Best free VPNs for Netflix in 2023

Netflix is known for regularly updating their tools to block VPNs from accessing different content libraries. Therefore, finding a VPN that works with bypassing Netflix’s restrictions is already difficult enough. Luckily, numerous premium VPN providers do manage to unblock Netflix; better yet, several free VPNs also work.

We’ve tested all premium VPN providers that offer free trials, plans, and extensive money-back guarantees with unblocking different Netflix libraries. We checked how many libraries were accessible to us, the streaming quality, and overall performance.

Top-notch free VPN alternative for Netflix

NordVPN is the best risk-free alternative to stream Netflix libraries for free. Try it out with a free 7-day trial for Android users and a 30-day money-back guarantee with premium plans.

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• Super fast speeds
• SmartPlay technology
• Servers in key Netflix areas

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So, we have compiled a list of the best free Netflix VPNs, both free and paid ones, with trials and money-back guarantees. Keep reading to find which one’s right for you!

Top 5 best free VPNs for Netflix

1. NordVPN – best free trial VPN to watch Netflix
2. Surfshark – top Netflix VPN with IP protection and a free trial
3. ExpressVPN – versatile Netflix VPN with extensive security features
4. Atlas VPN – reliable VPN to watch Netflix for free
5. Proton VPN – stable free VPN to watch Netflix

How to unblock Netflix with a VPN for free

1. Download a Netflix VPN, such as NordVPN.
2. Register an account or sign in.
3. Choose a Netflix library and connect to a server based in that country.
4. Open Netflix and enjoy 30 days of watching shows risk-free.

Best free trial VPNs for Netflix – our detailed list

There are many VPNs that claim to unblock the most popular streaming platforms for free, but in reality – not many of them do. For that reason, we have carefully tested at least a dozen of products to list the best free VPNs that work with Netflix for you.

1. NordVPN – best VPN to watch Netflix with a free trial

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NordVPN is definitely one of the best VPNs to watch Netflix wherever you go and free of charge. Here’s the feature suite you’re going to get:

• Free trial version for mobile. Android and iOS users get to access all the VPN’s features for up to a week. For this, you have to be a new user or use an existing account that’s not on any subscription and download the app from the app store.
• Broad server fleet. You can enjoy unblocking over 21 Netflix libraries by choosing from 5,900 servers in 60 countries that are in key areas, like the US, the UK, Japan, and others.
• Fast speeds. NordVPN supports the NordLynx protocol to ensure fast download speeds and no buffering – during our tests, it retained around 90% of the initial speed. It’s one of the most efficient options available.
• Streaming. Streaming. NordVPN is perfect for Netflix. It works seamlessly with the UK and the US libraries and unblocks the notoriously well-protected Japan location. In total, the provider unblocks 21 Netflix libraries. And it also does so flawlessly. While it depends on the location, we didn't experience lag or lengthy loading times during our tests. Besides Netflix, with this VPN you can also access global content on other popular streaming platforms: Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, and others.

To start watching Netflix for free, just claim a NordVPN free trial by signing up. After a free trial week, you can keep watching Netflix risk-free, as the provider also has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Find out more about its features in the NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark – free trial VPN to enjoy Netflix on multiple devices

Visit the Surfshark website

Another pick from our top list is Surfshark VPN. Let’s take a look at what it has to offer:

• Unblocks around 30 Netflix libraries for free. It has over 3,200 servers in 100 countries that give you access to American Netflix, and other popular regions.
• Superb speeds. This VPN supports the WireGuard protocol, which will give you some of the fastest download speeds. We tested it out and found that Surfshark can retain up to 86% of the initial speed.
• Access to global content. Thanks to the SmartDNS feature, you can watch Japanese Netflix or any global content on your Smart TV or other streaming devices.
• Other must-have VPN features. Surfshark also offers split tunneling (for selecting which apps to connect to the VPN), specialty servers, unlimited simultaneous connections, and more.
• Streaming. Surfshark can provide access to multiple Netflix libraries. You can stream US, UK, Germany, Japan, and other libraries. The best part is that there were barely any drops in resolution or latency. As a result, Surfshark is excellent for streaming Netflix.

