Updated on: October 2, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for Instagram in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN : Works with Instagram 100% of the time, has servers in 105 countries, delivers lightning-fast speeds, provides top-notch security and privacy features, and has easy-to-use apps. It also backs its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Accessing Instagram to its fullest isn’t always easy. In some regions, government regulations restrict certain Instagram features or content, while administrators block the app to limit distractions at certain schools or workplaces. Plus, if an organization is serious about restricting Instagram, it might also block VPN connections.
I’ve thoroughly tested dozens of VPNs with Instagram, and I wasn’t surprised to find that many of them weren’t secure or reliable enough to access the app in restrictive environments. Others had buggy interfaces or simply weren’t fast enough to watch reels, stories, or IGTV without interruptions.
The good news is that I found 5 VPNs that are great for Instagram. All of them work with Instagram and hide your activity from your network administrator — but my top recommendation is ExpressVPN — it works with Instagram 100% of the time, has the fastest speeds, provides excellent security, and has a user-friendly interface. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Quick Summary of the Best VPNs for Instagram
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Instagram in 2024
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for Instagram. It has a large network of servers in 105 countries, provides great security, and consistently delivers very fast connection speeds. Plus, it works with Instagram 100% of the time.
In my tests, ExpressVPN was hands-down the fastest VPN — it consistently maintained lightning-fast connection speeds on nearby and distant servers. For example, when I connected to ExpressVPN’s location in my home country of Serbia, I could browse my Instagram feed, upload photos, and watch stories, reels, or even HD IGTV without any hiccups.
ExpressVPN supports obfuscation on all its servers, which is great for accessing Instagram from a school or workplace. Obfuscation makes your VPN internet activity look like normal browsing. In theory, this means that you’ll be able to use Instagram freely from anywhere, and your network administrator won’t be able to see that you’re using a VPN. This is why ExpressVPN is the best VPN for bypassing censorship in 2024, too.
ExpressVPN also offers several advanced security and privacy features. First, it has an independently audited no-logs policy, meaning the provider doesn’t store user activity or connection logs. Second, it has TrustedServer technology, which uses RAM-only servers that delete all data with every reboot. Plus, ExpressVPN offers full protection against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks to protect your data — your real IP address will never get exposed. Finally, it has perfect forward secrecy that ensures your data remains safe even if an encryption key is compromised.
I really like ExpressVPN’s split-tunneling functionality. This allows you to choose which apps or services use the VPN connection and which ones don’t. For instance, you could have Instagram traffic routed through the VPN while everything else uses your local connection.
ExpressVPN has a user-friendly interface and intuitive apps for various devices. I was able to download the iOS app and connect to a server in under 3 minutes with just a few clicks. I also enjoyed its Shortcuts feature since I could create a Shortcut to my Instagram app and access it immediately after connecting to the VPN.
ExpressVPN offers several pricing plans starting at $4.99 / month. It also provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try the service risk-free.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is a great choice for Instagram users. It combines a vast server network with excellent speeds, top-tier security and privacy features, useful features like split-tunneling and obfuscation, and user-friendly apps. With its value-packed plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee, ExpressVPN tops our list of the best VPN providers.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Advanced Security and Privacy Features For Safe Access to Instagram
Private Internet Access (PIA) offers excellent security and privacy to hide Instagram traffic from any third parties, including network admins. It has an independently audited no-logs policy and regularly releases transparency reports to prove it doesn’t keep any user data. Plus, all its apps are open-source, so that anyone can inspect its code for vulnerabilities. On the technical side, PIA has RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and full leak protection.
PIA offers obfuscation, so it’s excellent at accessing Instagram from restrictive environments. Unlike ExpressVPN, PIA’s obfuscation is only available in a handful of locations via Shadowsocks, an open-source encrypted proxy (and it’s not available for iOS). That said, it’s a reliable option for Android users. Plus, if you’re not in an environment where VPN connections are blocked, you can choose from any of its servers in 91 countries to freely access Instagram.
I was very happy with PIA’s fast and stable connection speeds, too. When I tested it, I could scroll through my Instagram feed, post pictures, and watch stories without any delays or buffering. I could also watch IGTV without any lag, even when connected to distant servers.
I also found its Identity Guard and PIA MACE features pretty useful. Identity Guard will alert you if your Instagram login (or other personal details) are found in a data breach. PIA MACE, on the other hand, is great for blocking ads and protecting you from malicious sites — it can help protect you from dangerous phishing links sent via Instagram DMs, for example.
