Updated on: April 26, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for the UK in 2024:
- 🥇ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN has the best speeds out there, as well as top-notch security. It has excellent streaming and torrenting support on all servers, including 5 server locations in the UK. Its apps are easy to use, and it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
You might be concerned about rising cyber surveillance in the UK, with the Investigatory Powers Act becoming more stringent. These growing powers make it easier for the UK government to learn about your online activities, even if you have nothing to hide from the authorities.
To protect your online privacy in the UK, I recommend using a VPN. A VPN encrypts your online traffic and masks your IP address, so neither your communication service provider (CSP) nor the authorities will be able to see what you’re doing online.
The trouble is that not all VPNs adhere to strict no-logs policies, meaning they collect your browsing history and personal information, which the UK government can obtain if it requests data. Other VPNs have poor security like frequent leaks of your IP address, which can expose your online activities and reveal your location.
To find the best VPNs for protecting your privacy and security in the UK, I tested 20+ VPNs to find my top recommendations. After narrowing down the list, my top choice is ExpressVPN because it’s super fast and secure, has many server locations in the UK, and provides great streaming and torrenting support.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for the UK in 2024:
- 1. 🥇 ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for UK users in 2024 (fastest VPN on the market + top-notch security).
- 2. 🥈 Private Internet Access — High-quality VPN for torrenting from the UK (with plenty of P2P-oriented features).
- 3. 🥉 CyberGhost VPN — Excellent VPN with streaming-optimized servers in the UK + good automation tool.
- 4. NordVPN — Great VPN for gaming in the UK (unique LAN party feature + strong security).
- 5. Surfshark — Good VPN for beginners in the UK with easy-to-use apps for Android and iOS.
- Plus 2 more!
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for the UK in 2024
ExpressVPN is my #1 recommendation for a VPN in the UK. It has top-notch security to maintain your privacy in the UK, exceptionally fast speeds, the best streaming, torrenting, and gaming support, and a large server network spanning 105 countries, including 5 server locations in the UK, such as Dockland, East London, London, Midlands, and Wembly. This way, you can connect to the server that is closest to you for the fastest speeds.
ExpressVPN has excellent security features:
- RAM-only servers. These servers wipe all data upon reboot, so your information is never stored permanently.
- Perfect forward secrecy. Your encryption keys refresh frequently, so even if a third party were to compromise your current session, they wouldn’t be able to access your previous or future session.
- Full leak protection. ExpressVPN has built-in protection against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks.
- Threat Manager. This feature protects you from intrusive ads and trackers that would gather your data and also prevents you from visiting malicious websites.
ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN on the market thanks to its Lightway protocol, which makes it great for any online activity. In addition, it has excellent streaming support, as it works with 100+ streaming services. I asked my colleague in the UK to test it, and he confirmed that he could watch BBC iPlayer, ITV, and Channel 4 (among others) over a local UK server without any issues. It allows P2P traffic and works with all popular P2P clients, including qBittorrent, μTorrent, and Vuze.
I like how ExpressVPN has easy-to-use apps for all major operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux. The apps make it super easy to connect to a server, thanks to Quick Connect, which recommends the fastest server for your location. I also really like the Shortcuts feature, which creates a tray with 1-click shortcuts that connect to your chosen apps as soon as you connect to a server.
ExpressVPN offers plans starting at $6.67 / month. While it’s a bit pricier compared to other VPNs on this list, I find that the many reliable features you get are worth the cost. What’s more, ExpressVPN backs all plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out without any financial risk.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is the top VPN for the UK in 2024. It has excellent security features to maintain your privacy in the age of rising cyber surveillance in the UK. It’s also super fast, and it has excellent streaming and torrenting support. It has great apps for all popular devices, and it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Excellent VPN for Torrenting in the UK
Private Internet Access (PIA) is an excellent choice for a torrenting VPN in the UK. It supports all popular P2P clients, such as qBittorrent, Transmission, μTorrent, and Deluge. It also allows torrenting traffic on all of its servers across 91 countries (and has UK server locations in Manchester, London, and Southampton).
I like PIA’s torrenting-oriented features that increase your download and upload speeds. It has a port forwarding feature, which lets more peers connect into the swarm, and it also has SOCKS5 proxy servers. These servers mask your IP address but don’t encrypt your data, which means you’ll get better speeds. My torrenting speeds noticeably increased when using the SOCKS5 proxy servers and port forwarding feature.
PIA also has good streaming support; my UK colleague confirmed it works with ITV, Netflix UK, and BBC iPlayer. It also offers an optimized streaming server in the UK, which is designed to work with virtually every streaming app in the country.
Another feature I particularly like is PIA MACE, which is the best VPN ad blocker in 2024. I tested it on multiple ad-heavy sites, including social media and national news outlets, and it got rid of every pop-up and banner on the page — this conveniently sped up my loading times a bit. Also, I liked how it removed all the ads that appeared in my search results.
I like how PIA lets you connect an unlimited number of devices under a single subscription. Because it has apps for all popular operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, your entire household can easily secure all their devices.
