Best VPNs for France in 2025: Stream French content anywhere

Have you ever tried streaming your favorite shows from France when abroad? Getting the “not available in your region” error message is frustrating. We know how that feels. Whether you’re a native wanting to safeguard your online activities or an expat yearning for a slice of home through French TV and streaming, we’ve got you covered with our list of the best France VPNs.

Despite France’s strong commitment to privacy, there are still many reasons to consider using a VPN to safely and securely browse the web. Using a VPN will also unlock geo-restricted content on sites like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. For French residents traveling abroad, using a VPN is also an excellent option if you wish to continue streaming local premium services such as Eurosport, Canal+, and Play TV.

Come with us as we break down the best VPNs for France. If you’re pressed for time, here’s a summary of our recommendations:

Best VPNs for France:

1. NordVPN: Our #1 choice for a VPN for France. Easy-to-use option with fast servers. Strong privacy policy and security to keep your online activities private. Unblocks Netflix and other popular streaming sites. Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for France.
2. Surfshark: Best budget France VPN. A privacy-first VPN that boasts excellent unblocking ability, a no-logs policy, and plenty of security options.
3. IPVanish: Perfect for torrenters and Kodi users who need a lightweight, remote-control-friendly solution. Excellent security and decent speed.
4. ExpressVPN: Plenty of French servers optimized for speed making it an excellent streaming VPN. Unblocks most major streaming content sites like Netflix France.
5. CyberGhost: A huge international server network, perfect for a French IP address. Fast and secure, perfect for streaming French TV channels.
6. ProtonVPN: Impressive speeds and gives advanced users plenty of customization options. Works with france.tv and many similar services.
7. PureVPN: Fast servers, strong security tools, and the ability to access a huge range of streaming platforms. Perfect for anyone traveling in France.
8. Private Internet Access: Servers in 91+ countries. Good speeds with unlimited bandwidth and no connection limit. Includes a strict no-logs policy and 256-bit AES encryption.

Best VPNs for France: Our hands-on review

We’ve compared the most important features for the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for France.

Our criteria for the best France VPNs

To select the best French VPNs, we tested them in the following areas:

• Speed: VPNs that are too slow are a real pain. To find the fastest, we carried out multiple speed tests using each provider’s servers in France.
• Server availability: We scored providers on how many server locations they had in France, as well as how many countries they had a presence in, and the overall size of their network.
• Security and privacy: We used 16 different security and privacy criteria for ranking providers. We only included those who scored highly.
• Ease of use: We looked for providers that were easy to use and scored highly against 10 related metrics.
• Streaming: We tested providers’ streaming ability with both French and international platforms as well as evaluating them against six other streaming-related metrics.

The above is just a summary of our testing process. For a more expansive explanation and an analysis of the results, see the methodology section later in the article.

The best VPNs for France

Here are some in-depth reviews of the highest-rated VPNs for France:

1. NordVPN

Feb 2025

NordVPN is our top recommended VPN for France. This veteran provider has more than 7,200 servers in 118 countries. These are all RAM-only, meaning they cannot store data long-term. In any case, the provider retains no data on its users’ visits when connected to its servers, nor the time, date, and duration of each session. In at least one case, its servers have been confiscated, but there was no stored data that authorities could use to pinpoint users. The provider has also had multiple third-party audits to independently verify its no-logs claims.

NordVPN has more than 300 servers in France, spread across two locations. Available servers are easy to locate using the country list, search function, or map.

You’re in the right place if you’re looking for blazing-fast speeds in France. NordVPN didn’t fall below 200 Mbps in a single one of our tests, leading to an average speed of 220.25 Mbps.

In practical terms, this means you’ll be able to stream live or 4K video without interruption, download a 1GB file in about 36 seconds, or share your connection without worrying about a drop in performance.

NordVPN is great for viewing region-locked streaming services from abroad, such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video. It worked with all the platforms we tested it with, including those in France.

If you want to stream using a VPN-incompatible device, then NordVPN’s smart DNS service can help you access US-only content.

