The Best VPNs for the UK in 2024

Proton VPN provides over 60 servers in the UK. It also offers multi-hop connections to the UK via Switzerland and Iceland. Although it has fewer servers overall and in the UK than competitors, Proton VPN deftly balances advanced features, approachable design, and cost. It's our highest-rated VPN and our top choice for free VPNs. Note, however, that Proton VPN does not offer free servers in the UK.

Proton VPN earned our highest score because we believe it works well for the most people. It's one of only two VPNs to offer split tunneling, multi-hop, and access to Tor via VPN. It has a growing worldwide server presence that isn't the largest but is flexible enough to meet most people's needs. A new redesign has made this app more approachable than ever, and it's nearly dead-on for the industry average monthly subscription price.

NordVPN is a veritable juggernaut in the world of VPNs, and thanks to a Super Bowl appearance and other ads, it probably has the most name recognition. It's not all marketing, though. NordVPN is one of only two VPNs to offer split tunneling, multi-hop connections, and access to Tor by VPN. It also boasts more than 400 servers in the UK, giving you a lot of options to find a server that works for whatever you need.

NordVPN is for users who like to take a kitchen-sink approach to security, as it offers a little bit of everything. It has a strong suite of privacy tools, and has started to expand with antivirus and separate encrypted file storage and password management services.

Surfshark VPN comes in just behind NordVPN with almost 400 total servers in the UK, spread out across Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and Manchester. That gives you a lot of chances to find a server that will work for whatever you need. Surfshark VPN also boasts split tunneling and multi-hop connections. Where it really stands out, however, is in placing no limits on simultaneous connections—most competitors only allow five connections per account.

Although it has a pretty good selection of features, Surfshark VPN's real attraction is its lack of limit on simultaneous connections. If you have a large family where everyone has their own tablets, computers, and smartphones, Surfshark VPN is a strong choice because one subscription will cover all those devices.

TunnelBear VPN provides servers in the UK but does not publish their numbers or locations. That's disappointing, but TunnelBear VPN is still an overall great choice. Its monthly subscription fee is almost precisely average, and its friendly, whimsical approach to design is a breath of fresh air. Don't assume that it's a privacy pushover just because this service goes all-in on its bear mascots. TunnelBear VPN has one of the industry's longest-running annual audit programs and offers its customers strong privacy protections. It also offers its UK servers to free subscribers.

With its funny, friendly design, we recommend TunnelBear VPN to first-time buyers or anyone unfamiliar with VPNs. It lacks some of the features and controls found among competitors but comes close to being a set-and-forget product. It also offers a limited free subscription, so you can try out TunnelBear VPN to see if it works for you.

ExpressVPN hosts servers in London, the Docklands, East London, and Wembley. Unfortunately, the company does not list the number of servers it provides in the UK, only its locations. However, it makes our list of the best VPNs for the UK because it offers many server locations and doesn't use virtual locations for most of its fleet. It also boasts a snazzy design and uses tamper-resistant RAM-only servers.

With servers in 94 countries, Express VPN is our go-to recommendation for world travelers. When you're gallivanting across the globe, you want a VPN server that's physically near to you for the best performance. ExpressVPN does use some virtual locations, but its fleet is primarily located where you'd expect them to be.

We put HMA at the top of our list because it's based in the UK. That doesn't mean it has the best performance or the most servers in the region, but if people want a UK-based option, this is the one. Beyond its hometown status, HMA VPN has a lot to offer. Its cheeky donkey-centric style is all its own, and it has one of the most approachable app designs in the industry. Most impressively, it has more global server locations than any other VPN we've reviewed, covering 190 countries. There's a catch, however: A startlingly high number of HMA's location options are virtual locations, which means that the servers are physically located somewhere other than the IP address they provide. The site does a pretty good job of identifying them, which is helpful for users, but the app could use some clarity.

This venerable VPN is a good choice for anyone who wants a UK-based service, or a service with enormous flexibility about server locations (with the caveat mentioned above). It's also very easy to use, making it a good choice for those unfamiliar with VPNs. A homegrown UK VPN might come with some privacy caveats, but any reader insisting on a UK-based option should pick HMA.

IPVanish VPN boasts over 100 servers in the UK. Having that many servers gives you plenty of choices to find one that works for you. And like Surfshark VPN, IPVanish VPN is one of the very few services that doesn't limit the number of devices you can connect simultaneously.

IPVanish VPN lets you connect as many devices as you like, while most companies limit you to just five simultaneous connections (except Surfshark). This lets you easily protect a whole household, or just a lot of devices. IPVanish is also a bit cheaper than Surfshark, which might be better for families on a budget. We were also pleasantly surprised by the breadth of IPVanish's customization options, making it a good choice for a network tinkerer.

(Note: IPVanish is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag.com's parent company. For more, see the ethics policy in our Editorial Mission Statement.)

Private Internet Access VPN provides VPN servers in London, Manchester, and Southampton, but does not provide information on how many servers are available in the UK. What makes Private Internet Access stand apart is its customizability, which lets you control how the app looks and a host of ways to tinker with the VPN connection. The company also offers 10 simultaneous connections—double our average.

Private Internet Access VPN's wealth of tools appeals to anyone who wants to control exactly how their VPN works. For example, it lets you configure a multi-hop connection through a proxy of your choice. While network tinkerers will appreciate Private Internet Access VPN's tools the most, it's designed well enough that a novice can comfortably use its features.

Mullvad VPN has 60 servers in the UK, with 27 in Manchester and 33 in London. Thanks to the company's radical stance on transparency, we know that Mullvad VPN owns 15 of its London servers outright. Mullvad also provides welcome features like split tunneling and multi-hop connections and uses a unique password-less account number system that helps anonymize its customers. Best of all, it costs only 5 euros per month, and you can pay that in cash if you wish to keep your transaction completely private.

Mullvad VPN doesn't have the most servers, the best app, or even the most features. What it does offer is unparalleled privacy protection at an unbeatable price. If you want the service that is doing the utmost to protect its customers' privacy at any cost (except money), it's Mullvad.

Windscribe has the most high-performance UK-based servers of all the services we tested, each offering 10Gbps of bandwidth in some of the country's most populated areas. Add to that a stellar privacy record (and some cheeky names for its UK servers like Biscuits), and you've got a top option for a VPN in the UK.

Windscribe is best for people who want high-performance servers, and more preferably, those who live in high-density population centers. However, Windscribe doesn't offer the broadest coverage to some of the more remote regions of the UK, so if that's where you live, you might want to consider other options on this list with larger server fleets.

IVPN uses a privacy-protecting account number system similar to Mullvad VPN and likewise has a strong commitment to privacy. Along with Mullvad VPN, it's one of the only VPNs that allows payments made in cash. What makes IVPN stand apart is that it allows for very short subscription periods at low costs—as little as $2 a week. It's an excellent marriage of privacy and flexibility.

IVPN appeals to the same privacy-conscious crowd as Mullvad VPN, although it has retained the ease of subscription payments. The flexibility of IVPN's billing makes it a good choice for people who only want a VPN for a short time, such as while on vacation or streaming a particular event.