Netflix is the most popular media streaming service in the world. It has libraries of content all around the world, customized for each region. But the company's geo-blocking systems limit which regional libraries you can view.
If you want to view Netflix content from anywhere in the world, you need a VPN. The best VPNs for Netflix give you access to many regional libraries, no matter where on Earth you are. But there are hundreds of VPNs on the market. And only a handful of them are actually decent Netflix VPNs, regardless of what their marketing says.
We created this guide to help you find the best VPN for Netflix. The VPN services we cover here do a great job of streaming Netflix. They're also leading VPNs in their own right. You can't lose. Choose one of the best Netflix VPNs and started.
The three Best VPNs for Netflix
With the preceding criteria in mind, here are the three best VPNs for Netflix:
- NordVPN – The best VPN for Netflix with access to a large selection of regional libraries.
- Surfshark – A reliable VPN for Netflix with fast speeds and great apps.
- VyprVPN – A cheap VPN for Netflix that currently unblocks 4 Netflix regions.
How we choose the best VPNs for Netflix
The process for choosing the best Netflix VPN services is pretty simple. They need to meet these five criteria:
- Gives you access to the US Netflix regional library, as well as other popular Netflix regions.
- Fast enough and reliable enough to stream HD Netflix without interruptions.
- Provide quality 24/7 live chat technical support.
- Has apps for popular Netflix streaming devices.
- Performs well with different devices and server locations.
Now let's look at each of these top Netflix VPNs in more detail.
NordVPN, the best VPN for Netflix streaming
| Name | NordVPN |
| Location | Panama |
| Servers | 5,400+ |
| Price | $3.29/mo. |
| Logs | No logs (audited) |
| Website | NordVPN.com |
NordVPN is the best VPN for Netflix. Why? Because it always works with US Netflix. It is also the fastest VPN I've ever seen and is highly reliable. Here I am streaming US Netflix through a US VPN server at 445 Mbps:
NordVPN also does a great job unblocking Netflix regional libraries. With almost 5,200 servers in 60 countries, it can unblock US Netflix plus other major libraries, including:
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Germany
- France
- Japan
- UK
- and others
Below we are streaming American Netflix with a NordVPN server in the US:
Other streaming services
Beyond streaming Netflix, you should know that NordVPN unblocks other major streaming services too. It is an all-around superstar for unblocking streaming services. They can handle Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, DAZN, Disney Plus, Hulu, and many more.
The best all-around VPN Netflix streaming VPN (and more!)
We rate NordVPN as the best overall VPN service in the world. It is one of the most secure and private VPNs you will find. They use powerful encryption and are one of the few VPNs to have passed third-party security audits confirming the security of their network and the veracity of their no-logs policy.
NordVPN is based in the country of Panama, an excellent jurisdiction that respects online privacy. Panama doesn't impose any data retention requirements and is not part of any international intelligence gathering alliances.
NordVPN's massive network of VPN servers (5,200+ servers in 60 countries) ensures that you can always find a server where you need it. Every one of these servers is now diskless. This increases your security since your data cannot be stored on a server with no disk drives!
Thanks to the size of the NordVPN network, they can support a variety of server types. These include:
- Standard VPN servers. These make up the bulk of the network and are used for normal VPN activities
- Double VPN servers. These pass your data through two VPN servers in different locations for extra security.
- Obfuscated servers. Servers that make your VPN traffic look like standard HTTPS traffic. This hides your activities from online censors who seek to block VPN use.
- Onion-over-VPN servers. Combine the anonymity of the Tor (Onion) network with the privacy and security of NordVPN.
- P2P servers. Select the P2P server closest to your physical location to get the best speeds when torrenting.
- Dedicated IP servers. A solution for people who need a fixed IP address dedicated to their use, but still want the protection provided by NordVPN.
Beyond the advanced servers, NordVPN is constantly innovating to provide you with a better experience. One great example is CyberSec. When activated, CyberSec blocks ads, trackers, malware domains, and other nasty stuff that could otherwise compromise your security and privacy.
We've already touched on how fast NordVPN is. This VPN's incredible speed comes from its use of the WireGuard VPN protocol. Integrated into their NordLynx VPN protocol, WireGuard brings new levels of speed and security to VPNs. It shouldn't come as a surprise that all three of the VPNs here use WireGuard. WireGuard also connects quickly and works better on mobile devices than older VPN protocols.
