Our guide is here to show you the best VPN for streaming. Great news for anyone who wants a more flexible way to watch box-set TV shows and the biggest movies.
We’ve found that there’s plenty of choice in terms of picking a VPN for streaming. This means that you’ll have to think carefully about which streaming services you want to unblock as well as how much you’re willing to pay. Thankfully our guide is here to help you find the best VPN streaming service for your needs.
So why use a VPN for streaming? Well, VPNs are virtual private networks that mask where you are using the internet. This means that a VPN can be used to access a streaming site even if it is based outside of your locale.
Let’s take an example. You live in the UK and you really want to watch the latest Netflix hit TV show. However, this hasn’t come to the UK yet and is only available in the US. This is where you could fire up your VPN to make it look like you were based in the US and then watch the TV show.
VPNs were actually introduced to protect your data in the online realm, but the fact that they can be used for streaming is a nice additional benefit. However, when it comes to picking the best VPN for video streaming, there can be lots to consider as we’ll discuss below.
All VPNs will work in a roughly similar way. This means that you fire up the VPN from your device and then select the location of the server that you want to use. This server will redirect all of your web traffic in a way that makes it look like it is coming from another location. For example, you could pick a server in the US to watch US content, France to watch French content and so on.
From here, your web traffic will go to the streaming service which will be fooled into thinking that you are using it within its jurisdiction and then beam the TV show or movie back to your device. All of that sounds simple, but the following factors could make certain VPNs more suitable for streaming than others:
All streaming services are pretty aware of the fact that lots of people now try to use VPNs to access their content even though they are based outside of their locales. This has meant that many of these streaming giants have upgraded their security to counter the ability of VPNs. Some like BBC iPlayer and Netflix have done a pretty good job of this, although the best streaming VPNs will usually find a way to break through in the end. Just note that some of the more niche streaming platforms might not be fully unblocked yet.
It’s always worth doing some research to see how fast the VPN is able to process the data that it downloads. While it’s nice to have fast upload speeds, you’ll want a download speed that is within 20% of what you’d normally get from your standard internet connection. This should ensure that you can watch your favourite TV show without too much of that dreaded buffering.
You shouldn’t have to be a rocket scientist to use a streaming VPN. This is something that the best streaming VPNs will understand because many of these brands now include special bits of software that make it much easier to access the streaming service that you actually want to use. So whether you’re looking to access Hulu in the US, iPlayer in the UK, or 10Play in Australia, you should be able to do it with a good streaming VPN.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that VPNs are meant to be a way of keeping your web traffic private. This means that any good VPN will be able to effectively bounce your web traffic off a remote server to make sure that all of your internet activity is completely anonymous - even if it’s something as benign as just watching a hit TV show.
Following on from the above point, it’s worth noting that many of the premium VPNs listed below will pack in a host of extra security features to keep you safe online. So as well as masking your data from any ISPs, you’ll also benefit from things like antivirus software, malware detection and so on. Plus many of these services also include a free password manager - essential for remembering which password you used to unblock Amazon Prime in Canada.
The vast majority of VPN platforms will usually say that they have all of the key things you need to have a flexible streaming experience. However, we have found that there’s a lot of variance in terms of how these VPNs can unblock certain streaming services, as well as other factors like the number of servers, price points and so on. So we’ve picked three of our favourite VPNs and compared them to see how well they handle streaming:
| VPN | Cost | Number of connections | Servers |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIA VPN | $11.95 per month | Unlimited simultaneous connections | Over 500 servers in 84 countries |
| SurfShark VPN | $12.95 per month | Unlimited simultaneous connections | Over 3,200 servers in 100 countries |
| Proton VPN | $9.99 per month | 10 simultaneous connections | Over 1,400 servers in 67 countries |
Lots of people choose ExpressVPN for their streaming and rightly so. After all, this VPN does a great job of unblocking all of the major streaming platforms like BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon and even things like All4, 10 Play and ITV Hub too.
