How to get a Canadian IP Address for free: Unlock geo-restricted content

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the easiest way to get a Canadian IP address. By connecting to a VPN server in Canada, your device assumes the IP address of that server for the duration of the connection. It’s as easy as that!

However, while there are a lot of VPNs available, relatively few are worth your time. Many — particularly the free ones — are frustratingly slow. Others don’t work with popular streaming platforms. The good news is that after thorough testing — more on that later — we’ve rounded up the best VPNs currently available for getting a Canadian IP address.

Our recommended providers all come with a 30-day minimum money-back guarantee. This means you can access a Canadian IP address for free, provided you cancel within the initial 30 days.

We get into plenty of detail below on each of the providers, but if you want a quick rundown of our results, here is our list of the best VPNs for getting a Canadian IP:

1. NordVPN: Our top choice for a Canadian IP! More than 480 superfast Canadian servers and a strong emphasis on security. Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Canadian IP.
2. Surfshark: Best budget option for a Canadian IP. Plenty of fast servers in Canada and elsewhere. Allows unlimited device connections and works with most streaming platforms.
3. IPVanish: Great for streaming Canadian and international TV. No device connection limit and good value subscriptions. Comes with free access to a SOCKS5 proxy.
4. ExpressVPN: A tried and tested service that’s easy to use and strong on security. Works well with popular streaming platforms and has a dedicated app for routers.
5. PureVPN: Low-cost long-term subscriptions and apps with built-in obfuscation. Compatible with big-name streaming platforms. Decent speeds with plenty of servers available in Canada.
6. CyberGhost: Great for beginners and technophobes as apps are easy to install and use. Vast network and servers optimized for Canadian streaming platforms.
7. ProtonVPN: Great for advanced users. Has strong encryption and a kill switch. Great for accessing a Canadian IP address securely.
8. PrivateVPN: Unblocks plenty of popular content in Canada, as well as local and regional services. Servers in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Stealth mode works in China.

How to get a Canadian IP address

You may be surprised by how quick and easy it is to get a Canadian IP address. Just follow these steps.

Here’s how to get a Canadian IP address:

1. Register with a VPN service that has servers in Canada. We recommend NordVPN.
2. Download the relevant VPN app for your device.
3. Choose one of the VPN’s Canada-based servers to obtain a Canadian IP address.
4. Try out the geo-restricted content, which should now be unblocked. Enjoy unrestricted content and enhanced security.
5. If you have any issues accessing content, try connecting to a different server or clearing your browser cache and cookies.

The best VPN to get a Canadian IP address: 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 getting a Canadian IP.

Our criteria for the best Canadian IP VPNs

It’s difficult to know which VPNs are making honest claims about their products. The only real way to find out is by testing them. To save you time, we’ve developed our own methodology that evaluates every aspect of each service. We’ll get into the nitty-gritty of what this involves later in the article. For now, here’s a summary of our process:

• We carry out speed tests
• We test providers’ streaming ability with Canadian TV and popular international streaming platforms
• We use 16 different metrics to gauge each provider’s security and privacy
• We evaluate VPNs’ ease of use using 10 metrics
• We work out whether VPNs offer value for money using eight metrics

See also: Best VPNs for Canada

The best VPNs to get a Canadian IP address

Here is a more in-depth look at our favorite VPNs that can provide you with a Canadian IP:

1. NordVPN

Nov 2024

NordVPN is our top recommended provider for getting an IP address in Canada. It has more than 480 servers in the country, which are spread across three locations: Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Servers are easy to find thanks to an intuitive GUI that makes use of a map for discovering locations. In all, NordVPN has servers in 111 countries.

To find out how fast NordVPN’s servers in Canada were, we carried out three speed tests over the course of a day. We used a virtual machine with an average download speed of 504.7 Mbps. You can see the results below.

The provider was fast throughout the day, consistently pegging speeds well above 300 Mbps. This makes it a fantastic option for streaming Canadian content in the best quality available. Overall, NordVPN was the fastest provider on this list.

We also tested NordVPN’s streaming ability. It worked perfectly with Canadian platforms such as Gem, Global, CityTV, and Crave.

