Best VPNs for France in 2022

France has always been one of the most privacy-conscious countries. There's also increasing Internet censorship and regulations. For true freedom and privacy, you need a VPN.

With it, you receive robust online protection and complete privacy. You can also bypass geo-restricted content and enjoy global streaming services in France and watch French cinema chef-d'oeuvre from abroad. Not to mention the French restrictions around torrenting that a VPN bypasses as well.

Overall, the best VPN option you can choose is NordVPN. It has 230+ servers in France, market-leading security features, and all major streaming services unblocked.

Yet, that’s not all; continue reading, and you will find the best VPNs for France in 2022. Each service was thoroughly tested in terms of security, performance, and more.

Top 5 best France VPNs

1. NordVPN – best VPN for France with 230+ French servers
2. Surfshark – next-gen security for unlimited devices
3. PrivateVPN – France VPN for streaming
4. PureVPN – privacy-oriented VPN for France
5. IPVanish – versatile VPN with servers in Paris

What to look for in a VPN for France?

A VPN comes in handy in many cases. Several VPN characteristics matter, whether you are concerned about staying untraceable by your ISP and other third parties or simply want to enjoy streaming content that isn’t accessible in France.

Here, you can see the primary details you should pay attention to when choosing a France VPN:

• French servers. How can it be a France VPN without French servers? Ensure that the provider you choose has enough servers in France to enjoy an uninterrupted connection.
• No-logs policy. When choosing a VPN, it’s crucial to read VPN’s privacy policy thoroughly. All the VPNs featured on this list collect as little personal data as possible and have an audited no-logs policy.
• Functional kill switch feature. A reliable VPN will have the kill switch feature implemented to protect your IP address even in times when a VPN connection drops.
• RAM-only servers. Usually, VPNs use hard disks to store customers’ data. This way, data remains accessible till it’s erased or restored with new information. On the other hand, RAM-only servers get emptied once the server you use is powered off. That’s why several top VPNs on our list use RAM-only servers.
• Streaming and torrenting. As France has some restrictions around torrenting and streaming, it’s better to stay invisible while using P2P connections and get a VPN that unblocks all major streaming sites.
• DNS leak protection. Any change on your device or your VPN app might lead to a leaking IP address. DNS leak protection guarantees extra protection for the IP address.

The best VPNs for France – our detailed list:

No matter what reason has pushed you to look for a VPN suitable for France, choosing the best VPN service based on your needs is always essential.

Find them below and choose your favorite one.

1. NordVPN – best France VPN in 2022

Visit NordVPN

NordVPN is our favorite pick for France, with over 230 French servers in Paris and Marseille. Our tests proved that it could handle any critical situation or improve your online experience.

Security and privacy: NordVPN offers only advanced security features. AES-256 encryption will take care of your online traffic by scrambling your data into pieces. The functional kill switch feature never misses a chance to protect your IP. As for your privacy, NordVPN is very strict with its no-logs policy, and it also uses RAM-only servers, so whatever settles on its database gets erased quickly.

Performance: it has an in-house NordLynx tunneling protocol, an improved version of the market-leading WireGuard. With it, your safety doesn’t get compromised to have light-fast connection speeds.

Features: NordVPN blocks intrusive ads and malicious websites. It offers a SOCKS5 proxy and supports P2P connections, making this VPN excellent for torrenting. You can also enable DNS leak protection and split tunneling feature to choose what apps will go through VPN protection.

Streaming: this VPN fits for Netflix. It’s one of the best streaming VPNs on the market that unblocks various Netflix libraries, DAZN, HBO Max, Hulu, and many more. Plus, you get to watch videos in full HD without any lagging.

Compatibility: with NordVPN’s single account, you can simultaneously protect up to 6 devices. You can also differentiate the types of devices as it supports Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox.

Pricing: with NordVPN’s free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, you get plenty of time to get hooked to this service. Afterward, the starting price is $3.09/month.

Get to know this VPN in-depth in our NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark – advanced VPN protection for all of your devices

Visit Surfshark

Surfshark is another reliable VPN for France. It has servers in 3 different French locations (Paris, Marseille, and Bordeaux) and offers only the most advanced security features. Our tests showed its undeniably robust protection using any Surfshark app.

