Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for BBC iPlayer in 2023:
- 🥇ExpressVPN: Consistently works with BBC iPlayer, has multiple server locations in the UK, and maintains superfast streaming speeds. It offers user-friendly apps for a wide range of devices, and it even works with routers so you can watch BBC iPlayer on your TV. ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
I love watching shows like The Apprentice on BBC iPlayer, so it’s a little frustrating when I can’t access the platform when I travel outside the UK. Luckily, I discovered I can use a VPN to connect to a UK server and access my favorite BBC iPlayer titles — no matter where I am.
Unfortunately, many VPNs don’t work with BBC iPlayer. This is because BBC iPlayer (and many other streaming services) use technology that can detect and block VPNs. Plus, a lot of the VPNs that can access the platform are slow, which means long load times and a lot of buffering.
I spent weeks testing all of the top VPNs to find the best ones for BBC iPlayer, and I’ve found a few fast and affordable options that work 100% of the time. My top choice is ExpressVPN — it offers the best connection speeds, has 5 server locations in the UK, and its apps are super easy to use.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for BBC iPlayer in 2023.
- 2. 🥈Private Internet Access — User-friendly apps + fast streaming speeds.
- 3. 🥉CyberGhost VPN — Optimized servers for BBC iPlayer.
- 4. NordVPN — Reliable VPN with great security.
- 5. Surfshark — Affordable VPN for BBC iPlayer.
- Comparison of the Best VPNs for BBC iPlayer.
🥇 1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for BBC iPlayer in 2023
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer in 2023 — during my tests, it worked with BBC iPlayer 100% of the time.
ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs I’ve ever tested. When I connected to its servers in London and Wembley, BBC iPlayer titles loaded instantly, and I didn’t experience any buffering. Plus, the VPN offers 5 server locations in the UK in total (London, East London, Wembley, Docklands, and Midlands), so you can always choose a location closest to you for the fastest speeds.
In addition to BBC iPlayer, ExpressVPN works with all other major streaming platforms. It can access 100+ streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and HBO Max, as well as lesser-known platforms such as Pluto TV and Tubi. In fact, it’s our top-rated VPN for streaming in 2023.
ExpressVPN offers apps for all major operating systems, including macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS. It’s also one of the only VPNs on the market that comes with a dedicated app for routers.
I particularly like ExpressVPN’s smart DNS feature, called MediaStreamer. This feature allows you to stream BBC iPlayer and other geo-blocked content on devices that normally don’t work with VPNs, such as gaming consoles and certain smart TVs. I followed ExpressVPN’s detailed instructions on its website, and it took me about 10 minutes to set it up on my Xbox.
Plus, ExpressVPN comes with advanced security features. It includes TrustedServer technology, which uses RAM-only servers that lose all data every time they get rebooted, as well as perfect forward secrecy — it changes the encryption keys for every VPN session so that even if cybercriminals obtain one key, they can’t compromise any past or future keys and spy on your traffic. And, ExpressVPN provides full leak protection against WebRTC, DNS, and IPv6 leaks. I tested more than 10 servers and didn’t find any leaks.
ExpressVPN’s apps are very easy to use, too. I like that I was able to add the UK servers to my Favorites (by clicking on the star next to each server) for quick access. I also like ExpressVPN’s Shortcuts feature, which allows you to create 1-click shortcuts to your favorite apps and websites — like BBC iPlayer — and access them straight from the VPN app.
ExpressVPN’s plans start at $6.67 / month. All of ExpressVPN’s plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is the best BBC iPlayer VPN on the market. It consistently works with BBC iPlayer, provides the fastest streaming speeds, and has very user-friendly apps for a variety of devices. Plus, it offers a MediaStreamer feature, so you can watch BBC iPlayer titles on devices that don’t natively support VPNs — like smart TVs and games consoles. ExpressVPN backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈 2. Private Internet Access — Fast Streaming Speeds & Intuitive Apps
Private Internet Access (PIA) reliably accessed BBC iPlayer in every one of my tests. It has 3 server locations in the UK (London, Southampton, and Manchester), including a streaming-optimized server (located in London). However, I didn’t really notice any difference between the streaming-optimized server and the rest of the UK servers, as all of them consistently worked with BBC iPlayer.
PIA offers consistently fast connection speeds, but it’s slightly slower than ExpressVPN. Even so, I was able to stream all of my favorite BBC iPlayer shows in HD and Ultra HD buffer-free. I like how PIA shows you the latency for each server, color-coding the fastest options in green so you can easily see which UK server location will give you the best connection for streaming.
In general, PIA is great for streaming. In addition to BBC iPlayer, the VPN works with all of the other top streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max.
