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.
4. ExpressVPN: A good VPN for Germany with secure servers and lightning-fast speeds. No logs are kept. Can access German TV channels and major streaming services from abroad.
5. CyberGhost: Huge server network, perfect for German services and sites. Easy-to-use apps, a no-logging policy, and seriously fast speeds make this VPN perfect for streaming, including Netflix Germany.
6. PureVPN: Privacy-conscious service that can handle any day-to-day task without breaking a sweat. High-speed servers in 65 countries including Germany.
7. ProtonVPN: No-logs VPN with lots of customizable features. Operates secure servers in over 80 countries and works flawlessly with most German streaming platforms.

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.

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

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 meet the following criteria (more on these later):

• An audited no-logs policy
• Secure protocol(s), preferably with Wireguard
• Strong encryption, preferably 256-bit
• Unblocks geo-locked German content
• Speed and stability for streaming, gaming, torrenting, and more
• A global network of servers, in Germany and abroad

From real-world testing, here is our list of your best options for a VPN for Germany:

1. NordVPN

Nov 2024

NordVPN 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.

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 six 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.

NordVPN Coupon

74% off 2 year plans + 3 EXTRA months

Get Deal >

Discount applied automatically

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 and 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.

Read our full review of Surfshark here.

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.

Surfshark Coupon

87% OFF + 4 months free

Get Deal >

Discount applied automatically

3. IPVanish

IPVanish is one of the few VPN providers to own and operate all 1,000 of its own 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. This 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.

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.

4. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN does not log any traffic content or the source IP of its users. It relies on the OpenVPN protocol by default 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.

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 wifi 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.

ExpressVPN Coupon

SAVE: 82% + 6 months free on 2 year plans

Get Deal >

Coupon applied automatically

5. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a Romania-headquartered VPN that’s recently changed hands and ramped up its service in almost every way. The number of servers has exploded to more than 5,700 servers in 111 worldwide locations operating out of 89 countries. This includes over 600 servers in Germany that are capable of unblocking ZDF, ARD, 7TV, German YouTube, Netflix, and more.

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.

Servers performed well in our speed tests, and the company recently added some locations that work with streaming services like Netflix. You can even choose a VPN server based on the streaming service you wish to unblock.

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.

CyberGhost Coupon

SAVE 84% on the 2 year plan + 4 months free!

Get Deal >

Discount applied automatically

6. PureVPN

PureVPN is an ideal choice for anyone living or traveling in Germany. It has ultrafast 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. 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.

PureVPN Coupon

85% off the 5-yr standard plan

Get Deal >

Discount applied automatically

7. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN has a large presence in Germany but users can also access servers in more than 80 other countries. In our latest tests, this provider delivered average download speeds of more than 300 Mbps. As such, you shouldn’t notice any performance issues while torrenting in Germany, gaming, or making video calls. Better still, 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.

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 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.

ProtonVPN Coupon

SAVE 70% on a 2-year plan

Get Deal >

Coupon applied automatically

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 for your device.
3. Open the app and sign in.
4. Select a server location. For example, if you want to access US streaming sites, use a US server.
5. Hit the Connect button
6. Wait a few seconds for the connection to complete. Your data is not protected, but if you still can’t access content outside Germany, try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies, then reload the web page.

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 look at:

• Logging policy: The VPN’s privacy policy should specify that no identifying information about the VPN user or their online activity while using the VPN should be stored. Having studied 140 VPN logging policies, we know which VPNs best protect your privacy.
• Security: We assess each VPN’s encryption scheme and stress test it for a variety of data leaks. At the very least, we expect a VPN to offer 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and protection from DNS leaks. Note that with some VPNs, you can even find specialty Double VPNs servers.
• Streaming: We’ve run thousands of real-world tests this year alone to find out which VPNs best unblock region-locked streaming services. Some VPNs consistently find ways around such restrictions, even when streaming platforms employ numerous anti-VPN measures.
• Speed: We measure connection speeds to find the fastest VPNs on the market. It’s no coincidence that all of the best VPNs for Germany offer unlimited bandwidth. This means that there’s no limit to how much you can stream. You’ll also be able to do so in high definition (and even 4K) without lag or buffering.
• Support: We touch base with each VPN’s customer support as secret shoppers to ensure responses are quick and knowledgeable. You should expect your VPN to provide support 24 hours a day via live chat as well as email.

You can find out more about how we test VPNs on our VPN testing methodology page.

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. The provider’s premium plans aren’t so bad, however, and the service does not store traffic connection logs.

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.

VPN for Germany FAQ