Based on the BitTorrent technology, Popcorn Time is a ground-breaking streaming service that is dedicated to bringing the latest in TV shows and movies. Offering a slick user interface and boasting an integrated media player, this streaming service is like Netflix in numerous ways.
However, it’s always been a cause of debate among users, with some users always wondering if they should still use a VPN for the service. The truth is that, due to many restrictions, you may need a Virtual Private Network to access the service.
In fact, there’re many reasons why you need to use a Virtual Private Network for the service, especially if you’re looking to stay out of legal troubles. Popcorn Time is a service that’s devoted to streaming online video content for free, which means the majority of the content available on the service is under copyright material.
Like we said previously, there are many reasons you need a good Virtual Private Network. Not only does it protect you from being tracked, but it also ensures you stay secure and safe online. As soon as you’re connected to a Virtual Private Network, a new IP address will be assigned to you.
Of course, this is determined by the server or region you’ve selected prior. So, your real IP address is basically masked with an IP address in another region. So, you can easily pretend to be where you are not.
On the flip side, the additional advantage of using a Virtual Private Network is that it will give you unrestricted internet access. Because you are capable of connecting to any number of servers from various regions, you can get access to geo-restricted content that you can’t access on a normal day.
In this age, geo-blocks are a sad reality, but you can get past them with the help of a Virtual Private Network like ExpressVPN. If you can’t afford a premium provider like this, you can test it with free VPN like Windscribe.
Since you now know for sure that you need to use a Virtual Private Network for Popcorn Time, we understand if you’re wondering if it’s safe.
If you choose a good provider like ExpressVPN, you’ll find out that there’s actually nothing to worry about. Thanks to the provider’s strict adherence to its no-logging policy, they won’t store or retain any of your internet traffic.
In addition, the access to your account will be limited to only you, which means there is no third-party that will be accessing your account without your permission.
There is also no cause for alarm if you’re more bothered about impediments regarding the service itself. The best providers like ExpressVPN often come with premium features like internet kill switch, IPv6 Leak protection, and military-grade ES 256-bit encryption. These features make sure you stay anonymous, secure, and have real internet freedom, regardless of where you are.
Even if you live in the United Kingdom, you could check out our selection of the best VPNs in the UK for guidance.
Largely, this has to do with your connection speed and the provider you’re using. According to experts, using a poor provider can negatively affect your streaming experience. Therefore, you need to ensure that you choose a service with lightning-fast download speeds like ExpressVPN in order not to face any streaming lags.
Besides, any good service will conceal your IP address to ensure that you stay anonymous from your Internet Service Provider. If not, slow speeds issues you’re facing may be down to your ISP throttling your speeds. So, be wise and choose only the best service.
It is one thing to know for sure that you need a Virtual Private Network, but it’s another thing to know the right provider to choose. To help take out guesswork from your selection, we’ve reviewed the top three providers for you.
ExpressVPN is always the number one VPN in every category, and it comes out on top here as well, albeit unsurprisingly. Apart from working exceptionally with Popcorn Time, this provider also allows torrenting and lets you access different streaming websites like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and more.
Furthermore, this provider offers you exceptionally high speeds for streaming and downloading, with complete privacy and security. Apart from being incredibly fast, the service is also very easy to use. Speaking of ease of use, it’s worth noting that it runs a responsive 24/7 live chat support. This means you can always turn to the agents whenever you encounter an issue.
In terms of security, it provides protection against IPv6 and DNS leaks, and by default, it uses military-grade AES 256-bit encryption and supports OpenVPN, which is the most popular protocol in the world. Plus, it offers an excellent feature that it calls the Network Lock. Basically, this feature works the same way as the Kill Switch, thereby increasing your security.
All IPs are shared with this VPN, which means you can connect and blend with hundreds of other users. It’s also worth mentioning that this company is based in the British Virgin Island, which means there is no compulsory data retention laws. With this provider, your privacy is in safe hands as the company doesn’t even keep or monitor your traffic.
ExpressVPN is our top pick for Popcorn Time. While it’s not the cheapest option on the market, it offers you a 30-day money-back guarantee and three months free on the 12-month plan. In our opinion, these more than make up for the price tag.
With its wide server network, impermeable security, and outstanding all-around performance, NordVPN is one of the best provider around. Apart from having a vast network of servers which consists of more than 5,000 servers in more than 60 locations, it also offers decent connection speeds. While it’s not as fast as some of its rivals, the speeds should work.
In terms of security and privacy, this provider performs excellently as it offers protection against DNS and IPv6 Leaks. Not only that, but it also boasts a built-in Kill Switch, which is a feature that helps to automatically cut off internet connection if you lose your VPN connection. On top of that, the provider offers some designated servers for streaming, which makes it a good choice for torrenting.
Apart from being a good option for Popcorn Time, the service also unblocks streaming sites such as Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix. Plus since the company is based in Panama, there are no compulsory data retention laws. Therefore, the company doesn’t log or monitor records of your internet traffic.
Furthermore, it allows you to connect to up to 6 devices at the same time. Besides, all the servers use shared IPs and also offer high encryption standards to users. Not to talk of the company’s excellent client support, which includes a 24/7 live chat feature.
However, the 1-month and 12-month plans are quite expensive, so you may want to keep that in mind when making your decision.
With its anonymous torrenting mode that’s ideal for torrenting users, CyberGhost is one of the best providers for Popcorn Time. Like NordVPN, this VPN is also not the fastest option around, but it offers decent speeds that should be enough to enjoy buffer-free streaming. In addition to that, it offers a wide network coverage of 6000+ servers, which is ideal for unblock geo-blocks.
For security, it uses military-grade AES 256-bit encryption alongside OpenVPN protocol, which ensures that all your activities are secure and safe from snooping eyes. Besides, CyberGhost offers user-friendly and well-designed applications for the most popular platforms in the world. Platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS are well catered for.
To ensure that your activities are never at risk of being exposed, the company adheres to a strict no-logging policy. This policy means that it doesn’t store data about the online activities of the users. Therefore, even if a law enforcement agency comes knocking, there won’t be any users’ data to hand over to them.
Moreover, this VPN is ease to set up and use. Plus if you encounter any problem, rest assured that the company’s 24/7 customer support will quickly come to your aid. Besides, it also offers unrestricted access to Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. However, it’s also fairly expensive, so you may want to look at your pocket before considering it.
With its commitment to bring the latest to you in movies and TV shows for free, it’s not surprising that Popcorn Time breaks copyright law in the process. Consequently, you’ll need a good Virtual Private Network if you want to stream on the platform without getting into troubles.
Fortunately, we’ve recommended and reviewed the top providers for the task. While ExpressVPN is always the number one provider in the world, there’s no going wrong with any of the providers we’ve recommended.
Meanwhile, if you’d prefer Netflix to this streaming platform, you could check out the top 5 VPNs for Netflix that we tested for you and choose the most ideal one for Netflix.
A professional writer with a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Since his youngest age, he loves everything related to internet, technology, fitness, games, and dogs! He joined our team in order to bring his deep knowledge in security services, among which VPN is of course a key component.