One of the main benefits of using a VPN is that it enables you to unblock streaming sites and live TV channels online, from anywhere in the world. A VPN changes your IP address and encrypts your connection, allowing you to unblock streams that are currently blocked in your location.
However, if you have ever tried streaming with a VPN, you will know that not every service is suitable for streaming. On top of this, many streaming sites block VPN users and so not all VPNs will give you access to these services.
In this article, we list the five best streaming VPNs and give you some top tips on how to use a VPN for streaming content from anywhere in the world.
What are the best streaming VPN services?
We have listed the best streaming VPNs below. If you need more information about any of these services keep scrolling to see an in-depth analysis of each service.
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN for streaming. One of the fastest VPNs we test, offers servers in 94 countries, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- NordVPN - The best budget VPN for streaming. It's consistently fast, offers cutting-edge features, and is able to unblock services across the globe.
- CyberGhost VPN - A beginner-friendly streaming VPN. Offers fantastic apps for all your devices and servers in over 90 countries. Plus, it's super cheap!
- Private Internet Access - A secure VPN that's great for streaming. It has solid encryption, a no-logs policy, and unblocks everything you could want.
- Surfshark - A great all-around VPN for streaming. Offers cheap plans but it's packed with features, blazing fast, and unblocks loads of stuff.
Best VPNs for streaming – In-depth analysis
We take a closer look at our recommended VPNs below. If you need any more information about these services, check out our detailed VPN reviews.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for streaming. It's consistently one of the fastest VPNs we test, has servers in 94 countries, and unblocks plenty, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN Demo ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries
across the globe, but they're all lightning-fast and reliable - making Express a top option for streaming in HD. A VPN for streaming needs to provide privacy, and ExpressVPN is ideal because it provides OpenVPN encryption implemented to an incredibly secure level. The outcome is a VPN with unrivaled streaming capabilities, and its subscribers can use the services to unblock video content in most regions around the world. They are also permitted to watch content from torrent (P2P) sites like Popcorn Time (which feels like streaming but is really torrenting - if you're after a VPN for torrenting rather than streaming, click here). With the security and privacy that ExpressVPN gives you and the speeds to watch anything, this truly is an HD VPN. In addition, Express is one of the only VPNs that reliably unblock Netflix and BBC iPlayer. As such, this VPN video solution is an all-around winner. Reliability and uptime are also absolutely astounding on this streaming VPN. The software is lush and is available for all platforms. This VPN will even keep you secure when traveling and on public WiFi. Finally, customer care is via live chat and is 24/7: this is brilliant because you can get help unblocking any stream at any time. With a 30-day money-back guarantee on the table, it would be silly not to give them a try! NordVPN is the best budget VPN for streaming. It's consistently fast and reliably unblocks streaming sites worldwide at an affordable price, and with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Nord Demo NordVPN is the best VPN for streaming because it is reliable and fast. It is able to unblock key services such as BBC iPlayer, Netflix, as well as any streaming sites that are blocked by your ISP. This VPN has easy-to-use software for all platforms, and subscribers are permitted to install and use it on 6 simultaneous devices. NordVPN has a zero logs policy, which means your privacy is assured and you can watch anything online without your ISP or copyright holders finding out. It also has obfuscated servers for getting around firewalls and VPN blocks in places like Iran and China. With fast speeds and an extremely reasonable price, this VPN is best for streaming. Why not give it a go thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee? CyberGhost is an easy-to-use VPN for streaming. Offers fantastic apps for all popular OS, servers in over 90 countries, and a massive 45-day money-back guarantee. CyberGhost Demo Unlimited bandwidth and massive network servers in 100 countries
worldwide make CyberGhost a stellar pick for anyone wanting a VPN to stream with. CyberGhost banishes ISP throttling and easily accesses a wealth of in-demand streaming sites; Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer included. CyberGhost is compatible with most devices, and browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox users are also available. Up to 7 simultaneous connections are allowed, meaning you can share your subscription with the family and keep all of your devices safe - and CyberGhost's AES 256-bit encryption really will provide a secure online experience. What's more, CyberGhost is a staunchly no-logs service based in Romania, and you'll be able to make use of industry-leading protocols such as OpenVPN and IKEv2. Professional 24/7 customer service is at hand whenever you need help, and a lengthy 45-day money-back guarantee ensures you can fully test the service before committing to a subscription. Private Internet Access is known for privacy, but also a great VPN for streaming HD content. Offers customziable apps, a vast server network, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. PIA Demo Private Internet Access (PIA) is a great choice for streamers on a budget - particularly when purchased yearly. For the diminutive price tag, you get a premium feeling service and speedy servers. PIA offers tens of thousands of servers in over 84 countries
