It can be frustrating not to be able to access specific content on Netflix if you live in a different country, but by downloading some of the best Netflix VPNs, you can remedy that problem. Some countries employ harmful and restrictive censorship practices, limiting what type of media the citizens can consume. Others just don’t have a particular show or movie available due to copyright issues within the country. What if we told you that you could access all Netflix content in any country you want?
If you wanted to watch The Walking Dead in India, Attack on Titan in Germany, or Breaking Bad in India, you can do that with a VPN that works with Netflix. Different to the best VPNs out there, the best Netflix VPNs allow you to access restricted content while protecting your identity online and ensuring your connection doesn’t suffer speed dips.
NordVPN
- Country of Registration: Panama
- Supported Clients: iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS, Linux
- Cost of Service: $12 per month
- Simultaneous Connections: 6
- Number of Countries: 62
- Unlimited Data Bandwidth Globally
NordVPN is perhaps the most famous out there, and you can safely assume that if a product or service is that widely adopted and well-liked, then it’s safe and legitimate. As with most VPN services, NordVPN encrypts your connection with an AES 256-bit encryption, which many government agencies, militaries, and cybersecurity firms also use. You can be sure that you are completely obfuscated while accessing Netflix when using this service.
When looking for a VPN to watch Netflix, the most important factor to consider is the browsing speed. If you have to sit through constant buffering and shoddy picture quality, you’ve purchased the wrong VPN. NordVPN has some of the fastest speeds we’ve tested, even to the point that when testing our connection speed, we noticed that there wasn’t a dip at all.
If you’re on the fence about NordVPN, you can try it out risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. That way, if, under any circumstance, you experience something you don’t like about the service, you’re free to cancel your subscription and ask for your money back. This also allows you to test NordVPN for yourself before fully committing to it.
IPVanish
- Country of Registration: United States
- Supported Clients: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Router firmware
- Cost of Service: $10 per month
- Simultaneous Connections: Unlimited
- 24/7 Customer Service Live Chat
- Unlimited Data Bandwidth Globally
IPVanish has 40,000+ IP addresses, 1600+ servers, and 75 locations you can connect to. Its reach covers the globe, and it has servers on all continents, so you can find a fast connection to a server near you wherever you reside. This is ideal when using a VPN to watch Netflix, as you need that proximity for the best streaming and browsing speeds.
To top that off, you can connect an unlimited amount of devices to your IPVanish account. If you want to watch Netflix on your phone, computer, or tablet, you’re free to do so (even simultaneously). Watching your favorite Netflix show in a moment of respite while on the go can be a great way to pass the time, but with a lot of other VPN services, you may find that you can’t because your account has reached the maximum number of connections. You’ll never have that issue with IPVanish.
Last but not least, there are no limitations to how much data you can use when connected to the IPVanish VPN. Once you’re a paying customer, you have unlimited access to the service. There are no limitations on accessing the P2P servers, no hard cap on how many gigabytes you can browse through—just an unfettered browsing experience.
ExpressVPN
- Country of Registration: British Virgin Islands
- Supported Clients: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux
- Cost of Service: $13 per month
- Simultaneous Connections: 5
- 30-day Money-Back Guarantee
- 160 VPN Servers in 94 Countries
ExpressVPN is another major titan in the VPN industry. The company doesn’t follow the standard procedures that others adhere to. Instead of dialing it in and using the same infrastructure as other VPN services, ExpressVPN developed its own set of protocols called Lightway. Lightway allows you to connect to any of ExpressVPN’s global servers in the blink of an eye while still providing elite protection. The unique thing about this feature is that if you lose signal or drop connection momentarily, Lightway will continue to protect your device.
With ExpressVPN, you have access to all global content at the click of a button. While it may not have as many servers as other services, each one guarantees a lightning-fast connection that will provide you with excellent streaming speeds. To complement the fast streaming speeds, you have access to unlimited bandwidth usage. There’s no need to worry about if you’re going to run out of data for a particular month—you get as much as you need!
While ExpressVPN is on the pricier side, we believe it’s a great Netflix VPN due to how fast and seamlessly it buffers media content. If you feel like you’re not satisfied with the service, you’re free to cancel your subscription and receive a refund with the 30-day money-back guarantee. But for those who need a VPN, we doubt you’ll be dissatisfied with ExpressVPN.
Hotspot Shield
- Country of Registration: United States
- Supported Clients: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows, macOS, Linux
- Cost of Service: $8 per month
- Simultaneous Connections: 5
- Streaming Mode Optimized for Netflix
- Antivirus Program Included
Hotspot Shield is a VPN you’ll see aggressively marketed on the App Store as the perfect solution for iPhone users. While it certainly does an effective job at changing your IP address and protecting you online, not many people know that their subscription also comes with other online privacy solutions.
Hotspot Shield also developed an antivirus that gives you real-time protection from malware and other types of viruses. This service is only available with the premium subscription, but for $8 a month, that’s a steal. To top off the antivirus program, you have access to 24/7 support so you can receive professional help with any issues regarding the program.
Your premium subscription also gives you access to a password manager. If you’re a forgetful individual, or if you (rightfully) have different passwords for different websites, then this will be extra useful for you. Never forget your Netflix password again, and keep yourself safe and secure on the internet with Hotspot Shield’s premium subscription.
Surfshark
- Country of Registration: British Virgin Islands
- Supported Clients: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux
- Cost of Service: $13 per month
- Simultaneous Connections: Unlimited
- 3,200+ Servers in 65 Countries
- Unlimited Bandwidth
Many internet Service Providers (ISPs) throttle bandwidth, which decreases speeds. In that case, a VPN can increase your connection speed as it unlocks all limitations imposed by your ISP and allows you to access the internet as intended. Surfshark’s service provides you with unlimited bandwidth with no data limitations, so you can access the internet and watch Netflix undisturbed. If you have an ISP that doesn’t throttle speeds, you could experience a 20-30% decrease in speed when connected to this VPN. In the end, it really comes down to the integrity of your ISP.
