Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) is the most prominent Austrian public broadcaster, renowned for its German-language high-quality news shows, TV shows, movies, rustic programming, and sports events, such as UEFA and Formula 1.
While the platform is absolutely free, unfortunately, it’s unavailable outside Austria due to licensing restrictions and copyright laws. To access ORF in the US, you would need a virtual private network to get an Austrian IP address. A VPN helps you bypass geo-restrictions so that you can access the channel easily.
But which is the best VPN for ORF in the US? We tested and retested 40+ VPN services for their unblocking and speeds, on a set methodology. Based on that, ExpressVPN came out as the best option for ORF due to multiple Austrian servers, fast speeds, and robust security.
Want to get right into our best VPN for ORF in US 2022 list? Let’s dive in!
Quick Overview: The Best VPN for ORF in US
Finding the best VPN for ORF isn’t easy. But to help you with that, here is a list of the three best VPNs for watching ORF in the United States:
- ExpressVPN – Overall Best VPN for ORF in US. With blazing-fast speeds, commendable unblocking capability, and robust privacy, ExpressVPN is the ideal option for streaming ORF-TVthek in the US.
- Surfshark – The Budget-friendly VPN for Streaming ORF. You can get this light-on-pocket VPN at a price of $2.49/mo with a risk-free 30-day refund policy.
- NordVPN – Largest Server Network for Unblocking ORF in USA. It offers 6000+ servers in 61 countries, including multiple servers in 33 Austrian locations.
Why Do You Need a VPN to Watch ORF In The US?
ORF is a broadcaster and streaming platform available only in Austria. Due to licensing restrictions, the broadcaster has geo-blocked its content online. This is where you’ll need a reliable VPN. A dependable VPN provider can easily bypass geo-restrictions only if you choose the right one and let you watch ORF from anywhere in the US.
If you think you can access ORF’s content without a VPN, then be ready to face the following geo-restriction error when you try to play a video just like we did:
Roughly translated: “Due to legal reasons, this video is only available in Austria.”
You can only circumvent this error with the best VPNs for ORF TV in the USA. A VPN change your IP address from the US to Austria, tricking ORF into believing that you’re accessing the platform from within Austria. This way, it becomes easy for you to access popular ORF shows like SOKO Kitzbühel and Willkommen Österreich.
Best VPNs for Watching ORF in US 2022 [Detailed Analysis]
With multiple VPNs across the market, deciding which is the best VPN for ORF in US is challenging. After extensive testing on various factors, here are the three best options that let you watch ORF’s content without any hassle:
1. ExpressVPN – Overall Best VPN for ORF In US
Key Features:
- 3000+ servers in 105 countries, multiple servers in Austria
- Unlimited bandwidth for streaming in Ultra-HD
- Speeds: 87.18 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection
- MediaStreamer feature
- 5 simultaneous connections
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for watching ORF in the US. That’s because the VPN offers a lightning-fast download speed of 87.18 Mbps and an upload speed of 52.13 Mbps (check out the speed test below) along with robust unblocking capabilities and powerful security.
It offers 3000+ servers in 105 countries. Out of these, numerous servers are available in Austria. In our performance test, connecting to an Austrian server let us unblock ORF within seconds, after which we could enjoy streaming Mária Terézia in High Definition without any buffering.
We could enjoy news, sports, and TV shows easily on ORF with ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN offers a unique feature called MediaStreamer. This Smart DNS feature allows users to enjoy a VPN connection with unrestricted access to ORF on devices that do not offer native VPN support, like gaming consoles, media players, and streaming sticks.
Moreover, ExpressVPN’s speed test confirmed that the VPN offers optimized servers. Based on our tests on its Austrian server, the VPN delivered a super-fast downloading speed of 87.18 Mbps and an uploading speed of 52.13 Mbps on our 100 Mbps connection.
We faced a speed drop of almost 13% with ExpressVPN, which is not bad at all.
As for device compatibility, ExpressVPN allows users to connect up to five devices simultaneously. This means you also install ExpressVPN on FireStick, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, and more. Similarly, you can get its dedicated apps for operating systems like Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
To keep your online privacy intact, the VPN offers robust security features, including AES 256-bit encryption, split tunneling, DNS leak protection, kill switch, and more. In addition, ExpressVPN’s no-logging policy ensures that the VPN doesn’t collect users’ data for identification purposes.
In short, ExpressVPN’s spectacular service makes it the most-recommended VPN for ORF. It costs only $6.67/mo - Save up to 49% with exclusive 1-year plans + 3 months free and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee to test out its performance. For more details about this VPN, please go through our ExpressVPN review.
