6 VPNs that can help you break through China's 'Great Firewall'

Get the Full StoryUPDATE: October 22, 2019, 1:09 p.m. EDT This story has been updated following news that a NordVPN server was breached.

Coined more than two decades ago, the term "Great Firewall of China" refers to the Chinese government's ongoing efforts to regulate and censor the internet within the borders of the country's mainland. It's a play on the name of the Great Wall of China as in, the sprawling, millennia-old landmark that's one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

You could make the argument that the Great Firewall is a world wonder, too as in, it'll have you wondering how the heck you'd make it through a trip to China without a means to stay in touch with friends, pull up driving directions, or fight off jet lag with Netflix. Read more...More about Tech, Apps, China, Cybersecurity, and Censorship

IMAGE: Mashable

BEST OVERALL CHOICE PAID

ExpressVPN

Reviewers overwhelmingly recommend this one for a reason: It's got the perfect blend of speed, security, and customer service as well as a large server network.

Monthly plan: 12.95 month

Six-month plan: 9.99 month

12-month plan: 8.32 month

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BEST OVERALL CHOICE FREE

TunnelBear

An uncomplicated VPN with a bear-y cute mascot that shares a lot of features with the paid services on this list.

Basic plan: Free

Monthly plan: 9.99 month

Annual plan: 4.99 month

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BEST FOR VPN NEWBIES

PandaPow VPN

A no-frills VPN that'll walk you through every step of the setup process. Be sure to check out its VPN router, too.

One-month plan: 9

Three-month plan: 24

12-month plan: 84

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BEST FOR SPEED

PureVPN

Potential logging issues aside, this VPN is one of the few that's fast enough to get you your Netflix fix.

Monthly plan: 10.95 month

One-year plan: 4.08 month

Two-year plan: 2.88 month

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BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

NordVPN

This popular VPN provider is ridiculously cheap in the sense of money, not quality.

Monthly plan: 11.95 month

One-year plan: 6.99 month

Two-year plan: 3.99 month

Three-year plan: 2.99 month

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BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE

Buffered VPN

A helpful chaperone for the VPN world with a bare-bones spec lineup.

Monthly plan: 12.99 month

One-year plan: 6.59 month

Two-year plan: 4.12 month

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