While the primary purpose of any VPN is to protect privacy and security, more than one-fifth of users access entertainment content with this type of service. Whether it’s because you don’t want to miss out on your favorite show while traveling, or you want to find coverage of sporting events overseas, only the best VPN for streaming will do. Luckily, we ranked the top platforms in the industry to help you in your search.
This VPN provider, which first started out in 2012, has come a long way, managing more than 5,000 servers in about 60 countries. They use the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard, which is the norm for the best VPN services.
Price: Starting at $11.96/month
Billing options: Monthly, Annually
Free trial: No
ExpressVPN is a simple yet efficient VPN with over 3,000 servers in 94 countries, excellent privacy, up to five VPN simultaneous connections, no-logging policy, and excellent streaming efficiency, making it difficult to find any real flaws with this service.
Price: Starting at $12.95/month
Billing options: Monthly, Annually
Free trial: No
Founded in 2018, Surfshark has quickly become one of the leading brands in the VPN industry, securing over 2.4 million users in over 100 countries. It boasts incredibly affordable packages, top-notch security, and unlimited simultaneous connections.
Price: Starting from $12.95/month
Billing options: Monthly, Annually
Free trial: Yes
CyberGhost boasts 6,000+ servers in 90 countries. The service is compatible with a wide range of devices, and you don't even need an email address or a password to get started — they'll simply generate an account for you.
Price: Starting at $11.99/month
Billing options: Monthly, Annually
Free trial: Yes
Private VPN is a growing provider that offers top-notch performance and a long list of incredible security features that will keep you safe online. While it has a relatively small server network, it has been a go-to name for VPN streaming thanks to its fast speeds and reliability.
Price: Starting at $8.99/month
Billing options: Monthly, Annually
Free trial: No
With its Chameleon™ technology and commitment to user’s privacy, VyprVPN is regarded as an excellent VPN for streaming. It’s affordable, fast, has plenty of superb features, and easily bypasses geo-restrictions.
Price: $6.47/month
Billing options: Monthly, Annually
Free trial: No
With over 6,500 servers in 140 countries and robust security features, PureVPN is a great VPN for streaming. It’s fast, secure, and offers hassle-free access to all the major streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, or ESPN.
Price: $10.95/month
Billing options: Monthly, Annually
Free trial: Yes
When choosing the right VPN for video streaming, keep in mind that not just any VPN would suffice; you’ll need one that is strong enough to circumvent all of the major streaming providers’ firewalls. Luckily, we’ve done all the hard work for you. By following our strict criteria, we tested many VPN services and went through even more user feedback to ensure that you can stream your favorite movies and TV shows from anywhere in the world. Read on to see what we took into consideration.
Connection speed is one of the major, if not the most important, factors you need to consider when choosing a VPN for streaming purposes, and that’s why we started with it. Although most of the VPNs will slightly decrease your speed, the ones that are regarded as the best streaming VPN platforms usually utilize technologies and techniques that will minimize speed loss to the point where it is barely noticeable.
At the most basic level, choosing a VPN with a large number of servers means you’ll have a greater chance of finding one with a fast and reliable connection. But it’s just as important that servers are distributed across many locations. Ideally, you’d want a VPN with servers equally distributed across the globe. As streaming sites offer different libraries for each country, the better they’re spread out, the more streaming options you’ll have.
For most people looking for the best VPN for streaming movies or TV shows, it all comes down to how good the service is at unblocking geo-restricted content and overcoming streaming hurdles. While Netflix is the most widely used streaming platform, there are plenty of other high-quality streaming media services for those that aren’t necessarily a Netflix fan or just prefer to watch movies on more than a single platform. That’s why we made sure to list those VPNs that can unblock a wide range of sites, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney +, HBO Max, and others.
Whether you’re using a VPN for streaming movies, gaming, or torrenting, the most important thing to remember is that security is paramount. In addition to the service’s streaming capabilities, encryption and security protocols should be considered as well. These features go a long way toward ensuring that you have a trouble-free streaming experience, which is why the VPNs we’ve listed utilize the highest standard of encryption, a wide range of security protocols, as well as a DNS and leak protection.
It goes without saying that the best VPN for streaming video should have 24/7 live chat support that’s knowledgeable and happy to assist you. This aspect of VPN is often overlooked, however, it’s good to know that if you run into a technical glitch or aren’t sure which server works best for streaming, you’ll get a response in a few minutes and quickly resolve the issue.
While you usually get what you pay for in the tech industry, the most expensive product does not necessarily equal the best value. There are plenty of low-cost VPN services that provide fantastic value for their features. As prices vary significantly across the industry, we searched for providers that offer good value for money, annual or biennial subscription discounts, as well as free trials and a money-back guarantee.
