NordVPN is the best VPN for 4chan, offering reliable servers that unblock the imageboard website anywhere. NordVPN also protects your IP address from hackers and ensures anonymity while posting to your preferred imageboards.
I tested 20+ other VPNs for 4chan, besides NordVPN. Only Surfshark, ExpressVPN, PureVPN, and PrivateVPN come close to the reliable unblocking, privacy, and advanced security features you need.
In the rest of this guide, I’ll discuss why you should use these VPNs for 4chan, how to set them up properly, and how they compare.
So, let’s get to it!
Top 3 VPNs for 4chan (November, 2026)
Surfshark
Best for unlimited-device access
- Unlimited device access
- Reliable online protection
- Servers in 100 countries
NordVPN
Best for secure 4chan access
- Privacy and anonymity
- 7,000+ server network
- Bypasses ISP VPN blocks
ExpressVPN
Best for beating 4chan blocks
- Fast server obfuscation
- Bypasses firewall blocks
- Servers in 113 countries
4chan has a reputation for attracting some of the best and worst people.
But you never want to be at the mercy of hackers, scammers, creeps, and stalkers on the platform.
Thus, you need a reliable VPN to protect your IP address, which might be the first stage in uncovering your identity.
4chan is also known to have a herd mentality. So, suppose you don’t protect yourself. In that case, a group of other users may launch a doxing or DDoS attack on you for airing different opinions.
On top of that, some ISPs, network admins, schools, and employers restrict access to 4chan’s website over their networks. This has happened in the USA (via AT&T and Verizon), Australia (via Telstra), and New Zealand, among others.
In these cases, you need VPNs with numerous servers in supported locations and a reliable unblocking ability to get past the ban.
I also selected some VPNs with fast obfuscation. That way, you can bypass the most advanced internet service provider (ISP) firewall blocks to 4chan without suffering an internet speed drop.
So, if you’re ready for 4chan protection and unblocking access to the site, read the summaries of my top VPNs below.
Top 5 Best 4chan VPNs
I didn’t just choose the first few VPNs I used. After extensive testing, here are some reasons these VPNs made the list:
- NordVPN – Offers reliable unblocking on 7,000+ servers and fast speeds to view the imageboard website from anywhere, on any network, and on any device.
- Surfshark – Provides 4,500+ servers to gain access to 4chan on unlimited devices from anywhere. Best for students, a large family, and other group buyers.
- ExpressVPN – Fast obfuscation on servers in 113 countries ensures you’ll always have access to 4chan without losing speed. Even when blocked by firewalls or other advanced techniques!
- PureVPN – Reliably fast obfuscation over quantum-resistant servers that protect your IP address and ensure anonymity on 4chan.
- PrivateVPN – Shared static IPs on every location and a dynamic dedicated IP option to keep posting when 4chan blacklists the busy VPN ranges, on 10 devices for one of the lowest long-term prices here.
These summaries are one thing, but how do these VPNs compare against one another? What features make them spectacular for 4chan? What exclusives do they offer to bolster your security, privacy, anonymity, and content unblocking on 4chan?
Fortunately, I tested all these. The results of my tests and comparisons are detailed in the mini-reviews below. So, how about we get to it?
Mini-Reviews and Comparisons of My Top VPNs for 4chan
Over a month, I tested 20+ Virtual Private Network (VPN) providers using 4chan from a few regions. I discuss why my top five made this list, what to look out for and how they compare against one another.
NordVPN – Top-Shelf Security and Privacy on 4CHAN Over 7,000+ Servers
NordVPN offers the largest server count on this list (7,000+) and is spread across 150 countries. These servers ensure
- You can unblock 4chan from a lot of countries where it’s available.
- You don’t have to suffer VPN server congestion since there are lots to choose from.
- You can get a new IP address (tens of thousands even) to tighten your anonymity on 4chan.
I tested NordVPN’s unblocking activity over these servers too.
Fortunately, the provider accessed 4chan from the Americas, Oceania, Europe, and Asia.
Furthermore, NordVPN uses AES 256-bit encryption on these servers across all security protocols. With this, you can rest assured that
- No one on 4chan will see your actual IP address to dox you, find out where you’re from, etc.
- 4chan can’t ban your actual IP address since it’ll only see a VPN-assigned IP address.
