If you’re trying to watch All 4 outside the UK, you’ll notice the streaming service doesn’t work. You’ll be able to access the platform; however, the content you select won’t play.
The reason this is happening is because All 4 doesn’t have the rights to broadcast its content outside the UK. This can be frustrating, especially as you won’t be able to watch all your favourite shows when on holiday or overseas.
The good news is there is software out there that will allow you to watch All 4 anywhere in the world. This software is called a Virtual Private Network (VPN), and they make it easy to watch All 4 outside the UK.
If you’ve never used a VPN before, don’t panic, we’re here to help. VPNs are becoming increasingly popular, with experts suggesting one in three internet users now use them. The difficulty is finding a VPN that works well with All 4.
Because VPNs are now so popular, there’s a massive range of options for you to choose from, but a lot of VPNs won’t work with All 4 because they don’t have measures in place to make sure they work reliably with the streaming service. This means you might waste money on software that won’t even do what you want it to do. That’s where we come in.
We’ve tried and tested a massive range of VPNs and have come up with a list of what we think are the best VPNs for All 4 so you can watch all your favourite All 4 content anywhere in the world without issue.
See also:
- All 4 not working with VPN? Try these FIXES! (September 2023)
- The best VPNs for ITV Hub (September 2023)
How do we determine a good VPN for All 4?
The key metric we look for when testing a VPN with All 4 is if it has the ability to work reliably with the streaming service without any issues.
Because VPNs allow you to watch All 4 in locations where it doesn’t have the rights to broadcast its content, using a VPN to watch All 4 outside the UK could result in the streaming service facing severe punishments for breaching copyright and licensing legislation.
To stop this from happening, All 4 try to prevent VPNs from connecting to its service. It does this using a range of blocking methods.
For a lot of VPNs, these blocks can be very difficult to get around, and if they don’t have measures in place to ensure they can consistently beat All 4’s blocks, they won’t work reliably with the streaming service. For that reason, the best VPNs for All 4 must have reliable measures in place to get around these blocks.
A good VPN for All 4 must also have fast servers based in the UK. If the servers aren’t fast enough, you’ll come across stuttering and latency issues when watching All 4 outside the UK.
They must also be able to provide a secure connection so All 4 can’t figure out you’re outside the UK when accessing the platform.
How do we test the best VPNs for All 4?
- We test how secure the VPN is: We do this by running it through DNS leak tests. If the VPN has a DNS leak issue, it has an issue with its security, as internet service providers (ISPs) can still potentially see your online data. The best VPNs don’t come across these sorts of issues.
- The number of servers: The best VPNs have thousands of servers around the world. The more servers, the better. Lesser VPNs, especially free VPNs, don’t have many servers meaning there’s less opportunity for you to surf the web anonymously.
- Speed: We measure the speed of a VPN by doing speed tests for multiple servers worldwide. We then compare this to our base internet speed with a VPN turned off.
- Compatibility with streaming services: A critical use case for VPNs is the ability to access geo-blocked streaming services. Unfortunately, these services try and prevent VPNs from accessing their platforms. The best VPNs have measures in place to get around these blocks. When testing a VPN, we try it with several geo-blocked streaming services. The best VPNs will allow you to watch all the leading streaming services worldwide.
- Price: Based on our research, the average cost of the top 20 VPNs is $4.33/month. We use this as a comparison when looking for the best-value VPNs.
- Devices: VPNs are usually compatible with more than one device simultaneously. Obviously, the more, the better.
The best VPNs for All 4
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2023
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
Special Offer for you!
Get 3 extra months free when you sign up for a 12-month ExpressVPN plan. That’s 15 months in total for the price of 12.
Number of servers: 3,000+ | Speed: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 160 in 94 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $6.66/month for 15 months
- $9.99/month for 6 months
- $12.95/month for 1 month
ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is still the best VPN. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites. Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites.
Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered.
The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently.
With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevents its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
Check out our full ExpressVPN review.
Special Offer for you
(30-day money-back guarantee)
2. Private Internet Access 🥈
The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!
