Best VPN for Ireland in 2024
Ireland doesn’t restrict internet use, but you still can’t access some platforms due to geo-restrictions. You need a VPN with a global server network to switch locations virtually and access anything you want while keeping your online activities private. Let’s look at the seven best VPN for Ireland options you can use.
Ireland enjoys unrestricted internet access with an international freedom index score of 97/100. Outside of that, Irish citizens and visitors have as much access to the internet as they do a foamy glass of Guinness. However, you still need the best VPN for Ireland to access geoblocked sites like Max, Qobuz or Peacock TV, which are unavailable there.
Accessing unsecured public hotspots across Dublin and other towns is risky because hackers lurk around looking for unsuspecting victims. A virtual private network (VPN) protects your web traffic with encryption that is extremely hard to breach. This allows you to access your banking apps while enjoying your coffee at a public cafe without worrying.
If you live in Ireland or plan to visit, and you want to keep tabs on your favorite shows and movies on platforms like Peacock TV, then this article is for you. We look at seven of the best Ireland VPNs and the features that make them a good fit for anyone living in or traveling to Ireland. So, read on to learn more.
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07/28/2021
Updated list of VPNs and restructured the article.
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10/17/2023
Updated the article to reflect ExpressVPN’s recent increase of 5 simultaneous connections to 8.
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02/20/2024 Facts checked
Article rewritten with more VPNs added to the list and a more detailed analysis of each provider.
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07/22/2024
Updated the article to reflect latest information on NordVPN’s allowed number of simultaneous connections.
How to Choose the Best Ireland VPN
We tested over 30 VPNs to evaluate their unblocking capability, connection speeds, user security, device compatibility, pricing and more. We chose the top seven VPNs for Ireland based on these factors.
- Unblocking capability: One of the main reasons for using a VPN in Ireland is to access geo-restricted content unavailable in that region. The bigger the server network, the smoother the VPN performance and the more content you can access.
- Connection speeds: The VPN needs to be fast with unlimited bandwidth. It should handle streaming without buffering and gaming without latencies. Bonus points if it has specialized servers for streaming and gaming, along with speed-focused protocols.
- User security: You may need to use unfamiliar WiFi connections in Ireland, especially if you’re new to the country. A good VPN should protect you against hackers and snoopers on any network with solid encryption. It’s beneficial to have a specialized “trusted WiFi” feature for controlling how the VPN behaves when it detects new networks.
- Device compatibility: The VPN should be compatible with the devices you plan to use in Ireland. The number of simultaneous device connections supported is also important if you use different ones regularly, or have family and friends who may need a VPN.
- Price: Affordability is just as important as the VPN’s ability to do its job. The ideal option should be affordable and leave room for a refund if it doesn’t meet the buyer’s expectations.
The 7 Best VPNs for Ireland
1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN Overall for Ireland
![expressvpn-peacock-tv expressvpn peacock tv](https://www.cloudwards.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/expressvpn-peacock-tv-800x372.png)
Pros:
- Fast steaming speeds
- Reliable & secure VPN
- Unblocks streaming apps
Cons:
- Expensive
ExpressVPN offers over 3,000 servers in 105 countries that can unblock major streaming platforms like Peacock TV. You can watch sports events like the WWE Royal Rumble on its U.S. servers. The VPN also provides Irish IP addresses for local channels such as RTÉ One. Its P2P support lets you download files from blocked sites like The Pirate Bay; just ensure you don’t infringe on any copyrights.
ExpressVPN Pricing & Value
ExpressVPN is the costliest VPN provider on the list. The 12-month plan offers the best deal at $6.66 per month, and you get a bonus of three months. You can also get six-month or monthly plans, and all the plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can read more about the VPN in our ExpressVPN review.
2. NordVPN — Fast VPN for Ireland
![nordvpn-tubi nordvpn tubi](https://www.cloudwards.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/nordvpn-tubi-800x369.png)
Pros:
- P2P servers for torrenting
- Double VPN for extra security
- Fastest connection speeds
Cons:
- Double VPN can be slow
NordVPN’s unblocking capabilities are on par with the best VPNs, thanks to its wide network of over 6,000 servers in 61 countries. On our first try, we unblocked Tubi on a Canadian server and streamed a few episodes of ‘Merlin’. NordVPN also has specialty P2P servers that are faster and more reliable for torrenting, especially with the NordLynx protocol. Our NordVPN review has the details.
