Only These 3 VPNs Work Well
The United Kingdom’s BBC (British Broadcasting Company) is known around the world for the quality of its programming. The BBC iPlayer streaming service makes beloved content like EastEnders, Peaky Blinders, Celebrity Master Chef, Blue Planet 2, and Dr. Who, available across the UK (United Kingdom) for free. But like so many other streaming websites in today’s world, access to BBC iPlayer content is geo-blocked. BBC iPlayer uses geo-blocking technology to ensure that their content is only available to viewers located in the UK, or those with a UK IP address (wherever you are located). Fortunately, you can get access to geo-blocked iPlayer content, without having to physically travel to the UK. The solution is to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to virtually appear to be in the UK. Some of the best VPNs in the world can make BBC iPlayer think you are physically located in the UK, even when you are on another continent. This gets you around the BBC geo-blocking and gives you access to the service. We’ll explain this more in our FAQ section below. Note: While iPlayer content is available to people who are (or appear to be) in the UK, since late 2016, users must also have a UK television license and be able to enter a valid postcode to get full access to the streaming media on the site. Unfortunately, most VPN services cannot evade iPlayer’s geo-blocking. Finding ones that can reliably do so is tough, since the BBC is constantly improving their defenses against VPNs. Pointing you to three VPNs that can reliably get around iPlayer’s geo-blocking is what this guide is all about.The criteria for making our list of the Best VPNs for BBC iPlayer
Here are the criteria to join our list of the best VPNs for accessing BBC iPlayer, wherever you are located:- The ability to evade BBC iPlayer geo-blocking.
- Connection speeds sufficient for HD video streaming.
- A large network of fast, reliable VPN servers with many locations in the UK.
- Apps for computers, mobile devices, and other systems so you can access BBC iPlayer content wherever is convenient for you.
- Consistent, reliable performance across all supported devices and all the VPN servers in the network.
- The ability to function as a quality VPN in addition to evading the geo-block thrown up by BBC iPlayer.
- Tech support available 24/7 to quickly help you with iPlayer geo-blocking as well as any other problem you might experience.
- Extra credit if the VPN can get around the geo-blocking on other top streaming services such as NetFlix and Amazon Prime.
1. ExpressVPN – Great for BBC iPlayer and all-around excellent VPN
VPN | ExpressVPN |
Based in | British Virgin Islands |
Logs | No logs (audited) |
Price | $6.67/mo. |
Support | 24/7 Live chat |
Refund | 30 days |
Website | ExpressVPN.com |

+ Pros
- Four data centers in the UK means you have plenty of options for connecting to BBC iPlayer
- 3,000+ VPN servers in data centers located in 94 countries around the world
- Beyond BBC iPlayer, it can unblock Netflix and most other streaming services worldwide
- Fast, reliable, and secure VPN apps
- MediaStreamer service for all types of streaming devices
- The server network is highly reliable and offers excellent speeds
- Third-party audits confirm no-logs status and great security
- You are protected by 24/7 live chat customer support
- 30 day money-back guarantee
– Cons
- You need a discount coupon to get the best price (below)
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Want to learn more? Check out our full ExpressVPN review.2. NordVPN – Unblock BBC iPlayer and much more with this huge, fast network
VPN | NordVPN |
Based in | Panama |
Logs | No logs (audited) |
Price | $3.71/mo. |
Support | 24/7 Live chat |
Refund | 30 days |
Website | NordVPN.com |

- CyberSec – A feature that blocks ads (and the trackers that tend to accompany them) from messing with your devices, while also protecting you from domains known for hosting malware or phishing scams.
- Double-VPN servers – Encrypt your internet traffic twice by passing it through two NordVPN servers one after the other, providing perhaps the tightest security in the VPN industry.
- Tor-over-VPN servers – Send your encrypted NordVPN traffic through the Tor network to make it extra difficult to track your online activities.
- Obfuscated servers – Make your VPN traffic look like boring old HTTPS encrypted traffic so snoops or censors won’t even know you are using a VPN. And don’t worry. Your traffic remains encrypted, it is simply packaged to make it look innocuous. This feature can come in handy if you need VPN for UAE, China, or other repressive countries.
