With so many expats and visitors, it’s easy to see why Qatar appeals.
However, it is also one of the countries with a rather specific set of laws of what is and isn’t allowed in real life and on the internet.
While there isn’t much that can be done about the real-life limitations, it is possible to bypass the ones that exist in the online world.
For this, you’ll need a VPN app.
A VPN will allow you to receive unrestricted access to any website, stay secure online and browse and post freely without fear of monitoring.
But, with so much choice, which are the best VPN providers?
After extensive research, here are our top suggestions for you to hide your online activity and have the best experience while doing it.
Table of Contents
Top VPNs for Qatar
| RANK | PROVIDER | PRICE | COUNTRY LOCATIONS | SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | $2.99 /mo | 62 | 6 | VISIT | |
| 2. |  | $6.67 /mo | 94 | 5 | VISIT |
| 3. | $5.00 /mo | 64 | 30 | VISIT | |
| 4. | $2.75 /mo | 90 | 7 | VISIT | |
| 5. | $2.99 /mo | 63 | ∞ | VISIT | |
| 6. | $2.99 /mo | 77 | 10 | VISIT | |
| 7. | $6.49 /mo | 60 | ∞ | VISIT |
1. NordVPN
NordVPN is the best VPN for Qatar without question.
It is incredibly secure, even among other VPN service providers, offering a strict no-logs policy, security features like an automatic kill switch, up to six simultaneous connections (meaning that you can connect up to six devices a once), military-grade encryption, multiple security protocols, DNS leak protection, and more.
In other words, it is an affordable VPN that you can use to protect yourself entirely while online.
Naturally, it has its own server network, offering around 5,400 servers in 59 countries worldwide.
By connecting to any one of them, you can hide your actual IP address and replace it with one of the IPs tied to the server you have connected to.
Doing so changes your online location, and it allows you to access geo-restricted content, unblock websites that are censored in Qatar, such as dating sites, streaming sites, and other forms of restricted content.
You can also use NordVPN to access overseas Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and other streaming services, which will allow you to access the content that these services do not offer in your country due to licensing issues.
All in all, NordVPN is a top-notch VPN provider that you definitely won’t regret getting. For the best experience, connect to one of the nearby servers when in Qatar, like the UAE, Israel, or Turkey.
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2. ExpressVPN
Next up, we have ExpressVPN. This is a VPN provider based in the British Virgin Islands, and if we are talking about the best VPN for Qatar, it definitely deserves its place on the list.
ExpressVPN has a massive server network that spans throughout 90 countries, with 160 locations and over 3,000 servers in total. Each VPN server is fast, reliable, and none of them will record your data, as ExpressVPN has a strict audited no-logging policy.
It doesn’t have servers in Qatar itself, but you can connect to countries like Egypt or Israel for the best speeds, as they are among the closest nations that do have ExpressVPN servers.
However, speeds should not be an issue even if you connect to the other side of the world, as Express VPN is extremely fast. In fact, it is one of the fastest ones out there.
You can connect up to five devices simultaneously, and it supports all major operating systems, devices, and platforms, where it provides a pretty fantastic service.
Its servers cover all the most desirable countries, allowing you to access blocked content, evade the Qatari government, and even hide your activities from local internet service providers.
3. VyprVPN
Our next choice for the best VPN for Qatar is VyprVPN, which claims to be the choice VPN app for millions around the world.
The service can completely hide anyone’s internet usage from viewwhile bypassing internet censorship with ease.
Like with the others on this list, it offers unlimited bandwidth, completely private internet access, the ability to access Netflix, and it will prevent you from exposure entirely thanks to a kill switch.
Overall, it is one of the best VPN services for Qatar, with over 70 locations, 700+ fast servers, and over 300,000 IPs, in total.
This VPN actually has servers in Qatar, located in Doha, so anyone who wishes to browse the local content such as Doha news, and to do it privately, can connect to the Doha-based server and achieve top privacy and speed simultaneously.
