Best Free VPN for BBC iPlayer in 2023

Best VPN for Apple TV
Written by: Per-Erik Eriksson

We know that most people use VPNs to watch streaming content that is only available in certain parts of the world. For example, you could tunnel into a different country to watch movies and TV shows on Netflix that you can’t get with a US subscription. This probably goes against the rules of some streaming services, so be careful.

Because of the BBC iPlayer, the UK is a very interesting place for streaming unlockers to go. Video streaming services have made it easier than ever to watch BBC shows outside the UK. But being able to use the iPlayer gives an even better user experience. Many people want the freedom to choose what they can watch. You can watch almost any BBC show for free if you have access to the iPlayer.

Note that VPN streamers from outside the UK aren’t the only ones who might benefit from reading this story. If you live in London and go abroad, you might not be able to watch your favorite Netflix or BBC shows. With a VPN, you can, in theory, pick up where you left off.

In case you don't want to read the entire article, here’s a quick summary of the best VPN services according to our independent tests and research:
  • NordVPN Best VPN for general work and entertainment purposes. I found it to be reliable, high-speed, and easy to set up, and it's one that I use daily for work.
  • ProtonVPN (Free Version) Proton is often referred to as the single most trustworthy company in the VPN business. They focus on security over anything else and offer the best free VPN available. This is the company behind ProtonMail.
  • CyberGhost VPN was voted as the best gaming VPN for 2023 and is one of the cheapest VPN services among the whole top 10.

Best BBC iPlayer VPN 2023

RANK
BRAND
DEVICES
STATS
DOWNLOAD
1
NordVPN Logo
6

6 simultaneous devices.

  • Fastest VPN 2023
  • Servers: 5300+
  • Countries: 60+

WHY I LIKE NORDVPN NordVPN has long been regarded as one of the strongest brands in cybersecurity. With one of the largest server offerings on my list and support for most, if not all operating systems, making NordVPN an obvious choice for many. They have 24/7 customer support if you need help getting started. Their app is one of the most well-designed apps I have ever used. NordVPN even accepts cryptocurrencies as payment for extra anonymity.

2
Surfshark logo

Unlimited simultaneous devices.

  • Best Cheap VPN 2023
  • Servers: 3200+
  • Countries: 65+

WHY I LIKE SURFSHARK: Surfshark VPN is perfect for those who want a cheap and reliable VPN that also has many extra features. "Camouflage Mode" hides your usage from your ISP, "Kill Switch" suspends your connection and protects your information if you temporarily lose Internet access, "MultiHop" to connect from multiple countries at the same time just to name a few. My favorite feature of Surfshark is "Whitelists" which allow the user to exclude specific apps and programs from the VPN connection.

3
Cyberghost VPN Logo
7

7 simultaneous devices.

  • Best Torrent VPN
  • Servers: 7400+
  • Countries: 91+

WHY I LIKE CYBERGHOST CyberGhost VPN is the first choice of many other cybersecurity experts, and the reason is clear; they have the most complete VPN service. An incredible number of extra features that are best suited for the more advanced users but also work flawlessly for every-day purposes like P2P-filesharing. Cyberghost VPN also has the longest stretching money-back guarantee at a full 45 days.

4
Private Internet Access VPN Logo

Unlimited simultaneous devices.

  • Best Netflix/Streaming VPN
  • Servers: 35500+
  • Countries: 84+

WHY I LIKE PIA VPN: PrivateInternetAccess is at the top of my streaming tests, which is a great combination with their easy-to-use UI, Open-Source software and built in adblocker. PIA is also perfect for those who want to be able to pay with PayPal which for some reason, many other VPN services do not support. 30-day money-back guarantee, multiple Netflix libraries, and extremely affordable are the three main selling points for this VPN service.

5
Atlas VPN Logo

Unlimited simultaneous devices.

  • Robust/Security focused
  • Servers: 750+
  • Countries: 43+

WHY I LIKE ATLAS VPN: Atlas VPN is one of the best new free VPN services. With the free version, you get unlimited data, no ads and zero logging. During my speed tests, Atlas VPN performed very well and could compete with mainstream services. Kill Switch, Ad-blocker, and P2P support all included with a regular subscription, which is incredibly cheap for such a robust service.

6
ProtonVPN Logo
10

10 simultaneous devices.

  • Best Free VPN 2023
  • Servers: 1713+
  • Countries: 63+

WHY I LIKE PROTONVPN: ProtonVPN is based in Switzerland and is most known for their e-mail service ProtonMail. They currently offer the safest free VPN services on the market. There is also support for TOR usage and P2P file sharing. I highly recommend ProtonVPN if you are intending to do some extensive online sharing. It goes without saying that Proton does not collect logs of any kind and is completely safe to use.

7
PrivateVPN Logo
10

10 simultaneous devices.

  • Best VPN for Gaming and Streaming
  • Servers: 200+
  • Countries: 63+

WHY I LIKE PRIVATEVPN: PrivateVPN is the strong underdog in the world of VPNs. With a shy number of servers, it is evident that they are focusing on quality over quantity. Overall, PrivateVPN is a very decent choice of VPN, especially if you had enough of the excessive advertising by some of the other more known brands in this list. Setting up the VPN requires extremely little intervention, and you can even pay with Bitcoin.

8
ExpressVPN Logo
49%
DISCOUNT

30 day money-back guarantee.

  • Best Mobile VPN app
  • Servers: 3000+
  • Countries: 94+
9
Orchid VPN Logo
$4.99
One-time fee.

