10 Best VPNs for Amazon Prime (2020) That Really Work. 5 Paid and 5 Free Services Rating
There's an easy way to get around Amazon Prime's geo-restrictions. To do this, just install a VPN app or VPN add-on. In this review, I will talk about the best VPN services that are most effective for streaming Prime Video.
- Overview
- VPN for Prime Video streaming
- The best VPN for Amazon Prime Video based on 3-month testing
- Free VPN for Amazon Prime: Possible, But With Big Limitations
Amazon Prime Video is the second most visited streaming video service after Netflix. As of April 2020, the number of its viewers totaled more than 98 million people. The service works in almost all countries, but the available content may be different depending on the region.
Not surprisingly, millions of users are looking for a way around these restrictions. The most effective and easiest solution to the problem is Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Let's look at 10 VPN services to unblock Amazon Prime geo-restricted content. 5 of them successfully passed 3-month testing on a real test account. 5 others do not have stable efficiency, but, on the other hand, they are shareware.
- ExpressVPN: It scored the most points during testing. All regions support. Stable speed for 4K. Works on all platforms, including TV.
- NordVPN: Also works with all regions. Interesting thanks to WireGuard protocol support, which provides a “save mode” on mobile devices.
- Surfshark: The cheapest VPN that supports Amazon Prime. At the same time, somewhat lags behind ExpressVPN and NordVPN in terms of efficiency.
- CyberGhost VPN: It has special streaming servers with US content support.
- UnblockUS: It is not a full virtual network. It’s suitable only for streaming. Effective performance in 16 regions.
- TunnelBear: The only free VPN to date that supports streaming stably. Only 1500MB per month for free.
- Windscribe: Despite the fact that the service has a completely free plan, Amazon Prime support is only possible for the first 7 days.
- SaferVPN: Used as an add-on for Chrome. 24 hours and no more than 500 MB free monthly.
- VyprVPN: Free trial VPN with a 3-day free period.
- HMA: 7 days of free use, high speed. A subscription is possible with a subsequent refund in the first 30 days.
- In 2020, there were no full-fledged ways to bypass geo-restrictions for free, as Redditors reviews also testify. The remaining solutions are only suitable for rare or one-time use. However, in most cases, with poor video quality and frequent buffering.
Read on and you will learn about the three ways to unblock Amazon Prime, the features of its operation, and more detailed information about each of the presented VPN providers.
Overview
Amazon Prime, like any other modern streaming video service, operates within the framework of laws that protect licensing agreements with publishers of broadcast content. Because of this, many films, series and television shows are not available for all countries.
The most comprehensive list of movies is available to residents of the United States and United Kingdom. There is also specific content broadcast only to residents of India and so on.
In addition, there are regions where Amazon Prime Video is not available at all. These are countries such as Mainland China, North Korea, Iran, and Syria. If you are going to these countries, then you just cannot do without a VPN.
Take a look at the map that shows VPN search activity for Prime Video by countries:
As you can see, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore and UAE are the most active. In total, people in more than 30 countries of the world are puzzled by the search for VPN.
Are there universal VPNs that are suitable for all countries, including the countries where the use of VPN services is limited?
Sure there are!
But before I go on to describe these providers, I want to suggest you choose one of three ways to use them.
Three ways to set up and use a VPN for Prime Video streaming
I should note that the first way is suitable for all platforms. The second one is only for desktop computers and laptops running Windows or Mac. The third one has significant shortcomings.
VPN app installation
Regardless of the device and OS used, this method always works. The table shows the pros and cons of a VPN app installation.
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Pros
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Cons
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VPN add-on installation
If you watch Prime Video on your computer, the easiest way is to install add-on on your web browser.
It is also effective for streaming, but easier to install and use.
Pros and cons of using a VPN add-on for Amazon Prime
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Pros
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Cons
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Installing a VPN on the router
The last way is to install a VPN on the router. As a rule, this is done only when watching Amazon Prime Video on Roku and PlayStation and TV platforms that do not support the installation of a VPN.
