For example, sports fans in the US may need to pay to watch their favorite event, but BBC iPlayer in the UK could be showing it for free. Subscription services like Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ also offer different content in different countries, and these can also be accessed with a streaming VPN. However, not every provider is a great VPN for streaming, so here we’ll be running exactly which ones are worth considering.
What makes a great streaming VPN?
When choosing a streaming VPN, there are three things to prioritize – reliable access to plenty of streaming sites, a decent variety of servers, and excellent speeds. Our top pick ExpressVPN combines all these with a clean, polished interface that makes streaming overseas content super simple, all alongside excellent privacy. Not all VPNs have that combination, and it’s worth mentioning that in mid-2021 Netflix cracked down hard on VPN use. Subsequently we saw almost every provider begin to struggle, although the best have now rallied and are performing well. It’s worth noting that most streaming sites forbid the use of VPNs, and threaten deactivate your account. However, in our experience we’ve never heard of this ever happening. If you’re comfortable with that, simply keep reading to discover the five best streaming VPNs available today, and take your pick of the bunch.
The best streaming VPN today
From our testing, ExpressVPN is our #1-ranked VPN on the market. However, one of its standout features is its excellent capability as a streaming VPN, as it offers the triple whammy of speed, security and excellent international coverage. That all means you can get access to over 3,000 servers across 94 countries, so no matter where you are it should be possible to get stuck into streaming media from back home. Connection speeds are reliably fast, so even streaming in 4K and HDR shouldn’t be an issue. If you do run into any snags – streaming-related or otherwise – the excellent live-chat customer support is available 24/7 and is always there to get you going again. It’s staffed by knowledgeable and genuinely helpful people that want – and know how – to get you what you need. While streaming might be a priority, security is also paramount and ExpressVPN sports enterprise-level encryption along with a selection of protocols. That means you’re guaranteed online anonymity, letting you stream in peace without the threat of third-parties potentially invading your privacy. All that, and you also get a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning it’s essentially free to try for a month to make sure it suits you perfectly. NordVPN is built for security, and it’s a great streaming VPN to use if you’re concerned about anyone else watching with you (for a more in-depth analysis, check out our NordVPN review). The fact that it offers more than 5,500 servers in 60 countries is just a bonus which ensures great speeds no matter where you end up. On top of excellent encryption there’s a handy SmartPlay feature. This encrypts your data in a more streamlined fashion, allowing you to eke out every last drop of performance from your connection. Especially useful for streaming in HD, Nord’s SmartPlay also sidesteps streaming services’ VPN blocking tools, meaning you’re guaranteed to have access to anything you want to watch. After a couple of unreliable months, it now appears that NordVPN is performing better than ever as a Netflix VPN – in our testing it was able to unblock a wide range of locations, including the UK, US, Canada, Japan, and more. NordVPN’s mobile apps are fully featured and provide much the same experience as the desktop clients. However, one thing we wish it had changed is the map-based interface – on a handheld screen it makes selecting servers a hassle, and we’d like to see a regular list from the start. Other than minor issues with the apps, however, NordVPN is an excellent streaming VPN that almost always performs reliably. Sign up on the NordVPN website (opens in new tab) Another bonus is that Surfshark works very well as a Fire Stick VPN, so it’s a great option for getting geo-blocked media streaming on your big TV. It’s simple to use, which is perfect for beginners, but there’s a fair number of settings to tweak, too. Compared to some other further up the list there’s not a huge amount of configuration on offer – but if all you’re interested in is getting access to overseas Netflix then that’s probably not a problem, and the unlimited simultaneous connections mean you can protect every device you own with this powerful yet cheap VPN. With a seriously tempting price and a 30-day guarantee, Surfshark’s an excellent streaming VPN that should be on your list. Sign up now on the Surfshark website (opens in new tab) In our most recent Proton VPN review, we discovered that not only is the Swiss provider one of the most secure VPNs on the market, but that it’s a real streaming powerhouse as well. First up: Netflix. In our testing Proton VPN easily evaded Netflix’s blocks in a good range of locations, although we did have an issue with Japan. That’s not a huge blot on Proton’s copybook, though, and we’ve historically found that the Japan library is, for some reason, one of the hardest to crack. You’ll have the option to bag yourself Proton’s very capable free VPN, although you’ll have to upgrade to the Plus plan to unblock streaming content and its power as a torrenting VPN. It’s not hugely cheap, but special offers make Proton more affordable, and for the service you’ll get we think it’s worth it. Sign up now on the Proton VPN website (opens in new tab) Hide.me is a powerful, well-respected VPN that boasts some excellent privacy features, but in our full Hide.me review we discovered that the Malaysia-based provider is also excellent for unblocking streaming sites all over the world. However, if you’re looking for a super simple streaming VPN solution, Hide.me might not be perfect for you. While it’s totally plug and play, the apps are a little more complex and, although they’re packed extra features, could be intimidating for those new to VPNs. Overall, Hide.me is well worth testing out, although for newbies we’d still recommend ExpressVPN or NordVPN. Sign up now on the Hide.me website (opens in new tab) A streaming VPN can get you access to overseas content by rerouting your connection through one its servers in a foreign country. By doing that, to any website it seems like you’re in that country, and subsequently you’ll be able to access any and all content that’s usually only available if you’re physically in that area. Whatever your reasons, there’s a huge amount of content on offer that you can only get with a streaming VPN. Netflix has a vast amount of content that’s only available in certain areas, and services like Hulu and BBC iPlayer are only available in one country. However, there’s more to be had if you’re a sports fan. If you’re away from home and don’t want to miss a game that’s being shown on domestic TV, you can access that through a streaming VPN. The same goes if you’re a paying customer of a sports streaming service – just turn on your streaming VPN, log in to your streaming service and watch.
