Best VPN for Germany in 2024, and some to avoid

Need a VPN for Germany? As seasoned experts in the VPN landscape, we understand the difficulties you may face in Germany – from stringent P2P file-sharing and copyright laws to ambiguous fair-use policies. We’re here to provide the support and guidance you need.

In our journey to unearth well-researched and well-tested information, we have rigorously evaluated VPN services based on their security features, speed, user-friendliness, and customer support. This has allowed us to bring you the best VPN services in Germany. Our mission is to help you navigate the VPN landscape reliably and accurately. We’re here to walk you through with our easy-to-follow guide.

The following sections provide extensive details and concise summaries of the best VPNs for Germany. We’re here to give you the insights you need to conquer your internet challenges. Hang in there, and you will make a confident decision in no time.

Here’s our list of the best VPNs for Germany:

1. NordVPN: Our #1 choice VPN for Germany. Veteran provider with over ten years of experience and one of the largest networks of servers, including plenty of German servers. Great connection speeds. Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Germany.
2. Surfshark: Best budget VPN for Germany. Highly versatile, with the ability to access lots of German content and streaming sites like Netflix Germany and Amazon Prime Video. Allows unlimited simultaneous connections.
3. IPVanish: Apps are remote-control friendly, making this a favorite with Kodi users and torrenters. Can provide a German IP address to access geo-blocked content like Netflix Germany. Cheap monthly subscriptions and no connection limit.
4. ExpressVPN: A good VPN for Germany with secure servers and fast speeds. No logs are kept. Can access German TV channels and major streaming services from abroad.
5. ProtonVPN: No-logs VPN with lots of customizable features. Operates secure servers in over 112 countries and works flawlessly with most German streaming platforms.
6. CyberGhost: Huge server network, perfect for German services and sites. Easy-to-use apps, a no-logging policy, and solid speeds make this VPN perfect for streaming, including Netflix Germany.
7. PureVPN: Privacy-conscious service that can handle day-to-day tasks without breaking a sweat. High-speed servers in 65 countries, including Germany. Includes effective always-on obfuscation.

A VPN service encrypts all of a device’s traffic. It routes it through an intermediary server in a location of the user’s choosing. This prevents public wi-fi hackers, internet service providers, and government agencies from snooping on traffic. It can bypass online censorship, allowing you to access the internet without restriction, whether at an office or national level.

Plus, a VPN connection masks the user’s actual IP address, hiding their online identity from websites and apps and unblocking geographically restricted content like Netflix and other media streaming services.

How we selected the top VPNs for Germany

Although many VPN providers are up to the task, not all offer a comparable service. To be recognized as one of the best VPNs for Germany, providers need to perform well in the following areas:

• Speed: If you want to protect your connection from within Germany, or you’re seeking access to online German services from without, then you’ll need to connect to a German server. With this in mind, we carried out multiple speed tests while connected to each provider’s German servers.
• Server availability: We scored VPNs on their number of German server locations, how many other countries they supported, and the overall size of their networks.
• Security and privacy: We evaluated each VPN against 16 different metrics to find out which were best equipped to keep users safe online while connected to servers in Germany.
• Ease of use: It shouldn’t be hard to get a German IP address, though it can feel that way with some providers. To find VPNs that were easy to use, we evaluated them against 10 different criteria.
• Streaming: If you’re keen to access German content libraries, then you’ll want a VPN that is well-suited to streaming. We found out which VPNs provided the best experience by scoring them on nine different criteria.

We have an in-depth explanation of our testing process later in the article. We’ll also discuss the results of each test and what they mean for the choices you might make. First, let’s take a closer look at the providers who impressed us.

The best VPNs for Germany: Our hands-on review

We’ve tested and compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Would you prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN, our #1 choice for Germany.

Best VPN Providers for Germany

Here’s our list of the top VPNs for Germany:

1. NordVPN

Dec 2024

NordVPN is our top choice VPN for Germany. This veteran provider ticks all the boxes for its true zero-logs privacy policy, 256-bit AES encryption, built-in kill switch, and excellent support for the OpenVPN protocol. It runs 6,300 servers around the globe out of 111 countries. This includes 240+ German servers.

