Popcorn Time is a great app for watching free movies and TV shows online. But under its butter-smooth interface, Popcorn Time is essentially just a BitTorrent client, so a VPN is essential. In this guide, we’ll show you the best VPNs to use with Popcorn Time and why.
The Best VPNs for Popcorn Time at a glance
Here’s a quick look at the top 5 VPNs our experts recommend using with Popcorn Time. For more information on these providers or some alternative choices, click here.
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ExpressVPN
– The best VPN for Popcorn Time. It’s often at the top of our speed test and has has amazing security. Perfect for streaming Popcorn Time. -
NordVPN
– has high speeds, great security and a dedicated P2P server list within their app so you can easily find the right server for Popcorn Time. -
CyberGhost VPN
– An easy to use VPN that works great with Popcorn Time. Offers apps for Android and iOS to stream Popcorn Time on mobile. -
Private Internet Access
– A VPN to keep you secure on Popcorn Time. It keeps no logs & is packed with features to access Popcorn Time safely. -
Surfshark
– A Popcorn Time VPN that’s packed with value. You get fast speeds, servers in over 63 countries & excellent unblocking capabilities.
Get ExpressVPN the best VPN for Popcorn Time
Due to the enormous amount of copyrighted material available for streaming with Popcorn Time, content producers know the site is basically a constant hive of people infringing on their copyrights. Because of this, the streaming platform has garnered a lot of attention, which can sometimes result in users receiving cease and desist orders if they are unlucky enough to get found out.
For this reason alone, we here at ProPrivacy.com and Popcorn Time itself as well strongly recommend that users first connect to a VPN before streaming movies and TV shows on the platform.
Because Popcorn Time is essentially a BitTorrent client, there are some important features to look out for when choosing a VPN to use with the service. Make sure the VPN service you choose from this guide offers:
- Robust encryption
- P2P torrenting
- A functional kill-switch
- Fast data speeds to stream in HD
Ideally, you should only subscribe to a VPN that can meet all the above criteria – as it represents the minimum acceptable standard for streaming with such a service. A no-logs VPN (or zero-logs policy) will provide an additional layer of security, and won’t monitor your internet usage. Instead, it’ll keep your Popcorn Time usage entirely private. On top of this, it’s crucial to make sure your VPN doesn’t have any leaks! You can test your VPN for leaks with our VPN leak testing tool.
With these criteria in mind, let’s take a deep dive into the best available VPNs for Popcorn Time.
The Best VPNs for Popcorn Time | In-depth analysis
The list below takes an in-depth look at our top 10 Popcorn Time VPN services – recommended by our experts who have reviewed 100+ VPNs.
The Best VPN for Popcorn Time: ExpressVPN is our #1 pick. A consistently fast & secure service which is great for streaming HD content without buffering.
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Pricing
From
$6.67 –
$12.95 -
Speeds
- 54.39 Mbps
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Available for
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
ExpressVPN offers both high levels of security and blazing fast speeds for torrenting, making it an ideal option for Popcorn Time. In addition, the service uses the OpenVPN protocol implemented to the highest standards. It has apps for all platforms, can reliably unblock popular streaming services such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer, and provides a high level of customer care via 24/7 live chat support. If you’re not happy with the service for any reason, ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with no questions asked.
ExpressVPN may be an expensive choice, but we think it’s worth every penny, considering all that you’re getting with your subscription. It’s a feature-rich service with amazing customer service, fantastic speeds, and rock-solid security. Try it for yourself and test out its new Lightway protocol for an even faster and more secure VPN experience.
NordVPN is a very secure service, they offer users great features like dedicated IPs and it’s affordable
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Pricing
From
$3.71 –
$11.95 -
Speeds
- 87.40 Mbps
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Allows torrenting (P2P)?
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Available for
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
NordVPN is one of the best VPNs for Popcorn Time thanks to its generous speeds and affordable pricing, particularly if you grab the three-year subscription offer. It is a great pick for those who are looking to use a VPN for P2P downloading and grants an allowance of six simultaneous connections, which will enable you to share an account with friends. 24/7 customer support will keep you clear of most problems and a 30-day money-back guarantee ensures that you will never go unhappy with NordVPN.
CyberGhost is the easiest VPN to use with Popcorn Time. Regardless of what device you use to stream on Popcorn Time, you can rest assured that CyberGhost has a slick VPN app for you.
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Pricing
From
$2.81 –
$13.47 -
Speeds
- 33.96 Mbps
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Allows torrenting (P2P)?
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Available for
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
CyberGhost makes it easy for VPN veterans and newbies alike to stream content on Popcorn Time securely in just a few clicks. Its handy pre-screen interface allows you to select your activity preference and will adjust the VPN settings to suit your intended activities. There are ‘unblock streaming’ and ‘torrent anonymously’ options included in the pre-screen, and you’re free to play around with these settings to figure out which one gives you the best performance for Popcorn Time.
