Updated on: October 11, 2024
Only 3 Steps (Quick + Easy) to Getting a French IP Address in 2024:
- Pick a VPN. Choose a good VPN with at least 1 server in France — I recommend ExpressVPN because it provides excellent security and privacy features, maintains very fast speeds, works with French sites, and allows torrenting.
- Install the VPN. The setup process usually takes 1–2 minutes (just follow the installation wizard).
- Connect to a French server. Find the server selection menu in the VPN app, scroll through the list of countries, and choose a server in France. Now, you have a French IP address and are able to access the internet as if you’re located in France!
The fastest way to get a French IP address is to use a VPN, an online app that lets you connect to VPN servers around the globe. After you connect to a server, it changes your original IP address to a new IP address that matches the country the VPN server is in (like France). That way, you can surf the web as if you were actually located in France.
However, not all VPNs provide good value. Some don’t even have servers in France, while others are difficult to use, don’t work with top streaming sites, or have very slow speeds.
That said, all of the VPNs on my list are great for getting a French IP address. My favorite one is ExpressVPN due to its blazing-fast speeds, excellent streaming and P2P support, and industry-leading security features. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Best VPNs for Getting a French IP Address in 2024
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Getting a French IP Address
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for getting a French IP address. It provides the fastest speeds out there, it’s excellent for streaming, and it comes with very strong security and privacy features.
ExpressVPN secures your data with high-end security features, such as:
- Full leak protection. All of its apps come with built-in protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. In my tests, I never experienced any leaks while connected to the provider’s French servers.
- Perfect forward secrecy. Changes the encryption key for each VPN connection to prevent hackers from using potentially compromised past or future encryption keys to spy on your traffic.
- RAM-only servers. Saves all data to the RAM, which means that every reset wipes all data.
- Ad blocker. Stops annoying ads from displaying when you visit ad-heavy sites.
- Threat Manager. Stops trackers from spying on your browsing and protects you from malicious websites.
- ExpressVPN Keys. A free password manager that secures your logins and helps you generate strong passwords.
The provider also has blazing-fast speeds. In my tests, websites loaded instantly, HD and 4K videos loaded instantly and didn’t buffer, and I never experienced any lag or high ping while gaming online.
ExpressVPN is also excellent for streaming, and it allows torrenting on all its servers, including the French ones.
Also, I’m happy that the provider comes with split-tunneling, which lets you choose which apps use your local internet connection and which apps use the VPN connection. I used the feature to access French sites via the VPN while connecting to my bank’s site using my local internet connection (most bank sites block VPN connections).
ExpressVPN’s plans start at $4.99 / month. This is a bit pricey, but worth it since the VPN provides excellent value. Also, it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Very Good for Torrenting With a French IP Address
Private Internet Access (PIA) has very good P2P support since it allows torrenting on all of its servers, including the ones in France. What’s more, the provider works with top P2P apps like Vuze and uTorrent and also has port forwarding, which lets you connect to more peers to get faster downloads.
Furthermore, PIA has SOCKS5 proxy support, which is great for getting very fast P2P speeds. SOCKS5 proxy servers change your IP address to provide privacy, but they don’t provide encryption (which normally slows down your speeds).
Plus, the VPN is also very good for securing your P2P traffic. It comes with advanced security features like RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and full leak protection. Plus, it has a strict no-logs policy that has passed an independent audit and has also been proven true in court. What’s more, all of its apps are open-source, which means anyone can inspect the code for security issues.
And I’m also a big fan of the MACE feature, which is a VPN ad blocker. In my tests, it got rid of all ads on French sites (making them load faster) and prevented me from accessing shady HTTP websites.
PIA is also very fast, though it’s still slower than ExpressVPN — sites loaded instantly, HD videos loaded instantly and didn’t buffer, and 4K videos loaded in 2 seconds.
And this VPN is also very user-friendly, as its apps are intuitive and simple to navigate. Plus, it supports unlimited connections, which means everyone in your house can use the VPN to get a French IP address.
Private Internet Access has prices that start at $2.03 / month, so it’s really affordable. It also backs all plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Easy to Use & Good Customization Options
CyberGhost VPN is really user-friendly — it only took me 1–2 minutes to install its apps on my Android and Windows 11 devices, and just 2–3 seconds to find and connect to its French servers. I also like how all settings and features have quick, helpful explanations. And I’m a big fan of CyberGhost VPN’s Smart Rules feature, which lets you customize connection preferences. For example, you can configure CyberGhost VPN to connect to a server and open your favorite app on launch.
While CyberGhost VPN provided me with pretty good speeds, it wasn’t as fast as ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access — sites and HD videos loaded instantly, but 4K videos took 3 seconds to load.
CyberGhost VPN also allows torrenting on all of its French servers, and it’s a good choice for streaming too as it works with all the top sites.