The provider has a range of specialty servers designed for double VPN, Tor over VPN, and obfuscation. Its obfuscated servers are available in 16 countries — one of which is France. They are useful if you’re trying to get online in a restrictive country like the UAE or China. If there are no obfuscated servers in the country you want to connect to, enabling the NordWhisper protocol will help your traffic evade VPN blocks.

If you’re connecting from a relatively free country, the NordLynx protocol is the faster option. It has the added bonus of allowing you to enable post-quantum encryption. This secures any captured data against future decryption by quantum computers.

Other features include a kill switch, split tunneling for apps, and built-in leak protection.

Automatic public wi-fi protection is available if you’re traveling in France and don’t want to unknowingly connect to a rogue wi-fi hotspot.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and Fire TV. They are easy to use — even for those with no VPN experience. NordVPN allows up to 10 simultaneous device connections. It’s also compatible with many home routers.

BEST VPN FOR FRANCE:NordVPN is our top choice. Extremely high speeds make it an ideal choice for streaming and torrenting. Connects up to 10 devices simultaneously. Provides a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out risk-free.

Read our full NordVPN review.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark has thousands of servers across 100+ countries. This includes France, where it has more than 70 servers in Paris, Bordeaux, and Marseille.

Users can also create multi-hop connections, where traffic is routed through a server in a different country before reaching the French server. This increases security but at a cost to download speeds.

Surfshark was a solid performer speed-wise. It was fast enough to handle any day-to-day task, from live streaming TF1 to torrenting.

Across three tests, it provided an average speed of 218.99 Mbps, with less than 10 Mbps of difference between its highest and lowest results. Whether you’re hoping to watch French TV abroad or play online games, this VPN is up to the task.

The provider is also a great choice for streaming. It worked perfectly with French streaming services as well as the more stubborn international platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

As Surfshark has no connection limit, you’ll be able to stream on every device you own simultaneously. Like NordVPN, Surfshark also has a smart DNS feature that’s useful for streaming on games consoles.

The provider uses 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks to keep traffic secure.

Other features include split tunneling for websites and apps, an ad, tracker, and malware blocker, and the option to have your IP address rotated while connected. If you want your IP address to stay the same between one session and the next, you can use Surfshark’s range of static IP addresses.

If you’re connecting from a restrictive country, the NoBorders mode will obfuscate your traffic so that it can bypass any VPN blocks.

Our favorite feature, however, is the Alternative ID generator. This allows users to easily create a new persona, complete with a name, date of birth, and address. It can come in handy when online services press you for personal information that you’d rather not give them. Users can also generate a proxy email address.

While connected, Surfshark doesn’t log any data that could be traced back to you. Its no-log claims have been verified by independent auditors. The provider only uses RAM-only servers — adding further reassurance that user activity data isn’t being stored.

Subscriptions are competitively priced, with the cheapest two-year plans costing the equivalent of $2.19 a month. Privacy-conscious users have the option of paying in Bitcoin, Ripple, or Ethereum.

Surfshark has apps for iOS, MacOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. All of these have a full GUI that’s easy for new users to navigate productively. The software also works with select network routers, although these have to be configured manually.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark lets you connect an unlimited number of devices, plus it unblocks major streaming platforms from abroad. With high speeds, powerful security features, a low price, and a 30-day money-back guarantee, this service is a great choice.

Read our full review of Surfshark here.

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3. IPVanish

IPVanish is one of the few VPN providers that physically owns the majority of its server network, making it a valuable ally in the quest to maintain anonymity on the web.

It has approximately 2,400 servers in more than 140 locations. Users can choose a location from the map on the app’s dashboard or go to the location page for a more finely tuned choice.

Using the drop-down menus next to each location, users can see the available servers for a particular city and choose between them based on their relative load and ping time. This is particularly useful when you care about the amount of lag you’re getting.

IPVanish delivered higher speeds than any other provider we tested, so when we say it’s fast enough to handle anything, we mean it. After a full day of testing, it averaged 224.47 Mbps – well above the 15 Mbps required for 4K streaming.

