What’s the best free VPN for streaming?
Free VPN services are usually not very effective at unblocking streaming services. In addition, they often come with restrictive data and speed caps.
There’s only one safe free VPN we’ve found that consistently works for streaming, and that’s Windscribe Free. It has a 10GB monthly data cap, but it’s incredibly effective for a free VPN service.
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.
What is the best VPN for Hulu?
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.
Trying to watch Hulu with most VPNs results in this error message:
“It looks like you’re using an anonymous proxy or VPN. You’ll need to disable it to watch Hulu”
![Bypass Hulu proxy error]()
Hulu displays an error message when it detects a VPN.
To calculate the best VPN for Hulu, we tested a number of randomised US servers from all of our top-rated streaming VPNs.
We found that the best VPNs for Hulu are:
- ExpressVPN
- PrivateVPN
- NordVPN
- CyberGhost
- Surfshark
We found that ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Hulu. We were able to stream shows like Fargo, The Simpsons, and The Handmaid’s Tale, all in HD. As ExpressVPN comes with a Smart DNS feature, we were also able to unblock Hulu on our Apple TV and PS4/PS5, too.
PrivateVPN and NordVPN worked with Hulu on all of the US servers we tested, but CyberGhost and Surfshark only worked on 66% of its servers. We were able to quickly find a working server, but we recommend avoiding these VPNs if you watch Hulu regularly.
What is the best VPN for Amazon Prime Video?
In all of our tests, ExpressVPN was the best VPN for Amazon Prime Video. It worked on all of the VPN’s US servers and we were able to stream movies without any buffering or lag.
The best VPNs for Amazon Prime Video are:
- ExpressVPN
- PrivateVPN
- NordVPN
- Surfshark
- Windscribe
CyberGhost is not recommended for Prime Video. The VPN took over three minutes to load content and it has just one dedicated server for Amazon Prime Video, meaning you can’t cycle through other servers for a faster connection.
Amazon Prime Video has a content library four times greater than Netflix. In total, Prime Video has over 20,000 movies and TV shows. Prime Video is included with all Amazon Prime subscriptions, so you don’t need to pay an extra fee if you’re already a customer.
However, a VPN will not unblock all geo-restricted content from Amazon Prime Video. This is because the service only allows you to stream content from the region where your account is based. For example, if your account was set up in the UK, you won’t be able to stream US Prime Video.
This makes a VPN mostly useful for watching your home version of Amazon Prime Video while travelling abroad. Or, if you do want to access a specific country’s library, you’ll have to use a digital Amazon gift card.
![Amazon location settings issue]()
Amazon Prime Video only works with your home content library.
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.
What is the best VPN for HBO Max?
Based on our extensive testing, ExpressVPN is the best VPN for HBO Max. ExpressVPN unblocked HBO Max and allowed us to stream content like Wonder Woman 1984, Spirited Away, Friends, and Game of Thrones in HD from outside the US.
The 5 best VPNs for HBO Max are:
- ExpressVPN
- NordVPN
- Surfshark
- CyberGhost
- PrivateVPN
All five of these recommended VPN services will provide consistent access to HBO Max with fast speeds and minimal buffering.
HBO Max is a new streaming service from WarnerMedia and has been introduced as a premium alternative to HBO Now and HBO Go, which are the company’s existing services.
![Image of the HBO Max brand logo.]()
HBO Max provides all the TV shows and movies from HBO’s other streaming services but also includes content from the full WarnerMedia library, along with licensed content from third-parties. You can read more on the TV shows and movies you can stream on HBO Max with a VPN in the section below.
Also, in 2021 Warner Bros. will release all its new movies in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously.
All of our best VPNs for streaming work with HBO Max, but some fared worse than others. Our tests found that VPNs with dedicated HBO streaming servers, like CyberGhost, were significantly slower than VPNs with no dedicated server. As a result, we were unable to stream any HBO content in HD when using these VPN services.
This poor speed performance is a 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 as they are able to balance server load over a wider range of servers — resulting in dramatic speed and performance improvements.
What Can I Watch on HBO Max?
All of the following TV shows and movies are available on HBO Max:
- Chernobyl
- Doctor Who
- Friends
- Game of Thrones
- Gossip Girl
- Harry Potter
- Looney Tunes Cartoons
- My Neighbor Totoro
- Rick & Morty
- South Park
- Spirited Away
- The Big Bang Theory
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- The Lord of the Rings
- The Office
- The Sopranos
- The Studio Ghibli Movies
- Top Gear
- Westworld
- Zack Synder’s Justice League (releasing 18th of March)
Which VPNs Work with Disney+?
We tested 20 of our top-rated VPN services with Disney+ and the results were pretty definitive.
Disney’s streaming platform is actively blocking many VPN users from signing up for an account and viewing content.
But fear not, it’s still possible to watch your favorite Disney shows and films with these five VPNs:
- Surfshark
- CyberGhost
- ExpressVPN
- NordVPN
- ProtonVPN
However, you’ll need to sign up using a payment method registered to a country where Disney Plus is available or use a digital gift card.
Read our best VPN for Disney+ guide to see how to unblock Disney+ from anywhere in the world.
What’s the best VPN for Kodi?
If you are using Kodi, particularly for P2P streaming, it’s essential to use a quality VPN service to protect your privacy.
The best VPN for Kodi is IPVanish. It comes with a no-logs policy, no restrictions on P2P traffic, and all the security features you need to stay private while streaming on Kodi.
You can read our guide to the best VPNs for Kodi here.