Thankfully, a VPN gets around these restrictions by changing your IP address and hiding your location from YouTube so you can have unrestricted access. Since many VPNs can slow your internet speeds, I tested 30+ providers and shortlisted the best options here. Of all the VPNs I tried, ExpressVPN is my top pick — it has lightning-fast speeds for bufferless streaming and top-grade security features. Plus, you can try ExpressVPN with YouTube risk-free. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can easily get your money back if you’re not happy. I tested it myself, and the money was returned within 5 days of canceling my account. Unblock YouTube with ExpressVPN
Quick Guide: Best VPNs for Streaming YouTube in 2023
Access YouTube with ExpressVPN
The Fastest VPNs to Unblock YouTube Videos From Anywhere
1. ExpressVPN — The Fastest VPN for Bufferless YouTube Streaming in Stunning 4K
Key Features: ExpressVPN accesses YouTube without a problem and provides bufferless streams thanks to its lightning-fast speeds. When I ran speed tests on multiple servers, ExpressVPN’s average speed was around 300 Mbps — the highest of any VPN I tested. With speeds greater than my default speeds, I never experienced any buffering or lag, even while streaming 4K videos on YouTube. When I travel for work, I have to connect to public Wi-Fi in airports, hotels, and cafes, which makes my private data vulnerable to hackers and third-party surveillance. AES 256-bit encryption makes it impossible for anyone to intercept any of my information. ExpressVPN also has a clearly defined no-logging policy, so you can be sure they’ll never record or store any personal information that can be used to identify you. Other than just YouTube, ExpressVPN also unblocks Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, Disney+, BBC iPlayer and other streaming platforms with fastest speed and excellent picture quality. ExpressVPN has user-friendly dedicated apps for virtually every operating system, allowing me to switch from one device to another without any issues. I often watch YouTube videos on my laptop, switch to my smart TV as I prepare my meals, and then watch on my phone when I get into bed. One ExpressVPN subscription also allows for 5 simultaneous device connections, enough to protect all of my personal devices. While it is slightly more expensive than other premium VPNs, ExpressVPN provides the best YouTube streaming experience. Plus, you’ll get a 49% discount on a 1-year + 3 months plan and pay just $6.67/month. Don’t take my word for it — you can test ExpressVPN with YouTube for yourself, thanks to a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re unhappy with the service, you can get a refund. To test it myself, I used live chat to request a refund. It was approved in under 10 minutes — no questions asked. The money was back in my account just 5 days later. Watch YouTube with ExpressVPN
2. CyberGhost — YouTube-Optimized Servers for Reliable Access and HD Streams
Key Features: CyberGhost has specialized streaming servers for YouTube that are constantly optimized to stream in the best quality. Its 4 YouTube-optimized servers are located in the US, Sweden, and Germany. Aside from YouTube, it also has optimized servers for guaranteed access to your accounts on Netflix, HBO Go, and BBC iPlayer. After multiple speed tests on various servers, CyberGhost slowed my speeds by 17% on average. On servers more than 10,000kms from my geographical location, my speeds dropped off significantly. However, I never recorded speeds below 20 Mbps — the recommended sustained speed to watch YouTube videos in HD. Unfortunately, CyberGhost’s short-term plans are expensive and come with a shorter money-back guarantee. But, its long-term plans provide excellent value for money; you can save up to 83% with a 2-year + 2 months-year plan — you’ll pay just $2.19 a month! Thanks to a generous 45-day money-back guarantee on its annual plans, you can try CyberGhost’s YouTube streaming servers for free. After testing it for a few weeks, I contacted customer support via live chat to ask for a refund. Even though I waited 15 minutes for a response, the agent quickly processed my refund, and the money was credited to my account 4 days later. Unblock YouTube with CyberGhost
3. Private Internet Access (PIA) — Huge Server Network to Access All YouTube Content From Anywhere
