The Best VPN for Kodi for 2024 & How to Install

By Arthur Sabayi

Last update: March 11, 2024

Quick Answer: What Is the Best VPN for Kodi?

Quick Answer: What Is the Best VPN for Kodi?

1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Kodi
2. NordVPN — Reliable security for Kodi
3. Surfshark — Best VPN for multiple devices
4. Proton VPN — Best free VPN for Kodi
5. CyberGhost — Largest server network

Overall Rating 9.5 / 10

Get 49% Off ExpressVPN

You need the best VPN for Kodi to stream movies and music, play games and organize other media files like photos into one centralized place for easy access. While there are many virtual private networks to choose from, you won’t stand a chance unless you use only the best VPN services. They ensure your Kodi sessions remain secure and private on any network.

A virtual private network (VPN) can unblock some streaming platforms, such as Crackle and Hulu, that stream through Kodi but are not available everywhere. Additionally, it helps you bypass speed throttling from your internet service provider (ISP). Most importantly, a VPN keeps you safe if you frequently use unverified third-party Kodi add-ons like The Crew or Scrubs V2.

Whether you’re a veteran Kodi user like me or a newbie trying it for the first time, this article is for you. By the end, you’ll know how each of the five VPNs is suited for Kodi, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and find out how to get the best experience. So, let’s get this party started.

My Top Choice: ExpressVPN Is the Best VPN for Kodi

ExpressVPN is my top choice for Kodi. It provides over 3,000 servers in 105 countries, letting you access Kodi add-ons that may not be available in your location. It’s also one of the fastest VPNs I’ve tried, making it ideal for smooth streaming and gaming without buffering or lags. 

ExpressVPN’s solid encryption prevents your ISP from logging your Kodi activities. It also protects you from potential cyber threats from unverified add-ons that may display your IP address or even monitor your online activity through spyware. While ExpressVPN is expensive, you can try ExpressVPN using its 30-day money-back guarantee, which you can use like a free trial with the monthly plan.

1. 

   Overall Rating 9.5 / 10

   Get 49% Off ExpressVPN
   Free trial

   No

   Money-Back Guarantee

   30 Days

   Worldwide Server Amount

   Over 3,000 servers in 105 countries

   Simultaneous Connections

   8

   Works with

   

   Streaming Access

   

Why You Should Use a VPN With Kodi

You should use a VPN with Kodi to protect yourself from exposure through unverified Kodi add-ons, some of which are created by malicious developers to spy on your online activities or hijack your machine. VPNs also help you unlock restricted libraries from other regions and even reset your internet connection speeds to default when your ISP tries to throttle the network.

How to Choose the Best Kodi VPN Provider

With so many VPNs to choose from, I went the extra mile by testing several of them for you, using the following factors to cut down the list to the best five Kodi VPNs.

• Kodi support: You can install Kodi on Android, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, macOS, tvOS and more. The ideal VPN for Kodi should also be compatible with most devices. It’s even more convenient if the VPN supports plenty of simultaneous connections or lets you enable screen mirroring to watch one device on another.
• VPN speeds: Streaming and gaming on Kodi requires fast speeds without interference from your ISP. The best VPNs have unlimited bandwidth and can bypass speed throttling. It’s a bonus if the VPN has specialty servers and protocols optimized for speeds.
• Streaming capabilities: The VPN should help you access all streaming platforms, even those like Hulu that are unavailable in some regions. You can’t go wrong with the entries on our best VPN for streaming list.
• Server network: A large and well-distributed server network is vital for using Kodi without issues. More servers lead to less congestion and better speeds worldwide.
• Pricing: Kodi is free, so users likely need a VPN that won’t hurt their budget. The ideal VPN should be affordable or offer good discounts and money-back guarantees.

The VPNs on the list below aren’t the only options that will work with Kodi. For example, Private Internet Access is also a strong service, as you can read in our PIA review. Learn to recognize the signs of a good Kodi VPN, and you’ll be able to steer yourself right.

The 5 Best VPNs for Kodi Compared

1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Kodi

I used ExpressVPN to unblock Crackle, which is available only in the United States, on Kodi using a Seattle server. ExpressVPN is also very safe, as I proved with some quick DNS leak and encryption tests — you’re completely safe, even when you use unverified Kodi add-ons (I don’t recommend that, though). 

