Browsing from Russia or China means facing Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) that kills standard VPN connections. We tested VPNs with proven obfuscation — NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN — to find which ones actually get through. The short answer: Proton VPN leads for privacy-first users, NordVPN is the best all-rounder if you can get connected, and ExpressVPN is the speed king when it works.
Russia and China both operate sophisticated Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) systems that can identify and block standard OpenVPN or WireGuard traffic on sight.1 Roskomnadzor in Russia and the Great Firewall in China don't just block IP addresses — they inspect the shape of your traffic and kill connections that look like a VPN.
That's why "it works in the US" isn't enough. You need a VPN with obfuscation — technology that disguises VPN traffic as regular HTTPS web traffic so DPI systems can't tell the difference.
Three things matter most when choosing a VPN for Russia or China:
Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, which sits outside surveillance alliances and has strong privacy laws. It offers Stealth protocol specifically designed to bypass DPI, and it has seen high adoption in Russia as users look for trustworthy alternatives.1
The free tier is generous, but for Russia and China you'll want the paid plan to access Stealth servers. Setup is straightforward — toggle Stealth on in the app and connect.
Caveat: Stealth mode can be slower than standard connections, and Proton's server network is smaller than Nord's. But if privacy is your priority, this is the one.
NordVPN is frequently targeted by Roskomnadzor, which means some of its standard servers are blocked in Russia.1 That said, NordVPN's obfuscated servers and Meshnet feature give you workarounds that most competitors don't have.
Meshnet lets you route traffic through a trusted device outside the censored region, which can bypass blocks that even obfuscated VPN servers can't. Nord also offers a massive server network, so if one server gets blocked, you've got thousands of others to try.
Caveat: You may need to try several servers before finding one that works. It's not a one-click solution in Russia right now.
ExpressVPN uses its proprietary Lightway protocol, which is designed for speed and reliability. In regions where DPI isn't aggressively blocking VPNs, Lightway is one of the fastest protocols available.1
ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, which has no mandatory data retention laws. It also offers a Stealth mode that can help in some censored regions.
Caveat: ExpressVPN has been subject to blocking in both Russia and China. It works well in some regions and not at all in others. If you need a guaranteed connection, Proton or Nord are safer bets.
| Feature | Proton VPN | NordVPN | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obfuscation | Stealth protocol | Obfuscated servers + Meshnet | Lightway + Stealth |
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland | Panama | British Virgin Islands |
| Ease of setup | Toggle Stealth on | Try servers / use Meshnet | Toggle Lightway on |
DPI works by looking at packet headers, handshake patterns, and traffic timing. OpenVPN and standard WireGuard have recognizable signatures — DPI systems see them and drop the connection.1
Obfuscation wraps your VPN traffic in a layer that looks like normal HTTPS. To a DPI system, it looks like you're visiting a regular website. This is the only reliable way to get through in Russia and China right now.
If you're in Russia or China, don't grab any old VPN. You need one with proven obfuscation. Proton VPN is our top pick for privacy-first users. NordVPN is the best fallback if you need a massive server network and Meshnet workarounds. ExpressVPN is fast but less reliable in high-censorship zones.
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