Best VPN for Streaming {Updated 2024}

If you are a lover of “Games of Thrones,” “Frozen,” and “Money Heist,” living in a country where you cannot access these shows, how will you feel? What if you watch these shows, and your video starts buffering and takes ages to load? What will be your reaction?

After the success of Netflix, streaming platforms are multiplying at faster rates. However, most of them are geo-blocked or have limited content available in certain countries. For instance, you will face sheer disappointment if you try accessing Netflix from another country and get only 1/3 of the content available in the US.

Do not worry. A VPN is a pill against all your diseases. Installing a VPN has become one of the most popular options for streaming enthusiasts. A VPN does not only help you stream without buffering and protects and encrypts your data for ultimate security.

As you have discovered the importance of VPN, you must seek the right service. The article below will assist and guide you to find a better VPN for a smooth streaming experience to ease your work.

vpn for streaming

Different Streaming Services All Around The World

The charm of streaming sites is growing with the passing of every day. One of the top streaming sites is “Netflix.“Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO, Disney Plus, and other streaming services. However, most of these sites are geo-blocked.

Some of the sites are:

  1. Netflix –  available in 190 countries;
  2. Disney Plus – available in 55 countries;
  3. Hulu tv – available only in the United States and Japan;
  4. HBO – available only in the United States;
  5. Peacock – available only in the United States;
  6. 7TV – available in Germany;
  7. CTV – available in Canada;
  8. 7Plus – available in Australia;
  9. Channel 5 – available in the UK;
  10. ZEE5 – available in India,etc.

To unlock their locks, you need a key, and that key is VPN.

Best VPN Services for Streaming

The right VPN is a blessing. It gives you unlimited bandwidth, security, privacy and the fastest speed. However, not all VPNs can do so, specifically “Free VPNs.”Therefore, we have enlisted the 5 most reliable VPNs you can use for a better streaming experience.

  1. ExpressVPN
  2. NordVPN
  3. Surfshark VPN
  4. CyberGhost VPN
  5. Private Internet Access VPN

ExpressVPN – An Excellent VPN for Streaming

ExpressVPN - Best VPN Provider

Express is one of the best VPNs in the market. It is rated as the #1 VPN in the entire industry. It can unblock as many streaming sites as possible and encrypt all your internet traffic. Its vast network of servers is renowned for exceptional speed and international coverage. Express helps to stream Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Fire tv, Youtube and many more.

Compatability & Device Connections

Unlike free VPNs, Express provides connections for up to 5 devices to watch all your favorite movies and shows without hassle. The VPN is usable on every operating system, such as iOS, Android and Windows.

OS

Anonymity & Security

Headquartered on the British Virgin Island, ExpressVPN is outside the jurisdiction of any data retention laws because BVI is not a member of surveillance organizations such as 9 Eye or 5 Eye. Therefore, Express always maintains your anonymity by hiding your IP address and pursuing a no-log policy under which it cannot track your data to save it from ISP.

Even if you are streaming a restricted site, Express blocks all traces of VPN through its obfuscated servers and is secure from leaks. If connections are lost, Express has Kill Switch to save your data from any leakage. This is the reason why Express is famous even in “China.”

For security, Express creates AES 256-bit military-grade encrypted tunnel through which your data passes. Also, its Trusted servers keep your data on RAM, which loses data at every power loss. ExpressVPN protects your onion routing and tor browsing to surf anonymously and protect your connection when you watch “Games of Thrones” in a hotel or coffee shop by using their Wi-Fi.

Connection Speed

ExpressVPN is famous for its speed. It is renowned for surpassing ISP throttling, through which an Internet Service Provider puts a cap on your speed.

Express has the broadest coverage of 3000 plus servers in 94 plus countries. This means you can get streaming from big and small countries like Kenya and Laos. More server network means better speed.

Express's overall connection speed is 58 Mbps and is enough for smooth streaming of Netflix, BBC iPlayer, HBO and more.

