Best VPNs for the UK in 2026
Whether you live in the UK or are only passing through, a VPN encrypts your connection on public Wi-Fi and gives you a UK IP address for the British services that check for one. Below are the seven VPNs we recommend for the UK, what each is best at, who should skip it, and the official figures behind the comparison.
Best VPNs for the UK compared
| # | VPN | Best for | Servers in the UK | Simultaneous devices | Money-back guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NordVPN | Best VPN overall for the UK | 821 | 10 | 30 days |
| 2 | Surfshark | Best for families | 440+ | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 3 | Private Internet Access | Best for torrenting | — | Unlimited | 30 days (new subscribers) |
| 4 | CyberGhost | Best for a long trial period | 499 | 7 | 45 days (14 on monthly plans) |
| 5 | Proton VPN | Best free VPN | 929 | 10 (VPN Plus) | 30 days |
| 6 | PureVPN | Best for Fire TV Stick | — | 10 | 31 days |
| 7 | ExpressVPN | Best for travelers | — | 10–14 (by plan) | 30 days (new users) |
Every figure in the table comes from the provider’s own website. Where a provider does not publish a UK server count, the cell is empty rather than estimated.
Who has the most servers in the UK?
How we picked these VPNs
The ranking is our editorial judgment of which provider fits which need in the UK. To keep it honest, we only publish facts we can source:
- UK servers – how many servers each provider runs in the UK and in which cities, taken from its own server pages.
- Devices per plan – how many devices one subscription covers, which decides whether one plan is enough for a family.
- Refund period – how long you have to try the service and get your money back.
- Fit for the use case – streaming, travel, a usable free plan, or support for TV devices such as the Fire TV Stick.
We have not yet published our own speed or streaming tests for the UK, so this guide makes no claims about speeds or about which British channels each VPN unblocks.
The best VPNs for the UK, reviewed
1. NordVPN
- Servers in the UK
- 821api.nordvpn.com/v1/servers/countries · checked 2026-11-08
- Simultaneous devices
- 10nordvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-08
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 daysnordvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-08
NordVPN runs servers in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, according to its own server list. That spread covers England and Scotland, and the plan covers enough devices for a phone, a laptop and a TV at the same time.
It is the provider we recommend if you only want to buy one VPN for the UK. Our NordVPN review covers the apps and the privacy policy in more detail.
+ Pros
- Servers in four UK cities, in England and Scotland
- The second-largest UK network we list, after Proton VPN
- One plan covers a household’s main devices
− Cons
- Has a device limit, unlike Surfshark and PIA
- A smaller UK network than Proton VPN’s paid plan
Choose it if you want one VPN that handles browsing, streaming and public Wi-Fi in the UK. Skip it if you need to protect more devices than one plan allows.
2. Surfshark
- Servers in the UK
- 440+surfshark.com/servers/uk · checked 2026-11-08
- Simultaneous devices
- Unlimitedsurfshark.com/features/multiple-devices · checked 2026-11-07
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 dayssurfshark.com/features/multiple-devices · checked 2026-11-07
Surfshark also has servers in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and one subscription covers an unlimited number of devices. That is why we recommend it for families and shared houses: everyone can use the same plan on every phone, laptop and TV in the home.
+ Pros
- No device limit on one subscription
- Servers in four UK cities, in England and Scotland
− Cons
- The smallest UK network of the providers that publish a figure
- The refund guarantee only covers your first purchase
Choose it if you are buying one VPN for a whole family or shared house. Skip it if the number of UK servers matters more to you than the number of devices.
3. Private Internet Access
- Servers in the UK
- —not published
- Simultaneous devices
- Unlimitedprivateinternetaccess.com · checked 2026-11-07
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days (new subscribers)privateinternetaccess.com · checked 2026-11-07
Private Internet Access (PIA) allows unlimited simultaneous devices on one subscription and lists UK locations in London, Manchester, Southampton and Tottenham, plus a streaming-optimized UK location. It is our pick for torrenting. PIA does not publish a UK server count, so the table leaves that cell empty.
Using a VPN does not make downloading copyrighted material legal. See torrenting in the UK below.
+ Pros
- No device limit on one subscription
- A streaming-optimized UK location
− Cons
- No published UK server count
- No UK locations in Scotland
- The refund guarantee is for new subscribers only
Choose it if you torrent legal content and want every device covered. Skip it if you want to know exactly how many UK servers you are paying for.
4. CyberGhost
- Servers in the UK
- 499cyberghostvpn.com/vpn-server · checked 2026-11-08
- Simultaneous devices
- 7cyberghostvpn.com/features/money-back-guar… · checked 2026-11-07
- Money-back guarantee
- 45 days (14 on monthly plans)cyberghostvpn.com/features/money-back-guar… · checked 2026-11-07
CyberGhost runs a large UK network in London, Manchester and Berkshire, and it gives you the longest refund period in this list on plans of six months or more. That makes it the easiest VPN here to test properly on your own connection before you commit.
+ Pros
- The longest refund period here on longer plans
- A larger UK network than Surfshark’s
− Cons
- No UK servers in Scotland
- The lowest device limit in this list
- Monthly plans get a much shorter refund window
Choose it if you want plenty of time to test a VPN on the UK services you use. Skip it if you need many devices covered or only want to pay month by month.
5. Proton VPN
- Servers in the UK
- 929protonvpn.com/vpn-servers · checked 2026-11-08
- Simultaneous devices
- 10 (VPN Plus)protonvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-07
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 daysprotonvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-07
Proton VPN is the only provider in this list with a permanent free plan, which makes it our pick for a free VPN in the UK. The free plan covers a single device and connects you to a randomly selected server. You cannot choose the UK, so use it to protect yourself on public Wi-Fi, not to get a UK IP address.
