Best VPN for BBC iPlayer
It’s impossible to list out streaming sites with the toughest geo-blocks without mentioning the BBC iPlayer. Its tough geo-block immediately kicks you out should you login from anywhere outside the UK.
If you love to watch British TV or you’re a British expat living outside the UK, this can be frustrating. Thankfully, you can successfully stream the BBC iPlayer from outside the UK using a VPN. Standing for virtual private network, a high-quality VPN breaks through BBC iPlayer’s location restrictions.
Identifying the best VPN for BBC iPlayer can be tricky, though. Not just any VPN will do. You’d need one that actually unblocks BBC iPlayer successfully. To make your work easier, we’ve done the hard work of finding out the best VPN for BBC iPlayer, having tested tens of VPNs.
Factors to Consider when Selecting a VPN for BBC iPlayer
Accessing a blocked streaming content with a VPN is ridiculously easy. You know this, and so do the streaming platforms. That’s why, BBC iPlayer, just like Netflix, continues to tighten its anti-VPN technology. This means that fewer VPNs are able to access BBC iPlayer with each passing day.
To keep you from dancing back and forth in search of something that works, we’ve identified the best working VPNs for BBC iPlayer. When identifying these VPNs, we considered the following factors:
UK Servers
For a VPN to successfully unblock BBC iPlayer from outside the UK, it needs to have a good number of servers in the UK. These servers should also be tied to an even larger number of IP addresses, ensuring the VPN IP isn’t easily found out at any point in time.
Streaming speed
Not only do our selected VPNs for streaming break through location blocks, they also throw up sufficient speeds for HD streaming.
Support
Your selected VPN should offer enough support for the different devices you may have. It should also have an excellent customer support ready to take on your questions whenever, wherever.
Best VPN for BBC iPlayer
1. CyberGhost
- Fast average VPN speeds
- Great VPN server network covering 90 countries
- Dedicated servers for torrenting and P2P traffic
- Strict No logging policy
- Unlocks streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer
- User-friendly apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV & Firestick, Xbox, PlayStation, and even for routers
- Does not allow torrenting in the US and Australia
- Does not work in countries with high censorship
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Top Speed
54Mbps
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Servers
90 Countries
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Available on
The Bottom Line
Following its massive overhaul, CyberGhost has now found its way to the top of the VPN charts, especially when it comes to unblocking BBC iPlayer. Once connected, the VPN lets you choose any of six different regions (user profiles) in the UK, so you can find the right server.
Click the Unblock Streaming tab to find BBC iPlayer under the All and Most Popular category. Click on the box for CyberGhost to automatically direct you to the ideal server.
CyberGhost has over 150 servers dedicated to the UK, a strict no-logs policy, excellent live chat support system, and allows up to 5 simultaneous connections. Plus, its custom profile is simple to use; customizing the client that lets you unblock BBC iPlayer content is just a few clicks away.
If you experience any difficulties while setting up the VPN, reach out to the customer support as soon as you can. They are very responsive to user needs.
Though CyberGhost is not as fast as ExpressVPN or NordVPN, it still posts respectable speeds. They also offer 45 days money back guarantee which should allow you to make up your mind about the service.
2. NordVPN
- Stable and fast VPN speeds
- Allows torrenting on many servers
- Works great with Netflix, BBC iPlayer and other streaming services
- User-friendly apps for IOS, Mac, Android and PC
- Strong logging policy and no IP, WebRTC, and DNS leaks
- Massive server networks: over 5,700 servers running in 60 countries
- Alternative VPN protocols require manual configuration
- Obfuscated servers (designed for countries with restricted access) do not always work in China
- There are no obfuscated servers for IOS
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Top Speed
90.51Mbps
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Servers
60 Countries
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Available on
The Bottom Line
NordVPN is the closest thing to ExpressVPN, and has a strong reputation when it comes to unblocking BBC iPlayer. With over 400 servers dedicated to the UK alone, this VPN guarantees speed. In fact, it is only slightly slower when compared with ExpressVPN.
NordVPN offers a wide range of features, including a dedicated IP address – a great tool for unblocking content. However, this offer is not part of the regular subscription, so you’d have to pay an additional fee, but you can rest assured it is worth every penny.
With the regular subscription, NordVPN allows you up to 6 simultaneous connections, 30-day money back guarantee and a 24/7 live chat support system. The service also works with a strict zero-logs policy and military-grade encryption, which makes it a fast, secure and reliable choice for gaining access to geo-restricted streaming content on BBC iPlayer.
