Does ProtonVPN Work with Netflix?

Netflix doesn’t have the licensing agreements to distribute all TV shows and movies in every country. As part of these contracts, Netflix only allows users to stream content from their local region.

As VPNs change your IP address and location, you can use them to access titles from other countries. In response, Netflix is always finding new ways to detect and block VPNs.

ProtonVPN is one of the more reliable VPNs for Netflix, but it still fails sometimes.

When the VPN is not working with Netflix, you’ll either only see Netflix originals, or you’ll encounter the Netflix proxy error:

Here are some simple ways to bypass the Netflix proxy error with ProtonVPN:

Alternatively, watch the video below to learn how to watch Netflix with ProtonVPN.

Which ProtonVPN Servers Currently Unblock Netflix?

Here are the ProtonVPN servers that work with Netflix:

Netflix Library	ProtonVPN Server
Australia	AU#19
Canada	CA#26
France	FR#25
Germany	DE#60
India	IN#8
Japan	JP#77
Switzerland	CH#6
UK	UK#52
US	US-NY#52

Make sure to connect to one of the ProtonVPN servers listed above, otherwise, the VPN might not work with Netflix. We test these servers daily to ensure our information is always accurate and up-to-date.

ProtonVPN is a great VPN for Netflix. It unblocks ten libraries overall, including Netflix US. It’s available on all popular platforms, including Windows and Fire TV. ProtonVPN is also fast enough for HD and 4K video streaming.

There are four pricing plans available, but only the Plus and Visionary plans work for streaming. We strongly recommend the cheaper Plus plan for most users.

After testing ProtonVPN with Netflix, here’s a summary of the VPN’s streaming strengths and weaknesses:

PROS	CONS
Works with 10 Netflix libraries Fast download speeds for HD streaming Apps for Android TV & Fire TV Stick Large server network Unblocks Prime Video, HBO Max & Hulu	Other VPNs unblock more Netflix libraries No Smart DNS Fire TV app has to be sideloaded More expensive than alternative VPNs

In the following section, we’ll detail all the benefits and drawbacks of using ProtonVPN with Netflix.

Unblocks 10 Netflix Libraries

ProtonVPN claims that you can watch Netflix on its servers in almost every country. But after using the VPN extensively, we found this to be incorrect. In fact, the VPN works with Netflix in 10 countries.

To find this, we tested ProtonVPN with Netflix in every server location. We were only able to stream exclusive movies and TV shows from the regions listed above.

As the screenshot below shows, we were able to watch Forrest Gump when connected to a ProtonVPN server in France.

Our research also showed that ProtonVPN is a very reliable VPN for Netflix. Some of the other VPNs we tested would work one day but not the next. Although we sometimes had to switch between servers, ProtonVPN worked every time.

ProtonVPN unblocks more Netflix regions than most other VPNs. Other top VPNs, like CyberGhost and Private Internet Access, only work with six libraries. It’s also a dramatic improvement over ProtonVPN’s previous performance. Until recently, it could only access five Netflix libraries.

That said, the best VPNs for Netflix can stream over 30 libraries, which is far more than ProtonVPN. ProtonVPN won’t get you into the popular Netflix libraries of the Netherlands or South Korea, which is disappointing.

Fast Speeds using WireGuard

It’s not enough for a VPN to just unblock Netflix. The VPN also needs to have sufficient speeds to stream content in high-resolution, without any buffering or slowdowns.

Our latest speed tests have found that ProtonVPN’s long-distance connection speeds are excellent. Connecting to the US cut our download speed by just 9%, from 100Mbps to 91Mbps.

These speeds are far above the 5Mbps speed bandwidth that Netflix recommends for streaming in HD and the 25Mbps needed for 4K streaming.

You can see the full results we recorded when connected to ProtonVPN servers in popular Netflix locations:

Server Location	Download Speed
Starting Speed	100Mbps
Australia	67Mbps
Germany	95Mbps
Japan	71Mbps
USA	91Mbps

Across every location, our connection using ProtonVPN was fast enough for 4K video. Even if your connection is slower than ours to begin with, ProtonVPN will be fast enough.

To support our findings, we use an automated tool that tests the speed of 16 VPN services, four times a day, on our own infrastructure. You can see the live results in the graph below.

As you can see, ProtonVPN is on par with the very fastest VPNs, such as ExpressVPN and NordVPN.

Overall, ProtonVPN’s speeds are well-suited for streaming international Netflix libraries. Its download speeds are fast and consistent across every server location.

Large server network

With ProtonVPN, you can connect to 1,538 servers in 63 countries. It’s a large-sized network overall, but what matters most for Netflix is the number of servers in countries that ProtonVPN unblocks.

More servers mean there’s likely to be less congestion. As a result, you’ll be more likely to connect to a fast server that’s not overloaded with users. You can check server load in the ProtonVPN app by hovering over the information icon with your cursor.

Moreover, when Netflix identifies a VPN server, it’ll block it. Having more servers in a country also increases your chances of finding one that works.

