If you live in, work in, or are traveling through Cambodia, the internet you use is open but watched. Google and everyday sites load fine without a VPN. Even so, a 2021 sub-decree sets out a plan to route all international traffic through a single National Internet Gateway, and users have been arrested over social media posts.
Hotel and cafe Wi-Fi is often shared and weakly secured, and Netflix's Cambodian catalogue is far smaller than the US library. NordVPN is our top pick for Cambodia. It pairs fast connections to Singapore with an audited no-logs policy and reliable streaming access. Proton VPN matches its score and is the better pick if you want a usable free plan. The table below compares all six picks side by side.
Best VPNs for Cambodia at a glance
Every provider here offers a "Cambodia" location, but none is confirmed to run a physical server inside the country. The nearest-server column shows where your traffic really goes.
| Product | Buy | Price per month | Server countries | Nearest servers to Cambodia | Devices | Netflix US | Protocols | No-logs audit | Money-back |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Check price → | About $3.49(2-year) | Well over 100 | Singapore (Cambodia is virtual) | 10 | Yes | NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN | Deloitte, Dec 2025 | 30-day |
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Check price | About $3.49(2-year) | 149 | Singapore, Malaysia | 10 (Free: 1) | Yes | WireGuard, Stealth, OpenVPN | May 2026 | 30-day, prorated |
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Check price | $2.49 Starter(2-year) | 100 | Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam | Unlimited | Yes | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | Deloitte, Jun 2025 | 30-day |
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Check price | About $2.19(2-year) | 100 | Singapore (24), Hong Kong (74) | 7 | Yes, labelled servers | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | Deloitte Romania, 2025 | 45-day |
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Check price | $2.03(3-year) | More than 110 | Singapore (Cambodia is virtual) | Unlimited | Streaming servers | WireGuard, OpenVPN | Deloitte, Dec 2025 | 30-day |
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Check price | $2.99 Basic(2-year) | 113 | Singapore (Cambodia is virtual) | 10 / 12 / 14 by plan | Yes | Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | KPMG, Feb 2025 | 30-day |
1. NordVPN
NordVPN earns first place because it holds its speed on the routes that matter from Cambodia. We connected from a Phnom Penh fiber line to a Singapore server over NordLynx, its WireGuard-based protocol. NordVPN kept roughly 85 to 92% of our base speed, which put it among the fastest services we have measured. One Singapore server ran noticeably slower than the rest, so we switched to a second Singapore server and the speed was back in that range. If a connection feels sluggish, try another server in the same city before you judge the service. Its Cambodia location is virtual, and NordVPN's own Cambodia page says the dedicated physical server sits in Singapore.
Privacy and security are where NordVPN separates itself from cheaper rivals. Deloitte Lithuania completed NordVPN's sixth independent no-logs assurance engagement, with the report issued 12 December 2025. Day to day you also get Threat Protection for blocking ads and trackers, obfuscated servers and RAM-only servers. Our full NordVPN review covers its 9.0 score in detail.
Pricing starts from about $3.49 a month on the 2-year Basic plan, or around $13 to $15 a month if you pay monthly. One account covers 10 devices.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Keeps most of your base speed on Singapore servers
- Sixth independent no-logs audit, completed in December 2025
- Unblocks US Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer
Cons
- Desktop app is harder to navigate and slower to connect than the mobile apps
- Monthly price is steep compared with the long plans
2. Proton VPN
Proton VPN matches NordVPN's 9.0 score, but where NordVPN wins on polish, Proton wins on transparency. It marks every virtual location clearly. In Southeast Asia only Singapore and Malaysia have real hardware, while Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar all run as Smart Routing locations.
The free tier is what makes Proton unusual here, so we started there. On Proton Free the app picks the server for you, with no country list to choose from and no Cambodia location. The connection was usable in Cambodia, though slower than on the paid plan and with fewer servers to rotate through. Upgrading to VPN Plus unlocked the Cambodia location, which the app lists as physically hosted in Singapore. On the paid plan the apps take more getting used to than NordVPN's or ExpressVPN's, especially if you have never touched VPN settings before.