worldwide, meaning you won't be stuck for content. HD streaming isn't a problem, either, as PIA doesn't enforce any bandwidth or data caps to slow you down. Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices can all support PIA, and up to 10 simultaneous connections are allowed with your subscription. What's more, PIA can unblock Netflix and BBC iPlayer libraries - so the whole family can catch up. Besides strong AES 256-bit encryption, PIA will keep your information and traffic secure with top-notch protocols, and you can take your pick from OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and WireGuard. A 30-day money-back guarantee lets you try before you buy, and if you're stuck at any point, PIA's 24/7 customer service team is on hand to help. Surfshark is an all-around VPN for streaming. It's blazing fast and, therefore, perfect for streaming in HD. Offers some great extras like a Smart DNS; a 30-day money-back guarantee. Surfshark Demo Surfshark always impresses us with the quality of service it provides for its very low price tag. It has servers in over 100 countries
around the world, which are fast for streaming, and Surfshark successfully unblocks sought-after services like Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime. Besides its VPN service, Surfshark offers a Smart DNS service to all customers. This might work when the VPN is blocked, and it can be configured on devices such as game consoles and smart TVs that don’t support VPN apps. The split-tunneling feature for Windows and Android is also useful for streaming, as it allows you to include (or exclude local services if you usually connect to an overseas VPN server) only selected websites and apps in the VPN - such as streaming sites and apps! Surfshark is otherwise a great no-logs VPN that offers lots of bells and whistles, including unlimited simultaneous VPN connections, Smart DNS, static IP addresses, DNS ad-blocking, and MultiHop VPN. Test it yourself risk-free with the company's 30-day money-back guarantee. 1. ExpressVPN
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How does ProPrivacy review VPNs?
Now that you're familiar with our top VPN picks for streaming, you might wonder if you can trust our rankings – and actually, you shouldn't. Each of the above-mentioned providers comes with a convenient 30-day (or longer) money-back guarantee, allowing you to test the VPN for yourself without risk, on your own devices. So don't just take our word for it!
However, we'd like to reiterate that our reviewing team consists of online privacy experts that spend hours each day thoroughly comparing and testing VPNs. The VPNs we recommend are, therefore, trustworthy, offering watertight digital privacy, and a whopping number of reliable servers that can cope with even the most stubborn geo-blocks. On top of that, we've included only the fastest VPNs that regularly top all our speed charts and make HD streaming a breeze.
Another reason why our VPN reviews are so detailed is that we use our recommended providers at home too – so, you're actually reading about our first-hand experience! Also, before I recommended any of these VPNs for streaming, I personally tested their individual features to ensure they still work. To see our testing criteria in more detail, keep reading.
Why are these the best VPNs for streaming?
When selecting the best VPNs for streaming above, we considered several important factors. These are as follows.
- Speed - You will need a fast VPN because streaming, particularly in HD, is an extremely data-intensive task. The VPNs in this guide are lightning-fast, so you won't have to suffer the heartbreak of a laggy video. However, the speed of every VPN differs, so be sure to take a look at the summaries above as the average weekly speed of each VPN is listed.
- Server locations - depending on what you want to watch, you will need to connect to a server in a specific location. All the VPNs in this guide have servers in the most important locations around the world - with a presence in 50 or more countries.
- Unblocks popular streaming services - All of the VPN services that we have listed on this page unblock the most popular streaming services - including Netflix, iPlayer, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.
- Affordable plans - Price is always going to be a deciding factor when choosing a VPN. We have chosen VPN services that have affordable VPN plans, some costing less than $2 per month on a long-term contract.
- Excellent customer service - Customer service is important if anything goes wrong. We have chosen services with 24/7 customer support so you can contact them whenever.
What are the fastest VPNs for streaming
To ensure that you can stream content without buffering, we test VPN services every week. Check out this week's results below.
| ExpressVPN | NordVPN | CyberGhost VPN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProPrivacy.com SpeedTest (average) | 100 | 85.9 | 63.92 |
| Performance | 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Reliability | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Speed | 100 | 568.0 | 556.2 |
For more information about how we test speeds, check out our fastest VPN services page.
