Best Astrill VPN Alternatives in 2026 for China, Travel, and Value

Astrill has a loyal following among expats, students, and business travelers in China, where most VPNs struggle to connect. That reputation comes at a price. Astrill costs several times more than most VPNs, it doesn’t refund a single plan, and the subscription covers only a handful of devices.

Many subscribers stay because switching feels risky, especially before a trip to a country that blocks VPNs. Others only signed up for one stay in Asia and now pay for features they no longer use. Cheaper VPNs now cover most of what Astrill does, and a few are built for the same kind of restrictive network. Out of the 30+ VPNs we’ve tested, these five are the Astrill VPN alternatives we’d move to.

Why Astrill Users Look for an Alternative

Astrill is a capable VPN, and its StealthVPN protocol has a strong record on restrictive networks. The problems are mostly about cost and trust:

• Price: one month costs $30, a year costs $180, and two years cost $300, or $12.50 a month.
• No refund or trial: Astrill’s terms say all sales are final, and there’s no free trial.
• Five devices: one subscription covers five connections at a time.
• No audit: no outside firm has checked Astrill’s no-logs claims, and its privacy policy says it keeps your last 20 connection records.
• Jurisdiction change: Astrill’s terms now name Veloxee Corp. in Liechtenstein as the operator, where they previously cited Seychelles law.
• Extras cost more: VIP servers start at $10 a month on top of the plan.
• No StealthVPN on iPhone: Astrill’s best-known protocol isn’t available in its iOS app.

Astrill also lists fewer than 60 countries and has no smart TV apps or browser extensions. Every VPN in our list offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. That makes it easy to test one before you cancel Astrill.

Astrill and Its Alternatives Compared

Every alternative costs less than a third of Astrill’s long-term price, and independent auditors have checked each one’s no-logs policy. Prices are for the longest plan each VPN sells.

VPN	Long-term price	Money-back guarantee	Devices	Audited no-logs policy	Obfuscation
Astrill	$12.50 a month	None	5	No	StealthVPN, OpenWeb
NordVPN	$3.49 a month	30 days	10	Yes	NordWhisper, obfuscated servers
Proton VPN	$2.99 a month	30 days, pro rata	10	Yes	Stealth, on every plan
ExpressVPN	$2.99 a month	30 days	10	Yes	Automatic on every connection
Surfshark	$2.49 a month	30 days	Unlimited	Yes	Camouflage Mode, NoBorders
Private Internet Access	$2.19 a month	30 days	Unlimited	Yes	Shadowsocks proxy, OpenVPN only

Five VPNs to Replace Astrill

Speeds come from our October tests on UK, US, and Japanese servers. We also tried obfuscation on Hong Kong servers, the closest of our test locations to mainland China.

1. NordVPN: Best Overall Astrill Alternative

NordVPN is the best Astrill replacement for people who use a VPN mostly outside China. Its download speed fell by only 7.8% across our UK, US, and Japanese servers. It unblocked every major streaming service we tried, and a separate guide covers watching Paramount+ from abroad. Double VPN, which sends traffic through two servers, cost only 2.9% of our speed, and the kill switch blocked our traffic even through a PC restart.

For filtered networks, it has obfuscated servers and NordWhisper, a protocol that makes VPN traffic look like ordinary web browsing. With obfuscation enabled, its Hong Kong server kept 116.30 Mbps. Still, NordVPN’s own support page warns that users in countries that restrict VPNs may have trouble connecting, and NordWhisper is built for school, office, and hotel filters.

For a trip to China, install Proton VPN or ExpressVPN alongside it. Its network spans 152 countries, one subscription covers 10 devices, and NordVPN’s Basic plan costs $94.23 for the first 27 months. Our NordVPN review covers the rest, and our NordVPN vs Astrill comparison puts the two side by side.

Visit NordVPN

2. Proton VPN: Best for China and Privacy

Proton VPN puts privacy first, at a fraction of Astrill’s price. Stealth, its obfuscation protocol, disguises VPN traffic as regular encrypted web traffic, and every Proton VPN plan has it, the free one too. Alternative Routing also helps the app connect when Proton’s own servers or website are blocked. Proton VPN itself says it can’t guarantee access from China.

When I enabled Stealth on the UK server, it came in at 175.41 Mbps, only 1.9% slower than plain WireGuard. In Hong Kong, Stealth recorded 60.75 Mbps, enough for HD video but less than half of ExpressVPN’s result. Enable Stealth only where VPNs are blocked, and use WireGuard everywhere else.

Securitum has audited its no-logs policy every year since 2022. Proton VPN’s two-year VPN Plus plan is $2.99 a month, though a refund only returns the time you haven’t used. Our page on Proton VPN in China has the setup details.

Visit Proton VPN

3. ExpressVPN: Best for Obfuscation With Nothing to Set Up

ExpressVPN hides every connection automatically, so there’s no protocol to choose before a trip and no setting to forget. It topped our Hong Kong obfuscation test, at 133.56 Mbps, and was the quickest on our Japanese server, at 163.94 Mbps. For users who relied on Astrill’s StealthVPN without changing settings, it’s the most similar experience.

For streaming, it unblocked Netflix, Kayo Sports, and the other major services we tried. Its apps are simple on every platform, including its Mac app, though there are few settings to adjust. Advanced users who liked Astrill’s protocol and port settings may miss them.

