The best VPNs for Android TV in 2026

Surfshark puts no limit on how many devices you connect at once, so the living room TV, a bedroom streaming box, every phone and the laptops all run on one subscription. Its download page says Surfshark works on the Android TVs listed in the Google Play Store, and the Play Store version needs Android 7.0 or newer. The network covers 4,500+ servers in 100 countries.

Check one thing before you buy if your TV box is wired. Surfshark's own FAQ says the app doesn't support Ethernet connections on Android TVs and boxes running Android 9. If that's your setup, plan to use Wi-Fi or pick another VPN from this list.

The VPN-only Starter plan costs $2.49 a month on the 2-year term, billed $67.23 for the first 27 months and then $79 a year. Paying monthly costs $18.95, which is one of the higher monthly prices here. New customers get a 7-day free trial on the 12-month and 24-month plans, covering up to three devices, and Surfshark asks for a card, PayPal or Apple Pay before the trial starts. A 30-day money-back guarantee runs after the trial ends.

Surfshark doesn't say which of its Android features, such as the kill switch or Bypasser, appear in the TV version of the app, so look through the settings during the trial.

ExpressVPN describes its Android TV app as designed for remote control navigation, with large buttons and short menus. Setup on the TV is sign in, approve the connection request, and connect. Its smart location option picks a server for you, and the Lightway protocol reconnects quickly if your Wi-Fi drops, which saves you getting up mid-episode.

It also has the widest named support of any VPN here. ExpressVPN lists Sony, TCL, Hisense, Philips, Sharp and Xiaomi TVs, plus Chromecast with Google TV, Nvidia Shield and the Fire TV Stick, and it supports Android 5.0 or newer. If your TV is a few years old, that low minimum matters. You install from Google Play, or from ExpressVPN's own APK if your TV's store doesn't list it. Servers sit in 113 countries.

The Basic plan covers 10 devices, Advanced 12 and Express Pro 14. Basic costs $14.99 a month, or $83.72 for the first 28 months on the 2-year plan (about $2.99 a month), renewing at $99.95 a year. Our server saw euros on the pricing page, so these US dollar figures come from the plan data the same page loads.

Buy on ExpressVPN's website if you want the 30-day money-back guarantee. It covers first-time customers only, and subscriptions bought through Google Play or the App Store follow those stores' refund rules instead. The 3-day free trial is offered when you sign up in the iOS or Android phone app.

Proton VPN is the only VPN here whose free plan you can install and run on an Android TV with no data cap and no ads. Proton's support page says the app runs on Android TV and Google TV devices, including Chromecast with Google TV, and needs Android 8 or later.

Signing in is easier than on most TV apps. The TV shows a QR code, you point your phone at it and tap the link, and you're in without typing a password with the remote. If that fails, you can enter an 8-digit code at protonvpn.com/tv instead. The app lets you pin a favorite country or server to the main screen, choose WireGuard or Proton's Stealth protocol, and connect automatically when the TV starts.

The free plan has limits you'll notice on a TV. It covers one device and servers in 10 countries, and Proton says streaming support is only available on paid plans. Treat it as a way to see how the app behaves on your TV before you pay. VPN Plus adds streaming support and 10 devices at once for $3.49 a month on the 2-year plan, billed $83.76 for the first 24 months and then $83.88 a year, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Proton also warns about a firmware bug on some Android TVs and boxes that drops the Ethernet connection when a VPN connects. It suggests updating the TV's firmware or switching to Wi-Fi.

Private Internet Access (PIA) has native apps for Android TV, Google TV and Fire TV, installed from Google Play with no sideloading. One subscription covers unlimited devices, and PIA lists servers in 113 countries, with servers it calls streaming-optimized.

The pricing is the reason to look at it. The 3-year plan with 4 extra months costs $2.03 a month, and PIA says it autorenews at $81.20 every 3 years, the same amount you pay up front. Surfshark and ExpressVPN both renew at noticeably more than their first-term price, so PIA works out cheapest if you keep it past the first term. The 1-year plan costs $47.88 and renews at the same price, and monthly costs $11.95.

PIA's features page lists split tunneling, a kill switch and obfuscation. Its Android TV page doesn't say which of those reach the TV app, and it doesn't state a minimum Android version, so check your TV against the Google Play listing before you buy. If your TV has no Google Play at all, PIA suggests setting it up on your router instead.

New subscribers get a 30-day money-back guarantee. As with ExpressVPN, purchases made through an app store follow that store's refund terms, so buying on PIA's website keeps the refund simple.

CyberGhost gives you 45 days to ask for your money back on its 6-month and 28-month plans, the longest window of any VPN here. That gives you several weeks of normal evening viewing to decide whether it works on your TV.

The Android TV app installs from Google Play on supported devices running Android TV 7.0 or newer. CyberGhost names Sony, Philips, TCL and Xiaomi TVs, plus Android TV boxes and sticks. Read the fine print if you own an Nvidia Shield or a Chromecast with Google TV, because CyberGhost's page says those work through a VPN router setup rather than the app. Servers cover 100 countries, and CyberGhost has servers it says are built for streaming.

One account covers 7 devices at the same time, which is fewer than Surfshark, PIA or Windscribe but enough for most homes. The 28-month plan costs $2.19 a month, billed $61.32 for the first 28 months and then autorenewing at $61.32 a year. The 6-month plan costs $41.94, and the monthly plan $12.99, with a shorter 14-day money-back guarantee.

CyberGhost's FAQ lists a 3-day trial on Android but doesn't say whether that includes Android TV.

Windscribe is the pick for people who don't want to hand over two or three years of payment to get a fair price. Pro costs $69 a year ($5.75 a month) or $9 a month, and Windscribe's homepage says the price you sign up at stays the same over time. Its download page lists an Android TV app alongside Fire TV and Apple TV.

There's a free plan too. Confirm your email and you get 10GB of data a month, which is plenty for testing the app and a few servers but runs out quickly once you start streaming video. Build A Plan, at $1 per location a month with a $3 minimum, adds 10GB per location rather than unlimited data, so it suits light use more than a nightly film. For a TV, Pro is the plan to buy.

Pro covers servers in over 69 countries, and Windscribe sets no limit on how many devices you connect. Split tunneling lets you choose which apps go through the VPN, and R.O.B.E.R.T., Windscribe's server-side blocker, filters ads and domains you choose on all your devices, including the TV.

Windscribe's site doesn't describe the Android TV app's own features or the Android version it needs, so use the free plan to check it on your TV first.