best vpn for split tunneling

Split tunneling is a feature that will allow you to choose which traffic you want the VPN to encrypt and which you wish to be connected directly to your ISP. For example, when you use the split tunneling feature, you can choose to run Netflix US through the VPN and access your banking website using the direct internet connection.

You can choose which device, app, or website should use the VPN connection and which should be connected to the internet directly. This feature will let you secure the traffic you choose. This feature will be of great help when you wish to access a website or app using the local network and simultaneously use a streaming service or app using the VPN connection. However, not all VPNs come with this feature and many services lack this feature. In our research, we found that the following VPNs offer this feature and also offer all the strong security features.

Why Do I Need Split Tunneling?

Many use VPNs to encrypt their internet traffic and keep their online activities secure and private so that no one including hackers, the government, or other third parties can access it. This specific split-tunneling feature offers a lot of benefits as follows.

  • You can use this feature when you wish to access blocked foreign streaming services and websites and local resources at the same time. This way you can watch shows and movies unavailable in your region and access other services using your local IP address. For example, if you live in India, you can use split-tunneling to access India only content and foreign content at the same time.
  • Using this feature, you can access your network printer while encrypting your internet traffic using the VPN.
  • You can specify which apps you wish to route through the VPN anonymously. For example, you can choose to route Netflix US or your torrenting apps through the VPN and other websites and apps can use your internet connection.
  • By implementing this feature on your router, you can choose the devices you wish to route through the VPN and the ones you do not wish to access using your direct internet connection.
The following are the top five VPN services with split tunneling.

Best VPNs for Split-Tunneling

  • NordVPN
  • ExpressVPN
  • Surfshark VPN
  • Ivacy VPN
  • PureVPN

NordVPN – Our top choice for split tunneling

One of the most secure and best VPNs, NordVPN comes with the split-tunneling feature. You can enable split-tunneling on its apps for Android and Android TV. You can implement split tunneling on your Android device and Android and add apps you wish to access using the VPN connection and apps you want to access using your direct internet connection.

NordVPN’s strong unblocking capabilities will make it easy for you to unblock a variety of streaming services like Netflix US, ESPN, Hulu, HBO, NBC, Disney+, and more. On the security front, there are no security features that NordVPN lacks. It comes with all the security features like ad and malware blocker, onion over VPN, DNS leak protection, kill switch, and more.

NordVPN’s security protocols offer strong encryption for mobile devices as well as desktops, laptops, and smart TVs. You can manually and securely choose from its over 5000 global servers to browse the web, download, or to stream blocked content. Likewise, all of NordVPN’s apps will connect you to the best available server in the country of your choice.

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  • 5200+ servers in 62 countries
  • Use up to 6 devices
  • Next-generation Encryption
  • Double VPN Feature
  • Strict no-logs policy

NordVPN’s Smart DNS feature will let you access streaming services seamlessly on your smart TV and other devices. As you get six parallel connections, you can connect multiple devices to the VPN and secure them at a time.

Learn more about its extra security features, money-back guarantee, and app availability by reading our expert NordVPN review.

ExpressVPN – Fastest VPN that comes with differnet split tunneling methods

Our next top recommendation, ExpressVPN offers split tunneling on its apps for ExpressVPN apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and routers. You can tunnel some apps and other device traffic through the VPN tunnel and some through your direct internet connection.

ExpressVPN’s split-tunneling works in two ways, split tunneling and reverse split tunneling, where the split tunneling feature protects all the apps and devices connected to the VPN except those that the user specifically excludes, the reverse split-tunneling feature protects only selected devices and apps and all other traffic will pass through the regular internet connection. These are the split-include and split-exclude options. ExpressVPN is one of the very few VPNs that offer both options.

Likewise, not all VPNs allow split tunneling on routers, but ExpressVPN is one of the few VPNs that let you implement this feature on flashed WiFi routers. By implementing this feature on your router, you can choose apps, devices, and websites you wish to channel through the VPN and the others you wish to access using your regular unprotected internet connection.

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  • 160 server locations
  • Network Lock kill switch
  • Zero-knowledge DNS
  • VPN split tunneling
  • Stream Sports online

In addition to Windows, Mac, Android, and routers, ExpressVPN works with Linux, iPad, iPhone, Chrome, and Firefox. It offers strong security features and encrypts your internet traffic with 256-bit encryption technology. As you get five simultaneous connections, you can connect most of the devices to the VPN at the same time.

