Stremio is an excellent media player for watching free movies and TV shows. Stremio works very similarly to Kodi — it’s an aggregator that pulls content from streaming platforms and torrent websites, and therefore warrants the use of a VPN (virtual private network). In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best Stremio VPNs for 2022.
Key Takeaways:
Before you start using Stremio, you’ll also need the right add-ons. Stremio’s add-ons library isn’t that large, but selecting the most popular add-ons will set you up with access to your favorite content. Our guide on the best Stremio add-ons is a great place to get started with Stremio add-ons.
Add-ons like Torrentio, Popcorn Time, and The Pirate Bay source content from torrent websites. While torrenting isn’t inherently illegal, you’ll still be streaming pirated content, which is illegal. You can protect yourself with a VPN, but since there are countless VPN providers out there, we’re going to help you choose the best Stremio VPN. If you want a quick spoiler, ExpressVPN is our top choice.
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Yes, Stremio is completely legal. However, it pulls pirated content from torrent websites, and piracy is illegal. If you want to stream using Stremio, it’s best to use a VPN to keep yourself anonymous online.
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Yes. Stremio is a free media player that allows you to watch movies and TV shows online.
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Yes, Stremio is perfectly safe. However, if you’re using Stremio to stream pirated content, you should use a VPN to protect your identity online.
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Netflix is one of the best official Stremio add-ons, but if you’re looking to stream content using torrents, you should install Torrentio.
Top VPNs for Stremio
What Makes the Best Stremio VPN?
Almost any VPN can help you change your IP address by connecting to a VPN server. However, a lot of those VPNs (especially if you’re using a free VPN) lack adequate security and offer subpar performance.
Here’s a list of the best Stremio VPNs for top-notch security, complete anonymity and excellent performance:
- ExpressVPN — Fastest and most secure VPN
- NordVPN — Massive server network
- Surfshark — Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Windscribe — Free VPN for Stremio
- CyberGhost — Pocket-friendly VPN with an easy-to-use UI
When selecting a VPN, you should look for strong security and encryption protocols. The VPNs listed above offer top-notch security and have a strict no-logs policy. They also offer other security features like a kill switch to protect your IP address in case the VPN connection drops abruptly.
In addition to security and privacy, you should also consider the connection speeds, since slow speeds can lead to buffering when you’re streaming. If you’ve got friends or family who also want to use the VPN for streaming on Stremio, you should select a VPN that offers enough simultaneous connections.
The 5 Best VPNs for Stremio
We’ve identified five VPNs that offer a good combination of features you need in a VPN for streaming via Stremio. We’ll start with our favorite, which is ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN available.
More details about ExpressVPN:
- Pricing: cheapest plan costs $6.66 per month (15-months plan), plus three months free
- Provider website: expressvpn.com
Pros:
- Lightning-fast speeds
- Best-in-class security
- Kill switch & IPv6 leak protection
ExpressVPN offers best-in-class security with various security protocols to choose from — OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP and Lightway (its proprietary protocol). Your chosen security protocol is used in combination with AES-256 encryption.
ExpressVPN also has a kill switch and IPv6 leak protection to protect your anonymity when using Stremio. It has a strict no-logs policy, so you’ll never need to worry about anyone getting access to your online activity. Learn more about ExpressVPN’s security and privacy in our ExpressVPN review.
You can install ExpressVPN on pretty much any operating system or device you can use Stremio on, including Windows, Android and iOS devices. ExpressVPN allows five simultaneous connections, but if you want to use it on more devices, you can also install it on your router.
Fastest VPN Available
ExpressVPN is the best Stremio VPN because it offers blazing-fast connection speeds and best-in-class security. In fact, it’s the fastest VPN out there and offers unlimited bandwidth, which means you’ll never have to wait for the frame to load when you’re watching movies on Stremio.
ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee you can use to try it out yourself.
ExpressVPN is a top-of-the-line VPN with all the bells and whistles you could possibly want in a VPN. It’s also one of the most expensive VPN services, costing $6.67 per month. If you don’t mind spending a little extra for a premium VPN service, ExpressVPN is your best bet. You can also try it out yourself before committing to it with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
NordVPN has a massive network of servers spread across 60 countries.
More details about NordVPN:
- Pricing: cheapest plan costs $3.99 per month (two-year plan)
- Provider website: nordvpn.com
Pros:
- Massive server network
- Fast connection speeds
- Kill switch & split tunneling
NordVPN comes a close second in terms of speed and security after ExpressVPN. If you’re looking for a fast, secure and reliable alternative to ExpressVPN, consider NordVPN.
With NordVPN, you can select from three security protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2 and its proprietary NordLynx protocol inspired by WireGuard. The VPN app has security features like a kill switch and split tunneling too, but it goes the extra mile when it comes to security. In addition to AES-256, it also offers the ChaCha20 cipher when you use the NordLynx protocol.
With its top-notch security and a strict no-logs policy, NordVPN is an excellent VPN for streaming movies and TV shows via Stremio. You can also use a single NordVPN account on up to six devices, so you don’t need to pay separately if your family members need to access Stremio too. You can learn more about NordVPN in our comprehensive NordVPN review.
Massive Server Network
NordVPN has one of the largest server networks with 5,400 servers across 60 countries. If you’re going to use Stremio to access Netflix, a large server network can help you access more Netflix libraries. Having several servers in each location is also helpful in bypassing geoblocks when one or more servers are overloaded.
NordVPN offers excellent VPN service for half the price of ExpressVPN.
NordVPN’s cheapest plan costs $3.99 per month (two-year plan). Given its feature set, the price looks reasonable. However, if you’re not feeling entirely confident, you can use the 30-day money-back guarantee and try NordVPN yourself.
NordVPN
Surfshark is a secure and reliable VPN that offers unlimited simultaneous connections.
