Best VPNs for Apple TV in 2023
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Dovilė Jankevičiūtė
Writer
Apple TV is an excellent streaming device to enjoy your favorite streaming platforms and the unlimited content they offer. However, content geo-restrictions still apply, and the best way to bypass those blocks is with a reliable Apple TV VPN.
Up until the tvOS 17 update, Apple TV didn't support VPN apps. It's a recent update that most VPN services haven't taken advantage of yet. That means finding a suitable VPN for Apple TV is still pretty tricky.
To help you pick the best Apple TV VPN, we tested dozens of popular VPN providers. We looked at how easy these providers are to set up with Apple TV, what additional features they offer, and how well they unblock geo-restricted streaming services and other content. Keep on reading for the full list and more details.
Top 5 best VPNs for Apple TV
- NordVPN – best VPN for Apple TV in 2023
- Surfshark – budget-friendly Apple TV VPN for streaming
- IPVanish – secure VPN with an Apple TV app
- ExpressVPN – versatile Apple TV VPN to bypass geo-restrictions
- CyberGhost – Apple TV VPN with streaming-optimized servers
What features should Apple TV VPN have?
There are several criteria to consider when picking the best VPN for your Apple TV. Accessing geo-blocked content is not the only feature to consider; additionally, you need to pay attention to connection speeds, security features, and the ability to unblock streaming platforms. So, make sure your chosen VPN has these key features:
| Compatibility: | Routers, Smart DNS feature, Apple TV VPN app |
| Security features: | AES-256 encryption, kill switch, secure protocols |
| Performance | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
| Streaming features: | Unblocks Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more |
| Server fleet: | Globally various servers |
- Apple TV VPN app. The tvOS 17 update allows installing specialized VPN software onto the Apple TV. That means you'll have the best experience with a VPN that takes advantage of this newly integrated feature.
- Works on a router. You need an alternative connection method if an app is unavailable. One of these options is installing a VPN on your router. You’ll also need to make sure your router is compatible with the VPN in the first place.
- Smart DNS. Another option is Smart DNS. This clever feature enables you to stream geo-blocked content with a VPN on your Apple TV without even needing to connect to VPN. Note, you won’t get VPN benefits, like encryption, with this method.
- Fast connection speed. VPNs have a tendency to decrease your network’s speed in exchange for security. Therefore, it’s somewhat crucial to look for a VPN provider that includes an advanced tunneling protocol and offers stable and fast connection speeds to enjoy buffer-free streaming.
- Server fleet. For example, Netflix’s content differs from library to library, and some popular streaming services work in specific locations only. Therefore, you need a VPN with a geographically-diverse server fleet. Moreso, the more servers you get, the smaller your chance of using overcrowded servers is.
The best VPNs for Apple TV in 2023 – our detailed review:
There are many reputable VPNs to choose from, so to create this list, we tested a range of options on their features, price, ease of use, tech support, and more. Check out which VPNs we’ve rated as the best for Apple TV.
1. NordVPN – best Apple TV VPN in 2023
| Unblocks: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more |
| Servers/countries: | 5,900+ servers in 60 countries |
| Simultaneous connections: | 6 |
| Current deal: | Holiday Deal! Get NordVPN with 69% OFF + 3 months FREE! |
NordVPN is an excellent VPN for Apple TV. With a huge selection of servers – 5,900 in 60 countries – a wide range of features, a helpful team, and some of the best security and privacy settings found on any VPN make NordVPN the complete package.
Compatibility. NordVPN can be set up on your router, the process requires a bit of concentration, but luckily, you can find guides on the NordVPN website to show you how it’s done. Using Smart DNS is another option, and it’s particularly useful if you’re just interested in streaming and don’t require full VPN encryption. Moreso, when testing, this method got us to the wanted results quickest.
Speed. During our tests, the speeds for Apple TV were really impressive. NordVPN ensures speedy connections with its proprietary NordLynx and OpenVPN tunneling protocols, which makes it perfect for streaming HD and UHD content.
Security. With robust security features, like AES-256 encryption, a reliable kill switch to prevent data leaks, RAM-only servers, and an independently audited no-logs policy, your data will be protected and anonymous with NordVPN.
Streaming. NordVPN is one of the best streaming VPNs – it will always be able to unblock content from the main streaming sites, like Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer.
