3 Best VPNs for YouTube: Watch from Anywhere in 2023
As the world’s most popular video content platform, YouTube is available (almost) everywhere around the globe. Unfortunately, every country has its own geo-restrictions and much of YouTube’s content is blocked depending on where you’re trying to watch it from.
In my experience, VPNs tend to be the best way around this problem. With a good VPN, you can get an IP address in any country you want, and fool YouTube that you’re trying to access its content from an unrestricted location.
The emphasis here is on “good VPN”, however, as many VPNs don’t have servers in that many countries. And even when they do, most VPNs have annoyingly slow server speeds, which drags down the quality of your YouTube videos to 240p. That’s if the video actually loads.
I’ve tested the best VPNs on the market and made a list of the top VPNs for YouTube. #1 among them for me is ExpressVPN, thanks to its fantastic server network, great connectivity, and the best unblocking of all VPNs I’ve tested. Plus, you can try it out risk-free. If you don’t like it, you have 30 days to ask for a refund.
Watch YouTube With ExpressVPN Now!
Short on time? Here are the best VPNs to watch YouTube in 2023
- ExpressVPN – Very reliable VPN with a large and stable server base
- CyberGhost – Streaming-optimized VPN at an excellent price
- Private Internet Access – Enormous worldwide server network with great privacy tools
The Best VPNs for YouTube (Updated 2023)
1. ExpressVPN – Vast and Reliable Server Network to Watch All of YouTube
Try Risk-Free for 30 DaysTested July 2023
- 3,000 servers in 94 countries
- Very fast server speeds for watching HD videos online
- 8 simultaneous device connections
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Also works with: Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Showtime, and more
- Compatible with: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
ExpressVPN is another top VPN you can use to stream YouTube because of its consistently excellent performance. This VPN’s server speeds were truly “express” in my testing, and allowed me to watch everything I wanted in the highest possible video quality.
And ExpressVPN did enable me to watch everything I wanted too, regardless of geo-blocks. But ExpressVPN’s biggest selling point is probably the sheer reliability of its server network – in all my testing I experienced no crashes, disconnects, speed drops, or other problems whatsoever.
You can check out its full list of great features in our in-depth ExpressVPN review, but one more thing worth mentioning is MediaStreamer. This feature allowed me to watch YouTube and other streaming platforms unrestricted even on my AppleTV – a device that doesn’t typically support VPNs.
It's also backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can use it with confidence.
Watch YouTube With ExpressVPN Now!
2. CyberGhost – Affordable and Easy-to-Use VPN for YouTube
- 9,371 servers in 91 countries
- Fantastic speeds for a smooth and HD YouTube viewing experience
- 7 simultaneous device connections
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- Also works with: Netflix, Disney+, Showtime, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and more
- Compatible with: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
I was curious how CyberGhost would hold up in terms of streaming YouTube videos, and it held up beautifully in my testing. CyberGhost’s server network allowed me to easily access any YouTube content I wanted, and did so consistently on every server and IP address I tried.
The speeds offered by CyberGhost’s servers were also excellent – I was able to watch any video with 1080p video quality whenever I wanted. You can read more about it in our detailed Cyberghost review.
Its app is really intuitive. Especially if you’re a beginner VPN user, CyberGhost will give you one of the easiest and most comfortable experiences. No specialized knowledge necessary, it’s pretty much plug and play.
CyberGhost’s price is quite tempting too, and if you only need a VPN while you’re traveling, you can take advantage of CyberGhost’s 45-day money-back guarantee. The process to get your refund is quick and easy.
Watch YouTube With CyberGhost Now!
3. Private Internet Access – Huge Worldwide Server Network
- 29,650 servers in 84 countries
- Fast speeds for watching high-quality videos online
- Unlimited simultaneous device connections
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Also works with: Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and more
- Compatible with: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
Private Internet Access (PIA) wasn’t one of my favorite VPNs, but recent upgrades to its server network landed it a place in my top VPNs, especially for watching YouTube and other streaming platforms.
