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The Best VPNs for BBC iPlayer
Callum Tennent
Callum Tennent oversees how we test and review VPN services. He's a member of the IAPP, and his VPN advice has featured in Forbes and the Internet Society. Read full bio
The best VPN for watching BBC iPlayer outside the UK is NordVPN, earning a test rating of 9.7/10. Based on our tests, all of NordVPN’s 629 UK servers can bypass BBC iPlayer’s geo-restrictions while maintaining fast speeds. Unlike most free VPNs, NordVPN also offers unlimited data and protected our privacy.
If you try to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad, you’ll encounter the “BBC iPlayer only works in the UK” error message.
To get around this geo-restriction, you’ll need a VPN with UK servers that can bypass BBC iPlayer’s VPN blocks.
However, even some of the best streaming VPNs struggle against the BBC’s advanced VPN detection systems. After extensive testing, we’ve found 4 services that consistently work, including a free option.
Summary: The Best VPNs for BBC iPlayer
Here are the VPNs we recommend to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad:
We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our ratings are based on our own testing results and are unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.
VPNs Tested with BBC iPlayer
62
VPNs That Unblock BBC iPlayer
40
Test Devices
PC, iPhone, PS5, Fire TV & Apple TV
Using a VPN to access BBC iPlayer, you’ll be able to watch content that’s usually only available on paid services, like Doctor Who on Disney+ and Killing Eve on BritBox, entirely for free.
Top BBC iPlayer VPNs Compared
The table below compares our recommended VPNs based on VPN speeds connecting into the UK, UK server coverage, streaming-specific features, and price.
NordVPN is the best VPN choice for unblocking BBC iPlayer from abroad and the best VPN for the UK generally. It delivers fast speeds on all 629 of its UK servers, it has apps for every streaming device, and it always works with BBC iPlayer.
NordVPN is the most reliable VPN for streaming BBC iPlayer.
Over 629 Fast UK servers
NordVPN has 629 UK servers in 4 UK cities, including London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. It is one of the largest UK server networks on the market.
The UK IP addresses assigned to these servers are also regularly refreshed. This way they stay regularly ahead of streaming blocks and IP blacklists.
NordVPN is also one of the fastest VPNs. We tested NordVPN’s speeds connecting from the US to the UK and recorded an average of 90Mbps on a 100Mbps baseline connection – a 10% speed loss.
Thought not as fast as ExpressVPN, these impressive long-distance connection speeds resulted in high definition picture quality, with no buffering or blur even during very popular live streams, like FA Cup games.
Apps for Streaming BBC iPlayer on TV
NordVPN offers feature-rich apps for Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV. We’ve encountered better versions of these apps, but they’re still functional and work with BBC iPlayer.
Unfortunately, NordVPN’s Smart DNS is not functional because it only works with US streaming sites. If you want to use a Smart DNS for BBC iPlayer, we recommend ExpressVPN.
Should you ever need any help streaming BBC iPlayer, NordVPN’s helpful live chat agents are on hand 24/7. We’ve found them to be useful at recommending UK servers and workarounds.
7-Day Free Trial & Good Initial Price Plans
NordVPN costs $3.29 per month on its best price plan, which is good value for money. It’s not as cheap as providers like PrivateVPN and CyberGhost, but it outperforms these services when it comes to BBC iPlayer.
There is one caveat: after your initial subscription expires, NordVPN’s monthly price increases significantly.
If you’re unsure about the cost, NordVPN offers a 7-day free trial if you sign up on Android, allowing you to test its performance with BBC iPlayer firsthand
Additionally, if you do decide to subscribe, you can claim all your money-back within a 30-day refund window.
ExpressVPN is a close second to NordVPN for BBC iPlayer. Compared to NordVPN, it has faster speeds on UK servers, more user-friendly apps, and a Smart DNS tool that works with BBC iPlayer.
However, it offers fewer UK servers, is more expensive, and has not worked well with BBC iPlayer in the past.
ExpressVPN’s apps and extensions unblock BBC iPlayer.
Superior Performance Costs Extra
ExpressVPN is as an excellent choice for BBC iPlayer, especially if download speed and streaming quality are your top concerns.
Although NordVPN is also fast, ExpressVPN is the fastest, registering a speed loss of only 7% when connecting into the UK from the US.
This network speed guarantees buffer-free, high resolution streaming of your favorite British shows.
