- Excellent unblocking capabilities on Fire TV Stick
- Easy-to-use Fire TV Stick app
- Fast speeds for streaming in 4K
- Large server network
- Very expensive
- Convoluted pricing structure
- No way to opt out of potentially unwanted extra features
- Fast speeds for streaming on Fire TV Stick
- User-friendly Fire TV Stick app
- Large international network of servers
- Excellent streaming performance on Fire TV Stick
- Issues streaming Hulu on Fire TV Stick
- Recent increase to renewal price
- 14-Eyes jurisdiction (Netherlands)
- Fast speeds for streaming in 4K on Fire TV Stick
- Expansive server network for international streaming
- User-friendly Fire TV Stick app
- Excellent for unblocking streaming content on Fire TV Stick
- Extremely expensive renewal prices
What is the best VPN for Amazon Fire TV Stick in 2025?
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Fire TV Stick overall, thanks to its user-friendly app, quick connectivity and excellent streaming content unblocking.
Surfshark is the best value VPN for Amazon Fire TV devices because of its fast speeds and ability to access multiple Netflix regional libraries.
NordVPN is the fastest VPN for Fire TV Stick users based on CNET’s hands-on testing, delivering an exceptionally smooth 4K streaming experience.
The top VPNs for Fire TV streaming devices at a glance
Our VPN recommendations for Fire TV OS devices compared.
| ExpressVPN | Surfshark | NordVPN | |
| Price | $13 per month, $100 for the first year (then $117 annually) or $140 for the first two years combined (then $150 annually) | $15.45 per month, $48 for the first year (then $79 annually) or $54 for the first two years combined (then $79 annually) | $13 per month, $60 for the first year (then $140 annually) or $83 for the first two years combined (then $140 annually) |
| Server network | 3,000-plus servers in 105 countries | 3,200-plus servers in 100 countries | 7,500-plus servers in 118 countries |
| Simultaneous connections | 8 | Unlimited | 10 |
| Supported platforms | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, Android TV, iOS, iPadOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Web browsers, Routers | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, Android TV, iOS, iPadOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Web browsers, Routers | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, Android TV, iOS, iPadOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Web browsers, Routers |
Why use a VPN for Fire TV Stick?
Amazon's Fire TV Stick is an affordable device that offers access to a world of streaming options, but geographic restrictions can limit the content available to watch in your region. Due to regional licensing agreements, streaming services can only offer a certain selection of titles in a specific country. For instance, if you're traveling to another country, this means that your favorite shows and movies that you stream at home may not be available to stream from the country you're traveling to.
But a VPN can help. With a VPN, you can route your internet traffic through a server in another city, state or country. In doing so, the VPN encrypts your internet traffic and hides your true IP address, changing it to that of the VPN server you're connected to. Because most streaming sites typically rely on your IP address to determine your location (and therefore what content to deliver), using a VPN on your Fire TV Stick to change your IP address to a different country can help you unblock geographically restricted content from all over the world that wouldn't normally be available in your location. A VPN can help you unblock international content from streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer, in addition to unblocking your home streaming libraries while you're out of the country. And because the VPN encrypts your traffic, you can keep your Fire TV Stick streaming activity private from your ISP and potentially evade bandwidth throttling.
The best VPNs for Fire TV Stick all have easy-to-use apps that you can download directly to your device. However, one may work better for you than another, depending on your budget and the specific streaming content you want to access. Based on my hours of testing several VPN services in my latest evaluations, ExpressVPN retains its standing as the best Fire TV Stick VPN available in 2025, thanks in large part to its incredible ease-of-use and impressive unblocking capabilities across regions and streaming services. Read on to learn more about what to look for in the best VPNs for Fire TV Stick.
You can use a VPN with your Amazon Fire TV Stick to protect your privacy and get past streaming geoblocking.
How to choose the right VPN: Factors to consider in a Fire TV Stick VPN
Privacy
If you want to keep your viewing activities on your Fire TV Stick hidden from your ISP, then you’ll want a VPN that delivers on privacy. Generally, you want to use a provider that offers AES-256 over OpenVPN, or ChaCha20 over Wireguard, to be sure that your internet traffic is being encrypted in a secure way. Be sure to check the VPN provider’s privacy policy to see what personal information may be collected, who it’s shared with and how it’s protected. Do some research into any privacy or security incidents that the VPN company may have dealt with in the past. Look into the provider’s no-logs policy and check for any third-party no-logs audits or real-life cases where the provider’s no-logs claims were put to the test. Also, you’ll want to make sure the VPN has a kill switch and DNS leak protection to ensure your traffic doesn’t leak unencrypted.
Speed
Nothing’s worse than constant buffering when you’re trying to stream movies or shows with your Fire TV Stick. You’ll need a fast VPN to ensure a smooth streaming experience, especially if you’re streaming in 4K. Keep in mind that a VPN will slow your internet speeds, sometimes by 50% or more -- although, the fastest VPNs we tested slowed our base speeds by an average of only 20% or less. With a VPN that cuts your internet speeds by 20% or less, you’ll probably hardly notice the speed reduction, and your speeds should be sufficient for streaming on your Fire TV Stick (provided your base internet speeds are fast enough to begin with). Netflix recommends speeds of at least 5Mbps for high-definition streaming, whereas 4K content needs at least 15Mbps. But for a smooth and stable 4K streaming experience, your speeds should be closer to 50Mbps.