+ Pros
- 400+ VPN servers in the UK means great access to BBC iPlayer
- 5,400+ VPN servers in all, with server locations in 59 countries
- Unblocks Netflix, Amazon Prime and many other top streaming media services
- Usable and high-quality apps for most any device or OS
- The Fastest VPN service we have ever tested
- Third-party audits show that NordVPN privacy and security claims stand up to scrutiny
- Leaders in useful VPN technologies like CyberSec, Double-VPN, Tor-over-VPN, and NordLynx
- Customer Service provides 24/7 live chat support
- 30 day money-back guarantee
– Cons
- You need to invest in long-term subscriptions for the best prices
- No dedicated router app (but most routers are still supported)
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Want to learn more? Check out our full NordVPN review.3. Surfshark – A low-cost VPN that works great for BBC iPlayer
VPN | Surfshark |
Based in | British Virgin Islands |
Logs | No logs |
Price | $2.49/mo. |
Support | 24/7 Live chat |
Refund | 30 days |
Website | Surfshark.com |
- CleanWeb – Comparable to NordVPN’s CyberSec
- MultiHop – Comparable to NordVPN’s Double-VPN servers
- Camouflage mode – Comparable to NordVPN’s Obfuscated servers
- Unlimited simultaneous connections – In an industry where supporting 5 or 6 simultaneous connections to the network is the norm, Surfshark gives you unlimited connections. Got seven kids who all want to stream video at the same time? No problem. Your internet connection might fall over, but Surfshark can handle the load.
- A crazy low price – Surprisingly, Surfshark has an incredibly low subscription price, and is one of the best options in the ‘cheap VPN‘ category. If you use the discount coupon at the end of this section, you will be able to get all the premium benefits of Surfshark, at a price you would expect from some stripped-down service.
+ Pros
- BBC iPlayer unblocking power from their data centers in the UK
- Unblocks the majority of top streaming media providers including 10+ regional Netflix libraries
- A presence in 63 countries for their 1,700+ server network
- Unlimited simultaneous connections to their network
- VPN network offers good speeds and quality that support HD video viewing
- A large selection of high-quality apps
- Challenging NordVPN on the advanced features front
- 24/7 live chat support
- 30 day money-back guarantee
– Cons
- Some variability in VPN server speeds across the network
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To learn more about Surfshark, check out our full Surfshark review.Best VPNs for BBC iPlayer – FAQ
Here is a collection of common questions people have related to using a VPN with BBC iPlayer.How does a VPN make BBC iPlayer think I am in the UK?
To answer that question, we first need to talk about how BBC iPlayer knows where you are in the world. There are various ways to find a device’s physical location, particularly for mobile devices with their built-in GPS receivers. However, the most common way is to look at the device’s IP address. Everything connected to the internet is assigned an IP address, which identifies your device and the general area where your device is located. If your IP address isn’t located in the UK, then you will be blocked from accessing BBC iPlayer, and get something like this:
How do I access BBC iPlayer with a VPN?
Here’s how to use a VPN to get connected to BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.Step 1: Get a VPN that can unblock BBC iPlayer
Get yourself a VPN with the ability to unblock BBC iPlayer. Here are the three we recommend:- ExpressVPN
- NordVPN
- Surfshark
Step 2: Install the VPN
Follow the directions on the VPN website to download and install it. Make sure you get the correct app(s) for the device(s) you have. The sites should offer the correct ones automatically, but it never hurts to check.Step 3: Get connected
Run the VPN app you just installed. Each of our recommended VPNs makes it easy to select a specific country. In the case of BBC iPlayer, that country is the United Kingdom (UK). Regardless of which streaming service you want to work with, you always want to choose a VPN server in the same country as the streaming service. If you are trying to connect to a service like Netflix that has regional libraries, you should choose a server in the same country as the library you want access to.Step 4: Log in to BBC iPlayer normally
Now that you are connected, you can log into your BBC iPlayer account normally. iPlayer’s defenses should see you as a legitimate user and not try to block you.Do I need a VPN for BBC iPlayer?
Unless you are physically present in the United Kingdom, you will need a VPN to use BBC iPlayer. If you do live in the UK, you might still want a VPN for its ability to protect your privacy while using iPlayer or doing anything else online.Best VPNs for BBC iPlayer – Conclusion
The war between streaming media services like BBC iPlayer and VPN services shows no sign of abating. That’s why finding a VPN with a good track record of defeating BBC iPlayer geo-blocking is so important. We recommend these three VPNs in the table below because they stand out in our ranking criteria, namely:- Excellent performance throughout the server network
- Full ability to unblock BBC iPlayer with a good selection of UK VPN servers
- Secure and reliable VPN apps for all major streaming devices and operating systems
- Good track record
- 24/7 live chat to help you out if there are any issues