More details about Surfshark:
- Pricing: cheapest plan costs $2.49 per month (two-year plan)
- Provider website: surfshark.com
Pros:
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Strict no-logs policy
- Split tunneling
Surfshark hasn’t been around for very long, but manages to secure your internet connection just as well as other major VPNs. Its network of servers has grown to over 3,200 and is spread across 65 countries, so you can stream another country’s Netflix or Amazon Prime Video library via the Stremio app using Surfshark.
The connection speeds are satisfactory and you’re unlikely to experience buffering when streaming content on Stremio. It checks all the boxes on the security front with security protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard paired with AES-256 or ChaCha20.
The VPN app also has a kill switch and split tunneling. If you want to use Surfshark only for Stremio and keep internet traffic from the rest of your apps unencrypted, you can use split tunneling. If you want to get to know Surfshark better, give our Surfshark review a read.
Unlimited Simultaneous Connections
Surfshark’s unlimited simultaneous connections allow you to use the VPN for Stremio on any number of devices. You can share the VPN with your friends and family who might want to watch a different movie on Stremio.
Surfshark is a cost-effective VPN that keeps you secure when you access your Stremio account and gets into most major streaming services.
Surfshark’s best value is fairly priced at $2.49 per month on the two-year plan. Factoring in the unlimited simultaneous connections makes Surfshark one of the cheapest VPN services you can use. If you want to take it for a spin before commiting long-term, use its 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like the service, you can claim a full refund.
Surfshark Plans
- : Unlimited GB bandwidth,
Unlimited devices - : Unlimited GB
- : Unlimited
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Windscribe is the best free VPN for Stremio.
More details about Windscribe:
- Pricing: 10GB free; $2 per month with its build-a-plan option
- Provider website: windscribe.com
Pros:
- Excellent free plan
- Flexible build-a-plan option
- Reliable & secure
Cons:
- Clunky interface
- 3-day money-back-guarantee
Windscribe is one of the very few free VPNs that’s safe and reliable. With Windscribe, you get 10GB of free data per month. If you stream all your content in HD, you might run out of data before its renewal date depending on how much content you stream.
If you’re looking for a free VPN for Stremio, Windscribe is the best you’ll find. It keeps Stremio users anonymous while streaming content, offers top-notch security and has a transparent no-logs policy — things that aren’t that common among free VPNs. Windscribe can be a little slow at times, but causes only occasional buffering.
Build-a-Plan
The 10GB data limit on the free plan can be a major restriction if you want to stream HD or 4K content from popular streaming sites via Stremio. Fortunately, Windscribe allows you to build your own plan so you can remove the 10GB cap for a very low cost.
The minimum checkout value for the build-a-plan option is $2. VPN server locations can be added for $1 each per month, and you can get unlimited data and access to R.O.B.E.R.T. (Windscribe’s fancy ad-blocker) for another $1.
Windscribe is a free VPN that offers a flexible pricing option.
If you want access to more server locations, the one-year plan makes more sense. The one-year plan offers the best value at $4.08 per month. Given that there’s already a free version available, Windscribe only offers a three-day money-back guarantee. Learn more about our best free VPN in our thorough Windscribe review.
Pro Plan
- : Unlimited GB
- : Unlimited
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CyberGhost has an excellent UI that’s easy to wrap your head around.
More details about CyberGhost:
- Pricing: cheapest plan costs $2.15 per month (three-year plan + three months), plus three free months
- Provider website: cyberghost.com
Pros:
- Easy-to-use UI
- Pocket-friendly
- Automation features
Cons:
- Doesn’t get into all major streaming services
CyberGhost offers decent security and sufficiently fast connection speeds. It combines AES-256 encryption with OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard, and you can also use ChaCha20 with WireGuard. CyberGhost also offers a kill switch, but split tunneling is only available on the Android app.
It’s one of the best VPNs for Stremio; however, it’s further down on the list because it doesn’t get into all major streaming services. This shouldn’t be a concern if you’re hoping to stream mostly from torrent websites.
CyberGhost is still one of the best VPNs for Stremio and will offer a good, buffer-free streaming experience. The CyberGhost VPN app also has automation features. For instance, you can set the app to automatically connect to a VPN server when you launch Stremio. Learn more about CyberGhost in our CyberGhost review.
Easy-to-Use UI
CyberGhost is a beginner-friendly VPN. Its UI, especially on the Windows app, is easy to get comfortable with even if you’ve never used a VPN before. If you don’t want to bother with navigating through a feature-heavy interface, CyberGhost is a perfect fit for you.
CyberGhost is one of the cheapest services on the market.
CyberGhost is one of the cheapest services on the list and the market. Its best value, the three-year plan, costs $2.29 per month. Combining that with its generous 45-day money-back guarantee on plans of one year or longer makes it an excellent choice. You can always try it out and claim your money back if you’re not fully satisfied.
CyberGhost Plans
Why You Should Use a Stremio VPN
When you stream content on Stremio, you’ll need a VPN for two reasons. The first is to remove regional restrictions (or geoblocks) put in place by streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
The second reason is to keep your identity anonymous. Being anonymous is important because you’ll essentially be viewing pirated content if you’re using a torrenting website via Stremio. Virtual private networks offer the privacy and security you need when streaming content from Stremio add-ons like Torrentio or RARBG.
Final Thoughts
Using VPNs is helpful in keeping yourself anonymous and accessing blocked content when using Stremio. Choosing the best VPNs can make a great difference in your streaming experience because different providers have different capabilities. The VPNs we’ve mentioned will help you stream content from Stremio while keeping you anonymous.
Have you used a VPN for Stremio before? Which one did you use, and how was your experience? Do you agree with ExpressVPN as our top choice? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thanks for reading!