Roku is a popular device that allows users to watch movies and TV shows from a variety of streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and other market giants.
However, not all streaming services are available worldwide, and most content is geographically restricted, which is why you can use the best VPNs. It will trick the streaming service into thinking you’re watching from a different location than you actually are, allowing you to bypass geo-restrictions and licensing laws.
Below you’ll find useful information on how to connect your Roku to a VPN. I’ve also hand-picked the 5 best VPNs for Roku and created short guides to help install them on different intermediate devices.
NordVPN
If you’ve been checking out Roku VPN services, you’ve probably come across NordVPN, and the big-name provider certainly lives up to its reputation in our NordVPN review.
For starters, you’ll get access to more than 5,500 servers across the globe, and in our tests, Nord was able to unblock almost every streaming site we tested. Plus, with great speed, you don’t have to wait for your movies to load.
Its commitment to being one of the best VPN services for streaming is clear with NordVPN’s SmartPlay technology, a smart DNS service that providers use to bypass geo-restrictions on streaming sites. Enabled by default in all applications, it means there’s no need to set up, update or activate – just connect to the right VPN server.
If you don’t want to set up NordVPN on your router yourself (the lack of dedicated apps is really trickier than ExpressVPN), the provider works with a company called FlashRouters. They’ll sell you a configured and working router and save you the trouble – all you need to do is sign up for the NordVPN plan you want.
In use, it’s very close to ExpressVPN, but the fact that there’s no dedicated router app does mean you’ll need to spend extra – both in time and money. However, if you’re happy with that (or can be satisfied with a virtual router), then it can be used as a VPN for Roku.
VyprVPN
VyprVPN provides secure access to the best streaming services, including Hulu and BBC iPlayer, and experienced providers can bypass China’s firewalls and other censorship systems. While the service does record your IP address, encryption standards have become so strong that it’s not as private as we’d like it to be.
VyprVPN operates its own encrypted DNS service, called VyprDNS, and prevents DNS leaks. Unfortunately, you cannot use VyprDNS separately from VyprVPN at this time.
VyprVPN makes a custom application for routers running Tomato firmware, and its website contains instructions for building DD-WRT with OpenVPN support.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost has one of the largest global networks with 9,273 servers and hundreds of servers in the US, UK, Netherlands, France and Canada alone. This means you can log in without worrying about overcrowding or lag.
Are you new to VPNs and intimidated by them? I found CyberGhost to be easy to set up and use, with a clear, intuitive interface. In fact, everything about this VPN is very simple.
Its streaming-optimized servers ensure reliability, speed and stability, so you can use Roku to view content from around the world.
Its fast speeds will let you stream without latency or buffering. It even offers data compression to reduce your data usage and increase load times.
CyberGhost offers the highest security encryption, 256-bit AES, to meet your privacy needs. Staying anonymous is essential to protect your online identity, so it also includes features such as DNS leak protection, automatic termination switches, and no-logging policies for added security.
Streaming services strive to restrict VPNs, so some IP addresses you encounter may be blocked. To help you overcome this problem and stream easily on Roku, CyberGhost provides dedicated IP addresses. Using the same static address, you can bypass anti-VPN software by making what is essentially a private connection.
Want to help friends and family who also enjoy Roku streaming? With up to 7 simultaneous connections, you can add their devices to your subscription.
If you’re sure CyberGhost is the right VPN for you, check out the valid coupons to save some cash. You can also test the service courtesy of its 45-day money-back guarantee.
Surfshark
Surfshark launched in late 2018 and is one of the fastest growing VPN brands I’ve seen. It offers one of the best value propositions for the quality you get, especially if you’re a heavy streamer.
Surfshark’s SmartDNS feature is technically all you need to use your Roku device. Plus, it works with other streams based on the same principles. Currently, you have access to over 3,200 servers, but that number is rapidly increasing over time.
Surfshark does not make fancy adaptations of WireGuard, but rather implements the protocol “as is”. You still have full access to the extreme speed benefits that WireGuard offers. These speeds are critical to your media streaming experience.
This brand is another one that goes the extra mile in terms of user privacy and also offers RAM-only servers. In any emergency, Surfshark can simply wipe the volatile memory server completely.
I’ve been using Surfshark almost since it launched and it’s a brand that has never given me problems. The user experience is great and they make things as easy as possible. I especially like this because VPNs by their nature can be a bit complicated to navigate.
Windscribe
You can also use Windscribe with Roku, but keep in mind that it has limited router compatibility. Still, it’s an option, and since Windscribe has a free plan, you can basically try it out before you buy. The free plan gets you up to 15GB of data traffic and the paid plan gets you unlimited data traffic.
It has a decent network of servers, and if you use the paid plan, you can use all of its servers for streaming. With streaming in mind, we should note that Windscribe’s free servers don’t have access to some streaming services. It has good speed, but it can be slow in some places.
Read our Windscribe review for more information.
While Windscribe’s free plan is generous, you’ll need to switch to a paid plan if you want to access streaming services on Roku. If you choose the annual plan, it’s not too expensive for a paid plan, but it’s not the cheapest either. That said, you can choose Windscribe’s build plan option. For a minimum cost of $3, you can add $1 per month for select servers and $1 per month for unlimited data.