VPNs with a data cap receive a reduction to their overall rating.
Here’s a more detailed explanation of all of our Apple TV testing criteria:
1. Apple TV App: 50%
By offering a dedicated Apple TV app, you can use the VPN without performing any complicated workarounds.
For every VPN that offers one, we assess how easy the app is to use, as well as its functionality.
We firstly check to see how simple it is to sign in to your account. We prefer VPNs that offer sign in through a code, rather than having to type out your email address and password using the remote.
The app’s interface should be adapted for the Siri Remote, with options like “favorites” for quick connections to popular server locations.
Finally, we check if the app allows you to configure settings and customize the experience. We value VPNs offering support for advanced protocols like WireGuard.
2. Streaming: 30%
The main benefit of using a VPN with Apple TV is that you can access a lot more TV shows and movies. However, almost every streaming service actively blocks VPNs.
To make sure the VPNs we recommend unblock the most popular streaming apps, we test all of them weekly on our Apple TV 4K. This way, all of our information is kept accurate and up-to-date.
Our tests include Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO Max, and more.
3. Speed: 20%
Every VPN will slow down your internet speed. The best ones will make this difference unnoticeable, though, so you can still stream in HD and 4K. Netflix states that your download speed needs to be 5Mbps for an HD stream and 25Mbps for 4K.
To verify that the VPNs we recommend are the fastest available, we conduct regular speed tests on both local and international connections.
We cap the test connection speed at 100Mbps, to replicate a typical home connection. If a VPN drops below the threshold of 25Mbps on international connections, we no longer recommend it.
This speed threshold ensures that all the VPNs we recommend are well-suited for Apple TV streaming.
Data Cap Penalty: Up to 50% Reduction
Free VPNs often set data limits to encourage users to upgrade to paid subscription plans.
Since streaming on Apple TV can consume a significant amount of data, our methodology favors VPNs with generous or unlimited data allowance.
We apply the following penalties to the VPN’s Apple TV rating based on its data cap:
- Unlimited bandwidth: No deduction to the overall rating
- 10GB per month: -20% to the overall rating
- 500MB per day: -25% to the overall rating
- 5GB per month: -30% to the overall rating
- 1GB per month: -35% to the overall rating
- 200MB per day: -40% to the overall rating
- 500MB per month: -50% to the overall rating
Importantly, we no longer factor in workarounds like Smart DNS and router compatibility in our Apple TV ratings. That’s because they are inferior solutions to using native tvOS VPN apps, as we’ve highlighted in this guide.