Best VPNs for Craigslist
Do more on Craigslist with the right VPN.
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Last Updated on Apr 24, 2023
- Dynamic IP addresses let you post to Craigslist even if you’ve been banned in the past
- Install on an unlimited number of devices so you can search Craigslist without interrupting other family members’ connections
- Browse Craigslist securely and use the regular internet to stream music at the same time with split tunneling
- AES-256 encryption keeps you safe and secure while using Craigslist
- A strict privacy policy means no one can track your Craigslist activities, not even the government
- With over 20,000 servers to choose from, your Craigslist connection is always fast
- Multiple layers of security allow you to use Craigslist safely
- Headquarters in Panama means no government can subpoena your Craigslist activities
- With anonymous IP addresses, you can post to Craigslist in multiple difference cities
Craigslist is one of the great tools of the internet, but it can be tricky to use if you want to do anything outside the norm. Want to sell a car in another state? Post lots of ads because you have lots to sell? You could find yourself blocked or even banned by the site.
The solution is to use a VPN. A VPN lets you mask your IP address so you can surf the web with total anonymity, even when you’re on Craigslist. Not every VPN is optimized for the platform though. Below, we offer a rundown of the best VPNs for Craigslist.
VPNs With the Most Servers
| Private Internet Access | 20,000 |
| Ivacy VPN | 3,500 |
| Surfshark | 3,200 |
| ExpressVPN | 3,000 |
| NordVPN | 3,000 |
Comparing the Best VPNs for Craigslist
| System |
Surfshark
|
Private Internet Access VPN
|
NordVPN
|
ExpressVPN
|
Ivacy
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| Ratings | 9.5/10 | 9.4/10 | 9.7/10 | 9.1/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Best monthly price | $2.49 | $2.03 | $4.13 | $6.67 | $1 |
| Maximum monthly price | $12.95 | $9.95 | $11.95 | $12.95 | $9.95 |
| Contract lengths | 1 month, 1 year, 2 years | 1 month, 1 year, 3 years | 1 month, 1 year, 2 years | 1 month, 6 months, 15 months | 1 month, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years |
| Number of servers | 3,200 | 20,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,500 |
| Number of server locations | 115 | 110 | 160 | 160 | 100 |
| IP addresses | Dynamic and static | Dynamic and dedicated | Shared | Dynamic | Dedicated |
| Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, 14 Eyes member | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Multi-hop | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Split tunneling | Yes | Yes | Yes, on Windows and Android | Yes | Yes |
| Netflix | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Torrenting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Read Review | Surfshark Review | Private Internet Access VPN Review | NordVPN Review | ExpressVPN Review | Ivacy Review |
The Best VPNs for Craigslist
- Surfshark - Best VPN for Craigslist for Families
- Private Internet Access VPN - Best VPN for Craigslist for Global Servers
- NordVPN - Best VPN for Craigslist With Multi-Hop
- ExpressVPN - Best VPN for Craigslist With Split Tunneling
- Ivacy - Most Affordable VPN for Craigslist
A Detailed List of the Best VPNs for Craigslist
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1. Surfshark - Best VPN for Craigslist for Families
Surfshark is a great VPN — particularly for families. It uses security tools such as AES-256 encryption and dynamic IP addresses to help keep everyone in the family safe, and it has convenient features everyone in the family can use, such as split tunneling and Netflix access. Most importantly, though, Surfshark enables you to install its software on an unlimited number of devices and use them all at once to connect to the web, so Dad can check his stocks without worrying about interfering with little Timmy’s Fortnight connection.
What We Like
- Unlimited devices
- Dynamic IP addresses
- Split tunneling
- Torrenting
What We Don’t Like
- Relatively high monthly price
- No phone support
- Kill switch on Windows requires manual setup
- Speeds can be slow at times
Dynamic IP Addresses
Surfshark offers dynamic addresses, which we prefer to static addresses. You share static addresses with other users, which can help conceal your address. Dynamic addresses change regularly, however, which means hackers can’t track you through your address because it’s never the same twice. Dynamic addresses are particularly useful for getting back on Craigslist if you’ve been banned, since every time you sign on you have a completely new identity.
