Best VPN for Russia 2024: Bypass Censorship and Stream Russian Content

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The Internet is different in Russia. Censorship measures, which have become stricter due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, keep international information away from the country. Licensing rules ensure that Russian online content doesn't leave. A VPN can solve both problems.

But which VPN is best for Russia? We'll tell you what a VPN can do for Russia, which ones are worth a look, and what the legal situation is.

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Why Use a VPN for Russia?

With a VPN, you can hide your location, mask your IP address, and protect your privacy. VPN services allow you to borrow an IP address from another country and bypass geoblocking. This includes specific blocks of countries and censorship measures that restrict content for users in certain locations.

Using a VPN has several advantages, depending on whether you are within or outside of the country.

1.

VPN Within Russia: Bypass Censorship

The Internet used to be relatively free in Russia. There was no equivalent to the Great Firewall of China, which "protects" China's internet from Western influences and regime critics.

The situation has since worsened: Online censorship has significantly increased under Vladimir Putin, and the process has only intensified since the start of the war against Ukraine.

As a result, Russia's internet is now heavily restricted. In 2022, according to AP News, Russian authorities blocked or removed more than 610,000 websites, the highest number in 15 years. This includes social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), which Russian courts have labeled as "extremist."

Freedom House, a US-based NGO, has labeled Russia's internet as "not free" since 2019. The Kremlin uses its authoritarian power to censor unwanted content and violate Internet users' rights, aiming to suppress dissent and manipulate elections.

You can check which websites are blocked in the country with our Internet Censorship Check for Russia:

Using a VPN within Russia can help bypass these censorship measures and enable access to content that would otherwise be blocked. We'll discuss how legal and safe this is later.

2.

VPN Outside Russia: Overcome Geoblocking

You can also use a VPN "the other way around" to borrow a Russian IP address while abroad. This makes it appear to websites that you're accessing them from within the country.

This can help overcome geo-restrictions on streaming services. For example, you can only watch content on services like ivi.ru while in Russia due to licensing restrictions. If you're a Russian living abroad or want to learn the language through movies and shows, you won't have access.

Russia's Netflix: the streaming service ivi.ru.

With a VPN, you can connect to a Russian server and trick streaming services into thinking you are in the country. You should then be able to access the otherwise blocked content.

Best VPN for Russia

There are good reasons to use a VPN, especially for people in Russia. But which VPN is the best?

We reviewed 27 VPN services from around the world and will introduce you to our top picks for Russia. We cover VPNs that can be used in Russia and those with Russian servers.

Best VPN Services in Russia

We set up a server in Russia to test the availability of the VPN providers from our comparison.

To make it into our selection, providers had to meet two criteria:

  • 1.

    Available in Russia: Many VPN websites are blocked in Russia. We only considered VPN services whose clients we could download from our Russian server without a VPN connection.

  • 2.

    Offers connections abroad: VPN services help bypass Russian censorship only if they allow connections abroad. We connected to non-Russian servers to test the availability of censored websites.

Here are our top VPNs for Russia:

1.

ProtonVPN: Our Top Pick for Russia

Proton VPN
Proton VPN
(144,686 )
With its open source philosophy and extra security features, Proton VPN targets security-conscious VPN users. But thanks to its user-friendly interface and suitability for streaming, it's worth a look for a wide audience.
open source & external audits
2,900+ servers in 67 countries
great performance
free plan without data limit
not suitable for China
9.1
excellent
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
1 - 10
Protocols
3
Contract Period
0 - 24 months
Proton VPN Free
 $0.00
monthly price
Free forever

ProtonVPN* is an open-source VPN from Switzerland with a strict no-logs policy. It offers nearly 4,000 servers in 85 countries. It ranked third in our comparison of the best VPN services thanks to its strong performance and great security features.

Does ProtonVPN Work in Russia?

Yes, in our test, ProtonVPN worked in Russia without issue. We downloaded the VPN client while on our Russian server and connected to servers in the US and Germany. This allowed access to blocked websites like Facebook and Human Rights Watch.

ProtonVPN is one of the best VPNs from our comparison and a good choice for Russia.

What Payment Methods Does ProtonVPN Support?

ProtonVPN supports the following payment methods:

  • Credit/debit card

  • PayPal

  • Bitcoin

  • Cash

Some payment providers have paused their operations in Russia, including MasterCard, VISA, and PayPal. Conveniently, Proton has listed some of the best payment methods for Russian customers on its website here.

