Best gaming VPN 2023

The best gaming VPN can revolutionize your experience during online games like CS2, EA Sports FC, and League of Legends. They can help to reduce ping, give you access to easier lobbies, improve download speeds, protect you from DDoS attacks, give you access to regional exclusive content, and much more.

While VPNs are thought to slightly lower download speeds, that’s not always the case. Internet service providers often throttle your speeds when you engage in bandwidth-heavy activities such as gaming, but as VPNs mask your activity and data, your connection remains fast and stable. Check out these why every gamer needs a VPN.

Not all VPNs are built equally, and free VPN services don’t always provide what you need. PCGamesN experts have tried and tested a range of VPNs and provided this list of the top services depending on your needs. You’ll often get more for your money if you subscribe for a longer term. If you’re still not convinced, take out a VPN free trial and see for yourself what they offer.

Here are the best gaming VPNs:

1. ExpressVPN – best overall
2. NordVPN – best WireGuard protocol
3. Surfshark – great for unlimited devices
4. PureVPN – most private VPN
5. IPVanish – best for encrypted storage
6. CyberGhost – best for streaming
7. VyprVPN – best zero-logs policy
8. Private Internet Access (PIA) – cheap option

1. ExpressVPN

Best gaming VPN overall.

ExpressVPN specs:

Pros:

• Servers available in 94 countries
• IP addresses refreshed regularly
• Works on every device
• Lightspeed protocol delivers speedy performance

Cons:

• A little pricier than other providers
• Fewer individual servers than other providers

With a lot of countries to choose from, ExpressVPN is the best service if you’re looking to play with your friends overseas or have your eye on a regional deal that’s otherwise unavailable to you. Of course, the potential for improved speeds can also stop you from losing games due to lag.

It’s one of the pricier services on this list, but you certainly get what you pay for with 24/7 live chat customer support and quick connections. Few others refresh their IP addresses as frequently as ExpressVPN, too, meaning you’ll pretty much always be able to unblock just about everything in most countries – including Japan. You can always cancel within the first 30 days and you’ll get your money back if you are not satisfied.

ExpressVPN is also known for refreshing its servers’ IP addresses on a more regular basis than many other VPN services. This will come in handy if a game you play ever blocks one of its servers because it shouldn’t be too long before the IP is refreshed and it can get back in there. This also makes it a good choice if you’re looking for a VPN for streaming.

Read our ExpressVPN review.

2. NordVPN

NordVPN is the fastest VPN.

NordVPN specs:

Pros:

• Fastest VPN
• NordLynx encrypts data more quickly than other protocols

Cons:

• On the more expensive end of the pricing spectrum
• Fewer simultaneous connections than others

There aren’t many VPN providers that can beat NordVPN. With 5,400+ servers under its belt and fast download and upload speeds, you’ll find everything runs much quicker than with other providers. On top of that, it uses an adapted WireGuard protocol that it dubs NordLynx, which encrypts your data more swiftly than other protocols and comes with less of a performance tax.

The only slight chink in its armor (other than being one of the slightly more expensive VPNs) is that an allowance of six simultaneous connections isn’t actually that much. It might serve you just fine, but if you want to protect a whole household of gamers, who all have multiple devices to cover, it may not be quite enough.

You can leave NordVPN running in the background on up to six devices at once, forgetting it’s on with a ping that rivals and sometimes beats your untouched connection. And with support for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, you can use it to protect yourself from being DDoSed in Rainbow Six Siege and relocate yourself in Pokémon Go.

Read our NordVPN review.

3. Surfshark

Surfshark is the best gaming VPN with unlimited devices.

Surfshark specs:

Pros:

• Allows unlimited simultaneous connections
• Offers a week-long free trial

Cons:

• Slightly smaller server total
• Fewer server locations available

Surfshark is many things, but one feature stands out more than any other: unlimited connections from a single account. It’s no longer the only VPN service to let you plonk it on any and every device, but it was the first to remove the cap, leading the market in a better direction. Most others have yet to take note, making Surfshark one of the best VPNs for gaming, and one of the few that can simultaneously be your PC VPN, laptop VPN, iPad VPN, mobile VPN, smart TV VPN, and whatever else you want it to be.

Its upload speeds are just shy of NordVPN and it doesn’t quite have as many VPN servers to choose from, but it packs incredible value for money and you’ll still maintain a lean ping. It also unblocks a range of streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+.