We also tried it out with difficult-to-access platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and AppleTV. Again, it worked with all of them.

If torrenting is your thing, NordVPN has dedicated P2P servers. It also has DoubleVPN servers for additional connection security, obfuscated servers for bypassing blocks in countries such as China, and Onion over VPN servers that provide one-click access to the Tor network.

Other features include a kill switch, a dark web monitor, app-based split tunneling, and automatic public wi-fi protection. NordVPN also has a Meshnet tool that allows you to create private networks of trusted devices that can be accessed remotely. Meshnet doesn’t require a subscription, so head over to the NordVPN website if you’d like to try it out.

Apps are available for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux. We confirmed that these were leak-free by running IP, DNS, and WebRTC leak tests.

NordVPN is based in Panama, where there are no mandatory data retention law. It has a no-logs policy that has been independently audited a reassuring four times. Furthermore, it only uses RAM-only servers that are incapable of storing data long-term.

The cheapest NordVPN subscription is the two-year basic option. This gives you up to 10 simultaneous device connections and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Router configuration is possible if you want to use a Canadian IP address with VPN-incompatible devices.

BEST VPN FOR A CANADIAN IP ADDRESS:NordVPN is our #1 choice. It’s very fast, works well with streaming sites, includes plenty of strong security features, and offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full NordVPN review.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark is an inexpensive, reliable VPN with servers in over 100 countries. This includes Canada, where it has servers in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

You can find all the available servers easily by scrolling through the location list on the app’s dashboard or typing the name of a country into the search bar.

We tested out Surfshark’s speeds three times over the course of a day while connected to its servers in Canada. We used a virtual machine for testing with an average download speed of 504.7 Mbps.

Surfshark was very fast overall, with an average speed of 330.93 Mbps. This is more than fast enough for streaming UHD video without interruption. We confirmed this by watching 4K content from the Canadian versions of Netflix and Amazon Prime. We were also able to smoothly stream Canada-only platforms like Gem, Global, CityTV, and Crave.

Surfshark is one of the few providers to offer static IP addresses, though none are available in Canada. Multi-hop servers are available, with users able to specify the entry and exit points of the connection.

Other features include a kill switch, an ad, tracker, and malware blocker, automatic public wi-fi protection, and app-based and IP-based split tunneling. The Rotating IP feature changes your IP address without you having to break the connection to the VPN server. If you want to obfuscate your traffic, the NoBorders mode is effective enough to work in China.

One of the provider’s more unusual features is its Alternative ID tool. This lets users create online personas, complete with a fake name, address, and date of birth. Users can create addresses from any one of nine countries — though this doesn’t currently include Canada.

Surfshark apps all have a full GUI and are available for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux. Built-in leak protection means you won’t inadvertently reveal your location while connected to a server in Canada.

Subscriptions are good value — particularly the two-year plan. This costs the equivalent of $2.19 a month for the first two years and allows unlimited device connections. This makes it a great choice if you want to share an account with family or friends.

Surfshark has a no-logs policy that’s been independently audited. Furthermore, it only uses RAM-only servers in its network. These are wiped clean at every reboot, so cannot store data long-term.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark delivers on security, privacy, and streaming capabilities. Best of all, it won’t break the bank. All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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3. IPVanish

IPVanish has 66 servers in Canada. These are spread across three locations, with 29 in Montreal, 20 in Toronto, and 17 in Vancouver.

The provider is unusual in that it allows users to choose between individual servers within each location. You can see the options available by opening the drop-down menu next to each location.

Unlike most VPNs, IPVanish owns the majority of its 2,400 servers rather than renting them. This is good for security as it reduces the likelihood of third-party interference.

Users can browse in peace thanks to the company’s strict no-logs policy, which has been verified by third-party auditors. This helps offset some of the worries about the provider’s US location.

To find out how fast IPVanish was, we carried out speed tests over the course of a day while connected to its servers in Canada. We used a virtual machine with an average download speed — when not connected to a VPN — of 504.7 Mbps.

IPVanish achieved speeds well over 100 Mbps throughout the day. It wasn’t as fast as the previous two providers, but still more than fast enough for streaming in UHD. Overall, it’s average download speed was 144.01 Mbps.

