How to unblock Twitch at school or work

If you’ve ever tried to access Twitch at school or work, there’s a good chance that you’ve found it is blocked. Many schools and work WiFi networks will block Twitch to promote productivity and prevent bandwidth from being used up.

However, if you’re on your lunch break or have some downtime and want to unblock Twitch while at school, you can with a VPN. By encrypting all of the internet traffic from your device, a VPN will allow you to bypass any restrictions your school or work WiFi admin has put in place by concealing which sites you’re accessing.

In this article, I’ll explain exactly how to use a VPN to unblock Twitch from anywhere and list the best VPNs for the job. If you’re short on time and want to get started streaming as quickly as possible, we’ll start with a quick summary.

The best VPNs to unblock Twitch at school:

1. NordVPN: Our #1 VPN for unblocking Twitch. A super reliable VPN with over 5,500 servers globally. NordLynx protocol is designed to be fast, making it perfect for accessing your favorite gaming streams on Twitch. Advanced apps for all platforms. Super secure. Outstanding privacy features. Risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark: Best budget VPN to access Twitch. Superb value for money. Servers in 60+ countries and 25 US cities. Outstanding speeds for streaming in HD. Robust privacy features. Apps for all platforms. Unlimited simultaneous connections.
3. ExpressVPN: A highly reputable VPN service that unlocks Twitch. With servers in 94 countries, including servers in the UK and US cities. Lightning-fast Lightway protocol is perfect for streaming Twitch. Robust AES-256 encryption.
4. CyberGhost: Perfect Twitch VPN for beginners. Extremely easy to use. Apps for all platforms. Over 9,000 servers in 90+ countries. It is great for streaming and works with Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu.
5. IPVanish: Well-known and reputable US VPN provider. Unlimited connections are permitted with a single account. Incredibly fast thanks to its Wireguard implementation. Robust AES-256 encryption. Allows torrenting. Proprietary server network with servers all across the US.
6. PrivateVPN: Consistent unblocking of content such as Twitch, Facebook, and Disney+ from anywhere. User-friendly apps secured with encryption. Option to pay anonymously in Bitcoin.

TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Twitch at school.

How to unblock Twitch at school with a VPN

Just follow the simple steps below, and you’ll unblock Twitch and be streaming in no time.

1. Sing up to a VPN that works with Twitch. We recommend NordVPN.
2. Download and install the VPN on your device.
3. When connected to the WiFi at school or work, run the VPN app.
4. Pick a VPN server in a location of your choosing.
5. Log in to Twitch to start watching.
6. If you have issues, try clearing your cookies and cache before reloading the page and trying again.

Best VPNs for Twitch: Comparison

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

How I picked the best VPNs to get Twitch unblocked

There are a huge number of VPN providers on the market, but they don’t all provide the same level of service. When we were searching for the best VPNs for accessing Twitch anywhere, we looked for those that met the following criteria:

• Super-fast connections suitable for Twitch streaming
• Worldwide servers
• Apps for Windows that allow streaming on PCs (or a Mac running Windows on Boot Camp)
• Outstanding customer service and value for money.
• Strong privacy and security protocols and a zero logs policy

You can read more about how we test and rank the VPNs we recommend in our methodology article. For now, let’s take a look at the ones that made the cut. 

Best VPNs for unblocking Twitch at school

1. NordVPN

Apr 2024

NordVPN is our number one VPN recommendation for accessing Twitch from anywhere. This Panama- based provider has everything you need to access Twitch at school. The VPN has fast servers in 60+ countries. It is currently the fastest VPN in the world, which makes it ideal for bypassing ISP throttling.

Apps are available for all popular platforms (including Windows), plus you can install and use the VPN on up to 6 devices simultaneously. This means you can use the VPN at home or on campus Wi-Fi, making it super versatile. It also offers great value for money by allowing you to share your account with friends.

The apps come with plenty of advanced privacy and security features. This includes a kill switch, obfuscation, DNS leak protection, Tor over VPN, and double-hop connections. Furthermore, it even blocks access to websites known to contain malware.

NordVPN has a watertight no-logs policy that ensures everything you do online remains completely private. It also features 24/7 live chat support and a 30-day money-back guarantee so that you can test it completely risk-free.

BEST VPN FOR TWITCH AT SCHOOL:NordVPN is our #1 choice. It’s lightning-fast for streaming and gaming. Allows torrenting. Very easy to use. Servers in 60+ countries. Trustworthy no logging policy. Connect up to 6 devices with a single subscription. Risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

To find out more, check out our full NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark

Surfshark is a consumer-favorite VPN for several reasons. The VPN has 3,200+ servers in 100+ countries, a solid no-logs policy as well as apps for all platforms. In addition to that, it allows unlimited simultaneous connections making it great value for money.

The applications come with robust AES encryption (OpenVPN protocol), a kill switch, obfuscation, ad blocking, malware protection, DNS leak protection, and a SOCKS5 proxy. This makes it ideal for private torrenting while securing your data from government snoops and other eavesdroppers.

Surfshark also uses the super-fast WireGuard protocol. In our latest tests, we found it to be one of the quickest VPNs on the market. This makes it a fantastic option for HD streaming and accessing your favorite content on Twitch.

