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An overview of the test results of VPN services for bypassing Amazon Prime’s geo-restrictions (January 2022)
How do I unblock content for any country from Amazon Prime Video, one of the largest streaming services in the world? How can I bypass its blocking? Which VPN services are most suitable for these tasks and why? We will answer these and other questions.
Table of contents:
Amazon Prime is the second most visited video service in the world, only inferior to Netflix in its number of registered users. That said, it is the largest streaming site that offers a free trial. But you will not have access to all the service’s video materials, since without a VPN you can only watch the content that is available in your region.
Unblocking Prime Video’s geo-restrictions is even harder than unblocking Netflix.
Get the Best VPN for Amazon Prime Video
Few VPN services support it.
We tested 5 dozen VPNs - only 5 of them were able to successfully bypass Prime’s geo-restrictions. Another 5 free services are suitable for temporary unblocking. They do not give any guarantees; rather, their effectiveness is accidental.
* In 2022, there were no VPNs that could fully bypass Prime Video geo-restrictions for free, which is also evidenced by these Redditors’ reviews... The suggested free solutions are suitable only for rare or one-off use. In most cases, with poor video quality and frequent buffering.
Read on to learn about three ways to unblock Amazon Prime Video, how they work, and more details on each of the featured Amazon Prime VPNs.
At the end of 2022, Amazon Prime had over 157 million users worldwide. Like any other modern video streaming service, it operates under laws that protect licensing agreements with broadcast content publishers. Because of this, many films, series, and TV shows are unavailable in certain countries.
The most complete list of films is available to residents of the United States and Great Britain. There is also specific content that is broadcast only for Indian residents and so on.
Therefore, many users of Amazon's streaming site seek to expand the list of video material available to them by gaining access to content from other countries.
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 travel to these countries, then you simply must have 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 the United Arab Emirates are the most active. In total, people in more than 30 countries around the world are searching for a VPN for Amazon Prime.
Are there effective VPNs that are suitable for all countries, including countries where VPN use is restricted by law?
Of course, there are!
Below, we’ll take a look at the VPNs for Amazon Prime that have proven to be effective.
But before we get into the descriptions of these providers, I suggest that you choose one of three ways to use them.
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.
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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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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Cons
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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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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.
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 | Speed, Mbps | Country selection | Number of servers |
Price (monthly |
| ExpressVPN | >100 | 94 | 3000+ | $6.67-12.95 |
| NordVPN | >60 | 59 | 5800+ | $3.29-11.95 |
| Surfshark | >50 | 63 | 1700+ | $2.49-12.95 |
| CyberGhost VPN | 40-70 | 90 | 6000+ | $2.25-12.99 |
| ProtonVPN | >80 | 61 | 1540 | $4.99-7.49 |
Main advantages
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.
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:
Main advantages
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.
The table lists the NordVPN tariff plans.
| 1 month | 1 year | 2 years | |
| Price (monthly) | $11.95 | $4.92 | $3.29 (2022 Winter promotion) |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Read also:
Main advantages
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.
The table lists Surfshark VPN plans.
| 1 month | 6 months | 2 years | |
| Price (monthly) | $12.95 | $6.49 | $2.49 |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Read also:
Main advantages:
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.
The table lists the CyberGhost VPN tariff plans.
| 1 month | 1 year | 2 years | |
| Price (monthly) | $12.99 | $3.99 | $2.25 |
| Money-back guarantee | 45 | 45 | 45 |
Dedicated IP connectivity is available for an extra-charge of $5 per month.
Read also:
Main advantages
You'll like ProtonVPN for three reasons:
We tested Amazon Prime for 5 regions. The result is positive in all cases.
ProtonVPN is also suitable for anyone looking for the ultimate online privacy. On the same tariff plan that supports streaming, they also offer special protected locations in a bunker in the Swiss mountains and support for Tor over VPN.
The table lists the Unblock Us tariff plans.
| 1 month | 1 year (monthly) | 2 years (monthly) | |
| Cost | $7.49 | $5.99 | $4.99 |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 | 30 | 30 |
ProtonVPN gained popularity primarily due to its free plan, which is the best among the free VPNs. But the free plan doesn't work for Amazon Prime Video. When trying to visit any popular streaming site, a warning appears that this is only possible on a paid plan.
Read also:
In 2022, 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).
Main advantages:
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.
Main advantages
I was able to access a US location while testing Hide.me. The connection speed was sufficient for streaming high-quality video, but from time to time the playback would stop for buffering.
The provider is the best of the free VPNs that include bandwidth limiting.
Read also:
Main advantages:
SaferVPN is suitable as a free solution only if you plan to use it one day or no more than 500MB monthly.
Main advantages:
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.
Main advantages:
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:
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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Leave a comment
I just had a chat with Surfshark which I have used for awhile now. It used to work as a bypass on Prime but not anymore. Even though it's on the app bypass list on my Amazon Firestick, gonna let it run out. Still works on the phones. Just a note I had to get them to turn off auto renewal on the account, can't do it yourself, kinda sus...?
Amazon blacklists the IP addresses of many VPN servers, that's why I use only premium services like Express or Nord. They easily fix the Amazon Prime HTTP proxy error. Free VPNs works not so well with Amazon Prime Video. So you need to pay for vpn if you want to unblock region-locked services like amazon or netflix.
