List of Top VPNs for Streaming in 2022

Available in 65 countries with more than 3,200 servers, Surfshark VPN is one of the best VPNs for Netflix. To meet global demand, Surfshark offers 30 different Netflix libraries to its users on an unlimited number of devices. The software recently upgraded the WireGuard feature to double its speed.

Features 

Personally, I’ve seen many high-ranked influencers advertise Surfshark on their YouTube channels and social media accounts. I had to take a closer look at the features offered:

Speed and Performance

Using Surfshark, I was impressed by the performance capacity. I expected a slow performance and response time because the VPN can be installed on all devices simultaneously, but the VPN’s average tested speed was 170-230 Mbps with an average decrease of 20%-30%.

Protocols

Protocols for Surfshark include:

• WireGuard
• OpenVPN protocol
• IKEv2
• Shadowsocks

Security

Like most of the services on our list, Surfshark is encrypted with AES-256 encryption to ensure the ultimate online security and privacy. Other security protocols include a private DNS on every server and leak protection when using IPv4.

Mobile Apps

With one description you can connect an unlimited number of devices. The mobile and desktop apps can be installed on iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Linux, macOS, Windows, and FireStick. A mobile app is available through Google Play Store, Amazon Appstore, and Apple App Store.

Customer Support

Users can contact the Surfshark support team via chat or email 24/7. Alternatively, users can browse through the articles in the service’s packed Help Center. 

Streaming

Surfshark is the top VPN for streaming video. Users can stream with no buffering through a secure network of 30 libraries. All your favorite shows can be accessed through FireStick that includes Hulu, HBOGo, CBS, Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, and YouTube.

Ease of Use

The service is extremely easy to download and install on numerous devices. I connected my account to all my gear by simply using my log-in details. Some of my apps experienced a snag in speed, but the service’s Whitelister feature allows you to exclude apps that bypass the VPN connection – ultimately speeding up the streaming.

Pricing

Surfshark has 3 payment plans available for the one all-inclusive plan:

• 1-month subscription – $12.95 per month

• 6-month subscription – $2.49 per month
• 24-month subscription – $6.49 per month

There’s also a 30-day money back guarantee.

Other Features

Other features include:

• Ad blocker with CleanWeb
• Whitelister VPN bypass
• Kill Switch
• MultiHop connection to multiple countries
• Camouflage Mode
• NoBorders mode
• No-logs policy

Customer Satisfaction

Most online reviews rate Surfshark at 4 or more stars. Complaints have been mostly about affordability, without discounts or a long-term commitment users have to pay $12.95 per month. Overall, flaws are very limited and the service is worth the monthly price tag.

Competition Overview

Where Surfshark dominates: no buffering and high-speed rank it among the top choices when choosing a VPN for streaming movies.

Where Surfshark falls short: it doesn’t offer customer support via phone.

PROS:

• 30 Netflix libraries
• Numerous discounts available
• Very good speed
• Unlimited devices can be connected to one account
• 30-day money back guarantee

CONS: 

• No phone support
• Static IP address

With an average download speed of 115 Mbps, NordVPN is an excellent alternative to faster VPNs, such as ExpressVPN and Surfshark. It has over 5,200 servers in 59 countries. NordVPN introduced NordLynx, a VPN protocol that was custom built to deliver data more efficiently without affecting privacy and security protocols.

Features 

The VPN service has an array of features available that includes:

Speed and Performance

On average, NordVPN performs at a speed of 111.7 Mbps in the US Speed tests done in the UK concluded that the VPN performs at an average speed of 123 Mbps.

Protocols

Protocols for NordVPN include:

• UDP
• TCP
• OpenVPN
• IPSec
• IKEv2

Security

NordVPN ensures the most secure VPN experience that is encrypted with the standard AES-256-CBC. It also supports Perfect Forward Secrecy that frequently alternates encryption keys.

Mobile Apps

An intuitive mobile app can be installed on iOS and Android. A user-friendly desktop app provides protection for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Customer Support

NordVPN’s expert customer support team can be contacted 24/7 via email or live chat. Unfortunately, they don’t offer any phone assistance. Alternatively, users can visit the conclusive help center for further information.

Streaming

Streaming services through NordVPN are very reliable. With more than 5,600 servers in 59 countries and 1,970 servers in the US, it is easy to access your favorite shows and websites at good speeds.

Ease of Use

My first impression of the signup process was how easy and simple it is. In two easy steps, you can choose your payment plan, install the service, and start streaming. My experience showed that there’s a reason many consider it to be a great VPN for streaming TV because it was easily installed onto my Smart TV.

Pricing

The 3 payment plans are:

• 1-month subscription: $11.95 per month

• 12-month subscription: $4.92 per month
• 24-month subscription: $3.30 per month

Users can add:

NordPass Premium at $1.32 per month

NordLocker Premium at $1.32 per month

NordVPN can be tried risk-free with their 30-day money back guarantee.

