VPN services are popular for savvy internet users that are seeking online privacy from hackers, ISPs, and big government. You are one such user! You also want to stream your favorite video content at high speeds, from sites such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Disney Plus. Because VPNs can connect to other countries, you can use one to watch shows that are not available in your region, whether they are banned in your country or have been removed for commercial reasons. These are the top 8 VPNs for Streaming in 2022!
Top 6 Streaming VPNs
- NordVPN – Best for Reliability
- ExpressVPN – Fastest Streaming Speeds
- Surfshark – Well-Optimized for Browsers
- TunnelBear – Absurdly Affordable
- ProtonVPN – Swiss-based Security
- Mullvad VPN – Total Anonymity
1. NordVPN – Best for Reliability
PRICING: $78.96/first 2 yr., then $99.48/yr.
Spend any time on YouTube and you will invariably come upon advertisements for NordVPN, one of the most popular VPN services on the market today. NordVPN is not only a VPN, but also includes free threat protection to ensure your privacy and security online. Due to the platform’s large user-base and general notoriety, NordVPN works well with streaming services, so you should have no problem watching your favorite shows in a secure way!
REASONS TO USE:
- Affordable
- Free Threat Protection
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Lacks some of the privacy features available on other VPNs
2. ExpressVPN – Fastest Streaming Speeds
PRICING: $99.84/first yr.
ExpressVPN is another highly popular VPN service, available on all your devices and built with high-speed connection in mind. This VPN is perfect for you if you use a lot of broadband to stream Netflix, Hulu, and other services, as well as for gaming. Express VPN is more expensive than NordVPN, but it is a superior product if you are a power-user. It is also perfect for you if you have a family, because a single Express VPN subscription is usable on five devices simultaneously. Your family is probably one that spends a lot of time consuming entertainment, which requires the type of lightning-fast connection that Express VPN provides.
REASONS TO USE:
- Lightning fast connection speeds
- Supports 5 devices on a single subscription
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Expensive
3. Surfshark – Well-Optimized for Browsers
PRICING: $59.76/first 2 yrs., then $59.76/yr.
If you are looking for a less expensive service than ExpressVPN or NordVPN, consider Surfshark, one of the dominant VPN providers among users that spend their time using a web browser instead of applications. If you stream your entertainment on your laptop or desktop instead of a smart device, Surfshark is for you. It is also ideal if you use a Chromebook, as Surfshark can be used as a browser extension instead of an executable file. Best of all, Surfshark comes in at $59.76 for your first two years, which is a much lower price than most other VPN services of this quality. Give Surfshark a try and stream on!
REASONS TO USE:
- Very affordable
- Supports Chromebooks as a browser extension.
- Web-based feature suite
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Lacks many of the features of more expensive VPNs
4. TunnelBear – Absurdly Affordable
PRICING: $120/3 yr.
At 3.33/mo. for unlimited data, five simultaneously connected devices, and excellent customer service, TunnelBear simply cannot be beat in terms of affordability. You would have to use TunnelBear for over a decade before you paid over a thousand dollars for the service, making it unbelievably affordable. On top of that, TunnelBear boasts incredibly fast connection speeds, making it perfect for streaming all of your favorite shows. Since it comes with multiple device connection by default, every member of your family can benefit from TunnelBear VPN.
REASONS TO USE:
- Extremely affordable
- Fast connection speeds, perfect for streaming and gaming
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Lacks the features that more expensive VPNs provide
5. ProtonVPN – Swiss-based Security
PRICING: Plans ranging from Free-$288/yr.
Proton VPN is a very special service, because it comes from some of the most experienced members of the cyber security industry. Proton as a company hosts both ProtonVPN and ProtonMail, and its founding members come from CERN, one of the world’s foremost scientific research institutions. Few VPN providers can boast the security and encryption methods that Proton can, and they also cannot boast that they are based in Switzerland, a country with some of the world’s most strict privacy laws. On top of that, ProtonVPN boasts a range of plans, some of which are very affordable. Aside from their free plan, the Basic plan comes in at $48/yr. and supports 2 connections, the Plus plan comes in at 10 connections, and the Plus plan has 10 connections as well as access to ProtonMail Visionary. If you are passionate about online privacy and want to use a Swiss based VPN, we recommend ProtonVPN.
REASONS TO USE:
- Swiss-based, meaning it has the best privacy protections in the industry.
- Has a free version so you can try the software and see if it’s for you.
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Expensive if you are looking to protect more than 2 devices.
6. Mullvad VPN – Total Anonymity
PRICING: $5.27/mo.
Hailing from the nation of Sweden, Mullvad VPN is one of the most anonymous VPN services on the web. Unlike other VPN providers, which require you to provide your phone number, email address, or some other form of digital identification that can be used by hackers or governments to find your true identity, Mullvad VPN is entirely anonymous, and can even be paid for with crypto or cash through the mail; if you want to be especially anonymous. Mullvad works by generating a random 16-digit account number (which functions as both your ‘username’ and ‘password’), and then allows you to pay time into that account at the flat rate of €5 ($5.27)/mo. You can pay well in advance or you can a month at a time; Mullvad is not a subscription service, you actually buy the time. On top of that, Mullvad boasts servers in 38 countries, meaning that you can watch shows that are exclusively available in any of those 38 countries. However, there is a catch, Mullvad does not work reliably with streaming services in the same way that other more mainstream VPN services do. You will have to do some tinkering and be computer-proficient to get Mullvad to cooperate with you on Netflix or Hulu. However, if you are looking for the maximum amount of anonymity available, and are willing to sacrifice some convenience, then Mullvad VPN is right for you.
REASONS TO USE:
- By far the most anonymity on the market
- Equitable pricing structure.
REASONS TO AVOID:
- Poorly optimized for many streaming services
References and Links
- https://nordvpn.com/
- https://www.expressvpn.com/
- https://Surfshark.com/
- https://www.tunnelbear.com/
- https://protonvpn.com/
- https://mullvad.net/