Get a Surfshark free trial by registering an account and enjoy all of these perks. It works with Android, iOS, and macOS devices, and you can use it for up to 7 days without any charges.

Keep watching Netflix after the trial expires – just don’t cancel the subscription. Use the 30-day money-back guarantee and continue enjoying your shows for another month risk-free.

Read up on this provider in the full Surshark VPN review, or fare it against the #1 in our Surfshark vs NordVPN comparison.

3. ExpressVPN – versatile Netflix VPN with a free trial

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ExpressVPN is another excellent premium Netflix VPN with a free trial. This VPN has an extensive fleet of servers in 105 countries, meaning not only can you unblock Netflix US or Japan, but there are even more libraries to freely enjoy.

• 7-day trial. ExpressVPN offers a free trial for mobile devices that allows you to test all of the features and tools available with the premium subscription. Alternatively, you can also use the 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Excellent connection speeds. ExpressVPN offers its own proprietary tunneling protocol – Lightway. Based on our tests, with Lightway, you can retain up to 77% of the initial connection speed. Meaning that you’ll get to enjoy a lag-free Netflix viewing experience.
• A VPN for all of your devices. With this VPN, you can have up to 8 simultaneous connections. Moreover, you can use the service on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS operating systems, also set it up on routers and streaming devices.
• Other must-have features. With an ExpressVPN subscription, you’ll also get a reliable kill switch that will prevent accidental data leaks, a Threat Manager that will block trackers and other online threats, and even a password manager to secure your credentials.
• Streaming. During our tests, ExpressVPN unblocks most of the Netflix libraries on the first try, including the US, UK, Japan, French, and many more. In addition to that, ExpressVPN also works with various other streaming platforms, including Hulu, HBO Max, and others.

You can get ExpressVPN free trial for mobile devices if you’ve had no previous subscription beforehand. After downloading the app from the app store and creating your subscription, you can get the app on other devices as well.

If you’re not certain about this VPN yet, you can check out how it compares against the top two providers on this list on our ExpressVPN vs NordVPN or ExpressVPN vs Surfshark comparisons.

Get to know more about this VPN from our ExpressVPN review.

Best free VPNs for Netflix – our detailed list:

If you don’t have the budget to invest into a premium VPN or simply want to try one out, completely free VPNs for Netflix are also an option. We tested the free servers of each VPN and looked at whether they can unblock content libraries:

1. Atlas VPN – excellent VPN to watch Netflix risk-free for a month

Visit the Atlas VPN website

Atlas VPN is another great provider which can help you unblock Netflix for free and access up to 11 libraries with the premium plan.

Let’s see what more it has to offer:

• Server count. The free plan offers 3 server locations – 1 in the Netherlands, and 2 in the US. Additionally, the paid plan extends that to 1,000 servers in 42 locations with the possibility of unlocking up to 11 Netflix libraries.
• Compatibility. Atlas VPN is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. It can also help you unblock other streaming platforms, like YouTube or BBC iPlayer.
• Security. The free plan comes with a strict no-log policy, IPSec/IKEv2 and WireGuard protocols, AES-256 encryption, and a kill-switch.
• Unlimited simultaneous connections. Watch Netflix for free on multiple devices, as Atlas VPN provides unlimited simultaneous connections.
• Money-back guarantee. Even though Atlas VPN has a functional free plan, you can always make use of its 30-day money-back guarantee that allows you to try all its premium features free of charge for a month.

Find out more about the provider in our Atlas VPN review.

2. Proton VPN – VPN with free 30-day access to global Netflix libraries

Visit the Proton VPN website

Proton VPN is yet another trustworthy free VPN that can unblock up to 3 Netflix libraries. Here are a few more features it has to offer:

• Free plan. ProtonVPN’s free plan comes with 3 server locations (Japan, the United States, and the Netherlands),1 simultaneous connection, and unlimited bandwidth and data resources. Additionally, paid services offer 1800+ servers in 66 countries and unlock up to 10 Netflix libraries.
• Good speed. Since this VPN offers a WireGuard protocol, you can expect fast download speeds with no buffering while watching your favorite shows.
• Privacy protection. Even the free Proton VPN version offers a strict no-logs policy.
• Streaming. Alongside Netflix, Proton VPN can also unblock other streaming platforms like HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, or Disney+. More so, it works with Android TV and other streaming devices too.

