If you've ever tried to watch something on Netflix while away from your domestic country, you'll probably already understand one of the reasons why VPNs have become so popular. A VPN's ability to unblock geo-restricted access has made it an essential bit of software if you're planning a holiday or business trip and want full access to the usual shows and films on Netflix.
That's because VPNs let you access content that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach due to your location, such as getting the US Netflix in the UK (with all its extra content). Some countries block Netflix completely, of course – for example, China – and again, you can use one of our top best VPN picks to get around this.
Bear in mind, though, that accessing content which shouldn’t be available in your region is something Netflix doesn’t want you to do. Indeed, it is expressly forbidden in Netflix’s terms and conditions of usage, and there’s a constant battle between the streaming solution and VPNs which are circumventing its restrictions. Naturally, you travel down the avenue of VPN content unblocking entirely at your own risk…
How to choose the best Netflix VPN
We've made ExpressVPN the top of our charts in the race for greatest VPN for Netflix. In a crowded market, it's the VPN's speed, security and simplicity that makes Express stand out.
Many VPNs have given up on Netflix unblocking, leading to the infamous proxy error advising you to turn off your VPN when watching Netflix. Fortunately the few VPNs recommended below are regularly tested and confirmed to be still working for Netflix. While your options for Netflix-compatible VPN providers, there are still a few things to look out for.
Download speeds and server coverage should be your top priorities. Video streaming is an intensive activity, and you’ll need nippy performance levels to avoid suffering at the hands of stuttering footage, particularly when watching HD content (or indeed 4K). Having plenty of servers on offer will mean you’ll be more likely to be able to find that vital fast connection, as well (generally speaking).
- Check out the best VPN
Privacy and security are important whatever you’re using a VPN for, of course, with a ‘no logs’ policy and good encryption being definite must-haves. Support for mobile devices, and hopefully native clients for iOS/Android, will obviously be handy for watching flicks on the move.
And another good idea is to plump for a provider with a money-back guarantee – that will be useful if things change suddenly, as they can with Netflix, and the particular VPN you’ve gone for ends up getting the cold shoulder from the streaming platform. At least if you can get a refund, you won’t have wasted money (and obviously enough, the longer the duration of the money-back guarantee, the better).
Bearing all that in mind, let’s look at our favorite five VPN solutions for watching Netflix.
1. ExpressVPN
Best all-round VPN for Netflix
Number of servers: 1500+ | Server locations: 148 | IP addresses: 30,000 | Maximum devices supported: 3
[Save 49%] ExpressVPN Special Deal - Get 3 months free with an annual plan on Techradar's #1 Rated VPN.
This British Virgin Islands-based provider offers great speeds to enable streaming in HD, and they unblock Netflix across an impressive array of devices. ExpressVPN currently supports Netflix in the US, UK and Canada. Also, customer support assures us that generally speaking, it should work for many countries besides.
Another great feature is ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer DNS, which unblocks Netflix on devices that don’t support VPNs (like Apple TV, smart TVs and game consoles).
It also supports up to three additional devices for VPN access– which can be either PCs, tablets or phones – and doesn’t log traffic or browsing data. On the security front it boasts 256-bit encryption over OpenVPN, L2TP – IPSEC, PPTP, and SSTP protocols.
It is a bit more expensive than many rivals, but that said, ExpressVPN does provide an excellent experience for Netflix users and a reassuring 30-day money-back guarantee is available (even if there isn’t a free trial).
Three price plans are on offer, with the 12-month plan providing the best savings. The packages available are:
- Exclusive deal [$6.67 a month], save 49%, 15-month - $99.95
- [$9.99 a month] 6-month - $59.95
- [$12.95 a month] 1-month - $12.95
2. NordVPN
Most secure VPN for Netflix
Number of servers: 4331 | Server locations: 62 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 6
Known for its security-first approach, NordVPN is a great VPN for using Netflix. The provider offers fast performance, and in testing it barely affected our download speeds compared to our non-VPN rates.
Besides the United States, NordVPN currently supports Netflix in France, the Netherlands, Canada and Hong Kong (note that Hong Kong is only available for mobile devices). Further benefits of the solution include super-strong 2048-bit encryption, DNS leak protection, a kill switch, and an extensive choice of servers. The company has a no-logs policy regarding the user’s online activity.
There's a free 3-day trial, and NordVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. With the monthly billing being quite expensive, the 3-year plan offers the best value for money, if you can make that commitment. The packages available are:
- [$11.95 a month] 1-month
- [$5.75 a month] 1-year - $69.00
- [$3.29 a month] 2-years - $79.00
- [$2.75 a month] 3-years - $99.00
3. VyprVPN
A good mix of speed and security
Number of servers: 700+ | Server locations: 70+ | IP addresses: 200,000+ | Maximum devices supported: 3-5
VyprVPN certainly supports Netflix in the US, and a representative of the company assured us that it should work with all countries. This provider offers excellent speeds, particularly when it comes to download rates, which is obviously great for streaming.