NordVPN Pricing & Value
The NordVPN Essential tier is the cheapest and comes with three price plans. You’ll get the best offer with a 24-month plan that costs $4.44 monthly plus two extra months for free. The next best option is the 12-month plan, then the monthly plan. All the plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
3. Surfshark — Most Affordable Irish VPN
![surfshark-sling-tv surfshark sling tv](https://www.cloudwards.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/surfshark-sling-tv-800x370.png)
Pros:
- Affordable
- Fast speeds
- Unlimited device connections
Cons:
- Slower than ExpressVPN & NordVPN
Surfshark offers an Irish server as well as over 3,200 VPN servers in 100 countries. You can unblock many different geo-restricted streaming platforms, websites and apps. We used a U.S. server to access NFL games on Sling TV without any issues. Like NordVPN, this Irish VPN offers multi-hop servers, and you can even choose your own multi-hop nodes.
Surfshark Pricing & Value
Surfshark is near the top of our list of the best cheap VPNs, offering one of the most affordable long-term plans. The 24-month Surfshark Starter plan costs $2.49 per month, and you get an extra free month. There’s also a 12-month plan and a monthly plan. Each plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $231.75 for one year, $417.15 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $239.25 for one year, $430.65 for two years.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $269.25 for one year, $404.65 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
4. CyberGhost — Large Server Network
![cyberghost-orf cyberghost orf](https://www.cloudwards.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/cyberghost-orf-800x500.png)
Pros:
- Largest server network
- Beginner-friendly apps
- Many specialty servers
Cons:
- Doesn’t unblock some streaming services
CyberGhost has a massive network of over 9,000 servers in more than 100 countries, including Irish servers. The advantage of having such a big network is that it greatly lowers your chances of ending up on a crowded server, which can negatively impact overall streaming and gaming performance.
CyberGhost even offers a special Ireland server optimized for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the official Irish national broadcaster. Our CyberGhost review explains the benefits of these specialized servers.
CyberGhost Pricing & Value
CyberGhost is fairly priced — the cheapest option is the 24-month plan costing $2.37 per month with an extra two months. Next up is the six-month option, then the monthly plan. The monthly plan offers a 14-day money-back guarantee, and the two long-term plans have a 45-day money-back guarantee, the longest on our list.
5. Proton VPN — Best Free VPN for Ireland
![protonvpn-hbomax protonvpn hbomax](https://www.cloudwards.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/protonvpn-hbomax-800x370.png)
Pros:
- Offers P2P support
- Unlimited data on free plan
- Unlocks many streaming apps
Cons:
- Unreliable speeds
- Random server selection on free plan
Proton VPN tops our best free VPN list. It chooses the fastest server out of five possible locations, including the United States, which are fewer locations than other top free VPNs offer. However, you get unlimited data instead, which is a great trade-off if you don’t need servers in specific locations, but makes it a bad option for unlocking streaming libraries.
The premium version gives you manual server selection and wider server access, with over 3,000 servers in 71 countries. All the servers also have P2P/BitTorrent support, allowing you to share files without internet restrictions.
Proton VPN Pricing & Value
Proton VPN offers three pricing plans, the cheapest being the 24-month plan, which costs $4.49 monthly. Next up is the 12-month option, and finally, there’s the monthly plan. Each plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Unlimited GB
- 1
- Yes
- Renewal prices are different after the first year for the 1-year plan, and after the second year for the 2-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
6. PrivateVPN — Best VPN for Torrenting
![privatevpn-radiofrance privatevpn radiofrance](https://www.cloudwards.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/privatevpn-radiofrance-800x371.png)
Pros:
- Simple user interface
- Reliable app guard support
- Unlocks most streaming apps
Cons:
- Smallest server network
You can unblock many kinds of geo-restricted media with PrivateVPN using over 200 servers in 63 countries. This may be the smallest server network on our list, but it still managed to unblock Radio France using a French IP address.
Furthermore, PrivateVPN has servers in Ireland that you can easily connect to from abroad to access local Irish content. PrivateVPN allows port forwarding, which is vital for torrenting, as explained in our PrivateVPN review.
