You might have heard of a Netflix VPN by now – in a nutshell, Netflix carries different shows and movies depending on where you are in the world, and by using a Netflix VPN, you can change your location and watch everything from anywhere. However, only a few of the best VPN services are reliable for this.
We regularly test all the services on this page with Netflix to ensure we're not recommending a product that doesn't work, and if one slips up, we'll edit the order accordingly.
It's worth noting that Netflix has changed the way it blocks VPNs, and performance can vary day-to-day. If you notice a change in your coverage, always contact your VPN's support team, and if worst comes to worst, you can take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee all these Netflix VPNs offer.
What makes the best Netflix VPN?
There are two essentials: great connection speeds and the ability to unblock overseas Netflix libraries. However, it's worth signing up to a service that also provides excellent privacy, too – there's no point sacrificing one of a VPN's prime uses just because it's not a priority!
To use a Netflix VPN, just connect to a server in the foreign country you want to watch exclusive content from. If you're away on a trip, you can also connect back to a server in your home country to watch all the shows you're used to.
From our latest testing, we consider ExpressVPN to be the best Netflix VPN on the market for reliability and countries accessed. However, every VPN on this page has earned its spot – all you need to do is pick the one that's the best fit for you.
Using a VPN to circumvent restrictions goes against Netflix's Ts&Cs, and doing so may put your account at risk.
The best five Netflix VPNs available
Despite some industry-wide setbacks, ExpressVPN has consistently ranked highly as one of – if not the – best Netflix VPNs on the market for a long time. And, although all providers were hit hard by Netflix's updated VPN blocking techniques in mid-2021, ExpressVPN has shown dedication to its customers by rallying quickly and effectively.
It's not all plain sailing, though, and not every server is perfect. However, from a combination of our in-house testing and talking to the ExpressVPN support team, there are ways of accessing most locations.
For Netflix US, use San Francisco. For Australian Netflix, use Sydney. UK and Canadian libraries are pretty reliable on most regional servers.
What's been demonstrated in recent times is the necessity of having a robust, knowledgeable support network that's quick to respond and can offer real assistance should something go awry – and customers can also make use of this through the live chat feature.
If you like to stream on a number of devices, ExpressVPN's apps are available on a huge amount of tech, from PC, Mac, Android, and even routers and smart TVs. No matter how you stream, you'll get the same results, and the MediaStreamer DNS allows you to access blocked content on devices that don't natively support VPN connections.
However, one negative is the fact that ExpressVPN only supports five simultaneous connections. If you're constantly using a ton of devices this might be an issue, but for most this won't be problematic – and you can also simply log in and out to free up a spot.
Overall, no other VPN can match either ExpressVPN's breadth of Netflix libraries unblocked or the power and simplicity of its apps – and that's why it's the best Netflix VPN available today.
NordVPN is possibly the best-known VPN on the market, and has achieved that by prioritising security and speed: excellent AES-256 encryption, over 5,000 servers spread across more than 60 countries, strong DNS leak protection, two kill switches and searing connection speeds. All that equates to a well-rounded service that's a good fit for just about anyone.
Just like all VPNs, since Netflix's changes Nord's coverage has suffered, but in our most recent testing it was pretty reliable across the board. However, we haven't had quite the support from Nord's team as we have ExpressVPN's, and that's main reason why Nord is ranking in second.
If you're using a mobile device the interface can be a little tricky, but that's a minor quibble with what is an excellent VPN with fully-featured apps for pretty much every device you have – and having six simultaneous connections is handy, too.
If you're after a Netflix VPN that focuses on security without sacrificing functionality or speed, NordVPN could be right up your street, and if it doesn't work out, you've got a 30-day money-back guarantee to protect you. Plus, If you have any problems while using it, its 24/7 live chat will be able to assist you in minutes.
Sign up now on the NordVPN website
Surfshark is another excellent provider that's well and truly battling out for top spot in our list of VPNs for Netflix.
In our testing we found that Surfshark was effective in the biggies like the US and UK, and we found we could unblock Canadian Netflix occasionally. When accessing Australian Netflix, both the Perth and Melbourne servers worked reliably.
Beyond Netflix, Surfshark is able to access BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and many more region-locked services. So, when you've run out of shows to binge on Netflix, there's plenty more global content to feast upon
VPNs aren't just for streaming, though, and when you're not watching Netflix you might want to stay protected when you're out and about, or when torrenting. Thankfully, Surfshark offers polished apps on a huge range of devices, and has had its servers fully audited, which brings peace of mind.
So, if you're looking for a cheap VPN that's useful for streaming and is also secure, fast and easy to use, Surfshark ticks all those boxes.
