The island nation of Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean with a population of over 11 million people. The country has an interesting past and has the unusual distinction of being one of the five communist countries left in the world. That said, trade relations were re-opened in 2016 after more than 50 years of sanctions by the US and most of the world. If you are going to take a trip to Cuba and are going to try to use their wifi, you’ll want to use a VPN first. Before we get to the logic behind that, you’ll want to take a look at our list of the best VPNs to use in Cuba.
| Rank | VPN Service | VPN Fan Price | Visit Site | Server Locations | No Logs | Browser Extensions | Smart DNS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | $6.67 |  | 160 |  | | |
| 2 |  | $3.49 | | 87 | | | |
| 3 |  | $2.75 | | 112 | | | |
| 4 |  | $4.87 | | 76 | | ||
| 5 |  | $3.33 | | 52 | | |
After more than 400 years of Spanish rule, the country of Cuba was ceded to the United States in 1898. Four years later, the country gained its’ independence in 1902. There was much unrest in the country until 1959 when Fidel Castro took power. Many of the factors that drove the economy had collapsed by the time he came into office. From 1960 to 1991, Cuba’s biggest economic supporter was the Soviet Union because of the embargos imposed by most of the world.
These days, Cuba still suffers from the effects of the US. Going there for the first time is usually an interesting experience for many travelers. Some have described it as taking a trip back in time. The cars there are a strange mix of ’90s Russian cars and 1950s American cars. Because it is located in the Caribbean, The weather is in the 80s most of the time.
Internet Access and Privacy in Cuba
If you are going to take a trip to Cuba, keep in mind that there is only a 30% internet coverage rate. That is because the internet is still illegal for private citizens to own. That said, you may be able to find some access at some places, but it is really difficult to get online. You can also expect everything to be monitored by the Cuban government. That is one of the biggest reasons to connect to a VPN while trying. Though it is denied, there are also state sponsored thieves that are just waiting for unprotected users. Because your connection is encrypted when you launch the service, it becomes more difficult for those thieves.
A second reason to use a VPN there is to get around restrictions. Though the county may not have the money for internet filters, you will still have a hard time viewing content that is outside of your home region. No one should be blocked from seeing content from home because of where they are. Just connect to a VPN in that region and you are ready. Protecting your privacy in Cuba is really important as long as you can get online. You can expect to get 1-3 mbps at best. While the internet is difficult to connect to while there, you should definitely have your data encrypted.
What is the Best VPN for Cuba?
As we mentioned, everything is monitored by the Government. Because of that, security factors are the most important. By analyzing them, we can tell you what the best VPN for Cuba is.
- Strong encryption with military grade components to help protect you from the prying eyes of the government
- Providers that will offer you a strict no logs policy to keep you safe
- Ability to get around firewalls, geo-restrictions, and government censorship while in the country
- Mobile apps and support for Amazon Firestick devices
- Servers that perform well in the region of Cuba and surrounding areas on speeds tests
- High network stability to help avoid dropped connections in the country
And now, Let’s take a closer look at some of the best VPNs for Cuba.
1. Best VPN for Cuba: 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. That is not the case for the servers in Miami. As you can see, we tested a server in Miami and the speed was 112.53 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 Cuba: 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 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.
We tested a NordVPN server in Miami. As you can see by the image, the performance was good with a download speed of 110.85 Mbps. You should have no problem doing whatever you want to do while connected to NordVPN.
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 Cuba: 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 Miami, 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 Miami. We connected to one of them and tested the performance. As you can see, our download speed was 108.68 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.
4. Best VPN for Cuba: IPVanish
Sign up for 12 months for just $4.87 a month (60% discount)
The USA is home to several popular VPN services, but none faster than IPVanish. We know from personal experience that IPVanish will work quite well no matter what region of the country you are in. Their servers are fast and the VPN service has more server locations in the United States than most VPN providers.
Along with a large footprint in the USA, IPVanish hosts servers in every continent other than Antarctica. Their VPN network has consistently been the fastest in North America in our speed tests. You will find multiple server locations in countries like the US and UK. You can select a location or get more specific by picking an individual server. IPVanish is excellent for gaming but can be hit and miss for unblocking popular streaming services.
IPVanish hosts 34 servers in Miami and you can choose to connect to any of them. We suggest selecting one that starts with “a” in the server name. For example mia-a01.ipvanish.com. In most cases, you will find the “a” servers to be the fastest. We tested an IPVanish server in Miami, mia.a28.ipvanish.com, and found the speed to be 110.76 Mbps.
When it comes to value IPVanish is hard to beat. They offer unlimited access to their VPN network and custom software for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Amazon Firestick and more for $7.50 a month or $58.49 a year. That works out to just $4.87 a month on the annual plan. A 7-day money back guarantee covers all new members.
5. Best VPN for Cuba: PIA
Sign up for 24 months for just $3.49 a month (65% discount)
Private Internet Access (PIA) gives users a few different options. Unlike in the past, you no longer have to set up a profile for each VPN server. Now, you can connect to any of their server locations in 33 countries. The PIA team has organized their servers by region, country, and city. You will find the speed to be fast most of the time.
There are a lot of torrent users who love Private Internet Access. The service includes a feature that will stop your system from communicating if the connection to their service drops. Meaning if your encrypted VPN access is dropped for any reason it will keep you safe.
PIA offers a Windows client and other apps that are simple and easy to use. However, you won’t want to underestimate it. PIA offers different levels of privacy protection depending on your needs. You can control encryption levels to help you find the right balance between privacy and speed.
When using PIA’s Windows client, there is not much to the setup and usage. However, that doesn’t mean that the program is stripped down. PIA offers different levels of privacy protection depending on your needs. You can control encryption levels and find the right balance between privacy and speed. As you can see the server in Miami performed well with a download speed of 109.37 Mbps.
When it comes to their Windows client the PIA team has included an Internet kill switch. The kill switch will kill your Internet connection anytime the VPN fails. That can really come in handy for those wanting to ensure anonymity. Private Internet Access offers VPN from $3.49 a month along with a 7-day money back guarantee.
If you are looking for more options, please feel free to check out our top 10 VPN services list. We think you’ll be satisfied with the options we gave you above, though. They were chosen based on speed, reliability, price, and security. We also looked for providers with a good network of VPN servers in the region. That way, you can get the best speeds available. Of course, they all have great networks. Speed is important if you plan on downloading or streaming any type of content. The providers we mentioned above are the best options for doing that. Hopefully, our guide will help you make the best decision possible and save some money along the way.