Other Features

Other features include:

• Strict no-logs policy
• Split tunneling
• Kill Switch
• IP Mask
• Dedicated IP
• Ad blocker

Customer Satisfaction

Reviewing NordVPN, it is apparent that most users find the VPN app to be user-friendly and reliable. The service doesn’t have a Whitelister feature that evidently has an effect on speed and performance. There are some complaints about servers not having labels and customer care being mediocre.

Competition Overview

Where NordVPN dominates: constantly updating features and improving tools with reliable connection and streaming in UAE and China.

Where NordVPN falls short: doesn’t have a Whitelister feature or kill switch for Android.

PROS

• Secure AES-256 encryption
• OpenVPN protocol
• Dedicated IP address
• Great VPN for streaming sports from local channels

CONS

Android doesn’t have a kill switch

ExpressVPN provides numerous secure browsing and streaming solutions on multiple platforms. With over 3,000 VPN servers in 160 locations within 94 countries, ExpressVPN is one of the most accessible VPN services on the market.

Features 

All features are accessible through ExpressVPN’s easy-to-use apps for multiple devices on numerous platforms:

Speed and Performance

After using the service on numerous devices, I was very impressed by its performance. Its average connection speed measures 135 Mbps. It’s the overall best streaming VPN. Accessing restricted websites, social media networks, and streaming services was quick and easy.

Protocols

ExpressVPN automatically selects the best protocol depending on your internet connection. Protocols include:

• Lightway
• OpenVPN
• IKEv2
• PPTP
• L2TP/IPsec

Security

No data, DNS queries, or traffic are ever collected or logged on a hard drive, ensuring your online safety. Data is protected by advanced AES-256 encryption.

Mobile Apps

The ExpressVPN app can be downloaded onto iOS, Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, and Smart TV systems. An extension can be installed onto Chrome, Firefox, or Edge for easier use.

Customer Support

Customer care can be contacted 24/7 via live chat on the ExpressVPN app or website. Members can also expect email updates and notifications.

Streaming

Users can stream their favorite shows via numerous platforms without worrying about buffering and delays. Even online games can be streamed via the special VPN extension for game consoles.

Ease of Use

One of the main reasons why ExpressVPN is on our top list of VPN providers is because it is so user-friendly. A simple browser extension allows you to connect to different servers with the click of a button. The extension suggests a ‘smart location’ that helps users connect to the best server in the area.

Pricing

Three paying options are available:

• 1-month subscription: $12.95 per month
• 6-month subscription: $9.99 per month
• 12-month subscription: $6.67 per month

When you subscribe for 12 months, you get 3 months absolutely free.

Other Features

Advanced features include:

• Unlimited bandwidth
• Bitcoin payments
• Built-in speed tester and booster
• Private encrypted DNS
• Split tunneling

Customer Satisfaction

While writing my ExpressVPN review, I tested it and found it to be fast and reliable. The automatic protocol and location selection make it very easy to find the optimum connection. ExpressVPN is a credible service with millions of registered users who are satisfied with the VPN. The customer support live chat also makes the service stand out from among its competitors.

Competition Overview

Where ExpressVPN dominates: accessibility from numerous devices. Supports different platforms including game consoles.

Where ExpressVPN falls short: it doesn’t have an ad blocker.

PROS

• Reliable and fast speed
• 30-day money back guarantee
• Unblocks lots of streaming services
• User-friendly
• Great customer care

CONS

• More expensive than its competitors

Trusted by millions of users, Hotspot Shield is gaining popularity amongst VPN users. Previously operated by AnchorFree, Inc. Hotspot Shield VPN has recently added even more servers to keep up with the demand, currently hosting 3,200 servers in 80 countries. It’s perfect for sports fans who want to watch uninterrupted live events.

Features

Hotspot has all the features required for a great VPN:

Speed and Performance

Hotspot Shield VPN claims to be 2.2 times faster than its competitors. After speed tests, I’ve gathered that the service can reach speeds of 400 Mbps, but only on short hops. On average, the VPN’s speed is around 65 Mbps, a lot less than Surfshark’s and ExpressVPN’s speed averages.

Protocols

I was pleasantly surprised that Hotspot Shield VPN uses its own proprietary Hydra protocol. This protocol works on all major platforms and provides an extra-secure connection.

Security

Military-grade encryption is used to ensure your information is safe from hackers. It hides your IP address, provides anonymous browsing, and encrypts your network to ensure lag-free, uninterrupted streaming, making it a top pick when it comes to VPNs for streaming sports.

Mobile Apps

The VPN’s mobile app can be downloaded onto most mobile devices including Android and iOS.

