The Best VPN for Kodi which we are going to discuss in this article works perfectly for all the devices including Amazon FireStick (all Fire TV variants), Windows PC, Mac, Android smartphone, iPhone, and Android TV boxes such as Nvidia Shield, and other devices.
Kodi has gained a lot of steam in recent years because of its versatility and ability to stream all kinds of online content. Users in need of enhanced accessibility can optimize their experience with this fantastic multi-platform home theater with the use of a VPN. In this guide, you will learn about the primary and most relevant aspects of Kodi, Virtual Private Networks, and the best VPN for Kodi.
Best VPN for Kodi
Choosing the best VPN for Kodi can take some time: after all, there are numerous aspects you need to consider, such as speed, privacy policy, security features, number of servers & locations, jurisdiction, and others. But you don’t need to worry about it as I have already done this job for you.
Based on all the important factors, here is the list of the best VPNs for Kodi:
- ExpressVPN – The best Kodi VPN money can buy. Super fast servers in 94+ countries. Military-grade encryption, a strong no-logging policy, attractive yearly plans, 30-day money-back guarantee.
- IPVanish – A decent alternative to ExpressVPN with 1,900+ servers in more than 75 worldwide locations. 30-day money-back guarantee
- Private Internet Access – The best alternative to ExpressVPN with an incredible network of 29,000+ servers in 78 countries. Excellent long-term pricing, 30-day money-back guarantee.
- CyberGhost VPN – Great budget Kodi VPN with good speed. 7,400+ servers in 90 countries, 45-day money-back guarantee, 24-hour free trial.
- Surfshark – Another budget-friendly VPN, with unlimited simultaneous connections. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Below is a quick overview of the features of my top pick, ExpressVPN. I will discuss each of the Kodi VPNs individually a bit later.
Best for
Streaming and privacy
Servers
3000+
Money-back guarantee
30 Days
Supported Apps
Works with
Kodi, Torrenting, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Sky, HBO
Special Deal
3 Months Free (annual plan)- VPN Servers in 94 Countries
- Super fast speed – great for streaming
- Strong no logging policy
- Very secure 256-bit encryption
- No Streaming restrictions
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Network Lock (Killswitch)
- Unblocks Netflix and BBC iPlayer
- Safe for P2P and torrent use
- Dedicated apps & easy set-up on all devices
- 5 simultaneous connections
- Excellent 24/7 Live chat/email support
- Bitcoin accepted
- 30-day money-back guarantee
What Is Kodi?
What Is a Kodi VPN?
The world is filled with add-ons and plugins to make the Kodi experience a better one. For example, if you live in Spain but want to enjoy the best of the NFL (National Football League, an American football competition), there are add-ons you can install to enjoy channels and programs such as NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL Network, and others.
However, under normal circumstances, those add-ons are only available for people currently in the United States of America, because of locations and licensing reasons. However, you can access them if you use a Kodi VPN.
VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, are encryption technology services provided either by open-source clients on the Internet or by custom, private companies. Their primary objective is to provide added security, privacy, and anonymity for users that decide to hire them.
Encryption means that the content is coded in such a way that any external agent or third-party can’t decode the material until it has arrived at the final destination. VPN technology hides the user’s traffic and the IP address from end to end.
Because the user’s traffic is encrypted, it is usually off-limits to hackers trying to intercept your connection and steal your passwords or credit card numbers or governmental agencies following every step you take online. You can keep your internet service provider from gathering logs of your data and browsing history and selling that information around the web, as well as combat other threats. You are not entirely protected from viruses and malware, but some of the best VPN services for Kodi can give you a hand with that.
Why Do You Need a VPN for Kodi?
Everybody can use the aid that a reliable VPN provider has to offer. In Kodi’s case, it is clear that due to the nature of the software, you would be better off protecting your identity while you use this phenomenal app.
1. Hide Your Kodi Streaming Activity
Since Kodi has developed a little bit of a bad reputation in some minor Internet circles, the best VPNs for Kodi have to put your privacy and anonymity at the top of their priorities list. Most of that rep is not fair, given that Kodi has not endorsed or promoted any violation of copyrighted content.
