The best Apple TV VPNs of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

VPNs that provide a native app for Apple TV can be used to disguise your original IP address, giving you a relatively anonymous connection and the ability to access geo-restricted content.

Your VPN can also help disguise your activities from your ISP. This can be especially important if you are on a plan that throttles your traffic when your ISP detects streaming.

See also: What is a VPN and why do you need one?

Many providers recommended in this list have been subject to in-depth testing and reviews by members of the ZDNET team. We’ve been talking about VPNs for years, spoken with their management and their users, and developed a generally favorable impression.

ZDNET tests VPN services from multiple locations, but we can’t test from all locations. Every home, community, local ISP, and nation has a different infrastructure. 

We analyzed the best VPNs for Apple TV using the following criteria to help you make an informed decision:

• Performance: Our top VPNs must have a minimum level of performance. After all, there’s no point in using a VPN while streaming if your connection continually drops or lags.
• Simultaneous connections: Many VPNs limit the number of devices you can connect to a service at the same time. If you have a phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, or smart TV you want to connect to a VPN, you need a service that allows at least five or six simultaneous connections.
• Security: There’s no point in using a VPN unless its security protocols and encryption levels are up to scratch. We also ensured the development team behind each recommended VPN cares about making security improvements over time and patching reported bugs.
• Kill switch: A kill switch prevents you from having an unprotected connection. It is an important feature for a VPN, as it protects you by preventing a return to a default Wi-Fi connection should your internet connection unexpectedly drop.
• Geo-blocks and streaming: VPNs can be key to accessing local content and services while you’re away from home. We ensured that our top recommendations performed well given these factors and are unlikely to slow down your connection while streaming. 
• Platforms: What systems and devices can you run the VPN on? Our Apple TV VPN recommendations have to offer easy-to-use and intuitive apps suitable for this hardware.
• Countries and servers: In how many different countries does the VPN have servers? This can include physical and virtual servers, and whether there are enough — at least 50 or so — to provide variety.
• Trial length and price: Each VPN we recommend has a solid money-back guarantee of at least 30 days.

For a more extensive breakdown, check out our comprehensive VPN testing methodology page.

When you are selecting your new Apple TV VPN, you need to consider the following factors:

• Price: One of the most significant factors in choosing a new VPN is the price. You tend to get the best deals on longer contracts, but you can still sign up for a month or so to try out a service if you prefer. We recommend avoiding free VPNs — with a few exceptions — as they may sell your data or bombard you with ads. Plans from reputable VPNs can often be as little as a few dollars per month, although you might have to pay tax on top.
• Simultaneous connections: If you’re paying for a VPN suitable for your Apple TV, you might still want to use it across multiple devices, such as a desktop PC or laptop. We recommend you sign up for a plan supporting at least six devices. Thankfully, many paid VPN plans now offer unlimited connections. 
• Contract length: You must also decide how long you want a VPN. A two-year term tends to secure the best prices, but other options are available, including month-to-month plans, one-year terms, or, sometimes, even five-year contracts or lifetime subscriptions. After you’ve made a selection, there’s typically a 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Apps: When selecting a VPN, try it first to ensure you like its accompanying app. Some VPNs, for example, have great desktop software but might not have a native Apple TV app available.
• Servers: When you are looking for a VPN to use with your Apple TV, it may be that the main reason is to access different libraries. So, check that the VPN you want to use has servers in the country or location you want before signing up.

No. Since 2023, Apple has provided support for third-party VPN providers, allowing these services to develop native applications compatible with its set-top box. Apple said the support was made available “to benefit enterprise and education users wanting to access content on their private networks, allowing Apple TV to be a great office and conference room solution in even more places,” but it was also good news for consumers who want the additional features and security of a VPN.

On their own, Smart DNS services offered by VPNs do not provide the same protection or security as a VPN. A VPN allows you to change your location and IP address while creating an encrypted tunnel to mask your online activities and improve your online security. By comparison, Smart DNS only changes your IP address to hopefully unblock geo-restricted content.

Probably not. Unless you want a VPN to access geo-blocked content libraries, paying for a VPN service just for your Apple TV might not be worth your money. That said, the majority of VPN providers will give you more than one connection at a time (known as simultaneous connections), and so you can use your VPN to protect your PC, smartphone, and other devices at the same time. 

While there are free VPNs and free VPN plans, the majority will come with speed, server, or device connection restrictions. For your Apple TV, we recommend that you sign up for a paid VPN plan so you don’t have issues with Smart DNS functionality, speed, or security.

First, choose a reputable VPN vendor with a strong security background. Then, to check that your VPN is working properly, compare your IP address before and after enabling a VPN connection. You can find this in your device’s settings (typically under Wi-Fi) or by visiting whatismyipaddress.com. If you see the same IP address, your VPN is probably not working properly, as a VPN should assign you a new IP address.

You can also visit dnsleaktest.com to see if any DNS leaks have been detected while using a VPN, which could be a sign that your information is being leaked. 

Finally, be careful with free VPNs offered by unknown or shady companies, especially if they are outside of official app repositories. This could open your device up to surveillance or malware. 

Apple TV VPN services are legal in the US, but the legality of using VPNs varies from country to country.

Some countries, including North Korea, Belarus, and Iraq, ban VPNs outright, whereas others, such as Russia and China, do not approve of the use of non-state-controlled VPNs.

If you intend to use a VPN in another country, and you are unsure of its legality, you can check out NordVPN’s guide.

Other VPNs offering strong speeds and stability are also worth considering for your Apple TV. While it isn’t possible to showcase every VPN, you might want to explore the options highlighted below.