Watching your favorite US Netflix show on your Apple TV from the comfort of your US home is all well and good. But, if you'd like to watch geo-restricted content (such as, say, an anime or game show exclusively broadcast in Japan), you'll need an Apple TV VPN. In fact, having the best VPN possible for your Apple TV goes beyond merely unblocking geo-restrictions to enjoy your favorite shows – it also helps boost your online privacy.
At TechRadar, we've been dissecting VPNs for more than 15 years. During that time, we've conducted and compiled more than 2,200 streaming tests, 28,000 speed tests, and 100 VPN reviews.
Join me as I go into detail on the top five Apple TV VPN services available today, what makes them excellent choices, and which one may be perfect for you.
Recent updates
We've given this guide a full refresh following our most recent round of testing. You'll notice that Surfshark has claimed the #2 spot while NordVPN continues to reign supreme.
The best VPNs for Apple TV
Speed, power, reliability, protection, a dedicated Apple TV app, and more – you name it, and NordVPN has it all. Although I'm mentioning it here as my go-to choice of best VPN for Apple TV, Nord also stands atop our best VPN list as the best-in-class provider with a truly jaw-dropping performance. No matter which obstacle you place before it, NordVPN decimates all and paves the way to your favorite online content in a heartbeat.
Coupled with a mind-blowing speed of 950+ Mbps with WireGuard during our last testing round, and unprecedented unblocking capabilities requiring just a few clicks, NordVPN is a true powerhouse of a VPN that won't break the bank.
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Features
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You have three protection plans available with NordVPN: Basic, Plus, and Complete. For the most part, the Basic plan is a good place to start, as you get all the brilliant VPN features, and you can always upgrade for the extras at a later date.
Among the numerous standout features that help make this provider the best choice for an Apple TV VPN in general, I'd like to point out its Double VPN and Meshnet features. Double VPN encrypts your data twice by routing it through two servers instead of one, making it twice as tricky to decode. Meshnet lets you create your very own encrypted and secure network, and connect up to 60 devices at a time.
App support
You'll find native apps for all device types with NordVPN. These include Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and even Fire stick. As previously mentioned, the provider recently overhauled its Apple TV and Android TV apps, freshening the design and removing unnecessary clutter to make them more intuitive and easier to use.
One thing I'd like to mention here is that NordVPN's apps, while straightforward, still aren't quite as effortless to use as those of ExpressVPN. For instance, the settings menu is slightly tucked away and often requires a few additional taps to find. However, this is a quirk usually only present on smartphones or devices with smaller screens. It looks stellar on PCs, tablets, and smart TVs.
Privacy and security
It's no surprise NordVPN features airtight privacy, especially since it's one of the biggest names in the cybersecurity space. You get a reliable kill switch, industry-standard AES-256-GCM encryption, proven no-logs claims, and also extra privacy features like Onion over VPN and Double VPN.
NordVPN's Threat Protection Pro is an anti-phishing protection tool included in the service, which blocked 87% of all our sample threats. Similarly, privacy purists will be delighted to know that NordVPN recently added another impressive feature to its security repertoire in the form of post-quantum protection.
Streaming and unblocking
This is where NordVPN truly excels (not that it's lacking in any other area, really), especially for those looking for the best Apple TV VPN. There is absolutely nothing the provider could have improved on compared to our previous test results (where it unblocked everything we tested, from every location we tried, on the very first go).
Take a look at any of our streaming guides, and you'll see NordVPN sitting at the very top of every single list. It's the absolute best VPN for Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and pretty much everything else we've thrown at it. Since the top streaming platforms are relentlessly trying to hamper VPN usage, it's especially reassuring to see NordVPN successfully overcoming these challenges – especially since ExpressVPN, for instance, fared less well in our streaming tests this time around.
Speed
Speed is a critical consideration when looking for the best Apple TV VPN, and NordVPN tops the charts in this area, too. In fact, it has maxed out our connection lines with peak speeds of over 960 Mbps using its proprietary WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol for the past year. In other words, it's highly likely to be faster than your broadband connection!
While Nord's OpenVPN speeds are significantly slower (173 Mbps in our recent tests compared to 110 Mbps previously), you're unlikely to be affected by this because most folks won't ever need to use OpenVPN. However, should it come to this, 110 Mbps is considered blisteringly fast for most home connections in the UK and US (and it's still more than four times faster than what you need for 4K streaming, which is 25 Mbps).
