Updated on: October 11, 2024
Only 3 Steps (Quick + Easy) to Getting a UK IP Address in 2024:
- Choose a VPN. Find a good VPN with at least 1 server in the UK — I recommend ExpressVPN because it comes with excellent security features, provides blazing-fast speeds, and allows torrenting on UK servers.
- Install the VPN. Downloading and installing a VPN doesn’t take more than 1–2 minutes (you just need to follow the installation wizard’s instructions).
- Connect to a UK server. Open the VPN app, find the list of server locations, and select a UK server. That’s it! Now you can enjoy the internet as if you were browsing in the UK.
The easiest and most secure way to get a UK IP address is with a VPN, which is an online app that lets you connect to different servers in other parts of the world. Once you connect to a server, it replaces your IP address with a new IP address that matches the location you connect to (like the UK). That way, you can surf sites, download files, and play online games as if you were actually located in the UK.
But not all VPNs can provide you with a UK IP address because they don’t all have servers in the UK. And out of the ones that do, many have really slow speeds, poor security features, and buggy apps.
Luckily, all the VPNs on my list are great for getting a UK IP address. My favorite one is ExpressVPN because it works with all popular UK sites, has very fast speeds, and is very secure. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Best VPNs for Getting a UK IP Address in 2024
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Getting a UK IP Address
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for getting a UK IP address — it provides the best overall security, speeds, and performance out of all other VPNs (which is why it’s ranked #1 on our list of the best VPNs in 2024).
ExpressVPN is also excellent for streaming — it works with all popular streaming sites. I also like that ExpressVPN allows torrenting on all UK servers.
One of the things I love the most about ExpressVPN is how fast it is — in my speed tests, UK sites always loaded instantly (even ad-heavy sites), HD and 4K videos didn’t buffer, and I never had high ping when playing online games. Also, I was able to download 40 GB files in only 15 minutes.
ExpressVPN’s apps are very user-friendly. I like how the interface is intuitive and makes it easy to find different settings and servers. But my favorite thing is the Shortcuts feature — it lets you create 1-click shortcuts for apps and sites that show up on your screen after you connect to a VPN server.
What’s more, I like that ExpressVPN provides excellent privacy since it comes with a strict no-logs policy that has been independently audited and verified — it makes it very easy to trust this VPN. ExpressVPN also has full leak protection (in my tests, I never saw my real IP address, only ExpressVPN’s UK IP addresses). What’s more, it comes with advanced security features like RAM-only servers, meaning every server reset wipes all data, and perfect forward secrecy, which changes encryption keys for each VPN connection to prevent hackers from compromising past or future keys to spy on your traffic.
ExpressVPN has prices starting at $4.99 / month and backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Very Good for Torrenting With a UK IP Address
Private Internet Access (PIA) is very good for torrenting since it allows P2P traffic on all servers, including the ones in the UK, and it works with popular torrenting apps like Deluge and uTorrent.
In addition, it also has port forwarding, which allows you to connect to more peers to get faster speeds — in my tests, this boosted my P2P speeds by about 20%.
And PIA also has SOCKS5 proxy support, which provides privacy by changing your IP address and maintains very fast P2P speeds because it doesn’t provide encryption.
The provider also has really user-friendly apps — it only takes up to 2 minutes to install them on your devices, the interface is simple to navigate, and there are helpful explanations for all settings. Plus, PIA allows unlimited connections, which means you can use this VPN to torrent on as many devices as you want.
PIA is also really fast, though not as fast as ExpressVPN. In my tests, websites loaded instantly, HD videos loaded instantly and didn’t buffer, 4K videos took 2 seconds to load and there was no buffering, and it only took me 15 minutes to torrent a 8 GB file.
You also get strong security and privacy, as the VPN has RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, full leak protection, and an audited no-logs policy. What’s more, all of its apps are open-source, so anyone can inspect the code for security issues.
Private Internet Access is affordable, with prices starting at $2.03 / month. And it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Very Good Automation Options
CyberGhost VPN is really user-friendly and provides great automation via its Smart Rules feature. For example, you can configure the provider’s VPN client to automatically connect you to a UK server and open your desired UK website on launch.
The VPN also has really good speeds, which is likely due to it having 700+ UK servers, so it’s easy to avoid overcrowded servers to get fast speeds. In my tests, websites loaded instantly, HD videos loaded instantly, and 4K videos took just 3 seconds to load and there was no buffering. Still, I had slightly better speeds with ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access.
CyberGhost is a good choice for streaming — it has 100+ streaming-optimized servers that work with 50+ streaming services.
