Gjurgjica Panova
Updated on: December 22, 2023
Short on time? Here’s the best free VPN for Android TV Box in 2024:
- 🥇ExpressVPN: It’s not completely free, but it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee for all of its purchases. The VPN reliably works with 100+ streaming sites that are available with the Android TV Box. Plus, it has industry-leading speeds, strong security features, and user-friendly apps.
A VPN can greatly improve your experience when using your Android TV Box. It helps you improve your speeds if your ISP is throttling your internet connection, secure your privacy, and much more.
However, I don’t recommend using a free VPN for Android TV Box — many of them don’t work with streaming sites on Android TV Box and have slow speeds. What’s more, most come with monthly or daily data caps, so you won’t be able to stream as much as you want.
Instead, I recommend getting a paid VPN, like ExpressVPN. It reliably works with 100+ streaming sites and has the fastest speeds on the market. Moreover, it comes with advanced security features and an intuitive interface.
If you’re only in the market for a free VPN, the ones on this list are good picks. They have decent speeds, good streaming support, and user-friendly apps.
Quick summary of the best free VPNs for Android TV Box:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for Android TV Box.
- 2. 🥈CyberGhost VPN — Dedicated servers for streaming.
- 3. 🥉Proton VPN — Best free VPN with unlimited data.
- 4. Windscribe — Good free VPN with unlimited connections.
- 5. Hotspot Shield — Free VPN with fast speeds.
- Comparison of the Best VPNs for Android TV Box in 2024.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Android TV Box
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for Android TV Box. Although it’s not technically free, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. So, you can test it risk-free for a month. It also has a large server network in 105 countries, meaning that you’ll be able to find a nearby server for the fastest speeds possible.
The VPN has the fastest speeds on the market due to its proprietary protocol, called Lightway protocol. When I tested it, I was able to stream Android TV box content without any interruptions.
This provider has excellent streaming support, as it reliably works with 100+ streaming sites, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and Hulu (it worked with all streaming services available in my location — North Macedonia — and my colleague from the US also confirmed it’s compatible with US streaming services).
In addition, it has a smart DNS feature called MediaStreamer that lets you use it on devices that don’t have native VPN apps, like gaming consoles or smart TVs. You can install this feature on Android TV devices with Android 5.0 and above.
I really like ExpressVPN’s split-tunneling feature. This feature allows you to choose which apps use or don’t use the VPN connection. When I tested it by only tunneling Netflix Macedonia, I experienced faster speeds while streaming.
This VPN has user-friendly apps. I’m a big fan of the Shortcuts feature that allows you to create 1-click connections to apps or streaming sites that appear on your screen after connecting to a VPN server. Moreover, the VPN’s quick-connect feature always connected me to the fastest server in my location. I also like that the VPN has a dedicated app for Android TV with cool features like QR code sign-in (which is way faster than entering an email and password with your remote) and a dark mode option.
ExpressVPN has plans starting at $6.67 / month. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is my top pick for Android TV Box. It has the fastest speeds on the market, excellent streaming support, and extra features, like smart DNS and split-tunneling. It also has user-friendly apps and great security features. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. CyberGhost VPN — Dedicated Servers for Streaming
CyberGhost VPN has 100+ dedicated servers for streaming. These servers are spread across 20+ countries and are optimized for 50+ streaming apps, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video (they worked great in my US colleague’s tests). Some of the streaming servers are optimized to work with Netflix on Android TV in 5 countries. The VPN isn’t entirely free, but it offers a 24-hour trial. Plus, there’s a 45-day money-back guarantee for long-term plans.
This VPN had fast speeds in my tests. When I used it on my Android TV Box, HD videos started playing in 1–2 seconds without any buffering. Plus, it has a large server network across 100 countries, so you have a good chance of finding a local server for the fastest speeds.
The provider comes with extra features for streaming with Android TV Box. It has a smart DNS that allows you to use the VPN on devices like smart TVs that lack a native VPN app. Moreover, the VPN has split-tunneling for Android TV called App Split Tunnel.
