Does an Amazon Fire TV Stick have a free VPN?

Amazon Fire Stick and remote
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

There are a number of reasons having an Amazon Fire TV Stick VPN installed on your media streaming device is a great idea.

However, you will need to install the VPN yourself if you so choose; your Fire Stick doesn't have one built-in. It's also worth noting that any kind of free VPN likely won't cut it when it comes to offering you the kind of optimization one would want from a VPN on their Fire Stick. We detail exactly why below.

Is there a built-in VPN on my Fire Stick?

The short answer? No. Amazon Fire TV Stick's don't have their own built-in VPNs. You will need to subscribe to a third-party provider and install a VPN on your Fire Stick via the Amazon Appstore. 

Alternatively, if a VPN doesn't have its own dedicated Fire TV app, there are manual workarounds - though all the best VPNs we recommend for Fire Stick use do have their own sleek apps.

Contents of Amazon Fire TV Stick box, including remote, Fire Stick, plug and cables

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Can I get a free VPN for my Amazon Fire Stick?

Search 'free VPN' in the Fire TV appstore and you'll likely be faced with a handful of options that won't cost you a cent. However, we strongly dissuade anyone from picking the first free provider they see as they come with a lot of limitations as well as their own set of risks. Considering a VPN is fundamentally meant to give your device boosted security and privacy, a move like this seems counterproductive.

Not only is there a risk of free services selling your data to third-parties in order to fund the infrastructure of their software, but you'll also likely be bombarded with pesky ads. Where a streaming VPN is concerned, you probably won't get very far, anyway, thanks to restrictions on premium features and data allowance limits.

Of the free providers we do recommend, none offer a Fire TV app to install straight onto your device other than Proton VPN, which only offers its streaming service unblocking feature to its paying customers.

So which VPN services come with our seal of approval for Fire Stick users?

Top 3 VPN recommendations for Amazon Fire Stick:

1. ExpressVPN - #1 VPN for Amazon Fire TV Stick
Get ExpressVPN and you'll be streaming safer - no matter where you are - in no time. Its dedicated Fire TV app is a doozy to download and set up - plus, it comes with a no-questions-asked 30 day money back guarantee3 months extra free

1. <a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Fgo%2Fvpn-software%2Fvpn-fire-tv-stick" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ExpressVPN - #1 VPN for Amazon Fire TV Stick
Get ExpressVPN and you'll be streaming safer - no matter where you are - in no time. Its dedicated Fire TV app is a doozy to download and set up - plus, it comes with a no-questions-asked 30 day money back guarantee and you can get it with 3 months extra free when you sign up for a year.

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2. <a href="https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=564&url_id=10992&aff_id=3013&aff_click_id=hawk-custom-tracking&aff_sub2=hawk-article-url" data-link-merchant="go.nordvpn.net"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">NordVPN - the Amazon of the VPN world
With a vast amount of servers (5,000+) to connect to and some excellent connection speeds, NordVPN is a safe bet for streamers. Like Express, it unblocks US Netflix, Amazon Prime, iPlayer and more with ease, so you can watch what you want where you want.

3. PIA - one of the best cheap VPNs around

3. <a href="https://privateinternetaccess.com/offer/future_60e7q6mk5?aff_click_id=hawk-custom-tracking&aff_sub2=hawk-article-url" data-link-merchant="privateinternetaccess.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">PIA - one of the best cheap VPNs around
Private Internet Access has recently joined the ranks of the top 5 overall VPNs and, with its streaming smarts and easy-to-use app, it stands to reason it would feature high up in our Fire TV Stick VPN list. But perhaps the thing that will make it stand out the most here is the pricing. It's the lowest on this list by some way, if you elect for its two-year plan.

Time and time again ExpressVPN finds itself at the top of many of our buying guides, and that's simply because it proves itself to be the best across a lot of categories. Ticking all the boxes required for a VPN for your Fire Stick, ExpressVPN has you covered, able to unblock Disney Plus, Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer. It's also a great Netflix VPN, able to unblock exclusives from around the world.

It also boasts above average speeds, with averages of 420-630Mbps, while the fastest VPN in our top 3 goes to NordVPN, with peaks of 730-760Mbps. Nord is also one of the most secure VPN and also is a dab-hand at geo-unblocking, too.

While Express' prices are steeper than average, NordVPN sits somewhere in the midde. However, if you want a feature-packed VPN that still does the job on your Fire Stick, Private Internet Access is one of the cheapest VPN going currently - you'll just need to opt for its multi-year plan to secure its lowest rates.

Alice Marshall
eCommerce Editor

Alice is eCommerce Editor at Future with a focus on streaming services, such as Disney Plus and HBO Max, and VPN. She predominantly writes buying and streaming service guides, as well as how to watch articles. Previously a Commercial Content Writer at Trusted Reviews, Alice has five years experience giving online buying advice, and over two years writing about consumer tech.