Proton AG is based in Switzerland, and its fifth consecutive annual no-logs audit ran from 20 to 27 May 2026. The network spans 21,202 servers, and features include the Stealth protocol, Secure Core multi-hop, the NetShield blocker and open-source apps. Read our Proton VPN review for the full breakdown.
VPN Plus costs $9.99 month to month or from about $3.49 a month on the 2-year plan.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free plan with no data limit
- Clear about which locations are virtual
- Annual no-logs audits under Swiss jurisdiction
Cons
- Free tier is slower and excludes the Cambodia location
- Apps have a steeper learning curve for beginners
3. Surfshark
Surfshark sets no device limit at all, which makes it the value pick if you own a lot of gadgets. Every plan allows unlimited simultaneous connections, so one subscription can cover a family's phones, laptops and TV. Its Cambodia location lists 4 servers, though Surfshark does not say where they are hosted.
That Cambodia location worked well for home content. Connecting to it from abroad, we streamed Bayon TV in HD. Speed was less consistent than with the top three. Surfshark kept about 80 to 90% of base speed on nearby servers, but throughput dipped at peak hours and some servers failed to connect on the first try. Turning on MultiHop cut speed noticeably, so leave it off unless you need the extra hop.
The feature list is generous for the price. You get the CleanWeb ad blocker, Bypasser split tunneling, Camouflage mode, RAM-only servers and a second Deloitte no-logs assurance from June 2025. There is no port forwarding. See our Surfshark review for the 8.6 score breakdown.
Starter costs $2.49 a month on the 2-year plan, or around $13 to $16 month to month.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Unlimited devices on every plan
- Cambodia location streams local TV from abroad
- Low long-plan price
Cons
- Speed dips at peak hours
- Some servers need a second connection attempt
4. CyberGhost
If Surfshark is the household pick, CyberGhost is built for people who want the app to make choices for them. Its streaming servers are labelled by service, which takes the guesswork out of picking one for Netflix or iPlayer. It also connects automatically when you join an unfamiliar Wi-Fi network, which is handy at a hotel in Siem Reap or at the airport.
CyberGhost has the biggest Cambodia presence of our picks, with 23 servers in Phnom Penh, but it labels them virtual and does not say where the hardware sits. For speed, its physical servers in Singapore (24) and Hong Kong (74) are the better choice. We opened the streaming tab, picked the server labelled for Netflix, and connected without having to guess which one would work. Speed was the weak spot. It changed noticeably from one session to the next, more than NordVPN's or ExpressVPN's did. Google also showed CAPTCHAs while we were connected.
The 7-device limit runs out quickly in a big household, and there is no obfuscation or native router app. In return, CyberGhost offers a third Deloitte Romania no-logs review from 2025 and a 45-day money-back guarantee on the 6-month and 2-year plans (14 days on monthly). It costs from about $2.19 a month on the 2-year plan or $12.99 monthly. Our CyberGhost review has the details.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Service-labelled streaming servers
- Auto-connects on unfamiliar Wi-Fi
- Longest refund window here
Cons
- Speed fluctuates between sessions
- Only 7 devices per account
5. Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access (PIA) shares CyberGhost's 8.4 score but suits a different reader. Where CyberGhost hides the settings, PIA explains each one in plain language, so you can tune the connection without guessing.
Its leak protection impressed us most. When a server dropped during our checks, PIA's kill switch cut traffic reliably, and no IPv6, DNS or WebRTC leaks showed up. Download speed barely moved with the VPN on. Upload speed fell sharply, though, so sending large video files home was slow. Its dedicated streaming servers worked best, while its regular servers got blocked more often. Live chat sometimes failed to load, but email support answered accurately within 24 hours.
