Netflix is the test everyone runs first and the one most often faked. Here is what actually decides whether a library on another continent opens.
Catalogues are licensed per country, so a VPN is not so much unlocking Netflix as presenting a different address and hoping the service accepts it. Some servers do, some do not, and what worked last month is no guarantee about next month.
That is why one screenshot proves nothing. We lean on the streaming component, which is built from repeated checks rather than a single lucky evening, and on the speed component that keeps a 4K stream from quietly collapsing into something worse.
Ordered by how well each one fits this task, not by our overall ranking — every score here is the score on that provider's review.
Our highest speed score at 9.6 and our highest streaming score at 9.4 — at the highest price.
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Streaming 9.4 and speed 9.6: the most reliable combination we publish, at the highest price in this table.
Six independent no-logs audits, a RAM-only fleet, and the highest overall score in our comparison.
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Streaming 9.2 with the best overall score of the eleven, and 111 countries to pick an address from.
The longest money-back window in our comparison at 45 days, with servers labelled by purpose.
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Streaming 9.0, ease of use 9.4 and a 45-day money-back window — the longest we list — if the catalogue disappoints.
Streaming carries 45% here — the heaviest of any guide — with speed at 25%, value at 15% and ease of use at 10%, because switching regions with a television remote is a different job from clicking a mouse. Privacy takes the last 5%.
| Criterion | Weight | How it is scored |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming | 45 % | How consistently the provider restores geo-blocked catalogues across major streaming services, whether it maintains dedicated servers for them, and how often the answer changes. Providers that do not attempt this score low by design, which we state rather than penalise silently. |
| Speed | 25 % | An architectural estimate, not our own benchmark. Protocol support and whether WireGuard is available; RAM-only versus disk infrastructure; server density and proximity to major cities; dedicated streaming and gaming capacity; stability reported in published independent reviews. |
| Value | 15 % | The effective monthly cost of the longest term offered, weighted against what the subscription actually delivers — device count, features and network size. Providers whose renewal price roughly doubles score lower, because the real cost of a VPN is the second year, not the first. |
| Ease of use | 10 % | How quickly a non-technical person can install, connect and trust the app; whether servers are labelled by purpose; platform coverage including smart TVs and routers; and whether support is reachable and useful. |
| Privacy | 5 % | Jurisdiction and data-retention law; membership of the 5/9/14-Eyes alliances; independent audits of the no-logs claim with a named firm and date; whether servers are RAM-only, which makes retention structurally impossible; documented cases of legal compulsion; how much identifying information signup collects. |
The full table with the same published scores. Sort it here, or open the main comparison with filters.
| # | VPN | Our score | From /month | Devices | Jurisdiction | Audits | Free tier | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | ExternalNordVPNBest overall | 9.3 | $3.09 | 10 | Panama Outside | 6x Deloitte | No | 30 days |
| #2 | ExternalSurfsharkBest value | 9.1 | $2.49 | Unlimited | Netherlands 9 Eyes | 2x Deloitte | No | 30 days |
| #3 | ExternalExpressVPNBest for speed | 9.0 | $4.96 | 8 | British Virgin Islands Outside | 6x KPMG | No | 30 days |
| #4 | ExternalProton VPNBest privacy | 8.9 | $3.68 | 10 | Switzerland Outside | 5x Securitum (no-logs) | Yes | 30 days |
| #5 | ExternalCyberGhostBest for beginners | 8.9 | $2.69 | 7 | Romania Outside | 3x Deloitte | No | 45 days |
| #6 | ExternalPrivate Internet AccessBest for power users | 8.5 | $1.64 | Unlimited | United States 5 Eyes | 3x Deloitte | No | 30 days |
| #7 | ExternalWindscribeBest free tier | 8.4 | $2.25 | Unlimited | Canada 5 Eyes | 2x Leviathan Security Group | Yes | 30 days |
| #8 | AdAdGuard VPNBuilt-in ad blocking | 8.4 | $2.99 | 10 | Cyprus Outside | None found | Yes | 30 days |
| #9 | ExternalTunnelBearBest simple apps | 8.1 | $3.67 | 5 | Canada 5 Eyes | 9x Cure53 | Yes | 30 days |
| #10 | ExternalIVPNBest transparency | 7.9 | $4.12 | 2 | Gibraltar Outside | 7x Cure53 | No | 30 days |
| #11 | ExternalMullvadBest anonymity | 7.5 | $5.00 | 5 | Sweden 14 Eyes | 6x Cure53 | No | 30 days |
No provider matches those filters. Try widening them.
A provider either presents an address the service accepts or it does not, and the failure shows up as an error code rather than a slow picture. Consistency across check dates is what the streaming component rewards, not one good evening.
The second half is bandwidth. Netflix adapts down silently, so a weak connection looks like a worse picture instead of a failure. Speed is the guard against that, and it is why a provider with a slightly lower streaming score can still be the better buy.
The three on this page, as far as our checks go: ExpressVPN, NordVPN and CyberGhost all score 9.0 or better on streaming. Availability varies by country and by server, so treat any guarantee you read elsewhere as marketing.
Because the service recognises the address range your VPN server uses and blocks it. Switching server location inside the app usually restores it; if it does not, the provider has not caught up and another region is the pragmatic answer.
Streaming another region's catalogue through a VPN can conflict with the terms of service of the service concerned. Read the terms that apply to you and decide for yourself — we will not pretend there is a single answer for every country.
Twelve guides, one per task. Pick the job you actually have.
All eleven providers, with the same published scores this guide is built on — no separate list, no inflated numbers.