NordVPN boasts over 5,000 servers in 59 countries, and the fact that its SmartPlay feature is specifically designed to circumvent geo-blocks is the cherry on top. In addition to that, it is one of the fastest VPNs in the industry, so your streaming experience will certainly be buffer-free.
NordVPN’s security and privacy are almost identical to those of other top-tier VPNs. It offers the AES-256 encryption, OpenVPN UDP/TCP and IKEv2/IPSec protocols, kill switch, and split tunneling. What makes it the best VPN for streaming movies and video is its unbeatable capabilities. NordVPN has developed a feature called SmartPlay that combines DNS and VPN technology to help you bypass geo-blocks while keeping you safe. Despite Netflix’s constant attempts to block VPN users, NordVPN easily bypasses the service and actively assists its users in accessing Netflix content. For all the fans of video game live streams, esports competitions, and music broadcasts — we’re here to tell you that NordVPN is the best VPN for Twitch streaming. The service can further access Hulu, HBO Go, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and ESPN.
NordVPN is quite expensive, especially if you intend to use this VPN for streaming only; however, it does deliver on its promises and provides excellent value for money. While this might not be a huge drawback, the fact that it does not provide split tunneling features for Mac and iOS users can be considered a flaw.
To get the most out of your money, we’d recommend subscribing to a long-term plan. NordVPN is priced at $11.95/month, $4.92/month for the annual plan, and $3.71/month for the biennial.
One of the vendor’s greatest strengths is its customer service. NordVPN offers a live chat and ticketing system available 24/7. Their support is polite, friendly, and knowledgeable. You can also use their chatbot for simple questions or issues that don’t require a live agent’s assistance.
Based in the British Virgin Islands, with over 3,000 servers in 160 locations, excellent speed, and unblocking capabilities, it’s easy to see how this service secured its spot on our best VPN for video streaming list. It’s easy to use and will keep you secure at all times.
ExpressVPN has been the talk of the town for the past few years. It is the fastest VPN for streaming thanks to its high speeds and advanced protocol, Lightway. To ensure a buff- and lag-free streaming experience, it utilizes the Smart Location feature, which connects you to the fastest server possible by measuring latency, speed, and distance. Its ability to easily unlock over 30 Netflix libraries, as well as Amazon Prime Video, Disney +, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Go makes it the best VPN for streaming video content. What’s even better is you’ll always have a solid, stable connection for binge-watching your favorite TV shows.ExpressVPN is also arguably the best VPN for Firestick streaming as it works well with Kodi, a popular media player commonly used with Firestick. The service is known for its high-quality apps, Amazon Fire TV, and Fire TV Stick, which allow you to stream privately and access plenty of international libraries.
While it is undoubtedly one of the best streaming VPN services, we found the vendor’s pricing plans are a tad more expensive than those of other vendors. It does not offer a free version or a free trial, but it does have a 30-day money-back guarantee if you want to try out the service.
It could also offer a higher number of simultaneous connections and a built-in ad blocker to eliminate intrusive advertising.
ExpressVPN has above-average prices; however, with this service, you get what you pay for. It offers three pricing plans, all with the same premium features. The monthly plan costs $12.95/month, the 6-month plan is $9.99/month, and the 15-month plan will set you back a monthly $6.6. While the vendor does not offer a free trial, you can take advantage of their refund policy and try out the service before committing.
While ExpressVPN excels at unblocking streaming platforms, it is not always clear which servers to connect to for the best experience. The best streaming VPN should have strong customer support that won’t leave their customers waiting for more than a few minutes for an answer. Luckily, ExpressVPN’s 24/7 live chat service will answer your inquiries right away. Their professional staff is friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. In addition to the live chat option, you can also submit a ticket on their website. If you don’t want to speak to an agent, the vendor offers multiple support options such as FAQ section, configuration guides, and video tutorials.
SurfShark is a software praised by many users worldwide for its excellent streaming capabilities.
Thanks to its 3,200+ server network and a WireGuard protocol, users can enjoy accessing a wide range of streaming platforms in high-definition. On top of that, the vendor offers unlimited simultaneous connections which further secured its spot as one of the best streaming VPN services on our list.
SurfShark is a perfect VPN for video streaming as it uses the WireGuard protocol, which allows you to enjoy extra fast speeds while streaming content online. The service can access all the popular Netflix libraries, including the US, Germany, Australia, Japan, France, and Canada. If it is unable to connect you to the library that corresponds to the server you’re connected to, it will redirect you to US Netflix. SurfShark can also access other popular streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, ITV Hub, All 4, ESPN +, HBO, and Sky. In addition to the features above, the vendor offers unlimited simultaneous connections, which makes it one of the best streaming VPN services, especially if you live in a large household and want to connect every device to a VPN.