PIA's Cambodia location in Phnom Penh is virtual and hosted in Singapore, and so are its Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Hong Kong locations. It covers more than 110 countries. PIA is US-based and owned by Kape Technologies. Deloitte completed PIA's third no-logs assessment on 19 December 2025. Read our PIA review for more.
It is the cheapest pick at $2.03 a month on the 3-year plan, or $11.95 monthly.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Lowest long-term price of our picks
- Reliable kill switch with no leaks
- Unlimited devices and port forwarding
Cons
- Upload speed drops sharply
- Live chat can fail to load
6. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN trades a little privacy flexibility for the highest speed retention we saw. We installed it on an Android TV box and a Fire TV stick, and both installs went through without errors. From the location list we picked "Cambodia (via Singapore)", which gives you a Cambodian IP address from a machine in Singapore. On nearby servers it kept about 90 to 95% of base speed, a hair ahead of NordVPN. That speed, plus the clean TV installs, makes it the easiest pick for a living-room TV.
Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar are also virtual locations hosted in Singapore. The full network covers 214 locations across 113 countries, and KPMG examined its TrustedServer system and no-logs claims as of 28 February 2025. Our ExpressVPN review has the full test results.
The apps are simple, but they offer few advanced settings, and the price climbs once your first term ends. Basic costs $2.99 a month on the 2-year plan and renews at $99.95 a year. Advanced costs $4.49 and Pro costs $7.49. Its 30-day money-back guarantee covers first-time buyers who purchase direct, while app-store subscriptions are refunded by Apple or Google.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Highest share of base speed among our picks
- Clean installs on Android TV and Fire TV
- MediaStreamer smart DNS for devices that cannot run apps
Cons
- Few advanced settings
- Costs more than rivals after renewal
How we picked the best VPNs for Cambodia
Cambodia changes which VPN features matter, so we judged each service on local conditions rather than a generic checklist. We ranked the six by score, starting from their HTS review scores, which combine our speed, leak, streaming and privacy benchmarks.
For this guide we focused on four questions. First, where does each "Cambodia" or nearby server physically sit? Second, how much speed does a Singapore connection keep from a Phnom Penh fiber line? Third, does the service reach US Netflix and local Cambodian TV? Fourth, is the no-logs policy backed by a recent independent audit? We checked every provider's server list against its own documentation on virtual locations, since a Cambodian IP address and a Cambodian server are not the same thing.
Why you need a VPN in Cambodia
Cambodia has no China-style firewall, so you do not need a VPN just to get online. It is about privacy, public Wi-Fi and streaming. About 12.0 million people were online at the end of 2025, a 67.3% penetration rate, so the rules on that traffic affect a lot of people.
The National Internet Gateway and online surveillance
The National Internet Gateway (NIG) is the biggest change on the horizon. Cambodia's National Internet Gateway sub-decree was signed in February 2021. It would route all international internet traffic through a single government-appointed operator. Its Article 6 authorizes blocking content deemed to affect "safety, national revenue, social order, dignity, culture, traditions and customs."
The rollout has not gone to plan. The Gateway was due to start on 16 February 2022, but The Register reported the postponement, with officials citing COVID-19 disruption and equipment delays. No new start date was given. By May 2025, the government had drawn up plans assigning the work to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and state-owned Cambodia Telecom. We found no confirmation that the Gateway is running today.
Monitoring of online speech is already established. Freedom House's Freedom on the Net 2025 report rates Cambodia's internet Partly Free, 42/100, and notes that freedom online declined. The report scores state surveillance at 2/6 and describes arrests over Facebook posts, including a two-and-a-half-year sentence for an opposition party leader in August 2024. Inter-Ministerial Prakas No. 170, issued in 2018, also directed authorities to set up a unit to monitor social media. Site blocking has precedent too: the government ordered ISPs to block 15 independent news sites around the July 2018 election.
Public Wi-Fi in hotels, cafes and airports
Shared Wi-Fi is the everyday risk. Hotels, cafes and co-working spaces in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville rely heavily on public networks, and that is where a VPN's encryption matters most. Strong encryption adds an extra layer of protection between your logins and anyone else on the network.
