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The best VPNs for streaming work with a range of popular websites including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, HBO, Prime Video, and many more.
They’ll hide your IP address and unblock content from anywhere in the world, including outside the US. You’ll have fast, unrestricted access to HD movies and TV shows that aren’t available in your region.
We’ve tested every major VPN service to see which are the fastest and most reliable for streaming specifically. We test for average speeds, server coverage, and the ability to reliably unblock international streaming content.
For unblocking international streaming content with fast speeds, the five best VPNs for streaming in May 2021 are:
The five streaming VPNs above have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Fire TV. Most also come with Smart DNS, which allows you to stream with a VPN on Apple TV, PlayStation, and Xbox.
ExpressVPN is the top VPN for unblocking the most streaming services. However, all five of these services will spoof your IP address and provide reliable access to geo-blocked content.
While the five VPNs in this list are the best overall, the right option VPN for you depends on the specific streaming websites you’re looking to unblock.
You can find the best VPN for each specific streaming service later on in this article, or find out which is the best free streaming VPN.
The best VPN for streaming Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Prime with fast speeds.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for streaming overall. It’s extremely fast and works to unblock restricted content on six major streaming services including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu.
It unblocks 19 international Netflix libraries and also works with smaller streaming services like Zattoo and Sling TV. It’s great for unblocking US Netflix, which makes it the best choice for streaming outside the US. If you’re looking to stream sports, it even unblocks 4 different DAZN libraries.
| Cheapest Price | $6.67/mo over 15 Months See all plans |
|---|---|
| US Netflix | Yes |
| No. of Netflix Libraries | 19 |
| International Speed | 80Mbps |
| Works with Firestick | Yes |
| Smart DNS | Yes |
| Compatible with |
|
ExpressVPN is very fast on both short-distance and long-distance connections, with no interference or connection drops.
We measured average global download speeds of 71Mbps in our latest tests, which is ideal for buffer-free streaming. You’ll be able to watch all your favorite TV shows in HD or even 4K.
ExpressVPN isn’t only speedy, it’s safe and private, too. It maintains a privacy-first logging policy with no personally identifiable logs, and we’ve never experienced any IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks during our tests.
You’ll get access to over 3000+ IP addresses in 94 server locations. That means you’ll be able to find a VPN server in almost every country in the world.
To stream content on devices that don’t support VPN apps, you can use MediaStreamer – ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS feature.
MediaStreamer allows you to spoof your location and stream blocked content on games consoles and smart TVs.
ExpressVPN also has a native Firestick app. The app unblocks streaming content and streams Kodi add-ons and IPTV apps anonymously. It works well, but lacks some of the features of newer Firestick VPN apps.
Streaming BBC iPlayer with ExpressVPN is inconsistent due to the BBC’s increased efforts to block VPN traffic.
If you’re looking for reliable access to BBC iPlayer, both PrivateVPN and NordVPN are better choices right now.
ExpressVPN works with:
or read our full ExpressVPN Review.
Unblocks 30+ international Netflix libraries for under $2 per month.
PrivateVPN is a cheap VPN that makes streaming simple. It labels the servers that unblock specific streaming services, and it works with Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, HBO Max and more.
It also offers fast speeds, intuitive apps, and a privacy-friendly no-logs policy. This makes PrivateVPN an ideal choice for those who love streaming without compromising on their online privacy.
| Cheapest Price | $1.98/mo over 24 months See all plans |
|---|---|
| US Netflix | Yes |
| No. of Netflix Libraries | 32 |
| Works with Firestick | Yes |
| Smart DNS | No |
| Compatible with |
|
One of PrivateVPN’s best features is the number of Netflix libraries it unblocks. You’ll have access to 32 international Netflix catalogues with just one subscription.
The only VPN that works with more Netflix libraries is Windscribe. PrivateVPN also works with Hulu, HBO, and Disney+.
You can install PrivateVPN on your Amazon Fire TV Stick in minutes with its native app, and it works well with Kodi, too.
