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The Best VPNs for the UAE
Callum Tennent
Callum Tennent oversees how we test and review VPN services. He's a member of the IAPP, and his VPN advice has featured in Forbes and the Internet Society. Read full bio
Our top choice for the UAE is Astrill VPN, with a rating of 9.3/10. In our hands-on tests, Astrill is the only VPN able to unblock websites and social media 100% of the time. We recommend installing Windscribe Free as a backup in case your first choice doesn’t work.
Whether you’re living in the UAE or you’re visiting Dubai on holiday, you’ll find the country restricts online access to movies, TV shows, websites, and web services (like WhatsApp calls and FaceTime).
We’ve tested 61 VPNs for the UAE and found three that truly stand out among the competition.
These VPNs are the most effective for connecting into and out of the UAE. They hide your browsing activity from your ISP, unblock WhatsApp calls and social media, and can assign you a new IP address.
Summary: The Best VPNs for the UAE
After testing 61 VPN services, our recommended VPNs that still work in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are:
We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our ratings are based on our own testing results and are unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.
Comparison of the Best UAE VPNs
The table below compares the top-rated VPNs for the UAE on their ability to bypass internet firewalls, nearby servers, speed, price, and more:
Ad blocker, double VPN, kill switch, & custom DNS server
Works with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ & more
More expensive than its competitors
No refund policy
Slightly slower than other VPNs
Pricing Plans
$30.00/mo
$15.00/mo over 12 months
$12.50/mo over 24 months
Logging Policy
Identifiable Data
Servers
107
Jurisdiction
Liechtenstein
ExpressVPN is the highest rated VPN for Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Our tests show that Astrill’s obfuscation works with WhatsApp, Discord, and censored websites a staggering 100% of the time, so it’s not surprising that it’s our top choice for bypassing censorship in the UAE.
Compared to ExpressVPN, Astrill is packed full of advanced features. Along with the essential kill switch, there’s also double VPN, WebRTC blocking, dedicated IP addresses, an ad blocker, SOCK5 proxy, and split tunneling.
But it does have some weaknesses: it’s not as fast as other VPNs, it’s expensive, and it doesn’t offer a free trial.
100% Effective Obfuscation
What makes Astrill better than all other VPNs at unblocking is its advanced obfuscation technology.
Its proprietary protocols (StealthVPN and OpenWeb) disguise your VPN traffic as normal traffic, allowing you to access websites and VoIP services that other VPNs fail to unblock.
StealthVPN is the better option if you want the most powerful obfuscation, whereas OpenWeb is a more lighweight alternative that’s faster and better for voice calls or streaming.
But you’ve also got the option to use WireGuard and OpenVPN, which are the industry gold standard for security and privacy.
They offer strong ChaCha20 and AES-256 encryption ciphers, ensuring your web activity stays hidden from Etisalat and Du.
One of our readers confirmed that Astrill VPN works flawlessly to unblock censored websites.
Servers in the UAE, US, UK, Greece & South Africa
Astrill has a range of VPN servers suited to users in the UAE, including a VPN server inside the UAE that will assign you a UAE IP address.
It also has a good selection of server locations in nearby countries with internet freedom like Greece, South Africa, and Bulgaria.
Nearby servers can help you unblock websites and web services without losing speeds.
Less Private than ExpressVPN
Astrill temporarily stores some data, like your IP address and timestamps.
We don’t see this as a dealbreaker because all of this information is permanently deleted after each VPN session.
However, it does mean it isn’t as private as ExpressVPN, which avoids logging any identifiable information at all.
We would also like to see Astrill adopt diskless servers and commission an independent audit to prove its privacy-friendly logging policy.
Expensive & No Free Trial
Astrill is the only VPN on the market that always bypasses online censorship, and its price also reflects this.
If you’re based in the UAE or plan to move there, the cheapest long-term subscription is $12.50 per month on a 2-year contract, which is around double the price of ExpressVPN on its cheapest plan.
