9 Best VPNs for Sling TV: Stream without borders

Are you feeling the sting of a geo-restricted error message while craving your favorite shows on Sling TV? Many people like you once signed up from the US and now find themselves locked out when watching from abroad. But here’s the insider secret – Sling TV doesn’t have to be a US-exclusive experience.

After exhaustive research and rigorous testing, we’ve found the best solution, a Virtual Private Network (VPN). And no, we aren’t talking about complex tech jargon. A VPN is your front-row seat to unlock Sling TV, no matter where you are in this world. Think of it as a cloak of invisibility. It encrypts your online activity, shields you from prying eyes, and most importantly, gives you a digital presence in the US, bypassing those pesky geo-blocks.

Don’t let borders dictate your entertainment choices. So, if you’re in a rush, see below for our best VPN recommendations to stream Sling TV from anywhere seamlessly:

1. NordVPN Our first choice VPN for Sling TV. Unmatched speeds and highly adept at unblocking Sling TV. Best-in-class security and privacy. Easy-to-use apps for most platforms. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Sling TV.
2. Surfshark Best budget pick for watching Sling TV. Easily bypasses blocks and employs strong security. Allows unlimited device connections.
3. Total VPN A quick, reliable VPN boasting lots of American servers. Strong set of security tools and a no-logs policy. Works with Sling TV, Netflix, and more.
4. ProtonVPN This zero-logs VPN makes it easy to stream US TV abroad. Delivers very high speeds, a robust set of privacy tools, and 24/7 support.
5. ExpressVPN Speedy and reliable servers work with Sling TV and a host of other popular streaming services. Great on privacy and security.
6. IPVanish Performed well in terms of speed and streaming reliability. Secure and favored by Kodi users. Allows unlimited simultaneous devices.
7. CyberGhost Achieved some of the best streaming speeds in our testing. A great all-rounder and excellent for beginner VPN users wanting to watch Sling TV.
8. Private Internet Access Extensive network of servers with reliable speeds and stable connectivity. Zero-logs VPN with a 10 simultaneous device limit.
9. PrivateVPN Servers in a dozen US cities. Fast, unthrottled connections and powerful unblocking. Privacy protection with its strict no-logs policy.

Criteria for the Sling TV VPNs

There are a lot of VPNs on the market, but they don’t all offer the same level of service. To make sure we only recommend the best services for the job, our team of experts evaluate VPNs in the following five areas:

• Speed: The faster your VPN’s US servers, the better an experience you’ll have streaming Sling TV while traveling abroad.
• Streaming ability: We check to see if the VPN works with platforms other than Sling TV and if so, whether it takes multiple attempts to unblock a given site.
• Security and privacy: We only recommend providers that can properly protect your privacy, so we look for unbreakable encryption and lots of safeguards.
• Ease of use: Is this VPN simple enough for a complete beginner to use? How else does it streamline your day-to-day browsing experience?
• Value for money: Does this service represent good value? Can it protect every device you use regularly? Is it fairly priced, and can you save even more via student discounts or long-term subscriptions?

For more info on how we rank our VPNs, you can check out our VPN testing methodology later in the article. But for now, let’s take a closer look at the ones that made our list.

Sling TV VPNs compared

We’ve compared and tested the most important features for the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for unblocking Sling TV from anywhere.

The best VPNs for unblocking Sling TV

From real-life stream experience, here’s a closer look at the best VPNs for Sling TV:

1. NordVPN

Aug 2025 Unblocks Sling TVTested Aug 2025

NordVPN is our top choice for accessing SlingTV from anywhere. The company operates more than 7,400 servers in 120+ countries, with almost 2,000 of these located in the United States. It’s able to securely access not just Sling TV but Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer, to name but a few services. There’s a generous 10-device limit in place, and better still, customer support is available around the clock over live chat.

This service has a great track record on performance and regularly outpaces most other providers on the market. Still, we wanted to find out how fast its American servers were at the time of writing. The table below shows NordVPN’s speeds at different times of day, when tested on a 45 Mbps connection:

NordVPN managed to deliver an average speed of 38.25 Mbps, which is an exceptional result. There was less than 3 Mbps of variance too, meaning you’re all but guaranteed a speedy connection, no matter when you want to use the internet.

The encryption standards won’t let you down either. The company deploys the 256-bit AES protocol by default, coupled with 2,048-bit SSL keys. DNS leak protection is enabled by default, as is a kill switch, though you’ll have to manually activate its ad and tracker-blocking features. NordVPN has a zero-logs policy and has been repeatedly audited to prove it.

Apps are available for both Android and iOS mobile devices, as well as desktop support for Linux, Windows, and macOS.

BEST VPN FOR SLINGTV:NordVPN is our #1 choice. Pegs incredible speeds and works reliably with Sling TV and most popular streaming sites. Connects up to 6 devices simultaneously. Risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Here’s our full review of NordVPN.

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2. Surfshark

Unblocks Sling TVTested Aug 2025

Surfshark is the best budget VPN for streaming Sling TV. It now operates more than 3,200 servers in over 100 countries, making it well-suited to accessing geo-blocked content abroad. On that note, this service also works with platforms like Prime Video, Disney+, and Netflix. This provider doesn’t impose a connection limit, so you can connect as many devices as you like, perfect if you want to protect your whole family with one account.

Let’s talk about speed. You’ll need a fast and reliable connection to watch Sling TV without interruption, so we had our team test Surfshark’s US servers at various times of day (morning, noon, and afternoon). You’ll find the results below:

Surfshark produced consistent speeds throughout the day, posting an average of 36.89 Mbps during our 24-hour testing period. For context, that’s enough to load multiple 4K streams at the same time, or to download a 1 GB file in around three and a half minutes.

This VPN has your back when it comes to security. It keeps you safe using 256-bit encryption, perfect forward secrecy, a kill switch, protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks, and a zero-logs policy. Looking for even greater privacy? In that case, you can activate automatic wifi protection, turn on the censorship-beating NoBorders mode, or tell Surfshark to change your IP address every few minutes.

Apps are available for Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Alternatively, you can manually install it on most routers.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark is a great budget alternative. It’s reliable and comes with lots of security extras. No connection limit. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of Surfshark.

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3. Total VPN

unblocks sling tvTested Aug 2025

Total VPN provides access to more than 1,800 servers spread across 80+ countries, with around two dozen locations in the US alone. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s one of the most reliable options we’ve seen where streaming is concerned, handily unblocking stubborn platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV, Disney Plus, and more. Users can connect a maximum of five devices at once, and there’s 24/7 support (though hopefully you’ll never need it).

Streaming uses quite a lot of bandwidth so we have to be sure that the VPNs we recommend are quick enough to handle it. Our team tested Total VPN’s American servers in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon, keeping a close eye on their performance and measuring how much their speeds varied over the course of the day. Let’s see those results:

Total VPN delivered an average speed of 35.9 Mbps when tested on a typical home internet connection. As such, it was the third-fastest service we saw, following NordVPN and Surfshark. Considering you’ll only need around a 15 Mbps connection for 4K streaming, users should be able to watch Sling TV, torrent, or make video calls without the slightest issue.

It’s clear that this VPN values your privacy. To begin with, it uses unbreakable 256-bit AES encryption, backed up by a kill switch (on all platforms except Windows). There’s also automatic protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks, plus support for the Hydra protocol, which was designed to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN in the first place. Total VPN doesn’t keep any logs of your activities either, though we’d like to see it undergo a third-party audit at some point. Finally, this service boasts split tunneling functionality so you can let specific sites pass through unencrypted.

Total VPN apps are available for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android.

STRONG STREAMING ABILITY:Total VPN is a fantastic option for anyone looking to watch Sling TV abroad. Puts your privacy first, delivers blazing fast speeds, and is very easy to use. What’s more, every long-term plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Find out more in our full Total VPN review.