However, as a user you need to be entirely sure that Kodi or any other software or application will not get you into any trouble, so here is where a VPN for Kodi can help you. If you use one, you will hide your Kodi streaming activity, and no governmental agency or internet service provider will be able to identify that you are using this platform.
Also, you need a VPN for your Kodi experience because you can access almost all add-ons and plugins in the world, no matter where you are. If you learn how to install a VPN service on your Kodi platform, you could connect to a specific country and all the geo-restricted add-ons would become instantly available to you.
2. Bypass ISP Throttling
ISP Throttling, also called bandwidth throttling in some circles, is the deliberate act performed by ISPs of slowing down the users’ Internet connection. It is usually a reactive measure that these networks implement because the Internet and network traffic are congested.
If you use a VPN service provider, you can avoid your ISP throttling your connection on purpose, and thus you can enjoy the best online streaming content in your Kodi software with relative peace and tranquility.
3. Unlock Geo-Restricted Content
There are several TV Shows, Movies, and Sports streams that are not available worldwide. For instance, Netflix UK provides some of the shows that are not available for US users. So if you switch to the UK IP, you can access Netflix UK and its complete inventory. If you are a big-time Netflix user, you should read our article about the best VPN for Netflix.
Moreover, there are a few popular Kodi Add-ons that are geo-restricted. If you have a VPN, you can unblock them all.
Want to know more? here are 10 reasons why you must use a VPN all the time.
Best VPNs for Kodi 2023
The options that we are going to list next are not necessarily cheap VPNs, but they are affordable, and you can easily include them in your monthly budget. And they are worth every penny because of their strength of encryption, security features, privacy, and the number of servers and countries.
ExpressVPN – #1 Rated Kodi VPN
Recognized as the top VPN client in the market, ExpressVPN provides speedy servers, excellent performance, numerous locations, and a broad catalog of features to offer the best experience for Kodi users. With strong unblocking abilities, streaming content on Kodi will not be a problem with ExpressVPN.
Included in the package is a handy 30-day money-back guarantee, to let users try ExpressVPN for up to a month and then make a decision on whether they are going to stick with the service on a long-term basis.
Reader’s Deal: You can get 3 months free on ExpressVPN with a one-year plan, which accounts for a 49% discount compared to the monthly plan. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the performance, you can ask for a full refund.
ExpressVPN offers easy-to-use applications for almost every device, including Fire TV Stick, Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, Xbox, PlayStation, Apple TV, and routers. You can check the complete list of supported devices here.
Below is the table of ExpressVPN’s advantages and disadvantages. For detailed features, check out our ExpressVPN review.
- Endless accessibility: ExpressVPN unblocks content with 3,000 servers across 94 countries.
- Easy to install and use: You can install and start using ExpressVPN in minutes.
- Excellent customer support: If ExpressVPN’s guides and tutorials aren’t enough, 24/7 live chat can help you.
- High speeds and performance: ExpressVPN offers unlimited bandwidth and very competitive speeds.
- Strong no-logging policy: ExpressVPN logs no user data and is based in the British Virgin Islands, away from any data retention laws.
- A myriad of features: ExpressVPN offers DNS servers, a kill switch, split tunneling, DNS leak protection, torrenting / P2P support, three simultaneous connections, and browser extensions.
- Bitcoin payment: Crypto payments offer enhanced anonymity.
- No free trial: ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a free trial period. However, users are covered by the 30-day money-back guarantee.
3-Step Installation for ExpressVPN
Installing ExpressVPN as your preferred Kodi VPN is so easy that it won’t take more than 3 easy steps.
Step 1: Get the ExpressVPN subscription HERE.
Step 2: Click HERE to download and install the ExpressVPN app on your device.
Step 3: Open the ExpressVPN app and click the power icon to connect to a VPN server. That’s all. Your connection is now secure with the fastest and best VPN for Kodi.
If you are using an Amazon Fire TV Stick, you can check our step-by-step guide to install ExpressVPN.