Astrill is also one of the few VPNs that doesn’t offer a free trial or refund policy, meaning you can’t try it before you buy it.
Lastly, Astrill is slightly slower than ExpressVPN. In our speed tests, we recorded an average 25% speed loss connected to servers around the globe.
However, these speeds are more than enough to stream video in full HD or bypass censorship smoothly.
Astrill accesses the US Netflix library from overseas.
Effective obfuscation for bypassing UAE censorship
User-friendly interface & helpful customer support
Nearby servers in Cyprus, Georgia & Bulgaria
Strong AES-256 encryption, diskless servers & IP leak protection
Fast international speeds
Doesn't collect any identifying data
No UAE servers
No dedicated IP addresses, double VPN, or SOCKS5 proxy
Pricing Plans
$12.95/mo
$6.25/mo over 16 months
$4.99/mo over 28 months
Logging Policy
No Identifiable Data
Servers
3,000
Jurisdiction
British Virgin Islands (Privacy Haven)
ExpressVPN is the best user-friendly VPN that works in the UAE without any issues. The VPN has built-in obfuscation for unblocking websites and apps with ease. There’s also secure AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption to hide your web traffic from your ISP.
Compared to Astrill, ExpressVPN is faster, cheaper, better for streaming, and has a larger server network. The only drawback is that it’s slightly worse at bypassing online censorship.
ExpressVPN has a number of countries neighboring the UAE.
User-Friendly Apps & Huge Server Network
We love how simple it is to use ExpressVPN — especially on iPhone. The app comes with obfuscation enabled, so simply open the app and connect to your country of choice to get a new IP address.
ExpressVPN has a huge global server network of 3,000 in 106 countries. The VPN is constantly refreshing its IP addresses, so censors and websites are unable to detect your VPN connection.
If you’re in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, we recommend using ExpressVPN’s Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Georgia servers for access to blocked services, while also maintaining fast speeds.
Unlike Astrill, ExpressVPN doesn’t offer servers in the UAE. However, it’s a great pick for connecting out to a different country and bypassing web blocks.
With ExpressVPN, you can unblock dating websites, adult sites, gambling sites, and more within the UAE.
Faster & Better at Streaming than Competitors
ExpressVPN is our fastest pick for Dubai. We recorded an international speed loss of just 15%, which is extremely impressive.
It’s fast speeds make it a great option for unblocking and holding WhatsApp or FaceTime calls.
ExpressVPN is also better than Astrill at unblocking global streaming services. It successfully bypasses geo-restrictions on almost every streaming service we’ve tested, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer.
Every site we’ve tested with the VPN loads quickly at maximum picture quality, and without any buffering.
In our test, ExpressVPN unblocked HBO Max everytime.
Cheaper than Astrill & iPhone Free Trial
At just $4.99 per month on a 15-month contract, ExpressVPN is much cheaper than Astrill.
You can also opt for a monthly subscription, giving you the flexibility to cancel when you like, for just $12.95 per month.
No need to give card details & private logging policy
Independently audited
Effective obfuscation on desktop & mobile apps
Doesn't log any identifying data
10GB monthly data cap
No human live chat support
Based in Canada (Five Eyes nation)
Data Cap
10GB per month
Logging Policy
No Identifiable Data
Servers
10
Jurisdiction
Canada (Five Eyes Member)
Windscribe Free is our favorite free VPN for the UAE. Not only is it incredibly safe, it has an impressive suite of features like a malware blocker, ad and tracker blocker, a kill switch, and more.
Importantly, its obfuscation is available on both mobile and desktop applications for free.
However, as with most free VPNs, there is a downside. Windscribe Free comes with a 10GB monthly data cap and a much smaller server list than our paid recommendations.
In our experience, Windscribe Free is a great backup option to have on your mobile, in case your first choice VPN isn’t working. Since it’s free, there’s nothing to lose except the time it takes to set up, which is just a few minutes.