ExpressVPN’s security history is also solid. I’ve yet to hear any stories of data breaches, as ExpressVPN abides by its strict no-logs policy that ensures no one sees what you stream on Kodi. You can read more on that in our ExpressVPN review.

My Hands-On Testing Results

Kodi support: I own an Android phone, a Macbook and a Windows PC, and I tested Kodi on all of them with ExpressVPN. Everything worked like a charm. You should experience the same on any device compatible with ExpressVPN and Kodi — it’s our best VPN for Android and tops several other lists too.

Server network: ExpressVPN has more than 3,000 servers in 105 countries. It may not have the largest network in the game, but it lets you change your virtual location to access a wider library of Kodi add-ons. You can see the server distribution in the neat table below.

VPN speeds: The fastest server I tested with ExpressVPN was Seattle, and I got 35.53 Mbps against my unprotected speeds of 35.56 Mbps. This was a 3% speed drop, and I enjoyed streaming movies on Kodi without a single instance of buffering. The latency value of 28 ms was also fine for the mobile games I played on my Android device.

Streaming capabilities: I easily unblocked the BBC iPlayer add-on and streamed English Premier League highlights on my Macbook. Kodi has add-ons for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max, ESPN and Disney Plus, but you must connect to a server in a country where each is available.

1. 

   Overall Rating 9.5 / 10

   Get 49% Off ExpressVPN
   Streaming Access

   

ExpressVPN Pricing & Value

ExpressVPN is costlier than most alternatives, but it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test ExpressVPN out at no cost if you first opt for the monthly plan. If the VPN impresses you enough to subscribe, there are three pricing plans. The best deal is the 12-month option that costs $6.67 per month.

2. NordVPN — Reliable Security for Kodi

One thing I love about NordVPN — discussed in detail in our NordVPN review — is how it goes above and beyond for user security and privacy. First, you get Threat Protection, which combines an ad blocker, a tracker blocker and malware protection that alerts you when you try to install a questionable third-party add-on on Kodi.

Second, you can create your own private encrypted network with Meshnet and securely share your downloaded Kodi content between multiple devices over LAN. Meshnet also lets you stream Kodi through another device you own, essentially giving you a private VPN node.

There’s also the standard encryption that masks your online activity, allowing you to watch adult content with Kodi add-ons like BewbsandBeer without anyone snooping on you. If you still feel paranoid, you can always switch to a double VPN for an extra layer of encryption that’s impossible to breach, even for the most experienced hackers.

My Hands-On Testing Results

Kodi support: NordVPN is compatible with all devices that support Kodi, including Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and smart TVs like Android TV. You can also connect up to six simultaneous devices. Additionally, you can configure NordVPN directly into the Kodi app using these quick setup guides.

Server network: NordVPN has over 6,000 servers in 61 countries, so you have enough selection for unblocking geo-restricted content on Kodi. If you prefer using torrent client add-ons to download Kodi files and need faster speeds, consider using NordVPN’s specialty P2P servers that may offer you better speeds.

VPN speeds: NordVPN gave me 29.49 Mbps on my unprotected speeds of 30 Mbps. This was a 1.7% speed drop, fast enough to get me past HD streaming without buffering and avoid high latencies during gaming.

Streaming capabilities: NordVPN unblocks Netflix, Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Hulu and BBC iPlayer on Kodi. The provider has servers in all the relevant countries, so you can download these streaming add-ons and more, as well as unblock them from any device.

Overall Rating 9.2 / 10

Visit NordVPN

Streaming Access

NordVPN Pricing & Value

The most affordable NordVPN subscription is the Standard tier, and it has three price plans. You can go with the 24-month option, which offers the best deal at $3.39 per month. If that’s too long, there’s a shorter 12-month subscription and a monthly plan. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

3. Surfshark — Best VPN for Multiple Devices

Surfshark’s two biggest assets are its affordability and support for unlimited simultaneous connections, which you can read all about in this Surfshark review. For Kodi users on a budget, this should be music to your ears — with one subscription, you can hook up as many streaming devices as you need. It’s not our best VPN for multiple devices for nothing.

