A VPN for Kodi is becoming an essential tool, as life for Kodi users has become increasingly hard in recent years. Kodi Box sales are banned on many platforms, add-ons and servers have shut down, IP addresses have been blocked, and users have been chased by copyright holders. But, with a VPN, Kodi remains a viable streaming option. Read on to find out more.
What are the Best VPNs for Kodi services?
If you’re just after a quick answer, you can find a sneak peek of our experts’ favorite VPNs to use with Kodi below. If you would like more information on any of the services listed, scroll on down, or check out our full reviews for an in-depth analysis of each provider.
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ExpressVPN
– the best VPN for Kodi. You get a secure, fast and versatile service. Everything you need to stream Kodi safely without any buffering. -
NordVPN
– a top-tier VPN for Kodi without the top end pricing – we recommend checking out the wealth of features they offer. -
Ivacy
– a VPN with apps for all platforms and a custom Kodi VPN app to make things easy. -
Surfshark
– the cheapest VPN for Kodi on our list. You get excellent speeds to handle HD streaming, and it works with most major streaming services. -
Private Internet Access
– the most secure Kodi VPN on our list. It has a proven no-logs policy, loads of privacy features, & excellent encryption.
The key features Kodi users need from a VPN are:
- Security & privacy
- Fast speeds
- Allows P2P
- Easy to set up
Based on the criteria above, our experts have reviewed over 150 different VPNs and have chosen the top 5 to use with Kodi. Let’s take a closer look at the best VPNs for Kodi.
5 best Kodi VPNs in 2021 | In-depth analysis
With any VPN for Kodi, the devil is in the detail. All of which you can find in the detailed list below:
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Kodi. It’s extremely secure and super fast, so you can stream without buffering. It also has great privacy features to keep you protected when using Kodi.
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Pricing
From
$6.67 –
$12.95 -
Available on
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
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Unblocks
- Netflix
- iPlayer
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
ExpressVPN is a secure VPN provider based in the British Virgin Islands. It is perfect for Kodi because it is consistently one of the fastest VPNs in the world, boasts a strict zero-logs policy, and implements strong encryption. ExpressVPN has apps for all platforms that have advanced privacy features like a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation. With all these different moving parts, you’d think that leaves more room for error, but errors are rare with ExpressVPN. In any case, you’ll have access to excellent 24/7 live chat support so you can get help at any time if you ever need it.
Besides a regular Android app, ExpressVPN has an Android TV app that is also available on the Fire Stick via the built-in Amazon Appstore. This makes it easy for users to access its service on any device. And ExpressVPN allows subscribers to connect up to five devices simultaneously with a single account!
ExpressVPN is also suitable for torrenting, which makes it a great all-rounder, and it will easily let you unblock IPTV content thanks to its servers in 94 countries. In fact, it is one of the few services that actually unblocks BBC iPlayer and Netflix US. We love using this VPN to stream because it doesn’t cause buffering. And it has just released its new Lightway protocol for even faster speeds! Overall, it’s a great service you can try risk-free thanks to its money-back guarantee.
NordVPN is a cheap service that offers fantastic features, and it can unblock most streaming services – including Kodi.
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Pricing
From
$3.71 –
$11.95 -
Available on
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
-
Unblocks
- Netflix
- iPlayer
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
NordVPN is a no-logs VPN service, based in Panama. This is a good location for a VPN service to be based as it is outside the direct area of influence of the NSA and its Five-Eyes spying partners. In addition to keeping no logs, NordVPN offers a shed-load of bells and whistles that should keep any VPN user happy.
NordVPN’s main security features are listed below:
- XOR obfuscation – This is especially useful if you plan on using a VPN in countries with high levels of censorship.
- Double hop VPN – Giving you two layers of encryption by encrypting your data twice.
- Tor over VPN – You can use this VPN with Tor browser.
- CyberSec – Which uses DNS blocklists to protect you from unwanted ads, malware, and more.
On the Kodi front, NordVPN allows IPTV streaming on its servers, and has apps for both all major platforms including Android TV / FireTV. Speed performance is fine for streaming. All its apps are secure, although users of the older but more fully featured OpenVPN Mac OSX app (as opposed to the newer IKEv2 macOS app) should disable WebRTC in their browsers.
NordVPN allows up to six devices to connect simultaneously, offers 24/7 live chat support, and gives you a full refund up to 30 days after purchase. It is also shocking cheap if you buy a longer-term subscription.
Ivacy is a fast VPN that’s perfect for streaming content privately on Kodi.
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Pricing
From
$1.00 –
$9.95 -
Available on
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
-
Unblocks
- Netflix
- iPlayer
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
Ivacy is a no-logs VPN based in Singapore that’s been on the market for a while now. The service is particularly good for Kodi users because it has strong privacy features and super-fast servers in over 100 locations around the world. It even has its own custom Kodi VPN app for OpenELEC, which makes setting it up super easy. And it has exceptionally well-made guides for setting up and using the VPN with Kodi on a number of different devices and platforms (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux).
Ivacy’s competitive pricing starts from as little as $2.40/month, and key privacy features include Smart Connect, an internet kill-switch, and a dedicated Kodi app. With more than 1000 servers in over 100 locations, Ivacy is extremely impressive and you can trust it thanks to its watertight no logs policy. Well worth trialing using its money-back guarantee.
Surfshark is the cheapest VPN for Kodi on our list. For $2.49 you get lots of bang for your buck, including excellent unblocking power and speeds for streaming HD content.
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Pricing
From
$2.49 –
$12.95 -
Available on
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
-
Unblocks
- Netflix
- iPlayer
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
Surfshark is an outstanding VPN that is perfect if you are short on cash but want to stream on Kodi without worries. And, even though Surfshark comes in at a very affordable price point, it is a highly effective and secure service that will provide complete privacy from your ISP. Surfshark has fast servers in over 60 countries, which means you can easily access IPTV services that are blocked, and it is fast enough to let you stream in HD.
Impressively, considering the low cost of a subscription, Surfshark lets you connect an unlimited number of devices at once. This means it is great for families or people who own a lot of devices. Kodi users will appreciate the split tunneling feature available in the Windows and Android apps, which allows you to protect just the Kodi app (and any others you want to protect) while using your internet normally for other stuff.
If you like to run Kodi on your Amazon Fire Stick, then there is some more good news. Surfshark lets you download the app’s APK direct from its website so you can easily sideload it. Surfshark has no problem with people torrenting on any of its servers, and it has no issues with people streaming with Kodi. It’s definitely the VPN to go for if you are on a budget, and you can test it yourself using its 30-day money-back guarantee.
Private Internet Access is the most secure Kodi VPN on our list. It has proven its no-logging policy multiple times and it has implemented superb encryption. You’re in safe hands with this VPN.
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Pricing
From
$2.69 –
$9.95 -
Available on
- Windows
- macOS
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
-
Unblocks
- Netflix
- iPlayer
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a privacy-friendly VPN service that has had its no-logs claimed proven in court on multiple occasions. This highly-respected US-based VPN service is regarded as one of the most secure providers in the game right now. It also offers great technical security with strong encryption and no IP leaks on any platform.
PIA allows torrenting and streaming (and therefore Kodi) on all its servers, it lets you connect up to 10 devices at once, and has a useful SOCKS5 proxy that, much like split tunneling, can be used to protect only your Kodi connections if you wish. Try its global network of servers for yourself, and if you’re not happy, it offers a no-fuss 30-day money-back guarantee.
Which is the fastest VPN for Kodi?
It is imperative that a VPN for Kodi is able to provide watertight privacy. However, in order to be suitable for streaming, your VPN will also need to provide fast connection speeds. A slow VPN will cause constant buffering issues and will ruin your streaming experience.
The graph below provides you with the most recent data from our automated daily speed tests. We test VPNs three times a day using an accurate server-based system. This allows us to see exactly which VPNs are fastest on any given day. You can see exactly how the VPNs are currently performing compared to each other below.
A Kodi VPN hides what you are doing on the internet
It does this in two ways:
- It encrypts all internet traffic between your Kodi device and the VPN server so your ISP can’t see it. Want to know more? Take a look at our VPN encryption guide.
- It conceals your website visits and the streaming services you use so that your ISP has no idea what you are watching on Kodi. The ISP knows you are connected to the internet, and it may be able to figure out you are using a VPN, but it has no idea what you are doing beyond that.
Most Kodi streaming add-ons source their content from unofficial IPTV servers (although it is also possible to run Popcorn Time on Kodi).
This makes it much harder for copyright holders to monitor who watches their stuff, but not impossible. There is no way to know if the IPTV server is monitoring users’ IPs, and if it is, then it can be legally forced to hand the logs over.
It is also not outside the bounds of possibility that a “pirate” IPTV service is actually a honeypot run by copyright holders in order to catch infringers!
Using a Kodi VPN to hide your real IP address from IPTV streaming services is the only way to be completely safe. A VPN lets you stream content using Kodi without the potential for copyright holders to ask your ISP for evidence that you pirated their content.
For more information on any of the topics discussed in this article, check out the following in-depth guides:
A VPN will unblock Kodi streaming sources
ISPs often work with copyright holders to block IPTV portals used by popular Kodi streaming add-ons. This makes it impossible to access those streams without a VPN. Luckily, you can connect to a VPN server in a location that doesn’t block those IPTV services and you will be straight back in the game! Our recommended VPN providers have servers all over the world, so you can get always find a server that unblocks what you need.
Is your ISP blocking Kodi?
If you open your favorite Kodi add-on and find a blank page of content, then your ISP has almost certainly blacklisted all server IPs used by that add-on.
ISPs often block access to the download pages for dubious add-ons
Kodi software itself is completely legal. And there is plenty of content that you can watch on Kodi using legitimate add-ons. Watching this kind of content does not require a VPN, because it is legal.
The reality, though, is that most people typically want to get much more out of their Kodi setup and often turn to illegal means to do so, which is why problems can potentially arise. Illegal third-party add-ons cause you to engage in copyright piracy, which means that you could end up getting in trouble for watching unlicensed content for free.
ISPs work hard to prevent this kind of illegal activity, which is why they often block Kodi content and add-ons that are in breach of copyright.
A VPN will let you get around this blacklisting, but keep in mind that it is vitally important to use a VPN with a zero-logs policy when doing so. If you use a VPN that stores logs, a paper trail exists that can reveal what you streamed online. If the VPN or third-party server company is served a warrant or subpoena, it could be legally forced to comply with a copyright holder to uncover pirates, putting you at risk of being exposed to authorities.
Our recommended VPNs store no logs whatsoever, making it impossible for anybody to collect information about you — even if they try — because there’s literally nothing to hand over.
How to install a Kodi VPN on an Android Box
Check out the guides below to find out how to install a VPN on Android box, Firestick, and Raspberry Pi.
An Android Box is a computer with runs on the Android TV operating system. These devices are usually cheap and physically small but are popular because they are powerful enough to serve as flexible media centers.
Android TV is a version of regular Android that has been optimized to work on large screens and controlled using a remote control rather than using a touchscreen. Android TV can, therefore, run any regular Android app, but know that these can sometimes be awkward to use if they are optimized for your phone!
That said, OpenVPN for Android works well on Android TV, even though it has not been optimized for the platform, as does the Kodi app itself.
Android TV can also run the growing library of Android TV apps that have been optimized for the platform. Many VPN apps have Android TV versions. The easiest way to access these is via the Play Store app on your Android TV device.
Getting setup is simple:
- Visit Google Play Store and search for your VPN provider. Or just search for “VPN” to browse supported providers.
- Install and run your chosen VPN app.
- Run Kodi.
How to install a VPN for Kodi on a Fire Stick
If you want to install a VPN on a Fire TV stick, there are a number of different ways that you can do this, depending on the VPN provider that you’re using. For more information, we recommend checking out our how to install a VPN on Fire TV stick guide.
Conclusion
A VPN helps you to get the most out of Kodi without putting yourself at risk. Now that you know how to make it work for you, here’s a quick reminder of our top VPNs for Kodi:
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ExpressVPN
– the best VPN for Kodi. You get a secure, fast and versatile service. Everything you need to stream Kodi safely without any buffering. -
NordVPN
– a top-tier VPN for Kodi without the top end pricing – we recommend checking out the wealth of features they offer. -
Ivacy
– a VPN with apps for all platforms and a custom Kodi VPN app to make things easy. -
Surfshark
– the cheapest VPN for Kodi on our list. You get excellent speeds to handle HD streaming, and it works with most major streaming services. -
Private Internet Access
– the most secure Kodi VPN on our list. It has a proven no-logs policy, loads of privacy features, & excellent encryption.
FAQs
If you haven’t found the answer you need yet, take a look at the FAQs below.