On top of that, you get the kill switch setting in the NordVPN app to prevent accidental IP/DNS leakages if the VPN connection randomly drops.
You’ll get the toggle-able kill switch setting in the PC and Android apps, and on iPhone and iPad it’s a setting called Prevent VPN bypass, in Settings under VPN connection.
NordVPN is also a fast VPN provider optimized for speed to cause negligible connection drops. Since 4chan doesn’t allow video uploads, it’s fast enough to load all threads, comments, image uploads, and webms without delay.
However, when your ISP is blocking access to 4chan behind a firewall, you might need to enable NordVPN’s obfuscation.
This feature massively reduces your internet connection speed due to the extra security and military-grade encryption.
Fortunately, 4chan isn’t a data-demanding platform, so you’ll be fine anyway. Even so, it’s best to choose ExpressVPN if you don’t want to lose speeds to obfuscation protocols.
Moving on, I appreciate the audited no-logs policy on NordVPN.
This ensures no data is written to its servers. Thus, even the most brilliant 4chan hackers and attackers won’t know your actual IP address, what VPN client you’re connecting from, or other sensitive connection details.
As a bonus, NordVPN allows you to protect ten devices simultaneously on one account. So, you can share a single subscription with other 4chan users you know, family members, or other privacy enthusiasts seeking online anonymity.
No matter how you choose to share, you’ll still be paying the same affordable rate.
US dollars · checked Nov 9
Original pricing screenshot
Offers shown in this screenshot may differ from the current deal.
Don’t forget to grab these NordVPN discounts for an even better deal. If your imageboard friends want their own plan, our NordVPN coupon page explains the refer-a-friend reward alongside every deal we could verify.
Pros
- 7,000+ servers in 150 countries
- Uses AES 256-bit encryption for reliable security
- Fast enough to unblock threads, imageboards, and load photos
- Supports obfuscation over its NordWhisper protocol
- Offers kill switches in the PC and Android app
- Ten simultaneous device connections
Cons
- Obfuscation speeds aren’t as fast as ExpressVPN's
Surfshark – Budget VPN With 4,500+ Servers to Safely Unblock 4CHAN
Surfshark doesn’t provide as many servers to unblock 4chan as NordVPN.
However, its 4,500+ servers are in 100 countries. Such extended reach makes it possible to
- Find a server in your country to unblock 4chan for less ping and higher speed.
- Explore more country options to bounce your IP address around, making it infinitely impossible to be deanonymized.
- Avoid a 4chan IP ban by connecting to thousands of IP addresses in these countries.
I’m also impressed by Surfshark’s addition of Rotating IPs for an even more exciting way to throw 4chan stalkers and creeps off your trail.
This feature randomly changes your IP address while connected to the exact server location.
Thus, you don’t suffer a connection drop during the IP change or when manually switching servers to change your IP address.
Even if the connection drops, there’s a reliable automatic kill switch to terminate the internet connection till you have the VPN tunnel back up.
So far, Surfshark is the ONLY provider with this rotating IP feature.
It also includes a kill switch toggle in its iOS app, as NordVPN now does; some of the others switch theirs on automatically.
During other tests, I found that Surfshark is fast enough to load all the images and webms on /vg/, /vrpg/, /wg/, and other imageboards with slightly higher quality images. This isn’t surprising, considering that all Surfshark’s servers are optimized for 1-10Gbps speeds.
However, there was a noticeable connection drop once I enabled Surfshark’s obfuscation to test 4chan’s unblocking over restrictive networks.
The good news is that Surfshark’s obfuscation (dubbed Camouflage Mode) is faster than NordVPN’s. Even so, it’s nowhere near the speeds I got with ExpressVPN.
If that isn’t a dealbreaker, you should be happy to know that Surfshark uses the same AES 256-bit encryption as NordVPN. Besides keeping your IP address safe, this encryption also prevents hackers or your ISP from seeing what you’re doing online.
This may come in handy when viewing NSFW imageboards like /hc/, /hm/, and/aco/ to pass some free time at work or school without looking to get judged (or worse) by your network admins.
On top of that is Surfshark’s audited no logs policy.
You’ll appreciate that more when
- Someone tries to hack Surfshark’s server to see your actual IP address, the websites you’re visiting, your connection logs, etc.
- Your network admin/government/ISP reaches out to Surfshark to collect information about what you’ve been doing online.