There was a minimal degree of variability, too, meaning whether you use the service at noon or night, you can expect the same level of performance.

The VPN works well with a range of streaming platforms. We were able to access Netflix, Disney Plus, and Hulu, as well as platforms in France. The provider is also a good option for torrenting and makes our list of the best VPNs for torrenting.

The provider keeps no records or logs about user browsing history except when people register for the first time. Independent auditors have checked these claims.

IPVanish uses 256-bit encryption and has the WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 connection protocols available. Users connecting with OpenVPN have the Scramble function available to them. This can help disguise traffic so that it isn’t noticed and blocked on restrictive networks.

Split tunneling is available for apps and domains, and there’s an ad, tracker, and malware-blocker to keep your browsing clean. Other features include public wi-fi protection, a kill switch, and leak protection.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. This provider allows unlimited device connections, so you can use as many apps as you like simultaneously. Connections can be configured manually for Linux and select routers.

Basic subscriptions start at the equivalent of $2.19 a month. The Advanced plan costs $3.29 a month and includes an additional 1TB of cloud storage and a secure, sandboxed browser.

VALUE AND PERFORMANCE:IPVanish offers strong privacy and excellent security with a huge number of IPs and servers plus additional protection against DNS leaks. Also popular with Kodi and torrent users. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of IPVanish here.

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4. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has around 3,000 servers in its network, which covers 105 countries. In France, it has servers in four cities. Connections are quick and easy to establish, partially thanks to the provider’s homegrown Lightway protocol.

ExpressVPN is excellent at unblocking a wide range of streaming platforms. In our tests, it worked with everything from BBC iPlayer and Netflix, through to France TV and TF1. Its MediaStreamer tool can help devices that don’t natively support VPN software access geo-restricted content.

ExpressVPN has a stated policy of not storing any user logs except for “dates (not times) when connected to our service, choice of server locations, and the total amount of data transferred per day.” Furthermore, it uses RAM-only servers throughout its network and has undergone independent audits to confirm its privacy claims.

The provider has a long history of performing well during our speed tests, and this time around, nothing has changed. Over a day, it delivered an average speed of 186.02 Mbps.

That’s not quite as fast as others on this list, but it’s still well above what most providers can offer. During our tests, it never dropped below 180 Mbps, making it one of the most reliable VPNs on the market.

ExpressVPN doesn’t have quite as many features as some providers in this list, but it does cover everything the average user needs. There’s a kill switch, an ad, tracker, malware, and adult-site-blocker, and a split tunneling option that allows you to choose which apps use the VPN and which use a direct, unencrypted connection.

The provider is a great option if you’re connecting from a country such as China, which tries to block VPN usage. This is because the software automatically obfuscates all traffic rather than relying on the user to enable a stealth function.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and Fire TV. These are all easy to use, thanks to ExpressVPN’s well-designed dashboard and the simple check-box control over features.

In keeping with its overall user-friendliness, the provider has its own router app. This is essentially custom firmware that users can switch with their existing firmware to use the VPN across their home network. It’s much easier than trying to configure a connection manually, which can easily go wrong.

Subscriptions are at the pricier end of the spectrum, though you do get a slick service and easily accessible customer support for your money. Plans allow up to eight simultaneous device connections.

FAST, SECURE CONNECTIONS:ExpressVPN is a speedy, privacy-focused service. Excels at unblocking French streaming channels with its entire French network of servers. Hard to beat on privacy and security. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee with all plans.

Read our full review of ExpressVPN.

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5. CyberGhost

CyberGhost, which is based in privacy-friendly Romania, offers robust encryption, fast speeds, and excellent customer support.

It has a large network, comprising more than 10,000 servers in 100 countries. This includes France, where it has approximately 400 servers in Paris, Marseille, and Strasbourg.

Notably, CyberGhost also has a list of servers, especially for gaming, torrenting, and streaming. The streaming servers are the most handy as they list the particular platforms they’re optimized for.