We tested the speed of these multiple times over the course of a day. You can see the results below.

NordVPN was extremely fast in all three tests, with an average speed of 216.23 Mbps overall. Given that our base connection speed was 250 Mbps, this was an excellent result.

It even goes the extra mile by adding extra features like double VPN, Tor over VPN, anti-DDoS servers, and servers optimized for ultra-fast streaming.

It’s great at accessing geo-locked content, too. You can look up which servers to use for sites like Netflix Germany, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu on its website knowledge base. A single subscription to this VPN service nets you up to 10 simultaneous high-speed connections.

There are apps for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android.

BEST VPN FOR GERMANY :NordVPN is our first choice for Germany. Oustanding privacy features, blazing fast speeds, and a ten-device limit. Includes a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full NordVPN review.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark might have a low price, but don’t be fooled: this VPN boasts numerous security features and clearly puts your privacy above all else. There’s 256-bit encryption, a kill switch (on all platforms), protection against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks, automatic ad-blocking and malware-scanning, and even the option to scramble your traffic. Most importantly, though, Surfshark keeps no logs, so details of your activities can’t be revealed, even if requested.

Of course, strong security isn’t all Surfshark has to offer. This service provides high speeds — as you can see from the chart below.

Download speeds while connected to the provider’s German servers were impressive. Surfshark averaged 212.90 Mbps overall, which is more than fast enough for gaming, streaming, or torrenting.

Using Surfshark, you can easily unblock some of the most stubborn services abroad. This means that even if you’re looking to use Netflix USA or BBC iPlayer while abroad in Germany, you’re unlikely to have any problems. If you do need help, though, you can reach customer support 24/7 via live chat.

Surfshark has Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, and Linux apps. It can be manually installed on supported routers.

BEST BUDGET CHOICE:Surfshark is inexpensive, secure, and adept at circumventing geo-restrictions from the likes of Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and more. It has no connection limit. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of Surfshark here.

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3. IPVanish

IPVanish is one of the few VPN providers that owns and operates the majority of its servers around the world rather than leasing them. This means your data passes through fewer hands, and it does so without traffic or metadata logs.

The provider has more than 50 servers in Germany and allows users to choose between them rather than just choosing a particular city. We tested how fast these servers were to see if they were suitable for day-to-day tasks like streaming or making video calls.

IPVanish’s servers were more than capable of supporting bandwidth-heavy activities. Its average download speed was 215.36 Mbps, making it the second-fastest provider that we tested.

IPVanish is an ideal VPN for torrenting and is popular with Kodi users, too. Military-grade encryption and authentication are par for the course.

IPVanish can be used to stream content in a wide variety of countries and made our list of the best BBC iPlayer VPN options; it works for most other streaming sites, too.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. All subscriptions include unlimited device connections. Users opting for the slightly more expensive Advanced plan also get a sandboxed secure browser and a generous 1TB of cloud storage.

SECURE ALL DEVICES:IPVanish works with any number of connected devices. Great for families and multiple connections. Apps for most platforms. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full IPVanish review.

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4. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN does not log any traffic content or the source IP of its users. It has its own connections protocol and secures it with industry-best encryption, authentication, perfect forward secrecy, and a built-in kill switch. The latter acts as a backup by killing the internet connection should the VPN connection drop.

To find out what sort of speeds users might expect, we carried out several speed tests while connected to ExpressVPN’s German servers.

As you can see from the above, speeds were consistently above 200 Mbps. This is a great result and is more than fast enough to stream in the highest resolution available or place long-distance video calls.

This VPN provider securely accesses Netflix catalogs from several other countries, as well as other streaming services like Hulu, Amazon Prime, and BBC iPlayer. You can chat with the company’s excellent 24/7 live support team to ask which servers work with which services.

Slick, easy-to-use apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux (command-line), and some wi-fi routers.

BROWSE SECURELY IN GERMANY:ExpressVPN is a privacy-focused provider that also unblocks most major streaming services with ease. Great connection speeds and powerful security features. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

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5. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN has a large presence in Germany, but users can also access servers in more than 112 other countries. In all, the provider has more than 8,000 servers in its network — which is far more than most.