Surfshark – the best budget VPN
Surfshark is my top choice for the best cheap VPN with one of the most affordable subscriptions in our rankings, but don't mistake its price as an indication of low quality. On the contrary – this provider is brimming with features, and stands as an all-in-one security suite, with a building data breach notifier, tracker-free web browsing, antivirus, and ad-blocking. It recently fixed a critical kill switch bug we identified in our previous testing and also added a new phone masking feature.
But, there's more. If you're wondering why Surfshark is one of the best Apple TV VPNs (and best VPNs in general), its price is only half of the reason. The other half is that this provider has consistently been the fastest VPN this year. Not only does it have significantly faster OpenVPN speeds than every other service we've tested, but it also maxed out our testing line with WireGuard. Here's everything you need to know.
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Features
For starters, Surfshark was one of the first VPN providers to offer unlimited simultaneous connections. This means that, if you want to protect your entire family's devices, you won't have to buy a second subscription. As mentioned above, you get a plethora of features as standard with this provider, such as an antivirus, a private web browser, data breach alters, a cookie pop-up blocker, an ad-blocker, your standard VPN, and a whole lot more.
Among its standout features (besides its low price and blistering speeds), you also get a cool thing called Camouflage Mode. This is Surfshark's obfuscation technology that helps you bypass VPN blocks by hiding the fact that you're using a VPN. Additionally, its No Borders feature detects whether your current network is faced with any restrictions, and automatically recommends servers that perform best under said restrictions.
App support
Another reason why Surfshark is a particularly great choice is that it recently launched a dedicated app for Apple TV. This app represents the latest addition to an already impressive list of native apps, which includes client options for browsers, routers, and Amazon Fire Sticks. Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android apps come as standard, with a particularly outstanding support for Linux in the form of a fully functioning GUI.
It is here I'd like to point out the assortment of app improvements that Surfshark has made. It's now much easier to log into Surfshark on a new device, by simply scanning a QR code on another device that's already logged in. Additionally, the provider has launched dedicated widgets that enable you to connect, pause, and disconnect the VPN without opening the full mobile app.
Privacy and security
Surfshark backed up its privacy claims with an audit by Deloitte in January 2024, and continues to offer DNS leak protection, a kill switch, and other essential features.
That said, Surfshark does not yet offer post-quantum protection, which poses a risk of compromising your security in the event of a "store now, decrypt later" attack. This attack involves hackers hoarding encrypted data to decode it with a quantum computer in a few years' time. If having such protection is important to you, I'd recommend going for NordVPN instead.
Streaming and unblocking
Unblocking-wise, Surfshark is right up there with NordVPN. Its flawless unblocking record remains unbroken, and in our most recent tests we used Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, Netflix, 10 Play, and 9Now, including multiple locations (Japan, Canada, Australia, UK, and the US). Surfshark didn't even break a sweat while unblocking all of these on the first try, demonstrating superb consistency in this regard.
When it comes to circumventing on-site geo-restrictions, there's not really that much difference in effectiveness between NordVPN and Surfshark. However, as it remains a more affordable choice, Apple TV and other streaming enthusiasts will likely be better off with Surfshark.
Speed
Surfshark is the absolute fastest VPN service at the moment. While its 950+ Mbps over WireGuard protocol speed matches those of other top providers like Proton and NordVPN, it's also the fastest over OpenVPN. Despite a drop from last time (460 Mbps compared to previous tests' 640 Mbps), Surfshark's OpenVPN speeds are miles ahead of the second-fastest on our list, PIA, at 257 Mbps. For reference, NordVPN recorded 173 Mbps over OpenVPN, and ExpressVPN clocked 160 Mbps.
Interestingly, Surfshark uses Data Channel Offload (DCO) – a technique few other providers have made use of – to deliver these speeds. In real-world lingo, your broadband connection is unlikely to be able to make the most of these dizzying speeds. Regardless, if you value streaming speed over all other factors, Surfshark is the VPN to choose.