Protocols and Additional Features

ExpressVPN uses protocols such as IKEv2, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPsec. It also uses Lightway protocols, allowing users to customize protocols for better speed.

Some of the additional features are as follows:

Split Tunneling: There are certain VPN services that you cannot use over a VPN. ExpressVPN allows you to add such websites or apps over its split tunnel to use them on the regular internet.

Router App: Express offers a separate router app, which you can add to your router and get as much secure streaming as you want on your entire home network.

Torrenting and P2P File Sharing: Express offers peer-to-peer file sharing and torrenting with complete security.

Browser Extension: ExpressVPN has a browser extension that you can use over Chrome and Firefox. However, you need to install specific standards. The browser extension ensures HTTPS search, prevents HTML5 from exposing your geolocation and blocks leaks.

VPN Protocols: Lightway vs. OpenVPN vs. IKEv2 | ExpressVPN

Customer Support

Customer support is pretty essential. VPNs belong to the IT industry and are emerging products. Many people are not aware of technical issues. Hence it is necessary to provide customer support to resolve their queries.

ExpressVPN provides 24/7 customer support through:

  1. Articles
  2. Video tutorials
  3. FAQS
  4. Live chat
  5. Email services.

Money-Back Guarantee & Free Trials

You do not need to make any financial commitment until and unless you are convinced. Express offers you a 30-day money-back guarantee on every plan. Also, Express has 3 months free trial on its 1-year best value plan.

Related Article: ExpressVPN vs. SurfShark

NordVPN – Streaming With Outstanding Security

NordVPN Review - Top VPN Service

Nord is an alternative to ExpressVPN. It is primarily built for staunch security. Adding streaming is the cherry on the top. Nord is useful for streaming in HD. Its SmartPlay supports better streaming to give you access to everything you watch.

Compatability & Device Connections

As far as device connections are concerned, NordVPN is not left behind. It offers 6 simultaneous connections for device-crazy people.

Being the best VPN in the industry, Nord can work on all operating systems and devices such as mobiles, tablets, laptops and computers, etc.

Anonymity & Security

NordVPN is headquartered in Panama– a country that does not bother to keep any data logs. Similarly, Nord is also against maintaining records of its customers. It also secures and protects from DNS leaks, and in case of such activities, its kill switch automatically activates to safeguard your data from any leakage. All these are kept hidden with its obfuscated servers.

Furthermore, Nord also has AES 256 encryption, but you can multiply it by two because Nord passes its data through double VPN servers for complete security. Its Diskless servers – RAM-based, support Onion routing and secure public wifi.

Nord's ad blocker is praiseworthy. CyberSec blocks all kinds of ads, and malicious content from the website, giving you smooth access to video streaming.

VPN Security: How safe is a VPN? | NordVPN

Connection Speed

The information on Nord passes through two secure servers: double tunneling and double encryption. Double tunneling takes more time on the cost of speed. However, Nord uses the incredibly famous WireGuard protected protocol “NordLynx” to surpass restrictions and provides you with a better speed.

Its 5000-plus servers in 60 countries are also responsible for maintaining exceptional speed for users.

It also surpasses ISP throttling by maintaining your anonymity with the fake IP address. An ISP cannot sneak in what you are doing and cap your downloading and uploading capacities.

Protocols & Additional Features

Nord also uses different protocols for speed, anonymity and security for streaming movies and tv shows. It usually uses IKEv2, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec and NordLynx.

Some of the additional features of Nord are:

Dedicated IP: NordVPN provides its customer with commendable feature-dedicated IPs. These IPs only a single user can use. It saves from overcrowding and blacklisiting when trying to access any geo-restricted website.

Browser Extension: As of Express, NordVPN also offers a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox. However, its configuration is much simpler than Express.

Torrenting and P2P File Sharing: Nord has separate P2P and torrenting servers.

Customer Support

As with other reliable VPNs, Nord's customer services are commendable. First, if a user counters any problem, they can look for the website for articles, blogs and video tutorials.

Still, the user may proceed to a 24/7 live chat with Nord's customer representative or email them for further guidance if the problem remains.