Plus, PIA has native apps for the major operating platforms, including Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS devices, as well as routers and smart TVs. Like ExpressVPN, PIA also comes with a smart DNS feature, which means you can set it up on your gaming consoles and other WiFi-enabled devices. If you need to stream BBC iPlayer on many different devices, you’ll also like how PIA allows unlimited simultaneous connections.
PIA is one of the few VPNs that have open-source apps, which means that anyone can check the code for any cracks in security, and it regularly publishes transparency reports about the requests it receives for user data. What’s more, PIA has RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and full leak protection.
PIA is also very easy to use — it didn’t take me longer than a couple of seconds to find and connect to a UK server. I also really liked that you can add your preferred servers to Favorites, so you don’t have to scroll through the entire server list every time you want to connect.
PIA’s plans start at $2.19 / month and are all backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access offers great streaming speeds and can consistently access BBC iPlayer. Plus, it’s very secure and easy to use, works with a wide range of devices, allows unlimited connections, and has a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.
TRY PRIVATE INTERNET ACCESS NOW
Read the full Private Internet Access review
🥉 3. CyberGhost VPN — Includes a Streaming-Optimized Server for BBC iPlayer
CyberGhost VPN offers multiple servers in the UK, including a dedicated server for BBC iPlayer. This server (which you can find in the “For Streaming” section in the app) is optimized to work with the streaming platform — CyberGhost regularly refreshes its IP addresses and verifies their compatibility with BBC iPlayer, so you won’t face any of the platform’s VPN blocks. When connected to this server, I was able to access BBC iPlayer every time.
CyberGhost is pretty fast, too. In my tests, HD and 4K videos took around 1–2 seconds to load, and I didn’t experience any buffering. That said, it’s slower than ExpressVPN.
When it comes to streaming, CyberGhost VPN is an excellent choice — as well as the special server for BBC iPlayer, it also offers 100+ streaming-optimized servers for major platforms like Netflix US, Hulu, and more. I tested its server for Amazon Prime Video and Netflix multiple times, and I was always able to access the sites.
CyberGhost is very secure. It runs on RAM-only servers, uses perfect forward secrecy, and offers protection against DNS and automatically disables all IPv6 traffic. It also has an independently audited no-logs policy and, like Private Internet Access, publishes transparency reports every 3 months.
What’s more, CyberGhost has intuitive apps for a wide range of devices, and works on routers and smart TVs. Like ExpressVPN, it also has a smart DNS that lets you set up the VPN on your gaming console and watch BBC iPlayer titles from there. I also really liked its Smart Rules feature, which makes the VPN highly customizable. For example, you can configure CyberGhost so it automatically opens BBC iPlayer when you connect to your favorite UK server.
CyberGhost offers plans that start at $2.19 / month. I was impressed to see that it backs its long-term plans with a generous 45-day money-back guarantee. Its short-term plans, on the other hand, come with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost comes with an optimized streaming server for BBC iPlayer that can access the platform 100% of the time. The VPN maintains very fast speeds, works with tons of other streaming platforms, has intuitive apps, and has an impressive 45-day money-back guarantee for its long-term plans (and a 14-day money-back guarantee for its short-term plans).
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
4. NordVPN — Fast Connections & Great Security Features
NordVPN is a fast, secure, and reliable VPN for BBC iPlayer. I tested all 4 of its UK server locations (Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London), and they all worked seamlessly with the platform.
NordVPN offers great speeds thanks to its proprietary NordLynx protocol. When I tested its UK servers with this protocol, HD videos loaded immediately, and there was no buffering. I also tested NordVPN’s speed with the remaining VPN protocols and can confirm that, although my speeds weren’t as fast as with NordLynx, they were still fast enough to stream BBC iPlayer content buffer-free.
On top of that, NordVPN works with other streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, so you can always access your local content libraries. Still, ExpressVPN works with more streaming sites (it can access 100+ streaming platforms).
NordVPN also offers top-notch security and privacy — it uses RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, full leak protection, and an independently audited no-logs policy. I also like its Threat Protection, which blocks ads, trackers, and malware.
NordVPN has user-friendly apps for all major operating platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux — plus it comes with router support and a smart DNS feature. I’m a fan of its auto-connect feature, which allows you to configure the VPN to automatically connect to the fastest server in the UK.
NordVPN plans start as low as $3.19 / month. All of its plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out risk-free.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN offers fast and reliable connections to your BBC iPlayer account. The VPN has its own NordLynx protocol — which is very fast and secure — plus it works with other streaming platforms, and backs all of its plans with a money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — Affordable VPN for BBC iPlayer
Surfshark is a very affordable VPN that reliably works with BBC iPlayer, so it’s a great choice if you’re on a budget.