Price. You can purchase a NordVPN subscription for as low as $2.99/month and enjoy up to 6 simultaneous connections. Better yet, you can test this VPN risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Learn more about the features in our NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark – fast and affordable Apple TV VPN for streaming
| Unblocks: | Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and more |
| Servers/countries: | 3,200+ servers in 100 countries |
| Simultaneous connections: | Unlimited |
| Current deal: | Holiday deal! Get 82% OFF Surfshark + 4 months FREE |
Surfshark is an excellent VPN for Apple TV that has unlimited simultaneous connections. This means you can connect as many devices to the VPN as you want, so it’s great for sharing with family and friends.
Compatibility. Router setup can be done with the help of guides, and you can also set up Smart DNS on your Apple TV, which is the quickest way to go. You can also share the VPN connection from your computer too, but this can be troublesome without having enough technical knowledge.
Speed. Surfshark is undoubtedly among the fastest VPNs on the market using the WireGuard or OpenVPN tunneling protocols. During our tests, we could stream in HD quality on Apple TV without annoying lags or buffering.
Security. Surfshark ensures your data protection online with next-gen encryption, RAM-only servers, an independently audited no-logs policy, a strict kill switch, and other features.
Streaming. With 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, it can always unblock content on Apple TV. We’ve tested it against all of the big streaming sites and never had any trouble getting into the likes of Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Now, and Disney+.
Price. With prices starting from only $1.99/month, Surfshark is easily one of the best VPNs for Apple TV. And a 30-day money-back guarantee allows you to feel the service before fully comitting to it!
Get to know more from our Surfshark VPN review. Or see how the top options differ in our Surfshark vs NordVPN analysis.
3. IPVanish – VPN for Apple TV with advanced security features
| Unblocks: | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Disney+, and more |
| Servers/countries: | 2,200+ servers in 52 countries |
| Simultaneous connections: | Unlimited |
| Current deal: | Holiday deal! Get 81% OFF IPVanish + 3 months free! |
IPVanish is the first VPN service that has officially released a dedicated Apple TV VPN app. You can install it directly from the app store to conveniently switch between server locations. Best of all, the service is swift and reliable.
Compatibility. IPVanish is compatible with a variety of routers and has dedicated setup guides available. So making it work with your Apple TV will be really quick and easy.
Speed. With the speedy WireGuard or OpenVPN tunneling protocols, IPVanish provides stable and reliable connection speeds for a smooth and lag-free streaming experience. During our testing, the speed with IPVanish has not dropped below 80% of the original baseline.
Security. IPVanish offers all you need to protect your data – strong data encryption, an independently audited no-logs policy, a reliable kill switch, and more. So, with this VPN, you can be certain that your information will stay anonymous and protected.
Streaming. With over 2,200 servers in 52 countries, you’ll easily unblock different streaming platforms and content libraries. Additionally, during our tests, IPVanish easily accessed platforms like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and more.
Price. You can get IPVanish for $2.49/month and enjoy unlimited simultaneous connections. More so, it offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our detailed IPVanish review and get to know more about it.
4. ExpressVPN – VPN to unblock streaming content on Apple TV
| Unblocks: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more |
| Servers/countries: | 3,000 servers in 105 countries |
| Simultaneous connections: | 8 |
| Current deal: | Holiday deal! Get ExpressVPN, now 49% OFF + 3 months FREE! |
ExpressVPN is nearly a perfect VPN not only for your Apple TV but also for robust protection. It has everything you need to get the best out of your streaming.
Compatibility. ExpressVPN is one of the easiest VPNs to set up on a router. It has a dedicated router app and provides manual setup guides. For a less complicated method of unblocking streaming content, you can just go with the Media Streamer feature, which is ExpressVPN’s version of Smart DNS.
Speed. Using the Lightway protocol, we got download speeds of around 226Mbps, which is pretty close to what NordVPN and Surfshark delivered. You can also use the LT2P/IPSec protocol, too, if you’re planning on sharing a VPN connection from your Mac.
Security. ExpressVPN covers all security bases needed to protect your data online. It has AES-256 encryption, RAM-only servers, an independently audited no-logs policy, and a reliable kill switch to prevent accidental data leaks.
Streaming. With over 3,000 servers in 105 countries, during our tests, we could watch all Apple TV shows as well as those on Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Youtube, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Now, and Disney+.
Price. ExpressVPN subscription costs $6.67/month and covers up to 8 devices. Additionally, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Check out our ExpressVPN review and find out more. Or see how it fares in the NordVPN vs ExpressVPN matchup.
