Best Offshore (Non-US Based) VPN in 2024

Internet users often turn to a virtual private network service (VPN) to ensure private browsing and torrenting as well as to unblock geo-restricted websites around the world. If you use a US-based VPN service, however, your online activities may not be as private and protected as you think.

The NSA has far-reaching permission to monitor and store user data if it’s in the interest of national security, even without a warrant or the user’s knowledge. It can also require US-based VPN companies to retain and log users’ data and hand it over to it at any time.

In addition, the torrenting laws in the US are so severe, US-based VPN providers aren’t set up to support torrenting, yet there’s no reason you shouldn’t torrent files as long as you abide by the laws of the country in which you are located; and for that, you will need an offshore VPN service.

So when you are selecting the best offshore VPN for online security, privacy, or torrenting, you’re going to want one of the best offshore VPN providers.

Why You Need a Non-US-Based (Offshore) VPN Service

If you are concerned about the government keeping logs of your online activities in the US, you’re not wrong. US data retention rules and warrantless surveillance are a real concern and a good reason to look for an offshore VPN service provider.

In addition, because of the strict laws against torrenting, US-based VPN services don’t usually support torrenting, so it’s hard to torrent even if you are following the local copyright laws of your country.

Here are the main reasons you want to use one of the best offshore VPNs:

NSA Surveillance Without Warrants

In the United States, NSA is allowed to use surveillance to gather and store data on its citizens without a warrant and without their knowledge.

Offshore VPN services are outside the jurisdiction of the US data-retention requirements and NSA surveillance so your VPN provider has no obligation to share your private information if you are connected to an IP address in its county.

NSA Decryption of VPN Traffic

In the US, your security and privacy from NSA surveillance aren’t guaranteed, even if you are using a US VPN provider to encrypt your data. Research shows that NSA can break through some forms of encryption, particularly such older protocols as PPTP.

If your VPN is based in a privacy-friendly country outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance, your VPN company assures your data will be protected from NSA surveillance and encryption-cracking technology.

Torrenting and P2P

The US has some of the strictest laws and enforcement against torrenting, and the punishments are harsh with huge fines and possible jail time. For that reason, US-based VPNs generally don’t support torrent activity.

Not all countries have such tough laws against torrenting. If you are located in a country with more lax laws around torrenting, for example, Spain, which allows torrenting as long as you aren’t making a profit from it, there’s no reason you should be bound by US laws and regulations if it’s permitted in your location.

How to Choose the Best Offshore Virtual Private Network

Here are the most important features VPN users need to look for when selecting the best offshore VPN service provider.

 No log VPNs will never have any of your data to share, no matter who asks for it.

 First-rate security features include military-grade encryption, automatic Kill Switches, and leak protection.

 Excellent speed for smooth streaming and quick downloads for torrenting.

 Reliable geo-spoofing capability so you can access geo-restricted websites from around the world.

 Allow for multiple simultaneous connections and be compatible with your devices.

 Provide excellent customer service 24/7 and offer a 30-day trial period.

5 Best Offshore VPNs

We’ve done the research to help you choose a great offshore VPN. Here are the top 5 VPN service providers outside of the US.

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the best of the best when it comes to offshore VPN service providers. The company is based in the British Virgin Islands, which is outside the jurisdiction of the 5/9/14 Eyes spy alliance, so it’s not obliged to retain any user’s data. Also, ExpressVPN has a verified zero logs policy and doesn’t retain any activity logs or connection logs so you know your data is secure from prying eyes.

The security you get with ExpressVPN is first-rate and includes AES-256-bit encryption, IP & DNS leak protection, stealth servers, and automatic Kill Switches to keep your data safe should your VPN connection suddenly drop. It also has obfuscated servers, a feature most other VPN providers don’t offer, where your data is erased every time you turn a server on or off.

Bonus features with ExpressVPN include the split-tunneling feature, where you can decide which of your Internet traffic you want to send through your VPN’s encrypted tunnel, and which you want to send on your regular ISP. You also have access to MediaStreamer, ExpressVPN’s version of smart DNS.

The speed on ExpressVPN is impressive and allows for smooth streaming and quick downloads from your torrent client. It has over 3,000+ servers in more than 94 countries worldwide, and since it has no problem getting past the tough geo-blocks on all of the popular streaming platforms, you can enjoy a huge library of geo-restricted TV and movie content from all over the world.