You can seamlessly access Netflix US, NBC, ESPN, and other blocked services from anywhere. Check out our detailed ExpressVPN review to know what streaming services it can unblock and its money-back guarantee.

Surfshark VPN – Budget-friendly secure VPN that lets you tunnel apps and websites

Whitelister is Surfshark VPN’s feature that will let you split-tunnel some apps and websites through your internet connection as usual and some through the VPN. You can find the Whitelster feature on the VPN’s apps. This feature is also known as Bypass VPN.

You can choose and specify websites and apps that have to go through the VPN tunnel and which should not. This feature will come in handy when you use your internet connection for bank needs where you need your real location to access the bank’s website. Likewise, you can tunnel other blocked services like streaming websites through the VPN tunnel so that you can anonymously access them.

With its strong encryption algorithm and security features like CleanWeb, kill switch, Private DNS, and leak protection, you can stay secure and anonymous online. It has high-speed servers in over 60 countries so that you can quickly connect to any server and access any blocked service.

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  • Connect unlimited Devices
  • AES-256-GCM encryption
  • IP & DNS leak protection
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Free Browser Extensions
  • Strict no-logs policy

Netflix US, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, ESPN, HBO, etc are among the popular streaming services this VPN can unblock. Most of all, there are no connection limits, which means, you can connect all your devices to the VPN without losing speeds.

We recommend going through our detailed review of Surfshark VPN to know about the devices with which it works and its money-back guarantee.

Ivacy VPN – A fast and beginner-friendly VPN with split tunneling

Ivacy VPN is our next choice when it comes to split tunneling and it is a pioneer in split tunneling. This feature is available on all its apps including Android, routers, and Windows.

By implementing this feature on a router, you can channel certain apps, devices, and websites through the VPN tunnel and certain services through your internet connection.

When you enable split-tunneling, some of your traffic will pass through the VPN tunnel and you can choose to send other traffic through your internet connection. Ivacy VPN promises unparalleled security and privacy while you browse the web.

Overcoming government surveillance, ISP throttling, bypassing geo-restrictions, torrenting, etc are the other benefits. You can stream shows in HD without lags. It offers great download and upload speeds.

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  • 3500+ Servers in 100+ Locations
  • 10 Devices Simultaneous Logins
  • Unlimited Bandwidth
  • Malware Protection
  • P2P Support

Ivacy Purpose Selection feature will help you choose and connect to a server based on your purpose for connecting to the VPN. This means if you are looking to connect to the VPN for torrenting, Ivacy VPN will let you connect to a server for that specific purpose. The same applies to streaming, gaming, and general browsing.

When it comes to security features, Ivacy VPN offers DDoS protection, IP leak protection, private DNS, internet kill switch, and more. Head to our in-depth review of Ivacy VPN to understand better about its advanced features and money-back guarantee.

PureVPN – Split tunneling feature in its apps for Windows and Android

PureVPN claims to be the best when it comes to split tunneling. This feature is available on its apps for Windows and Android devices.

PureVPN stands ahead of most other VPN services because of its strong security features and great performance. It grants its users unlimited access to all its servers in over 140 countries worldwide. Likewise, it allows unlimited bandwidth usage and server switching so that you can stream as much as you wish and also switch servers at any time.

It is one of the few VPN services that has apps in different languages. It offers apps for all popular apps and devices including Mac, iOS, Amazon Fire TV, Windows, and more. All its apps are secure and they come with protection against Viruses, Malware, Botnets, and Spyware. You can securely and anonymously download and share files as all its servers are P2P friendly.

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  • 6500+ Secure Servers
  • 3 Million+ Satisfied Users
  • 10-Multi Logins
  • One-click Software
  • 31-Day Refund Policy
  • 24/7 Customer Support

It guarantees fast speeds using which you can game and stream without any lags. You can access Netflix US, Hulu, HBO, Disney+, NBC, Sling TV, and more. It provides easy and quick online privacy and security solutions. With over 6000 servers, it lets its users keep their online securities secured.

To know more about PureVPN’s features and its money-back guarantee policy, we recommend reading our detailed review of PureVPN.

Summary

The split-tunneling feature will come in handy when you wish to keep a part of your online activities anonymous. When you use this feature, you can securely access foreign streaming services and resources using the VPN anonymously and access local resources using your internet connection. As not all VPN services come with this feature, you need to be careful while choosing a VPN that allows split tunneling. We hope this article will help you choose the right VPN for split tunneling.