- Excellent for streaming on Apple TV
- Streamlined, easy-to-use Apple TV app
- Strong commitment to privacy and transparency
- Forward-thinking security enhancements
- DNS leaks detected (but immediately addressed)
- Very expensive
- Only eight simultaneous connections allowed
- Fast speeds for streaming
- Unblocks lots of streaming content
- Easy-to-use app for Apple TV
- Budget-friendly
- Sometimes takes a while to connect
- Expensive monthly plan
- 14-Eyes jurisdiction (Netherlands)
- Slick Apple TV app
- Great for streaming
- Budget-friendly
- Uneven speed performance
- US jurisdiction
- Good for streaming
- User-friendly Apple TV app
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- US jurisdiction
- Pricey
- Iffy data collection practices
What's the best VPN for Apple TV right now?
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Apple TV right now, thanks to its flawless app experience and exceptional streaming capabilities. I’m especially impressed with how ExpressVPN improved the streaming performance of its Apple TV app over the last year.
ExpressVPN's Apple TV app has a clean, polished look.
Surfshark is a top-notch VPN that packs incredible value into a budget-friendly package. Surfshark is fast, excellent for streaming and has an Apple TV app that looks great and is simple to use.
Surfshark's Apple TV app is neatly laid out and easy to use.
PIA is one of the best cheap VPNs for Apple TV streaming devices. Its TVOS app is neatly minimalistic in the same vein as ExpressVPN’s, and its streaming performance is right up there in the same category, making it an excellent alternative for budget-conscious users.
PIA's Apple TV interface is clean and user-friendly.
IPVanish is a good VPN for beginners and casual VPN users who just want to stream content. Its Apple TV app is easy to navigate, connects quickly and expertly unblocks international streaming content.
IPVanish's Apple TV app is excellent for streaming international content.
About VPNs for Apple TV
Apple TV now provides the same support for VPNs that Android devices do, but this wasn’t always the case. Before the release of TVOS 17 in 2023, you couldn’t install a VPN app on your Apple TV device. If you wanted to protect your Apple TV with a VPN, you would have had to install a VPN on a compatible router, which is a significantly more complex process than just downloading and installing a VPN app. Thankfully, Apple TV now natively supports VPN apps, so loading a VPN onto your Apple TV box is just as simple as installing a VPN on any other device.
Using a VPN on your Apple TV doesn’t just make your streaming more private; it also dramatically increases the options you have for streaming content. VPNs send your traffic through an intermediate server in a country of your choosing on the way to the internet service you’re trying to access. This means that when you log into Netflix or Disney Plus, these services will see that you’re in a different city, state or country (depending on the server you pick) as opposed to where you’re really connecting from. Some streaming providers, such as Netflix, allow you to stream different shows depending on the country you’re in, so you’ll be able to check out regional TV you wouldn’t get to otherwise or stream shows like Court of Gold, no matter where you are in the world.
Of course, a VPN does wonders for your privacy as well. When you connect to a VPN, all of the online traffic you send to it is encrypted. As a result, your ISP won’t be able to see which shows and films you’re streaming on your Apple TV device, or anything else that you do for that matter. You might not care if your ISP sees what you’re up to, but your ISP most likely cares about your streaming habits. Some providers intentionally throttle your connection speeds when you’re carrying out bandwidth-intensive activities during peak hours, but with a VPN they won’t be able to identify whether your traffic is a Zoom call, video streaming or just intense internet browsing.
The reason you can only view content in certain geographic regions is because of copyright restrictions. Streaming providers often don’t have the license to show TV and movies outside of the regions they’ve agreed with distributors, so geoblocking is used to enforce these restrictions. In fact, some streaming providers, such as Peacock, are only available in specific countries. Using a VPN allows you to sidestep these blocks by making your internet connection look like it’s coming from an appropriate location. Best of all, you may be able to save money by using a VPN for streaming. Before signing up for yet another streaming service, check if the movie is already available on one you’re using -- just in a different region.
Whether you want to stream videos from your home country while abroad or access foreign content libraries at home, a VPN on an Apple TV is a must-have. I put this list of the best VPNs for Apple TV together to help you do just that. Just be sure to check your streaming service’s terms of use and the laws in your country to ensure that VPN use isn’t prohibited by either.
Factors to consider in a VPN for Apple TV
Based on my experience and research with VPNs, these are the most important factors to consider when deciding which VPN to choose for Apple TV.