IPVanish – #2 Best Kodi VPN
Based in the United States, IPVanish is one of the best VPN services for Kodi. IPVanish’s layout and design are minimalistic and user-friend. It has more than 40,000 IP addresses, DNS leak protection, and some of the fastest servers in the business.
IPVanish costs $3.20/month (or $3.92/month with cloud backup) on a yearly plan. It’s a reasonable price when you weigh in that it implements secure AES 256-bit encryption, has servers in more than 60 nations, and has unlimited bandwidth.
- Fast VPN: IPVanish is fast but less reliable than ExpressVPN.
- Enhanced accessibility: IPVanish has an incredible 40,000+ shared IPs and 1,900+ servers in 75+ locations.
- Strong encryption and security measures: IPVanish implements AES 256-bit encryption and plenty of security protocols.
- Zero traffic logs: Stream in peace with IPVanish’s strict no-logs policy.
- Unlimited simultaneous connections: Connect any number of devices to a single IPVanish plan.
- Good support: IPVanish has 24/7 live chat support, 24/7 email support, and phone support during business hours.
- No free trial
For more details, you can also read our IPVanish review.
Private Internet Access – #3 Best Kodi VPN
In third place sits Private Internet Access (PIA), a popular VPN service that has been around for over a decade. Private Internet Access is way ahead of its many rivals in terms of server options. With 29,000+ servers spread across 78 countries, PIA spoils Kodi users by helping them bypass geo-restrictions without significant speed loss.
But that’s not all. Private Internet Access also offers top-of-the-line data encryption. Its strict zero-logs policy means that you don’t have to worry about any identifying logs getting stored on its servers. A kill switch, leak protection, IP masking, unblocking ability, and fast speeds are other features that place PIA in the very top picks of the best VPNs for Kodi.
There’s a free trial for 7 days for Android devices, which includes FireStick if you happen to use one. On top of that, you are backed by a 30-day refund policy if you decide not to commit. The service costs $2.03 per month on the three-year plan, which includes 3 additional months at no charge.
- Wide server network: PIA has a server network unrivaled by other VPNs.
- Easy to use: Like ExpressVPN, PIA is quick and convenient to install and use.
- Impressive performance: PIA is faster than most competitors and offers WireGuard protocol and unlimited bandwidth, perfect for streamers.
- Zero logs policy: PIA guarantees that no identifying traffic logs are collected or saved on its servers.
- High-level encryption and security: PIA offers AES 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, IP protection, and DNS leak protection.
- Free trial: Android and iOS users can use PIA free for 7 days. This works for FireStick as well.
- Bitcoin payment: Crypto payments offer enhanced anonymity.
- No trial on some devices: If you’re not on Android or iOS when you sign up, you won’t get a free trial.
Using Kodi on your FireStick? You can check our step-by-step guide to install PIA for FireStick.
CyberGhost VPN – #4 Best Kodi VPN
CyberGhost is another genuinely excellent VPN service for Kodi, as it keeps no logs of your activity (not even metadata) so you can avoid your ISP throttling your connection. It has an automatic kill switch, fast servers, and over 7,400 servers in 90 countries.
CyberGhost allows seven simultaneous connections. It offers apps for Mac, Routers, Linux, Windows, iOS, and Android; a 45-day money-back guarantee; DNS and IP leak protection; a no-logging policy; and 256-bit AES encryption. It has many protocols available for Kodi users, such as OpenVPN, L2TP-IPsec, and PPTP. It also supports WireGuard protocol on all apps. The 3-year plan, which includes 3 months free, costs only $2.15 per month.
- Solid spread of servers: CyberGhost offers 7,400+ servers across 90 countries.
- Fast connections: CyberGhost offers impressive speeds, though not quite as good as ExpressVPN.
- Anti-malware and no-tracking: CyberGhost safety features protect you anywhere on the web.
- No logging: CyberGhost doesn’t monitor or record your browsing history, data, or preferences in any way.
- Dedicated torrenting servers: CyberGhost supports P2P and torrenting activities, including on US servers.
- 45-day money-back guarantee: Most VPNs offer 30-day money-back guarantees, but CyberGhost gives users 45 days.
