Split-tunneling is a feature that allows you to pick and choose which websites connect through the protected VPN service and which ones you want to bypass the VPN and connect via your own IP address.

Websites often desire to block VPN users by trying to detect the VPN servers they’re using. One way they do that is by detecting whether a lot of different people are using the same server to access their website, which means using the same IP address.

You can do something called split tunnelling by designating certain websites to not connect through the VPN, which means that while you forego the VPN’s protection on these websites, the websites won’t block you from accessing them.

your options for split tunneling

Mullvad VPN and Surfshark both enable split-tunneling on Macs, Windows PCs, and Androids. Surfshark has some very limited split tunneling integration for iOS called Bypasser. Apple locks down its operating systems, especially iOS, and so developers don’t often have the level of access needed to make it worthwhile to develop apps for them.

When it comes to desiring split tunneling support on an Apple product, your options are therefore limited. Luckily for all of us, Mullvad VPN and Surfshark are both solid choices and among the VPNs I recommend for their stability, speed, features, transparency, security, and trustworthiness.

Breathless after reading that? Me too. But then again, I don’t recommend security and privacy software lightly.

NordVPN, my overall favorite VPN, has split tunneling support for Windows PCs and Android devices, but not for Macs or iOS. Same case for Proton VPN, another favorite of mine and what I consider to be the best free VPN, although you have to subscribe to one of their paid tiers to get split tunneling.

Split tunneling isn’t a necessity for a good VPN, but it’s a nice feature to have if you tire of pausing and unpausing your VPN connection to access certain websites on a frequent basis.