Best VPN for the UK: Here Are Our Top 5 Picks for 2024

With the rising concerns over online privacy and government surveillance, using a VPN is imperative to stay safe on the internet. People in the UK are, therefore, using VPNs to make sure they stay anonymous online, all while being able to bypass annoying geo-restrictions.

Besides, this is a country known for its participation in the 5 Eyes alliance. Along with the US and Canada, this country is a breeding ground for surveillance and data collection, which violates your privacy and makes you feel unsafe when browsing the web.

However, those who use the best VPN for the UK in 2024 already fixed these issues. A quality provider will encrypt your connection and make it untraceable by your ISP or the authorities, preventing any privacy-infringing practices.

Conversely, some people want to get a British IP address because they live abroad. They use VPN providers to access BBC iPlayer, watch ITV live, or bet on Betfair or any other UK-based online bookie.

Undoubtedly, a VPN is very beneficial for both people in and outside the United Kingdom, which is why millions of people enjoy this service. But which ones are THE best choices for both types of people? Well, let’s find that out.

Top 5 VPNs for the United Kingdom – Our Ranking

On the market, you’ll find hundreds of providers that promise safety, security, and whatnot. However, very few providers are considered great VPNs for the UK simply because they don’t have servers in the country and/or they’re not secure enough.

To make sure I give you the best possible choices, I’ve decided to go with 5 premium providers. Don’t worry, though. They’re not that expensive, yet, they’re great for those living in the United Kingdom AND those abroad who want to get a UK IP address.

Without further ado, here’s my list:

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is the best UK VPN provider for many reasons and it’s no wonder it’s so popular. This provider has more than 6,300 servers in 110+ countries, which should satisfy you no matter your location. People in the UK will enjoy a great server fleet but the same applies to those abroad.

For reference, NordVPN has 440+ high-speed servers in Great Britain, allowing you to get a UK IP address in no time. A big server fleet is accompanied by specialty servers like Double VPN, obfuscated, onion over VPN, and P2P servers for torrenting.

Having very fast speeds, NordVPN’s torrenting and streaming capabilities are exceptional. Besides, I tested it numerous times, only to be able to watch Netflix UK/US, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu effortlessly.

NordVPN is easily the most feature-packed provider. You get its NordLynx protocol based on WireGuard, and in conjunction with a kill switch, military-grade encryption, and an ad-blocker CyberSec, this provider is a powerhouse of security.

Additional features include Threat Protection where you can find antivirus, malware protection, and Dark Web Monitor. The latter will inform you if your personal data is compromised online, while Threat Protection will clean your PC from unwanted software.

Based in Panama, NordVPN has a no-logging policy that underwent two successful audits from PwC and one from Deloitte. This makes it extremely reliable for a country in the 5 Eyes, such as the United Kingdom. Another thing worth pointing out is device compatibility.

NordVPN works with every platform under the sun and offers 10 simultaneous connections. Thus, I found it useful for protecting multiple devices, all while enjoying its awesome performance, 24/7 live chat support, and modern-looking apps.

This provider is rather cheap in its 2-year-plan variant as well and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans. Its downsides include expensive short-term plans, VAT, and occasional connectivity issues that appear only on Windows.

Try NordVPN Today

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2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a true British people’s VPN. It’s a jack of all trades and master of almost all of them, with 3,000+ servers in 160 worldwide locations. Mind you, its server coverage on British soil is pretty impressive, with hundreds of servers in the country.

To be precise, it has servers in East London, London, Wembley, and Docklands, which is great for those wanting a UK IP address. Moreover, ExpressVPN is known for some of the fastest speeds around, granting top-grade performance for streaming and torrenting.

Thus, people in the UK can watch Netflix US or Hulu, while those abroad can enjoy BBC iPlayer or ITV anywhere. Since I mentioned torrenting, ExpressVPN allows for safe and anonymous P2P activities, so even in the UK, you can use The Pirate Bay safely – sweet!

Security-wise, this provider will do its best to eliminate the 5 Eyes’ influence on your privacy. With 256-bit AES encryption, Lightway VPN protocol, and a reliable kill switch, surveillance and monitoring will be the last thing you’re going to experience.

Not to mention the fact that ExpressVPN stores absolutely NO logs and has an audit from KPMG that backs that claim. As such, ExpressVPN will never hand out any data to the authorities, making sure your private information gets well-deserved treatment.

Aside from awesome features, this provider supports all platforms. Windows, iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, routers, TVs – you name it! It’s also very easy to use and boasts 8 simultaneous connections on a single subscription.

Additionally, ExpressVPN’s 24/7 support is the best around, with problem-solving that usually takes a few minutes. And, lest we forget its 49% discount and 3 months free for the 1-year plan that drastically reduces ExpressVPN’s price.

I mean, even the 30-day money-back guarantee is here, allowing you to test it out and get a refund if you don’t like it. Although, I don’t remember thinking about canceling my ExpressVPN subscription… most likely because I never thought of it!

Get the Best UK VPN: ExpressVPN

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3. CyberGhost

Another great VPN, for people in and outside the UK, is CyberGhost. You can’t go wrong with a provider that has more than 12,000+ servers in 100 countries, including dedicated streaming and torrenting servers.

