Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is an easy way to watch all your favorite shows from a range of streaming services, but do you really need to use VPN with that? If you want to make the most of your Fire TV Stick and value your privacy, then yes. That is a good idea. Fire TV Stick VPN can protect your online identity, help you avoid online surveillance by your ISP and offers you complete privacy. It can also prevent your ISP from slowing down your internet speeds. The big bonus is that VPN allows you to bypass geo-restrictions, allowing you to upload content that might otherwise be blocked at your location.
Thanks to the climb smart TVwe are now in years smart control. Gone are the days of viewer anonymity that we once enjoyed with now-obsolete TVs with blurry images. As with any other internet-connected device in your home, your media habits are subject of monitoring by your ISP, malicious snoopers and Uncle Sam. But with the help of our best VPN recommendations for Amazon Fire Stick users, it’s not too hard to pull the curtains to encrypt potential users.
You can use a VPN with your Amazon Fire TV Stick to protect your privacy and bypass geo-blocking streams.
Sarah Tew / CNET
Two key descriptions for this list: First, each is available as an app on current versions of Fire Stick – simply search the store for a VPN app like you would for any other streaming app, such as Hulu or Showtime. Second, you’ll see that all of my recommendations are drawn from the top three performers in CNET’s directory best overall VPNs to use in 2022. That’s thanks obstacle course CNET provides VPN services during our evaluation and testing process. One of the main factors in securing the first place on the list of the best VPNs is the compatibility of the VPN platform, so it is not surprising that my three best choices are VPN services that work on a wide range of systems and devices.
But when evaluating VPNs for using the Fire TV Stick, the priorities are simple. We are looking for the fastestmost streaming-tailored services with strong enough security to maintain your ISP blind to your content choices and your service provider does not know where you are. As always, I recommend avoiding a free VPN and instead goes with a tried and tested paid VPN that offers the cheapest deals. Here are our recommendations for the best Amazon Fire Stick VPN.
Editor’s note, February 9, 2022: The VPN industry has undergone significant changes in recent months, s all three of our best VPN choices heralding big changes in corporate ownership. In December, ExpressVPN has announced that it has officially joined Kape Technologiesa company that already owns several other VPNs and has has raised privacy concerns in the past. in February, NordVPN and Surfshark have announced that the two companies are merging, although they will continue to work autonomously. We are in the process of re-evaluating all of our best choices in light of these changes. We will update our reviews and, if necessary, our rankings to take this new competition into account.
Surfshark
Surfshark’s network of servers may be smaller than some of its competitors, but this service is high in speed and features. Its most obvious win, especially if you have a penchant for connected smart home devices, is its support for unlimited devices. This means you can install Surfshark on your Fire TV Stick without sacrificing one of the limited number of connection choices, as you would with any of the two vendors below.
With more than 3,200 servers in 65 countries, I lost less than 17% of my average internet speed during my latest Surfshark speed tests. That’s faster than the 27% speed loss I’ve seen in previous tests, and pushes the VPN service ahead of ExpressVPN to be the current leader in CNET’s speed comparisons.
If you’re British abroad, for example, and want to use your usual newscasting app, then you’ll need a VPN fast enough to deliver high-quality live content at maximum resolution without downtime, even after I’ve encrypted and masked your data, switched your connected via a server in other countries and returned to your location. Wow. A long journey, isn’t it? Surfshark – the fastest VPN I’ve tested so far – can handle it without sweating.
In terms of security, Surfshark received generally high ratings when German security firm Cure 53 audited the privacy of its extensions for Chrome and Firefox (PDF link to full report), and its encryption options are on par with its counterparts. While its Fire TV Stick app offers multiple protocol options, its general default code is IKEv2 – not the strongest, but one you’d expect most VPNs to use to ensure platform compatibility on your smart TV. You can also enable its disconnect switch on your Fire TV, which prevents network data from leaking out of its secure VPN tunnel in the event of a VPN connection failing.
Surfshark’s ability to bypass geoblocking on streaming platforms like Netflix is also known. Its normal desktop Multihop option, which jumps your connection through multiple countries to hide your trail, is also available on the Amazon Fire TV app.