Features of the service include a kill switch, split tunneling, an ad, tracker, and malware blocker, automatic public wi-fi protection, and a choice of the WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 connection protocols.

Obfuscation is available using IPVanish’s Scramble function. To use it, subscribers need to make sure they’re connected to the OpenVPN protocol. Scramble is effective in most cases, but it didn’t work in China when we tried it.

Protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks is enabled by default. The provider also reliably stops IPv6 and WebRTC leaks.

Subscriptions are reasonably priced, with a two-year plan costing the equivalent of $2.19 a month. This includes access to a free SOCKS5 proxy and unlimited simultaneous device connections.

Apps are available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Manual setup is required for Linux and routers.

NO CONNECTION LIMIT:IPVanish allows unlimited device connections. A solid option for torrenters, Kodi users, and folks who need the highest standard of privacy. Great for streaming. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full IPVanish review.

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4. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a strong option for anyone seeking a Canadian IP address. With Canadian servers located in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, you should have no problems unblocking content restricted to Canada.

We used the service with Gem, Global, CityTV, and Crave without issue. The provider also worked great with platforms that normally block VPNs, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and Apple TV.

Apps are pleasingly easy to use, which makes ExpressVPN a great choice for those with no VPN experience. Beyond the dashboard, all of the options are presented simply, with a basic tick-box to turn them on or off.

To find out how fast ExpressVPN’s Canadian servers were, we carried out three speed tests over the course of a day.

ExpressVPN pegged decent speeds around the 100 Mbps mark (its average was 104.78 Mbps). This is fast enough for streaming high-resolution video without interruption — provided you have a fast base connection speed (ours was 520.45 Mbps).

The provider offers solid security and is one of the safest VPNs on the market today. Security features include 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch.

Just as important, ExpressVPN doesn’t keep activity logs or connection logs, so you can surf the web without worrying about your online privacy. You’re unlikely to face any problems with ExpressVPN, but if you do, you will find excellent customer support with a 24/7 live chat feature. Very few VPNs offer this, so it’s a bonus.

ExpressVPN has apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. An app is also available for routers, but this requires manual setup. ExpressVPN also offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

FAST AND RELIABLE:ExpressVPN is quick and easy to use. Provides steady speeds and works with all major streaming platforms. Top-notch privacy protections. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

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5. PureVPN

PureVPN is a cheap and reliable VPN for Canadian expats wanting to access home comforts. The VPN represents excellent value for money – a price tag that is impressive if you want to access Crave, City TV, CTV, Club Illico, Netflix Canada, or any other Canadian service from abroad. Canadian IPs are also useful for bypassing blocks at work or for getting Canadian Google search results in the US or elsewhere abroad.

To find out what sort of speeds users might expect while connected to its Canadian servers, we carried out three speed tests. We used a virtual machine with an average download speed of 504.7 Mbps for testing.

Speeds were consistent, with an average overall speed of 173.19 Mbps. This is plenty fast enough for streaming, gaming, torrenting, and making video calls privately.

The VPN also offers watertight security, meaning that everything you do while connected to a Canadian IP address remains private.

Apps are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux. Those apps provide a solid no-logging policy that has been independently verified, a kill switch, AES encryption, and DNS leak prevention.

If you want a VPN for torrenting, PureVPN is suitable, thanks to its port forwarding feature. Just bear in mind that it is an optional add-on, so you will have to pay extra to access it.

Although live chat response times are pretty lackluster, the VPN has superb reliability. Plus, you can test it yourself on your devices and to a Canadian IP from anywhere using its risk-free 31-day money-back guarantee.

AMAZING VALUE:PureVPN offers one of the cheapest and most reliable ways to get a Canadian IP address. It is easy to use and comes with everything you need to gain watertight online privacy and security, including AES encryption and a kill switch.

Read our full PureVPN review.

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6. CyberGhost

CyberGhost has servers in three locations across Canada, allowing you to easily have a Canadian IP address. Overall, this VPN provider has over 11,500 servers in 100+ countries, so you can unblock content in Canada and almost any other location. CyberGhost is particularly well suited for streaming since it offers fast and reliable VPN connections with unlimited bandwidth and traffic.