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4. ProtonVPN

unblocks sling tvTested Aug 2025

ProtonVPN boasts one of the largest networks we’ve seen, operating more than 13,000 servers throughout 120+ countries, including the United States. Better still, it’s able to unblock a huge range of geo-blocked services, from Sling TV to Amazon Prime Video and everything in between. There’s a generous 10-connection limit and 24/7 customer support via live chat, which makes it easy to protect all of your devices and get help if anything doesn’t work as expected.

Let’s talk about performance. Streaming is a fairly data-intensive activity, so you’ll have to make sure your VPN is capable of providing the high speeds needed for a flawless experience. Our experts performed three speed tests on Total VPN’s US servers (during the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon). This way, we could see how fast it was and, just as important, how consistent its results were. Take a look:

With an average speed of 34.28 Mbps, ProtonVPN was on the higher end of the speed spectrum, and much faster than is needed for streaming live or even 4K content. There was only around 2 Mbps of variance too, so it’s not just quick — it’s also highly consistent. Bear in mind that these tests were run on a typical 40 Mbps connection; if your base speeds are higher, your speeds when connected to the VPN will be too.

Very few providers offer the same level of security that ProtonVPN does. For starters, it uses uncrackable AES-256 encryption. There’s also a kill switch in every version of the app, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a feature that automatically blocks ads and trackers. This VPN also follows a strict no-logging policy (which we know for sure thanks to its independent audit). This VPN also has a stealth protocol, though it isn’t quite strong enough for use in high-censorship countries like China.

ProtonVPN has its own apps for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux systems. Alternatively, you can follow manual setup instructions to get it running on most routers.

ANONYMITY FIRST:ProtonVPN prides itself on its reputation for privacy. Includes lots of security tools, boasts one of the largest networks we’ve seen, and delivers extremely high speeds. Paid plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Check out our complete ProtonVPN review for more info.

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5. ExpressVPN

Unblocks Sling TVTested Aug 2025

ExpressVPN is a fast, efficient provider with a network spanning 100+ countries. It can automatically bypass strict digital censorship (like China’s Great Firewall) with ease, so streaming platforms like Sling TV, Netflix, or Hulu simply won’t be a problem. Users can connect eight devices at the same time and speak directly with staff using the 24/7 live chat service.

Historically, ExpressVPN has delivered impressive performance, but it’s important we retest providers to make sure we account for recent updates to their networks. With that in mind, let’s see how quick this service’s US servers were at different points during a typical day:

ExpressVPN maintained consistent speeds throughout the day, with only a 2 Mbps difference between the morning and evening results. Its average speed was a solid 30.65 Mbps — competitive but not quite the fastest we’ve seen. At the very least, you’ll be able to perform day-to-day tasks like streaming, gaming, and torrenting without any issues.

ExpressVPN utilizes 256-bit AES-CBC as its default encryption protocol, as well as both HMAC authentication and perfect forward secrecy. There’s an internet kill switch included, which the company refers to as a ‘network lock’. Recent additions include a new Threat Protection tab in the settings which allows you to block ads, trackers, shady sites, and adult content. This VPN follows a no-logs policy and we know this for sure thanks to its extensive audit history.

There are apps for both Android and iOS that make it possible to stream Sling TV directly on your phone outside the US. Desktop support for Linux, Windows, and macOS is included, and ExpressVPN even has custom firmware for routers.

FAST AND STRONG VPN:ExpressVPN is a reliable choice. It works with Sling TV and all major streaming services, including Netflix and Hulu. Great for streaming in HD. Keeps no logs. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Here’s our review of ExpressVPN.

