youtube vpn

3 Best YouTube VPNs in 2021

Last updated on May 9, 2021 Comments: 13

Have you ever clicked on a YouTube video only to be told that this content isn’t available in your country?

Sites like YouTube can tell where you are based from your IP address, and will only show you geo-restricted videos available in that country.

There is an easy way to get around this issue, however, so that you can unblock YouTube videos from anywhere in the world. Using a VPN will allow you to hide your IP address and jump to another location. This tricks Youtube into believing you are located in an entirely different country (you know, the one where your programming is being streamed).

Here’s our guide to the best YouTube VPNs.

The Best VPNs for Youtube At a Glance

  • ExpressVPN’s lightning-fast servers are ideal for streaming Youtube videos without slow loading or buffer times. Their extensive server network is also ideal for unblocking content from all over the globe. Visit Site Read Our Review >
  • Very user-friendly app and interface, with a large network of servers to unblock most content. Visit Site Read Our Review >
  • Budget-friendly VPN with unlimited connections for Youtube viewing for multiple devices. Visit Site Read Our Review >

Why is YouTube Content Blocked?

There are several reasons why you might not be able to access a particular YouTube video in your area. Sometimes it’s a censorship issue, but more often, the content owner has decided to restrict the content themselves.

Again, the issue for viewers, usually, isn’t that YouTube is banned by authorities.

It’s because the person or company that uploaded the video is restricting access based on content licensing agreements, marketing strategies, or simply their own preferences. E.g, the Comedy Central YouTube channel is available in the U.S. but not in the U.K. This is called geo-restricting.

Using a VPN for YouTube to bypass geo-blocking

The only way to get past geo-restrictions is to use an IP address based in the country you want YouTube to see. In practice, that involves connecting via a VPN that has a server in that country, so that your real IP address is masked. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to using a VPN to unblock YouTube or change your country for YouTube:

  1. Download your VPN desktop app/client and follow the installation instructions. *To watch YouTube on a cell phone, you also need to download the app onto your phone or tablet.
  2. Select the country you want to connect through. *If you are trying to access content restricted to Japan, for example, you need to join a server in Japan.
  3. Hit “connect”
  4. Open up YouTube
  5. Go to the channel or video you want to watch
  6. If for any reason the YouTube video still says “not available in your country”, try clearing your cache/history/cookies and reloading the page.
  7. … Otherwise, you’re ready to start watching!

Best VPNs for YouTube (to change country)

Below is a roundup of the best YouTube tv VPN brands on the market, whether you want to change your country to bypass geo-restrictions or unblock the site entirely in a country where it’s banned.

#1 ExpressVPN – the fastest and most powerful YouTube VPN

Platforms Supported: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome, Firefox | Compatible Devices: Raspberry Pi, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, PlayStation, Nintendo, Roku, Xbox | Unblocks YouTube| 3,000+ Servers | 95 Server Country Locations | Maximum Devices Supported: 5

ExpressVPN is lightning-fast and highly secure with a staggering range of server locations around the world.

It’s powerful enough to unblock YouTube from anywhere in the world, even getting past China’s Great Firewall. Plus, it works with all major operating systems and offers top-notch security and privacy features, giving you peace of mind as you stream.

Not only is ExpressVPN based in the privacy-friendly British Virgin Islands, but it also keeps no activity logs combined with TrustedServer technology to safeguard user identities and protect their data from prying eyes. For more details, check out our in-depth ExpressVPN review here.

Price: Starting from $6.67 per month

ExpressVPN also offers a special deal– 3 months free with 49% savings for their annual subscription plan!

Visit ExpressVPN

#2 NordVPN – the best value, most easy-to-use VPN for YouTube

Platforms Supported: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome, Firefox | Compatible Devices: Raspberry Pi, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, PlayStation, Nintendo, Roku, Xbox | Unblocks YouTube| 5,000+ Servers | 59 Server Country Locations | Maximum Devices Supported: 6

NordVPN is a speedy and versatile VPN with an excellent, easy-to-navigate interface, thousands of servers worldwide, and very attractive pricing options.

You can set it up to work with just about any operating system or device of your choosing, allowing you to get around geo-restrictions in countries where YouTube is blocked entirely – just be sure to download it before you travel.

NordVPN based in privacy-conscious Panama and keeps no activity logs on its users. Plus, if you’re really nervous, there’s a double-VPN option that tunnels and encrypts your traffic twice, for uncrackable anonymity. To learn more, check out our in-depth NordVPN review here.