Another key benefit of NordVPN is its apps. They offer apps for the most popular devices and operating systems where you might want to use. Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Smart TV, Amazon FireStick, you name it.
While you probably won't need either of these, it is nice to know that NordVPN runs a 24/7 live chat support line and offers a 30 day money-back guarantee on all their subscriptions.
One last thing: The Nord Security / Surfshark merger
There has been a merger deal between Surfshark and Nord Security, the parent company of NordVPN. This deal, while important for the long term, shouldn't have any near-term impact at the user level. The companies say (at least for now) they will continue to operate independently, with their own target markets, audiences, and product development. Want to learn more about the merger? Click here.
NordVPN is a great all-around VPN service. For the complete story, check out our full NordVPN review.
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Surfshark, the second best VPN for Netflix
| Name | Surfshark |
| Location | The Netherlands |
| Servers | 3,200+ |
| Price | $2.30/mo. |
| Logs | No logs |
| Website | Surfshark.com |
While NordVPN is a great Netflix VPN, that doesn't mean there is no competition for the title of the best VPN for Netflix. The top competitor is Surfshark, a young VPN services based in The Netherlands. We currently rate Surfshark the second (2nd) best VPN for Netflix. But they have been charging up the ranks hard, and they do offer a couple of interesting benefits that NordVPN doesn't.
Surfshark does a great job of streaming US Netflix and other libraries from around the world. That they can stream the US Netflix library goes without saying. What does require saying is that they could stream 18 Netflix regional libraries last time we counted. It might be more by the time you read this. Check out the image below. I am using Surfshark to stream video from the German Netflix library while on a trip through South America.
Even though the internet connection there was not up to North American standards, the video was HD quality with no delays or other problems. Like NordVPN, Surfshark has adopted the WireGuard VPN protocol, and is the second fastest VPN we have ever tested. The service is reliable, their VPN apps have all the features necessary to stream safely, and they have a large, geographically dispersed VPN server network.
Other streaming services
Not surprisingly, Surfshark streams more than just Netflix. You can use it to get access to other streaming platforms like BBC iPlayer, DAZN, Disney Plus, and Hulu, along with who knows how many others.
General VPN capabilities
When it comes to general VPN capabilities, Surfshark ranks high. Their network consists of over 3,200 servers in 65 countries. Each of these servers is diskless, increasing your security. Like NordVPN, the Surfshark network has several types of VPN servers, including:
- Standard VPN servers. These are the workhorses of any VPN network.
- Multihop servers. Comparable to NordVPN's Double VPN servers.
- P2P servers. When you connect to a torrent or other peer-to-peer (P2P) site, Surfshark switches your connection to these servers.
- Camouflage mode servers. This is the Surfshark name for obfuscated servers.
- Dedicated IP servers are not yet available but are coming.
Beyond the servers, Surfshark gives you many advanced features. Here are two examples: CleanWeb is the Surfshark version of CyberSec. When you encounter restrictions online, NoBorders mode helps you defeat those restrictions.
Surfshark offers a wide range of easy-to-use, secure VPN apps. This makes it easy to use the VPN with most any device you might have.
One big exception is the lack of Linux VPN apps. You can use Surfshark with Linux, but you need to configure the connection by hand. Instructions are available on the Surfshark website.
Let's talk about those benefits that Surfshark has and NordVPN doesn't. The first is a much lower price. If you sign up for a 2-year subscription, Surfshark costs far less than NordVPN does.
That reduced price benefit is great. But it is even better when you see that Surfshark supports unlimited simultaneous connections. Most VPN services allow 5 or 6 simultaneous connections (NordVPN allows 6). With ever more internet-connected devices in our houses, a quality VPN at a low price and with unlimited connections is a great value.
Surfshark also runs a 24/7 live chat support line. And they offer a 30 day money-back guarantee on all their subscriptions.
Surfshark is a fine option for a Netflix VPN. You can learn more about this option in our complete Surfshark review.
Surfshark VPN Coupon
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VyprVPN, the third best VPN for Netflix
| Name | VyprVPN |
| Location | Switzerland |
| Servers | 700+ |
| Price | $8.33/mo. |
| Logs | No logs (audited) |
| Website | VyprVPN.com |
VyprVPN recently earned the #3 spot in our list of the best VPNs for Netflix. This service has been popular for a long time. But in the last year, they have made huge strides. They've boosted their performance and now support streaming and torrenting across their service. As a result, VyprVPN is now a strong Netflix VPN.
