Do you actually need a VPN on a Mac?
The old line that Macs do not need security software misses the point. A VPN protects the connection, not the computer, and a MacBook on hotel Wi-Fi is as exposed as any Windows laptop on the same network. Anyone running the hotspot, and anyone else connected to it, can see which services you talk to and intercept anything not already encrypted. The MacBook is also the device you do your banking, client work and tax return on.
Two things people mistake for a VPN on a Mac are worth clearing up. The VPN option in System Settings is a client for connecting to a VPN someone else runs, typically an employer's network; it does nothing on its own. iCloud Private Relay, bundled with iCloud+, hides your IP address and encrypts DNS lookups for Safari browsing only. It does not cover Chrome, Slack, Zoom, Mail or any other app, it cannot make you appear to be in the UK, and Apple says it is unavailable in some countries.
Then there is location. UK bank apps and BBC iPlayer check where you are, and from a hotel in Lisbon or a coworking space in Bangkok a Mac on local Wi-Fi looks foreign. A UK server fixes that. When the app needs attention at 2am local time, 24/7 live chat from NordVPN or Surfshark is faster than searching forums.
What a VPN does and does not do on a Mac
A VPN app encrypts everything leaving the Mac and sends it to a server you choose, so the hotel network sees only scrambled traffic to one address, and websites see the server's location rather than yours. On a Mac that covers every browser, Mail, Slack, Zoom, Dropbox syncing and the Terminal, which is the gap Private Relay leaves. A kill switch cuts the connection if the VPN drops, so a flaky hotel router cannot leak traffic.
It does not scan for malware, it does not stop you typing a password into a phishing page, and it will not fix slow Wi-Fi. Captive portals are the one practical snag: you need to accept the hotspot's terms page before the VPN can connect, so turn the kill switch off for that minute. Both picks carry a 30-day money-back guarantee, so test on your actual setup: NordVPN for a shorter trip, Surfshark if the Mac is one of many devices you travel with.
Recommended VPNs for Mac
NordVPN, best for short trips and month-by-month plans
It is the one for you if you are covering yourself, or you and a partner, and want something simple to run and easy to forget about. One plan covers 10 devices, and the apps are quick to install and easy to switch off and on as you need. Plans run by the month, the year or over two years, all with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Surfshark, best for long stays and unlimited devices
It is the one for you if one subscription needs to cover everyone. Connections are unlimited, so your Mac, every other device you travel with, and anyone you share a place with, all run on the same plan at once. That suits a stay that stretches to months rather than weeks. It sells the same three terms and adds bonus months on the longer two, with the same 30-day money-back guarantee.
Server networks and speeds on macOS
NordVPN's own site describes thousands of servers across 225 locations, and Surfshark publishes a country-by-country list covering every region a traveller is likely to work from. In practice what matters on a Mac is that both apps default to a WireGuard-based protocol (NordVPN calls its version NordLynx), which is the fast, battery-friendly option, and that the apps are native rather than translated. Connect to a server in the city you are in for everyday work and switch to London only when you need a UK address; a nearby server costs a few milliseconds, a transcontinental one noticeably more.
How to choose between them
The differences that matter fit in one table, and the last two rows are there to name two promises you should not believe from anyone, us included.
| Feature | NordVPN | Surfshark |
|---|
| 1 month | $14.99 | $16.45 |
| 1 year plan, total upfront | $65.88 (12 months billed) | $50.85 (15 months billed) |
| 2 year plan, total upfront | $94.23 (27 months billed) | $67.23 (27 months billed) |
| Devices per plan | 10 | Unlimited |
| Kill switch and auto-connect | Yes | Yes |
| Independently audited no-log policy | Yes (2025) | Yes (2025) |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
| Guarantees access to any blocked site, anywhere | No | No |
| Makes slow Wi-Fi faster | No | No |
On a single month NordVPN is cheaper. Over a year or two Surfshark is. On everything else the choice is about shape rather than money: 10 devices and a simple setup on one side, unlimited devices on the other.
Setting up your Mac before you travel
Do the setup at home, on Wi-Fi you trust, before the airport. Install NordVPN or Surfshark on your Mac, sign in, and connect once to confirm everything works. Then turn on two settings both apps include: the kill switch, which stops your traffic travelling unprotected if the VPN drops, and auto-connect, which brings the VPN back up when your connection returns.
On a Mac, decide where to install from. Both providers are on the Mac App Store, and NordVPN also offers a website download: its support pages say the website version adds per-app kill switch settings, custom DNS and Threat Protection Pro, while the App Store build is simpler and blocks all traffic if the connection drops. Install, log in and connect once at home so the system extension prompts are approved before you are on hotel Wi-Fi, then turn on the kill switch and set a UK server as a favourite.
Final recommendation
A Mac does not need a VPN because it is a Mac. It needs one because it is the machine you work and bank on, and because Private Relay and the built-in client do not cover travel. For a shorter trip with a MacBook, a phone and perhaps a tablet, NordVPN is the pick: a polished native app, the choice of App Store or website build, and ten device connections.
If you travel with a household's worth of hardware, or you are a remote worker who will be abroad for months, Surfshark is the better value. Unlimited devices covers the Mac, every phone and the TV stick on one subscription, and the macOS app is a straightforward App Store install.
