IP Address From Another Country: How to Do It

How do websites know where you're visiting them from? Your IP address gives it away, and that's not all: Apart from revealing who your Internet service provider (ISP) is, it also shows where you're accessing the website from. Even though this might be frustrating, it also means that if you can change your IP address, you'll be able to modify your virtual location.

In this guide, we'll show you how you can change your IP address to that of another country, and why you should try it out.

So, what are the benefits of a digital IP change? There are actually quite a few, such as:

As you can see, there are plenty of good reasons to borrow an IP address from another country. So, how exactly do you do it?

Below, we'll briefly show you the two best methods and let you know what you need and how much it will cost.

The easiest way to change your IP address to that of another country is with a virtual private network or VPN. This is a practical tool that routes your Internet connection through a secure virtual tunnel, encrypting all of your online activities and masking your real IP address.

Websites that you visit won't see your actual IP address, but rather, that of the VPN server you're connected to. Since these providers operate servers around the world, you can choose exactly which country's IP address you'd like to borrow.

Even for beginners, it's easy to change your IP address with a VPN. Here's how:

Step 1: The first thing you'll need to do is create an account with the provider of your choice and download their VPN software. For this example, we went with EXPERTE.com's winner, NordVPN.

Step 2: Install your VPN provider's software on your computer or smartphone.

Step 3: Open your VPN provider's app and select a server in the country that you'd like an IP address for. In our example, we chose the UK.

Step 4: Wait until your VPN has established a connection to the server.

Step 5: Congratulations! You're now surfing with an IP address from the country that you selected earlier. With our UK connection, we were able to browse the British Netflix catalog and stream content from the BBC iPlayer, even though we weren't actually in the UK:

There's a huge selection of different VPN providers. We reviewed 27 of the most popular services, thoroughly assessing them from top-to-bottom. Here are our winners:

NordVPN combines performance, user-friendliness, and security in what we think is the best overall VPN package on the market. Subscribers get access to more than 5,000 servers across 60 countries, making it possible to change your IP address practically at will.

The Panama-based service covers all important VPN features, including split tunneling, as well as a number of useful tools like adware and malware blockers. As if that weren't enough, it's also great value for money, especially if you're willing to book a 2-year subscription. Compared to our second-placed service, ExpressVPN, NordVPN's two-year subscription is a real bargain.

In our VPN speed test, during which we measured the speed of available VPN servers, NordVPN raced ahead of all the other providers from our sample. If you're in the market for a versatile VPN with excellent performance, our winner is a great option.

ExpressVPN finished just behind NordVPN in second place. In many ways, the two programs are nearly inseparable from one another: ExpressVPN is just as user-friendly, and received at least a "good" score in all of the categories we assessed VPNs in.

For example, ExpressVPN offers fewer servers (around 3,000) than NordVPN, but, they're spread across more countries (94). We particularly liked its Chrome and Firefox browser extensions. Unlike those of other services, these don't just create proxy connections, but full-fledged, encrypted VPN tunnels.

ExpressVPN's biggest disadvantage is its price: You'll pay more than double or even triple what you would for many other comparable solutions. At the same time, you'll get a good overall package, even if you'll have to dig deeper into your pockets.

Surfshark is at the other end of our price spectrum, offering what amounts to one of the most affordable VPN solutions on the market, at least for a two-year subscription. But that's just the beginning: Surfshark's server network, comprising 3,200 servers across 100 countries is solid, the VPN took a place near the top of our speed ranking, and its apps are elegant and intuitive.

The VPN's developers also didn't cut any corners in terms of features. Along with split tunneling, you'll also get MultiHop, which allows you to simultaneously create a secure VPN connection across two countries. This means that Surfshark gives plenty of power for a minimal investment, easily earning the title of EXPERTE.com's price-performance pick.

There are free and premium VPNs. We recommend being cautious with the former: Even "free" programs need to pay the bills somehow since operating servers is expensive. VPN services have access to sensitive information, meaning that these "free" providers could be financing their operations by selling your data.

At the same time, there are free versions of premium programs ("freemium") that are completely safe to use. You'll need to make do without certain features or capabilities (video streaming is never included), however, your data won't be sold.

Thankfully, even premium VPNs aren't exorbitantly priced. To get the best deal, you'll want to book a long-term subscription: If you know that you're going to regularly use a VPN connection, it makes sense to book a 2 or 3-year subscription. This can cost as little as $3-5 per month.

Or perhaps you're looking for comprehensive reviews about these and other VPNs or want to know how you can use a VPN with your Smart TV, a router, or another device? You can find all of our VPN tests, comparisons, and guides here:

VPNs aren't the only way to change your IP address and simulate being in a different country. The best alternative to a VPN is a so-called proxy server: This is a web server that functions similarly to a VPN tunnel, operating between your device(s) and the Internet.

Proxy servers receive your requests and forward them to the websites or resources that you're trying to access. The entire process works in reverse when a website wants to send you the data you've requested. This prevents you and the website or resource you're attempting to access from ever coming into direct contact, as you'll be assigned the proxy server's IP address. Unlike a VPN, your connection isn't encrypted.

It isn't necessary to download or install any special software to set up a proxy connection. You'll have two options:

There are nearly endless numbers of free proxy servers. We've prepared a list that's regularly updated:

Free proxies are rarely reliable. There are premium (paid) options on the market which offer both better performance and availability.

To find out more about proxy servers, be sure to check out our guide:

If you'd like to change your IP address and virtually use one from another country, both VPNs and proxy servers are an option. We prefer VPNs, since they're more flexible, reliable, and user-friendly, especially if you're planning to regularly change your IP.

Are you still unsure about which solution is the best for you? Below, we've summarized all of the differences between VPNs and proxy servers:

Your IP address shows where you're located. By borrowing the IP address of a server based in another country, you'll be able to virtually jetset around the world. This makes it possible to bypass annoying content restrictions and stream from abroad, get around censorship, and take advantage of deals online.

There are many ways to borrow a foreign IP address. The most user-friendly option is with a VPN: This routes your Internet connection through a server in another country, giving you that server's IP address. Proxy servers are an alternative, which work similarly, but are less user-friendly and unlike VPNs, don't encrypt traffic.