In some cases, even when you can watch in your home country, you won’t find the same list of shows and films as other countries get. The reason for all this is licensing rules. All streaming services use region blocking to ensure that movies and TV shows can only be watched by people in certain countries. You can’t watch HBO Max or Hulu if you’re in the UK, for example, nor can you access BBC iPlayer from outside the UK. The good news is that you can get around these blocks using a VPN. Below you’ll find the top five VPNs we recommend specifically for streaming online – all tested and reviewed by us – and underneath that some more detailed advice on what to look for in a VPN, and the risks involved.
Best streaming VPN 2023
What to look for in a VPN for streaming
The first thing to bear in mind is that accessing any of streaming service from another country could violate their terms of service, and you risk losing your account, so proceed at your own risk. Saying that, we’re yet to hear of anyone having their account terminated: those services want you to keep paying, so they’re only going after the VPNs that are circumventing their blocks, not the consumers.
Reliably unblocks popular streaming services Great speeds
Not the absolute cheapest VPN Limited to six simultaneous connections
The service reliably unblocks Netflix in various regions as well as lots of other streaming services including BBC iPlayer in the UK. Its SmartPlay feature means you don’t have to think about choosing the right server: you just pick the country and the apps will select the best server for streaming. NordVPN apps are available for just about any device you could ever want to use for streaming (except those that don’t support VPNs, as mentioned) and there’s 24/7 tech support for help when you need it. Using its NordLynx protocol, based on WireGuard, Nord’s connection speeds are some of the fastest around and the apps are very easy to use. It’s not quite as inexpensive as Surfshark, and has a limit of six devices using the service at the same time, but if those aren’t problems (and they won’t be for many) then NordVPN is a top choice. You can see NordVPN’s latest deals here.
Good unblocking Very affordable
Doesn't list which services it unblocks
More importantly, we’ve found it reliably unblocks video from various streaming services in our tests, and have had no issues with iPlayer whenever we’ve tried to watch something. This is why it’s the best choice for most people: the two-year subscription is excellent value.
Great-value subscription plans Unblocks popular services
Missing some high-end features
While it used to have a dedicated streaming mode in its apps, this is now gone in favour of simplicity. In fact, its redesigned apps are nice and easy to use. Providers play a cat-and-mouse game with the streaming services and the 24/7 live chat is on hand to help you if you do find you can’t watch videos from a particular service. Like several other VPNs, PureVPN has introduced a 7-day trial for 99 cents (about 74p) so you can check if it will reliably unblock and stream the services you want to use. The best-value subscription at the time of writing is the two-year deal, which offers an additional three months for free.
Unblocks huge range of services Additional MediaStreamer service
Expensive monthly price
Obviously, most people don’t have subscriptions to that number of streaming services, so ExpressVPN really comes into its own with the more obscure services that other VPNs don’t unblock. And maybe that will justify paying the much higher monthly for ExpressVPN. But for those who just want to watch the popular services including Netflix, Disney+ and BBC iPlayer, NordVPN and Surfshark are just as effective for a lower monthly cost. However, ExpressVPN does have quite a few things in its favour for those who regularly need to stream blocked video from a variety of different services. It says it tracks more than 200 platforms in multiple regions and claims to be the only VPN which will unblock Kayo, a service for live sports events. As well as the VPN service, it also offers MediaStreamer DNS which you can use if you have any trouble unblocking while using the VPN app. This is a handy alternative which has previously worked for us when we had trouble accessing iPlayer. ExpressVPN also offers a router ‘app’ which is considerably easier to use than others, even making it possible to change server without too much hassle. This allows you to unblock content on an Apple TV, Xbox, PS5 or any other device that doesn’t support VPNs natively.
Owned and operated servers Good unblocking of UK services
Only 5 connections allowed Some (unmarked) virtual servers
In our recent tests, we found VyprVPN was particularly good at unblocking UK-based services such as BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, which are often a challenge for rivals. Thanks to WireGuard support, VyprVPN offers great speeds which is a bonus if you happen to have fast broadband (more than around 100Mbps). For streaming, WireGuard isn’t a must-have feature as OpenVPN and IKEv2 are perfectly up to the task. What you may experience is that – on occasion – you might not be able to unblock, say, Disney+ with your chosen VPN service. When that happens, use the VPN’s tech support, which is usually available as 24/7 live chat, to find out how to solve the problem. Or simply try connecting to a different server in the same country. The other thing to look out for when choosing a VPN specifically for streaming services is to check the which services the VPN claims to unblock, and specifically the regions you may want to use. Bear in mind that some devices don’t support VPN connections natively. It is possible to set up a VPN on a PlayStation, Xbox, or Apple TV, but it’s certainly not a quick and convenient process, so even if a VPN service advertises support for those platforms, take it with a pinch of salt. If a VPN doesn’t sound like the right option for you, it’s worth considering the StreamLocator Hub. Instead of connecting to different servers, this Hub projects its own Wi-Fi network which you can connect to, and bypasses geo-blocked content automatically. But for a low monthly price, a VPN is exactly what most people need to unblock streaming services. Here are what we consider to be the best options overall for watching TV and films online.
Related articles for further reading
What is a VPN and why you need oneHow to use a VPNHow to speed up a VPNBest VPN for WindowsBest VPN deals
Tech Advisor’s Deputy Editor, Dom covers everything that runs on electricity, from phones and laptops to wearables, audio, gaming, smart home, and streaming - plus he’s a regular fixture on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
