Best VPN for Netflix

Yes, you’ll need a VPN to stream all the geo-restricted content on Netflix.

You can certainly watch Netflix without a VPN, but you’ll be limited to the video content available in your country.

For example, if you live in Hong Kong you’re only getting 10% of the movies and TV shows available in the US library!

With a good VPN you can connect to a VPN server in almost any country in the world, bypassing geo-blocks and accessing video content that wouldn’t otherwise be available to you.

These are the most popular ways to watch Netflix with a VPN:

1. Computer (PC and Mac)

   Download, install and launch the VPN, select your preferred server location (e.g. USA for American Netflix), and launch the Netflix website.

   If you get an error screen, try clearing your cookies and browsing history if you haven’t already, and open Netflix again.

   If you use Chromecast, or you have an Android TV, you can also cast your computer screen onto your TV screen.

2. Smartphone

   Install one of the above VPN services on your smartphone. Connect to your preferred VPN server location, launch the Netflix site or app, and begin streaming.

   Again, if you have a Chromecast or an Android TV you can stream Netflix on your TV easily.

3. Amazon Fire TV Stick

   If you use an Amazon Fire TV Stick or a Fire TV Cube to stream shows, ExpressVPN, IPVanish, or PrivateVPN will be your best choices to watch Netflix.

   The home page of ExpressVPN’s Amazon Firestick app

   All of these VPN services offer custom Firestick VPN apps and provide reliable access to Netflix, as well as a whole host of other popular streaming sites.

   Take a look at the best VPNs for Firestick if you’re planning on mainly using this device to watch Netflix.

4. Games Consoles

   You have several options here, including setting the VPN up on your router, sharing your computer’s internet connection with your console, or using ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer.

   To install a VPN on your home router, take a look at our VPN router setup guide.

   For best results, always look out for VPN servers optimized for streaming.

Don’t worry if you get a proxy error when accessing Netflix – simply try a different VPN server, or clear your web browser cookies and try again.

Alternatively, contact your VPN service and its support agents can tell you which VPN servers to use to watch Netflix.

In January 2016, Netflix began blocking VPN, proxy and smart DNS services.

Why?

Because by then it was well known that Netflix subscribers were using VPN and proxy services to unblock geo-restricted video libraries.

As a result, Netflix gave in to pressure from large copyright holders, who profit from content geo-restrictions as these allow them to sell their content in different locations around the world.

No, it’s actually not illegal to watch Netflix with a VPN.

However, using a VPN to access Netflix content that isn’t usually available in your location is against its Terms of Service.

This means that Netflix will block your connection if it suspects you’re using a VPN or a proxy.

When you use a not-so-good (or a free) VPN to stream Netflix, it’s all too common to see the dreaded Netflix Proxy Error message.

If you’re using one of our five VPN recommendations, this is usually easily solved by clearing your browsing history and cookies, then relaunching Netflix. Alternatively, simply connect to a different VPN server location.

Most VPN services will be aware if their IP addresses are being blocked by Netflix, so often the best option is to simply ask their customer service for help. They’ll quickly tell you which servers are working for Netflix.

Netflix is able to block IP addresses it knows belong to a VPN or proxy service in order to prevent users from streaming geo-locked content.

How Netflix screens for IP addresses associated with VPNs or proxies is not entirely known, but there are a number of behaviours which will set these IPs apart from genuine ones, such as a large influx in the number of accounts attempting to stream from a single IP.

Once a single IP has been identified as associated with a VPN, Netflix can ban a whole block of IPs located at the same server or operated by the same company.

Only the VPN services we’ve recommended – along with a handful of others – are able to circumnavigate these blocks and allow you to stream Netflix without any issues.

The problem with free VPN services is that they very rarely work for Netflix due to limited server locations and stingy data caps. Some free VPNs are also so slow that you’d struggle to stream any content from Netflix, let alone in good quality.

We’re yet to find any safe free VPNs that work for Netflix, other than Avira Phantom VPN, which seems to work intermittently. It also comes with a stingy 1GB monthly data cap, though, making it a less than ideal for watching Netflix.

If you’d like to test out how well a VPN service works with Netflix before you sign up to a subscription, we recommend taking advantage of VPN free trials and money-back guarantees.

We’ve also published a handful of guides showing you how to get premium VPN services for free (for a limited amount of time), including:

• ExpressVPN
• NordVPN
• IPVanish

You can use Netflix in pretty much any country in the world, so no matter where you live or are planning on traveling to, you should be able to stream your favorite TV series and movies no problem.

There are a handful of exceptions, though. Netflix is currently unavailable in:

• China
• Crimea
• North Korea
• Syria

This is due to U.S. government restrictions on American companies. The best way to watch Netflix from any of these countries is to use a VPN that beats aggressive online censorship.

Watching Netflix on blocked WiFi is as easy as downloading a VPN that works with the service, connecting to a server, and watching it through that.

Don’t be put off if you see a Netflix proxy error when you first try to connect – clearing your cookies and cache should normally solve this problem.

If you’re still unable to access Netflix, simply select a different VPN server location until you find one that works. Alternatively, reach out to your VPN provider for the best advice.

Put simply, the majority of VPN services don’t provide reliable access to Netflix. These include:

• TunnelBear
• AirVPN
• TorGuard
• Trust.Zone
• Avira Phantom
• Perfect Privacy

This is by no means an exhaustive list, either. The five VPN services we recommend are by far the most reliable for streaming Netflix – others may work temporarily but are usually blocked within a week or two.

Avoid free VPN services altogether if you’re hoping to access Netflix, too. Bypassing the regularly-changing VPN blocks costs a lot of money, and just isn’t something you can expect from a free VPN.