What Websites Are Blocked in China? The Ultimate 2026 Resource List

Planning a trip to China in 2026 or setting up as an expat? One of the most immediate challenges is the internet. The 'Great Firewall of China' (GFW) actively blocks thousands of the world's most popular websites and applications, from Google and Gmail to social media like Instagram and professional tools like Slack. This isn't just an inconvenience; it can sever your connection to work, family, and essential information.

This guide tackles the question, 'what websites are blocked in China?' head-on. We'll provide a comprehensive, categorized breakdown of major blocked services, explaining the impact on daily life and work. More importantly, we'll shift from just listing problems to providing actionable solutions. This resource details the tools you can use to check a website's status in real-time, complete with direct links and screenshots for clarity.

Forget outdated advice and unreliable methods. This is your up-to-date playbook for staying connected safely and legally. Whether you're a traveler needing Google Maps, an expat who relies on WhatsApp, or a business professional dependent on cloud services, you'll find the answers here. We will explore modern, reliable strategies for accessing the global internet from within China, ensuring you have the information you need before you even land. Let's get straight to the list of tools and resources you need to understand and prepare for China's unique online environment.

1. Overwall

For travelers, expats, and international business teams requiring consistently fast and reliable access to the global internet from China, Overwall presents a compelling, high-performance solution. It stands apart from traditional VPNs by employing a fundamentally different architecture. Instead of routing traffic through the often-congested public internet where it can be throttled or blocked, Overwall uses a private, dedicated "submarine cable" route. This method ensures traffic appears normal to the Great Firewall, effectively avoiding detection and the performance issues common with standard VPNs.

The primary advantage is its exceptional speed and stability. Independent tests conducted in Shanghai confirm consistent performance between 100–300 Mbps, even during peak internet usage hours when VPNs typically slow to a crawl. This makes it an ideal tool for professionals who depend on high-bandwidth applications like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, developers needing access to global repositories, or anyone who wants a smooth, buffer-free experience on YouTube and Netflix. The service unblocks the full Google suite, ChatGPT, Claude, Slack, WhatsApp, and other critical productivity and communication platforms the moment you connect.

Key Features & User Experience

Setting up Overwall is designed for speed and simplicity. After selecting a plan, you download the application for your device (macOS, Windows, iOS, or Android) and connect with a single tap. The entire process takes less than 60 seconds.

• Blazing, Consistent Speeds: Delivers 100–300 Mbps performance, avoiding the throttling and slowdowns that affect VPNs.
• Stealth Technology: Its private network architecture is invisible to the firewall, preventing common detection and blocking issues.
• Instant Access: Immediately unblocks essential services like Google, Gmail, YouTube, ChatGPT, Slack, and Zoom.
• Simple Setup: Cross-platform apps with a one-tap connection get you online in under a minute.
• Reliable for Business: Trusted by thousands of daily users, making it a dependable choice for corporate teams.

Plans & Pricing

Overwall is structured around straightforward travel passes, making it easy to choose a plan based on the length of your stay. The pricing is transparent, and each pass includes a generous data allocation and support for two devices.

Plan	Data Allowance	Price (Approx.)
7-Day Pass	20 GB	$29 USD
14-Day Pass	40 GB	$49 USD
30-Day Pass	80 GB	$79 USD

All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, offering a risk-free way to test the service's performance.

Website: https://www.overwall.app

2. GreatFire – Blocky and Analyzer

Instead of relying on anecdotal evidence, GreatFire offers a data-driven approach to understanding China's censorship apparatus. This nonprofit project, active since 2011, provides a suite of free tools that are widely cited by international media and researchers. It has established itself as a definitive resource for tracking the status of what websites are blocked in China with methodical precision.

Its primary tool, Blocky, lets you test any URL or domain in real-time to see if it's accessible from within mainland China. The system performs live checks from various network vantage points inside the country, returning a simple "blocked" or "not blocked" status. This is incredibly useful for travelers or businesses who need a quick, immediate answer before attempting to access a critical resource.

Key Features and User Experience

GreatFire's other major component, the Analyzer, offers historical data. You can explore records on when a specific site was first blocked, its current status, and even data on which keywords are censored on search engines like Baidu. While the user interface can feel a bit technical and is geared more toward researchers, its utility is undeniable for anyone needing detailed evidence of censorship.

• Pros: Provides fast, free, and real-time pass/fail checks; Widely trusted source for academic and journalistic research.
• Cons: The testing methodology can occasionally produce false positives or negatives; The interface is more functional than user-friendly for a casual audience.

Website: https://blocky.greatfire.org/

3. Wikipedia – List of websites blocked in mainland China

For those seeking a high-level overview and historical context, the community-maintained Wikipedia page is an excellent starting point. This extensive article provides a well-organized, tabular list of notable websites that are blocked, complete with dates, categories, and referenced citations. It serves as a reliable, quick-reference guide for understanding the scope of what websites are blocked in China, especially for major international platforms like Google, whose blockage has significant implications; you can learn more about how to access Google in China for context on this issue.

Unlike real-time testers, Wikipedia’s value lies in its aggregated, historical data. The page tracks when major services were first blocked, offering a timeline of China's internet censorship policies. Its open-source, collaborative nature means it benefits from constant updates and corrections from a global community of editors who track news and reports on the Great Firewall.

Key Features and User Experience

The page is structured as a large table that can be sorted by name, domain, category, or the date the block was initiated. This makes it easy for users to quickly scan for a specific site or view all blocked news outlets, for example. The extensive citations and visible edit history provide a layer of transparency, allowing you to trace where the information came from. While not a dynamic testing tool, its user experience is straightforward for research and quick confirmation.

• Pros: Broad coverage of well-known blocks; Heavily cited with a visible edit history for transparency; Good for quick, high-level scans.
• Cons: Relies on secondary sources and is not a live testing tool; Community-edited entries can sometimes lag behind recent blocks or be disputed.

Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_websites_blocked_in_mainland_China

4. OONI Explorer (China)

For those who prefer to dig into the raw data, the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) provides an empirical, open-source platform. As a global community project, OONI collects network measurement data from volunteers to document internet censorship and traffic manipulation. Its China-specific page is an invaluable resource for researchers and technical users wanting to understand exactly what websites are blocked in China based on verifiable test results.

Instead of a simple pass-fail test, OONI's platform presents detailed measurements. You can see data points showing how access to a specific website or app was tested, from which network, and on what date. This granular view helps confirm not just if a site is blocked, but potentially how it is blocked, offering a deeper look into the technical methods used by the Great Firewall.

Key Features and User Experience

The OONI Explorer is fundamentally a data portal. The country page for China aggregates all recent test results, highlighting anomalies that point to censorship. The true power lies in its open data policy, as all raw measurements are published for independent validation and further analysis. This transparency makes it a highly credible, non-profit source for academic studies on internet freedom.

• Pros: Entirely transparent methodology with all raw data available for download; Independent, non-profit initiative focused on verifiable evidence.
• Cons: Coverage can be inconsistent as it relies on volunteer testing; Data might not reflect real-time status as tests are not continuous for every site.

Website: https://explorer.ooni.org/country/CN

5. Great Firewall Guide – China Censorship Database

While real-time checkers offer immediate answers, the Great Firewall Guide provides a curated, browsable database of blocked sites. This resource is less about on-demand testing and more about offering a comprehensive, categorized overview of what websites are blocked in China. It presents hundreds of popular international websites and services, each with a clear status, estimated block date, and notes on the specific censorship method used, such as DNS poisoning or SNI filtering.

This approach is particularly useful for pre-trip planning or for those seeking a broader understanding of the censorship landscape. The inclusion of suggested local alternatives for major blocked services (like WeChat for WhatsApp or Baidu for Google) makes it a practical tool for anyone trying to adapt to the local digital ecosystem.

Key Features and User Experience

The database shines in its user-friendly design. Entries are tagged by category (e.g., social, news, developer tools), allowing users to quickly filter for relevant services. The notes on blocking techniques and timelines offer valuable context, explaining how and when a site became inaccessible. Understanding the technical methods behind the blocks provides insight into why many common circumvention tools fail over time.