Customer Support

Hotspot Shield’s customer support can be contacted via live chat, email, or by filling in a request form on their website.

Streaming

There are options for streaming through channels for Linux, Smart TV, Chrome, Mac, iOS, Routers, Androids, and Mac. Users can also unlock streaming through Amazon Prime, YouTube, Netflix, Twitch, and Hulu.

Ease of Use

Hotspot Shield claims to be an excellent live event streaming VPN. Having tried it out, I can confirm that this is correct. The VPN was extremely easy to install and activate to stream live sports events. The perfect VPN for sports, especially if you don’t want to miss anything happening in real-time.

Pricing

The service has two options available:

• Free version
• Premium version: $2.99 per month

Other Features

Unfortunately, Hotspot Shield VPN falls short when it comes to advanced features. Apart from an ad blocker and a kill switch, the service provides only the basic VPN needs.

Customer Satisfaction

The mobile app scores a 4-star rating on both the Google Play Store and the App Store. Positive feedback is mainly due to the service’s low monthly cost. But it is clear that the low monthly cost doesn’t make up for the lack of added features and limited security protocols. 

Competition Overview

Where Hotspot Shield VPN dominates: 45-day money back guarantee and custom-built Hydra protocol.

Where Hotspot Shield VPN falls short: fewer servers than competitors and not many extra advanced features.

PROS

• Budget-friendly
• Great for streaming sports
• Excellent short-hop speed

CONS

• Limited security protocols
• No audit management

From only $2.40 per month, users can get full access to IPVanish VPN services. The VPN service provides a Wi-Fi hotspot shield, encryption for private data, and safe access to media streaming on more than 1,600 remote servers in 75 locations. To support all your devices, IPVanish has an unmetered connection that allows you to secure all your devices.

Features 

IPVanish has numerous features that include:

Speed and Performance

IPVanish isn’t as fast as other VPN services. On average, the speed is 52 Mbps, but users have said that they can increase speed when they switch protocols while using the service. Overall, I’ve found that the performance of the VPN is satisfactory but not 100% reliable as the best VPN for Netflix.

Protocols

Protocols for IPVanish include:

• OpenVPN scramble
• IKEv2
• L2TP
• PPTP
• IPSec

Security

For ultimate security, IPVanish implements the AES (128-bit and 256-bit) encryption with RSA-2048 handshake and authentication with SHA-256.

Mobile Apps

When it comes to IPVanish’s mobile app, users are really impressed, and I am too. The app is extremely easy to install on either Android or iOS and receives a 4.2-star rating on Google Play Store plus numerous positive IPVanish reviews.

Customer Support

Customer support is available 24/7 via email and live chat. Additionally, users can phone the expert customer support team based in 7 different countries. 

Streaming

IPVanish is an excellent VPN for streaming with Firestick, users have applauded the service for providing safe movie and film streaming while on the move through their Firestick devices. The company has informed users that IPVanish’s mobile app doesn’t work with the first generation Firestick devices.

Ease of Use

At first glance, IPVanish’s website seems complicated and difficult to navigate. After subscribing and installing the mobile and desktop app, the service was easy to use. The VPN service doesn’t have any special features, tools, or customization options – so turning it on and off is pretty simple.

Pricing

IPVanish has two pricing plans available:

• VPN – $2.40 per month for 12 months
• VPN and Backup – $2.66 per month for 12 months

Costs may vary depending on running promotions and discounts.

Other Features

The VPN platform has additional features that include:

• SOCKS5 web proxy
• Internet kill switch
• Split tunneling
• Access via UDP/TCP
• Unlimited bandwidth and P2P
• IP address cycling

Customer Satisfaction

Users have complained about connection issues on mobile devices when switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data. Other complaints include the increase in monthly costs after the first 12 months. From more than 7,000 reviews on Trustpilot, the VPN scores a 4.7-star rating. New users appreciate the simple mobile app and the top-notch customer care.

Even though it isn’t the fastest VPN for streaming, I have found that streaming through my Firestick works great with this service.

Competition Overview

Where IPVanish dominates: customer care and numerous protocols.

Where IPVanish falls short: confusing and expensive pricing plans. Connection isn’t always reliable.

PROS

• High server count
• Excellent customer care
• Supports unmetered devices with one account
• Has running discounts
• Has a cloud data backup option

CONS

• Kill switch is only available on desktop
• Drop-in connection when in certain parts of the world

PureVPN offers a basic service that allows for anonymous internet browsing and streaming. Supporting more than 20 devices, it has a cheap 7-day trial and claims to be the best VPN for video streaming. PureVPN has more than 6,500 servers in over 140 countries.

Features

Users can enjoy total online freedom and security with PureVPN’s features:

Speed and Performance

To calculate PureVPN’s speed and performance, I ran a speed test on it. Connection speeds on most servers reached 80 Mbps on average, although it reached 112 Mbps on the best server. Overall, I’m impressed with its performance and the video quality while streaming.

