It's quite common for content producers to limit access to their works to a particular geographic location due to copyright, pricing, and licensing issues. Unfortunately, this is also the reason why streaming providers like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO GO limit their library based on the location of the user accessing it.
To get around this restriction, you'd need a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Below is a list of the best VPN for geo-blocking you can find today.
Surfshark
Lightweight and easy-to-use, Surfshark is probably one of the best beginner-friendly VPNs out there. It is also one of the most-reasonably priced on the market today, which at less than $2.50 per month is an absolute steal. Unlike other VPNs, Surfshark allows their subscribers to connect different devices onto one VPN connection, which would make it a great VPN to use for families.
- Can connect multiple devices simultaneously
- Has a no logs policy - doesn't keep logs regarding customer activity
- Very low price
ExpressVPN is VPN is a top pick just for the sheer amount of features that it provides upfront. With leak protection, split tunneling, strong cutting-edge privacy protocols- you would literally find everything you'd need to secure your privacy online with ExpressVPN. It has over 3000 servers located in 9 countries, so you'd always have a server to jump to should you wish to mask your IP
- Has a kill switch that will prevent any form of IP leaks
- No bandwidth or speed limits when it comes to streaming
- Strong encryption protocols
NordVPN's popularity is rightly earned. Among other well-known VPNs, NordVPN probably has the most expansive network of them all. The company has a whopping 5000 servers located in 60 countries. It doesn't matter where you are in the world or what kind of restrictions your country is imposing on your Internet connection, NordVPN can easily bypass them all.
- Operates a very expansive VPN network
- Incredibly fast connections
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Though not as well-known as the others on this list, Cyberghost is still a VPN to watch out for because of the quality of the services they provide. It boasts military strength encryption- their network uses AES 256 bit encryption to ensure that your data is safe from ISPS, hackers, and other third parties. There's also a kill switch to prevent IP leaks, and an ad blocker so that you can browse safely on the net.
- Lots of extra security features
- Can be installed on all platforms and operating systems
- Very generous 45-day money-back policy
Despite its funny sounding name, HideMyAss is probably one of the best VPN for geo blocking out there. It is a veteran in the VPN field, its reputation backed by years of reliable service and satisfied customers.
It doesn't matter what you use it for- whether it's for gaming, dating, torrenting, or just plain browsing- HMA can hide your data and unbock any kind of location-restricted content you run into.
- HMA's servers are optimized for high speed connections
- Very strong encryption
- Supports multiple devices on 1 VPN connection
ProtonVPN is also a VPN provider that you can consider. And probably one of the best things that sets ProtonVPN apart from other providers is that it actually provides a free version that you could use to try out the service.
Though the free version is not quite as effective as the paid version, it's still something you could use if you have minimal VPN needs.
- Free version available
- Available for all devices
- Uses AES 256-bit encryption
FAQ
Will restrictive countries come after or fine people who use VPN on their soil?
The answer is... it depends on what country you're in. The greater part of the world allows its citizens full use of VPN services from commercial third-party providers, while there are some who have taken a hard stance against it. Usually, the countries that outright ban or penalize VPN usage are also the same countries with heavy government restrictions on Internet use.
A few examples would be China, North Korea, and Russia.
If you're traveling overseas, better check your destination country's laws regarding Internet and VPN usage to stay on the safe side.
Can VPN be used to bypass internet speed throttling?
Yes, it definitely can. Throttling is when someone with admin privileges over a network deliberately slows down a user's Internet bandwidth, thereby resulting into slow Internet speeds. This happens when an an ISP or a government restricts access to sites and online services that they deem to be illegal and offensive.
It could also happen when an ISP would deliberately slow down access to competitors' services and sites. In most of these cases, a VPN can successfully bypass the throttling done on a user's network.
Am I safe to use VPN to download torrent files?
Torrenting over a VPN is pretty safe. While torrenting itself isn't actually illegal, downloading copyrighted material through it isn't. This is why ISPs are very strict regarding the use of BitTorrent and other P2P (peer-to-peer) clients using their networks. With a VPN, your ISP won't be able to tell whether you're torrenting or not since all of your internet activity will be hidden.
In this regard, choose a VPN that doesn't log your activity on their network and is fast enough to handle large downloads if you're going to torrent.
Can VPN provide faster internet even if my current internet is super slow?
Most of the time, using a VPN will decrease your internet speed. The extra processes of encryption and rerouting to different servers can cause a noticeable decline in connection speed. A VPN can only hide your activity, not increase the amount of bandwidth that is made available to you by your ISP.
However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. A VPN may speed things up if your ISP is actively throttling your connection (especially when you're downloading through torrents or streaming high def videos). In this case, a VPN will solve the internet throttling issue and make your connection faster.
How does VPN set strong encryption?
A VPN encrypts through a "tunneling" process. In a normal connection, the data that you and a server exchange with each other can be viewed by your ISP and any other third parties who might want to intrude.
A VPN provides a protective "tunnel" in which you can send and receive data to a server safely, thus hiding your data from the rest of the internet. The VPN encapsulates the data, turning it into an encrypted format that can only be read by the receiving server.
Can VPN hide my data while using IG, FB or other social media apps?
If you're voluntary sharing your personal information with a social networking site (like your real name, nicknames, pictures, things that you like, etcetera), then a VPN will be useless.
Using a VPN will provide you with privacy and limited protection from data thieves, but it won't provide you with anonymity nor hide your identity from other people.
What a VPN can do is encrypt your data (which would've revealed a lot about your browsing habits and information about the device and internet connection that you're using) and hide your actual IP address.
Does VPN prevent IP leaks?
If you've chosen a VPN from our best vpn for geo blocking list above, then you wouldn't have any problems with your IP leaking onto places itIf you've chosen a VPN from our best vpn for geo blocking list above, then you wouldn't have any problems with your IP leaking onto places it shouldn't be. An IP leak is what happens when your VPN fails to hide your IP address.
But fret not, most high quality VPNs have safeguards in place. If you like to check if your VPN is working as it should, then simply head over to a site like https://ipleak.net/ and check if your IP changes before and after connecting to your VPN. If it changes, then you're pretty safe.
Does VPN allow internet gamers to access unique servers limited by their current ISP?
Yes, it does. Aside from the aforementioned benefits that we've mentioned above (letting people bypass IP throttling, hiding your activity from ISPs), using a VPN is also great for gamers. There are a lot of online multiplayer games out there that group their players into region-based servers.
If your VPN allows you to "spoof" your location based on your IP, you could access these region-locked game servers.
If your gaming friends live oceans away from you, you could hop on a server that is located in or near their country, which will reduce ping and latency whenever you play.
Does VPN allow access of different streaming content?
This is in fact one of the most common reasons why people use VPNs. Some streaming providers (like for example, Netflix) usually provide different content depending on where you are located.
A Netflix user living in the USA would have movies available to them that other Netflix users living in other countries wouldn't have. So if you want to view these US-locked movies, you can choose a VPN server located in the USA, thereby masking your real IP with a US IP address.
Check out here for some FREE VPNs recommended for Netflix