Best Free VPN for Unblocking Censored Content
There’s a reason why Windscribe Free is the only free VPN we recommend for the UAE: it’s the only safe free VPN that works well against online censorship.
Its two obfuscation protocols, Stealth and WStunnel, consistently unblock websites in the UAE without any issues. Usually we see VPNs paywall their obfuscation protocols or servers, so Windscribe’s user-first approach is a welcome change.
If you’re based in the UAE and want access to websites, services, or content from outside the region, you’ll have to connect to a VPN server in a different country.
Windscribe Free doesn’t offer servers in neighboring countries with less internet restrictions, like Cyprus or Bulgaria.
But we do recommend using Windscribe Free’s US and Canada VPN servers. There’s also a good selection of servers in Europe: UK, Germany, and Switzerland.
Windscribe Free has a modern and user-friendly interface.
Slower than Paid VPNs
Using Windscribe Free, we experienced an average speed loss of 13% on international servers.
Considering that free VPNs are generally slower than their paid counterparts, this isn’t a bad result. Nonetheless, ExpressVPN beats its speeds by far.
Windscribe Free can unblock some streaming services, but it doesn’t perform as well as other paid VPNs. It doesn’t offer any servers in the UAE, so you aren’t able to unblock services like Starzplay or JawwyTV. It also fails to unblock US Netflix.
Genuinely Secure & Private Free VPN
Windscribe Free might offer a restricted server network, but it offers the same robust security and privacy as the paid version.
With the VPN, you get access to its reliable kill switch, which prevents your real IP address from leaking should your internet connection drop, and strong AES-256 encryption, which prevents local ISPs from seeing your internet activity.
Windscribe Free’s diskless VPN servers also prevent your data from being saved onto a physical hard drive, and its open-source app code is available for all security experts to scrutinize.
We’re impressed that Windscribe recently completed a privacy and security audit, which validated its robust server infrastructure and minimal logging policy.
The audit also highlighted Windscribe’s proactive approach, with all identified issues promptly addressed and recommendations implemented effectively.
10GB of Monthly Data
Windscribe Free doesn’t require its users to add credit card details, but you do have to register before using it.
Windsribe Free also has a restrictive data cap of 10GB per month.
Depending on whether you’re traveling to the UAE for a few days or if you’re based in the country, you might find paid alternatives more suitable for everyday use.
Not every VPN is suited to bypassing censorship in the UAE. In our testing, most VPNs failed to unblock websites altogether.
Here are some VPNs to avoid for the UAE:
Free VPN by FreeVPN.org Review
FreeVPN by FreeVPN.org is truly one of the worst VPNs we’ve tested. In November 2021, the VPN suffered a major data leak in which 300 million records were exposed, including email addresses, full names, and encrypted passwords.
Plus, the VPN doesn’t offer any safe protocols like WireGuard or OpenVPN to encrypt your web traffic. Overall, the VPN is unsafe to use.
If you absolutely need a free VPN, we recommend opting for a safer option like Windscribe Free instead.
Urban VPN
Urban VPN Free claims to be a VPN service, but it’s actually a peer-to-peer proxy network, making it much less secure than a VPN.
It doesn’t encrypt your data at all and collects your IP address and browsing activity.
Urban VPN’s website alludes to the fact that it’s a peer-to-peer network.
Urban VPN paid subscription apparently opts you out of this network, but without verification through a third-party audit, we can’t know for sure.
VPN UAE: Unlimited VPN in UAE
VPN UAE is another unsafe service. Not only does it contain annoying ads, its privacy policy is extremely vague.
VPN UAE has a vague privacy policy.
The VPN collects “system logs” and “other personal data (such as your IP address).” A privacy policy that’s difficult to understand or doesn’t fully explain the data it collects it a huge red flag.
We highly recommend avoiding unsafe VPNs like VPN UAE.
