Everyone should have the opportunity to forge meaningful relationships, and dating sites like OkCupid can help make that happen. Unfortunately, some establishments and authorities have started blocking dating apps in an attempt to curb their use. Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) ensures you have access to OkCupid and other dating apps wherever you’re at. The best VPNs can also help you regain access to OkCupid if you’ve been blocked.

In this article, we’ll list the best VPNs to use for OkCupid, talk you through setting one up and answer some common VPN questions. We get into a lot more detail about each VPN later in this article, but in case you’re short on time, here’s a summary of which services we consider to be the best for accessing dating sites like OkCupid:

  • NordVPN: Our first choice VPN for OkCupid. Huge choice of servers around the world. Ensures fast and secure connections for OkCupid. Comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
  • Surfshark: Best budget alternative for OkCupid. Geo-spoofing tool included with subscription. Allows unlimited device connections.
  • ExpressVPN: Easy access to OkCupid from nearly 100 countries. Excellent connection speeds, top-notch privacy tools, and a vast server network.
  • CyberGhost: Easy-to-use apps, fast connections, and works well with OkCupid. Vast network of over 9,000 global servers.
  • IPVanish: VPN-owned servers for maximum privacy, lots of global connection options, and robust security.
  • PrivateVPN: Swedish provider with an emphasis on privacy. Offers great speeds, secure connections, and excellent customer support.
  • AtlasVPN: Great for accessing dating sites like OkCupid. Allows unlimited connections and provides strong security.

The best VPNs for OkCupid

The VPN market is a busy place, which can make selecting just one from the hundreds available a difficult task. With this in mind, we rank each provider using the criteria below.

There are no hidden terms—just contact support within 30 days if you decide NordVPN isn’t right for you and you’ll get a full refund. Start your NordVPN trial here.

  • Able to access OkCupid and other mainstream dating sites from anywhere
  • Provides apps for Android and iOS
  • Demonstrable dedication to privacy
  • Easy for beginners to get to grips with
  • Stable servers in lots of countries
  • Fast connection speeds
  • Good value for money
  • Robust security measures

This is just a quick summary, but we have a more extensive section on our selection methodology later in this article. For now, let’s take a closer look at the ones that made our list.

Here’s a list of the best VPNs for OkCupid:

1. NordVPN

                    Jan 2023

works with OKCupidTested Jan 2023

Apps Available:

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Background
  • FireTV

Website: www.NordVPN.com

Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS

NordVPN is our top recommended VPN for OkCupid. It’s one of the biggest names in the VPN industry and is highly regarded for its commitment to privacy and security. It has a large server network with plenty of fast, stable connections around the world. Taken together, this makes it a great option for those who use dating sites like OkCupid.

While you’re connected, NordVPN uses 256-bit AES channel encryption, together with SHA-384 authentication and 3072-bit DHE-RSA key exchange to protect internet traffic. It also protects you when using public wi-fi spots. The company has a zero-logs policy, which has twice been verified by third-party audits.

There are numerous features to play around with, like a pause function, kill switch, and split tunneling. If you want to guarantee yet higher levels of privacy, NordVPN operates multi-hop servers that double up on encryption.

NordVPN comes with a dark web monitoring service. It alerts you if any personal information has been compromised in a data breach. The service could ultimately prove useful if your details are held by lots of dating sites.

BEST VPN FOR OkCupid:NordVPN is our top choice. It’s fast, secure and reliable – with plenty of servers available where dating apps are popular.  All plans come with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pros:

  • Strong security and privacy credentials
  • Excellent unblocking ability
  • Customer service available via 24/7 live chat
  • Expansive server network
  • Keeps no logs whatsoever
  • IPs never leaked, thanks to kill switch and DNS protection

Cons:

  • iOS app doesn’t work in China

Our score:

Read our review of NordVPN.

2. Surfshark

works with OKCupidTested Jan 2023

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux

Website: www.Surfshark.com

Surfshark is a good option for OkCupid users who want to maintain their privacy without spending too much money. It comes with a geo-spoofing tool that can provide you with a fake physical location in addition to the alternative IP address provided by the VPN. This is useful if a dating site requires your GPS coordinates to match your IP address. With over 3,200 servers spread across around 100 countries, you should always be able to find one to suit you.

Subscription plans give you access to antivirus software and an alert service that lets you know if personal data has been leaked online. Surshark provides static IP servers, which means you’ll always connect from the same IP address. Note, however, that you will be sharing an IP address with other people.

Those with VPN experience will appreciate the wealth of more in-depth features too. These include a kill switch, split tunneling, a variety of connection protocols, and options to connect using a double VPN.

Surfshark protects your data using 256-bit AES encryption, a SHA512 authentication hash, and a 2048-bit DHE-RSA key exchange. It has a zero-logs policy, meaning it won’t collect session information such as your IP address or browsing history.