Surfshark App Settings Unlimited Devices
Surfshark allows users to install its software on an unlimited number of devices, all for one low Surfshark price. Even better, you can use all those devices at once. That’s especially handy for families since it means everyone can sign on at the same time and still be safe.
Split tunneling
Caffeine is the fuel that makes our workday go, so, as you can imagine, we spend a lot of time at the corner cafe. Obviously, we’re not going to transfer work files through a public Wi-Fi network, but we don’t need a VPN just to stream tunes from Spotify. Luckily, Surfshark offers split tunneling, a feature that allows you to log on to the regular internet at the same time you’re logged on to the VPN. You can do everything at once and save bandwidth at the same time.
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2. Private Internet Access VPN - Best VPN for Craigslist for Global Servers
Private Internet Access provides all the features we expect from a top-tier VPN, such as dynamic IP addresses, AES-256 encryption, and Netflix access, yet it still manages to keep prices low. Private Internet Access’ cost is among the most affordable on the market. If you’re a Craigslist user, then you’ll probably like that you can get access to over 20,000 servers worldwide. No matter where you go, you can count on finding a nearby connection.
What We Like
- 20,000 servers
- Affordability
- Dynamic IP addresses
- Netflix access
What We Don’t Like
- U.S. headquarters
- No split tunneling on iPhones
- No multi-hop
- Unresponsive customer service
Lots of Servers
We haven’t come across another VPN with as many servers as Private Internet Access. No one else even comes close to the 20,000 servers it maintains. The more servers a company has, the easier it is to find a nearby connection point, which leads to faster upload, download, and latency speeds.
Private Internet Access App Torrenting
Many people think torrenting is only about downloading copyrighted movies and music, but that’s not so. Lots of businesses use torrenting to help employees grab files quickly from the company server. There is also a ton of unlicensed entertainment content out there just waiting to be downloaded. Torrenting, though, can put your personal data at risk, so we recommend using a VPN set up for torrenting, such as Private Internet Access. PIA supports a number of popular BitTorent clients, such as uTorrent, which makes it fast and easy to find what you need.
Strict Privacy Policy
Private Internet Access certainly lives up to its name. The VPN’s privacy policy makes clear that the company never collects sensitive data such as IP addresses, time stamps, and browsing histories. Like every VPN, though, it must collect some information. When you sign up, for instance, it notes your email address and records your payment details. Otherwise, it couldn’t charge you. The company’s policy states that it also collects some anonymized usage numbers to help improve its service. As long as no one can identify you or track your activity, though, you should be happy.
FYI: For absolute security and privacy, a VPN should never store any data related to your online activities, including IP addresses, time stamps, and browsing histories.
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3. NordVPN - Best VPN for Craigslist With Multi-Hop
You can’t get much safer than NordVPN, and, after all, the most important quality in a VPN is its security. NordVPN operates out of Panama, so it’s beyond the reach of international surveillance agencies, and it employs multi-hop technology so every connection is encrypted at least twice. As if these two security measures weren’t enough, the service is randomly audited by third-party companies to test the validity of its strict privacy policy. At $12.95 per month, NordVPN’s price is a little higher than some other VPNs, but you can cut the price down to as little as $4.13 a month with discounts for one-year and two-year commitments.
What We Like
- Outside Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes
- Strict logging policy
- Multi-hop
- Netflix
What We Don’t Like
- Static IP addresses
- Torrenting available only on some servers
- Hard to reach customer service
- Kill switch glitches on iOS
Multi-Hop
Multi-hop is a relatively new security feature some VPNs, including NordVPN, have begun to offer. A normal VPN routes your internet connection through one remote server, but multi-hop, also known as double VPN, routes your connection through two or more remote servers. That means instead of encrypting your data once, NordVPN encrypts it at least twice. All that encryption means one thing: No one can track your online activities.