During testing, we used these servers to access everything from Netflix and Amazon Prime France through to Canal+ and France TV.

When it comes to speed, CyberGhost is one of the fastest VPNs available. There was barely 10 Mbps of difference between its highest and lowest results, leading to an overall average speed of 204.94 Mbps.

That’s enough to stream more than a dozen 4K videos at the same time. Even if everyone in your home uses the internet simultaneously, you’re unlikely to notice any performance issues.

This provider secures all web traffic with 256-bit encryption, perfect forward secrecy, an internet kill switch, and DNS leak protection.

It does not store user data of any nature, including IP addresses. Several third-party audits have confirmed this. The provider issues quarterly transparency reports that detail any external requests for its users’ information.

Additional security features include an ad blocker, anti-malware defense, and anti-tracking. Users traveling in France can set up public wi-fi protection. The provider also has options for tailoring the launch process.

The Smart Rules section of the app allows users to specify an app that should launch when CyberGhost is first started. Alternatively, users can make CyberGhost launch and connect when they open a particular app. Linking a favorite geo-restricted streaming service to the appropriate streaming-optimized server is a good use of this feature.

CyberGhost has apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS. A single subscription allows for seven devices to connect concurrently. The software is compatible with some home routers, but connections must be configured manually.

Subscriptions start at the equivalent of $2.19 a month for a two-year plan. If you want to try the service out, plans include a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.

beginner friendly apps:CyberGhost has a simple set-up. Works well in France and for unblocking French content with no speed caps. Good option if you are looking for a fast, reliable connection and an easy-to-use interface. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of CyberGhost.

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6. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN provides access to more than 11,500 servers in 117+ countries, giving it one of the largest networks available. Users can choose a sever straight from the dashboard using either the map, search bar, or country list.

The provider has almost 300 servers in France, and it allows users to choose between individual servers. This makes it easier to find a faster option if you feel your connection isn’t quick enough.

In addition to its regular servers, the provider has Tor over VPN servers for quick access to the Tor network. It also has hundreds of its own servers, which are housed in secure data centers that the provider owns and operates.

These Secure Core servers provide an additional stop for traffic that needs additional protection on the way to a regular VPN server. If the regular VPN server is somehow compromised, the Secure Core server prevents third parties from being able to discover users’ true IP addresses.

ProtonVPN is another provider with exceptionally high performance. This is great news, considering that only paying customers can use its full speeds. In our tests, we recorded an average speed of 213.35 Mbps when using ProtonVPN’s French servers.

For context, this makes it the fourth-fastest VPN we tested. It’s suitable for torrenting, watching TV, gaming, video calling, or really anything else you have in mind.

This service stands out from the crowd by offering a high level of customization. For instance, you can configure split tunneling or port forwarding functionality, block ads and trackers automatically, or activate an accelerator feature that boosts your speeds even further. There’s also optional DNS and IPv6 leak protection.

Users can choose between the WireGuard, OpenVPN and Stealth protocols. As its name suggests, the Stealth protocol disguises VPN traffic so that it looks like regular internet traffic — thus helping it evade detection.

ProtonVPN doesn’t keep logs, has been independently audited, and uses effectively uncrackable encryption to keep you safe. There are also multiple anonymous payment options for users who’d like to register without revealing any identifiable information.

The provider — which has apps for Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, and Linux — allows up to 10 simultaneous device connections. It can also be manually installed on a wide range of different router firmware.

Subscriptions aren’t the cheapest, but you do get a lot for your money. You can get a taste of the service by trying out the free plan, though this restricts your server choice. A better option is to sign up for a subscription and take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like it, just make sure to cancel within 30 days, and you’ll get a refund.

GREAT SECURITY TOOLKIT:ProtonVPN comes packed with security features so you can browse the web without worrying about who might be watching. Better still, it offers very fast speeds, strong streaming abilities, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.

Check out our complete ProtonVPN review.

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7. PureVPN

PureVPN operates roughly 6,000 servers in 65+ countries. This includes France, where it has servers in the country’s capital, Paris.

