Best VPN for Streaming in 2024

ExpressVPN is currently CNET’s pick for the best VPN overall, scoring an 8.8/10 on our VPN rating scale. The veteran VPN provider is excellent for streaming. In our testing, it effortlessly unblocked all sorts of streaming content, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. You can easily install ExpressVPN’s app on streaming gadgets including Android TV boxes, Amazon Fire TV devices and the Apple TV. Additionally, Express offers user-friendly apps for Windows, MacOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android, Linux and web browsers.  

In our 2024 testing, we measured a modest 24.8% average speed loss with ExpressVPN. With a high-speed connection, this is still more than fast enough for even 4K video streaming. For reference, many VPNs can slash your internet speeds by 50% or more. However, we nevertheless saw substantially better speeds from rivals NordVPN (11% speed loss) and Surfshark (17% speed loss). ExpressVPN’s speeds were still plenty fast enough for general browsing as well as for more data-intensive activities like streaming, gaming and videoconferencing -- especially if you use Lightway.

When we most recently evaluated ExpressVPN for privacy and security, we uncovered an alarming bug in its Windows app that sent our DNS requests to our ISP instead of to ExpressVPN’s dedicated DNS servers when we had the split tunneling feature enabled, meaning that our true IP address, general location and the websites we visited were exposed. ExpressVPN impressed us with its swift, transparent action by disabling split tunneling from its Windows app as a temporary solution while engineers got to work on a permanent fix and promptly publishing a blog post. Shortly thereafter, ExpressVPN was able to roll out a fix to its Windows app that resolved the DNS issue and reinstated the split tunneling feature. During our tests with the updated app, we detected no leaks with or without split tunneling enabled. The DNS leaks were concerning, but the decisive response from ExpressVPN was illustrative of the company’s commitment to transparency and user privacy.

NordVPN is so popular because of its fast connections, privacy-focused features and excellent geo-unblocking for streaming services. In our testing, Nord let us stream US and UK Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus libraries on most devices. Whether you want to watch international Netflix libraries or watch content from your home country while abroad, NordVPN has you covered. Additionally, you can install Nord on nearly any streaming device available, including Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV. You can also run NordVPN on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS/iPadOS and browsers.   

A fast, reliable internet connection is critical when streaming 4K or even 1080p videos. NordVPN solidified itself as the fastest VPN in our 2024 speed tests, sporting an overall average internet download speed loss of merely 11.1%. All VPNs slow down your internet connection somewhat, but Nord’s minimal impact makes it an exceptional VPN for streaming videos. Our CNET Labs team clocked an average speed loss on its NordLynx VPN protocol of just 3.2% with Windows and 12.6% on MacOS. With OpenVPN, its speed loss was a blazing-fast 10.1% average on MacOS and 18.6% using Windows. 

NordVPN’s global server network comprises more than 6,000 servers spanning over 60 countries. That’s short of the international reach of competitors like Surfshark and ExpressVPN, but a planned expansion in Q1 of 2024 should increase Nord's server count to 100 countries. Many people will find servers in preferred locations for streaming service unblocking, but its lower overall global reach at the time of writing means that Nord won’t work for everyone. 

If you’re on a budget or you’re a Netflix user and want to get the most out of your Netflix subscription, Surfshark is the way to go. We found that Surfshark is more than capable of streaming content on various streaming services like Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video. We ran into a few issues when attempting to stream content on Hulu. It worked on the Fire TV Stick app but not on the iOS app. While we were able to stream Hulu content through Surfshark’s MacOS app, the titles weren’t loading and we weren’t able to access the entire library -- making for a sub-par streaming experience. 

That said, Surfshark really excelled when we tested the provider’s ability to stream Netflix. Surfshark says it can unblock 22 different countries’ Netflix libraries, but it unblocked even more during our testing -- including libraries from countries like Denmark, Bulgaria, Belgium and Hungary. Other VPNs can also unblock multiple Netflix libraries, but it’s rare that a VPN can do it to the degree that Surfshark can. That’s impressive, considering how Netflix has been actively cracking down on VPN use for years. Even so, Netflix doesn’t expressly mention VPN unblocking in its Terms of Use -- just that you should “access Netflix content primarily within the country in which you have established your account and only in geographic locations where we offer your subscription plan and have licensed such content.” 

Surfshark’s speeds are generally fast enough for streaming (even in 4K) but were inconsistent in our testing -- sometimes frustratingly so. This means that, under rare circumstances, you may need to play around with your connection settings to achieve optimal streaming performance, especially for higher-quality streams or from distant regions. As well as being an excellent VPN for streaming, Surfshark packs a ton of useful privacy features into a budget-friendly package. You can boost your privacy by routing your connection through two servers of your choice using Surfshark’s Dynamic Multihop feature, or shuffling your IP address using the VPN’s IP Randomizer or IP Rotator features. Surfshark also offers unlimited simultaneous connections, beyond what most others allow for. Surfshark's monthly plan stays constant at $13 a month. Its yearly plan starts at $48 for the first year, then jumps to $60 for any additional years of service. If you opt for the two-year plan, you'll pay $53 upfront for the initial two years combined, then $60 per year for any additional years. We don’t recommend committing to a single VPN provider for more than a year at a time, considering how quickly the landscape tends to shift in the VPN industry.

IPVanish is a solid VPN for streaming if you’re new to VPNs and want a solution that’s simple to use and can help you watch content on various streaming platforms. During our testing, we were able to access Netflix libraries from a handful of regions, along with content on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus. Although some VPNs may struggle to deliver across platforms, we were able to access each of the streaming services we tested on each of the devices we tested them on with IPVanish. The only area where IPVanish sometimes struggles is its speed. The inconsistency of IPVanish’s speeds may put a damper on your streaming experience, depending on which servers you’re using and if you connect via the VPN’s Quick Connect feature. Using Quick Connect is the easiest way to connect to an IPVanish server, but the feature didn’t always connect us to the most optimal server available. We were able to achieve considerably faster speeds by manually choosing a server indicating a lighter server load. You may have to do the same if you’re experiencing a low-quality stream.

With IPVanish, you’ll have access to servers in 52 countries, which is quite a bit less than other options like ExpressVPN (105 countries) and Surfshark (100 countries), so if you’re looking to stream content from a particular region, you’ll want to check IPVanish’s server page to ensure the provider has servers in those locations before purchasing a subscription. IPVanish isn’t overloaded with tons of bells and whistles, but it includes all the basic features you need in a VPN -- and maybe that’s what makes it such a great option for VPN newbies. Its apps feature a slick interface that requires zero learning curve, so you can get connected and stream immediately even if you’ve never used a VPN before. A monthly subscription to IPVanish costs $13 per month, which is on par with most of the other top VPNs, but its annual plan starts cheaper than both NordVPN and ExpressVPN at $42 for the first year (then jumps to $90 annually for any additional year). IPVanish offers a two-year plan that costs $72 for the first two years combined, then $90 per year afterward.