If you fancy taking it for a spin and seeing how well it works with your games and your set-up, you’ll be pleased to hear that it offers a week-long free trial. This is something of a rarity in the VPN world, with many providers simply offering a 30-day money-back guarantee (which Surfshark also has), so it’s nice to be able to try this one out with absolutely no strings attached.

Read our Surfshark review.

4. PureVPN

PureVPN is the most private gaming VPN.

PureVPN overview:

Pros:

• Allows ten simultaneous connections
• Third-party privacy audits
• Decent server selection and range

Cons:

• Limited router support
• Can cause a bit of latency on Windows

PureVPN is still going strong since its 2007 debut, racking up more than 6,500 servers to choose from across 78+ countries. It regularly accepts audits from third-party services, too, so you can rest assured that it really is the most private VPN and not just making baseless claims.

Though its download speeds aren’t too bad, it can cause a slight increase in latency on Windows devices, which is understandably going to be a bit irritating for gamers. Meanwhile, if you want to connect your router through the VPN, you’ll only be able to do so with the PPTP and OpenVPN protocols.

Still, PureVPN is definitely still a good VPN. It allows you to have up to ten simultaneous connections which, while still a cap, is definitely in the upper echelons of caps. This should easily cover most of the devices in your house, even if you’ve got several gamers living under one roof.

5. IPVanish

IPVanish is the best VPN for encrypted storage space.

IPVanish specs:

Pros:

• Can provide up to 250GB of encrypted storage space
• Allows unlimited simultaneous connections

Cons:

• Smaller server total when compared to others
• Fewer server locations than others

Unlike most other services, IPVanish runs its own network and infrastructure, meaning there are fewer cogs in the chain and your privacy is pretty much guaranteed. As a gamer, you’ll benefit most from its ability to sort servers by ping, guaranteeing you the fastest connections available, although manually hunting for one can improve ping in certain games.

It’s worth mentioning that this provider has a smaller server selection and range than many of the other key players (with only just over 2,000 in just over 50 countries). This is still a respectable selection, but it is notably lower than you’ll get from the likes of NordVPN or ExpressVPN.

It’s the only service on this list to follow in Surfshark’s footsteps by offering unlimited simultaneous connections. To sweeten the deal, IPVanish offers 250GB of SugarSync encrypted storage for new subscribers – you could use this to store your library of downloaded games, or perhaps any fan-mad mods that you may have discovered over the years.

6. CyberGhost

CyberGhost has the best VPN money-back guarantee.

CyberGhost specs:

Pros:

• 45-day money-back guarantee
• Lower price
• Broad streaming service compatibility

Cons:

• Slower than other top providers
• Middling simultaneous connection allowance

A name that carries as much weight as our top picks, CyberGhost is notable because it has the longest money-back guarantee. From the moment you put your card details in, you’ll have a month and a half to get a refund if you’re not happy with the service, or continue with one of the cheaper plans on this list.

You can even dip a toe in the water for a day without putting your information in at all. This should be enough time for you to check its performance with a selection of your favorite video games. Although it would be nice to have a longer trial before having to give them any payment details.

You can choose from an ample selection of servers that unblock most streaming platforms out there, and games shouldn’t suffer from a lack of speed. CyberGhost may not be quite as quick as NordVPN, but it’s as stable as they come, offering great ping if you select the right location.

Read our CyberGhost review.

7. VyprVPN

VyprVPN is the best Swiss VPN.

VyprVPN specs:

Pros:

• Allows up to 30 simultaneous connections
• Based in Switzerland
• Spans 70 countries

Cons:

• Expensive
• Small server count
• Slower than others

A VPN’s base of operations plays an important part in just how secure the service is because it’s at the behest of that country’s privacy laws. But while the parent company Golden Frog is based in the US, VyprVPN is safely nestled in Switzerland, which is far more privacy-friendly. It also conducts regular independent audits of its zero-logs policy, which is the cherry on top.

VyprVPN features its own Chameleon protocol, as well as the newer WireGuard – both of which are secure and don’t have too much of a performance overhead. Although it packs enough punch to play games, it’s worth noting that VyprVPN is often the slowest service we recommend.

Still, on a positive note, VyprVPN essentially allows for an infinite number of simultaneous connections. While it technically won’t allow you to have more than 30 connections at once, we imagine that very few households are going to want or need to have it applied to so many devices – some won’t even own 30 devices that connect to the internet.

8. Private Internet Access

PIA is the best cheap VPN.