If you want to access more than 3 Netflix libraries for free, you should subscribe to a paid version with no limitations and claim a refund before the 30-day money-back guarantee expires.

Read more about the provider in the full Proton VPN review.

How we tested these free Netflix VPNs

Just as premium VPNs differ in terms of their service quality and features, free VPNs also aren’t all the same. So, we have picked at a least a dozen of products for testing and carefully selected the best ones according to the following criteria:

• Free trial. Not all VPNs are free indefinitely, in fact, some of them might allow you to enjoy the services only for a few days without paying. We made sure to select VPNs with the longest free trial periods so you could complete watching your Netflix shows without any worries.
• 30-day money-back guarantee. Free VPNs are often known to be unstable in terms of their capabilities. One day they might work with Netflix, other days they don’t. So, we selected the best VPNs that also allow you to upgrade to premium versions and get a full refund within 30 days. This way you can access advanced streaming features risk-free.
• Country selection. Usually free VPNs do not allow you to select specific countries. Instead, they automatically pick the servers in the nearest country to you for the best connection. This way you cannot access your desired Netflix libraries. Therefore, we listed only those VPNs that let you manually choose countries and watch the shows that you want.
• Compatibility. The offered products are compatible with all major platforms. So, you can access Netflix on both desktop and mobile devices to enjoy the content wherever you go.
• Security. We included the most secure VPNs in this list. This means that all providers offer advanced AES-256 encryption and market-leading tunneling protocols, like OpenVPN or WireGuard. Plus, we made sure there would be a strict no-logs policy.
• Streaming. We tested how well providers can unblock Netflix. The best VPNs for streaming can unblock all libraries and provide a lag-free, full HD streaming experience.

Free Netflix VPNs compared

Rating	4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆	4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Data cap	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	5 GB per month	Unlimited
No. of Netflix libraries	21	30	20	3	3
Unblocks other streaming services	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Free trial	7-day	7-day	7-day	Unlimited	Unlimited
30-day money back guarantee	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅

Winner

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How to unblock Netflix with a free VPN

There’s no coding or secret ingredient on how to unblock Netflix with a free VPN – all you have to do is connect to a server. And if you’ve never done that before, here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you out:

1. Get a free VPN that can bypass restrictions of Netflix. We recommend NordVPN, which comes with a 7-day free trial.
2. Download the app and sign up.
3. Connect to a server – choose the country according to which Netflix library you want to access.
4. Launch Netflix and start binge-watching!

That’s all it takes to change your IP address and bypass geo-restrictions of Netflix. Enjoy!

Unblock Netflix with NordVPN

How to use Netflix with a free VPN trial

You can use a freemium VPN to unblock different Netflix libraries. The possibilities will be more limited since free VPNs have fewer servers available. However, the best freemium VPN can bypass Netflix’s geo-restrictions. Here’s how:

1. Download a free VPN and install it. We recommend Atlas VPN free plan.
2. Sign up for your account.
3. Connect to one of the available servers – in the Netherlands on the US.
4. Head over to Netflix and enjoy streaming.

That’s all it takes to unblock Netflix with a freemium VPN.

Honourable mention: Netflix VPN with longest money-back guarantee

The VPN with the longest money-back guarantee is Norton VPN. It comes with an extensive 60-day money-back guarantee. Ideally, that would be the perfect VPN to enjoy unblocking various Netflix libraries for free. However, this VPN doesn’t work that well with bypassing Netflix’s geo-restrictions.

Our in-house testing shows Norton VPN can’t bypass Netflix’s geo-restrictions. We’ve tried out multiple servers, and all of them lead to the same results. Therefore, there isn’t even a way to stream Netflix with this VPN for free with the extra-long money-back guarantee.

