Want to get more from Plex? A VPN can help! In this guide we look at the best Plex VPNs and look at the reasons why you should consider using one.
The Best VPNs to use with Plex at a glance
Below you can take a quick glance at our expertly chosen VPNs for Plex. If you want more details to help you pick, simply scroll down for in-depth summaries.
- ExpressVPN - The #1 VPN for Plex. Offers servers everywhere, impressive speeds for streaming in HD, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- NordVPN - The best value-for-money Plex VPN. It easily bypasses geo-restrictions, it's super fast, and offers customizable privacy features.
- Surfshark - An all-around VPN for Plex. With unlimited simultaneous connections, you can cover all your Plex streaming devices and more!
- Private Internet Access - The most secure VPN for Plex. Offers a proven no-logs policy and well-implemented encryption for top-notch performance.
- CyberGhost VPN - A beginner-friendly VPN for Plex. It offers great apps and dedicated servers that make streaming and unblocking easy and quick.
Get ExpressVPN the best VPN to use with Plex
Plex is best known as the media player that lets you stream your own content to a variety of devices, but has since expanded its operation to become an all-in-one solution, bringing together a selection of free and ad-supported music, podcasts, movies, TV, and live TV, as well as on-demand services via plugins.
This is great for most people, but if the content you’re looking for isn’t available in your region, then Plex’s convenience means very little. Fortunately, connecting to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an easy solution to unblock different content libraries from around the world.
Before we recommend any VPN for Plex, we first ensure that it can offer:
- Fast enough speeds for HD streaming
- Servers in key locations for unblocking
- Features and strong encryption for privacy
- Good value for money for your pocket
The Best Plex VPNs in 2024 | In-depth Analysis
A Plex VPN must provide lightning fast speeds, and this was one of our main considerations when picking our recommendations. However, we also looked for VPNs with a large server network, great privacy features, and superb value for money. Below, we have included summaries about each VPN to help you pick the right VPN for you.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Plex. It regularly tops our list of fastest VPNs and has servers everywhere, making it a streaming powerhouse. Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN Demo ExpressVPN is a superb VPN that provides watertight privacy and superb unblocking capabilities. It has lightning-fast servers in 105 countries
worldwide, and it works to unblock highly sought-after services like Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, YouTube TV, HBO Max, CNBC, and anything else you can think of. This VPN has a no-logs policy, which means it will never have any records of what you do online. ExpressVPN has all the vital VPN features you need to ensure you can always hide your online habits from ISPs, local network admins, and government snoops. This includes a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation. These high-level privacy features are available on all popular platforms, which makes this VPN ideal for watching IPTV or anything else you might be interested in on your Plex system. Every one of its servers is lightning-fast, allowing you to stream in HD or even 4K. And with 105 countries
to choose from, it has more server locations than any other VPN on this list. ExpressVPN is outstanding when it comes to staying a step ahead of blacklists and geo-restrictions, and it always manages to unblock even the trickiest of services. We love this VPN's 24/7 live chat support, and the fact that you can install the service on up to 5 devices simultaneously. And, while this VPN is on the pricier side, it represents incredible value for money due to its incredible reliability and performance levels. It's an excellent all-rounder that you can install on any device, or even directly on a router, and is well worth testing using its 30-day money-back guarantee. NordVPN is the best buy VPN for Plex. Comes with a slick user interface and exceptional privacy toolkit. Enjoy consistently fast speeds, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Nord Demo NordVPN is based in Panama, a country with no data retention laws. The company takes full advantage of the local legal conditions to implement a no-logs policy – it's one of the few truly no-logs companies, and has even undergone a public audit to prove this. The service is affordable and gives you an allowance of up to six simultaneous connections. This allowance makes it possible to bring down the cost of using a VPN service even further by sharing a single account with friends. NordVPN comes with a military-grade AES 256-bit encryption and offers a wealth of industry-leading security features so you can stream Plex, torrent, and browse with peace of mind. On top of that, it offers proprietary NordLynx protocol for even better speeds with all your online activities; and exclusive privacy features like Onion over VPN, Threat Protection (blocks ads and malware), Double Protection (routes your traffic through two different VPN servers one after another), and more – all as a part of its affordable basic subscription plan. This service is superb at evading detection and it's one of the fastest VPNs on the market – making it perfect for a smooth and private Plex experience. NordVPN is a great value for money, especially if you choose the company's super-cheap, two-year subscription offer. You will have to pay for it upfront, but there is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can make sure that the service works well for you before you are fully committed. Surfshark is an all-around Plex VPN. It's among the first VPNs to offer unlimited simultaneous connections, perfect for streaming Plex on all your devices. Surfshark Demo Surfshark is a no-logs VPN based in the British Virgin Islands. Despite being a relative newcomer compared to the others on this list, it has taken the scene by storm by offering a robust service and great value for money. It manages to unblock Netflix, and seems to reliably access BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, and Hulu with little-to-no trouble. In fact, Surfshark is growing fast, now offering thousands of servers in more than 100 countries