BEST LOW-COST OPTION:Surfshark is an excellent value VPN that’s great for OkCupid. Provides fast speeds and secure, private connections. Allows unlimited device connections. Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Provides a secure, encrypted connection

  • Keeps no logs

  • Unlimited devices

  • Automatic wifi protection

  • Steady, reliable speeds

  • Occasional slow server

Read our full Surfshark review.

3. ExpressVPN

Website: www.ExpressVPN.com

ExpressVPN may be relatively expensive, but it provides market-leading security features and consistently approachable apps. There’s plenty to like, whatever your level of experience. Most importantly of all, it works well with OkCupid.

Having been around for more than a decade, ExpressVPN has had time to streamline its service, create a proprietary VPN protocol, and build an impressively large server network. These factors result in some of the fastest connection speeds that we’ve seen.

The company protects your data using a combination of 256-bit AES channel strong encryption, 4096-bit DHE-RSA keys, and SHA512 hash authentication. ExpressVPN has been audited by PwC to verify its claims to never store any information that could be used to identify customers. In any event, the servers that customer data passes through are RAM-only, which means they cannot permanently store any information.

GREAT REPUTATION:ExpressVPN is a solid choice for OkCupid. It’s trustworthy, secure and very fast. It even comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Comprehensive security and privacy features

  • Operates a network of more than 3,000 servers spanning 94 countries

  • An easy-to-use app that installs with a wizard

  • Keeps no traffic logs of personal data

  • Knowledgable customer support available 24/7

  • A little more expensive than some rivals

  • Doesn’t allow as much customization as some rivals

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

4. CyberGhost

Website: www.Cyberghost.com

Money-back guarantee: 45 DAYS

CyberGhost is the go-to service for anyone who prioritizes speed. It was the fastest VPN in our most recent tests, though it performs well in other areas too. It has in excess of 9,000 servers in more than 90 countries, making it easy to connect to OkCupid from virtually anywhere in the world.

Features include a kill switch, which stops the flow of internet traffic if the VPN connection drops out. Split tunneling allows you to choose which apps connect via a VPN tunnel and which connect normally. Customer data is kept secure using 256-bit AES/ChaCha20 encryption, 2,048-bit RSA keys, and SHA256 authentication. During testing, we recorded no DNS, IPv6, or WebRTC leaks.

If you need any help, the CyberGhost support team is on hand to answer questions around-the-clock via live chat or email.

SPEEDY CONNECTIONS:CyberGhost offers one-click connections that are impressively fast and highly secure. All plans come with a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.

  • Vast network of over 9,000 global servers in over 90 countries

  • Some of the fastest servers we’ve tested

  • All security features enabled by default

  • Provides protections for wifi users

  • 45-day money-back guarantee

  • Not suitable for those that need control of advanced features

  • Doesn’t reliably work in China or UAE

Read our full CyberGhost VPN review.

5. IPVanish

Website: www.IPVanish.com

IPVanish is an industry stalwart that provides customers with notably fast connections and reliable access to dating sites such as OkCupid.

Unlike most providers, it owns nearly all of its tier-1 server network, which helps ensure both privacy and stability. To protect customer data, IPVanish uses 256-bit encryption, together with SHA512 authentication and a DHE-RSA 2048 key exchange. It stores no usage or traffic logs, and its apps have built-in DNS and IPv6 leak protection.

Features include split tunneling, kill switches and multiple connection protocols. Automatic startup can be enabled so that you never use the internet without VPN protection. Alternatively, you can allow your data to be transferred unencrypted and thus maximize your connection speed using the SOCKS5 proxy.

Apps are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, and Fire TV. IPVanish can also be manually configured on Linux and DD-WRT routers. A subscription enables you to connect as many devices as you want simultaneously. If you need any help, customer support is available 24/7 via live chat, email, and phone.

NO CONNECTION LIMIT:IPVanish runs its own server network, providing high-speed connections around the world. You can try it for free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Very fast speeds

  • Owns rather than rents its servers

  • No-logs policy

  • No device limits

  • Apps don’t work in China

  • Can’t pay with cryptocurrency

Read our full IPVanish review.

6. PrivateVPN

Website: www.PrivateVPN.com

PrivateVPN is a small, Swedish provider that nevertheless manages to compete with much bigger companies. It provides excellent connection speeds, despite the servers in its network numbering in the hundreds rather than thousands, and works well when accessing dating sites like OkCupid.

Somewhat unusually, PrivateVPN allows you to choose the level of protection given to your data. Less protection generally means higher speeds, though we’d recommend sticking with 256-bit encryption rather than opting for 128-bit.

You can also choose which protocol you’d like to connect with and whether you want to enable a kill switch or protect against IPv6 leaks and DNS leaks. Available proxies include SOCKS5 and HTTP – the former allows for faster connection speeds, while the latter acts as a form of high-performance content filter.

PrivateVPN allows up to ten devices to connect simultaneously. You also have the option of manually configuring it with a compatible router to protect your entire home network. Apps are available for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux.

