NordVPN is the best VPN provider to access local content in Hawaii.
It’s one of the few VPNs that offer a Hawaiian IP address, through a virtual Honolulu location (the server behind it is hosted elsewhere) alongside servers in all 50 US states, making it suitable for traveling residents who want to access local content and Hawaii visitors alike.
Private Internet Access also has Hawaii servers, and if you don’t need a Hawaiian IP address, ExpressVPN is a fast alternative.
Optimized for speed and promising a zero data-logging policy, this Virtual Private Network (VPN) doesn’t cause the usual signal drops associated with other providers.
But when it comes to decent speeds, unblocking content, and maintaining zero data-logging, Surfshark and PrivateVPN also tick the right boxes.
In this piece, I’ll show you which VPN services to use in Hawaii, depending on your needs.
The 5 Best VPNs for Hawaii
Private Internet Access
Best for Hawaii on a budget
- Servers in all 50 US states
- Network in 91 countries
- Unlimited devices
NordVPN
Best for Hawaiian IPs
- Virtual Honolulu location
- Servers in all 50 US states
- 7,000+ servers in 150 countries
ExpressVPN
Best for public Wi-Fi
- Encrypted Private DNS
- Access in 113 countries
- Threat Manager and kill switch
The FBI recorded more than 1,900 victims of cybercrime in Hawaii in 2017, making the island city see the second-highest increase in cybercrime rates since 2012.
So, if you’re serious about protecting your data while browsing the web in Hawaii, you need strong VPN providers.
Likewise, if you’re traveling overseas, you might need to keep in touch with local Hawaiian content.
The VPNs on this list promise you faster Hawaiian servers to unblock your Honolulu banking applications, watch sports games that are blacked out in the continental US, and better access to local content.
Time to Go Island Hopping in Hawaii? Go With These VPNs
If you’re in a rush to get the best VPN service for Hawaii, here’s a cheat sheet to help you go through my recommendations faster:
- NordVPN – A virtual Honolulu location for a Hawaiian IP, servers in all 50 US states, Double VPN, and fast NordLynx speeds.
- Private Internet Access – Servers in all 50 US states (Hawaii included), RAM-only servers, and unlimited devices.
- ExpressVPN – High internet speeds for streaming with encryption protocol suitable for corporate and enterprise clients.
- Surfshark – Over 4,500 servers in 100 countries and a cost-effective long-term plan on unlimited bandwidth.
- PrivateVPN – Enterprise-grade encryption protocol, Stealth VPN for improved privacy and 200+ servers in 63 countries.
But if you have a moment more, look through this in-depth guide on these VPN providers to help you make a better-informed decision.
Ultimate Breakdown of the 5 Best VPNs for Hawaii
When choosing a VPN for Hawaii, I focused on privacy, security, speed, and ease of use.
I also threw some considerations into pricing and value for money.
Everything I came up with is shown in the detailed analyses below:
1. NordVPN – Best for Doubling Down on Security
NordVPN is my top pick for Hawaii because it now covers the island state itself: a virtual Honolulu location gives you a Hawaiian IP address (the server behind it is hosted elsewhere), and it runs servers in all 50 US states, so you can reach Honolulu banking apps and local content from the mainland or overseas.
NordVPN provides 7,000+ servers in 150 countries to allow Hawaiian residents to unblock content from other parts of the world.
You can also keep in touch with local content from your country/region with NordVPN’s extensive server reach if you’re traveling to Hawaii.
NordVPN takes your privacy and data protection to the next level with obfuscated servers and the double VPN feature.
You can even prevent your Verizon, Boost, or Hawaii Telecom ISP from knowing that you’re using a VPN with the obfuscation.
Note that this obfuscation dampens the internet speeds, though, which is less ideal for torrenting, streaming, or other speed-dependent tasks.
Fortunately, using the basic NordVPN settings (features NordLynx protocol on top) is enough to ensure your privacy while giving you the best speeds.
While ExpressVPN usually takes the crown for fast streaming, I would rate NordVPN higher for torrenting.
Imagine torrenting as much as you want on a private server and not getting a DMCA warning from any big media brands or your Hawaiian ISP.
US dollars · checked Oct 1
Original pricing screenshot
Offers shown in this screenshot may differ from the current deal.
On the costs sheet, NordVPN starts at about the same price as ExpressVPN on a 2-year plan.
That means the Honolulu location and the extra security features come at no premium.
Additionally, you can get up to a significant discount on your first NordVPN subscription with the option of a 30-day moneyback guarantee for a risk-free trial of the best Hawaiian VPN you can choose.
