Best VPN for Amazon Fire TV Stick in 2024

ExpressVPN is currently CNET’s pick for the best VPN for Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, in addition to being the best VPN overall with a score of 8.8/10 on our VPN rating scale. It’s a veteran VPN provider that consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to privacy and transparency. It’s also excellent for streaming and the easiest VPN app to use on any platform, including Fire TV Stick. You’ll have to pay a premium because ExpressVPN is one of the most expensive VPN providers currently on the market. The service costs $13 per month, $60 every six months or $100 per year, which is considerably more expensive than the $15 per month, $42 for the first year or $60 total for the first two years that Surfshark charges (the one- and two-year plans spike to $60 annually upon renewal). NordVPN is more in line with ExpressVPN's price at $13 per month, $60 for the first year or $82 total for your first two years (the one- and two-year plans renew at $100 annually).

Although fast enough for streaming content on your smart TV, ExpressVPN’s speeds are not quite as fast as some of its competitors, based on our latest speed tests. In 2024, we measured a 24.8% average speed loss with ExpressVPN. This is still fast, considering that many VPNs can slash your internet speeds by 50% or more. We did see substantially better speeds from NordVPN (11% speed loss) and Surfshark (17% speed loss). Still, ExpressVPN’s speeds were largely consistent and aligned with our expectations across protocols and server locations. Overall, we registered the fastest speeds through ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol -- which is engineered for speed and security -- with an 11% average speed loss. OpenVPN speeds were considerably slower at a 38.5% average speed loss. Speeds were generally faster to relatively closer server locations like New York City and the UK, and slower to distant locations like Australia and Singapore. For streaming content on Fire TV Stick, we recommend connecting through Lightway to a server location closest to your physical location for optimal speeds.

ExpressVPN’s minimalist interface on Fire TV Stick is simple to use, whether you’re an advanced VPN user or you’ve never used one before. The app settings are easy to navigate and finding a server location is straightforward. ExpressVPN’s Fire TV Stick app includes a kill switch, split tunneling, protocol selection (Lightway and OpenVPN) and auto-connect. It also includes the Advanced Protection suite, which can help you block ads, trackers, malicious sites and adult sites -- an especially helpful addition for parents who want parental controls in place to keep their children safe while using the Fire TV Stick. We like how the app always connects in a snap, which isn’t always the case with other VPNs -- like Surfshark -- which often struggle to connect immediately on the first attempt. ExpressVPN effortlessly unblocks all sorts of streaming content, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. During our testing, we were consistently able to stream content in 4K quality without any buffering issues. If you’re not satisfied with the service, you can request your money back within 30 days of your purchase.

Surfshark’s unblocking capabilities are some of the best in the business, making the VPN a popular choice for folks who want to stream a lot of content. It’s secure and delivers fast enough speeds for streaming content on Amazon’s Fire TV Stick. Surfshark also provides excellent value for your money, making it an excellent choice for anyone on a budget. During my tests, I was able to use Surfshark’s Fire TV Stick app to stream content on Max, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video. I could also stream Disney Plus without any issues, which was encouraging because I had trouble accessing the streaming service during earlier tests with Surfshark. Notably, I was also able to stream content from various Netflix libraries, including the US, UK, Japan, Germany, Canada, France and Denmark -- which is more than what Express and NordVPN were able to unblock during my tests. So, if you want to maximize your Netflix streaming experience on Amazon Fire TV Stick, Surfshark would be a good choice.

Surfshark’s Fire TV Stick app is simple to use and includes features like split-tunneling, auto-connect, kill switch, protocol selection and CleanWeb ad and malware blocker. You can easily quick-connect to the fastest available server or nearest location and set up multihop double VPN connections as well as use static IPs. The connections were stable, and streaming was smooth during testing, without any buffering or interruptions of any sort, as was expected from a VPN with only a 17% speed loss. (Some VPNs will cut your speed by 50% or more.) Surfshark offers a quality package that’s cheaper than many of its competitors, which has helped it earn CNET’s Editors’ Choice for Best Value VPN. Surfshark’s monthly subscription is one of the most expensive on the market at $15.45 per month, but you can access greater savings with the yearly plan that costs $42 for the first year, then $60 annually afterwards. The two-year plan costs $60 total for the first two years combined, then renews at $60 per year. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.

NordVPN is a popular choice because of its blisteringly fast connection speeds, privacy-focused features and great geo-unblocking for streaming services. Its Amazon Fire TV app is excellent for accessing Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus content. In addition to its Fire TV app, NordVPN works on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android/Android TV, iOS/iPadOS, browsers and Apple TV.
You’ll want a lightning-quick connection for streaming 4K or even 1080p videos, and NordVPN delivers just that. NordVPN came out on top as the fastest VPN we tested in 2024, with an average internet download speed loss of just 11%. We calculated an average speed loss of just 3% with Windows and 12.6% on MacOS through the NordLynx VPN protocol. With OpenVPN, we averaged a 10% speed loss on MacOS and 18.6% using Windows.

While NordVPN is great for entertainment, it doesn’t compromise privacy. Features like Onion over VPN (Tor) and a Double VPN deliver an additional layer of privacy, and a 2023 audit by Deloitte backed up its no-log claims for improved transparency. Although zero-logging policies are impossible to verify with absolute certainty, third-party audits provide peace of mind.

NordVPN’s global server network comprises more than 6,400 servers spanning 111 countries. That’s currently the largest server network of any VPN in this list, including Surfshark (100 countries) and ExpressVPN (105 countries). NordVPN costs $13 per month, $60 for the first year (then $100 annually) or $82 total for the first two years combined (then $100 annually).