Best Russian VPN services in 2024

Using a VPN in Russia can drastically improve your online privacy and security. VPNs encrypt all your data, which protects you against government snoops, hackers on public wifi, and tracking at the hands of your ISP. 

A VPN also changes your IP address. This allows you to unblock region-locked or censored websites. As a result, you can access Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, and other international services from Russia – or websites and services only available in Russia – from abroad.

Russia now blocks IPs associated with VPNs and forces VPN providers to log data from Russian servers. This makes it much harder to find a reliable Russian VPN service.

In this guide, we have recommended the best VPNs for Russia. These services still work in the country. We also provide tips for staying secure online in Russia and abroad.

What are the best Russian VPNs in 2024?

We have listed the best Russian VPN services below. If you need more information about any of the services listed below, scroll down for an in-depth analysis of each service.

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All the VPNs for Russia have the following features to ensure you get the most out of your VPN:

• Strong encryption
• VPN Servers in Russia
• A no-logs policy
• Fast servers

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The best VPN for Russia – In-depth analysis

We take a closer look at the best VPNs for Russia below. If you still want more information about any of the services listed, check out our detailed VPN reviews.

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How to use a VPN in Russia

Once you have subscribed to a VPN, using it to gain privacy and bypass censorship is not hard. You can follow the steps below to get your VPN up and running securely:

1. Choose a VPN that suits your needs best. We’ve listed the best services for the job above.
2. Download and install the VPN software onto your device, then log in.
3. Open the settings menu and ensure that your kill-switch and obfuscation (stealth mode) are turned on to conceal your VPN use from the government.
4. Choose a VPN server that is close to where you live for the best speeds.
5. Access restricted services and any content censored by the Russian government.

Why use a VPN in Russia?

In Russia, the government is highly invasive and imposes an iron will on its people. Mandatory data retention and censorship are common, and there is pressure on firms to store all data about Russian citizens on servers located within the country.

A huge number of foreign websites are also blacklisted for many reasons. Foreign news is often subjected to blackouts – as are foreign services such as Google. Ukrainian sites are blocked due to the ongoing conflict, and other websites that are critical of the Russian government (or that the Kremlin decides are incompatible morally and religiously) are also censored. Pornography, for example, is heavily restricted.

The government also places citizens under high levels of surveillance. This is due to get even worse this year thanks to the introduction of new Yarovaya laws – a VPN is the only way to ensure both internet freedom and digital privacy within the country.

Blogging restrictions

In 2014, the Russian government passed a law requiring all bloggers with more than 3,000 daily readers to follow the same regulations as large-scale media outlets. This includes having to write using their real name and official registration with Koskomnadzor, the nation’s media regulator.

Expressing dissenting political views can result in imprisonment within Russia. Any support of “terrorism” (mainly defined as anti-government rhetoric) within the nation can also result in a seven-year prison sentence. Since the ‘law on bloggers’ came into effect, many Russians have begun to take their privacy more seriously. As a result, the use of VPNs in the country has vastly increased.

How we research the best VPNs for Russia – VPN testing methodology

Russia has some of the heaviest internet censorship controls in the world, so finding a VPN that works there is a challenging task. However, once we find a VPN that can evade Russian censorship controls, we consider several other criteria to ensure your VPN does more than just “works”, allowing you to use your VPN to its full potential.

Our testing criteria looked a little like this:

• Does it have servers in Russia? Before beginning our testing, the first step is to see if the VPN has Russian servers. If it doesn’t, we can guarantee it won’t be able to bypass the strict censorship controls in place.
• Does it unblock popular Russian websites? We then try to access some of the most popular Russian websites, including Yandex, Mail.ru, and more. The VPN is a front-runner if it can successfully unblock these sites.
• Is it fast enough for streaming and gaming? A VPN might be able to bypass censorship controls, but if it’s too slow, it’s not going to be much use for anything else. We test the speed of each VPN using Ookla’s speedtest.net, so you can see exactly how fast (or slow) it is.
• Is it easy to use? We want a VPN that’s easy to set up and use, even if you’re not a tech expert. All VPNs on our list come with clear instructions and user-friendly apps.
• Is it safe to use in Russia? We only recommend VPNs that are known for their robust security features. This is important not only for evading censorship but also for keeping your data safe from government surveillance.
• Does it offer good value for money? We think a VPN is only worth paying for if it provides good value for money. That means a combination of features, price, and performance.