Protocols

The VPN service supports all protocols on every server. This includes:

• Automatic
• PPTP
• SSTP
• L2TP
• IKEv2
• Open VPN-UDP
• Open VPN-TCP

Security

PureVPN claims to have a no-log privacy policy for optimum security. I did find that they do log some information that includes some session information, but there aren’t any activity logs. They offer AES-256 encryption for further online security.

Mobile Apps

The mobile app can be installed on iOS and Android. Desktop apps are also available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome, and Firefox. The app features a recommended server tool, a specific city connection, and a kill switch.

Customer Support

Users can reach this best paid VPN customer support via email, live chat, or by submitting an inquiry ticket.

Streaming

Since the service is compatible with over 50 devices and platforms, it unblocks more than 70 streaming services. PureVPN provides a dedicated IP address to users which improves the streaming of geo-blocked videos.

Ease of Use

While investigating PureVPN, I discovered that the service is fairly easy to use. The app needs some refinement, but considering that it has a big server network – connections to different countries are easy using the desktop and mobile app.

Pricing

PureVPN has 3 payment plans available:

• 7-day trial + 1-year plan: $0.99 per month

• 1-month subscription: $10.95 per month
• 2-year subscription: $3.33 per month

These affordable prices make it one of the best paid VPN providers in the industry.

Other Features

Other features include:

• Kill switch
• Advanced auto protocol selection
• Dedicated IP address
• Port forwarding

Customer Satisfaction

In general, PureVPN has good ratings regarding customer care and overall performance. TechRadar.com and Tom’s Guide give it a 3.5-star rating mainly because of app issues. I have to agree that the app isn’t very user-friendly and that it needs some polishing.

Competition Overview

Where PureVPN dominates: low monthly cost and options for unblocking Netflix, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer.

Where PureVPN falls short: the mobile app needs refinement.

PROS

• FAQ page for extra information
• 31-day money back guarantee
• Super low monthly price on the yearly subscription plan
• 24/7 customer support

CONS

• Doesn’t allow more than 200 sessions per day

CyberGhost is a reliable and trustworthy VPN that has more than 7,000 servers across 90 countries, in 112 different locations. The provider is available on all major devices and operating systems. To meet user demand, CyberGhost VPN has implemented great measures to provide consistent speed and performance.

Features 

CyberGhost VPN has all the basic and some advanced features:

Speed and Performance

From all the speed tests I’ve performed, CyberGhost VPN provides the most consistent average Mbps. The average on most servers is between 86-88 Mbps for uploads and 44-66 Mbps for downloads.

Protocols

The provider supports the following protocols:

• OpenVPN protocol
• IKEv2
• WireGuard

Security

All users can benefit from CyberGhost’s secure connection through the 256-AES bit technology encryption and no-logs policy.

Mobile Apps

Mobile and desktop VPN apps can be installed on most devices including Android, iOS, FireTV, Windows, Linux, and Mac. The CyberGhost VPN apps have servers to optimize torrenting.

Customer Support

Customer care can be contacted through the 24/7 live chatbot on the website or through email. Alternatively, users can refer to the in-depth FAQs and help guide.

Streaming

Users can easily unblock HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, ESPN, Disney+, Vudu, and Kodi amongst many others. I have found that it is among the best choices if you’re looking for a VPN for streaming Netflix and unblocking shows from other countries. I didn’t experience any buffering or network limitations.

Ease of Use

CyberGhost VPN is a very intuitive and extremely user-friendly VPN provider. Users can connect up to 7 different devices to one account. The app gives you the opportunity to add certain servers to a favorites list to make future connections easier.

Pricing

There are 4 payment plans available:

• 1-month subscription: $12.99 per month

• 1-year subscription: $3.99 per month

• 2-year subscription: $3.49 per month

• 3-year subscription: $2.25 per month + 3 months free

Other Features

Other advanced features include:

• Kill switch
• No logs policy
• Unlimited streaming
• DNS leak protection

Customer Satisfaction

From everyone on our list of VPN providers, CyberGhost VPN has the biggest fleet of servers with a selection of more than 7,000 servers in 112 different locations. This large selection adds to customer satisfaction. Streaming videos and unblocking platforms are made easy with this large selection. Most credible online ratings give the provider 4 stars or more, with a 4.8-star rating on Trustpilot.

Competition Overview

Where CyberGhost VPN dominates: number of servers, consistent speed, and reliability.

Where CyberGhost VPN falls short: poor connection from heavily censored countries like the UAE and China.

PROS

• Up to 45-day money-back guarantee
• Works with Torrents
• Consistent speed and performance

CONS

• Poor connection reports from users in China, the UAE, and Turkey