Many of the vendors featured on this list have undergone extensive testing and review by ZDNET team members. We’ve been reviewing VPNs for years, talking to executives and users, and generally have a favorable impression of the ones we include on this list.
ZDNET tests VPN services in many locations, but we can’t test them in all locations. Every home, community, local ISP, and country has a different infrastructure. When choosing a VPN, it’s important to test all your usage profiles and then decide whether to keep the service or request a money-back guarantee.
These VPNs also offer a solid money-back guarantee, otherwise we wouldn’t recommend them.
We’ve analyzed the best VPNs for streaming TV and movies using the following criteria to help you make an informed decision:
- Performance: The best VPNs should have a minimum level of performance, especially while streaming. After all, if your connection keeps dropping or lags so much that it’s unbearable, there’s no reason to use a VPN while streaming.
- Simultaneous connections: Many VPNs limit the number of devices that can connect to their service at the same time. If you want to connect your phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and even your smart TV to the VPN, you’ll need a service that allows at least 5 simultaneous connections.
- security: If the security protocols and encryption levels are not up to standard, there is no reason to use a VPN. We also made sure that the development teams of each recommended VPN took the time to improve security and patch reported bugs.
- Kill switch: A kill switch prevents unsecured connections. This is an essential feature for a VPN, as it prevents you from falling back to your default Wi-Fi connection if your internet connection drops unexpectedly.
- Geoblocks and Streaming: We know that a VPN can be crucial for accessing local content and services when you’re away from home. We’ve made sure that our top recommendations for these elements will perform well and won’t slow down your connection while you stream.
- Country and Server: How many different countries does the VPN have servers in? This can include both physical and virtual servers, and whether there are enough to provide variety to customers (at least 50).
- Trial period and price: All VPNs we recommend have a secure money-back guarantee.
For a more in-depth analysis, check out our comprehensive VPN testing methodology page.