What’s best is the fact that ExpressVPN has taken things to the next level by giving you a handy MediaStreamer tool. This does a great job of helping you hunt down overseas movies and TV shows that you can actually watch from your home location.
The only thing to note here is the fact that ExpressVPN has had a few issues with Netflix in the past, but it looks like things might be improving. After all, this VPN features over 3,000 servers in nearly 100 countries and so it should be able to find a way through even the tightest streaming stranglehold.
Similarly, ExpressVPN is speedy to use with only about a 20% drop in its download times compared to your usual network speed. Just note that this is not the cheapest VPN for streaming, but as always, you get what you pay for.
Like any good streaming VPN, SurfShark does a great job of unblocking all of the usual candidates like Amazon Prime and Disney+. But where SurfShark goes the extra mile is the fact that it manages to unblock both BBC iPlayer and Netflix - some of the toughest streaming services to crack. Plus with access to everything from 9Now in Australia to ITV Hub in the UK, it’s clear that SurfShark is a VPN to watch.
It’s also a VPN that offers some seriously fast download speeds with just a 5% drop compared to what you’d be used to without a VPN. Plus you’ll love the fact that SurfShark gives you a chance to use absolutely unlimited simultaneous connections. We’re not sure how many people will want to stream content on their computer, phone and tablet all at the same time, but we guess that there will be a few.
Again, this comes at the cost of a fairly high monthly price point, but that’s not enough to dismiss SurfSharkVPN as it’s clearly an excellent streaming VPN.
Let’s get one thing straight and this is that NordVPN is easily one of the fastest streaming VPNs around. After all, it manages to stream content with less than 1% drop in speed compared to if you used your regular internet connection. Truly remarkable.
Not that NordVPN is just about fast processing times. This is because it's a VPN that truly understands what streamers need. You can see this through the introduction of its SmartPlay tech that cleverly manages to skip past all of the standard geo-restrictions put up by streaming services.
As such, you can load up NordVPN and it’ll launch SmartPlay by default and from here you’ll be able to watch anything from BBC iPlayer and Netflix to Hulu and Amazon Prime without any problems.
OK, so NordVPN isn’t the cheapest VPN out there, but you’ll get access to lots of extra features like 24/7 live support, double encryption and a staggering 5,400 servers dotted all over the world. Good news for all viewers of global TV.
If you’ve noticed one thing about all of the above VPNs, it is that they all have the same pricing strategy and this isn’t exactly cheap. As a result, some of you might be thinking about using the cheapest VPN for streaming. After all, all VPNs do roughly the same thing, right?
Well, that’s correct in a way, however there are big differences between how fast VPNs can download data, and some of them simply cannot handle streaming.
This is especially true when it comes to free VPNs. Even a hugely popular free VPN like ProtonVPN will simply give up the ghost if you try to use it for streaming, and it has a tiny 500 MB monthly data cap too. So if you really want to use a VPN for streaming, you’ll need to bite the bullet and pay a little bit extra.
We have shown you that there is a seemingly limitless choice when it comes to choosing a VPN for streaming. After all, you’ve got VPNs that can unblock different streaming services with varying levels of success, and they all have their own individual price points.
Such is the demand for VPN streaming that we can expect to see even more brands launching in a bid to offer you an even more flexible way to view TV shows and movies in the future. So watch this space to see which is the best VPN for streaming right now.
Take a look at our guide to see the best VPN for streaming. This will reveal just how effective the best VPN provider is at unblocking streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and much more.
We’ve carried out an extensive comparison to see which is the best VPN for streaming. Perfect for seeing whether you should opt for the likes of ExpressVPN or try one of the other virtual private network providers.
Make sure that you read our guide to see whether you can get a free VPN for streaming. After all, while the likes of SurfSharkVPN are great, you’ll have to pay a monthly fee to use these premium VPNs.
Join us as we see whether you can get a cheap VPN for streaming. This means seeing which VPNs are available for streaming besides premium brands such as NordVPN.
We’ve got the perfect guide to picking a VPN for streaming right here on our site. Essential reading for anyone who wants to enjoy a greater freedom over what they watch.
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