• Pros: Easy to browse with concise, category-tagged entries; Recent updates and multi-city testing notes aid context; Suggests local alternatives.
• Cons: Third-party (non-academic) site; Does not run on-demand real-time checks for user-submitted URLs.

Website: https://greatfirewallguide.com/china-censorship-database

6. WebsitePulse – China Firewall Test

Moving beyond simple block-or-pass results, WebsitePulse provides a more technical diagnostic tool for businesses and developers. As a long-standing website monitoring company, its free “Website Test behind the Great Firewall of China” tool offers a glimpse into its enterprise-grade capabilities. This service is designed not just to check accessibility but to provide clues as to why a site might be failing to load.

The tool tests your submitted URL from multiple nodes within mainland China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. This multi-location check is valuable because regional blocking can sometimes differ. It goes further than a basic check by offering detailed diagnostics, including HTTP response codes, DNS lookup information, and a full traceroute. This level of detail helps technical users understand if the block is happening at the DNS level, via a TCP reset, or due to a network routing issue within China.

Key Features and User Experience

The primary audience for WebsitePulse is technical users, like system administrators or web developers, who need to troubleshoot connectivity issues for their services in China. While anyone can use the simple form to test a URL, interpreting the results from the HTTP, DNS, and traceroute tabs requires some technical knowledge. For businesses wondering what websites are blocked in China and how it affects their own assets, these diagnostics are extremely practical. The user interface is straightforward and results are presented clearly in separate tabs.

• Pros: Provides detailed diagnostic data (traceroute, DNS) beyond a simple pass/fail; Backed by an established enterprise monitoring service.
• Cons: Primarily for one-off tests, as historical data requires a paid plan; The results can be too technical for a non-expert user to interpret.

Website: https://www.websitepulse.com/tools/china-firewall-test

7. EXPERTE.com – Internet Censorship Check (China)

For users who need a quick, no-frills answer without the complexity of historical data, EXPERTE.com offers a streamlined Internet Censorship Check. This free tool is designed with simplicity at its core, providing an immediate pass-or-fail verdict on a website's accessibility from within China. Its clean, modern interface makes it an excellent option for travelers or business professionals who need to quickly determine what websites are blocked in China before a trip.

The platform works by taking a user-submitted URL and testing its connection from servers located in mainland China. The result is a clear, color-coded indicator that instantly communicates whether the site is accessible or firewalled, removing any guesswork from the process. It's a pragmatic tool for on-demand verification without requiring any signup or technical knowledge.

Key Features and User Experience

The primary strength of EXPERTE.com's checker is its outstanding user experience. The entire process consists of pasting a URL into a single field and clicking a button. This focus on a single function makes it one of the most straightforward and fastest ways to get a real-time status check. Unlike more research-oriented platforms, it prioritizes speed and ease of use over deep technical analysis, which is perfect for the average user.

• Pros: Extremely fast and straightforward interface; No account or personal information is required to perform a check.
• Cons: Lacks detailed technical feedback on why a site is blocked; Does not offer historical data or trend analysis.

Website: https://www.experte.com/internet-censorship/china

8. ChinaFirewallTest.co – Real‑time checker

For those needing a straightforward, no-frills tool, ChinaFirewallTest.co offers a simple and direct method for checking a URL's accessibility from within China. The platform claims to operate servers inside the Great Firewall, allowing it to perform live tests on demand. This makes it a handy resource for anyone looking to quickly determine what websites are blocked in China before traveling or launching a digital project aimed at a Chinese audience.

The site’s primary function is a simple input box where you enter a URL. The system then runs a test from its Chinese servers and returns a pass or fail result. What sets it apart is its focus on stability; beyond a binary blocked or unblocked status, it sometimes provides context on why a site might be "at risk," such as reliance on third-party scripts that are themselves blocked. This can be very practical for developers and site owners.

