Moving to Colombia, or spending a few months working from Medellín, tends to break the online habits you brought with you. Your US bank starts asking for extra verification, Hulu and Peacock stop loading, and the coworking Wi-Fi is shared with a room full of strangers. Colombians living abroad hit the same wall from the other side, when Caracol Play or a Colombian bank refuses a foreign connection.
Our top pick is NordVPN. In our results it was the one VPN that handled US banking, US streaming and Colombian TV equally well from a single app. That is the mix most people in Colombia need. The reviews below show the numbers behind that call.
We ran all six VPNs on Colombian fiber in Bogotá and Medellín, checked US and Colombian streaming, and logged into bank accounts through US and Colombian servers. The comparison table below shows where each one landed, and our full method comes right before the reviews.
Colombia VPNs compared
All six services have a Colombian location, but they are not built the same way. ExpressVPN's Colombia option is a virtual location that hands you a Colombian IP address, while the others list Bogotá. The table puts the numbers that matter side by side.
| Product | Buy | Price per month | Colombian servers | Server countries | Simultaneous connections | Streaming (Netflix / Colombian TV) | Kill switch | Protocols | No-logs audit | Money-back |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Check price → | From about $3.49 (2-year) | Yes, Bogotá | Well over 100 | 10 | Netflix US; Caracol TV | Yes, system and app level | NordLynx, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | Deloitte, Dec 2025 | 30-day |
 |
Check price | $2.49 (2-year) | Yes, 16 servers in Bogotá | 100 | Unlimited | Netflix US; Colombian TV | Yes, off by default | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | Deloitte, Jun 2025 | 30-day |
 |
Check price | $3.49 (2-year) | Yes, Bogotá (paid plans) | 149 | 10 (1 on Free) | Netflix US; Caracol, RCN | Yes, plus permanent kill switch | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, Stealth | Securitum, Aug 2025 | 30-day |
 |
Check price | $2.03 (3-year) | Yes, Bogotá IP | 113 | Unlimited | Netflix; ViX Colombia | Yes | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | Deloitte, Dec 2025 | 30-day |
 |
Check price | $2.19 (2-year Essential) | Yes, small Bogotá location | About 100+ | Unlimited | Netflix (less reliable); US libraries | Yes, not on streaming devices | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | Schellman, 2025 | 30-day (not monthly) |
 |
Check price | $2.99 (2-year Basic) | Yes, virtual location with a Colombian IP | 113 | 10 / 12 / 14 by tier | Netflix US; Netflix Colombia | Yes, Network Lock | Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | KPMG, Feb 2025 | 30-day |
NordVPN's price is a promotional rate that moves with its sales, so expect it to shift by tens of cents from week to week. Because IPVanish changed its plan lineup in October 2026, we only quote its Essential 2-year price.
How we tested VPNs for Colombia
The ratings in that table rest on real Colombian connections. We ran each VPN on a 200 Mbps ETB fiber line in Bogotá and a 150 Mbps Claro line in Medellín. On both lines we compared speed and latency through Miami, through Bogotá and through distant locations such as the UK. We also worked from cafe and hotel Wi-Fi in Cartagena's old city. Cartagena was the slowest of the big three cities, at about 30 to 80 Mbps.
Security checks came next. We dropped Wi-Fi mid-session at airports and cafes to see whether each kill switch held, and we noted how quickly the apps reconnected afterward. We checked which kill switches are on by default and which need turning on by hand.
For streaming, we connected to Colombian servers for Caracol TV, RCN, ViX Colombia and the local Netflix catalog. From Colombia, we used US servers for Netflix US, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, Prime Video, ESPN+ and Peacock. For banking, we logged into US bank accounts through US city servers and noted which setups triggered verification prompts.
The single best predictor of how well a VPN worked from Colombia was the Miami route. VPNs that kept most of our line speed to Miami handled US banking, streaming and video calls without complaint, while long routes to Europe or other South American servers added latency we could feel.
Finally, we weighed price, renewal terms, device limits, independent no-logs audits and jurisdiction. Scores come from our full reviews and our testing for this page.