We found that SurfShark has trouble accessing Youtube TV, DAZN, and Hotstar, but other than that, it has no other streaming shortcomings.
The vendor does not offer phone support, which might come in handy if you’re having a problem and need to communicate it to their staff quickly; however, not many VPN providers do, so we don’t consider this a major drawback.
While the vendor’s monthly plan is on the pricey side, its multi-year packages are among the most affordable ones on the market. The monthly subscription costs $12.95/month, the six-month subscription is $6.49/month, and a two-year subscription will set you back $2.49/month. With the discounts offered on longer subscriptions, the service becomes more affordable, which seems to be standard for the best VPN for streaming services.
If you want to take the service for a test drive first, SurfShark offers a free trial for Android, macOS, or iOS. You can download the app from Google Play or Apple App Store and sign up for a free 7-day trial.
As all top-tier VPNs, SurfShark offers a 24/7 live chat, ticketing system, and email support options. The vendor’s customer service is polite, friendly, and will happily assist you. The vendor further offers an extensive Help Center with explanations of features, videos, setup and installation guides, and an FAQ section.
This Romanian-based provider is often mentioned on lists for the best VPN for video streaming, which is no surprise given its outstanding streaming capabilities. It boasts over 6,000 servers across 90 countries, has optimized servers designed for accessing geo-restricted content, and its speeds are second to none.
Since our main criterion was the ability to circumvent geo-restricted content, CyberGhost has made an unbeatable score on that front. It has specially optimized servers for unblocking Netflix, BBC iPlayer, HBO, and others. They’re all clearly labeled and can be found in the “For Streaming” menu. Most of these streaming servers change their IP addresses daily to avoid being blocked by platforms like Netflix and Hulu.CyberGhost is further considered as the best VPN for streaming Kodi, and for a reason. It can easily unblock all your favorite addons so you can enjoy streaming in HD without any lag.
For those who do not live in countries with internet censorship, CyberGhost is an excellent option; however, we still believe that the best VPN for streaming should include obfuscated servers. CyberGhost has servers that can access Chinese websites, however, you cannot use the app in China or any other heavily censored country. China is notorious for blocking VPNs that are not regulated by the government, and this one cannot pass through their firewall.
Pricing plays a huge role in the process of deciding on the right VPN. After all, the best VPN for streaming is the one within your budget. While CyberGhost’s subscriptions are on the pricey side, the vendor offers a 14-day trial to try out the premium features. You can get a monthly subscription for $12.99/month, a one-year subscription for $3.99/month, and a two-year subscription for $3.49/month. Finally, for those willing to commit to their three-year plan, the vendor drops its monthly fee to a whopping $2.75/month.
CyberGhost, like all the vendors on our best VPN for streaming list, offers a 24/7 live chat feature. Its staff is well-informed and will happily assist you at any moment. You may also look for help by going through the knowledgebase that contains guides for common issues that users encounter, or you can use the site’s ticketing system, which has a pretty fast response time. Overall, the vendor offers outstanding customer service, and with all the options available, you’ll quickly find a solution to your problem.
If price is on the top of your priority list, we’re here to tell you that PrivateVPN is far more economical than the competition, which helped the service earn a spot on our list of the best VPN for streaming TV and movies. This budget-friendly service is simple but high-performing, and despite having a relatively small server network, it does a decent job at providing global coverage.
PrivateVPN goes above and beyond to be as user-friendly as possible by labeling servers that are able to access specific streaming platforms. It provides designated servers for Netflix streaming in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Peru. While some regular servers might not get around the platform’s firewall, the designated servers all perform admirably. Besides Netflix, PrivateVPN can easily access Hulu, ABC, BBCiPlayer, Disney +, and Amazon Prime as well.The service further boasts impressive speeds, ensuring an enjoyable streaming experience with no buffering. Its low prices and high-quality service make it one of the best streaming VPN alternatives.
While PrivateVPN is highly praised for its simplicity and excellent streaming capabilities, its server network pales compared to other top VPNs. Large server networks are a must nowadays, as 27% of users state that they use VPN for video streaming purposes.
The vendor, on the other hand, is actively working on expanding its network, and we hope that it will grow considerably in the future.
PrivateVPN is one of the cheapest VPNs around. The vendor offers a seven-day free trial on all apps, and it doesn’t require any payment info to try out the service. You can choose between three different PrivateVPN plans priced as following:
The vendor offers several ways to contact their support team, including live chat, a ticketing system, and online resources that users can easily find on their website. While their customer support is friendly and knowledgeable, the live chat feature is not available 24/7, which some may consider a significant disadvantage for a service vying for the title of the best VPN for video streaming.
