How to unblock and watch U.S. Prime Video

Bypass content restrictions to watch more shows and movies.

By Joseph Green

Sept. 12, 2024

How to unblock and watch U.S. Prime Video

Credit: Pexels

NordVPN

Best For Security

One of the most popular services for securing your online activities.

Pros & Cons

CyberGhost VPN

Best For Newbies

CyberGhost combines usability with unique tools and powerful features.

Pros & Cons

Private Internet Access

Best For Server Network

Private Internet Access lets users connect to a huge network of servers, which is helpful for streaming.

Pros & Cons

PureVPN

Best For Globetrotters

PureVPN is a strong option with a diverse selection of servers that should appeal to those that travel far and wide.

Pros & Cons

Surfshark

Best For Multiple Devices

Surfshark offers an unlimited number of simultaneous connections to you can securely stream on all your devices.

Pros & Cons

ExpressVPN

Best For Streaming

Strong distribution of servers and a slick interface make up for higher price.

Pros & Cons

Prime Video is the seriously popular on-demand streaming service that hosts literally thousands of movies, shows, and award-winning Prime Originals. Amazon Prime offers one-day delivery, unlimited music, and includes this impressive streaming service.

Amazon Prime Video works out at a similar rate to other streaming video services like Netflix. However, you don't get a delivery service, music streaming, and access to the Kindle library with Netflix. It's for this reason that so many people continue to sign up to Amazon's video streaming service. Amazon Prime Video is available to stream on all the Kindle Fire tablets and more than 600 other devices, including pretty much every computer, smartphone, console, and smart TV you can imagine.

This all sounds great, but imagine for a moment that not everything is perfect. Imagine that everything is not well with the world, because you have signed up to Amazon Prime Video to specifically watch one programme, and it's only shown on the U.S. version of the service. It's a troubling thought and it seems to happen fairly regularly.

Fortunately, there is something you can do to avoid this annoying issue. You can use a VPN to gain access to all of the best American content from the UK.

What is a VPN?

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection. VPNs hide your real IP address so all of your online activity is untraceable and secure.

Does this make sense? We understand that this sort of technology can be confusing, so it can help to think of a VPN as a tunnel through which all of your online traffic passes. This tunnel is encrypted, meaning that nobody can see into it, and everything inside is protected against online threats like hackers, viruses, and malware.

What are the benefits of using a VPN?

VPNs are used to provide protection for your sensitive information, and this is obviously important. These services are vital for improving you cybersecurity, there is another reason that VPNs are so popular.

These tools can also be used to watch content that is normally blocked in your location by hiding your real IP address and connecting you to a server in another country. This simple process tricks leading streaming sites into thinking you are based in another country, meaning you can watch all of the extra content from global libraries.

VPNs are keys to the online world, granting you access to more of the shows and films you love by bypassing geo-restrictions.

How do you unblock U.S. Prime Video with a VPN?

The process of accessing the American version of Prime Video with a VPN is actually really simple. All you need to do is open up your preferred VPN, select an American server in order to spoof your IP to a U.S. address, and then head to Prime Video.

There is a bit of a cat and mouse situation with streaming sites and VPNs, as sites like Prime Video and Netflix look to detect VPN usage and block servers. This is why you should always try and pick a VPN with a large and diverse network of servers, so you always have plenty of options to bypass restrictions.

You will still need to be subscribed to Prime Video for this trick to work. A VPN is not going to grant access to the streaming site for free. Instead, a VPN provides access to more libraries from around the world, once you're subscribed.

What is the best VPN for Prime Video?

There are plenty of VPNs out there that can bypass online restrictions to unblock Prime Video, which is good and bad. It's great to have options, but with so many VPNs to consider, it can be tough to pick the best option for you. This is where we come in.

We have outlined the best VPNs for the job. If you're looking to unlock more content from anywhere in the world, we recommend checking out ExpressVPN, PureVPN, NordVPN, and the other names in this list. There should be something for everyone and every budget. You just need to weigh up each VPN against your own set of preferences, and pick a favourite.

These are the best VPNs for Prime Video in 2024.

NordVPN

Best For Security

The good

Money-back guarantee Number of servers No ads

The Bad

On the pricier side

The Bottomline

One of the most popular services on the market, due to large number of servers and high degree of privacy.