, each with a private DNS, and all can be used for torrenting on without worry. It has completely removed the limit on simultaneous connections, allowing you to use the VPN on as many devices as you want - perfect for larger families that value their privacy. You can dip your toes in the water with Surfshark's 7-day free trial, although this requires you to input your payment details and cancel within the week if you don't wish to be charged. Live chat is available 24/7 if you get stuck with a problem, and if you continue your subscription, you have a 30-day money-back guarantee that protects you if you change your mind. Private Internet Access is a very secure VPN for Plex. Has a great no-logs reputation and strong encryption, and so it's perfect for Plex users who value privacy. PIA Demo Private Internet Access, also known as PIA, is a no logs provider based in the United States. it is a service that has a superb reputation industry-wide due to its highly customizable apps with a large set of advanced features. The apps are available for all popular platforms and come with a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, obfuscation, OpenVPN encryption, port forwarding, and split tunneling. This makes it great for gaining privacy both at home and on public WiFi. As a result, you can access IPTV, or anything else on your Plex TV system without ever having to worry that someone is monitoring you. PIA will let you stream plenty of international services on your Plex, including Netflix US and UK, HBO Go, HBO Now, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer. However, it is said to struggle with Hulu at times - so bear this in mind if this is a service that you are interested in. It also allows torrenting, so if you want a good all-rounder this service is a great option. We love that users can install and use the VPN on up to 10 devices at the same time and that it now has live chat support to help you when you need it. A great VPN with advanced encryption options - perfect for the more 'techy' user. You can compare it to our other options yourself using its 30-day money-back guarantee. CyberGhost is an easy-to-use Plex VPN. It has dedicated and clearly marked streaming servers to ensure you unblock all the Plex plug-ins you need. CyberGhost Demo CyberGhost is a no-logs VPN based in Romania that outright guarantees it will unblock Netflix US with its 'streaming optimized servers'. This is a claim that we've never actually had to put to the test because they have always worked flawlessly, along with Germany, France, UK servers, and other dedicated servers. It is worth mentioning that CyberGhost has a checkered history BBC iPlayer, but currently claims to unblock the service along with several other streaming platforms. Covering slightly more devices than your average with 7 simultaneous connections, CyberGhost has apps for all core platforms, making it a great all-rounder. ProPrivacy's in-house speed tests also reveal that CyberGhost is fast enough to stream in 4K, let alone your standard HD. If you run into any problems, 24/7 live chat support is there to help you through anything, and you can try CyberGhost completely free for 24 hours without having to input credit card details. Beyond that, CyberGhost offers a 7-day money-back guarantee for monthly subscribers and a lengthy 45-day refund period for those purchasing longer packages. 1. ExpressVPN
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Why do I need a VPN for Plex?
If you are new to VPNs, you may be wondering what a VPN can actually do. Below we have included everything you need to know about using a VPN with Plex.
Plex Regional Streaming Restrictions
Plex is a versatile media player with a range of different plugins available to house all your content in one place. Sadly, due to regional licensing, a lot of this content is often geographically blocked, which means you need a VPN to access it.
Let's take BBC iPlayer as an example. The BBC doesn't want people outside of the UK accessing its shows for free. This is because it wants to sell those shows to international broadcasters to create an extra revenue stream.
The same is true when content creators license shows to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime video, and any other streaming platform. Those copyright holders want to license their shows individually in each region to make sure they maximize their profits. As a result, not every show is available in every region that the streaming platform is available in.
The good news is that you can use any of the VPNs recommended in this article to pretend to be in a different country. As a result, you can subscribe to streaming services that you would never otherwise have been able to get. Or watch free regional TV channels that are usually restricted. And you can maximize your current subscriptions by getting access to larger international catalogs - for example, using a VPN for Netflix will allow you to access different Netflix regions like their USA catalog.
