The Best VPNs for BBC iPlayer

The table below compares our recommended VPNs based on VPN speeds connecting into the UK, UK server coverage, streaming-specific features, and price.

Further down, we’ll also explain how to watch BBC iPlayer with a VPN from outside the UK, and how to fix your not working.

Wherever you are in the world, you can use a VPN to get a UK IP address and watch restricted TV 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 elsewhere.

Watch the video below to see how easily we unblocked BBC iPlayer from outside the UK using NordVPN:

Below are the step-by-step instructions to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad using a VPN.

If you still see a BBC iPlayer error message, read the workarounds below to fix the issue.

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.

VPN services describe it as a “cat and mouse game” because the BBC blocks VPN IP addresses almost as fast as the VPN service releases new ones.

If this happens, you may see a BBC iPlayer error message like the one we got when testing Mullvad VPN:

If you see this message, try one of the fixes below, which we’ve tested to work in most instances (as long as you’re using a good VPN). We’ve summarized below the main workarounds:

1. 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 a UK VPN server you’ve been streaming with suddenly stops working, try switching to a different one if your VPN operates several. For instance, NordVPN has over 440 UK servers, most of which unblock BBC iPlayer.

If you don’t want to try multiple UK servers to see which one works, contact your VPN’s support team who will recommend a working UK server.

ExpressVPN and NordVPN’s customer service teams are very responsive and available 24/7.

2. Check for IP Address Leaks

Another reason for your VPN not working with BBC iPlayer is that it may be leaking your IP address.

Run a check using our IP leak test tool to ensure this isn’t the case. If it is, then read our guide on fixing VPN leaks.

If you’re on an IPv6 connection, and your VPN doesn’t support it (many don’t), then your true IP location is potentially visible to BBC iPlayer’s detection technology.

In the event your VPN is suffering from an IPv6 address leak, disable IPv6 connectivity in your device’s settings, so that you solely use your IPv4 connection.

3. Clear Your Web Browser Cache and Cookies

Sometimes deleting website cookies and cache stored in your web browser can help remove traces of your geolocation.

If you’ve visited the BBC iPlayer website, it will have stored cookies in your web browser. These cookies can help the BBC understand where past visitors have come from based on previous website interactions.

We always recommend clearing your web browser’s cache and stored cookies. This way you’ll access BBC iPlayer from a cleaner slate.

4. Disable Location Services

If your web browser has location services enabled, make sure you disable them. Otherwise, the BBC’s website can still determine you’re not in the UK even if you’re connected to a UK VPN server.

Some websites incorrectly state that the BBC iPlayer mobile app also uses GPS tracking to determine your location. This isn’t true, and simply using one of our recommended VPN’s UK servers will work on your smartphone.

5. Change VPN Service

If none of the solutions above work, it means your VPN’s UK servers have all been identified and blocked by BBC iPlayer.

In this unfortunate event, you’ll have no other option but to choose a new VPN that still works with BBC iPlayer.

We tested and reviewed 65 VPN providers to determine if, and how well, they can unblock BBC iPlayer.

The truth is many VPNs, including very popular ones, either don’t work with the BBC’s streaming platform, or they aren’t reliable enough.

Below are popular VPN providers that either weren’t able to unblock BBC iPlayer in our tests, or didn’t quite match the performance of our top-rated services.

IPVanish

What We Don’t Like: IPVanish has historically struggled to work with BBC iPlayer, although lately it has been a lot more reliable. However, IPVanish isn’t as user-friendly as NordVPN or ExpressVPN, and it doesn’t include browser extensions, which are popular with streaming fans.

Surfshark

What We Don’t Like: Surfshark almost made it into our recommendations list, however its connection speeds into the UK weren’t as fast as we were expecting. Plus, connecting to a VPN server can take up to five seconds, something you don’t experience with NordVPN or ExpressVPN.

Private Internet Access (PIA)

What We Don’t Like: PIA VPN also came very close to enter our recommendations list. It successfully unblocks BBC iPlayer on PC, Mac, iPhone and Android smartphones but its Fire TV Stick isn’t very reliable and the VPN provider still hasn’t released a native Apple TV app.

The BBC is very strict when it comes to enforcing geo-restrictions and banning VPN access to its streaming service.

It does this to enforce licensing agreements they have with content owners, and to sell their own original content outside of the UK.

To block VPN access from outside the UK, the BBC monitors the IP addresses used to stream iPlayer. If it detects hundreds of viewers with the same IP address streaming at the same time, it blacklists the IP address since it almost certainly belongs to a VPN.

The BBC also runs checks on whether an IP address is ‘residential’ or belongs to a data center (VPN services mostly 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.’

We analyze five key decision-making factors when testing VPNs for BBC iPlayer, in order to calculate an overall use-case rating.

The table below shows how the best BBC iPlayer VPNs performed in our five key testing categories:

VPNs with a data cap receive a reduction to their overall rating.

In this section, we’ll detail our exact testing process to select the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer.

Below is the complete list of factors we test to recommend VPNs for BBC iPlayer, along with how much of our overall rating they make up:

1. BBC iPlayer Access: 40%

The ability to reliably and consistently unblock BBC iPlayer is of course the most important factor, so it makes up the majority of our rating.

We regularly test every VPN service on multiple devices and test access to BBC iPlayer ourselves.

We use this first-hand testing to record the number of times a VPN can unblock BBC iPlayer in a given period, and on how many servers.

The most effective VPNs will work on the majority of UK servers, and will also unblock other streaming services like Netflix.

2. Speed: 20%

Connection speeds are especially important for streaming because it is a high-bandwidth activity.

To stream in HD without buffering, you’ll need unlimited bandwidth and as little speed loss as possible.

We routinely test every VPN’s average download speed when connected to UK servers from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

This gives us accurate data that reflects the speeds you’ll experience streaming BBC iPlayer from abroad with a VPN.

3. Number of UK Servers: 15%

The best iPlayer VPNs invest significant resources into unblocking the BBC’s streaming service.

They’ll have many UK VPN servers with thousands of IP addresses, or dedicated streaming servers regularly refreshed to avoid VPN bans.

The fewer UK VPN servers there are, the more congested the network will be, resulting in slower speeds.

A large number of servers also means more IP addresses, making it much harder for the BBC to detect and block your VPN.

4. Streaming Device Compatibility: 15%

Device compatibility is also a key part of our rating. A VPN with many native applications lets you stream BBC iPlayer on most devices.

Top-rated VPNs are available on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and additional devices like home routers, Smart TVs, and Fire TV Stick.

We also test useful additional features like split tunneling, browser extensions, and other bespoke tools like Smart DNS. Smart DNS lets you bypass geo-blocks on Smart TVs and games consoles.

5. Customer Support: 10%

Customer support is also important, particularly for temperamental streaming services like BBC iPlayer.

We use email and live-chat to test the quality of assistance on offer from every VPN provider.

This is to make sure you’ll be able to get the technical help you need if your VPN stops working with BBC iPlayer.

Live chat or responsive email support are both rewarded, while slow and ineffective customer support are rated lower.

Other Key Testing Areas

Though they are not always part of our overall rating, there are certain indicators of quality that we factor into every VPN recommendation.

We expect every VPN to provide basic levels of security including AES-256 encryption, IP and DNS leak protection, and the OpenVPN protocol.

It’s also important that every service is simple to use for beginners and experts.

We analyze every VPN application in-depth to make sure it has a user-friendly interface and settings.

We reward customization and configuration options, as long as they come in an easily-understood format.

Finally, we consider the price of the service. We give higher ratings to VPNs offering valuable features for a below-average price.