When it comes to torrenting, ExpressVPN is one of the best! All of its servers allow P2P file sharing for unrestricted torrenting. Plus, its unlimited bandwidth, unlimited data, and ultra-fast speed mean you’ll get great torrenting speeds.

The ExpressVPN app works with Windows, Android, Mac OS, Linus, iOS devices, and more, and users can connect up to 5 devices simultaneously.

While ExpressVPN is one of the more costly VPNs, it offers a variety of packages ranging in price from $12.95 for a single month, to $6.67/month for a one-year plan.

You get all the help you need setting up and using all of the great features on ExpressVPN just by reaching out to the 24/7 live-chat support, and the service comes with a 30-day trial period so you can give it a try risk-free.

2. NordVPN

The best VPN for a lower cost, NordVPN is located in the privacy-friendly country of Panama and strictly adheres to a no-logs policy, guaranteeing your anonymity and protecting your privacy while browsing the web.

NordVPN secures your data, including AES-256 bit encryption, DNS & IP leak protection, an automatic Kill Switch, double VPN, stealth servers, smart DNS, and malware protection to ensure your online safety from your anonymous IP address remains uncompromised.

With a vast network of over 5,800 servers across 60 countries, NordVPN delivers impressive speed for quick downloads and seamless streaming while its geo-spoofing capabilities grant you reliable access to online content on geo-restricted websites from all over the world.

NordVPN has hundreds of P2P optimized servers in its network and its unlimited bandwidth and data support fast downloads when torrenting.

The NordVPN app supports all major operating systems, including Windows, Android, Mac OS, Linux, iOS devices, and more. Connect up to 6 devices simultaneously or set up a router connection to cover all devices in your network at once.

When you sign up for the NordVPN two-year plan, you can enjoy its premium service for as little as $3.99/month, making it the best value VPN available.

When you need assistance, NordVPN’s exceptional customer support is available 24/7 via live chat to answer all of your questions. Plus, you can try NordVPN risk-free for a month. If the service doesn’t meet your expectations, simply cancel and receive a refund.

3. Surfshark

The best VPN if you are looking for a budget offshore VPN service, Surfshark provides reliable and secure internet access at a great price.

Surshark’s VPN services moved from the British Virgin Islands to The Netherlands, and it has no obligatory data retention laws to abide by and maintains no logs on your IP addresses, browser history, connection timestamps, or other personal information. Unlike the British Virgin Islands, the Netherlands is part of the 5/9/14 intelligence alliance, and they aren’t obliged to store any user logs, so your online activities will remain private.

Despite its low cost, Surfshark VPN services include top-notch security, including AES 256-bit encryption, a Kill Switch, a double VPN, an ad blocker, and IP & DNS leak protection. It also has a data breach monitor, smart DNS, and a camouflage mode, making it a popular choice for the best offshore VPN. Surfshark also has a bypasser mode, which you can use as a split-tunneling feature.

Surfshark reliably unblocks geo-restricted sites on all of the popular streaming services, and with over 3,200 servers in more than 100 countries worldwide, you can access websites all over the world.

If torrenting is legal in a country, Surshark will have a P2P-optimized server in that location, and its unlimited bandwidth and data make it a solid VPN for downloading torrents.

You can connect an unlimited number of devices at the same time, and it’s compatible with just about every device out there, including laptops, desktops, mobile devices, smart TVs, and routers.

When you subscribe to the two-year plan, you can benefit from Surfshark’s reliable and secure service for as little as $2.49/month.

With Surfshark- you get the same quality service you get with a premium VPN, including 24/7 live chat support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

4. CyberGhost

The best VPN if you are looking for a low-cost, user-friendly VPN, CyberGhost is operated under a strict no-logs policy and is based in privacy-friendly Romania. CyberGhost ensures that your browsing activities stay completely anonymous.

When it comes to online security, CyberGhost has you covered, with military-grade encryption, an automatic Kill Switch, DNS & IP leak protection, and the option for split tunneling that allows you to choose whether your data goes through an encrypted tunnel or your regular ISP, granting you full control over your online privacy. It offers smart DNS, but only a specific server.

With a vast network of over 9,500 servers in more than 91 countries worldwide, CyberGhost offers impressive access to geo-restricted websites worldwide. It has a good track record for getting past geo-blocks and is fast enough for smooth streaming and gaming. Users can take advantage of specialized servers optimized for gaming, P2P activity, and streaming. For a fee, CyberGhost also offers dedicated IP addresses.

