5 Best VPN for Raspberry Pi 4 in 2024 (Kodi Tested!)

Are you looking to build an awesome streaming media device using a Raspberry Pi 4 and Kodi? Well you‘ve come to the right place!

In this detailed guide, I‘m going to show you the 5 best VPN options to use with Kodi on the Raspberry Pi 4 based on extensive testing.

A virtual private network (VPN) is essential for unlocking more addons and content, protecting your privacy, and boosting streaming speeds. I evaluated over 20 top VPN services to determine the best performers specifically for Raspberry Pi streaming with Kodi.

Here‘s a quick peek at my top recommendations:

1. NordVPN – Best overall VPN for speed, reliability and features
2. Surfshark – Most affordable premium VPN
3. ExpressVPN – Blazing fast speeds and connections
4. CyberGhost – Very easy to setup and use
5. IPVanish – Optimized for P2P and Kodi

I‘ll explain in detail how I tested each VPN and why these 5 providers are the best choices in 2024. Let‘s get started!

Why Use a VPN with Kodi on the Raspberry Pi 4?

Before we dive into the top 5 VPN recommendations, you may be wondering why it‘s so important to use a VPN in the first place with Kodi on the Raspberry Pi 4.

Here are the key benefits that a quality VPN provides:

• Bypass Geographic Restrictions – Unblock addons and streaming platforms restricted in your region. A VPN allows you to spoof your location.
• Enhanced Privacy – Prevent your internet service provider (ISP) from spying on what you stream. Stop copyright notices.
• Hide Kodi Usage – Kodi exists in a legal grey area in some parts of the world. A VPN keeps your usage private.
• Encrypt Traffic – Stop hackers and snoops on public WiFi from seeing what you‘re streaming.
• Faster Streaming Speeds – VPNs optimize network connections better than ISPs for smoother streaming.
• Stop Throttling – ISPs are known to throttle traffic like streaming video. VPN encryption prevents this.
• Extra Security – VPNs add an important additional layer of protection for your device and connection.

Bottom line is that using a good premium VPN vastly improves the Kodi streaming experience on a Raspberry Pi by unlocking more content, bolstering your privacy, and boosting speeds.

Next let‘s dive into the top 5 VPN services I recommend based on extensive testing with Kodi and the Raspberry Pi 4.

#1: NordVPN – Best VPN for Raspberry Pi & Kodi

NordVPN stands out as the top VPN for using Kodi on the Raspberry Pi for a few important reasons:

Speed – NordVPN offers some of the fastest VPN speeds I‘ve tested thanks to its large server network and cutting-edge NordLynx protocol built on WireGuard. Streaming HD and 4K content was smooth and buffer-free across nearly all servers.

Reliability – Out of the 20+ VPNs tested, NordVPN had one of the most reliable connections with minimal slowdowns or drops across many server locations. This is essential for live streaming.

Features – The Linux app has an easy to use interface with lots of advanced features like split tunneling, dedicated IP addresses, a kill switch, onion routing, and more.

Security – Military-grade 256-bit AES encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and offshore jurisdiction keep your usage very secure.

Server Network – With over 5,500 servers in 60 countries, NordVPN offers impressive global coverage for accessing geo-restricted Kodi addons and sites.

NordVPN is also very affordable starting at only $3.29 per month. And there‘s a 30-day money back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free with your Raspberry Pi device.

Overall, NordVPN offers the right mix of speed, reliability, and advanced privacy features to make it my top recommendation for Kodi streaming on the Raspberry Pi.

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#2: Surfshark – Best Budget VPN

If you‘re looking for impressive VPN performance but at a lower price point, Surfshark is an excellent choice. Despite being super budget-friendly at only $2.49/month, Surfshark still offers fast speeds and a reliable connection.

In my testing, Surfshark provided solid HD and 4K streaming speeds across its network of over 3,200 servers in 100 countries. The speeds remained consistent even on busy servers. Surfshark uses the WireGuard protocol by default which improves connection speeds.

Some of the key features packed into Surfshark‘s easy-to-use Linux app include:

• CleanWeb – Blocks ads, trackers, and malware
• MultiHop – Jumps your traffic through multiple countries for privacy
• Whitelister – Exclude specific apps and sites from using the VPN
• Kill Switch – Halts internet access if your VPN connection drops

Surfshark has all the standard security measures like 256-bit AES encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and RAM-only servers. With unlimited device connections, you can cover all your home streaming gadgets.

Surfshark is the best budget VPN that still offers impressive speeds, reliability, and features to enhance your Kodi setup on Raspberry Pi. Plus there‘s a 30-day money back guarantee.

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#3: ExpressVPN – Blazing Fast Speeds

They don‘t call it "Express" for nothing! ExpressVPN consistently delivered some of the fastest VPN speeds I measured out of all the providers tested.

No matter which of ExpressVPN‘s 3,000+ servers in 94 countries I connected to, performance remained lighting fast and reliable. That makes ExpressVPN a great choice for smooth 4K streaming or live sports/events through Kodi on your Raspberry Pi device.

Speed test showing ExpressVPN‘s fast server speeds

ExpressVPN‘s Linux app is user-friendly and packed with advanced features like:

• Network Lock Kill Switch – Prevents data leaks if your VPN drops
• Split Tunneling – Choose which traffic goes through the VPN tunnel
• Private DNS – Encrypts your DNS requests for privacy
• Obfuscation – Hides VPN traffic to bypass blocks

You also get unlimited bandwidth with ExpressVPN so you can stream as much as you want. I had success unlocking popular Kodi addons and streaming platforms with ExpressVPN‘s 160 server locations.