We tested how fast the provider was by carrying out three speed tests while connected to its servers in Canada. We used a virtual machine with an average download speed of 504.7 Mbps for testing.

CyberGhost performed well in the morning and noon speed tests, with speeds over 150 Mbps. We encountered a slow server in the afternoon (it happens), which yielded a poor result. Even so, the provider averaged 122.26 Mbps, which is still a solid result.

Our experience with the CyberGhost app was positive since it’s so convenient to use. You can enjoy simultaneous connections on up to seven devices, allowing you to secure everything from your laptop to your mobile phone. Indeed, CyberGhost is one of the safest VPNs available. This VPN provider is based in Romania, with no mandatory data retention laws. It offers 256-bit AES encryption, DNS and IP leak protection, an automatic kill switch, and a strict no-logs policy.

CyberGhost apps are available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. CyberGhost can also be used on some routers with manual configuration.

Easy-to-use apps:CyberGhost is beginner friendly. Strong on privacy, fast speeds, and reliable for torrenting. We found it easy to set up and use. Great speeds. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

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7. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a reliable VPN based in Switzerland. It benefits from robust privacy laws and a lack of data retention directives for VPNs. Renowned for its dedication to security, ProtonVPN offers AES encryption, a kill switch, numerous protocols, and numerous advanced features: obfuscation, multi-hop, and Tor over VPN.

With solid VPN protocols like OpenVPN and a strict no-logging policy, ProtonVPN lets you get an IP Address in Canada and ensures watertight online privacy. This means you can use ProtonVPN to bypass wi-fi blocks at work or on campus without being monitored.

We tested how fast the provider was while connected to its servers in Canada. We carried out three speed tests over the course of a day.

As you can see from the above chart, ProtonVPN was consistently fast. It had an average speed of 159.84 Mbps, which means it’s a great choice for torrenting, gaming or streaming — provided you have a fast base connection speed (ours was 504.7 Mbps).

We successfully used ProtonVPN to access popular Canadian streaming services like Netflix Canada, Crave, Club Illico, RDS, CTV, and City TV. The provider also worked to access popular US and UK international services, including Hulu, HBO Max, Sling TV, and BBC iPlayer.

Advanced features like obfuscation are ideal for users traveling to countries with strong censorship. Plus, this VPN has both split tunneling and port forwarding, making it a fantastic option for those who want to torrent.

Live chat support in the members’ area enhances user experience and means you can always ask questions. It is also backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee so that you can test it and compare it against any other VPN that interests you.

Read our full ProtonVPN review.

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8. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN is a smaller VPN provider with around 200 servers in 63 countries. This VPN service allows you to get a Canadian IP address since it has four servers located in Canada (Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver).

One of the reasons why PrivateVPN is worth considering is its strong streaming ability. We tested servers on video streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video with positive results.

To find out how fast the provider was, we carried out speed tests while connected to its servers in Canada.

The provider achieved speeds above 60 Mbps in all three tests, which is perfectly adequate for streaming Canadian content without interruption. However, bear in mind that our average download speed without a VPN was 504.7 Mbps. If you have a much slower connection speed, you’d be better off looking to one of our other recommended providers.

The interface of the PrivateVPN app is simple, making this VPN service ideal for beginners. However, those seeking more advanced options won’t be disappointed. The option of using a stealth VPN serves to bypass deep packet inspection. PrivateVPN uses 256-bit AES encryption, provides DNS leak protection, and includes a kill switch. It states that it has a zero data logging policy with no logs of traffic data.

PrivateVPN apps are available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Instructions are available for setup with Linux and routers.

GREAT SPEED:PrivateVPN is a good family choice. Unblocks Canadian content and generally good for browsing and torrenting. Allows up to 10 devices. Could do with more server locations and lacks 24/7 support. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

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Methodology: how we found the best VPNs for getting a Canadian IP address

To find the VPNs best suited to providing users with a Canadian IP address, we tested providers in five different categories:

Speed

There’s not much point in getting a Canadian IP address if the resulting connection is too slow to use. To find which providers were the fastest, we tested their speeds over the course of a day while connected to their servers in Canada. For reference, our average download speed without a VPN was 504.7 Mbps.