Price: Starting from $2.99 per month

Visit NordVPN

#3 SurfShark – the most budget-friendly VPN for YouTube

Platforms Supported: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome, Firefox | Compatible Devices: Raspberry Pi, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, PlayStation, Nintendo, Roku, Xbox | Unblocks YouTube| 1,000+ Servers | 61 Server Country Locations | Maximum Devices Supported: Unlimited

SurfShark is another easy-to-use VPN that works on a ton of devices and works particularly well for YouTube. That includes unblocking the site in countries like China.

Based in the British Virgin Islands, providing a no-logs policy and adopting military-grade encryption, SurfShark offers excellent security and privacy protection for users.

As a relatively new entrant to the market, SurfShark doesn’t quite match the speeds or server range of other leading competitors yet, but it’s catching up all the time. You can learn more about Surfshark here. Combined with the lowest prices of any top VPN, this makes it a very good YouTube VPN.

Price: Starting from $1.99 per month

Visit Surfshark

Steer Clear of Free VPNs for YouTube

You may have noticed that there is no shortage of free VPNs and proxy servers out there. However, you should be aware that most free options lack high-level encryption and other privacy/security features, meaning that your true IP address could be leaked. 

This increases the risk of your internet service provider (ISP) or even your government seeing your true identity. If you’re using a VPN to access YouTube content that is banned on censorship grounds, this could get you into real trouble with the authorities. In many countries, VPNs are against the law, too.

The good news is that almost all of the top-rated VPNs offer 30-day, money-back guarantees. So if you decide the VPN isn’t for you, or you only needed to use it for a short period of time, it won’t cost you anything anyway.

Conclusion

A YouTube TV VPN is the only way to trick Google into thinking you’re in another country and gaining access to videos restricted to that region. However, the quality of Youtube VPNs ranges enormously, especially when it comes to free versions.

For a seamless and reliable viewing experience, not to mention one that protects your privacy and security, you really need to spend money on a highly-rated paid version.

Article comments

13 comments
binod lal says:

I want to see fifa matchs live stream

Lacy says:

IPVanish is a well-priced VPN for streaming that has servers all over the world. Furthermore, it provides lightning fast speeds, which is great news for those who want to stream full YouTube channels or playlists.
However, the only drawback is that it is based in the US. Encryption is strong undoubtedly. It also provides a seven-day money-back guarantee. Overall, IPVanish provides great streaming speeds for YouTube as well as privacy and security no matter where the user is, all at a fantastic price.

Max says:

Out of the three above, I say use NordVPN only because it seems to work best for unblocking regular YouTube and YouTube Red. I use YouTube Red and while I can get to it with multiple providers, Nord seems to be faster because the video quality always seems to be consistent where I have to hop around servers with other services.

Johny says:

For accessing block sites or surf anonymously you have to use vpn.I use Express vpn it works every where and with all the services like Netflix,YouTube,etc.

Nicolas says:

In France is great! Thanks to you for very easy and simple connection. Very happy that I tried here after Zenmate not worked. Merci!

Sarah says:

Sometimes, it makes me wonder – how do people live without YouTube? Seriously, without YouTube, my entire day is in vain. I watch YouTube on my entire free time I get. There’re so many quality contents out there. Unfortunately, I’m disconnected on YouTube when at college and my job. That wasn’t cool at all! I heard about VPN before but didn’t know their effectiveness before. Now, I’m a user of ExpressVPN, thanks to Sarah. One question, can my Android device use the same account for ExpressVPN?

ST Editor says:

Hi Sarah, I am so happy to hear that ExpressVPN was able to help you bypass your school’s YouTube block. The good thing about ExpressVPN is that one subscription enables you to connect up to three devices, no matter the platform. Therefore, you should have no issues connecting your Android device, so you can take your VPN on the go and watch YouTube anywhere on campus.

Lavy says:

Great post. youtube can also be unblocked as the unblocker adds a link to play the blocked videos which opens in a new tab via a proxy site and the video will be automatically submitted and can be unblocked.

Jimmy Tor says:

There was some content uploaded to Youtube from an American Channel that had Geographic restrictions and I was unable to access it using my regular IP address. Thumbs up to IP vanish!!! I can now access their videos 🙂

LIZZY says:

Though It is difficult to determine the best VPN, I must be permitted to say that ExpressVPN never disappoints me.

Adiza Kabir says:

ExpressVPN rocks with Youtube in Morocco. I have been using it since and I love its speedy connection with streaming.

Vance says:

Expressvpn is great on YouTube. Speed doesn’t reduce when streaming. Thanks for this post

Terrell says:

I have extensively tested the multitude of vpn’s over 3 years, I came across NordVPN, which, although it looks rather odd, is actually rather satisfying.Thanks for the thorough review though.