Best VPN for Streaming

How We Evaluated the Best Streaming VPN Services

To make sure that we chose only the fastest and most secure VPNs for streaming, we had to look into several specific features. These services should not only offer consistent speeds across all servers, but they should also unblock geo-restricted content - all while keeping users’ data secure and private. Read on to see which boxes our VPNs had to tick to make it to the list.

Speed

Speed is one of the essential features of VPN streaming. Ideally, the best VPN for streaming should offer fast and consistent speeds across both local and international servers. While slight speed losses on international servers are possible, these should be hardly noticeable. Additionally, a good VPN for streaming movies will not cause any buffers whatsoever.

Streaming Platforms

Streaming platforms play a major part in which VPN you should go for. The VPNs we have listed here all unblock major streaming platforms on at least some of their international servers, with the exception of Disney Plus, which is a fairly new platform.

Device Compatibility

Naturally, you’ll want the best VPN for streaming video and your favorite shows to be compatible with your devices, right? That’s why we paid extra attention to device compatibility and whether the VPNs on our list offer extensions.

Servers

The VPN providers on the list all have wide server networks which can be important for uninterrupted streaming. Some even offer designated streaming servers, but more about that later.

Pricing

Finally, VPN prices can seriously influence your final verdict when choosing a VPN vendor. That’s why we made sure to see whether the services on our list offer the best value for money and if they have free trials or at least a money-back guarantee (spoiler alert — most of them do).

Reviews of the Best Streaming VPN Platforms

ExpressVPN

You’ve probably already heard a lot about ExpressVPN, seeing as how it’s one of the most popular VPNs worldwide. The vendor proves true to its name because it offers lightning-fast speeds, awesome security features, and even comes at a reasonable price.

Pros

• Wide server network
• Allows downloading torrents
• Easy to install

Cons

• No dedicated IP addresses

Features

Something that sets ExpressVPN apart from its competition is the Smart Location feature, which automatically connects you to the server that will offer the fastest and most consistent speeds. This, of course, makes ExpressVPN the best VPN for streaming movies and any other type of rich content. Additionally, the vendor has over 3,000 servers in 90 countries, meaning that you will always be able to find a server with rapid speeds. The VPN works even in countries with stringent content restrictions and allows users to seamlessly bypass even the Great Firewall of China.

The VPN successfully unblocks Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO Go, BBC iPlayer, and is definitely the best VPN for streaming Firestick. Speaking of, our best streaming VPN also offers some of the best security and privacy features currently available, meaning that your data will be safe throughout both streaming and gaming.

Pricing

Along with wallet-friendly prices, the VPN vendor offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. The one-month plan comes in at $12.95/month, while the six-month plan costs $9.99/month. Finally, the 15-month plan will set you back $6.67/month.

NordVPN

There’s no surprise that NordVPN is a contender for the title of the best VPN for streaming. The VPN offers premium features at a reasonable cost and does wonders when it comes to both streaming and torrenting.

Pros

• Has P2P, Tor, and torrent VPN servers
• Lightning-fast speeds
• Servers with a double VPN connection

Cons

• Logging in takes place in the browser instead of the app

Features

NordVPN is an awesome choice for VPN video streaming, offering rapid speeds and 5,480+ servers in 60 countries.

Another functionality that makes it the best VPN service for streaming is that it can unblock 400+ streaming platforms with ease. These include Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Kodi, Disney+, YouTube TV, HBO Max, HBO Go, Crunchyroll, MSNBC, Funimation, Peacock TV, DAZN, Roku, Hotstar, ESPN, ESPN+, Paramount Plus, Stan, 7TV, TVING, 9Now, DirecTV, SBS Australia, 6Play, TG4, RTL, and more.

NordVPN is also the best VPN for streaming Netflix because it unblocks its content in multiple countries, including the US, UK, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Korea, Egypt, Mexico, Canada, and India.

Pricing

Being one of the best streaming VPN services, this VPN has some of the lowest prices that you’ll come across. One month of NordVPN’s subscription will set you back $11.95/month, while the VPN’s one-year subscription costs $4.92/month. Finally, NordVPN’s two-year plan comes in at $3.71/month. Additionally, the VPN vendor offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost has been around since 2004 and has been offering its customers a premium service ever since. In our opinion, it is also the best VPN for Twitch streaming that you can find.