Can I Use ProtonVPN for Free?

Yes and no. ProtonVPN offers a free plan. In fact, we think ProtonVPN is the best free VPN on the market.

However, the free plan's VPN connection was less reliable. It took several attempts to connect to an available server. So, while you can bypass Russian censorship with ProtonVPN's free plan since there are so few servers, it's likely that those available will be overburdened.

Review
9.1
excellent
Check Review
Performance
10 / 10
Security & Privacy
10 / 10
Bedienung & Features
10 / 10
Server Network
8.0 / 10
Support
7.4 / 10
2.

ExpressVPN: The Top VPN Currently Works in Russia

ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN
(736,465 )
ExpressVPN can impress with a strong performance, a huge server network, and excellently designed applications, but this quality also comes at a higher price.
3,000+ servers
160 cities in 94 countries
reliable performance
good for streaming
secure browser extensions
9.4
excellent
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
5
Protocols
7
Contract Period
1 - 12 months
ExpressVPN 12 Months
 $6.67
monthly price
30 days money-back guarantee

ExpressVPN* is based in the British Virgin Islands. Like CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, and ZenMate, it's owned by Kape Technologies. ExpressVPN offers top speeds, user-friendly apps, and a wide range of servers across 105 countries.

Does ExpressVPN Work in Russia?

In our review with Russian servers, we could download, install, and use ExpressVPN without issue. Connecting to non-Russian servers, like those in Germany, the UK, or the US, was easy and allowed us to bypass Russian geo-blocks.

Use ExpressVPN to access content censored in Russia.

What Payment Methods Does ExpressVPN Support?

ExpressVPN supports the following payment methods:

  • Credit card

  • Debit card

  • PayPal

  • Online transfer

  • Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies

Can I Use ExpressVPN for Free?

No, ExpressVPN does not offer a free plan.

Review
9.4
excellent
Check Review
Performance
10 / 10
Security & Privacy
9.4 / 10
Server Network
9.4 / 10
Support
9.4 / 10
Bedienung & Features
8.6 / 10
3.

Surfshark: EXPERTE.com's Value-For-Money Pick

Surfshark VPN
Surfshark VPN
(207,223 )
Surfshark is one of the cheapest providers on the market, but it's a lot more than a great budget option: the relatively new VPN boasts strong protection, many features, and a great support with 24/7 live chat.
3,200+ servers in 100 countries
unlimited number of devices
many apps (Linux, FireTV, ...)
cheap 24-month plan
expensive monthly plan
8.8
good
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
unlimited
Protocols
3
Contract Period
1 - 24 months
Surfshark 24 months
 $1.99
monthly price
Get 83% Discount

Surfshark* is a Dutch VPN service that belongs to the same holding company as NordVPN-developer Nord Security. It has an excellent price-performance ratio, especially its 2-year plan, good speeds, and a wide range of features.

Does Surfshark Work in Russia?

While on a Russian server, we could download, install, and use Surfshark without any problems. Websites that were normally blocked could be successfully unblocked with Surfshark's VPN tunnel.

Surfshark itself emphasizes that it has not been blocked in Russia so far. For the best results, the provider recommends that you:

  • select the OpenVPN protocol.

  • use the “NoBorders” feature. This mode shows servers that can bypass government restrictions.

  • manually download and install the app if you can't access the Surfshark website. You can email Surfshark support (support@surfshark.com) for the configuration files and instructions.

Surfshark is EXPERTE.com's price-performance pick.

What Payment Methods Does Surfshark Support?

Surfshark supports the following payment methods:

  • Credit card

  • PayPal

  • Google Pay

  • Amazon Pay

  • Cryptocurrencies

Can I Use Surfshark for Free?

No, Surfshark does not offer a free plan.

Review
8.8
good
Check Review
Performance
10 / 10
Bedienung & Features
9.4 / 10
Support
8.6 / 10
Security & Privacy
8.0 / 10
Server Network
8.0 / 10
No Guarantee: Russia Has Declared War on VPNs

Even though you can use VPNs in Russia, the situation is volatile. The Russian government has declared war on services like ProtonVPN, because users can access the free internet and consume information that Russia doesn't like.

Russia's censors and VPNs are in a cat-and-mouse game, which affects the reliability of the former. For these reasons, no VPN is 100% reliable in Russia at the moment, and services listed here may intermittently not work.

Best VPNs With Russian Servers

Are you outside the Russian Federation, but want to access Russian content? Then you need a VPN with servers in Russia. Here are some options:

1.

ProtonVPN

Proton VPN
Proton VPN
(144,686 )
With its open source philosophy and extra security features, Proton VPN targets security-conscious VPN users. But thanks to its user-friendly interface and suitability for streaming, it's worth a look for a wide audience.
open source & external audits
2,900+ servers in 67 countries
great performance
free plan without data limit
not suitable for China
9.1
excellent
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
1 - 10
Protocols
3
Contract Period
0 - 24 months
Proton VPN Free
 $0.00
monthly price
Free forever

ProtonVPN not only helps you virtually 'escape' from Russia but also supports accessing the Russian internet. With 24 servers in Moscow, you can get a Russian IP address to access content available only in Russia.

2.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost VPN
(219,165 )
CyberGhost offers a lot of bang for the buck, especially in the 2-year plan. It has lots of features, even more servers, and quick support including live chat. We had occasional performance issues, however.
8,000+ servers
affordable prices
7 simultaneous connections
fast support with live chat
7.8
good
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
7
Protocols
7
Contract Period
1 - 24 months
CyberGhost 2 Years
 $2.37
monthly price
45 days money-back guarantee

With CyberGhost, you can also access Russian servers from outside the country. They offer 60 (virtual) servers in Moscow. Additionally, CyberGhost has a huge server network and a solid price-performance ratio.

3.

PureVPN

PureVPN
PureVPN
(61,320 )
PureVPN has servers around the world and covers underserved regions a bit better than many other VPNs. Its range of features is great, too. When it comes to performance, however, PureVPN is behind most of its competitors.
6,500+ servers in 70 countries
covers underserved regions
many features
weaker performance
possible privacy concerns
7.8
good
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
5 - 10
Protocols
6
Contract Period
1 - 24 months
PureVPN 2 years
 $2.29
monthly price
7-day trial

PureVPN* is also available in Russia, though only with one server in Moscow. We should mention that PureVPN performed well in our VPN speed test.

4.

Windscribe

Windscribe VPN
Windscribe VPN
(160,845 )
With its flexible pricing and a generous free plan, Windscribe is a solid option for budget-minded VPN users. It also has a nice, lean app with lots of features – but sadly, its performance can't keep up.
lots of features
free plan with 10 GB limit
unlimited devices
weaker performance
smaller server network
7.8
good
Data Volume
10 - ∞
Devices
unlimited
Protocols
2
Contract Period
0 - 12 months
Windscribe Free
 $0.00
monthly price
Download for free

Windscribe* is a VPN service from Canada that offers virtual trips to Russia with servers in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

5.

VyprVPN

VyprVPN
VyprVPN
(89,181 )
700+ servers in 70 countries
located in Switzerland
good for streaming
weak performance
last audit 2018
7.6
good
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
5 - 10
Protocols
6
Contract Period
1 - 12 months
VyprVPN 12 months
 $5.00
monthly price
30 days money-back guarantee

VyprVPN* is an affordable VPN provider from Golden Frog, based in Switzerland. In Russia, VyprVPN has servers in Moscow.

Many VPN Services Have Shut down Their Russian Servers

A number of VPN providers currently do not offer Russian servers. There are several reasons for this.

NordVPN stopped operating in Russia in 2019. At that time, the Russian agency Roskomnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media) requested that VPNs give the government access to their servers.

Surfshark, on the other hand, turned off its Russian servers in March 2022. The reason: It's impossible to run Russian servers without paying a Russian data center, and the company does not want to support the Russian state in any way due to its invasion of Ukraine.

The list of VPN services from which you can obtain a Russian IP address is much smaller today than it was a few years ago.

Other VPN Services

The VPN situation in Russia is tense, and the availability of VPN services can change daily. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that the VPNs mentioned above will always work. It's also possible that VPNs that weren't available in Russia during our review can now be used.

For that reason, it's a good idea to regularly check the Russia-compatibility of VPN services – for example, on the providers' websites or in recent user reviews on Reddit or other review portals.