Unlike CyberGhost, you don’t have to commit to a long subscription to access the big price discounts. PrivateVPN is cheap on even the shortest subscription plans.
The only drawbacks are PrivateVPN’s fairly small VPN server network and its inconsistent live chat support. The server network consists of just 150+ servers in 62 countries, and live chat is only available intermittently.
It’s also the only VPN in this list that doesn’t offer Smart DNS functionality or VPN browser extensions.
With just 150 servers, most of PrivateVPN’s in-demand servers are overly-congested — resulting in some unreliable speeds.
Its long-distance speed results are still reasonable, though. Our download speed fell by just 16% to 84Mbps when connected to Canada from the UK.
Despite its small server network, PrivateVPN is so effective and simple to use that it deserves its place as one of the best streaming VPNs. If you’re looking for an affordable VPN, this is a great choice.
PrivateVPN works with:
or read our full PrivateVPN Review.
The best VPN for BBC iPlayer and the fastest for streaming HD video.
NordVPN is one of the best services on the market and it’s a great choice for streaming, too. It works well with most popular streaming services including US Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu.
it is also the fastest VPN for streaming, so you shouldn’t experience any buffering when streaming in HD or 4K. We measured a speed loss of just 2% when connected to nearby servers.
| Cheapest Price | $3.71/mo over 24 Months See all plans |
|---|---|
| US Netflix | Yes |
| International Speed | 80Mbps |
| Smart DNS | Yes |
| Compatible with |
|
One of NordVPN’s highlights is how well it works with BBC iPlayer. Only a few VPNs can bypass the BBC’s VPN ban, and NordVPN is currently the best on the market.
It also comes with a fully-featured app for Fire TV Stick and includes a Smart DNS feature for devices like PlayStation 4 and Apple TV.
NordVPN currently unblocks 15 international Netflix regions. The most popular of these include the US, Brazil, India, Japan, and South Korea. In our latest tests, we were able to watch every one of these in HD.
It’s also a very safe and private VPN with a no-logs policy and no IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks.
There are no servers dedicated to streaming like the ones offered by CyberGhost or HideMyAss. That’s because NordVPN’s SmartPlay feature does the hard work for you.
With SmartPlay, you can pick any US server and it will automatically unblock all your favorite Netflix shows.
NordVPN works with:
or read our full NordVPN Review.
Fast speeds, Smart DNS, and access to 8 popular streaming services.
Surfshark is an excellent VPN for accessing blocked content on Netflix and other streaming websites. It consistently unblocks region restrictions with fast loading, no lag, and high video quality.
In addition to the intuitive custom VPN apps for desktop and mobile devices, Surfshark also comes with an effective native VPN app for Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Fire TV Stick.
| Cheapest Price | $2.49/mo over 24 months See all plans |
|---|---|
| US Netflix | Yes |
| No. of Netflix Libraries | 15 |
| Works with Firestick | Yes |
| Smart DNS | Yes |
| Compatible with |
|
You can watch 15 different Netflix libraries through Surfshark’s VPN servers.
You can also watch Disney+ through every single Surfshark server, too. For this reason, we recommend it as the best VPN for Disney+.
Access to BBC iPlayer is inconsistent, but you can unblock it through the browser extensions. This doesn’t offer the same level of privacy as the VPN applications themselves, though.
Surfshark is so reliable for streaming because of its Smart DNS and Trust DNS features, which act as a proxy to help to unblock content reliably.
If you need help to set up or use the apps to stream your favorite shows the Surfshark customer support team is also on hand 24/7 via live chat.
While Surfshark has no dedicated streaming servers, almost all of its US servers will work for streaming. In our most recent tests, only the St.Louis and Charlotte servers didn’t stream US Netflix.
Thanks to its fast international speeds, we also experienced great video quality and quick loading in our streaming tests.
Founded in 2018, Surfshark may be new, but it does privacy right with a no-logs policy and plenty of security extras.
It’s also very affordable – offering all of these features for just $2.49 per month on a two-year subscription.