PrivateVPN Pricing & Value
PrivateVPN’s best value option is the 36-month plan, which costs $2 per month, making it one of the cheapest VPNs on this list. However, the next best plan is drastically shorter than the first, lasting only three months. Finally, you have the monthly plan, with each plan offering a 30-day money-back guarantee.
7. Atlas VPN — Best Irish VPN for Simultaneous Device Connections
![atlasvpn-netflix-japan atlasvpn netflix japan](https://www.cloudwards.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/atlasvpn-netflix-japan-800x500.png)
Pros:
- Offers a free version
- Apps are easy to navigate
- Unlimited device connections
Cons:
- Free version only covers 3 countries
Like Proton VPN, Atlas VPN has a free version, but you only get four locations in the U.S., the Netherlands and Singapore. You can still unblock geo-restricted content like Hulu or Max from Ireland with a U.S. server. If you want more access, the premium version has more than 1,000 servers in over 45 locations, including Ireland. That’s how we unblocked Japanese Netflix and streamed ‘Gintama’ episodes without issues.
Atlas VPN Pricing & Value
The most affordable Atlas VPN option is the three-year plan, which costs $1.99 per month and gives you another six months free, the longest add-on yet. The next best option is the one-year plan, followed by the monthly plan. A three-day money-back guarantee covers the longer plans, while the monthly plan gives you a 14-day window.
Can You Use a Free VPN for Ireland?
You can use a free VPN for Ireland to unblock content in different parts of the world, but we don’t recommend using just any free VPN. Most free VPNs aren’t secure; some even profit from selling user data to third parties, compromising your online privacy and security. Furthermore, free VPNs are often slow, so you can’t achieve much with them.
The Best Free VPN for Ireland: Proton VPN
Proton VPN is the best free VPN for Ireland. It offers random servers in Japan, the U.S., the Netherlands, Romania and Poland, which you can use to access geo-restricted content from anywhere in Ireland. The free Proton VPN version comes with top encryption that protects your internet traffic against hackers and snooping — learn how in our description of encryption.
How to Use a VPN for Ireland
Using a VPN for Ireland is easy. If you want to unblock restricted platforms in Ireland using the top provider in our list, follow these quick steps.
- Subscribe to a VPN
Grab your VPN subscription plan based on your use-case and preferences. We recommend ExpressVPN‘s yearly plan, but any of the options above will work well.
- Download and Install the VPN
Go to the VPN’s official download page and get the app that’s compatible with the device you intend to use.
- Launch the VPN and Connect to a Server
With the VPN installed, launch it and connect to a server of your choice, depending on what you want to unblock.
Why Use a VPN in Ireland?
You need to use a VPN in Ireland for online security and to unblock geo-restricted content. Streaming platforms like Max, Peacock TV and Tubi are unavailable in Ireland, so connecting to a U.S. or Canadian server will switch your location and allow unrestricted access. A VPN also protects you against hacking and snooping if you frequently use public hotspots or hotel WiFi.
Final Thoughts
The Irish government hasn’t imposed internet censorship and freedom scores highly, so there’s no risk of getting in trouble with the law when using the internet normally. However, you still need a VPN to protect you and to gain access to restricted content.
To that end, ExpressVPN remains our top recommendation. It’s secure, has over 3,000 servers, offers fast speeds and works on multiple devices. Best of all, the 30-day money-back guarantee lets you try it risk-free.
Have you been to Ireland before, and which VPN worked best for you? Did you experience buffering when streaming movies and shows? Tell us all about it in the comment section below, and we appreciate you for always reading our blog.
FAQ: Best Ireland VPN
You can get an Irish IP address by subscribing to a VPN that offers servers in Ireland. You can then connect to an Irish IP address to access local content from abroad.
All seven of the VPNs we discussed above work in Ireland. Each offers global servers for accessing restricted foreign content from Ireland, and they also provide Irish IP addresses for accessing local content abroad.
Proton VPN is the best free VPN for Ireland. It offers random servers in the U.S., the Netherlands, Japan, Poland and Romania.
VPNs are legal in Ireland. However, using VPNs for illegal activities like copyright infringement may get you in trouble with the law.