The above is only a snippet of our criteria, but it gives you an idea of the lengths we go to find the best VPNs for Russia. Read our testing process to learn more.

Russia bans Telegram Messenger

On Friday 19 April 2019, a Moscow court authorized Roskomnadzor, the Russian communications, and technology watchdog, to block the popular Telegram Messenger app.

The move follows demands from the Federal Security Service (FSB) that Telegram hand over its encryption keys to the secretive KGB successor after claiming that it is widely used by terrorists. Telegram refused.

The good news, however, is that Telegram can still be freely accessed in Russia using a VPN. This is because a VPN hides the fact that you are connecting to the Telegram network from your internet and/or mobile provider (and therefore the Roskomnadzor).

For more information on this story, please see our full Russia Bans Telegram Messenger article.

Gain privacy with a VPN for Russia

A Virtual Private Network for Russia overcomes all government-imposed censorship. Once connected to a VPN, users are free to look at any blog or news source that they wish, without fear of being flagged up as someone with dissenting opinions and views.

A VPN also bypasses geo-restrictions so that people can access content and services from overseas. A VPN will also allow users to overcome network restrictions imposed by local administrators such as employers and landlords.

In addition, reliable Russian VPN apps encrypt all web traffic. By scrambling data with military-grade encryption, a VPN for Russia stops ISPs from collecting web browsing data on behalf of the government. With this in mind, a VPN app is the best digital privacy tool available.

A VPN also conceals the user’s real location. This stops the websites they visit from being able to track their real IP address. This is good for privacy but also means that VPN users can pretend to be in a different country. By connecting to a VPN server in a foreign country – users can overcome both censorship and geo-restrictions.

Using a VPN for security in Russia

Whether you are at home or on public Wi-Fi, a VPN can help you stay secure. Using public Wi-Fi on a regular basis opens you up to the possibility of being hacked. Even at home, your IP address can give hackers a way to pinpoint cyberattacks on you. With a VPN, your IP address is securely concealed.

In addition, VPN encryption protects all your data from hackers by scrambling it. This protects your passwords, credit card details – and other sensitive data – from being snooped on by hackers, IPS, and the government. It also protects your data from being hacked by anybody exploiting the KRACK vulnerability found in many routers.

Are VPNs legal in Russia?

It is currently legal to use a VPN in Russia. Before you jump for joy, however, it’s important to note that the VPNs that are allowed are exclusively the state-approved VPNs. Also, using a VPN to access any content blocked by the Russian government has been banned by law. Unfortunately, this leaves you with very limited content that you’ll be able to access with a VPN in Russia.

In Russia, the Federal Security Service works with ISPs to monitor user telecommunications (including emails and phone calls) and block websites. Faced with this extensive surveilling and censorship, plenty of Russian citizens seek out VPNs to safeguard their privacy and open up the web, but it’s a risky choice.

VPN usage in and of itself is not a criminal offense in the country, and you can still use a VPN for personal or business purposes – you’re only skirting the law if you’re trying to bypass those government-imposed restrictions or access blacklisted websites. This law was introduced in October 2017, and was followed in 2018 by another law ordering the URLs of certain VPN services themselves, or any sites that sell VPN services, to be blocked. Search engines that allowed access to VPN sites and services were also liable to fines.

As a result, you might find that some of the websites of the VPNs in this article are blocked – if that’s the case, keep reading to learn how you can still sign up for a VPN service.

How to access blocked VPN websites in Russia

If you’ve decided that you’d like to try a VPN out for yourself, you might go to visit the homepage of one of our recommended providers only to find that it’s been blocked. Schools, workplaces, network administrators, and governments have been known to restrict access to VPN sites – which can be frustrating and makes purchasing and downloading a VPN that much more difficult. However, it’s not impossible!