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6. IPVanish

Unblocks Sling TVTested Aug 2025

IPVanish is a US-based provider, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that more than 1,000 of its 2,400 servers are located there. In total, its network covers 60+ countries, though, so whether you’re hoping to watch Sling TV, BBC iPlayer, or Stan, you’re in good hands. This is one of the only providers that doesn’t have a connection limit, making it a great choice for families. Live chat-based support is available 24/7.

Streaming content uses quite a lot of bandwidth (especially if it’s live or at very high resolutions), so you’ll need a VPN that’s up to the challenge. We tested IPVanish’s servers in the US on a 45 Mbps connection to see how much speed loss there was throughout the day. See for yourself:

As shown in the chart above, despite a slow start in the morning during our speed testing, IPVanish produced an average of 31.03 Mbps. Although not the fastest on the list, it’s still fast enough to stream SlingTV in 4K.

So, how secure is IPVanish? Well, it uses 256-bit encryption on the OpenVPN protocol by default, SHA512 authentication, and a DHE-RSA 2,048-bit key exchange with perfect forward secrecy. The latter feature means that in the unlikely scenario that your account is compromised, hackers still won’t be able to glean information from past web sessions. An internet kill switch is included by default, and the service recently added a tool that can check whether links are safe to open.

Crucially, IPVanish has a policy of not storing any data at all – there’s only a tiny sliver when an account is registered for the first time. After that, there are no details of timestamps, server preferences, or bandwidth utilized, and this has been proven by several independent audits.

There are apps for both iOS and Android, as well as desktop support for Windows and macOS. Many users find it an excellent option for Kodi because it allows them to download the Android APK directly to their device.

NO CONNECTION LIMIT:IPVanish has a large network of servers and handles multiple connections well. Easy to use and preferred by users who need high standards of privacy. Handles Sling TV but can’t unblock as many streaming services as some of its rivals. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of IPVanish.

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7. CyberGhost

Unblocks Sling TVTested Aug 2025

CyberGhost is known for its large network, which spans 100+ countries, but it’s also extremely user-friendly because it’s one of the only major providers that tells you what each server is best used for. Want to stream Sling TV? There’s a server for that! You can even find one designed for torrenting, playing online games, or maximizing your anonymity. Of course, staff are on hand and ready to help, day or night, via live chat.

With 10 Gbps servers and support for the superfast WireGuard protocol, we had high hopes going into this round of speed testing. Below, you can see how quick this provider’s American servers were in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon (as well as how much its performance varied throughout the day):

CyberGhost produced average speeds of 31 Mbps throughout our tests, with less than 3 Mbps of variability. This makes it suitable for watching 4K content on SlingTV and other streaming services. In fact, there’s virtually no task you can’t do, from torrenting to making video calls (though naturally, the higher your base connection speeds, the faster CyberGhost will be).

CyberGhost maintains that it doesn’t log user behavior and browsing habits, so that should ease concerns about privacy and anonymity. It’s also headquartered in Romania, which means it’s not subjected to any mandatory data retention laws. As for encryption standards, CyberGhost uses 256-bit AES encryption on the OpenVPN protocol by default, along with 2,048-bit RSA keys and MD5 HMAC authentication. There’s an internet kill switch included.

Apps are available for both Android and iOS, as well as desktop support for Linux, Windows, and macOS. Users can also follow manual setup instructions to get this VPN running on most routers.

BEGINNERS' CHOICE:CyberGhost is easy to use. An excellent, reliable choice for first-time users. Works with Sling TV. Good on privacy. Streams HD video reliably. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of CyberGhost.

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8. Private Internet Access

Unblocks Sling TVTested Aug 2025

Private Internet Access has a vast server network operating in over 90+ global location, with an astounding 53 locations in the United States alone. It also boasts impressive unblocking ability, letting you stream Sling TV, Disney Plus, and Prime Video from almost anywhere in the world. There’s 24/7 customer support over live chat, and you can connect as many devices as you like at the same time. 