Historically, ExpressVPN has not been as reliable as NordVPN at bypassing BBC geo-blocks. But we’ve been testing the product for 8 years and have seen its performance improve drastically. Today, all of its UK servers access the service.
ExpressVPN’s browser extensions have been particularly delightful. These provide a quick way to access iPlayer directly from your browser, without needing to open a separate app.
Unlike the extensions offered by Windscribe and NordVPN, ExpressVPN routes all of your internet traffic through the VPN server, not just your browser traffic, adding an extra layer of security.
The Wembley server is the most reliable way to unblock BBC iPlayer.
Uniquely, ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS works with BBC iPlayer. In contrast, PrivateVPN doesn’t offer Smart DNS, Windscribe charges extra for it, and NordVPN’s option only supports US-based streaming services.
Additionally, unlike every other VPN, ExpressVPN has a dedicated app for routers. This allowed us to unblock BBC iPlayer on all our devices, including Roku and Chromecast, which don’t natively support VPN apps.
With ExpressVPN’s router app, switching our connection to the UK was as easy as it is on the regular app. In contrast, using NordVPN and other VPNs required us to manually download and re-upload configuration files every time we needed a new UK IP address.
We’ve also consistently found that ExpressVPN’s apps for mobile, desktop, and Fire TV are exceptionally well-designed and user-friendly, offering a more enjoyable experience compared to the alternatives.
The truly unique selling point of PrivateVPN is its affordability – you can subscribe to for only $2.00 a month on a three-year subscription plan.
This makes it by far the cheapest option for unblocking BBC iPlayer with no data cap.
PrivateVPN unblocks BBC iPlayer content without buffering.
Reliably Accesses BBC iPlayer at a Low Price
PrivateVPN offers only 6 servers in the UK, spread across 2 cities.
This limited number of servers could make it challenging to find a new IP address if the VPN stops working with your streaming service.
We haven’t personally encountered any issues with access, though, so this isn’t a major concern.
What truly sets PrivateVPN apart is its affordability – at just $2.00 per month on its long-term plan, it stands out as the most budget-friendly VPN for BBC iPlayer.
Plus, if you’re not satisfied, you can take advantage of their 30-day money-back guarantee to get a full refund.
Compatible with Fewer Devices than Alternatives
The biggest drawback to using PrivateVPN is its limited device compatibility. There is no Apple TV app, no Smart DNS service, and no browser extensions.
All in all, PrivateVPN isn’t as good as NordVPN or ExpressVPN, but it’s more affordable and remains a reliable choice for unblocking BBC iPlayer.
Among the 24 VPNs we tested with BBC iPlayer, only Windscribe and TunnelBear successfully provided access without compromising our privacy.
However, TunnelBear imposes a 2GB monthly data limit, allowing us to watch less than an hour of geo-blocked content — making it virtually unusable for streaming.
Windscribe is the only safe free VPN that works consistently with BBC iPlayer. Using the VPN, we watched a range of BBC shows from overseas.
However, the free VPN enforces a 10GB monthly data cap. You’ll only be able to stream roughly 4 hours of HD content per month.
Windscribe Free’s London servers unblock iPlayer and stream UK shows like ‘Normal People’.
Reliable UK Servers & Apps for Streaming Devices
Windscribe Free offers 2 London-based UK servers, both of which unblock BBC iPlayer reliably.
Windscribe’s free version is very easy to sign up for and it doesn’t require any payment details. It gives you access to the full range of device apps, so you can stream iPlayer on Fire TV, Android TV, and your phone or desktop device.
The only app missing is Apple TV app, and its Smart DNS tool isn’t included. But for a free service this is still an impressive offering.
10GB Data Cap & Lower Video Quality
The biggest frustration when using Windscribe Free is its 10GB data cap, which it imposes to entice you to the paid subscription.
During our testing, the data limit expired before we could complete a full season of Sherlock and other shows.
You can extend your free data by 5GB each month by tweeting about Windscribe, but this only adds about 2 more hours of streaming.
When connecting from the US to the UK with Windscribe Free, we recorded average speeds of 87Mbps on our 100Mbps baseline connection — a speed loss of 13%.
While these speeds are decent for a free VPN, they lag behind the paid VPNs on our list, which explains the buffering and lower video quality we encountered when streaming BBC content.
We tested and reviewed 62 VPN services to determine if, and how well, they unblock BBC iPlayer.
