The internet in Syria is heavily monitored and censored. This makes using a VPN essential for escaping surveillance and gaining access to information outside of the propaganda bubble.
VPN services encrypt your internet connection, which stops government agencies and ISPs from monitoring you online. VPN services also conceal your IP address, so that you can access websites and services that are blocked - without those websites knowing where you are.
If you plan to use a VPN in Syria, you should choose a service with strong encryption, obfuscated servers, and a no-logs policy. Not all VPNs have these vital features, which is why you must choose carefully.
In this article, we take a look at the best VPNs for Syria and give you tips on how you can stay safe online in the country.
What are the best Syria VPN services?
Below you can take a quick look at the 5 best VPNs for Syria. If you need more info to help you choose - scroll down further for our in-depth summaries about each service.
- ExpressVPN - The best Syria VPN service. It's one of the fastest VPNs, it has stealth servers, a no-logs policy, and zero-knowledge DNS.
- Surfshark - The cheapest Syria VPN. It's loved by users because it's fast, secure, unblocks most services, and it's packed with features.
- Private Internet Access - The most secure Syria VPN. It has been proven that it doesn't keep logs, has strong encryption, and a Malware blocker.
- PrivateVPN - A great Syria VPN. It lives up to its name as it's private, keeps no logs, has strong privacy features, and great for streaming.
- IPVanish - This is a great Syria VPN. You can use it on unlimited devices with one subscription and it has great Apps for all platforms.
All of our recommended Syria VPN services have the following features to give you freedom and privacy online:
- Obfuscated/Stealth servers
- A zero-logs policy
- OpenVPN encryption
- kill-switch
- Unblocks websites and services
The best Syrian VPNs - In-depth analysis
You can take an in-depth look at the best VPN in Syria below. If you still want more information about any of the VPNs listed, please check out our detailed VPN reviews.
ExpressVPN is the best Syria VPN. It's consistently super-fast, has servers in over 94 countries, obfuscated (stealth) servers, and very strong encryption. ExpressVPN is a well-known VPN provider that has servers in 94 countries; including in an around the Middle East and North Africa. This gives you a lot of choices when it comes to choosing a server to connect to. This is good because it can allow you to gain privacy while still using local services that are restricted to people living in Middle Eastern countries. ExpressVPN provides lightning-fast speeds that make it superb for streaming in HD, doing video conferencing, gaming, or any other data-intensive tasks you desire. And, this VPN can easily allow you to access any VoIP or messaging apps that are restricted in Syria. It is also perfect for accessing censored politically motivated videos, or news content that has been blocked by the state. ExpressVPN is also highly recommended for the purposes of gaining watertight data privacy and security. This makes it superb for unblocking any content that has been blocked by the Syrian government, and for ensuring that your ISP can never track your online habits. And, this VPN is fantastic for gaining privacy both at home and on public WiFi. With ExpressVPN you get easy-to-use apps for all platforms that come with security features like a kill-switch, obfuscation, DNS leak protection, and OpenVPN encryption. This ensures that you can do sensitive online tasks without ever being tracked. This includes torrenting. In addition, ExpressVPN has a 24/7 live chat function on its website - so that you can as questions at any time of day. A superb service that is well worth testing yourself with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Plus, this VPN will unblock Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, and anything else that you require. Surfshark is the cheapest Syria VPN. It's packed with features including; Smart DNS, a malware blocker, unlimited simultaneous connections, and stealth servers. Surfshark is an outstanding VPN for anybody living in Syria. It is a low-cost VPN that performs superbly well; and that has all the vital privacy and security features you need for unblocking content in Syria. However, it is important to note that this VPN does not actually have a server in Syria - so you will not be able to access local services while connected to a local IP address. The good news is that it does have options nearby with servers in Turkey, Libya, and the UAE. And, where speeds are concerned, this VPN is fantastic. It can unblock Netflix US and other popular US services such as Hulu, HBO Max, and YouTube TV - which makes it excellent for unblocking geo-restricted content worldwide (thanks to its servers in 60+ countries). Surfshark is a no-logs VPN with apps for all platforms that have the advanced features you need to torrent securely, or to bypass content that has been blocked by the Syrian government. This includes a kill-switch and obfuscation (stealth mode). And