ExpressVPN covers 113 countries, and its two-year Basic plan comes to $83.72 for 28 months, with 10 devices. It then renews at $99.95 a year, which is still well under a year of Astrill. Our Astrill vs ExpressVPN comparison goes into more detail.

Visit ExpressVPN

4. Surfshark: Best Value for Streaming and Ad Blocking

Surfshark offers the best streaming value of these alternatives. It unblocked the major services we tried, including Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, and Prime Video, and it was the fastest VPN on our UK server, at 186.96 Mbps. Its average speed loss was 9.6%. CleanWeb blocks ads and trackers, and one subscription covers every device you own.

For restrictive networks, Surfshark offers Camouflage Mode and NoBorders, but its own China support page now recommends a manual WireGuard setup instead. Manual setup takes more effort than Astrill or ExpressVPN. Do it before you travel. Its app was also slow to connect at times.

Surfshark covers 100 countries, and Deloitte has verified its no-logs policy. The Starter plan costs under $2.50 a month for the first 27 months, then $79 a year. Our list of cheap VPNs compares it with other budget VPNs.

Visit Surfshark

5. Private Internet Access: Best for Customization at a Low Price

Private Internet Access is for Astrill users who liked choosing protocols, ports, and encryption by hand. It has the most settings of these five, and its MACE blocker stopped 96% of the ads and trackers on d3ward’s ad-block test. Speed was the lowest of the group, with a 12.7% average speed loss, still fast enough for 4K streaming.

The Windows app defaults to OpenVPN with no automatic setting. WireGuard is faster for everyday use, so choose it by hand. For obfuscation, PIA has a Shadowsocks proxy, which works only with OpenVPN. Switch back to OpenVPN before you enable it. The app looks dated next to the others, and its cluttered layout makes settings harder to find.

PIA’s servers cover 104 countries and territories. PIA costs $56.94 for the first 26 months, about $2.19 a month, and renews at the same $56.94 a year. Our Private Internet Access review covers its plans.

Visit Private Internet Access

Surfshark vs Astrill

Surfshark is the better deal for most people, and Astrill has the longer record in China. Here’s how the two compare:

• Price: Astrill’s two-year plan costs $300 with no refund. Surfshark’s Starter plan costs $67.23 for 27 months, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Devices: Astrill allows five connections at a time, while Surfshark has no limit.
• Privacy: Surfshark’s no-logs policy has passed independent audits. Astrill’s claims haven’t been audited.
• Streaming: Surfshark unblocked the major services in our tests, and our Astrill review found Netflix and BBC iPlayer working on Astrill too.
• China: Astrill built StealthVPN for networks like China’s, while Surfshark’s China advice is a manual WireGuard setup.

Choose Surfshark for streaming, ad blocking, and a lower bill. Our Surfshark vs NordVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison shows how it compares with NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

Astrill Alternatives for China

Proton VPN and ExpressVPN are the alternatives we’d take to China, because they’re built to disguise VPN traffic: Proton VPN through Stealth, and ExpressVPN on every connection automatically. We haven’t tested from mainland China, so our results come from Hong Kong servers, and no VPN company guarantees access there. Our guide to the best VPNs for China covers the wider picture.

A few steps make a trip far more reliable:

• Install before you travel. VPN websites and app store listings are blocked in China, so download and sign in at home.
• Install two VPNs. Blocking changes without warning, and a second VPN keeps you online when the first stops connecting.
• Know your obfuscation setting. Enable Stealth on Proton VPN, or leave ExpressVPN on its automatic setting. Our guide on how to bypass VPN blocks explains how obfuscation works.
• Check the rules. China only permits government-approved VPNs. Read the local guidance before you go.

We also have separate guides to ExpressVPN in China and Surfshark in China.

When Astrill Is Still Worth Keeping

Astrill still makes sense for people who live in China and use a VPN all day. Its StealthVPN and OpenWeb protocols were built for that network, and its router applet can protect a whole apartment. If you’ve already paid for two years, there’s also little point in leaving early. Astrill won’t refund the rest.

Outside that group, the cost is hard to justify. Travelers and streamers do better with the alternatives, which cost far less and come with audited privacy and a refund window.

Free Astrill Alternatives

Two free VPNs offer obfuscation, but neither is a dependable China tool. Proton VPN’s free plan includes Stealth and unlimited data on one device. It chooses your server from ten countries, and after a few switches, the app makes you wait 45 minutes before the next one. Windscribe‘s free plan offers Stealth and WStunnel, plus 10 GB of data monthly after email confirmation.

Both work well for everyday privacy, such as banking on hotel Wi-Fi. For streaming, Windscribe’s free plan unblocked BBC iPlayer and Channel 4 when we tested it, while Proton VPN’s free plan doesn’t unblock streaming reliably. Our list of the best free VPNs compares the rest.

Verdict

Is Astrill still worth its price? For long-term residents of China, it can be. For most other users, a cheaper VPN does the same job, with an independent audit and a 30-day guarantee. NordVPN is the VPN we’d recommend to most people leaving Astrill. It was among the fastest VPNs we tested and worked with Netflix, iPlayer, and the other major services we tried.

Over two years, it also costs less than a third as much as Astrill. If you used Astrill for China, choose Proton VPN, whose Stealth protocol comes with every plan, and install ExpressVPN as a second VPN before you fly. Surfshark and Private Internet Access cost even less, with unlimited devices.

For more VPNs, see our list of the best VPNs, or read how ExpressVPN and NordVPN compare.

Try NordVPN Risk-Free

---

Frequently Asked Questions