1. Russian users who find that VPN websites are blocked may want to try changing their DNS, or Domain Name System. Your ISP can assign you a DNS, which could end up being slow or block you from certain sites – like VPN pages! Fortunately, you can change your DNS by using a free service. Try using Google’s DNS (8.8.8.8) and accessing the VPN page again. You’ll hopefully be able to access it, and may even see an improvement in your overall connection speed.
2. It’s also possible to use the Tor browser (and its anonymous network) to bypass website restrictions. First, you’ll need to download Tor, and you can do so on any Windows, Mac, Linux, or Android device. Some VPN providers even have onion websites accessible to Tor users – like ExpressVPN!
3. Finally, Russian users may want to consider using a VPN mirror website. You can find these sites with a quick Google search. Mirror sites behave just like a regular VPN page (just with a different URL or domain), and you’ll be able to purchase and download your VPN from them just as you would on the main site.

VPN in Russia – is it safe?

Because the Russian government forces Russian-based servers to hand over data to the government, some VPNs are unwilling to run servers within the country. Even when VPNs have Russian servers, on the whole, it is better to use a server located elsewhere. By using a VPN server in a country with strong data protection laws, you guarantee that your online activities are better protected from Russia’s invasive government.

A VPN for Russia should also have a strong privacy policy, advanced VPN features, and well-implemented military-grade encryption. This will allow you to have confidence in the protection provided by your VPN. Many VPNs are outdated – or make revenue from their user’s data. Those VPNs should be avoided.

All the VPNs in this article have been carefully selected because they have important features such as a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, VPN cloaking technology, auto-connect, and OpenVPN encryption. Our recommended VPNs have strong privacy policies that never store logs about what their users do online.

What can I do with a VPN in Russia?

A Russia VPN is extremely useful. Not only can you overcome government censorship and regain access to blacklisted websites, but you can also access geo-restricted websites, too. With a VPN, you can unblock and watch British TV channels like ITV Hub and BBC iPlayer.

You can also watch foreign sports such as football, Formula 1 or UFC fighting a lot cheaper. You can even subscribe to US cable on Sling TV and watch the world’s best shows the moment they come out. A VPN truly unlocks the whole internet, allowing you to visit any website or use any service.

Connect to VPN servers in Russia

If you are outside of Russia and want to use Russian websites such as Vkontakte (VK.com), the search engine Yandex, Mail.ru, and Odnoklassniki (OK.ru) – you will need to connect to a VPN server in Russia. Many Russian speakers in Ukraine, for example, must use a VPN with a Russian server in order to use Russia’s version of Facebook (VK.com).

No matter where you are, you can use a VPN server to pretend to be in Russia if that is what you wish. However, on the whole, we recommend using servers located outside of Russia whenever possible: as this will be better for your privacy.

Can I get a free VPN for Russia?

If you’re a Russian citizen, you may find it hard to find a free VPN for Russia. Even if you can find them, you need to be very careful because many free services collect data from their users and sell it to the highest bidder. Studies have revealed that free services have poor encryption, bad data practices, critical leaks, and even adware designed to track your habits to serve you ads. This is the opposite of what a VPN should be doing. 

Luckily, there are some free VPNs that are safe to use in Russia. Our recommended services provide a limited free plan so that you can use their service a little each month. Although these services are useful, they will not compare to the unrestricted service you get with a full VPN subscription. 

If you want to try a full, unrestricted VPN service, we advise that you try one of the VPNs on this page. The VPNs for Russia in this article all have VPN free trials and a money-back guarantee. That means you can try out the full premium VPN and get your money back to try another if you want to.

Is it getting harder to get an IP address in Russia?

Yes. Due to the Yarovaya laws passed in Russia, it has become much riskier for VPNs to run and maintain servers there. Legal requirements in Russia mean that VPNs must register officially with the government. It also means that the Kremlin could instantly raid a server, or request access to all the data that is passing through the Russian VPN server. 