this VPN can keep your online habits private and secure both at home and on public WiFi. An excellent VPN that users can install on an unlimited number of devices. It even has superb 24/7 live chat support. You can test it using its 30-day money-back guarantee. Private Internet Access is the most secure Syria VPN. It has been proven in court that this VPN keep logs, has well implemented encryption, and blocks malware, ads, and trackers. Private Internet Access (PIA) is a provider from the USA. It is a VPN with an excellent reputation that often earns its recommendations on Reddit. The VPN is known to be highly secure thanks to its no-logs policy, strong OpenVPN encryption, and fully-featured apps. This includes DNS leak protection, a kill-switch, and obfuscation (stealth mode) to ensure that the VPN is safe to use for bypassing government censorship in Syria. What's more, this VPN has proven its no-logs claims in court, and its apps come with more advanced features than any other VPN on this list. This makes it great for techy users who need more customizability. The VPN has apps for all platforms that come with OpenVPN encryption, obfuscation, port forwarding, split tunneling, and a SOCKS5 proxy. And, users can opt to fiddle with the strength of their encryption - depending on their needs. PIA VPN is fast enough for HD streaming and it has servers in 74 countries that are great for streaming or torrenting. It also works for unblocking popular services like Netflix US. And, this VPN has live chat support to help you when you need it. An excellent VPN for anybody who wants granular control over every aspect of their VPN. You can test it yourself to compare it to our other recommendations for Syria using its 30-day money-back guarantee. PrivateVPN is a great Syria VPN that lives up to its name as being private. It is a no-logs VPN with well implemented encryption, IPv6 leak protection, and it will remotely set it up for you. PrivateVPN is an established VPN provider based in Sweden. It is a secure service with custom clients that can be used on up to six devices simultaneously. Those apps come with military-grade OpenVPN encryption, DNS leak protection, a kill-switch, and obfuscation (stealth mode). This ensures that the VPN is safe to use in Syria and in other oppressive countries. Plus this VPN lives up to its name by having a completely no-logs privacy policy; which is the most secure one available. PrivateVPN has 150+ servers in over 60 countries around the world. That is a huge amount of servers that it is increasing regularly. And it can provide access to Netflix Turkey, Netflix US, and many other streaming services around the world. In fact, considering the relatively low cost, it is very hard to find a better VPN for streaming in Syria. We also love that this VPN has live chat support. We find that customers often come to ProPrivacy to praise this VPN - after having a bad experience with various other services! This is a testament to how good this VPN really is. Secure and reliable - and well worth testing in Syria using its 30-day money-back guarantee. IPVanish is a great all-round Syria VPN. You can use it on unlimited devices with just one subscription, it has great apps for all platforms, and has a no-logs policy. IPVanish is a US-based VPN provider from Orlando, Florida. It is an established VPN service that is well known for providing a reliable and fast VPN experience. IPVanish VPN owns and controls almost the entire if its "Tier 1" server network. This is an advantage in terms of both performance and privacy - because it means that few third parties are involved in its infrastructure. IPVanish is super-reliable and it can unblock a lot of geo-restricted content from around the world. Plus this is a zero-logs VPN that has apps for all platforms with advanced privacy features such as OpenVPN encryption, DNS leak protection, a kill-switch, and XOR obfuscation (stealth mode). This makes it one of the most private and secure VPNs available on the market - which is why we can recommend it for use in Syria. With IPVanish you get servers in over 70 countries, which makes it great if you want to unblock a lot of different international content. And, it has great customer support on its website, just in case you get stuck. Overall, a secure VPN that has what you need to access the internet in privacy from the Syrian government. You can compare it to our other recommendations by using its 30-day money-back guarantee. 1. ExpressVPN
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Why you should consider using a VPN in Syria
The Syrian government heavily controls, monitors, and manipulates people's access to the internet. In 2016, Freedom House ranked Syria joint second as the least free nation in the world online. It ranked alongside Iran and just after China). Things have not improved much since then.
Most Middle Eastern countries restrict access to pornography, websites that cover LGBTQ rights, foreign news sites that criticize the government, and VOIP applications. In Syria, things are more nuanced and blocks are primarily motivated by the desire to maintain political control.
