Do you really need a VPN for your Amazon Fire TV stick? If you care about your privacy, want to get past the geoblocking of the streaming service, and don’t want advertisers to treat you like data-producing cattle, then yes, you should probably consider using a private network. virtual.
The anonymity of viewers is long gone with the now extinct rabbit ear TV antennas. Thanks to smart TVs, we are now at the age of intelligent surveillance. And like any other internet-connected device in the house, your media habits are subject to surveillance by your ISP, malicious snoopers, and Uncle Sam. But with the help of these top VPN picks for Fire TV Stick users, it’s not too hard to pull the curtains of encryption down on potential voyeurs.
You can use a VPN with your Amazon Fire TV Stick to protect your privacy and bypass geo-blocking of streaming.
Sarah Tew / CNET
Two important captions for this list of Amazon Fire Stick VPN recommendations: First, each of them is available as an app on current versions of Fire Stick – just search the VPN app in the store as you would for n any other streaming app, such as like Showtime or Hulu.
Second, you’ll notice that my recommendations for the best VPN to use with Fire TV Stick are taken from the top three performances in CNET’s directory of best overall VPNs to use in 2021. This is largely because of the obstacle course CNET puts VPN services through during evaluation and testing. A primary factor in securing a top spot on the list is a VPN’s platform compatibility, so it’s no surprise that my top three picks are VPN services that work on a wide range of devices and of systems.
However, when evaluating them for using Fire TV Stick, the priorities are simple: you are looking for the the fastest, the most suitable services for streaming with security strong enough to keep your service providers blind to your comings and goings and your ISP blind to your content choices.
Like with other types of devices, I recommend avoid a free VPN for your Fire TV Stick and instead – if you’re on a disciplined budget – stick with a proven paid VPN that offers the cheapest deals.
Surfshark
Surfshark’s server network may be smaller than some of its competitors, but this service is top of the line in terms of speed and features. Its most obvious victory, especially if you have a fondness for connected smart home devices, is its support for unlimited devices. This means that you can install Surfshark on your Fire TV Stick without sacrificing one of the limited connection choices, as you would with either of the two providers below.
With over 3,200 servers in 65 countries, I lost less than 17% of average internet speeds in my last Surfshark speed tests. That’s faster than the 27% speed drop 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 a Brit abroad, for example, and want to use your regular TV news app, you’ll need a VPN that’s fast enough to stream high-quality live content at maximum resolution without lag. even after you. You encrypted and withheld your data, forwarded your connection through servers in other countries, and redirected to your location. Phew. Long trip, right? Surfshark – the best performing VPN I’ve tested so far – can handle it without breaking a sweat.
In terms of security, Surfshark received generally high marks when its Chrome and Firefox extensions were audited for privacy by German security firm Cure 53 (PDF link to full report), and its encryption options are comparable to those of peers. While its Fire TV Stick app offers several protocol options, its general default encryption is IKEv2 – not the strongest one, but the one you’d expect most VPNs to use to ensure platform compatibility on. your smart TV. You can also enable its kill switch on your Fire TV device, which prevents network data from leaking out of its secure VPN tunnel if the VPN connection fails.
Surfshark’s ability to jump over geoblocking on a streaming platform like Netflix is also recognized. Its normal desktop Multihop option, which skips your connection across multiple countries to hide your track, is also available on its 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 suite of privacy features, it’s still the cheapest VPN subscription you can buy.
Unlike many other VPN providers, Surfshark does not offer a one-year plan. Her best deal is $ 2.49 per month, for her two-year plan (you pay about $ 60 up front). A six-month plan costs $ 6.49 per month (about $ 39 up front) and monthly plans cost $ 13 per month. Definitely take advantage of its generous 30-day trial to decide if you like this service (and if you choose the two-year plan, maybe set a reminder in 23 months to see if you can convert it to an ongoing discount rate) .
Read our Surfshark review.
NordVPN
NordVPN is like the final boss you must fight if you are new to the VPN industry. Why? Because it has an answer for all the benefits you could bring to the table. Is your VPN faster this year? Watch how fast North can go when it expands its fleet again. Have you tightened up the security of your VPN? That’s great, but Nord has gone 100% RAM and is offering co-located, bare metal servers after its scare of 2019. Even if you’re an established competitor like ExpressVPN, you still have to deal with the cash flow. NordVPN’s advertising war and its desire to cut prices down to dominate the market.
In CNET’s list of best VPNs, ExpressVPN currently outperforms NordVPN. The key here that puts NordVPN ahead of ExpressVPN for Fire TV Stick is Nord consistency. I have found NordVPN’s speeds to be reliable. There has never been a sudden drop or outage in service, and where I expected the VPN to perform worse, it proved to be up to the task. This reliability is what you’ll need most to stream data-rich media content from providers like HBO Max.
NordVPN offers a generous number of simultaneous connections, with six simultaneous connections through its network, where almost all other providers offer five or less. It also offers a dedicated IP option, for those looking for a different level of VPN connection. NordVPN offers a kill switch function and the possibility of VPN in Tor. I did not detect any privacy leaks during my testing.
In my last speed tests, NordVPN’s performance was on par with many competitors, reducing my speeds by 53% on average (which is slower than the 32% loss measured in previous speed tests). Like ExpressVPN however, NordVPN is gearing up for its next round of races and aiming for the trophy.
The company’s two-year VPN subscription plan costs $ 3.67 per month ($ 99 billed all at once). This price is lower than most competitors, but increases for the one-year plan ($ 4.92 per month or $ 59 total) and the monthly plan ($ 12 per month). But it has a 30 day full refund policy.
Read our NordVPN review.
ExpressVPN
Despite being the fastest VPN I’ve measured in 2019, ExpressVPN had a rough year in its 2020 speed tests. Despite constant confrontation with the industry’s biggest hitters, my tests saw the VPN provider create an overall loss of 52% of my normal internet speeds, which is a significant slowdown from their 2019 score (an incredibly fast 2% loss in speed). Since then, however, ExpressVPN has beefed up its fleet of VPN servers and switched to a new Wireguard-based protocol that could help it regain the title belt in tight competition.
In the privacy world, ExpressVPN has a solid track record, having suffered a VPN server seizure by the authorities, which proved that its zero-logging policy was true at the time. Since then, ExpressVPN has migrated to all RAM disk servers for even greater privacy protection. I also like the quality of the VPN setup guides and the detailed information in its FAQ.
Like the rest of the top five VPN services reviewed by CNET, ExpressVPN offers a useful kill switch feature. Unlike the others, however, ExpressVPN has earned points for its support for bitcoin as a payment method – something that isn’t one of the best VPN services on offer, but adds an extra layer of privacy when it comes to the payment process. of payment.
Yes, ExpressVPN is definitely going to cost you more than Surfshark. And more than most other VPNs for that matter. But that’s the price you pay for a VPN that has paid off its reputation, even when it meant the seizure of its servers during an international assassination investigation. The VPN service has been around since 2009 and ExpressVPN has a large network of fast VPN servers spread across 94 countries. Its best plan costs less than $ 7 per month for an annual plan, which includes three months free.
Read our ExpressVPN review.
Other VPNs available on Fire TV Stick
The above three services are my favorites whether you are using an Amazon Fire TV device or another device. But note that these other services are also available as downloadable apps on the Fire TV platform:
