Cloud Hosting

Key Takeaways: VoIP VPN

VoIP (voice over internet protocol) technology allows you to call other people using the internet. A VoIP VPN (virtual private network) helps users access VoIP services in countries where theyre banned. Some governments dont like the idea of encrypted calls, and thats why they block them. Countries like China, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia, among others, ban VoIP services.

A VPN can assign an IP address that belongs to a country where VoIPs arent banned, allowing you to access VoIP services. VPNs also encrypt your connection and VoIP traffic ensuring you can use VoIP services without the fear of your VoIP activity being traced back to you. However, not all VPNs are equally good at encrypting your connection and maintaining anonymity.

If youre not familiar with VPNs, finding a decent service can be tricky thats what were here for. In this article, we help you select the best VoIP VPN. If you dont want to spend time reading the full guide, the short version is that we recommend using ExpressVPN.

Setting up VoIP with a VPN is fairly easy. Heres a quick step-by-step guide:

Start by downloading a VPN app from a VPN service providers website we recommend ExpressVPN. Install and launch the app on your computer.

Connect to a VPN server in a country that allows VoIP services to operate. Ideally, you should connect to a server close to your location for better connection speeds.

Once connected, place a call using the VoIP app of your choice.

The best VoIP VPN should offer excellent security and fast connection speeds. The following VPNs offer that and much more.

Security is the most critical aspect of using a VPN for a VoIP service. Strong encryption ensures nobody not even the government or your ISP (internet service provider) can read your data. The best VPN services use encryption protocols like OpenVPN or WireGuard and ciphers like AES-256 or ChaCha20.

Fast connection speeds are just as important, as they ensure that call quality doesnt suffer. Using a VPN typically slows down speeds, because of the encryption. However, the best VPNs keep this reduction to a minimum.

VPNs can also help access geoblocked content. Not all VPNs can effectively bypass geoblocks, though, so make sure to select one that has a proven track record of getting through and a large server network. This is especially important in censorship-heavy countries like China and Saudi Arabia.

We tested all major VPNs with the most popular VoIP services, including Skype and WhatsApp, to find the five that work the best. Well dive deeper into these VPN services below, but if you dont want to bother with details we recommend ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN offers an excellent combination of speed and security.

More details about ExpressVPN:

Pros:

ExpressVPN is the best VPN on the market, offering everything youd expect from a premium VPN. Most importantly, ExpressVPN offers top-notch security and fast connection speeds a combination you need to unblock VoIP apps safely and maintain great call quality.

The app includes protocols like OpenVPN and Lightway ExpressVPNs proprietary protocol. ExpressVPN has additional security features like a kill switch, DNS leak protection and split tunneling (available for Windows, Mac, Android and routers).

Our tests reveal that ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs on the market, meaning you wont have problems with shaky call quality or unexpected drops. Learn more about ExpressVPNs capabilities and features in our comprehensive ExpressVPN review.

Obfuscation is built into all ExpressVPN servers. Obfuscated servers help conceal VPN usage and make it harder for the VoIP service provider to detect that youre using a VPN. This allows you to access VoIP services more safely. ExpressVPN also has a massive server network spread across over 90 countries.

Obfuscation is built into all ExpressVPN servers.

ExpressVPN boasts a superior feature set and premium performance which is reflected in its pricing. The annual plan offers the most value and costs $6.66 per month. The six-month plan costs $9.99 per month, while the monthly plan costs $12.95 per month. You can try ExpressVPN risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee.

ExpressVPN Plans

NordVPN is the fastest VPN on the market.

More details about NordVPN:

Pros:

Cons:

NordVPN is the fastest VPN on the market, according to our speed tests. Whether youre making voice or video calls, NordVPN provides the smooth connection needed for high-quality calls. The speeds dont come at the expense of security, either. NordVPN is one of the most secure VPNs there is.

The service offers two protocols: OpenVPN (UDP and TCP) and NordLynx NordVPNs proprietary protocol, based on WireGuard. A kill switch, DNS leak protection and split tunneling are also available. NordVPN has one of the largest server networks among the VPNs in this list, with over 5,000 servers spread across 60 countries.

