These are the best services if you want to watch Netflix over a VPN.
VPNs aren’t just useful for keeping your online activities private and safe, they’re also a great way to bypass restrictions on streaming content in different countries. The top VPN providers continue to outsmart streaming providers in a never-ending cat-and-mouse game, ensuring that you always have access to your favorite content no matter where you are.
Given the severe restrictions that services such as Netflix put in place against VPNs, you need to choose a service that has active compatibility with streaming sites. It’s also a good idea to choose a VPN with a generous overall server spread so that if one server is down, there are other options available in the same country. I’ve thoroughly tested the top VPNs on the market to see how they fare at unblocking the top streaming sites and curated my recommended favorites in the list below.
I highly recommend that you use a VPN not only to access location-restricted content, but also to provide one of the best possible upgrades to your online security. So, if you’re looking to use your VPN for more than streaming, be sure to check out our comprehensive roundup of the best VPNs in all categories.
NordVPN – Best overall for Netflix
| PROS | CONS |
| Loaded with tons of VPN configuration options | Expensive |
| Outstanding speeds | |
| Multiple independent no-logs audits | |
| Included antivirus and password manager |
Why I like NordVPN
For my money, the best option for streaming Netflix is NordVPN. From the very beginning, it has been challenging the Netflix VPN ban. It’s also had a goal of making all of its servers work with the streaming service. As of our latest review, Netflix works without a hitch on all servers tested. No matter which Netflix catalog you want, NordVPN promises to deliver it.
NordVPN has more than 6,000 servers and offers locations in more than 110 countries around the world. It also allows you to choose your specific server so that you can switch around if you need to if Netflix’s ban hammer ever comes down.
In addition to top-notch speeds and Netflix compatibility, NordVPN offers multi-hop connections and Meshnet. NordVPN also uses the WireGuard protocol by default, though it has made some modifications to make WireGuard friendlier and more private for commercial VPN services and thus calls its protocol NordLynx.
For both download and upload speeds, NordVPN is the undisputed fastest VPN overall, and with the company’s success rate of averting bans, it should have no trouble streaming Netflix anywhere in the world.
Who should buy NordVPN
Simply put, everyone looking to use a VPN with streaming services such as Netflix can, and probably should, use NordVPN — it’s really that good for streaming. Between its consistently good speeds and history of successful unblocking, I think NordVPN can’t be beat.
ExpressVPN – Best runner-up for Netflix
| PROS | CONS |
| Excellent speeds | More expensive than many competitors |
| Easy-to-use interface | Light on some features for a top VPN |
| Unblocks all streaming services | |
| Great security and privacy practices |
Why I like ExpressVPN
If NordVPN isn’t your style, my top-pick VPN overall, ExpressVPN, is also an excellent choice. ExpressVPN offers more than 3,000 servers in 105 countries. It also promises that Netflix will work with every server it has, and ExpressVPN offers good speeds. Express is on the pricier side at nearly $100 per year, compared to $60 for Nord. But the app is easy to use, the speeds are excellent, and it offers some nice extras such as a private DNS service that lets you set up an Apple TV or console for watching U.S. streaming services overseas.
Who should buy ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is right up there with NordVPN as my recommendation for most people. Its great server spread means you’ll likely find a country to connect to no matter where you want to spoof your location. Also, as PCWorld’s top VPN overall, ExpressVPN will serve you just as well with non-streaming activities as it will unblocking Netflix.
PureVPN – Best for server locations
| PROS | CONS |
| Consistently good speeds | |
| Easy-to-use desktop program | |
| Broad device support |
Why I like PureVPN
When using a VPN to stream Netflix or another service, having a large pool of servers to choose from is a huge benefit. This is because streaming services and VPN providers are in a constant cat-and-mouse game to try and restrict or maintain access. And if you want variety and options in the server locations from your VPN, then PureVPN has them in droves.
It offers a staggering 6,000+ servers for users to connect to — more than twice as many as ExpressVPN. These servers aren’t all concentrated in the U.S. or Europe either. They boast a server spread with 141 countries across all parts of the world. It even recommends optimized servers to users for various needs such as gaming, streaming, and torrenting. I did find that some of the servers were faster than others, with servers located in Europe having excellent speeds while servers in Asia not so much. But all-in-all, in my testing I found that the speeds were good enough to stream on any and all of PureVPN’s servers.
Additionally, PureVPN is an intuitive and easy-to-use Windows app with good functionality. It lacks some of the power user features that other VPNs on this list provide, but that shouldn’t be a deal breaker if you’re just looking to use the service to stream. Ultimately, PureVPN is a straightforward and easy-to-use VPN service with an impressive number of server locations.
