Question 1

Which VPN should I pick?

Accepted Answer

Start with the "match" list — it ranks providers against your live audit (leak status, Online Safety Act score, savings, throttling and surveillance exposure). One simple rule of thumb: an audited no-logs provider with RAM-only servers, headquartered outside the 14-Eyes alliance, covers the UK-specific risks we test for.

Question 2

Are VPNs legal in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Using a VPN is lawful in the UK. Streaming services may set their own terms about regional pricing — the geo-arbitrage tool explains the trade-off, and the decision is yours.

Question 3

What does my ISP actually see when I use a VPN?

Accepted Answer

Without a VPN, UK ISPs can log the domains you visit for 12 months (Internet Connection Records under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016). With a VPN, your ISP sees only an encrypted connection to one VPN server. The destination list moves from your ISP to the VPN provider — which is why no-logs audits matter.

Question 4

What is a "no-logs audit"?

Accepted Answer

An independent security lab (for example Deloitte, KPMG or Securitum) inspects the provider’s infrastructure and policies against claims that no activity logs are kept. We show each provider’s most recent named audit on its card.

Question 5

Do these providers really refund?

Accepted Answer

Every provider ranked on this site advertises a money-back window — 30 days for most, 45 for CyberGhost. We show the figure on each card; check the merchant page for current terms before you buy.

Question 6

What do the prices mean?

Accepted Answer

"From £X/month" figures are provider-advertised entry prices, usually for the longest plan paid upfront. We label them as advertised because deals change, and we re-verify them against merchant pages.

Question 7

Will a VPN slow my connection?

Accepted Answer

Some overhead is unavoidable, but WireGuard — supported by every provider we list — is the modern protocol with the lowest overhead. If your ISP shapes video traffic at peak hours (see the throttling tool), a VPN with obfuscated servers can actually smooth streaming.

Question 8

Do you log or store my data?

Accepted Answer

No. This suite is stateless: diagnostics run in your browser, there are no accounts, and we operate no database. Nothing about your visit is stored by us.

Question 9

Why do your rankings differ from other review sites?

Accepted Answer

We rank by published criteria shown on each list: audit status, jurisdiction, RAM-only servers, refund window and price. We may earn a commission on partner links, which we disclose on every list. Editorial picks like Mullvad carry no affiliate link.

Question 10

Can I watch UK TV abroad?

Accepted Answer

Several providers list UK streaming servers, and some work with iPlayer and Now. Reliability changes as services update their blocks, so we rate streaming support conservatively and re-check it.

Question 11

Should I use a free VPN instead?

Accepted Answer

We advise against relying on free VPN services for privacy. Running a VPN costs money, and free services must recoup it somehow — commonly through advertising, collecting browsing data, or reselling bandwidth, and several have been caught doing so. Free tiers also typically cap data and fail to unblock UK streaming services. Every provider we rank publishes an independent no-logs audit and offers a money-back window, so you can try the paid product risk-free.

Audit Your UK Connection, Privacy Exposure & Streaming Savings

UK ISP Metadata & DNS Leak Diagnostic

UK Online Safety Act & Age-Gate Exposure Simulator

Digital Geo-Arbitrage & Streaming Passport

Peak-Hour ISP Throttling & Buffer Diagnostic

Five-Eyes & Privacy Jurisdiction Matrix

Frequently Asked Questions