Other than that, there are also several nearby locations that are supported, such as the UAE (Dubai), Bahrain (Manama), Israel (Tel Aviv), and Saudi Arabia (Riyadh).
VyprVPN can be considered a budget VPN since its prices are affordable, but even if you pay and don’t like it, you still have a 30-day money-back guarantee that lets you get a refund.
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4. CyberGhost
CyberGhost is an excellent choice of a VPN in Qatar. It is very privacy-friendly, it keeps no connection logs, and it is a very fast VPN which makes it perfect for casual browsing, streaming, downloading, or uploading content, and more.
It allows you to protect as many as seven devices simultaneously, and you will never again have to worry about whether the Qatari government is tracking your every move, looking to restrict access to more of the content you wish to see.
CyberGhost also allows you to unblock multiple Netflix libraries as it has servers all over the world.
At the time of writing, it has around 7,300 servers in 91 countries, and yes, that includes Qatar. That means that you can even access local content in a safe way or achieve complete internet freedom by connecting to other nations.
It should be noted that CyberGhost also has servers in nearby countries like Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE, and others.
Another big thing that makes it stand out is the fact that its money-back guarantee lasts for 45 days, which makes it one of the longest in the industry.
However, it does have one downside that we could identify, which is somewhat limited payment options.
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5. Surfshark
Moving on, we have Surfshark, which is probably the youngest VPN on this list. But, that doesn’t make it any less reliable. In fact, Surfshark is one of the best VPNs in the industry, which definitely makes it worthy of appearing on the list of the best VPN services in Qatar.
It is a reliable VPN app that offers top-notch protection for flawless online security, over 3,200 VPN servers in 65 different countries, unlimited bandwidth, and, best of all, unlimited simultaneous connections.
That means that you can use it on as many devices as you wish with a single VPN subscription. Most other VPNs will offer simultaneous connections in the lower single digits, and a few rare gems offer up to 10 connections at once.
Surfshark’s VPN software puts no cap on this, allowing you to gain access to the free internet from any number of devices at once.
Of course, it also has a strict no-logging policy, a 30-day money-back guarantee, a kill switch, and other features that make it one of the best VPNs for Qatar.
One downside is that it doesn’t have servers in Qatar, but it does cover nearby countries. However, another downside is that the number of the nearby countries that are supported is only two, Israel and the UAE.
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6. Private Internet Access
Nearing the end of the list, we have PIA. This is a virtual private network that is based in the US, unlike previously mentioned providers, which all come from privacy-friendly nations.
This made many people doubt whether or not PIA can actually secure their internet connection or will it just allow their internet provider free access to users’ browsing activities.
But, PIA claims to have a no-logs policy, and it conducted audits to prove it. This made things much better, and ever since, PIA was able to be included on the best VPNs list, which is why it is also on this list of the best Qatar VPN providers.
In terms of features, it offers everything that the others do, like the kill switch, access to certain streaming services, a massive server network, and more.
It covers up to 78 countries, allowing users plenty of locations to connect to and enjoy the free internet while the VPN encrypts their traffic.
Still, you can consider being US-based a big negative, as well as the fact that it is not the best option for unblocking Netflix. But, it does have a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a refund if it doesn’t work well for you.
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7. IPVanish
Last but not least, we have IPVanish. This is another reliable VPN provider with a 30-day money-back guarantee that would make for a good Qatar VPN.
It has all the same security features and protections as others here to hide your activities from your internet service provider, the government, advertisers, hackers, and any other entity who might want to get to your data.
One thing to note is that this one also has unmetered simultaneous connections, which is very rare, but also something that its users are very grateful for.
IPVanish has around 1,600 servers in 75 locations, featuring over 40,000 IP addresses. Like many others, it only supports Israel and UAE in the area near to Qatar, and Qatar itself is not supported, which might be seen as a downside.
