Charleston is the largest and oldest city in South Carolina. It has a population of 120k people in the proper city. Many tourists come to this historic city for various reasons including great food, historic buildings, wildlife, and more. If you plan on joining them for those activities or others, you need to use a VPN. We can explain more about that in a moment. First, though, please have a look at our best VPNs for Charleston list.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 110 | |
Let’s discuss the best reason to use a VPN while in Charleston, SC. As you may know, Charleston is a port city. That means there are a number of travelers that come in and out of the city at any given time. Additionally, many businesses offer free WiFi. Even though that is great for the patrons, it is also great for those people that want to take advantage of that fact. By using a VPN, you create a layer of encryption. That makes it much tougher for anyone to steal your personal data.
The second reason to use a VPN is one you would not think about usually. That is to help you get around geo-blocks. Though you won’t have to worry about censorship while in Charleston, watching your favorite shows if they are from overseas can be an issue. The way to resolve that is to use a VPN. Simply connect to a server in the area you want to watch, and you will be all set. What that does is make the software think you are located someplace else.
What is the Best VPN for Charleston?
To properly answer this question,we need to look at a few different factors. In this case, security is important. Only by taking a look at the criteria can we determine what the best VPN for Charleston is.
- Strong encryption with military grade components to help protect the user from cybercrooks while in Charleston
- High-Speed servers that perform well on speed tests in the city and the region
- The strict no-logs policy offered to users to help protect their privacy
- Ability to get around firewalls while in Charleston and the region
- Mobile apps and support for Amazon Firestick devices
- High network stability to help you avoid disconnects
Let’s take a more in-depth look at the best VPNs to use while in Charleston, SC.
1. Best VPN for Charleston: ExpressVPN
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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 user’s privacy. You can connect to their VPN network to protect your privacy, unblock censorship, and watch your favorite streaming services from anywhere.
The ExpressVPN app allows you to select a server location down to the city but you do not need to choose a specific server. Instead, the client will select the fastest server in your chosen location. You also need to know that some cities are not shown on the recommended tab inside the client. You may find that issue with servers in the area. Simply select the “All” tab, open The US, and then open Atlanta. At this point, you can select servers there. When we tested a server there to Charleston, the speed was 106.13 Mbps.
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 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 set it 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.
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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 Charleston: NordVPN
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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 an account for a longer period of time. 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 Android and iOS (iPhone, iPad) devices. You can use the NordVPN browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. NordVPN offers some advanced privacy features like double VPN, P2P servers, and dedicated IP that really helps the service stand out.
NordVPN hosts a number of servers in Atlanta. 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 Charleston. The download speed was 100.11 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 Charleston: CyberGhost
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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 Atlanta, we opened the Windows client and clicked on the “Choose My Server” option. From there you can expand any country and select a specific server. The CyberGhost network includes a number of servers in Atlanta. We connected to one of them and tested the performance to Charleston. As you can see, our download speed was 108.47 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.
For those that plan on visiting Charleston, SC, it is crucial that you use a VPN. Above, you can see the best available options. Of course, there are also other options available on our top 10 VPN list. They will all perform as expected, but we optimized our choices specifically to work while visiting Charleston. That way, you will have access to the best speeds available. By reading our guide, we can help you find the right decision to help meet your needs.