Best VPNs for Qatar in 2024 to Bypass Censorship (2024)

NordVPN comes first because it performs well above average on all the criteria.

For example, this VPN software provider offers 5400+ VPN servers in over 60 countries. It maintains 1970+ USA servers, which are great for bypassing censorship to just about any website while unblocking VoIP services like WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, and Skype.

I chose the USA specifically because that’s where most web content (platforms, websites, and services) is available.

In comparison, only PureVPN and CyberGhost come close to NordVPN with 1800+ and 1300+ USA servers (respectively).

Furthermore, I understand that Qatar is far away from prime servers to unblock content. Luckily, NordVPN’s servers have low ping.

Of course, there’ll be an internet speed drop, but it’ll be so negligible that you won’t feel the impact on your web experience.

On top of that, NordVPN brings specialty obfuscated servers that prevent Ooredoo from trying to block your VPN traffic.

Likewise, any other website/platform that might have VPN filters in place will let your connection through once you use obfuscation from NordVPN.

However, NordVPN doesn’t have any servers in Qatar yet, which is one area where CyberGhost edges it out.

A Qatari server would be great for accessing banking applications and other local, region-specific services without leaking any internet traffic.

Now, the best you can do is set up split tunneling with NordVPN to use your VPN with some apps while your banking apps remain unprotected.

Still, don’t forget that CyberGhost doesn’t come close to NordVPN in speeds, obfuscation, and overall compatibility in Qatar.

Though, I’d also prefer to have obfuscation on all servers (like ExpressVPN) instead of a small handful of obfuscated servers.

Furthermore, P2P support is only on a few servers, whereas all ExpressVPN’s servers are P2P-enabled for faster download speeds/secure file sharing in Qatar.

However, comparing NordVPN’s price package to ExpressVPN makes it a more balanced choice.

Plus, NordVPN is no slouch with its AES 256-bit military-grade encryption to prevent IP, DNS, and Web RTC leaks.

Given that a “Reporters without Borders” report mentioned how Ooredoo might spy on messages you send via other ISPs, this encryption protocol is essential for improved online privacy in Qatar.

Fortunately, NordVPN ensures no gaps in your protection armor with double internet kill switches where other providers offer just one.

The first one, the internet kill switch, stops your entire internet from transmitting once the VPN connection drops.

The other is an app kill switch which you can configure for specific apps and programs. However, you only get these kill switch configurations on PC and Android, as they come inbuilt with the iOS app.

Qatar has also become an increasing hotspot for public Wi-Fi connections. You need a reliable VPN provider to prevent malware injection, man-in-the-middle attacks, and data snooping.

Thanks to NordVPN’s level of encryption, coupled with its proprietary CyberSec feature, you don’t have to worry about trackers and malware on public networks.

The other providers on this list, save PureVPN, also have alternatives to CyberSec.

For all the areas where ExpressVPN beats NordVPN, NordVPN has the better pricing model. You can also use NordVPN on six devices simultaneously, compared to five on ExpressVPN.

Plus, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee if you don’t like what you get with NordVPN, so you’re trying the service risk-free.

ExpressVPN has 3000+ servers across 160 locations in 94 countries, giving you a bigger boost than NordVPN to unblock content in Qatar.

However, NordVPN has more servers, so it should enjoy less congestion on individual servers. Likewise, ExpressVPN doesn’t carry anywhere close to NordVPN’s USA servers. Still, you can unblock content across multiple server locations with ExpressVPN too.

I also don’t think the congestion would matter since ExpressVPN is highly optimized for speed and is one of the fastest VPN providers. Furthermore, it built an in-house Lightway protocol that combines industry-standard encryption and obfuscation while still delivering stellar speeds to stream content from Qatar undetected.

I’m also impressed with ExpressVPN’s obfuscation and P2P-support offer on ALL servers. Given how Ooredoo might be able to spy on your messages, these P2P servers allow you to share and receive files anonymously.

Moreover, it’s a fact Qatari ISPs will throttle your internet speeds, especially during peak usage hours, when they see you’re torrenting or heavily streaming content.

This is another area where ExpressVPN’s P2P-supported servers kick in to help you browse the web faster, torrent files securely, and defeat ISP throttling.

Like NordVPN, ExpressVPN also brings a kill switch called Network Lock. Whenever your VPN connection drops, the Network Lock keeps your devices from transmitting to the internet, so your online activity remains anonymous to the government.

Finally, ExpressVPN is one of the most trusted no-logs policy vendors.

For one, it’s been independently audited by both Cure53 and PwC.

On the other hand, some of their Turkish servers were once seized by authorities who found nothing on those servers, lending further credence to their claims.

However, you’ll have to shell out extra funds to get everything ExpressVPN offers, especially compared to NordVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, and PureVPN.

Luckily, the reliability, robust security features, and privacy protection make it all worth the price.

Additionally, you can try ExpressVPN risk-free, given its 30-day money-back guarantee for first-timers.

CyberGhost’s most significant selling point is that it’s the only VPN on this list with Qatar servers. In fact, it has 14 servers in Qatar, so you can choose/connect to any without worrying about overloading.

However, I’m concerned that all Qatar servers don’t offer P2P support yet, and they’re located in a single city.

Thus, bringing down the internet in that city could shut down the servers.

Looking beyond that, I’m impressed that CyberGhost has 7900+ other servers in 91 countries. This is closer to the country count on ExpressVPN and way more than what NordVPN offers.

Thus, you can access more areas to unblock online services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Omegle.

You’ll also appreciate CyberGhost’s smart purpose servers that automatically connect you to the best location to unblock content (and on specific platforms), download faster, or use the web securely.

Only PureVPN has a similar setup, giving both VPNs an edge.

