5 Easy Ways to Unblock Websites (with or without a VPN) (2024)

Websites can be blocked by governments, ISPs, copyright holders, website owners, and network administrators at school, college, and work.

Typically, these blocks are based on your IP address, geolocation, or local network. Fortunately, there are lots of different tools you can use to unblock websites.

We’ve tested over 20 different methods to find the most effective way to unblock websites on different devices.

Based on our findings, a VPN is the most effective tool for unblocking websites using any browser. VPN software bypasses even the strictest website blocks, is very easy to set up on almost any device, and delivers fast connection speeds.

The best method for unblocking a website will depend on the type of block in place and the reasoning behind it.

After testing 20 different methods, we’ve summarized the most effective and easiest ways to unblock websites, along with their strengths and weaknesses, in the table below.

Below is a more detailed look at each method, with simple step-by-step instructions for unblocking websites.

1. Use a VPN

Using a VPN is the most reliable way to unblock websites and access restricted URLs.

VPNs work by encrypting your web traffic and routing it via a remote VPN server. This hides your IP address and geographic location from the websites you visit.

It also prevents your ISP, government, and Wi-Fi admin (e.g., at home, at work, or on public WiFi) from being able to monitor your browsing activity.

Not all VPNs are created equally, though. Some come with obfuscated servers designed to unblock streaming services and bypass simple firewalls, while others fail to unblock any streaming services at all.

Thankfully, there are many high-quality, affordable VPNs on the market — like PIA which costs just $2.03 per month on a two-year subscription. This is a great value VPN, especially since the average cost of a VPN is around $4.00 per month on a multi-year subscription.

VPN apps are simple to install on a range of devices, making it the most versatile method to unblock websites. You can use a VPN to access restricted content on your phone, computer, tablet, and even on a Smart TV or Amazon Firestick.

However, if you’re using a public computer or school computer, you might find your administrator restricts app installations. If that’s the case, we recommend using a web proxy, proxy browser extension, or mobile data instead.

To learn more about bypassing website blocks at school and college, read our specific instructions on how to unblock websites at school.

2. Use a Web Proxy

Using a web proxy is another quick and easy way to unblock websites for free. To do this, simply find a proxy site, enter the URL you want to unblock, press enter, and the restricted content should appear.

Like a VPN, a web proxy works by routing your web traffic through a remote server on its way to your desired website. This temporarily replaces your IP address with the IP address of the proxy server, effectively hiding your physical location from the website you’re visiting.

Free web proxies have some serious limitations, though. They only work in a single browser tab and typically don’t work with streaming apps or websites like YouTube, Netflix, and Disney+.

This is because free proxies lack obfuscation and their IP pools are easily identified by streaming services and infrequently recycled.

In our tests, web proxies weren’t ideal for everyday browsing. They failed to unblock social media sites like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. We also couldn’t load free web games with a web proxy on CrazyGames, Poke, and AGame.

Web proxies typically offer no encryption. Some inject your traffic with ads and malware, or leak your real IP address to websites. They’ve even been known to capture usernames and passwords if you use it to log in to streaming services or other accounts.

Overall, free web proxies might be a great one-time solution to unblock websites, but they’re not secure or effective enough to use on a daily basis for streaming, social media, or gaming.

3. Use a VPN or Proxy Browser Extension

If you spend a lot of time in a specific browser and ease of use is your priority, we recommend using a VPN or proxy browser extension. A proxy browser extension is a midpoint between a VPN and a web proxy.

A browser extension is not as simple or as quick to set up as a web proxy, but we found them to be more effective and reliable for unblocking websites than web proxies.

For example, in our tests, browser extensions allowed us to stream YouTube videos, whereas most web proxies failed at that hurdle.

Some VPN and proxy browser extensions are free (like Windscribe Free and TunnelBear Free), but most are part of a paid subscription (e.g. ExpressVPN and NordVPN).

It’s important to keep in mind that a VPN browser extensions are effective, but a majority of them are actually proxy extensions, so they don’t offer the same level of protection and encryption as a VPN app.

4. Use Mobile Data

One of the easiest ways to unblock a website on your phone is to switch from WiFi to cellular data.

This lets you access any app or site that’s blocked by your network admin, so you can access social media, stream video, play games, and generally browse the web without interruptions.

Bear in mind that this only works if you want to bypass network-level blocks. Some school-issued devices and business laptops are configured to only use that institution’s WiFi or have content filtering software installed into the device.

Another drawback is that your monthly data will likely run out faster if you’re using it often. You’re also reliant on your cellular phone provider’s signal to browse the internet, which could be an issue if you’re outside a major town or city.

Using this method, you can also turn your phone into a personal hotspot and share your internet with other devices, like Chromebooks or tablets.

5. Use Smart DNS

​Smart DNS is an effective tool for accessing websites blocked or restricted in your region. It is cheap, compatible with a wide range of devices, and commonly used to unblock streaming services due to its extremely fast connection speeds.

Smart DNS works by rerouting your DNS (Domain Name System) requests through a proxy server in a country of your choosing. It therefore differs from proxy and VPNs, which redirect all of your traffic through the proxy server.

By only rerouting your DNS requests, Smart DNS services are able to achieve much faster speeds than a VPN or a web proxy.

Speed is prioritized over security, however. Unlike Tor or a VPN, a Smart DNS tool will not encrypt your traffic or even hide your IP address.

This lack of encryption means employers, ISPs, and governments can see which websites you visit, and so can still block you. It also means personal IP address bans will still be enforced.

In this sense, we don’t recommend using Smart DNS for bypassing censorship or accessing restricted websites at work.