CyberGhost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee and also gives you the ability to unblock popular streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer. With that said, it does lack obfuscation (stealth) technology, so it’s not ideal for users in countries where VPNs are banned. For everyone else, it is a robust VPN that offers tremendous value for money. Try it for yourself and see why CyberGhost holds up against some of the best providers out there.
PIA is a secure, yet fast Popcorn Time VPN. This speedy service guarantees a zero-log policy, so you can stream knowing that your data is staying secure. True peace of mind.
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Pricing
From
$2.84 –
$11.00 -
Speeds
- 34.34 Mbps
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Allows torrenting (P2P)?
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Available for
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a US-based provider, and despite America’s intrusive stance on privacy, PIA curbs these woes by keeping a zero-log policy. This is something the company has successfully proven in court on multiple occasions and means that you can be sure that no identifiable data can ever be scraped by intrusive third-parties or accessed by authorities. With servers in 76 countries worldwide and strong OpenVPN encryption, this is a great VPN for streaming with Popcorn Time.
PIA has long been a favorite among the privacy community because of its low-cost and high-security offering. It offers apps for all platforms and allows for lots of customization – letting you tailor the VPN to your exact needs and specifications. You can put PIA to the test yourself with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and 24/7 customer support is on hand via live chat if you need it.
Surfshark is the newest VPN on our Popcorn Time list. But, it knows how to deliver with watertight privacy and excellent speeds from streaming content in HD.
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Pricing
From
$2.49 –
$12.95 -
Speeds
-
Allows torrenting (P2P)?
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Available for
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
Surfshark is a superb VPN that’s only been around for a few years but has wasted no time making massive waves right across the VPN industry. Despite being relatively new, this service is already being highly praised by consumers for the overall quality of its offering. The VPN is very easy to use, and it has apps for all platforms. For people who are new to VPNs, the service has excellent setup guides and 24/7 live chat support to help out whenever help is needed.
With Surfshark, you get a robust zero-logs policy, which means that it never, ever stores records of what you stream or download online. And because it has a kill-switch, it is ideally suited to using Popcorn Time and other Torrent clients as well. We’re really impressed with Surfshark because it is a superb fully-featured all-rounder that is also incredibly affordable. Besides strong privacy and security features, this VPN can unblock Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Prime Video, and many other popular streaming services from all around the world. And because of its fast servers in more than 63 countries, you can easily stream in HD without buffering.
Best of all? Surfshark allows its subscribers to use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices simultaneously, meaning that you can use it on all your devices at home and on public WiFi. It’s an excellent VPN that you can test and compare thanks to its generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
VyprVPN is great for streaming Popcorn Time. This versatile provider has it all: speed, security and features, including a kill-switch, all packed into a sleek app.
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Pricing
From
$2.50 –
$12.95 -
Speeds
- 29.43 Mbps
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Allows torrenting (P2P)?
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Available for
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
VyprVPN is a service based in Switzerland that prides itself on providing high-quality privacy services. The VPN has apps for all major platforms that come fully-featured with absolutely everything you’d need in a VPN for Popcorn Time. A kill-switch ensures that if the VPN connection accidentally drops out for any reason, you do not leak any unencrypted data to your ISP. As a result, you can feel free to stream or download torrent movies on Popcorn Time without fear of getting a strike.
VyprVPN also has obfuscation for concealing VPN use and getting around firewalls. And it has strong OpenVPN encryption. We love how versatile VyprVPN is; it is fast enough for gaming, streaming in HD, and doing VoIP calls. Plus, this VPN can unblock iPlayer, Netflix US, Hulu, and other desirable global streaming services. It’s definitely worth taking for a test run using its 30-day money-back guarantee.
PrivateVPN is one of the best value VPNs for Popcorn time on this list. For $1.89 a month you get a fast VPN that is good for unblocking, streaming & torrenting.
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Pricing
From
$1.89 –
$7.12 -
Speeds
-
Allows torrenting (P2P)?
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Available for
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
PrivateVPN is an excellent VPN provider based in Sweden that is ideally suited to downloading torrents privately. This VPN has robust apps for all platforms and provides military-grade OpenVPN encryption. This ensures that your Popcorn Time streaming activity is completely private and secure at all times.
Thanks to the VPN kill-switch, you can be sure that you will never leak unencrypted data to your ISP. Plus, PrivateVPN has obfuscation for concealing VPN use and getting around firewalls or bandwidth throttling. PrivateVPN has super-fast servers in over 60 countries, and it is one of the few VPNs that unblocks a massive choice of Netflix catalogs from around the globe. We enjoy this VPN because of its ability to unblock more content than most other VPNs. Plus, this VPN has live chat customer support to help you get the VPN working with any service you want.
It’s a fantastic VPN that is easy to use on any system. You can try it yourself to compare it to the other recommendations thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.
IPVanish is a great P2P VPN making it ideal for Popcorn Time. It’s fast, secure and comes fully loaded with features to help you stream with total privacy.
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Pricing
From
$6.49 –
$10.00 -
Speeds
- 47.32 Mbps
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Allows torrenting (P2P)?
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Available for
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
IPVanish is a US-based provider that has a solid no-logs policy. This means that no matter who approaches the VPN, it will never have any information about what its subscribers have done online.
This VPN is fast, which means it is good for downloading content and streaming. And it has servers that permit torrenting in over 75 locations around the globe. This makes it perfect for getting the best possible speeds – no matter where you live. Where privacy is concerned, this VPN is at the top-end of the market. It implements robust OpenVPN encryption and comes with advanced features such as a kill-switch and XOR obfuscated (stealth) servers. This makes it ideal for using Popcorn Time in complete secrecy.
We enjoy this VPN’s software, which is easy to use on any platform. And we like that users can install and use it on an unlimited number of devices at the same time. It’s a useful VPN that can be tested risk-free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.
SaferVPN is robust and reliable, earning it a spot on our VPN for Popcorn Time list. It’s built with security in mind, but as a result can sometimes suffer on speed.
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Pricing
From
$2.50 –
$12.95 -
Allows torrenting (P2P)?
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Available for
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
SaferVPN is another fantastic provider at the top end of the VPN industry. This provider is based in Israel, a country famous for its expertise in all matters of cybersecurity and data protection.
With SaferVPN you get access to servers in 52 countries, and those servers are fast enough for downloading and streaming content in HD. However, please bear in mind that this VPN isn’t as fast as some other providers in this guide. The apps are available for all platforms, and it provides strong encryption to protect your privacy as you use Popcorn Time. SaferVPN comes with a kill-switch to ensure you don’t accidentally leak unencrypted data to your ISP.
A solid VPN that you can test using its money-back guarantee. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you will need to connect to the Netherlands server to torrent content on Popcorn Time (which may make it a bit too slow depending on where you live).
StrongVPN is a great Popcorn Time VPN thanks to the speeds it offers. This VPN is a regular on our fastest VPNs list and you can connect 12 devices at once.
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Pricing
From
$5.83 –
$10.00 -
Speeds
- 31.82 Mbps
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Allows torrenting (P2P)?
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Available for
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
Anybody who understands that speeds are important for using Popcorn Time – or for torrenting and streaming – is going to be on the lookout for a VPN that has fast Tier-1 servers.
With StrongVPN, you get a service that is consistently one of the fastest VPNs in the world, month after month. With StrongVPN you get secure apps for all platforms and you can install and use the VPN on up to 12 devices simultaneously with one subscription plan. Where privacy is concerned, this VPN has a strong no-logs policy to ensure it never has any data to hand over to the authorities – even if it is served a warrant.
However, this VPN only has a kill-switch on Windows, so this VPN will probably only be suitable for Popcorn Time users on a Windows machine. If that is you, then this VPN is definitely an excellent option for Popcorn Time. Well worth testing using its 30-day money-back guarantee.
The ultimate guide to Popcorn Time VPNs: Everything you need to know
If you’ve already tried accessing Popcorn Time, you’ll know that the site recommends that you use a VPN. However, you might wonder if you really need a VPN to stream content on Popcorn Time.
As it is, you definitely do. We’re here to tell you why, so let’s start with the basics!
Why do I need a VPN for Popcorn Time?
A VPN will hide what you get up to online from your internet service provider (ISP) and will prevent anybody else on the web from knowing who you are. These are the two most important reasons why you’ll need a VPN for Popcorn Time.
At the heart of it, Popcorn Time is basically a polished BitTorrent client. This means that instead of streaming a movie from a centralized server (as you do with KODI, for example), the movie is hosted by everyone who is watching or downloading it.
This lack of centralization means that there are no servers that can get raided or operators that can be arrested. However, it also means that everyone watching or downloading the same movie or TV show knows exactly who you are. This is because their BitTorrent client needs to know (and can therefore see) your real IP address. This is exactly why you shouldn’t use Popcorn Time without a VPN. When you connect to a VPN, you will be using the IP address of the VPN server you are connecting through instead of your actual IP address. This will effectively shield your true IP address from other Popcorn Time users.
If you’re new to the world of VPNs or torrenting, we can help you get up to speed with our handy guides:
How does a Popcorn Time VPN work?
A VPN service works like this: the VPN provider operates a network of secure servers, and these servers are typically located all over the globe. You connect to the VPN’s servers via a secure encrypted connection. As a result, the people sharing the same torrent file as you will see the IP address of the VPN server you’re connected through, and not your real IP address.
This is a deceptively simple process, but it protects you when you use Popcorn Time because:
- Copyright holders (and anyone else on the internet) cannot see your actual IP address or who your ISP is because the VPN server blocks their “view.” All they can see is the IP address of the VPN server. This IP address is shared among many (sometimes hundreds) of other VPN users, making it virtually impossible to tell who did what.
- Your ISP cannot see either your data (because it is securely encrypted between your device and the VPN server) or what you get up to on the internet because the VPN server acts as a proxy, beyond which your ISP cannot see.
Popcorn Time still says I need a VPN?
When you access Popcorn Time and pick a movie to stream, you will see the following message regardless of whether you are connected to a VPN or not:
You’re being monitored! Streaming without a secure VPN connection will expose your identity and can get you in trouble. Please take 1 minute to activate the built-in unlimited VPN connection before streaming.
You should be aware that this is more of an advert for Anonymous VPN
than a warning.
Provided you are connected to one of the recommended VPNs in this guide and you have confirmed it is working with our leak test tool, you should be all set to go.
If you are concerned about your safety when using Popcorn Time or other BitTorrent-based sites, there are some helpful tips to be found in our guide to torrenting safely.
Using Anonymous VPN with Popcorn Time
Whereas Popcorn Time may recommend Anonymous VPN
for Popcorn Time, we do not.
There are many other cheaper, faster, and more secure VPNs available on our list, and we would recommend that you use one of these services over Anonymous VPN.
Can you use a free VPN with Popcorn Time?
Simply put, no. There are no free VPNs that offer the combination of privacy, security, data speed, and the lack of restrictions required for a seamless and truly secure Popcorn Time experience.
Free VPNs that offer “unlimited” speeds and data invariably come with a catch: if the product is free, then you’re the product, as the saying goes. Free VPN services have been known to monitor and sell user data and information to third parties for marketing purposes. This completely defeats the entire point of a VPN, since you need your VPN to protect your privacy, especially when accessing a service like Popcorn Time. We’ve reviewed many free VPNs over the years, and unfortunately, the vast majority almost never meet our standards.
The free VPNs that are worth using are designed to give users a taste of the providers’ premium services with the hope that users will upgrade to a paid subscription plan. Because of this, they’re often limited in terms of speed, server locations, and data capacity. This means that you may be stuck with sluggish internet speeds that cut out entirely after a set amount of usage.
A good VPN doesn’t have to be expensive, and there are plenty of cheap VPN services that offer great online privacy and security. If money is an issue, then can always check out our free VPN hack for Popcorn Time guide to see how you can get the most out of a VPN service without having to spend your money.
Using a VPN with the Popcorn Time App on Android & iOS
All the VPNs we recommend in our guide all offer the same superb service for both iOS and Android. You simply need to check out and download the appropriate app through the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store, depending on what kind of device you have.
Then, just run the VPN app, load up Popcorn Time and you’re ready to start streaming!
Can I use a VPN when casting Popcorn Time?
The short answer is… yes.
Popcorn Time allows you to stream from your device to a big screen via Chromecast, Airplay, and DLNA. Most VPN apps exempt local network addresses from the VPN so you can access stuff like WiFi printers and LAN drives when the VPN is running.
Assuming this is the case with your provider, then you can cast Popcorn Time content over your local WiFi network with no problems.
If for some reason your provider’s software routes local network connections through the VPN, then you may not be able to connect to your cast-enabled devices. The good news, however, is that most generic VPN software will allow you to bypass the VPN for local networks.
Above, we’ve demonstrated the settings in OpenVPN for Android edit VPN connection -> Routing.
FAQs
Conclusion
Due to Popcorn Time’s lack of centralized servers, it’s a necessity that you invest in a VPN before checking out any new TV shows or movies. With a VPN, you can mask your online activity and conceal your true IP address, and thereby gain real privacy. Luckily, there are plenty of VPN providers out there.
So, now that you have all the information you need to stream Popcorn Time with a VPN safely, let’s review our top picks:
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ExpressVPN
– The best VPN for Popcorn Time. It’s often at the top of our speed test and has has amazing security. Perfect for streaming Popcorn Time. -
NordVPN
– has high speeds, great security and a dedicated P2P server list within their app so you can easily find the right server for Popcorn Time. -
CyberGhost VPN
– An easy to use VPN that works great with Popcorn Time. Offers apps for Android and iOS to stream Popcorn Time on mobile. -
Private Internet Access
– A VPN to keep you secure on Popcorn Time. It keeps no logs & is packed with features to access Popcorn Time safely. -
Surfshark
– A Popcorn Time VPN that’s packed with value. You get fast speeds, servers in over 63 countries & excellent unblocking capabilities.