CleanWeb is Surfshark’s adblocker that comes bundled with the VPN subscription. You’re essentially getting two excellent data protection features in one subscription. By blocking out malware and protecting you from phishing attempts, CleanWeb trims all unnecessary data when you’re browsing the web, which in turn boosts your browsing speeds and reduces the amount of data you’re using.
The most enticing part about Surfshark that makes it such a great VPN to watch Netflix is that you can use the service on an unlimited amount of devices on most clients. You can connect your family and friends’ devices to your subscription and protect them all. They can connect to Surfshark’s VPN all at the same time, too, with unlimited bandwidth. Now that’s a bang for your buck.
PrivadoVPN
- Country of Registration: Switzerland
- Supported Clients: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux
- Cost of Service: $8 per month
- Simultaneous Connections: 6
- Free 10 Gbps Data Every Month
- Kill Switch Function for Constant Protection
PrivadoVPN was founded in 2020 and is one of the newer and more underground choices on this list. Despite that, it boasts an array of protection features to help you watch Netflix content safely and securely. Many customers love using PrivadoVPN because it’s one of the only VPNs out there that gives you free data monthly. And it doesn’t give you a measly amount either — you’re entitled to 10Gbps monthly!
Easily bypass government censorship and unlock geo-blocked Netflix content with the switch of a button. The great thing about PrivadoVPN is that if you live in a restrictive country, even if your connection waivers and your connection drops momentarily, it will continue to protect you even if you’re offline.
Finally, you have access to 24/7 support for any queries and issues. For the price of $8 per month, PrviadoVPN provides a very well-rounded and complete service that caters to every customer’s needs. We loved testing out this service, and if you’re on a tight budget, we recommend PrivadoVPN for that enticing free 10Gbps monthly data.
ProtonVPN
- Country of Registration: Switzerland
- Supported Clients: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux
- Cost of Service: $8 per month
- Simultaneous Connections: Up to 10
- 4 Different Subscription Plans Including Free Service
- 1,251+ Servers in 55 Countries
ProtonVPN is a protection-first VPN, and its priority is protecting its customers while online. The most remarkable thing about this company is its physical servers are located in an ultra-secure Swiss army fallout shelter 1,000 meters below surface level. How many companies can say that about their level of dedication to security? On top of that, ProtonVPN is independently audited and open-source, meaning anyone can verify the claims the company makes.
But does it makes a good Netflix VPN? It’s great if you live in a country where the free and open internet is a dangerous ideology, yes. In terms of streaming speeds, though, ProtonVPN also excels. Regardless of which country you reside in, you’ll be able to find a server near you, seeing as ProtonVPN has servers in 55 countries across the globe. When connected, you can achieve speeds of up to 10Gbps, so you’ll never have a laggy Netflix stream.
If you value protection, privacy, and security, we wholly recommend ProtonVPN. It’s evident the development team over there puts a lot of effort into protecting its customers. From the Tor support built into the service to the no-log policy to the kill switch functionality, you can always feel safe when connected with this VPN.
How to use a VPN on Netflix
So you’ve purchased a subscription to a VPN you feel comfortable with. Now you just have to know how to use the VPN to watch Netflix. To do this, you’ll have to change your Netflix region. It sounds complicated, but if you have a reliable VPN, everything will proceed without a hitch.
This may not be common knowledge, but some countries don’t have access to certain titles due to region-specific copyright negotiations. A contract between Netflix and a studio regarding a particular movie may make sense and is profitable in the United States, but that might not translate well to a UK audience. So what a VPN does is mask your actual IP location and change it to one in a country or server that you choose. If you’re traveling abroad and want to view content from your home country, just connect your VPN to a server in your home country and binge away!
There’s one caveat that may disrupt your viewing experience, though. Netflix can easily detect a bad VPN connection. While there’s nothing illegal about connecting to Netflix via a VPN (we’ll go more in-depth below), it is technically in the Terms of Service that it can terminate your account if it suspects you are altering your geographical location. Netflix has never done this, though, and shows no intentions of starting anytime soon. If Netflix catches you using a subpar VPN, it’ll just show an error page, and you won’t be able to watch any content. Revert to your normal IP, and you can resume.
Is using a Netflix VPN legal?
As mentioned above, using a VPN to watch Netflix is completely legal. There have never been any cases where an individual was punished for using a VPN to alter their geographical location to access Netflix. For the time being, it doesn’t seem as if the company will change its stance on legally punishing those who use VPNs to access their platform—it’s a trivial issue for Netflix, and millions of users do it daily.
It is, however, technically against Netflix’s terms and conditions, and it has the right to terminate your account at any point in time if it suspects you’re breaking its rules.
You also agree not to circumvent, remove, alter, deactivate, degrade or thwart any of the content protections in the Netflix service; use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means to access the Netflix service… We may terminate or restrict your use of our service if you violate these Terms of Use or are engaged in illegal or fraudulent use of the service.
Netflix ToS 4.6
If you get caught using a VPN to watch Netflix, you’ll be met with an error message, and you won’t be able to access any content. Simply turning the VPN off and refreshing the page will fix the error.
All in all, it’s highly unlikely, and maybe even impossible, that Netflix will terminate your account over the use of a VPN. If the company were serious about punishing individuals who do, it would follow a similar business model as Hulu or HBO, where it completely restricts access to only content available in your country.
