Best VPNs for Bilibili in 2024 (Access Bilibili Everywhere)
Bilibili is a Chinese commercial website that went live in 2010. There, users have the opportunity of viewing, commenting, or posting a voice-over version of some other videos. Though registration is not necessary to view Bilibili contents, it’s required to comment, edit, and post videos.
That said, there are impediments to using Bilibili’s service outside Chinese territory. The restrictions are mostly the product of users’ inappropriate activities on the platform. Bilibili has been at loggerheads with local authorities about the kind of content that users post. Hence, an error message pops up when you ‘remotely’ try to access their site or download the mobile app from the online app stores.
We, however, have a solution for lovers of Bilibili’s exciting content who reside outside China. To keep up with great content from all your favorite channels on Bilibili, get a VPN or Smart DNS service. However, there are limits to the protection and privacy which a Smart DNS offers. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the best VPN providers that you can use for Bilibili outside China.
Top Recommended VPNs for Bilibili
When it comes to using a VPN to access Bilibili, you cannot just subscribe to any provider. China has become prolific for clamping down on VPN providers, thus, making them unable to bypass the Great Firewall of China. However, there are still a few reliable ones that outmaneuver China’s Firewall labyrinth and allows you access to Bilibili.
ExpressVPN
Overall score: 9.8
- Super-fast servers
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Supports private protocol, Lightway
- Money-back guarantee
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
Our top-of-the-list VPN is none other than ExpressVPN. This VPN merits its accolades due to the many beneficial features it offers users. And in our case, the ability to unblock Bilibili.
ExpressVPN officially came into being at about the same time as Bilibili itself. With just a little over a decade in the industry, ExpressVPN has built a reputation for quality. Major cities of the world where access to the internet and accompanying services are restricted has become the primary market of ExpressVPN. Now let us go through some of the features that qualify this VPN as useful for streaming videos on Bilibili.
The backbone of every VPN service is its network of servers and the area it covers. ExpressVPN has some 3000+ servers in about 94 countries around the globe. Luckily, some of these servers are sited in Hong Kong, China. Thus, you can download its app, connect to the local Chinese server, and start unblocking all geo-blocked services in the area.
Since it has client apps for multiple platforms, you can use ExpressVPN on several devices. MacOS, iOS, Windows, Linux, and even routers, have dedicated applications on the ExpressVPN website. With such cross-compatibility, users have restrictions regarding the devices they can use in watching Bilibili videos. To make the experience even more interesting, ExpressVPN allows you to connect up to five devices to a single subscription account.
Security and privacy are nothing to worry about when using ExpressVPN. The 256-bit AES encryption technology makes all your shared data unbreachable. Your browsing history, shopping activities, banking information, and other personal details are kept private from third parties.
ExpressVPN does not come cheap. You can, however, go for long-span subscriptions that are relatively cheaper. Also, before fully subscribing, you can try out its services for 30 days straight. And if you decide to rescind before the lapse of the 30 days, ExpressVPN refunds in full.
Exclusive offer for Techrobot readers: $6.67/month (Save 49% + 3 months free)
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
NordVPN
Overall score: 9.6
- Incredibly fast servers
- Great security features
- Verified no-logs policy
- Unblocks streaming platforms
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
Many VPN users would naturally love NordVPN due to its No-logs policy. With headquarters in Panama, the local user privacy protection laws prevent any organization from disclosing personal details. So, you have an assurance of data privacy with NordVPN protecting your device(s).
Another feature that protects your identity while watching Bilibili videos is NordVPN’s support for the Cryptocurrency option of payment. Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies do not require supplying personal details for expenses. Hence, the VPN provider and ISP are left in the dark concerning your identity.
NordVPN is not merely lavish with its 5600+ servers; they are spread out in 58 strategic countries. The presence of about seventy of these servers in Hong Kong is what qualifies NordVPN as capable of unblocking Bilibili from outside China.
VPN users can find outstanding security features on NordVPN. An automatic Kill Switch, Military-grade encryption, and a feature called obfuscated servers make NordVPN perfect for your online security. When using a regular VPN, snoopers cannot see what you up to, but they are aware of your VPN usage. Obfuscated servers prevent third parties from knowing of your browsing the internet with a VPN. Obfuscation is a particular technology that makes it possible for NordVPN to bypass the Great Firewall without detection.
A premium NordVPN subscription would connect up to six Bilibili streaming devices simultaneously. That’s a sure way of saving on your VPN subscriptions! Though NordVPN is also a paid service, their subscription plans are quite flexible. Just like ExpressVPN, you can also test run NordVPN by taking advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee offer.
