Best for high speeds

4.6

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On ExpressVPN's website

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ExpressVPN

• Premium VPN offering strong security and ultra-fast speeds
• Strict no-logs policy with independent audit
• In-house Lightway protocol for more speed and security
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

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Best for added perks

4.9

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On NordVPN's website

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NordVPN

• High-quality VPN offering safety and speed
• Loads of servers for multiple connection options
• Works with popular streaming services, including Netflix
• Too many confusing plans

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Best for multiple devices

4.9

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On Surfshark's website

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Surfshark

• VPN technology offering stability and speed
• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Works with Netflix and other streaming services
• Headquarters in Nine Eyes Alliance

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It’s convenient to have smart devices throughout your home, but they can also make your cybersecurity more vulnerable. Protecting your online activity with a virtual private network (VPN) can help you avoid cybercrimes like fraud and identity theft. The best VPN providers encrypt your internet activity to give you anonymity and privacy. VPNs can also help you avoid geo-restrictions when accessing content from places across the globe.

Kodi is an open-source platform that creates an entertainment hub for its users. With Kodi, you can store and access a variety of content, including music, movies, TV shows, games, and photos. Since Kodi can house so much of your data, using Kodi and a VPN can help protect you from hacking, limit tracking from your internet service providers (ISPs), and allow you to access streaming content from anywhere in the world — even if it is geo-restricted.

Kodi can run on a variety of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. When choosing a VPN for Kodi, you want to find one compatible with the device that has Kodi installed. Our top VPNs for use with Kodi are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark for their compatibility options, speed, and security features.

The best VPNs for Kodi 2024

• ExpressVPN: Best for high speeds
• NordVPN: Best for added perks
• Surfshark: Best for multiple devices

Top 3 VPN services for Kodi compared

VPN	ExpressVPN	NordVPN	Surfshark
Starting price	Starts at $6.67/mo	Starts at $2.99/mo	Starts at $1.99/mo
Free version
Streaming support	Yes — Kodi, Netflix, Hulu, Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+	Yes — Kodi, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+	Yes - Kodi, Netflix, Hulu, Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+
Learn more	Get ExpressVPN Read ExpressVPN Review	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review

ExpressVPN: Best for high speeds

4.6

Save 49% on 12 months + 3 months free

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On ExpressVPN's website

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ExpressVPN

• Premium VPN offering strong security and ultra-fast speeds
• Strict no-logs policy with independent audit
• In-house Lightway protocol for more speed and security
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

Who it’s best for

If you’re worried about a VPN slowing down your internet connection and leaving your favorite shows buffering, ExpressVPN is the option for you. While testing ExpressVPN, we were impressed with how little the service affected our overall speeds. ExpressVPN uses its own VPN protocol, Lightway, which the company says makes the VPN experience “speedier, more secure, and more reliable than ever.”

From our testing, ExpressVPN reduced our speeds only slightly — by about 15% when connected in the U.S. and Canada. VPN servers farther away from our location saw a bit more of a drop, but that is expected.

What we liked

ExpressVPN offers a variety of conveniences to make using the VPN more secure and convenient. Here are a few ExpressVPN features that we liked:

• Split tunneling: This allows you to channel some internet traffic through the VPN while other internet traffic can be used without the VPN.
• Network Lock: Network Lock is ExpressVPN’s kill switch. A VPN kill switch will turn off your internet access if the VPN gets disconnected. This can protect you from using the internet without a VPN by accident.
• Threat Manager: This ExpressVPN function helps protect you from malware or trackers while browsing the web.

We also liked ExpressVPN’s support options and tutorials for customers. It offers 24/7 live chat support, so you can talk to a customer service representative at any time. It also has an extensive support forum, including step-by-step guides for Kodi. Finally, ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free.

What we didn’t like

ExpressVPN’s cost is its biggest downfall when stacked against the other VPNs we evaluated. While there are other more expensive options on the market, ExpressVPN was the most expensive of the ones we chose for Kodi. If you want to pay month to month, you’ll be paying $12.95/mo. That price drops to $6.67/mo if you can commit to a 12-month contract, which sometimes comes with 3 months free.