A fascinating fact about Surfshark is that it’s one of a handful of VPNs that have never suffered a breach, seizure or handed over user data to any government spy agency. You can rely on it to keep your Kodi browsing activities private. Surfshark even bypasses speed throttling by your ISP and reverts your speeds to default so you can anonymously stream and download without lags.

My Hands-On Testing Results

Kodi support: Surfshark is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux and more, all of which can launch Kodi. It also supports unlimited VPN connections on one subscription, which gives you the flexibility to use any device anywhere at any time.

Server network: Surfshark offers more than 3,200 servers in 100 countries, including P2P servers for torrenting. Most servers are equipped with fast ports ranging between 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps, so server congestion won’t be an issue. All the servers are also RAM-only and will not store your browsing data.

VPN speeds: Surfshark gave me 50.12 Mbps on my unprotected network of 51 Mbps, a 1.8% speed drop that makes it one of the fastest Kodi VPN providers on this list. I achieved this by switching to WireGuard and connecting to the fastest available server, which happened to be Bend, USA. Streaming was smooth without any buffering.

Streaming capabilities: Surfshark unblocked all the major streaming add-ons like Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime and many more. I caught some Golden State Warriors highlights via ESPN, and I’m happy to see they’re getting out of their recent losing slump.

Overall Rating 8.9 / 10

Visit Surfshark

Streaming Access

Surfshark Pricing & Value

[af fid=1571 text=”Surfshark is among our best cheap VPNs”]. It features three subscription tiers, with Surfshark Starter — the most affordable one — offering three price plans. The cheapest option is the 24-month plan that costs $2.39 per month,followed by the 12-month plan and the monthly plan. All come with a 30-day money-back guarantee that you can use to see if Surfshark fits your needs or not.

4. Proton VPN — Best Free VPN for Kodi

Proton VPN is one of the best free VPNs and has free servers in five locations, one being the U.S. Unlike most free VPNs, Proton VPN doesn’t bombard you with ads — I haven’t experienced any whenever I’ve used the free version.

The difference between premium and free is that the paid version lets you connect up to 10 simultaneous devices and gives you access to a bigger server network. You can only connect one device on the free version. The paid plan also gives you access to Secure Core servers for more privacy and the NetShield ad blocker. You can read all that in our Proton VPN review.

My Hands-On Testing Results

Kodi support: Proton VPN is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, and all of them work with devices that are capable of streaming Kodi. All Proton VPN apps provide standard encryption with IP and DNS leak protection.

Server network: Proton VPN offers over 3,200 servers in 71 countries for unblocking nearly any type of content on Kodi. Among these are Secure Core servers that route your traffic through secure locations like Sweden for extra privacy and security.

VPN speeds: I got VPN connection speeds of 51.52 Mbps from my unprotected network of 51.54 Mbps. The 0.1% speed drop was the lowest on this list, achieved by using the fastest protocol (WireGuard) and activating the VPN accelerator to boost and stabilize my VPN speeds.

Streaming capabilities: Both the free and paid versions of Proton gave me access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer and ESPN Plus for all the servers that I used. The speeds were reliable enough for buffer-free streaming.

Overall Rating 8.8 / 10

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Streaming Access

Proton VPN Pricing & Value

Proton VPN has three price plans. The cheapest is the two-year plan, which costs $4.99 per month. The next best deal is the one-year plan. If you want a short-term option, consider the monthly plan. All these plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, try Proton VPN’s free plan if you want to see if it’s the free VPN for you.

5. CyberGhost — Largest Server Network

I unblocked France TV on Kodi using a specific CyberGhost server dedicated to the channel. The servers dedicated to specific streaming services are unique to CyberGhost, and I found that they significantly cut down the time it took to find a server. CyberGhost stops ads from interrupting your Kodi session through its “block content” feature.

My Hands-On Testing Results

Kodi support: You can use CyberGhost with Kodi on any device with a screen using Windows and macOS PCs, Android and iOS smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs. All you need are updated versions of Kodi and the CyberGhost apps, and you’re ready.

Server network: CyberGhost has the largest server network, with over 11,000 servers in 100 countries. There are also specialty servers dedicated to streaming and downloads, which were faster in my tests than regular servers. Read more on that in our CyberGhost review.

