Every VPN we review for Kodi is subject to the same rigorous scientific testing process. We do this to ensure fair and unbiased rankings.
When we test VPNs for Kodi, we look for the following characteristics:
- Compatible with streaming devices, including Fire TV Stick
- Reliably fast speeds
- No user logs or IP leaks
- Unlimited bandwidth with no throttling
- Lots of P2P-compatible servers
- A kill switch to protect your IP address
Below is a more detailed breakdown of our testing and rating methodology:
1. Device Compatibility: 30%
Minimum Requirement: Can be installed on Amazon Fire TV.
We Recommend: User-friendly app that’s compatible with Fire TV, Android TV, and LibreELEC.
The VPN you choose must be compatible with the device you stream Kodi on. It’s also key that you can easily use your VPN with Kodi.
We download and test Kodi on several Kodi compatible devices and platforms including:
- FireTV Stick
- PC
- Mac
- Android TV
- Android
- Linux (LibreELEC)
Since Kodi is very popular on Fire TV Stick, whether or not a VPN has a good Fire OS app is a key aspect of this rating criteria.
Kodi is most popular on Fire TV Stick and Android-based Kodi boxes. Whether or not a VPN has a good app for these is a key aspect of this rating criteria.
We expect to see these apps designed for easy use. Finding and connecting to servers using a remote needs to be straightforward, and advanced security settings need to be understandable and quick to enable.
2. Logging Policy: 25%
Minimum Requirement: A minimal logging policy and a record of following it.
We Recommend: Zero-logs policy with no record of breaking it.
We read each VPN’s privacy policy from start to finish. Then, we research the VPN company’s history. We do this to check whether, and how, the service stores your usage and account data.
The best VPNs operate a no-logs policy. This means they don’t keep any records of your activity, not even anonymous timestamps or metadata.
We also research torrenting policies, to make sure providers have no record of forwarding DMCA requests to users.
3. Speed: 20%
Minimum Requirement: 60Mbps local download speed & 3MiB/s P2P speed.
We Recommend: 80Mbps local download speed & 7MiB/s P2P speed.
If you plan to use Kodi to stream or torrent, then speed is a really important part of finding the best VPN. A fast VPN is vital for buffer-free streaming.
Local download speed is the most relevant to streaming, so we use it as a benchmark to judge performance on Kodi.
We regularly measure the local download speeds of all VPNs on a standard 100Mbps connection.
Unlike many other speed ratings, this ranking criteria also factors in P2P speed, as some popular Kodi add-ons require a P2P connection.
4. Data Allowance: 15%
Minimum Requirement: 10GB each month for free VPNs, and unlimited for premium VPNs.
We Recommend: Unlimited data with no restrictions.
Almost all free VPNs come with a data cap. Like with most limitations on free VPNs, this is imposed to encourage users to upgrade to a premium subscription.
Data allowance for free Kodi VPNs is particularly important, though, as streaming video uses a lot of bandwidth. For instance, a standard 10GB data allowance only allows you to watch a few hours of content each month.
If you use up your data cap, the rest of your Kodi activity will be outside of the VPN tunnel. Consequently, your ISP can monitor the streams and torrents you access on Kodi.
We check each VPNs data cap policy and try to find ways of claiming extra ‘bonus’ data. For example, if a VPN offers extra data to users with a verified email address.
5. P2P Servers: 5%
Minimum Requirement: At least one P2P server in every region.
We Recommend: P2P servers in every country.
If you want to torrent or use certain add-ons with Kodi, you’ll need to connect to a server that allows P2P traffic.
Some VPNs allow P2P traffic on every server in the network, but most restrict you to dedicated servers.
For the best speeds, you need a VPN with multiple P2P servers in your country or region.
6. Kill Switch: 5%
Minimum Requirement: Includes a working kill switch.
We Recommend: Kill switch on all platforms, including Fire TV.
A kill switch cuts your internet connection when the VPN loses connection. This maintains your anonymity on P2P connections.
Either a VPN has a functioning kill switch or it doesn’t. It’s an absolute must-have for Kodi, though, so it is worth 10% of the total rating.
Most VPNs don’t have a kill switch on Fire TV and Android TV. As these are popular Kodi devices, we heavily reward VPNs that do include a kill switch on these devices.