NordVPN
We’ve seen other websites recommending NordVPN for the UAE. But in our censorship tests, NordVPN’s obfuscated servers consistently fail to unblock websites that are censored.
In addition, NordVPN’s website is blocked 83% of the time in the UAE, making it more difficult to use the VPN’s resources and contact customer support in the UAE.
For these reasons, we wouldn’t recommend NordVPN for anyone in a country with heavy online censorship.
How to Download & Use a VPN in the UAE
Our VPN experts personally installed each VPN we recommend on an iPhone with a UAE Apple account, to make sure they’re available in the region’s App Store.
If you’re traveling to Dubai or Abu Dhabi from abroad, we recommend setting up a VPN before you travel, as VPN websites are blocked 44% of the time in the country.
The least accessible VPN websites — TunnelBear, NordVPN, and Secure VPN — are blocked upwards of 90% of the time, which is why they don’t feature in our VPN recommendations for the UAE.
Here’s how to install and use a VPN in the UAE:
Visit the VPN service’s website and sign up: We recommend Astrill, ExpressVPN, or Windsribe Free.
Install the latest version of the VPN app onto your device.
Launch the VPN app and sign in. Some VPNs provide a username and password, or you’ll create your own.
Turn on obfuscation protocols or features. Astrill offers an effective proprietary StealthVPN protocol. PrivateVPN also has its own StealthVPN mode, which uses Shadowsocks proxy to bypass firewalls.
Turn on the VPN’s kill switch. This prevents your real IP address from leaking if your internet connection drops suddenly.
Connect to a VPN server: You can choose a nearby country like Cyprus, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka to bypass online censorship. Or you can connect to the US or UK to unblock movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and more.
What Can You Do with a VPN in the UAE?
If you’re based in the UAE, or you’re traveling to Dubai for a holiday, we recommend equipping yourself with a VPN to protect your online privacy and allow for greater internet freedom.
ISPs and telecommunications companies in the UAE block websites that are politically sensitive, feature gambling, and more.
Here are the most important reasons why you should use a VPN in the UAE:
1. Unblock Websites & Apps
If you want complete internet freedom in the UAE, you’ll need a VPN to circumvent internet censorship.
The UAE consistently blocks websites with politically sensitive material, blocking everyday use of certain dating apps (like Tinder, Bumble, and Grindr), pornography, news websites, gambling sites, and more.
ISPs like Etisalat and Du also impose strict restrictions on VoIP services (audio and video calls), making popular features like FaceTime, WhatsApp calls, and Skype useless in the UAE. A VPN like Astrill, ExpressVPN, and Windscribe Free can unblock these services with ease.
2. Unblock Streaming Services
With a VPN, you can access movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and more.
Streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ are technically available in the UAE. However, video content is censored to remove political content, LGBTQ+ content, and pornographic content.
If you’re based outside the UAE and want to watch Arabic content, a VPN with servers in the UAE and nearby countries can give you access to streaming services like Starzplay, Shahid, and JawwyTV.
3. Avoid ISP Surveillance
Since two of the largest mobile service providers in the UAE, Du and Etisalat, are partially state-controlled, a VPN can prevent your internet activity from being monitored by your provider.
VPNs do this by encrypting your web traffic and routing it through a secure server. They also hide your real IP address, which could be used to identify your device, by replacing it with the IP address of your VPN server.
However, it is important to note that your ISP can see you are using a VPN when connected — unless you use an incredibly powerful obfuscations, like Astrill’s StealthVPN or Openweb protocols.
Are VPNs Illegal in the UAE?
No, using a VPN is not illegal in the UAE. However, using a VPN to mask illegal activity in the UAE is considered an offense.
What constitutes illegal activity can include accessing content that violate public morals or Islamic beliefs, such as online pornography, online gambling or betting, and LGBTQ+ websites. It also encompasses expressing certain political opinions on social media.