As a result of these laws, many VPNs have decided to cease operating in Russia. This ensures that the VPN can be fully compliant with its no-logging policy at all times, and it is not putting its users at risk by maintaining a Russian server that could become compromised.

Unfortunately, this means that fewer trustworthy VPNs now offer the option to connect to a VPN server in Russia. As a result, you will need to check that the provider you are interested in still provides access to IPs in Russia.

A Russian IP address is a useful resource for people elsewhere in the world who want to be able to use services such as Vkontakte (VK), Yandex, Mail.ru, Rambler.ru, Ozon, Avito, Kinopoisk, and Rutube from abroad.

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, only one of our recommendations provides an IP address in Russia (Moscow). That service is VyprVPN. Thus, if you want to be able to access Russian services from abroad, you will need to opt for this specific VPN provider.

Conclusion

Regaining online freedom in Russia has become increasingly difficult over the years, especially since the latest political turmoils in 2022. The Russian government has shut down most international news outlets, social media platforms, and other communication channels to “prevent them from influencing public opinion”.

On top of that, many VPN companies have been banned or restricted within the country. Others, unable to meet repressive demands and regulations, had to shut down their servers in Russia. Luckily, there are still reliable and secure VPN options that are managing to resist the pressure, some of which even provide Russian IP addresses. Here’s another quick summary of those services.

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Best Russian VPNs – FAQs

[[post-object type=”accordion” question=”Is Facebook blocked in Russia?” answer=”Yes. As of March 2022, Russian citizens can no longer use Facebook or Instagram in the country. The social media platforms got banned after <a href=’https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/04/russia-completely-blocks-access-to-facebook-and-twitter’>the Russian government accused their parent company, Meta, of being ‘extremist'</a> because it had restricted some state-owned Russian media previously. Unfortunately, that’s not all – other social and news websites got restricted too shortly after, including Twitter, BBC News, and Deutsche Welle.” /]]

[[post-object type=”accordion” question=”How can I get a Russian IP address?” answer=”Some industry-leading VPNs, such as VyprVPN and CyberGhost still have servers in Russia, enabling you to obtain a Russian IP address in an easy and secure way. All you need to do is download and install any of these two VPN providers (whichever suits your needs better) and connect to a server in Russia. This will automatically change your IP address to a Russian one. On top of that, all your online traffic will get encrypted. So you get to visit your favorite Russian websites without fearing that someone will spy on you.” /]]

[[post-object type=”accordion” question=”Which online websites and services have been banned in Russia?” answer=”

Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, Russia has kept banning international and Ukrainian websites and apps in an effort to control media and increase censorship. Furthermore, the country has made any negative discussion regarding the conflict a criminal act, and, to this day, it keeps arresting individuals who criticize it publicly.

The following services are just a fraction of the social media and news outlets that have recently been blocked in Russia:

• Amnesty International
• BBC News
• Deutsche Welle
• Euronews
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Many foreign cryptocurrency exchanges
• Most Ukrainian news outlets
• Twitter
• Voice of America

Overall, over 800 web domains have been added to Russia’s list of blocked sites since the outbreak of the war. To access these sites privately, consider using one of the recommended methods mentioned earlier in this article.” /]]

[[post-object type=”accordion” question=”Can I use a VPN to watch Netflix Russia abroad?” answer=”Yes, many people who don’t wish to give up their favorite Netflix Russia movies and series when abroad install a VPN and then continue watching them as if they were still in the country. VPNs have the power to change your IP address and make it seem like you’re somewhere else. On top of that, they encrypt your online traffic and apply additional privacy measures to conceal your online activities, making them a convenient and secure online tool.

While using a VPN to watch Netflix isn’t illegal in most countries in the world, keep in mind, though, that switching between different Netflix catalogs with the help of a VPN may violate Netflix’s terms of use. To stay on the safe side, check the local VPN and Netflix rules and regulations in the country you stay in.” /]]