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Allows seamless and fast torrenting
• Offers a variety of server choices

Cons

• Tracks devices used

Features

CyberGhost boasts over 7,400 servers in 91 countries worldwide, allowing users to access just about any streaming platform on international servers. Aside from being able to unblock the likes of Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video, the VPN also does a great job with the most popular Netflix libraries like the UK, US, Japan, France, Italy, Germany, etc., with an average speed of 35Mbps. Additionally, it is the best VPN for streaming Kodi and similar platforms.

As mentioned, it is the best VPN for Twitch streaming, primarily due to its ability to bypass even the toughest geo-blocks. Aside from being a great VPN for streaming Twitch, the vendor also does a great job at unblocking Hulu, FuboTV, Crunchyroll, Sling TV, BBC iPlayer, HBO Now, HBO Max, Eurosport, Fox Sport, Fox, Comedy Central, NBC, CBC, Globo, and Globo Sportv, ESPN+, Yle, Disney+ Hotstar, Foxtel, TF1, Canal+, ORF, Ruutu.fi, 6play, Zattoo DE, ZDF, ARD, Rai Play, Stan, France TV, RTL, Europe1, and 7TV.

Pricing

As should be the case with the best VPN for video streaming, this vendor offers a generous (45-day) money-back guarantee for yearly plans and a 14-day money-back guarantee for the monthly subscription. The latter will set you back $14/month.

The CyberGhost Plus yearly subscription meanwhile comes in at $3.80/month, but since it doesn’t include an antivirus, privacy guard, or a security updater, you may want to check out CyberGhost Extra, which offers these features and comes in at $4.80/month. Finally, the VPN service also offers a 3-year plan plus two months free for $2.75/month.

SurfShark

Our next contender for the best VPN for streaming is a force to be reckoned with. While SurfShark hasn’t been around for that long, this VPN powerhouse has made a name for itself since 2018 by offering a premium service at competitive prices.

Pros

• Easy to use and install
• Allows downloading torrents
• It can be used on an infinite number of devices

Cons

• Doesn’t allow manual server selection

Features

SurfShark is one of the fastest, if not the fastest VPN for streaming that even offers the “Fastest Server” feature, automatically connecting users to the server that will provide them with optimal speed. Another reason why it’s one of the best streaming VPN services is that it offers consistent speeds throughout its entire network, currently counting 3,200 servers in 65 locations worldwide.

Additionally, the VPN has servers in high-censorship countries such as China, UAE, Russia, Vietnam, Turkey, etc., and bypasses geo-restrictions with ease. The VPN powerhouse also has virtual locations in Costa Rica, Argentina, and Chile.

SurfShark also unblocks popular streaming platforms, including Disney+, Netflix, HBO, BBC iPlayer, Kodi, Hulu, YouTube TV, and more with ease.

Pricing

Along with budget-friendly prices, SurfShark also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. The monthly subscription comes in at $12.95/month, while the six-month plan will set you back only $6.49/month. Finally, the 24-month plan comes in at an average of $2.49/month, which makes it possibly the best VPN for video streaming for users on a budget.

ZenMate

ZenMate is owned by the same company that has recently acquired CyberGhost, Kape Technologies. They must know what they’re doing since two of their VPN vendors made it to our list of top VPN streaming services.

Pros

• Strict no-logs policy
• A dedicated torrenting section
• Offers unlimited connections

Cons

• Doesn’t unblock Hulu

Features

Our fifth contender for the title of the best VPN for streaming offers premium security and privacy features along with its state-of-the-art streaming features. The VPN successfully unblocks streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and HBO GO. It also offers unlimited simultaneous device connections with a single subscription, , which helps it rank among the best multi-device VPNs.

ZenMate also allows P2P connections and features a dedicated torrenting section with servers specifically optimized for P2P sharing, along with 2,600 servers in 80 countries across the globe.

