One of the most popular reasons to sign up to the best VPN is to watch geo-restricted Netflix content – but not every provider works well as a Netflix VPN. To help you choose, we've put together this quick reference article on which VPN works with Netflix.
While our top recommendations are generally reliable in most parts of the world, Netflix is constantly fighting back, meaning that you may occasionally notice your VPN is unable to access certain regions.
Below, we're collating the results of our testing on which VPN works with Netflix in the most popular locations. We test each service at least once a month, and if we hear of any issues top providers are facing, we take the time to confirm this ourselves before updating this page and our main guide.
- If you're wondering, here's how to change region on Netflix
How do we test VPNs?
When testing which VPNs work with Netflix, we focus on what we consider the most commonly used and varied locations – the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Japan. Here's how we do it:
To start off, we restart our test machine and start up our chosen VPN. We then connect to the automatically selected server for the country of choice. This best reflects what the majority of users will be doing.
We then head over to Netflix in both private browsing/Incognito mode and in regular browsing. We've noticed that certain issues can arise when in private mode, so if you tend to use that for streaming, we'd recommend opening a regular window.
We then attempt to watch an exclusive title from the chosen country's library – these are easily found on Flixwatch.co.
Finally, we repeat the test a number of times, and update this page and our main VPN for Netflix guide.
Note that the current results were delivered from tests on a Windows 10 PC, so results may vary across different operating systems and devices.
- Not sure what to watch? Here are the best Netflix shows available right now
- What is a VPN? Find out in our complete guide
- For everything else, take a look at the best streaming VPN
Which VPN is currently the best for Netflix?
We currently consider ExpressVPN to be the most reliable VPN for watching different Netflix libraries worldwide. With over 3,000 servers, excellent support, a rock-solid privacy policy and great connection speeds, it's the best all-rounder for both streaming and privacy – and Tom's Guide readers can now claim three months free.
Which VPNs work with Netflix?
| Header Cell - Column 0 | US | UK | Canada | Australia | Japan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | Working Reliably | Working Reliably | Working Reliably | Working Reliably | Working Reliably |
| NordVPN | Working Reliably | Working Reliably | Working Reliably | Working Reliably | Working Reliably |
| Surfshark | Working Reliably | Working Reliably | Working Reliably | Working Intermittently | Working Reliably |
| Hotspot Shield | Working Intermittently | Working Reliably | Working Intermittently | Working Reliably | Working Reliably |
| VyprVPN | Working Reliably | Working Reliably | Working Reliably | Not Working | Not Working |
| CyberGhost | Working Reliably | Not Working | Not Working | Not Working | Not Working |
| IPVanish | Working Reliably | Not Working | Not Working | Not Working | Working Reliably |
| Private Internet Access | Working Reliably | Not Working | Not Working | Not Working | Not Working |
- Working Reliably – The service worked every time we tested it
- Working Intermittently – The service worked, but not every time
- Not Working – We were either blocked from viewing every time, or could only watch Netflix Originals
Unblocking Netflix with VPN FAQ
Which VPN is best for Netflix?
From our testing, we've found ExpressVPN to be the most reliable in terms of unblocking restricted content. However, Surfshark is also excellent, and at less than $2.50 a month, it's a little cheaper and may suit you better.
Whichever provider you choose, though, it's well worth thinking about what Netflix libraries you'll want to access, and if certain VPNs can do that for you. As you can see above, very few services can actually unblock every location, so you should definitely do your research before you commit.
The good news is that almost all premium VPNs offer at least a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test it out risk-free for a month.
My VPN isn't working with Netflix
If you're trying to watch geo-restricted Netflix shows with your VPN and it isn't playing ball, there are a few things you can do.
First, as always – try switching it off and on again. Almost all VPNs will assign you a fresh IP address and server when you reconnect, so if you're lucky, the new choice will be able to access your chosen content. If so, some VPNs will tell you the exact name of the server you're connected to, so you may be able to mark it as a favorite (or just note it down) for future use.
If that doesn't work and you're using a paid VPN, it's worth getting in touch with the support team. It's a key part of what you're paying for, and they will often be able to point you in the direction of a fix. At worst, they'll be able to report the library as non-functioning, and hopefully that will make its way to the dev team for resolution. If you're using a free VPN, this won't be available to you.
If you have no luck, it's worth visiting the aforementioned Flixwatch to check if there are any other libraries that carry the title you want to watch. Although it might not be available to you in your home country, it may well be available in, for example, both the US and Canada.
I can only watch Netflix Originals with my VPN active
Something we've noticed recently is the fact that when a VPN is active, Netflix will let you log in and view Netflix Originals – the case before was that the streaming site would entirely block VPN users. This does still happen occasionally, but with the providers we test, it's becoming less and less frequent. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be an exact science.
Either way, that's no good if you want to watch restricted content, and if you're experiencing this, we would say to follow the advice above. Also, do note that this comes under 'Not Working' in our table above.
Will a free service work with Netflix?
While it is possible to get a free Netflix VPN, you won't want to rely on it in the long term. Every one of these providers has limitations in some way, be it data limits, restricted server selection or even in-built Netflix blocking.
If you're serious about making the most of your Netflix subscription, we'd highly recommend investing in even a cheap VPN so you can watch content from around the world with nothing holding you back.
