Best VPNs for Egypt

Last updated on May 6, 2021

Egypt has a jaded relationship with the internet. A decade ago, access to online content for the people of Egypt was partly free, however with the 2011 revolution and change of government came stricter internet laws. The government tried to curb people from contacting the outside world and discussing the political climate, consequently banning sites including those that were politically charged and human rights websites amongst others.

A new legislation on cybercrime signed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi means that anyone found guilty of running or even visiting a website that is deemed a threat to national security or the economy can face jail time or a fine. Today, the internet in Egypt is not free according to the Freedom On The Net 2018 report with censorship increasing drastically and there being little to no transparency. Your only option to counter this is to encrypt your internet data with a VPN.

For the best online security while in Egypt, get Express VPN today!

Top VPNs for Egypt

Getting around internet censorship is not impossible with the right VPN. However, the government in Egypt were quick to ban and block some VPNs as soon as they figured out what they’re used for. VPNs such as Tunnelbear, TigerVPN, HSSElite, ZenVPN as well as one of our favorites, CyberGhost, are blocked by the Egyptian government. Below we have the best options for your safety whilst in Egypt.

#1 ExpressVPN

With its wide network range, ExpressVPN offers customers over 3,000 servers in more than 160 locations.

Furthermore, ExpressVPN’s strict specifications for servers guarantee that your connection will be safe, reliable and fast throughout the entire period of its use. Since it can be challenging to find servers in a specific country that has everything mentioned previously, VPN server locations give you access to connect to them with a high quality you would expect.

In addition to its amazing speed, quality and location of its servers, ExpressVPN supports different devices such as Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, and your router. It stands as the best VPN for security, as well as entertainment since it can unlock Netflix with ease through most of its servers which are based in the US. When it comes to other large streaming services (such as Amazon Prime Video or HBO), ExpressVPN has proven itself to be one of the most popular choices.

Having jurisdiction in the British Virgin Islands means that nobody, not even your ISP, will ever have access to any of your online activity, including the Egyptian authorities or third-party snoops.

Set-up will only take a couple of minutes of your time. Using ExpressVPN is easy, as both the app and the desktop client are simple to use. The home screen has a large on and off switch along with possible server locations that you can choose to connect to. You can also customize your specific needs in the advanced settings section found in a separate menu.

If you are worried about security in Egypt, ExpressVPN has your back with military-grade protection as well as DNS protection, OpenVPN support, and a Network Lock, which you can use in combination to create the most secure connection possible. The Network Lock is one of the most important features, especially in a country like Egypt as it will end all your internet activity should your VPN connection drop.

There are many troubleshooting guides on the ExpressVPN website guiding you through things like installation and connection, but if you get stuck you also have the option of live chat with a knowledgeable customer service agent 24/7. This is something not all VPN service providers offer but can mean the world of a difference when you’re in a location with strict internet laws. Reaching customer support by email is another option which will get you back on track in a timely manner.

Here are some more features that we think make ExpressVPN the best VPN for Egypt:

Unlimited bandwidth
Ultra-fast streaming speeds
Compatible with Android TV (Box) and Fire TV
Apps available for every device
Hides your streaming activity
No connection logs
No activity logs
P2P possibility
Ping times that are minimally affected
ExpressVPN works extremely well in high censorship countries
Military-grade encryption
Large international server network
30-day money back guarantee
Outstanding customer service
99% uptime guarantee
Up to three simultaneous connections

ExpressVPN also offers a special deal, get 3 months free and 49% savings with their annual subscription plan!

Want to find out more? Check out the full review here.

#2 Surfshark

They may be one of the newer VPN services around, but they’re catching up to their competition in no time at all with as many as 800 servers in 50 countries all over the globe. Based in the British Virgin Islands Surfshark have a very strict no logs policy. This means they do not collect incoming or outgoing IP addresses, browsing activity, used bandwidth, downloads or purchasing information, VPN servers you use, session information or connection timestamps.

This VPN is P2P friendly and you have the luxury of having servers optimized for the best downloading speeds. Speaking of which, Surfshark is fast. Unlike many competitors out there who claim their VPN is the fastest around, Surfshark will get the job done and more often than not you won’t experience any lag with your internet connection.

You can connect to 8 different Netflix libraries to including the US, France, UK, Netherlands, Japan, India or Italy in order to watch your favorite movies and television shows. In addition to this, it has brilliant performance abilities to support different types of devices and various protocols and offers non-disturbed surfing and downloading in full anonymity. The Whitelister option is fantastic because it allows some of your apps or websites that do not need to go through a VPN to bypass your VPN connection, while the more sensitive activity, like streaming or internet banking, remains secure.

The interface is very functional and more user-friendly than most, adjusting itself as you resize the window. Connect or disconnect with just a tap of the button and enjoy desktop notifications which update you on the status of your current virtual location as well as your IP address. One of the best things about connecting to Surfshark in Egypt is that you will be able to use as many devices with your Surfshark subscription as you please.

Surfshark users are supported by both email and chat systems which tackle your potential problems with accuracy and give you quick solutions to them. They are also one of the few VPN services which offer round-the-clock customer care, 365 days a year. Contacting Surfshark’s customer support through their online chat feature left us pleasantly surprised as the response was instant and the agent, Bella, was able to promptly answer my question.