Sign up now on the Surfshark's website
We've had ProtonVPN on our radar for a while, but in our most recent round of in-depth testing for our ProtonVPN review, we found it to be vastly improved, reliably outperforming VPNs that used to rank higher.
The most impressive area was its streaming performance, most notably Netflix. Since Netflix's introduction of its new VPN blocking methods, every VPN has suffered – even our top provider ExpressVPN. However, ProtonVPN has combatted these measure much better than many other providers.
It's also excellent for daily use, with superfast WireGuard and OpenVPN connections, plus features like Secure Cores, which route your traffic through ultra secure servers in locations like Switzerland. As a privacy and security-focused product, there's not much that rival it.
ProtonVPN's pricing can be a little confusing, and its Basic plan doesn't support streaming. Because of that, we'd go for the 2-year Plus plan. You'll get full streaming support plus the Secure Core feature for a good price.
If you're not sure, ProtonVPN offers a very capable free VPN too, and you'll also have a 30-day money-back guarantee to make sure that the service works for you.
Sign up now on the ProtonVPN website
Not traditionally known as a top-tier Netflix VPN, Private Internet Access (PIA) has upped its game since our last round of reviews. Now, it's very reliable for accessing US Netflix, and while that's the only library we've found to work, it's all that most people will need.
PIA's WireGuard speeds aren't quite as blazing as the competition, but averaging out at around 320Mbps is hardly slow – and we're jealous of you if your home connection is faster than that!
With access to Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, PIA is also well rounded and provides excellent privacy features alongside streaming support – although we did find that it was unable to unblock BBC iPlayer. It's a serious bargain, though, so if you're on a budget it's well worth a look.
Sign up now on the PIA website
Best Netflix VPN FAQs
How do we test Netflix VPN services?
To ensure we're giving you up-to-date information on these Netflix VPN providers, we regularly test them in a variety of locations. This is our process:
First, we fire up the VPN to be tested, and connect to the automatically selected server in our country of choice – this best reflects what the majority of users will be doing.
We then head over to Netflix and attempt to watch content that's exclusive to the country we're testing. We do this both in private browsing/Incognito mode and on a regular browser, note any differences, and repeat a number of times to check for any discrepancies.
We then note down the results, and update any relevant guides and articles if necessary.
Why do I need a Netflix VPN?
While some shows may be regular Netflix fare in much of the world, even the powerhouses that are the United States and Canada miss out on some content – and things can even vary drastically between north and south of the border.
Japanese Netflix has lots of anime you won't find elsewhere, and Netflix in the UK still has some classic British shows that aren't available anywhere else – and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
If you travel, a Netflix VPN is a must, as when you're out of your home country it's likely that you won't be able to keep up with the shows you're currently bingeing..
Also, if you feel like you're missing out on all that great Netflix content that you can't get in your home country, it's definitely worth considering investing in a Netflix VPN to expand your viewing. And, on top of that, you'll be able to use the service to secure all your browsing on your desktop PC and mobile device, too.
Is it legal to use a VPN for Netflix?
There are a couple of important things to note here. First of all, using a VPN or another kind of proxy service to access Netflix in other countries may violate Netflix's terms of service. That puts your account at risk of being terminated – but that's never actually happened.
Second, Netflix tries to identify and block VPN and proxy servers, with mixed results – that's why many VPNs can't get you watching. The company didn't always do this, but it's now under pressure from Hollywood studios and other content creators to block cross-border streaming.
We reached out to Netflix for further clarification, and were directed to a company blog post from early 2016.
"We have a ways to go before we can offer people the same films and TV series everywhere...In the meantime, we will continue to respect and enforce content licensing by geographic location. ...We look forward to offering all of our content everywhere and to consumers being able to enjoy all of Netflix without using a proxy."
Why is Netflix not working with my VPN?
Netflix (and other streaming services, for that matter) are constantly trying to block the IP addresses of VPNs to stop people watching content they're not entitled to.
While the five Netflix VPNs above have proven that they're reliable and can consistently unblock Netflix, there's always the possibility that at one point certain servers will be unavailable.
In this situation, we recommend speaking directly to the VPN's support team. They will know many users prioritise streaming support, and will usually do all they can to get you on a working server as quickly as possible.
On that note, great support is an important reason why we rate ExpressVPN so highly. Whenever anything goes wrong – which isn't unheard of with any VPN – having top-class assistance is a massive help in rectifying the issue.
Can a Netflix VPN access other streaming services?
If you pick the best Netflix VPN, you may be able to access other streaming services like BBC iPlayer, NBC's Peacock, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and tons more. However, if there's a particular service you want access to, it's worth checking in advance.
Many services can, but you should check the full review of any provider before purchase, just to make sure that it can do everything that you expect from it.
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