NordVPN

NordVPN is an excellent VPN, but if you plan to use it on your Apple TV, you might end up disappointed. During my testing of NordVPN’s Apple TV app, I encountered error messages on every single title I attempted to stream on every foreign Netflix library I tried accessing. Despite earlier troubles, I was able to access content on Hulu through NordVPN’s Apple TV app during my latest tests, which was a welcome improvement. Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime Video and US Netflix worked fine. Still, streaming is the main reason the vast majority of people opt for a VPN on Apple TV, and if NordVPN can’t quite get it right for key services like Netflix, I suggest passing on it for a VPN that can.

In my experience, NordVPN’s Apple TV app also isn’t nearly as user-friendly as most of the competition. Browsing for servers is a pain because you have no choice but to side-scroll through a list of servers that are arranged in no discernible order. For a VPN with servers in 126 different countries, this user interface choice is baffling. Alternatively, you can search for a specific server, but the server locations don’t begin to populate until you enter the third letter of your search. These are, admittedly minor inconveniences, but still, a thumbs down from me on usability and unwelcome in conjunction with its other struggles.

I wholeheartedly recommend NordVPN as a solid option for basically anything else, but not for Apple TV, even if its streaming performance was slightly better in my latest tests.

Read our NordVPN review.

PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN is a relatively new VPN provider that’s been making headway in the industry over the past few years. It’s not a top pick, but its Apple TV app is a decent option for casual users who just want to stream content. I like how the app makes it possible to browse for servers based on latency, which can help you potentially find optimally performing servers and ensure your streaming experience remains smooth. You can also designate favorite servers and browse locations alphabetically, but strangely there’s no option to search for server locations. In any case, the app connected instantly during my tests and streaming was always buffer-free, despite PrivadoVPN’s lackluster speed performance during our most recent speed tests.

PrivadoVPN offers a free plan that’s okay for casual internet browsing, but I don’t recommend it for streaming on Apple TV or any other device because of its 10GB monthly limit (which is about enough to stream one or two movies per month). If that’s enough for you, then give it a shot. During my tests, PrivadoVPN’s free tier failed to give me access to both Netflix and Disney Plus streaming content — although I was able to stream Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Apple TV Plus content on the free plan. With the paid plan, I was able to access streaming content on each of those streaming services as well as on Netflix and Disney Plus. PrivadoVPN’s premium tier gives you access to servers in 50 countries, which isn’t terribly impressive compared to providers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, but PrivadoVPN makes up for it with some pretty cheap initial prices. At $11 per month, the monthly plan is nothing to write home about, but the first year only costs $20 and a two-year plan is $30. These are exceptional savings, but be warned as these are only introductory prices. The yearly plan renews at $60, whereas the two-year plan renews at $96 every two years. 

Read our PrivadoVPN review.

IPVanish

IPVanish’s Apple TV app performed adequately during my tests, with an easy-to-navigate interface and instantaneous connections. I found it a welcome departure from its otherwise clunky app on other platforms. You can quickly connect to an Optimal Location, search for a specific location or browse country and city server locations alphabetically. I also like how you can quickly access a list of recently used locations and your bank of favorite servers. IPVanish’s Apple TV app connects via IKEv2 without any option to change protocols. As with other TVOS VPN apps, you won’t really find any other settings to play around with.

I was able to use IPVanish’s Apple TV app to stream content on popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV Plus. Streams were reliably smooth and buffer-free whether I connected to a server close by or on the other side of the globe. Overall, IPVanish’s performance and streaming capabilities on Apple TV were satisfactory during my tests. IPVanish is a decent choice if all you want to do is use it on your Apple TV, but I ultimately cannot recommend it as a top pick because it doesn’t offer much that sets it apart from competitors that are similarly priced or cheaper. IPVanish costs $13 per month, $40 for the first year or $52 for the first two years combined. The annual and two-year plans renew at $90 per year after the initial billing period, which is expensive for what you get. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available on the annual and two-year plans, but IPVanish doesn’t offer any guarantee on its monthly plan. (Disclaimer: IPVanish is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis).