In January 2016, Netflix announced a crackdown on VPNs, or virtual private networks. This meant that using a VPN to access the Netflix catalog offered in a different country was suddenly against the company's terms of service.

However, there are still a few VPN services that work well with Netflix, and now have a proven track record of circumventing Netflix's blocks regularly. In this article, we'll list those working VPNs and help you choose one.

1. ExpressVPN

expressvpn

If you are an American who wants to be able to access your own country's catalog from anywhere in the world, ExpressVPN is the best option. It has worked flawlessly every time we have used it for the past year and is our go-to recommendation.

  • Setup: ExpressVPN is simple to set up and use on any device, including Linux. That's right, you can even watch Netflix natively on Linux easily with the ExpressVPN app. It also has a remarkably easy setup for routers, so you can tunnel all your data through the VPN.
  • Performance: Netflix is especially vigilant of ExpressVPN servers because of how highly rated the service is by multiple reviewers. So the servers change often, and you might have to refresh that before each time you start Netflix. Overall, there was nothing to complain about when it comes to how quickly the stream started, or even skipping ahead or back on 1080p video.
  • Netflix Countries: ExpressVPN only worked for US consistently. Some of the other nations, especially Canada, end up working at times, but it's not a connection you can bank on.
  • Price: ExpressVPN normally costs $12.95/month (or $8.32/month if you sign up for a whole year), but we have a special deal for MakeUseOf readers. Use this link to get three FREE months plus an entire year for an incredible $6.67/month.

2. StrongVPN

strong vpn

Even in the early months, StrongVPN was one of the few services that kept bypassing Netflix's blocks again and again. It has earned the loyalty of its fans, especially those based in the UK.

  • Setup: StrongVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, and iOS, but setup can be a little tricky. Even for Android, you'll need to dive into settings to configure it. To its credit, it hosts detailed setup guides for popular devices and platforms. But it's not as easy as ExpressVPN or VyprVPN.
  • Performance: StrongVPN has good performance on both UK and US servers. It streamed fine on 1080p video and handled skipping too. The Canadian server can't always handle 1080p, downgrading to 720p.
  • Netflix Countries: StrongVPN's support for Netflix UK and Netflix Canada gives it a slight edge over ExpressVPN. But you have to be willing to go through that setup process.
  • Price: One of the cheapest options among all these VPN services, StrongVPN costs $10/month or $70 for a whole year. Plus, you get StrongDNS, in case you prefer proxy DNS over VPN for streaming.

3. PrivateVPN

privatevpn

If you're one of the old guard who loved being able to watch everything on Netflix no matter where you live, then try PrivateVPN. In our tests, it worked with the most number of countries.

  • Setup: PrivateVPN supports apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. For anything else, you'll need to use the device's connections settings. You will also need to clear the cache of your browser before you use it to stream Netflix.
  • Performance: PrivateVPN works flawlessly, as long as you use the right servers. The company has a list of currently working servers for Netflix, so make sure you pick the right one. Once you do, it works as well as you could have hoped with 1080p video.
  • Netflix Countries: PrivateVPN supports the largest number of Netflix countries at the time of writing. This includes the US, Canada, the UK, France, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
  • Again, if one of these doesn't work, please make sure you clear the browser cache. It's a tad annoying, but once you clear your cache, it works fine; a lesson we learned the hard way.
  • Price: PrivateVPN costs the same as StrongDNS, but is currently having a sale (as of August 2017). You can get one month for $7.67, or a whole year for $50.40.

4. CyberGhost

cyberghost

If you're only going to use your VPN for streaming Netflix, then try out CyberGhost. It's the easiest way to set up a VPN and stream Netflix.