Anyway, CyberGhost offers around 800 UK servers across London, Manchester, and Berkshire. These servers are P2P and streaming-friendly, allowing you to access BBC iPlayer, Sky, ITV, or any other geo-restricted streaming platform abroad.

And if you live in this country, security is going to be of the utmost importance. Thankfully, CyberGhost has bank-grade encryption backed by an automatic kill switch, WireGuard support, and an ad-blocker that works wonderfully.

Even better is the fact that it’s based in Romania. This privacy-friendly jurisdiction allows the provider to maintain a clear zero-logging policy but also transparency reports published 4 times a year. This is a unique concept that makes CyberGhost even more trustworthy.

Needless to say, CyberGhost can be installed on any platform you want. I especially like its support for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and routers, which expands its functionality and makes it more useful. Aside from that, it has 7 simultaneous connections – 3 less than NordVPN.

What’s also not better than NordVPN is its ability to work in censored countries. If you live in the United Kingdom, that’s not an issue, but if you want a UK IP address in China, you’ll face an unclimbable wall that CyberGhost can’t overcome.

And while its apps aren’t the most user-friendly, you’ll be surprised at how feature-rich they are. All of this comes at a VERY cheap price that goes well under $2.5 a month for the 2-year plan. By the way, all long-term plans offer a 45-day money-back guarantee as well.

This means that you can test this best VPN for the UK for 45 days straight, without any risks of losing money. It’s a pretty fair deal if you ask me.

Get CyberGhost for the UK

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4. Surfshark

If affordable providers are your thing, Surfshark should be on your radar. As one of the best VPNs for the UK in 2024, Surfshark is known for unlimited simultaneous connections and user-friendly apps that offer a bit of customization.

Furthermore, its server fleet isn’t as small as it used to be back in the day. With 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, you can expect servers in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Manchester, which translates to over 100 servers in the country.

Needless to say, this is a solid choice for UK natives and those abroad. For a VPN this cheap, Surfshark is surprisingly secure and offers features like split tunneling, WireGuard, OpenVPN, and a kill switch.

Its 256-bit encryption is also here and combined with Surfshark One, a bonus security bundle, you can stack up antivirus, true incognito mode, and Alert, which informs you of malicious websites. Sounds awesome?

Well, in that case, you’ll like its no-logging business model and an audit from Cure53 and Deloitte that comes as a result. Being stationed in the Netherlands, the level of privacy you get from Surfshark is second to none.

Other notable features include MultiHop servers, the ability to unblock at least 10 Netflix libraries, and torrenting capabilities. Apart from that, its applications are usable on all devices and platforms, making Surfshark that much more versatile.

Its 4th place comes as a result of a bit slower speeds and very rare kill switch issues that users have reported. However, that’s not too alarming considering that it’s priced similarly to CyberGhost, with a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.

All in all, Surfshark is a well-rounded VPN for the United Kingdom that millions of people worldwide enjoy. And I have no doubt you will, too.

Try SurfShark Today

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5. ProtonVPN

With the UK being increasingly heavy on surveillance and privacy violations, Switzerland is the polar opposite. In this country, you’ll find ProtonVPN’s HQ, a great UK VPN known for its relentless focus on everything privacy and security-related.

Mind you, its server fleet is impressive and you get 5,100+ servers in 90+ countries. In the UK, ProtonVPN has just over 190+ servers in Manchester and London, which isn’t going to reinvent the wheel. But to be honest, that’s not the point of ProtonVPN.

Instead, this provider focuses on minimal logs, having an audited no-logging policy in the process. Its minimal logging practices are followed by Secure Core servers that triple your encryption, plus an ad-blocker called NetShield that works flawlessly.

Moreover, ProtonVPN has a vast array of features you won’t find anywhere else. For instance, I like its VPN Accelerator for boosting speeds additionally, accompanied by more common features like WireGuard support, a kill switch, and split tunneling.

ProtonVPN is also great for torrenting and streaming. It offers specialty servers for both activities and in my test, it showed impressive results on BBC iPlayer and Netflix catalogs. When it comes to pricing, ProtonVPN isn’t the cheapest VPN out there.

Its more expensive pricing, along with the lack of 24/7 live chat support and average performance are the “only” downsides of this provider. However, I must clarify that ProtonVPN is extremely reliable and you’ll very rarely have any issues with it.

Additionally, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans, so if you find it lacking, you can always request (and get) a refund. It offers a 100% free version as well, but it’s pretty limited, so it’s just for testing purposes.

Try ProtonVPN Today

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Are There Any Good Free VPNs for the UK in 2024?

Since I touched on free VPNs a second ago, let’s talk about the free VPNs for the United Kingdom and their viability. You see, the providers I presented represent the creme of the crop when it comes to the entire marketplace.

You won’t get better providers in the UK than these 5.

However, some people also look for free UK VPN services, which I don’t encourage due to their limits in terms of performance and security. And while “freemium” providers are somewhat safe to use, really free providers are a big problem.

