By using a VPN with BT Broadband, you can gain added freedom and privacy online. Because of the UK's Investigatory Powers Bill, BT Broadband must keep records of its customers’ web browsing habits for 12 months. With a VPN for BT Broadband, you can regain your privacy by preventing your ISP and the British government from tracking your online activities.
With a VPN, you can also bypass geo-restrictions to watch content from around the world by unlocking the libraries of streaming providers in other countries. Scroll down to find the best BT Broadband VPN services.
What are the best VPNs for BT Broadband?
Here is a quick look at our picks of the best VPNs for BT Broadband users. If you want to know more about each provider, please keep scrolling .
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN For BT users. This VPN has super fast servers, advanced privacy features and a 30 day money-back guarantee.
- CyberGhost VPN - This is an easy to use VPN with apps for all popular platforms. It is great for streaming and has great privacy features.
- Surfshark - The cheapest BT VPN we recommend. It costs $2.49 a month and can be used on an unlimited number of devices at once.
- Private Internet Access - The most private VPN choice. It has customizable apps that are secure and private and a proven no-logs policy.
- VyprVPN - The best mid-range provider for BT Broadband, with support for major streaming providers and apps for most major platforms.
The VPN services in this list all have the following features to ensure that you stay private and unblock sites on BT Broadband:
- Fast servers
- Servers located in the UK and around the world
- Up-to-date security features
We cover this in more detail further on in this guide.
Best BT VPN services - In-depth Analysis
The best VPNs for BT Broadband are services that boost your online privacy and unlock other services and sites around the world. You can check out the best VPNs for BT customers in our curated list below. Our recommendations have the features you need to get the best online experience possible. For more information about each service, take a look at our in-depth VPN reviews.
ExpressVPN is the best BT Broadband VPN. The one of the fastest VPNs out there, has strong privacy features, and servers in 94 countries. ExpressVPN Demo ExpressVPN is a provider based in the British Virgin Islands that is ideal for anybody who wants to gain privacy and security online. The VPN has apps for all platforms that provide advanced features such as a kill switch, DNS leak protection, OpenVPN encryption and obfuscation. This makes the VPN perfect for torrenting in privacy or for accessing the internet securely on public WiFi. If you want a VPN that provides great speeds, you can easily avoid bandwidth throttling with ExpressVPN VPN. It has servers in 94 countries
that provide lightning-fast speeds ideal for streaming, downloading, gaming, and other data-intensive tasks. Plus ExpressVPN is known to unblock BBC iPlayer, Netflix US, hulu, Prime Video, and any other service you can think of. This makes ExpressVPN a superb service for gaining freedom of access online. We love that ExpressVPN has 24/7 live chat support, and you can install it and use it on up to 5 devices simultaneously. It's an outstanding VPN that customers come back to time and time again and is well worth testing using its 30-day money-back guarantee. CyberGhost is an easy to use VPN service that provides good value for BT broadband users It has apps for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows and has fast servers located around the world. CyberGhost Demo CyberGhost is a VPN provider based in Romania that is both excellent in terms of privacy and superb for accessing more content online. The VPN has a no logs policy, which means it will never have any records about what you did online. And it has apps for all platforms that come with a kill switch, OpenVPN encryption, and DNS leak protection. This makes it great for gaining privacy both at home and on public WiFi. Plus, this VPN permits torrenting and provides outstanding speeds for HD streaming and other data intensive tasks. With servers in over 90 countries, you can always unblock geo-restricted content from around the world. And CyberGhost can unblock iPlayer, Netflix US, and all other sought after services. We find this VPN extremely easy to use, which definitely makes it suitable for beginners. You can even install this VPN on up to 7 devices simultaneously and it has a generous 45-day money-back guarantee to test the service. Surfshark is the cheapest BT VPN service on the list. It's a favorite amongst it's users, it provides outstanding apps that can be used on an unlimited number of devices. Surfshark Demo Surfshark is a VPN that is hard to beat on price. This VPN has an impeccable reputation with VPN subscribers due to its amazingly well-featured apps, strong privacy features, and amazing unblocking capabilities. With Surfshark you get the benefit of a no logs policy, and this VPN has a kill switch to make it suitable for torrenting. In addition, you get military grade OpenVPN encryption, obfuscation, and DNS leak protection. Considering the low price point, this VPN will easily allow you to access any online content you desire. This VPN provides access to more Netflix catalogs than just about any other service, and it is capable of unblocking iPlayer, hulu, HBO GO, YouTube TV and many more. We love this VPN’s live chat support and are always amazed by the fact that it lets subscribers use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices. It's well worth comparing