The Best Free VPNs for Netflix

1. Windscribe Free

The overall best free VPN for streaming Netflix.

PROS	CONS
Unblocks 10 Netflix libraries Uses industry-leading AES-256 and OpenVPN encryption Allows unlimited simultaneous connections Fast enough speeds for good-quality streaming Compatible with all major devices Works with BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video	10GB data cap No human live chat functionality Dangerous jurisdiction (Canada)

If you want a free VPN for Netflix, Windscribe Free is easily the best option. It is extremely secure, unblocks movies and TV shows in ten countries including Netflix USA, and is fast enough for high-quality, buffer-free streaming.

Unblocks 10 Different Netflix Regions

Windscribe offers both a free and paid version of its VPN app. Until recently, the free VPN was unable to unblock Netflix. Streaming was only possible on the VPN’s ‘Windflix’ servers, which were reserved for paying customers.

However, in March 2020, the company announced that all of its servers were now optimized for streaming. Since then, we’ve been able to change our Netflix region using any of Windscribe Free’s ten server locations, which based in:

• Canada
• France
• Germany
• Hong Kong
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Romania
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• United States

Most importantly, Windscribe Free unblocks American Netflix, which is one of the biggest and best content libraries.

This is impressive for a free VPN, but we will continue to test the VPN to see if it can stay ahead of the Netflix VPN ban.

Fast Enough Speeds For Streaming

While Windscribe isn’t the fastest VPN we’ve tested, its long-distance speeds are reasonably good.

We recorded an average download speed of 68Mbps when connecting from the UK to a server in the US. This is a percentage speed loss of around 32% compared to our baseline 100Mbps.

We were able to stream in HD comfortably and even enjoyed Ultra HD quality for a lot of the time.

Country	Avg. Download Speed	Avg. Speed Loss
United Kingdom	95Mbps	5%
Germany	85Mbps	15%
USA	68Mbps	32%
Singapore	4Mbps	96%
Australia	9Mbps	91%

Windscribe’s apps are ad-free and very user-friendly. It takes a matter of seconds to connect to a VPN server in a location of your choosing and to start streaming.

If you encounter any issues, you can live chat with Garry the chatbot, or email the Windscribe customer support team. They take about a day to reply, which needs improving.

Restrictive 10GB Data Cap

There is one major downside to using Windscribe Free for Netflix. The VPN imposes a 10GB monthly data limit on free-tier users, which equates to around four hours of HD Netflix streaming a month.

Though it is common for free VPNs to enforce data caps – and Windscribe Free’s 10GB offering is among the highest we’ve seen – four hours of streaming a month just isn’t a lot.

2. VPNhub Free

Mobile-only VPN that unblocks US Netflix with no data limit.

PROS	CONS
Unblocks American Netflix Unlimited data allowance Strong AES-256 encryption Effective kill switch Works with Disney+ and HBO Max too	Only available on mobile VPN servers in the US only Dangerous jurisdiction (US) Logging policy is too intrusive Very poor customer support

VPNHub Free is not an especially private or good VPN all-round, but it does work with Netflix.

In our latest streaming tests, we found that the VPN can reliably and consistently unblock US Netflix content from our base in London, UK.

No Data Limit But Mobile-Only

One big advantage to using VPNHub Free for Netflix rather than Windscribe Free is that VPNHub gives you an unlimited data allowance.

You can stream as many movies and TV shows as you like, without having to worry about reaching your limit. The VPN doesn’t throttle your speeds, either.

VPNHub Free is only available to mobile users, though. You can use it to watch Netflix on iOS or Android devices, but it’s not much use if you prefer a bigger screen.

Works with US Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max

VPNHub Free only has servers in the US. That means you can only use it to unblock the American Netflix region, compared to Windscribe’s ten different regions.

This is still better than every other free VPN out there. Moreover, our tests show VPNHub Free works with Disney Plus and HBO Max.

Unlike many free VPNs, VPNHub is also quick enough for good-quality streaming. We recorded a speed loss of 27% on UK-to-US connections.

That left us with download speeds of 53Mbps, which was more than enough to stream in Ultra High Definition video and little-to-no buffering.

Don’t Use for General Browsing

VPNHub is one of the only 100% free VPNs that works with Netflix, but we don’t recommend it for general use.

It’s certainly not as bad as many other free VPNs. The service uses secure AES-256 encryption, claims to include a selection of different VPN protocols, and doesn’t leak any user data.