2. Private Internet Access (PIA) – Best Option for Hawaii Servers
If you want local Hawaii servers at one of the lowest prices on this list, go with Private Internet Access.
On many VPN providers, the closest servers to Hawaii are in California.
That doesn’t let you browse local websites like you would on the island, and the extra distance can cost you speed.
PIA sidesteps the problem with VPN servers in all 50 US states, Hawaii included, as part of a network that reaches 91 countries.
With a local IP address, you can access online banking in Hawaii, unblock local content, or reach Honolulu-specific services (like the university website) from the mainland or overseas.
And when you don’t need a Hawaiian IP, the rest of that 91-country network is a tap away.
PIA also runs RAM-only servers, so nothing is written to a hard drive – a reassuring extra the next time you connect to Spero Spera free Wi-Fi or the complimentary Wi-Fi at Kai Coffee.
Better still, one subscription covers unlimited devices, so your phone, laptop, and the family tablet can all sit on a Hawaiian IP at the same time.
If you’d rather keep the exact same address for your bank, PIA also sells a dedicated IP add-on, with the US among its ten countries.
The one thing to weigh up, and the reason it sits second: PIA is headquartered in the US, a Five Eyes country.
Its plans are easy on the wallet – the 3-year plan (with 3 extra months) works out to $2.03 a month – and you can check it out with a risk-free, 30-day moneyback guarantee.
I’m sure you won’t regret it.
3. ExpressVPN – Best for Streaming
Users who aren’t too particular about getting a Hawaiian IP address should go with the robust technology that ExpressVPN offers.
Servers in an impressive 113 countries mean you always have options.
Most of these servers are in the US, UK, Canada, and other regions you’d most likely want to connect to.
Note that a server location could contain multiple servers, though ExpressVPN doesn’t publish its server count.
Additionally, ExpressVPN features military-grade AES 256-bit encryption protocols.
Paired with zero data logging, you don’t have to worry about being hacked or tracked by Hawaiian authorities or hackers on the network.
I also love how ExpressVPN uses RAM servers on its TrustedServer Technology instead of hard drives, limiting the chances of user data falling into the wrong hands.
This means Spectrum, Viasat, Verizon, Boost, Hawaii Telecoms, and other Hawaiian ISPs will never see your online activities!
As if that isn’t good enough, ExpressVPN tacks on a kill switch, split tunneling, and multi-platform (iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows) compatibility to give you a seamless, fast, and secure experience across all of your devices.
However, ExpressVPN is costlier than most other options, though it offers good value for the money.
US dollars · checked Oct 13
Original pricing screenshot
Offers shown in this screenshot may differ from the current deal.
You can try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days to see if it’s a good fit for you.
Otherwise, you get all of your money back and can try another VPN provider on this list.
4. Surfshark – Best Beginner Friendly VPN for Hawaii
Besides NordVPN, Surfshark is the only other provider that brings both double VPN and obfuscated servers.
Those two features alone show you why it deserves to be on this list.
But that isn’t all this privacy-focused addition has to offer.
Surfshark boasts a massive 4,500+ server count across 100 countries.
I love the convenient self-assign server feature that ships with this VPN to give you both the nearest and fastest server at a click.
This saves you the time that would have been spent on testing different servers as you instantly connect to the best one in Hawaii.
Surfshark leverages OpenVPN to establish a secure connection, offering good speeds on top of that.
You can also whitelist select apps, websites, or other online applications to use the VPN.
Hence, you keep the same secure network through your Honolulu banking apps, Hawaiian streaming services, and other local websites/apps.
The Double VPN protocol mentioned earlier packs a multihop technology that allows you to chain and connect to multiple VPN servers.
Doing so further reduces the success rate of any hacker or tracker that might be following your data across the web.
That keeps you extra secure when using Starbucks Wi-Fi (or any other public Wi-Fi in Hawaii) for sensitive operations (like logging in to your bank apps).
US dollars · checked Oct 13
Original pricing screenshot
Offers shown in this screenshot may differ from the current deal.
For all of that, it’s impressive that Surfshark has an almost unbeatable pricing plan.
The price is exceptional because it gives you unlimited device connections, making the VPN an even better value.
To determine if it’s the right VPN for you, you can try Surfshark for 7 days (FREE) when you sign up on its website for a 12- or 24-month plan.
5. PrivateVPN – Budget VPN for Hawaii
PrivateVPN is one of the cheapest VPNs on this list, but that doesn’t make it the weakest.
Privacy is strong out of the box with the Stealth VPN mode, which offers next-level data obfuscation.
You get to torrent better with this VPN when you combine its powerful port forwarding features with P2P-friendly servers to prevent any DCMA issues when torrenting files from Hawaii.