VPN speeds: CyberGhost averaged 28.82 Mbps on my unprotected network of 30.00 Mbps, a 9% speed drop. It was smooth streaming on my end without buffering. It should be on yours too, as long as your unprotected speeds are about the same as mine or better.

Streaming capabilities: My connection timed out while trying to enter Amazon Prime Video, but CyberGhost quickly unblocked Netflix, Max, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus and Hulu. The no-logs policy is solid, so don’t worry about facing judgmental eyes, no matter what you watch. It’s a free world.

Overall Rating 7.5 / 10

Visit CyberGhost

Streaming Access

CyberGhost Pricing & Value

CyberGhost is one of the cheapest VPNs here. Of the three price plans it offers, the two-year CyberGhost plan is the most affordable at $2.03 per month, followed by the six-month plan. These two come with a 45-day money-back guarantee, the longest on our list and why CyberGhost makes our roundup of the best VPN free trials. The monthly plan gives you only a 14-day refund window.

How to Install a VPN on Kodi Boxes

A Kodi box is different from a virtual app. It’s physical and comes with ports you can connect to your TV screen through HDMI or USB cables. The advantages of using a Kodi box are having more control over what you want to watch and being able to use the Kodi app like a remote.

Most importantly, you can install a VPN directly into the Kodi box to encrypt the entire device. Here’s how you do it.

1. Get the app: Locate the Apple app store or Google Play store on your Kodi box andfind the VPN app. If it’s unavailable, you’ll need to download the APK file from the VPN website on another device and sideload it to the Kodi box. You can download the verified ExpressVPN APK here.
2. Subscribe and log in: Once you’ve installed the app, use the VPN website to subscribe to the service. On the Kodi box, enter your login details.
3. Connect to a server: You will be redirected to a page where you can choose a server. Select one and connect to it. Your Kodi box is now encrypted, and no one can see the content you access.

Can You Use a Free VPN for Kodi?

You can use a free VPN for Kodi, but that’s not something I’d recommend. Most free VPNs come with strings attached, like selling your data to third parties because that’s how they keep their lights on. If you’re after a budget-friendly service, try our best cheap VPN list instead.

Free VPNs tend to have limited server networks that make unblocking some restricted content impossible. They also lack additional security features like double VPN that give you an extra layer of protection against threats from unverified Kodi add-ons. However, some free VPN app options are exceptions to my warning.

The Best Free Kodi VPN Service: Proton VPN

Proton VPN is the best free Kodi VPN service. It offers free servers in five locations and doesn’t have data caps, so you have free reign to stream and download anything you want on Kodi. Proton VPN’s free service doesn’t interrupt your sessions with unwanted pop-up ads, either. Check out our best free VPN list for more services you can trust.

Conclusion

Kodi support, speeds, streaming capability, server network size and pricing are the key factors to consider when choosing the best VPN for Kodi. ExpressVPN is the best option as it meets most of these requirements. It has over 3,000 servers in 105 countries, fast connection speeds, support for Kodi with reliable security and the power to unblock all major streaming services.

Do you own a Kodi box or have the app installed? How was your experience using them? Did switching to a VPN improve things, or did you struggle with speeds? Let us know in the comments below, and thank you for always reading our blog.

FAQ: Kodi VPN

• What VPN Should I Use With Kodi?

  You should use ExpressVPN with Kodi. It’s fast and secure, and it has a large server network for unblocking restricted content on Kodi. ExpressVPN is also compatible with the majority of devices that work with Kodi.

• Does a VPN Make Kodi Faster?

  A VPN masks your streaming and downloading activities from your ISP, who may try to limit your speeds when they notice heavy usage. This is called throttling, and a VPN maintains your default speeds by helping you bypass it, making Kodi faster.

• Does Kodi Have a Built-In VPN?

  Kodi doesn’t have a built-in VPN. However, you can install some VPNs directly into the Kodi box, whereupon the VPN will encrypt the entire device.

• Is Proton VPN Good for Kodi?

  Proton VPN is good for Kodi. It offers more than 3,200 servers in 71 countries for accessing any restricted platform, and it’s secure enough to keep you anonymous, even to your ISP. It also provides a free version that’s ideal for people on a budget.