Money-Back Guarantee & Free Trials

Nord is also against investing money if you are unsatisfied with the purchase. Therefore, NordVPN offers 30-day money-back guarantee on all its plans and packages. However, a 3-month free trial is only available on its 2 years best value package.

Surfshark VPN – An Affordable Streaming VPN

SurfShark - Best For Streaming

Surfshark is a solution for your entire family. It offers unlimited simultaneous connections in one subscription. Founded in 2018, the VPN is reaching sky high owing to its incredible security features and commendable speed. It can unblock Netflix libraries, HBO, Tubi and Hulu tv and many more.

Compatability & Device Connections

Surfshark is most famous for its device connections. Wondering why? It is because Surfshark does not limit your device connections. Yes, the VPN offers an unlimited device connection that you and your entire family can use with complete encryption.

Surfshark is compatible with each device and every operating system available in the market.

Anonymity & Security

Surfshark has not left its security behind despite being the cheapest streaming VPN. It has double VPN servers with 256-bit encryption, a kill switch and clean web-ad blockers for users. The VPN is based in BVI and has a staunch no-log policy. It also has a kill switch and obfuscated servers.

speed

Connection Speed

Regarding streaming speed, Surfshark can help unblock and watch whatever you want without any problem.

For speed, Surfshark is using IKEv2 – Internet Key Exchange version 2, which is famous for speedy connections over mobile devices.

Protocols & Additional Features

Surfshark has OpenVPN, Shadowsocks, WireGuard, and IKEv2 as per the customer's choice. Shadowsocks can even remove restrictions of the Great Firewall of China.

Additional features of Surfshark are:

Split Tunneling:  Through its Whitelister, Surfshark offers split tunneling. It helps you bypass specific apps to work directly over the internet rather than a VPN.

Browser Extension: Surfshark also offers a browser extension on Chrome.

Torrenting and P2P File Sharing: Surfshark supports torrenting and peer-to-peer file sharing.

Customer Support

Surfshark is famous for customer services through 24/7 live chat and email as a reliable VPN server. It also offers video guides, articles and FAQs to resolve queries of customers.

Money-Back Guarantee & Free Trials

Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of its 3 plans. However, it only provides 7 days of free trial on each subscription package.

CyberGhost – Streaming as Ghostie

CyberGhost Review - Free VPN Plans

CyberGhost helps you be a “Ghostie” by retaining anonymity when browsing online or unblocking streaming sites. Its servers are presented nearly all over the world, including countries famous for streaming as the UK and the USA. It can even unblock BBC iPlayer along with other streaming sites.

Compatability & Device Connections

CyberGhost has pledged not to disappoint its valuable users as one of the oldest VPNs. Therefore, it offers connections to up to 7 devices. The VPN can be used over all devices and operating systems as per your choice and the client's preference.

Anonymity & Security

CyberGhost is based in Romania and is outside the jurisdiction of any data retention laws. Also, it has a staunch no-log policy which is kept on emphasized by the service provider. It also has a kill switch, military-grade encryption and leak protection.

Above all, CyberGhost has NoSpy servers. These servers increase security by keeping everything in Romania, only by cutting intermediaries. It secures public wifi and has an ad blocker that only blocks malicious content.

CyberGhost-SpeedTest

Connection Speed

CyberGhost is famous for its most extensive network of servers. It has 7100 servers encompassing half of the world, which means 91 countries. Owing to such facilities, the VPN can provide you with exceptional speed.

It bypasses ISP throttling. CyberGhost also uses the fastest protocols of IKEv2 and WireGuard to retain your speed for streaming, gaming, and online activities.

Protocols & Additional Features

CyberGhost uses protocols such as OpenVPN, L2TP/ IPSec, IKEv2/ IPSec, and PPTP for speed and security.

Additional features of CyberGhost are:

Split Tunneling: CyberGhost performs a function of split tunneling for its users.

Dedicated IP: As of NordVPN, CyberGhost also assigns dedicated IPs over its servers.