For unblocking streaming content, however, Smart DNS is often an excellent option. Smart DNS is usually cheaper than a VPN, offers faster connection speeds, and is compatible with a wider range of devices.

Control D is the easiest-to-tuse Smart DNS server we’ve tested. Using it, we can quickly connect to servers that unblock DAZN, Max, BBC iPlayer, and more. It costs just $20.00 per year for existing Windscribe customers.

That said, some of our favorite VPN services, (ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark), offer Smart DNS with their VPN subscription.

6. Use the Tor Browser

The Tor browser is a free, open-source web browser that was built to maximize anonymity online. It is available to download on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android devices.

Tor works by encrypting your internet connection and then routing it through three volunteer-run servers or nodes, known as the Tor network. Using Tor ensures that websites cannot see your real IP address or geographic location. Instead, they see your connection as coming from the location of the exit node.

However, Tor is actually not a good solution for everyday browsing. In fact, Tor can actually be quite dangerous, with websites full of obscene material, phishing links, and malware.

It’s also not effective for bypassing geo-restrictions on streaming platforms like Netflix because it randomly selects an exit server, meaning you can’t select an IP address in a specific country. Furthermore, it’s far too slow to support HD streaming, let alone online gaming.

Instead, the Tor browser should be used to bypass censorship restrictions imposed at the government-level.

Tor is designed with journalists and whistleblowers from authoritarian countries in mind. Its triple encryption and decentralized network architecture make it much harder for governments and police to track your online activity.

We don’t recommend using Tor if you’re using a work or school-issued device, as Tor is often associated with criminal activity. Just using the service can put you on a police watch list in some countries.

Some workplaces, colleges, and schools actually block users from downloading the Tor browser on the local network. It’s also banned in certain countries, including China and Russia.

Unless you can quickly fix the problem by switching to mobile data, the overall best way to unblock a website on almost any device is to use a VPN.

This is certainly the case for devices where native VPN apps are supported, such as on macOS and Windows PCs, iPhone and Android smartphones, and on some streaming devices like the Amazon Firestick. Not only is a VPN the most effective option for these devices, it is also extremely easy to set up and use.

If you want to unblock websites without a VPN, a Smart DNS service like Control D is a great alternative. It’s fast, compatible with desktop, mobile and TVs, and it’s able to unblock streaming services with ease. However, Smart DNS doesn’t hide your real IP address or encrypt your online traffic — leaving your activity exposed to your network admin and ISP.

Smat DNS and proxy browser extensions are good for devices without native VPN support – such as Chromebooks, Roku, games consoles, and smart TVs.

Below is a table summarizing the unblocking method we recommend based on the device:

Ultimately, the method to use depends on your own personal preferences. You’ll have to balance efficacy, ease of use, privacy, security, and speed.

There can be multiple reasons why a website gets blocked on your network.

Some blocks are entirely legitimate, such as preventing children from viewing inappropriate material online. Others are more questionable, such as government-sanctioned online censorship.

Network Administrators at School, College, or Work

Schools and businesses often place restrictions on the internet use of their students and employees. The same is true for parental controls and other restrictions on home WiFi networks.

This type of website block is usually intended to reduce distractions and increase productivity, although they might also be used to protect children and prevent malware.

Typically, blocks at work and school apply to gaming and gambling sites, social media platforms, adult websites, and video streaming services. In theory, they can apply to any website the administrator decides to censor.

These website blocks tend to be implemented in the form of URL-based or IP-based block lists. If you try to access a blacklisted URL or IP address while connected to the local network, your connection times out, and you’re unable to view the page.

Solution: If your network admin is blocking websites using WiFi, use a VPN, web proxy, proxy browser extensions, or mobile data to unblock websites. If you’re using a work laptop or school-issued device, try using a web proxy or proxy browser extension.

Website Owners & Copyright Holders

There are many reasons why a website might choose to prevent you from accessing it, including operational costs and GDPR compliance, but by far the most common is to do with copyright laws and licensing regulations.

Streaming websites such as Netflix, YouTube, and Max (formerly HBO Max) have to block visitors from countries where their content is not licensed, in order to comply with the law.

To do this, these websites use your IP address to determine your physical location and then block you accordingly. This is referred to as a geographic restriction — otherwise known as geo-restrictions.

This is also how some websites impose personal bans on users. Common on video-sharing and gaming websites, personal bans target users who have violated the website’s Terms Of Use in some way.

Solution: If a website or streaming platform is blocking you, a VPN service is the easiest way to bypass these restrictions.

Governments & ISPs

Most governments censor their citizens’ internet usage to some degree. In most countries, this means stopping children from accessing harmful websites, and upholding national law, such as intellectual property rights or gambling regulations.

However, some governments also use internet censorship for political reasons. This can range from controlling the information citizens can access online, to full-scale internet shutdowns during moments of civil unrest and political instability.

These forms of government censorship are most commonly enforced through the country’s internet service providers (ISPs), which are the telecommunication services that connect your device to the internet.

When compelled to do so by law, these ISPs will set up firewalls in their network, which scan your traffic as it passes through. The firewall then blocks your connection if it detects activity that fits a certain description.

Firewalls can be set up to detect particular URLs, IP addresses, port numbers, protocols, and even certain types of website content (using a method known as Deep Packet Inspection).

Solution: If your ISP is blocking certain websites, use a VPN. It will hide your IP address and encrypt your connection, so your ISP can no longer see the websites you’re visiting. In extreme cases, (e.g. if you’re a political activist or whistleblower) the Tor Browser can be used to unblock websites, but it can be dangerous.