5 Best free VPNs for Netflix that work

Netflix is one of the titans of the steaming universe. With a vast range of original content and some notable classics, there aren’t many better ways to burn away an evening.

Sadly, what you can watch depends very much on where you live. For example, the US is well known for having a huge library of content, with 5800+ TV shows and films at your disposal, whereas Georgia in Europe has just 2100 titles.

Thankfully, there is a way you can bypass these restrictions – a free VPN. Using a VPN allows you to mimic your real location by connecting to a huge range of servers in different countries around the world.

Top 5 free-trial VPNs that work with Netflix:

1. NordVPN – best free-trial VPN overall for unblocking Netflix
2. Surfshark – great VPN with a free trial for unblocking Netflix
3. Windscribe – best truly free VPN for watching Netflix
4. PrivadoVPN – good free Netflix VPN with solid security to watch Netflix
5. TunnelBear – decent free VPN that can unblock Netflix

Best free trial VPNs for Netflix – overview

We tested dozens of VPNs using criteria like performance, security, and unlocking abilities, and consistently found that premium services with a free trial came out on top.

Below is a list of our top pick free trial VPNs for Netflix in 2024:

1. NordVPN – the best free VPN for Netflix

Visit NordVPN

NordVPN delivers exceptional speeds, top-notch security and can unblock pretty much everything you can throw at it. This makes it our top pick for the best free VPN for Netflix in 2024.

You can unlock all your favorite content from any Netflix region, as NordVPN currently has over 5900+ servers in 60 countries. It’ll give you libraries in the US, the UK, Japan, and other countries.

With a provider like NordVPN, you can browse uninterrupted thanks to its lightning-fast speeds powered by its NordLynx protocol – so no annoying lag when you’re trying to stream your favorite show.

We also tested to see what other streaming services NordVPN can unblock, as so far, it's managed everything we’ve thrown at it. This means you can enjoy content on other platforms like Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, HBO Max, and more.

If you gave an Android device, you can try NordVPN for free today by signing up for its 7-day free trial – after activation, it will work on all devices. You are also protected by its 30-day money-back guarantee should you take out a monthly plan. These start from as little as $3.09/mo – excellent value for money.!

2. Surfshark – watch Netflix across multiple devices with for free

Visit Surfshark VPN

Surfshark are renowned for its excellent speeds, unlimited simultaneous connections and its capabilities for unlocking most geo-locked content. Surfshark is a top pick for unblocking different Netflix regional content, and you can do so for 37 free days by using its 7-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee.

You can watch content anywhere in the world by choosing from one of its 3200+ servers in 100 countries, on any device! Surfshark unblocks Netflix in the US, the UK, Australia, and many more countries.

There is no need to worry about annoying lag and buffering, as Surfshark consistently performed well in our performance tests. It uses the WireGuard protocol which means fast streaming and downloads on all those devices.

Surfshark is also well known for its uncanny ability to unlock literally every streaming service you can think of. So if you get bored of those new Netflix libraries, you can switch it up and watch content on the likes of Disney+, Hulu, Amazon, and BBC iPlayer.

The free trial is available on Android, iOS, and macOS devices and lasts for 7-days. After this, you can get a plan for as little as $2.19/mo and benefit from Surfshark's 30-day money-back guarantee.

3. Windscribe – 100% free VPN for watching Netflix

Visit Windscribe VPN

Windscribe offers users a very generous 10GB monthly data allowance with its free plan, which is pretty good. The speeds aren’t what you’d get with a premium provider like NordVPN, but with unlimited connections and Netflix unblocking possibilities – there is a lot to like here.

As this is a free VPN, the server list is much smaller than other paid providers, but you still get access to servers in 63 countries, which is okay. This will give you Netflix US and Netflix UK but not much more.

The speeds are more than capable of streaming content, but with its 10 GB data cap, you may not be able to watch for as long as you’d like. Should you only use Windscribe for streaming content, you can do so without lag – just keep an eye on your usage.

Windscribe can also unblock a few other streaming providers, such as BBC iPlayer and YouTube, but it isn't able to get into other services like Hulu or Disney+.

Overall, as a free VPN, this is about as good as it gets. A decent amount of data each month, unblocking capabilities, and multi-device use is a win in our book.

4. PrivadoVPN – good free VPN for Netflix with no restrictions

Visit PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN has a very solid free plan with minimal restrictions. It unlocks a range of streaming services and two major Netflix libraries (US and UK.) But like most free VPNs, it has its drawbacks in the shape of data caps and limited servers.

You can pick from 9 different countries like the US, UK, and Brazil with the free plan, which is more than most non-paid VPNs offer. However, accessing Netflix libraries other than the UK and the US might be tricky.

In terms of speed, you should be able to stream to your heart's content (but up to 10GB every 30 days) without experiencing any lag or annoying load times.

