Hotspot Shield
We do not recommend it Hotspot Shield for critical VPN use due to US jurisdiction, in addition to using its own closed-source Hydra VPN protocol. However, if security and privacy are not your top priority, Hotspot Shield works decently as a VPN for Smart TV. While we may not be completely thrilled with its privacy protection, we are thrilled with its speed – Hotspot Shield is fast.
It’s also great for streaming content on your Smart TV. With servers located in over 80 countries around the world, you’ll have access to a wide selection of geographic regions with Hotspot Shield.
However, Hotspot Shield’s support section and overall customer service leave a lot to be desired. The Support section is a bit complicated and the search engine doesn’t always display exactly what you’re looking for, so it may take some time to find what you’re looking for. The live chat feature is only available to premium customers. Once you find what you’re looking for, the guides and tutorials are enough to get you set up, but the path isn’t as clear as with other VPNs. Like the others on this list, Hotspot Shield offers apps for Fire TV and Google TV, as well as tutorials on setting up a VPN on your router.
If you’re willing to spend $13 a month or $96, you’ll get a super-fast Smart TV VPN that’s great for unblocking content on Hotspot Shield. However, if you are at all concerned about the jurisdiction of a US company, you are better off using another option such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, or IPVanish. Due to its average price and average security in the US jurisdiction, it is difficult to recommend Hotspot Shield over its VPN competitors to all but regular users.
Read our Hotspot Shield review.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost VPN it may not offer all the bells and whistles like the other VPNs on this list, but maybe it doesn’t have to because it’s just ridiculously easy to use. It also has servers specifically optimized for streaming across various services, making it a great choice for a smart TV.
It’s not the fastest VPN on the market, but you shouldn’t have any problems streaming content without buffering. CyberGhost has servers located in 100 countries around the world, making it one of the best in terms of global network coverage.
If you decide to connect a VPN to your smart TV via a router, CyberGhost provides detailed instructions in its Help Center on how to do this – even if it doesn’t offer custom router software like ExpressVPN. If you have Fire TV or Google TV, you can download the CyberGhost VPN app directly to your TV. CyberGhost VPN also offers a smart DNS solution that will give you access to DNS servers in the US, UK, Germany and Japan.
Cyberghost VPN can also be quite budget-friendly. You’ll pay $13 per month, $42 every six months for a two-year plan, or a total of $57 for a 26-month package, after which you’ll be charged an annual fee. This is one of the cheapest VPNs for smart TVs and very efficient if you don’t mind a VPN that isn’t packed with advanced options. There’s even a generous 45-day money-back guarantee. But even at this price, there are better options available such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, and IPVanish.
Read our CyberGhost review.