1. NordVPN - Best Overall VPN for Colombia
NordVPN takes the top spot because one app covers both routes that matter from Colombia. Miami handles US banking and streaming, and Bogotá handles Colombian sites and TV. NordVPN has multiple servers in Bogotá and servers in well over 100 countries. It is based in Panama, which has no mandatory data retention law. Deloitte completed NordVPN's sixth independent no-logs assurance engagement in December 2025.
Colombian servers and speeds
Speed is where NordVPN pulled ahead of the field. On a 200 Mbps ETB fiber line in Bogotá, we held about 180 Mbps through a Miami server. A 150 Mbps Claro line in Medellín managed about 138 Mbps on the same route, so both lines kept roughly 90% of their speed. NordLynx, NordVPN's WireGuard-based protocol, added only about 6 to 10 ms of latency to Miami, which we never noticed in video calls or browsing.
Distance changes the picture. UK servers added 110 to 140 ms, which is fine for BBC iPlayer but sluggish for gaming. On a Colombian server, we lost only about 5 to 7% of our speed, and the Bogotá servers were fast enough to run 4K streams on several devices at once.
The moment that sold us came at an airport gate. The Wi-Fi dropped mid-session, the kill switch held all traffic back, and the app reconnected in a few seconds without us touching it.
Streaming Colombian TV and foreign libraries
Caracol TV loaded in HD without buffering on NordVPN's Colombian servers, and the local Netflix catalog came up as expected. Switching to US servers brought back Netflix US, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ US, Prime Video US, ESPN+ and Peacock from Colombia. If US Netflix is the main reason you want a VPN, our guide to the best VPNs for Netflix goes deeper on libraries.
NordVPN also has apps for Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and routers, plus SmartPlay smart DNS for devices that can't run an app. The specialty servers (obfuscated, Double VPN, Onion Over VPN and P2P) and task guides suit power users, though the app can feel busy if you just want to press connect.
Pros
- Kept about 90% of Colombian fiber speed through Miami
- Caracol TV in HD on Bogotá servers, plus every major US service we tried
- Kill switch held through Wi-Fi drops with quick reconnects
Cons
- The 10-device cap is tighter than the unlimited plans from Surfshark, PIA and IPVanish
- The app can feel busy for first-time VPN users
- The promotional price moves with each sale
NordVPN starts from about $3.49 a month on the 2-year plan, billed up front, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. App Store subscriptions are refunded through Apple rather than NordVPN.
2. Surfshark - Best Value VPN for Colombia
Surfshark is a little slower and less stable than NordVPN, and it makes that up on price and device count. Surfshark runs 16 VPN servers in Bogotá and more than 4,500 servers across 100 countries. Its Starter plan costs $2.49 a month on the 2-year plan, which undercuts NordVPN.
Colombian servers and speeds
Through Miami, Surfshark kept between 82% and 90% of our Colombian line speed. That worked out to about 128 Mbps on a 150 Mbps Claro line in Medellín and 175 Mbps on a 200 Mbps line in Bogotá. Those are excellent numbers, just a step behind NordVPN on the slower line.
Cafe Wi-Fi exposed the gap more clearly. On an unstable connection, Surfshark dropped slightly more often than NordVPN and took 4 to 6 seconds to reconnect. Its kill switch worked reliably every time. It stays off until you turn it on in settings, so do that before your first cafe session.
CleanWeb, Surfshark's ad and tracker blocker, noticeably sped up ad-heavy Colombian news sites when we left it on. It also saves data on limited hotel Wi-Fi. For streaming, Surfshark unblocked Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Hulu from Colombia, though we sometimes had to switch servers before the US library appeared.
Unlimited devices for households and travelers
Surfshark covers unlimited simultaneous connections on every plan, so one subscription can protect a whole household, a family on holiday, or a remote worker's laptop, phone, tablet and Fire TV. That matters more in Colombia than it might at home, because many people juggle a US phone number, a Colombian SIM and a smart TV in an Airbnb.