NordVPN Mac App Screenshot Regular Privacy Audits
Every VPN has a privacy policy, and the best VPNs promise not to retain information about IP addresses, time stamps, or sites visited. Certainly, NordVPN does — but it goes one step further. Not only does NordVPN promise not to record this data, but it invites independent auditing firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers to randomly test the service and verify this promise. Most recently, in June 2021, VerSprite verified that NordVPN saves no sensitive customer data of any kind.
Panama Headquarters
In addition to its privacy policy and regular privacy audits, NordVPN takes one more step to make sure its customers are safe and secure: Its headquarters are in Panama. That may sound like an odd place from which to do business, but it means the company is outside the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes surveillance alliances. Companies located in member countries are subject to subpoenas from any country in the alliance. NordVPN, on the other hand, can never be forced to turn over customer information.
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4. ExpressVPN - Best VPN for Craigslist With Split Tunneling
ExpressVPN has all the important features we expect from a top VPN, such as split tunneling and dynamic IP addresses. Its location in the British Virgin Islands and its tight privacy policy mean it’s definitely safe. ExpressVPN’s best feature, though, is that it has servers in 160 locations, which provides 160 Craigslist locations to sell from. ExpressVPN’s price is at the high end of our comfort zone at $12.95 for a one-month subscription, but we don’t mind paying a little more for the extras.
What We Like
- Headquartered in the British Virgin Islands
- Split tunneling
- Servers in 160 locations
- Dynamic IP addresses
What We Don’t Like
- Only five simultaneous connections
- Relatively pricey
- Slow speeds on Mac
- No phone support
Lots of Locations
We have no idea why Craigslist bars users from selling outside their own geographical region, but we have a solution. Use a VPN, choose a server located in the city where you’re looking to sell, and Craigslist won’t know you’re 2,000 miles away. That’s what makes ExpressVPN a great choice for Craigslist users: The company maintains servers in over 160 locations worldwide.
ExpressVPN App Streaming Services
Want to know a secret? Netflix and other streaming services offer different content in different countries. British audiences, Canadian audiences, and French audiences all have films and TV series we don’t get in America. With a VPN that lets you log in to servers in other countries, you can bypass restrictions and watch everything out there. ExpressVPN provides full access to Netflix, but it also supports a ton of other great streaming services, including:
- Amazon Prime Video
- Hulu
- Apple TV
- Disney+
- HBO Max
- Showtime
- BBC iPlayer
Pro Tip: One great use for your VPN is to unlock streaming content from Netflix, Hulu, and other platforms that’s available only in other countries.
Automatic Protocol Switching
One of the better features of ExpressVPN is its ability to choose the right protocol for the right situation. Security protocols are a crucial component of any VPN. They’re the instructions that tell the VPN how to make the connection between your computer and the server.
ExpressVPN offers a variety of protocol options, each one designed to meet a slightly different need. OpenVPN, for instance, remains the safest protocol because it’s open source and has been rigorously tested over several years. Sometimes it’s worthwhile to sacrifice a little security for more speed, so ExpressVPN offers choices such as Lightway, a protocol that does away with some of OpenVPN’s less useful features. Can’t decide which protocol to use? ExpressVPN will make a selection for you based on your browsing activities.
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5. Ivacy - Most Affordable VPN for Craigslist
For one low price, we got all the security we needed from Ivacy VPN, plus great features such as Netflix access and split tunneling. The company maintains 3,500 servers, so we never had trouble finding a close connection. On top of all that, Ivacy throws in a full terabyte of cloud storage for no extra charge.
What We Like
- Low prices
- Netflix access
- 3,500 servers
- Split tunneling
What We Don’t Like
- No dynamic IP addresses
- No multi-hop
- Limited protocol options on Macs
- Located in Singapore, a country that works with Five Eyes
Low Prices
There are affordable VPNs, and then there’s Ivacy VPN. If you’re willing to sign up for a five-year plan, you can get Ivacy for just $1 a month. We have yet to see a VPN offered for a lower price. Ivacy doesn’t just offer low prices for long-term commitments though. Even if you prefer to subscribe to your VPN month by month, you’ll find Ivacy’s price is still among the cheapest at just $9.95 a month.