Before using the stealth mode and torrenting, know that PrivateVPN doesn’t keep its speed levels up very well once it goes into the Stealth Mode.
US dollars · checked Oct 13
Original pricing screenshot
Offers shown in this screenshot may differ from the current deal.
Another concern about this provider is the lack of an independent audit for their zero data logging policy.
It’s not that I don’t believe them, but it’s better to err on the side of caution for these things.
Fortunately, I have never heard, read of, or seen any complaints regarding their data management practices.
Another area where PrivateVPN scores great points is with a network and app kill switch to prevent DNS leaks and ensure you’re always protected.
Besides the obvious security implications of DNS leaks, they could also get your IPs blacklisted on sensitive applications (like your financial apps).
This prevents you from accessing such applications till you get back to Hawaii (if you’re a resident) or travel back home (for non-residents)
The VPN steps that up with the industry-leading AES 256-bit encryption standard on top of IPv6 leak protection too.
Now, PrivateVPN is more than decent with its 200+ servers in 63 countries, though that trails the 150 countries NordVPN manages.
NordVPN also offers 7,000+ servers across those areas, so it wins on sheer scale.
Additionally, PrivateVPN allows up to 10 devices to be connected simultaneously, which pales compared to the unlimited connections Surfshark offers.
It’s worth noting that you do get unlimited bandwidths with PrivateVPN, so you don’t have to worry about throttling.
If you don’t have too many devices to connect, don’t require heavy internet traffic masking, and can do with decent privacy and internet security, PrivateVPN is an excellent Hawaiian VPN for you.
How Did I Choose the Best VPNs for Hawaii?
There are a lot of VPNs out there.
A small number of them are significant, but not all of them made it to this list.
Here are the factors that determined the five (5) best VPNs for Hawaii that made a final appearance here:
Speed
When choosing a VPN, speed is one of the first things I check.
Since most servers are far from the Hawaiian island, I looked for VPNs that allowed you to browse the internet with minimal ping and latency.
That way, you don’t suffer low speeds, buffering when streaming, or any such hiccups.
However, note that using some protocols (such as obfuscating, multi hopping, and double VPN) can cause a drop in your internet speed.
Still, compared to other VPNs offering something similar, you get relatively better speed performance with the VPNs here.
Privacy and Security
You can get speed on your ISP alone, so it shouldn’t be a tiebreaker for VPNs.
This is where privacy and security come in.
With the rise in cybercrimes in Hawaii, you need to ensure your data is protected.
Some of the VPNs on this list (like Surfshark and NordVPN) protect you so well, your ISP doesn’t know you’re using a VPN.
On top of that, they all come with a minimum of one automatic kill switch and AES 256-bit encryption.
This protocol keeps hackers and trackers at bay.
Additionally, these VPN providers use a strict no-logging policy.
For transparency, I mentioned which VPN providers have never been independently audited for these claims, even though they continue to excel in their service.
Server Locations
The VPNs I chose offer Hawaiian IP addresses to people leaving Hawaii but want to keep in touch with local content, applications, and region-specific services.
Furthermore, the server location spread across these five (5) VPNs equip people traveling into Hawaii with all they need to stay in touch with their local content, no matter where they’re from too.
These VPNs have multiple server locations and IP addresses in the exact geographical area to prevent congestion if various users connect simultaneously.
For example, PrivateVPN offers three server locations in Russia alone, NordVPN boasts 471 servers in New York, while ExpressVPN manages two servers in New York City.
Here, you don’t just get servers in different countries, but even more servers in various locations within these countries.
Ease of Use
No one should have to take an advanced course before they can use a VPN correctly.
With that in mind, I only set out for high-impact VPNs with low technical requirements.
You can switch these VPNs on with a single tap, and they come with an automatic kill switch, so you don’t have to worry about monitoring your DNS data flow.
The VPN providers on this list automatically make connecting to the nearest and fastest servers easier.
Throw in the ease of streaming and unblocking on NordVPN/ExpressVPN, and you have a winner there too.
Likewise, you would love how NordVPN lays everything down – from using double VPN to enjoying the NordLynx protocol alone – such that you don’t feel overwhelmed.
How to Use a VPN in Hawaii?
Using a VPN in Hawaii is straightforward.
I’ll show you how to get Hawaiian servers when traveling outside Hawaii or connect to other regions if you’re travelling to Hawaii.
How to Get Hawaiian Servers via VPN?
- Sign up for a Private Internet Access subscription.
- Download and install the PIA app on your device.
- Search for “Hawaii” on the server list.
- Tap to connect.
- You can now browse the web like you’re in Hawaii.