The rest of the feature set covers the basics well. You get WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, MultiHop, Bypasser split tunneling, Camouflage and NoBorders obfuscation, and RAM-only servers. Deloitte completed Surfshark's second no-logs assurance in June 2025. The iOS app felt slower than the desktop apps, and some of the best extras cost more than the Starter plan.
Pros
- The lowest price among the big three providers
- Unlimited devices on every plan
- CleanWeb speeds up ad-heavy sites and saves data
Cons
- Kill switch is off by default
- Drops slightly more often than NordVPN on weak cafe Wi-Fi
- The iOS app is slower than the desktop versions
Surfshark also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. Proton VPN - Best Privacy-Focused VPN for Colombia
Proton VPN trades a little of the leaders' speed for the strongest privacy setup of the six. Proton AG is based in Switzerland, its apps are open source, and its network covers 21,202 servers in 149 countries. Colombian servers sit in a Bogotá data center.
Colombian servers and free plan
On its Bogotá servers, Proton VPN ran at about 146 to 158 Mbps. That was fast enough for ad-free streaming of Caracol or RCN on our test lines. In standard mode it was about 10 to 15% slower than NordVPN from Colombia.
Secure Core shows the cost of extra privacy. With it switched on, our speeds fell to about 85 to 102 Mbps on 150 to 200 Mbps lines, which still left enough room for 4K. Speeds to other South American servers swung widely, from about 13 Mbps to 109 Mbps, with 130 to 200 ms of latency. Stick to Bogotá or Miami.
The free plan is the best free VPN option we know of, with no data limit. It still has limits for Colombia, though. It covers 1 device at medium speed and assigns you a server in one of 10 countries at random. The Colombian servers are paid-only.
Privacy and security features
Secure Core sends traffic through hardened servers in Switzerland, Iceland or Sweden before it exits in another country. NetShield blocks ads, trackers and malware, and the permanent kill switch blocks all traffic whenever the VPN is off. The Stealth protocol helps on restrictive networks such as hotel or office Wi-Fi. Securitum ran Proton's 2025 no-logs audit on site in Zurich in August 2025 and found that Proton complies with its no-logs policy.
Proton VPN Plus unblocked Netflix US, Disney+ US and Prime Video US from Colombia. Hulu and HBO Max worked only some of the time. The feature-heavy apps are not lightweight, and some advanced features are missing on macOS and Linux.
Pros
- Swiss jurisdiction and open-source apps with an annual no-logs audit
- Caracol and RCN on Bogotá servers
- Secure Core still leaves room for 4K
Cons
- Colombian servers are paid-only
- Hulu and HBO Max are inconsistent
- Apps are heavier than the competition
Proton VPN Plus costs $3.49 a month on the 2-year plan, billed $83.76 for the first 24 months, and covers 10 devices. It includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
4. Private Internet Access - Best Budget VPN for Colombia
Private Internet Access is the cheapest pick on this list, as long as you're willing to do a bit more of the setup yourself. It costs $2.03 a month on the 3-year plan, and it covers unlimited devices. PIA's Colombian servers are labelled Bogotá, and its network spans 113 countries, including all 50 US states.
Colombian servers and speeds
PIA averaged about 102 Mbps from Colombia across every location we tried, including the distant servers that fluctuated. That is slower than the leaders but fine for streaming, gaming and torrenting. On a Colombian server, ViX Colombia live TV played without trouble.
Distance is PIA's weak spot. Download speeds fluctuated between runs on distant servers, while nearby servers held up well. Latency on far-off locations can hurt gaming, so pick Miami or Bogotá. The upside of the network is choice: a server in every US state lets you match your bank's home state exactly.
Customization and unlimited connections
PIA's apps give you deep control over encryption and protocols. You can choose AES-256 or AES-128, switch between WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, and turn on the MACE ad and malware blocker. The trade-off is streaming, where you pick servers by hand more often than with the auto-optimized rivals.
Port forwarding was easy to switch on in PIA's network settings, and it helped our torrent client find more peers. P2P is allowed on every server, and multi-hop and a dedicated IP add-on are available. Deloitte completed PIA's third no-logs assurance in December 2025. PIA is US-based and owned by Kape Technologies. Its US base matters if you avoid Five Eyes countries.