However, its logging policy is overly invasive. It collects too much aggregated data for us to recommend the VPN as a private and safe option.

We suggest using the VPN to unblock Netflix, but then turning it off for general web browsing and especially for any sensitive activity.

For the best streaming experience, you need to use a premium VPN. These unblock multiple Netflix regions, deliver the fastest speeds, and work on almost any device.

While they’re not 100% free, like Windscribe or VPNHub, you can use them for free for a given period of time. This is ideal to watch Netflix on vacation, or binge-watch a TV series.

The three best VPN free trials for streaming Netflix are:

1. ExpressVPN

The best overall Netflix VPN; can be used for 30 days risk-free.

PROS	CONS
Unblocks 19 Netflix libraries Very fast VPN for international connections 30-day money-back guarantee Works with Netflix on Apple TV and Fire TV Stick Independently verified no-logs policy Works with BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video	Not 100% free No VPN kill switch on iOS Have to register payment information to use for free

ExpressVPN is the best overall VPN for Netflix based on our most recent tests.

The VPN service is extremely fast and lets you access an impressive 19 content libraries around the world.

As well as unblocking important regions like Netflix USA and Netflix UK, ExpressVPN also works with the highly-regarded Japanese library.

Windscribe and VPNhub don’t offer VPN servers in Japan, so ExpressVPN is currently the best free VPN for watching Japanese Netflix.

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee Offer

Though it’s one of the more expensive VPN services, ExpressVPN offers a full refund to customers within the first 30 days of purchase – no questions asked.

The 30-day refund guarantee means you can use the very best Netflix VPN for an entire month completely free of charge.

We spoke to a customer support agent who confirmed that under no circumstances would they deny a refund within the 30-day period. Just make sure to cancel your subscription in time, otherwise you’ll have to pay for the service.

You can find out exactly how to do this in our ExpressVPN free trial guide.

Very Fast VPN for International Connections

ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs we’ve tested and its international connection speeds are exceptional.

We recorded an average speed loss of just 17% on long-distance connections from the UK to the US. Streaming Netflix in HD is no problem.

Country	Avg. Download Speed	Avg. Speed Loss
United Kingdom	92Mbps	8%
Germany	92Mbps	8%
USA	83Mbps	17%
Japan	71Mbps	29%
Australia	73Mbps	27%

The apps are simple to use and it’s a great VPN for streaming on a wide range of devices and platforms, including smart TVs and games consoles.

Unlike Windscribe, ExpressVPN only allows a maximum of 5 connections at any one time. This is commonplace among VPN services and should be more than enough for watching Netflix.

2. CyberGhost

A beginner-friendly Netflix VPN with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

PROS	CONS
Unblocks US and UK Netflix 45-day money-back guarantee 7-day free trial on mobile Huge server network with over 6,900 servers in 91 countries Very user-friendly apps available on all major devices Works with BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video	Not 100% free Only unlocks 6 Netflix libraries Slow international connection speeds

CyberGhost is a great VPN for beginners. It works with Netflix in six countries: the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. This isn’t the highest number of libraries we’ve seen, but it covers a lot of the most important ones.

The service also differs from ExpressVPN and Windscribe Free, in that CyberGhost uses specific streaming-optimized servers. These are available on a wide range of devices and platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS.

Excellent For Streaming Netflix on Your TV

CyberGhost’s Smart DNS technology means it’s currently the only VPN service that unblocks both Netflix US and UK on games consoles and smart TVs.

Like a VPN tunnel, Smart DNS lets you hide you IP address and spoof your location. However, it won’t encrypt your traffic like a VPN does, so we don’t recommend using it for any sensitive online activity.

CyberGhost also has a very good Fire TV Stick app, which allows you to seamlessly stream American Netflix on your TV.

Generous 45-Day Risk-Free Refund

What sets CyberGhost apart from the crowd is its industry-leading 45-day money-back guarantee. Users are entitled to a full, risk-free refund at any point within the first 45 days.

Simply sign up to the VPN, enjoy unrestricted streaming and then claim your money back before the time period expires.

Disappointing Slow Long-Distance Speeds

CyberGhost is a quick VPN for short-distance connections, but unblocking Netflix tends to rely on longer-distance, international connections.

Here, CyberGhost is not as fast as we’d like it to be. We recorded a worrying 74% loss in speed when connecting to US servers from the UK.

