Best VPN for Streaming in 2024
You can bypass geographic restrictions and give yourself access to an entire world of entertainment with one of CNET’s top picks for the best streaming VPNs.
Our Experts
Best Overall VPN
ExpressVPN
Best VPN for Speed
NordVPN
Best Cheap VPN
Surfshark
What is the best VPN for streaming right now?
ExpressVPN is the best streaming VPN on the market. It successfully unblocks Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video in the US and UK. The ExpressVPN app -- available for nearly every platform, including Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV -- boasts great customization features but remains user-friendly for VPN beginners.
NordVPN is a solid choice with minimal speed loss, superb reliability and broad device compatibility, including an Apple TV app. As the fastest VPN we tested, Nord is excellent for 4K video streaming.
Surfshark offers the best price-to-performance ratio, with excellent speeds and streaming service support. It also has apps for tons of streaming devices, including Apple TV, Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV.
Why you should use a VPN for streaming
Nord's excellent geo-unblocking and fast speeds make it great for streaming
Virtual private networks deliver an array of features that improve your online experience. Aside from using VPNs for privacy reasons, you can use these services to access streaming content previously unavailable due to region-based restrictions. Your VPN masks your physical IP address and encrypts your internet traffic through a remote VPN server. This routes your visible location to the VPN server you're connected to, making it look like you're logging in from a completely different location -- which will unlock previously restricted content that would otherwise be unwatchable from your location. Whether you want to access foreign Netflix libraries, stream your Max content while traveling overseas or watch the Summer Olympics from abroad, a VPN is a great addition to your entertainment app arsenal.
Through years of rigorous testing, CNET put roughly a dozen of the best VPNs on the market to work to ascertain which are the best for various platforms and use cases, including for streaming. When it comes to streaming capabilities, not all VPNs are created equal, which is why we ran these VPNs through their paces to compile this list of the best streaming VPNs. You can use the VPNs listed here to access your home Netflix library while traveling abroad or unblock content on all kinds of other streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Max, Disney Plus and Hulu. You can even use a VPN to cut through sports broadcast blackouts and watch your favorite teams without any restrictions. Just make sure to check your streaming service’s Terms of Service to see if it says anything about prohibiting VPN use because you don’t want to be mistakenly in violation of the service’s terms.
Factors to consider in a VPN for streaming
Based on our years of experience using and testing VPNs, we’ve established the following list of factors you should consider when choosing a VPN for streaming.
Streaming capabilities
Your VPN’s capacity to access streaming content is the top factor to consider in a VPN for streaming. If your VPN can’t access streaming content, then it isn’t fit for this purpose. It’s not just access to streaming content that’s important to consider; it’s also important to make sure that the VPN you choose works well for the streaming service you want to access. This is where free trials and money-back guarantees really come in handy because not all VPNs work well for all streaming services. Think about the streaming services you want to watch like Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Hulu, Peacock, Crunchyroll, YouTube TV, Sling and others.
Speed
Your VPN’s speed performance plays a major role in the overall quality of your streaming experience. You’ll need a VPN that’s fast, especially if you’re streaming in 4K or if you’re accessing geo-blocked content from a region that’s a considerable distance from your physical location. If your VPN is slowing your connection too much, you may end up experiencing a lot of buffering or lower-quality video playback.
Privacy
Regardless of what you’re using your VPN for, privacy is a key consideration for any VPN service. Your VPN should have privacy measures in place like DNS leak protection, a kill switch and a no-logs policy (bonus points for one that’s been audited or tested in the wild). A VPN that provides the necessary privacy protections will ensure that your internet traffic is never leaked unencrypted, including what sites you’re visiting and what content you’re streaming.
Network
A good VPN for streaming should have a network of servers in locations across the globe. If you’re looking to fully optimize your streaming and get access to the largest selection of streaming content, then you’ll probably want to choose a VPN with servers located in the largest number of countries. If you’re looking to access content from a specific region, you should check to ensure the VPN you want to use has servers in the region(s) you need. You can check the VPN’s server page on its website to see what countries it has servers in before purchasing a subscription.
Device compatibility
You’ll also want to make sure that the VPN you choose is compatible with the device on which you want to stream content, whether that’s a mobile device, laptop, smart TV or streaming device. Most VPNs are compatible with a wide range of devices, but it’s always a good idea to confirm that the service you’re considering will work with the device you want to use.