Keychain Access: CyberGhost also provides keychain access specially designed for macOS users. It stores your passwords and auto-fill where needed.

P2P Servers for Torrenting: CyberGhost has separate servers for torrenting and peers to peer file sharing.

Browser Extension: CyberGhost also has browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

Customer Support

CyberGhost has commendable customer support. Firstly, you can access the website in English, German and French. However, if you want to resolve a query, you can chat with a customer representative live or send an email.

Money-Back Guarantee & Free Trials

CyberGhost is a bit ahead of monetary commitment. It has a 45-day money-back guarantee on 2 years package and a 14-day money-back guarantee on a monthly package. Also, its 2 years package has 2 months of a free trial.

Private Internet Access VPN – Streaming With Most Servers

Private Internet Access - 10 Multi Device Support

Private Internet Access is also widely used to unblock streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Disney, Tubi Tv, etc. It is leaving its rival behind in speed tests and is equally good for streaming and gaming. PIA also has the most competitive subscription with a money-back guarantee if you want to abandon its services later services.

Compatability & Device Connections

Private Internet access is accessible on all major devices like smartphones, tablets, windows, smart tv, Chromecast etc. It has dedicated apps for each operating system. Additionally, Private Internet Access can be used on up to 10 devices simultaneously in one subscription.

Anonymity & Security

Private Internet Access also has a firm no-log policy as with other reliable VPNs. However, it is based in the US- a country that snoops on user data. Despite this, PIA is still stubborn about keeping its no-log policy at all costs. It also has open-source transparency through which anyone can check what the VPN offers and scrutinize its privacy policies.

PIA also uses 256-bit encryption along with SHA1 authentication. It also has a kill switch and incredibly secures your public wifi. PIA's MACE feature blocks adware, trackware, and malware whenever the VPN is enabled on your device.

Connection Speed

PIA has the largest network of 29650 servers in not less than 70 countries. This means the availability of a massive number of servers will never, at any cost, slow down the speed. Also, its next-generation servers are claimed to have an Unthrottled speed of at least 10gbps.

Protocols & Additional Features

PIA uses different protocols. Some of them, and most, are OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP, and SOCKS5 Proxy.

Additional features of PIA are:

Dedicated IPs: PIA offers dedicated IPs over its servers.

Split Tunneling: PIA has split tunneling.

Torrenting: As per the website, the VPN supports torrenting but does not have optimized servers.

What is VPN Split Tunneling? | Private Internet Access

Customer Support

PIA has just started offering 24/7 live chat support by 2020. Its most enormous privilege is the website filled with easy-to-follow installation guides, FAQs, troubleshooting walkthroughs and many more.

Money-Back Guarantee & Free Trials

Private Internet Access does not offer monthly trials. It only provides a 7-day free trial on all its plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee for the customer's satisfaction.

The criterion for Selecting a Streaming VPN

When choosing a streaming VPN, you need to follow specific criteria. However, we have a list if you are unaware of the requirements or standards for selecting the right VPN.

Access to Plenty of Streaming Sites

A reliable VPN should remove all kinds of barriers for streaming as much content as a netizen wants. Not all VPNs can do so.

Many stubborn sites, such as BBC iPlayer, are famous for blocking many IP addresses assigned by VPNs. Certain VPNs can crack Netflix still unable to surpass restrictions from BBC iPlayer. So, you must check astutely and adroit before heading to any financial commitment.

Variety of Servers

What if you are from a small country and need to unblock local broadcasters while traveling away? What will you do? This is therefore, server coverage is quite essential. A reliable VPN should have over 3000 servers in less than 50 countries. The better the range, the better chances you have to unblock websites.

Excellent Speed

Merely bypassing geo-blocks is not enough.VPN creates a secure tunnel for encryption and decryption of your data, which takes plenty of time. This time comes at the cost of your speed.

However, a reliable VPN has better speed owing to its wide server coverage. For streaming, especially HD and 4k resolutions, you require high speed and the VPNs mentioned above are best for such features.