Country	Avg. Download Speed	Avg. Speed Loss
United Kingdom	87Mbps	13%
Germany	66Mbps	34%
USA	26Mbps	74%
Singapore	14Mbps	86%
Australia	8Mbps	92%

You shouldn’t have any problems accessing Netflix USA with CyberGhost, but the video quality may not be as good as you’d like.

3. PrivateVPN

Streams US Netflix with a payment-free, 5-day free trial.

PROS	CONS
Unblocks 32 Netflix libraries Genuine 5-day free trial Impressive Amazon Fire TV app 30-day money-back guarantee Also unblocks Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and more	Not 100% free Relatively short ‘free’ period Only 200 servers No Smart DNS feature

PrivateVPN is a cheap VPN that works with over 30 different Netflix regions. Other than Windscribe Pro (42 regions), this is the most we’ve seen from a VPN provider.

The Best VPN Free Trial

While ExpressVPN and CyberGhost offer money-back guarantees, PrivateVPN offers a genuine 5-day free trial.

The length of the trial is shorter, but you can claim it without subscription You don’t have to pay anything up front, you don’t have to submit payment details, or remember to cancel before the trial period expires.

Simply go the PrivateVPN free trial page, fill in your details, and select ‘Create Trial Account’.

After you’ve confirmed your account via email, download the PrivateVPN apps and use them for free to stream five days of Netflix.

Good Firestick App But No Smart DNS Feature

If you own an Amazon Fire TV stick, PrivateVPN is an excellent way to stream Netflix on your TV. The VPN’s native Fire TV app is well-designed, easy to use, and lets you unblock a large number of streaming libraries.

PrivateVPN doesn’t have a Smart DNS feature, though. This makes it much harder to use PrivateVPN on Apple TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Roku, or any other non-VPN compatible device.

If you’re looking to stream Netflix on one of these devices, we’d recommend using CyberGhost or ExpressVPN.

Fast But Unreliable Connection Speeds

Our speed tests show that, on a good day, Private is a very fast VPN. We measured just a 6% loss in speed on local, UK-to-UK connections – with our baseline 100Mbps connection dropping to 94Mbps.

The VPN also performs well on long-distance connections. Here are the different speeds we recorded from around the world:

Country	Avg. Download Speed	Avg. Speed Loss
United Kingdom	94Mbps	6%
Germany	80Mbps	20%
USA	62Mbps	38%
Canada	84Mbps	16%
Australia	49Mbps	51%

The main issue for PrivateVPN is consistency. It operates a very small server network of just 200 servers, and often this leads to server congestion that severely slows down connection speeds.

Most of time, PrivateVPN delivers fast enough speeds for buffer-free, high-quality streaming. But we’ve occasionally been frustrated by periods of slow service.

Read our ‘What Is a VPN?’ guide to learn more about logging, jurisdictions, and leaks

VPNs are not safe by default. Many free VPNs put users at greater risk than using no VPN at all.

Since it costs money to own and operate a VPN service, it’s important to consider how a free VPN provider manages to sustain itself without charging a subscription fee. Often, the answer is that they monetize their users and deliver a weakened service.

Here are some of the ways in which free VPNs can pose a risk to your security and safety:

1. Logging Your Online Activity and Personal Information.

   Free VPN providers have direct access to a huge supply of data – now the world’s most valuable resource.

   A good VPN service will operate a strict no-logging policy, in which user data is deleted immediately or never recorded in the first place. However, many free VPNs exploit their position in order to collect, store, and sell valuable information about their customers.

   One study by CSIRO in 2016 found that 75% of the 283 free VPN products they tested contained at least one tracking library. These trackers allowed the companies to monitor and log information such as:

   • The users’ IP address.
   • The websites they visited.
   • The time they spent on these websites.
   • Sensitive information (e.g. bank details) that are shared on unprotected sites.

   Given that one of the main reasons to use a VPN is to protect your privacy online, this is a clear violation of trust. Yet, for most free VPNs, it is common practice.

2. Infecting Your Device with Malware.

   A number of free VPNs knowingly endanger users by infecting their device with malware.

   Malware is a piece of code designed to hack into your accounts, steal your money, or lock you out of your accounts until a ransom is paid.

   We recently investigated 150 of the most popular free VPN apps in the Google Play Store and found that a worrying 21% of them tested positive for potential malware or viruses. This included Ultrasurf (beta) and VPN Proxy Master, both of which have been downloaded over 5 million times.

