Put simply, anyone with a an Amazon Fire TV Stick will get use out of a Fire Stick VPN. The diminutive device has been hugely successful, offering all your streaming services in one place and working with pretty much any TV, anywhere – and the best VPN can help you get the most out of it.
If you're abroad, you probably won't have access to the media you're used to – be that BBC iPlayer in the US or Hulu in Spain – so using a Fire Stick VPN is the best way to get the most from your ultra-portable streaming device. After all, freedom is the Fire Stick's whole selling point.
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How to install a Fire Stick VPN
Below are the top five Fire Stick VPNs on the market. For performance and ease of use, ExpressVPN tops the list as the best Fire Stick VPN available, but we’ve also rounded up four more than might suit your needs.
As an Android-based device, your Fire Stick supports plenty of established apps that you’re familiar with – and, thankfully, all of the VPNs on this list have official apps available on the Amazon Appstore.
The simplest way to get started is to sign up with your chosen VPN on its website. Then, once you’ve chosen a plan and paid, you’ll just need to head over to the Appstore to download the client and sign in. It’s as simple as that.
It's worth bearing in mind that signing up for any of the following VPNs will give you access to the VPN on pretty much all your other devices, too – on one subscription you'll be able keep your laptop and phone connections absolutely secure as well as accessing great content from around the globe. So, read on to find out which VPN you should get for your Amazon Fire TV Stick.
1. ExpressVPN – the best Fire Stick VPN today
If you choose ExpressVPN you'll get the full package – over 3,000 servers worldwide, excellent speeds, 24/7 customer support, and some of the most powerful content unblocking tech around. And with three months free through Tom's Guide, it offers great value, too.
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2. Surfshark – cheap, simple, and absolutely effective
Don't think Surfshark's rock-bottom price of only $2.49/mo means it's a poor imitation of a VPN. It's fully functional, works perfectly for streaming and also offers unlimited simultaneous connections. It's only second on this list because Express is just so darn good.View Deal
3. NordVPN – Fire Stick VPN from the biggest name around
NordVPN is possibly the best-known VPN on the market, and it backs that status up with great-quality apps. While not quite as intuitive as Express of Surfshark, it's ultra-reliable and provides a great streaming experience on Fire Stick – all for just $3.71/mo.View Deal
Best Amazon Fire Stick VPNs in 2020
ExpressVPN is topping a lot of lists these days, but that’s only because it’s simply the best VPN for a lot of things – not least the Amazon Fire Stick. With a dedicated app available in the Appstore you’ll have no hassle setting it up, and it’ll get you streaming geo-blocked content in no time.
What puts it head and shoulders above the rest, though, is its polished apps, excellent in-depth functions and searing performance. Express's Fire Stick VPN is essentially the same as the Android app you’ll get on your mobile – albeit controlled with your remote – and it’s a professional experience through and through.
Upon opening it you’ll be able to get connected in a single click, or, if you want to start exploring the world’s content, you can open up the server list and pick from over 3,000 options in 90+ countries. With that kind of variety, there's little you can’t watch.
However, none of that’s any good if you don’t have great connection speeds, and ExpressVPN delivers here, too. On short-distance connections it has barely any affect on your connection, and it maintains swift and reliable connections when hopping further abroad.
To keep you private, ExpressVPN doesn’t log any identifying information, and runs its own DNS on every one of its servers. On top of that, it also offers the Fire TV-compatible MediaStreamer DNS which can unblock content without actually being connected to the VPN.
While it’s a touch more expensive that some of the competition, you’re getting the absolute best Fire Stick VPN on the market – and if something goes wrong you’ve got class-leading 24/7 support to help. However, that’s unlikely, and if you feel like you’re not happy with the service, you’ve got a 30-day money-back guarantee protecting you.
Get 3 months free + 49% off the best Fire Stick VPN
ExpressVPN is offering Tom's Guide readers three free months if they sign sign up to a 12-month plan – that's 15 months for the price of 12. Combined with the 49% discount compared to paying monthly, that's great value for the best Fire Stick VPN.
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If you’re after a good Fire Stick VPN but can’t spend a lot of money, Surfshark is a great option. While it’s not quite as fully-featured as Express, for the price it’s real bargain.
First off, it does exactly what you want – it unblocks geo-restricted content. From Netflix to iPlayer and Hulu, you’ll be able to access pretty much every service wherever you are.
Alongside that, you’ll be able to stream in HD thanks to excellent connection speeds, and the large network of around 1,700 servers in 63 countries means you’ll have a great selection of content to choose from. If you’re having trouble finding a server that works, or notice that Surfshark isn’t working as it should, you’ll also have friendly 24-hour live chat support to help you out.
A great feature of Surfshark is its unlimited connections policy – that means you can cover virtually every device you own with one plan. Install it on your PC, phone, Fire Stick and Xbox and you’ll still be able give your logins to a couple of friends for them to use.
For a budget Fire Stick VPN, Surfshark is seriously impressive. While it lacks some of the in-depth configuration found in more expensive competitors, if you’re just after a VPN to stream with it’s a great choice.