- Free trial: CyberGhost currently offers a 24-hour free trial that requires no payment information.
- “24/7” support: CyberGhost claims to offer 24/7 live chat support, but it may be inaccessible for several minutes at a time.
FireStick users can refer to my guide to using CyberGhost on FireStick.
Surfshark – #5 Best Kodi VPN
If you are looking for the best budget VPN for Kodi, you could do much worse than Surfshark. But this VPN is on this list for more than just a competitive price. Surfshark offers a ton of value, including military-grade encryption, excellent selection of protocols, decent speeds, and more.
It is still only relatively new, but Surfshark already offers an impressive network of servers. There are 3,200 servers to choose from, located in 65 countries. It does not provide the fastest speeds in the market, but its decent performance means you don’t get to suffer from much buffering while streaming on Kodi.
Surfshark lets you use an unlimited number of devices on one subscription. There’s a 7-day free trial covering Android, iOS, and macOS users. It costs $2.21 per month on a 24-month package, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Budget-friendly pricing: The two-year plan is about the same monthly price as competitors’ three-year plans.
- Unlimited simultaneous connections: You can use a single Surfshark account on an unlimited number of devices.
- Decent speed: ExpressVPN may be faster, but Surfshark isn’t slow, especially when used with the WireGuard protocol.
- Strong encryption and security features: You’re secure with industry-standard encryption, a range of VPN protocols, leak protection, and a kill switch.
- No logs policy: No metadata that contains identifying information is collected or stored on Surfshark servers.
- Bitcoin payment: Crypto payments offer enhanced anonymity.
- Expensive one-month subscription: While Surfshark is commonly known for being a strong budget choice, its one-month plan is simply not.
Users on FireStick devices can check out my guide on Surfshark for FireStick.
Is Free VPN for Kodi Helpful?
As long as the traffic between the user and the Kodi system/add-ons remains encrypted, then it shouldn’t matter so much if the VPN you are using for encryption is free or paid. A free VPN can keep the no-cost approach of enjoying Kodi on the web, a cost-free application by itself.
The VPN’s tunneling nature can keep your ISP away from your traffic and from throttling your connection, besides letting you access streaming content from numerous locations around the globe.
Using Free VPN for Kodi – Dangers
Despite its encryption contributions, using a free VPN provider can bring more harm than good if you are not aware of the risks. In a general view of things, a free VPN client will have fewer servers, weaker encryption and more privacy issues than a paid alternative.
- Fewer servers: Whereas most paid VPN apps have more than 1,000 servers, free ones will have significantly fewer because they won’t have the same resources to invest in infrastructure as their premium counterparts.
- Weak encryption: There are numerous encryption protocols available in the market: PPTP, L2TP, OpenVPN, SSL, and more. The PPTP, or Peer to Peer Tunneling Protocol, is the easiest to use but the most vulnerable of them all. Guess who uses this measure the most? Free VPN. The PPTP encryption is the easiest to intercept.
- Privacy issues: It is difficult to fund a free VPN service, so what free clients mostly do is sell your data and traffic around the Internet to the highest bidder: You will see ads according to your recently visited pages because someone is watching you. Enjoy stronger privacy with a paid VPN.
Read: How free VPNs make money? 5 Scary facts to know
We are not saying that paid VPNs are perfect by any means, as they have issues as well. However, they can provide more depth and options when it comes to encryption protocols, offering OpenVPN, IPSec, SSL, L2TP, and others, not just the now-obsolete PPTP.
Finally, the best VPN for Kodi has numerous servers scattered around the world, preferably in multiple nations to enjoy a broader library of online streaming content, plugins, and add-ons.
How to Choose the Best Kodi VPN
A good VPN for Kodi needs to have strong encryption, a reasonable and convenient privacy policy, a large number of servers and countries, fast speeds, and affordable prices. Extra features such as a NAT Firewall, a killswitch, DNS leak protection, high compatibility, and protocol availability are nice extras. You can also read our guide on how to choose the VPN for your needs.
