To circumvent geo-restrictions and protect your online privacy, you’ll need to use a VPN on Firestick. The device is an excellent plug-and-play gadget that brings an impressive media streaming experience to your TV. Through it, you can access streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
However, the experience will vary with your geolocation. These services offer titles depending on where you are, and others, like Disney Plus, aren’t even available everywhere. This can be sorted with the use of a VPN, as these tools allow users to change their virtual location. However, some of them also come with a hefty price tag, so you may be pushed towards free options.
In this guide, we’ll take you through the best VPNs for Firestick. We’ll look at both free and premium options to allow you to make the best choice depending on your needs and budget.
Free VPN services for Firestick & Fire TV
A free VPN is a network tool that enables you to hide and secure your online presence without spending a penny on subscriptions. These services are usually toned-down versions of premium VPNs, but they still provide essential features such as encryption and online privacy.
However, considering they are free, there are some things you need to understand before using them. As you can expect, there’s a trade-off with premium VPN services.
How Safe Is It?
The free VPN market is filled with many untrustworthy options. Some take advantage of the desperate need for VPNs to install malware, especially ad-ware, on a user’s device. These free VPNs also come embedded with third-party trackers that lead users to questionable advertisement platforms or display annoying ads.
When choosing a free VPN version for Firestick, it’s advisable to stick to reputable names that offer free versions of their premium VPNs. Otherwise, you might end up trading your data for a few VPN connections.
Server Locations
Unlike premium VPNs, free VPN services always have a limited number of server locations. This will be a significant hindrance when surpassing geo-location restrictions. Say you want to access content from Canada, but your free VPN only offers a server in the US. This can be quite frustrating.
Security and Privacy
There is always a guarantee for robust security and privacy when using a premium VPN service. However, this is not the case for free VPN services. Most free VPN services keep user data activity and may sell it to third parties for income. They also lack advanced security features like an automatic Kill Switch.
Bandwidth Limit & Data Cap
Free VPN services, unlike Premium ones, always come with annoying bandwidth limits and data caps. On average, most free VPNs will be restricted to about 2 GB a month, limiting your media streaming speeds.
That said, you can still spoof your online identity by connecting your Firestick device to some of the best free VPNs. Certainly, some are better than others, and we have selected some of the best free VPNs for Firestick that you can use.
Difference: Free VPNs Vs. Paid VPNs for Firestick
When it comes to choosing a VPN for Firestick, you have two options: free or paid VPN. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a quick comparison of free and paid VPNs for Firestick.
Free VPN
There are many free VPNs available on the market. However, not all of them are good enough to use with Firestick. Free VPNs often have bandwidth limits, which means you cannot stream for very long. They also have slower speeds, which can make streaming videos very difficult.
Paid VPN
Paid VPNs do not have data limits, and they offer much faster speeds. This means you will be able to stream movies and TV shows without any interruptions. Paid VPNs are also more reliable, and they offer better customer support.
So, which is the best option for you? If you want to use Firestick for streaming, we recommend using a paid VPN. Free VPNs do not offer the same level of performance and security.
That said, you can still try out some free VPNs and see how they work.
Top 5 Best Free VPNs for Firestick in 2024
Here are the best free VPNs for Firestick:
1. ProtonVPN
See this article for further information on installing ProtonVPN on a Firestick.
The free plan is one of the most attractive on the market, and its main features are:
- Unlimited data or speed
- No Adverts
- No Logs policy
- Protected by Swiss privacy laws.
- Access up to 3 countries
- Protect 1 device
Free plan limitations:
- There is a limited number of countries to choose VPN servers from.
- Each account protects only 1 device.
- ProtonVPN does not have a native app for Firestick.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
⚠ Get unlimited data, speeds, and more servers by upgrading to a paid plan or check these other premium VPNs.
2. TunnelBear VPN
If you are looking to hide your internet activity from snooping eyes, then TunnelBear is one of your best options. The VPN service has an app readily available on Amazon Firestick and can be downloaded and installed. TunnelBear has some exciting features like multi-login compatibility on various platforms, to mention a few.
However, TunnelBear, being a free VPN, has several cons. Offers a limited number of servers for the free version. It also caps your bandwidth at 500 Mbs. You can get an extra 1 GB by tweeting about them, but that only brings to 1.5 GB a month. This greatly limits what you can stream.
Free plan limitation:
- Data usage limit: 2 GB
- No P2P or BitTorrent
- Low speeds
- Number of servers available: 22 locations
Overall Rating: 4/5
⚠ Get unlimited data, speeds, and more servers with a premium VPN.
3. hide.me VPN
However, just like the others, hide.me free plan has many cons that can discourage you. The VPN service currently has three server locations for users to choose from. Also, you are bound to experience significant bandwidth restrictions while connected to the free VPN.