Here’s the number of servers that ProtonVPN has in each Netflix region:

Country	No. of Servers
Australia	32
Canada	44
France	45
Germany	66
India	10
Italy	16
Japan	48
Switzerland	12
UK	36
US	331

This is no guarantee that all servers will work, but clicking Connect in any supported country will usually connect you to a server that unblocks Netflix.

You have to connect to a Plus server to use Netflix, and these servers are only available to Plus and Visionary subscribers. Every location in the server network has a Plus server.

Plus and Visionary plan subscribers also have access to Secure Core servers. They add an extra hop to your VPN connection, providing an extra layer of safety for privacy-sensitive users. We don’t recommend them for streaming, though. They cut our connection speed from the UK to the US down from 100Mbps to 18Mbps.

Good range of apps, including Android TV

ProtonVPN can unblock Netflix on both mobile and desktop devices. Although we’re disappointed with the quality of the user interfaces, ProtonVPN offers apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Android TV.

All these apps use OpenVPN or WireGuard, encrypt traffic using AES-256, and have advanced features like a kill switch and split tunneling.

Surprisingly, there is no native app for Fire TV. The Android TV app can be side loaded onto Amazon Fire TV devices, but the process is more complex.

The best native Fire TV Stick VPNs are much easier to install and use on Fire TV devices.

Additionally, ProtonVPN is lagging behind other Netflix VPNs by not offering Smart DNS.

Smart DNS lets you easily spoof your location to unblock Netflix on Apple TV and games consoles.

Instead, you can try installing ProtonVPN on your router. You’ll need a DD-WRT router and it’s a complicated process. Alternatively, you can buy a router with ProtonVPN pre-installed.

These options are expensive, though. You’re better off using an alternative VPN with Smart DNS support, such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark.

ProtonVPN does not offer any browser extensions, which are often the quickest way for streamers to change server location. Browser extensions aren’t usually full VPN services, though, so ProtonVPN may have decided to prioritize security over convenience here.

ProtonVPN Free Can’t Stream Netflix

Sadly, ProtonVPN’s free plan doesn’t work with Netflix. The VPN service blocks access to Netflix for non-paying users to encourage upgrades to its premium plan.

Instead, we found that ProtonVPN Free unblocks streaming services that are easier to access. Using ProtonVPN Free, we were able to stream YouTube, Tubi, and Crunchyroll.

Alternatively, if you want a completely free VPN that works with Netflix, we recommend Windscribe. It gives you access to 6 Netflix libraries, including the UK and Germany.

ProtonVPN is a good VPN for Netflix, but it’s outperformed by other top VPNs when it comes to streaming.

By choosing another VPN you can unblock more Netflix libraries, use the VPN on more devices, and save money.

	ProtonVPN	ExpressVPN	Windscribe	Surfshark
Netflix Libraries	10	10	32	10
Smart DNS	No	Yes	No	Yes
Number of Connections	10	5	Unlimited	Unlimited
Cheapest Monthly Price	$4.99	$6.67	$4.08	$2.30
UK-US Download Speed Loss	9%	17%	32%	45%
Server Network	1,538	3,000	Undisclosed	3,200

What is the Best VPN for Netflix?

ExpressVPN is our top recommendation For Netflix because:

• It’s reliable. In many years of testing, ExpressVPN has always unblocked Netflix, on every platform. Nearly all of its servers unblock Netflix. With ProtonVPN you might need to try a few servers.
• ExpressVPN is incredibly fast. The other services are all fast enough for HD streaming, but you only want to install one VPN and you’ll notice the difference when doing other activities online.
• ExpressVPN works on Apple TV and games consoles using Smart DNS. ProtonVPN doesn’t have Smart DNS, so you can’t use the VPN on devices that don’t support VPN apps unless you install it on your router.
• ExpressVPN unblocks a large selection of libraries. That includes the US, UK, Netherlands, Japan, Italy, Israel, Germany, France, Canada, Brazil, and Australia. ProtonVPN is fine, but you get access to nine more Netflix libraries with ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN costs a bit more than other VPNs, but we think it’s worth it.

What’s the Best Cheap Alternative to ProtonVPN?

In our recent Windscribe analysis, we confirmed it’s still the best free Netflix VPN.

However, Windscribe Free limits you to 10GB of bandwidth per month, which doesn’t go far when you’re watching HD movies. Nevertheless, it consistently works well to unblock UK Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

For most viewers who are budget-sensitive, we recommend Surfshark because:

• It’s cheap. If you can afford to prepay for two years, you can save 83% and bring the monthly price down to just $2.30 (a total of $59.76). This is 62% cheaper than ProtonVPN on a similar paid plan.
• Surfshark unblocks many popular Netflix libraries. That includes the US, UK, South Korea, Japan, Italy, India, Canada, and Australia.
• Surfshark works on Apple TV and games consoles using Smart DNS. ProtonVPN’s lack of Smart DNS means you can’t easily unblock Netflix on all of your devices.

Additional research by Luke Williams