The United Kingdom (often called the UK or Great Britain) is home to the 22nd largest population in the world. The country is 78th in the world in terms of size. However, to say that the UK is influential is an understatement. You can see its influence in many different countries around the world. From seeing the numerous famous sites to business travel, there is plenty to do there. If you plan to use the Internet then you will want to also use a VPN. We’ll share the reasons why shortly. Take a look at our list of the best VPNs for the UK.
Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9.8 | 160 | ||
2 | 9.4 | 87 | ||
3 | 9.2 | 95 | ||
4 | 9.0 | 110 | ||
5 | 8.8 | 73 |
Reasons to Use a VPN in the United Kingdom
One draw of the UK is the region’s proximity to Europe. That means there are always fresh travelers to the area. That also means that many businesses offer free WiFi to their customers. While that sounds like a good idea, it means you should use a VPN to help protect your privacy. Nearly everyone has, by now, heard of the Snooper’s Charter. Theresa May officially announced in front of Parliament that the British government started spying on its’ citizens in 1984. On top of the government monitoring you, there are many other criminals waiting to get their hands on your private data. By using a VPN to create an encrypted connection, you will make it much harder for prying eyes to get your sensitive information.
The next reason to use a VPN is to help you get around geo-restrictions. While the country does not have too many censorship laws to worry about, you may have other issues. If you try to watch something outside of your home country, you will be blocked. By connecting to a VPN, you can fool the software into thinking you are located somewhere else. You shouldn’t have to miss out on your favorite show because you are in the UK instead of your home location.
From preventing cybercrimes to blocking monitoring to getting around geo-blocks, using a VPN while in the UK is a good idea. You may find other uses for the service once you sign up for your plan. Just sign up to protect yourself today. Hopefully, we have explained why using a VPN is important. If you are not familiar with what to look for in a provider, the choices and options can be overwhelming. We’ll make it simple for you, though.
What is the best VPN for the UK?
To answer that question, we need to take a look at some of the most important factors. Using those, we composed our list of the best VPNs for the UK:
- Military class encryption to help protect your privacy.
- Speed of the VPN servers located in the UK
- Stable connections to help you avoid disconnects
- Ability to view geo-blocked or blacked out content
- No logs policy
- Multiple platform support for mobile devices
Let’s jump right into our list of the best VPNs for UK.
1. Best VPN for UK: ExpressVPN
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One of the high-security features of ExpressVPN is the VPN kill switch. While it is not unique to the provider, it is certainly important. What that does is literally “kill” your internet connection while you are disconnected. While some people may not care for that feature, others realize that if their VPN connection drops, they are vulnerable to being identified online. ExpressVPN will make sure you are protected by shutting down your internet connection until you reconnect. Doing so will help you stay safe.
No matter what type of device you prefer, ExpressVPN has you covered with apps or setup instructions for your favorite ones. That includes easy to use apps for Windows, Mac OSX, iPhone, iPad, Android, and Linux. If you are one of the people that want to protect their other devices, there are convenient setup guides to protect your router, smart TV, or even your favorite gaming console. Be sure to check the website so you can configure all of your devices to work with the right VPN server address.
ExpressVPN is the #1 rated VPN on our site. We have had the opportunity to compare hundreds of VPN services over the years and ExpressvPN is our favorite. Whether you want to protect your privacy on WiFi networks or unblock streaming services in other countries, ExpressVPN is a good choice. Best of all, you can sign up for 12 months of unlimited VPN access and get 3 months free during our current promotion. The ExpressVPN 30-day money-back guarantee gives you plenty of time to test the service.
2. Best VPN for UK: NordVPN
One of the big reasons that users connect to a VPN is to help them stream content from other regions or countries. Using NordVPN will help you do that. Whether you want to watch shows from some of the top US streaming services, check out BBC iPlayer, or perhaps even a service like Stan from Australia, you should not have to miss out on them because of where you are currently. However, you can enjoy the ones we mentioned and more with NordVPN.
If you are a fan of a top-level sports team and happen to be in the city where they play, you already know that the broadcasters will stop you from seeing them online. That is usually because of licensing rights and they call them blackouts. Of course, you can watch them on TV, but some do not have TVs anymore. The solution to the problem is to connect to a VPN by using NordVPN. In this case, you simply need to select a server that is not in the market area. Then, you can watch your favorite team play.
3. Best VPN for UK: PIA
If you are not aware, one of the big reasons to connect to a VPN server from Private Internet Access is to help you gain access to content from other regions. Whether you want to watch one of the great shows from the BBC, CBC, or some of the other excellent networks around the world, all you have to do is connect to a VPN. Then, simply pick a server in the area you wish to see. That will make the blocking software assume that you are in the correct region.
If you are looking for a VPN provider that does not keep logs, Private Internet Access has you covered. Over the years, they have developed a well-known reputation throughout the community. While some companies claim they do not keep logs, but then turn them over to authorities, The team at Private Internet Access continuously takes steps to make sure that they protect their users’ interests. If privacy is important to you, you will find that this one is the right choice to make.
4. Best VPN for UK: CyberGhost
If you are a gamer, one of the things you can avoid by connecting a VPN server from CyberGhost is what is known as a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. If you are not aware, a DDoS attack makes a machine or network unavailable by flooding it with requests in an attempt to overload systems. You should not have to worry about attackers or botnets stopping you from playing your favorite games. When you connect to a VPN, though, it will help you prevent that from happening.
If you are concerned about privacy, CyberGhost has you covered. Of course, different VPN providers have their headquarters in various places. CyberGhost, however, has its main offices located in Bucharest, Romania. What that means is they are outside the EU Data Retention Directive and they consider it unconstitutional. Additionally, Romania is not part of any kind of surveillance alliance. That includes the 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, and 14 Eyes agreements. If your provider has its main offices in one of them, the concern is that they may share your data with 13 other nations besides the one used.
Those seeking access to Netflix UK, BBC iPlayer, or Eurosport will be excited to know that CyberGhost will help you access them from anywhere in the world. The key is connecting to one of the servers that CyberGhost has set up to do so. These optimized servers are easy to find in their VPN app. Just make sure you connect to the proper server.
5. Best VPN for UK: IPVanish
Some of the most valuable sports teams in the world have international followings. Those include sports organizations like the Dallas Cowboys (NFL) in the US, the New York Yankees (MLB) in the US, Real Madrid (Soccer), and more. If you are outside their home country, though, you can only watch them if you connect to a VPN server in the home country from IPVanish. Of course, you would also need to have a subscription to one of the sports apps, depending on what you want to watch.
For gamers, distributive denial of service (DDoS) attacks can pose a significant threat to your gaming experience. When you connect to a VPN server from IPVanish, however, it can help you combat that issue. No one wants to get locked out or booted from a game. If you play for fun, it is an annoyance. If you play competitively, there are more significant consequences involved. Instead, just connect to a VPN so you do not have to worry about getting attacked while competing.