Pricing

ZenMate offers a 7-day free trial as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is handy for users who want to be sure that this is the best VPN for streaming TV and video for them before subscribing to ZenMate’s plans. The VPN vendor also offers a free plan that unfortunately does not support some of the VPN’s premium features. The limited free plan can be used on Firefox, Opera, and Chrome browser extensions exclusively. It allows users to connect to up to four different locations at a maximum speed of 2Mbps.

Moving on to the paid tiers, the monthly cost for the VPN for browsers is $8.55/month, while the six-month subscription will set you back only $3.28/month. Finally, the one-year plan costs only $2.06/month.

The Unlimited version covers all devices, and its monthly plan comes in at $13.45/month. The one-year plan will cost you $5.50/month, while the most budget-friendly option is the three-year plan at $2/month.

HMA (Hide My Ass)

HMA is yet another strong contestant for the title of the best VPN for streaming movies, TV, and video. The VPN was acquired by Avast in 2016 and has been offering premium features ever since.

Pros

• A 7-day free trial
• A strict no-logs policy
• Designated high-speed P2P servers
• Lightning Connect feature

Cons

• Doesn’t unblock Disney+

Features

Something that sets HMA VPN apart from rivals is that it has five specialty servers specifically designed to unblock platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.

HMA also has eight P2P-optimized servers and boasts one of the widest server networks featuring 1,100+ servers across 290+ locations in 210+ countries worldwide.

Additionally, the VPN offers the Lightning Connect feature, which automatically connects users to the closest server to deliver the best speeds. This feature is among the top reasons this service might be the best VPN streaming TV and movies in terms of speed.

Pricing

HMA VPN offers three types of payment plans for either five or ten connections. The most expensive 5-connection option is the monthly plan that you can get for $13.25/month. The 12-month plan comes in at $5.29/month, while the 36-month plan costs $3.60/month.

There is no 1-month offer for the 10-connection plans, but the vendor has a yearly 10-connection plan that will cost you $8.40/month, while the 2-year plan costs $7.22/month. The cheapest 10-connection payment plan is the 3-year option at $6/month.

VyprVPN

Our list of candidates for the best VPN for streaming continues with VyprVPN. Along with its top-notch encryption and its proprietary Chameleon protocol, this VPN also offers excellent streaming features.

Pros

• Proprietary security protocol
• Netflix and torrenting possible
• AES 256-bit encryption
• Automatic public WiFi protection

Cons

• Cryptocurrencies not accepted

Features

The main reason why VyprVPN made it to our list is that it effortlessly unblocks 45+ streaming libraries and even has the proprietary Chameleon protocol that serves as additional protection for bypassing geo-restrictions. This makes VyprVPN the best VPN for streaming various platforms such as Hulu, Amazon Prime, Kodi, Netflix (US, UK, Canada, Germany), ITV, Eurosport, and BBC iPlayer, DAZN, MuchTV, NHL.TV, Eurosport, RTL, Sky Go Germany, ARD, ZDF, and Pro 7.

Additionally, VyprVPN has 700+ servers in 70+ countries worldwide, which, while not the largest out there, is still more than enough for a seamless VPN TV streaming experience.

Pricing

VyprVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for its payment plans. The two-month plan will cost you $6.47/month, the 18-month plan will set you back only $2.50/month, while the 36-month plan will cost you as little as $1.67/month. You can pay for the subscription via SEPA, PayPal, AliPay, and AmazonPay.

How to Choose the Best VPN for Streaming

Now that you have a good starting point for choosing the top VPN service for your streaming needs, the following tips are intended to make your decision even easier.

Define Your Budget

All of the VPNs on our list come with premium streaming features and wide server networks. That’s why the first thing you should do is define your budget and pick out the VPN for streaming that won’t hurt your wallet. From then on, you can start focusing on the features that you think would be most important for the best streaming experience.

Define Your Desired Features

Once you’ve found several VPNs that won’t break the bank, start looking into their features. The best VPN for streaming for you should at the very least offer fast and consistent speeds, have an extensive server network, and access geo-restricted content. While all of the VPNs that made it to our list are at the top of their game in these fields, their features vary slightly. So, think about the features you consider essential and which platforms you want to stream the most — our reviews will help you figure out which service is your best choice.