Specs

1 year plan: £5.35/month
1-year plan: £3.64/month
2 year plan: £3.05/month
2-year plan: £2.91/month
3 year plan: £2.29/month
Annual plan: $4.99/month (billed $59.88 for your first two years, then $99.48/year thereafter)
Monthly: £10.39/month
Monthly (Complete plan): $14.19/month
Monthly (Plus plan): $12.89/month
Monthly (Standard plan): $11.99/month
Monthly plan: $11.99/month
One year: £5.66/month
One-year plan: £3.99/month
Three-year plan: £2.82/month
Two years: £4.04/month
Two-year plan: £3.19/month

NordVPN is one of the most popular services for securing your online activities. NordVPN now has almost 5000 servers around the world, making it one of the largest services in the world, too.

Privacy is a major issue when it comes to VPNs, and NordVPN makes all the right noises about keeping your information private. NordVPN states that the company does not insert ads into your web traffic, and doesn’t profit from the sale of user data. On top of that, NordVPN only collects aggregated app-crash statistics and voluntary diagnostic data, meaning that the service doesn’t collect any personally identifiable information. Good news.

NordVPN is consistent across every platform on which it's offered, and includes ad blocking as an added bonus. You can also connect up to six devices at the same time.

Even if NordVPN doesn’t work out for you, they have a 30-day money-back guarantee. So you are completely covered either way. You can either be impressed with the service, and continue with your plan, or — if you don’t like what NordVPN offers — you can get out for free.

CyberGhost VPN

Best For Newbies

The good

Easy to use Good value No restrictions on browsing Generous money-back guarantee

The Bad

No free version Not as many servers as NordVPN

The Bottomline

CyberGhost could be the best option if you're new to the VPN game, and want an easy to use service with a strong set of features.

Specs

1 year plan: £4.59/month
1-year plan: £3.45/month
2 year plan: £3.09/month
2-year plan: £2.98/month
3 year plan: £2.10/month
3-year plan: £1.59/month
Free trial on Android: Three days
Free trial on iOS: Seven days
Free trial on Mac: 24 hours
Free trial on Windows: 24 hours
Jurisdiction: Romania
Kill switch: Yes
Money-back guarantee: Yes (14 days with monthly plans, 45 days with long-term plans, ); free 24-hour trial
Monthly: £10.89/month
Monthly plan: $12.99/month
Most recent external audit: 2022
Network size: Over 9,100 servers in 91 countries
One-year plan: $4.29/month (billed $51.48 every year)
Pricing: $2.11-$12.99/month
Simultaneous connections: 7
Six-month plan: £6.19/month
Split tunneling: Yes, but only for Android
Support options: Live chat, online support center
Three-year plan: £2.10/month
Three-year plan 3 months: $2.29/month (billed $89.31 every three years)
Three-year plan three months for free: £1.59 per month
Two-year plan: £1.92/month

CyberGhost is a VPN that combines a lot of the essentials that you want from a service. It’s available in loads of locations, it’s not restrictive, and it’s discreet. CyberGhost hosts over 4500 servers in 90 locations across over 60 different countries. This makes CyberGhost a preferred VPN for those that travel the world for business or pleasure. It doesn't place restrictions on browsing habits, so users benefit from unlimited traffic and bandwidth. CyberGhost utilises 256-AES bit encryption to protect your payment info from cyber-criminals and hide your browsing data from ISPs. So you can rest assured that your sensitive data is secure. CyberGhost is one of the leading VPNs because it is able to combine usability with unique tools and powerful features, as well as a privacy policy that protects customers. In a nutshell, it does what a VPN should, without the unnecessary frills that sometimes populate other services. There is not a free service, but CyberGhost can usually be picked up for just £2.10 a month, depending on what deal is being offered. If the price is currently too high for you, then chances are CyberGhost will offer a special discounted price soon enough. If you do take the plunge on CyberGhost, then rest assured that, just like NordVPN, you do get a 45-day money back guarantee.

Private Internet Access

Best For Server Network

The good

Number of servers Decent connection speeds 10 simultaneous connections

The Bad

Lacking some of the more advanced features

The Bottomline

Private Internet Access keeps things simple to offer a slick streaming experience.