  • Setup: The ease of use makes CyberGhost stand out. Download the app, flick once to see the Secured Streaming option, and choose Netflix in the list of services. The first time you do this, you'll need to sign in to your Netflix account. Thereafter, CyberGhost will remember the settings and work like a charm. In our opinion, it's the easiest VPN app to use Netflix on phones.
  • Performance: On a computer with Wi-Fi, CyberGhost works perfectly as long as you are on a stable, high-speed internet connection. But since we're recommending this for mobiles, we also tested it on 4G. While it's good, it isn't the best we've seen. ExpressVPN worked better while using 4G to stream Netflix US content on the move.
  • Netflix Countries: It works only with Netflix US. You can't access catalogs from other countries.
  • Price: You can download and try out the app for free for seven days, which is enough time to figure out whether you want to pay for it. Cyberghost costs $12.99/month, but we have a special deal for MakeUseOf readers. Use this link to get three years at $2.75/month, or 12 months at $5.99/month.

CyberGhost also claims to work with several other streaming services, including Amazon Prime, HBO GO, BBC iPlayer, and others.

5. TorGuard

torguard

If you want the assurance of your VPN always working with Netflix in any country, TorGuard is the safest bet. That's because with it, you will buy a dedicated IP address. This is a bit like getting a static IP address, just that it is still a masked VPN address.

For a company like Netflix, it's easier to figure out shared IP addresses than dedicated ones. Once it knows the common string for many VPN users with the same shared IP, Netflix will block it. But pinpointing a single dedicated IP address, and confirming that it is using a VPN on Netflix, is far more difficult and time-consuming. Logically speaking, this method will last longer.

  • Setup: TorGuard has the most difficult setup of the lot, since you will have to configure a VPN as well as a dedicated IP address. It's a nightmarish process, but it's well worth persevering with it.
  • Performance: No lagging, fast load times, and no drops in quality make this the best experience we had during testing.
  • Netflix Countries: TorGuard worked flawlessly with every country we tried.
  • Price: TorGuard's cost is approximately twice that of any regular VPN listed above. That's because not only are you buying the VPN package, you are also buying a dedicated streaming IP. That's $10/month for the VPN, and another $8/month for the dedicated IP address, for a total of $18/month. But it's worth it if you want to watch all of Netflix's catalog with great performance.

6. NordVPN

nordvpn

NordVPN is one of the most well-known VPN brands in the industry. Some of the key features include a strict no-logs policy, 5,200 VPN servers across 60 different countries, and the ability to connect six of your devices to a single account.

  • Setup: NordVPN offers a simple app that can you can use to connect to servers in your country of choice. No further installations are necessary beyond the app.
  • Performance: Like most major VPNs, NordVPN has no issues streaming video from Netflix. If you are located a long way from the server that you are connected to, you might have to expect some buffering on 4K content.
  • Netflix Countries: If you want Netflix US, connect to any servers other than the ones in Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands, India, Brazil, Spain, South Korea, and Finland. Netflix in the UK, Canada, Australia is also supported.
  • Price: NordVPN costs $12/month, with as much as 70 percent discounts available for people who sign up for long-term plans.

7. VyprVPN

vyprvpn

If you don't want ExpressVPN, get VyprVPN. It is one of the best choices for anyone who only wants access to Netflix US. It has a no-log policy, supports protocols like WireGuard and secure DNS, and offers unlimited streaming due to the lack of bandwidth restrictions. It even has a proprietary "Chameleon Protocol" which is designed to let you get around blocked sites and apps in your jurisdiction.

  • Setup: Setup is easy thanks to the app. It is available on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Roku, smart TVs, and some routers.
  • Performance: The performance of VyprVPN is excellent. If you have regular speeds of 100Mbps, you can expect to see around 80Mbps when connected, assuming you connect to a server near your physical location.
  • Netflix Countries: With servers in 70 countries and more than 300,000 IP addresses available, you can be sure that you will be able to tune into Netflix US, Netflix UK, Netflix Canada, and more. Netflix cannot keep up with the blocking process.
  • Price: The cheapest plan only costs $1.67/month if you sign up for three years. On a rolling monthly plan, the cost is $12.95/month.

Which VPN Is Best for Watching Netflix?

Most people should choose between ExpressVPN (because you want to access Netflix US everywhere) or PrivateVPN (if you want to the most number of Netflix libraries). Otherwise, any of the above recommendations should work well for you, so choose one of them. Hopefully, this solves your problem of watching Netflix with a VPN once and for all.