As you can see from the chart above, NordVPN and Surfshark outperformed the other providers in all three tests. To make the differences between providers even more clear, we converted the average speeds to a score out of 10.

This shows that the next fastest providers (after NordVPN and Surfshark) were PureVPN and ProtonVPN.

Streaming ability

The majority of people who want a Canadian IP address will want it to access geo-restricted streaming content. To find out which providers were best for streaming, we tried accessing the following Canadian services: Gem, Global, CityTV, and Crave.

Those VPNs that worked with all four services were then assigned a score out of ten according to their performance with popular international platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and AppleTV.

NordVPN is the best option overall for streaming, though Surfshark, IPVanish and ExpressVPN also provide excellent access to otherwise stubborn services.

Security and privacy

VPNs are designed to provide security and privacy while online. However, some are better at it than others. To find which these are, we evaluate each VPN against 16 different criteria.

We assign a score to each metric to create an overall score out of ten. This makes it easier to compare providers.

NordVPN and Surfshark both excel at keeping your connection secure, with plenty of advanced features for users who need them. ProtonVPN is a good alternative.

Ease of use

For many people a VPN is a means to an end — in this case, getting a Canadian IP address. With this in mind, we evaluate VPNs against 10 different criteria that make the service more or less easy to use.

We score each criteria and then combine the results to create an overall score out of ten. This makes it easier to visually compare providers.

As you can see, NordVPN has the easiest-to-use service overall, while IPVanish also provides a hassle-free experience.

Value for money

We only like to recommend providers that have fair pricing. To properly gauge which services offer good value for money, we evaluate them against 16 different criteria. You can see them in the table below.

We assign scores to each metric and then combine them to give an overall score out of ten. This makes it easy to meaningfully compare them.

Surfshark offers the best value for money overall, and IPVanish is a great alternative. Both providers combine low-cost subscriptions with unlimited device connections.

Getting a Canadian IP address with a free VPN

It is possible to get a Canadian IP address with a free VPN. However, we strongly advise against this for many reasons. For starters, free VPNs are notoriously slow due to the high demand and lack of servers. This means that streaming video and downloading files can be a stressful experience with constant buffering and lag.

In addition to their poor and unreliable performance, free VPNs are not as safe and often lack basic security features. They are known to spam users with ads (they have to make money somehow), while some even track your activity and sell it to the highest bidder. A VPN is supposed to provide you with greater privacy, not compromise it.

Last but not least, many websites have started to detect and block VPN servers. A good example of this is Netflix. Very few free VPNs are able to access the likes of Netflix as they simply don’t have the resources to get around the anti-VPN firewall. In contrast, the very best paid VPNs find ways to stay a step ahead, allowing you to unblock restricted Canadian content.

Overall, we believe that the best paid VPN services are well worth the investment, while free VPNs are often a waste of time and an unnecessary risk.

Reasons to get a Canadian IP address

Using a VPN to obtain a Canadian IP address provides many benefits, such as letting you:

1. Stream geo-restricted TV shows and movies on Netflix Canada, Crave TV, and more.
2. Unblock Canadian news sites from abroad.
3. Access your online banking securely from abroad.
4. Use untrustworthy public wi-fi spots with confidence.
5. Hide your IP address, safeguarding your privacy and anonymity.
6. Avoid bandwidth throttling.

Reasons to use a VPN in Canada

If you’re already in Canada, you may wonder why you’d need a VPN when you can access online content in Canada without restriction. A VPN can help you access content in almost any country, such as ESPN in the US or even Netflix in Japan. More importantly, a VPN protects your privacy and online security.

In 2015, Canada introduced the Anti-terrorism Act (Bill C-51), which forces Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to log every citizen’s browsing history. What’s more, Canada is a member of the Five Eyes group, so this data can be shared with intelligence agencies in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. By using a quality VPN, you can protect this personal information so that it remains private to you.

Canadian IP address with VPN FAQs