At the time of this review, VyprVPN was able to unblock US Netflix and three other regional libraries. While not as many as NordVPN or Surfshark, the four they do support (US, UK, Canada, and Germany) are major libraries and should be sufficient for most people.
VyprVPN's improved performance comes from its adoption of the WireGuard VPN protocol. They are now almost as fast as Surfshark. That makes them easily fast enough to stream Netflix HD and possibly UHD if you have a fast internet connection. In our testing, VyprVPN streamed HD Netflix content with no problems.
Note: While VyprVPN normally just works with US Netflix, sometimes it may be necessary to use their 24/7 live chat support line to find out exactly which VPN server to use, and how to select it.
Other streaming services
VyprVPN also unblocks most other streaming platforms. Some of the services they worked with at the time of this review include: Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, ESPN+, Hulu, HBO Max, Sky Go.
General VPN capabilities
VyprVPN is also a capable general-purpose VPN. Their VPN server network is relatively small (700+ servers in 60+ countries) but all of those servers are fast, secure, and owned by VyprVPN. Most VPN services rent servers from facilities in the countries they support. VyprVPN rents space in those facilities, but owns all servers in its network outright. This gives them better control over the hardware and software, and prevents third parties from having any access to your personal data.
VyprVPN is based in Switzerland. Despite being physically located in the heart of Europe, Switzerland is not part of the EU. We consider Switzerland a good security jurisdiction. However, it is possible that the Swiss government would pressure VyprVPN to give up your personal data.
This recently happened to ProtonMail, a Swiss secure email provider. VyprVPN has had its no-logs policy successfully audited by a third-party security firm. So even if Switzerland did apply the thumbscrews to VyprVPN execs in order to get personal information, it wouldn't work.
VyprVPN includes all the basic features that our other recommendations do. Things like:
- Secure apps with built-in kill switches
- Split tunneling support
- Private DNS (using VyprDNS)
- Censorship resistance (using Chameleon protocol)
- 24/7 live chat customer support
- 30 day money-back guarantee
They do also have a few unique characteristics that may interest you. There's public WiFi protection. This feature starts the VPN if you try to log into an unknown WiFi network. It keeps you from accidentally connecting to a potentially dangerous network without protection. Another nice feature is a built-in NAT firewall. This keeps hackers from breaking into your network through your WiFi connection.
VyprVPN provides apps for some unusual devices that I haven't seen supported by other VPNs. These include things like the QNAP NAS and Blackphone privacy phone. If you use these devices, VyprVPN is an obvious choice.
One thing VyprVPN doesn't offer is the range of specialized VPN servers that NordVPN and Surfshark do. That said, if you are using your VPN for watching Netflix and not doing anything fancy, VyprVPN will work just fine for you.
And just like Surfshark, VyprVPN offers two other interesting features. If you are willing to sign up for their 3 year plan, you can get VyprVPN for the crazy price of $1.81 per month. That works out to a bill of $65 once every three years! Even Surfshark can't touch that price.
Then there are those pesky simultaneous connections. Remember that I told you NordVPN offers 6 simultaneous connections? Well VyprVPN offers 30 simultaneous connections. Not quite as good as Surfshark's unlimited, but 30 connections should be more than enough for most anyone.
Put all these things together and you can see how VyprVPN made it onto this list. To learn more about the Vypr, check out our complete VyprVPN review.
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Netflix VPN FAQ
Here are your most frequently asked questions about Netflix VPNs, along with our answers to those questions.
If you want to watch the Netflix library for the region you are physically located in, you don't really need a VPN to do so. In other words, if you are in the USA and want to watch US Netflix, you don't need a VPN to do so.
But if you are in another part of the world, you may not be able to see the shows you are used to in the US. That's because Netflix provides different libraries of shows in different geographic regions. If you are in Canada for example, and try to watch Netflix, you are only going to have access to the shows in the Netflix Canada regional library.
To watch US Netflix when you are outside the US, you need a “Netflix VPN.” This is the shorthand term for a VPN that can stream Netflix libraries from multiple locations around the world. These VPNs have the ability to get around the geo-blocking system Netflix uses to control access to the Netflix libraries.