Pros / Cons
- Fast speeds for accessing ORF
- Servers in Austria
- No-logs policy and AES 256-bit encryption
- 24/7 live chat support
- Non-customizable advanced features
2. Surfshark – The Budget-friendly VPN for Streaming ORF
Key Features:
- 3200+ servers in 100 countries, including servers in Vienna, Austria
- Unlimited bandwidth for Ultra-HD streaming
- Speeds: 81.32 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection
- Whitelister feature for selective VPN usage
- Connect as many devices as you like
Surfshark is the most pocket-friendly service for streaming ORF. With consistent speeds and unblocking ability, the VPN costs only $2.49/mo - Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee along with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Let’s start with servers. Surfshark boasts a network of 3200+ servers in 100 countries worldwide, including multiple in Vienna, Austria. After connecting to Surfshark’s Austrian server, we could easily unblock ORF in US and watched Sisi in HD without pausing.
There was no buffering on our connection while streaming ORF with Surfshark.
As for speeds, Surfshark is consistent and fast. As per our Surfshark speed test, the VPN delivered a fast downloading speed of 81.32 Mbps and an uploading speed of 76.12 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection. In our tests, it also turned out to be the Best VPN for Fx TV.
Surfshark’s speeds were so smooth that we didn’t even feel that we were connected to a VPN server.
Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections that makes it the best multi-device VPN. Despite being a cheap VPN, Surfshark allows you to connect as many devices as you like. You can install its app on operating systems like macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and more. Furthermore, you can also get Surfshark on Roku, routers, Xbox, PS4, Smart TVs, and other devices.
Finally, Surfshark offers multiple security features to stay unidentified and secure while streaming. These include Camouflage Mode, no-logs, AES 256-bit encryption, DNS leak protection, and MultiHop, which bypasses your traffic through multiple servers to keep you secure.
If you’re still unsure, you can get a 7-day Surfshark free trial and test the service out on your iOS and Android devices. For more details about this VPN, please go through our Surfshark review.
Pros / Cons
- Extremely pocket-friendly
- Unblocks ORF and other Austrian channels
- Unlimited multi-logins
- Fast speeds
- Some servers take a minute or two to connect to
3. NordVPN – Largest Server Network for Unblocking ORF in USA
Key Features:
- 6000+ servers in 61 countries, 33 Austrian server locations
- Unlimited bandwidth for streaming in Ultra-HD
- Speeds: 83.82 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection
- Double VPN feature
- Six simultaneous connections
NordVPN offers a vast number of Austrian server locations to unblock ORF. This VPN proudly boasts an extensive server network of 6000+ servers in 61 countries, including various servers in 33 locations of Austria.
Connecting to its Austria #117 server and accessing ORF in US in a few seconds, after which we could enjoy multiple shows, including Vienna Crime Squad, in HD without any delays.
We could catch up on Austrian news on ORF with NordVPN.
Overall, NordVPN’s service works fast. For example, our NordVPN speed test on an Austrian server delivered a downloading speed of 83.82 Mbps and an uploading speed of 44.64 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.
NordVPN’s speeds were quite fast on its Austrian server.
With NordVPN, you can connect up to six devices at once. This means that you can get NordVPN on routers, Xbox, PS4, Apple TV, and Smart TVs, as well as various operating systems, such as Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can also get NordVPN on Kodi and enjoy ORF on big screen.
The VPN offers advanced security features to curb the privacy issues faced by modern users. These include DNS leak protection, Threat protection, AES 256-bit encryption, and more. In addition, its NordVPN’s obfuscation technology conceals a user’s VPN traffic, making it look like regular internet traffic and its no-logging policy prevents storing user data.
You can get NordVPN at the cost of only $3.99/mo - Save up to 63% with exclusive 2-year plan + 3 months free for a friend with a refund policy of 30 days. For more details about this VPN, please go through our NordVPN review.
Pros / Cons
- Austrian servers in 33 locations
- Great unblocking capabilities
- Speeds are fast for streaming ORF
- Compatible with multiple devices
- The desktop app takes too much screen space
Methodology: How We Choose the Best VPN for ORF in US?
You may have found plenty of VPNs claiming to unblock ORF effortlessly in US. But, it’s only the best VPN that can do the job without risking your privacy or data. So, if you are still looking for the best VPN for ORF in US, we’ve set up a criteria for testing popular VPNs with ORF.