Security and privacy: it uses the market-leading AES-256 encryption technology, RAM-only servers, and there’s also a kill switch feature for unexpected VPN connection loss. The service has independently audited its no-logs policy and has no dark spots in the past.

Performance: Surfshark is one of the fastest VPNs you can get. With it, you receive the WireGuard tunneling protocol that ensures only the best connection speeds. There were no significant speed drops during our tests, so it's a perfect option for browsing and downloading without a hitch.

Features: this VPN offers all sorts of servers, including obfuscated ones for highly-censored locations. There’s the split tunneling feature, and you can also connect to 2 servers simultaneously using a MultiHop feature. With it, there won’t be leaked IP addresses, and to gain more protection, you can also use Surfsharks’ antivirus features.

Streaming: by getting this VPN, you can enjoy many streaming services in full HD and no buffering along the way. Surfshark successfully unblocks Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and more.

Compatibility: combine the fact that you can protect an unlimited number of devices simultaneously with the fact that Surfshark supports Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox. You get to cover a full house and even your relatives.

Pricing: you can use Surfhsark’s free trial and a money-back guarantee but even without these, the price of this VPN is sweet. For as low as $2.30/month, you can have Surfshark VPN and Surfshark One together for two years without additional worries.

Learn more about it in our Surfshark VPN review.

3. PrivateVPN – great VPN for streaming in France

Visit PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN comes with servers in France and excellent streaming capabilities. It has a robust security suite that worked great during the tests and delivered us decent performance results.

Security and privacy: PrivateVPN offers customizable AES encryption. You can choose between AES-256 or a more lightweight option – AES-128 (CBC or GCM modes). The kill switch feature has also successfully passed our test. Plus, the company follows a strict no-logs policy.

Performance: even though PrivateVPN doesn’t have the WireGuard tunnel yet, you can use an OpenVPN tunneling protocol that ensures a stable and secure connection.

Features: PrivateVPN is a pretty comprehensive VPN. It has HTTP and SOCKS5 proxies for secure and fast torrenting and supports P2P connections. There’s also DNS leak protection and Stealth VPN for bypassing geo-restrictions and heavily-restricted locations.

Streaming: it takes no additional effort to unblock famous streaming sites with PrivateVPN. Whether you want to access Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, or even DAZN – this VPN is an excellent choice to have a lag-free streaming experience.

Compatibility: PrivateVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and you can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously using a single account.

Pricing: here, you get a free 7-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee to test the service scrupulously. If you like it – great! The pricing starts from only $2.00 per month.

Find out more about the features in our PrivateVPN review.

4. PureVPN – always-on-audit France VPN

Visit PureVPN

If you’re considering getting a France VPN mainly for security and privacy reasons, then PureVPN suits you well. It is the first VPN that has always-on-audit, meaning it can be audited without notice at all times. Plus, it offers a large server fleet that includes French servers.

Security and privacy: PureVPN uses the most trusted AES-256 encryption, has a functional kill switch feature, and during our tests, it hasn’t failed a single time. It’s also located in a privacy-friendly location, and its no-logs policy is always on audit.

Performance: all the most popular tunneling protocols are available here. You can choose between WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2. Fortunately, PureVPN offers a fast and stable connection that improves the browsing experience and doesn’t put you on hold while streaming.

Features: you get the split tunneling feature to choose what app should go through VPN traffic and obfuscated servers for bypassing restrictions in heavily-censored places. There’s also DNS leak protection to ensure that no one gets to see your real IP address.

Streaming: access Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, or even DAZN within seconds and have a flawless streaming experience without intrusive lagging.

Compatibility: connect up to 10 devices simultaneously and ensure protection for all of your devices: PureVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.

Pricing: PureVPN has a 7-day trial that you can get for $1. If you need more days for testing the service, get a subscription for as low as $1.99/month and use a 31-day money-back guarantee (if needed).

Learn more about the suite of security features in our PureVPN review.

5. IPVanish – feature-rich VPN for France

Visit IPVanish

IPVanish is a VPN for France that manages to perform great in security, streaming, torrenting, and more. During our tests, its French servers performed well in terms of speed, and there were no IP leaks.

Security and privacy: next to other reliable VPNs, IPVanish also has implemented AES-256 encryption with SHA-512 hash functions and additionally protects your IP with the kill switch feature. The company follows a strict no-logs policy that has also been audited.