Ivacy VPN on Windows The Ivacy App
A VPN’s main purpose is to keep you secure when you’re online, but it’s easier to do that when the VPN is easy to use. Ivacy’s app gets high marks from its customers. The iOS version, for example, gets a healthy 4.3 out of 5 rating in the App Store, while the Android version is rated 4.0 out of 5 at Google Play. We found it intuitive and easy to use. When we logged on, for instance, the app asked us what we wanted to do, with options including streaming, secure downloading, and unblocking. All we had to do was select, and the app gave us a list of the right servers for our situations.
Free Cloud Storage
We mentioned Ivacy’s low price, but maybe the most astonishing thing about it is that we didn’t get only a great VPN. Ivacy threw in a full terabyte of free cloud storage as well. That’s an unusual extra we haven’t come across in many other places. In 2021, Ivacy partnered with Internxt, a cloud storage service, and this offer was the result of that partnership. Cloud storage means you can access all your files no matter where you are in the world. Not a bad perk.
Why You Need a VPN for Craigslist
You know which VPNs work best with Craigslist, but you may be wondering why you need a VPN with Craigslist at all. Something we always remind our readers is that logging in to public Wi-Fi without a VPN is like playing Russian roulette with your data and identity. There are two other reasons, though, why a VPN can be helpful when you’re using Craigslist.
- Selling items in another location: First, Craigslist has gotten pretty cranky in the past few years about who can sell what where. It has been known to bar users from one geographic region from selling in a different region. How do they know who is where? Your IP address tells them. By masking your IP address, a VPN lets you choose where you want to be from.
- Getting around bans: We all make mistakes, right? Well, the wrong mistake on Craigslist can get you banned for life. How does Craigslist enforce its bans? Once again, it all has to do with IP addresses. That means a good VPN that masks your actual IP address can get you back on the site. Make sure you’re using a VPN with dynamic IP addresses, since otherwise Craigslist will recognize you.
Methodology
We want to be up front and transparent about our selection process for lists like this, so we always include a complete breakdown of how we choose the best VPNs. The simple answer is we look carefully at several categories, including security, speed, bonus features, and price. If you’re looking for more details about our process, then you can find fuller explanations below.
Craigslist
We couldn’t put together a list of the best VPNs for Craigslist without first considering how well each VPN connects to Craigslist. As a starting point, we were interested in obvious things such as security and speed. If a VPN can’t keep you safe on Craigslist, then it’s not much good. In addition, we looked for VPNs with dynamic IP addresses, since they can help you get around bans. We also looked for VPNs with lots of servers in lots of locations, since more locations means more places where you can sell.
Security
It’s easy to say a VPN must be secure before we include it on a list like this, but what does that actually mean? Security involves several important factors.
- Company location: Companies in countries that are members of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes surveillance alliances must turn over customer data when a government agency subpoenas their records. If you’re looking for a VPN that rigorously protects your privacy and anonymity, then you need to pick one located in a country outside these alliances.
- Privacy policy: It’s pretty easy to find out how seriously a VPN takes your security. Just examine its privacy policy. It’s okay if a VPN keeps some data. VPNs need your email address and payment information to charge you, for example, but we take a dim view of any VPN that holds on to IP addresses, browsing histories, or time stamps. That information could reveal your identity and compromise your privacy.
- Encryption: A VPN is all about encryption. It’s literally an encrypted tunnel that hides your internet connection from prying eyes, so we expect VPNs to have the best encryption available. For now, that’s AES-256, the same encryption used by the U.S. military and U.S. intelligence agencies.
