Split Tunneling is an excellent VPN feature. It allows you to choose which apps you want to use instead of encrypting all of your traffic. These days, VPNs have many options. Though some providers call it by different names, it does the same thing. This feature can be handy if you don’t need the VPN for everything you are doing at the moment. We’ll start at the beginning and tell you more about it in a moment. First, though, we ask that you look at our list of the best VPNs with the split tunneling option.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 95 | |
| 4 |  | 9.0 | 110 | |
| 5 |  | 8.8 | 73 | |
As you may know, VPNs have several uses. These include getting around geo-restrictions, unblocking censorship, and protecting your privacy. Whenever you use one, your secure connection creates an encrypted “tunnel” or pipeline that keeps the traffic safe. It acts as a middle man between your device and the internet.
Typically, VPN software routes everything through the tunnel. However, that may not always be a good thing. For example, if you are a multi-tasker, you may be watching something on your device while doing something else. If you want to watch in a different region, you are locked to that region unless you have a split tunneling option. Some websites and apps authorize credentials based on IP or location. For example, the blocking software may deny you access if it detects you are in the UK instead of the US. That works for other zones as well.
Additionally, split tunneling can make things faster than normal VPN usage. Since your device does not have to deal with as much encryption overhead, you can keep the speed of other apps. That will also help with conserving bandwidth and alleviating bottlenecks. That makes the feature an excellent option for international travelers and those who want to explore new content zones. If you are trying to stream content, conserving bandwidth may stop your videos from buffering.
Fortunately, split tunneling is easy to set up. Once you find the option, you can go through a list of the apps you want to use with a VPN. If you will watch or access something in a browser but don’t want or need to do it for everything, you can either download or choose a browser to use and put it in the list. By doing so, you won’t have to worry about what apps you have split off. This is true for mobiel devices as well with Android being a popular choice.
What is the Best VPN for Split Tunneling?
We can answer this question pretty easily, as long as we look at the most important features of the service. That way, we can determine what the best VPNs are based on your purpose for using one. Here are the criteria we are using.
- Providers that offer split-include, exclude, or both
- Ability to get around firewalls and geo-blocked content to allow access to popular streaming services and games
- Fast servers that perform well in different regions
- Ability to split traffic at the router level
- Strong encryption with military-grade components to protect your privacy
- Providers that offer a strict no logs policy and support P2P / torrent users
Now, we’ll take a closer look at some of the best VPNs for split tunneling.
1. Best VPN for Split Tunneling: ExpressVPN
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A big issue that some VPN providers have involves location. ExpressVPN is under the laws of the British Virgin Islands. This makes a difference because it places the VPN outside of the jurisdiction of the “14 eyes” countries. If you are not aware, that is an alliance of countries that share information. In other words, if one country has access to it, the all 14 nations do as well. When combined with their no-logs policy, you can feel confident that ExpressVPN will help to keep you and your information safe.
Some games are significant and depending on where you are in the world; you can gain early access to them. However, we do not feel that you should have to wait. When you connect to a VPN server with ExpressVPN, though, you can do that. All you have to do is choose the location where the game comes out first. Most of the time it is Australia given the time difference. That will make the game server believe that you are in the allowable region. Therefore, you will gain early access to the game.
The ExpressVPN team goes the extra mile to provide a feature rich service. They are also strong privacy advocates. They offer a $5,000 Future of Privacy scholarship every year to help promote privacy among college students. Just a quick example of their dedication to spreading the message of privacy around the world. Just as important, they offer a premium network to allow for fast connections. This makes the service an excellent choice for downloading and streaming. Test their network for yourself with their 30-day money-back guarantee. Sign up for 12 months and get 3 months free with our ExpressVPN deal.
2. Best VPN for Split Tunneling: NordVPN
While NordVPN isn’t the oldest player in the VPN community, they have certainly made a splash in the space. They are very popular, and the company took its name from the Nordic ideals of trust, confidence, and innovation. Since their founding in 2012, you can not visit any type of media without seeing an advertisement of some sort. They mention that they have 12 million users worldwide. Given that, you are in great hands if you choose NordVPN. They manage a large network to help meet your goals for using a VPN.
While all providers promise security, some may not be protecting your privacy when using their service. However, NordVPN does an excellent job of doing that. You can quickly test their DNS security by using the leak test on their website or checking an independent site. By doing so, you will see if others can detect your location. If they can’t, though, you won’t have to worry about groups or organizations tracking you if you are connecting to a VPN. DNS leak protection is a must-have for VPN users.
3. Best VPN for Split Tunneling: Private Internet Access
Sports is still one of the biggest draws of TV watchers. More often than not, viewers want to watch their favorite events at the scheduled time. Unfortunately, you may not always be able to view your favorite sport because of licensing rights from other countries. By connecting to a VPN server from Private Internet Access, however, you can watch your favorite no matter where it is. All you would have to do is select the country where the sport is, have access to the channel for watching and enjoy them.
As far as privacy goes, Private Internet Access supports five different encryption protocols. Those include OpenVPN, WireGuard, IPSEC/L2TP, PPTP, and the SOCKS5 (proxy). While there are arguments to be made for using each type of encryption, the best option is to use OpenVPN. That is because it provides the best mix of privacy and speed. WireGuard is a relative newcomer, and some people are afraid to try the protocol. Of course, there are set up guides for each type of connection on their website.
4. Best VPN for Split Tunneling: CyberGhost
Whether you stream a little or a lot of content online, connecting to a CyberGhost VPN server can help you. Streaming online continues to grow in popularity. Unfortunately, so do the numbers of ISPs that want to throttle your internet performance. They can detect streaming by looking for patterns. Even if you do not think it could happen to you, it certainly can. By connecting to a VPN, however, you can prevent that from happening. Simply choose a server, and your ISP will only see your actions as encrypted traffic. Then, you won’t have to worry about your streaming marathon.
For everyone that lives in larger cities and has cut the cord, watching your favorite team sports online can cause a problem unless you connect to a VPN server via CyberGhost. If your favorite team is in the city you live in, licensing rights may stop you from seeing it online. The trick is to connect to a VPN server in another region. By doing so, the blocking software will let you view your favorite sports online no matter what city you visit or call home.
5. Best VPN for Split Tunneling: IPVanish
Some of the most valuable sports teams in the world have international followings. Those include sports organizations like the Dallas Cowboys (NFL) in the US, the New York Yankees (MLB) in the US, Real Madrid (Soccer), and more. If you are outside their home country, though, you can only watch them if you connect to a VPN server in the home country from IPVanish. Of course, you would also need to have a subscription to one of the sports apps, depending on what you want to watch.
One of the great things you can do when you connect to a VPN server from IPVanish is stream content from different regions. IPVanish spreads its more than 1400 servers over 75+ locations. That makes them an ideal candidate to stream. Their fast speeds also help when watching content from other areas because it means you will not usually have to deal with lag. If your goal is to stream movies and shows from different parts of the world, you can’t go wrong with IPVanish.
