Best VPN for BBC iPlayer

These top VPN picks for BBC iPlayer are the complete package. Not only do you get reliable connections to the popular streaming service from servers around the world, but you’re also guaranteed blistering speeds and high-end security to ensure that your data remains private and encrypted.

They’re intuitive and easy to use, but should a problem arise these VPNs also provide top-tier customer support to help you resolve the issue as soon as possible.

You can rest assured that these recommendations are 100% up-to-date, too. We re-test our best VPNs on a weekly basis to ensure that they still work with your platforms and services of choice. We spend hours using them exactly as you would so that we can say with confidence that you’ll be happy with your purchase.

Finding the right VPN for BBC iPlayer can be a little trickier than with other services, as the BBC ruthlessly pursues providers – in fact, for a time it even looked like VPN access to BBC iPlayer would be over for good. Fortunately that wasn’t the case, and there’s still plenty of options.

That said, UK residents will (somewhat ironically) run into issues a lot more frequently than those connecting from outside the country. We’ve tried our hardest to ensure the recommendations above are as reliable as possible, but access for those connecting from within the UK dips in and out more often than we’d like to see.

Before you start streaming for the first time, you’ll need to decide whether to install the VPN on your router and protect your internet activity at all times or install the VPN software on each device you plan to use for streaming.

There are pros and cons to each approach. Installing at router level is a little more technically complex than using your VPN’s desktop program or app, but it does cover all devices connected to it by default. If you want to browse without channeling your connection through the VPN, though, your options are limited.

Installing on multiple devices is easy, but there will be two key restraints: the number of installs or simultaneous connections allowed by your VPN, and whether or not a dedicated app exists for your device. Apple TV, for example, doesn’t currently have any dedicated VPN apps available for it. Click or tap on the link to see our Best VPNs for Apple TV.

While some VPN apps have an automatic settings, it’s sensible to manually set the most appropriate VPN protocol for streaming. We recommend using OpenVPN as it has the best balance of speed and security.

Once you’re up and running, ensure that you connect to a server based in the UK – no other location will work. You may well be presented with an intimidating error message, but don’t be dissuaded – just pick another server location and try again. Locations that work one day may not work the next, and vice versa, so there can be a little trial and error involved.