In either case, Surfshark won’t have any data to give or leak.
After all, it doesn’t collect or write any such data to its servers/hard drives.
But that’s not all the interesting bits of Surfshark.
This VPN service provider’s most significant selling point is the promise of unlimited simultaneous connections. That allows a large user group to buy a single Surfshark subscription to unblock 4chan, surf the imageboard website privately, and enjoy free internet on other platforms.
Still, it’s an affordable VPN provider.
US dollars · checked Nov 9
Original pricing screenshot
Offers shown in this screenshot may differ from the current deal.
Get these Surfshark discounts while they last to get better value on your purchase. Our page of Surfshark VPN promo codes sticks to discounts we could verify, so you won’t waste time on codes that don’t work.
Pros
- 4,500+ servers in 100 countries
- AES 256-bit encryption to protect your 4chan activity from ISPs/hackers
- Fast enough to load high-quality images on 4chan
- Offers Camouflage Mode obfuscation
- Reliable kill switch in the PC and mobile apps
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
Cons
- Obfuscation isn’t as fast as ExpressVPN's
- Not as many servers as NordVPN
ExpressVPN – Fast Obfuscation in 113 Countries to Unblock 4CHAN Under Censorship
ExpressVPN uses automatic obfuscation on all its servers in 113 countries, and it’s wicked fast!
I like this because I don’t have to enable obfuscation specially (as with the other VPNs) if my ISP or network admin was blocking 4chan using advanced methods.
Obfuscation disguises your VPN traffic as regular internet traffic.
Thus, VPN blocks set up by your network admins and ISPs won’t restrict the software.
Besides, ExpressVPN has this mode enabled on all servers and protocols.
This is unlike
- NordVPN, which keeps obfuscation to its obfuscated servers (they now run on its NordWhisper protocol).
- Surfshark and PureVPN which allow obfuscation mode on their OpenVPN (UDP & TCP) protocols.
- PrivateVPN, whose Stealth VPN mode has to be switched on by hand in the app’s Advanced View.
Knowing that obfuscation uses extra encryption technology, it’s not uncommon that it gives a more considerable speed drop.
Despite that, ExpressVPN is still consistently faster than, or on par with, other providers I tested.
Furthermore, ExpressVPN uses the same AES 256-bit encryption to keep your 4chan activity private. There’s also a Network Lock kill switch to prevent accidental IP leaks if the VPN connection drops.
Otherwise, 4chan may realize it has banned your IP in the past and restrict your account again. Or, other 4chan users who have been on your IP trail may finally unravel your identity.
The downside is you won’t find the kill switch setting in the ExpressVPN iOS app. On the upside, it’s automatically enabled when you connect to any server under any protocol.
A look at the torrent boards (/t/) on 4chan shows a lot of users requesting others to seed torrents for them. There are also other users requesting torrent files for downloads. ExpressVPN is the best bet for torrent downloads and seeding if you’re in any of those shoes.
While the other listed VPN providers are also great for safe torrent downloads, they don’t allow seeding. Besides PureVPN, that is.
That said, ExpressVPN has twice been audited for its strict no-logs policy. So, it doesn’t store connection data either.
However, you should know that ExpressVPN costs more than Surfshark, PureVPN, and PrivateVPN. Also, its Basic plan caps you at 10 simultaneous connections (12 or 14 on pricier plans), while Surfshark has no limit at all.
US dollars · checked Nov 9
Original pricing screenshot
Offers shown in this screenshot may differ from the current deal.
Considering the fast obfuscation, reliable 4chan unblocking, high-level encryption, and ease of use, the VPN provider is also worth it.
Luckily, you can save more with these ExpressVPN discounts while they last.
Pros
- Servers in 113 countries
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Ultra-fast obfuscation to bypass firewall blocks to 4chan
- Offers a Network Lock kill switch on PC and Android
- Provides torrent seeding support
Cons
- Costs more than budget picks like Surfshark
- Capped at 10 connections, unlike Surfshark
PureVPN – Reliable 4CHAN Unblocking, Anonymity, and Security on 6000+ Servers
PureVPN shares similarities with ExpressVPN and beats NordVPN in a series of relevant areas for 4chan users.