Who should buy PureVPN
If you’re looking for the greatest server spread with the most server locations to choose from then PureVPN is the ticket. For those who travel a lot or just need access to a wide-ranging server spread, PureVPN is worth consideration.
Surfshark VPN – Best for server locations
| PROS | CONS |
| Unlimited simultaneous device connections | Indicators for ping or server load are not readily available |
| Works well with Netflix | Based in the Netherlands and subject to government data sharing requests |
| Built-in extras such as ad tracker and malware blocking | |
| Low price on long-term plans |
Why I like Surfshark VPN
Surfshark is another VPN that hits my top 10 for speeds, reaching 61 percent of the base speed in my latest tests. This makes Surfshark plenty fast enough for Netflix streaming. My testing also showed that Surfshark was able to not only unblock Netflix, but also any other major streaming service I tried — Amazon Prime, Max, Hulu, and more.
It also comes with ad- and malware-blocking features, double-hop connections, and, surprisingly, it offers unlimited simultaneous device connections as opposed to the usual five-device limit with most VPNs. The Surfshark app for Windows is also easy to use and if you opt for a two-year subscription, the price is incredibly affordable as well.
Who should buy Surfshark VPN
Since Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous device connections, it’s ideal for users who want to securely access streaming platforms from multiple devices at the same time. This makes it a great option for families who frequently have all of their members watching shows on their own devices, or individuals who don’t mind sharing their VPN with friends or colleagues.
ProtonVPN – Best for watching Netflix on a Mac
| PROS | CONS |
| Excellent free plan | Expensive |
| Great privacy tools | |
| Reliable and transparent no-logs policy |
Why I like ProtonVPN
Another good recommendation is ProtonVPN, which is available at a similar price to ExpressVPN. Unlike NordVPN, however, Netflix doesn’t work on every single Netflix server. It works on a lot of the more than 4,800 servers, but not every single one. The one issue with Proton is that it can have trouble from time to time, where a stream will suddenly stop, especially if you’re watching while you work on the same PC. While these issues popped up on my Windows machine, I did not have the same issue on a Mac, where it ran smoothly the entire time.
Who should buy ProtonVPN
While we at PCWorld typically use Windows PCs, we understand that Mac users need VPN love as well. So if you’re rocking a macOS machine I think that ProtonVPN is a great option. The VPN has one of the better macOS apps I’ve encountered and combined with its strong unblocking ability, this makes ProtonVPN a solid pick for Apple users looking to access streaming services.
Why does Netflix block VPNs?
Netflix’s big expansion into pretty much every country on earth back in 2016 meant it had to get tough on VPNs. While Netflix produces a lot of its own content that it can make available worldwide, the company also licenses a ton of content from traditional entertainment studios.
These third parties are still working on a system of global territory licensing. Under this system, Netflix gets a package of movies and TV shows from these companies that it can show in the U.S., but that aren’t licensed to be shown by Netflix in, say, Europe. To keep those companies and their other international licensees happy, Netflix must enforce a block on VPNs to prevent people from getting content made available to Netflix subscribers in the UK, but not the U.S.
“We are making progress in licensing content across the world,” Netflix said in a 2016 blog post. “But we have a ways to go before we can offer people the same films and TV series everywhere.”
Netflix isn’t the only company that has to enforce these restrictions. Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and others do it too. However, Netflix along with Hulu are easily the most active and effective at it.
What to look for in a VPN to access Netflix streaming
First, most people should not make speed the top consideration. The minimum recommended bandwidth for a 1080p Netflix stream is 5 megabits per second (Mbps). If you’re streaming in 4K it’s 15Mbps. Depending on your home internet speed, that should be doable with nearly all the top VPNs.
Instead, the first consideration should be the basic promise of Netflix compatibility from a reputable company. That’s the rub. Any old VPN can promise Netflix compatibility, but if there aren’t a lot of reviews about the service it may not be the real deal. Stick to well-known VPN services if you can.
Next, you need to consider how many servers are available for the service — especially the number in your target country. If you want Netflix Australia and the VPN only has two Australian servers, that could be a problem. Most of the popular VPN services list their server networks online so you can see how many servers are in each country.
Finally, make sure the VPN’s desktop app (and don’t forget about mobile) allows you to choose specific servers. Since this is a cat-and-mouse game with the streamers, you need a VPN with a number of servers in your desired Netflix country. That way if one server has been discovered by Netflix, it’s possible the others are still working. The fix for this then is easy — just switch servers.