I’m a big fan of the Smart Rules feature — it allows you to personalize VPN connection preferences. For example, you can set up the VPN to automatically connect to a local streaming server and open a streaming app when you open it. Plus, CyberGhost has a dedicated app for Android TV.
CyberGhost VPN offers very cheap plans starting at $2.03 / month. Long-term plans have a 45-day money-back guarantee and the monthly plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN has excellent streaming support — it has 100+ dedicated servers for streaming, some of which are optimized for streaming on Netflix on Android TV. Moreover, it maintains fast speeds, has extra features, and offers user-friendly apps. The long-term plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee, and the monthly plans have a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
🥉3. Proton VPN — Great Free VPN With Unlimited Data
Proton VPN’s free plan has unlimited data, so you can stream as much as you want using your Android TV Box. It gives access to servers in 5 countries (the US, the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, and Poland), and it allows only 1 device connection.
Customer support informed me that the free plan doesn’t support streaming. That said, my colleague in the US tested the free US server and said it worked with Netflix US, Amazon Prime US, and Disney+ US.
The VPN’s free plan has good speeds for streaming with the Android TV Box. In my speed tests, HD videos loaded in 2–4 seconds, and there was only very minor lagging when I skipped through them.
I found Proton VPN’s app easy to navigate. The Quick Connect option automatically connects you to the fastest server or you can manually choose a server using a map. The VPN also shows the server load percentage using different colors. Moreover, Proton VPN has a dedicated app for Android TVs.
Proton VPN’s paid plans start at $4.99 / month, and they add access to servers in all 71 countries, cool features like an ad blocker, and more. All plans have a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Proton VPN’s free plan has no data cap, so you can stream as many shows as you want with an Android TV Box. The free plan doesn’t reliably work with streaming sites, but it has decent speeds. It also has intuitive apps and a dedicated app for Android TVs. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.
Read the full Proton VPN review
4. Windscribe — Good Free VPN With Unlimited Connections
Windscribe’s free plan is one of the few that comes with streaming support. It consistently works with various streaming sites, like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. So you can stream content available in your location on your Android TV Box without interruptions.
However, I find Windscribe’s monthly data cap very frustrating. You automatically get 2 GB per month but can increase it to 10 GB by providing your email address — the VPN says it wants to send you a couple of promotional emails each month. While this is a decent amount of data each month for browsing, it’s only enough to stream a couple of movies in HD (and not enough to binge one full season of a TV series). This is why I strongly recommend using ExpressVPN or CyberGhost VPN, which both come with unlimited data.
I’m happy with Windscribe’s speeds. During my speed tests, all HD videos took only about 4 seconds to load with minimal buffering in the beginning. However, this didn’t affect my overall experience. That said, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost VPN, and Proton VPN are still faster.
This VPN’s apps come with an intuitive interface. All apps have a similar design and the main screen has a large power button for 1-click connections. Moreover, you can easily connect to a VPN server manually from the alphabetized server list — the free plan allows access to 10 different server locations. In addition, the VPN offers an app for Android TV.
Windscribe has several premium plans that start at $5.75 / month, and they all come with unlimited data and more server locations. The VPN also offers a “build-a-plan” option, which allows you to customize your plan by adding access to individual servers. All plans are only supported by a 3-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Windscribe’s free plan allows streaming support, allows unlimited connections, reliably works with many streaming sites, and comes with 10+ server locations. However, it has a monthly data cap of 10 GB. Windscribe covers its paid plans with only a 3-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Windscribe review
5. Hotspot Shield — Free VPN With Fast Speeds
Hotspot Shield’s free plan provides really fast speeds for streaming with an Android TV Box despite limiting your speeds to 2 Mbps. In my speed tests, HD videos loaded in 5–6 seconds with some minor buffering. However, Hotspot Shield can’t match ExpressVPN’s speeds.