Key Features and User Experience

The user experience is incredibly simple: paste a URL and get a result. This makes it ideal for quick, one-off checks. The platform’s added layer of analysis on stability and dependencies provides more depth than a simple reachability test. For instance, your website might be accessible, but if it depends on a blocked Google Font or Analytics script, the user experience for visitors in China could be severely degraded or broken, a detail this tool can help uncover.

• Pros: Excellent for fast, pre-travel or pre-launch checks; Offers valuable stability context beyond a simple pass/fail status.
• Cons: Provides limited transparency regarding its exact server locations or testing methodology; Not intended to be an authoritative or comprehensive blocklist.

Website: https://www.chinafirewalltest.co/

9. AccessToChina – Web page tests and guidance

Shifting from a simple blocked/unblocked verdict, AccessToChina offers a more diagnostic approach for businesses and developers. This platform is less about a static list of what websites are blocked in China and more about understanding why a specific website might be failing. It provides tools and detailed documentation to help users interpret web performance test results, distinguishing between outright blocking, slow loading, and other common performance bottlenecks.

AccessToChina's tools are designed for a technical audience aiming to optimize their web properties for the Chinese market. It educates users on how to read DNS, HTTP, and asset loading reports, moving beyond simplistic metrics like ping tests, which are often unreliable for diagnosing accessibility issues inside the Great Firewall. The guidance helps pinpoint the root cause of access problems, whether it's a blocked third-party script or poor network routing.

Key Features and User Experience

The main draw is the combination of a web testing tool with extensive interpretation guides. After running a test, the platform provides practical notes and primers on common pitfalls, allowing a webmaster to understand if a specific JavaScript library or a Google Font is causing the entire page to fail. This educational layer is what sets it apart from simple pass/fail checkers. The user experience is functional and clearly targets those with a technical background, like IT managers or web developers.

• Pros: Focuses on diagnosing root causes instead of just providing a binary result; Excellent educational materials for interpreting complex test outputs.
• Cons: Less useful for casual users wanting a quick check; Some of the deeper content is geared toward promoting their paid advisory services.

Website: https://www.accesstochina.com/information/access-to-china-papers/making-the-most-of-your-current-website-when-selling-to-china

10. AppInChina / App2China – Test Website in China

Designed for businesses and developers, AppInChina’s free tool offers a more granular perspective on accessibility. While other testers provide a simple pass/fail for the country as a whole, this service checks a website's reachability from multiple major metropolitan areas within mainland China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. This regional specificity is its key differentiator, helping publishers understand if a performance issue or block is localized or nationwide. It is a practical first step for any company exploring what websites are blocked in China before investing in localization.

Key Features and User Experience

The tool is straightforward, presenting a clean interface where you simply enter a URL and hit "Test." The results are displayed in a clear, color-coded table showing the status for each city. A crucial benefit is its ability to diagnose issues with third-party scripts. A website may load, but if it relies on a blocked resource like a Google Font or a Facebook tracking pixel, this tool can help identify that specific point of failure, which is often the cause of slow load times or broken functionality within China.

• Pros: Multi-region checks provide deeper insight than a single national test; Excellent for non-technical users and quick pre-launch screening; Helps identify blocked third-party dependencies.
• Cons: Lacks transparency into its testing infrastructure; No historical data is available to the public, limiting its use for research purposes.

Website: https://www.app2china.com/tool/test-website

11. Comparitech – “Websites blocked in China” list + live checker

Combining a high-level overview with a simple testing tool, Comparitech offers an excellent entry point for non-specialists. The site maintains a frequently updated article that lists over 140 popular websites and services, explaining their status in an easy-to-read format. It serves as a great primer for anyone just beginning to research what websites are blocked in China.

The main article is paired with a basic online checker, allowing users to input a URL and get a quick pass or fail result. While not as technically detailed as tools like GreatFire, its strength lies in its human-readable explanations and accessibility for a general audience, making it a useful first stop for travelers or casual readers.