Performance: along with a respectful tunneling protocols list that includes WireGuard, you also get great connection speeds with no significant lagging.

Features: with IPVanish, you can easily bypass the censorship using obfuscated servers. Use SOCKS5 proxy for fast torrenting and enable the split tunneling feature to manage the apps that use a VPN connection.

Streaming: this VPN is a decent choice for unblocking streaming services. Whether you’re craving Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, or other streaming content – IPVanish works great. It loads videos quickly, and there was no freezing along the way.

Compatibility: IPVanish offers apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS and allows you to connect unlimited devices simultaneously.

Pricing: unfortunately, this VPN doesn’t offer a free version or a free trial. However, you can always benefit from a 30-day money-back guarantee. The pricing starts from $3.33/month.

Read our detailed IPVanish review and find out more.

How we selected and tested these VPNs

To prepare this article for you, we tested dozens of VPN services and weighed them in terms of key characteristics that a France VPN should offer. Afterward, we concluded all the strengths and weaknesses and ranked our top 5 services. Here, you can see what criteria we followed to test VPNs:

• Servers in France. We looked for VPNs with a decent amount of French servers. Using homeland servers ensures fast connection speed and content availability in the native language.
• Encryption. We checked whether a VPN uses strong encryption that guarantees that not even a tiny bit of your data would be accessible to third parties.
• Security. We made sure a VPN offers essential security features. If a provider doesn’t have the kill switch feature, DNS leak protection, and doesn’t support P2P connections, it won’t be able to offer you the protection level that is needed in France.
• Privacy. We reviewed each VPNs privacy policy. After all, only a VPN with an audited no-logs policy can be reliable enough to trust your online privacy.
• Streaming. We tested how well a VPN handles streaming. The matter stands not only in the number of unblocked streaming platforms but also in the quality of videos you get to see.

Best France VPNs compared

	NordVPN	Surfshark	PrivateVPN	PureVPN	IPVanish
Brand:
Rating:	4.9	4.7	4.5	4.4	4.6
Has French servers:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kill switch:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
No-logs policy:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fastest protocol available:	NordLynx	WireGuard	OpenVPN	WireGuard	WireGuard
Simultaneous connections	6	Unlimited	10	6	Unlimited
Streaming services:	Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more	Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and more	Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Video, and more	Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, DAZN	Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube
Price:	$3.09/month	$2.30/month	$2.00/month	$1.99/month	$3.33/month
Money-back guarantee:	30 days	30 days	30 days	31 day	30 days
Review:	NordVPN review	Surfshark VPN review	PrivateVPN review	PureVPN review	IPVanish review

Get NordVPN

Why do you need a VPN in France?

Each country has some frustrating online restrictions, and France isn’t an exception. Even though the case isn’t as bad as in Russia, China, or Cuba, it still interferes with the online experience. So here are the primary reasons why getting a France VPN is a fantastic idea:

• Keep your data hidden from the government. First and foremost, France is a member of the 9-Eyes surveillance alliance. That’s why your online data can be shared with other countries and third parties. Additionally, since 2015, France has increased the monitoring of its citizens and their online activities. With a VPN, your data gets encrypted and is nearly impossible to access for strangers.
• Avoid having an ISP hovering over your head. It is like a bridge for the government to learn about your online activity. Plus, ISPs themselves tend to throttle your connection speed whenever it detects suspicious activity, like P2P connections. A VPN connection hides your online traffic, and the ISP can’t interfere with it.
• Access blacklisted websites. The French government mainly blocks websites promoting terrorism, racial inequality, and other genuinely harmful content. However, among many threatful sites, there are also innocent ones. With a VPN, you can change your IP location and access whatever website you want.
• Unblock streaming platforms. While France is rich with excellent movies, several streaming platforms and massive libraries are still unavailable. A streaming VPN can unblock many popular global streaming services.
• Bypass torrenting restrictions. France has strict laws against piracy; therefore, torrenting is one of the most significant issues, according to the government. To download stuff without fear, using a torrenting VPN is your solution. It offers a decent amount of protection and anonymity.

How to get a France IP address with a VPN

Getting a France IP address doesn’t require you to climb the mountains. It’s an easy task that you can complete within minutes. Here’s how:

1. Select a VPN that has French servers. NordVPN has 230+ French servers!
2. Sign up for the Nord Account.

3. Download the app.

4. Open the NordVPN app and head to Settings.
5. Enable the kill switch feature.

6. Return to the main page and search for France.
7. Select the server of your choice or choose the Quick connect method.

