If you've got a Fire Stick, you'll want a Fire Stick VPN to get the most out of it. Amazon's pocket-sized device has proved a great hit with TV and film fans, holding all your favorite streaming services and plugging into pretty much any TV, anywhere.
However, if you travel, you might find that certain shows that are available back home can't be accessed when you’re on your travels – effectively rendering your Fire Stick useless (or at least not quite as useful as it used to be).
That’s because much of the content available on your Fire Stick is geo-restricted – what’s available in the US, for example, can’t be watched in the UK. A Fire Stick VPN can get you watching that content by making you appear to be in a country of your choice, subsequently giving you access to TV that’s usually only available to those living there.
The opposite is true as well. If you’re in the US and you switch your Fire Stick VPN to a UK server, you’ll be able to watch content from BBC iPlayer – usually only accessible by Brits. So, a VPN can make your Fire Stick a whole lot more powerful – but many people might be daunted by the installation process.
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How to install a Fire Stick VPN
1. ExpressVPN – The best Fire Stick VPN you can get today
2. Surfshark – Incredible value alongside great functionality
3. NordVPN – Watertight security and great speeds
4. IPVanish – US-based Fire Stick VPN that's great for Netflix
5. CyberGhost – Fire Stick VPN specialized for streaming
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 from 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.
Some lesser VPNs will require you to download an APK file because they don’t have an official app on the Amazon Appstore. Others still that don’t offer a direct download of an APK file will have to be installed by ‘sideloading’. While this isn’t as complicated as it sounds, each Fire Stick VPN on this page has a dedicated app available on the Appstore, so it’s as easy as clicking install and logging in.
It's worth bearing in mind that signing up for any of the following VPNs will give you access to apps on pretty much all your other devices, too. So, on one subscription you'll be able keep your laptop and phone's 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.
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. The Fire TV Stick VPN app 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 from your Fire TV Stick VPN – 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 wide selection 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 your Fire TV VPN 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
If you’re after a big name with great security, NordVPN could be the Fire Stick 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 5,000 servers and you’ve got a winner.
Speeds are consistently good on most servers, and overall it provides a good Fire Stick VPN package – and its 24/7 support team is always on hand if you run into problems.
Sign up now on NordVPN's website
IPVanish is 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 VPN 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 as a Fire Stick VPN. 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.
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 Fire Stick VPN – suddenly that binge-worthy show won't be available to watch.
With a Fire Stick VPN you can make it seem like you’re back at home, and then you’ll be able to watch exactly what you want.
Having a VPN on Fire Stick will also keep your activity private and secure, so even if anyone was really interested in what you were watching, they’d never be able to see. Add to that the fact you’ll be able to install the VPN on your other devices, and it’s the perfect solution that helps you keep your data safe as well stay entertained.
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.
The biggest problem you’ll have is the amount of data you’ll be able to use. One of the most generous free VPNs is Hotspot Shield, which gives you just 500MB a day. Seeing as you’ll be streaming with it, that equates to about half an hour of standard-def Netflix video. In reality, that’s not going to cut it.
Other services like Windscribe offer 10GB a month, which is enough for about three and a bit hours of HD video – and if you’ve got a Fire TV Stick 4K, you’ll be able to watch even less. Use up your allowance and you’ll have to wait 30 days before you watch another second
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 a month, it’s worth your while paying a little extra and getting a whole lot in return.