Streaming and unblocking capabilities
Most VPNs advertise that they’re great for streaming, but the reality is that there are only a few out there that are truly great streaming VPNs. It’s more than likely that you’ll be spending a lot of time streaming TV shows and movies using your Amazon Fire TV device, so you need a VPN that can keep up. This doesn’t just mean that it’s fast -- you’re also looking for a VPN that has plenty of servers around the world to give you more choice when it comes to unblocking streaming services around the world. You’ll also want to make sure that a VPN has the ability to unblock content on streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video. The best way to do this is to test it out by taking advantage of a money-back guarantee. If the VPN works and unblocks the stream you want, great. If not, you can ask for a refund and try a different VPN provider.
Usability
Just because a VPN has a dedicated app for Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a good VPN for the device. You’ll want your VPN to be easy to use on your Fire TV Stick. The app should be similar to its desktop and mobile counterparts and should be just as simple to navigate, apply settings and connect to a server. It should also connect quickly and remain connected throughout your streaming sessions.
Cost
If you’re on a budget, cost will be an important consideration in choosing a VPN for your Fire TV Stick. VPN prices can vary from provider to provider, but you’ll typically save more money in the long run when you commit to a longer timeframe. You can expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $150 per year for an annual VPN subscription, and anywhere from $5 to $15 for a monthly VPN subscription, depending on which VPN you go with.
How I tested VPNs on Fire TV Stick
Each of CNET's top VPNs offers a native VPN app for the Fire TV Stick, but a few of them stood out during my tests. In addition to evaluating the usability and features of the Fire TV Stick VPN apps, I prioritized other important factors like security, speed and unblocking capabilities of each VPN I tested.
For my evaluation, I tested each VPN on a Fire TV Stick 4K Max. I opened each app on the Fire TV Stick and first tried to get a sense of its usability and available features. Is the app easy to navigate, and are the servers organized in a way that makes them easily accessible? Are the features useful, organized and simple to access?
I then evaluated the overall performance of the app to see if the servers connected quickly, whether or not the connections were stable and how well the features performed. Finally, I tested how well each VPN performed in terms of unblocking geographically restricted content through various server locations and on various popular streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. I tested to make sure the streaming services loaded up and started playing content quickly. I also noted whether the streaming experience was smooth and free of buffering, especially when streaming in 4K. The VPNs that consistently passed these tests earned a spot among my picks for the top Fire TV Stick VPNs.
NordVPN's Fire TV Stick app is easy to navigate and full of useful features.
How do I install a VPN on Amazon's Fire TV Stick?
Installing a VPN on the Fire TV Stick is easy. You can either navigate to the magnifying glass search icon on your Fire TV home screen and use your remote or Fire TV app on your smartphone to type in the name of the VPN you want to download, or you can use the Alexa function on your Fire TV remote and say the name of the VPN. Then, click on the logo of your selected VPN and click on Get to initiate the download. Click on Open to launch the app and log into your account. Once you've logged in, your VPN will ask for your permission to set up a VPN connection. Click on OK to allow the VPN to create the connection. Once you've given your VPN permission to connect, you can start using the VPN on your Fire TV Stick.
CNET speed test data
Any VPN will slow down your internet speeds (sometimes by as much as 50%), but a fast VPN should only drop your download speeds by an average of about 25% or less. We run over 250 individual speed tests per provider when we test VPNs. NordVPN was the fastest VPN we assessed in our latest round of testing, with a 3% average download speed loss. Surfshark, Proton VPN, Mullvad and ExpressVPN all registered speed loss of less than 25%. Because streaming video on an Amazon Fire TV stick requires fast internet speeds -- especially for 4K or 1080p content -- you'll want a reliable VPN that minimally cuts your download speed. Here's how our top VPN recommendations stacked up:
See which VPNs deliver the fastest -- or slowest -- internet speeds.
| Provider | Speed loss |
|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | 18% |
| Surfshark | 21% |
| NordVPN | 3% |
| Proton VPN | 16% |
| Mullvad | 24% |
| PIA | 48% |
Other VPNs we tested on the Fire TV Stick
IPVanish
- Servers: 2,400-plus
- Number of countries: 108
- Country/jurisdiction: US
- Platforms: Windows, MacOS, Linux (CLI), Chrome OS, Android, Android TV, iOS, iPadOS, Fire TV, Apple TV
- Price: $13 per month, $40 for the first year (then $156 annually) or $52 for the first two years combined (then $312 every two years)
I also tested IPVanish on the Fire TV Stick. Its app includes various settings and features to tool around with, but its high 44% average speed loss makes it unreliable for streaming video. The automatic app launch feature that allows users to select an app to launch automatically after a successful connection is a handy feature and worked well when set to auto-launch Netflix. But besides that, there wasn't much more to like about IPVanish's performance on the Fire TV Stick. Considering its unremarkable performance and ridiculously expensive renewal prices, I cannot enthusiastically recommend IPVanish as a viable VPN solution for the Fire TV Stick or for basically any other use case at this time. (Disclosure: IPVanish is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis).
We'll continue to test this and other VPNs on the Fire TV Stick, so be sure to check back often.