Privacy and security

Privacy and security matters. Unblocking geo-restricted sites is a side feature of a VPN, but the main feature is securing your data and maintaining your anonymity. It should have AES 256-bit encryption and other security features to protect you from advertisers, government surveillance and ISP snooping.

Useful features

Apart from the top features, a VPN should have additional services. More features mean more chances to trust a respective VPN service provider. Some of these features are:

  1. Split tunnelling
  2. Double VPN servers
  3. Obfuscated servers
  4. Smart DNS
  5. Kill Switch
  6. Adblocker, etc.

Price

Paying the highest prices does not mean you are getting the best-performing VPN. For all VPNs, prices vary. Some are good at low prices; some are worst at even high pricing. However, a VPN should be worthy of spending.

Best Plan Comparison

VPNsMonths PricesMoney-back guaranteeFree trials
ExpressVPN15 months$6.67/month30 days3 monthsGet it Now
NordVPN24 months$3.67/month3o days3 monthsGet it Now
Surfshark VPN24 months$2.49/month30 days7 daysGet it Now
CyberGhost VPN24 months$2.25/month45 days2 monthsGet it Now
Private Internet Access VPN36 months $2.19/month30 days7 daysGet it Now

How Does A Streaming VPN Work?

Every VPN works similarly- it diverts your device's connections away from your ISP through its remote server. By doing this, your ISP cannot sneak in what you are looking at and surfing for. In this way, a VPN unblocks websites and surpasses geo-restrictions.

A VPN assigns your fake IP address by connecting your device to the country's server – of which geo-restriction you want to surpass. Subsequently, you can access the website even if you are physically unavailable in that region.

global streaming

Steps to Stream with a VPN

All VPN services are different, requiring some additional steps to work with streaming media. However, listed below is a quick setup workable on all VPNs. The process will hardly take 5 minutes.

  1. Figure out the best streaming VPN service. Express is the best option.
  2. After deciding on your VPN service provider, download the VPN app and subscribe to its services.
  3. The next step is to set up software on your device and connect to the server of your concerned streaming country.
  4. Now, you can go to the streaming website and enjoy your movies and shows.

VPNs That Do Not Work For Streaming

Some VPNs do not mix well with streaming services. TheseVPNs can be classified into two categories.

  1. free VPNs
  2. Non-streaming-oriented VPNs.

Free VPN

Most of the free VPNs have a limited number of features.

  1. First and most important, such VPNs do not encrypt your data altogether.
  2. Secondly, usually, the unblocking capabilities are part of their paid versions.
  3. Thirdly, streaming services block most IP addresses assigned by free VPNs.

Non-Streaming-Oriented VPNs

These VPNs do not prioritize unblocking streaming services as their essential feature. Their only focus is privacy and only privacy. They do not bother to test whether the VPN can unblock Netflix or such sites or not. For instance, Mullvad is famous for confidentiality and is worst for streaming media.

Streaming Sports vs Media Content

Streaming usually has two forms:

live streaming
  1. Streaming of media content
  2. Streaming of sports

Streaming media is the most popular choice of viewers. However, streaming sports is equally compelling. Many sports channels, such as American basketball in Europe, require a VPN to watch their content. Some sports like gymnastics are not broadcasted everywhere.

The VPNs mentioned above are the best for streaming media and live sports. You will enjoy it if you use the VPNs we have suggested.

VPN Not Working? Try This

Sometimes even the best VPN has problems and is functionally ineffective while watching a video. This does not mean you should abandon a VPN. These technical issues can be resolved by taking measures, such as:

  1. Change servers for better performance
  2. Restart your VPN service
  3. Reinstall your VPN app
  4. Restart your computer or close programs you are using
  5. Check whether the app or website you are using requires tunnel splitting or not.

Watching streaming in a Browser vs App

Most streaming channels offer apps for different devices to allow on-time access to their content. Although convenient, the app can prevent VPNs from taking complete control. This may lead to DNS leaks, and if the streaming site gets to know you are accessing from another region, it may block your IP address.