The biggest upgrade was the sheer size of PIA‘s global server network, which now includes an impressive 84 servers in 84 countries. With such an infrastructure, it’s no surprise that PIA gave me uninterrupted and unrestricted access to all of YouTube’s content.
PIA’s server speeds were also more than sufficient in all my testing, and it performed quite consistently across all servers I tried, too. This is perfect for streaming YouTube in HD. You can read more about its features in our detailed Private Internet Access review.
Another thing that I enjoyed with PIA was its desktop and mobile apps. The software is easy to use whether you’re new to the VPN industry or a systems administrator. You even have interesting scripts that allow you customize my experience with the apps in various ways.
Plus, Private Internet Access has a 30-day money-back guarantee. This should give you plenty of time to catch up on your favorite shows.
Watch YouTube With Private Internet Access Now!
Why You Need a VPN to Watch YouTube
Much of YouTube’s content is available almost everywhere around the globe, but a lot of it is still geo-blocked in many countries. This is easily fixed with the right VPN. All you need to do is get a VPN that has a server base in a country where the content you want to watch isn’t blocked.
This way, you can get an IP address in that country through the VPN’s server base and you can trick YouTube that you’re trying to access it from said country. And that’s it!
And if you want to watch multiple channels and videos that are restricted for different reasons in various countries, the best thing to do is find a VPN with a global server network that’s as big and as reliable as possible. This way you can always be sure that you’ll be able to get access to whatever you want wherever you are.
Watch YouTube With ExpressVPN Now!
FAQ on Best VPNs for YouTube
What’s the best VPN for YouTube?
In my experience, ExpressVPN is the best VPN for YouTube and for most other streaming platforms. While I like certain other VPNs for some of their specific features too, ExpressVPN ticks all the right boxes when it comes to streaming YouTube.
ExpressVPN gave me the most consistent server performance, it had the easiest time breaking through some of the tougher geo-blocks out there, and it offered the fastest possible server speeds in all my testing.
Can I use a free VPN to watch YouTube?
You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it for YouTube (or for anything else). Free VPNs have much smaller and unreliable server networks than many of the good providers out there, which means lots of disconnects and poor overall performance.
What’s more, even when you’re able to get a stable connection through a free VPN, the speeds are typically so disastrously slow that you won’t be able to watch anything with a video quality higher than 240p.
The much better choice is to get a high-quality VPN like ExpressVPN. The best part is that you can try it out risk-free, as it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Which VPN is the fastest?
ExpressVPN was unquestionably at the top of this list according to my testing. No other provider came even close to the server speeds ExpressVPN offered. If you want to get the most out of your video streaming experience and to avoid any buffering or connectivity issues, ExpressVPN is the best possible choice.
How can I get a US IP address?
Different countries have different content geo-restrictions, so figuring out where to get an IP address can sometimes be a bit complicated. That said, a US IP address will give you access to almost anything on YouTube.
So, how can you get a US IP address? The process is surprisingly easy – all you need to do is get a VPN with a large enough US server network.
Then, just install and open that VPN on one of your devices and log into the app. There, you’ll find a list of countries supported by the VPN – pick the US, connect to any of the US servers of the VPN, and you’ll be given access to a US IP address.
That’s all there is to it – you should now have unlimited access to all content that’s otherwise restricted outside of the US.
Get the Best VPN for YouTube Today
When equipped with a reliable VPN, exploring the extensive collection on YouTube becomes an effortless experience. You won't encounter any restrictions on videos or channels when you have the ability to connect to a robust and expansive worldwide network of servers and IP addresses.
As long the VPNs servers also offer fast enough speeds for HD video streams and some other quality-of-life features, the right VPN can completely change the way you use the internet.
My recommendation for new and experienced users alike? ExpressVPN. Especially for watching YouTube and other streaming platforms, ExpressVPN simply has all the right combination of features and value for the job.
Watch YouTube With ExpressVPN Now!
To summarize, here are the best VPNs for YouTube:
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About the Author
Kristina Perunicic is a former editor for vpnMentor. She’s a cybersecurity expert with an interest in VPNs and their importance in the digital privacy landscape.