Local Censorship
Some countries are more oppressive than others, blocking their citizens from streaming certain types of content. China is one of the more notorious examples of this censorship, but there are many more imposing their own restrictions. These are no match for a VPN, however. Check out our VPN for China page more information about this.
Connecting to a VPN fools local censors because your traffic is encrypted. While your data consumption might make it easy to tell that you are streaming, authorities won't know exactly what you are streaming as a VPN disguises your activities, allowing you to bypass geo-blocks.
You do so at your own risk, however. VPNs themselves are mostly legal everywhere, but what you do with them might not be. If it is against the law in your country to watch certain platforms, then using a VPN to watch them is almost certainly illegal and can incur punishment if caught.
Your internet service provider (ISP) can tell when you are connected to a VPN, even if they can't tell what you're doing with it. This might eventually draw the attention of authorities. Fortunately, all our recommended VPNs feature obfuscation technology, superior encryption, and security policies to protect your identity.
Bandwidth Throttling
Alongside playing online video games, streaming videos is one of the more bandwidth-intensive tasks you can do. ISPs aren't fond of this because it puts more of a load on their systems, but rather than re-investing in their infrastructure to keep up with how modern society uses the internet, they decide to take it out on their customers.
If your ISP detects you streaming too much, it will intentionally slow your internet speed. This can cause the quality of your Plex streams to drop - if not outright buffer. Of course, this shady tactic is employed in the hopes that people will upgrade their package.
Connecting to a VPN for Plex removes this issue entirely. Since VPNs encrypt your traffic, ISPs will know when you are streaming because of your data packets, but all your traffic is merged into one string of unreadable code. And since ISPs can't throttle your entire connection to ease the load on their systems, they simply can't slow your speeds at all.
Privacy Protection
Unlike the other issues presented here, privacy might seem like it doesn't affect you directly. Unfortunately, we live in an age where your data is the most valuable commodity in the world and everyone is trying to get their hands on it.
ISPs can easily detect what you are doing online, because all your data must pass through their gateway servers. And those ISPs will sell that data or share it with copyright holders and the government if they are asked to do so.
The encryption provided by the VPNs that we have recommended ensure that your ISP and copyright holders can never track what you watch on Plex. This lets you access IPTV services, or anything else you might want to access. And, because our recommendations have a kill switch and obfuscation, you never have to worry about your ISP accidentally finding out what you are doing online.
Can I use a free VPN?
While there are some reputable free VPNs out there, many of them act as a gateway to their premium service, presenting a restricted feature set and download limit that is impossible to stream with.
And those without caps that seem too good to be true usually are. At best, they make their money by collecting and selling as much of your data as possible. At worst, they peddle malicious malware that infects your device, potentially stealing sensitive information such as passwords or your bank details.
Suffice to say, it's best to stay away from free VPNs unless you're simply trying before you buy. Our recommended VPNs for Plex all offer great value for money with the features that they provide, as they extend the content available to you tenfold.
Best VPNs for Plex: Conclusion
Plex can be a great option for streaming content, but if you want to tune in to streams that aren't available in your part of the world, you'll need a VPN. With the right VPN, Plex users can view streaming content from anywhere, while evading geographic restrictions, local censorship, and their ISPs attempts to throttle their connection.
The VPNs we recommend for Plex users all excel at doing these things for you. They are reputable services featuring high-powered encryption, potent security, and lightning speeds to make streaming content fast and reliable. And they all offer free trials or money-back guarantees, so you can test for yourself them without risk.
If streaming content through Plex is important to you, we urge you to give these Plex VPNs a try. Here is a reminder of our top picks:
- ExpressVPN - The #1 VPN for Plex. Offers servers everywhere, impressive speeds for streaming in HD, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- NordVPN - The best value-for-money Plex VPN. It easily bypasses geo-restrictions, it's super fast, and offers customizable privacy features.
- Surfshark - An all-around VPN for Plex. With unlimited simultaneous connections, you can cover all your Plex streaming devices and more!
- Private Internet Access - The most secure VPN for Plex. Offers a proven no-logs policy and well-implemented encryption for top-notch performance.
- CyberGhost VPN - A beginner-friendly VPN for Plex. It offers great apps and dedicated servers that make streaming and unblocking easy and quick.