7 Best VPNs for Smart TVs to Stay Anonymous & Stream Securely (2024)

Life is good – you have your smart TV that supports major streaming services, and you have a flawless internet connection!

So, you decided to binge-watch a web series on Netflix that your colleague recommended the other day.

But guess what? Netflix fails to load on your TV! So, what went wrong? Your TV is fine, and the connection is perfect, so who’s the culprit?

Geo-restrictions.

That’s right!

Using a solid and secure VPN for TV can help you walk past those geo-restrictions. It means you can now access all the content on any platform you want, be it Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+Hotstar, and others.

In this article, I will be discussing some of the best VPNs available in the market that are both secure, easy to use, and protect your privacy.

So, stay tuned!

Best VPNs for Smart TVs

ExpressVPN

As a result of its advanced features, comprehensive offerings, and excellent compatibility, ExpressVPN is the favorite choice for many. It has the power to unblock all the major streaming platforms in the world, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

It is compatible with wide-ranging smart TVs and streaming devices such as Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Android Smart TV, and Google Chromecast.

ExpressVPN has around 3,000 servers spread across 94+ countries. It also delivers solid speeds and impressive performance, and this VPN shines when it comes to the mobile department apart from Windows, Linux, and Mac.

For security, you get robust 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, zero-knowledge DNS, and automatic or manual selection of essential security protocols such as SSTP, PPTP, OpenVPN, and L2TP-IPSEC.

You can even take advantage of ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer DNS, which provides a sophisticated proxy service in case you have devices with no native support for VPNs. They also respect your privacy by never logging your data.

It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee as well, so you do not have to worry much about spending your hard-earned money.

Try ExpressVPN

CometVPN

If you’re looking for a straightforward and efficient VPN for your Smart TV, you might want to check out CometVPN. It just came out for commercial use and is already showing great potential.

CometVPN offers high-speed servers on all continents to bypass geographical restrictions. It works well with YouTube, Netflix, and BBC iPlayer. Furthermore, the low server load guarantees a seamless streaming experience without interruption.

Additionally, CometVPN offers ten simultaneous device connections. If you run into trouble setting it up on your Smart TV.

Try CometVPN

Hotspot Shield

If you are looking for a strong VPN to stream geo-blocked content, Hotspot Shield is one of the best out there. It can easily unblock 7Plus, BBC iPlayer, and Netflix so you can access main platforms across the world.

The VPN has 3200+ servers distributed in over 80 countries, including 35+ cities. Do not worry about the performance because you get an unrivaled streaming experience as the VPN is verified by the Speed test of Ookla, naming it as the fastest VPN in the world.

Hotspot Shield has the patented Hydra VPN protocol, which experts have vetted to be the fastest. By signing up for its premium plan, you get unlimited bandwidth to stream as much content you want.

Apart from your smart TV, you can stream videos on an additional 5 devices with the Premium account, including smartphones, routers, computers, and tablets. Hotspot Shield never compromises security and privacy, which is why it provides military-grade encryption and can block 57 million phishing campaigns and malware.

It never records your browsing activities so that you can trust them. The VPN is compatible with a smart TV featuring Google Play Store or a Fire TV. But in case you do not have an Amazon Fire TV Stick or a smart TV that is compatible, use the Android TV box. Next, download the VPN app, connect it with a TV, and enjoy it!

Try Hotspot Shield

VyprVPN

Known to deliver fast and consistent connection speeds, VyprVPN is a solution you would definitely like to explore. It has 700+ servers in more than 70 locations worldwide, which is why speed is hardly a problem with this VPN.

It thrives in a world where the demand for 4k streaming is growing. The VPN can easily unblock streaming services so you can watch your favorite show sitting in any corner of the world.

VyprVPN has some interesting security features that are different from what you read in this article. They have their own patented Chameleon technology capable of defeating VPN throttling and blocking in addition to providing superb performance.

It also has the usual 256-bit encryption along with a VyprDNS and NAT firewall. You can use this VPN on 5 devices at the same time and enjoy a no-log service completely safe. Its pricing starts at $2.50/month, including a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Try VyprVPN

Ivacy VPN

Get on a fantastic streaming adventure with the high-performing services of Ivacy VPN. It does not bug you with ISP throttling, lags, and stutters, so you can enjoy your favorite videos without any trouble.

Ivacy VPN is easy-breezy to sign up within minutes and use so that you can un-restrict access online irrespective of your location. Even when traveling, it will help you stream content using its easy-to-use interface that automatically connects you to an appropriate server closer to your current location.

Ivacy VPN boasts 1000+ servers located in more than 100 locations worldwide to cater to global customers. It also offers Split Tunneling, which allows you to access both foreign and local content simultaneously.

Using the feature Internet Kill Switch, the VPN halts the network on detecting that your connection has dropped somehow, and this way, it ensures your privacy. It offers a dedicated IP address to mitigate unauthorized access as well.