A Netflix VPN also comes in handy when you want to watch Netflix content that is not available in your usual Netflix library. A Netflix VPN can unblock Netflix libraries in multiple regions of the world. This lets you view the Netflix regional library for say, Germany, even though you are sitting on your sofa in the United States.
If you are using a good Netflix VPN and have a reasonably fast internet connection, it is easy to use a VPN for Netflix. For this example, we'll imagine you are in the United States, and want to watch a movie that is only available in the UK Netflix library.
Note: The VPNs we recommend here can all stream Netflix content from the UK, but you will always need a Netflix subscription to log in during Step 4.
Step 1: Subscribe to a VPN service that works well with Netflix. We recommend NordVPN, Surfshark, or VyprVPN. These three ranked the best in our search for the best Netflix VPNs.
Note: We've scored you discounts with all three of these VPN providers. You'll find links to the discounts at the end of this article.
Step 2: Install the VPN app on the device you want to use to view the movie. Each of our recommended services has VPN apps for the most common devices you would want to watch Netflix on. This includes things like Android TV, and SmartTV devices. Each VPN service includes step-by-step instructions on how to install their apps so you don't have to puzzle it out yourself.
Step 3: Launch the VPN app and connect to one of the VPN servers in the UK. The details for doing this vary depending on which VPN service you choose. But all of them make it easy to choose a VPN server in any of dozens of countries around the world.
Step 4: Log into your Netflix app. Because you are connecting to Netflix through a VPN server in the UK, Netflix will treat you as if you were physically located in the UK and connect you to the UK regional library.
Step 5: Enjoy your movie!
NordVPN is the best VPN for Netflix for several reasons. It can reliably connect you to the major Netflix libraries around the world. It is lightning fast, meaning that you'll be able to watch Netflix without the delays and stutters that slower VPNs might induce. And for those rare instances when you can't connect to the Netflix library of your choice immediately, they have a responsive, knowledgeable support team available through a 24/7 live chat support system.
Note: While NordVPN stars at unblocking Netflix libraries around the world, you'll still need to have a Netflix subscription to actually log in.
Surfshark is one of the best Netflix VPNs for a few reasons. Using your current Netflix account, Surfshark can unblock more than a dozen Netflix libraries around the world. It is one of the fastest VPNs we've ever seen (second only to NordVPN). Its apps are reliable and easy to use.
Beyond that, the company provides 24/7 live chat support and a 30 day money-back guarantee. And on top of all that, Surfshark is a professional-grade VPN at a discount price and allows unlimited simultaneous connections. It would be hard to go wrong to choose Surfshark for accessing Netflix.
VyprVPN is one of the best ways to access Netflix libraries. It can unblock Netflix regional libraries in four of the most popular countries: US, UK, Canada, and Germany. It is fast and reliable enough that your shows will stream without delays or stuttering. You get all the features you need to stream Netflix content, along with 24/7 live chat support, a 30 day money-back guarantee, support for 30 simultaneous connections, and a crazy low monthly price. If you plan to stream Netflix, VyprVPN offers a great value.
Without being a lawyer and investigating the laws of every jurisdiction in the world, I can say that as far as I can discover, it is legal to use a VPN for Netflix everywhere. Blocking you from watching Netflix using a VPN is something that Netflix does for their own reasons. So don't worry about being arrested for using a VPN for Netflix.
You should be aware that using a VPN at all can be a problem in places like China, Russia, and the UAE. But if you live in the US or most other free countries, you won't have any problems.
When you use a VPN to watch Netflix in a different country you can run into this problem. For example, lets say you are trying to connect to Netflix UK from your home in the USA. Once you launch Netflix you see an error message instead of the Netflix UK library.
This is a sign that Netflix has blocked the IP address of the specific VPN server you are using at the moment. You have a couple of options here. You can disconnect the VPN and reconnect it in hopes that the VPN server you get this time isn't blocked. That can work but it is rather hit and miss.
It can be time-consuming too. For an extreme example, consider this: NordVPN has over 1,900 servers in the United States. How long will it take you to find the correct server to use in that horde?
A better solution is to use the VPN's 24/7 live chat support line and ask support which server to use. It normally takes only a moment or two for them to point you to a server that they know is currently working. This is clearly the best way to go when you see a Netflix proxy error message.