Pros and cons of using a VPN on the router for Amazon Prime
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Pros
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Cons
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So, the easiest way to start a VPN in a web browser is the most universal and at the same time almost the same simple way - install a VPN app. It makes sense to use the router if your device does not support the first two methods.
The Best VPN for Amazon Prime Video based on 3-Month Testing
ExpressVPN scored the most points in the study of more than 40 VPN services. It is also the best VPN for Chrome, Firefox, Android, iPhone and some other platforms.
Read more about all 5 of the best VPNs for Prime Video.
Comparison of the main features of VPN services that support Prime Video
| Service | Ranking out of 10) | Speed, Mbps | Country selection | Number of servers |
Platforms support | Price (monthly |
| ExpressVPN | 10 | >100 | 94 | 3000+ | All | $6.67-12.95 |
| NordVPN | 10 | >60 | 59 | 5800+ | All | $3.49-11.95 |
| Surfshark | 9 | >50 | 63 | 1700+ | All | $1.99-11.95 |
| CyberGhost VPN | 8 | 40-70 | 90 | 6000+ | All | $2.75-12.99 |
| Unblock Us | 8 | unlimited | 16 | - | Desktops | $4.16-4.99 |
1. ExpressVPN
Main advantages
- High speed
- Perfect stability
- All regions available (20+ tested out of 94)
- All devices support
Overview
ExpressVPN has everything you need for comfortable streaming of videos in the best quality on any device. Testing showed the speed on European servers to be above 150Mbps. Even on the usually overloaded American servers, the provider showed a speed higher than that of most competitors.
The service provides software for all OSs and platforms, so it can be launched in all three ways that I talked about above.
Analysis of Reddit reviews confirms the results of my research. Most of Amazon's video unblocking posts and comments are positively colored.
Price:
The table lists the ExpressVPN tariff plans.
| 1 month | 6 months | 1 year | |
| Price (monthly) | $12.95 | $9.99 | $6.67 |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Read also:
2. NordVPN
Main advantages
- 5800+ servers in 59 countries
- Visualized selection of locations
- Obfuscation (works in UAE and other countries with censorship)
- Progressive WireGuard protocol
Overview
Though NordVPN is a bit inferior in terms of its average speed to ExpressVPN, it is still more than enough even for Ultra HD video.
At the same time, the provider has additional advantages. It supports the most productive WireGuard protocol to date, which is especially useful on mobile devices, as it reduces the load on the processor and extends battery life. At the same time, it affects the maximum speed to a lesser extent than, for example, the classic OpenVPN protocol.
It supports all OSs, routers and has browser add-ons.
Price:
The table lists the NordVPN tariff plans.
| 1 month | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years | |
| Price (monthly) | $11.95 | $6.99 | $4.99 | $3.49 |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Read also:
3. Surfshark
Main advantages
- The best combination of price and quality
- Large selection of countries (62)
- Unlimited devices per subscription
- NoBorders (Obfuscation)
Overview
With Surfshark, you can significantly save money and at the same time gain access to all popular regions of the video service. However, it is really cheap only on a long-term subscription, but you can always return the money using the 30-day return guarantee or by initially purchasing a short subscription.
I have been following the work of this provider for about two years since its appearance in 2018, and during this time there have been no cases where it did not support streaming.
It works on all major platforms, including web browsers and routers.
Price:
The table lists Surfshark VPN plans.
| 1 month | 1 year | 2 years | |
| Price (monthly) | $11.95 | $5.99 | $1.99 |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Read also:
4. CyberGhost VPN
Main advantages:
- 6200+ servers
- American Amazon Prime
- Dedicated IP
- Split tunneling
Overview
The largest VPN service CyberGhost VPN also offers the ability to bypass geo-restrictions. For this, it even has a special list of “For streaming” servers, in which you will find many supported video services and TV channels. As for Prime Video, CyberGhost VPN has 1 server in the US.