Key Features: PIA has 35000+ servers across 84 locations — one of the largest server networks among premium VPNs. This server size means you’ll probably never experience overcrowding or big slowdowns during the peak evening hours. During testing, PIA was always fast enough to stream YouTube videos in HD, even on its most distant servers, at least partly because of the large server size. With PIA’s built-in ad, tracker, and malware blocker (also known as MACE), you’ll be able to bypass those annoying unskippable YouTube ads. When I tested it, MACE successfully blocked all ads from loading on all the websites I visited. Not only does it make streaming and browsing more pleasant, but it also minimizes the loading time on videos. By keeping ads from loading, you have way more bandwidth available for that DIY Shelf tutorial. Unlike ExpressVPN, PIA’s compatibility is quite limited. It has dedicated apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, but you’ll need to configure the VPN on your router to use it on your Fire TV or gaming console. I was worried to find that PIA is based in the US, a member of the 5-Eyes Alliance. This intelligence-sharing agreement allows member states to exchange intel on each other’s citizens. However, PIA has its no-logs policy audited by Deloitte and proved that they don’t keep any logs, so they actually have nothing to share with authorities even if they are legally mandated to do so. You can get PIA from just $2.19/month on a 2-year + 2 months plan, or you can try PIA completely free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. To make sure it works, I tested the guarantee by asking for a refund via email. My refund was confirmed 2 days later, and I was fully refunded in 4 days. Access YouTube with PIA
4. PrivateVPN — HQN Servers Provide Fast Speeds to Watch YouTube Videos Without Long Loading Times
Key Features: PrivateVPN’s HQN server network delivers consistent speeds for watching YouTube videos with virtually no initial buffering. HQN refers to the internet capacity (or bandwidth) that PrivateVPN buys directly from an IP transit provider. Because other VPN providers buy their bandwidth from hosting companies, their server connections often suffer, resulting in higher-latency, low-speed connections. The HQN speed boost was apparent during testing: the average speed drop of PrivateVPN’s servers was 53%. Download speeds stayed well above the recommended 20 Mbps for HD streaming on most servers, so I never experienced any buffering or drop in video quality while I was connected to PrivateVPN servers. With a range of tunneling protocols, PrivateVPN makes it easy to find the option that works for you. If you’re streaming, you’ll probably want the high-speed OpenVPN over UDP, but if you’re connecting from China, you’ll need to use L2TP (OpenVPN and PPTP are blocked by the Great Firewall). OpenVPN provides the best combination of speed and security and works perfectly with YouTube. As a company headquartered in Sweden, PrivateVPN’s operations are under the jurisdiction of the more extensive 14-Eyes Alliance (includes all the members of 5-Eyes, plus a couple more European countries). However, PrivateVPN maintains a strict no-logs policy, which means they won’t have any data to share with the Alliance about their users. With subscriptions starting at just $2.00/month for a 3-year plan, PrivateVPN is the most affordable VPN on this list. If you’re looking for a short-term solution, it also has one of the best monthly deals. If you’re not quite ready to commit, you can also try PrivateVPN completely free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Getting your money back is easy but can only be done through email. When I tested it, my request was approved within 24 hours, and I was fully refunded in 5 days. Watch YouTube with PrivateVPN
5. IPVanish — Stream YouTube in HD on All Your Household Devices
Key Features: To test it, I connected 6 of my devices to IPVanish servers in multiple countries. Within seconds, all connected seamlessly and loaded YouTube without a hitch. I was able to stream HD videos on all 6 devices with virtually no initial buffering or drop in quality. Aside from ExpressVPN, IPVanish servers delivered the best speeds with a slowdown of just 5%. My lowest was just 181 Mbps, which is still well above HD streaming speeds. Plus, it seemed the server distance and extra devices had no noticeable effect on my speeds. With such impressive speeds, you’d think IPVanish is perfect for all streaming sites, but sadly, IPVanish doesn’t work with many streaming platforms such as BBC iPlayer, Hulu, or HBO Go as ExpressVPN does. You can sign up for as little as $3.99 a month or get IPVanish completely free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Unlike other VPNs, you can cancel your account in your settings, and the refund process is automated. Once I canceled, my refund was processed immediately, and it took just 2 hours to get my money back! Unblock YouTube with IPVanish
Comparison Table: 2023’s Fastest VPNs to Unblock YouTube
Get ExpressVPN for YouTube
How to Access YouTube Safely With a VPN From Anywhere
Stream YouTube with ExpressVPN
How I Tested and Ranked the Best VPNs to Unblock YouTube
I tested some of the best VPNs in the market and ranked them according to the following criteria: Unblock YouTube with ExpressVPN
Where is YouTube blocked?