Sign up now on Surfshark's website
The best cheap Fire Stick VPN
Surfshark's unbeatable when it comes to providing great VPN cover at a rock-bottom price. While it's not as powerful as ExpressVPN, it delivers pretty much everything most people will need – and at around just $2.49 a month, it's a total bargain.View Deal
If you’re after a big name with great security, NordVPN could be the VPN for you. With a watertight no-logging privacy policy (independently audited for the second time in 2020), tons of servers and great apps, it’s long been a go-to for streamers.
The Fire Stick VPN app is much the same as Nord's Android VPN, which has a map-based interface with a list of servers available if you want it. We’d prefer it if the list was available straight away, but that’s a minor quibble – and a large TV screen makes it more usable. The app itself is very stable, and provides a simple way to get protected and access geo-blocked streaming content.
Nord can give you access to a whole host of streaming services, including iPlayer, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and more, which means you’ll have tons of variety no matter where you plug your Fire TV Stick in. Combine that with over 5,200 servers and you’ve got a winner.
Speeds are consistently good on most servers, and overall it provides a good package – plus its 24/7 support team is always on hand if you run into problems.
Sign up now on NordVPN's website
IPVanish offers a secure and very well-featured Fire Stick VPN with tons of options – it’s perfect if you want to get into the settings and tailor your experience. With a good number of servers you’ll be able to watch what you want, and the dedicated Fire Stick app works smoothly.
On that note, the app is packed with information. While most of it’s probably surplus to requirements, it’s nice to see a rolling graph of your connection speeds and how long you’ve been connected. However, if you’re easily intimidated by tech, it might not be the most welcoming.
IPVanish has great streaming power, with the ability to unblock Netflix, YouTube and Hulu, although if you’re a Brit abroad you might be disappointed to see that iPlayer can’t be accessed. However, for the majority you’ll have a great selection of content to watch, all backed up by stellar connection speeds on most servers.
Its servers are a strong point for security seekers, as every one is owned by IPVanish itself. That means no third parties are involved anywhere along the chain, and your connections stay entirely within the IPVanish ecosystem. If you trust IPVanish with your data, you need not trust anyone else.
Overall, IPVanish is a great option for those looking for a good streaming VPN with excellent security credentials and powerful apps. It’s a little on the pricey side, but you certainly get what you pay for.
Sign up now on IPVanish's website
Rounding off this list is CyberGhost. Known as an excellent VPN for streaming, CyberGhost’s app is available directly from the Amazon Appstore and works very well. With over 6,200 servers in 89 countries, you’re bound to find one that works well for what you’re after.
On top of that, CyberGhost offers filters to narrow down its servers to those best suited to streaming. This is a seriously neat usability feature, and we’d love to see other VPNs take note. Also, there’s a filter for P2P traffic, too, and this makes it a great torrenting VPN – but you probably won't be doing that on your TV.
CyberGhost isn’t further up this list because while on paper it’s excellent – and it does perform admirably in practice, too – the experience just isn’t quite as polished as, say, ExpressVPN’s. It’ll certainly work well as a Fire Stick VPN (we wouldn’t recommend it if it didn’t), but others do provide a sleeker experience.
However, if you want to get the maximum number of servers and a generous 45-day money-back guarantee, CyberGhost is a great bet.
Sign up now on CyberGhost's website
Best Fire Stick VPN FAQ
Do you need a Fire Stick VPN?
If you want to access the widest selection of TV and film – yes, you do.
While content available in your home region may be enough for some, having a Fire Stick VPN is the only way to widen your options. You’ll have access to pretty much everything, from Japan’s Netflix anime to everything on BBC iPlayer.
Also, the true beauty of Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is its portability. If you’re on a business trip or a holiday, you’ll have all your favourite content available wherever there’s an HDMI port. But that might not be the case if you’re overseas without a VPN – suddenly that binge-worthy show won't be available to watch.
With a VPN you can make it seem like you’re back at home, and then you’ll be able to watch exactly what you want.
What VPNs work on Fire Stick?
As a somewhat niche device, the Amazon Fire TV Stick doesn’t have the widest range of VPN apps available, but each of the VPNs on our list – ExpressVPN, Surfshark, IPVanish, NordVPN and CyberGhost – have dedicated apps.
We’d recommend signing up for ExpressVPN to claim your three months free. You’ll then be able to head directly to the Amazon Appstore to get the official VPN app, which will need no messing around in settings or time wasted with sideloading to get running. The best thing about all five of these Amazon Fire TV Stick VPNs is that they make streaming content so easy – why make it harder for yourself?
Can you get a Fire Stick VPN free?
If you don’t want to spend any money on unblocking overseas content you might be looking for a free VPN for Fire Stick. There are a few good free VPNs out there, but they all have their limits.
However, many free services fall at the first hurdle and can't actually access geo-blocked media. If it can, you'll almost certainly have a data cap to deal with.
In practice, a free VPN for Fire Stick isn’t going to do the job – and when you consider you can get a service like Surfshark for less than $2.50 a month, it’s worth your while paying a little extra and getting a whole lot in return.
What else can a Fire Stick VPN do?
While the monthly cost of your Fire Stick VPN might be worth it purely for the extra content you can access, all of the options on this list can be installed on a range of devices, too.
Install a VPN on your PC, and you can torrent and stream in safety, plus avoid network throttling and sidestep sneaky trackers and hackers.
On your mobile device, you can also connect to vulnerable public Wi-Fi networks without worry, as all your traffic will be encrypted and anonymous.