Also, the VPN is really secure since it comes with RAM-only servers, full leak protection, and perfect forward secrecy. It also has an audited no-logs policy and Content Blocker, which is really good at protecting you from malicious websites.
CyberGhost VPN’s plans start as low as $2.03 / month. The provider backs all long-term plans with a 45-day money-back guarantee and the shortest plan with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full CyberGhost VPN review
4. NordVPN — Great for Securing Your Browsing
NordVPN comes with high-end security features, including full leak protection (it never leaked my data in my tests), perfect forward secrecy, RAM-only servers, and a no-logs policy that has been verified by several independent security audits.
You also get access to Threat Protection, which is a very good VPN ad blocker. In my tests, the feature got rid of most ads on UK sites and stopped me from connecting to shady HTTP websites. Plus, Threat Protection also stops ad trackers from spying on your browsing and protects you from malware-infected downloads.
NordVPN also has Dark Web Monitor, which alerts you if your NordVPN account credentials have been compromised.
The VPN is also good for streaming and torrenting. It works with top streaming sites, allows P2P traffic on 500+ UK servers, and has SOCKS5 proxy support.
I had pretty good speeds with NordVPN in my tests, but they weren’t as good as they were with ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access. UK sites loaded instantly, HD videos took around 2 seconds to load, and 4K videos loaded in 3 seconds and there was only minor buffering at the start.
NordVPN’s plans start at $2.99 / month, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee for all purchases.
5. Surfshark — Very Affordable & Beginner-Friendly
Surfshark has some of the most affordable plans on the market, so I think this is a good fit for anyone who is looking for a good way to get a UK IP address and also wants to save money.
I also think this VPN is great for beginners thanks to its intuitive apps that make it very simple to find and connect to the provider’s UK servers. What’s more, the apps are easy to navigate so it’s hassle-free to find all the settings you want to change. And the provider also allows unlimited connections, so everyone in your family can use it to get a UK IP address.
The VPN is also pretty fast, though I honestly think ExpressVPN is much faster. In my speed tests, UK sites loaded in around 2 seconds, HD videos took around 3 seconds to load, and 4K videos loaded in up to 5 seconds and there was only minor buffering while skipping through the videos.
Surfshark is also great for streaming and torrenting. It works with many top streaming sites, and it allows P2P traffic on all servers, including the ones in the UK.
Surfshark has prices that start as low as $1.99 / month. Also, it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read our full Surfshark review
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Quick Comparison Table
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
How to Choose the Best VPN for Getting a UK IP Address in 2024
- Make sure the VPN has servers in the UK. A VPN needs to have at least 1 server in the UK for you to get a UK IP address. ExpressVPN, my top pick, comes with 4 UK server locations.
- Get a VPN with strong security features. All the VPNs I recommend provide essential VPN security features like 256-bit AES encryption, a no-logs policy (to prevent the VPN from logging your traffic and IP address), a kill switch that disables internet access if your VPN connection drops to protect you from traffic leaks, and protection against IPv6, DNS, or WebRTC leaks.
- Opt for a fast VPN. All VPNs will slow down your speeds due to the encryption they use — but the best VPNs will minimize the speed loss. I only recommend VPNs that provide fast speeds for all online activities (ExpressVPN is the fastest on this list).
- Get a VPN with good streaming and P2P support. A good VPN will work with top streaming sites. What’s more, all the VPNs I recommend allow torrenting traffic on their UK servers.
- Make sure the VPN is easy to use. My recommendations are all simple to install with intuitive user interfaces, making it quick and easy to connect to UK servers.
- Go for a VPN that provides good value. All the VPNs on this list come with extra features like split-tunneling, allow multiple simultaneous connections (Private Internet Access and Surfshark allow unlimited connections), and have affordable plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best VPN to get a UK IP address?
My favorite VPN for getting a UK IP address is ExpressVPN — it has excellent security and privacy features, maintains blazing-fast speeds, works with popular streaming sites, and allows torrenting on UK servers.
Can I torrent with a UK IP address?
Yes, but you need a good torrenting VPN. I recommend ExpressVPN — it supports P2P traffic, works with popular torrenting apps like Deluge and uTorrent, and provides very fast download speeds.
Can I use a free VPN to get a UK IP address?
Probably, but I advise against it. While many free VPNs have UK servers, a lot of them come with slow speeds, data caps, buggy apps, or just don’t work with streaming sites or provide torrenting support. Instead, it’s best to get a low-cost premium VPN like ExpressVPN.
Can I watch Netflix with a UK IP address?
Yes, Netflix is available in the UK, so you won’t have any problem watching it with a UK IP address. When you have a UK IP address, Netflix will only show you titles available in its UK library.