YouTube is blocked in multiple countries, including Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, South Sudan, Turkmenistan, and China (except Hong Kong and Macau). The only way around these restrictions is with a reliable VPN that’s been proven to work with YouTube from anywhere. In addition to accessing your favorite creator’s videos, you’ll be able to protect your anonymity, thanks to military-grade encryption, kill switches, and strict no-logs policies.
Can a VPN give me access to YouTube Premium?
Yes, a VPN can help you access YouTube Premium from anywhere, as long as you connect to the country where you signed up for your account (or any other country where YouTube Premium is available). YouTube Premium comes with the following perks:
Ad-free streaming. Subscribing to YouTube Premium will remove ads from unpaid content. Exclusive originals. A Premium subscription will also give you access to exclusive YouTube Originals such as Escape the Night, Mind Field, and Scare PewDiePie. Offline viewing. Premium subscribers will also be able to download videos for offline viewing. Watching videos with the screen off. Users who use YouTube to listen to music and podcasts can finally enjoy their favorite content without having to constantly keep their screens on. YouTube Music Premium. As part of your Premium subscription, you’ll also be able to stream millions of songs and videos from your favorite artists, completely ad-free.
What else can I do with a VPN?
Aside from giving you access to the restricted YouTube videos that you might encounter from time to time, good VPNs also come with a host of other benefits, including:
Keeping your data safe. Your internet traffic reveals a lot about you and your browsing habits, and a lot of third parties are looking to get their hands on it. A good VPN can protect you from third-party snooping. Preventing ISP throttling. Your internet service provider (ISP) can slow connections down for users doing high-bandwidth activities like streaming, gaming, and torrenting. A VPN obscures all of your traffic, making you a lower-priority target for ISP throttling. Protecting your data while you’re on public Wi-Fi. Did you know that cybercriminals sometimes use public Wi-Fi as bait to steal people’s personal data? A VPN can prevent this by wrapping your data in a layer of encryption. Accessing your streaming accounts on other platforms. A VPN allows you to regain access to your streaming accounts with services like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Go, no matter where you might be in the world.
Can I use a free VPN to unblock YouTube?
You can, but I don’t recommend it. You’ll need a tried-and-tested premium VPN if you want guaranteed access to YouTube and fast speeds for lag-free streaming. While some good free VPNs do exist, most free services have the following issues:
They don’t have enough server options to unblock restricted videos. They slow speeds down, meaning you’ll be experiencing frequent buffering and sudden stops. They allow advertisers to bombard you with ads. They can sell your data and network access to potentially dangerous third parties.
To avoid all of these issues, I recommend that you use a premium VPN. All the VPNs on this list offer money-back guarantees, ensuring that you’re making a purchase that you’re satisfied with. Unblock YouTube with ExpressVPN
Start Watching YouTube From Anywhere Today
From Saturday Night Live skits and music videos to gameplays and commentaries, YouTube has something for everyone. The best VPNs will allow you to enjoy all YouTube has to offer without slowing your connection too much. To top it all off, a good VPN will also safeguard your internet traffic from data collectors and other third parties. Of all the VPNs I tested, ExpressVPN definitely tops the list — it’s the fastest VPN and consistently works with YouTube and other streaming platforms. Best of all, you can try ExpressVPN completely risk-free. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can claim a refund if you’re not happy with the service. When I tested the policy, it only took a few minutes to get my refund approved via live chat. My money was back in my account 5 days later.
