Best VPN for Your Smart TV – CNET [CNET]

Your smart TV is a vector for data privacy exposure — but these VPNs can help keep your viewing activity hidden from prying eyes.

Hotspot Shield

We don’t recommend Hotspot Shield for critical VPN use due to its US jurisdiction in addition to its use of its proprietary, closed-source Hydra VPN protocol. But if security and privacy aren’t your primary concern, then Hotspot Shield works decently as a smart TV VPN. Though we may not be completely sold on its privacy protections, we are on its speed — Hotspot Shield is fast.

It’s also excellent for streaming content on your smart TV. With servers located in more than 80 countries around the world, you’ll have access to a wide selection of geographic regions with Hotspot Shield.

However, Hotspot Shield’s Support section and overall customer service experience leaves quite a bit to be desired. The Support section is a bit convoluted and Search doesn’t always output exactly what you’re looking for, so it might take some work to find what you’re after. And the live chat feature is only available to premium customers. Once you find what you’re looking for, the guides and tutorials are sufficient to get you set up, but the path there isn’t as clean as with other VPNs. Like the others in this list, Hotspot Shield offers apps for Fire TV and Google TV, as well as tutorials on how to set the VPN up on your router.

If you’re willing to pony up $13 per month or $96, then you’ll get a super-fast smart TV VPN that’s great for unblocking content in Hotspot Shield. But if you’re concerned at all about its US jurisdiction, you’d be better off going with another option like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, or IPVanish. Because of its middling price and average security with US jurisdiction, it’s tough to recommend Hotspot Shield over VPN rivals for all but the most casual users.

Read our Hotspot Shield review.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost VPN may not offer all the bells and whistles as the other VPNs on this list, but it may not have to because it’s just so ridiculously easy to use. It also has servers specifically optimized for streaming on various services, which make it a great choice for your smart TV.

It’s not the fastest VPN on the block, but you shouldn’t run into any trouble streaming content buffer-free. And CyberGhost has servers located in 100 countries around the world, making it one of the best in terms of global network coverage. 

If you decide to hook a VPN up to your smart TV via a router, CyberGhost does provide detailed instructions in its Help center on how to do so — even though it doesn’t offer custom router firmware like ExpressVPN does. If you have a Fire TV or Google TV, you’ll be able to download the CyberGhost VPN app directly to your TV. CyberGhost VPN also offers a smart DNS solution that will give you access to its DNS servers in the US, UK, Germany and Japan.

Cyberghost VPN can also be quite budget-friendly. You’ll pay $13 monthly, $42 every six months for the bi-annual plan, or $57 total for a 26-month package, after which you’re billed annually. It’s one of the cheapest smart TV VPNs, and a very capable one if you’re fine with a VPN that’s not chock-full of advanced options. There’s even a generous 45-day money-back guarantee. But even for that price, there are better options available, like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, and IPVanish.

Read our CyberGhost review.

With so many VPN options available, it can be difficult cutting through the braggadocio to find the right software for your needs. We rigorously tested dozens of VPNs to assess performance, privacy and value. More specifically, we analyzed average speed loss, checked for DNS leaks and tried out apps on different devices. Additionally, we compared costs to determine the best price-to-performance ratios. For smart TV use, we looked at streaming service content unblocking, performing hands-on tests with Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and a handful of other platforms. Because some televisions require a router VPN, we consulted each VPN provider’s help guides and also factored in streaming device app compatibility.

Based on our years of comprehensively testing VPNs, here are the main factors to think about when selecting a VPN for your smart TV.

Platform compatibility

Most VPNs include Android TV and Fire TV apps, so if you’re using a television set with one of those operating systems, you can download a compatible app. Otherwise, you’ll need to run a VPN on your router or purchase a router with a preloaded VPN. 

Streaming service unblocking

You’ll want to ensure your VPN provider allows access to the streaming services you want to use. Whether you’re trying to watch US Netflix from abroad or enjoy UK Disney Plus and Netflix libraries at home in the States, it’s crucial to have one of the best VPNs for streaming. Think about the streaming services you use the most and sign up for a VPN that works with those apps.

Speed loss

All VPNs throttle your internet upload and download speeds some, but the amount of speed loss varies. The fastest VPNs only drop your connection marginally, meaning you can stream 4K videos flawlessly. But some companies suffer from greater speed reductions, which might translate to buffering streams or noticeable dips in quality. 

Server network

A reliable VPN for your smart TV features a large network of servers. You’ll want to check out the number of total servers as well as the amount of different countries available. The more choices you’ve got, the easier it is to find an ideal location to connect to. For example, if you’re on holiday in London, you’ll ideally want to use a London server rather than one in Stratford-upon-Avon (still in the UK, but further away from your physical location in London). Generally, the closer a VPN server is to your actual location, the faster speeds and more reliable connection you’ll enjoy. 

Price

While there are free VPNs, most of CNET’s top VPN recommendations aside from ProtonVPN are paid options. The total cost depends on when you sign up (there are often competitive seasonal deals) and whether you prepay (an annual subscription or multiyear purchase typically saves you a meaningful amount). Although a multiyear package usually gives you the best-possible pricing, we don’t recommend shelling out for more than a year at a time. While a VPN provider may be secure, fast and value-packed when you sign up, it could suffer a data breach, go out of business or get acquired by a disreputable organization. Thus, we suggest sticking with a year-long subscription instead for the most savings and the lowest risk. 

Help guides and customer support

VPNs aren’t necessarily difficult to install, but running one on a router or setting it up on certain platforms like Linux isn’t as simple. Therefore, you might want to choose a VPN provider with robust help documentation. Live support over online chat, the phone and email is great too for situations when you’ve got troubleshooting or billing questions. 

Privacy and security

One of the main reasons to invest in a VPN is for additional privacy and security. At the very least, we recommend a VPN with a kill switch and strong encryption. But you should also make sure your VPN provider has a no-log policy (while this is tough to verify, it’s nonetheless important).