Having a VPN for Netflix is the single best thing for adding value to your subscription – and if you were thinking of canceling due to limited content, hold your horses. The best VPN services can virtually change your location and get you access to exclusive content from all over the world.
A VPN for Netflix will also be a handy tool if you're heading abroad. You might find that a show you're halfway through isn't available when you're abroad, so you can use a Netflix VPN to head back home and carry on your binge.
To keep our recommendations up to date, we hand-test all the top providers in real-world conditions at least every month, and also during our full hands-on VPN review process. If the results demand it we adjust our rankings here.
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 country you want to watch exclusive content from. It's the same process whether you're globetrotting, or just trying to watch something from back home when you're abroad.
From our latest testing, we currently consider NordVPN 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.
(opens in new tab)
(opens in new tab)
(opens in new tab)The best five Netflix VPNs available
NordVPN is possibly the best-known VPN on the market, and has achieved that by prioritising security and speed. You'll get 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 that maxed out at 820Mbps in our testing. All that equates to a well-rounded service that's a good fit for just about anyone.
However, what puts it ahead of the competition here is the fact that in our recent testing for our NordVPN review, the provider has proved itself to be consistently and reliably capable of unblocking just about whatever Netflix library we throw at it. UK? Check. US? No problem. Australia, Canada and Japan? You betcha.
Over the past six months or so, we've seen some rivals begin to drop off in terms of Netflix performance, but NordVPN – and the related Surfshark – have been rock-solid, if not improving in performance.
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 is the perfect choice, and on the off chance 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.
(opens in new tab)
Surfshark is another excellent provider that's well and truly battling out for top spot in our list of VPNs for Netflix.
In our Surfshark review we found that it was effective in the biggies like the US and UK, and it has also been able to reliably unblock more niche locations like Japan, Canada and Australia. The only reason it trails NordVPN – and it's not by far – is the fact that we've seen a few more intermittent hiccups in the past. Currently, however, it's proving to be very reliable and was able to unblock every location we tested.
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. Plus, its unlimited simultaneous connections policy is great for larger households, or those with tons of devices.
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 (opens in new tab)
It's not often that ExpressVPN doesn't top one of our VPN guides, but when it comes to the best Netflix VPNs it's outdone – if only by a small margin – by NordVPN and Surfshark.
In our last round of testing for our ExpressVPN review, it was able to unblock US, UK, Australian and Japanese content on most selected servers. However, on rare occasions we encountered a server that didn't work – although for the general user a quick message to the support team will direct you to the best server for any country.
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. It's also an excellent choice as a Fire Stick VPN.
However, one downside 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. It's also great as a router VPN which is a simple way of getting around this issue.
Overall, few VPNs can match either ExpressVPN's Netflix unblocking capabilities or the power and simplicity of its apps – and it's definitely worth considering if you want our highest-rated VPN overall.
Sign up now on the ExpressVPN website (opens in new tab)
We've had Proton VPN on our radar for a while, but in our most recent round of in-depth testing for our Proton VPN 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 NordVPN. However, Proton VPN has combatted these measures much better than many other providers, and is able to unblock UK, Us, Canada, Australia and Japan libraries on most servers.
It's also excellent for daily use, with speedy WireGuard and OpenVPN connections, plus features like Secure Core servers, which route your traffic through ultra secure servers in locations like Switzerland. Sweden and Iceland. As a privacy and security-focused product, there are few that rival it.
Since Proton's extensive rebrand and update, anyone paying for a premium plan will have access to Proton's stellar unblocking performance and top-class security features – gone is the weedy Basic plan.
If you're on the fence, Proton VPN 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 Proton VPN website (opens in new tab)
Not traditionally known as a top-tier Netflix VPN, Private Internet Access (PIA) has upped its game since our last round of reviews. While last year it was a fairly average performer, in the last round of testing for our Private Internet Access review it seriously impressed, unblocking every location we tried on most servers. This is a huge improvement, and one we're glad to see.
PIA's WireGuard speeds aren't quite as blazing as the competition, but averaging out at around 510Mbps is hardly slow – and we're envious of you if your home connection is faster than that!
With access to Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer and more, PIA is also well rounded and provides excellent privacy features alongside streaming support. Plus, it's a serious bargain, so if you're on a budget it's well worth a look.
Sign up now on the PIA website (opens in new tab)
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.
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.
Why is Netflix blocking my VPN?
Because not all the content on Netflix is created by Netflix itself, it has to licence these shows for distribution. If a show is already licenced in a certain country by another streaming site, it won't be available on Netflix in this location.
By blocking VPNs, Netflix is holding up its licencing agreement. When accessing content with a VPN, it's actually Netflix's problem – by 'allowing' you to do it, it's not upholding copyright laws, and you're simply making use of a loophole.
- If you want to protect your mobile, here's the best Android VPN
- Need to access sites in China? See the best China VPN that works
- Stay safe from within your browser with the top Chrome VPN extension
