What is a VPN?

Short for Virtual Private Network, a VPN is a service that encrypts your device’s internet connection and routes it through an intermediary server in a location of the user’s choosing. All data going between your device and the internet first passes through the VPN server.

Most people connect to VPNs using simple apps on their phones, tablets, laptops, and streaming devices, but they can also be manually configured on routers and some operating systems.

A VPN does two main things:

  • It encrypts the connection between your device and the VPN server, ensuring your ISP and hackers on your wi-fi network can’t see or interfere with what you do online
  • It hides your IP address from other parties on the internet, allowing you to spoof your device’s location and prevent IP tracking

The VPN server acts as a middleman between you and the web. It protects your data on unsecured networks, bypasses web censorship, unblocks region-locked content, and hides your downloads.

Thanks to the growing concern around digital privacy, more people are using VPNs than ever before. It’s easy to assume that any VPN is better than none at all, but the problem is that this simply isn’t accurate; plenty of free VPNs lack the speed and versatility for day-to-day tasks like streaming. Worse still, these providers are often intentionally vague about their logging policies, leaving you unsure as to how secure your activities really are.

Of course, that’s not to say all free VPNs are bad — you just have to do your research and choose wisely. To save you time, we’ve highlighted four services that are more than capable of helping you stream safely on your Amazon Firestick. You’ll find a brief overview of our top free VPNs for Firestick below, but feel free to scroll down for a more in-depth look at each.

 

How to install a free VPN on Firestick

Before we begin, you should note that first-generation Firesticks can’t run VPN apps. You can check whether you have a first-generation model by looking for the FCC ID on the side; if it says anything other than “2ABDU-0509”, you should be fine.

There are two ways to install a VPN app on Amazon Firestick. The first is to simply search for your preferred provider’s app in the Amazon app store and install it if found. However, if your VPN doesn’t have a dedicated Firestick app, you’ll have to sideload it instead.

Here’s how to install a free VPN on Firestick:

  1. Navigate to Settings > My Fire TV 
  2. Enable the Apps from Unknown Sources and ADB Debugging options
  3. Search the Amazon app store for an app named Downloader, then install it
  4. Visit your provider’s website and find the .APK file used to manually install its app on Android devices. If you’re struggling, ask customer support for the link directly
  5. Open the Downloader app and enter the address of the .APK file, then click Go
  6. Confirm the app’s permissions and click the Install button

 

Best free VPN for Firesticks & Android Devices

The #1 free VPN for Amazon Firestick. This is a rare find: a free, no-logs VPN with no bandwidth cap at all. Unblocks a good number of geo-restricted services and is fast enough for HD (or even 4K) streaming.

This is RVTELLY’s favorite VPN service. It will allow you to have one free connection on your device to see the benefits of having a VPN.

Once you see the benefits of have a VPN service, you can upgrade to one of their paid plans so you can have greater benefits and use on more devices.

 

When should I consider upgrading to a paid VPN?

If you’re satisfied with the VPN you’re using, but you keep bumping up against the free plan’s data limit, upgrading to a paid plan might not be the worst idea. Likewise, many providers prevent free users from torrenting and restrict the server locations that they can choose from. As such, if you want to use P2P networks or if you need an IP address from a specific country, a paid subscription may be your only option.

There are a few warning signs to look out for, though. For instance, we’d caution against using any service that restricts your speeds until you pay up, or which claims to be able to unblock everything. It’s also a good idea to check out a provider’s refund policy before you commit, just so you’re prepared, should the paid service turn out to be underwhelming.