Free plan limitations:
- No P2P or BitTorrent
- Speed: Only 3Mb/s
- Number of servers available: 8 locations
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
⚠ Get unlimited data, speeds, and more servers with a premium VPN.
4. Windscribe VPN
If you want to enjoy geo-restricted content, browse the web privately, or go beyond basic VPN protection, Windscribe VPN is good. It offers free content access from eleven countries. Good news for the free users! Now, they can freely access popular streaming platforms like Netflix without any restrictions.
Windscribe VPN service offers a data limit of up to 10 GB. It has server locations in eleven countries, which makes it a popular streaming service.
Free plan limitations:
- Data usage limit: 10 GB
- No P2P or BitTorrent
- Speed: 94.72 Mb/s
- Number of servers available: 9 locations
Overall Rating: 4/5
⚠ Avoid these limitations by choosing a premium VPN
5. Hotspot Shield VPN
It is an ideal option for establishing an encrypted VPN connection with public VPN servers. This VPN app provides the utmost security and privacy by concealing the user’s IP address. So they can bypass heavy restrictions and freely enjoy popular streaming apps through Hotspot Shield.
Free plan limitations:
- Data usage limit: 500 Mb/per day
- No P2P or BitTorrent
- Speed: Only 2 Mb/s
- Number of servers available: 1 countries
Overall Rating: 4/5
⚠ Surpass these limitations by choosing a premium VPN
How to install Free VPN for Firestick
If you’re going to install a free VPN on your Firestick, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Free VPNs may not be as reliable as paid ones, and they may not offer the same level of security. However, if you’re looking to unblock some content or surf the web anonymously, a free VPN can be a good option.
The installation process all depends on whether the VPN has a Firestick app on the Amazon store. If it does, installation is quite simple as you only need to install it like any other app. If it doesn’t, you can sideload the VPN’s Android app on Firestick.
The 5 Best Premium VPNs for Firestick
The best thing about subscribing to Premium VPN plans is that you won’t have any restrictions whatsoever. They offer the best features to Amazon Firestick users, and their workability and reliability are also remarkable.
Here are our top picks for the top 5 best VPNs for Firestick. The list is based on extensive first-hand testing and our long-term experience with VPNs.
#1 Editor’s Choice – SurfShark VPN: Best overall VPN for Fire Stick
Pros
- Audited Zero Log policy
- Excellent speeds
- Ad & Malware Blocker
- Unblocks all streaming services
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Offers free SmartDNS
- Affordable subscriptions
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- High latency on distant servers
SurfShark VPN is our no.1 pick as the best VPN for Firestick and Fire TV, as it has everything you would need from a streaming VPN. First, the VPN provides excellent speeds, thanks to the superb infrastructure and huge server network. The VPN’s network consists of 3200+ servers spread across an impressive 100 countries. All these servers are super-fast, and they have up to 10 Gbps ports.
While using the VPN, you won’t need to worry about your privacy and security as Surfshark VPN is a publicly audited-zero log VPN. Meaning it doesn’t keep any of your data. The VPN then complements this with 100% RAM-only servers to ensure that the architecture can’t even store your session activities. As for security, it uses industry-leading AES-256-GCM encryption and offers a private DNS & leak protection.
Besides these, one factor that makes SurfShark the best VPN for Firestick and Fire TV devices is its excellent app. The app is available on the official Amazon App Store, and it makes using a VPN on Firestick super-easy. It also comes with lots of features to enhance user experience, one of them being a tool that blocks ads, trackers, malware, and phishing attempts. This makes it possible to avoid annoying experiences when streaming and also protects your data.
Other Surfshark VPN features include a Smart DNS, split tunneling, camouflage mode (hide that you are using a VPN) and NoBorders Mode (circumvents censorship). The VPN allows unlimited simultaneous devices and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
#2 IPVanish
Pros
- Owns entire server infrastructure
- Audited Zero Log policy
- Ad & Malware Blocker
- Unblocks most streaming services
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Simple, easy-to-use apps
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Based in the US
- Lacks some advanced features
IPVanish is another best VPN for Firestick. The VPN is simplified to make it suitable for beginners, but it also offers advanced features to cater to more experienced users. It comes with a superb app specially designed for Firestick, and accessing all features and servers is quite easy.
One of the most unique aspects of IPVanish is that the VPN owns and operates its entire infrastructure, including the servers. This gives it much better control and reliability, and the VPN then complements it with a zero-log privacy policy. The VPN doesn’t keep any of your data despite being located in the US, and this has been verified through an independent audit by Leviathan Security. The VPN’s network consists of 2,400+ servers spread across 90+ locations in 55 countries.
As for security, IPVanish uses AES-256 encryption alongside various connection protocols that include WireGuard. It then offers many features, including the ability to unblock streaming services such as Netflix and Disney Plus. Others include Threat Protection (blocks ads, online trackers and malicious sites), split tunneling, kill switch and DNS leak protection. The VPN offers a 30-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee and unlimited simultaneous connections.
#3 CyberGhost VPN
Pros
- Dedicated streaming services
- Unblocks all streaming services
- Has an ad and malware blocker
- Huge server network
- Smart DNS
- Lots of advanced features
- 45-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Keeps anonymized IP addresses
- Doesn’t offer split tunneling
CyberGhost is one of the biggest names in the VPN industry and a great option for Firestick and Fire TV devices. The VPN comes with an excellent Firestick app that offers lots of features but is still easy to use. One of its unique features is that it has specialized servers. Providing specific streaming servers, gaming servers, No-Spy servers and dedicated IP servers. The streaming servers are perfect for Firestick as they are labeled with 25+ streaming services that they unblock. These servers are part of a vast network that consists of 11,800+ servers spread across 126 locations in 100 countries.
CyberGhost offers superb privacy and security as it operates with a no-log privacy policy that has been audited by a third-party security company. Although it keeps anonymized IP addresses. The VPN also uses RAM-only servers, meaning it can’t permanently store any of your session data. This is then completed with AES-256 encryption and several of the best protocols.
CyberGhost has lots of features, including a Smart DNS, ad and malware blocker, kill switch, split tunneling, and leak protection. The VPN offers 7 simultaneous connections and comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
#4 NordVPN
Pros
- Unblocks all streaming services
- Dedicated servers for various tasks
- Excellent privacy and security
- Lots of advanced features
- Ad and malware blocker
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Costly single-month subscriptions
- Limit of 6 simultaneous connections
NordVPN is an industry leader, and it’s well-liked due to its excellent security and many features. The VPN is widely praised for its huge server network that consists of 6300+ servers spread across 111 countries. All these servers are super-fast, and some are customized for specific tasks such as P2P traffic, double encryption, and Tor access.
One of the best things about NordVPN is that its entire server network is optimized for streaming through an unbuilt Smart DNS. The VPN can access different versions of streaming services such as Netflix. And the locations it doesn’t specialize in are all redirected to US streaming services. Other NordVPN advanced features include:
- Threat Protection (ad, malware, and phishing blocker)
- Split tunneling
- Double VPN
- Tor over VPN
- Private DNS
- Meshnet (create your own secure Local Area Network)
- Dark web monitor
- Dedicated IP
#5 ExpressVPN
Pros
- Excellent speeds
- Superb privacy & security (audited)
- Outstanding server distribution
- Smart DNS
- Ad and malware blocker
- Free password manager
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- All subscriptions are costly
ExpressVPN is widely praised for its sheer performance. While most VPNs tend to have an area where they shine, ExpressVPN manages to tick all the boxes. It offers excellent speeds, streaming capability, privacy & security, and features.
The VPN was among the first to undergo a third-party audit, and it keeps a zero-log policy to protect user privacy and anonymity. It then supports this with a RAM-only server architecture. With a network consisting of around 3,000 servers spread across 160+ locations in 105 countries.
ExpressVPN also makes it easy to access any streaming content you’d like. The VPN unblocks all streaming services. Although it doesn’t explicitly state the servers are optimized for streaming. For that, you can try a few or contact customer support to get the specific servers. There’s also a SmartDNS you can use to unblock US-based streaming services.
As for security, ExpressVPN uses AES-256 encryption alongside several of the best protocols to ensure your data is safe. It also offers several features, including split tunneling, a kill switch, leak protection, and an ad blocker. The VPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and 8 simultaneous connections.
What to Look For in a VPN for Fire TV Stick
While there are lots of good VPNs in the market, most of them are only suitable for specific purposes. When it comes to using a VPN on Fire TV Stick and other streaming devices, there are several factors that you should prioritize.
Speed
VPNs differ from one another in terms of the speeds they provide. This usually depends on several factors, from the number of servers to the underlying technology. However, you don’t want to have a VPN that will reduce the quality of your streaming experience through things such as buffering.
To ensure you have good streaming speeds, only stick to reliable VPNs such as the ones listed above. And if your home speeds are not great, consider the fastest options such as [surfsharvpn]SurfShark VPN[/surfsharkvpn] and ExpressVPN.
Streaming and unblocking capabilities
All official streaming services use geo-restrictions to abide by copyright restrictions. For example, while BBC iPlayer and ITVx are free, they are only accessible in the UK. The same goes for 9Now in Australia and Crackle, VUDU, and Tubi in the US.