Private Internet Access offers cheap plans, starting at $2.03 / month, and it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on any purchase.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is a great VPN for torrenting in the UK. It has torrenting-friendly features, such as port forwarding and SOCKS5 proxy servers. It also has strong security features, good speeds, and easy-to-use apps for most popular operating systems. It’s affordable and backs all plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Great VPN With Streaming-Optimized Servers in the UK
CyberGhost VPN is great for streaming in the UK because of its specialized servers. These servers are optimized to work with specific streaming platforms, including Netflix UK, Amazon Prime Video UK, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, and ITV. My colleague in the UK confirmed that these servers work with their respective streaming apps 24/7.
In addition to dedicated streaming servers, Cyberghost offers dedicated gaming servers (including in the UK) and has a dedicated torrenting server in the UK. The gaming servers provide low ping for seamless gaming, while the torrenting servers usually have the best downloading speeds.
If you’re just interested in browsing the web, CyberGhost offers servers in 100 countries, as well as in the UK — there are 2 server locations in London and Manchester and 1 in Berkshire.
I really like how convenient CyberGhost VPN’s apps are. They come with Smart Rules, which is a great automation feature that lets you set everything up at once and then let the VPN run in the background. You can configure it to automatically connect you to a UK server when you open any app you choose, and vice-versa — you can set it to open an app of your choice when you connect to a server.
CyberGhost VPN offers plans starting at $2.19 / month. It offers a generous 45-day money-back guarantee on the long-term plans, while the monthly plan is backed by a 14-day guarantee.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN has specialized servers for streaming UK apps like BBC iPlayer and ITV. It lets you automate your VPN connection so you only really need to set it up once. The VPN has 5 server locations in the UK, as well as dedicated servers in the country for torrenting and gaming. It offers a 45-day money-back guarantee on long-term plans.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
4. NordVPN — Great VPN for Gaming in the UK
NordVPN has a unique feature called Meshnet that’s great for gamers in the UK. Meshnet lets you create a private, secured network that connects up to 60 devices anywhere in the world, so you can create a virtual LAN party. This means you can play with your friends from around the world as if you were all in the same room, gaming together on a super secure network.
What’s more, NordVPN has great security to protect your gaming. It protects your IP address a DDoS attack. Plus, I like its Dark Web Monitor feature, which notifies you immediately if your gaming login credentials appear in a dark web data breach.
NordVPN has good torrenting support. It allows P2P traffic on servers in 45+ out of 111 countries with NordVPN servers (including in the UK), and it has SOCKS5 proxy servers. However, it doesn’t have port forwarding like Private Internet Access does. As for streaming support, NordVPN works with 10+ streaming apps, including Netflix UK and BBC iPlayer. Still, I’d recommend ExpressVPN for streaming, since it works with 100+ streaming platforms.
I like how easy NordVPN makes it to connect to a server. Aside from the search function, you can find your preferred server through the interactive map, and there’s also a Quick Connect feature that automatically selects the best server for you.
NordVPN’s plans start at $3.09 / month, and you get a 30-day money-back guarantee on all purchases.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN is great for securing long-distance multiplayer gaming sessions — its Meshnet feature lets you connect up to 60 devices into a virtual LAN party. It’s also super secure and has great speeds for all sorts of online activities, including gaming, streaming, and torrenting. NordVPN supports all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — Great Mobile VPN Apps for Securing Your Traffic in the UK
Surfshark has feature-rich apps for Android and iOS that make connecting super easy. The apps have a quick-connect feature that recommends the fastest server available for your location as well as a server in the nearest country. They also come with detailed descriptions for all features, so you’ll be able to set everything up without much technical know-how.
Surfshark has excellent streaming support, as it works with 50+ popular streaming apps. My UK colleague tested the 4 UK server locations with BBC iPlayer, Netflix UK, and Amazon Prime Video UK, and reported that all the platforms worked without issues. It also has great torrenting support, allowing P2P traffic on all servers in its 100-country network.
You can secure all of your devices since Surfshark lets you connect an unlimited number of devices.
Surfshark offers several subscription tiers, starting at $2.29 / month. Whichever plan you choose, Surfshark backs it with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is a great way to secure all your mobile devices, as it has great, feature-rich apps and allows unlimited connections. It includes good streaming and torrenting support. Surfshark has multiple subscription tiers and covers them all with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
6. PrivateVPN — Simple & Beginner-Friendly VPN for the UK
PrivateVPN is a good option if you’re a VPN beginner in the UK. Its apps come with a Simple View interface, which lets you choose a server from the list and connect to it. Since the VPN is already pre-configured, you don’t need to take care of any settings. In case you want to fine-tune PrivateVPN’s settings, it lets you do so in the Advanced View interface.
I like PrivateVPN’s torrenting support. It works with popular P2P clients, like Deluge and qBittorrent, it has SOCKS5 proxy servers to increase your torrenting speeds, and it uses port forwarding. When it comes to streaming, PrivateVPN works with 20+ streaming apps, including Disney+, Netflix UK, and BBC iPlayer.