In fact, we have done the leg work for you. The above-mentioned 3 VPNs for ORF satisfied all the conditions quite efforlessly. Here are all the factors we looked into for selecting the best ORF TV VPN.
- Austrian servers: Only a server in Austria can help you unblock ORF in your country. So, a VPN with Austrian servers is a must if you’re serious about accessing the channel from the US and enjoying its content. All the VPNs we listed offer local servers in Austria to unblock ORF.
- Performance: If a VPN cannot unblock ORF, then it’s useless for you. This is why we ensured that all the VPNs we list could access ORF in the US without any VPN detection or errors. Furthermore, these VPNs would also let you watch all content in High Definition. Isn’t that great?
- Speeds: Constant buffering during streaming can be pretty frustrating. This is why you need a VPN that offers fast speeds to users. The best VPN for ORF in our list is speedy enough to let you enjoy the channel without lags or delays.
- Security and privacy: A VPN’s primary purpose is to keep users secure. It should offer multiple features, like AES 256-bit encryption, no-logs, DNS leak protection, split tunneling, and more. The ORF TV VPN services mentioned above provide various security features that guarantee user anonymity throughout streaming.
- Customer service: In case you face any issues using VPN for ORF TV, you should be able to resolve them immediately. And for that, all premium VPN providers, including those listed above, offer 24/7 live chat support to answer your queries instantly.
If you are looking for a VPN that perfectly meets the above-mentioned criteria with offers exceptional performance then subscribe to ExpressVPN now.
VPNs to Avoid for ORF in the US
Not every VPN is a good choice for streaming ORF in the US. Some do not offer Austrian servers, while others are usually involved in data theft. This is precisely what we found while testing 40+ VPNs to pick the best VPN for ORF.
And for the same reason, we highly recommend opting only for the tried and tested ORF VPNs listed above. So, if you are eager to know the VPNs you should avoid for accessing ORF in the US, read about two such examples below.
1. HideMyAss:
HMA offers 13 servers in Vienna, Austria, that can bypass ORF’s geo-restrictions. However, when tested, the speeds were extremely slow. We tried watching Schnell ermittelt using this VPN but were subject to constant delays and lags, which was not only annoying but a complete waste of time and money. Therefore, we suggest you avoid this VPN for streaming ORF at all costs.
2. HolaVPN:
HolaVPN may offer reliable speeds and unblocking capability, but the VPN has some underlying problems one needs to look into. Hola logs user information that is used to identify them. This includes IP address, email IDs, pages visited, access dates and times, and time spent on each page. What’s worse is that HolaVPN sells user bandwidth to create a botnet army.
FAQs – Best VPN for ORF in US
Why should I use a VPN for ORF in the US?
Streaming platforms like ORF are geo-restricted outside their regions due to licensing laws. This means that you’d require a VPN with Austrian servers to access the platform. Our tests show ExpressVPN as the best VPN for ORF in the US, with multiple servers in Austria and fast speeds.
Is ORF available in US?
No, ORF is not available in the US. It is a geo-restricted channel that can be accessed only within Austria. However, to unblock it within the US, you’ll require a VPN like ExpressVPN.
Can I watch ORF live from USA with a free VPN?
Yes, you can watch ORF live in the US with a free VPN Austria, but we’d advise against it. There are multiple reasons why streamers need to avoid free VPNs. The number of servers offered by free VPNs is limited. Sadly, you can only stream ORF when these servers are not overburdened.
Secondly, ORF-TVthek has robust geo-blocking measures that free VPNs can barely bypass. Even if they do, you’ll likely face frequent buffering and long pauses throughout streaming as they have way more users on their networks than paid VPNs. Finally, free VPNs abuse the trust of their users and sell their data to third-party advertisers to generate revenue.
This is why we always recommend using the best VPN for ORF, like ExpressVPN, instead of compromising your privacy by going for a free option.
Conclusion
You should be able to enjoy ORF even when you’re outside Austria. And for that, you must get a VPN service with Austrian servers along with fast unblocking capabilities and speeds. The 3 VPNs for ORF in US mentioned above work great at unblocking the channel in the US and enjoying its content, like Der Bulle von Tölz and Schlosshotel Orth.
However, if you ask us, we’d recommend you opt for ExpressVPN without hesitation. ExpressVPN is the best VPN for ORF. It can unblock the ORF within seconds and allow you to enjoy its service in High Definition. Moreover, the VPN bypasses ISP throttling and lets you stream all movies and TV shows without buffering.
That’s all for our ORF guide. In case of any questions, feel free to share in the comments. Happy binging!