Best offer: $2.99/month (Save 71% + 3 extra months)
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
Surfshark
Overall score: 9.5
- Allows unlimited simultaneous connections
- Integrates Stealth mode
- Multihop feature available
- 3,000+ servers
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
If you thought you’d seen it all with the previous offers, wait till you learn of Surfshark. The first two providers – ExpressVPN and NordVPN, permit a 5 and 6 devices connection, respectively, for a single account. Surfshark, on the other hand, leaves the limit to your imagination. You can connect several devices for streaming Bilibili and accessing other online services to one Surfshark account at no extra cost. Isn’t that wonderful?!
Surfshark is a new kid on the block, but with servers in strategic locations worldwide. This VPN has over 3200 fast-speed servers in 63 countries; China inclusive.
Besides the fast-speed servers of Surfshark that make the live streaming of Bilibili videos possible, several other features have landed this VPN on our list. There is the standard 256-bit AES encryption, Kill Switch, DNS Leak Protection. Surfshark equally comes with some unique features like Whitelister, Cleanweb, and Multihop.
The coordination of Whitelister and Multihop passes your network traffic through two consecutive servers, thus ensuring that your data is
encrypted two times over. Whitelister specifically tunnels certain apps on your device while leaving out the others. The Cleanweb feature blocks all forms of pop-up ads on your device. It also prevents you from visiting sites with malicious content in the name of ads. This is especially as Bilibili displays its video content with comments that look like pop-ups themselves. With the ads pop-up out of the way, you’re able to follow every word in real-time, without distraction.
Surfshark is the perfect VPN for torrenting and live video streaming. It allows a 7-day free trial on mobile and a 30-day money-back offer before the full subscription.
Best offer: $2.49/month (Save 85% + 2 Months Free)
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
PrivateInternetAccess
Overall score: 9.2
- Great unblocking ability
- Supports WireGuard protocol
- Decent streaming speed
- Affordable subscription offers
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
This is a VPN operated by the same company as CyberGhost. PIA stands for Private Internet Access. True to the name of this provider, its owner has much investment in the server infrastructure. PIA has the largest network of servers, a mammoth of 13640 in 74 countries worldwide, and still expanding. Several PIA VPN servers are spread across China, making it another reliable provider for streaming videos on Bilibili.
PIA supports anonymous payments for plan subscriptions – you can pay with gift cards. It further supports the latest VPN protocols available, with WireGuard being a good example. PIA VPN does not keep logs of your online activities on their servers, ensuring user privacy.
Since the Bilibili website plays videos using your HTML5 and Adobe Flash, poor connections or limited bandwidth will cause low streaming quality. However, PIA VPN provides a seamless internet connection and uncapped data bandwidth. PIA VPN also supports the connection of 10 simultaneous devices to a single account.
Best offer: $2.11/month (Save 83% + 2 months free)
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
IPVanish
Overall score: 9.4
- Speedy servers
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Offers a 7-day free trial
- Unblocks restricted platforms with ease
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
IPVanish servers are no match for PIA’s 13000+, but the speed of these servers make them well suited for streaming on Bilibili. It has 1500+ servers in 55 countries globally, and most importantly, a handful of those in China. Bypassing Bilibili’s geo-restriction ceases to be a challenge as IPVanish can assign a Chinese IP address to your device(s).
It is natural for the connection speed of a device accessing the internet over a VPN to drop significantly. However, the architecture of IPVanish is designed to only experience a minimal attenuation in connection speed. Though unlike other providers, IPVanish does not allow a free trial on mobile platforms; it supports the connection of 10 simultaneous devices.
IPVanish servers all have multiple IP addresses and possess a feature that makes it possible to switch IP addresses per time. This timed switching feature confuses spying third parties and makes users impossible to trail. Another exciting part of IPVanish is obfuscation technology. The obfuscation technology causes Firewalls to see the network traffic of your VPN-enabled device as usual. Unlike in regular VPNs, firewalls can identify you as using a VPN but cannot tell what you’re doing online.
IPVanish is as reliable as any other VPN in this list because it sports similar security features. DNS Leak Protection, Automatic Kill Switch, 256-bit AES encryption, and a strict No-logs policy assures your security on IPVanish.
If you’re fond of streaming Bilibili on multiple platforms, then IPVanish will be just right for you.