I'm new to Amazon prime video, so thanks a lot for CyberGhost VPN, haven't heard of it before, gonna give it a try! I used NordVPN and for some reason it didn't work for me, no idea why. I live in Asia, maybe there's someone in a similar situation? What would you recommend? I heard I need to connect to specific servers, maybe that's the reason?
What about HotspotShield? I'm currently using it since I like fast connections it provides and its low price. I'd like to know if it's a good alternative to the other services you mentioned and if you can recommend it for further use?
I can't watch prime video when I travel abroad. Outside of my home country, the US, only a reduced selection of Prime Video titles is available. NOT FAIR! I want to watch all videos outside the US. Your recommendation is to install VPN? Ok. I'll give NordVPN a try. My colleagues at work also recommended me this vpn provider.
None of the Amazon Prime VPNs works for me. I don't know what the issue is but it gets blocked every time I try to get free access. Are there any other alternatives?
I can't wait for Making Their Mark on Amazon Prime Video. This documentary about Australian Football League is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and I can only access limited Amazon titles based on the country you are living in. WTF??? I don't want to use a VPN because VPN will slow down my internet. You say that ExpressVPN is the fastest one? All right. I'll give it a try. Thanks for your review!
I use ExpressVPN from this list, really happy to finally find a proper service. Their tech support is neat, they answer within an hour or so. I think it's the best choice for Amazon and other streaming services. Before that, I used Safer VPN and I didn't like it much. A lot of the time it won't connect to different servers including Amazon. Maybe, only I had this issue, no idea. As for the rest, thanks for the info. Especially for the setting up instructions, I had issues with installing on the router.
VPN is needed when you are wishing to watch Amazon Prime content that is not available in your country. 99,9% of their content is available in my country so I use free SaferVPN add-on for Chrome 2-3 times per year to avoid restrictions. If you need to use VPN services regularly you should try premium VPN services like VyperVPN or NORD since they have a lot more locations and servers. Amazon detects your location and compares it to your account's shipping address. If your IP is from the same country, city, or state no flag will be raised. VPN usage can lead to your account getting suspended, so be careful and read their terms of usage.
Got exactly the same issue for a long time. Just couldn't get access to Amazon Prime and been trying to find a decent VPN that will work to help me get it. I'm now using ExpressVPN and Surfshark, switching them from time to time. The good and convenient thing is, there's no need to change IP manually. I also tried to use Unlocator, it said it could change the routing but it didn't. The good thing was that there was 7-day trial version. Anyways, you can try these variants and choose the best one yourself. Hope it'll help.
PureVPN is also not too shabby when used with Prime.
I use Amazon Prime for a long time already but a VPN I use is not working. The system detects I use a VPN and blocks access to the service. What can be wrong?
I use NordVPN. This VPN is not bad for Amazon Prime I can say. But there’s an issue I face any time I try to watch Amazon Prime Video through Firefox browser. Amazon detects me using a VPN and blocks access to the content. I tried different servers (of course US-based). When I use the same server through different browsers, the result is different. Chrome is ok, Firefox – no access to Amazon Prime. What’s wrong with it?
Based on my private experience, I can say that if you want to use Amazon Prime, ExpressVPN is the best tool! Perfect speed, all the advanced features work properly. Well, yes, it’s a bit more expensive than other services but it’s worth it. Besides, I hope one day they’ll create a longer-term plan with a bigger discount.
Hey Dean, hope you’ll help to solve the problem I’ve faced. The matter is that I download torrents though Surfshark. It serves to prevent troubles with ISP and unblock best torrent trackers. But when I start streaming Amazon Prime movies, the system detects I’m using a VPN. Split tunneling doesn’t help. Is there any other good VPN that works with Amazon Prime and torrenting?
Don’t repeat my mistakes. I’ve started using Amazon Prime with VPN when my account on Amazon was already created. When I changed my location, my membership was in doubt. Luckily, my Amazon subscription was about to be over. That’s why I’ve subscribed once again while being connected to the network through a VPN. And you know it works!!! Now I use Amazon Prime library to the full. I can watch videos I previously couldn’t:) As for speed, I have no issues with it. No buffering was observed. The VPN I use in NordVPN. It’s also good for many other services that restrict their content for non-American residents. For example, Netflix. In general, I recommend it for Amazon Prime unlimited streaming.
ExpressVPN is really good for Amazon. But after using it for one year, I’d like to find a VPN that works with Amazon Prime and has a lower price (okay with a longer-term plan). I want the same speed and access to content. Are NordVPN or Surfshark as good as Express?
Proton VPN user reporting in. Unfortunately, it gets recognized as a proxy on iOS by Amazon Prime. It didn’t use to be this way though. Any idea of what I can do?
To put it mildly, I’m disappointed by the work of ISPs these days. We pay for the service (access to the internet) and in their turn, they block sites and content, spy on their users, and so on. That made me use VPNs. I’ve started with PureVPN for Amazon Prime streaming. But the service worked correctly only on Windows:( I couldn’t stream Amazon Prime video on my Chromecast. So I had to look for smth compatible with other devices. I tried ExpressVPN. Although a VPN cannot be installed on Chromecast itself, it can be easily set up on a router.
That’s a nice and helpful review! I want to put in my two cents too since maybe this bit of advice will also help some users. Anyway, sometimes you get the video is currently unavailable in your region message even when you use a VPN from this list or another good VPN. Luckily, it’s not hard to fix: just change the server you are connecting to and use a different one. It works for me every time and I’m able to watch whatever I want from my region!