While PrivateVPN only has servers in 63 countries, it covers most of the globe and offers servers in London and Manchester. That being said, the other top VPNs on this list have servers in more countries and cities in the UK.
PrivateVPN’s plans are affordable, starting at $2.00 / month. Also, it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
PrivateVPN has pretty simple apps that let you establish a connection in the UK in just a few clicks. It has great torrenting and streaming support and a decent server network. Its plans are very affordable, and it backs all its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full PrivateVPN review
7. Proton VPN — Secure VPN for Maintaining Your Privacy in the UK
Proton VPN is excellent for protecting your online security and privacy in the UK. You get all of the essential features and also advanced tools, like full disk encryption, which is a very secure alternative. Plus, all of its apps are open-source, so anyone can inspect them for flaws — and they’ve passed independent audits to confirm they’re secure.
Proton VPN’s speeds are pretty good. I also really like its VPN Accelerator feature, which increases your speeds while connected to distant servers. This is great if you need to connect to a server in the US or Japan and want to maintain fast speeds.
It has good P2P support, including a port forwarding feature, and it allows torrenting on all of its UK servers, located in London and Manchester. As for streaming, it works with 50+ streaming services.
Proton VPN’s apps have a convenient quick-connect feature and an interactive map. It’s very easy to connect to any of Proton VPN’s servers in just a few clicks.
Proton VPN offers plans starting at $4.99 / month and backs them with a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee. It also has a decent free plan but it doesn’t allow you to access the UK server, so it might not be worthwhile if you’re looking to connect to a local server.
Bottom Line:
Proton VPN is a high-security VPN that’s great for keeping your data private. It has good speeds and a nifty speed-boosting feature you can use on faraway servers. It supports torrenting on all of its UK servers, and it has great streaming support. It backs all paid plans with a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Proton VPN review
Comparison of the Best VPNs for the UK in 2024
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
I compiled this list of top VPNs for the UK using our tried-and-true SafetyDetectives testing methodology. I tested and ranked the VPNs by simulating real-life scenarios that an everyday user would encounter. Here are some of the main criteria I considered while testing and grading VPNs for this list:
- I tested the VPNs’ speeds for all online activities. A VPN introduces a slowdown to your connection because of the encryption process that keeps your data safe, but the VPNs on this list all have really good speeds. My speeds while connected to a VPN server were quite close to my internet speeds without a VPN.
- I looked into how well the VPNs support torrenting. The VPNs I recommend all allow torrenting on their UK servers and work with P2P clients like qBittorrent, μTorrent, Deluge, or Transmission.
- I confirmed the VPNs’ streaming support. I asked my UK colleagues to confirm that the most popular streaming services — including BBC iPlayer, Netflix UK, and Channel 4 — work with each provider’s UK servers.
- I made sure the VPNs have strong security. All the VPNs I recommend here have security features like 256-bit AES encryption (used by banks and militaries), a kill switch that switches your internet off if the VPN connection drops, and a no-logs policy. All these VPNs passed my IP leak tests as well.
- I evaluated the VPNs’ value for money. All the VPNs on this list come with plenty of extra features, allow multiple devices to connect under a single subscription, and offer a money-back guarantee on all purchases.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- TunnelBear. TunnelBear’s apps are simple and fun to use, but it’s not as fast as the VPNs on my list. Also, it doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee on its paid plans.
- Astrill VPN. Astrill VPN is secure, fast, and good for streaming but it’s very expensive. There are VPNs on my list that offer better value at a lower cost.
- Mullvad VPN. Mullvad VPN has great security features and it’s very private, but it doesn’t work well with streaming platforms in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best VPN for the UK?
My top recommendation is ExpressVPN. It has 5 server locations in the UK, its speeds are the best on the VPN market, and its strong security has been extensively tested. What’s more, it has excellent streaming support in the UK (and it works with 100+ streaming apps worldwide) and torrenting support (allows P2P traffic on all servers and works with all popular torrenting clients).
Is using a VPN in the UK legal?
Yes, and I compiled this list of top UK VPNs to help people in the UK concerned about the government’s growing power to monitor their online activities. However, it’s important to keep in mind that using a VPN for illegal activities — such as copyright infringement or accessing prohibited materials — could still cause you legal trouble. Neither I nor anyone else at SafetyDetectives condones the use of VPNs for illegal purposes.
Can I use a free VPN to secure my traffic in the UK?
You can, but I don’t typically recommend it. Many free VPNs out there have severe limitations, like they don’t allow you to access their UK servers and impose speed limits or monthly data caps. You’re better off with a premium VPN, like ExpressVPN, to secure your traffic in the UK.
Can I stream with a VPN in the UK?
All the VPNs on my list support streaming on their UK servers. My favorite streaming VPN is ExpressVPN, since it works with 100+ streaming services, including BBC iPlayer, ITV, and Channel 4. I also recommend trying CyberGhost VPN, which has streaming-optimized servers in the UK — they are configured specifically for the best streaming experience on platforms like Netflix UK, ITV, and BBC iPlayer.