In addition to its list of locations, PureVPN has a list of what it calls ‘shortcuts’. These are servers that work with particular streaming platforms and, when clicked, will establish a VPN connection and automatically launch the streaming platform’s website.

There are shortcuts to the French versions of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and the option of creating shortcuts of your own. In practice, we had no problem streaming a range of platforms using these servers.

Speeds are certainly competitive. In our tests we recorded an average speed of 181.5 Mbps, with less than 10 Mbps of variance throughout.

In simple terms, this service is fast enough to support an entire family’s browsing habits with no noticeable lag.

PureVPN has lightweight apps with a clean, beginner-friendly design. Even the Linux app has a full GUI, though the purists can still use the command-line version if they wish.

Features include a tracker-blocker, a kill switch, app-based split tunneling, and leak protection. PureVPN has a strict no-logs policy in place, which has been verified multiple times by external auditors.

This provider supports the OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard protocols. There’s no stealth mode as traffic is obfuscated by default, which is great news if you need to connect from China or another similarly restrictive country.

PureVPN apps are available for Windows, Android, MacOS, iOS, and Linux. Alternatively, you can follow manual setup instructions to get the service running on just about any router.

Subscriptions are priced at the lower end of the spectrum. The five-year plan is particularly good value, costing the equivalent of $2.14 a month. If you’re unsure about committing for that long, you can try the service out for up to 31 days and get a full refund if you don’t like it.

The more expensive Plus and Max plans get you a file encryption tool, password manager, dark web monitoring, and a password manager. Port forwarding and a dedicated IP address are available as add-ons to any plan.

SAFE AND AFFORDABLE:PureVPN is a novice-friendly service that doesn’t compromise on security. With fast French servers and exceptional streaming ability, there’s almost nothing it can’t do. Every paid subscription includes a 31-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of PureVPN to learn more.

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8. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA) has servers covering 91 countries. In some of these — Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK, US, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Canada, Australia, and Japan — there are streaming-optimized servers available.

Using the streaming-optimized servers, we were able to watch the US version of Netflix and stream BBC iPlayer without issue. Using a server in France, we could watch national streaming services such as Canal+ and France TV.

PIA doesn’t throttle your bandwidth, and allows unlimited device connections. This means you can stream from as many devices as you like or share an account with friends and family.

Apps are particularly easy to use, with a nifty interface that hides all the connection information without making it feel inaccessible. Pressing the ‘down’ symbol expands the app so that users are given access to the quick settings, the snooze option, and details such as the protocol and encryption being used.

In our tests, Private Internet Access had the lowest average speed of any provider. However, at 135.67 Mbps, this VPN is still faster than the majority of other providers on the market – it’s just that the level of competition was so high. To its credit, it was the most consistent service we saw, with less than 5 Mbps of variance across all of our tests.

PIA routes your internet traffic through a 256-bit AES encrypted tunnel by default, though it allows users to reduce the key length to 128-bit if they want or need a faster connection.

Obfuscation is available with the help of a Shadowsocks proxy. Note, however, that this won’t work for users connecting from China.

PIA is one of the few providers that allows port forwarding, making it a good option for torrenters who want more efficient seeding and leaching. The split tunneling feature allows users to choose which apps and domains use the VPN tunnel, and which connect with a regular internet connection.

Users will also benefit from features including a kill switch, an ad, tracker, and malware blocker, and leak protection.

The provider takes user-privacy seriously, and doesn’t keep records of users’ IP addresses, browsing history, session timestamps, or bandwidth consumption. These claims have been independently audited.

Users who want to sign up can do so with nothing more than an email address and valid payment method — which includes cryptocurrency. Plans are excellent value, with a three-year subscription costing the equivalent of $2.03 a month.

SERVERS WORLDWIDE:Private Internet Access offers fast, unthrottled connections and servers in 91+ countries including France. Lightweight apps with 24/7 support included. No device connection limit. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Private Internet Access review.