The Syrian Ba’ath Party's primary contention is that access to information is good – as long as that information comes directly from the government. All other sources of information must either toe the government line or be blocked – as a result, the internet suffers from overwhelming levels of censorship. Using a Syria VPN will encrypt your connection and stop anyone from being able to see what you are up to online.
Internet Access in Syria
Escalating ethnic and religious hostilities in Syria led to civil war in 2011. The chaotic situation, which included ISIS completely restricting access to the internet in the areas it controls - can make finding a point of access to the internet extremely difficult.
Thus, to gain internet freedom in Syria, you must be able to get to a location where internet connectivity is available. In addition to widespread accessibility issues, the government has built up strong technical capabilities for monitoring all internet and telephone traffic.
As a result, a VPN is required to escaping the bubble of censorship, and to ensure that you aren't under constant government surveillance.
Internet Censorship in Syria
Critics of the Syrian government claim that it primarily makes the internet available to allow its enemies to reveal their plans. To that end, digital surveillance is now the government’s top priority.
A 2011 study revealed that the Syrian government installed a US system produced by Blue Coat (a subsidiary of Symantec). That software allowed the government to harvest and store the communications of Syrian internet users. It also allows it to block access to websites containing blacklisted keywords. The technology is also leveraged to engage in traffic shaping that throttles people's access to political videos critical of the Syrian state.
Since its supply of equipment to Syria was uncovered, Blue Coat has stopped providing software updates to the Syrian government. Despite this, surveillance in the country is thought to have continued with the help of Russia – who is thought to have provided more technology for enforcing internet controls.
The Syrian government uses this tech to harvests user credentials and passwords and to regularly break into Facebook and Twitter accounts of citizens in the country.
Protect Your Privacy with a VPN for Syria
Access to the internet must always occur via your ISP's servers, and ISPs in Syria must help the government to block websites and monitor internet traffic. For this reason, it is essential that you hide all of your internet communications from your ISP.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the ideal way to achieve this. A VPN encrypts all of the data that leaves your computer and all of the communications that come back in. The VPN also diverts your traffic to a VPN server, to prevent your ISP from tracking the websites and services you choose to use.
Unblock Streaming Services in Syria
In addition to providing privacy and bypassing censorship, VPNs let you pretend to be in a different country to bypass geo-restrictions. As a result, you can access foreign streaming services.
Most streaming platforms block VPN IP addresses, but a few VPNs can successfully bypass these blocks.
The Syrian government also discourages access to video streaming sites by selectively slowing down ("throttling”) video traffic. ISPs monitor their users to identify streaming video, and they cut their subscribers' speeds to make it impossible to watch those videos. A VPN can defeat that throttling, by preventing the ISP from knowing what you are doing online.
In addition, Syria is one of only two countries in the world that doesn’t have access to Netflix. But, by using a VPN for Netflix, you can bypass those regional restrictions – to pay for a Turkish Netflix account at rock bottom prices.
If you’re new to VPNs and want to know more about how they work, check out our beginners guide to VPNs for everything you need to know!
What makes a VPN good to use in Syria?
Now that you understand why you need a VPN in Syria, you may be wondering which VPN to pick. For a VPN to be good for Syria it must have certain features that ensure you gain watertight digital privacy at all times. Not every VPN was created equally, which is why it is important to pick a reliable service.
You need a VPN that has strong encryption, can avoid detection, has good speeds, and has servers in and around Syria. Your chosen VPN must have a total commitment to privacy. It should keep no logs of user activities.
Below we have included all of the features our experts looked for when picking the 5 best VPNs for Syria. All of our recommendations have these features to ensure your data is always safe while you get added freedom online.
- Apps for all platforms
- A no-logs policy
- Strong OpenVPN encryption
- A kill-switch to prevent data leaks to your ISP
- Obfuscation to conceal VPN use from your ISP
- A large network of servers - to let you bypass censorship and unblock more content
- Fast servers suitable for streaming in HD and making VoIP calls or video conferencing
- Excellent customer care with live chat support
- Value for money
How to set up and use a Syria VPN - Tips
All of the VPNs for Syria recommended in this article have custom apps. This makes installing and using those VPNs extremely easy. Simply follow the steps below to get the VPN up and running:
- Subscribe to a VPN provider that suits you best (we recommend choosing one of the above).
- Download and install the VPN software onto your device from the provider's website.