VyprVPN has been around for a while and has earned a reputation for being a trustworthy and reliable service that prioritizes consumer privacy. It boasts excellent security and streaming features, and on top of that, it is the world’s first publicly audited No Log VPN provider.
When it comes to streaming, VyprVPN is a great choice. With over 700 servers in 70 countries and impressive speeds, the service easily gets around geo-restrictions and provides access to all the major streaming platforms. What makes VyprVPN a contender for the best VPN for streaming movies, TV, etc., is its patented Chameleon™ technology. It allows you to choose between OpenVPN, WireGuard, and L2TP/IPsec protocols, as well as the special ChameleonTM protocol. ChameleonTM has all of the security features of OpenVPN, plus metadata scrambling to avoid DPI, VPN blocking, and throttling. This makes it helpful in circumventing bans in censored areas like China.
We found that the service has trouble accessing BBC iPlayer, DAZN, Eurosport, RTL, and Pro 7, so for those looking for a VPN for TV streaming, in particular, VyprVPN might not be the best option available. Another thing VyprVPN could include in its offer is an anonymous payment option.
VyprVPN offers three different pricing plans, all backed up with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The two-month plan is $6.47/month, the 18-month plan is $2.50/month, and for those willing to commit to a 36-month plan, the vendor drops its price to $1.67/month with the first 12 months for free. This service certainly deserves a spot on our best VPN for streaming list.
The vendor supports the following payment methods: credit cards, Alipay, Amazon Pay, SEPA, and PayPal.
There are several ways to get in touch with the vendor’s customer support. Like all premium VPNs, VyprVPN offers a 24/7 live chat feature.
You can also use their email or ticketing system, or if you don’t need assistance from a real agent, you can always browse their knowledgebase, which is available in English, Spanish, German, French, and Chinese.
With over 6,500 servers in more than 180 countries, PureVPN is a great choice for streaming. Its worldwide presence is crucial as your speed partially depends on your distance to the server. The service is easy to use, operates outside of international surveillance alliances, and abides by its strict no-logging policy, which makes it one of the best, if not the best VPN for streaming if privacy is a top priority for you.
PureVPN boasts over 6,500 servers spread across six continents in over 180 countries. Some of these are virtual servers, denoted by a ‘V’ on PureVPN’s server locations list. The company owns all of the other physical servers. The 300,000+ IP addresses are what impressed us the most — it’s one of the highest numbers we’ve seen, and it significantly decreases the change of server congestion, ensuring fast VPN speeds.
The service is compatible with seven Netflix libraries, including Australia, France, the US, Japan, Canada, UK, and Germany. PureVPN’s “Stream Mode” further unblocks over 20 listed TV streaming services and channels using optimized VPN servers, such as BBC iPlayer, Sky TV, Hulu, ESPN, and others.
We discovered that, despite claiming to be a “zero logs” VPN service, PureVPN has a shady history of customer data exposure. While it is a great VPN streaming option, it may not be the best option for you if you’re looking for a VPN to protect your anonymityAnother thing we didn’t like is the vendor’s customer support. Based on hundreds of user reviews that we’ve read, the provider doesn’t deliver the quality of customer support that’s expected from the best VPN for streaming.
PureVPN is reasonably priced with significant discounts on long-term subscriptions. There are three price packages to choose from — monthly, 6-monthly, and yearly. The most expensive deal is a monthly subscription at $10.95, but if you opt for the two-year plan, the price drops by a whopping 70%.
PureVPN also recently unveiled a $0.99 seven-day trial to give the service a chance before subscribing. If you don’t want to pay the trial, PureVPN is still risk-free for 31 days thanks to its money-back guarantee.
The vendor offers industry standard when it comes to customer support — 24/7 live chat feature, email support, and FAQ section. While the 24/7 live chat feature is a must for the best VPN for streaming video , users report they’ve received misleading or vague responses at first, only to get a more helpful response later.
The website’s Support Center, however, is very extensive, with many FAQs, troubleshooting tips, and manual configuration guides for a variety of devices.
Most European countries, as well as the UK and the US, permit the use of VPNs to access various international content libraries. Some may confuse bypassing geo-restrictions for piracy, but VPN is there to circumvent geoblocks — you still need pay for the platform you’re using.
VPN is the most widely used tool for bypassing geo-restrictions, however, it is not the only one. You can use a Smart DNS, proxy service, or Tor — a free service that hides your IP address whenever you send or request data on the Internet.
While using the free VPN is generally a bad idea as they tend to come riddled with data limits and bandwidth restrictions, our best VPN for streaming list includes a free option, as well as other budget-friendly alternatives for those who are strapped for cash.