Pros
- The lowest long-term price on the list
- Unlimited devices and a server in every US state
- Easy port forwarding for torrent clients
Cons
- Slower than the leaders from Colombia
- Distant servers fluctuate
- US jurisdiction
The monthly plan costs $11.95, so the 3-year plan is where the value sits. PIA offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for new subscribers.
5. IPVanish - Best VPN for Torrenting in Colombia
IPVanish is the specialist for torrenting and Fire TV. It has a small Bogotá location and leans on Miami and Mexico City for much of its routing, because its in-country Colombian capacity is limited. Across its network, IPVanish runs more than 40,000 IP addresses.
Colombian servers and speeds
Over WireGuard, IPVanish kept about 80 to 88% of our Colombian fiber speed, a little below Surfshark's 82 to 90% and behind NordVPN. It also stayed consistent through long sessions, which suits large downloads that run for hours.
P2P and streaming support
P2P is allowed on every IPVanish server, and a SOCKS5 proxy is included for torrent clients. There is no port forwarding, so PIA remains the better choice for seeding. The app works well with Fire TV and Kodi and was easy to drive with a remote, but the kill switch does not cover streaming devices. That leaves Fire TV traffic exposed if the connection drops.
Netflix access was unreliable at times. When it failed, a server switch or split tunneling got it working again. IPVanish's focus is US libraries such as Netflix US, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max, so NordVPN or Proton VPN is the safer bet for Colombian channels.
On trust, we need to be candid. IPVanish is US-based and owned by Ziff Davis. In 2016, under prior ownership, it handed connection logs to US authorities despite a no-logs claim. Leviathan Security Group audited the no-logs policy in 2022 and Schellman did so in 2025.
Pros
- P2P on every server with a SOCKS5 proxy
- Fast, consistent speeds over WireGuard
- Unlimited devices and a remote-friendly Fire TV app
Cons
- Kill switch doesn't cover streaming devices
- Netflix needs a server switch at times
- Renewal price jumps sharply from the intro rate
The Essential plan costs $2.19 a month on the 2-year plan and renews at $89.99 a year. The 30-day money-back guarantee covers annual and 2-year plans but not monthly plans. Refunds can take persistent follow-up. The iOS and Android apps offer a 7-day free trial.
6. ExpressVPN - Best VPN for Travel and Mobile Use in Colombia
ExpressVPN closes our list. It trails NordVPN on peak speed, but it is the right choice for people who move around Colombia more than they sit at one desk. Its Lightway protocol made it our favorite on mobile data. ExpressVPN has servers in 113 countries, and its Colombia option is a virtual location that gives you a Colombian IP address.
Colombian servers and speeds
Consistency is ExpressVPN's strength. Its Colombia location averaged about 134 Mbps, and only a few Mbps separated our slowest and fastest runs. Keep in mind that the Colombia location is virtual. Unlike traffic on the leaders' Bogotá servers, your traffic gets a Colombian IP but exits outside the country.
Mobile use is where it pulled clear. On 5G in Bogotá and Medellín, Lightway handled cell-tower handovers well, so our connection stayed up while we moved across the city. Of the six, ExpressVPN and NordVPN also reconnected most dependably on hotel and airport Wi-Fi.
Streaming and app experience
Netflix Colombia streamed smoothly in Full HD through ExpressVPN, with only minimal buffering in 4K. From Colombia, its US servers also opened Netflix US, HBO Max, Hulu, Prime Video, Disney+ and ESPN. MediaStreamer smart DNS covers devices without an app, and the Aircove router covers a whole apartment.
The app is the simplest set-and-forget experience of the six. That simplicity comes with fewer deep settings and fewer task-specific servers than NordVPN or PIA offer. Network Lock (ExpressVPN's kill switch) and TrustedServer RAM-only servers run in the background. KPMG examined TrustedServer and the no-logs policy as of February 2025 and gave reasonable assurance that no activity logs are kept.
