What is split tunneling on a VPN?

It lets some traffic use the VPN tunnel while other traffic stays on your normal connection. That is useful for local banking, a work tool that expects your home address, or domestic sites that misbehave on a foreign exit.

Which split-tunnel rules does BetterVPN support?

Per-country (exclude a region), per-app (choose which apps use the tunnel), and per-website or per-IP rules. Configure them in the app while you are connected.

Split Tunneling: Per-Country, Per-App, Per-Site

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What split tunneling is for

A full-tunnel VPN sends all of a device's internet traffic through BetterVPN. That is the simple default. Split tunneling is for cases where some traffic should stay on your normal IP: local banking, a work tool that expects your home address, or domestic sites that misbehave on a foreign exit.

BetterVPN offers three rule types: per-country, per-app, and per-website or per-IP. They work alongside encryption and the kill switch, not instead of them.

Per-country rules

Exclude an entire region from the tunnel so local banking, government portals, and other domestic services can keep using your normal IP, while everything else goes through the VPN.

Per-app rules

Pick exactly which apps go through the VPN. A common pattern is a banking app on your local IP, a browser through the VPN, and a work app left untouched, all at the same time.

Your device's operating system enforces these rules, so apps can't ignore them.

Per-website and per-IP rules

Send a single domain or a single IP through (or around) the tunnel. That is granular enough to keep one work tool reachable from your home IP while everything else exits via a different country.

Split tunneling vs the kill switch

The kill switch is about what happens if the VPN tunnel drops: it can block device traffic so apps do not silently fall back to your real IP. Split tunneling is about which traffic uses the tunnel while you are connected. Configure them separately in the app.

How to use it

Install BetterVPN, sign in, and connect. Split-tunnel rules live in the app. Start with per-country if you only need local sites on your normal IP, per-app if one program should stay local, or a per-site / per-IP rule if you only need one destination excepted.

If a site or app still uses the wrong path, check that the rule matches the real destination (some apps use several domains) and that you are still connected. The Help center has the split-tunneling FAQ and a way to contact support.

Help FAQ

Short answers from the BetterVPN help center. Open the full FAQ if you need billing, downloads, or troubleshooting.

Can I choose which traffic uses the VPN and which does not?: Yes. Split-tunnel rules let you exclude an entire region from the tunnel, or exclude specific websites and IP addresses, so local and domestic sites can use your normal connection while other traffic uses the VPN.
What is split tunneling on BetterVPN?: Split tunneling lets you send some traffic through the VPN and leave other traffic on your normal connection. BetterVPN supports excluding a region, choosing which apps use the tunnel, and pinning a website or IP through or around the VPN. That is useful for local banking apps, work tools, or sites that expect your home IP.

Common questions

What is split tunneling on a VPN?: It lets some traffic use the VPN tunnel while other traffic stays on your normal connection. That is useful for local banking, a work tool that expects your home address, or domestic sites that misbehave on a foreign exit.
Which split-tunnel rules does BetterVPN support?: Per-country (exclude a region), per-app (choose which apps use the tunnel), and per-website or per-IP rules. Configure them in the app while you are connected.
Is split tunneling the same as a kill switch?: No. The kill switch is about what happens if the tunnel drops. Split tunneling is about which traffic uses the tunnel while you are connected. Configure them separately.