For starters, it offers the second-largest server count (6000+) to unblock 4chan access from abroad. In fact, you can connect to a server in your country (if 4chan isn’t blocked there) to ensure lesser ping while encrypting your activity from your network admins.
These servers are also more than enough to bypass IP bans, no matter how long, by 4chan’s janitors. However, you may have to create a new account under the IPs or simply post under an Anonymous account instead.
While PureVPN doesn’t provide automatic obfuscation on all servers, it offers some quantum-resistant servers. You’ll likely not need this level of protection. Still, it’s good to have if anyone tries to deanonymize you using quantum processing technology.
That’s layered on the basic AES 256-bit encryption that all my other listed VPN providers offer. So, something extra.
When a VPN connection drop happens, PureVPN kicks in with its standby kill switch. Like ExpressVPN, there’s no kill switch setting in the iOS app. But rest assured that it’s activated anytime you connect to a PureVPN server on iOS.
During further tests, I saw that PureVPN uses its OpenVPN (UDP & TCP) protocols rather than supporting universal obfuscation like ExpressVPN.
Still, I’m impressed by the stellar speeds it maintains over obfuscation.
In fact, I loaded high-quality images on the High Resolution (/hr/ – NSFW) and travel boards, which are known to be slow and use better quality images.
Still, I wasn’t going to sacrifice speed for privacy and security.
So, I’m happy that PureVPN is also twice audited for its no-logs policies like ExpressVPN. It even has a surprise audit setup (by KPMG), so it can be audited without prior notice.
Unlike ExpressVPN, PureVPN doesn’t charge too much for this relatively fast obfuscation. And you can use the VPN on 10 devices simultaneously, presenting even better value for money.
US dollars · checked Nov 11
Original pricing screenshot
Offers shown in this screenshot may differ from the current deal.
Enjoy these PureVPN discounts to save more on your preferred plan purchase.
Pros
- 6000+ servers in 65+ countries
- Uses quantum-resistant tech on AES 256-bit encryption
- Ultra-fast obfuscation speeds
- Kill switch to prevent IP/DNS leaks
- 10 simultaneous device connections
Cons
- Obfuscation only enabled on OpenVPN protocols
PrivateVPN – Static IPs and a Dedicated IP Option for Posting on 4CHAN
PrivateVPN is the smallest provider on this list, a Swedish outfit with 200+ servers in 63 countries, and it earns its place through something the bigger networks handle differently: the way it hands out IP addresses.
Every PrivateVPN location gives you a shared static IP. Connect to its Chicago server today and again tomorrow, and you land on the same address both times instead of a fresh one from a pool of thousands. For 4chan, that’s a calmer way to run an account: the address you post from stays the address you post from, and once it’s working, it keeps working.
Let me be straight about the imageboard itself, though. 4chan blocks whole ranges of known VPN addresses from posting, and no provider on this page, PrivateVPN included, can promise you a posting-clean IP every time. What PrivateVPN offers is a cheap way to keep trying: if one city is blocked, move to the next, and because the addresses don’t change, you soon learn which locations work for you and stick with them.
The stronger option is its dynamic dedicated IP servers, available on selected locations over OpenVPN. You get an address that isn’t shared with the crowd, which is exactly the kind of IP 4chan’s range blocks tend to miss. I cover how they work in my PrivateVPN dedicated IP guide; the short version is that they’re tied to OpenVPN, so expect OpenVPN speeds.
For the carrier blocks I mentioned earlier (AT&T, Verizon, Telstra), PrivateVPN has a Stealth VPN mode that dresses the tunnel up as ordinary traffic. Unlike ExpressVPN’s always-on obfuscation, you flip it on yourself in the app’s Advanced View, and it sits next to a full-system kill switch that cuts your internet the instant the tunnel drops. A leak mid-thread is how a banned poster gets recognized again, so I leave the switch on.
Under the hood, you get AES 256-bit encryption and a protocol list as long as anyone’s here: OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2, L2TP, and PPTP. 4chan is text and images, so any of them loads a thread without delay; I’d only skip PPTP, which is there for old routers and nothing else.
The part that gives me pause is jurisdiction. PrivateVPN is based in Sweden, a 14 Eyes member like the Netherlands and the USA, and its zero-logs policy has never been independently audited, which NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and PureVPN can all say theirs has. Nothing public contradicts the policy, but a promise isn’t proof, and if you post things you’d hate to see traced back to you, the audited providers above are the safer bet.