This provider has a solid reputation as far as speed is concerned. We wanted to make sure it was actually capable of handling day-to-day tasks like streaming and gaming, though, so we ran another set of speed tests on its American servers. Let’s see just how quick Private Internet Access really is:

With an average speed of 27.94 Mbps, Private Internet Access is significantly faster than is required for watching TV, even at ultra-high resolutions. That said, its results did vary quite a bit (6 Mbps in total, or about 20 percent), so if your base internet speeds are already quite low, you may be better suited with one of the providers listed above.

Robust AES 256-bit encryption ensures your online activities are kept confidential, shielding your browsing, streaming, and downloads from your ISP. There’s also automatic DNS and IPv6 leak protection, split tunneling functionality, a stealth protocol, and a feature that blocks ads, trackers, and malware. It operates a zero-logs policy, meaning it never records the activities performed while you’re connected to a PIA VPN server.

Apps are available for both Android and iOS, as well as desktop support for Linux, Windows, and macOS. PIA can also be manually installed on a wide range of routers.

EASY TO USE:Private Internet Access is user friendly. Works well with Sling TV and most popular streaming services. Good performer in our tests, but a bit pricey. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of Private Internet Access.

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9. PrivateVPN

unblocks sling tvTested Aug 2025

PrivateVPN operates a smaller network of servers but still covers more than 60 countries (and a dozen cities in the US). One of the main advantages of this VPN is its highly consistent unblocking. Not only does it work well with Sling TV, but it can also be used with the likes of Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV. It permits users to secure up to 10 devices at the same time, which is a fair bit above the industry average, plus there’s live chat-based support during European business hours.

Full disclosure: this provider sometimes has difficulty keeping up with its rivals, performance-wise. That’s understandable, though, given its main goal is to push your anonymity as high as possible (hence the smaller network of self-managed servers). The table below shows PrivateVPN’s speeds at key points throughout the day:

Although its speed was the slowest on this list, with an average of 26.24 Mbps, it’s still fast enough for HD streaming, and you won’t have to contend with bandwidth throttling. Its results were highly consistent too, with less than 3 Mbps of variability, even during peak times.

Thanks to the strict no-logs policy of PrivateVPN, you don’t have to worry about your personal information being sold or stolen. All of your internet traffic is routed through a 256-bit AES-encrypted tunnel, while there’s also a kill switch and protection from DNS leaks. Unlike some VPNs, there’s also the option to pay anonymously in Bitcoin. Users can even browse safely in countries like China by activating the Stealth VPN mode (just switch to the Advanced view if you can’t see this option).

PrivateVPN has apps for desktop (Windows and Mac) and mobile (Android and iOS), as well as Amazon Fire TV. While you can also use PrivateVPN with Linux and compatible wifi routers, you’ll need to set this up manually.

CONSISTENT UNBLOCKING:PrivateVPN easily unblocks Sling TV but has little trouble with other geo-blocked streaming services. Fast speeds for streaming in high definition. Strong security and a strict no-logs policy. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

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How to use a VPN to watch Sling TV abroad

Using a VPN is simpler than you might think. Just follow the simple steps below, and you’ll easily be able to watch Sling TV.

Here’s how to watch Sling TV from anywhere:

1. Sign up for a Virtual Private Network (VPN). We recommend NordVPN.
2. Register for the service and download the VPN software or app
3. Log in to your VPN provider and connect to a server in the US this will give you the US IP address you’ll need to evade Sling TV’s geographic restrictions.
4. Try playing a video on the Sling TV website.
5. You should now be able to watch Sling TV from abroad. If you’re having any issues, try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies and try again.

Using a free VPN to unblock Sling TV

Free VPNs present themselves as an attractive option. That’s because users ordinarily don’t have to sign up with a credit card. But if you opt for them, you’ll be susceptible to weak encryption and the real threat of data loss. At the same time, there will be data caps, bandwidth throttling, and a tiny selection of servers.

In addition, there have been several instances of free VPNs illegally mining and selling user data. In short, we don’t recommend them.

Watching Sling TV with a VPN: FAQ