Netflix is the most popular online streaming service, and with its recent price increases and a crackdown on VPNs, it’s not easy to find a reliable and free way to watch it. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) often throttle the speed of streaming services so customers will stick with their subscriptions. But what if you want to catch up on an episode of Friends without paying your ISP a crazy amount of money? A VPN is the solution! These free VPNs for Netflix will allow you to access streaming services abroad.
In this day and age, internet privacy is important. If you don’t have a VPN service to protect your data, it could end up in the hands of a hacker or in a government database that’s available to anyone with a little persuasion. Depending on your location, a VPN is also vital for bypassing geo-restrictions and watching Netflix from other countries.
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VPNs provide privacy and security by encrypting your data and servers, allowing you to watch movies and TV shows from anywhere as if you were sitting at home. This means that your data travels through a secure tunnel instead of over public WiFi networks which can be compromised. In addition, they help bypass censorship or throttling from ISPs by changing your IP address.
The good news is that choosing the best VPN for Netflix couldn’t be easier because we’ve done the hard work for you. But, before we get to the actual “best” VPNs for Netflix, there are some things you should know about Netflix streaming and VPNs.
Netflix streaming and VPNs
As of February 2016, Netflix has been blocking VPN services which means there’s no way to unblock US Netflix from outside the country. This includes all of the VPN providers listed on this page – and almost every other VPN service out there. The only exception is ExpressVPN because they have a stealth technology that fools Netflix. However, that only works on some servers, and even then, it’s not 100% reliable.
Many VPN providers claim to work with Netflix, but the truth is that they only work on some servers and for a limited time. There’s a lot of competition between VPN providers, which means they’ll claim to work with Netflix just to get customers from the free trial. But, they don’t disclose that this is a short-term promotion or that it doesn’t actually work.
Bottom line: if you’re looking for a long-term, reliable solution for streaming movies and TV shows from overseas – stick with ExpressVPN.
1. ExpressVPN – Best Overall VPN
The best VPN for Netflix is ExpressVPN (in our opinion). Not only is it straightforward to use, but it also provides lightning-fast connections and a vast selection of servers in 94 countries around the world. With ExpressVPN, you can also access streaming websites like Hulu and BBC iPlayer from anywhere.
Instead of being limited to one or two servers, you have the option of connecting to any one of their 1,000+ servers in 94 countries as well as 180 cities. This way, you can unblock just about anything – including US Netflix. The best part is that all their servers are lightning-fast, which makes for high-quality streaming.
2. CyberGhost VPN
Another good alternative to ExpressVPN is CyberGhost VPN. They offer fast servers with no bandwidth limit, unlimited speeds, and unlimited bandwidth. With CyberGhost, you’ll be able to unblock streaming services like BBC iPlayer or Hulu with ease.
One thing that’s really good about CyberGhost is its intuitive client interface. It has large buttons with images that can help you navigate their client even if you’re not very tech-savvy. This makes finding the proper settings for specific streaming services very easy. It’s also one of the only VPNs on the market that have guest login features which means you can log in to your account without creating an account.
CyberGhost has servers in over 100 countries which gives it an incredible geographic diversity. You can find a server in any country you want, so you’ll always be able to unblock that geo-blocked service or content with CyberGhost.
3. Windscribe VPN
Windscribe is another fantastic choice for unblocking Netflix. Their free plan is actually one of the most affordable and best-value plans on the market. They offer unlimited speed and bandwidth with unlimited server switching and 24/7 live chat support. All of those features make this an excellent choice for streaming Netflix from abroad.
There are only three steps to unblocking US Netflix with Windscribe: download the app, buy a subscription, and log in to your account with one click. It’s that easy with Windscribe. The only downside to Windscribe is that they don’t offer Split Tunneling. This means that your mined data could leak through your VPN, which will prevent you from unblocking Netflix. However, if you don’t mind using a Chrome Extension for Torrenting, it’s an excellent option for unblocking Netflix.
A good VPN will have the following features
Split Tunneling allows you to select which applications (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) should be encrypted and which ones shouldn’t be. So, for example, if you’re on a public network and don’t want your name and address to show up when you search Google, you can select only to encrypt the browser app. Split Tunneling also prevents your ISP from seeing what websites you visit – which is especially helpful in countries with active censorship and surveillance.
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DNS Leak Protection prevents your DNS (Domain Name Servers) from disclosing your actual location. This is extra important for streaming services like Netflix and Hulu because they use geolocation to determine what country you’re in and only show content relevant to that country. If they can’t decide where you are, they block access to their service, which is why we recommend using a VPN like PIA (Private Internet Access) for this purpose.
VPN Blocking
Blocking VPNs is one way that websites protect their content from being seen by unauthorized viewers. These blockers make it complicated for people who are using VPNs to shield their locations because they block the IP address of the VPN server.
Some websites are making this decision in order to remain profitable, while others are concerned with online privacy laws in different countries. There are websites that are blocking VPNs in order to not have their businesses disrupted by the growing number of people who are using VPNs.
When a VPN is blocked by a website, it’s necessary for the user to find an alternative VPN that can be used on that same Wi-Fi network. VPN blocking is becoming increasingly popular and the chances of streaming sites, like Netflix, increasing their efforts to do so.