If youre in a region where VoIP is blocked, NordVPN can help unblock VoIP services. It gets into all the popular VoIP platforms. Being able to unblock these platforms using a VPN as fast as NordVPN helps you make great quality video and voice calls on your preferred platform. Learn more about the fastest VPN service in our comprehensive NordVPN review.

NordVPN offers four specialty server types for additional security: obfuscated, double VPN, P2P and Onion Over VPN servers. Obfuscated servers are helpful when accessing VoIP services because they help conceal VPN usage while allowing you to bypass VoIP restrictions. Double VPN is a great way to improve your networks security because it routes your traffic via more than one server location.

Note that these servers offer additional security. NordVPN is secure even when youre not using one of these server types.

NordVPN offers four types of specialty servers for extra security.

NordVPNs two-year plan is its best value, costing $3.49 per month. Alternatively, you can opt for a shorter-term plan. The annual plan costs $4.99 per month, while the monthly plan costs $12.99 per month. You can try this VoIP VPN risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Standard

Surfshark is one of the few VPNs that offers unlimited simultaneous connections.

More details about Surfshark:

Pros:

Surfshark hasnt been around for as long as other services on the list, but its quickly become one of the best VPNs on the market. It has an extensive feature set, offers top-notch security and delivers great connection speeds, perfect for high-quality VoIP calls.

The app offers three security protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard. It also offers a clear, transparent no-logging policy. This means you never have to worry about Surfshark sharing your data with anyone.

Surfshark is one of the few providers to offer unlimited simultaneous connections, meaning you can share your account with friends or family who need to access a VoIP service or unblock geoblocked websites. Learn more about Surfsharks offerings in our Surfshark review.

Surfshark offers a strong lineup of additional features that not many premium VPNs have. For example, the Surfshark app is equipped with CleanWeb 2.0 a powerful malware and ad blocker that can block ads on all apps, instead of just the browser.

The apps IP rotation feature automatically changes your IP address every few minutes without changing your virtual location, which is helpful if a service keeps blocking your IP address. Using this feature might disrupt the connection when youre on a call, but most VoIP services will reconnect you without dropping the call altogether.

Surfshark offers an extensive feature set with unique features.

Surfshark is a low-cost service, with its best deal (the two-year plan) costing $2.49 per month. Six-month and monthly plans are also available, costing $3.99 per month and $12.95 per month, respectively. Like other services, Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can always claim a full refund if youre not entirely satisfied.

Surfshark Plans

Proton is the best free VPN to unblock VoIP services.

More details about Proton VPN:

Pros:

Cons:

If you want a free VPN to go with your free VoIP phone service, like Skype, Google Hangouts or Facebook Messenger, Proton VPN is an excellent choice. We typically avoid recommending free VPNs theyre slow, unreliable and often harmful (especially the ones in our worst VPNs list) but Proton VPN is one of the few exceptions. For others, see our list of the best free VPNs.

Proton VPN offers OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard protocols alongside AES-256 and ChaCha20 ciphers. Its privacy policy commits to zero logging, so you never need to worry about your datas integrity. To round off a solid offering, the app offers app-based split tunneling (on Windows and Android), a kill switch and DNS leak protection.

Even on the free plan, Proton VPN offers great speeds, which is good news for voice and video clarity during VoIP calls. The free plan includes servers in three countries: the Netherlands, the U.S. and Japan. Learn more about this VPN service in our Proton VPN review.

Most free VPNs, at least the trustworthy ones, are a preview of the VPN providers premium service. VPN providers typically restrict access to a handful of features to encourage users to switch to the paid plan. Most VPNs choose to limit data, but fortunately, Proton VPN takes a different route.

Instead of limiting data, Proton VPN limits server locations on the free plan. This works out well for users who need a fast and secure VPN connection to make VoIP calls. Its also great for users who want to stream geoblocked content (albeit in three countries) for free.

Proton VPN offers unlimited data on the free plan, which allows you to make unlimited high-quality voice and video calls.