Surfshark works with:
or read our full Surfshark VPN Review.
A simple VPN with 100+ dedicated streaming servers and Smart DNS.
CyberGhost is an excellent VPN for streaming. It offers 100+ dedicated servers for different streaming platforms and unblocks 4 major Netflix libraries including the US, UK, Germany, and France.
These streaming servers change their IP address frequently to help avoid the bans put in place by services like Netflix.
| Cheapest Price | $2.25/mo over 3 years See all plans |
|---|---|
| No. of Netflix Libraries | 6 |
| Works with Firestick | Yes |
| Smart DNS | Yes |
| Compatible with |
|
CyberGhost is so effective at bypassing geo-blocks because it comes with a Smart DNS tool. This technology changes the DNS server that your traffic is routed through.
You can find out how to configure Smart DNS on CyberGhost’s support website. You can also set up the VPN on your Fire TV Stick quickly and easily.
The VPN’s applications also make streaming simple by highlighting the server locations that support the platforms you need.
There are 90 countries available and connection speeds are fast enough for HD-quality video.
Though it is fast on some same-country connections, CyberGhost’s speeds lag behind ExpressVPN and NordVPN over long-distance VPN connections.
CyberGhost’s custom VPN apps are easy to use, good-looking, and, most importantly, safe. A no-logs policy ensures your online activity is private, and the VPN has never leaked our IP address or DNS requests.
If you ever run into issues when streaming with CyberGhost you can contact a member of the customer support team via live chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
There’s very few downsides to using CyberGhost other than its inability to unblock BBC iPlayer. If you’re looking for simple access to streaming websites on multiple devices, it’s a great option.
CyberGhost works with:
or read our full CyberGhost VPN Review.
The table below compares 10 of the most popular streaming VPNs.
You’ll find information on their average speeds, smart DNS capabilities, and whether they unblock US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+.
We prioritise US Netflix because it hosts the largest number of TV shows and movies.
However, a VPN that unblocks US Netflix can’t always unblock other libraries like those in France, the UK, and South Korea.
To find the best VPN for other Netflix libraries and services like Hulu, Amazon Prime video, and HBO, skip to the next section.
The five VPNs recommended above are the best VPNs for streaming overall.
The right VPN for you will depend on the specific streaming website you’re looking to unblock.
In this section, you can find our VPN recommendations for individual streaming websites.
You can find a summary of the best VPN for each streaming service in the table below, or read past the table for more details.
| Streaming Service | Best VPN | Netflix | ExpressVPN | BBC iPlayer | NordVPN | Disney Plus | Surfshark | Prime Video | ExpressVPN | Hulu | ExpressVPN | HBO Max | ExpressVPN | Sky Go | Windscribe | Kodi | IPVanish | DAZN | Windscribe |
|---|
A good VPN for Netflix will bypass the service’s geographic restrictions.
That means you’ll be able to unblock movies and TV shows in the US, UK, Japan, France, and dozens of other countries.
Based on our latest tests, ExpressVPN is the best overall VPN for Netflix – especially if you’re outside the US. It has excellent international speeds, responsive customer support, and a 30-day money back guarantee.
It also unblocks 19 international Netflix libraries, including the US.
To find out what makes ExpressVPN so effective and to see our other top five recommendations, read our list of the best VPNs for Netflix.
BBC iPlayer is notoriously difficult to unblock for anyone outside of the UK. That’s because the service is becoming increasingly effective at detecting and blocking VPN traffic.
NordVPN is currently the top VPN for BBC iPlayer. It’s secure, extremely fast, and works to unblock BBC iPlayer on all of its UK servers.
You’ll be able to watch UK TV in HD without buffering or slow loading times. You can find out more in our guide to the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer.
Unblocking Disney Plus will give you access to movies from Marvel, Pixar, Disney, and more.
Unfortunately, the service is only available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, and Germany. If you want to stream Disney+ from any other country, you’ll need a VPN.
The best VPN for Disney+ is Surfshark. That’s because it works to stream all Disney+ content on absolutely any server.