How we test VPNs for streaming
We know choosing a VPN for streaming can be a tall task, so we thoroughly tested different providers using different streaming services on several platforms. For each VPN, we evaluated each provider’s streaming performance on mobile, desktop and dedicated streaming devices like Amazon’s Fire TV Stick. We connected to dozens of server locations with each VPN to determine if the service was able to unblock geo-restricted content from different regions around the world on streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. We noted whenever a VPN was blocked from accessing certain geo-restricted content, and we checked to make sure the streaming experience was smooth and free of buffering when a VPN was able to successfully stream content. Each VPN we’ve listed here is a capable VPN for streaming, but one may work better for you than another, based on your particular needs or budget. Each VPN here also offers a money-back guarantee, so you can try them out to confirm a provider works for your needs before you fully commit to one.
Other VPNs we tested
Proton VPN
If you want a VPN that’s free and still able to stream the US Netflix library, then Proton VPN is the ideal choice. Proton VPN is currently the only free VPN the CNET recommends, because it’s secure, safe to use and doesn’t put any limits on speed or usage. Technically, Proton VPN’s free servers aren’t optimized for streaming, but we still achieved sufficient speeds and were able to smoothly stream Netflix content through the VPN’s free US servers.
With Proton VPN’s premium service, which includes servers in 91 countries (as opposed to five with the free plan), we were able to access content from several Netflix regional libraries as well as content on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus. The only hiccup we ran into was that we were unable to stream Disney Plus on MacOS through Proton’s US servers, although it worked fine on other platforms. Proton's paid tier sets you back $10 monthly, $60 annually or $108 total for two years' worth of service (the one- and two-year plans jump to $80 per year after your initial term).
Private Internet Access
The wallet-friendly Private Internet Access, or PIA, is an open-source VPN provider focused on security. PIA costs just $12 monthly, $40 annually or $79 total for a three-year subscription. Unlike most other VPN providers, PIA doesn't have price hikes, so your plan should renew at the same rate. Although PIA worked well enough for Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video US and UK libraries. You'll also enjoy apps for nearly any platform, including Windows, MacOS, Linux (with a GUI), web browsers, iOS/iPadOS, Android/Android TV and Apple TV.
Despite its affordability compared with many VPN rivals, PIA is tough to recommend for streaming because of its middle-of-the-road internet speed loss. In our testing, we clocked an underwhelming 49% average internet download speed loss. Folks with fast (50Mbps or more) internet speeds should be fine, but slower or more unreliable internet connections like satellite internet might not work as well. (For reference, Netflix recommends a minimum 15Mbps download speed for a single 4K UHD video stream.) Ultimately, PIA is a fantastic VPN with strong privacy features, but its streaming shortcomings make it suitable only for casual entertainment needs.
IPVanish
IPVanish is a decent VPN for streaming if you’re new to VPNs and want a solution that’s simple to use and can help you watch content on various streaming platforms. During our testing, we were able to access Netflix libraries from a handful of regions, along with content on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus. Although some VPNs may struggle to deliver across platforms, we were able to access each of the streaming services we tested on each of the devices we tested them on with IPVanish. The main area where IPVanish struggles is its speed. The inconsistency of IPVanish’s speeds -- we clocked a high 44% average internet speed loss in our 2024 tests -- may put a damper on your streaming experience, especially while watching 4K ultra-high-definition videos.
With IPVanish, you’ll have access to servers in 56 countries, which is quite a bit less than other options like NordVPN (111 countries), ExpressVPN (105 countries), Surfshark (100 countries), Proton VPN (91 countries) and PIA (91 countries), so if you’re looking to stream content from a particular region, you’ll want to check IPVanish’s server page to ensure the provider has servers in those locations before purchasing a subscription. A monthly subscription to IPVanish costs $13 per month, which is on par with most of the other top VPNs, but its annual plan starts off cheaper than both NordVPN and ExpressVPN at $48 for the first year (then jumps to $90 annually for any additional year). IPVanish offers a two-year plan that costs $72 for the first two years combined, then $90 per year afterward. Considering its slow internet speeds, small server network and mid-pack prices, IPVanish isn't ideal for streaming enthusiasts.