~60GB

  • Pay for that you use
  • Unlimited devices
  • Pay in Crypto
10
Hotspot Shield VPN Logo
77%
DISCOUNT

45 day money-back guarantee.

  • Fastest free VPN
  • Servers: 3200+
  • Countries: 80+
11
ZoogVPN Logo
85%
DISCOUNT

7 day money-back guarantee.

  • Great free VPN
  • Servers: 1000+
  • Countries: 26+
12
OVPN Logo
68%
DISCOUNT

10 day money-back guarantee.

  • Best reputation
  • Servers: 91+
  • Countries: 17+
13
Trust.Zone Logo
76%
DISCOUNT

No money-back guarantee.

  • Best new VPN
  • Servers: 202+
  • Countries: 41+
14
iTop VPN Logo
79%
DISCOUNT

15 day money-back guarantee.

  • Great adblocker included
  • Servers: 1800+
  • Countries: 20+
15
Speedify Logo
66%
DISCOUNT

30 day money-back guarantee.

  • 5 devices simultaneously
  • Unlimited usage
  • 50+ locations
16
HideIPVPN Logo
70%
DISCOUNT

30 day money-back guarantee.

  • Unlimited traffic
  • Up to 1 Gbps
  • Free trial
17
VeePN Logo
85%
DISCOUNT

30 day money-back guarantee.

  • 10 devices
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Countries: 60+
18
HideMy.name Logo
50%
DISCOUNT

30 day money-back guarantee.

  • 5 devices
  • Free trial
  • Countries: 45+
19
UTunnel.io Logo
$5.00 /user

14 day free trial/money-back guarantee.

  • Simple Cloud VPN Setup
  • Site-to-site VPN Tunneling
  • Easy Server & User Management
20
BullVPN Logo
32%
DISCOUNT

No money-back guarantee.

  • 2 devices
  • Countries: 28+
  • Locations: 100+
21
SymlexVPN Logo
67%
DISCOUNT

7 day money-back guarantee.

  • 5 devices
  • Locations: 65+
  • 24/7 live support
22
iProVPN Logo
80%
DISCOUNT

30 day money-back guarantee.

  • 10 devices
  • Countries: 20+
  • P2P Optimization
23
SecureVPN Logo
66%
DISCOUNT

Basic, advanced, and pro plans.

  • Countries: 22+
  • Locations: 36+
  • 24/7 live support
24
Hola VPN Logo
79%
DISCOUNT

30 day money-back guarantee.

  • Best multi-device VPN
  • Servers: 1000+
  • Countries: 200+

NordVPN

Nord VPN New Logo

Possibly the most well-known brand on the market, NordVPN, is a great choice for people who want a UK VPN that puts security first. PwC just did its own second audit of the service, which showed that it is safe and reliable.

Nord is also easy to use because it can unblock most streaming services, like BBC iPlayer.

You will have access to more than 5,500 servers around the world. So, you can find a good connection no matter where you are or where you want to seem to be.

PrivateInternetAccess VPN

Private Internet Access VPN New Logo

Private Internet Access VPN lets you pay for subscriptions with Amazon, credit cards, cryptocurrencies, and PayPal. Private Internet Access also takes gift cards from stores other than its own.

Like other VPNs, Private Internet Access gives big discounts for longer memberships. A year of service costs $39.95, which is cheaper than most. The average for the VPNs we looked at was $70.06. A three-year package from Private Internet Access costs $79. The company’s discounted memberships change all the time, but you can expect that most of them will be in that price range.

CyberGhost VPN

CyberGhost Small Logo

Over 10 million people around the world use CyberGhost’s UK VPN, which is great for people who like to stream and download torrents.

This Romanian company has a huge network of servers all over the world, which almost guarantees that customers will have a good connection wherever they are.

The filtration system in CyberGhost is one of our favorite parts, though. For example, if you want to find the best server for streaming BBC iPlayer, you can easily filter out unsuitable servers. This means that only those that will give you the best viewing experience are visible. CyberGhost couldn’t successfully get into iPlayer in our most recent tests, so it’s not as good as the other options.

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN Small Logo

This VPN stands out because of its Secure Core servers, which send your traffic through tunnels on many servers to hide everything you do.

Together, a well-thought-out policy on privacy and strong, reliable apps make a complete solution.

The most interesting thing about Proton VPN, though, is that it is a real streaming VPN. It can unblock almost all streaming sites, which makes it a great choice as an iPlayer VPN, as well as for unblocking Disney+, Prime Amazon Video, and many other services

Surfshark

Surfshark Small Logo

A very popular option, Surfshark is known for its strong focus on privacy. It also works better than many more expensive services to unblock BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, Netflix, and other sites.

Surfshark’s client applications on all platforms have a consistent, reliable interface which makes it easy to make a choice for your server. It’s also easy to get to and change the options, which include different protocols and features like “Double Hop,” which sends your messages through two servers to hide your location even more.

FAQ

What’s the point of a VPN?

Protecting your online activity is one of the most important reasons to use a VPN.
If you leave your bank account information and credit card numbers out in the open, they could get into the wrong hands. A good VPN encrypts your data, so even if you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, your private information is safe.

How do I get the best deal on a VPN?

The length of your membership usually affects how much you pay each month. If you buy a 2-year plan instead of a monthly plan, you will spend less each time.

How do I get a VPN connection going?

Most VPNs can be reached with just a few clicks of the mouse. It’s really that easy. You’ll need to download and install the program, then log in and choose a country to connect to.

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