Key Features and User Experience

Comparitech’s primary value is its clear prose and context. Instead of just raw data, it provides explanations, examples, and background information that make the complex topic of internet censorship understandable. This approach is perfect for business travelers or tourists who need a quick summary rather than a deep technical analysis. For those looking into access solutions, it is wise to explore the best VPN alternatives for China in 2026 to find more resilient options.

• Pros: Explanations are written in clear, simple language suitable for non-specialists; Serves as a useful quick overview and cross-reference.
• Cons: It is not a primary measurement source and relies on secondary research; The update cadence can vary, so critical checks should be verified with live testing tools.

Website: https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/websites-blocked-in-china/

12. GFW Report (gfw.report)

Moving beyond simple checkers, GFW Report provides a deep academic dive into the mechanics of the Great Firewall. This collaborative project brings together researchers from academia and industry to publish methodical studies and data sets. For those needing to understand the how and why behind the blocks, not just what websites are blocked in China, this resource offers unparalleled technical and policy context. It focuses on the evolving techniques and regional differences in internet filtering.

The platform is not a real-time testing tool but a repository of peer-reviewed research papers and their accompanying data. It is an essential resource for policymakers, enterprise risk analysts, and network engineers who require hard evidence and methodological rigor. The findings reveal patterns in domain-level blocking and provide context that a simple pass/fail test cannot.

Key Features and User Experience

GFW Report's core offering is its collection of publications, which detail everything from DNS manipulation to TCP packet injection. Users can access papers that dissect the very architecture of the censorship system, often complete with data sets used in the analysis. The user experience is akin to browsing an academic journal; it is dense, technical, and assumes a high level of background knowledge. The value is not in ease of use but in the quality and depth of the information provided.

• Pros: High-quality, methodical research useful for policy and enterprise reviews; Provides crucial context on block dynamics beyond single-URL checks.
• Cons: Not a consumer-friendly point-and-click tool; Papers are based on sample sets and may not provide exhaustive, real-time coverage.

Website: https://gfw.report/publications/sp25/data/paper/paper.pdf

12-Resource Comparison: Websites Blocked in China

Service	Core capability	Performance / reliability	Best for	Price & limits	Unique selling point
Overwall (Recommended)	Ultra‑fast private route to global internet from inside China	Consistent 100–300 Mbps; automatic reconnection; verified in Shanghai	Travelers, expats, teams needing full internet access	7/14/30‑day passes (~$29/$49/$79); 2 devices; data caps; 30‑day guarantee	Private “submarine” route (not a VPN) for steady, high‑speed access
GreatFire – Blocky & Analyzer	Real‑time URL checks + historical censorship data	Reliable for research; not a connectivity tool	Researchers, journalists, analysts	Free	Long‑running, cited monitoring of Great Firewall
Wikipedia – Blocked sites list	Community‑maintained list with dates & citations	Broad coverage; may lag or be disputed	Quick reference, historical context	Free	Wide coverage with edit history and sources
OONI Explorer (China)	Volunteer‑collected empirical measurements & open data	Transparent but volunteer‑dependent coverage	Independent validation, research	Free	Raw measurement datasets for independent analysis
Great Firewall Guide – Database	Curated list with blocking methods & local alternatives	Updated multi‑city notes; not on‑demand checks	Practitioners preparing services for China	Free	Notes on blocking technique (DNS, SNI) and alternatives
WebsitePulse – China Firewall Test	On‑demand reachability plus HTTP/traceroute/DNS diagnostics	Enterprise‑grade diagnostics; one‑off free tests	Web ops, monitoring teams	Free tests; paid monitoring	Deeper network diagnostics beyond simple block checks
EXPERTE.com – Censorship Check	Quick pass/fail URL checker with simple UI	Fast and lightweight; limited failure detail	Casual users, quick checks	Free	No signup, immediate results
ChinaFirewallTest.co – Real‑time checker	On‑demand URL checks with stability notes	Practical for quick checks; methodology opaque	Pre‑travel or pre‑launch checks	Free	Emphasizes stability context, not just binary block
AccessToChina – Tests & guidance	Web tests + interpretation guides and primers	Educational focus; diagnostic depth varies	Businesses diagnosing root causes	Free content; paid services	Strong guidance on interpreting DNS/HTTP/asset results
AppInChina / App2China – Test Website	Multi‑region mainland reachability checks	Useful for localization; limited transparency	App/web publishers and localizers	Free	Region‑specific checks for publisher workflows
Comparitech – List + checker	Human‑readable list + simple live checker	Good primer; not primary measurement source	Non‑specialists seeking overview	Free	Clear explanatory articles and cross‑reference list
GFW Report (gfw.report)	Academic/industry research and datasets	High‑quality, methodical studies; sample‑based	Policy makers, enterprise risk analysts	Free	Peer‑quality research on filtering techniques and regional differences