Turn on the kill switch and auto-connect before you join hotel, cafe or airport Wi-Fi. That way your logins stay protected even if the VPN drops for a moment. Our guide on whether a VPN protects you on public Wi-Fi explains what encryption does and does not cover.
Speed and server locations from Cambodia
Server location matters more than server count when you connect from Cambodia. A "Cambodia" or "Phnom Penh" server on NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, PIA or CyberGhost gives you a Cambodian IP address, but the traffic exits outside the country. For four of them that means Singapore. So a Cambodia server brings no speed advantage over connecting to Singapore directly.
Bangkok and Hanoi rarely bring you closer either. On ExpressVPN, Proton VPN and PIA those locations also run from Singapore, and CyberGhost labels them virtual. Singapore is the hub every pick shares, and CyberGhost's 74 physical Hong Kong servers are a reasonable backup.
The numbers support that choice. On a Phnom Penh fiber line with a 50 to 200 Mbps base, a Singapore WireGuard connection kept roughly 40 to 180 Mbps down, with latency around 25 to 40 ms. Nearby servers cost roughly 5 to 20% of your speed, while US or UK servers cost 40 to 60% and push latency to about 180 to 280 ms. Mobile is slower. On 4G with a VPN running, expect around 5 to 20 Mbps down and 50 to 100 ms of latency. Fixed broadband in Cambodia averages around 50 Mbps, so a nearby server leaves plenty of headroom.
For everyday browsing, banking and video calls, connect to Singapore rather than a Cambodia or Bangkok location. Save US and UK servers for streaming, where the extra latency matters less.
Is it legal to use a VPN in Cambodia?
VPNs are legal in Cambodia. No Cambodian law or regulation bans them, whether you are a resident, an expat or a visitor. A VPN does not change what is allowed online, though. Prakas No. 170 from 2018 and the 2021 NIG sub-decree still govern content, and posting something unlawful remains unlawful behind a VPN.
How to set up and use a VPN in Cambodia
Setup takes a few minutes on each device. Sign up on the provider's website, install the app on your phone and laptop, and log in. Then change three settings before you rely on it.
First, pick a WireGuard-based protocol such as NordLynx or Lightway. Both are noticeably faster than older protocols, especially on mobile. Second, turn on the kill switch. Third, enable auto-connect for untrusted networks. Connect to Singapore for daily use, and switch to a server in your home country when you log in to your bank, since home-country banking sites can flag a Cambodian IP.
Smart TVs and consoles in a Phnom Penh apartment often cannot run a VPN app. Running the VPN on a router, such as a GL.iNet travel router or an OpenWrt-capable model, covers them all at once. Our step-by-step guide on how to set up a VPN walks through all the major platforms, from phones to routers.
How to watch Netflix and other streaming services from Cambodia
Netflix's Cambodian catalogue is limited, and a US server unlocks a much larger library of shows. Connect to a US server, open Netflix, and the US catalogue loads. For 4K from a US server, you need about 25 Mbps of base speed, which most Phnom Penh fiber lines can handle.
Other services follow the same rule. BBC iPlayer needs a UK IP address. If a site still shows the wrong region after you connect, clear your browser cache and cookies and reload the page. That usually fixes it. Our roundup of the best VPNs for Netflix ranks which services unblock the most libraries.
Should you use a free VPN in Cambodia?
A free VPN is a poor choice for Cambodia in most cases. Free services tend to throttle bandwidth, cap data and drop users at busy times, and many use weak encryption. They cannot reliably handle streaming either.
The one exception is Proton Free. It works on 1 device with no data limit and connects to servers in 10 countries, including Singapore. You cannot pick the country, and it does not include the Cambodia location. Our list of the best free VPNs covers the other options worth considering.
Some free VPNs have sold browsing data, injected ads or used their users' bandwidth for botnets. If a free app does not publish an audited no-logs policy, do not trust it with your banking or work logins.
