Best VPN for Netflix in 2026: 5 VPNs That Still Work

You’re traveling, you open Netflix to finish a series, and the show isn’t there anymore. Netflix has a different library in every country, so what you can watch depends on where Netflix thinks you are. A VPN changes that by connecting you through a server in another country. The tricky part is that Netflix knows this, too, and it blocks the VPN servers it recognizes, which is why a VPN that works for American Netflix can still fail on Japan or Brazil.

We’ve tested 40+ VPNs on Netflix, from the US library all the way to Taiwan’s, and only five made our list. Here’s how they did.

Netflix VPN Results at a Glance

We tested on a Windows 11 PC in Europe with a 190.36 Mbps connection. Speed loss averages UK, US, and Japanese servers, and the streaming column counts 14 services, each tried after clearing cookies and cache.

VPN	Netflix US, Canada, and Japan	Streaming services unblocked	Speed loss	Smart DNS	Devices
NordVPN	All three	14 of 14	7.8%	Yes	10
Proton VPN	All three	10 of 14	10.2%	No	10
ExpressVPN	All three	14 of 14	7.8%	Yes (MediaStreamer)	10-14
Surfshark	All three	13 of 14	9.6%	No	Unlimited
PIA	US and Canada	8 of 14	12.7%	Yes	Unlimited

The Top Netflix VPNs in Detail

1. NordVPN: Best VPN for Netflix Overall

NordVPN unblocked Netflix in all 15 countries we tried, from the US, Canada, and Japan to Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, and Ukraine. Only Netflix Taiwan spotted its desktop app, and the Chrome extension unblocked that library instead, thanks to location spoofing, which makes your browser report the same location as the VPN server. Its US server came in at 181.50 Mbps, the fastest US result in our tests. Netflix recommends 15 Mbps for 4K, so that’s far more speed than you’ll ever use for streaming.

It works on TVs, too. On our Apple TV 4K, NordVPN’s tvOS app unblocked the four services we tried there, from Netflix US to Prime Video. Its Smart DNS also unblocked Netflix US. Smart DNS changes your TV’s location without a VPN app, so it helps on a game console or a Samsung TV that can’t install one. Meshnet, which links your own devices as if they were on the same home network, is another extra for households affected by Netflix’s password-sharing restrictions.

Beyond Netflix, it unblocked Hulu, Peacock, and Now TV in our streaming VPN tests. Its Windows app occasionally failed to connect while another VPN was open in the background on the same PC. Restarting NordVPN fixed it, but the simpler habit is to close any other VPN app before you connect. NordVPN’s Basic plan is under $3.50 a month over two years, with 10 devices per account.

Visit NordVPN

2. Proton VPN: Best Netflix VPN for Privacy

Proton VPN unblocked Netflix US, Canada, and Japan, along with the Korean, Dutch, Swiss, Swedish, and Argentine libraries. Netflix Korea buffered until I lowered the picture to HD, and Netflix Sweden only worked after I cleared my cookies and cache. It couldn’t unblock Netflix Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Ukraine, Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Algeria, so if you’re after those catalogs, choose NordVPN or ExpressVPN.

Speed is fine for streaming. Its US server came in at 173.68 Mbps with VPN Accelerator, Proton’s feature for speeding up distant connections, enabled. That was 4.9% faster than with the feature disabled. Its average speed loss was 10.2%, close to the leaders in our fastest VPN tests. Privacy explains its second place: Proton is based in Switzerland and has its no-log policy audited every year.

Proton VPN has no Smart DNS, so a TV without its app requires a router setup. If you watch on an Android TV, a Fire TV Stick, or an Apple TV, install Proton’s app there instead. VPN Plus starts under $3 a month for 2 years.

Visit Proton VPN

3. ExpressVPN: Best Netflix VPN for Simple Apps

ExpressVPN unblocked Netflix in 13 of the 15 countries we tried, including Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Ukraine, and Algeria. Netflix Turkey detected it now and then, and its browser extension brought access back. The app couldn’t unblock Netflix Argentina, but the extension could, and neither one unblocked Netflix Hong Kong or Taiwan.

Speed matched NordVPN, at a 7.8% average speed loss, and its Japanese server came in at 163.94 Mbps, the best Japan result we recorded. The apps keep settings to a minimum and connect in one click on a phone, a laptop, or a Fire TV Stick. On our Apple TV, Netflix US played through MediaStreamer, ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS.

That simplicity limits control, and PIA offers more settings to change. The Basic plan is under $3 a month when billed for 28 months, the lowest price among ExpressVPN’s three tiers.

Visit ExpressVPN

4. Surfshark: Best Netflix VPN for Unlimited Screens

Surfshark unblocked Netflix US, Canada, and Japan, and on its Kyiv server, it unblocked Netflix Ukraine, which PIA couldn’t. Its US server came in at 170.38 Mbps, more than ten times what Netflix recommends for 4K. Across the 14 streaming services we tried, ITVX was its only failure, and it didn’t require its browser extension for any of the others.

Surfshark sets no device limit, so one subscription covers every phone, laptop, and TV in your home. It also unblocked BBC iPlayer. Surfshark dropped Smart DNS, though, so a smart TV without its app requires a router setup or a connection shared from a computer.

Surfshark’s Starter plan is about $2.50 a month for the first 27 months, and the price more than doubles at renewal, so set a reminder a few weeks before that first term ends.