ExpressVPN – the best VPN for beginners
Because of the way it automates configuration to give you the safest and fastest connection possible every single time, and its unbelievably simple design, ExpressVPN continues to be the best VPN for beginners in my book. That said, the reason why it has dropped a rank in our latest round of testing has to do with surprisingly underwhelming threat protection scores, and minor streaming issues with Japan and Australia.
However, we've seen an impressive improvement in ExpressVPN's speeds since our previous round of testing, and this provider has officially rejoined the exclusive fastest VPN club. That's not to say it's as fast as Surfshark and NordVPN, but it's nice to see that Lightway can handle lightning speeds just as well as Nordlynx and WireGuard can.
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Features
IP shuffle is one of ExpressVPN's leading innovations, and it works by assigning a different IP address to every website you visit. While most other VPNs that use a single IP for all your sessions tend to create an identifiable pattern, IP shuffle makes it much harder to track your internet usage across sites.
Additionally, you get a dedicated password manager with every subscription, called ExpressVPN Keys. The provider commissioned Cure53 to conduct an independent audit of the security of Keys, which it passed with flying colors. Keys is a great way to cut costs without having to pay more when it's bundled into your subscription, despite not being as fully fledged as NordPass.
App support
ExpressVPN is available for Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and MacOS, but also Amazon Fire TV, routers, and gaming consoles. This provider has long been hailed for the simplicity and user-friendliness of its apps – a recipe for success that's particularly evident in its Mac and Windows apps.
Regardless of the platform you're using, getting started is straightforward. There is a tiny quirk in the install process, which requires you to enter login credentials from the ExpressVPN dashboard instead of your email. However, once you get past that, a simple one-click connect from the home screen is all that's keeping you from streaming your favorite shows on your Apple TV.
Privacy and security
It's not an understatement to say that ExpressVPN is the industry benchmark for VPN security, thanks (in no small part) to a total of 18 separate audits of its no-logs policy and overall security. The main reason for such unprecedented success and reputation is the provider's TrustedServer technology, based on RAM-only servers that are reinstalled weekly. There's little damage an attacker could do because of the regularity of data wipes and updates being performed.
Encryption-wise, ExpressVPN features ChaCha20 and AES 256-bit, including a quantum secure hybrid 1000-dimension ML-KEM and 4096-bit RSA key exchange. In realtalk, this means that, even if a malefactor were to somehow capture your data, it would take thousands of years to decode with today's technology. Such is the strength of the encryption ExpressVPN uses.
Streaming and unblocking
There's a peculiarity I feel obligated to mention when it comes to ExpressVPN's streaming unblocking. The provider has previously maintained a perfect score in our tests (for the past few years, in fact). However, in our most recent testing round, we were surprised to learn it sometimes struggles to unblock content on the very first go – an important consideration when looking at the best Apple TV VPN for your needs.
More specifically, it only unblocked 10 Play Australia in one of three locations, Netflix Japan in two of three locations, and Netflix Australia in one of three locations. Truth be told, you technically only need one to work in order to stream your favorite shows. But, ExpressVPN was the only top five provider to experience such an issue while attempting to unblock geo-restricted content.
Speed
ExpressVPN has never been slow. During our latest round of testing, it reached speeds on our gigabit line of 898 Mbps with Lightway, which is darn close to Surfshark and NordVPN's 950+ Mbps. However, we've previously seed Express dip as low as 410 Mbps, making us question the consistency of those speeds. Then again, anything over 200 Mbps is lightning fast, so streaming your favorite shows in 4K on your Apple TV is absolutely a given.
OpenVPN-wise, ExpressVPN dropped to 176 Mbps, which is down from 210 Mbps previously. While a significant drop compared to NordVPN and Surfshark, Express is heavily investing in its Lightway protocol to make it a superior alternative to OpenVPN. Therefore, it kind of makes sense it's not investing in improving its OpenVPN speeds.
Private Internet Access – a super secure service
Private Internet Access is a VPN industry veteran, as it's been synonymous with excellent core VPN features and functionality for more than ten years. It's the provider to go with if you're on the market for a VPN that focuses on the basics at a budget-friendly price, while simultaneously offering interesting customization options geared toward power users.
On paper, PIA may look like it comes up short in the features department when compared with competitors like Surfshark or NordVPN. However, Private Internet Access simply takes a different approach to this segment, offering an extremely high customization level that leaves you spoiled for choice. Here's why that makes PIA another excellent choice for the best Apple TV VPN service.