Tips on how to unblock Netflix with a free VPN

Since Netflix has a strong anti-VPN technology, it often blocks IP addresses that are sharing dozens of connections. Unfortunately, free VPNs do not always have the necessary resources, like obfuscated servers to fight back and users end up being unable to access Netflix. If this is the case, you might see the following error message:

However, you shouldn’t give up already. There are still a few things you can try if you encounter problems with your Netflix VPN:

• Try different servers. Netflix identifies VPN servers by tracking the ones with the highest numbers of simultaneous connections. If many people are using the same free VPN server as you, there’s a high chance that it will be blocked and you won’t be able to watch your series. In this case, you should try connecting to a different server that doesn’t share so many connections. It might take a while to find one, but you can definitely get lucky.
• Clear cookies and cache. Websites collect various information, including your true location, and that data might pinpoint Netflix that you’re using a VPN. If you can’t access your desired library, you should clear your browsing data. For that, you can use our guide on how to clear cookies and cache on most popular browsers.
• Disable IPv6 addresses. The majority of free VPNs are using IPv4 while websites – IPv6 addresses. So, if you’re trying to access the site with a VPN running on IPv4, it will reroute your traffic through an external IPv6 server revealing your real IP address. In this case, you have two options: either use a VPN with IPv6 support, like NordVPN, or block IPv6 on your device.
• Use customer support options. Even though VPN service providers usually offer customer support only for users with paid subscriptions, there are useful how-to guides and community forum answers that you can access on their website. You can try finding relevant articles about streaming that might help you find which servers work best with Netflix.

Why free VPNs might be dangerous

It’s important to mention that free VPNs might be dangerous if they come from untrustworthy providers. So I highly advise you to check information about the developer before downloading a free VPN. Otherwise, here are a few potential risks you might encounter:

• Excessive logging. While VPNs are mainly used for privacy protection, free tools are often known to collect large amounts of user data. This way, the providers can either use it to deliver targeted advertisements or resell users’ information to third parties. To avoid this, carefully read the Privacy Policy and check if it’s a no-log VPN.
• Malware. The worst-case scenario of using an untested VPN is to actually get ransomware instead of a security tool. Cybercriminals often create various types of malware that resemble legitimate software and then distribute them on dubious websites as free products. Therefore, you should only download free VPNs from official developers and verified sites.
• Intrusive ads. Another way how free VPNs can remain free of charge is through affiliate marketing. In simple terms, their products are packed with intrusive ads for products of partner companies. Unfortunately, the advertised tools could potentially lead to adware and spyware distribution sources.

Check out our full guide detailing the main differences between free and paid VPNs.

Free Netflix VPNs that don't unblock Netflix

Unfortunately, there are free VPNs that don’t unblock Netflix. These include the following:

• Hide.me VPN. It only offers servers in 4 countries and does not unblock Netflix.
• Avira Phantom VPN. The free version manually selects the countries for you and also doesn’t unblock Netflix.
• AVG Secure VPN. This VPN was not capable of bypassing Netflix location restrictions.
• ZoogVPN. The free version of ZoogVPN doesn’t work with Netflix.

Best free Netflix VPNs according to Reddit

Reddit users have different experiences when using free VPNs with bypassing Netflix’s restrictions. Some recommend Atlas VPN as the best free VPN for accessing various Netflix libraries since this VPN is known to be secure, have stable connection speeds, and can bypass content restrictions.

For other users, a free VPN service is too limiting. Since even freemium VPNs come with data caps and fewer servers. So, out of the premium VPNs on the market, Reddit users recommend NordVPN and ExpressVPN as the best premium options to bypass Netflix’s restrictions and enjoy unlimited content possibilities.

Conclusion

Finding a free Netflix VPN is truly hard. Especially when there are so many tools that not only are unable to unblock Netflix but also might be dangerous to use. Luckily, premium VPN service providers have multiple options on how you can change the Netflix region for free.

For instance, NordVPN offers a free trial for Android users. So, you can easily install this VPN to watch Netflix shows on your smartphone for free. Additionally, if you want to use it on your desktop device, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee that you can also make use of.

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