Article 1 of Federal Law No. 12 of 2016 (amending the Cyber Crimes Law) states that if a VPN is used to hide criminal activity, the user could face imprisonment or a financial penalty up to AED 2 million (roughly $545,000).
In recent years, the UAE government has been known to arrest individuals for posting political, social, and religious opinions online. We would suggest anyone posting online to make sure their face and personal details are not on display.
Unlike in many other countries, free voice and video call services are regulated and controlled by the UAE government.
Etisalat, Du, and Virgin offer licensed paid VoIP services (otherwise known as ‘Internet Calling Plans’), which let you use local services like Botim and GoChat.
Whereas free popular alternatives like FaceTime, WhatsApp voice calls, Facebook calls, and Skype calls remain blocked, unless you use a VPN.
It is technically illegal to use a VPN to access an unlicensed VoIP service (like WhatsApp calls), but in reality the authorities have much more serious concerns. Many residents in the UAE use a VPN without facing fines.
The good news is, following a change in policy in March 2023, many more popular VoIP services are now legal and available in the UAE.
Censorship in the UAE means residents and visitors don’t have full access to the free, global internet.
We’ve tested 61 VPN services, including both free and paid, to find the best ones that are the most secure, fast, and work well in the UAE.
We’ve split the analysis into five main subcategories. Each subcategory is differently weighted according to how important it is for UAE VPNs.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of each testing category:
1. Bypassing UAE Censorship: 40%
Test Conducted: We analyzed each VPN’s obfuscation tools and tested their ability to access websites and apps typically blocked in the UAE.
Why It’s Important: Obfuscation enables you to access restricted sites and apps, such as torrent sites and adult content, which are usually censored in the UAE.
Optimal Result: Consistently effective obfuscation protocols or features that reliably bypass the UAE’s web censorship.
2. Obfuscation Technology: 20%
Test Conducted: We personally used each VPN and counted the number of obfuscation tools, servers, and protocols available.
Why It’s Important: It is important for VPNs to have multiple obfuscation tools, in case one is ineffective.
Optimal Result: Multiple obfuscation to choose from.
3. Privacy & Logging Policy: 20%
Tests Conducted: We read each VPN’s privacy policy and noted what data they collect and for how long. We also take into account whether VPNs use diskless servers and a VPN’s jurisdiction.
Why It’s Important: Some VPNs are subsidized through advertising and data sharing partnerships. They store sensitive data, such as your IP address, timestamps, and websites you visit, which can be used to identify a user.
Optimal Result: No-logs policy verified by real-world events, transparent ownership, privacy-friendly jurisdiction, and diskless servers.
4. Speed: 10%
Test Conducted: Performed in-house speed tests to assess each VPN’s download and upload speeds, as well as ping times.
Why It’s Important: Fast connections allow you to browse, download, and stream content at maximum resolution, no matter whether you’re using WiFi or cellular data.
Optimal Result: Less than 10% download speed loss when connected to a local server.
5. Nearby Servers to the UAE: 10%
Test Conducted: We evaluated each VPN’s server network, focusing on the number of servers available in the UAE and nearby countries with higher levels of internet freedom.
Why It’s Important: A UAE VPN server is essential for getting a UAE IP address, whereas servers in nearby countries with internet freedom lets you unblock websites and services unavailable in the UAE.
Optimal Result: Servers in the UAE and nearby locations with higher levels of internet freedom.
Data Cap Penalty
Almost all free VPNs come with a data cap. Like with most limitations on free VPNs, this is imposed to encourage users to upgrade to a premium subscription.
If you use up your data cap, the rest of your internet activity will be outside the VPN tunnel. Consequently, your ISP can monitor the webpages you visit, and you won’t be able to access blocked websites in the UAE.
We apply a penalty to the VPN’s final overall rating for the UAE based on its data cap:
Unlimited bandwidth: No deduction to the overall rating