Best VPNs to Unblock all Netflix Collections
Human beings have become addicted to entertainment. It is integral to our health and happiness. Whether it be pursuing a hobby or relaxing in front of the screen, today everyone has a variety of ways to stay engaged; especially with the rise of online platforms that make it possible to access so much content.
The development of technologies has allowed the emergence of streaming services and OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, etc. They offer access to rich and varied collections of movies, sports, TV shows, music, and a wide variety of award-winning documentaries at your fingertips. Netflix holds the largest market share worldwide at present, and you can access it on your smartphone, computer, tablet, smart TV, or any other streaming device for a fixed fee.
But did you know that not every Netflix show is available in every geographical location? It’s true! Join us as we delve a little deeper.
Why is some Netflix Content location-restricted?
Some content on the platform is restricted for viewership only in certain countries. This is because the studios that create and market such shows implement copyrights on them as per country; after all, different markets have different content demands. And of course, it can’t be denied that show producers are always looking for ways to generate maximum profits from their content, and hence, they license their content to different distributors in the world.
For example, Netflix subscribers in the US can watch Star Wars movies on the platform, but Australian Netflix subscribers can’t. The reason is that Star Wars’ broadcasting license in Australia belongs to the Disney brand that owns Lucasfilm, which has different content laws as compared to US Netflix. Due to this, international libraries differ from one another.
Needless to say, this kind of content licensing can limit or alter your viewing options if you regularly travel to an international destination. However, due to the advancement of technology, users have discovered workarounds to these problems. The most effective of these is the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
If you use a VPN, you can easily bypass Netflix location filters and watch any content you want from anywhere in the world. Such a network can give the impression of your computer being at a location that’s different from your actual location. This confuses the Netflix servers and they start streaming content applicable to that new location.
Sounds rather interesting and clever, doesn’t it? Read on to further understand what a VPN is and why it is useful for the Netflix users.
What is a VPN?
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is intended to give you privacy on a public network by creating a private connection on it. VPN masks your IP address, thereby making your device virtually untraceable on the World Wide Web. The most important thing is that a VPN service establishes a secured and encrypted connection to give you the highest level of privacy which can be considered way better than what you get in a secured Wi-Fi hotspot.
A VPN comes handy in so many situations other than simply accessing restricted Netflix content. Let’s explore some such situations.
Why do you need a VPN service?
The Internet is a public network where your data can be easily interpreted by advanced hacking tools. When you use public Wi-Fi, you could be revealing your private information and browsing habits. Thus, if you’re concerned about online privacy and security of your data, you must have a VPN service subscription.
Think about the online activities you might do over the public internet, like checking your emails at a coffee shop or checking your bank account while waiting at a clinic. You should know that unless you’re using a private Wi-Fi network, your information, communication, and data received and sent in an online session are vulnerable to eavesdropping by a stranger using the same network!
A VPN emerges as a savior in such situations by providing you anonymity and encryption to protect your sensitive online activities like paying bills, shopping online, or sending emails. Also, if you’re a Netflix user, you can benefit even more by subscribing to a VPN service that lets you access geo-blocked content, avoid bandwidth throttling, securely stream across your devices, and maintain speedy connections.
Now that you know why you need a VPN service or what the benefits of having one are, you might want to know how to choose the best one. The answer lies in checking the features offered by different service providers and comparing them to make a decision.
Key features of VPN
Given the vast number of VPN services available, it can be a daunting task to choose the best one for your streaming needs. To make the selection though, you need to know the key features to look out for.
Here’s a quick checklist of the desirable features a good VPN service provider should possess. You can keep this list handy as a baseline to compare between services and choose the one that suits your requirements and budget.
1. Plentiful Server Locations
The VPN service should be able to mask your IP with another regional IP chosen from a wide selection. You must choose a VPN service offering plentiful server locations since this will ensure you have a larger choice when choosing regional servers. Further, this will also allow you to access more content from the Netflix library since every location will have a different handpicked selection. Having more servers will also ensure that none of them is overloaded and you get to choose high-speed streaming on your device.
2. Mobile Apps
A large number of people use their smartphones to access Netflix content. You too should ideally look for a service provider that offers access via mobile apps. It will ensure that you can use your Netflix and VPN accounts on your mobile and aren’t required to stick to your computer when accessing geo-locked content. Another advantage of a mobile app is that you can use your smartphone to enjoy Netflix shows even when visiting foreign countries. Your VPN will allow you to mask your current IP address and facilitate access to the content of your home country even when you’re in a foreign country.
FYI, currently, Netflix is banned in countries like China, Syria, Crimea, and North Korea. So if you’re visiting any of these countries, a VPN subscription will ensure you can access Netflix content non-stop.
3. Integrated Kill Switch
No technology is foolproof and even VPN services can fail, especially when a server is overloaded. A “VPN Kill Switch” monitors your VPN connection and can recognize signs of imminent failure. As the name suggests, the switch kills the VPN connection and prevents transmission of unencrypted data to prevent the revelation of your real IP.
Now that we know what to look for in terms of features while choosing VPN service, let’s learn about the best VPNs for Netflix.