3. Leaking Sensitive Information.

   A defining feature of a VPN is its encryption tunnel. Yet, CSIRO found that a staggering 18% of the free VPNs they tested had no encryption whatsoever, making them more like proxy servers than VPNs.

   Without encryption, a VPN cannot protect your privacy. Instead, it will reveal personal information like your IP address to your ISP, government, and any snooping third party.

   Even with encryption, VPNs can still leak sensitive information. We found that of the top 150 free VPN apps on Google Play, 25% were leaking user-identifying data despite all using some form of encryption. Most of the time these were DNS leaks, but there were also instances of WebRTC leaks and IP address leaks.

   Data leaks undermine the whole purpose of using a VPN for privacy, and these findings emphasise the need to be extra careful when using a free VPN service.

In addition to putting your privacy and security at risk, free VPN providers also rarely have the money or motivation to ensure their product is the best it can be. Here are some ways in which user experience can be affected by a free VPN:

1. Won’t Work with Netflix and Other Streaming Sites.

   One of the most common reasons for getting a VPN is to access streaming & entertainment content from abroad. This involves unblocking sites like Netflix, HBO and BBC iPlayer.

   Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of free VPNs do not work with these streaming sites. We have seen that Windscribe and VPNHub are the only 100% free VPN services that work with Netflix, and it is a similar story for other streaming services.

   Free VPNs tend not to be effective when it comes to streaming.

2. Data Usage Limits.

   Most free VPNs impose some form of data usage limit. This means that, for free VPNs that do unblock Netflix, there is only a certain amount of content you can stream before running out of data.

   The limit varies across providers. Windscribe Free users are allowed up to 10GB of data, which equates to around four hours of Netflix streaming. Whereas TunnelBear restricts users to just 500MB, which isn’t even enough for a single movie.

3. Slow Connection Speeds.

   Free VPNs are often known for having slow speeds and unstable connections.

   While paid VPN providers invest in large server networks in order to give customers a greater range of locations, free VPN services tend to offer relatively few servers.

   With fewer servers and locations, connections often have further to travel between device and server. The servers themselves are also far more crowded, leading to slower speeds and occasional drops in connection.

   Free VPNs have also been found to throttle connections by purposefully reducing the speeds that users experience. This might be done to maintain network stability or to frustrate users into purchasing a paid product.

Simply put, the vast majority of free VPNs are not worth the risk. At best, they’re slow and unable to unblock Netflix. At worst, they steal your personal information and infect your device with malware.

This is not to say that all free VPNs are bad or unsafe – or that all premium VPNs are trustworthy. It just emphasises the need to do your research before downloading a VPN, especially when using a free service.

For a list of safe free VPNs, read our recommendations for 2021.

What is the Best Free VPN for Netflix?

The best free VPN for Netflix is Windscribe Free. It unblocks 10 libraries worldwide including American Netflix, and has good enough speeds for high-quality streaming with minimal buffering.

The major downside to using Windscribe’s free-tier to watch Netflix is that users are restricted to 10GB of data a month. When streaming in HD quality, this equates to just 4 hours of Netflix viewing.

Why Is Netflix Better with a VPN?

Netflix restricts users to watching the movies and TV shows that are available in their geographic region. They do this to comply with licensing laws that govern where a particular show can and cannot be aired.

With a VPN, you can bypass this restriction and access the entire Netflix content catalog. You are no longer limited to the only videos available in your geographic location. By hiding your IP address with a VPN, you can stream Netflix content from anywhere in the world.

Unfortunately, not every VPN works with Netflix. The streaming service actively identifies and blacklists IP addresses that belong to VPN servers. You therefore need to find a VPN that successfully avoids the site’s geo-blockers in order to enjoy a better Netflix experience.

Can I Watch Netflix for Free?

Using a VPN will not let you watch Netflix for free. A VPN helps users who already have a Netflix account unlock content that isn’t available in their geographic region.

However, it is possible to watch Netflix for free by taking advantage of their one-month free trial offer.

How Do I Get a Free VPN for Netflix?

To get a free VPN for Netflix:

1. Go to the Windscribe website and click “Download Windscribe”.
2. Select your chosen device or browser and follow the steps to complete the installation process.
3. Create an account. (HINT: include your email address to get the full 10GB allowance, otherwise you will only receive 2GB)
4. Open the Windscribe app and choose a server location that corresponds with the Netflix library you wish to unblock.
5. Once you’ve connected, navigate to Netflix. Your chosen content library should appear.