As of now, a potential Tiktok ban is set to take place in the US in 2025. A VPN can help you circumvent many geographical blocks—such as the kind that can be used to stop TikTok access in the US—by making it seem like you’re somewhere else in the world while you happily scroll away. To help you stay ahead of the curve, we’ve rounded up the best VPNs for TikTok. Read on for our top picks, followed by everything you need to know about using one to get around the TikTok ban.
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Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Why We Picked ItProton is the best VPN overall. We like its free tier of service, too. Tack on a laundry list of advanced privacy tools in a friendly UI, and you have our top pick for streaming hours of TikTok dances.Who It’s ForWhether you’re looking for a top-tier free or paid plan, ProtonVPN has you covered. Free users may become frustrated with the lack of server options (you get just three countries to choose from), but the fact that they’re not paying anything extra to watch TikTok, which is also free, should appeal. Paid users, of course, have access to plentiful server locations and many other welcome features.
PROS
The best free VPN subscription
Numerous advanced privacy tools
Strong customer privacy stance
Slick, accessible client
Excellent speed test scores
CONS
Awkward ChromeOS implementation
SPECS
Name
Value
Blocks Ads
Simultaneous VPN Connections
10
500+ Servers
Server Locations
67 countries
Geographically Diverse Servers
Free Version
Free Version Data Limit
Unlimited
Learn More
Proton VPN Review
NordVPN
Best Premium Features
Why We Picked ItNordVPN includes a little bit of everything. It takes the privacy and security of its users more seriously than many in the industry by including multi-hop connections, access to Tor over VPN, and other great features. While it’s more than capable of connecting you to TikTok, we hope the added security features offered by NordVPN will turn even the most novice users into experienced privacy gurus.Who It’s ForNordVPN doesn’t have a traditional free tier of service, so it’s best suited to TikTok users who don’t mind spending a bit of money to get a full-featured, privacy-forward experience. No matter what you want to do on your VPN, chances are good that Nord has already implemented the solution you’re looking for.
PROS
Multi-hop, split tunneling, and Tor connections
Excellent design
Traffic routing and file-sharing with Meshnet
Built-in antivirus tools
CONS
Expensive
Lackluster malware-blocking results
Limited utility of free Meshnet traffic routing
SPECS
Name
Value
Blocks Ads
Simultaneous VPN Connections
6
500+ Servers
Server Locations
111 Countries
Geographically Diverse Servers
Free Version
Free Version Data Limit
No Free Version
Learn More
NordVPN Review
IPVanish VPN
Best for Multi-Device Households
Why We Picked ItThere’s a strong chance you’re not the only one in your household addicted to TikTok. And while many VPN companies limit the number of devices you can have activated on each plan, IPVanish doesn’t have rules to dictate where you can use your subscription. This policy makes IPVanish perfect for families who want to get their scrolling in at the same time, whether it’s on their phone, tablet, or other devices.Who It’s ForIf you plan on connecting more than five devices to your VPN to stream TikTok—and remember that’s devices, not people—IPVanish is the perfect option because it has an unlimited device policy. While it’s not the most feature-rich pick on this list, IPVanish is tailor-made for large households, no matter how many devices are in it. (Note: IPVanish is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag.com’s parent company. For more, see the ethics policy in our Editorial Mission Statement.)
PROS
Unlimited simultaneous connections
Good geographic diversity of servers
Transparent privacy policy
Small impact on throughput speeds in our testing
CONS
Expensive
Free trial only offered on annual plans via mobile app stores
SPECS
Name
Value
Blocks Ads
Simultaneous VPN Connections
Unlimited
500+ Servers
Server Locations
52 Countries
Geographically Diverse Servers
Free Version
Free Version Data Limit
No Free Version
Learn More
IPVanish VPN Review
Buying Guide: The Best VPNs for TikTok in 2024
What Is the TikTok Ban?TikTok’s data gathering, retention, and dissemination practices have come into question in the United States, raising fears that the Chinese government could demand that ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) hand over data about US-based users or that China could leverage TikTok to influence people in the US for political purposes. In response, President Biden has signed a bill that would ban US users from being able to access TikTok on any devices that are detected as connecting from within the country’s borders unless ByteDance divests its domestic operations and holdings to a third party within 270 days of the bill’s signing on April 24, 2024 (with the option for an additional 90-day extension). A day later, ByteDance said it would prefer to shut down TikTok in the US rather than sell to a US buyer to continue operations. According to Reuters, the US version of TikTok only accounts for roughly 25% of ByteDance’s revenue on the global product, and is still reportedly operating at a loss. Given that ByteDance generates the majority of its revenue in China, shutting down US operations may be an easier decision for the company than previously thought.Until the deadline, you can still access TikTok without a VPN. But if no aspect of its ownership structure changes, internet service providers and data hosting companies will likely comply with the federal regulations and issue sweeping access restrictions across the country.