With ExpressVPN, you can have only eight simultaneous connections. While this isn’t a deal breaker for us, it can be inconvenient if you plan to use a VPN connection on many devices beyond the one that has Kodi installed.

ExpressVPN specs

NordVPN: Best for added perks

4.9

Limited-time offer: 69% off + 3 extra months

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On NordVPN's website

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NordVPN

• High-quality VPN offering safety and speed
• Loads of servers for multiple connection options
• Works with popular streaming services, including Netflix
• Too many confusing plans

Who it’s best for

While NordVPN is an effective VPN to help protect your internet traffic, it also has more premium plans that unlock additional features. The Standard plan comes with the VPN, which has plenty of features, including a kill switch, split tunneling, and specialty servers. However, the Plus and Complete plans come with additional Nord products to further help protect your information online. Here are a few extras included with NordVPN’s Plus and Complete plans:

• Password manager: Gain access to NordPass, a cross-platform password manager that saves and encrypts your login information.
• Data breach scanner: Get notified if your login information or credit cards have been part of a data breach.
• Cloud storage: Only the Complete plan comes with NordLocker, which gives you 1 TB of storage with end-to-end encryption.

What we liked

NordVPN is easy to use, and from our testing, it doesn’t have a significant effect on overall speeds. Nord’s dashboard allows you to change server locations easily and select specialty servers, which include a dedicated IP, P2P sharing, and more.

Another great offering from Nord is Meshnet, which allows you to create a local area network (LAN). With Meshnet, you can connect to local devices faster and easier for file sharing, gaming, and more. You can also remotely access files on local devices if you have Meshnet configured.

Nord’s customer support options include 24/7 live chat and email, as well as support forums and how-to guides for setting up Nord on Kodi, routers, and other devices.

What we didn’t like

NordVPN also limits the number of devices that can be connected at a time. With NordVPN, you can connect up to only six devices, which can leave some of your devices unprotected.

To install NordVPN for use with Kodi, you’ll need to install NordVPN as a Kodi add-on. This process is a bit more complicated than the other solutions, which could be a deal breaker for less tech-savvy users.

NordVPN specs

Surfshark: Best for multiple devices

4.9

Limited-time offer: 82% off + 4 months free

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On Surfshark's website

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Surfshark

• VPN technology offering stability and speed
• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Works with Netflix and other streaming services
• Headquarters in Nine Eyes Alliance

Who it’s best for

Surfshark allows you to use its VPN on unlimited devices, which sets it apart from the other VPNs on this list. This is beneficial not only when you’re using a VPN for Kodi but if you have many devices in your house that need a VPN connection. The Surfshark interface is also simple and easy to use, so adding it to several devices doesn’t add extra headaches.

What we liked

The Surfshark Starter plan includes everything you need from a VPN. Similar to NordVPN’s plans, you can gain access to additional features when you sign up for Surfshark One or Surfshark One+.

Here are a few of the features that you can access with the higher plans:

• Private search engine: Surfshark’s search engine, which allows you to surf the web without being tracked
• Antivirus protection: Detects and removes malware from your devices from viruses around the clock
• Data breach alerts: Real-time alerts whenever your email addresses, credit cards, or personal IDs are part of a data breach

Surfshark’s VPN includes its own unique features, such as camouflage mode, which ensures that your ISP cannot tell that you are using a VPN. IP Rotator is another feature from Surfshark that helps increase your online privacy. IP Rotator changes your IP address periodically without disconnecting the VPN. Surfshark also has a multi-hop feature, which allows you to connect to two different servers for added anonymity.

From our testing, Surfshark did not have a significant impact on connection speeds. Surfshark also allows you to stream Netflix with a VPN, and it has a guide on configuring Kodi as well.