PIA is super user-friendly. The app is easy to navigate with a Favorites feature that allows you to bookmark your most-used servers, customizable settings with helpful descriptions for each one, and an easy-to-use split-tunneling feature that works with both apps and websites (so you can use it for the desktop version of Instagram, too). Plus, PIA supports unlimited device connections, making it a good choice for multi-device users or families.
Private Internet Access offers a range of pricing plans ($2.03 / month) to suit different budgets and needs. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is a great choice for excellent security features for Instagram. It has several advanced security features along with Identity Guard and PIA MACE. Plus, it has obfuscation across its large server network, fast speeds, and user-friendly apps, PIA also has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Beginner-Friendly VPN for Instagram
CyberGhost VPN is great for Instagram users who are new to VPNs. It has some of the most intuitive apps in the industry and plenty of tutorials for beginner users. When you tap the large power button on the app’s main page, you’ll automatically get connected to the fastest server.
Another user-friendly feature is Smart Rules. It lets you customize your connection preferences, like automatically connecting to your preferred server when you launch the app or opening Instagram automatically after you connect to a server.
CyberGhost works with Instagram 100% of the time. With servers in 100 countries, it provides reliable access to Instagram content. That said, CyberGhost doesn’t have obfuscation, so it probably won’t work in highly restrictive countries.
CyberGhost delivers excellent speeds, although it’s not as fast as ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access. That said, I connected to a server in Australia and managed to watch videos without any lag. My connection remained strong and stable enough to watch IGTV, too.
The VPN also has great privacy and security features. It has an audited no-logs policy and even releases quarterly transparency reports. Plus, it includes RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and strong leak protection.
I’m a fan of its other security features, too. I tested Content Blocker first, and though it isn’t great at blocking ads, it prevented me from accessing malicious sites. Additionally, its Identity Guard feature is similar to Private Internet Access’s feature that alerts you if your email address and passwords have been leaked. It also has split-tunneling, but it’s only available on Android.
CyberGhost costs as low as $2.19 / month. It also provides a generous 45-day money-back guarantee for its long-term plans, while the short-term plan is backed by a 14-day guarantee.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost is a user-friendly, reliable VPN for Instagram that offers excellent speeds and great security features. It has a large server network, additional features like Content Blocker and split-tunneling, and affordable plans. Plus, it has a generous 45-day money-back guarantee on all but its monthly plan.
Read our full CyberGhost VPN review
4. NordVPN — Excellent Speeds for Instagram Reels and Videos
NordVPN has excellent connection speeds, making it a great choice for Instagram users. This is largely thanks to the proprietary NordLynx protocol, which is built around the WireGuard protocol and is super fast. With it, I managed to browse through the feed, load my friends’ stories, and watch IGTV videos and live streams smoothly.
Its large server network consistently worked with Instagram during my tests. With more than 6,371 servers across 111 countries, NordVPN provides lots of options to connect to.
NordVPN has obfuscation on selected servers, but it doesn’t always work well. If you’re looking for a VPN with reliable obfuscation, consider ExpressVPN.
I’m happy with NordVPN’s security and privacy features. It has a strict no-logs policy that’s been independently audited, RAM-only servers, double VPN servers (they route your traffic through 2 servers instead of 1), full leak protection, and perfect forward secrecy. Plus, its Threat Protection feature works really well for blocking ads, trackers, and malicious websites.
It also has very easy-to-use apps. The setup process is simple — I installed the app and connected to a server in under 2 minutes. I liked the Quick Connect feature a lot since it automatically chooses the fastest server for you.
NordVPN offers competitive pricing plans that start at $2.99 / month. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN is a fast VPN for watching and uploading Instagram content. It has expansive server coverage, excellent security features (including double VPN servers and Threat Protection), obfuscation (though it isn’t guaranteed to work in restrictive countries), and user-friendly apps. Its plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — Affordable VPN for Instagram
Surfshark offers budget-friendly pricing plans for Instagram users on a budget. Its plans are feature-rich and provide excellent overall value. Plus, with 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, it will be easy to find a server near you that works with Instagram.
I had pretty decent speeds when using Surfshark for Instagram. I could browse without any lags and live streaming worked well. However, IGTV videos had some minor buffering until they were fully loaded. Also, my speeds significantly dropped when I connected to very distant servers.