On the contrary, it is much easier for the VPN to control DNS settings when accessing a streaming service through a website. Therefore, if you are having issues accessing Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, or HBO from an app, try using the web browser, as these are more secure and VPN friendly.

VPN vs Proxy – Which is better for Streaming?

The temptation of proxy is growing at a faster rate. However, it can never be the best option when it comes to streaming media content. Another problem is proxy reroutes your traffic; it does not encrypt your entire network. Cybercriminals are waiting for a single opportunity to hack your data when you use proxy servers.

Hence, we will never recommend using a proxy. Instead, we favor using a reliable paid VPN to bypass geo-restriction and encrypt your confidential data.

Read more about VPN vs Proxy.

VPNs to Avoid for Streaming Movies

  1. Buffered
  2. TunnelBear
  3. Hola
  4. OperaVPN
  5. Turbo
  6. HideIPVPN
  7. Blockless
  8. Netflix
  9. Unlocator
  10. Browse
  11. BTGuard
  12. VPNBook
  13. OneVPN
  14. WorldVPNEarth VPN
  15. Kaspersky Secure VPN
  16. OverPlay
  17. IVPN
  18. TigerVPN
  19. AnonymousVPN
  20. Betternet
  21. Unotelly

FAQS

Can I use a streaming VPN to watch sports?

Yes, you can use a streaming VPN to watch sports as well. Whether you want to watch Olympics 2022 or BBC Super Bowl online from anywhere in the world, VPN is at your service. We recommend using Express VPN for better speed, security and geo-blocked content.

Do I need a VPN for streaming?

If you live in the USA and try accessing Disney Plus, you need a VPN only to encrypt your data. However, if you live in Pakistan, try accessing Disney, then you need a VPN to surpass geo-blocks to stream your favorite shows and animated movies.
Over and above, VPN is a need of an hour. People using the internet cannot get rid of it to secure and protect their data while streaming media.

What is the best streaming VPN?

All the five VPNs we have mentioned above are the best streaming VPNs. However, if you ask about a particular one, we recommend ExpressVPN. It's a complete package with the broadest coverage of servers.

How much data does streaming use per hour?

Streaming through data is risky. A low-quality video will use not less than 0.3 Gigabyte per hour. Medium quality doubles the GB, and HD videos eat up 3 GB to 7GB per hour.

Is VPN enough to bypass streaming service blocks?

In most cases, VPN is enough to bypass geo-restriction on streaming content. However, some sites have additional blocks, such as verified purchases through credit card checks. For instance, you will not purchase or register for an American channel if you do not have an American card.

Will a VPN slow down while streaming?

Your data passes through a tunnel which costs time and speed. Thus, VPN is alleged to slow down your streaming. However, a qualitative VPN can never slow down your speed. They use protocols and servers to maintain speedy connections.

Will a Streaming Service Ban Me from Using a VPN?

The algorithms of most streaming sites are more advanced than ours. They can frequently detect and block fake IP addresses. However, this is the case usually happens with free VPNs. Reliable VPNs use advanced military-grade encryption through which a website like Netflix or Hulu can not detect whether you are using a VPN or not.

Why can’t I watch my local team play online?

Sports streaming is much more complicated than standard media content. You can watch Major League Baseball or any other sports over the internet or on a streaming site. However, when a local team is playing, you cannot stream its live play and buy tickets. By hiding your IP address, a VPN can mislead your physical location and help you to watch live streaming even of your local team.

Conclusion

To wrap up, streaming entertainment is a soulful practice against boredom. In this digitized era, you do not need to go to cinemas repeatedly to watch new movies or series. You can get all the content library with some clicks. However, if the site is geo-blocked, then the problem appears.

You can use VPN (which we recommended) to surpass all kinds of geo-restrictions without compromising your security. For more information, you can also visit our page, Best VPNs for 2022.

So, which VPN are you using? Do let us know in the comment section below. If you face trouble using a VPN or have any queries, you can ask in the comment box. We would love to answer.