I like that the free plan has unlimited data, so there’s no limit on how many shows or movies you can watch on an Android TV Box. Unfortunately, the free plan restricts you to servers in 3 countries — the US, the UK, and Singapore. Plus, you can only connect to 1 device, and you have to watch ads with the free plan.
I don’t like that the free plan doesn’t officially support streaming, so there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to watch your favorite shows on the Android TV Box. My colleague in the US said that the free US server worked with Netflix US, but less than 50% of the time.
Hotspot Shield offers several subscriptions that start at $2.99 / month. The VPN offers a generous 45-day money-back guarantee for all of its plans.
Bottom Line:
Hotspot Shield’s free plan has fast speeds for streaming on an Android TV Box. It also has unlimited data, but it limits you to 3 server locations. Moreover, it doesn’t have streaming support and logs your IP address to serve you ads. All purchases have a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Hotspot Shield review
Comparison of the Best Free VPNs for Android TV Box in 2024
How to Choose the Best Free VPN for Android TV Box in 2024
- Choose a VPN that works with Android TV Box. The VPN must have a compatible Android TV app, a smart DNS, or router support to be able to work with Android TV Box. All the VPNs on this list work with Android TV Box.
- Check for excellent streaming support. Not all free VPNs work with streaming sites on Android TV Box, so make sure you choose one that does. In my tests, ExpressVPN consistently worked with multiple streaming sites available in both my and my US coworker’s locations. It’s not free, but it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Opt for a VPN with fast speeds. Most free VPNs have overcrowded servers that slow down your speeds, interrupting your streaming experience on an Android TV Box. All the VPNs on this list have speeds that are good enough for streaming without buffering.
- Go for a VPN with a high data usage limit. A low data usage limit isn’t convenient for data-heavy activities, like streaming on Android TV Box. It’s important to pick a VPN that offers unlimited data, like ExpressVPN, so you can stream as much as you want.
- Pick a VPN with strong security. All of the VPNs listed here include industry-standard VPN security features, such as 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and a strict no-logs policy. Plus, they have advanced security features like RAM-only servers (all data is erased with each server reboot) and leak protection.
- Consider a VPN that offers value for money. I only recommend VPNs that offer multiple simultaneous connections and have affordable plans with generous money-back guarantees.
Risks & Disadvantages of Using a Free VPN
- Bad streaming support — Many free VPNs don’t work with popular streaming platforms on Android TV Box. The free VPNs that actually work with streaming sites usually have monthly or daily data limits, so you can only watch a limited amount of movies or TV shows each day or month. If you plan to stream a lot, I recommend purchasing a premium VPN, like ExpressVPN.
- Slow speeds for streaming — A lot of free VPNs limit you to a small number of servers. This results in overcrowded servers and slower speeds for streaming on Android TV Box. However, the VPNs on this list can maintain good speeds.
- Ads — Some free VPNs often compensate for their lack of subscription fees by displaying ads and sponsored content. Plus, these ads might consume bandwidth, which can slow down your internet connection for streaming on an Android TV Box.
- Hidden malware — There are some free VPNs that contain malware and adware, putting your device and data at risk. All the VPNs on this list are safe options.
- Selling your data — There are some free VPNs that store your browsing data and then sell this information to advertisers. Then, annoying ads will pop up while streaming and browsing. Quality VPNs, like ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN, have both had their no-logs policy independently audited, confirming they don’t store your data.
Free vs. Paid VPNs for Android TV Box
The free VPNs on this list have important security features like a kill switch, a no-logs policy, and 256-bit AES encryption. Most also have extras like leak protection, perfect forward secrecy, and RAM-only servers.
However, they only offer limited other features compared to premium (paid) VPNs. Usually, free VPNs only allow access to a handful of servers locations, impose daily or monthly restrictions on data usage, and don’t have multiple simultaneous device connections. Plus, they aren’t as useful for things like streaming, gaming, and P2P file sharing and don’t have the greatest speeds.