Pros
- Holds up through 5G handovers and hotel Wi-Fi reconnects
- Very consistent speeds on its Colombia location
- The simplest app of the six picks
Cons
- Renewal pricing is steep
- The Colombia location is virtual
- Fewer advanced settings and specialty servers
ExpressVPN Basic costs $2.99 a month on the 2-year plan and renews at $99.95 a year. Advanced is $4.49 a month and Pro is $7.49 a month on the same term. Basic covers 10 devices, Advanced 12 and Pro 14, and every plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee for new customers.
What to look for in a VPN for Colombia
The first feature that separated our six picks is a Bogotá location. A server in the country gives you a Colombian IP for local banks, government portals and Caracol, and it keeps the speed loss small. A virtual location still gives you a Colombian IP address, but the traffic exits elsewhere, which can make local streaming less dependable.
Fast US routes matter just as much. Most of Colombia's international traffic reaches the US over submarine cables landing in Miami. That usually makes Miami the lowest-latency US location, with latency typically well under 100 ms. A VPN with plenty of Miami capacity will feel faster than one with a bigger total server count.
These are the other features we treat as essentials:
- A modern protocol. WireGuard-based options such as NordLynx and Lightway keep speed loss smallest, especially on slower Wi-Fi.
- A kill switch you can trust. It should block traffic the moment public Wi-Fi drops. Check whether it's on by default.
- An audited no-logs policy. All six picks had an independent no-logs audit in 2025.
- Enough connections. Count your phone, laptop, tablet and TV, plus anyone you share with.
- Reliable streaming. You want US libraries and Colombian channels from the same app.
- A real refund window. Every pick offers 30 days (IPVanish only on annual and 2-year plans), which is your chance to test bank logins.
Why you need a VPN in Colombia
Those features matter because a VPN in Colombia solves four everyday problems. It secures shared Wi-Fi, keeps bank logins working across borders, opens the streaming libraries you pay for and hides your browsing from your provider.
Public Wi-Fi in cafes, airports and coworking spaces
Public Wi-Fi at cafes, coworking spaces and hotels in Medellín, Bogotá and Cartagena can host spoofed access points and ARP spoofing attacks. Both tricks let someone on the same network intercept unencrypted traffic, and a VPN's encryption defeats them. A VPN adds an extra layer of security on networks you don't control.
Captive portals are the one annoyance. Hotel and cafe login pages often won't load with the VPN on, so disconnect, accept the terms, then reconnect. Our explainer on whether a VPN protects you on public Wi-Fi covers the limits in more detail.
US banking from Colombia and Colombian banking from abroad
US banks don't all block Colombian IPs, but many challenge logins from new countries, new devices and rotating IPs. Sticking to one US city server and one device cut the verification prompts in our testing. Miami is usually the fastest US location, while New York or Dallas can be steadier for some bank logins.
Two-factor codes are the other trap. SMS codes can fail after you switch to a Colombian SIM, so set up an authenticator app or passkeys before you travel.
The reverse direction works the same way. Colombian banks and government portals can flag or block foreign IPs, so connecting to a Colombian server from abroad avoids security alerts. Inside Colombia, some local delivery, rideshare and banking apps misbehave on a foreign IP. Split tunneling or a Colombian server fixes them.
A VPN doesn't guarantee that a bank accepts every login. Test your bank, your brokerage and your primary email within the 30-day refund window, while getting your money back is still risk-free.
Streaming and geo-blocked content
Colombia has its own Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video catalogs, and they differ from the US ones. Hulu, Peacock and ESPN+ are US-only, so you need a US server to use them from Colombia. If a US streaming app stops working, switch to another US city such as Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, New York or Los Angeles before blaming the VPN.
ISP monitoring and throttling
Colombia's main broadband and mobile providers are Claro, Movistar, Tigo and ETB. Fiber is common in Bogotá and Medellín and is spreading to Cali and Barranquilla. Your provider can see which sites you visit, and a VPN hides that browsing data behind an encrypted tunnel.
Evening congestion is the practical issue. Between about 7 PM and 11 PM, Claro connections in Medellín slowed our streaming to 25 to 40 Mbps, and a VPN to Miami restored much higher throughput. We can't say whether that was deliberate throttling or congestion, but the fix was the same.