VPN not unblocking streams
There are plenty of VPNs that have trouble accessing streaming services, largely thanks to sites like Netflix actively blocking IP addresses that belong to VPNs. This barrage is hard to keep up with and so VPN services fail to keep up with VPN blocks.
There are some things you can try to get your VPN service up and running again. Here are some of our tips:
- Test your VPN for leaks - If your VPN service is leaking your real IP address then you will not be able to access geo-restricted content. Test this by using our VPN leak test tool.
- Clear your browser cache - clearing your browser cache sometimes work. Alternatively, try accessing the streaming site in incognito mode.
- Disable WebRTC - Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) is a Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) is a collection of technologies. This allows browsers to communicate without the need for an intermediate server. For these to communicate with one another they need to know your real IP address and so WebRTC may be leaking your IP. To do this download the easy WebRTC block browser extension.
- Contact customer support - If you can't figure out how to fix it, your VPN provider will have an answer for you. All of the services in the list above have 24/7 live chat support so you can contact them anytime and they can advise you on how to get your VPN up and running again.
How to use a VPN for streaming
Using a VPN for streaming is remarkably easy – even for VPN newbies. We've outlined four steps below that'll get you set up:
- Sign up to a service that has the features you need – we've made some recommendations below.
- Download and install the VPN on your device. All of our recommended VPNs are compatible with Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS.
- Connect to a server in the location you want to pretend to be in. For example, if you want to access US Netflix, connect to a US server.
- Then access the website you want to unblock! Because your IP address is changed, you'll be able to access content that is blocked in your actual location.
How do I pay for US streaming platforms from abroad?
If you want to subscribe to Hulu, HBO Max, Prime Video, YouTube TV, Sling TV, AT&T TV, or any other US-only service, you will need a valid US payment method. The good news is that you can use a virtual US debit card to pay online.
We recommend US Unlocked because it is the easiest, fastest, and most reliable way to get a working US debit card from overseas. Getting a US Unlocked account costs just $15, and once you have an accont, you can top up a prepaid US debit card that you can use to buy American services online. It even comes with a valid US billing address, to make checking out a seamless experience. As a result, you can easily top up your virtual US card with your money and then pay for any streaming service you want.
Can I use a free VPN to stream?
Probably not. There are free VPNs that we'd recommend for day-to-day browsing, but they aren't viable for streaming – and certainly not in HD. Streaming sites like Netflix are constantly blocking the IPs of VPN servers, and most free services will struggle to navigate around this.
There are some services you can trust. Check out our best free VPN page for a list of these
What's more, a free VPN is often the smaller sibling of a premium service, and often come with limitations you wouldn't experience with a subscription:
- Limited bandwidth - As well as congested servers, a limit to your bandwidth means you'll encounter lag spikes and sluggish sites more often.
- Data cap - A number of free services do offer unlimited usage, but typically, you'll be stuck with a measly 500mb per month. This won't be enough to stream consistently.
- Reduced number of servers - A free VPN may not offer you access to all the servers that'd be available with a paid subscription. This greatly reduces your options when it comes to accessing geo-blocked content.
Streaming VPN – Conclusion
A VPN is the perfect way to unlock a global library of content to stream. From classic box sets and movies to live sports, a VPN can spoof your location to wherever it needs to be. We'd recommend any of our top five VPN picks for the job, but be sure to vet any potential services for server numbers and locations, and average speed. What's more, a VPN comes with a whole host of other benefits – catch all your favorite shows as they air, and stay secure whilst you do so!
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN for streaming. One of the fastest VPNs we test, offers servers in 94 countries, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- NordVPN - The best budget VPN for streaming. It's consistently fast, offers cutting-edge features, and is able to unblock services across the globe.
- CyberGhost VPN - A beginner-friendly streaming VPN. Offers fantastic apps for all your devices and servers in over 90 countries. Plus, it's super cheap!
- Private Internet Access - A secure VPN that's great for streaming. It has solid encryption, a no-logs policy, and unblocks everything you could want.
- Surfshark - A great all-around VPN for streaming. Offers cheap plans but it's packed with features, blazing fast, and unblocks loads of stuff.