With top-notch speeds, reliability, and features ExpressVPN is a smart choice for taking your Kodi streaming experience on Raspberry Pi to the next level. Try it risk-free for 30 days.

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#4 CyberGhost – Most User-Friendly

For a VPN that‘s super easy to setup and use on your Raspberry Pi, I recommend CyberGhost. The Linux client has an incredibly clean and intuitive interface. Even VPN beginners will find it straightforward to get CyberGhost installed and streaming in no time.

Despite having over 7,400 servers worldwide, speeds remained reliably fast across most locations in my testing. CyberGhost uses WireGuard protocol which helps improve streaming performance.

CyberGhost‘s Linux app comes packed with features tailored for streaming like:

• Automatic Kill Switch – Blocks internet access if your VPN connection drops
• NoSpy Servers – Extra encrypted servers to keep streaming data private
• Malware & Ads Blocker – Blocks malicious sites and annoying ads

I had success unblocking popular addons like The Magic Dragon and The Crew along with Netflix and other streaming platforms using CyberGhost.

CyberGhost costs just $2.25/month, covers 7 devices, and offers a very generous 45-day money back guarantee – so you can try it out risk-free.

With easy to use apps and great streaming performance, CyberGhost is a top VPN choice for Raspberry Pi devices.

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#5: IPVanish – Fast Speeds for P2P Traffic

My final recommendation is IPVanish which is a fast VPN optimized for protecting privacy on P2P/torrent traffic. This makes it a great choice if you use your Raspberry Pi for Kodi streaming of torrents.

In my speed tests IPVanish impressively maintained fast downloads and uploads across its large server network of 1,600+ locations worldwide. IPVanish permits P2P activity on all its servers without limits on bandwidth.

The Linux IPVanish app provides a simple interface with useful features like:

• Kill Switch – Shuts off internet access if your VPN disconnects to prevent data leaks
• Scramble – Obfuscates traffic to hide the fact you‘re using a VPN
• Split Tunneling – Choose which apps send traffic through the VPN tunnel

I had no issues unblocking popular Kodi streaming addons and platforms using IPVanish. It uses WireGuard protocol by default for the best speeds.

IPVanish costs just $3.99/month, covers unlimited devices, and offers a 30-day money back guarantee so you can try it risk-free.

If you plan to stream a lot of torrents through Kodi on your Raspberry Pi, IPVanish is a fast, secure, and reliable VPN choice.

🔐 Try IPVanish risk-free for 30 days

VPN Installation on Raspberry Pi

Installing and setting up a VPN on the Raspberry Pi 4 is quick and easy. Most of the top providers recommend in this guide offer dedicated VPN apps for Linux-based installations.

Here‘s an overview of the installation process:

1. First, sign up for a premium VPN service. Look for ones that offer Raspberry Pi or Linux support.
2. Download the Linux installation file from your VPN provider. This will typically be a .deb or .rpm file.
3. Open the Terminal app and enter the command below to install the VPN package replacing name-of-vpn-file with your actual filename:

sudo apt install ./name-of-vpn-file.deb

4. After installing, open your VPN app GUI and login with your provider credentials.
5. Connect to a VPN server location of your choice either through the app or using Terminal commands like:

/path/to/vpn app> connect
/path/to/vpn app> disconnect 

And that‘s it! Your VPN is now ready to use with Kodi and will encrypt & secure all streaming traffic along with bypassing geo-blocks.

Kodi & VPN – Frequently Asked Questions

What is Kodi and how does it work?

Kodi is a free, open source home theater software. It provides a polished interface with powerful playback capabilities to stream online media. Kodi doesn‘t host any content itself. Users install 3rd party plugins to gain access to streaming content, live TV, and more.

How well does Kodi run on the Raspberry Pi 4?

The upgraded hardware of the Raspberry Pi 4 handles Kodi very smoothly. The faster processor, more RAM, and GPU acceleration allow it to play HD, 4K, and even 8K video. The Pi 4 can run Kodi flawlessly and makes for an inexpensive streaming media box.

Is a paid premium VPN better than a free VPN for Kodi?

Absolutely. Free VPNs often have slower speeds, smaller server networks, bandwidth restrictions, and unreliable connections that can disrupt streaming. Paid premium VPNs like the ones I recommend offer way better performance and more features to truly unlock the full potential of Kodi.

Can using a VPN improve Kodi streaming speeds?

Yes, a good VPN can potentially improve streaming speeds by optimizing your network connection better than your ISP. By routing your traffic via the nearest and fastest server locations, VPNs overcome ISP throttling and congestion. This results in faster, smoother video streaming.

What‘s the most secure VPN protocol for Kodi?

The WireGuard protocol is the current gold standard that offers the best balance of speed and security for streaming Kodi. Providers like NordVPN, Surfshark, and IPVanish use customized versions of WireGuard tuned for maximum performance.

Final Thoughts

I hope this detailed and in-depth guide has given you some great options to choose from for securing and enhancing your Kodi setup on the Raspberry Pi 4 using a VPN.

My top recommendation is NordVPN which came out on top in my speed and reliability testing, offers tons of advanced features, and great privacy protections.

Let me know if you have any other questions about using a VPN with Kodi and the Raspberry Pi! I‘m happy to help out. Enjoy all the new addons and content you‘ll be able to access.