Another potential downside is that this one is also US-based, with the largest server count definitely being in the US. But, other than that, there is no reason why this VPN shouldn’t be on the list of the best VPNs for Qatar.
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How to choose a VPN for Qatar
There are many factors to consider when choosing a VPN for Qatar. Below we explore some of the more important ones.
1) Server locations
Given the fact that we are looking for the best VPN for Qatar due to its restrictions and limitations, one of the biggest factors regarding which premium VPN we will recommend was their server locations.
We were looking for a VPN service that would offer servers either in or close by to Qatar. A server in Qatar would be beneficial for those who enjoy Qatar-specific content, only they wish to access it safely.
We also wanted the VPN service to have servers nearby so that Qatar-based users would be able to connect in order also to enjoy the best speeds, so servers were critical.
2) No-log policy
Another big priority for a VPN in Qatar was the logging policy.
As you know, most people are very strict about not wanting their VPN to log their data. They seek total privacy of their VPN connection, which is understandable. Otherwise, they would simply connect to a proxy server if all they wanted was a way to access more stuff online.
So, when choosing the best Qatar VPN, we sought providers in privacy-friendly countries, or at least those that were audited by trustworthy, independent third parties, just to be safe and ensure that users will be perfectly safe.
3) Download speeds
Of course, a VPN is only as useful as how fast it is, so fast download speeds were also a crucial factor in choosing the best VPNs for Qatar. After all, what would be the point in accessing desired content if your connection is too slow to actually enjoy it?
With that in mind, we tested and made sure that the VPNs we recommended are also among those with the smallest impact on the speed.
They still do slow you down, as it is impossible to bypass that completely and keep high security, but at least now, their impact is minimal.
4) Streaming
Closely tied to the previous segment, streaming is also influenced by speeds, but also by the VPNs’ ability to bypass streaming services’ checks and grant access to their content.
As you may know, many streaming services block VPNs so that people in other countries would not be able to access their movies, shows, and otherwise.
Fortunately, some VPNs use advanced cloaking technologies that still let them pass.
We made sure that we will recommend those as our best VPNs for Qatar so that expats would be able to watch content from back home, and locals could freely explore everything that the world has to offer.
5) Money-back guarantee
Finally, we wanted to make sure that the VPNs offer nice and long money-back guarantees.
A money-back guarantee is essential, as these providers typically do not offer free plans, nor do they have free trial periods. With that in mind, you would not be able to know whether or not a particular VPN fits your needs before you pay for it.
If it turns out that it doesn’t, you would be stuck with a useless service that you paid for.
A money-back guarantee helps with this by allowing you to get a refund if you decide that the provider isn’t good enough, so we made sure that they have it.
Why do I need a VPN for Qatar?
There are several reasons why a VPN is highly necessary for Qatar, such as:
1) Bypass censorship
Like most countries in the region, Qatar is rather strict when it comes to specific content. The adult entertainment industry is not allowed or anything related to it, which unfortunately also eliminated things like sexual health resources.
People also need a VPN in Qatar to access foreign news, torrenting sites, and many other similar things that would otherwise be blocked.
2) Access blocked websites and services
In continuation of the previous segment, there are many other things that Qatar doesn’t allow access to through censorship and blocking.
For example, online dating sites are not allowed, and so anyone who aims to use them would have to depend on a VPN.
The same is true when it comes to LGBTQ+ content and services, VoIP services, and alike, as Qatar has rather conservative views, but at the same time, it is not privacy-friendly, which is why a VPN is a must-have.
3) Stream content from overseas
We all love watching our favorite movies, TV shows, documentaries, anime, and more, and these days, the best way to reach that content is via streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and alike.
Unfortunately, many of these are only available in a handful of countries and even the ones that do service people around the world, like Netflix, tend to have different libraries for different countries.
That means that you can’t access everything that Netflix has from any single country, but instead, you must use a VPN to connect to different places.
The same is true for other services, which is another reason to use Netflix in Qatar.