With Purpose Selection, you can identify your purpose of using a VPN, which could be secure downloads, unblocking, and/or streaming. Ivacy VPN also features IPv6 leak protection, DNS leak protection, DDoS protection and follows protocols like TCP, L2TP, UDP, and IKEV that you can choose from to enable military-grade impenetrable encryption.

You can use Ivacy VPN on up to 5 devices simultaneously and browse without any significant downtimes.

Try Ivacy VPN

NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs in the market, and the strong competitor of the above two solutions is the technology it uses coupled with great customer support.

It leverages its SmartPlay technology, a secure and efficient proxy service that can bypass geo-restrictions over streaming sites. This technology is available for all of its applications by default, and it reroutes the user requests automatically through a suitable remote server.

Hence, you can access any content you want on Hulu, YouTube, Prime Videos, Netflix, iPlayer, and others. Sometimes it becomes difficult for newbies to set up VPNs, and they end up making mistakes, but NordVPN consists of plenty of support articles and explainer guides for your convenience.

If you talk about its performance, it delivers above-average speeds and great consistency without any noticeable interruptions. It’s because they have 5400+ servers across 59 countries for you to enjoy.

With the unique feature of Double VPN, your data is encrypted twice and is sent through 2 different servers. NordVPN supports main security protocols, sturdy encryption, and additional options such as a dedicated IP address and Onion over VPN.

They have a no-logs policy; hence, they never collect, track, or share your private information. Using an account, you can connect a maximum of 6 devices and secure all of them. You see, a majority of VPNs allow only 5, so it’s an added advantage.

The VPN also lets you block ads, botnets, and malware by turning on CyberSec. For a secure browsing experience, you can use lightweight browser extensions for Firefox and Chrome. You can also take DNS leak tests to check the security of your network traffic.

The pricing for NordVPN starts at $3.71/month for a 2-year plan and $4.92 for a 1-year plan.

Try NordVPN

CyberGhost VPN

With the name Supersize Upgrade for Smart TV, CyberGhost VPN is considered one of the most secure VPNs. It allows users to stream their favorite videos online without worrying about privacy threats or restrictions. CyberGhost is easy to use with a few simple steps:

• Log in or register yourself to become a Ghostie.
• Set up the VPN.
• Enjoy video streaming.

The best feature of CyberGhost VPN is that it has a dedicated IP address with significant streaming capabilities. One can access IP-restricted networks easily via this VPN. It also uses a token-based system that doesn’t tie the VPN account to any IP address while connected to a server.

This VPN ensures that the identity of the users is safe by leading DNA requests and IP addresses. CyberGhost VPN allows users to access several streaming sites such as Netflix, Hulu, etc. It has features like DNS Leak Protection, Kill Switch, and IPv6 Protection for top-notch security.

Try CyberGhost VPN

With the correct VPN and setup, your smart TV can seamlessly unblock any app, opening up a new world of streaming. Let’s discuss setting up a VPN to stream securely from anywhere worldwide.

How to Install and Use a VPN on a Smart TV?

Based on the Smart TV operating system, there can be easy to slightly complicated ways to use a VPN. I will brief all these methods in the following sections.

#1. Native Application

This is the easiest way, where you install the VPN app from the supported app library (Google Play, App Store, etc.). The native app support provides the most comfortable VPN experience you can ever hope for.

However, since it depends on the operating system and the VPN app availability, try the following methods for unsupported platforms.

#2. Using Windows/Mac as a Virtual Router

This is a few steps process where one converts the VPN-connected computer into a virtual router.

1. For Windows PC: I have illustrated this process as Method 2: VPN-powered mobile hotspot under section two of How to use VPN for Apple TV. This is the same use case we are trying to solve here. Just that the original tutorial is for Apple TV, and here we are talking about smart TVs in general.
2. Likewise, one can share a VPN connection wirelessly over a Macbook converted to a virtual router.

#3. Installing a VPN on a WiFi router

This might be the most tech-savvy method on the list. In short, it includes downloading VPN configurations and uploading them to your WiFi router.

It can vary based on the router settings. For illustration, check out the following tutorial to install Surfshark onto an ASUS router.

Generally, every VPN service provider will have this in the support section, where they demonstrate installing their utility on supported routers. Moreover, you can ask the support for a detailed explanation.

But prior to all that, check out if your WiFi router supports a VPN connection at all.

#4. Use Smart DNS Instead!

Smart DNS will let you unlock international content without the encryption traditional VPN set up comes with. It’s easy to configure, and all you need to do is enter the DNS address supplied by the VPN company in the TV settings after registering your IP address.

Take a look at using smart DNS by NordVPN on an Apple TV:

This arrangement is best for smart TV operating systems that do not support VPN connections. In addition, it will be slightly fast since there is no encrpytion when using smart DNS.

However, you must check if the VPN service provider has such capability in the first place.

FAQs

Wrapping Up

I hope this list helps you choose the perfect VPN you can use to unblock streaming services you have been craving to access for so long on your smart TV.

Happy Binge-watching!