During the tests, I repeatedly had problems with access to amazon.com:
At the same time, with a successful connection, it was possible to change the region.
In addition to this problem, I want to note a more significant load on the processor when used on Windows.
Price:
The table lists the CyberGhost VPN tariff plans.
| 1 month | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years | |
| Price (monthly) | $12.99 | $5.99 | $3.69 | $2.75 |
| Money-back guarantee | - | 45 | 45 | 45 |
Dedicated IP connectivity is available for an extra-charge of $ 5 per month.
Read also:
5. Unblock Us
Main advantages
- Doesn’t affect speed
- CPU free
- Doesn't provide software
- Small selection of countries
Overview
Unlike classic VPNs, Unblock Us is a service specifically designed for streaming. It does not encrypt or protect the Internet connection. It will only change its settings so that video services open access to the desired region.
To use Unblock Us, you need to manually change the system settings of the device, which can cause difficulties for inexperienced users. Connection management is carried out through a panel on the service website.
From my experience, I will say that Unblock Us is most convenient to use on a router.
Price:
The table lists the Unblock Us tariff plans.
| 1 month | 1 year | |
| Cost | $4.99 | $49.90 |
| Money-back guarantee | - | - |
Read also:
Free VPN for Amazon Prime: Possible, But With Big Limitations
In 2020, there are no completely free VPNs without restrictions. And for streaming, even with limitations, finding a suitable service has become quite difficult. My tests showed that you can unblock Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and other popular resources for another region with TunnelBear.
Other free VPNs are worse or don’t work at all.
Look at the example that clearly demonstrates the difference between paid and free services:
You see a screenshot taken using the hide.me VPN app. This is a provider with a good free plan, but when you use it (I'm connected to a VPN server in the US), watching the selected movie is possible only with a surcharge.
And in the following screenshot, I also connect to the US, but already using NordVPN:
It copes with the change of region.
I found similar problems on most free providers.
Read on to find out about 5 services that work for free with Prime Video (some of them are free trial VPN).
Free TunnelBear
Main advantages:
- High speed
- 20+ countries
- 1500Mb traffic per month
- Good Premium Subscription
TunnelBear helps circumvent geo-restrictions, but its 1500MB traffic limit is only for single use. I note that at the same time you will not be able to watch the video in the best quality, since with Full HD and Ultra HD you need more than 6GB for a movie lasting 1.5 hours:
TunnelBear doesn’t support routers, so it is not suitable for TV platforms that aren’t compatible with Android.
Free ProtonVPN
Main advantages
- Unlimited traffic
- Supports streaming only for the first 7 days
- Average speed
- Routers support
Although ProtonVPN is the best VPN service for most tasks, streaming is poorly supported. This only works for the first 7 days of use, while the trial period of the Pro plan is valid. After that, viewing Prime Video is only possible with a paid subscription, which, by the way, successfully copes with this task.
Read also:
Free SaferVPN
Main advantages:
- Monthly trial period available
- Used as add-on for browsers
- Average speed
SaferVPN is suitable as a free solution only if you plan to use it one day or no more than 500MB monthly.
VyprVPN
Main advantages:
- 3-day free trial
- Average speed
- Routers supports
VyprVPN is a typical representative of free trial services. With it, you can unblock streaming video during the first three days of use. Supports Netflix, Prime Video and other services.
Read also:
HMA (HideMyAss)
Main advantages:
- 7-day free trial
- Unblock US content
- High speed
HMA is notable for its high speed during the trial period and the high price of a paid subscription. When streaming, it best copes with the US region.
So, we've discussed the basic ways to unblock Amazon Prime content, which is too expensive or inaccessible to the user's main region. If you have comments or your personal experience in this matter, share them. Thanks to them, I will be able to provide the most relevant and complete information.
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