to our other recommendation using its 30-day money-back guarantee. And it is one of the fastest VPNs on the market. Private Internet Access is the best choice for the privacy conscious as it has proven it does not keep logs in court. It's also fast and unblocks most websites. PIA Demo Private Internet Access (PIA) is a US-based VPN that has proven its no logs claims in court on more than one occasion. This has earned it a superb reputation with Reddit users, who choose the service because of its reliability and privacy features. With PIA you get apps for all platforms that come with a kill switch, DNS leak protection, OpenVPN encryption, Obfuscation, port forwarding, split tunneling, and a SOCKS5 proxy. This makes the VPN perfect for torrenting in privacy or for accessing other restricted content. With PIA you get servers in 84 countries
. However, those servers are lightning-fast and they are situated in the most popular locations that consumers usually need. With PIA you can easily bypass bandwidth throttling on BT Broadband, and you can access Netflix US, hulu, BBC iPlayer and anything else you might be interested in. We love the high levels of customizability you get with PIA, and while this VPN is slightly more advanced and techy than some of the other services we have recommended, this may be exactly what you are looking for. It's well worth testing using its 30-day money-back guarantee. VyprVPN is the best mid-range VPN choice for BT Broadband customers. It has slick apps for Android, iOS, Mac, Windows and unblocks everything. VYPR Demo VyprVPN is from Switzerland, a location that is great for a privacy service to be based due to the lack of data retention directives. In addition, this VPN provides a strong no logs policy, and it has had a full third party of its apps and infrastructure that verified the privacy and security that this VPN gives you. We enjoy using VyprVPN on all platforms because its apps have a kill switch, DNS leak protection, OpenVPN encryption, and obfuscation. This makes it perfect for unlocking content or for torrenting with peace of mind. Admittedly, VyprVPN isn't as fast as the other providers in this guide. However, it runs on a proprietary network - which is great for your privacy - and it is fast enough for streaming in HD without issues. Finally, this VPN has servers in 64 countries
and it can provide access to Netflix US, iPlayer, and other desirable international services. It's a superb all-rounder that won't break the bank and is worth comparing to our other recommendations risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. 1. ExpressVPN
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5. VyprVPN
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Do I need a VPN for BT Broadband?
If you are a BT Broadband user, you may wonder if you really need to use a VPN. The answer to this question is that unless you want the government to put you under constant surveillance, you will need to use a VPN.
With a VPN you can use the internet without being tracked by BT Broadband, which is legally required to monitor you and keep records of what you do online because of the Investigatory Powers Bill (A.K.A. the Snoopers' Charter).
Your web browsing habits are extremely sensitive. Countless studies have proven that every website we visit reveals things about us. This includes medical information, information about our political or religious beliefs, about our desires, and our history.
This kind of data is a treasure trove that can be used to deduce things about you and profile you, which is why it is preferable for it not to be collected en masse by the government, to say nothing of the government's abysmal track record of properly looking after the data it collects, and ensuring it is not used for secondary purposes or ends up being stolen in a hack.
Using a VPN service will also allow you to unblock websites that are blocked by BT, such as torrent sites, and allow you to unblock content from overseas. For example, using a VPN service will enable you to access different Netflix regions or unblock YouTube videos that you couldn't access because of copyright or licensing restrictions.
How to use a BT VPN
Using a VPN to gain added freedom and privacy online is extremely easy for BT Broadband customers. Simply follow these steps to get your VPN set up:
- Select a VPN provide from this article.
- Click through to its website and subscribe.
- Download the VPN software onto your devices.
- Log in to the VPN app using the credentials you chose.
- Connect to a VPN server in the location where you need it.
- Use the internet safely, knowing that BT can no longer track your online habits.
As soon as you have a VPN subscription, you can connect to a server in any location you wish - to bypass blocks and geo-restrictions around the world.
How does a VPN actually work?
A VPN ensures that BT Broadband and the UK government cannot snoop on your web browsing habits and metadata by providing strong encryption. A VPN works thanks to software you install on your devices. That VPN software (known as a ‘client’) encrypts your data so that it is completely protected as it passes across your ISP’s servers. This means that your ISP cannot comply with the Snoopers Charter.
A VPN also conceals your IP address from the websites you visit. This stops websites and online services from being able to track where in the world you are and prevents them from keeping tabs on you each time you return to its website. This provides an additional layer of protection against corporate and advertising tracking, giving you more privacy online.