The best part about Surfshark VPN? Not only is it the fastest VPN I’ve reviewed so far, and not only does it have a great set of privacy features, but it’s still the cheapest VPN subscription you can buy.
Unlike many other VPN providers, Surfshark does not offer a one-year plan. His best offer is currently $ 2.30 a month, for a two-year plan (you pay about $ 60 in advance). The six-month plan is $ 6.49 per month (about $ 40 in advance), and the monthly plans are $ 13 per month. Definitely take advantage of his generous 30-day trial to decide if you like this service (and if you choose a two-year plan, you might set a 23-month reminder to see if you can turn it into a continuous discount rate).
Read our Surfshark review.
NordVPN
NordVPN is like the ultimate boss you have to fight if you are new to the VPN industry. Why? Because it has the answer to every advantage you can bring to the table. Is your VPN faster this year? See how quickly Nord can achieve when it expands its fleet again. Have you enhanced the security of your VPN? That’s great, but Nord has lost 100% of its RAM and is offering co-located and bare metal servers after the fear of 2019. Even if you’re an established candidate like ExpressVPN, you still have to constantly deal with NordVPN’s advertising war box and willingness to lower prices at the very least to dominate the market.
On CNET’s list of overall best VPNs, ExpressVPN currently outperforms NordVPN. The key that puts NordVPN ahead of ExpressVPN for the Fire TV Stick here is Nord’s consistency. I found the NordVPN speeds to be reliable. There have never been sudden crashes or service outages, and where I expected the VPN to be worse, it proved to be up to the task. This reliability is what you will need most when it comes to streaming media content with a large amount of data from providers such as HBO Max.
NordVPN offers a generous number of concurrent connections, with six concurrent connections through its network, where almost all other providers offer five or fewer. It also offers a dedicated IP option, for those looking for a different level of VPN connection. NordVPN offers a kill switch function and VPN capability in Tor. I did not detect a privacy leak during my tests.
In my most recent speed tests, NordVPN’s performance was the same as many of its competitors, reducing my speeds by an average of 53% (which is slower than the 32% loss measured in previous speed tests). However, like ExpressVPN, NordVPN was preparing for the next round of races and aiming for the trophy.
A two-year VPN subscription plan costs $ 4.13 per month ($ 99 is charged at once). That price is lower than most candidates, but grows for a one-year plan ($ 4.99 per month or a total of $ 59.88) and a monthly plan ($ 12 per month). But it has a full 30-day refund policy.
Read our NordVPN review.
ExpressVPN
Although it was the fastest VPN I measured in 2019, ExpressVPN had a difficult year during speed tests in 2020. Despite constantly battling the biggest attackers in the industry, my tests saw that the VPN provider made 52% of the total loss of my normal internet speed, which is a significant slowdown compared to its 2019 result (incredibly fast loss of speed of 2%). Since then, however, ExpressVPN has strengthened its fleet of VPN servers and moved to a new protocol based on Wireguard that could help it regain the title in tough competition.
In the world of privacy, ExpressVPN has strong results. After the authorities experienced the seizure of VPN servers which proved that his zero record policy was true at the time. Since then, ExpressVPN has moved to all RAM drives for even stronger privacy protection. I also like the quality of the VPN setup guide and the detailed information in its frequently asked questions.
Like the rest of the top five VPN services reviewed by CNET, ExpressVPN offers a useful interrupt feature. However, unlike the others, ExpressVPN received points for supporting bitcoin as a method of payment – something that does not offer all the best VPN services, but which adds an extra layer of privacy when paying.
Yes, ExpressVPN will definitely cost you more than Surfshark. And more than most other VPNs in that regard. But that is the price you pay for a VPN that has paid for its reputation, even when it meant confiscating its servers during an international assassination investigation. The VPN service has been in operation since 2009, and ExpressVPN has a significant network of high-speed VPN servers deployed in 94 countries. His best plan costs less than $ 7 a month for an annual package, which includes three months for free.
Read our ExpressVPN review.
Other VPNs available on the Fire TV Stick
The three services listed above are my favorites, whether you’re using an Amazon Fire TV or some other device. But keep in mind that these other services are also available as downloadable apps on the Fire TV platform: