I imagine that upon first accessing the US Netflix library, most Australians begin to belt out the classic Aladdin jam “A Whole New World” – it truly is like stepping into an alternate, content-filled universe of TV and movies. Unfortunately, since Netflix cracked down on VPNs at the beginning of 2016, its been much harder to access the US library, but fret not! Here’s some reliable VPNs that will grant you a golden ticket to Netflix-and-chill-ville.
In Australia, we only receive around 35 per cent of the content that the US gets, due to various media-rights holders and copyright owners, so if you want access to all those extra TV shows and movies, a VPN is the only way to do so. Netflix is aggressively chasing down and blocking access to international libraries via VPN all the time so even those listed below may have unreliable connections but the providers listed below are doing their best to stay a step ahead.
NordVPN
As an option that isn’t overwhelmingly complex for new users, NordVPN provide a good service but don’t expect the speeds to amaze you. A lot of users report inconsistency when using Netflix in particular, but it is fairly reliable in actually accessing the content. As with most providers on the list, it is a constant game of cat-and-mouse, but having spoken to a customer service representative, I was assured that at the time, NordVPN can provide access to US Netflix through their huge list of servers.
Further to that, NordVPN maintain a constant line of contact with their users regarding access to US Netflix access and troubleshooting through their support page. If you are experiencing connectivity issues, this is the place to go, but their 24/7 live chat is also a good resource for curing any woes.
You can purchase NordVPN for around $15/month or $87/year.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is certainly more expensive than the competition, but they provide fantastic service, excellent speeds, support a huge range of devices and are committed to ensuring you can access US Netflix libraries.
I contacted ExpressVPN via their website’s live chat service and asked how they tackle the problem of Netflix hunting down and blocking VPNs. They responded with this:
We are aware of the statement that Netflix put out regarding VPN providers. We have not been affected, and ExpressVPN continues to allow access to US Netflix library. While we are unsure of what future steps Netflix may take, rest assured that our engineers work around the clock to continue to provide you with the best VPN experience. In case you should ever encounter difficulties in watching Netflix, you may contact us back for assistance 🙂
Sure, that seems pre-prepared (the smiley is a nice, personal touch) but it still gives me confidence that they are actively working to ensure their users can access the US library without issue.
You can purchase ExpressVPN for $16.30/month or $126/year.
TorGuard
TorGuard has a huge advantage over other VPN providers on the list by offering dedicated streaming IPs. Essentially, this is a service that allows you to buy a US IP address which will grant you access to the US Netflix library. As you are the only one using the IP address, it is less likely that a red flag will be raised and that Netflix will block the offending address. Thus, if it’s purely US Netflix access you’re after, then TorGuard is the service you’ll want to go for.
The process is a little more complex than rival VPN providers and it may be off-putting having to jump through a few extra hoops, but the ability to connect using a dedicated IP is a critical difference, and TorGuard’s live support will run you through the necessary steps for set up. I contacted a representative of TorGuard to discuss what would happen if my dedicated IP address ended up blocked and was assured that if blocked, the IPs would be replaced for me.
TorGuard can be purchased for $12.58/month or $76/year without a dedicated streaming IP address. You can purchase this address for half-price [$5/month] if you use the code ‘TGLifetime50’ at checkout.
VyprVPN
VyprVPN isn’t big on features but it does provide great speeds for using Netflix across a wide range of devices. It seems that for most of 2016, US Netflix connectivity was limited, but more recent attempts at using US VyprVPN servers has resulted in better returns.
VyprVPN’s customer service representative told me that they “cannot guarantee access to streaming services but … do monitor Netflix access and many of our users do rely on VyprVPN to access Netflix content that is georestricted” and their official line, from back in 2016, is that they cannot guarantee VyprVPN will “work with Netflix but they will continue to provide the most capable and fastest VPN connection possible.”
VyprVPN is available for $16.31/month or $101/year.
VanishedVPN
VanishedVPN’s website feels like you’re stepping into the dark web but these guys are Australian and they have the best interests of Aussie users at heart. They also claim that they are “the only reliable solution for unblocking US Netflix in the world” and it seems most of their users concur. As we reported a year ago, VanishedVPN have kept their geoblocking work around a closely guarded secret, but it gets us onto US Netflix, the speeds are decent and that’s really all we’re asking for.
Unlike other providers on this list, these guys don’t have a 24/7 live chat, but their forums are helpful for setup and they have extensive written and video guides should you get stuck.
VanishedVPN also offer a competitive pricing package that will set you back $11.99/month or $100/year.
One tip I will leave you with is that as these services have both monthly and annual fees, it may be worth investing in the shorter options even though they cost a little more. In the event that Netflix swing the hammer down on any of these particular providers, you’ll be able to switch and find a new one and not worry about paying for a service you’re unlikely to use.
[referenced url=”https://staging.lifehacker.com.au/2017/03/heres-the-full-block-list-of-torrent-sites-in-australia-so-far/” thumb=”https://staging.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/12/iStock-458671183-410×231.jpg” title=”Here’s The Full ‘Block List’ Of Torrent Sites In Australia (So Far)” excerpt=”Village Roadshow and Foxtel have already managed to get a total of 61 domains across five torrent websites blocked in Australia. Now Village Roadshow wants to add a further 74 domains on the list and has applied to do so in the Federal Court.”]
Comments
9 responses to “Five VPNs That Let You Access American Netflix”
@author, you guys keep coming back to these few VPN providers regularly.
I never see mention of Astrill here and that is concerning. I’ve repeatedly posted about these few VPNs and how crap they can get very quickly… Besides their US Netflix IP’s keep getting blocked time and time again, while Astrill I’ve used for the past four years has worked flawlessly.
The only downside to using Astrill is NO DISCOUNTS, but you do get really fantastic speeds from their services and no netflix bans (so far).
https://staging.lifehacker.com.au/2016/04/what-are-popular-vpn-services-doing-about-netflix-blocks/#comment-2259881
Yes, NordVPN and ExpressVPN are allowing users to access (Netflix US) in Australia and other countries. I’m using these VPNs http://www.vpnlogics.com/best-vpn-for-netflix/ for last 1 year and both of them are providing flawless streaming content with high speed. You can stream your favorite TV show or movie on any device by installing this VPN. I would suggest you choose NordVPN because they have a dedicated team which is working for Netflix streaming.
I used ExpressVPN last week to try and acess US Netflix and it did not work. It did work with Canadian and UK Netflix though.
these are all great but I’ve been using Froot VPN for over a year now and I cant really complain about the services that they give.
^Obvious Froot VPN Spame bot
Been using ExpressVPN to unblock Netflix for almost a year now. They’re constantly updating their server locations, so reach out to their live chat if you’re unable to unblock netflix. It seriously takes ~2 mins and works every time.
If I already have a Netflix Aus account, can I just sign up for a VPN and it will then re-geo locate me to the US content without issue? Or do I need to sign up again?
You won’t need to sign up again. You can sign in to the US Netflix with your Aus account.
While everyone here is right in saying that ExpressVPN/Nord/Vypr etc… keep updating their IP addresses to unblock Netflix, in the 3+ years I’ve used Astrill not once I’ve had to change my US VPN server/IP, it just works.
& to @zenu, no you dont have to re-signup again.
NOTE: I dont work for Astrill nor do I get any commission from anyone, I’ve tried quite a few VPNs (see link in my previous comment), at my own time/expense and these are **my findings only**.