You’ll need a payment method registered in one of the countries with access to sign up. If you don’t have this, you can follow our workaround in our list of the best VPNs for Disney+.
Amazon Prime Video has an international content library of over 20,000 movies and TV shows.
However, a VPN will not unblock all geo-restricted content from Amazon Prime Video. That’s because the service only allows you to stream content from the region where your account is registered.
This makes a VPN mostly useful for watching your home version of Amazon Prime Video while traveling abroad.
Based on our tests, ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Amazon Prime Video in 2021. It works on every US server and streams movies without any buffering or lag.
The 5 best VPNs for Amazon Prime Video are:
EXPERT TIP: To unblock the US Amazon Prime Video library, you’ll need to sign up while connected to a US VPN server and use a US payment method. If you don’t have one, you can use a digital gift card instead.
After Netflix, Hulu is the most difficult streaming service to access with a VPN. All of Hulu’s movies and TV shows are strictly blocked for anyone from outside of the US.
To calculate the best VPN for Hulu, we tested a number of randomized US servers from all of our top-rated streaming VPNs.
We found that ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Hulu. Once connected, it unblocked access to shows like Fargo, The Simpsons, and The Handmaid’s Tale, all in HD.
ExpressVPN also comes with a Smart DNS feature, which means you’ll be able to stream Hulu on your Apple TV and PS4/PS5, too.
PrivateVPN and NordVPN also work with Hulu on their US servers, but CyberGhost and Surfshark only work on two thirds of their servers. We recommend avoiding these VPNs if you watch Hulu regularly.
The 5 best VPNs for Hulu are:
HBO Max is a premium alternative to HBO Now and HBO Go. To watch it, you’ll need an American IP address.
Unblocking HBO Max will provide access to all the TV shows and movies on HBO Now and HBO Go, as well as the full WarnerMedia library.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for HBO Max in 2021. It works to reliably unblock HBO Max from other countries, allowing you to stream content like Wonder Woman 1984, Friends, and Game of Thrones from outside the US.
All five of our recommended streaming VPNs provide consistent access to HBO Max. However, VPNs with dedicated HBO streaming servers are significantly slower than VPNs with no dedicated server.
This is probably the result of server congestion, where there are too many users connected to a single server at one time.
VPN services that unblock HBO Max without a dedicated server, like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark, are preferable.
That’s because they can balance users over a wider range of servers — resulting in dramatic speed and performance improvements.
The 5 best VPNs for HBO Max are:
Free VPNs are usually not very effective at unblocking streaming services. In addition, they often come with restrictive data and speed caps.
Windscribe Free is the best free VPN for streaming. In fact, it’s the only safe free VPN we’ve found that consistently works for streaming. It has a 10GB monthly data cap, but it’s incredibly effective for a free VPN service.
You can learn more about using Windscribe in our Windscribe review.
Alternatively, you can also try most premium VPNs for free before you commit to a lengthy subscription. You can do this by taking advantage of their free trials or money-back guarantees.
Using a VPN can greatly improve your streaming experience. If you’re at home, you can use a VPN to unblock thousands of movies and TV shows that aren’t available in your country.
If you’re travelling, you can use a VPN to unblock all of the content from home that you miss.
Streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video restrict their content to users in specific locations. For example, US Netflix has over 5,500 titles, whereas Australia only has 2,000.
What’s more, some services like HBO, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu are only available in one country.
That means there’s a huge number of shows available that you can only access with a VPN for streaming.
There’s even more on offer if you’re a fan of sports. If you subscribe to a sports streaming service and don’t want to miss a game from home, simply switch on your streaming VPN and log in.
Windscribe Free is the only safe free VPN that works with US Netflix.
When you use a VPN, you hide your IP address and mask your location so that streaming websites think you’re browsing from a different country. This allows you to watch all of the content that’s unavailable in your region.
Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a VPN service that can reliably unblock major streaming websites.