By connecting to a VPN server to conceal your actual IP address, you also gain the ability to ‘spoof’ your location. This allows you to pretend to be abroad, allowing you to access geo-restricted content in different regions. We will explain how you can use this feature below.
Why recommend these VPN providers?
There are hundreds of VPNs on the market, and not every service has all the features you need despite what their marketing material may claim. To find the best VPNs for UK BT customers, we used the following criteria to choose suitable VPNs:
- Fast and reliable connections for browsing, streaming, torrenting, and avoiding throttling.
- A huge network of servers worldwide for unblocking more content.
- Strong encryption to ensure your web habits stay confidential
- A no-logs policy to ensure the things you do online remain private now and in the future.
- Excellent apps with advanced VPN features that provide value for money such as antivirus and adblockers.
- Useful customer service to provide help when you need it.
What can I do with a BT Broadband VPN?
Thanks to the large server networks that our recommended VPN providers have, you can use any of the services in this guide to reinforce your online privacy and open up more of the internet. Below, we have included a list of all the advantages you will get from your VPN subscription:
- Stop your ISP and the government tracking your online habits and communications.
- Prevent websites from tracking your IP address.
- Bypass geo-restrictions to access international services (for example to watch geo-restricted YouTube videos).
- Improve your internet speeds by preventing bandwidth throttling.
- Access BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, BT Sports or any other British services while you are away on holiday.
- Access your internet banking and other important geo-restricted UK services while you are on holiday or traveling for business.
- Expand your Netflix catalog by pretending to be in the US or other countries.
- Unblock sports channels from around the globe on local TV streams.
- Unblock restricted websites and online services at work or on public Wi-Fi (to access YouTube, Fortnite, PUBG, or anything else that has been blocked by the local network admin).
- Download torrents securely and with complete privacy.
- Block snooping by government agencies such as the NSAA's PRISM program.
- Access restricted streaming sites and other content that has been blocked by UK ISPs on behalf of the government.
Do I need a VPN for Torrenting on BT Broadband?
In the UK, it is illegal to engage in any kind of online piracy. Downloading pirated movies, music, TV shows, etc, may lead to litigation, fines, and criminal prosecution.
Many BT Broadband customers complain that when they torrent, they get very bad speeds, even when downloading legitimate torrents from big companies such as Ubuntu Linux. This is because BT throttles its users' connection if it detects they are downloading content Peer to Peer (P2P).
With a VPN you can prevent BT Broadband from tracking what you do online. The VPN encryption prevents your ISP from seeing exactly what you are doing online, so your connection will not get throttled and you can enjoy the maximum download speeds available to you.
Can a BT Broadband VPN improve my internet speeds?
Generally speaking, a VPN usually slows down your internet speeds slightly, however, there are some circumstances in which it will actually speed up BT Broadband connection speeds.
A VPN will usually slow your internet a bit for two reasons:
- It must encrypt your traffic, which causes some overhead.
- It has to route your internet traffic via the VPN server, which means it must travel a little further; thereby incurring a little more latency.
The reasons above will usually result in some loss of internet speeds, which is why it is essential to subscribe to a VPN that has fast Tier-1 servers located throughout the world.
Not every VPN was created equal, and it is possible to subscribe to VPNs that slow your internet down by up to 90%. These cowboy VPN services are a total rip off, so please stay away from them.
The VPNs we have recommended in this article all provide super-fast VPN servers, which means that any impact to your connection speeds should be almost negligible. As a result, you will be able to use your BT Internet with the VPN connected, and still stream movies in HD, play online games, download content, and do other data intensive tasks with no impact to the user experience.
So, how can it improve my speeds?
BT Broadband is known to throttle users' bandwidth when they engage in certain online activities. This throttling becomes even more severe at certain times of the day, when more people are using its network and it needs to reduce congestion.
To carry out this throttling, BT Broadband monitors what people are doing online and if they are discovered to be carrying out data-intensive tasks that cause congestion, it will throttle those customers. Below, we have included a list of online activities that could result in throttling:
- Downloading P2P via torrent clients
- Streaming HD content
- Playing online games
- Video conferencing
By using one of the VPN services we have recommended in this list, you reduce the ability for your VPN to throttle your traffic by making it impossible for BT to know exactly what you are doing online.
If BT Broadband can’t see that you are streaming or downloading a torrent, it can’t throttle your connection - which means you can enjoy the fastest speeds available to you.