Pros
- ✅ Fast and reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Only 48 server locations
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1-million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If – for whatever reason – you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
Special Offer – Save 83%
(30-day money-back guarantee)
3. NordVPN 🥉
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ No logs
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 6-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired a full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers’ connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunneling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
SPECIAL OFFER – SAVE 70%!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
4. Ivacy
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for Ivacy and enjoy a 7-day trial with no strings attached
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
Special Offer – 7-day FREE trial!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
5. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ 1-day free trial
- ✅ Reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 7-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
- ❌ Average speed scores
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
Take advantage of CyberGhost’s 1-day FREE TRIAL!
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
(30-day money-back guarantee)
How do VPNs work?
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) does two things. First, it gives you an anonymous internet connection which ensures your online activity is private and second. It allows you to make it look like you’re connecting to the internet from a different country.
When you use a VPN, your online data is encrypted into an unreadable code. This provides you with an anonymous internet connection, so your location and online activity cannot be seen.
Once that data is encrypted, the VPN will reroute all of it through one of its servers (which you can choose). When it reaches this server, the data is decrypted and sent to a local internet service provider in a country of your choosing. This process gives you an IP address based in your chosen country.
This is important because an IP address is a piece of code that your device uses to communicate with online services. The problem is every IP address contains information regarding your location. For example, if you’re in Australia, your IP address will show you’re in Australia. If you’re in the US, your IP address will show you’re in the US and so on.
To watch All 4 outside the UK, you need to make sure All 4 can’t determine where you’re located, and you then need to make All 4 think you’re based in the UK. A VPN does both of these things.
Does All 4 block VPNs?
Yes, All 4 is constantly trying to detect and block VPNs.
It does this using three main techniques:
- The most common technique is to do with the IP addresses that your VPN can provide. VPN providers have more customers than the number of IP addresses they can provide; this means that customers can use the same IP addresses. Usually, only a household with a few devices uses the same IP address. When All 4 sees hundreds or even thousands of connections coming through on the same IP address, it knows that it is a VPN, and it blocks it.
- All 4 monitors for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks that can tip the service off you are using a VPN.
- All 4 teams up with GeoIP databases like Maxmind to identify IP addresses. If the IP address your VPN provides is on one of these databases, All 4 will be able to find out where in the world you are connecting to the internet from, and it will block you.
These techniques can be very difficult for lesser VPNs to get around. Fortunately, the best VPNs for All 4 have measures to get around these blocking techniques. These measures will ensure you can watch All 4 reliably anywhere in the world.
What VPNs work with All 4?
The VPNs that work with All 4 are the ones that are fast enough, secure enough, have servers all over the world and have measures in place to ensure they can get around All 4’s VPN blocking techniques.
From our tests, free VPNs often struggle with All 4. Free VPNs, more often than not, have the most customers around the world. This means there’s a much higher chance you’ll be sharing an IP address with hundreds of others, meaning it’s far easier for All 4 to identify and block your connection (as explained above.)
The best VPNs for All 4 and the ones we’ve been personally using to watch All 4 in New Zealand for years are ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month).
Both of these VPNs are incredibly fast and secure, and they have measures to ensure you can watch All 4 reliably anywhere in the world.
Can I watch All 4 outside the UK?
Yes, you can, but you need a reliable VPN that works with the streaming service. If you don’t use a VPN, All 4 can figure out you aren’t in the UK and will block your connection.
As explained above, a VPN can prevent this from happening by giving you an anonymous internet connection and by allowing you to make it look like you’re connecting to the internet from within the UK, even if you’re overseas. ‘
It’s important to know that not all VPNs work well with All 4. To watch the streaming service outside the UK reliably, you need a VPN that is compatible with the streaming service. We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month).
All 4 not working with VPN?
If you’re trying to watch All 4 with a VPN and it’s not or has stopped working, All 4 has managed to block the IP address your VPN has given you.
From here, you can wait to see if your VPN fixes the issue, or you can try and fix it yourself.
There are a few problems with waiting for the VPN to fix the issue. It might not be able to fix the problem, the fixes might take a long time, or the VPN might not even bother fixing it.
For these reasons, we recommend following our expert guide, which will show you how you can fix All 4 not working with VPN.