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Methodology: Finding the best VPNs for France

It’s not too uncommon for a VPN to have servers in France. However, we’re not looking for providers that simply “work” there. Our exhaustive testing process is designed to find the absolute best VPNs for French users. We check everything, from how easy it is to sign up to what level of authentication they use. You’ll find our five main areas of investigation below, as well as a short description of why each is so important:

French speeds

In recent years, VPNs have really focused on reducing their impact on your speeds, but there’s always going to be some degree of slowdown. That’s just an unavoidable effect of the encryption process. Still, if our years of experience have taught us anything, it’s that most major providers are still more than quick enough to deal with day-to-day browsing. So, how do we go about making sure we get the most accurate speed test results?

For starters, we used the VPN’s French servers and limited our base connection speed to 246 Mbps (just a tad higher than the average broadband speed in France). Then, we performed three speed tests (in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon) and averaged the results. This approach ensures our results best reflect the speeds that users in France can actually expect. One caveat: our tests were run from the UK; French users will have lower latency, which may lead to slightly improved performance. Here’s how each of our top VPNs scored:

Finally, we weighted and normalized these results to give us a score out of 10 for each service. Note that providers are ranked relative to each other to better illustrate small differences visually. IPVanish took first place, but it was closely followed by NordVPN in second place and Surfshark in third.

Server availability

Next, we examined each provider’s network in greater detail. This meant checking how many locations they supported and how many servers they operated overall (where this data was available). Naturally, we also zoomed in on France specifically, awarding higher scores to those with multiple French server locations. After all, someone in Marseille shouldn’t have to rely on a server over 400 miles away in Paris.

There’s actually a fairly sizable gulf in the competition in this category. ExpressVPN was our top performer, with a score of 9.1 points, largely because it offers an unmatched five French locations. CyberGhost took second place with 9.0 points, but our third-place providers (Surfshark and ProtonVPN) scored just 7.8 points each.

Private Internet Access was our lowest-scoring service this time, earning 4.8 points. The reasons for this are fairly straightforward: it has just one server cluster in France and fewer supported countries than many of its rivals. These problems are easily rectified, though, so we’re hopeful PIA will do better the next time we run these tests.

Security and privacy

You could have the fastest VPN on the planet, but it’s not going to matter if the service can’t shield your online activities from prying eyes. Here at Comparitech, we believe that your security comes first, which is why we focus so heavily on vetting providers to see if they’re really as privacy-conscious as they claim. The table below shows all 15 of the criteria we checked in this regard, as well as our findings:

Next, we assigned scores based on how each VPN performed. These were weighted and normalized as before, giving us a score out of 10 for each service. You’ll notice there’s a fairly tight spread here – just more evidence that all of our top picks take your digital privacy seriously.

NordVPN and Surfshark tied for first place, both scoring 9.5 points. What got in the way of a perfect score here? Well, NordVPN could do with slightly enhancing its authentication, while Surfshark operates out of the Netherlands, a Nine Eyes country. Conversely, PureVPN delivered the lowest overall score, a still astounding 8.7.

Ease of use

The more beginner-friendly your VPN is, the more likely you are to rely on it regularly. After all, nobody wants to use a service that requires constant configuration or navigating through lots of menus just to find the server you need. That’s why our team takes user-friendliness so seriously; we search for any features that make day-to-day operation nice and easy, like task-specific servers, 24/7 support, or even just a lack of connection limits.

Just like before, we weighted and normalized the results. Here’s a chart showing each VPN’s ease of use score:

This was another extremely tight race. Private Internet Access and NordVPN both scored 9.6 points, tying for first place. IPVanish and ExpressVPN took second and third, respectively. In fairness, the absolute lowest score was ProtonVPN’s 8.8, which just goes to show how tough the competition was.

Streaming ability

Finally, we wanted to make sure that our most recommended providers were able to access a wide range of geo-blocked streaming platforms. This way, you’ll be able to watch your favorite shows while visiting France, or stream French TV during a trip abroad. We began by testing each VPN against a series of popular streaming apps, noting how many each worked with, and recording whether we had to try multiple servers to find one that worked. Here are our findings:

NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN all earned themselves an impressive 9.2 points out of 10 this time around. They worked with most of the platforms we tested and our testers very rarely encountered a server that couldn’t access a particular service. ProtonVPN delivered the lowest overall score (just 6.7 points) due to its lower reliability and lack of a Smart DNS service.

