VPN for streaming services

Do I need a VPN for streaming?

No. You need a VPN for streaming only to see another country's catalog, and some services already follow you abroad: EU rules let paid subscribers use their home services across the EU. Services restrict VPNs and say so, and a VPN that works with one service can be blocked by another. Pick your service above for its rules and our research scores.

When you need a VPN for streaming, and when you do not

You need a VPN for streaming only to see another country's catalog. A VPN changes the country a service sees, and Netflix says it can make a device look as if it is somewhere else. The table shows what you get abroad without one.

Sources: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, BBC, Hulu and Peacock help pages and terms; EU Regulation 2017/1128; UK law. Checked October 2026.

ExpressVPN leads our streaming ranking, and no VPN leads every service

As of 7 October 2026, ExpressVPN leads our streaming ranking with 8.9/10, ahead of NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, IPVanish, Private Internet Access and CyberGhost. In our research (October 2026), it scores 95% or more with BBC iPlayer (UK), Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max and Hulu (US), and 78% with Netflix across all libraries.

No VPN is first for every service. IPVanish leads our separate Netflix ranking, with the highest research score for Netflix across all libraries (83%, October 2026). Our best VPN for streaming ranking has the full table, with prices and refund windows.

A research score covers one VPN with one service, so read it service by service

Each score in our research covers a single VPN with a single service, and the same VPN can score very differently across services. ExpressVPN, for example, scores 100% with BBC iPlayer (UK) and 78% with Netflix.

• 100% means all the recent evidence we gathered says the VPN works.
• A lower score means some evidence says it was blocked or worked only on some servers.
• "Not enough data" means too little recent evidence for a score. It does not mean the VPN fails.

Streaming services fall into four groups, and each treats VPNs differently

Find your service in the group below, then open its card above.

• On-demand: Netflix has its own guide, and the seven VPNs we cover score 64% to 83% with it across all libraries. Netflix says VPNs are not supported on ad-supported plans or for live events. Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max and Hulu (US) have research scores for the VPNs with enough data. HBO Max launched in Italy, Germany, the UK and other markets in 2026, so you may not need a VPN there.
• Live TV and sports: YouTube TV says you cannot stream while connected to a VPN or proxy, and DAZN says it does not support VPNs. Our page on YouTube TV's verify location prompt lists the fixes, quickest first. The other live TV and sports services tie what you can watch to your location, and several use it for blackouts. Only ESPN has research scores here, 97% for NordVPN and 99% for Surfshark.
• UK channels: BBC iPlayer is the only UK service with research scores, and ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN score 100% with it. The BBC says it will not play a show if it detects a possible VPN or proxy. If BBC iPlayer says it only works in the UK, our guide to BBC iPlayer not working with a VPN has the fixes. The other UK channels are ITVX, Channel 4, Sky Go and NOW, and each ties streaming to the UK.
• Other countries: ABC iview, SBS On Demand, 7plus, 9Now, Stan and CBC Gem say their content is licensed for one country, and RaiPlay shows only its RaiNews24 live channel abroad. The section on Australia, Canada and Europe gives each service's rules, without a VPN pick.

When a service blocks your VPN, try another server before you give up

Netflix shows error E106 when it thinks you are using a VPN or proxy, and ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark advise another server first. The fixes for Netflix error E106 list the steps, quickest first. Work through these in order:

1. Switch to another server and restart the app. NordVPN says to stay in the same country.
2. Run Is my VPN working to confirm the VPN changes the address the service sees. Netflix's own check is the Client country on fast.com.
3. Paste your VPN's address into the VPN IP checker. It shows whether public VPN and data-center lists include it.
4. If the service is not Netflix, check its help page for the message you see. BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max and Hulu each say to turn the VPN off.

The device you watch on decides whether you use an app or a router

Fire TV has VPN apps in the Amazon Appstore from all seven VPNs we cover. TVs with no VPN app need another route: router makers say a VPN client on the router covers every device behind it, including TVs that cannot run a VPN app. Our guide to VPN on TV, phone and other devices covers each device, and our VPN guides for streaming and TV list the rest.