The truth is: many VPNs either don’t work with the BBC’s streaming platform or they aren’t reliable enough, including very popular ones.
We tested 62 VPNs with BBC iPlayer to find the best ones.
Below are notable VPN providers that either weren’t able to unblock BBC iPlayer in our tests or didn’t quite meet our high standards.
IPVanish
IPVanish has historically struggled to work with BBC iPlayer. Although it’s worked well in our recent testing, its track record suggests there’s no guarantee it’ll always work in the future.
It also doesn’t offer browser extensions, which we find to be useful for quickly connecting to a UK server without launching the full VPN app.
IPVanish has only recently started working with BBC iPlayer.
Surfshark
Surfshark came close to making our list of top recommendations, but it fell short in a few key areas. Most notably, its connection speeds to the UK were slower than expected. When connected to its UK servers, we experienced a download speed loss of 7%. If your baseline internet speed isn’t particularly high, this could lead to buffering and reduced streaming quality.
Additionally, we found that connecting to a Surfshark server often took over 20 seconds, while ExpressVPN connected in under a second. This delay was especially frustrating when we needed to switch servers quickly after encountering blocks.
Private Internet Access (PIA)
Unlike all the VPNs that made our recommended list, PIA requires you to connect to a dedicated streaming server to unblock BBC iPlayer. Whenever we were connected to its standard London, Manchester, or Southampton servers, the streaming platform always blocked us.
With only one server available for UK streaming, we noticed it was often more congested and slower than the others. Additionally, the need to connect to a specific server may not be immediately clear, particularly for VPN newcomers.
PIA’s regular UK servers are blocked by BBC iPlayer.
How to Watch BBC iPlayer with a VPN
Wherever you are in the world, you can use a VPN to get a UK IP address and watch TV shows and live broadcasts only available in the UK.
First, make sure to choose a VPN with servers in the UK. All the VPNs listed above have servers in London and in other UK cities.
Here are step-by-step instructions for how to unblock BBC iPlayer using a VPN:
Sign up to a VPN that works with BBC iPlayer, like NordVPN.
Download the VPN app onto your device and sign in.
Open the VPN app and enable IP leak protection.
Connect to a VPN server in the UK.
Log into your BBC iPlayer account and start streaming.
If you still see a BBC iPlayer error message, read the workarounds below to fix the issue.
How to Fix Your VPN Not Working with BBC iPlayer
Sometimes even the most reliable VPNs stop working with BBC iPlayer. The situation can change from day to day as the BBC’s blocks become more aggressive.
We often encountered the VPN error message while trying to unblock BBC iPlayer.
If you see the BBC iPlayer VPN error message, try one of the fixes below:
1. Get a Better VPN for BBC iPlayer
The most common reason a VPN isn’t working with BBC iPlayer is because the VPN service doesn’t proactively try to unblock the service.
The only way to fix this is to get a VPN that’s capable of bypassing iPlayer’s geo-restrictions.
The best VPNs, like NordVPN and ExpressVPN, invest heavily in updating their IP addresses and staying one step ahead of detection methods, ensuring consistent access to BBC iPlayer.
We never have issues accessing BBC iPlayer with NordVPN.
2. Connect to a Different UK VPN Server
The BBC’s VPN and geolocation detection systems are some of the most effective we’ve come across.
If your UK VPN server suddenly stops working with BBC iPlayer, it’s likely that the server’s IP address has been detected and blocked.
To regain access, simply switch to a different UK server. This will provide you with a new IP address that BBC iPlayer may not yet have detected.
NordVPN has more UK servers than any other VPN.
3. Clear Your Cache & Cookies
If you’ve previously attempted to access BBC iPlayer from outside the UK or used an incompatible VPN, those cookies may cause the site to block you even if you’re now using a compatible VPN server.
In our experience, BBC iPlayer retains location data longer than other streaming services.
To remove any traces of your previous geolocation, it’s essential to clear your browser or app cache.
To clear browsing data in Chrome, click the three vertical dots in the upper right corner, select ‘More Tools‘ > ‘Clear browsing data‘, and go to the ‘Advanced‘ tab. Then, choose ‘All Time‘ from the drop-down, and check the boxes for ‘Cookies and other site data’ and ‘Cached images and files’.
The easiest way to do this on mobile is by restarting your device.