Specs

1-year plan: £2.52/month
2-year plan: £2.20/month
Monthly: £10.99/month
Monthly plan: £5.25/month
One year: £2.71/month
One-year plan: £2.71/month
Six-month plan: £5.39/month
Two years: £2.19/month
Two-year plan: £1.69/month

A great buy at just $2.59 a month with a two-year plan, Private Internet Access, or PIA, is the best VPN you can get for less than a Starbucks latte: It installs in a jiffy, offers 24/7 live chat coverage, stands by a strict no-log policy, and maintains an absolutely massive server network. Its app is pretty basic and its platform support is limited, but it makes up for that with free email breach monitoring and a tool called MACE that blocks ads, trackers, and malware. Supported platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Opera

PureVPN

Best For Globetrotters

The good

Strong network of servers Dedicated IP

The Bad

Not the absolute fastest

The Bottomline

Not the fastest service but a solid all-around option for those that want a VPN without any major weaknesses that would get in the way of your movie marathon

Specs

1-year plan: £4.25/month
2-year plan: 2.46/month
Monthly: £8.37/month
Monthly plan: £8.30/month
One-year: £2/month
One-year plan: £2.86/month
Two-year plan: £1.75/month

When looking for a VPN that will keep you connected to all the content that the Fire Stick potentially provides, Pure VPN ticks an awful lot of boxes.

PureVPN has a strong network of geographically diverse servers, a dedicated IP, and a strong privacy policy. So the key message is that this VPN boasts an outstanding network of international servers so you can keep watching your favourite series wherever you may be. Ideal for those that get around the globe.

It isn't all perfect. PureVPN is not the fastest VPN out there, but it is faster than most, and is definitely fast enough for most users to stay connected and enjoy the Fire Stick content buffer-free.

Overall, PureVPN is a serious option for anyone wanting to enjoy all of Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, and Netflix, without being blocked. It's one of the best VPNs thanks to its mix of competitive performance, polished design, and diverse server locations.

Surfshark

Best For Multiple Devices

The good

Unlimited number of connections User-friendly interface Cheap if you commit

The Bad

Pricey if you can't commit to a two-year deal

The Bottomline

User-friendly VPN that lets you stream on all your devices at the same time.

Specs

Monthly: £9.90/month
One month: $12.95
One year: $3.99/month
One-year plan: £3.05/month
Six-month plan: £4.75/month
Two years: $2.30/month
Two-year plan: £1.76/month
Two-year plan three months for free: £1.64 per month

Surfshark is one of the best VPNs for streaming and large households, as you can connect an unlimited number of devices simultaneously with the same plan. Surfshark also offers a wide range of impressive features including split tunnelling and enterprise-grade infrastructure, with a 30-day money-back guarantee meaning you can access everything for free. Just don't forget to cancel your subscription if you're using this method. If you choose to commit to Surfshark, the best rates are reserved for the longest contracts. If you're willing to commit to a longer contract, the monthly rate comes down sharply.

ExpressVPN

Best For Streaming

The good

Servers in China, Russia, and Turkey Lots of servers Multi-device support Money-back guarantee

The Bad

Relatively expensive Only three simultaneous connections

The Bottomline

It might be on the pricey side, but ExpressVPN offers a selection of high-end features to keep you protected.

Specs

15 month plan: £5.24/month
15-month plan: £5.25/month
6 month plan: £7.85/month
6-month plan: £7.44/month
Annual plan: $8.32/month (billed $99.95 every 12 months)
Free trial on Android: Seven days
Free trial on iOS: Seven days
Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands
Kill switch: Yes ("Network Lock")
Money-back guarantee: Yes (30 days)
Monthly: £10.19/month
Monthly plan: $12.95/month
Most recent external audit: 2022
Network size: 94 countries
One-year plan: £5.05/month
One-year plan three months for free: £5.13 per month
Pricing: $6.67-$12.95/month
Simultaneous connections: 5
Six-month plan: £7.86/month
Split tunneling: Yes
Support options: 24/7 live chat, email, online support center

ExpressVPN is relatively expensive compared to its competitors, so is it worth the extra cost? Well it has a really strong distribution of servers and a slick interface, plus it allows BitTorrent and other P2P services — so maybe, yes. ExpressVPN has over 1,000 servers in 145 locations, covering 94 countries. This list includes China, Russia, and Turkey, three countries that have notably repressive control over the internet. So that’s a pretty impressive feather in their hat. It’s not all good news, though; ExpressVPN does limit you to three simultaneous connections from different devices. Other services generally offer slightly more than this. However, three connections is probably plenty for one user. If you are using a VPN for a household, though, then another service may be better suited. ExpressVPN has all the essentials covered. This service includes multi-device support, a lot of servers, good geographic distribution, BitTorrent support, and a nice interface. It is however a little more expensive than some, at around £10 a month (or around £5 if you commit to 15 months), and it doesn't offer nearly as many simultaneous connections as cheaper alternatives. It’s a strong VPN, so the extra cost may be worthwhile. There is no free trial available, but there is a 30-day money back guarantee. So once again, you are protected against disappointment.