Based on years of experience testing VPNs for all sorts of use-cases, these are the factors I consider to be the most important when choosing a VPN for Amazon Prime Video.
Ability to unblock Amazon Prime content
Not every VPN can give you access to Amazon Prime Video content. If you want to use a VPN for Prime Video, then the first thing you’ll want to determine is whether the VPN you’re considering can unblock Prime Video content. In my testing, Surfshark and Proton VPN were the best at accessing content from multiple regions, and ExpressVPN and NordVPN were capable of accessing US-based content. Most VPNs offer some sort of money-back guarantee, so you can try a few out to see which one works best for you.
Speed
Many VPNs may cut your base internet speeds by 50% or more, which can make for a rough streaming experience filled with buffering, poor picture quality or both. As long as you have a fast enough internet connection, a VPN that cuts your speed by 25% or less should be capable of delivering a smooth streaming experience.
Server network
The overall reach of a server network can help ensure you enjoy fast speeds and stable connections from anywhere in the world. That can be great for streaming a large selection of international content and for when you’re traveling. But an even more important consideration than the size of a VPN’s server network is that it has servers in the countries you want to access streaming content from. If you want to access content from Germany, but your VPN doesn’t have German servers, then you’re out of luck. Most VPNs have a list of the countries they have servers in on their websites. Be sure to check that the VPN you’re considering has the server locations you need before making the purchase.
Privacy
Privacy is a top consideration for any VPN, whether you need a VPN for critical online privacy needs or if you just want to stream geo-blocked content. Your VPN should secure your online traffic with industry-standard encryption like AES 256-bit or ChaCha20 and include features like a kill switch, DNS leak protection, obfuscation and an audited no-logs policy. With these privacy protections in place, your ISP won’t have eyes on your streaming activity or anything else you do online while connected to the VPN, and it shouldn’t have any useful information to pass along to authorities if requested.
Price
We’ve found that most of the VPN market hovers around $5 to $15 per month or $40 to $140 per year depending on the plan you purchase. Price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality, as I’ve seen quality VPNs that are well equipped for streaming at every price point. In fact, the best VPN for Amazon Prime video is actually a budget option if you buy into the yearly plan. However, we wouldn’t recommend you buy for any period longer than a year at a time. The VPN industry is fast-moving and which provider offers the best value for money can certainly change within a year. That’s before you start considering VPN providers being bought up by bigger companies, going out of business or changing terms of service. Choosing a year-long plan means getting significant savings without being exposed to the risk of a provider’s service potentially significant degradation.