You also have the capability of unblocking Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer, should you ever get bored of the US and UK Netflix libraries. Sadly, the likes of Hulu, HBO Max, and YouTube aren’t available.

Some strong areas make PrivadoVPN a decent truly free option, with good speeds, average unblocking, and solid security. However, the one-device-at-a-time restriction is pretty annoying.

5. TunnelBear – speedy VPN for unblocking Netflix libraries

Visit TunnelBear

TunnelBear gets the basic principles of a free VPN for Netflix spot on. It’s easy to use, offers decent speeds, and allows free users to access the same server set (nearly) as premium users.

It can unblock Netflix in the US, but this can be temperamental. The major limitation is the 2GB monthly data cap, although this increases to 2GB if you tweet about the company.

On a more positive note, TunnelNear is available in 26 countries and has over + servers. Free users get pretty much the same access to all these servers as a paid member would – which we think is great. Unfortunately, only the US and the UK Netflix libraries can be unblocked.

Its speeds are decent too, and it has zero problems streaming content or downloading files from one of its many servers – but if you are a free user, we would recommend avoiding downloads, given the small 2GB data cap you’re slapped with.

TunnelBear does also allow you to access streaming platforms such as BBC iPlayer, YouTube, but no other major services are available. With that data allowance, you probably won’t be able to finish a full-length film in HD.

So while the basics are all ticked off, that data limit is making it hard to recommend above the other two free providers. You can get access to the US Netflix, which is a plus, but reports recently suggest that this is often down to trial and error.

How we tested these best free VPNs for Netflix

All VPNs differ in some way as each provider looks for additional quirks that a rival might now have. So we look through all the pros and cons to provide you with honest and accurate information on which service to pick.

Below are just some of the features we look at when testing the best free VPNs for Netflix:

• Does the premium VPN offer a free trial? Not every VPN is completely cost-free, just a select few. So we look at which providers offer a free trial so that you can test the service yourself before signing up for a paid plan.
• Is there a money-back guarantee with the paid VPN? Free VPNs are famed for their reliability, quite the opposite. Therefore we only selected VPNs that offer you a money-back guarantee should you not be happy with the service.
• How many servers are offered? Typically, you can’t select a server of choice in any location with a free VPN. Instead, you get 2 or 3 fixed locations that are popular (usually the US, UK and Japan.) So we only look at providers that allow you to select from a list of countries where you might be able to unblock Netflix libraries.
• Device compatibility. To make sure you can use your VPN, we only select those that work with all major devices – from desktop to mobile and even browser extensions.
• Data cap. Most truly free VPNs come with a data cap which means you are limited to how much you can watch. We looked for free-trial VPNs, like NordVPN, with unlimited data, meaning you can watch as much as you like in HD without annoying data limits.

How to change Netflix region with a free VPN

1. Sign up with a VPN that can bypass geo-locked content. We recommend using NordVPN, which you can try for free for 7 days.
2. Download onto your device of choice – NordVPN has app support on all major devices.
3. Connect to a server in the country in which you wish to unblock Netflix.
4. Load up Netflix and start binging!

It is as simple as that. Follow the steps above and you can enjoy a huge new range of content on Netflix.

Why free VPN might not work with Netflix and how to fix that

There is a possibility that a free VPN might just stop working with Netflix, and this can be for several reasons, such as:

• Due to the smaller number of servers, Netflix has identified and blocked your chosen server
• You might have reached your monthly data cap, and therefore will need to wait until it refreshes
• Your free VPN may not be able to bypass Netflix’s location restrictions

Try the following if any of the above occurs:

• Connect to a different server than before, to see if this hasn’t been blocked
• Delete cookies and cache from within your browser settings
• Speak to your VPN providers support team for assistance
• Upgrade to a premium service like NordVPN with no data caps

Why we recommend cheap VPNs over free ones

Using free VPNs comes with a significant amount of risk. For example, reports have found that some free providers are selling user data to third parties and advertisers – the opposite of what they are supposed to be doing.

They also lack key security features, have data caps imposed meaning restricted usage, and most struggle to bypass geo-locked content.

Instead, we suggest using a premium provider like NordVPN. There are no annoying data caps in place, they offer cutting-edge performance and security, as well as being able to unblock virtually anything you can throw at it.

You can try NordVPN for free with its excellent 7-day free trial, or, upgrade to a monthly plan and benefit from its 30-day money-back guarantee to try before you buy.

Final thoughts

So whilst free VPNs may seem particularly enticing thanks to their good value for money, we would recommend switching or sticking with a free-to-try provider like NordVPN.

Some of the names in this list are able to unlock a range of Netlfix libraries, but this is never a 100% guarantee. Netflix is very good at identifying a server and blocking it quickly, something that can be a real pain when you have so few to choose from.

You can sign up for a NordVPN plan for as little as $3.49/mo and not be limited in any way. Unblock whatever you want, with incredible speeds and amazing security.

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