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Features
A particularly interesting thing about PIA is that its built-in split-tunnel feature allows you to differentiate between whether IPs, apps, and whether VMs are covered by the tunnel (and that's beside separate options for forcing DNS requests through PIA's in-house encrypted DNS servers even if you're not using the VPN tunnel.
PIA also uses its own encrypted DNS servers, which do well to keep your browser requests hidden from your ISP. This is also why PIA can offer Mace, which is a built-in ad, tracker, and malware blocker, thereby keeping unwanted content from being sent to your machine. Additionally, you have access to robust obfuscation settings, which let you choose between a SOCKS 5 and Shadowsocks proxy. Both of these wrap your VPN connection inside a separate TLS tunnel, making it look as though you're sending normal encrypted browsing traffic to anyone monitoring your data.
App support
You're looking at straightforward, easy-to-use, and intuitive apps across all major platforms and ecosystems, including Linux, MacOS, Windows, Android, and iOS. When it comes to the UI and features between Linux, MacOS, and Windows, the experience is almost identical (which is a good thing).
At first glance, the app interface (at least on desktop) may appear a bit bland, but it's incredibly useful as soon as you get to work. For instance, there's a quick-connect bar holding several different locations, which is also split between the last VPNs you connected to and your favorites. May not sound like much, but I was surprised by how handy it is when I need to swap back and forth between the same VPN numerous times.
Privacy and security
Given PIA's ranking on this list, it's clear that this provider doesn't boast all of the extra bells and whistles in terms of privacy tools you get with providers like Surfshark and NordVPN. Regardless, you do get all of the essentials to stay safe online for the most part.
All of its apps come with a kill switch that automatically blocks internet traffic if the VPN connection drops, and there are no DNS leaks either. The provider's encrypted DNS servers route all users' domain requests, preventing your DNS queries from being exposed to your ISP or a third party on the network.
Streaming and unblocking
Simply put, everything just works with PIA. During our latest tests with Netflix in a variety of regional choices such as Australia, Japan, Canada, US, and the UK, there were no issues. We had similar results with other popular streaming sites, including 9Play, 10 Now, ITV, Channel 4, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus.
Another noteworthy feature of PIA is that it supports port forwarding, which is particularly important for torrenting. This feature works by allowing you to accept incoming connections to your VPN's IP address, increasing the number of peers you can communicate with in a P2P network.
Speed
Our most recent round of testing revealed that Private Internet Access boasts peak download rates of 436 Mbps (up from 330 Mbps previously). For the OpenVPN tests, it's a different story entirely, as PIA reached download speeds of 257 Mbps, making it the second-fastest. Regardless, Surfshark is still the undisputed speed king though (OpenVPN and all) with 460 Mbps.
Be it online gaming, video conferencing, or 4K streaming on your Apple TV, these speeds are more than sufficient despite not being at the very top of the market. Our latest testing round revealed consistent speeds across different times of the day, with average latency, but noticeably less jitter than PIA's competitors. This makes it a perfect choice for gaming.
PrivadoVPN Free – the best free VPN
There's a lot to be said about free VPNs, but if you narrow your search down to the best Apple TV VPN, your options become pretty limited. However, PrivadoVPN offers a free plan that's, honestly, good enough to put this provider on this list. It's actually ideal if you don't want to pay for one of the other premium providers' two year plans, or even a monthly subscription.
Truth be told, it does come with significant limitations compared to the other four entries on this list, but that's to be expected. On the upside, PrivadoVPN Free will absolutely suit someone who needs a VPN for occasional use and mostly trivial matters. In other words, if you don't feel like committing to a full VPN subscription, this provider can be a useful stopgap.
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Features
Similar to other free VPN plans, you shouldn't expect the same sort of features as those available with premium providers like ExpressVPN or NordVPN. In other words, Privado doesn't have obfuscated servers, built-in password managers, and the like.
What do you get? Split tunneling to enable you to decide which apps use the VPN and which don't, a kill switch to protect your data in case of a problem with your VPN, and an ad blocker to protect you from online advertising. It's more than decent when you consider the free plan is, well, free.
App support
PrivadoVPN takes a page from the more prominent ExpressVPN's app design, incorporating a big, friendly connect button to get you online, while also displaying your new IP address and current location. You can sort the location list by location, name, and also latency, which shows which server gives you the best connection.
While there's not as much flexibility here as you might expect to find in a paid-for service, there is still a decent amount of configuration options available for those who may want to dabble around.
Privacy and security
On a purely technical level, PrivadoVPN's privacy scores are high. Your traffic is shielded from hackers thanks to IKEv2, OpenVPN, and WireGuard protocols. There's also a private DNS keeping your browsing activities out of sight, as well as a kill switch to block your internet if the VPN drops.
However, this provider hasn't undertaken a security or no-logging audit, meaning you're left with no choice but to take their word that they're not misusing your data. On the upside, PrivadoVPN does, at the very least, have a simple and clear privacy policy, explaining that logging is kept to a minimum.
Streaming and unblocking
One of the biggest draws for any VPN subscriber is access to streaming sites, especially for those looking for the best Apple TV VPN. However, while Privado can unblock some sites like the BBC iPlayer and Disney Plus occasionally, it's not ideal if you're planning on streaming a lot.
For this purpose, it's recommended you go with a more premium option and a paid plan from any of the remaining four entries on this list.
Speed
This is one aspect in which PrivadoVPN shines, boasting speed test results (900+ Mbps) that rival NordVPN and Surfshark for WireGuard connections (OpenVPN is a different matter entirely, as speeds here drop down to as low as 220 Mbps).
Regardless, even 220 Mbps is more than fast enough to play games reliably and stream 4K content on your Apple TV, but again, only do this continuously under extreme conditions and if you absolutely have no other choice.
How we test VPNs
The first step of my review process involves establishing a baseline for the review.
I begin by figuring out what the VPN is promising, and the very first order of business is a visit to the VPN provider's site. There, I'll look at what claims it makes about its features, go through the privacy policy, and observe any forums or support pages (if available).
Next, it's a test of all services across different devices: Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. This gives me the opportunity to ensure all of the tools are working as advertised, evaluate the UI, and compare offerings.
The Windows app typically gets the most attention when talking about the technical side of things. A standardized test includes observing the files the VPN uses, out-of-the-box settings configuration, and, of course, speed. We'll typically run 120+ speed tests, per testing round, per provider, and observe the combined average.
We'll wrap things up by stress-testing the VPN's kill switch, followed by checking whether each provider can access exclusive regional content on BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and US Netflix.
For more, feel free to go through our VPN testing methodology.
How to choose an Apple TV VPN
Your personal use case will determine which VPN is best suited for your needs, but there are still several key factors that you should consider when making your decision:
- Speed. The best protection in the world has no point if it slows down your device to a stop. Keep in mind that higher VPN speeds will facilitate HD streaming, downloads, torrenting, and online calls.
- Server locations. Choosing a VPN with a high server count and varied locations means you have more choices and flexibility when it comes to spoofing your location. The more is the better in this case.
- Security. A demonstrated no-logs policy and top-notch encryption are a VPN's bread and butter. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and PIA are all excellent choices in this regard.
- Compatibility. It goes without saying that app support is another critical factor. NordVPN and Surfshark in particular have dedicated smart TV apps.
- Ease of use. The easier and more intuitive a VPN is made to be, the better. ExpressVPN is the best VPN for beginners precisely because it's so effortlessly simple.
- Price. You'll find VPNs to suit all budgets. ExpressVPN is justifiably among the costlier, while Surfshark is among the cheapest for the same reason.
FAQs
What is the best Apple TV VPN?
Depending on your specific use case, any of the top five Apple TV VPNs on this list are excellent choices. However, I would still recommend NordVPN for its tried-and-tested excellence in speed, security, protection, ease of use, and most importantly, peace of mind.
Can I use a free Apple TV VPN?
Yes, you can use a free Apple TV VPN, but remember that freebies often come with compromises like data leaks and sluggish speeds. For a set-and-forget Apple TV VPN, we'd recommend cheap paid options like Surfshark.
How do I use a VPN on Apple TV?
For the most part, using a VPN on your Apple TV is straightforward. The only requirement is to use tvOS 17 or later, and you can simply download a VPN app on your device, sign in, and get going.
