Budapest is the capital and most populous city in Hungary. It is located in the central part of the country and has an estimated population of 1.78 million residents. There are some really great things that attract visitors to the city. Those include being one of the most historical cities on the planet, great food, hot springs, and more. If visiting the city is in the cards for your future, you may want to take advantage of the 3rd fastest mobile internet in the world. However, it is crucial to use a VPN when doing so. We’ll tell you more about that shortly. First, have a look at our best VPNs for Budapest list.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 110 | |
According to a Freedomhouse.org report, Hungary has made a change from being free to partially free. While that is not specifically Budapest, you are likely to be monitored by the local and national government of Hungary. Instead of that scenario, you would want to connect to a VPN. By doing so, you create a secure and encrypted connection that makes it much tougher for anyone to monitor your traffic.
Along the same lines, the second reason to use a VPN is to help you get around censorship. The country has done quite a bit to suppress the voice of dissent in the country. When connecting to a VPN in this case, you would connect to a server in a different region. That will make the blocking software think you are located someplace else. That way, you can access any of the censored content or even geo-restricted content you want to.
What is the best VPN for Budapest?
While all aspects using a VPN are important for the city and country, we’ll focus on what will keep you safe first. Here are the criteria we used to determine our list of the best VPNs for Budapest:
- VPN providers that do not keep usage logs
- Strong military grade encryption to help protect privacy
- Large and stable network to help you eliminate disconnects
- VPN servers that performed well in Budapest and around the region
- The ability to unblock censored and geo-blocked content
- Mobile apps and support for Amazon Firestick devices
Without further delay, here is a list of the best VPN services for Budapest.
1. Best VPN for Budapest: ExpressVPN
Sign up for 12 months and get 3 MONTHS FREE on our #1 rated VPN
ExpressVPN brings together fast VPN access with MediaStreamer which acts as a Smart DNS service to unblock access to geo-restricted content. The VPN service will help encrypt your connection and unblock live sporting events. You will even find a list of the latest live entertainment and sporting events on their website. Being in the British Virgin Islands puts ExpressVPN outside the 5 eyes and 14 eyes countries. They maintain a no-log policy that has been verified through high profile legal requests over the years.
ExpressVPN manages a very large VPN network. Beyond the USA, the ExpressVPN network boasts thousands of servers in key locations to help protect their user’s privacy. You can use their network to protect your privacy, unblock censorship, and watch your favorite streaming services from anywhere.
Perhaps the biggest advantage of using ExpressVPN is their support for a wide range of devices. ExpressVPN offers custom VPN software for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Connect from your desktop and mobile at the same time with up to 3 simultaneous connections. You can also install the ExpressVPN web extension for Chrome or Firefox. Want to protect your entire home network with a single VPN account? If so you can use the ExpressVPN router app to get all set up. The MediaStreamer feature adds Smart DNS support to devices like game consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, etc.), media boxes (Apple TV, Roku, Nvidia Shield TV, etc.), and Smart TVs.
Save 49% and get 3 months free with 12 months of our #1 rated VPN
ExpressVPN performed very well in our speed tests. They are a great choice for privacy and to unblock geo-restrictions. Customer support is available 24/7 to provide assistance and answer any questions. Enjoy the best VPN for less with confidence as ExpressVPN offers a 30 day money back guarantee.
2. Best VPN for Budapest: NordVPN
Sign up for 36 months for just $2.99 per month (75% discount)
NordVPN is based in Panama which some users prefer to using a VPN company that’s actually headquartered in the United States. You will find that NordVPN has a strong presence in the US with servers located throughout the country. Members have full access to their network in the USA and beyond for a very good price.
You will find that NordVPN has perhaps the best mix of services for the price if you subscribe to a longer term account. All users have full access to their network and custom software. You can connect using the VPN client for Windows or Mac. They also have an easy to use mobile app for both Android and iOS (iPhone, iPad) devices.
NordVPN hosts a number of servers in Budapest. From the console, clicking on the 3 horizontal dots to the right of the country, you can locate the server area and see the percentages of the servers available. We tested a server located in Budapest, Hungary, and the download speed was 105.07 Mbps.
Want to access streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world? If so NordVPN is a great choice. They are one of the only VPN services that can still unblock Netflix. You can sign up for unlimited VPN and SmartDNS service from just $2.99 a month with a 3-year membership.
3. Best VPN for Budapest: CyberGhost
Sign up for 36 months for just $2.75 a month (79% discount)
CyberGhost was founded in 2001 by 7 enthusiastic young team members in Bucharest, Romania. Since that time the company has grown into one of the largest VPN services in the world. The team of 50+ members is focused on protecting users privacy. Robert Knapp, co-founder and CEO, continues to lead the team even after they joined the Crossrider group in 2017. Since that time the CyberGhost network has expanded quite a bit.
CyberGhost offers a nice mix of server locations, strong encryption, and the ability to unblock popular streaming services like Netflix, YouTube Red, and Amazon Prime. Some of the channels even let you unblock geo-restrictions for multiple regions. For example, you can access Amazon Prime video content in the US, Germany, or UK. The Windows client also gives you the option to surf anonymously, protect WiFi, torrent anonymously, unblock basic websites (Google, Facebook Instagram, etc.), and choose a server.
Since we wanted to test a server in Budapest, we opened the Windows client and expanded the interface. From there you will want to click on the “All Servers” tab if it isn’t already active. Scroll down to Hungary and click to the right of the star. This will bring up a full list of servers in Hungary. The CyberGhost network includes a few servers in Budapest. We connected to one of them and tested the performance. As you can see, our download speed was 106.44 Mbps.
The CyberGhost VPN client is one of our favorites. It is very easy to use and includes a number of advanced features to help protect your online privacy. They have a development team in Germany that is continually adding features to the client and mobile apps. You can sign up for full access to the CyberGhost network from just $2.75 a month during their current promotion.
As you can see, there are some good options to explore while in Budapest. You should clearly see why it is so important. For more option on our top 10 VPN list. All the options on that list should perform well, but we made our choices based on a number of factors. That is how we optimized our choices for Budapest. For all online activities in the city, VPN protection is a good idea. When you use our guide, you can make the best possible decision.