VPN for Malaysian remote workers — what's worth paying for?
by Suki Cheah·May 24, 2026
As someone who works with clients in multiple countries and occasionally needs to access geo-restricted tools, I've tried a few. Here's the practical breakdown.
What a VPN actually helps with for remote workers:
- Accessing tools or services that are geo-restricted to certain regions
- Securing traffic on public WiFi (co-working spaces, cafes)
- Privacy from your ISP (debatable how much this matters for most people)
What it doesn't help with:
- Making you anonymous online (this is a misconception)
- Bypassing company monitoring tools on company devices
Services I've used:
- Mullvad: privacy-focused, no logs, flat RM22/month equivalent. Best for privacy.
- ProtonVPN: free tier is actually usable. Paid is solid.
- ExpressVPN: fast, good for streaming, but more expensive and the privacy story is less strong
For Malaysian users specifically: If you're just trying to access a US service that's geo-blocked, most paid VPNs work fine. If privacy is the actual concern, Mullvad or ProtonVPN are the honest recommendations.