ProtonVPN is able to avoid detection by sites that normally block VPNs outright, like ProSieben, DMAX, and ZDF. Paid plans have a 10 connection limit and come with 24/7 customer support via live chat.

We tested ProtonVPN’s download speeds while connected to its servers in Germany. It was one of the fastest providers that we tested, with an average download speed of 215.34 Mbps.

As such, you shouldn’t notice any performance issues while torrenting in Germany, gaming, or making video calls.

Experienced users will find a lot to like in the settings menu. For instance, there’s a VPN accelerator feature designed to push your speeds as high as possible. You can also set up split tunneling and port forwarding (though some features are only available on Windows). By default, ProtonVPN blocks ads and trackers, uses industry-approved encryption, and prevents DNS and IPv6 leaks. There’s also a kill switch, multiple anonymous payment options, and a no-logs policy backed up by an external auditing company.

ProtonVPN has apps for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. It supports a wide range of routers, too, just in case you’d like to protect your entire home network.

HIGH-SPEED GERMAN SERVERS:ProtonVPN is a fast and reliable service that doesn’t keep any logs. Suitable for any everyday task and packed with advanced functionality. As well as 24/7 customer support, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ProtonVPN review.

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6. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a Romania-headquartered VPN that has more than 10,000 servers in 100 countries. This includes over 600 servers in Germany that are capable of unblocking ZDF, ARD, 7TV, German YouTube, Netflix, and more. You can even choose a VPN server based on the streaming service you wish to unblock.

We carried out several speed tests to find out how fast CyberGhost’s German servers were.

Overall, the provider achieved an average download speed of 179.27 Mbps. Although this wasn’t as fast as the majority of providers in this article, it’s still more than adequate for a range of online tasks — whether that’s streaming in UHD or gaming.

This VPN provider stores no logs containing personally identifiable information and doesn’t record any of your online activity. 256-bit AES encryption envelops the OpenVPN protocol.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Linux, and Android.

Easy-to-use apps:CyberGhost is easy to use. Great online privacy and security. It is reliable in Germany and unblocks the most popular streaming sites. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

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7 . PureVPN

PureVPN is an ideal choice for anyone living or traveling in Germany. It has servers in this country (and more than 60 others) and allows up to 10 simultaneous connections, meaning you can browse safely across all of your devices.

To find out how fast the provider’s German servers were, we carried out several speed tests while connected.

The provider averaged 163.96 Mbps overall, which is a solid result. If you have a fast base connection speed (ours was 250 Mbps), you’ll have no problem streaming without interruption or making video calls.

Unlike some other providers, PureVPN isn’t detected by streaming platforms like Netflix, ARD, Zattoo, or Disney+. In other words, users can stay up to date on their favorite shows, even while on vacation abroad. Support staff are on-hand around the clock over live chat just in case you need them.

There’s no need to worry about security either. PureVPN includes DNS and IPv6 leak protection, a kill switch, WireGuard support, and an independently verified no logs policy. It even works in countries like China, which have extraordinarily strict online censorship. If you chose the Plus or Max plans, you’ll also be able to block trackers automatically (though we’d have liked to see ad-blocking functionality included as well). Although the website says you can pay in Bitcoin, this is unfortunately no longer the case.

PureVPN has its own apps for Android, iOS, Linux, MacOS, and Windows. There are also detailed setup guides explaining how to install this VPN directly on your router.

QUICK AND SECURE:PureVPN has everything you'll need to enhance your digital privacy while in Germany. It delivers some of the fastest speeds we’ve seen and includes a 31-day money-back guarantee on all plans, so there’s no harm in trying it out.

Read our full review of PureVPN.

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How to use a VPN in Germany

Never used a VPN before? Don’t worry; it’s simple to set up, and we’ll walk you through the process below.

Here’s how to use a VPN for Germany:

1. Sign up for one of the VPNs recommended above. NordVPN is our top choice.
2. Download and install the VPN app, making sure to get the right version for your device.
3. Open the app, sign in, and select a server location. For example, if you want to access US streaming sites, use a US server.
4. Hit the Connect button. Your data is now protected!
5. If you still can’t access content outside Germany, try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies, then reload the web page. Alternatively, try a different server.