I really like that CyberGhost VPN has advanced security features like RAM-only servers, full leak protection, and perfect forward secrecy. And in addition to having its no-logs policy audited, I also like that CyberGhost VPN releases regular transparency reports that detail how many requests the provider has received for user data.
CyberGhost VPN also has an ad blocker called Content Blocker, but it’s not as good as Private Internet Access’s ad blocker — in my tests, Content Blocker was only able to get rid of ads on 30% of the French sites I visited.
CyberGhost VPN has several paid plans that start at $2.03 / month. It backs its long-term plans with a 45-day money-back guarantee and its shortest plan with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full CyberGhost VPN review
4. NordVPN — Great for Securely Browsing the Web With a French IP Address
NordVPN keeps you safe when you browse the web thanks to its high-end security features. It has RAM-only servers, full leak protection, an audited no-logs policy, and perfect forward secrecy. What’s more, it also has a data breach monitoring tool that alerts you if your VPN account login credentials have been compromised.
The VPN also provides access to Threat Protection, which is a very good VPN ad blocker. In addition to getting rid of ads, blocking trackers, and protecting you from malicious sites, it can also stop you from downloading malware-infected files. Even better, you don’t need to be connected to the VPN for Threat Protection to be active.
NordVPN also has good speeds, though it’s still slower than ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and CyberGhost VPN. In my tests, sites loaded in 2 seconds, HD videos took 2 seconds to load and didn’t buffer, and 4K videos loaded in 3 seconds and there was no buffering when skipping through them.
The provider also has good streaming and P2P support. Customer support confirmed it works with 10+ streaming sites. Also, it allows torrenting on almost all of its French servers, plus it also comes with SOCKS5 proxy servers.
NordVPN’s plans start at $2.99 / month and the provider backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — Really Affordable VPN & Great for Beginners
Surfshark has some of the cheapest plans on the market, making this VPN a good pick for anyone who is in need of an affordable way to get a French IP address.
The provider also has very intuitive apps for all major platforms. They make it very simple to find and connect to Surfshark’s French server locations, and I also like how all settings and features come with helpful explanations. Plus, I think it’s great how the VPN allows unlimited connections.
In terms of speeds, Surfshark performs pretty well. When I ran tests, all the sites I visited loaded in 3 seconds, HD videos loaded in 3 seconds and 4K videos in 4 seconds, and I only experienced very minor lag while playing online games. That’s good, but I honestly had better speeds with ExpressVPN and the other VPNs on this list.
The VPN is also good for streaming, as it works with 50+ streaming sites.
Surfshark has plans that start as low as $1.99 / month. And it also backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full Surfshark review
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Quick Comparison Table
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
How to Choose the Best VPN for Getting a French IP Address in 2024
- Get a VPN with servers in France. A VPN needs to have at least 1 server in France to provide you with a French IP address. All the VPNs on my list come with at least 1 server location in France.
- Opt for a VPN with strong security. All the VPNs I recommend provide industry-standard security features like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch (disables online access if the VPN disconnects to protect you from data leaks), protection against IPv6, DNS, or WebRTC leaks, and a no-logs policy that prevents the VPN from logging your IP address and browsing.
- Choose a VPN with fast speeds. All VPNs will slow down your speeds due to the encryption they use — but the best VPNs minimize the speed loss so that you don’t notice it. I only recommend VPNs that come with fast speeds for streaming, torrenting, browsing, gaming, and more (ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN on this list).
- Find a VPN with great P2P and streaming support. My recommendations consistently work with streaming services and even allow torrenting on French servers.
- Select a VPN that’s user-friendly. All the VPNs on this list have apps for all major platforms that come with an intuitive design and easy-to-navigate interfaces, so they make it simple to find and connect to French servers.
- Go for a VPN that provides good value. I only recommend VPNs that come with extra features (like split-tunneling and ad blockers), allow multiple simultaneous connections, have affordable plans, and provide generous money-back guarantees.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best VPN for getting a French IP address?
My favorite VPN for getting a French IP address in 2024 is ExpressVPN — it offers high-end security and privacy features, maintains very fast speeds, works with French sites, and allows torrenting on its French servers.
Can I torrent with a French IP address?
Yes, you can use a French IP address to torrent, but you need a good torrenting VPN that has French servers. I recommend ExpressVPN — it allows torrenting, works with top P2P apps like uTorrent and Vuze, and provides very fast downloads.
Can you get a French IP address with a free VPN?
No, most free VPNs don’t have servers in France. Even if you find a free VPN with French servers, I recommend you avoid it — free VPNs usually have slow speeds, limit how much data you can use each day or month, are missing important security and privacy features, and have buggy apps. Instead, it’s much better to get a low-cost premium VPN like ExpressVPN.
Can I watch Netflix with a French IP address?
Yes, you can watch Netflix with a French IP address. My top VPN for Netflix is ExpressVPN — it’s fast, easy to use, and can reliably access Netflix.