That’s because most services are now extremely effective at identifying and banning IP addresses belonging to VPN servers.
There are still a handful of high-quality VPN services that consistently work to unblock international streaming libraries with fast speeds and low prices.
Just make sure to connect to a server in the country where the movie or TV show is available to watch.
Before you can unblock streaming content you need to set up your VPN software.
If your chosen VPN service comes with custom apps then the installation process is very simple.
To stream movies and TV shows with a VPN:
If you want to watch Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, or similar streaming platforms then you’ll have to buy a subscription to those services first.
While using a VPN can unlock different international content libraries, it can’t get you free access to each platform.
Most streaming services try to stop users from accessing their content with a VPN.
They do this by blocking IP addresses that they believe belong to VPN servers. This usually happens when a large number of users try to access the service using the same IP address.
You’ll know when your VPN IP address has been blocked because you’ll see a proxy error message:
Netflix’s “streaming error” message.
These bans come in waves, and it’s often impossible to predict. However, a good streaming VPN will work hard to get around these blocks.
If your streaming VPN isn’t working, try these troubleshooting tips:
In the US, UK, and most European countries it is completely legal to use a VPN to access different international content libraries. In other words, there is no risk that streaming with a VPN will result in any form of legal penalty.
Many users are worried that bypassing geo-restrictions is somehow similar to piracy. Piracy is illegal because it allows people to access copyrighted material they have not paid for. When you use a VPN for streaming, you still pay for the platform you’re accessing.
Simply put, using a streaming VPN doesn’t allow you to access content for free, it simply allows you to circumvent licensing restrictions.
While using a VPN for streaming isn’t illegal, some streaming platforms do state that accessing geo-blocked content is against their terms of service.
SmartDNS is a technology that reroutes your DNS (Domain Name Server) requests to servers in a different country.
Smart DNS alone does not encrypt your browsing data or mask your public IP address. However, it does allow you to unblock websites and services that aren’t available in your country.
That’s because the websites you visit will see your DNS requests have originated from a different country.
Smart DNS is often used to unblock geographic restrictions on devices that do not support native VPN applications. Once you’ve signed up to a VPN that support Smart DNS, you simply update the DNS settings of your device with the DNS details your chosen VPN server.
If you’re looking to configure Smart DNS on a particular device, take a look at our VPN Setup guides.
Smart DNS is by far the easiest way to unblock restricted content on games consoles and Smart TVs. However, many VPN services simply don’t offer Smart DNS functionality.
If you’re looking for the best VPN with Smart DNS, we recommend using ExpressVPN, Surfshark or CyberGhost. They all come with a Smart DNS feature and unlock the most popular streaming services.
However, if you’re looking to unblock streaming content on desktop or mobile, we strongly recommend using a full VPN over any Smart DNS feature.
Not only are VPNs more reliable than Smart DNS, they also encrypt your internet traffic and hide your IP address – protecting your privacy in the process.
A VPN will also allow you to access content from more regions than Smart DNS, which typically only supports US and UK streaming libraries.
Most free VPNs aren’t good choices for streaming due to data and speed restrictions. Even some paid VPNs don’t make a dedicated effort to get past VPN bans.
Good streaming VPNs offer dedicated servers, Smart DNS, and consistently fast international speeds. These features cost a lot to maintain though, which means many popular VPN services simply don’t make the cut.
Popular VPNs that are bad for streaming include:
There are hundreds of other VPNs available that aren’t ideal for avid streaming fans. If you’d like a reliable service, we recommend choosing one of the five VPNs mentioned in this article.
Kodi is a popular streaming media player. Millions of people use free Kodi add-ons to watch sports, movies, and TV shows.
Some Kodi add-ons host copyrighted works, which poses a problem for streaming users. Internet service providers (ISPs) can issue fines to Kodi users or block Kodi traffic, which is why using a VPN with Kodi is vital.
A VPN masks your real IP address, preventing your ISP from seeing your streaming activity. You can learn more about streaming with Kodi in our guide to the best VPNs for Kodi.