Visit Surfshark

5. Private Internet Access: Best Budget VPN for Netflix US

Private Internet Access unblocked the US and Canadian libraries, but it couldn’t unblock Netflix Japan or Netflix Ukraine. Outside Netflix, it also failed to unblock Hulu, HBO Max, Prime Video, and JioHotstar, so think of it as a VPN for American and Canadian Netflix. Its US server came in at 175.68 Mbps, with a 12.7% average speed loss, which is still more than enough for 4K.

PIA’s app lists US servers optimized for streaming, and its Smart DNS, set up from the account dashboard, unblocked Netflix US on our Apple TV 4K. It has apps for Android TV and older Fire TV Sticks, but none for Vega OS, the system on the newest Fire TV models. PIA is about $2.20 a month on its two-year plan and sets no device limit, so a household can stream on every screen with one subscription.

Visit Private Internet Access

Netflix Libraries We Tested by Country

Each VPN was tested on its servers in that country during our October country tests, on a Windows 11 PC in Europe, with cookies and cache cleared.

Netflix library	NordVPN	Proton VPN	ExpressVPN
US	Unblocked	Unblocked	Unblocked
Canada	Unblocked	Unblocked	Unblocked
Japan	Unblocked	Unblocked	Unblocked
South Korea	Unblocked	Unblocked, buffered in 4K	Unblocked
Netherlands	Unblocked	Unblocked	Unblocked
Switzerland	Unblocked	Unblocked	Unblocked
Sweden	Unblocked	Unblocked after clearing cookies	Unblocked
Argentina	Unblocked	Unblocked	Extension only
Brazil	Unblocked	Blocked	Unblocked
Turkey	Unblocked	Blocked	Unblocked, occasional detections
Indonesia	Unblocked	Blocked	Unblocked
Ukraine	Unblocked	Blocked	Unblocked
Algeria	Unblocked	Blocked	Unblocked
Hong Kong	Unblocked	Blocked	Blocked
Taiwan	Extension only	Blocked	Blocked

If you’re after one library in particular, our guide to watching American Netflix walks through it step by step, with a separate page for US Netflix from Canada. For the UK Netflix library, Australian Netflix, or Japanese Netflix, connect to a server in that country instead.

Can a Free VPN Unblock Netflix?

Sometimes, but only within a monthly data limit. Windscribe’s free plan unblocked Netflix US, Canada, and Japan, with 10 GB a month once you confirm an email address. PrivadoVPN’s free plan unblocked the US and Japanese libraries but couldn’t unblock Netflix Canada, and you have to renew its 10 GB allowance by hand each month.

Proton VPN’s free plan couldn’t unblock Netflix US. And 10 GB doesn’t go far: it covers about three hours of HD viewing a month. Our best free VPNs for Netflix list compares those plans in detail, and the wider free VPN ranking covers everyday use.

VPNs That Struggled With Netflix

• IPVanish: it couldn’t unblock Netflix US or Netflix Canada, and it failed on ITV and Prime Video too.
• CyberGhost: it unblocked Netflix US and Canada, but it couldn’t unblock Netflix Japan, even on the server labeled for that library.
• Hotspot Shield: the paid plan couldn’t unblock Netflix Japan, and the free plan’s single US location unblocked only Netflix US.
• VyprVPN: it unblocked Netflix US and Canada but couldn’t unblock Netflix Japan.
• TunnelBear: the paid plan unblocked Netflix US but no other Netflix library, and the free plan couldn’t unblock Netflix US.

Netflix Not Working With Your VPN? What Fixed It

Start by clearing your browser’s cookies and cache. When I connected to CyberGhost’s Canadian server, Netflix showed only Netflix Originals, and switching servers, changing the protocol, and using the Netflix app made no difference. Clearing cookies and cache brought back the full Canadian catalog. If the catalog is still limited, try the VPN’s browser extension with location spoofing enabled.

NordVPN’s extension unblocked Netflix Taiwan after the app was detected, and ExpressVPN’s browser extension unblocked Netflix Argentina the same way. PIA users can also try its streaming-optimized servers. On a TV, install the VPN’s own app if there is one.

How a VPN Changes Your Netflix Library

Netflix licenses most films and shows country by country, so each library has a different set of titles. The catalog you see follows your IP address, the number websites use to tell where you’re connecting from. A US server provides a US IP address, so Netflix shows the American library on your existing account, with no US payment method required. The same IP address change works for any country where the VPN has servers Netflix hasn’t flagged.

Netflix isn’t available in China, and using a VPN there comes with its own restrictions. School and office networks sometimes block the site itself, and keeping Netflix unblocked there takes a different approach.

Conclusion

So, will a VPN bring back the Netflix library you want? For American and Canadian Netflix, any of these five will. Past those two, the results split quickly, and NordVPN came out well ahead. It unblocked every Netflix country we tried, Taiwan through its browser extension, had the fastest US server, and works on TVs through its apps or Smart DNS. Our NordVPN review has its full results.

If privacy comes first, Proton VPN covers the American, Canadian, and Japanese catalogs with an audited Swiss no-log policy behind it. ExpressVPN is the simplest to use and came closest to NordVPN on libraries, Surfshark covers every screen in your home, and Private Internet Access is the low-cost way to watch American Netflix on a TV through Smart DNS. These five also rank among the best VPNs for everyday use.

Whichever you choose, if Netflix ever shows only its own Originals, clear your browser’s cookies and cache first. In our tests, that fixed it when switching servers didn’t.

Try NordVPN Risk-Free

---

Netflix VPN FAQ