After the feud between Elon Musk and the Brazilian government escalated to the point where X is now blocked in the country, it’s a good time to look for a VPN, whether you’re in Brazil, traveling abroad, or just need to stay in touch with your loved ones. Keep in mind, however, that the Brazilian government does impose fines for anyone in the country using “technological subterfuges” to circumvent the ban. But if you’re willing to (or need to) risk it, there’s a VPN that’s right for you. We’ve tested dozens of VPNs here at PCMag, and here are your best options.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Pros & Cons
The best free VPN subscription
Numerous advanced privacy tools
Strong customer privacy stance
Slick, accessible client
Excellent speed test scores
Awkward ChromeOS implementation
Why We Picked ItProtonVPN has a lot to love about it, including a feature-rich free tier, solid privacy features, and more relevant here, a whopping 112 server choices in Brazil. The caveat here is they’re all located in just one city—Rio De Janeiro—so if you live far away from that hub in particular, you may want to check for other services with a more distributed set of options in the country.
Who It’s ForAnyone who lives in or near Rio will be well-suited to ProtonVPN. It’s the only five-star VPN we’ve reviewed, and for good reason: It’s simply the best VPN on the market today, for both free and paid users.
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Proton VPN Review
Best for a Premium VPN Experience
NordVPN
Pros & Cons
Support for multi-hop, split tunneling, and Tor connections
Bevy of available features and add-ons
Good speed results
Built-in antivirus tools
Excellent design
Friendly onboarding wizard
Expensive
Threat Protection Pro lacks full antivirus capabilities
Deceptive annual renewal pricing
Why We Picked ItNordVPN gets many things right about the VPN experience, including a friendly onboarding process that makes it easy for new VPN users to learn about the latest in premier online protection.
Who It’s ForWith 20 servers to choose from in Brazil, NordVPN doesn’t have the deepest bench of options compared with some other picks on this list. But what it lacks in pure server presence, it more than makes up for in features for novice and pro VPN users alike.
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NordVPN Review
Best for World Travelers
ExpressVPN
Pros & Cons
Large, diversely distributed fleet of servers
Strong privacy and security practices
Split tunneling
Stylish interface
Expensive compared with VPNs with similar feature sets
No multi-hop connections
Why We Picked ItExpressVPN’s massive list of servers includes two options in Brazil, though in the app, they’re only listed as Brazil 1 and Brazil 2. While we can’t say for sure whether the distance to the server will be too much for your use case, the fact that they’ve got a physical presence in the country already makes them a great pick.
Who It’s ForIf you’re not particular about performance and have the money to try ExpressVPN’s base $12.95 plan to test the network from wherever you live in Brazil, the company’s excellent privacy record and feature set make its VPN a solid choice.
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ExpressVPN Review
Best for Power Users
Private Internet Access VPN
Pros & Cons
Unlimited simultaneous connections
Split tunneling and multi-hop
Numerous server locations
Completed third-party audit
Expensive
No free version
Why We Picked ItPrivate Internet Access is a strong contender for having the most servers globally, including quite a few choices within Brazil’s borders. The company is also great for unblocking local streamers like Telecine, Globaplay, and Looke; just in case accessing X isn’t your only use case when you grab your next VPN.
Who It’s ForFor those who want privacy online, as well as a reliable way to stream their favorite Brazilian content from home or while traveling abroad, Private Internet Access has you covered from all angles.
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Private Internet Access VPN Review
Best Company Transparency
Windscribe VPN
Pros & Cons
Industry-leading company transparency and communication
Large number of payment options
Best free plan of any VPN we’ve tested
Helpful AI support bot
Open Netflix access in all regions benchmarked
Unlimited number of simultaneous connections and devices
Anonymous signup allowed
Why We Picked ItWindscribe is a paragon of radical transparency in the VPN industry. As a full no-logs VPN, you won’t ever have to worry about the company handing over your data to local Brazilian authorities if they come knocking for that $9,000 fine.
Who It’s ForFor those who are primarily concerned with whether or not their encrypted VPN traffic is being logged by the company they’re connected to, Windscribe offers an exceptionally anonymous option for encrypted online access.
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Windscribe VPN Review
Buying Guide: The Best VPNs for Brazil in 2024
How We Pick the Best VPNs for BrazilThe first indicator we considered when developing a list of the best VPNs for Brazil was whether a service hosted physical or virtual servers within the country’s borders.
How a VPN Works
Brazil is a big place, and while it’s common to see many servers in major city centers like Rio De Janeiro or São Paulo, we ultimately suggest VPNs that offer servers broadly across Brazil and surrounding countries like Peru and Uruguay.While some of the VPNs on this list may not have higher star ratings than other providers we’ve reviewed, we’ve specifically chosen options with larger server presences in the region. Though many factors can influence your device’s download and upload speeds and latency, often the most important metric is the distance between you and the location of the server you’re connected to.At PCMag, we test VPN speeds from our offices in New York City using only US-based VPN servers. In this location, we enjoy above-average quality of service for VPNs. This means that while our speed test results may reflect optimal scenarios, the best way to find out if a VPN is right for you in Brazil is to sign up for a free trial or one-month subscription and test the service yourself first.Do You Need a VPN in Brazil?On August 30, 2024, the Minister of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court, Alexandre de Moraes, issued a suspension for access to X (formerly Twitter) within the country. He did so after X refused to appoint a local legal representative in the region, as required by Brazilian law. However, he didn’t stop there. He went on to target VPNs that could be used to circumvent the incoming blocks. He stated that any users or businesses caught using a VPN to get around the block would face fines of 50,000 Brazilian reals, about $8,900, per day.Of course, actually catching someone who uses a VPN to encrypt their traffic and obfuscate their identity is only possible if a VPN keeps logs of its users, which all of our choices on this list don’t do.How to Unblock Regional Content in BrazilWe view VPNs as privacy tools, but most people also use them to access region-locked content online. If a movie or show is available in a country where you don’t physically reside, you can tunnel into a VPN server located there, and no one will be the wiser.VPN companies frequently tweak their products to sneak by gatekeepers in an endless streaming cat-and-mouse game. Below you can see the results of some of our Netflix testing in regions around the globe:
We don’t test Netflix access in Brazil. However, seeing several Open libraries in a row (you can learn more about how we qualify those results here) is generally a good indication that a VPN will work in the region of your choosing. Tips for Choosing a VPN for BrazilBefore opening your wallet, there are just a few more factors to consider before picking the VPN that best suits your needs.First, you’ll save money if you shell out for longer VPN subscriptions; think a year or more at a time. However, we always caution against this as an initial purchase. If you can swing it, pick up a free trial or a monthly subscription first to both test the VPN speeds and performance for your region, as well as whether or not the features on offer are worth it to your wallet. You can also try one of the many free VPNs out there, which may take care of all your privacy needs without costing a dime in the process.Second, just because you’re using a VPN doesn’t mean you can slack off on security in other areas. Be sure to use a password manager to create unique and complex passwords for every site and service you use, enable multi-factor authentication wherever it’s available, and install local antivirus software.While Brazil may eventually lift its VPN ban and, by extension, its ban on X, we always recommend using a VPN to protect yourself and your personal privacy while browsing the open web.