5. CyberGhost – streaming-optimized and affordable Apple TV VPN
| Unblocks: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ |
| Locations: | 10,200+ servers in 100 countries |
| Simultaneous connections: | 7 |
| Current deal: | Holiday deal! Get CyberGhost VPN, now 84% + 4 months FREE! |
CyberGhost is an excellent choice for Apple TV VPNs. This provider has a vast list of 10,200+ servers in 100 countries, streaming optimized servers, and can easily be set up on a router to encrypt your connections to Apple TV.
Compatibility. CyberGhost VPN can be set up on various popular routers. Additionally, this provider offers detailed guides to its users on correctly setting the VPN connection on your router so that you can secure your Apple TV connection.
Speed. With the OpenVPN set up on your router, you can expect stable connection speeds leading to lag-free HD streaming.
Security. CyberGhost ensures your security with AES-256 encryption, an independently audited no-logs policy, a robust kill switch to prevent data leaks, an ad blocker, and more features.
Streaming. If you’re looking for a reliable streaming VPN – CyberGhost is an excellent option since it can unblock all popular streaming platforms, like Netflix, HBP Max, and others. Additionally, you can pick streaming-optimized servers for better performance.
Price. You can get CyberGhost for $2.04/month and enjoy up to 7 simultaneous connections. Additionally, test this provider with an extra-long 45-day money-back guarantee.
Learn more in our detailed CyberGhost review.
How we selected and tested these Apple TV VPNs
We aim to recommend only the most reliable VPNs for seamless content streaming. The provided list of Apple TV VPNs were carefully tested and selected based on the following criteria:
- How easy is it to set up on Apple TV? Since you can’t install a VPN directly on your Apple TV, we picked VPNs that have alternative solutions like router installation, Smart DNS, and computer connection sharing.
- Speed. Apple TV is all about streaming high-quality content, so to ensure you get the best quality without any buffering, we’ve listed consistently fast VPNs for Apple TV.
- Good for streaming? Not all VPNs can unblock streaming sites, nor all of them work with streaming devices. The VPNs in this top 5 list are all proven to consistently unblock Apple TV, as well as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
- Customer support. No service is without hiccups, so in the event of tech troubles, our recommended VPNs have excellent customer support options.
- Price. It’s one thing offering a great service, but the price needs to be right too. We think our top-rated VPNs for Apple TV are all good value for money.
- Security. Keep your digital world safe with a VPN that offers top security features like encryption, kill switch, and total anonymity.
Best Apple TV VPNs compared
This is how the best Apple TV VPNs compare to each other in terms of price, server count, supported devices, and more:
| NordVPN | Surfshark | IPVanish | ExpressVPN | CyberGhost | |
| Brand |  |  |  |  |  |
| Price | $2.99/month | $1.99/month | $2.49/month | $6.67/month | $2.04/month |
| Servers | 5,900+ servers in 60 countries | 3,200+ servers in 100 countries | 2,200+ servers in 52 countries | 3,000+ servers in 105 countries | 10,200+ servers in 100 countries |
| Simultaneous connections | 6 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 8 | 7 |
| Supported devices and platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS | Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Streaming services | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more | Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and more | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Disney+, and more | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ |
| Review | NordVPN review | Surfshark review | IPVanish review | ExpressVPN review | CyberGhost review |
The best VPN for Apple TV is NordVPN. You can set it up on your Apple TV via router, share VPN-protected wifi via your computer, or use NordVPN DNS settings to access countless geo-restricted streaming content and platforms from anywhere. Besides, NordVPN also offers excellent security features such as Threat Protection for an extremely affordable price.
How to set up a VPN on your Apple TV
Even though you can’t set up a VPN on Apple TV directly, the fact is that you can still have a VPN connection on it. There are a few methods to do so, such as Smart DNS, secure hotspot, or via a router, and, luckily, not all of them require heaps of technical knowledge. For more detailed guides and tips, check out our article on how to use a VPN with Apple TV.
Where is Apple TV available?
You can get Apple TV practically anywhere in the world. That includes The US, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Middle-East, and more. You can find out what kind of Apple TV features are available in your region here.
However, if you find yourself traveling and no longer able to access your Apple TV account, it just might have happened that you’re in one of the few countries where it’s unavailable at the moment.
Luckily, there’s a workaround for this global restriction, and it’s using a reliable Apple TV VPN app to change your location. With a VPN, you can easily change your IP address location and then connect to your Apple TV account to stream your favorite content.
