The Best VPNs for LG Smart TV
To access geo-blocked content on your LG TV, you need a VPN that bypasses the VPN blocks of the streaming service, and that offers easy compatibility with your Smart TV.
Based on our latest tests, here are the best VPNS for LG TV:
- ExpressVPN: Highly-compatible VPN for LG TV with fast download speeds and intuitive apps.
- PrivadoVPN Free: Completely free VPN that works with streaming apps via AirPlay and connecting with HDMI.
Both VPNs can access popular streaming sites, including US and UK Netflix, and are compatible with the AirPlay and HDMI connections. They also are fast enough to stream video content in HD, and are either 100% free or can be used free for 30 days.
You can compare both of these options in the table below.
ExpressVPN | PrivadoVPN Free | |
---|---|---|
Download Speed from US to UK | 93Mbps (7% speed loss) | 89Mbps (11% speed loss) |
Cheapest Price | $6.67/mo over 15 months | 100% free |
Monthly Data Cap | Unlimited | 10GB |
Netflix Libraries | 18 | 2 |
BBC iPlayer | Yes | No |
Smart DNS | Yes | No |
Countries with Servers | 106 | 11 |
We’ll explain the pros and cons of each VPN in more detail in the following sections.
1. ExpressVPN: The Best VPN for LG TV
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Works with 18 Netflix libraries, Max, Disney+, Prime Video, and more | Expensive |
Fast download speeds | |
User-friendly applications | |
IP addresses available from 106 countries | |
Router app for extra compatibility | |
24/7 customer support |
ExpressVPN is the best VPN you can get for LG TV. It’s compatible with every setup method, it unblocks every popular streaming app, and it delivers fast speeds across its entire server network. Its premium cost is offset by its range of advanced features, offering good value for money.
Unmatched webOS Compatibility
Despite webOS’s limitations with VPN apps, ExpressVPN excels due to its range of compatibility options. We successfully used ExpressVPN on our LG TV via AirPlay, Smart DNS, HDMI connections, and its router app.
The VPN’s easy-to-use iPhone and desktop apps made it especially easy to share our VPN connection via AirPlay or HDMI connection. Its MediaStreamer Smart DNS feature was difficult to set up via a Dynamic DNS provider, so we recommend ticking the ‘Automatically register my IP address’ option from your account settings on the ExpressVPN website, instead.
If you do encounter any issues during setup, you can contact ExpressVPN’s customer support 24/7. While their response times might be marginally slower compared to alternatives like NordVPN, they were always able to resolve our issues there and then.
Superb Streaming & Speed Performance
ExpressVPN bypasses geo-restrictions on every popular streaming app we test it with, including Max, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. The VPN also accesses 18 Netflix regions, which is 12 more than PIA and 9 more than Surfshark.
Unlike many of the other VPNs we tested, ExpressVPN could always sustain the highest video quality, due to its minimal global download speed reduction of 15%. It also has servers in 106 countries — the second-most of any VPN service — meaning you can access streaming services from virtually anywhere in the world.
When using the VPN for streaming to our LG C1, the one frustration is that the default US server location occasionally failed to access US Netflix and other streaming platforms. Instead, we had to manually connect to the USA - New Jersey - 1 server. This workaround, however, isn’t obvious as none of ExpressVPN’s servers are labeled as optimized for streaming.
Superior Performance Justifies the Price
The only downside to ExpressVPN is its price, with prices starting from $6.67 per month. However, though competitors like NordVPN and Surfshark are cheaper, they fall short in ease of use, multi-country Smart DNS support, and lack dedicated router apps.
Ultimately, ExpressVPN is worth the extra cost if you want the best VPN for LG TV. The 30-day money-back guarantee also provides an opportunity to use ExpressVPN for free, though it requires upfront payment.
2. PrivadoVPN Free: The Best Free VPN for LG TV
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Completely free with no payment details required | 10GB monthly data cap |
Unblocks US & UK Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more | Doesn’t work with BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and more |
Fast download speeds for streaming | No Smart DNS feature |
Private logging policy | Not compatible with routers |
PrivadoVPN Free is an excellent choice for casual streaming. It’s by far the best free VPN we used with our LG TV as it doesn’t require payment details to use, it unblocks popular streaming services, and it has a private logging policy.
However, it’s not compatible with most setup methods and it caps data usage to 10GB per month, which means it doesn’t come close to matching the performance of ExpressVPN and other premium VPN services.
100% Free & Doesn’t Require Any Payment Details
Unlike ExpressVPN and other top VPNs, PrivadoVPN is a truly free service, requiring no payment information during signup. This approach bypasses concerns associated with VPN free trials, such as automatic renewals.
Unlike many of the free VPNs we’ve tested, PrivadoVPN doesn’t collect any personally-identifiable logs. Other popular free LG TV VPNs, including Hola VPN and Bright VPN, log your IP address and other information. Your personal data is safe and secure with PrivadoVPN.
Limited but Effective for Streaming
Using PrivadoVPN Free to stream content on our TV has been surprisingly effective. We found it reliably bypasses geo-restrictions, particularly on US-based streaming services like Prime Video, Max, and Disney+.
That said, we were frustrated when trying to access content on many international streaming services. We were often blocked from accessing services, including BBC iPlayer, 9Now, and ITVX. The free version only provides servers in 11 countries, too, which is at least 89 fewer than top VPNs like ExpressVPN and Surfshark.
Compatibility and Data Restrictions
Setting up PrivadoVPN Free on an LG TV can be challenging, as we found that the VPN can’t be installed on routers and it doesn’t offer a Smart DNS feature. We explored alternative methods like AirPlay and connecting a laptop to the TV via HDMI, which were effective, but both of these methods require another device.
The 10GB monthly data cap is also a significant drawback, especially for heavy streaming. During our usage, we used up this limit after around four hours of HD streaming. Unlike Windscribe, PrivadoVPN Free doesn’t allow you to get extra data by completing certain tasks.