- Click on the settings icon and ensure that the kill-switch is enabled, turn on the VPN's obfuscation features, and check that encryption is set to OpenVPN or IKEv2.
- Choose a VPN server in a location where website content is not censored and click 'connect'.
As soon as the VPN connects, your data is encrypted, meaning that your ISP and the government can no longer track what you are doing online. In addition, you can bypass government censorship and access foreign regional services from around the world.
How reporters can stay safe in Syria
In Syria journalists who dare to speak out against the ruling Ba’ath Party - and the corruption and oppression that is used to dominate the country - are at huge risk. In 2020 alone, two journalists have been killed for speaking out. This reveals that it is hugely dangerous to engage in reporting anything that contradicts the government's official narrative.
Reporters who decide to write offending content, and who access dissenting news and facts online, must take extreme care. A VPN is a great tool for gaining privacy online because it prevents ISPs and the government from tracking what you do online.
In addition, journalists engaging in writing content that could potentially get them killed should ensure that they are using strong unique passwords for every account they use. And those passwords should be updated regularly.
They should also ensure that they use pseudonyms when accessing the services and servers where they post offending content, and they should ensure that strong end-to-end encryption is always used when emailing (PGP) or messaging (by using messengers like Signal).
In addition, Tor can also be used by journalists for the purposes of gaining online anonymity. This provides an extra layer of security in addition to the privacy provided by a VPN.
Can I use a free VPN in Syria?
Using a free VPN service in Syria is a bad idea due to the current political situation. The vast majority of free services are known to harvest their users' data - to sell it on for a profit. This means that the VPN could potentially become infiltrated by the Syrian government. This could put you at severe risk. As a result, it is important to stay away from free services of this nature.
In addition, many free providers have been proven to have weak encryption, critical leaks, and even spyware in their apps. This makes those VPNs a massive threat because if a VPN is giving you a false sense of security you could wind up arrested or killed.
The good news is that there are some free VPNs available on the market that you can trust. However, the unfortunate reality is that those VPNs are extremely limited. Free plans have few server locations to choose from, they are extremely slow to avoid congestion for other free users, and they fail to unblock popular services like Netflix.
It is also easy for the Syrian government to block the websites of free VPNs, which can make getting one for free quite tricky.
Are VPNs legal in Syria?
Yes, technically speaking VPNs are legal in Syria and it is legal to have VPN software installed on your machine.
Despite the legal status of VPNs, however, it is true that the government actively seeks to block access to technologies that permit people to bypass government censorship and website blocks. As a result, it can be hard to get access to VPN websites and apps - even though they are legal.
In addition, those people who do use a VPN will be breaking the law if they attempt to access any content that has been blocked in the country. And, if they use their VPN to conceal the fact that they are uploading dissenting opinions and content, they are also breaking the law.
Thus, it is not using a VPN that is illegal - but rather what you choose to do online while connected to the VPN. That is why it is essential to stick to a secure VPN that has a no-logs policy, strong encryption, and advanced privacy features such as a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation/stealth servers.
Best VPN for Syria: Conclusion
The five best VPNs for Syria provide the most reliable security and privacy features available on the market. Their apps enable you to mask your traffic and avoid being identified by the websites you access.
Any of our five recommended VPNs will protect you when you find a working internet access point in Syria. The VPN will prevent the Syrian authorities from capturing your login details to sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
However, please remember that the authorities are still able to read any statements you make on public forums. For this reason, it is wise to control your urge to publicly criticize the government while in the country. Also, try to refrain from identifying friends and associates – because they might get into trouble for the things you write.
Keep safe, and use common sense when accessing the internet in Syria. Above all, use a VPN.
- ExpressVPN - The best Syria VPN service. It's one of the fastest VPNs, it has stealth servers, a no-logs policy, and zero-knowledge DNS.
- Surfshark - The cheapest Syria VPN. It's loved by users because it's fast, secure, unblocks most services, and it's packed with features.
- Private Internet Access - The most secure Syria VPN. It has been proven that it doesn't keep logs, has strong encryption, and a Malware blocker.
- PrivateVPN - A great Syria VPN. It lives up to its name as it's private, keeps no logs, has strong privacy features, and great for streaming.
- IPVanish - This is a great Syria VPN. You can use it on unlimited devices with one subscription and it has great Apps for all platforms.