Best VPN for Streaming in 2026 — NordVPN vs Surfshark vs ExpressVPN Real-World Test
Why “best VPN for streaming” became harder to answer in 2026 Streaming services upped their VPN-detection in 2024–2025. Netflix in particular started flagging entire commercial VPN IP ranges, not just individual addresses. By April 2026 a VPN that worked great in 2023 may now show a “proxy detected” error on three of the five platforms you actually use. We rebuilt our test from scratch this month. Same week, same fiber connection, same Smart TV and laptop. Three of the most-recommended commercial VPNs — NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN — were measured on speed, unblocking success, and apps. Here’s what changed. ...