Similar to its neighboring countries in South East Asia, Vietnam has an extremely high online censorship rate. In fact, it is ranked in the top ten countries with high internet censorship. The reason for this is not any different from most of the countries that restrict the online access of their citizens. Yes, you guessed it. It is mostly due to political and religious reasons. In other words, the Vietnamese government feels threatened by a free online environment and is always watching out for anything from as little as a user liking or commenting on an online post that is remotely against their regime, to as big as opposing views posted online. Bear in mind that Vietnam is still run by the Communist Party.
In order for the government to keep the internet in Vietnam this tight, they implement a high level of online surveillance and due to this, users can sometimes get into big trouble legally if they try to access any banned content or perform any online activity that goes against the government’s will.
On the upside, the government in Vietnam does not use Deep Packet Inspection (DPI), which means that a very suitable solution to this online prison would be to acquire a good VPN service. A reliable VPN would not only help in bypassing online restrictions but would keep the user’s online identity completely anonymous. This depends on 2 major features in any high-end VPN service; the level of security provided by the service (level of encryption and security protocols supported) and the network of servers operated by the provider (bypassing any geo-restrictions by connecting to a server outside of Vietnam or in any location required to access certain sites available only in these locations). According to these features we selected the top 3 VPN services that are suitable for Vietnam.
Best 3 VPNs for Vietnam
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the largest VPN providers in the market. Based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN started back in 2009 and gradually built its way to the top of the ranks. It has a lot of impressive features but most of all it does not take its security measures lightly. It has definitely proven itself to be a great VPN for Vietnam and any other country with high restrictions.
Level of Security
- Network is SSL secured with a 256-bit encryption.
- Advanced security protocols supported (OpenVPN with UDP/TCP, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, and SSTP)
- Additional security feature is the Network Lock kill switch.
Network of Servers
- More than 1000 servers in 141 cities, spread across 94 countries around the world.
- This large network provides users with thousands of shared IP’s to hide online identity.
Additional Features
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited server switching
- Zero network traffic logging
- Ability to connect up to 3 devices simultaneously
- 30-day money back guarantee
VyprVPN
Owned by the large internet company; Golden Frog, VyprVPN is one of the most powerful names among VPN providers. Golden Frog is a large company which is specialized, and extremely experienced in internet security. Accordingly, VyprVPN is known for its advanced and unique security measures and this is why it was easily recommended to resolve the internet restrictions in Vietnam.
Level of Security
- 256-bit encryption is used to secure entire network
- Advanced and unique security protocols supported (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, and its very own Chameleon).
- Additional security feature is the NAT Firewall
Network of Servers
- More than 700 servers in over 70 server locations, spread across 6 continents
- This network provides users with over 200,000 shared IP’s for complete online anonymity.
Additional Features
- 100% owned servers (no third parties).
- Zero-knowledge VyprDNS service (zero logs)
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited server switching
PureVPN
PureVPN started back in 2007 in Hong Kong with as little as 2 server locations. In a matter of 10 years it succeeded to grow into a world leading brand in the VPN competition. With countless features and high security measures, it took on every challenge that came its way and now it easily became a recommended VPN for the Vietnam challenge.
Level of Security
- Network is secured with a military grade 256-bit encryption
- Multiple advanced security protocols supported (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP, and IKEv2).
- Additional security features include WiFi Security, Internet Kill Switch, DDoS Protection, and NAT Firewall.
Network of Servers
- More than 750 servers spread across 141 countries around the world.
- Network provides users with over 88,000 shared IP’s and the availability of dedicated IP’s.
Additional Features
- Split Tunneling
- Unlimited server switching
- Ability to connect up to 5 devices simultaneously
Conclusion
Whether you are travelling to Vietnam or residing in it, it is important to have a reliable VPN to stay secure while browsing the internet and at the same time enjoy complete freedom of access to any website. Until this moment the above VPNs are considered the most recommended for Vietnam, however you never know who will be taking the lead next. There are countless names out there and the competition is fierce.
