USA for streaming Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer among others.
CyberGhost is a crowd-favorite among privacy-conscious torrenters. It offers numerous servers optimized for fast and anonymous P2P file sharing.
This provider definitely has value for money. You can protect up to 7 devices simultaneously on a single subscription. Additionally, plans come with a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.
- Really good value for money
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- Servers for P2P and streaming
- Automatic Kill Switch
- 7 simultaneous connections
- The ad-blocker feature is not blocking everything
- Doesn’t work in China
3. NordVPN
NordVPN takes online privacy and safety seriously. It has impressive security features such as a Double VPN. This secures your traffic behind two, instead of one server for additional security.
Other than that, it comes with the settings we have come to expect from a premium service. These include a zero-logs policy, leak protection, Kill Switch, and military-grade encryption.
It also has a vast network of super-fast servers (some are also optimized for P2P). That, coupled with unlimited bandwidth, makes it a great choice for watching Netflix, HBO Go, or Hulu in Taiwan.
What’s more, one subscription is enough to protect up to 6 devices simultaneously. Apps are compatible with major devices including Android, Windows, iOs, and Linux. It is also possible to install an app on Amazon Firestick.
By doing so, you’ll keep access to Amazon Prime Video everywhere in the world.
- Double VPN
- Large server network
- Simple interface
- Can unblock any website
- No payment through PayPal
Summary
Taiwan is among the most liberal countries where internet freedom is concerned. This does not mean that you should not worry about your online safety and privacy.
The country is not free of hacker attacks. Other than that, there is a real risk of snooping by mainland Chinese authorities.
A Virtual Private Network is your best defense against cyber-criminals and unwanted surveillance. It is also a great solution for consistently unblocking foreign content on popular streaming sites such as Netflix.
ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and NordVPN are our top three VPNs for Taiwan. All of them offer top-tier security features and boast a wide network of servers.
What’s more, they have fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth. This makes them excellent choices for buffering-free streaming.
The best part is that you can try any of these services risk-free thanks to the generous, no-questions-asked money-back guarantees on the various plans.
Quentin is the co-founder of the-bestvpn.com. With several experiences as a System and Network Engineer, he is very knowledgeable when it comes to VPN, cybersecurity and the risks of using the Internet nowadays.