How to Get Other Regions on VPN in Hawaii?
- Sign up for a preferred VPN subscription. I recommend trying NordVPN for free.
- Download the NordVPN app on your mobile devices.
- Open the app. Tap “Quick Connect” if you’re not particular about any location.
- For specific region unlocking, search for the preferred region. I searched for “Canada.”
- Tap the preferred location once it comes up.
- Wait till the connection is successful.
- You can now access local content in the region you’ve selected.
Will VPN Work in Hawaii?
VPNs will work in Hawaii and can give you access to geo-blocked content, protect your internet data when browsing the web, and boost your privacy on the web.
Not all VPNs give you access to a Hawaiian server since those tend to be expensive to maintain and come by.
If you need a Hawaii IP address, NordVPN is the best bet with its virtual Honolulu location, and Private Internet Access has Hawaii servers too.
Otherwise, you can use other VPNs on this list to access internet content and stay secure while in Hawaii.
Should You Use a Free VPN in Hawaii?
Most free VPNs only assign you a new IP address but never address DNS data leaks, obfuscate your data, secure your internet activity, or offer extras.
On top of that, they neither provide a local Hawaiian IP nor protect you adequately on the other servers you connect to.
Freemium VPN providers (like ProtonVPN) allow you to try out the service for free, but you’re limited in what servers you can connect to, suffer slower speeds, and only use the VPN on one device.
While an affordable premium VPN like Surfshark invests in blocking ads and serving you a clean internet experience (via its CleanWeb service), these free VPNs are notorious for monetizing via ads.
Paid VPNs have a duty to keep to their promises.
That is why they get independent data logging audits so users can believe their data is safe.
Free VPNs offer you none, telling you that your data might be harvested, logged, or sold to the highest bidders.
Fortunately, you don’t have to put a dent in your pocket to get a good VPN.
Compare prices across the various VPNs on this list, depending on your needs, to find which best suits your pocket.
I recommend you try NordVPN risk-free for 30 days to enjoy your stay in Hawaii or your journey outside Hawaii.
FAQ
Can You Use a Hawaii VPN to Play Warzone?
You can play Warzone from any region, access region-specific features, and get easier or more competitive lobbies with a Hawaii VPN.
NordVPN and ExpressVPN are two Hawaii VPNs optimized for speed to reduce lag and latency when playing Warzone.
These VPNs also offer thousands of server locations in a combined 150+ countries, so you can play Warzone from any region.
If you want to play Warzone like you’re in Hawaii while traveling to other regions, NordVPN is the best bet, as it has a virtual Honolulu location among servers in all 50 US states. Private Internet Access covers Hawaii too.
Is a VPN Legal in Hawaii?
There are no laws or sanctions against VPN users and providers in Hawaii, giving you free rein to use a VPN service to get a residential IP address or Honolulu IP addresses when on the island state.
VPNs in this state also have to conform to the local regulations, which means you’re protected by strict online privacy laws in line with the strict no logs policy that the best VPN services (like NordVPN and ExpressVPN) provide.
Is ExpressVPN Good for Hawaii?
ExpressVPN’s fast streaming and connection speeds make it ideal for Hawaiian residents looking to unblock content available in the rest of the continental USA.
However, ExpressVPN doesn’t offer Hawaiian servers and might not be ideal for people traveling out of Hawaii who want to keep in touch with local content.
If your local content can be unblocked in other US locations, though, ExpressVPN remains a good bet.
Does NordVPN Have Hawaii Servers?
Yes. NordVPN now has a virtual Honolulu location (a Hawaiian IP on a server hosted elsewhere) and servers in all 50 US states, among its 1970+ NordVPN servers in the USA.
That means you can get a local Hawaiian IP for island services and still access content from the rest of the USA.
How to Get Hawaii IP Address With a VPN?
NordVPN (through a virtual Honolulu location) and Private Internet Access both offer Hawaiian IP addresses.
Follow the guide below to get access to Hawaiian services with PIA:
- Buy a PIA plan.
- Download the PIA app on your mobile device. You can also install the VPN on your PC.
- Log in with your purchase credentials.
- Search for Hawaii servers.
- Connect to your preferred Hawaii server.
The Bottom Line
If you traveled to Hawaii and got a VPN to stay in touch with local content back home, you can still benefit from the VPN after leaving Hawaii.
You can now enjoy premium content unblocking across services like Netflix, YouTube, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and more, getting content that wasn’t previously available in your region.
My top pick is NordVPN, for its virtual Honolulu location and servers in all 50 US states. If you’d rather pay the least for Hawaii servers, start today with a PIA discount; both come with a 30-day moneyback guarantee on your first purchase.
