The Best VPNs That Still Work with Netflix

Accessing a different country’s Netflix library is easy on a computer. Simply connect to a VPN server in the region you want to access by selecting it in the VPN app. Then, open Netflix in your web browser.

Unblocking international Netflix content on mobile devices is also simple. However, we noticed there are some unique differences compared to streaming on a computer.

For instance, the Netflix mobile app can override your VPN’s DNS settings, forcing the app to use its own DNS servers. This allows Netflix to detect VPN traffic on mobile more effectively, making some VPNs useless for mobile streaming.

When using a streaming device, it’s much easier to access geo-restricted content on Netflix compared to other streaming services, where changing your app store region is often necessary

Since the Netflix app is the same in every country, you can version already installed on your device. Alternatively, you can simply download it from the device’s app store while signed into your regular account.

Roku, Chromecast, and games consoles like PS5 and Xbox don’t support VPN apps. Additionally, content-sharing solutions, like Casting, only work with Netflix if both the devices are connected to the same VPN server.

That said, you can still access different Netflix regions on these devices by either using a VPN-enabled router, installing a VPN on your existing router, or setting up a mobile hotspot on a Windows PC.

The latter is often the quickest and easiest option as it’s more likely you already have the required hardware.

CyberGhost performed extremely well in our Netflix unblocking tests. The VPN reliably assessed all seven key Netflix libraries, including the US and UK, and was one of only five VPNs that worked with Netflix Japan.

Despite this, CyberGhost is let down by its poor download speeds, which often resulted in delayed video playback and frequent buffering.

Additionally, as it requires you to connect to specific streaming-optimized servers, lots of users are directed to a small server pool, worsening its speed even further. We’ve also found that these labeled servers sometimes don’t work, increasing our frustrations.

Hide.me has improved more than any other VPN with Netflix over the last year of our testing. The VPN has almost doubled the number of accessible Netflix libraries from 6 to 11. It’s also one of only a few VPNs that provides an app for Apple TV.

Despite these improvements, the VPN still falls short of our top three recommendations for Netflix. It unblocks 66% fewer libraries than Windscribe and 66% fewer than ExpressVPN. It also still can’t access Netflix in Australia or India, so content choices are limited.

It’s also one of the only top VPNs without a Smart DNS feature, so you’ll have to set up a mobile hotspot or install it on a router for accessing Netflix on a Smart TV or games console.

IPVanish unlocks the most Netflix libraries (16) of any VPN that didn’t make the cut. Only our very top picks had better compatibility with Netflix regions around the world.

IPVanish also lacks Smart DNS and a dedicated router app, unlike our top pick ExpressVPN.

But, if ExpressVPN is out of your budget and neither Nord nor Windscribe appeal to you then IPVanish is a worthy alternative for accessing Netflix.

Private Internet Access (PIA) once provided access to 10 Netflix libraries but has seen its performance halve to 6: it now doesn’t work with Brazil, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, or Turkey.

This, in combination with PIA’s poor streaming device compatibility, means there are now far better Netflix VPNs available.

PrivateVPN is compatible with the fifth highest number of Netflix libraries, unblocking 10 total Netflix regions, including the popular Australia, Canada, India, and UK libraries.

However, unlike the other VPNs in this list, PrivateVPN was extremely unreliable with US Netflix. Though it worked more often than not, we would have to connect to multiple different servers before finding one that was compatible. And sometimes, none would work at all.

Despite claiming to work with every Netflix region to “view all of the content that Netflix has to offer,” our research found that Surfshark in reality only works with 9 Netflix libraries.

This is 9 and 8 fewer than ExpressVPN and NordVPN respectively. Moreover, unlike these VPNs, it can’t access the popular Netflix libraries of Australia, Germany, and Japan.

The more Netflix regions a VPN can access, the higher your chances of being able to access the content you want to watch.

According to our research, the most sought-after Netflix content catalogs, outside the United States, are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, and the UK. As such, VPNs that unblock these regions earn a higher rating compared to those that access less popular regions.

How We Test

To test a VPN’s performance in this category, we manually connect to VPN servers in the target country. The key part of our test is streaming specific titles that are unique to that particular region.

Rating System

• Desirable Libraries (maximum 7 points): VPNs earn 1 point for every primary library (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, UK) they can access.
• Additional Libraries (maximum 3 points): Access to any of the other international Netflix libraries we tested grants the VPN an additional 0.1 points.

As the United States is the most popular Netflix region in the world, it’s essential for a top-tier Netflix VPN to access it reliably.

How We Test

We manually connect to a VPN’s US servers and attempt to stream titles exclusive to the American Netflix library. If it streams successfully on all/most servers, it passes the evaluation.

We regularly repeat these tests, allowing us to track every VPN’s performance over time. If a VPN can’t access US Netflix for two consecutive test runs, we adjust its rating.

Rating System

• 0.0: Can’t access US Netflix on any server.
• 0 – 9.9: Varying reliability with US Netflix.
• 10: Works reliably with US Netflix.

Streaming is a data-intensive activity, so your VPN needs to provide fast download speeds to avoid buffering. As you’ll be using a VPN to access Netflix regions from around the world, the VPN’s long-distance speed performance is a key factor.

How We Test

We conduct speed tests using our proprietary speed test tool. We perform 12 individual speed tests from VPN servers located in eight regions: the West and East Coasts of the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, South Africa, and the UK.

The final speed rating for each VPN is derived by calculating the average of these 12 test results, ensuring a well-rounded evaluation of its performance.

Rating System

• Download Speed: 80%
• Upload Speed: 10%
• Latency: 10%

A VPN that maintains an average speed loss below 5% scores maximum points, with ratings dropping for slower speeds.

Our speed scale starts at 0.1, indicating significant Netflix streaming interruptions, and maxes out at 10, reflecting a seamless streaming experience.

To stream geo-blocked content across all of your devices, a VPN needs to be compatible with all of them, including more challenging platforms like Roku and game consoles.

How We Test

We test a VPN’s software for all the devices typically used for streaming Netflix, including Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV. We also evaluate the effectiveness of any Smart DNS proxy and router configuration for devices like game consoles and Roku.

Rating System

• Fire TV app: 2 points
• Android TV app: 1.75 points
• Apple TV app: 1.5 points
• GPS Spoofing: 0.25 points
• Smart DNS (works with one country): 2 points
• Smart DNS (works with 1+ country): 2.5 points
• Router app: 2 points
• Pre-flashed router available: 1.5 points