- Privacy: When using Kodi, the more private, the better. You may not even notice, but you may incur copyright infringement, and if you use VPN encryption, the chances are that your ISP and the governmental authorities don’t even find out. You want a VPN with a real zero-log policy, such as ExpressVPN, IPVanish, Private Internet Access, and CyberGhost.
- Servers: If a VPN client has many servers, you have more options to switch around in your quest for the perfect speeds, no lag, and the content you want to enjoy. All VPNs mentioned here have adequate number of servers worldwide.
- Speed: If you are going to stream content on Kodi, especially HD content, you need high speed to avoid buffering, delaying your entertainment. ExpressVPN can provide fast servers in many locations. IPVanish comes the closest second.
- Location: Servers in more countries mean that you can unblock content (in the form of Kodi add-ons) in numerous places. ExpressVPN has servers in over 90 nations and IPVanish in more than 75 countries. while Private Internet Access has servers in 78 and CyberGhost in 90.
- Price: Of course, you want to pay less for outstanding service. We all do. ExpressVPN comes at a great price when you buy a one-year plan. IPVanish, PIA, and CyberGhost are well-priced alternatives with excellent features.
How to Install VPN on Kodi
Installing a VPN on Kodi is not rocket science. You can simply install Kodi VPN on your device and it will work for all your online browsing, streaming, and downloading activities. So basically we need to install the VPN on your hardware such as PC, Fire Stick, smartphone, etc.
Install Kodi VPN on Windows
- Choose your best VPN and go to its website.
- Register for the service by providing your username, password, and payment method.
- Look for the app for Windows.
- Download the Windows app.
- Run the downloaded file.
- After proper installation, launch your VPN Windows client.
- Sign in to the app, entering your username and password previously provided during VPN registration.
- Configure your account according to your preferred settings.
- Go to the Servers section of your VPN.
- Choose the one you want to connect with. For example, if you desire to get a US add-on, connect to an American server.
- Click “Connect,” wait a few seconds, and now all traffic you generate will go through the VPN network, including Kodi.
Set up Kodi VPN on iOS devices
- Choose your VPN and go to its website or look for the app in the Apple Store.
- Register for the service providing your username, password, personal information, and payment method.
- Look for the app for iOS.
- Download the iOS app.
- After proper installation, launch the VPN.
- Sign in to the app, entering your username and password previously provided in the second step.
- Configure your account according to your preferred settings.
- Tap on Choose Location and tap on the location you want to connect.
- Use an Internet page or tool to verify that your IP address has been modified and your IP is not leaking.
- Open Kodi and use it as you usually do.
Install Kodi VPN on RetroPie
- Copy this file to a USB drive. It is a VPN Manager for OpenVPN.
- Connect the USB drive to your Raspberry Pi while Kodi is open.
- Go to System.
- Go to Settings.
- Go to Add-Ons.
- Select the options to Install the .zip file.
- Search your USB drive from the list and click it.
- Then, click on repository.zomboided.plugins-1.0.0.zip. Then the system will tell you it was added.
- Press the ESC key and then select Install from the repository.
- Click Zomboided add-on repository, then Services, then VPN Manager for OpenVPN.
- Install the program.
- Return to the Kodi main screen.
- Go to Programs, and then VPN Manager for OpenVPN.
- Select Add-On Settings.
- Modify the VPN Provider to your selected and preferred VPN client, and then log in.
- Select Enable Debug for Just VPN Manager.
- Click on the Always use Kodi log directory for OpenVPN log option.
- Go to the VPN connections.
- Select the First VPN Connection option and pick a server.
- Done! You now have VPN encryption while using Kodi on your RetroPie.
Set up Kodi VPN on FireStick
We also have a separate guide for FireStick VPN. If you are Fire TV/Stick user, check out how to install VPN on FireStick.
- Register for a VPN service, providing your details and payment methods, and obtaining a username and password.
- Go to the Firestick Home.
- Go to the Search Menu.
- Type the name of your VPN and install its App from Amazon App Store.
- Open your VPN, and then enter your username and password.
- You are now logged in! Choose the best server in your preferred location.
- Connect to your server.
