Russia hasn’t been known for its open internet. The country has an iron grip and strictly regulates the activity of its populace. Consequently, it is not a surprise that people are looking for the best VPN in Russia.
But surely, the situation has changed in modern times, has it not?
Well, not really. Internet freedom has always been a sensitive topic in Russia. Masses want it while the authorities don’t. In April of 2019, the Russian parliament passed a bill that would regulate internet traffic so that the traffic will not use foreign servers. While the Government justified the move as an ‘effort to strengthen cybersecurity’, internet freedom activists see it as an attempt to control free speech.
What’s more, in 2017, Russia had banned several VPNs. President Putin signed a bill that made it illegal for users to use VPNs for accessing censored sites. In such a situation, knowing which VPNs work and which don’t can be tricky. Don’t worry, however, because this is why I am here for.
The Best VPN for Russia – A Quick Summary
Here is a quick summary of the best VPN services in Russia.
1. Surfshark VPN – The Best
Surfshark VPN is the best owing to features like AES 256-bit encryption, internet kill switch, a no-logs policy, IP masking, and the ability to connect to an unlimited number of devices.
2. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN packs great features like industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption, IP masking, DNS leak protection, no-logging, and VPN split tunneling.
3. NordVPN
NordVPN is the safest VPN around with security features like dual VPN, Tor over VPN, AES 256-bit encryption, and DNS leak protection.
4. CyberGhost
CyberGhost boasts a nice looking UI and a strong feature set like AES 256-bit encryption, IP masking, DNS leak protection, and no-logging.
The Best VPN for Russia – A Detailed Look
VPNs not only protect your identity but also make the internet more open, allowing you to bypass geo-restrictions and censorship. To get all of these advantages from a VPN, you first need to make an informed decision about the VPN service you plan on getting.
The following is a detailed guide about the top VPN services in Russia.
1. Surfshark VPN – The Best VPN for Russia
If you are looking for a VPN in Russia, you can’t do any better than Surfshark. It not only provides all the features that you expect from a quality VPN, but it also does so without sacrificing usability.
To start off, Surfshark VPN has a total of 1040+ servers. And to make sure you get a Russian IP address without any hiccups, it has multiple servers in the country. Also, more servers in countries like the US mean that you can enjoy unlocked access to streaming sites Netflix US and Hulu. And a local IP address means you can access local services with ease. It’s a win-win situation as we confirmed in our review a while back.
In addition to a healthy number of servers, Surfshark comes jam-packed with useful features like:
- A strict no logs policy
- IP masking to hide your original IP address
- CleanWeb to block ads, and protect against Malware
- Industry Standard AES 256-bit encryption
- Internet Kill Switch
- MultiHop to connect to multiple remote servers for greater anonymity
- Support for IKEv2 to bypass VPN detection by ISPs
Overall, Surfshark is such a good product that it’s hard to find faults with it. Sure it doesn’t have fancy features like Dual VPN, but what it offers more than makes up for it. That is why it’s my choice for the best VPN for Russia.
2. ExpressVPN – The Fastest VPN Around
If there is one VPN that has stood the test of time, it is ExpressVPN. No matter which list of top VPNs you open up, you will find it mentioned there.
So, what’s the secret?
ExpressVPN has 3000+ superfast servers spread in 94 countries. Unfortunately, there aren’t any servers in Russia. However, if you are a Russian who needs a VPN that can provide him a foreign IP address, then ExpressVPN is a perfect option for that.
Through a combination of stellar hardware and proprietary techniques, ExpressVPN ensures that there isn’t a significant hit to your internet speed after you connect to its network. To see it in action, check out our full ExpressVPN review.
Speed alone doesn’t make a VPN good. ExpressVPN knows this and therefore it includes features like:
- IKEv2 support to bypass those annoying VPN detectors
- Industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption
- DNS leak protection
- IP masking to mask your original IP so you can enjoy geo-restricted content
- Internet kill switch to terminate the network connection in case of a drop in the VPN connection
- VPN split tunneling to route some of the traffic through the VPN connection and some outside of the VPN
In short, ExpressVPN is a complete package. Speed, features, support; you name it!
3. NordVPN – When Safety Matters
NordVPN is the safest VPN on the market. There is no question about that. But how does it do it?
Aside from usual features like 256-bit encryption, there are 2 additional features that act as a boosted security measure; namely, Dual VPN and Tor over VPN. Both these features have fairly complex implementations, but here is the crux of the matter:
Dual VPN is like connecting to two VPN servers at once. In this case, the 2nd VPN doesn’t know your original IP providing an additional layer of security.
Tor over VPN uses the Tor protocol over the existing VPN connection to make it more secure. While this is a good feature to have, some websites block users who are using a Tor protocol. So, it is a hit or miss situation.
If you want to know more about this VPN, then check out our full review where we go in-depth about these features.
With a total of 5730 servers, it has plenty spread around the globe. Unfortunately, NordVPN doesn’t have any Russian servers but can be used to obtain a foreign IP address from Russia. NordVPN also has the following features:
- AES 256-bit encryption
- No-logging
- Internet kill switch
- DNS Leak protection
- IP masking
All in all, NordVPN is one of the best VPNs for Russia as it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. So if you don’t like it, you can always get your money back.
4. CyberGhost – Easy Does It
If you have never used a VPN before, then I think CyberGhost will be perfect for you. Its UI has been designed keeping the average Joes in mind. We were impressed by how good the UI worked in our review of CyberGhost.
Additionally, when it comes to servers, it’s not a slouch there either. It has 6000 servers with 96 of them located in Russia alone! Therefore, not only will you be able to get a Russian IP address, you will also be able to access foreign services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Hulu.
Moving on to the features list, we have:
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Internet kill switch
- No-logging policy
- DNS leak protection
- IP masking
- Ability to connect 7 devices at once
Long story short, CyberGhost is a pretty good choice for anyone looking to get a no-nonsense VPN. It does everything you want it to and does it well.
How to Get a Russian IP Address?
If you have a VPN that has servers in Russia, then it is not hard to get a Russian IP address. All you need to do is:
- Open the VPN app
- Navigate to servers and select one located in Russia
- Wait for it to connect
And you are done.
Conclusion
In Russia, internet censorship and regulation has increased tremendously over the past decade. Authorities are cracking down on activists for speaking against the policies of the Government, which is a tragedy, really. Times are hard and the need for the best VPN for Russia is dire.
I feel sad in saying that without a VPN, there is no internet freedom in Russia. Free speech is non-existent and one can’t help but notice the clash between Government policies and people’s interests.
Ray is a cybersecurity analyst who loves writing about privacy and security. Holding 10 years experience in an information security organization has made Ray a cybersecurity evangelist. As a writer, Ray’s portfolio includes technical articles, best discount deals, and content marketing.