What we didn’t like

Surfshark is headquartered in the Netherlands, which is part of the Nine Eyes alliance. The Nine Eyes alliance is a group of countries that have pledged to share national security intelligence with each other, so Surfshark’s headquarters could be a red flag for privacy-focused users. Luckily, Surfshark completed an audit of its no-logs policy in January 2023.

Surfshark specs

Honorable mentions

There are several VPN options on the market. Private Internet Access and Avast SecureLine VPN are both good choices for VPNs in some scenarios, but we found that they fell short for use with Kodi.

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access is an affordable VPN. If you’re willing to commit to a three-year plan, you can get PIA for $2.03/mo. PIA is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, which brings up privacy concerns for us. The U.S. is part of the Five Eyes alliance, which means that it will share information with other countries on matters of national security. Since PIA is in the U.S., we felt that it may have bigger privacy concerns than Surfshark, which is headquartered in a Nine Eyes alliance country.

Get Private Internet Access | Read Our Private Internet Access Review

CyberGhost

CyberGhost touts that it works with Kodi. It’s also one of the more affordable services, starting at $2.03/mo for a two-year commitment. However, CyberGhost didn’t make our top three based on its speed test results. CyberGhost dropped our speed by about 30% just while connected to a server in the U.S., so it could struggle with streaming platforms.

Get CyberGhost | Read Our CyberGhost VPN Review

Avast SecureLine VPN

Avast SecureLineVPN is a good VPN in some cases. However, Avast SecureLine VPN reduced our internet speeds when connected. These decreases in speed could limit your Kodi streaming experience.

Get Avast SecureLine VPN | Read Our Avast SecureLine VPN Review

Best VPNs for Kodi FAQs

Bottom line: The best VPNs for Kodi

Using a VPN with Kodi can help you access geo-restricted content, keep your internet usage hidden from your ISP to avoid throttling, and keep you protected from hackers.

ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark are all great VPNs for use with Kodi devices. From our testing, all three maintain internet speeds that are optimized for streaming. Installing a VPN on Kodi will also vary depending on the VPN service that you choose. Luckily, all three VPNs have how-to guides for Kodi setup as well as top-notch customer support, making the onboarding time easier.

3 best Kodi VPNs 2024

	Starting price	Best for	Learn more
ExpressVPN	Starts at $6.67/mo	Best for high speeds	Get ExpressVPN Read ExpressVPN
NordVPN	Starts at $2.99/mo	Best for added perks	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN
Surfshark	Starts at $1.99/mo	Best for multiple devices	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark

How we tested the best VPNs for Kodi

When determining the best VPNs for Kodi, we looked at several factors. The most important aspect that we evaluated was if the VPN could operate on devices where you may be using Kodi. From that point, we looked at other functions and test results to make sure that the VPN connection would not hinder Kodi’s performance or the performance of other devices connected to the VPN.

Some of the factors we evaluated include:

• Overall internet speed: When connected to the VPN, how were our internet speeds affected? By looking at speeds, we make sure that the VPN isn’t hindering efficiency so much that using streaming services would be impossible.
• Ease of installation and use: Is the VPN user-friendly enough for users to navigate with ease? And how difficult is the installation process, especially for installing on Kodi? And how difficult is the installation process, especially for installing on Kodi?
• Supported devices: Another factor that can be important is the number of connected devices that are allowed at a time. If you’re using a Kodi VPN but have multiple family members using devices in need of a VPN connection, will you all be protected?

4.6

Save 49% on 12 months + 3 months free

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On ExpressVPN's website

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ExpressVPN

• Premium VPN offering strong security and ultra-fast speeds
• Strict no-logs policy with independent audit
• In-house Lightway protocol for more speed and security
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

Author Details

Andrew Adams

About the Author

Andrew Strom Adams is a freelance writer focused on online privacy and digital security. He writes on various topics to help individuals protect themselves on the internet. Andrew has worked in legal marketing, technology, and startups. He has more than 12 years of experience in marketing and communications. He holds an M.B.A. from Westminster College and a B.A. in journalism from Oklahoma Baptist University. When he’s not writing, he’s playing with his two kids or watching reality TV.