And that’s it! You can now access region-locked content and hide your online activity from your internet service provider. The VPN should remain connected in the background until you turn it off.

Our VPN testing methodology for Germany

Comparitech strives to publish the most accurate and comprehensive VPN reviews and recommendations on the web. To do that, we evaluate dozens of VPNs based on real-world experience, expert analysis, and a battery of tests. When it comes to VPNs for Germany, we specifically looked at:

Speed

Whatever you’re planning on using a VPN for, it’s always wise to choose one that’s fast. While the best providers have a negligible effect on your base connection speed, the worst can slow it to a crawl.

To find out which providers were fastest, we carried out several speed tests while connected to each VPN’s servers in Germany. Measurements were taken using the desktop version of the Ookla speed-testing app, which was installed on a virtual machine.

The virtual machine was rate-limited to 250 Mbps, which is the median average of fixed broadband speeds in the US. This helps us replicate the average users’ real-world experience.

As you can see from the chart above, NordVPN was the fastest provider overall. It was closely followed by IPVanish and ProtonVPN. All three are excellent choices if a fast connection is important to you.

Server availability

To gauge how readily servers were available in Germany and elsewhere, we scored providers on how many server locations they had in Germany, how many countries they supported, and how many servers they had overall. These scores were combined for ease of comparison.

NordVPN and CyberGhost scored highest, with an excellent choice of servers in Germany and around the world. ProtonVPN is also a great choice, thanks to its rapidly expanding network.

Security and privacy

When it comes to security and privacy, we always expect a VPN to offer 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and protection from DNS leaks. For this article, we also evaluated providers based on the criteria in the table below.

We scored providers on each of these criteria, and then combined these scores to give a score out of 10 for comparison.

As you can see from the chart above, NordVPN and Surfshark are the providers most capable of providing users with a secure and private connection. ProtonVPN is a great alternative.

Streaming

We’ve run thousands of real-world tests this year alone to find out which VPNs best unblock region-locked streaming services. For this article, we also scored providers on the metrics shown in the table below.

Each of these metrics was given a score, which we combined to create an overall score out of ten. This makes it easier to directly compare providers.

NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN all achieved equally impressive scores. All three providers offer seamless access to all popular platforms as well as extras, such as a smart DNS service.

Ease of use

The last thing we want to do is recommend software that people struggle to use. To gauge how easy a particular provider is to get on with, we evaluate them against the metrics in the table below.

Each of these metrics was given a score, which we combined to create an overall score out of ten. This makes it easier to compare providers.

NordVPN was the easiest-to-use service overall, with well-designed apps and a streamlined sign-up process. IPVanish and ExpressVPN also scored highly.

VPNs to avoid in Germany

We would recommend avoiding any German VPNs in Germany for the simple fact that the national government has direct jurisdiction over them. In addition to those, stay away from these:

HideMyAss

UK-based HideMyAss has logged identifying information in the past that led to the arrest of at least one of its internet users. We don’t recommend VPN providers that log such information to people who value their online privacy.

Hide.me (free)

Hide.me ranks highly in Google results when searching for “Germany VPN”, but its free version limits speed to 3Mbit/s and caps data at 2GB. It doesn’t support OpenVPN, and free users are limited to three VPN server locations.

Note the paid version isn’t so bad. Check out our Hide.me review.

ZenVPN

ZenVPN doesn’t store logs of the web pages you visit, but it does log your IP address and other information about you and your device. The paid version is limited to 5GB per day.

Using a free VPN in Germany

“Can I use a free VPN in Germany?” is one of teh most common questions we get asked, and we understand that free VPNs are tempting, especially if you’re on a tight budget. However, these services come with a host of issues. For one, a free VPN service will typically be slower and less reliable than a paid option.

What’s more, some providers of free services don’t take customer security and privacy as seriously as they claim to. After all, they need to make money somehow, which is often done by exploiting users. Some free VPNs lack basic security features such as encryption and a kill switch, while others inject tracking cookies into users’ devices, track user activity, and sell profiles to third parties.

Overall, a paid option is worth a few bucks a month.

VPN for Germany FAQ