Speed is the other reason it sits fifth. It’s fine for browsing the boards, but in my other tests, PrivateVPN has trailed NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN, and Stealth VPN slows it further. If you need obfuscation without the speed penalty, ExpressVPN remains the pick.
Where it claws back ground is value: 10 simultaneous connections and a 36-month plan at $2.00 a month (it renews at $72 a year after that), with a 30-day money-back guarantee to find out whether your boards accept its IPs.
US dollars · checked Nov 9
Original pricing screenshot
Offers shown in this screenshot may differ from the current deal.
Grab these PrivateVPN discounts if a static or dedicated IP is what your 4chan posting has been missing.
Pros
- Shared static IP on every location, so your posting address stays the same
- Dynamic dedicated IP servers on selected locations to get around 4chan’s VPN range blocks
- Stealth VPN obfuscation for ISP and network blocks
- Full-system kill switch and AES 256-bit encryption
- 10 simultaneous connections
- 36-month plan at $2.00 a month
Cons
- Smallest network here (200+ servers in 63 countries)
- Based in Sweden, a 14 Eyes member, with no independent no-logs audit
- Dedicated IPs are OpenVPN-only, and Stealth VPN costs speed
How to Use a VPN for 4CHAN?
The ideal setup for a 4chan VPN is to enable the kill switch for IP/DNS leak protection, select a suitable protocol, and choose the correct server.
I’ve detailed how to get the setup correctly below:
- Buy a preferred VPN. I use NordVPN for 4chan.
- Download the VPN app for your preferred device to access 4chan.
- Enable the VPN kill switch. Go to Settings > Kill Switch > toggle “Internet Kill Switch.”
- Choose a suitable protocol. NordLynx is preferred if there aren’t firewall blocks to 4chan. Otherwise, pick an obfuscated server (NordVPN’s now run on NordWhisper; on other VPNs, enable OpenVPN (TCP) to use obfuscation).
- Search and connect to a suitable server.
- Test for leaks after connection confirmation.
- Start surfing 4chan anonymously.
Is a Free VPN Good for 4CHAN?
Free VPNs are usually not good enough for 4chan. These free VPN services often lack reliable encryption and servers to protect you on the imageboard website.
Some free VPNs may even collect your internet data and sell it to third-party agents, ruin your 4chan experience with ads, and not give you any security for all that intrusion.
It’s, thus, best to choose an affordable yet reliable VPN like NordVPN to enjoy 4chan from anywhere without risking deanonymization.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Bypass the 4chan VPN Ban?
Choosing a secure and reliable VPN provider like NordVPN is the best way to bypass the 4chan VPN IP ban. Since trustworthy VPNs offer thousands of IP addresses in different countries, you can unblock the platform over these IP addresses, access the entire account function, and simply connect to another VPN server for a new IP address if 4chan bans that one too.
Is NordVPN Blocked on 4chan?
NordVPN isn’t banned on 4chan. The online imageboard doesn’t have the technology to monitor and block the thousands of IP addresses that NordVPN provides on its 7,000+ servers.
However, some commonly used NordVPN IP addresses may have been banned on the platform. In this case, NordVPN constantly refreshes the IP addresses on its servers, and you can always connect to another server to unblock 4chan.
Does 4chan IP Ban?
4chan sometimes restricts user activity by blocking the user’s IP address from posting content or opening a new account, even though they can still view the platform.
In this case, it’s best to get a reliable VPN provider like NordVPN, which assigns you a new IP address that’s unbanned by 4chan.
Also, remember to enable the VPN kill switch to prevent leaks that could inform 4chan’s servers that you’re the same user that was previously banned.
Is It Legal to Use a VPN on 4chan?
4chan isn’t against VPN usage and doesn’t prevent users from using them on the platform. However, you should never hide behind a VPN to post crimes, support crimes, or commit cybercrime on 4chan.
Post & Interact Freely on 4chan
Escape the scope of internet stalkers and creeps on 4chan with extra protection from these VPNs. Also, you can access 4chan from school, the office, or anywhere else without letting your network admin see the threads you’re interacting with.
That, and you can avoid IP bans on 4chan with reliable VPNs like NordVPN.
Here’s NordVPN’s current deal, with a 30-day money-back guarantee to test the provider risk-free.
