Best VPN for Amazon Prime

Rachel Carr Written by Rachel Carr
Last updated on December 19, 2018 Views: 547 Comments: 0

Amazon Prime streams some great TV shows and films from its Prime Video library. However, Amazon Prime members can’t always access the content – particularly if they leave the country or using a public network in a school or an office.

An easy way around these geographic restrictions is to download a VPN to unblock Prime Video. A VPN makes it possible to watch Amazon Prime abroad.

Why Do I Need A VPN For Amazon Prime?

A VPN, or a Virtual Private Network, gives users the ability to hide their IP address which denotes what country they are in, by giving them the illusion of a new one. IP addresses are how Amazon Prime recognizes what country users are in and therefore what content should be accessible to them.

Some countries make it impossible to view Amazon Prime Video for censorship reasons, while in others, Amazon itself will ban a user from accessing the content for licensing laws that restrict where some content can be viewed.

For example, if you are a US citizen who has a fully paid up membership to Amazon Prime and you travel to England, you may find that you cannot watch the same content there as you can at home. You will therefore want to know how to watch US Amazon Prime in UK so you can access your favorite shows while travelling.

A VPN allows users to get round such Amazon Prime Video geographical restrictions and will unblock Prime video.

Additionally, a VPN will encrypt a customer’s online activity so that they have an extra layer of security when using the internet to get around the Amazon Prime geographical restrictions to access Amazon Prime abroad.

It is important to know, however, before signing up for a VPN subscription, the difference between Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Instant Video. This is because a VPN should not be needed with Amazon Instant Video as it is a pay per view service that does not require users to have an Amazon Prime subscription. It is Amazon Prime Video that requires a VPN.

How To Use A VPN for Amazon Prime

Setting up a VPN for Amazon Prime is easier than it sounds. To use a VPN to unblock Prime Video, users first need to install it. It can sound a little complicated, but in practice it is fairly straightforward. All our recommended VPN providers have installation wizards to help new users set up their VPN. From there, to watch Amazon Prime abroad, customers should follow these steps

  1. Log in to your chosen VPN software
  2. Choose to connect to a server that will allow you to access the content you want. For example, if your content is only able to be viewed in the US, connect to a US server.
  3. Log in to Amazon Prime and watch all the content you want!

What Makes The Best VPN for Amazon Prime

For a VPN to be worthwhile to use as well as spend your hard earned cash on, they have to have a variety of features as standard to help users unblock Amazon Prime abroad and never see an Amazon Error 1042 or Amazon Error 4601 ever again.

  • Large amount of servers – this allows users to connect easily to a VPN server each and every time they log on. It means that users can be assured that when they sit down to stream some of their favourite Amazon shows, they can always unblock Prime Video as their VPN provider can guarantee a connection.
  • Quick connection speeds – a fast connectivity is imperative so that when users are watching Amazon Prime abroad their streaming session is never prone to freezing or buffering.
  • Military grade encryption techniques – Encryption methods need to be the very best that are available so that users remain safe with their online identity being kept anonymous
  • Unlimited bandwidths – A VPN provider can impose a certain amount of data usage each month if they so wish, by throttling bandwidths. The very best VPN for Amazon Prime won’t do this, which enables users to watch as much of a series as they want to, without fear that they will ever be subject to throttling.

The Best VPN for Amazon Prime

1. ExpressVPN

This is our top pick for the best VPN for Amazon Prime. It offers all the standard and required features among many other extras that keep it as one of the most popular VPNs available.

  • Quick and consistent connection speeds – Amazon Prime users need quick and consistent connection speeds so that they can access all content that they want to watch, whenever they want to watch it.
  • Strong Encryption Methods – The encryption methods that ExpressVPN uses are top quality. Not only do they use an OpenVPN protocol they also use AES 256 bit encryption which is the very best encryption software available.
  • Unlimited bandwidth – once users have managed to unblock Prime Video, they don’t want to suffer from a throttled connection by their provider. ExpressVPN offers unlimited bandwidth to its subscribers.
  • 24 hour customer support – ExpressVPN has a live chat feature so that customers can have their problems solved immediately should they arise.

Price:

  • $12.95 a month
  • $9.99 a month for a six-month plan
  • $6.67 a month for a 15-month plan (including three months free!)
  • 30-day money back guarantee

Sign up for ExpressVPN here.

2. NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the best VPN for Amazon Prime that is available on the market. It allows uses to work around the Amazon Prime video geographical restrictions and watch Amazon Prime abroad or anywhere else they want.

  • Exceptionally secure – NordVPN has one of the best approaches to security that is seen across all VPN providers. For example it uses double data encryption as well as providing a kill switch feature that cuts any internet connection should the VPN drop out.
  • No logs policy – NordVPN does not record user online activity so as to ensure user anonymity.
  • Vast network – NordVPN has one of the largest server networks that is located in over 60 different countries worldwide. It means that it is easy to overcome Amazon Prime video restrictions.
  • Ease of use – accessing Amazon Prime video is easy with NordVPN’s software even if its customers are technophobes.
  • Excellent customer support – NordVPN has a live chat feature so that customers can have any queries they may have answered quickly and almost immediately.