Here are some more reasons why Surfshark was one of the best VPN services for Egypt:

Great download speeds
Zero logging
Unlimited bandwidth
Unlimited platform protection
Unlimited Server Switching
Some servers work with Netflix
Strong encryption
Torrenting allowed

Want to find out more? Check out the full review here

#3 NordVPN

NordVPN offers a wide range network with over 5000 servers in 60 countries around the world, three of those being in Egypt. Having jurisdiction in Panama ensures that your online movements will always be protected and anonymous. Also, their DoubleVPN feature means that your internet traffic is encrypted twice, keeping you twice as safe.

Whether you are looking for the best VPN for security or for streaming in Egypt does not really matter since NordVPN offers both. A feature called SmartPlay is able to unblock as many as 150 streaming services including Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix. Employment of the most current technologies protects your activity on the internet, shields your privacy and protects you on open Wi-Fi networks.

Privacy is one of the most important elements Nord prides itself on, which is made crystal clear in their privacy policy,

“We do not store connection time stamps, session information, used bandwidth, traffic logs, IP addresses or other data. From the moment a NordVPN.com user turns on the NordVPN.com software, their internet data becomes encrypted. Any online traffic coming from their user’s device is no longer visible to ISP, third-party snoopers or cybercriminals.”

Protecting your online communications is key in Egypt and a subscription with Nord ensures that you have as many as six devices that you can simultaneously connect including smartphones, laptops, computers, tablets, and routers.

You don’t have to be a tech-head to understand and use this VPN as NordVPN’s user interface is very clean making it a good fit for the average user. For more proficient users, NordVPN offers a large number of advanced settings such as a kill switch, choosing security protocols, allowing custom DNS, etc.

Adblocking will not be an issue with CyberSec, which will provide you with extra protection against malware. Advanced obfuscation settings will ensure that your VPN even works in countries with tough censorship laws such as Egypt. Getting around the tough Firewall of China is not an issue for Nord and custom DNS settings as well as two different kill switches means you’re protected all the time.

Customer service has been voted as the best in 2018, offering live chat or via email and have a detailed FAQ section in their Help Center.

Some more reasons which made NordVPN one of the top three VPNs for Egypt include:

Over 5000 servers in 62 countries
IP Leak protection
Double VPN
CyberSec
Onion over VPN
Simultaneous connections on up to 6 devices
Automatic Kill Switch
30-day money back guarantee
Set-up and installation takes just minutes
24-hour customer support

Want to find out more? Check out the full review here.

Online Privacy Laws in Egypt

Over the last year, things have taken a turn when it comes to internet freedom in Egypt. As well as blocking hundreds of websites there have also been instances of dozens of people arrested for publishing fake news. Most of these people are journalists or protesters.

In preparation for the 2018 presidential elections held in March, blocked websites included that of independent news, blogs considered influential, political movements as well as a few international human rights organizations. Publishing platform Medium, proxy tools, and even VPNs were blocked.

According to Freedom on the Net 2018,

“As of February 2018, around 500 websites were reported blocked, many of which had been blocked since the beginning of 2017. Numerous news sites are also blocked, including Huffington Post Arabic, the financial newspaper Al-Borsa, and the entire online publishing platform Medium, where the blocked Mada Masr had reposted content in an attempt to avert censors. Websites run by Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders, the activist April 6 Youth Movement (which was active in the 2011 revolution), and the jailed democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah were also inaccessible.

In addition, hundreds of proxy tools, tech websites, and VPNs used to circumvent state censorship are blocked. Users have reported that open and free VPN services are no longer available, making paid VPN the only option, at a cost that is prohibitive for many. In December 2016, authorities blocked the encrypted messaging application Signal.36 However, the blocking was circumvented by the app’s developers, Open Whisper Systems, using domain fronting.”

It is not uncommon for imprisonment for individuals insulting the president, inciting violence or thought to be spreading fake news on the internet. This happened in 2017 when Coptic Christian Andrew Saleeb was condemned to five years of jail time “under the antiterrorism law for allegedly “supporting terrorism” for posting criticism of President Sisi on Facebook and distributing fliers calling for protests against currency devaluation.”

Speaking out against sexual harassment is also something that the Egyptian government does not favor and imprisoned bloggers, journalists, and activists often experience abuse whilst in detention.

“In May 2018, activist Amal Fathy was arrested two days after posting a video to her Facebook page criticizing the government for its failure to protect women from sexual harassment, deliver public services, and improve the human rights and socioeconomic situation. Fathy and her husband Mohamed Lotfy, the director of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), were detained, as well as their three-year-old child. They were later released, but Fathy was charged with disseminating a video on social media to publicly incite overthrowing the government, publishing a video that includes false news that could harm public peace, and misusing telecommunication tools.”

It seems as though there are no rules when it comes to what is and is not allowed. In 2017 a university professor posted a video of herself dancing and was fired soon after. The LGBT community is also targeted on social media and various dating apps.

Egyptian Streaming Services

There are numerous streaming services that you will want to tune into which are not available internationally. With a VPN you can catch up on all the latest news, live coverage as well as your favorite movies and television shows. These include:

The Bottom Line

Keeping safe in Egypt especially when using social media platforms and the internet, in general, can be a tricky task. Various laws have been introduced in the past few years heavily restricting internet freedom.

The only way to remain protected is to use a reliable VPN that is available in that region, which will encrypt your internet data and reroute it through to another location. ExpressVPN is the best and most secure option for your VPN in Egypt, offering both constantly great speeds and protect your every move online.

If you want to access to restricted content and to browse online without being monitored in Egypt, get Express VPN today!