Tired of not being able to tell where Netflix titles are available?
We know how frustrating that is. It’s downright infuriating when you hear about a new cool show or movie on Netflix, but it won’t show up in your searches! If only there was a way to check which countries Netflix titles are available in before you get your hopes up …
Well, don’t worry – we’ll show you how to use a simple tool to find that out. And that’s not all! We’ll also show you how to quickly unblock any Netflix content you want no matter where you are in the world.
How to Find Out Where Netflix Titles Are Available
No, there’s no secret setting you can access on Netflix to find that out. It’d be cool if the platform would tell you, of course. But that probably won’t do them favors because it might only make people less enthusiastic about using Netflix (the site would basically be showing them which content they can’t watch).
To check the availability of Netflix titles, you need to use StreamCatcher. It’s a website designed by ProPrivacy (a leading tech review platform) that shows you the regional availability of Netflix titles. It does that by using VPN servers to check which locations have which shows and movies.
So if, for example, you look up Supernatural, StreamCatcher will show you that it’s available on the US and Japanese Netflix libraries:
Besides that, StreamCatcher also acts as a sort of Netflix unlocker. It shows you which VPNs can unblock the title you’re interested in, and also tells you which servers to use. What’s more, if you use the VPN provider links, you’re likely to get a discount through an affiliate deal.
How to Unblock Netflix Titles
Just because a show or movie isn’t available in your country doesn’t mean you can’t watch it! There are ways to get around Netflix’s geo-blocking system – and the best method is to use a VPN.
If you don’t know what a VPN is, no problem. We’ll tell you everything right now. Basically, it’s an online tool you use to hide where you’re from. It achieves that by stopping sites (like Netflix) from seeing your IP address. Without it, they won’t be able to see what country your traffic is coming from.
Instead of your IP, Netflix will only see the VPN’s IP address. So if you use a US VPN server to visit Netflix, it will think your traffic is coming from the US. Due to that, Netflix will send your traffic to the US library.
Other Reasons to Use a VPN with Netflix
VPNs are very versatile tools. Besides unblocking sites like Netflix, they can also:
• Encrypt your traffic to protect you from hackers.
• Prevent bandwidth throttling (when ISPs slow down your speeds).
• Protect you from ads and phishing sites (with ad blockers).
• Stop anyone from DDoS-ing you (by hiding your IP address).
• Help you save money (by hiding your geo-location).
• Secure your privacy (ISPs won’t be able to sell your web browsing to advertisers).
Are VPNs the Best Netflix Unblockers?
According to our tests and what our readers say, yes, they are. They get the job done well, and they offer tons of perks (like we just showed you).
But if you want to know about alternative unblocking methods, there are two more options:
1. Proxies – they’re similar to VPNs (they hide your IP to mask your geo-location), but they don’t use encryption. That means they deliver slightly faster speeds, but also don’t secure your traffic or stop bandwidth throttling.
2. Smart DNS tools – they hide your geo-location by editing your DNS traffic and addresses. Like proxies, they don’t use encryption so they’re very fast. But they don’t hide your IP (you can’t bypass firewalls that block Netflix) and they don’t secure your data (that means they also can’t stop bandwidth throttling).
Is Tor a Good Netflix Unblocker?
No way. We know it’s an attractive option because it’s free to use, but Tor can’t reliably unblock Netflix. It wasn’t built with streaming in mind, after all – just security and privacy. So you’ll often see the proxy error message when using Tor with Netflix (or you simply won’t be able to use Netflix).
But that’s not the only problem. Say you manage to unblock Netflix with Tor. Do that and you’ll deal with huge slowdowns! Tor only has 6,000+ servers. And over two million people use it! You do the math – there’s barely enough bandwidth to go around, so slow speeds are the norm.
Free VPNs & Netflix – Do They Mix Well?
Like Tor, it might be tempting to use a free VPN because, well, they’re free.
But are they also reliable?
Not really – free VPNs aren’t able to unblock Netflix. At most, they can give you on-and-off access. That’s because Netflix is really good at detecting and blocking VPNs. It uses geo-location services that have databases full of proxy and VPN IP addresses, so it’s easy for Netflix to use automated scripts to block them.
VPNs can bypass the blocking, but – to do that – they have to refresh their server IPs very often. And that doesn’t come cheap. Naturally, free VPNs can’t do that because they don’t charge anything for their services.
What’s more, free VPNs don’t provide a good streaming experience. They often have very slow speeds. Besides that, they use bandwidth caps. On average, a free VPN will limit you to about 500 MB or 2 GB of data per month. If that doesn’t sound bad, please remember that Netflix can eat up to 3 GB per hour if you watch HD videos. And if you watch 4K videos, that number goes up to 7 GB. Paid VPNs, on the other hand, have unlimited bandwidth. So it’s clear who the winner is.
The Bottom Line
It’s easy to see where Netflix titles are available if you use StreamCatcher. What’s more, the tool will help you also find a good VPN that can unblock your favorite Netflix shows and movies.
If you know other great Netflix title checkers, please tell us about them in the comments.