Best VPN for Netflix: Which Ones Work?

Have you run out of things to watch on Netflix? It might be time to go on a virtual trip around the world since Netflix content catalogs differ from country to country. Maybe, you'll find something appealing abroad. All you need to get started on your digital journey is a VPN.

VPNs don't only enhance your security and privacy, they also help to bypass geo-blocking and access content from around the world. After logging in to Netflix while using a VPN, you'll be able to browse its catalog as though you were actually there.

Of course, streaming platforms oppose this, staying hot on the heels of VPN providers to close off access to foreign content. To help you find the right VPN for accessing foreign content, we looked at which providers from our sample excel at unlocking global Netflix catalogs. Since US Netflix content is particularly popular, we evaluated US servers, however, the results should be representative of most regions.

From the 27 providers in our sample, 17 were capable of accessing US Netflix content from abroad. Here are our Top 5:

It doesn't take long to see why NordVPN secured first place in our evaluation: The provider combines user-friendliness, security, and performance into one of the best overall VPN packages on the market. And the best part? It's priced right, especially if booking a 2-year subscription.

During testing, we were able to access Netflix content without any problem. NordVPN also took first place in our speed test, meaning that when streaming Netflix content, you won't have to deal with lag or buffering.

And not only Netflix: The service worked equally well with Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer.

ExpressVPN doesn't only follow NordVPN in this list, it also came in second behind the Panama-based service in our overall evaluation. There's little between the two, with both performing equally well (for specifics, check out our head-to-head comparison). At the end of the day though, NordVPN did edge out ExpressVPN owing to its much lower price.

So far as streaming is concerned though, ExpressVPN allows users to access Netflix content as well as NordVPN does, with high speeds owing to its 3,000-strong server network spread across 94 countries.

You won't need to limit yourself to Netflix either, as ExpressVPN also granted us access to the other three streaming services we evaluated.

We get it, you're already paying for a Netflix subscription, so why spend more to access additional content? Unfortunately, most free VPNs don't allow users to stream video content, but we've got the next best thing: Our price-performance pick, Surfshark. Even though the provider is fairly new to the VPN market, it gives its more established competitors a run for their money, not least owing to its impressive second place in our speed test.

Thanks to its high speeds, your night of 'Netflix and chill' won't be an evening of 'buffering and loading'. Surfshark also makes it possible to access the other three streaming platforms we tested it on. As such, our price-performance winner is a solid choice for your digital jet-setting.

ProtonVPN offers the top free VPN from our sample, owing to its unlimited data. Unfortunately, free users are restricted to three server locations and cannot stream content from abroad. Since this is common to all free VPNs in our assessment, it's not that big of a deal.

Paying subscribers can access US Netflix content, as well as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and the BBC iPlayer without problems.

We didn't find many things to take hide.me to task for. In each of our six areas, it scored "good" or " very good". We particularly liked its VPN client which, although loaded with features, doesn't make any sacrifices in terms of user-friendliness.

This also applies to how hide.me handled streaming: We could access Netflix and other streaming content from abroad without issue.

Unfortunately, we did experience a few connection problems that might impact its suitability for streaming. Thankfully, these problems were relatively minor.

All providers in our Top 5 performed well in our comprehensive evaluation, giving users access to Netflix content from abroad. With that said, plenty of other services from our sample proved capable of unblocking Netflix content.

Below, you can find a list of these:

Once chosen a VPN, you're only a few clicks away from accessing the world's Netflix content catalogs. Below, we'll walk you through how to do this with Surfshark, our price-performance winner.

1. Download, install, and open the VPN client for your operating system.

2. Select a server from the country that you'd like to check Netflix's catalog for.

3. Once connected to the server, log in to Netflix. You should be able to access the content catalog for the country your VPN is currently connected to.

Now that you have access to Netflix's global catalog of movies and series, you'll need to decide what to watch. Netflix doesn't roll out the red carpet and tries its best to hide what's available where. After all, VPNs offer a legal but unsanctioned method for taking advantage of everything the platform has to offer.

If you're looking for something specific, there are some practical ways to do this like uNoGS, a searchable online database. This keeps tabs on all of the world's Netflix catalogs and provides lists of what's available. One of these shows where you can watch all of IMDB's Top 250 films and series.

Should you have a specific film or series in mind, you can use uNoGS search feature to find out where it's available.

uNoGS isn't the only database. FlixWatch also makes it possible to search through Netflix's global catalogs, however, unlike uNoGS, it lets you look through each region's catalog in its entirety.

Unfortunately, freemium VPNs usually block video streaming. Although there might be some VPNs that make it possible to circumvent geoblocking at no cost, none of the 27 reputable services we assessed do. The free versions they offer don't support streaming content from abroad.

All the same, a solid VPN subscription doesn't have to break the bank, with some costing $2-3 per month, so long as you sign on for a year or more.

No worries: Even though using a VPN to access Netflix content from abroad puts you at odds with the streaming platform's terms of use, you won't face any legal consequences.

Streaming platforms use geo-blocking since they're bound by licensing agreements to do so. Content, such as films or series, is licensed region-by-region, or even country-by-country. As such, Netflix can only offer a movie or series where it has a contract for it. The result is a cat-and-mouse game between streaming platforms and VPNs.

Netflix and its kind are not particularly fond of VPNs, and, at least in theory, would be within their legal rights to suspend your account if they could verify your usage of a VPN to circumvent their restrictions. To date, we aren't aware of this ever occurring in practice, however.

To test all 27 services from our sample, we purchased a subscription to each, thoroughly evaluating their clients and apps. Each review is divided into six main areas, five of which were scored and relate to the most important facets of a VPN:

Which features does each provider offer? How easy are they to use? Which operating systems are supported? We attempted to answer all of these questions rewarding providers who combined intuitive use with plenty of settings and options.

When it comes to networks, we looked at how many servers each offers, and the number of countries they are spread across. Should you want to access VPN content from a specific region or country, pay attention to whether a provider has solid (or any) infrastructure there.

We constantly compare the performance of all providers from our sample in our VPN speed test. In addition, we also tested each service for a day, to see how they were for surfing and streaming.

The table below shows which providers from our sample are capable of unlocking US Netflix content:

VPNs like to promise everything in terms of privacy. We ignore their "No-Logs" promises and instead read between the lines of their privacy policies and check whether they have submitted to external security audits. Finally, we conduct VPN leak tests and broadly assess each service's general security practices.

We value simple, direct contact methods, preferably via live chat or email support. For the latter or support tickets, we expect answers within 24 hours. Beyond that, VPNs should possess a comprehensive and readily searchable help center with support articles and FAQs.

The content you can stream on Netflix varies from country to country. It would be unfortunate if, as a paying subscriber, you couldn't browse their entire catalog. Thankfully, with the right VPN, you'll be able to access content from anywhere.

Streaming services are paying attention and do everything they can to clamp down whenever a VPN makes it possible to access their content from abroad. However, as a number of VPN providers advertise their ability to unlock specific streaming platforms, their staffers work just as hard to maintain or restore these capabilities.