Netflix blocks VPN users because their contracts with content providers (movie makers, copyright holders and so on) require them to do so. The people who own the rights to streaming media want to sell their content separately in different regions of the world. They then force Netflix to try to control access so only people in the “right” regions of the world can see any particular movie or show.
There are two parts to this story. The speed of your internet connection, and the speed of your VPN. If your internet connection is slow, the fastest VPN in the world won't save you.
At the same time, a fast internet connection won't help you if your VPN is a slug. The VPNs we recommend to watch Netflix are not slugs, so as long as you have a fast internet connection you will be good. If you are looking for specific numbers, here are some.
Video quality vs streaming speed:
* 5,000 Kbps [5 Mbps] = HD quality (720p or better)
* 25,000 Kbps [25 Mbps] = Ultra HD quality (1080p or better)
To watch Netflix, you will want at least HD quality. To do this, your VPN and internet connection must be able to stream at least 5 Mbps. But you also need to account for the speed loss incurred by your VPN. To provide plenty of margin for the VPN and things like internet congestion, let's double the required streaming speed. This gives us the following requirements:
* To stream HD Netflix, you should have a fast Netflix VPN and a 10 Mbps (or faster) internet connection.
* To stream Ultra HD (UHD) Netflix, you should have a fast Netflix VPN and a 50 Mbps (or faster) internet connection.
To see what speeds are possible where you live, check out this internet speed map.
Raw connection speed and VPN performance are the keys to watching Netflix in HD and UHD. But there are also things you can do to get the maximum performance from those key factors.
First, Choose the VPN server you connect to with care. The VPN services we recommend all have fast, reliable VPN servers so that isn't an issue. The issue is the location of the VPN server you use. You get the best performance and reliability by using the VPN server closest to you.
But you must also choose a VPN server that is in the correct Netflix region. Here's an example. You are in the UK on vacation. You want to watch your favorite show on US Netflix, so you need to connect to a US VPN server. The server you choose is critical here.
If you look at a map you can see that New York is around 3,000 miles closer to the UK than is Los Angeles. A New York VPN server will give you better results than a Los Angeles server would.
Second, you may want to try different VPN server locations. This is despite what I just told you about VPN server location. It is possible for the servers in one area to get overloaded with users. Or for a natural disaster to take out part of the server network.
If you find that the VPN server you are trying to use isn't performing well, you can contact customer support. They should be able to direct you to a different server that will get you streaming again.
Unfortunately, there is no free, safe VPN for accessing Netflix. The company works hard to keep you from accessing Netflix with a VPN. Some VPNs can win that battle and unblock Netflix anyway. But it is a hard, expensive battle.
There is no way a free VPN would work with Netflix for very long. The cost would be enormous and the VPN would need to recoup those costs somehow. As is usually the case with free services on the internet, your personal data would probably be extracted and sold to pay the VPN service's bills. If you want to use a VPN to unblock Netflix safely, you'll need to pay for a subscription to a quality Netflix VPN.
Conclusion: Finding for the best Netflix VPN for You
Finding the best VPN for Netflix is hard. That VPN need to be fast enough to stream HD and UHD video content. It also needs to be technologically sophisticated enough to defeat Netflix's geo-blocking systems. And finally, it needs to be owned by a company that is willing to pay the costs of continually battling Netflix for access.
As a result, not many VPNs can reliably unblock Netflix.
We have put the work in to find you three VPNs that you can count on to unblock Netflix content for you. While all three can get the job done, each has its pros and cons. This article was meant to give you an introduction to these three VPN services. But now it is time to take action.
Here is what I recommend you do: Decide which VPN appeals to you the most, then download it and use it for a couple of weeks. If you are unsure which one to try first, use the links at the end of each section to go to our full review of that VPN.
Remember that you have 30 days to request a refund, so don't test for too long. If the one you selected doesn't suit you, move on to the next and repeat the process. I'm confident that after a little testing you will settle on a VPN that can unblock Netflix for you and meets all your other needs.
And as a brief recap, here are the top Netflix VPNs based on our tests:
- NordVPN – The best VPN for Netflix with access to a large selection of regional libraries.
- Surfshark – A reliable VPN for Netflix with fast speeds and great apps.
- VyprVPN – A cheap VPN for Netflix that currently unblocks 4 Netflix regions.
This Netflix VPN guide was last updated on February 28, 2022.
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