The paid VPN Plus plan unlocks the largest UK network in this list, spread across several UK cities.
+ Pros
- The only permanent free plan in this list
- The paid plan has the largest UK network we list
− Cons
- The free plan cannot connect to the UK on request
- The free plan covers a single device
Choose it if you want free protection on café, train or hotel Wi-Fi, or the largest UK network on a paid plan. Skip it if you need a UK IP address without paying.
6. PureVPN
- Servers in the UK
- —not published
- Simultaneous devices
- 10purevpn.com/order · checked 2026-11-08
- Money-back guarantee
- 31 dayspurevpn.com/order · checked 2026-11-08
PureVPN offers a dedicated Fire TV Stick app, which is why we recommend it if you mainly watch on an Amazon Fire TV device. It lists UK servers in London and Manchester, but it does not publish a UK server count.
+ Pros
- A dedicated app for the Amazon Fire TV Stick
- A slightly longer refund period than most providers here
− Cons
- No published UK server count
- UK servers in two cities only
Choose it if you watch mostly on a Fire TV Stick. Skip it if you want the largest choice of UK servers. Read our PureVPN review.
7. ExpressVPN
- Servers in the UK
- —not published
- Simultaneous devices
- 10–14 (by plan)expressvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-12
- Money-back guarantee
- 30 days (new users)expressvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-12
ExpressVPN has UK locations across London, including Docklands, East London, Tottenham and Wembley, plus Manchester and the Midlands, backed by a worldwide server network. That combination is why we recommend it to people who travel in and out of the UK: one app gives you a UK IP address when you are away and a local one wherever you land.
+ Pros
- The most UK locations to choose from in this list
- A worldwide server network for travel
− Cons
- No published UK server count
- The device limit depends on the plan you buy
- The refund guarantee is for new users only
Choose it if you regularly travel between the UK and other countries. Skip it if you want unlimited devices on one plan.
Watching British TV with a VPN
British streaming apps check where you are, and they often refuse to play when they see a VPN address. If you live in the UK and keep your VPN on, connect to a UK server so the apps see a UK IP address, and try another UK server if one still refuses to play.
British channels and their streaming apps
| Broadcaster | Channels | Streaming app |
|---|---|---|
| BBC | BBC One, BBC Two | BBC iPlayer |
| ITV | ITV1, ITV2 | ITVX |
| Channel 4 | Channel 4, E4 | Channel 4 (formerly All 4) |
| Channel 5 | 5 | 5 (formerly My5) |
| Sky | Sky channels | NOW |
The BBC shows Wimbledon, so BBC iPlayer is where viewers in the UK stream the championships.
Before you rely on it
- Streaming services often block VPN traffic, and what works changes over time. We have not tested which VPN currently works with which British channel, so use the refund period to check the services you care about.
- Some services restrict VPN use in their terms. Check the terms of the service you subscribe to. BBC iPlayer, for example, needs a TV license, live or on demand.
- Pay-TV services such as Sky and NOW still need a subscription; a VPN only changes your location.
What to avoid when choosing a VPN for the UK
- Free VPNs that pay for themselves with ads or your data. The one free plan we list, Proton VPN, cannot give you a UK IP address.
- Providers without servers in the UK. If you want British TV or a UK IP address, check the server list before you buy.
- Plans you cannot get refunded. Every VPN in our list has a refund window; use it to test the British services you care about.
- Providers that say little about who runs them or what they log. Read the privacy policy before you pay.
- “Lifetime” deals from unknown brands. A service that has to keep running servers for ever on a one-off payment rarely lasts.
Is using a VPN legal in the UK?
Yes. Using a VPN is legal in the UK. The Online Safety Act makes many websites and apps check their users’ ages; it does not ban VPNs. Using a VPN to get round a service’s own rules can still break that service’s terms.
A VPN does not change what is legal, though. This is general information, not legal advice.
Torrenting in the UK
Downloading or sharing copyrighted material without permission is illegal in the UK under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, with or without a VPN. The High Court regularly orders the major internet providers to block piracy sites, and rights holders can take infringers to court. Torrenting itself is legal for content you have the right to share, such as open-source software or public-domain films.
How to get a UK IP address
- Pick a VPN from the table above that lists servers in the UK.
- Install its app on the device you want to use and sign in.
- Choose the United Kingdom (or a UK city) in the server list and connect.
- Check that your IP address now shows the UK, then open the British service you want to use.
FAQ
What is the best VPN for the UK?
NordVPN is our pick for most people. It has servers in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and one plan covers several devices. Surfshark is the better choice for large households because it has no device limit.
Is there a good free VPN for the UK?
Proton VPN has the only free plan in our list. It is useful on public Wi-Fi, but the free plan picks a server for you, so it cannot give you a UK IP address. For that you need a paid plan.
Which VPN has the most servers in the UK?
Of the providers in our list that publish a figure, Proton VPN has the most UK servers on its paid plan, followed by NordVPN and CyberGhost.
Can I watch BBC iPlayer, ITVX or Channel 4 in the UK with a VPN on?
These apps check for a UK IP address, which a VPN connected to a UK server provides. Streaming services do block VPNs, though, and we have not tested which VPN currently works with each app. Use a refund period to try it, and remember that BBC iPlayer needs a TV license.
Is it legal to use a VPN in the UK?
Yes. The Online Safety Act does not ban VPNs. A VPN does not make illegal activity, such as downloading copyrighted material, legal.
Which VPN is best for traveling to and from the UK?
ExpressVPN is our pick for travelers: it has the most UK locations in our list and a worldwide server network, so one app covers you at home and abroad.