And efforts on the security front are also commendable, with multiple protocols supported including OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP and Chameleon (VyprVPN’s own tailored solution). There’s a NAT Firewall for additional security, too. Privacy-wise, there is some logging with this provider: connection times and IP addresses are recorded, which won’t be ideal for everyone.
There is a free 3-day trial if you want to test the provider, and that’s useful since there are no refunds given under any circumstances. The company offers two price plans with monthly and annual billing. The monthly option is somewhat pricier than most rivals, so your best bet is the Premium plan which offers the most bang for your buck (and includes five simultaneous connections, the Chameleon protocol and more).
The packages available are:
- Basic: $9.95 monthly or $3.75 per month billed annually
- Premium: $12.95 monthly or $5.00 per month billed annually
- [40% off]: Special World Cup offer
4. Strong VPN
Most reliable VPN
Number of servers: 683 | Server locations: 45+ | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 5
StrongVPN’s strong point (ahem) is its security, which includes broad protocol support (PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, OpenVPN, IPSec and IKEv2), 2048-bit encryption and the company's own StrongDNS, which protects the user from DNS leaks.
The offer is simple and based on the essentials. It boasts solid server coverage, support for all the major platforms – Windows, Mac, iOS and Android – with manual setup guides for the rest.
In our testing, performance proved to be fast, actually improving our download speeds on long-distance tests, meaning swift and reliable connections to Netflix in different countries. StrongVPN currently supports Netflix for countries including the US, UK, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada.
StrongVPN offer 24/7 live support which is a nice touch. It however doesn’t have much variety when it comes to pricing plans – there are only two available with a 30-day money-back guarantee (and StrongDNS). Going monthly is expensive, but if you sign up for the full year, it’s more reasonably priced. The packages available are:
5. Hotspot Shield
Best for HD streaming
Number of servers: 2500+ | Server locations: 25 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 5
While Hotspot Shield doesn’t have a huge amount of server locations to choose from, the provider makes up for it with excellent performance. Both upload and download speeds were marginally higher than our normal rates when we tested the VPN, which is obviously fantastic for streaming. It currently only supports Netflix in the US.
It's also worth noting that the client offers very little in terms of configuration. However, this VPN’s privacy policy is a favourable one, stating that any data which has been recorded is deleted upon ending the VPN session.
This provider does offer a free plan, but this comes with certain limitations in terms of server selection, bandwidth and so on. Also, you can’t unblock Netflix with the free plan, so you’ll have to pony up some cash for the relatively expensive subscription products. Unless you’re prepared to commit to the ‘Lifetime’ offering – which could work out extremely cheap in the long run – the two-year plan is the best value. The packages available are:
- [$12.99 a month] 1-month
- [$8.99 a month] 6-months - $53.94
- [$5.99 a month] 1-year - $71.88
- [$2.99 a month] 2-years - $71.76
- Lifetime - $119.99
- We’ve rounded up the best free VPN
Why Netflix has regional restrictions
The reason why Netflix catalogs differ country to country is simple: copyright law. Movie studios have different contracts in different countries, so it’s possible that one series may be available in one country but not in another.
And then you have to deal with local broadcasting rights, where some countries may have the rights to some shows and therefore don’t permit them to be accessed on Netflix. House of Cards in Hong Kong is a great example—because a local TV network has the rights to the Netflix show, it’s not available online.
It’s no surprise that America has the best Netflix library. With the majority of original content coming out of the States, it makes sense that more series would be available there. In fact, the U.S. Netflix library has nearly 1,000 more shows than its UK cousin. Again, great if you’re in the States, but not so much if you’re in the UK.
How to bypass the Netflix VPN proxy error
Netflix has invested big bucks in detecting and blocking VPNs, and users can attest that servers that work with Netflix one day may not work the next. You’ve likely seen the infamous “Streaming Error” message if you tried to access Netflix from outside the U.S. with a VPN:
Netflix has been systematically finding and blacklisting suspected VPN IP addresses. And while the past few years have been an ongoing battle between VPNs and Netflix restrictions, VPNs are now setting up specific server locations intended to be used with Netflix.
How some providers overcome the Netflix VPN ban
Every IP address is associated with a country code, which Netflix then uses to either reroute or block network access. As the majority of VPN providers have multiple servers in cities and countries around the world, hopping from location to location is essentially the only way to stream the U.S. Netflix library abroad. It’s a tab cumbersome, but it works.
Be aware that not every server will work – it’s best to contact the provider’s customer assistance to see which servers are working on a particular date. ExpressVPN, for example, has been one of the leading providers to stay one step ahead of the Netflix VPN ban.
The company (along with a handful of other VPN providers) has been working overtime to acquire new IP addresses, which they can then cycle out whenever an older address is no longer working. As soon as Netflix detects and subsequently blocks a specific IP, the VPN then switches to another IP and encourages customers to use that specific location to stream.
Is Netflix better than Amazon Prime Video? Watch our comparison video below
