Best VPNs for Cuba

CubaThe island nation of Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and has approximately 11 million people. While they are only one of the five communist countries left globally, recent times have seen quite a bit of turmoil. That is due to an economic crisis, leading to food and medication shortages and rising prices. Every day, thousands of people take to the streets to protest the issues. When people are hungry, they often get angry. That has caused multiple problems with the internet lately. If going to the island is in your future, using the internet can be dicey at times. That’s why you’ll want to take a look at our list of the best VPNs for Cuba.

RankVPN ServiceOur
Score
Server
Locations
Visit
1ExpressVPN9.8160ExpressVPN
2NordVPN9.487NordVPN
3Private Internet Access9.295PIA
4HMA Pro VPN8.8280HMA
5TorGuard8.668TorGuard
6TunnelBear8.423TunnelBear

Why You Need to Use a VPN While in Cuba

The answer to this should be obvious. Freedom House ranks the country less free than China and an Internet Enemy by Reporters without Borders. Internet there is severely limited because the only connection they have is via an underwater cable to Venezuela. Public WiFi is not broadly available, but you can find public WiFi spots in places like parks.

Government surveillance in Cuba is pervasive. They use Avila Link software to monitor citizens’ use of the internet. Because they run all traffic through a proxy server, the government easily obtains usernames and passwords for anyone using the internet. Of course, they make the age-old argument that they have a right to regulate access to the internet. That means the government is always watching what you say and who you are.

While there is no data about all of the censorship the government enforces, Miguel Ramirez, a Cuban ambassador, provides some scope of the categories of government-banned websites. Those include adult content, Satanic cults, and terrorist or other harmful websites. As you can guess, the government does not handle dissent very well, so those are out, too. Even though the government has relaxed some censorship, there is still quite a bit of it.

Can I Use a Free VPN Server in Cuba?

Technically yes, because VPNs are still legal to use in the country. However, you will not find a VPN with servers in Cuba. Not to mention, most free options come with issues. Often, that includes slow speeds, data caps, server availability, malware, and on top of that, you don’t have a guarantee that most of them will even encrypt your traffic. We mention a trustworthy freemium provider in our list, but free VPNs are a terrible idea for the most part.

What is the Best VPN for Cuba?

As we mentioned, everything is monitored by the Government. Therefore, 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 don’t keep any logs on you
  • Ability to get around firewalls, geo-restrictions, and government censorship while in the country
  • Mobile apps and support for all of your favorite devices
  • Servers that perform well in the area and surrounding areas on speeds tests
  • High network stability to help avoid dropped connections while there

Now, we’ll take a more in-depth view of the providers we mentioned earlier.

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN tops our list as the best choice to use while in Cuba. That’s because they offer ultra-fast speeds and have servers in almost half the countries around the world. Although speed is essential, you saw above that the government monitors all activity. You can help stop that from happening by taking advantage of 256-bit encryption and the no logs policy ExpressVPN has. Their 30-day money-back guarantee conveniently matches up with the 30-day tourist internet license granted by the government. We recommend using VPN servers in Miami or the Bahamas for the best speeds.

You’ll also appreciate ExpressVPN’s ability to unblock content. Whether you are talking about media content or outright government censorship, using ExpressVPN is one of the best ways to get around it all. No matter what your favorite device is, you’ll find that ExpressVPN has custom apps and guides for all of them. That way, you can take full advantage of their five simultaneous connections and make sure you protect all of your devices while in Cuba.

2. NordVPN

NordVPN comes in a close second in our list of the best VPNs for Cuba. In addition to their more than 5500 servers in 59 countries, they offer good speeds and have other features such as a dedicated IP address, split tunneling options, malware/ad blocking, and more. The dedicated IP address feature is a good thing. If you need to make any sort of financial transaction online, many require you to have the same IP address you start out with. Since the government is big on trying to “prevent fraud”, having a consistent IP address can be a real advantage. 

Because the government has a proxy that it runs all internet traffic through, you’ll appreciate the 256-bit encryption levels and the DNS leak protection that will help ensure you stay safe. If you are looking for NordVPN servers that will offer the best speeds, the company has a tool on their website. However, we suggest using the VPN servers in Miami. Since they are only 100 miles away, they are a good option and US servers are usually fast.

3. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA for short) has quite a bit of credibility when it comes to protecting its users. You can see evidence of that when you look at user reviews. Of course, that credibility is essential when dealing with the Cuban government’s pervasive nature. The Castros may be gone, but their legacy lives on. When using the service, you can enjoy IP address sharing (for more safety), the ability to choose your encryption levels, firewall protection, and more. With more than 3100 servers in 33 countries, you have many options. We suggest using a server in Mexico or the US for the best speeds.

4. HMA Pro VPN

HMA is one of the most well-known players in the community and has a solid reputation. With five simultaneous connections, and more than 1000 servers spread over more than 190 countries, HMA will help protect you from the prying eyes of the government. All of those countries mean you have a good chance of getting a close server, no matter where in the country you are. That will also allow you to get good information closer to Cuba, because of the information lockdowns you’ll encounter. As far as recommended servers go, Miami is always a good option, but you have numerous other countries around you while in Cuba.

5. TorGuard

TorGuard’s stellar track record is something you’ll appreciate while in Cuba. Some of the most popular VPN protocols they offer are SSTP, WireGuard, and IKEv2. While all three are secure protocols, experts regard IKEv2 and WireGuard as “NGE” or Next Generation Encryption. As you may know, there is no use in even connecting to a VPN if it won’t protect you from the government’s eyes. With more than 3k servers located in more than 50 countries, you can enjoy eight simultaneous connections to let you unblock content while in the country and keep you safe. They include a 7-day money-back guarantee if the service does not live up to your expectations.

6. TunnelBear

Tunnelbear rounds out our list, and it is one of the rare free finds. Though they offer a premium version, they allow you to try out the service in a limited capacity. As with many premium services, they offer AES-256 bit encryption and have servers in 41 countries. In addition to protecting your online privacy, they can prevent IP-based tracking. While they use that feature to stop advertisers, that can come in handy since the government monitors all of your internet moves. Some of the recommended servers you can choose from are in Brazil, Colombia, the US, Mexico, and more.

VPN Fan
A VPN service will help protect your online privacy and unblock sites from around the world. We support a free and open Internet.