Streaming capabilities
Most folks will want to use a VPN to stream content on their Apple TV devices. If your VPN isn’t able to give you access to videos from the streaming providers you use, then it’s time to try a different VPN that can. Even if your chosen provider has a good reputation for unblocking, like NordVPN, there’s no guarantee that will translate into an Apple TV app that’s effective at streaming content from abroad. Thankfully, most VPNs offer money-back guarantees, typically lasting up to 30 days, so you can try a few providers out and get your money back for the ones that don’t work for your needs.
Speed
Using a VPN will slow your internet speeds, sometimes even by 50% or more. You’ll want a fast VPN to ensure a buffer-free experience streaming movies and shows on your Apple TV. With a fast VPN, your internet download speeds will only drop by about 25% or less, which is barely noticeable if you have a fast connection to begin with. Netflix recommends that you have at least a 15Mbps connection available to stream comfortably in 4K. Essentially, a faster VPN will allow you to get more out of your current connection speeds and waste less bandwidth while streaming content in 4K on your Apple TV.
Usability
Your VPN for Apple TV should be simple to use, easy to navigate and quick to connect. You don’t want your Apple TV VPN app to have an awkward layout that makes servers a pain to locate when you’re using your remote to navigate the app. You need an app that quickly connects to a server and runs in the background while you enjoy your shows and movies. If it’s any more complicated than that, your VPN is doing it wrong.
Privacy
Privacy is an important consideration for any VPN use case, including streaming on Apple TV devices. You’ll want to use a trustworthy VPN that has a strong track record of protecting user privacy. Always look through a VPN’s privacy policy with special attention to its data collection and sharing practices. Also, look into the VPN’s independent audit history, transparency reports and any legal action it has been involved in to get a sense of how trustworthy it is when it comes to protecting your privacy.
Price
For most of us, price is an important factor in the majority of things we purchase, including VPNs. A VPN can cost anywhere from $5 to $15 per month or $40 to $250 per year, so there are VPNs available for basically any budget. You might be tempted to go straight for a more expensive VPN, but that’s not the best approach when looking for an Apple TV VPN. A premium price doesn’t always mean better service, and in this case you’re looking for a very specific set of features. Even if a VPN has a thousand bells and whistles attached, it doesn’t matter if the actual Apple TV VPN app isn’t up to scratch. Conversely, we’ve identified that some of the best VPNs for Apple TV devices are actually pretty cheap.
Server network
If you want to unblock streaming content from multiple regions on your Apple TV, you’ll want your VPN’s server network to include servers in a wide range of countries. Some VPNs have servers in over 100 countries, while some only span about 50. More countries will give you more choices when it comes to unblocking international streaming content, but it’s more important for your VPN to have servers in the specific countries you want. Visit the VPN’s website to check its server locations and make sure it has servers in the regions you want to unblock streaming content from on your Apple TV.
How I tested VPNs for Apple TV
To determine the best VPNs for Apple TV, I paid close attention to how easy each VPN app was to navigate and interact with. Are the server locations easy to locate and arranged in an organized manner? Is the app design clean and easily understandable for beginner VPN users? Is the app responsive and does it connect quickly?
The main part of my testing procedure involved evaluating how each VPN performed when streaming on Apple TV. I tested the VPN apps with some of the most popular streaming providers, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video. I connected via various server locations across the globe to check each VPN’s geo-unblocking capabilities on different streaming platforms and noted how quickly streaming content loaded up and played. I also took into account each VPN’s speed performance, privacy posture and overall value -- all factors that play a role in how we test VPNs at CNET.
Other VPNs I tested on Apple TV
NordVPN
NordVPN is an excellent VPN, but if you plan to use it on your Apple TV, you might end up disappointed. In my experience, NordVPN’s Apple TV app isn’t nearly as user-friendly as most of the competition. Browsing for servers is a pain because you have no choice but to side-scroll through a list of servers that are arranged in no discernable order. For a VPN with servers in 117 different countries, this user interface choice is baffling. Alternatively, you can search for a specific server, but the server locations don’t begin to populate until you enter the third letter of your search. These are, admittedly minor inconveniences -- but still, a thumbs down from me on usability.
Even if you can get past the awkward design of NordVPN’s Apple TV app, you’re not in the clear -- the app’s streaming capabilities are horrendous. During my testing of NordVPN’s Apple TV app, I encountered error messages on every single title I attempted to stream on every foreign Netflix library I tried accessing. Hulu detected the VPN and blocked my access to its content even though I was connecting through US servers.
Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime Video and US Netflix worked fine. Still, streaming is the main reason the vast majority of people opt for a VPN on Apple TV, and if NordVPN can’t quite get it right, I suggest passing on it for a VPN that can. I wholeheartedly recommend NordVPN as a solid option for basically anything else, but not for Apple TV.