- Protocols: Encryption is important, but so is the order in which a VPN employs that encryption. Protocols serve as the instructions for connecting to the server, and they tell your computer which types of encryption to employ and when. OpenVPN remains the protocol standard because it is open source and has been tested by every computer expert out there. We’re slowly becoming fans of newer protocols as well, including WireGuard and Lightway.
- Multi-hop: The newest tool in VPN security is called multi-hop, or double VPN. Essentially, multi-hop technology routes your internet connection through two or more servers rather than just one, which means you are at least doubly encrypted and far more difficult to follow.
Speed
We check the speed of each and every VPN, and compare those speeds to find out which is the fastest. To do that, we run tests on both a Mac and Windows computer. First we test the speed of each computer running on its own with the VPN disabled. Then we test again with the VPN turned on. From those two numbers, we can derive a percentage that lets us see how one VPN stacks up against another. All VPNs slow down your device to some extent, but we’re looking for as little drag as possible.
Features
Everyone likes a little bit extra, and some VPNs give us just a little more than others.
- Split tunneling: Split tunneling allows you to log on to the plain old internet at the same time you’re using a VPN, which means you can stream music at the same time you upload work files without gobbling up crazy amounts of bandwidth.
- Streaming access: A good VPN will allow you to log on to streaming services from all over the world, which means you get access to more content. We like VPNs that provide access to lots of services, but they need to connect to the best services as well. For more, check out our lists of the Best VPNs for Netflix and the Top VPNs for Disney+.
- Torrenting: Torrenting is one of those dicey activities where you need a good VPN to make sure no one can steal your data. We like VPNs that are specially set up for torrenting, with dedicated torrenting servers and P2P tools that let us connect at the touch of a button.
- Free perks: With all the company mergers happening these days, we’re starting to see more VPNs offer some unexpected perks. At least one VPN on this list, for instance, offers a free terabyte of cloud storage with every subscription.
Price
Obviously, we like low prices. Who doesn’t? We talk about value more than price though. There are some free VPNs, but what good is a free VPN if it doesn’t protect you or it’s so slow you can’t keep up with the plot of “Bridgerton”? We think about price in the context of all the other elements we’ve discussed: security, speed, and features. The sweet spot for month-to-month subscriptions is $10 to $13, but we like choices as well. We want to be able to buy a single month of a VPN, but also be rewarded if we’re willing to sign up for longer terms. When it comes to yearlong subscriptions, we look for prices between $2 and $4 per month.
Recap
Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, whether you’re looking at tubas or real estate, Craigslist is a place you don’t want to venture without a VPN to protect you. Now you don’t have to. We’re confident you’ll find the right VPN to use for your Craigslist situation somewhere on this list.
FAQs
We pride ourselves on having the answers to all your questions. Here are a few in response to your most frequently asked questions about the best VPNs for Craigslist.
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Which VPN is best for Craigslist posting?
The best VPN for Craigslist posting is Surfshark, which is among the most secure VPNs out there. It uses AES-256 encryption, the OpenVPN protocol, and multi-hop technology. It is also headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, outside of Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes jurisdiction. Finally, it offers dynamic IP addresses, which can be essential for avoiding Craigslist blocks. Other great VPNs for Craigslist posting include Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Ivacy VPN.
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Will a VPN work on Craigslist?
Some VPNs will work with Craigslist, but not all. Like many online sites, Craigslist is always employing new strategies to block VPN users from accessing its service. The best VPNs, such as Surfshark and Private Internet Access, consistently manage to unblock it.
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Does Craigslist ban IP addresses?
Yes, Craigslist bans IP addresses. If the service decides a user has violated its terms, then it will block not only that user’s name, but also the IP address they’re using. That’s one reason it can be useful to use a VPN with Craigslist, since a VPN provides an anonymous IP address that masks your own.
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How do I unblock my IP address on Craigslist?
You cannot unblock your IP address on Craigslist. All Craigslist bans are permanent. The only way to access the site once you have been banned is to use a VPN, which hides your actual IP address so Craigslist can’t tell who you are.