These include Hola VPN, Hotspot Shield, Betternet VPN, and similar providers that have intrusive logging practices and no crucial security features. Not to mention that they also sell your personal data to third parties and cripple your performance.

This applies to streaming or torrenting, none of which is going to work with free VPNs. If you’re so keen on using them, though, I have two recommendations that are still inferior to the 5 providers I talked about.

ProtonVPN

When talking about the best VPN for the UK in 2024, I briefly mentioned ProtonVPN’s free version. This provider retains its security even when using it for free, which is great to hear, especially because of the unlimited bandwidth that comes along.

Even if it is the best free VPN, the downsides are numerous here. In its free version, ProtonVPN limits your speeds, you get just 5 server locations, and no advanced security features. Sure – it won’t store any logs even then, but it also won’t support P2P and won’t be able to unblock streaming platforms.

In addition, its free version doesn’t even have servers in the United Kingdom! This means that it’s completely useless for people wanting to watch British TV live abroad or get a UK IP for any particular reason.

If you’re interested just in staying safe and anonymous online, ProtonVPN Free might do the job. But if you want even a bit more than that, you’ll need a premium plan from NordVPN or even ProtonVPN for that matter.

Hide.me

Hide.me offers a surprisingly good paid VPN subscription that excels in security and performance. Its free version is similar in a way that it doesn’t compromise on security, retaining the same non-intrusive logging practices.

Better yet, its free version is awarded unlimited monthly bandwidth but with slow speeds, and no simultaneous connections. Given its lack of streaming/P2P support and just 8 server locations, Hide.me can’t be the #1 VPN for the UK.

Even worse is that its free version has no UK VPN servers either, so it’ll be pointless for people outside of this country. On the good side, Hide.me is very easy to use and offers applications for all platforms, be it desktop or mobile devices.

Like ProtonVPN, Hide.me won’t give you any privacy issues as long as you can get over its crippling limitations. If you can’t, consider NordVPN and its unlimited traffic with amazing speeds in the United Kingdom.

UK VPN: The Best Providers Based in This Country

There’s a common practice among experienced VPN users when it comes to providers based in the 5/9/14 Eyes countries – they avoid them. VPNs based in these countries have privacy-unfriendly jurisdictions behind them, making it a somewhat logical move.

Besides, why would you use a VPN from the UK or the US when you can use providers from Bulgaria, Romania, the British Virgin Islands, or Panama? Are there ANY good UK VPN providers that are actually based in this country?

Well, when I think about it, I can mention HideMyAss as a notable example because this country doesn’t have a lot of (great) VPNs. Even HideMyAss had a few leaking incidents where it worked with the FBI on apprehending suspects, indicating intrusive logging.

According to HMA’s recent audit, it should be a no-log provider now, with lots of security features, solid performance, and great device compatibility. However, it proved why people avoid VPNs like HideMyAss, as they tend to easily divulge user information to the authorities.

In simple terms, I think using a VPN based in the UK isn’t a great idea. With HideMyAss being an expensive option, cheaper providers like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost are always better, yet more secure and reliable options overall.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I can say that using the best VPN is a must for preserving your online privacy in the United Kingdom. The same, of course, applies to users outside of the country who can reap many benefits from a quality VPN provider.

The VPNs I presented have lots of servers in and out of the United Kingdom, they offer impenetrable security, and they perform well in a wide array of scenarios. While they’re premium VPNs, they shouldn’t be too expensive even for those on a limited budget.

Now that you know what are the best choices, make sure you test them out and see which one you like the most. My personal favorite is NordVPN, but you might be happy with other choices on the list – try them out now and enjoy browsing safely!

Try NordVPN Today

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FAQ

Let’s wrap up our discussion with a few more bits of information related to the subject.

Is VPN legal in the UK?

Once again, VPNs are legal everywhere in the world, with a few “grey zones” in certain countries. However, even in these countries, you’ll never be fined or arrested for using them, so you don’t have to worry in that regard.

If you live in this country, feel free to get ANY provider you like – you won’t face any legal charges!

How do I get a UK VPN?

To get a UK VPN, you need to subscribe to the provider of your choice. Simply choose the provider you want from the list above, use the links we left for their cheapest deals, and get a subscription.

Once you do that, download and install a VPN on your device, connect to a server, and enjoy its benefits. It can’t get easier than that.

Do I need a VPN at home in the UK?

Yes, you most definitely need it due to issues with privacy in the country. Being a country in the 5 Eyes alliance, the UK government is keen on monitoring and collecting any user information it can get its hands on.

Factoring in website restrictions, decreasing levels of freedom of speech, and geo-blocks using any of the providers I talked about is a good idea. Thanks to their encryption and no-logging business models, you’ll be able to avoid any attempts of privacy violation and restrictions.

How to get a UK IP address for free?

To get an IP address from this country, you’ll need a high-quality VPN for the UK. Unfortunately, this IP address can’t be obtained for free, as free services don’t offer any servers in the country. There’s a solution in the form of a premium service like NordVPN, for example.

You can subscribe to it and use it for 30 days, then get a refund thanks to a money-back guarantee. This way, you’ll be able to get an IP from the UK basically for free (but for 30 days) since you’re getting a refund either way.