PrivadoVPN
PrivadoVPN is a relatively new VPN provider that's been making headway in the industry over the past few years. It's not a top pick, but its Apple TV app is a decent option for casual users who just want to stream content. I like how the app makes it possible to browse for servers based on latency, which can help you potentially find optimally performing servers and ensure your streaming experience remains smooth. You can also designate favorite servers and browse locations alphabetically, but strangely there’s no option to search for server locations. In any case, the app connected instantly during my tests and streaming was always buffer-free, despite PrivadoVPN’s lackluster speed performance during our most recent speed tests.
PrivadoVPN offers a free plan that’s okay for casual internet browsing, but I don’t recommend it for streaming on Apple TV or any other device because of its 10GB monthly limit (which is about enough to stream one or two movies per month). If that’s enough for you, then give it a shot. During my tests, PrivadoVPN’s free tier failed to give me access to both Netflix and Disney Plus streaming content -- although I was able to stream Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Apple TV Plus content on the free plan. With the paid plan, I was able to access streaming content on each of those streaming services as well as on Netflix and Disney Plus. PrivadoVPN’s premium tier gives you access to servers in 49 countries, which isn't terribly impressive compared to providers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, but PrivadoVPN makes up for it with some pretty cheap initial prices. At $11 per month, the monthly plan is nothing to write home about, but the first year only costs $20 and a two-year plan is $30. These are exceptional savings, but be warned as these are only introductory prices. The yearly plan renews at $60, whereas the two-year plan renews at $96 every two years.
Proton VPN
Proton VPN is one of the best VPNs available, which is why I was particularly excited to try its brand-new Apple TV app when it was released in October. I found the app to be easy to use, with countries organized in a grid format in alphabetical order, making the process of locating and connecting to a server a breeze. I was able to connect instantly to every server I tried and was able to access content on various streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Max and Hulu.
Although the app is fully functional and performs well across streaming platforms, it’s the most barebones Apple TV VPN app I’ve encountered thus far. Granted, the Apple TV apps released by other VPNs don’t exactly offer an abundance of features, but Proton VPN’s app offers even less. Proton VPN’s Apple TV app is completely devoid of settings or options of any sort. There are no options to search for a country or set a specific server as a favorite. There’s also no option to select specific cities within any country location.
For these reasons, Proton VPN’s Apple TV app doesn’t quite stack up with the top picks in this category. The app is still brand new and Proton VPN will surely improve the app with additional features and added functionality in future releases. If you’re OK with the limited functionality of the app, it’s still a solid option for streaming and Proton VPN is an excellent VPN overall for a wide variety of use cases. Proton VPN costs $10 per month, $60 for the first year (then $80 annually) or $108 for the first two years combined (then $80 annually). All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
VPNs for Apple TV FAQ
Can I use a free VPN for Apple TV?
Technically, you can use a free VPN for Apple TV, but I wouldn’t recommend doing so. Although it may be tempting, using a free VPN to stream content on Apple TV will most likely result in a disappointing streaming experience. This is because free VPNs aren’t typically optimized for streaming. Aside from the fact that free VPNs usually impose limits on usage, you’ll likely encounter much slower speeds than you would with a paid VPN. You probably won’t be allotted enough data to stream all that you want, and there’s a good chance you’ll have to contend with unsatisfactory picture quality and/or buffering while doing so. Additionally, free VPNs can often be risky since they may collect your data and sell it to third parties, or worse, be infected with malware.
How do I set up a VPN on Apple TV?
Setting up a VPN on Apple TV is simple. Just navigate to the App Store on your Apple TV device, search for your VPN provider and download the app just like you would any other app. Once you’ve signed in to your Apple TV VPN app, connect to your desired server and start streaming.
Is my Apple TV compatible with VPN?
As long as your Apple TV device is running TVOS 17 or later, it’s compatible with VPN apps. Apple TV HD (released in 2015) devices and later can support TVOS 17. To check your TVOS version, navigate to Settings > General > About. If your TVOS version isn’t 17 or above, you’ll need to update your device by going to Settings > System > Software Updates > Update Software.
Can a VPN unblock all streaming content on Apple TV devices?
A VPN probably won’t be able to unblock all streaming content on Apple TV devices. Different streaming providers have different approaches regarding whether they actively try to prevent VPN users from accessing their content. Some VPNs can get around active blocking attempts and some have trouble doing so. It’s often a cat-and-mouse situation between streaming services and VPNs trying to unblock their content, so a VPN that works today on a specific streaming site might not tomorrow and vice versa. Some VPNs are better than others at staying on top of the streaming game and are able to reliably unblock content on various streaming services.