Many providers recommended in this list have been subject to in-depth testing and reviews by members of our ZDNET team. We’ve been reviewing VPNs for years, and have spoken with their management and their users, and developed a generally favorable impression if we’ve included them on this list.
ZDNET does test VPN services from multiple locations, but we can’t test from all locations. Every home, community, local ISP, and nation has a different infrastructure. Once you choose a VPN, it’s essential that you test for all your likely usage profiles and only then decide whether to keep the service or request a money-back guaranteed refund.
These VPNs also have solid money-back guarantees, and we would not have recommended them otherwise.
We analyzed the best VPNs for streaming TV and movies below using the following criteria that were most important in helping you make an informed decision:
- Performance: Our top VPNs must have a minimum level of performance, especially while streaming. After all, there’s no point in using a VPN while streaming if your connection continually drops or lags, making it intolerable.
- Simultaneous connections: Many VPNs limit how many devices you can connect to a service at the same time. If you have a phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and possibly even a smart TV you want to connect to a VPN, you’d need a service that allows at least five simultaneous connections.
- Security: There’s no point using a VPN unless its security protocols and encryption levels are up to scratch. We also ensured that the development team behind each recommended VPN cares about making security improvements over time and patching reported bugs.
- Kill switch: A kill switch prevents you from having an unprotected connection. It is an essential feature for a VPN, as it prevents a return to a default Wi-Fi connection should your internet connection unexpectedly drop.
- Geoblocks and streaming: We know that VPNs can be key to accessing local content and services while you’re away from home. We ensured that our top recommendations perform well regarding these factors and are unlikely to slow down your connection while you are streaming.
- Countries & servers: In how many different countries does the VPN have servers? This can include physical and virtual servers, and whether or not there are enough — at least 50 or so — to provide variety for customers.
- Trial length & price: Each VPN we recommend has a solid money-back guarantee.
For a more extensive breakdown, check out our comprehensive VPN testing methodology page.