STRONG ON PRIVACY:PrivateVPN has a small but fast server network and robust privacy features. Allows ten simultaneous connections. Plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Keeps no logs whatsoever

  • Faster than many other providers

  • Use up to 10 devices simultaneously

  • Small number of servers compared to other providers

  • Support isn’t available 24/7

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

7. AtlasVPN

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Background
  • FireTV

Website: www.atlasvpn.com

AtlasVPN offers fast speeds, secure connections, and protection against malware and trackers. It’s a solid option for accessing OkCupid, as well as all other major dating sites.

Features include a data breach monitor, split tunneling, and a kill switch to prevent unintentionally exposing your internet traffic if the VPN stops working. There’s also a SafeSwap tool that allows you to access the internet using a changing array of IP addresses. This is great for those who like the idea of their virtual location changing as they browse.

The privacy-conscious will also appreciate being able to use multi-hop servers. These route your traffic through two VPN servers, thus making it twice as hard to track you. Multi-hop servers are available in North America and Europe.

Atlas VPN adheres to a no-logs policy, which means no personally identifiable data is ever recorded while you’re online. In-session traffic is protected using 256-bit AES or ChaCha20 channel encryption, SHA-384 or Poly1305 authentication, and BLAKE2s for hashing.

NO CONNECTION LIMITS:AtlasVPN is fast and secure with a good range of privacy and protection features. You can connect all your devices at once and try it for free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Uses military-grade encryption

  • Unique SafeSwap feature

  • Allows unlimited device connections

  • Small number of servers vs other providers

  • No router support

  • Canceling is tricky

Read our full review of AtlasVPN.

How to use a VPN with OkCupid

It’s easier than you might think to use a VPN with OkCupid. Just follow the simple steps below.

Here’s how to use a VPN with OkCupid:

  • Get online and sign up for a VPN – we recommend NordVPN. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so there’s no risk involved in trying it out.
  • Download and install the appropriate version for your device.
  • Open the app and click the Quick Connect button. This will automatically find the best available server and connect you to it.
  • Check that the app is showing a successful connection.
  • Open OkCupid and use it as normal.
  • If you encounter any issues, you may need to clear your cookies in your browser.

Methodology for choosing the best VPN for OkCupid

Online dating has never been more popular, and the apps used to initiate it keep getting better. A good VPN can help you stay connected by making it appear that you are located in an area of your choice. But which VPN to choose? We’ve considered the question from multiple viewpoints and evaluated each of our VPNs against the criteria below:

  • Accessibility: A VPN can be great in all manner of areas, but if it doesn’t work with OkCupid and other mainstream dating sites like Tinder, then it’s not worth your consideration. Our chosen VPNs all ensure reliable access to your favorite dating sites.
  • Privacy: By necessity, you need to provide a lot of information to get the most out of dating sites. The last thing you want is for this data to be stored by a third party. This is why we look at each VPN’s logging policy to ensure that no personally identifiable information is recorded.
  • Beginner-friendly: The majority of people using dating sites want to spend their time forming relationships rather than configuring an app’s settings. This is why we favor those VPNs that make it easy to quickly connect and offer apps for all the major platforms. Providers should also provide responsive customer support in case of any issues.
  • Network size: The best VPNs have several thousand servers in their network and provide opportunities for connections in all of the countries where dating apps are popular. More servers tend to mean less congestion and faster connections – though not always.
  • Speed: There’s nothing that ruins communication like a sluggish internet connection. We only recommend VPNs that have scored highly in our most recent speed tests and won’t cause a noticeable drop in your connection speeds.
  • Value for money: It costs money to create and maintain a quality VPN, which is why you’ll be expected to pay for a monthly, annual, or even biennial subscription. What’s important is that these charges are justified by an appropriately high standard of service. Our recommended VPNs all meet this requirement and offer money-back guarantees if you don’t like them. Some also offer discount coupons, which we list if available.
  • Security: Dating sites – especially the free ones – can sometimes attract cybercriminals hoping to capture user data, so it’s important to keep your information safe online. We expect VPN providers to protect internet traffic using effectively uncrackable encryption and features such as kill switches, leak protection, obfuscated servers, and perfect forward secrecy.

Our testing doesn’t just end here, however. We have a comprehensive VPN testing methodology that we use to fully understand each service. This data-driven approach means we only recommend those VPNs that are most suited to any given task.

Some dating apps use your GPS coordinates as well as your IP address to locate you. In this case, you’ll need some form of geo-spoofing app or service to use in conjunction with your VPN. For example, Surfshark offers a dedicated GPS override feature as part of its Android app. 

This ban is enforced by blocking your IP address. Using a VPN service enables you to access the site from an alternative IP address provided by the VPN service. Whether you should do this is morally questionable, but it does work. If you feel you have been mistakenly banned, you can get in touch with OkCupid Customer Service at support@okcupid.com.