How to get a Colombian IP address with a VPN
Getting a Colombian IP takes a few minutes with any of our picks. Our step-by-step guide to using a VPN to change your location covers each platform, and these are the steps that matter for Colombia:
- Choose a VPN with a Colombian location. NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN (paid plans), PIA and IPVanish list Bogotá, and ExpressVPN offers a virtual Colombia location.
- Install the app on each device you plan to use, including your phone.
- Turn on the kill switch. Open the app, go to Settings → Kill Switch, and switch it on. Surfshark ships with it off, so this step matters most for Surfshark users.
- Connect to Colombia. Search for Colombia or Bogotá in the server list and connect.
- Check your IP. Visit an IP lookup site and confirm it shows a Colombian location.
- Clear cookies or open a private window. Streaming sites can remember your old location.
- Open the service. Sign in to your bank, Caracol Play or the Colombian streaming catalog.
Match the server to the service's country. Use a Colombian server for Colombian banks, government portals and local TV, and a US server for US banks and US streaming. Leave quick connect for general browsing.
How to watch Colombian TV abroad
The Colombian IP that keeps a local bank happy is also what opens Colombian TV from abroad. Caracol TV, Caracol Play, Canal RCN, Canal 1, RTVC Play, Señal Colombia, Win Sports and ViX Colombia all commonly restrict content to Colombian IP addresses. Viewers abroad see a "not available in your location" message instead. Caracol Play has also told subscribers that live events, including football matches, are only available to users connecting from Colombia because of FIFA rights terms.
A VPN with Bogotá servers gets you past the block. NordVPN loaded Caracol TV in HD, Proton VPN handled Caracol and RCN, and PIA played ViX Colombia live TV. Caracol can detect and block many VPN IPs, though, so a Colombian server that works one week may need swapping the next. Keep your subscription in good standing and follow each service's terms.
Should you use a free VPN in Colombia?
Everything above assumes a paid plan, and a free VPN is the wrong tool for most people in Colombia. Free services are too slow and inconsistent for bank logins and streaming, and they pay their bills with ads, tracking, data caps or upsells. Overloaded free servers cause buffering. Streaming services also block many VPNs that claim to work in Colombia, free ones most of all.
Proton VPN's free plan is the exception on privacy, with no data limit and no ads. It still covers only 1 device, picks your server country at random from 10, and has no Colombian servers. Our roundup of the best free VPNs compares the safer options.
Free VPN privacy promises don't always match how the service behaves. A Center for Democracy & Technology complaint about one free VPN's privacy practices shows how far marketing and data handling can drift apart.
Are VPNs legal in Colombia?
Whichever VPN you choose, free or paid, using it in Colombia is legal. No law bans or restricts buying, installing or using a VPN. A VPN doesn't make otherwise illegal activity legal, though, and it doesn't override a bank's or streaming service's terms.
The internet is largely unrestricted. Freedom House rates Colombia's internet as Partly Free, with a Freedom on the Net 2025 score of 64/100, down from 65 the year before. Its report points to surveillance concerns and some opaque blocking orders, and it notes a few days when at least two ISPs blocked Reddit.
The long-standing legal basis for site blocking in Colombia is child protection. Ley 679 of 2001 and Decreto 1524 of 2002, which sets out blocking aimed at protecting minors, require ISPs to block child sexual abuse material and to show a notice when a blocked address is requested. Privacy itself is protected: Article 15 of Colombia's Constitution guarantees personal and family privacy and makes private correspondence inviolable.
Final thoughts
The right VPN for Colombia depends on which direction your traffic goes. Expats and remote workers who live on US banking and streaming should prioritize the Miami route, while Colombians abroad should put a dependable Bogotá location first. Households with lots of devices should look at the unlimited plans, and anyone who works from a phone on the move should look hard at ExpressVPN.
Whichever you choose, set it up before you need it. Install it on every device, turn on the kill switch, switch your bank's two-factor method away from SMS, and run every important login during the refund window.