Price:

  • $11.95 a month
  • $7.00 a month for a six-month plan
  • $5.75 a month for a 12-month plan
  • Special deal: $3.29 a month for a 24-month plan
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Sign up for NordVPN here.

3. CyberGhost

We highly rate CyberGhost’s VPN that helps its users watch Amazon Prime abroad and never see an Amazon error 4601 or Amazon error 1042 window ever again. It has a whole host of features in addition to the key characteristics that make it a VPN worthwhile subscribing to.

  • Large and Wide Network – By having a huge network of servers that are located around the globe, CyberGhost can unblock Prime Video wherever its customers are in the world. Plus users can be assured of a connection every time they log in to CyberGhost to work around the Amazon Prime Video geographical restrictions.
  • Multiple Logins On Different Devices – CyberGhost customers can enjoy watching Amazon Prime abroad while their other family members are using it at home due to the multiple login feature it has.
  • Stringent Encryption Techniques – CyberGhost is a VPN provider that employs AES 256-BIT encryption whilst also using a 2048-BIT RSA Key. This means that CyberGhost can give its customers the best security possible through these strong privacy methods.

Sign up for Cyberghost here.

4. IPVanish

IPVanish is an excellent VPN to use to unblock Prime Video as it is easy to download and use.

  • Unlimited bandwidth – IPVanish users will enjoy the unlimited bandwidth that it provides as standard along with servers that are located in over 60 countries. This makes watching any series on Amazon Prime possible.
  • Multiple simultaneous connections – With simultaneous connections, IPVanish users can unblock Prime Video on all their devices.
  • Ease of use – VPN technology does not always come naturally to users, however IPVanish’s offering is a straightforward app and piece of software so that anyone can set it up and unblock Prime Video wherever they are.

Price:

  • $10.00 a month.
  • $8.99 a month for a three-month plan.
  • $6.49 a month for a 12-month plan billed annually.
  • 7-day money-back guarantee.

Sign up for IPVanish here.

VPNs That Don’t Unblock Amazon Prime Video

There are so many VPN providers out there, but if you are a big Amazon Prime user, it’s good to know which VPN providers can get round the Amazon Prime Video geographical restrictions for you – and which ones don’t. The following VPNs cannot unblock Amazon Prime Video from outside of the United States and instead display the annoying Amazon Error 4601 window as opposed to the content you want to watch:

  • Zenmate
  • PureVPN
  • Hotspot Shield
  • CactusVPN
  • Private Internet Access (PIA)
  • Buffered
  • HideMyAss
  • Windscribe
  • Hide.me
  • LiquidVPN
  • Hola
  • VyprVPN
  • Tunnelbear

Can I Use a Free VPN To Access Amazon Prime Abroad?

Having rated and reviewed the entire VPN provider market, we would not recommend using any free VPN provider to access Amazon Prime Abroad or for any other purpose that a VPN can help with. They simply are not worth using in terms of efficiency and safety.

There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, to save money, free VPN providers cannot employ strict encryption techniques that are necessary to offer any decent level of online security and protection. Additionally, in terms of security, free VPN providers are often guilty of recording online activity of its users so that it can sell it on to the highest bidder to make money.

Secondly, to further cut costs, free VPN providers simply do not have the amount of servers needed to be able to connect users to a server in their needed country every time they need. They also practice throttling techniques so that customers use up their data allowance exceptionally quickly, especially when streaming Amazon Prime abroad making free VPN providers are futile to use in practice.

Best VPN for Amazon Prime – The Bottom Line

Using a VPN is a good idea at the best of times owing to the added layer of security it provides users through hiding their IP address and encrypting their data. However, for those that want to work around the Amazon Prime Video geographical restrictions that the entity has put in place, a VPN is invaluable.

Not all VPN providers are able to unblock Amazon Prime Video however, but the ones that we have rated and reviewed in this guide will allow users to watch whatever they want to watch, whenever they want to watch it and, most importantly, wherever they want to watch it.

ExpressVPN is our top pick out of the four listed here. It is consistently able to provide its customers with a reliable connection that will always offer them the ability to stream Amazon Prime content, among opening up the rest of the internet that is subject to geographical restrictions and censorship laws. Additionally, there is no safer or more secure a VPN out there than the one that ExpressVPN provides.

Not only does it use top of the range security techniques like AES 256 bit encryption, it also employs the use of an OpenVPN protocol which is the safest type of protocol around. On top of all this, its customer service is second to none so while it has a 30 day money back guarantee, the majority of new customers never choose to use it.

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