For millions of people across the globe, Kodi is their media player of choice. It not only offers access to a wide variety of streaming add-ons, but is also pretty easy to use and doesn’t cost a penny - and many users choose to use a VPN when they stream with their Kodi.
That's because like any streaming platform, Kodi can be affected by geo-restrictions. To access this media streaming platform and all its add-ons in any part of the world, you’ll want to download one of the best Kodi VPNs.
As well as circumventing geo-restrictions, a VPN can make streaming faster by halting bandwidth throttling and DDoS attacks. The top VPN services can also protect your identity online - say goodbye to the unwelcome risk of ISPs keeping logs of your internet activity.
While you'll undoubtedly like the sound of all the great things a VPN service can do, you may find it difficult to find the perfect provider as there are so many of them available nowadays. To help you choose one, we’ve rounded up the top five Kodi VPNs available right now.
The best 5 Kodi VPNs:
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Considering that it also sits atop our list of the best overall VPN services and the best streaming VPN, it's not surprising to see ExpressVPN top the list of the best Kodi VPNs as well.
One of the things we love the most about ExpressVPN is that its apps are easy to use. Available on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and many other platforms, the ExpressVPN software will allow you to connect to the best available server by hitting its large power button.
But you can also connect to ExpressVPN’s 3,000 global servers from within the app, making it easy to unblock Kodi content all over the world. ExpressVPN offers some excellent, above average speeds, achieving impressive average speeds of 570-580Mbps.
ExpressVPN provides a range of advanced security features, such as VPN split tunneling, a built-in kill switch, 256-bit encryption, TrustedServer technology, a strict no-logging policy and private DNS. The five-device limit on ExpressVPN is a bit annoying, though. Whatever the case, you have 30 days to ask for a refund if you take out a subscription and aren’t satisfied with the service.
If you’re looking for a well-known Kodi VPN that is easy-to-use, highly secure, powerful, and even pretty reasonably priced, look no further than NordVPN.
One of NordVPN’s highlight features is a massive global server network comprising 5,200+ connections, which will provide access to Kodi and other streaming services in any part of the world.
NordVPN is also available on various platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux. Its software is straightforward to use, allowing you to connect to the fastest available server via the quick connect button.
If there’s another area in particular that NordVPN plays close attention to, it’s security and privacy. It has a no-logging policy, strong encryption, a kill switch, a Double VPN feature that processes web traffic via two servers, a malware blocker, protection against nuisance adverts, and a DNS leak test.
It's also worth mentioning its speed, second only to IPVanish is the fastest VPN available right now, with its NordLynx WireGuard protocol achieving peaks of 760-880Mbps.
Should you want to use Kodi across multiple devices, you’ll be limited to installing NordVPN on just six devices. But like the majority of premium VPN providers, Nord will allow you to get a refund in the first month (if things go south).
VPN services allow you to do a range of great things, and while many charge extortionate prices, Surfshark shows that you can get a high-quality VPN that won’t break the bank.
If you’re looking for the cheapest Kodi VPN, you’ll want to consider Surfshark as its prices start at less than $3 per month. You certainly get a lot of bang for the buck, including a network of 3,200 servers based in 65 countries.
You can set up and install Surfshark on a range of operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux. Unlike many premium VPNs, Surfshark provides an unlimited device policy. So, that’s great news if you want to access Kodi on all your devices (and maybe even one or two belonging to family and friends...).
Surfshark is also highly secure, blocking malware, phishing, online trackers, and unwanted adverts. It has a built-in kill switch, private DNS and leak protection, a strict no-logging policy, a camouflage mode, AES-256 encryption, and multiple security protocols. If there’s one area for improvement, it’s definitely the support website - but at least it does have a 24/7 live chat support team if things really get sticky.
For anyone who wants a Kodi VPN that offers impressive performance and features, IPVanish is one to consider.
When it comes to streaming on Kodi, speeds are an essential area to keep in mind. In our recent round of testing, IPVanish delivered the fastest results thanks to it now supporting WireGuard. Seeing averages of 750-900Mbps, this is great news for keen streamers.
IPVanish also has an extensive network of over 2,000 servers and 40,000 shared IP addresses, so you won’t struggle to access Kodi content worldwide. What’s more, IPVanish offers apps for major platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, and more.
Like Surfshark, IPVanish doesn’t have any device limits. This means you’re free to use it on as many devices as you want. Other great features include advanced encryption, no traffic logging, a proxy web server, a suite of protocols, unthrottled speeds, 24/7 support, and more.
But if you were hoping that IPVanish would be your perfect partner for all streaming needs, it is found wanting in one or two areas - namely Amazon prime Video and BBC iPlayer, where we had no luck at all with region unblocking.
Hotspot Shield is another VPN provider that focuses its attention on delivering impressive performance and a great user experience. And you’ll be happy to know that it works perfectly with Kodi.
While it hasn't kept up as its competitors have introduced and exceeded its WireGuard performance, Hotspot Shield remains comfortably average, with peaks of 400-410Mbps.
Those decent connection speeds furnished by Hotspot's very own Catapult Hydra protocol does have a fairly major drawback, though - it means that you can't use this VPN on games consoles, most smart TVs and other platforms for which a dedicated isn't already present.
Unlike many other VPN providers, Hotspot Shield has a free version. But it’s limited to a single device and provides just 500MB of daily data - so you'll likely need to go for its full on paid-for version if you want to use it with Kodi on a regular basis.
Hotspot Shield offers user-friendly multi-platform apps, the Hydra protocol, military-grade encryption, unlimited bandwidth, 24/7 support, and a sizable 45-day refund period.
Kodi VPN FAQ
Is streaming on Kodi legal?
Kodi is one of the world’s popular open-source media streaming services, and it’s legal to use globally. What’s worth mentioning is that you can download a range of legitimate Kodi add-ons, including Vimeo, YouTube, Red Bull TV, Comedy Central, ESPN, and many others.
But while Kodi offers access to many legal streaming services, it is still an open-source platform, and many third-party Kodi add-ons may be deemed illegal or unethical. For example, some add-ons might contain pirated content - that's when things get pretty murky on the legal side of things and TechRadar could never condone.
What is the best Kodi VPN?
When it comes to our overall favorite, ExpressVPN really takes some topping. It just does pretty much everything brilliantly - from unblocking streaming services, to the straightforward download and operation, to its crack team of live chat operatives that can help unpick any issues you may encounter.
The same goes for our Kodi VPN list, where Express also benefits from 3,000+ servers spread out among 90 countries worldwide, and some super fast connection speeds that are only getting faster now thanks to the provider's own Lightway protocol.
How do I stream with a Kodi VPN?
With Kodi, you can access a diverse range of streaming services on all your devices. But you might be wondering how you actually go about streaming content on this popular media player.
Well, it’s actually pretty easy. After you’ve downloaded your Kodi VPN and installed the Kodi software on your device, you can assess many different streaming services by installing add-ons. We’ve rounded up the best Kodi add-ons for streaming.
How do I get the most out of my Kodi?
There was a time a few years ago when it felt like Kodi was going to be the next big thing in streaming - especially when some people were using them to watch pirated material and dodgy sport streams. We therefore compiled a litany of handy guides to help get you started:
- TechRadar's full Kodi review
- How to install and use Kodi on Windows
- How to download Kodi for Mac
- How to install Kodi on Android and Android TV
- How to download Kodi on your iPhone or iPad
Read more:
- Netflix, iPlayer, Prime Video and more - discover the best streaming VPNs
- Get the content that suits you and your family with the best TV streaming services
- Why not try before you buy? These are our VPNs with free trial guide
