If you’ve been using Betternet to make your internet connection anonymous and it’s not working, Betternet is no longer keeping up with the amount of customers it has.
Similarly if you’re using Betternet to watch streaming services outside your country and its not working, Betternet isn’t getting around the VPN blocking techniques many streaming services use.
Because Betternet is a free VPN, it has a lot of customers and limited resources. This can put pressure on Betternet’s servers, and it often struggles to keep up with the demand of its many customers.
Betternet also doesn’t have the resources to ensure its consistently compatible with a number of streaming services.
Don’t panic though, here are some fixes you can try to resolve Betternet not working.
See also:
- Norton Secure VPN not working? Try these FIXES! (May 2023)
- Opera VPN not working? Try these FIXES! (May 2023)
Betternet not working: Fixes
Check your internet connection
The best place to start is making sure that it’s actually Betternet that’s causing the issue, not your internet connection. If your internet is running slow or the connection is faulty, it could cause issues with Betternet.
To check your internet speed, go here.
If you think your internet is running slower than usual, that can be a sign your internet connection is having problems. Call your internet service provider (ISP) if this is the case.
Disable antivirus
If you have an antivirus installed on your device, try uninstalling it and then try Betternet.
VPN software can often be mistaken for a virus or malware by antivirus software. When this happens, the antivirus blocks the VPN.
This might be what’s happening with Betternet. Disabling your antivirus or making Betternet an exemption may fix the problems you’re coming across.
Change to a different server
If Betternet has stopped working, it might be that the IP address the VPN has given you has been identified and blocked.
Changing to a different server will give you a different IP address. If this one hasn’t been blocked Betternet will work again.
Reinstall Betternet
If Betternet isn’t working, it may have picked up a bug or an error that’s interrupting the software.
A good way to get rid of bugs is to reinstall the software.
Not only does this ensure you have the latest version of Betternet, including any bug-fixing updates, but it also means you’ll have a fresh installation of the software, so any errors or bugs you may have picked up will be erased.
Upgrade to a better VPN
If you’ve made it this far in the list, Betternet isn’t managing to keep up with the demand of its many customers and it’s no longer compatible with popular streaming services.
Unfortunately you’ll have to wait for Betternet to fix the issue internally. The problem here is there’s no way of telling how long this will take or even a guarantee that Betternet will fix it.
The best thing to do in this situation is to upgrade to a VPN that has the resources to keep up with increasing demand and has measures in place to ensure it stays compatible with popular streaming services.
The best VPN currently available is ExpressVPN ($6.67/month). ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) is an incredibly reliable VPN. You won’t come across the errors you’re coming across with Betternet if you use ExpressVPN ($6.67/month).
It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out for a month before finalising your decision.
Why has Betternet stopped working?
There are many reasons why Betternet may have stopped working on your device. The most probable causes are firstly it’s struggling to keep up with the sheer number of customers a free VPN attracts and secondly it doesn’t have the resources to ensure it’s compatible with popular streaming services.
Experts now estimate that 1 in 3 people use a VPN on their devices. This is a massive number, and it can put significant stress on VPNs, especially free ones like Betternet.
Because Betternet is a free VPN, it’s a very popular VPN with many customers. This can be a problem because Betternet doesn’t have enough IP addresses to give each customer their own unique IP. When this happens, customers are forced to share IP addresses.
As an example, when streaming with your VPN streaming services try to block the connection.
When a streaming service notices multiple people connecting from the same Betternet IP address, it will block that IP. This is a particular problem for free VPNs because as more and more customers use Betternet, more and more issues arise.
Also, IP addresses are expensive, and as a free VPN, Betternet simply can’t afford to constantly purchase new IPs to resolve IPs being blocked or no longer working.
Which VPNs work?
The VPNs that consistently work are the ones that have the resources to ensure they can grow as their customer base grows.
ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) and Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) have many resources. They can constantly update their software to ensure their VPN works consistently.
ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) uses its own VPN protocol, Lightway, that’s been developed in-house to ensure ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) works consistently. IF there are any issues, ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) can fix the problems internally.
If you want a VPN that won’t run into errors, your best bet is ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) and Private Internet Access ($2.03/month)
Betternet not working: Recap
Betternet has stopped working because it’s a free VPN.
Although great for the customer, a free VPN doesn’t have the resources to ensure it stays reliable. As more customers join the service, the less reliable Betternet becomes.
The best way to get around this is to upgrade to a VPN that has more resources and more consistency.
Below is a list of the best VPNs available.
The best VPNs 2022
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2022
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
Special Offer for you!
Get 3 extra months free when you sign up for a 12-month ExpressVPN plan. That’s 15 months in total for the price of 12.
Number of servers: 3,000+ | Speed: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 160 in 94 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $6.66/month for 15 months
- $9.99/month for 6 months
- $12.95/month for 1 month
ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is still the best VPN. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites. Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites.
Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered.
The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently.
With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevents its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
Check out our full ExpressVPN review.
Special Offer for you
(30-day money-back guarantee)
2. Private Internet Access 🥈
The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!
Pros
- ✅ Fast and reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Only 48 server locations
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1-million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If – for whatever reason – you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
Special Offer – Save 83%
(30-day money-back guarantee)
3. NordVPN 🥉
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ No logs
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 6-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired a full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers’ connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunneling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
SPECIAL OFFER – SAVE 70%!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
4. Ivacy
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for Ivacy and enjoy a 7-day trial with no strings attached
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
Special Offer – 7-day FREE trial!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
5. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ 1-day free trial
- ✅ Reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 7-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
- ❌ Average speed scores
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
Take advantage of CyberGhost’s 1-day FREE TRIAL!
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
(30-day money-back guarantee)