Proton VPN offers paid plans too. The best deal (the two-year plan) costs $4.99 per month. The one-year plan costs $5.99 per month, while the monthly plan costs $9.99 per month. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if youre not completely satisfied, you can claim a full refund.

CyberGhost offers an excellent interface for the desktop app.

More details about CyberGhost:

Pros:

CyberGhost is the most affordable service on the list. However, it still has the makings of a premium VPN. One of its best features is its large server network. CyberGhost has over 9,000 servers spread across 91 countries.

The app offers excellent security. You can choose between OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2 (available on Windows, macOS and iOS). Theres a kill switch, and the Windows and macOS apps offer URL-based split tunneling, while the Android app offers app-based split tunneling.

CyberGhost isnt one of the fastest VPNs weve seen, but its good enough for making clear VoIP calls. Streaming, on the other hand, isnt CyberGhosts strongest suit. It gets into HBO Max and Hulu, but we had to switch a few servers to unblock BBC iPlayer, and it failed to get into Disney Plus. Learn more about the service in our thorough CyberGhost review.

The smart rules feature on CyberGhost helps automate various VPN-related tasks that can save you a few clicks every day. Smart rules available on Windows and Mac rely on triggers to take a predefined action. For example, you can configure CyberGhost to connect to a specific server location whenever you launch a browser or VoIP application.

CyberGhost offers an automation feature called smart rules.

CyberGhost is a low-cost service. The two-year plan (its best value) costs just $2.37 per month. Shorter-term plans include the six-month plan, costing $6.99 per month, and the monthly plan, which costs $12.99 per month. You get a longer, 45-day money-back guarantee (14 days on the monthly plan), so you have a longer window to try CyberGhost with zero risk.

CyberGhost Plans

VPNs offer various advantages over a proxy. First, a VPN tunnel is encrypted. This means that your internet traffic cant be read by anyone, even if they manage to get their hands on it. A proxy doesnt offer any encryption, so the government or your ISP can easily trace online activities back to you. Thats why theyre not the best option to unblock VoIP.

In any case, most proxies are unable to unblock VoIP services altogether. Theyre just not as effective as VPNs at unblocking geoblocked websites and services. Even some VPNs fail at unblocking websites, though, so its important to choose a service that has been tested to get into blocked websites we recommend ExpressVPN.

Many countries block VoIP services because they offer end-to-end encrypted voice calls, and local carriers take a hit when you make free calls using a VoIP like Skype. You can use a VPN to unblock Skype and other VoIP services in the following countries where VoIP services are completely or partially banned by the government:

Yes, you can use a free VPN like Proton VPN to access VoIP on computers or mobile devices. We typically dont recommend free VPNs because theyre slow and unreliable. However, exceptions do exist Proton VPN is one of them. Using a free VPN along with a free VoIP provider like Skype can help you connect with friends or family at no cost.

Many countries, including China, Iran, Kuwait and the UAE, block VoIP services. VPNs can help unblock them, provided you pick the right service. VPNs also secure your connection, protecting you from the government or ISP tracking the VoIP activity back to you.

Have you tried using a VPN to make VoIP calls? Which one, and did you experience any lack of clarity during the call? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thank you for reading.

Yes, you can use a VoIP service with a VPN. If youre in a country that blocks VoIPs, using a reliable VPN can help unblock these services so you can enjoy free VoIP calling. Even if youre in a country where VoIP services are accessible, using a VPN helps secure your connection.

VPNs generally slow down your connection speed because of encryption. If youre already on an internet connection with slow speeds and you use a VPN that cant deliver great speeds, you might face performance issues during calls. By using a premium VPN like ExpressVPN, this reduction will be minimal.

VPNs can help bypass VoIP restrictions. They do so by hiding your real IP address, and therefore, your location. VPNs also encrypt your connection so that nobody will know youve bypassed government restrictions and accessed VoIP services.

Let us know if you liked the post. Thats the only way we can improve.

YesNo

Continue reading here:
Best VoIP VPN in 2023 [Unblock VoIP Services From Anywhere] - Cloudwards