Surfshark’s speeds are good, but ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access are much faster. Videos in HD took 1–2 seconds to load, and once they did, I didn’t experience any buffering. However, my speeds were much slower on long-distance servers, so you might experience some buffering when streaming BBC iPlayer from a country that’s far from the UK.
Like Private Internet Access, Surfshark allows unlimited connections so everyone in your family can stream BBC iPlayer content on their own devices. I asked my family to help me test it by connecting to a UK server on all of the devices in our household (8 devices in total) — we all had stable connections and didn’t experience any slowdowns.
Surfshark works with most other streaming platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more. The only streaming site that it doesn’t consistently work with (that I’ve tested) is Disney+ — which you can access all of the time with my top pick, ExpressVPN.
Surfshark also offers great security and privacy. It has RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and an audited no-logs policy. Unfortunately, Surfshark is missing full leak protection — it only protects against DNS leaks. That said, Surfshark never revealed my real IP address, and leak tests always showed one of its UK IP addresses.
Surfshark has easy-to-use apps for most devices, including routers and smart TVs, and a smart DNS feature. Plus, the apps have a lot of convenient features — I particularly liked that you can see the ping next to each server location, which makes it super easy to find the fastest one for streaming.
Surfshark’s plans start at $2.30 / month and are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is one of the most affordable VPNs out there. The VPN has good speeds on local and nearby servers, works with several other streaming platforms, includes advanced security features, allows unlimited connections, and backs all of its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
Comparison of the Best VPNs for BBC iPlayer in 2023
How to Choose the Best VPN for BBC iPlayer in 2023
- Find a VPN with servers in the UK. You can only access BBC iPlayer from the UK so you’ll need a VPN that has at least one server in the UK. All VPNs listed here offer at least 1 UK server location.
- Select a VPN with great streaming support. It’s important to note that many streaming services actively block known VPN server IP addresses, limiting VPN compatibility. However, premium VPNs can reliably bypass these restrictions and consistently access platforms like BBC iPlayer and other popular streaming services.
- Test for fast speeds. All VPNs will slow down your speeds a bit due to the encryption process. However, with a premium VPN, you won’t notice any buffering on BBC iPlayer. ExpressVPN had the fastest speeds during my tests.
- Consider ease of use. A good VPN should have user-friendly apps that make it easy to find and connect to a UK server.
- Get a VPN with strong security and privacy features. All the VPNs on this list include industry-standard VPN security features like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and a no-logs policy. They also have advanced security features, including RAM-only servers and perfect forward secrecy.
- Pick a VPN that offers a good value. I only recommend the best VPNs that work with all major operating systems, allow multiple simultaneous connections, and back all purchases with at least a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- IPVanish. IPVanish allows unlimited connections and has an extensive server network, with servers in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Maidenhead. Unfortunately, I was unable to access BBC iPlayer while connected to its servers.
- Hola VPN. Hola VPN was very fast in my tests, but it didn’t work with BBC iPlayer. I also found that it doesn’t encrypt your traffic or route it through secure servers; instead, it uses a peer-to-peer (P2P) network and replaces your IP address with the IP address of another Hola VPN user. This is risky since it means that someone else could use your IP address and potentially engage in unwanted behavior.
- UltraVPN. This VPN has servers in the UK but none of them worked with BBC iPlayer during my tests. Also, I did experience some slowdowns in my tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best VPN to access BBC iPlayer?
ExpressVPN is my top recommendation for watching BBC iPlayer — in my tests, I was able to access the platform 100% of the time and my connection was super fast. I also like that it has easy-to-use apps for many different devices and works with 100+ other streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.
Can I use BBC iPlayer without a UK TV license?
You can’t watch BBC iPlayer content without a UK TV license. When you open BBC iPlayer, you will need to check a box to confirm that you have a UK TV license. But, even if you do have a UK TV license, you still won’t be able to use BBC iPlayer unless you’re in the UK.
A reliable VPN (like ExpressVPN) lets you connect to a UK server, which will make it appear as if you’re in the UK so you can still watch your favorite BBC iPlayer shows while you’re abroad.
Can I use a free VPN to watch BBC iPlayer?
Maybe, but I don’t recommend it. Most free VPNs don’t work with BBC iPlayer, and they often lack industry-standard security and privacy features. The free VPNs that actually do work with BBC iPlayer come with annoying limitations such as data caps, slow speeds, and small server networks.
Instead, I recommend getting a premium VPN like one of the VPNs on this list. They work with BBC iPlayer all of the time, have very fast speeds, and come with money-back guarantees (so you can test the services risk-free).
Can I use a BBC iPlayer VPN for other streaming services?
Yes, all the VPNs on this list also work with other top streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. I recommend picking ExpressVPN since it’s the best VPN for streaming in 2023 (it works with 100+ streaming platforms).