3. ExpressVPN
- One of the fastest VPNs with same-country speeds
- Strict logging policy and no IP, WebRTC, DNS leaks
- A vast network of servers across 160 cities in 94 countries as well as great privacy features
- User-friendly apps compatible with IOS, Mac, Android, and PC
- Allows file sharing and unrestricted torrenting
- More expensive than other VPN services
- Fires Stick TV can be improved
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Top Speed
85Mbps
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Servers
94 Countries
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Available on
The Bottom Line
Thanks to its blend of privacy features, ultra-fast UK servers, and helpful customer support, ExpressVPN is a great choice for BBC iPlayer streaming. Its UK-based servers provide support for OpenVPN, and the strong no-logs policy makes the VPN one of the safest on the market.
ExpressVPN delivers lightning fast speeds, allowing you stream your content without any lags or buffering. While streaming, if the server you are on is blocked by the BBC iPlayer restriction tool, ExpressVPN’s technical support team will quickly recommend a new server that will solve the problem.
With consistently high speeds and a solid collection of UK-based servers to match, ExpressVPN is a standout choice for optimum BBC iPlayer experience. Plus, it offers a 30-day money back guarantee, which means you can test the waters without any risk to you.
How the BBC iPlayer Blocks You
If you’ve run into the above error message before, chances are you’ve tried accessing the BBC iPlayer from outside the UK. How does this happen?
Just like your ISP, every website can automatically detect where your traffic is coming from. Streaming services such as BBC iPlayer exploit this technology as part of their so-called “geo-blocking” technology. They track your traffic location and duly prevent access should it come from outside the UK.
It doesn’t matter if you actually live in the UK and are simply traveling. One of the flaws of this technology is its inability to detect legitimate UK residents who are only spending a short time out. As unfair as this may sound, it remains the only way possible for them to live up to their copyright agreements.
How do you get around these blocks? VPN!
A virtual private network spoofs your internet location by first directing your network through its servers in your target location. By the time your traffic gets to the destination website, it is considered as coming from the server location. This tricks theBBC iPlayer into believing you’re logged in from the UK.
How to Use a VPN to Watch BBC iPlayer Abroad
Using a VPN with BBC iPlayer is an incredibly easy process. To begin accessing BBC iPlayer from anywhere using a VPN, follow this simple 5-step process:
- Select a VPN from our list of the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer above, and subscribe to the service.
- Install the VPN client/app for your device and launch.
- After signing in, locate the UK server list and connect.
- Visit the BBC iPlayer website and get your account started. If you don’t already have an account, you’d be prompted to input your postal/zip code while creating an account. You can easily find one of these online.
- Now begin enjoying any BBC content you want on BBC iPlayer.
Summary
BBC iPlayer may have legitimate reasons for blocking access to their streams outside of the UK, but so do you if your access is restricted simply because you took a short trip outside of your base. Thankfully, you can continue to access BBC iPlayer from anywhere you currently find yourself.
To do that, you want to select a VPN from our list of the best VPNs for the BBC iPlayer. With that sorted, connect to your VPN, log on to the BBC iPlayer and stream away!
BBC iPlayer FAQs
I have a VPN that doesn’t work with iPlayer, what do I do?
There are a number of different reasons why your VPN may not work with the iPlayer. Perhaps the VPN just isn’t compatible with the iPlayer, or your VPN has compatible servers, just not the one you’re on. It could also be that your VPN’s iPlayer compatible server has just been blocked. Reach out to your VPN provider to identify the problem. If there are no compatible servers, you may have to switch VPNs.
Can I use a free VPN for BBC iPlayer?
BBC iPlayer continues to improve its anti-VPN technology. This means that with each passing year, they get better at tracking and blocking IP addresses associated with VPNs. Many premium VPNs struggle to break down this barrier. It just isn’t right to expect free VPNs to succeed either, however, you can give it a try.
Do I need a license to watch iPlayer abroad?
BBC iPlayer requires a TV license before you proceed. However, you can simply tick that you’ve got a license and no further checks will be made. Because you’re streaming from outside the UK and a VPN provides you with online anonymity, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, be sure to get a license if you’d be streaming from the UK. Otherwise, you could be facing a heavy fine.
Are there any limitations when using a VPN for BBC iPlayer?
No. Once you successfully connect to iPlayer, you become a regular user like everyone else. This means you can stream every content and download programs if you wish.
