ProtonVPN are one of the better known, longstanding VPN providers, but does their service actually reliably work with Netflix? Can you reliably access Netflix using ProtonVPN servers, or do they tend to be blocked as part of the aggressive cat-and-mouse battle that’s currently going on between streaming providers and VPN companies?
For clarity, in this article we are going to cover access to Netflix in the major English speaking countries – USA, UK, Canada and Australia – since Netflix has it’s own version in lots of different countries. Does ProtonVPN work for Netflix in these countries?
ProtonVPN’s most expensive servers on their Plus Plan do work in accessing Netflix in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia. Their free servers or those on the Basic plan however, do not work; only the Plus servers allow access to Netflix.
In other words, yes, ProtonVPN does work with Netflix in English speaking countries, but you do have to pay for it. But the good news is that even though their Plus server plan is quite expensive in the VPN market, access is pretty reliable, as with their main competitor for streaming, ExpressVPN. It’s the usual adage of getting what you pay for.
Let’s look at the issue in more detail, including a run down of exactly how to get ProtonVPN to work with Netflix.
ProtonVPN Plus Plan Servers Work With Netflix
The bottom line answer if very simple on this:
ProtonVPN’s Plus Plan premium servers do work in allowing access to Netflix in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia. As long as the user is using a ProtonVPN Plus Plan server in the correct country, and their Netflix account is also located in that country, then the service should work.
Here’s a screenshot taken from ProtonVPN’s own Support page on the issue, confirming their service does work with Netflix:
Here’s some other points to note:
- If you select a random ProtonVPN server to connect to Netflix (not in the correct country), you will access the default US Netflix catalogue.
- However, if you want to access the country specific catalogues (eg. for UK/Canada/Australia), that’s when you need to use their Plus servers and select the correct country, and log into a Netflix account based in that country.
- If you’re in the EU and trying to connect to the German, French, Italian or Swiss versions of Netflix, you will not immediately be served them due to EU data laws. You’ll need to connect using the same server location for a few weeks, after which you will be served the local version of Netflix.
So there is pretty much a guarantee from ProtonVPN themselves – their Plus servers will work in accessing Netflix.
ProtonVPN Plus Server Locations (USA/UK/Canada/Australia)
Now we know that ProtonVPN does work in accessing Netflix on their Plus Plan, let’s give a quick overview of the Premium server locations in each of these main countries, so users know what’s available:
- USA – 400+ severs spread out across New York, Secaucus, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Denver, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Ashburn, San Jose, Phoenix, Washington DC, Seattle
- UK – 60+ servers spread out across London and Manchester.
- Canada – 60+ servers spread out across Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.
- Australia – servers spread out across Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.
See here for a full free and Premium server list for ProtonVPN, and to get started with the service.
Which ProtonVPN Plan/Servers Does I Need To Access Netflix?
This is an important caveat that’s missing from a lot of content on ProtonVPN. They do have different tiers of pricing and server quality, so just saying “get ProtonVPN for streaming” isn’t really detailed enough. You need to know which ProtonVPN plan to get.
- Free servers – Unlimited use but only servers in USA, Netherlands, Japan. Won’t work.
- Basic Plan – $4/month – Decent VPN servers but also won’t work for streaming. Actually not visible on their site anymore when checking just now, but some current users will be presumably signed up to this plan.
- Plus Plan – $8/month (sometimes lower with Flash deals) – Top notch servers; these are the ones you need to access Netflix.
Therefore you are having to buy their most expensive plan to access streaming services, but the other major VPN that’s known to be reliable for streaming (ExpressVPN) is also similarly priced.
Do The ProtonVPN Free Servers Work With Netflix?
This is another important clarification point. ProtonVPN do have an excellent free version of their product, with unlimited use servers in USA, Japan and Netherlands, so why not give them a go and at least try and access the US version of Netflix?
ProtonVPN’s free servers will almost certainly not work in accessing Netflix in any country. You need the most expensive, but also better obfuscated and advanced servers that their Plus Plan provides in order to access streaming services like Netflix.
In other words, trying the free servers, Netflix will almost certainly detect that a VPN is being used and block access, especially since they are one of the most aggressive platforms for blocking VPNs to begin with.
However, if you only want access to the generic US catalogue of Netflix, and are happy with the selection that offers, you could always try the free US servers with ProtonVPN. Very occasionally, you may manage to get access to the general US Netflix catalogue, but don’t bank on this happening very often, if at all.
And if you’re on the older but cheaper Basic server plan (which doesn’t seem to be offered now), then these servers also likely won’t work in accessing Netflix in specific countries.
You need the most expensive Plus Plan servers, which have a “P” next to them on the ProtonVPN interface, to reliably access region specific Netflix catalogues.
Click here to see a full ProtonVPN server list and get started with the service (you will find Flash Deals sometimes which means the price is lower)
What If ProtonVPN Doesn’t Work With Netflix?
Despite assurances on their website from ProtonVPN themself that their Plus servers work fine with Netflix, it can sometimes happen that they don’t work when you try them. It’s a very aggressive and ongoing dynamic battle between VPN providers and streaming platforms, and sometimes VPN IP addresses get detected and blocked, leading to the VPN’s having to issue new ones and find new ways to bypass blocking.
Therefore, you may on occasion try using a ProtonVPN server, and still find that access is blocked.
Firstly, there are some troubleshooting steps to try:
- Make sure you’re using Plus Servers (not Basic or Free servers)
- Try disconnecting and reconnecting to a different server in the same country (ProtonVPN has plenty of servers within a specific country to choose from)
- Log out and back into your Netflix account
- Make sure you’re not trying to connect to a version of Netflix that isn’t supported by ProtonVPN (Spain and Portugal are two countries notably NOT on the list of supported countries)
- Try clearing your browser/device cache
If even after trying all the things you can to fix the problem, you still aren’t able to access Netflix where you’re based, then if the worst comes to the worst, ProtonVPN have a 30 day refund guarantee to get your money back.
So if after troubleshooting, plus contacting Customer support, you still can’t get it working, you can always get a refund on your plan within the first month, and try a different VPN instead (ExpressVPN is also recommended for streaming access)