I really like Surfshark’s security and privacy features. It has an audited no-logs policy, RAM-only servers, and perfect forward secrecy. Further, its CleanWeb feature is quite good at blocking malware and phishing attempts, although I still prefer PIA MACE. Surfshark only protects against DNS leaks (unlike ExpressVPN, which offers full leak protection), but it never leaked my real IP address in any of my tests.
Surfshark has split-tunneling and obfuscation, meaning that you should be able to use Instagram where administrators block it.
The VPN is also really intuitive. All the apps are easy to set up and use, it has apps for all major platforms, and it has a helpful Fastest Server tool that automatically connects you to the best server.
Surfshark’s very cheap pricing plans start at $1.99 / month and come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark offers budget-friendly pricing plans, so it’s a great choice for accessing Instagram while on a budget. The VPN has a great server network, good speeds, reliable security and privacy features, additional features like split-tunneling and obfuscation, and intuitive apps that are beginner-friendly. Its plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Quick Comparison Table
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
How to Choose the Best VPN for Instagram in 2024
- Choose a VPN that reliably accesses Instagram. All the providers on my list have vast server networks and can access Instagram 100% of the time. My top choice, ExpressVPN, even has obfuscation on all of its servers.
- Prioritize VPNs offering fast speeds. If you want to browse your feed, watch and upload reels, or use Instagram live, you’ll need a fast connection. All the VPNs on my list have great speeds, but in my tests, ExpressVPN had the fastest speeds.
- Seek top-notch security features to protect your data. All the VPNs on my list offer military-grade 265-bit AES encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and a kill switch that automatically disconnects you if the VPN connection drops, which are essential to keep your Instagram usage private and secure.
- Opt for user-friendly VPNs. A clear and intuitive interface can make a significant difference, especially for those who aren’t tech-savvy. All VPNs on my list offer easy-to-use apps, so that you can access Instagram from your device without issues.
- Assess the cost-effectiveness. The VPN you select should provide a balance between cost and performance. Each VPN on my list offers reasonably-priced packages, refund guarantees, and additional features such as ad blockers and split-tunneling.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- PrivateVPN. While PrivateVPN offers solid security features and decent speeds, it doesn’t make the cut due to its relatively small server network (only 200+ servers). This sometimes led to congested servers and slower speeds for browsing and sharing on Instagram.
- ProtonVPN. Although ProtonVPN offers top-notch privacy and security features and an excellent free plan, it falls short in terms of speeds, especially on distant servers. Also, ProtonVPN’s money-back guarantee is prorated.
- TunnelBear. I really liked TunnelBear’s user-friendly interface, free plan, and good security features. However, its limited server network (only 47 countries) and lack of a money-back guarantee make it slightly less favorable that my top choices for Instagram.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which VPN is the best for Instagram?
ExpressVPN is my top recommendation for Instagram users. It has a large server network with obfuscation on all of its servers. Plus, its fast speeds ensure seamless browsing and instant loading of Instagram content. Finally, its strong security features and proven no-logs policy ensure you can use Instagram privately and securely.
Is it safe to use a VPN with Instagram?
Yes, it’s perfectly safe to use a VPN with Instagram. VPNs allow you to maintain your privacy and protect your data while connected to Instagram. However, it’s important to choose a reputable VPN provider that respects your privacy and does not keep logs of your activities, such as ExpressVPN or Private Internet Access.
Can I unblock Instagram with a free VPN?
Maybe, but I don’t recommend it. Even though there are some reliable VPNs with free plans that could unblock Instagram, most free VPNs come with limitations such as slower speeds, data caps, and fewer server locations. Moreover, some free VPNs don’t have strong security measures. For these reasons, I recommend investing in a reliable paid VPN such as ExpressVPN for the best balance of speed, security, and consistent access to Instagram.
How to use a VPN to unblock and access Instagram?
Here are the steps to use a VPN to unblock and access Instagram:
- Choose a reliable VPN provider. For Instagram, you’ll want one that offers fast speeds, a large server network, and strong privacy and security. My top pick is ExpressVPN, as it has all of that, along with some useful extra features, obfuscation on all its servers, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Download and install the VPN app on your device. This could be your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
- Open the app and connect to a VPN server in a country or place where Instagram is available.
- Open your Instagram app or website. You should now be able to access it without any restrictions.