For this, we recommend picking a reliable VPN, like our top-rated NordVPN. It will easily unblock whatever content library you wish, has excellent connection speeds, and robust security to ensure that your data is protected and you get to enjoy streaming in HD quality.
Why my Apple TV VPN is not working?
If you’ve purchased a VPN for your Apple TV, however, you can’t seem to make it work with your device, there may be a few reasons for that:
- Your VPN is not compatible with routers
- Your VPN doesn’t have a Smart DNS feature
- Your actual IP address is visible
- Your VPN cannot unblock geo-restricted content
To fix the issue, try to out these steps:
- Check if your Smart DNS is set up correctly
- Make sure leak protection is enabled on your VPN
- Pick a VPN that’s compatible with your router
- Contact customer support for help
Using a free VPN for Apple TV
You can use a free VPN with Apple TV, but we don’t really recommend it. The majority of free VPNs come with full baggage of limitations. They’re often not as secure, and might even collect and sell your data to third parties. Small server fleets will hardly help you access Netflix anywhere except your true location. Limited connection speeds will hardly make the streaming experience smooth – with a free VPN, you can only expect lagging and poor video quality.
However, if your budget is really tight, we suggest trying out freemium VPNs. They’re much safer than completely free VPNs and are usually able to unblock quite a few streaming services. However, many freemium VPNs have quite tight data caps, which is not ideal if you plan on watching more than a few episodes of your favorite show.
If you’re looking for a full-fledged VPN, choosing a premium provider is the best way to go. Most providers offer free trials and 30-day money-back guarantees, so you don’t have to fully commit from the very start.
- NordVPN – offers a 7-day free trial for Android and iOS, as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee
- Surfshark – has a 7-day free trial for mobile apps and macOS, and you can use the 30-day money-back guarantee too.
Can I use AirPlay with a VPN on my Apple TV?
Using AirPlay with a VPN on your Apple TV is possible. In fact, it is quite easy. One way to do it is to connect your iPhone or Mac to a VPN using a VPN application, or to a VPN-protected wifi network. Then, connect your Apple TV to the same Wifi network. Once you find the video you want to watch on your phone or computer, tap on the mirroring icon you see on your iPhone or Mac screen, and choose Apple TV.
Conclusion
Next time you switch on your Apple TV, get the best streaming experience by connecting a VPN too. You’ll open up a whole new world of content on all your favorite streaming services. Geo-restrictions will be a thing of the past!
Not only that, but you’ll also get a selection of security and anonymity features. You’ll stay protected from cyber threats, and your ISP won’t be able to see what you’re doing online.
Based on our tests, the best VPN for Apple TV is NordVPN. It’s compatible with routers, has a Smart DNS feature that you can set up on your Apple TV, offers a large server fleet, and excellent performance results. With this VPN, you get to access various popular streaming platforms and enjoy streaming in HD quality.
More VPN guides from Cybernews:
Best VPNs for Roku: access content from anywhere
Best VPNs for Amazon Fire Stick: fast & anonymous streaming
Best VPNs for Nvidia Shield TV: fast speeds and strong security
FAQ
What VPN works best with Apple TV?
NordVPN works best with Apple TV. It's compatible with routers and has the SmartPlay feature that helps you bypass geo-restrictions. Moreso, its NordLynx tunneling protocol and large server fleet ensures a lag-free experience.
How do I change my VPN location on Apple TV?
After you’ve installed a VPN onto your router, all you have to do is go into the VPN settings and then change the VPN server address on your router.
Does Apple TV block certain websites?
No. But some websites may not be compatible with Apple TV’s browser, or the website might block you from accessing content based on your location. A quick fix for this is to use a recommended VPN, like NordVPN or Surfshark, to hide your IP address.
Can I put a VPN on my Apple TV?
Apple TV doesn’t support VPN apps, but you can use a VPN on your Apple TV by setting it up on your router, by sharing VPN-protected wifi from your PC hotspot, or by casting on Apple TV from your phone or Mac while connected to a VPN server.
Why doesn’t Apple TV allow a VPN?
The reason why your VPN is not working with Apple TV is that the streaming service you’re trying to access is blocking the IP address of your VPN. Many streaming services such as Netflix, Max, and Hulu consistently block the IP addresses of known VPNs. To fix this issue, you can try connecting to a different VPN server.
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