Using a free VPN for France

There’s always the option of finding a free VPN service – they’re hiding in plain sight and a casual search on Google or Reddit will definitely do the job. Technically such services don’t charge you any money for usage but that doesn’t mean they’re free by any yardstick.

Our recommendation is to avoid such options like the plague. They’re businesses too – meaning they need to make money in order to stay afloat – so they’ll bombard you with all sorts of nasty advertisements and sell your data to third-party companies for monetary compensation.

Contracting a malware infection is a definite possibility and forget about getting the same speed or customer service that paid VPN options offer. In the long run, you’re better off spending a few dollars and getting exemplary service – trust us, it’s worth it.

How to get a French IP address

If you’re a French resident that’s planning on living abroad for a bit, it’s likely that a bunch of local content will remain inaccessible if you log in from a foreign country. One way to circumvent this issue is by connecting to a VPN recommended above – all you have to do is select a French server before opening your internet browser and you should be good to go.

The advantages of getting a French IP address also go beyond accessing geo-restricted content. Your search engine will assume you’re in France – so it’ll show you the results most relevant to you and in your local language if you prefer. Some French banking and financial institutions also require a local IP before allowing internet access to online services.

How to test if your IP address has been changed to France

You can use a website like http://www.ip-tracker.org to determine if your IP address has changed to France. Simply type in your IP address on the website and it will tell you what country your IP address is currently located in.

The future of French internet

France is often regarded as pro-privacy. For example, French regulators imposed a fine of US$166,777 on Facebook purportedly because of concerns over the way it tracks user data “without legal cover.” Authorities added that the social media leviathan didn’t offer users sufficient warning about the methods it uses to extract personal information about their browsing habits.

However, recent years have seen an erosion of privacy rights.

Emergency powers put in place by President Hollande in 2015 gave authorities sweeping powers to conduct house arrests, raids, and searches of electronic devices such as laptops, PCs, smartphones, and tablets without any warrants.

The same year, the French Constitutional Council approved most provisions of a new law that forces internet service providers to monitor the online behavior of suspicious users and relay that information back to intelligence agencies.

There are concerns that this law can be abused to establish a far-reaching online surveillance apparatus that will directly impact the lives of all French residents, whether they like it or not.

These troubling developments make a compelling argument for using a VPN when browsing the web in France. Short for Virtual Private Network, a VPN encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a remote server, thereby shielding its content and destination from internet service providers, hackers, and government agencies like the NSA.

Even the United Nations Committee for Human Rights has warned against the tenets of the law – saying it “grants overly broad powers for very intrusive surveillance on the basis of vast and broadly defined objectives.” It added that French authorities must balance the subsequent interference in private life according to defined principles of legality, proportionality, and necessity.

Not only does the law allow electronic monitoring of mobile devices, it also gives intelligence agencies the right to install secret cameras and recording devices in people’s homes. It’s also possible to install keylogger devices, and metadata can be stored for up to five years.

Other advocacy bodies, such as Privacy International and La Quadrature du Net, also sharply criticized the developments, saying the poorly drafted bill makes no provision for judicial authorization and that the French parliament had “endorsed a fundamental decline in human rights.”

Watching French television when abroad

The use of a VPN can also unlock French television. This means French residents traveling abroad can obfuscate their location by signing up for a VPN (we recommend one of the paid ones on this list), selecting a server in France, clearing the cookies in their web browser, and then accessing the individual streaming links.

The following channels allow free access to anyone with a French IP address. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and more may be added:

• Euronews
• France24
• TV5 Monde
• Arte
• RTBF
• BFM TV
• LCP
• Eurosport
• Pluzz
• TF1
• M6
• France2
• France3
• France4
• Gulli
• PlayTV

VPNs for France: FAQ