You can head to the official NordVPN website to double-check whether the IP has changed. There, on the top of the page, you can see what’s your IP address and where it is located.

Internet censorship in France

Even though France is known to be very privacy and law-oriented to ensure a liberal environment,within years, France has become more intrusive with surveillance mechanisms regarding the online activity of its citizens.

France is also a member of the 9-Eyes alliance. Consequently, a big privacy issue concerns VPN services and other encryption providers. They must hand over decryption keys if authorities are investigating criminal cases. Even foreign institutions can access your data.

To conclude, French citizens can’t fully maintain their online freedom. Your ISP tracks your online activity. There are many blacklisted websites. Torrenting and streaming are also restricted. Consequently, a VPN becomes the all-in-one solution for your online life.

Torrenting in France

Torrenting in France is legal for sharing original content, like, personal photos, software patches in companies, and more. However, it’s forbidden to torrent copyrighted material and intellectual property.

A French organization called Arcom (The Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority) is responsible for the protection of copyright and the fight against online piracy. It protects rights holders and works closely with ISPs. If your ISP finds out you are using a P2P connection, they forward this info to Arcom.

French content you can watch with a VPN

France has quite a list to offer in terms of streaming content. Whether you’re a snob with exceptional taste in cinema, a sports lover, or a regular person who loves to relax by watching Netflix after work.

Here, you can see what to expect from connecting to a France VPN:

• Access Netflix France. There are popular TV series available, such as High Heat, Rick and Morty, Manifest, or you can enjoy a massive array of great movies, like Gran Torino, The Fall, Hostel, and many more.
• Disney+ is available in France. With a French IP address, you can enjoy a rich Disney+ library. Watch series like Grey’s Anatomy and Prison Break, or tune into cinematic wonders, such as Jojo Rabbit and Prey.
• Enjoy Amazon Prime Video. French Amazon Prime Video is excellent for a good cinema experience as you can watch The Intouchables, Les Misérables, Black Venus, and more.
• Dive into French events. French Open, Tour de France, Ligue 1, the Cannes Film Festival – all of these are globally adored events and France offers multiple streaming options for these and many other events.

Bypass French geo-restrictions with NordVPN

If geo-restrictions stop you from enjoying French streaming content, NordVPN can help you. It’s one of the most powerful VPNs for unblocking streaming sites that offers light-fast connection speeds, next-gen security, and has over 230 French servers.

cybernews® score

4.9 /5

• Fast speeds
• Numerous servers in France
• 24/7 customer support

Visit NordVPN

Can I use a free VPN in France?

Yes, you can use a free VPN in France. However, it’s not what we suggest doing, and several reasons exist.

For starters, free VPNs are looking for a way to have some income. Considering that, it’s been reported that they collect and sell users’ data to third parties. It might be malicious websites, data brokers, or even the government.

One more consequence of no budget is a low investment in security features. As a result, you receive outdated security suites, and your online protection remains vulnerable.

Finally, free VPNs create noticeable limitations to force you into paying for the service. You get reduced connection speed, limited data, and only a few security features with them. Plus, in the best-case scenario, only a single streaming platform will be unblocked (usually none).

Nevertheless, there are ways to use a VPN for free and still receive a premium package. Numerous market-leading VPNs offer free trials and 30-day money-back guarantees that you can combine or use them alone:

1. NordVPN – get advanced security features, maneuver between 230+ French servers, unblock all major streaming services, and have an overall great browsing experience. Try it for a month for free!
2. Surfshark – protect an unlimited number of devices with the next-generation security features and connect to the French server to enjoy streaming in full HD. This VPN is available for free using a free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Final thoughts

For some, the internet restrictions suppressing French online freedom aren’t an obstacle. Yet, the fact that the French government is quite intrusive with monitoring your data should be more concerning. Either way, a France VPN is essential to ensure a secure and comfortable browsing experience.

With a reliable VPN, like NordVPN, you receive advanced online security features, and you can choose between more than 230 France-based servers. Unblocking geo-restricted content, like popular streaming sites, or torrenting freely are also included.

So, get NordVPN with NordVPN 68% off and enjoy the online activity without worries!

More VPN guides from Cybernews

FAQ