When it comes to torrenting, you are in good hands with CyberGhost It offers P2P-optimized servers through which you can torrent files privately, securely, and quickly.

Connect up to 7 devices simultaneously with CyberGhost. It’s compatible with major operating systems, such as Windows, iOS, Android, and Mac OS, covering desktops, laptops, mobile devices, and routers.

While the one-month and six-month plans for CyberGhost are relatively high, at $12.99/month and $6.99/month, respectively, the two-year plan is a great deal at just $2.11 per month.

CyberGhost’s 24/7 live-chat support is always available to assist you in setting up and using your VPN. Plus, you have a generous 45-day trial period to put CyberGhost to the test.

5. PrivateVPN

The best VPN offshore if you want rock-bottom pricing, PrivateVPN is located in Sweden, which isn’t ideal when it comes to protecting your privacy since it is part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance and has some data retention laws. However, the VPN does have a no-logs policy, so it shouldn’t have much information to provide on its VPN users.

When it comes to security Private VPN has all the key features you need, including strong encryption, a variety of secure VPN protocols, DNS & IP leak protection, and a Kill Switch.

While PrivateVPN only has 200+ servers in the network, they are distributed among 63 countries for broad access to geo-restricted content, and they perform well when it comes to unblocking content. The unlimited bandwidth, data, and speed, means your connection stays fast, despite the small number of servers.

Quite a few VPNs have moved away from torrent support, but PrivateVPN isn’t one of them. Offering P2P optimized servers, you can successfully and privately download torrents.

You can connect up to 10 devices to PrivateVPN at the same time, and it’s compatible with all of the major devices, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, Android, Kodi, and more.

This affordable VPN is only $2.00 a month when you sign up for 36 months, though its shorter plans cost more at $9.90 for one month and $6.00/month for the 3-month plan.

The VPN subscription comes with 24/7 live-chat support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Can I Use a Free Non-US VPN?

A free VPN isn’t going to give you the same privacy and security that you get with one of the recommended VPN services. Not only do many keep logs of your activities, some will sell your browsing history to the highest bidder to make a profit, which is a far cry from protecting a user’s privacy.

Free VPNs are less reliable at unblocking geo-restricted sites, and even if they can, pop-up ads, buffering delays, dropped connections, and pixelation are common issues with no-cost VPNs since they often limit bandwidth, data, and speed.

Instead, use a reliable VPN from our list. ExpressVPN, and the other providers in this article, all offer users the chance to try out the VPN for at least a month, risk-free, so you can get a refund if you choose after testing these services.

How Offshore VPNs Are Usually Used 

Here is how offshore VPN providers can help you:

-Securely access the Internet by sending all of your data through an encrypted tunnel via a remote VPN server.

-Bypass geo-restrictions by connecting to VPN servers in other countries so you won’t get blocked.

-Access P2P servers so you can torrent files while keeping your activities private.

-Protect yourself from NSA and government surveillance, as well as cybercriminals, with reliable privacy and security features.

Why Use Offshore VPNs in the USA

There are two prime reasons to use an offshore VPN. The first and foremost is privacy.

The United States has mandatory data retention laws, meaning your US-based VPN company is required to maintain any logs that the government requests, so there’s a limit to how much your VPN can protect you from government surveillance. The best way to avoid this is by using an offshore VPN in a privacy-friendly country.

The other reason to go for an offshore VPN is torrenting. The US has strong anti-torrenting laws and it’s backed up by harsh penalties, so US-based VPNs aren’t set up for torrenting. An offshore VPN supports torrenting and allows you to freely torrent in accordance with the laws of the country you are in.

US vs Offshore Jurisdictions: Which Is Better for Your Privacy?

There is no question that an offshore VPN is better at protecting your privacy. The US has data retention laws and allows for NSA surveillance without warrant or consent and US-based VPNs are bound by these US standards.

Using an offshore VPN in a location where your privacy is safeguarded by the laws is the best way to protect your privacy online.

FAQs

Conclusion

When you use a virtual private network, or VPN based in the US, your privacy isn’t fully guaranteed, even though all of your VPN traffic is sent through an encrypted tunnel via remote VPN servers. US law is such that if it is in the interest of national security, the NSA has a right to access your online activities.

To stay anonymous online, you want the best offshore VPN you can get.

Every offshore VPN listed in this article will protect your privacy, keep you secure, and allow you to safely and effectively torrent and access geo-restricted websites around the world. You just need to find the one with the key features you need at a price you can afford to find the best VPN for you.