You can find our complete ranking of the 27 best VPN services with detailed reviews of each provider here:

1.
NordVPN
9.4
Review
excellent
2.
ExpressVPN
9.4
Review
excellent
3.
Proton VPN
9.1
Review
excellent
4.
Surfshark
8.8
Review
good
5.
HideMyAss!
8.6
Review
good
6.
hide.me
8.4
Review
good
7.
Private Internet Access
8.2
Review
good
8.
CyberGhost
7.8
Review
good
9.
PureVPN
7.8
Review
good
10.
Windscribe
7.8
Review
good
11.
Mozilla VPN
7.6
Review
good
12.
VyprVPN
7.6
Review
good
13.
Hotspot Shield
7.5
Review
good
14.
IPVanish
7.4
Review
good
15.
Mullvad
7.3
Review
good
16.
VPN Unlimited
7.3
Review
good
17.
Bitdefender
7.2
Review
good
18.
PrivateVPN
7.2
Review
good
19.
TorGuard
7.2
Review
good
20.
TunnelBear
7.1
Review
good
21.
Avast
6.8
Review
satisfactory
22.
PrivadoVPN
6.8
Review
satisfactory
23.
Perfect Privacy
6.6
Review
satisfactory
24.
Avira
6.4
Review
satisfactory
25.
VeePN
6.1
Review
satisfactory

Are VPNs Legal in Russia?

Yes and no: VPNs are not explicitly illegal in Russia, but their use is much more restricted than in other countries.

According to a Reuters report from February 2024, the Kremlin remains undecided about a "blanket ban" for all VPNs. This means that using a VPN isn't strictly prohibited.

However, the list of "legal" VPN services – and what you can do with them – is regulated. Since 2017, VPN services have been required to cooperate with Russian authorities and restrict access to certain websites. Using a VPN that does not meet these requirements to access a blocked website is illegal.

Millions of people in Russia use VPNs despite the bans. Blocked sites and services like Instagram and X are widely used by the population. So, using a VPN is not very dangerous.

However, Russia is an authoritarian state that severely restricts fundamental rights like freedom of the press and free speech and cracks down on dissent. You use a VPN there at your own risk and should be careful about what you do and what information you share online.

Conclusion

With a VPN, you can bypass Kremlin censorship and access the free, open Internet in Russia. Unfortunately, Russia is cracking down on VPNs, with many either no longer operating in the country or temporarily unavailable. In our test with a Russian server, we had success with ProtonVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark – but the situation frequently changed.

A VPN can also help you virtually travel to Russia and obtain a Russian IP address. This grants access to content otherwise unavailable outside of the country. Currently, ProtonVPN, CyberGhost, PureVPN, Windscribe, and VyprVPN offer Russian servers.

You can find detailed reviews of all 27 VPN services we evaluated in our EXPERTE.com VPN comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are VPNs legal in Russia?

VPNs aren't illegal per se, but they are subject to strict regulations. VPN services that do not comply with these regulations are banned, as is their use. So, it is not allowed to use a VPN to access a site blocked in Russia. Millions of people in Russia still do this at their own risk.

What is the best VPN for Russia?

Based on EXPERTE.com's tests with Russian servers, ProtonVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark are the best VPNs for Russia. Note that Russia is currently cracking down on VPNs, and the situation can change quickly. There is no VPN that's guaranteed to work in Russia all the time.

How do I get a Russian IP address?

The easiest way to obtain a Russian IP address is to use a VPN provider with servers in Russia. After that, just connect to one of its Russian servers.

Best Overall 2024
Sponsored
NordVPN
6,300+ servers, 111 countries
excellent performance
no logs
10 devices simultaneously
affordable 2-year package
9.4
Review
excellent
Try NordVPN now
30 days money-back guarantee
Janis von Bleichert studied business informatics at the TU Munich and computer science at the TU Berlin, Germany. He has been self-employed since 2006 and is the founder of EXPERTE.com. He writes about hosting, software and IT security.
* Ad disclaimer: For links marked with an asterisk, EXPERTE.com may earn a commission from the provider. The commission has no influence on our editorial rating.
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Best Overall 2024
Sponsored
NordVPN
6,300+ servers, 111 countries
excellent performance
no logs
10 devices simultaneously
affordable 2-year package
9.4
Review
excellent
Try NordVPN now
30 days money-back guarantee