Staying Connected: Your Strategy for Dependable Internet in China

Navigating China’s internet environment requires more than just knowing what websites are blocked in China; it demands a concrete strategy for staying connected. Throughout this guide, we've detailed the extensive list of blocked services, from social media and news outlets to essential business tools like Google Workspace and Slack. We also explored a dozen different checkers, from GreatFire’s analyzers to Comparitech's live test, each confirming the broad and dynamic nature of the Great Firewall (GFW). While these tools are excellent for verifying a block, they don't solve the core problem: securing reliable access.

The central takeaway is that the GFW is not a static list of banned sites but an active, intelligent system designed to filter, throttle, and block traffic it identifies as circumvention. This is why traditional VPNs, once the go-to solution, now deliver a frustratingly inconsistent experience. Their shared servers and common protocols are easily flagged, resulting in slow speeds, connection drops, and a constant cat-and-mouse game of finding a server that works, even if only for a few hours.

Moving Beyond Checkers: Choosing Your Access Solution

For anyone whose productivity, business operations, or simple peace of mind depends on unfettered internet, relying on a standard VPN is a significant gamble. Your focus should shift from merely checking block lists to implementing a robust, purpose-built access solution. Your choice depends heavily on your specific needs.

• For the Business Traveler or Remote Worker: Your priority is stability and speed. You cannot afford to miss a critical video call, lose access to cloud documents, or be unable to push code to a GitHub repository. A solution designed for China, which masks its traffic and uses private infrastructure, is essential.
• For the Long-Term Expat: Consistency is key. You need a set-it-and-forget-it service that works reliably day-in and day-out for everything from streaming Netflix to calling family on WhatsApp. You'll want a service with dedicated apps for all your devices, including your phone, laptop, and even your smart TV.
• For the Short-Term Tourist: While your needs may seem less critical, having reliable access to Google Maps, your hotel booking app, and your airline’s website can prevent major travel headaches. A dependable service ensures your trip goes smoothly without the constant stress of internet blackouts.

Your Pre-Travel Implementation Checklist

Preparation is the most critical factor for success. The GFW effectively blocks access to the websites of most circumvention tool providers, making it nearly impossible to download and subscribe to a service once you are in the country. Before your departure, your plan of action should be clear.

1. Research and Select: Choose a service engineered specifically to bypass the GFW, prioritizing those with dedicated infrastructure over standard VPNs.
2. Subscribe and Pay: Complete the sign-up and payment process while you still have unrestricted internet access.
3. Download and Install: Install the provider’s applications on all your devices - your laptop, your smartphone, and your tablet.
4. Test and Verify: Log in to the application before you leave to ensure your account is active and you understand how to connect.

By following these steps, you arm yourself with a dependable connection from the moment you land. You bypass the initial struggle that catches so many travelers off guard, allowing you to step off the plane, connect to the airport Wi-Fi, activate your service, and immediately access the global internet. This foresight transforms a potentially isolating digital experience into a seamless and productive one, ensuring the Great Firewall remains an obstacle for others, but not for you.

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Instead of playing a daily guessing game with standard VPNs, equip yourself with a tool built to win. Overwall provides a stable, high-speed connection by using a private network designed to be invisible to the Great Firewall, solving the root cause of what makes other tools fail in China. Secure your access before you travel and experience the internet as it should be, without blocks or interruptions.