Besides providing 24/7 live chat support, this VPN offers a risk-free 30-day trial. It’s an incredible all-rounder that’s shockingly cheap and can run on an unlimited number of devices.

BEST BUDGET VPN FOR TWITCH:Surfshark lets you connect unlimited devices to enjoy fantastic value for money. Ideal for families and people who own many devices. Protects your privacy at home and on school wi-fi. Fast WireGuard connections. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review to learn more.

3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is an exceptional service that provides everything you need to gain freedom of access and online privacy. This includes servers in a whopping 94 countries to let you access vast amounts of censored, geo-blocked, or restricted content.

Apps are available for all platforms and feature AES encryption, the OpenVPN protocol, a kill switch, and obfuscation. Thanks to its strict no-logs policy, ExpressVPN strives to guarantee users the highest levels of online privacy and data security.

The VPN is extremely fast due to its proprietary Lightway protocol. This makes it ideal for streaming in HD and torrenting. Apps are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and you also get browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

A single subscription lets you use ExpressVPN on up to 5 devices, which is usually enough for the average student. But this number increases to eight with longer subscriptions. By making use of its 30-day money-back guarantee, you can test and compare it to our other recommendations.

RELIABLE AND FAST:ExpressVPN is a consumer favorite VPN. The proprietary Lightway protocol is designed for speed, perfect for streaming and gaming. No-logs policy. Free Smart DNS service. Risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Feel free to read our full ExpressVPN review.

4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a great all-rounder that we highly recommend to beginners. The apps are available for all popular platforms and are intuitive and easy to use. Despite its user-friendly design, CyberGhost boasts a decent feature set with everything you need to gain online privacy both at home and on public Wi-Fi.

Speeds are fast as the VPN has a supermassive network of Tier 1 servers. This allows it to avoid server congestion, making the experience better for all its users. Additionally, the VPN has recently introduced WireGuard connections, which improve speeds for HD streaming.

Its genuine no-logs policy ensures your online traffic is never stored, while its kill switch prevents your data from leaking to your ISP should your VPN connection drop.

It also has an auto connect feature to ensure that you’re always protected even when using public Wi Fi. Plus, you can use CyberGhost on up to 7 devices simultaneously. A superb all-rounder that you can try risk-free thanks to its generous 45-day money-back guarantee.

IDEAL TWITCH VPN FOR BEGINNERS:CyberGhost is easy to use on all platforms. Fast servers in the US and 90 other countries. Exceptional value for money. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Find out more by reading our full CyberGhost review.

5. IPVanish

IPVanish is a US-based VPN that prides itself on providing incredibly fast speeds. The VPN owns and operates servers in 17 different US cities. This, in turn, allows IPVanish to offer greater privacy as the company retains complete control over its entire service.

Its excellent WireGuard implementation has placed it among the fastest VPNs in the world. It’s, therefore, a particularly good option for anybody who wants to stream in HD.

It also features a kill switch, secure AES 256 encryption, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation. Consequently, IPVanish is a superb option for avoiding ISP snooping as well as preventing the network admin from tracking what you do on the school Wi-Fi.

The only drawback is that this service doesn’t access as many international streaming platforms as the other options on this list. However, you can try it out for yourself with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

UNLIMITED CONNECTIONS:IPVanish is a great option for families or students who own multiple devices. Many fast US servers can access Twitch. Easy to use. SOCKS5 proxy included for torrenting. 30-day money-back guarantee.

To learn more, take a look at our full IPVanish review.

6. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN has a smaller network of servers but rarely struggles to unblock websites and services. Servers are located in dozens of countries, such as the US and UK, while server speeds are particularly fast. Thanks to the high-speed connections and offer of unlimited bandwidth, PrivateVPN is more than capable of streaming 4K content without any lag or buffering.

If you’ve never used a VPN, you’ll appreciate the ease of use of PrivateVPN’s apps. Connecting to a server or adjusting your settings couldn’t be simpler. What’s more, this VPN has live chat and email support. Thanks to PrivateVPN’s strict no-logs policy, your privacy is protected, and you can sign up anonymously with a throwaway email and by paying in Bitcoin. Security features include 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch.

Connect six of your devices at once with PrivateVPN’s apps for desktop (Windows, Mac, and Linux) and mobile (Android and iOS). While an app is also available for Amazon Fire TV, you’ll need to configure it manually to use it with a wireless router.

EASY TO USE:PrivateVPN makes it easy to unblock Twitch. You can expect fast speeds for streaming without interruption, thanks to unlimited bandwidth. Uses encryption and offers a kill switch. Fast and friendly customer support. Has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

Using a free VPN to unblock Twitch at school

There are many free VPNs available, but a lot of them will be unsuitable for unblocking and streaming Twitch. There are several reasons for this, including the limited selection of servers on offer and the slow speeds they offer can lead to excessive buffering.

If you are more privacy conscious, there is also the issue of the data handling practices that many free VPNs engage in. Many have weak privacy policies that allow them to harvest your data. They then use this information to create a revenue stream by selling details about your online habits to third parties like marketing companies and data brokers.

Free VPNs have also been found to contain app vulnerabilities, DNS leaks that cause the VPN to leak your online traffic, weak encryption, and even spyware. This makes free VPNs completely unsuitable for guaranteeing online privacy and makes them a serious risk to your online security.

Using a VPN to get Twitch unblocked: FAQs