4) Security on Public Wi-Fi
As everywhere else in the world, Qatar’s public Wi-Fi is not safe.
The use of public Wi-Fi is generally not recommended by online security experts, as you can never know who shares the connection with you or even who set it up. But, if you must use it, you should take precautions and protect yourself from potential hackers.
Using VPN services is the best way of doing so since VPNs can protect your connection fully and encrypt all of your traffic.
So, if you are an expat or just a tourist in Qatar, and you have to use public Wi-Fi, make sure to do it with a VPN.
5) Privacy
Lastly, a VPN is also needed for the sake of privacy.
Privacy on the internet is pretty much non-existent, regardless of where you live. Even in the most privacy-friendly countries, you still access websites from other nations which keep track of who you are, where you are from, what you do, what you comment online, what you search for, and more.
Most of it is for advertising purposes, statistics, and alike, but some bad actors might use it to hack you. And, of course, government surveillance is an ever-present danger.
So, with that in mind, use a VPN to keep yourself safe and keep your privacy from data-hungry threats.
Is using a VPN legal in Qatar?
One thing to understand is that the use of VPN is in something of a gray area in many places around the world. The situation is similar in Qatar.
Downloading and using a VPN itself is not against the law. However, Qatar has made it illegal to use a VPN to access banned content.
Basically, you can use it, but depending on what you do with it, you may or may not end up in trouble.
Once using a VPN there is no way for the Qatari government to know what you’re doing online. However, breaking local laws is not advisable.
Which VPN has a Qatar server?
Out of the VPNs we covered, one or maybe two have servers in Qatar itself, with VyprVPN being one of them.
So, this could be your go-to VPN service if you wish to protect yourself and browse the local content with your IP hidden from view.
But, even if you don’t use a VPN that is in Qatar itself, you should still pick one with servers in the surrounding countries.
This is important to achieve fast speeds, as the physical distance between you and the server can be a huge factor in determining the speed of your internet connection.
Basically, whenever you try to do anything with a VPN, your device sends the request to the server, sending it to the website you are trying to access. Then, the website responds to the server, which in turn sends the information back to you.
So, as you can see, it is quite a trek, and the closer the server is, the faster the information will get back to you.
How to get a VPN for Qatar?
Getting a VPN in Qatar and for Qatar is quite simple, and it only takes a few steps to do so
For our example, we will use our recommended NordVPN, but the process should be more or less similar for every provider.
Here is what you need to do:
- Go to the NordVPN website.
- Click the ‘Get NordVPN’ button.
- Select a payment plan, and enter your payment info and other necessary details.
- Download a NordVPN app for the device you wish to use it on.
- Install the app, launch it, and log in.
- You will see a map of the world with servers marked in all locations supported by the provider.
- Click/tap the server you wish to connect to, and that’s it.
Is there a free VPN for Qatar?
One thing that everyone always wants to know about is a free VPN.
A Free VPN is indeed possible to get but not recommended. As you know, free VPN providers do not get money from their users.
However, even free VPNs have to pay for servers, security, and other details. This is why free services have to find another way to get the money, and that usually means logging users’ content and selling it to advertisers.
Even the best free VPN is likely also to bombard you with ads all the time and disrupt your experience.
Meanwhile, some free VPNs were also found to be malicious and dangerous for your data.
Regardless of their approach, they still can’t be compared to premium ones that offer top-notch services, thousands of servers, and alike, where free ones only have a handful, which are always overcrowded and extremely slow.
Summary
Qatar is a popular location for tourists and expats, but it has its drawbacks.
A lot of the content you may be used to is blocked and inaccessible, while some services you used back home may not serve the country.
But, you can bypass these issues with a VPN, and as long as you don’t do anything illegal, you should be fine using it.
Our tests have shown NordVPN is the best for the job, but you’re free to choose any of the seven above if you have time to shop around.
I would love to know which provider you signed up for in the end, so drop me a comment below.
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