- To leave the VPN running and go to Kodi click the Home button on the remote.
- VPN for Kodi Android
- Choose your VPN and go to its website or look for the app in the Google Play Store.
- Register for the service providing your username, password, personal information, and a payment method.
- Look for the app for Android.
- Download the Android app.
- After proper installation, launch the VPN.
- Sign in to the app, entering your username and password previously provided in the second step.
- Configure your account according to your preferred settings.
- Tap on Choose Location and tap on the location you want to connect.
- Use an Internet page or tool to verify that your IP address has been modified and your IP is not leaking.
- Open Kodi and use it as you usually do.
Install VPN for OpenELEC Kodi
- Take a similar route to the one for installing Kodi VPN on RetroPie: download the Zomboided Repository and then transfer it (it can be via a USB drive) to your OpenELEC device.
- Open your Kodi software.
- Go to the Add-ons
- Select the box-shaped icon at the upper left.
- Click on Install from zip file.
- Search and select the Zomboided
- Install from repository after you get the add-on enabled notification.
- Choose the Zomboided Add-on Repository.
- Go to Services, then select VPN Manager for OpenVPN.
- Install and wait for the notification.
- Select OK on the next popup.
- Go to the VPN configuration and click on VPN Provider.
- Find your VPN provider and enter the user and password.
- Go to the VPN Connections tab.
- Choose the First VPN connection.
- After connection, choose your preferred server to connect.
Bonus tip – Best Apps for Kodi
For live TV
- Pluto TV: With over 300 live TV channels, Pluto TV is easily one of the best options to gain streaming access to news, sports, and entertainment television. It is a hybrid addon, so you can also enjoy thousands of hours of on-demand content. To top it off, the Pluto TV is an official addon and is completely free of charge.
- TVOne: This Kodi addon offers live TV channels from all around the world. An incredibly simple addon to use, just select a country or category and you can start streaming live channels listed under it.
For movies and TV shows
- The Crew: This is one of the most versatile Kodi addons I have seen for on-demand content. It features tons of movies and shows. At the same time, you can watch a lot of extras too. It is a must-have addon for everyone.
- Exodus Redux: With Exodus Redux, you have no limits when streaming movies and TV shows on Kodi. It is an unofficial add-on, but that doesn’t take anything away regarding quality and options to choose from.
- Fallout: This is one of the most popular Kodi builds and a perfect option if you want to stream high-quality movies and shows.
For sports
- SportHD: From the developer of the now-offline Sport365 comes SportHD, a wonderful destination for sports lovers on Kodi. On this addon, you get quality streaming links to follow your favorite sports teams, events, and competitions.
- ApeX Sports: Located within the Arxtic-ape Repository, ApeX sports addon is an excellent source for all kinds of live sports events, analysis, replays, highlights, and reviews.
Final Thoughts on Best VPN for Kodi
Kodi is fantastic open-source software and digital media player for streaming addicts all around the world. It feeds from the contributions of the community and works with official add-ons, or complements of streaming content that has been verified as working plugins.
Kodi is a puzzle, and every official and unofficial add-on is like a little piece of it. You can put together your whole entertainment picture and outlook with this software. However, it carries significant security risks, as you may be letting your IP address available for anybody, including hackers and viruses. Besides, you don’t want your ISP or governmental agencies looking at your Kodi-generated traffic.
To solve those issues, getting one of Kodi’s best VPNs may be your smartest move. Free options can work, too, but to some extent. Paid clients often provide stronger encryption, a broader number of servers, and more general privacy.
FAQs
My personal experience says that ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Kodi. It is lightning fast, streaming-friendly, and highly secure.
I would never suggest a free VPN with Kodi or any other platform. Free VPN services usually earn money through advertisements and many times by selling user data. To stay safe, always use a trusted paid VPN.
Yes. Kodi VPN will not only work with FireStick, but all the Kodi compatible devices including Windows PC, Macbook, Android TV, Nvidia Shield, and others.
You need a VPN for Kodi to safeguard your streaming activities and to keep yourself away from the prying eyes of the government and your ISP.
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