Best VPNs for Netflix
There are hundreds of VPN services that you can use. However, not all are the same in terms of features and pricing. Hence, we’ve compiled a list of the 5 best VPNs for Netflix which you can subscribe for. Below you’ll find the general information about these VPN services that make them ideal choices for Netflix subscribers. There are no winners or losers in this list, and the VPN services are not in any order.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the popular choices of Netflix users. It is a top-notch platform in the VPN market that offers apps for Windows, iOS, Macintosh, Android, Linux, and other operating systems. It also works on a router with custom firmware and it comes with easy setup guides for Chrome books, Kindle, PlayStation, Apple TV, Fire TV, and many more.
ExpressVPN offers robust security features in the form of multiple-layer protection. It has several geographically placed servers (3000 servers, 160 locations across 94 countries) worldwide that protect internet traffic. The VPN service employs high-end encryption technologies to prevent snooping.
ExpressVPN also offers good speed and performance alongside a Smart Location Feature which connects the user with the fastest possible service every time. The service works at super-speed with Netflix and can easily bypass tough geo-blocks with its impressive unblocking features. It comes with essential features like a kill switch and doesn’t store any user connection logs, which makes it extremely secure.
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is also a good choice for Netflix users. It can bypass geo-location filters of streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, ABC iView, and BBC iPlayer. Moreover, content on Netflix Australia, USA, UK, Netherlands, Japan, and Canada can be unblocked with it too.
You can connect to any of its servers in the world to unblock Netflix content. The NordVPN service is fast and the connection speed in most regions is 110+ MBPS. It has a global network of servers and supports up to six simultaneous connections. It comes with key features like a kill switch and supports a limited log policy.
NordVPN uses 256-bit AES channel encryption, SHA384 authentication, and 3072-bit DHE-RSA key exchange to secure your data during transmission. Apps are available for Macintosh, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire TV. It also offers encrypted proxy extensions for Firefox and Chrome browsers. NordVPN also works in the China region.
3. Surfshark
Surfshark shines when it comes to Netflix and several other streaming services. It has lots of servers located across the globe, and all 3200 servers listed on its website are physical servers. It covers 65 countries and also offers services to Africa and South America, which are often ignored by other VPN services.
Netflix users have the option to select any Surfshark server from any region, country, and city to bypass geo-restrictions. The speed and performance offered by Surfshark servers is far better than most VPN services mentioned in our list. It provides apps for major platforms including Android, iOS, Linux, and Windows.
Surfshark doesn’t log the IP addresses of users which guarantees optimal privacy. It also offers key features like an integrated kill switch that disconnects service automatically when the connection is not secure. It supports tormenting and you can use it on an unlimited number of devices simultaneously.
4. Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield VPN works great with Netflix and other streaming services including Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and more. One feature that makes Hotspot Shield unique is that it uses Catapult Hydra protocol that maximizes speed without sacrificing security. It has around 3200 servers located in 80+ countries, and its VPN subscribers can use 5 devices per license.
Hotspot Shield offers an integrated kill switch (available only for Windows) and partially stores logs of users. It is compatible with major platforms like Windows, Macintosh, iOS, Android, and smart TVs, and you can use its app on these platforms. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer an app for Linux, but you get a complete setup guide for Linux and routers. It also offers a browser extension for Chrome.
The VPN service uses 256-bit AES encryption to secure traffic. It uses a perfect forward secrecy protocol that constantly changes your encryption key. It allows Netflix users to bypass geo-restriction on Netflix and access popular shows from different countries like the US, UK, Canada, and many more.
5. VyprVPN
VyprVPN is a solid all-around VPN service that has continuously improved over the years. It uses industry-standard protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard, Chameleon TM, and IKEv2 to secure Internet traffic. It has a network of 700 servers spanning over 60 countries. Users have the option of selecting any fast server from the network in any region.
VyprVPN works with most streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Sky Go, and more. It offers good speed (40+ Mbps) in most regions and allows users to connect five devices at a time. It supports major platforms and you get apps for Windows, Macintosh, iOS, Linux, Android, and Amazon Fire TV.
Currently, the service does not store any kind of user logs on its server since it overhauled its logging policy in 2018. It offers 256-bit AES encryption with SHA256 authentication and 2,048-bit RSA keys as part of its security measures. Additionally, it has an integrated kill switch for desktop apps. A key feature of VyprVPN is Perfect Forward Secrecy, which enables users to view past sessions even if encrypted keys are compromised.
Wrapping Up
Netflix is becoming more impossible to unblock every day, and many VPNs are giving up trying to bypass Netflix geo-blocks. However, the VPNs mentioned in this post work well to circumvent such limitations. Each of these VPN services provides users with a new range of IP addresses so as to prevent Netflix from detecting or blacklisting their IP In addition, Internet threats are growing with time, and we are seeing more instances of data theft, identity theft, and eavesdropping of communication threads.re threats. VPN is a boon not only to Netflix users but also to general internet users who are concerned about online privacy and security. A VPN service creates a secure tunnel on public networks to transmit your data. It also adds a second security layer by encrypting data, and thus, it ensures maximum security to your internet connection. With such a VPN service in tow, you can access the Internet without fear of being tracked or watched.
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