(Credit: Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)
Will My VPN Work With TikTok?To date, no major VPN service has announced any policies against TikTok. Although that could change, as it stands now, you can indeed access TikTok while using a VPN. If you already have a VPN you’re happy with, it should work with TikTok. If your VPN stops working with TikTok, or you don’t have a favorite VPN, there are a few important things to consider when choosing a new one. Some VPNs have a feature called split tunneling that’s particularly useful for separating traffic. Split tunneling lets you, for example, send only your TikTok traffic through the VPN while the rest of your traffic is left untouched for other good old-fashioned, time-draining social media apps like Instagram and Facebook. You should also always read the terms of service for any VPN provider before handing over your payment details. Make sure that the service you choose doesn’t spell out that you can’t use it for TikTok.Finally, if the service offers a free version, you should try it before you sign up for the paid version and check to see if you can access TikTok with the VPN enabled. You should also make sure you like the VPN’s interface. After all, if you’re a big TikTok user, you’ll use this VPN a lot, so you should make sure you enjoy it. Note that you can also use a proxy server to get around the ban, though VPNs are better suited in both function and form to the long streaming sessions that often go with TikTok.
How a VPN Works
Do My VPN’s Server Locations Matter?The server locations of the VPN you use absolutely matter! The primary way a VPN grants access to geo-blocked services like TikTok is by obfuscating the origin of your IP address, making it appear as if you’re in, say, the UK, when in fact you’re in the US. Selecting a VPN with server locations outside the US but optimally still close, like in Canada or Mexico, will likely give you the best streaming speeds while you access TikTok. Based on what we know of other geolocation blocking efforts, the TikTok ban could work by scanning every IP that tries to connect to its servers first. Before access is granted, its filtering system will attempt to block any addresses that originate from within the US. Pulling off this feat isn’t as complicated as it sounds. The company merely has to set up a tool that can scan the blocks of all major internet service providers in the country and add them to the list of restricted access clients in bulk.How Does a VPN Affect My TikTok Streaming Speeds?When you use a VPN, your web traffic travels through more fiber and server locations than it would on a connection without one. Regardless of the VPN you choose, even if it’s one of the fastest, you should expect to see slower upload and download speeds and higher latency results. That’s the reality of using a VPN.
Recommended by Our Editors
In our latest round of testing, we recorded the median from 25 tests with and without a VPN running and then found the percent change between the two. The greater the change, the more impact the VPN has on your internet connection speeds. To measure speeds, we use the Ookla Speedtest tool. (Note: Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag.com’s parent company. For more, see the ethics policy in our Editorial Mission Statement.)You can see the latest results from our tests in the chart below:
Networks are finicky, and we don’t claim our work to be the be-all and end-all of VPN speed testing. Instead, we offer a snapshot of how a particular service performed on a specific day, almost always from a box in New York City running to a server in New York City. These are optimal conditions on optimal servers, and your experience may change depending on where you are in the world.Do I Really Need a VPN for TikTok in the US?If TikTok isn’t sold to a domestic company for local operations by the deadline, or the company chooses to shut down its US operations altogether, there will be no way for anyone connecting from a US-based IP address to access the service on any device. The app will also be removed from app stores. If you have the app on your phone and don’t delete it, it will still be there, but it won’t lead to any content once opened—unless you enable a VPN. VPNs have other uses, too, including helping you protect your privacy. However, a VPN should be just one part of a layered approach to security, and it can’t replace other security critical tools, such as good antivirus software, a password manager, and multi-factor authentication.
