Despite the global availability of Netflix, the library of shows and movies you can access on varies from country to country. The largest library of shows in Japan, followed by the US. To watch all US exclusive content on Netflix from abroad, you will need to have a US IP address.
This can be easily done with a free VPN for Netflix. But what’s not so easy to do with a free VPN is to defeat the VPN blocking technology that Netflix has implemented throughout its website and apps. If you try to access Netflix with any ordinary free VPN, you’ll get an error screen something like this:
Although there are many VPNs that cost no money, there are almost none that get the job done when it comes to Netflix unblocking.
In this article, I will discuss 3 VPNs you can get for free and which actually work with Netflix.
3 Best Free VPNs that Work with Netflix in 2020
The following VPN services are capable of unblocking Netflix, but some of these have limitations in other ways such as slower speeds. If you’re looking for a VPN that is free from these limitations, you should see this list of paid VPNs for Netflix.
But without further ado, here are the best free VPNs for Netflix:
1. Editor’s Choice: Surfshark – Unlimited and Free (trial) for Netflix
Surfshark is a powerful VPN for Netflix that offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on desktops and a 7-day free trial for smartphones. Although it not totally free, you can benefit from the 30-day refund window to enjoy Netflix virtually free of cost.
Surfshark’s network of 1,040+ servers in 60 countries is perfectly capable of unblocking a variety of popular streaming services and US Netflix is one of them. I used the Chrome extension of Surfshark to watch the Breaking Bad after connecting to Los Angeles server:
In addition, it features excellent tools for safeguarding user privacy. Some of the built-in protective mechanisms in Surfshark are CleanWeb, MultiHop, and kill switch. With these, you can surf the web and stream shows with your privacy fully guarded from any third-party intrusions.
If you do decide to stick with Surfshark after the initial 30-day money-back period and are satisfied enough to not demand a refund, you’ll be able to enjoy unrestricted access to Netflix shows with the 2-year subscription of $1.99/mo
To learn more about this VPN, see this Surfshark review.
- Unblocks US Netflix and other libraries
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Fast speeds
- Not entirely free
2. HomebrewVPN – Unlimited bandwidth
HomebrewVPN is a totally free VPN that works with Netflix.
However, there is no dedicated app for HomebrewVPN. Instead, users have to manually set it up using OpenVPN GUI or other methods. You can find setup information here. It’s fairly simple and got me access to The Walking Dead on American Netflix immediately:
Although the service works like a charm, there is one slight problem: the speed on the free version is capped to 512 Kbps. This is good enough for streaming Netflix on 480p quality, but you can’t count on it if you want better quality.
Nonetheless, considering that 99% of the free VPNs are incompatible with Netflix, HomebrewVPN is a godsend for Netflix fans looking for a free way to access their favorite shows and movies.
- Unblocks US Netflix
- Available for free
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Restricts connection speed to 512 kbps
3. Wachee – Unlimited bandwidth
Wachee is not a VPN service. Strictly speaking, it is a proxy that is exceptionally reliable for unblocking US Netflix. It is completely free of cost and can be used as a Chrome browser extension. It also offers an Android app for smartphone users.
Users don’t have the ability to choose any servers with Wachee. You can simply press a “connect” button and that’s literally all you need to access US Netflix from anywhere in the world. I tested the service totally expecting it to be another service that fails to delivers on bold promises, but was positively surprised when it gave me access to American Netflix in the first attempt.
Wachee also offers a paid version if you want HD quality streams, because the free version only supports SD-quality videos. In addition, it is unclear if the provider uses any encryption at all since there’s no information regarding security features and there are no open-source files to examine.
Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a free Netflix unblocker, Wachee is an excellent working solution.
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Works with Netflix
- Totally free of cost
- No encryption or security features
Why Free VPN Services are Unreliable for Netflix
In order for a VPN to efficiently work with Netflix it must have a strong server infrastructure with strategically located physical servers that use some form of obfuscation to mask VPN traffic.
Moreover, these VPNs should deliver fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth. Unfortunately, free Netflix VPNs do not have the resources to support a large enough network and nor are they equipped with advanced obfuscation techniques to bypass Netflix block.
Therefore, if you’re a streaming enthusiast that wants access to the complete library of shows available on US Netflix, free VPNs are very unreliable and you’ll be much better of with premium VPN with adequate resources to deal with Netflix’s proxy detection.
Nonetheless, the VPNs mentioned above are some rare gems that can work with Netflix, though you will have to bear occasional failures and lower quality videos due to slow speeds.
Free VPNs that Don’t Work With Netflix
The following free VPN services don’t work with Netflix:
- ProtonVPN
- Windscribe
- TunnelBear
- Hide.Me
- Betternet
- Browsec
- SurfEasy
FAQs
What does unblocker or proxy mean on Netflix?
Any tool that can bypass geo-restrictions on Netflix is called an unblocker or proxy. Unfortunately, most free VPNs and proxies are unable to deal with Netflix’s advanced VPN and proxy detecting filter. This is why a premium VPN that is tried and tested to work with Netflix is your best bet.
How do I fix Netflix proxy or unblocker?
If your VPN is leading to the Netflix proxy error, you should invest in a better VPN service that is proven to work with Netflix. This is the only way to fix the error.
Final Thoughts
A free VPN for Netflix cannot obviously be compared to the services and strength of a paid service, as free providers usually lack the technology and resources to defeat Netflix’s VPN blocking technology. Nonetheless, the VPNs mentioned above are reasonably reliable when it comes to Netflix unblocking, especially Surfshark with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
If you have any cool tips to share about undoing Netflix’s blocking filters, don’t forget to participate in the discussion below.
So this post is false. just tried MOST of them including UrbanVPN and I can confirm that as of January 31st 2020 NONE of these WORK.
Hello Kwesi,
You are right about UrbanVPN. The service was working fine but it is no longer reliable for Netflix. We have removed it from this list and added a Chrome extension that is working at the time of this writing.
Having said that, you should know that Netflix is constantly cracking down on VPN services. Any given VPN might be working perfectly one day but suddenly lose Netflix functionality any day in the future. We update the blog article as soon as we confirm the status of a VPN regarding Netflix functionality, and this sometimes takes longer than we would like.
So the post is certainly not false and 2 of the VPNs mentioned ARE STILL working if you can try them yourself.
Thank you