When comparing NordVPN or any other provider on this list, CyberGhost doesn’t offer obfuscated servers at all.

This is a little strange, given how vital this tunneling protocol is for bypassing some of the toughest censorships in Qatar.

Fortunately, it remedies that a little by offering an automatic kill switch across mobile devices, PC units, gaming consoles, streaming devices, and smart units.

It also offers up to 7 simultaneous connections, which is more than both providers on this list.

Although CyberGhost is yet to be audited, it also promises a no-data logging policy. I’m convinced since the company is based in Romania, well out of the Fourteen Eyes jurisdiction and not in any known data-sharing arrangement with Qatar.

Being the only VPN with Qatar remote server locations and having the most extensive server library so far, I’m impressed that CyberGhost keeps its plans affordable.

In fact, you get to test the VPN for up to 45 days risk-free, which is the highest among all the providers I tried.

Still, check these discount deals to save more.

PureVPN has a vast reach of 6500+ servers in 78+ countries.

The majority of these are in the Americas and Europe, where you get access to most of the free internet. I don’t see a better way to bypass censorship.

Playing second only to CyberGhost in terms of server count on this list, I was surprised that there aren’t any Qatar servers on PureVPN yet. However, it offers servers in Dubai (of the UAE) which is as close as you may get if you’re looking for local servers.

However, unlike CyberGhost, PureVPN offers obfuscation under “Quantum Resistant” servers. Just beside that are its P2P servers which ensure faster speeds on secure networks, allowing you to bypass Qatar ISP throttling while sharing files securely.

Suppose you need to download large files, share any file securely, or torrent successfully from Qatar. In that case, these P2P servers will come in handy.

If that’s not enough, PureVPN’s kill switch ensures you never have to worry about IP, DNS, or Web RTC leaks.

Once enabled, you can surf the web successfully without Ooredoo, Vodafone, or other local internet service providers finding out what you’re doing online, even if your VPN connection drops.

Overall, speed and server ping transparency are things I love about PureVPN.

If you don’t want the service to automatically assign a server to you, you can check the ping values on all the servers.

I find this helpful in choosing the best server manually from a location (such as the US, Germany, UK, etc.) with multiple servers.

Besides knowing how fast a server is before connecting, PureVPN’s no-logs claims have been audited and validated by KPMG.

Additionally, PureVPN is the only VPN provider with an “Always-On Audit,” which means KPMG can perform a surprise audit anytime.

This shows that the VPN provider will always be at the top of its game to ensure it never fails an audit. So, you can rest assured it won’t have any user data on you to hand over to Qatar police if they ever go calling at PureVPN’s offices.

There’s more.

Suppose you’ve been having issues with your VoIP services like WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Snapchat, Skype, and the likes in Qatar. In that case, PureVPN has specific VoIP-optimised servers to unblock access.

This is something I didn’t see with the rest of the VPN providers.

Plus, whether you’re on the Quantum Resistant servers, VoIP-optimised servers, standard remote servers, or P2P servers, you get the same AES 256-bit encryption protection.

This advanced tunneling tactic is a failsafe against anyone seeing your internet traffic, even if you’re on public Wi-Fi connections.

For all these goodies, PureVPN is one of the best-priced VPN providers.

It even allows you to have up to 10 simultaneous connections on a single subscription.

But you can still save more with exclusive PureVPN deals if you get started today.

Surfshark’s modest library of 3200+ servers in 65+ countries, combined with support for obfuscation and P2P-friendly servers, earns it the final slot on this list.

Again, unlike CyberGhost, you won’t have much luck if you’re looking for a Qatar-based server. Luckily, Surfshark has servers in the United Arab Emirates. They’re close to Qatar, which might get you the same local content.

That said, obfuscation is serious business with Surfshark.

It even designated a Camouflage Mode that’s automatically enabled whenever you use OpenVPN protocols.

Anytime you surf the web in Camouflage Mode, your ISP or government won’t know you’re masking your traffic behind a VPN.

Additionally, Surfshark includes an automatic NoBorders mode which triggers to assign you the best server once it encounters geo-restricted content.

In a region like Qatar, NoBorders Mode means you can surf every part of the internet without manually disconnecting and reconnecting to the best server.

That’s not everything Surfshark does automatically, though.

Enabling the internet kill switch on Surfshark safeguards your identity and internet activity whenever the VPN connection drops.

Once the VPN gets connected again, your internet connection is also restored, meaning no IP or DNS data was leaked to Ooredoo/Vodafone.

On top of that, Surfshark provides P2P-supported servers for faster file sharing, improved speeds, and enhanced security.

Unlike ExpressVPN, though, not all Surfshark servers are P2P-supported. Surfshark also doesn’t support seeding.

Moving on, Surfshark maintains at least 1Gbps speed on every server and optimizes them for up to 10Gbps speed.

These ultra-fast speeds mean that even the slowest servers are still plenty fast. That’s important for moving away from the light protocols and going into Camouflage Mode, which will impact your internet speeds.

However, perhaps the biggest concern with Surfshark is that it’s based in the Netherlands.

On the one hand, the Netherlands is one of the Fourteen Eyes countries sharing intelligence. Even though Qatar isn’t on that list, the Netherlands still has a healthy relationship with Qatar beyond the oil and gas industry.

Fortunately, Surfshark has been audited for its no-logs policy by Cure53. Likewise, the Netherlands doesn’t have robust data retention laws, so it’s less likely they’ll go after the VPN provider anytime soon.

Now, the best part of Surfshark, besides all these premium features, is that it allows unlimited simultaneous connections.

There is no catch either, as the VPN service gives you unlimited bandwidth on all connected units.

It gets better. With these fantastic Surfshark discounts, you can save even more on your initial subscriptions.