For example, Proton VPN’s free plan has unlimited data, good speeds, and strong security features, but it doesn’t support streaming, only has 5 server location options, and limits you to 1 device connection. Windscribe supports streaming but only has 10 server locations and imposes a monthly data cap of 10GB, which isn’t very much. Hotspot Shield’s free plan has unlimited data but targets you with ads every 15 minutes, limits you to 1 connection, and doesn’t support streaming.
That’s why it’s almost always better to opt for a premium VPN over a free one. You’ll get things like unlimited data, a much larger server network, faster speeds, and extras like ad blockers and split-tunneling. Additionally, most paid VPNs have competitive prices and a 30-day money-back guarantee to test them without any risk.
Free VPNs for Android TV Box to Avoid
- Hola VPN: As a P2P VPN, Hola VPN assigns your IP address to another user and vice versa. This poses a significant risk as malicious users could engage in illegal activities using your IP. Additionally, it maintains user logs, fails to encrypt traffic, and has previously leaked user IPs.
- SuperVPN: SuperVPN poses risks by logging extensive user data, including IP addresses, operating systems, and browser types. It lacks essential security features and offers no accessible customer support. Furthermore, it suffered a data breach revealing 133 GB of user data, including IP and email addresses, and geo-locations.
- Phone Guardian: While not overtly suspicious, Phone Guardian doesn’t function as a typical VPN. Its sole VPN-like feature is data encryption; it doesn’t conceal your IP or location, lacks a kill switch, and misses other standard VPN features.
- AceVPN: Though it has some good features like DNS leak protection, AceVPN falls short in several areas. It lacks a crucial kill switch, has limited server locations (about 20), and has only one P2P server. A significant drawback is the absence of dedicated apps, which is highly inconvenient since you’ll need to manually set up the VPN on your devices.
- TouchVPN: This VPN has over 5,500 servers in more than 80 countries, which is great for a free service. However, it collects data like your IP address and visited sites.
- Hoxx VPN: HoxxVPN tracks all web activities, device, and location information. Alarmingly, its terms state that this data might be retained even after account closure.
- TurboVPN: Under its no-logs policy, TurboVPN claims not to track online activities. However, it remains unclear about whether it collects IP addresses.
- TuxlerVPN: TuxlerVPN’s policy indicates it logs website visits, browser details, and contact information, with the potential of sharing this data with third parties for business reasons.
- FinchVPN: FinchVPN has a shady website. It lacks clear information on VPN features, and when I tried to view its Privacy Policy, it led back to the homepage.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- TunnelBear. TunnelBear’s free plan has fast speeds, good streaming support, and allows access to servers in 47 countries. However, you only get 2 GB of data per month, which isn’t enough to stream much at all.
- Atlas VPN. This VPN is good for large families, as it allows unlimited connections on the free plan. However, the free plan only allows 5 GB per month and its speeds are slower than all of the other providers on this list.
- PrivadoVPN. PrivadoVPN is secure and lets you connect to 8 different countries with its free plan. However, it didn’t work with any streaming app our international team tested in their locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to stream on Android TV Box with a VPN?
Yes, using a VPN with your Android TV Box is legal. However, there are some exceptions based on regional laws and restrictions. Additionally, using a VPN might violate the terms of service of some streaming platforms. Always check local regulations and platform agreements to ensure that you don’t break any laws.
What’s the best VPN for Android TV Box?
I recommend ExpressVPN — it offers the fastest speeds on the market and a wide server network. It also works with 100+ streaming sites and is compatible with Android TV Box.
Are free VPNs safe?
Most free VPNs aren’t safe. Although some free VPNs have good security features, many lack industry-standard features, show intrusive ads, or come with malware. However, the free VPNs on this list have strong security features.
Will a free VPN work with all streaming apps on Android TV Box?
No, as many free VPNs don’t work with most streaming platforms. If you plan on streaming a lot on your Android TV Box, I recommend getting a premium VPN, like ExpressVPN. It works with 100+ streaming sites, has industry-leading speeds, and user-friendly apps.