Best offer: $3.99/month (Save 65% + Ransomware & Malware Protection)
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
CyberGhost
Overall score: 8.8
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- 7,000+ reliable servers
- Strict no-log policy
- Tough security features
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
CyberGhost has a large server base. A network of 6900+ servers in 90 countries of the globe makes it one of the largest. Such a large spectrum of servers to pick from makes choosing almost tricky when you’re not specific about a local Ip address. But with some select high-speed servers in China, you get to easily select a particular server to use in streaming Bilibili videos. You also get to enjoy the benefit of using other streaming services like Netflix through CyberGhost.
The user interface on all CyberGhost client apps is straightforward, making it easy to use for VPN rookies. Security on CyberGhost is top-notch with features like Kill Switch, DNS Leak Protection, and 256-bit AES encryption. Though not given a moniker as in Surfshark, CyberGhost also has an ad-blocking and malware scan option. With this, your browsing history, banking info, and personal details are kept secret.
CyberGhost’s No-logs policy prevents third parties from gaining access to users’ data on provider servers. The No-logs policy is possible because a recurrent data audit sees that all legally implicating information is wiped of the VPN servers after use. This makes it impossible to trace any CyberGhost user through temporarily stored personal details like original IP address and banking information.
You can use a CyberGhost client app on Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS devices. Linux, however, requires manual configuration. You get a 0ne-day free trial of CyberGhost on mobile platforms, with the possibility of connecting up to 7 devices per account. 24-hour live customer support makes a glitch in user experience easy to resolve.
Best offer: $1.9/month (Save 84%)
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
Ivacy VPN
Overall score: 8.3
- 256-Bit Encryption
- No Logs Policy
- Smart Purpose Selection
- DDoS Protection
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
Ivacy VPN has its headquarters in Singapore and battles against all odds to provide quality VPN services to its users. It has a little over 1000 servers in 50 countries. Some of these servers are, of course, present in China. The physical presence of Ivacy VPN in China makes it possible to securely access video streaming services like Bilibili, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and Netflix from outside their broadcast areas.
Ivacy VPN secures its users with the standard security features of reliable VPNs – Kill Switch, Military-grade encryption are just a few examples. This VPN is easy to use, with a simple dashboard. You can enjoy Bilibili videos on up to 5 devices connected to an Ivacy VPN subscription account.
Best offer: $1.19/month (Save 78% + 3 Months free)
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!
How to Set Up a VPN for Bilibili
The first step here is to identify the best of the seven recommended VPNs above. You can try out those with a free trial and or money-back guarantee offer. After making your choice, follow the following steps to set up your VPN:
- Determine the most appropriate subscription plan of the VPN for your pocket
- Download the client app for your device from the VPN provider’s official website. Some VPNs have browser plugins and add-on
- Install the VPN, and connect to a Chinese server
- Open Bilibili on your device browser and start streaming
Frequently Asked Questions About Best VPNs for Bilibili
Why can’t my VPN unblock Bilibili outside China?
If you’re facing difficulties unblocking Bilibili overseas with a VPN, it’s mainly because the VPN service isn’t effective enough to bypass the tough geo-restrictions on China-based sites.
The Chinese government monitors its cyberspace very closely. It is famous for its formidable firewall nicknamed “The Great Firewall of China”. This firewall blocks unauthorized connections, even if you’re using a VPN.
However, only the best VPN providers can get you past the firewall protecting Bilibili and other China-based sites. All the VPNs on our list can unblock the platform easily. So, go through our list, and subscribe to anyone that suits your needs.
Is adult content allowed on Bilibili?
No, you can’t view or post content with obscenities on Bilibili. This is because the Chinese government is firmly against indecent content on the internet. For example, the government took down Bilibili from all Android app stores in China in 2018. This occurred after the Chinese authorities came across indecent adult content on the site.
However, following the government’s actions, Bilibili quickly set up a quality control unit that monitors content uploaded to the site to ensure that it remains clean and free of indecent content.
Is Japanese TV available on Bilibili?
Yes, you can watch Japanese TV on Bilibili. Although the platform is based in China and offers primarily Chinese content, you can still enjoy some interesting Japanese content. Moreover, it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. Simply type in the name of the Japanese show you want to watch into the search column on the website, and if it’s available, it will pop up.
What devices can access Bilibili with a VPN?
You can visit Bilibili with a web browser on all popular devices, including Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. The good thing is that VPNs are available for all the devices you can use to visit Bilibili. This means that you just need to install the VPN app compatible with your device to watch videos on Bilibili with ease. You can consider any VPN providers on our list because they offer apps for all types of devices, and they are the most effective options.
Conclusion
Bilibili is too fun a service to forfeit all because you’re not physically in China. Make your pick of VPN today, and get your Bilibili groove back.