Netflix, on the other hand, is available in almost every region. However, the streaming service customizes its content for every country it operates in. Some countries have as little as 800 titles, while others have 4,000+ movies and TV shows. If you want to maximize your subscription, you need to have a VPN that can unblock Netflix and other streaming services in more than one country. The above-listed VPNs offer a minimum of 5 countries where you can unlock streaming services, with some like [surfsharkvpn]Surfshark VPN[surfsharkvpn] even offering 10+ different Netflix libraries.
Privacy & Security
Privacy and security should always be non-negotiable regardless of why you want a VPN. This is even more important in streaming as most Fire TV users often access third-party streaming services such as Cinema HD, CyberFlix and RapidStreamz. These streaming apps only act as search engines for content available on the internet. You can unknowingly access illegally hosted content. This can then land you in legal trouble or end up with a DMCA notice.
Good streaming VPNs such as the ones listed above protect you by encrypting all your traffic. Your ISP and government will therefore not be in a position to know the content you access when online. The VPN will also make you untraceable as it spoofs your IP address and gives you a new one. However, ensure that you prioritize third-party audited VPNs that don’t keep any usage or connection logs.
Usability
The best VPN for Firestick is one that has been customized for use with a remote. Before you select any, ensure that it provides a Firestick app on the Amazon App Store. This will automatically mean that the app has been optimized for use on your TV.
Besides that, ensure that you prioritize ease of use as each VPN app is different. While the options listed above all offer easy-to-use apps. The level of usability varies from one VPN to the other based on the outlay of features and the server selection process.
Cost
Streaming involves lots of costs, especially now that there are tens of streaming services available. You should therefore opt for a VPN that manages to balance cost and performance. If you’d like to get the best value for your money, we suggest going for [surfsharkvpn]Surfshark VPN[/surfsharkvpn], as it starts at just $1.99 a month.
In conclusion
If you want to optimize your Amazon Firestick experience, you will need a quality VPN provider. Choosing a perfect VPN will not only allow you to access all the media content from anywhere, but you’ll also ensure that you have fast network speeds and unlimited bandwidth while streaming from Amazon Fire Stick and TV. Finally, though installing a VPN in a Firestick or Fire TV is east, here’s the install guide for you.
We hope we’ve helped you choose the Best Free or Premium VPNs to install on your Firestick or Fire TV. If so, please share this article with your friends and share your experience in the comments section below.
Best VPN for Firestick – FAQs
Which is the best VPN for Fire TV Stick?
Surfshark VPN is currently the best VPN for Firestick. The VPN ticks all streaming boxes. Such as super speeds, the ability to unblock all major streaming services and excellent privacy and security. On top of that, it comes at a pocket-friendly price, which gives it an edge over the likes of ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
Can you use a VPN on Amazon Fire Stick?
Yes, you can install a VPN on the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Cube. Most of the top VPNs, such as Surfshark VPN, IPVanish and ExpressVPN, provide dedicated apps for Firestick. You can install one from the Amazon App Store.
Why do I need a VPN on FireStick?
A VPN for Firestick will help you unblock streaming services such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, Max, Hotstar, Hulu, and 9Now. It will also help you stream privately and anonymously. Especially when using third-party streaming services.
What is the best free VPN for Firestick?
Proton VPN is the best VPN for Firestick as it offers unlimited bandwidth, unlike most free VPNs. However, it still limits your speeds when you are on the free plan, so you won’t have a smooth streaming experience. You also won’t be able to unblock any streaming services, so we recommend going for a pocket-friendly premium VPN such as Surfshark.
Do I really need a VPN for my firestick?
It would be best to use a VPN for Firestick if you want to access geo-restricted or censored content. It also helps you conceal or bounce your IP address and protects you against identity thieves and privacy abusers. Above all, it hides your streaming activities and helps you browse safely. It also provides high-level encryption and security features like the kill switch. Because a VPN server transfers your data safely across the internet, it is easy to download and install via the Amazon app store.
Should I consider upgrading to a paid VPN?
YES. If you value your online privacy and security, investing in a VPN is best. You enjoy the best services on the premium account compared to the free account. So, if you are using the paid version, it offers you excellent speed, advanced functionality, and a user-friendly interface. The best part is it provides access to online services without restrictions and unblocks popular streaming apps. Moreover, it supports several devices simultaneously and offers an extensive server network and solid encryption. Paid VPN provides users with upgraded features and efficiency compared to free users.
Are free Firestick VPNs safe to use?
The purpose of a VPN is to provide digital security. But a free Firestick VPN does exactly the opposite. Lack of solid server infrastructure and poor security ruins the user’s online experience. The bombardment of online ads, slow internet connections, and lack of dedicated IP addresses limit the performance of a free VPN. It doesn’t offer free bandwidth to free users or support multiple simultaneous connections on a free account. So, for DNS leak protection, either use your VPN server or third-party apps.
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