Clear Browsing Data option as seen on Chrome.
4. Check for Leaks
If you’re on an IPv6 connection, an IP leak could expose your true location to BBC iPlayer. To prevent this, enable IPv6 protection in your VPN app. If it’s not available, disable IPv6 in your device’s settings instead.
Turning on IPv6 leak protection can help fix your VPN not working with iPlayer.
Run a check using our IP leak test tool to ensure an IP or DNS leak isn’t revealing your true location. If a leak is detected, then read our guide on fixing VPN leaks.
How We Test VPNs for BBC iPlayer
To find the best VPN for accessing BBC iPlayer from anywhere, we tested 62 options first-hand.
We analyze four key areas when testing and scoring the VPNs, in order to calculate an overall BBC iPlayer rating.
The table below shows how the best BBC iPlayer VPNs performed in our four key testing categories:
1. Unblocks BBC iPlayer (45% of the Overall Rating)
Test Conducted: Connected to a UK server and tried streaming BBC iPlayer. We repeated this over a long time period, to gauge each VPN’s reliability.
Why It’s Important: To enable consistent access to BBC iPlayer from abroad.
Optimal Result: A VPN that always unblocks BBC iPlayer on all of its UK servers.
2. Streaming Device Compatibility (25% of the Overall Rating)
Test Conducted: Examined which apps and device compatibility features, like a router app and Smart DNS, that the VPN offers.
Why It’s Important: The more streaming device apps a VPN has the more ways you can watch BBC iPlayer.
Optimal Result: Apps for all major streaming devices, including Fire TV Stick, Android TV, and Apple TV. A Smart DNS feature and an app for router are also ideal.
3. UK Servers (15% of the Overall Rating)
Test Conducted: Counted the number of UK servers on each VPN’s network, including how many city locations it offers, followed by the use of IP address checker to confirm a successful UK connection.
Why It’s Important: UK servers enable you to get a UK IP address and the more servers there are the less congestion there is when connecting into the UK and the greater the chance of bypassing BBC geo-restrictions.
Optimal Result: Over 100 UK servers across multiple UK cities.
4. Speed (15% of the Overall Rating)
Test Conducted: We used our own speed test tool to determine the connection speed of each VPN while connected to servers in eight countries, focusing on the average speed of a US to UK connection.
Why It’s Important: Fast connection speeds enable Full HD streaming and prevent buffering, making for a better viewing experience.
Optimal Result: A speed loss connecting into the UK of no more than 10%
Data Cap Penalty
Nearly all free VPNs come with a data cap. As is the case with most limitations on free VPNs, this is implemented to encourage users to upgrade to the paid service.
This data cap will limit the amount of movies and TV shows you can watch on BBC iPlayer.
We apply a penalty to the VPN’s final overall BBC iPlayer rating based on its data cap:
Unlimited bandwidth: No deduction to the overall rating
10GB per month: -20% to the overall rating
500MB per day: -25% to the overall rating
5GB per month: -30% to the overall rating
1GB or 2GB per month: -35% to the overall rating
200MB per day: -40% to the overall rating
500MB per month: -50% to the overall rating
FAQs
Why & How Does BBC iPlayer Block VPNs?
The BBC blocks VPNs to uphold licensing agreements with content providers and to promote the sale of its original content outside the UK.
To enforce these restrictions, the BBC monitors IP addresses accessing iPlayer. If an IP address is linked to numerous simultaneous streams, it is likely associated with a VPN and is subsequently blacklisted.
The BBC also runs checks on whether an IP address is ‘residential’ or belongs to a data center (VPN services use data center IP addresses).
In order to avoid detection, the top VPNs for BBC iPlayer have to constantly update their UK IP addresses and obfuscate their traffic to make it appear as ‘normal.’
Is it Legal to Use a VPN to Watch BBC iPlayer?
Using a VPN to watch BBC iPlayer is legal if you hold a UK TV license, allowing you to stream content from the service regardless of your location.
While it does violate the BBC’s Terms of Use to access iPlayer from outside the UK using a VPN, there have been no reported cases of individuals being prosecuted for this.
If you live outside the UK, you are not subject to UK TV Licensing laws, meaning you won’t face fines for watching BBC iPlayer through a VPN.
Can You Download BBC iPlayer Shows?
Yes, you can download BBC iPlayer shows. From abroad, you can use a VPN download them and then watch them without your VPN running.