Private Internet Access specs:

Pros:

• Low price exclusive for our readers
• Large selection of servers
• Up to ten simultaneous connections

Cons:

• No free trial
• A little slower than other picks

With over a decade’s worth of experience, Private Internet Access (otherwise known as PIA) unsurprisingly prides itself on privacy. Tools like a kill switch should your VPN connection cut out and a no-logs policy to keep your data from being recorded are commonplace, but PIA is one of the only ones to prove this in a court of law.

Gamers benefit from a low monthly asking price when you subscribe for a few years in bulk, gaining access to more servers than any other provider on this list. It’s also pretty zippy, albeit a little slower than our top picks.

There’s not a lot that can be said against Private Internet Access other than it having slightly slower download times. If we really had to think of another way that it’s lacking though, we’d say that it would be nice if it could have a free trial. It does have a 30-day money-back guarantee that lets you test it out without much risk, but it is understandable that many gamers would rather test it without first having to pay.

How we chose the best gaming VPN

We put this list together by considering the costs, speeds, and capabilities of various VPN providers. Here are the main points for you to consider when choosing a VPN provider for gaming:

• Pricing: Some VPNs are pretty expensive, while others are more affordable. Not everyone is going to have room in their budget for the best options, but just because a VPN is cheaper, doesn’t mean you’ll be getting a sub-par service.
• Compatibility: Not every VPN will work with every game. If you go for a big one like ExpressVPN or NordVPN, the chances are that it will be fine, but it’s worth doing a bit of research to find out whether other players are using it without issue. Same with any streaming services you may want to use.
• Server locations: Some gamers will want a VPN which can connect via the same region that houses their favorite game’s servers. Chances are that most major VPNs will have servers in the same regions as most major games, but it can never hurt to double-check.
• Server speeds: You won’t want a VPN that’ll slow down your connection significantly, because that’ll only make your gaming experience even worse. All the ones we’ve recommended are pretty speedy, but if you’re looking at the ProPrivacy VPN Speed Testing Tool if you’re looking at others.
• Connection allowances: Want a VPN you can use on your gaming PC, while at the same time using it to protect your mobile or the devices of other members of your household? Some VPNs, like Surfshark, allow for unlimited simultaneous connections, but this isn’t common. If you just want a VPN for one device, this won’t be a problem, but if you need for various things, it’s worth looking at the allowance.

Read our how we test page to find out more about how we put these lists together. Still got some burning, unanswered questions? Check out the FAQs below:

What is a VPN?

A virtual private network is a privacy tool that grants you anonymity by feeding your connection through an encrypted tunnel and masking your IP address with one belonging to the VPN company. This makes you appear as though you’re in another country and allows you to unblock geo-restricted services like Google Stadia and platforms that are sometimes banned like Discord. Only the best VPNs regularly refresh IP addresses so you can continue unblocking services that endeavor to prevent this kind of spoofing, like Hulu and Netflix. Read our longer what is a VPN article for more about this.

What makes the best VPN for gaming?

There are plenty of factors to consider when choosing the best VPN for gaming, but none are more important than a speedy and stable connection. All our suggestions are fast VPNs that should produce a connection that’s just as quick as when you’re disconnected.

You’ll also want lots of countries to choose from so you can find the best servers and hunt for cheaper games. And while it might not be the highest feature on your priority list, you’ll also want to ensure the service you use is private. We only suggest no-logs VPNs so you don’t leave behind a record of your activities while connected.

Can I use a free VPN?

No VPN is truly free. If you’re not asked for money, you’ll pay with your data instead, as most free VPN services collect and sell your information on. Fortunately, the best free VPN doesn’t collect data. It instead imposes bandwidth caps that aren’t suitable for gaming, but it’s pretty good for protecting yourself on public WiFi.

Some of the VPNs on this list offer free trials, with no restrictions on bandwidth or server selection, so it’s worth sticking with the premium options.

What is split tunneling?

Most VPNs on this list offer a feature called split tunneling, which gives you granular control over what apps use the VPN while it’s active, and what apps are exempt. This means you can pick and choose what games use the secure connection, or keep using regional Netflix libraries without slowing the rest of your gaming PC down.

Can you use a VPN on PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch?

Yes, although you won’t be able to download a VPN app onto them directly as you would with a PC or laptop. Instead, you have to rely on other methods. The Loadout outlines these methods in the following guides:

• How to use a VPN on PS4 or PS5
• How to use a VPN on Xbox
• How to use a VPN on Nintendo Switch

Generally speaking, the process for consoles includes hooking your console up to the best gaming laptop or PC, using Smart DNS, or using a VPN router. We recommend the latter, as it covers all your devices, but they don’t come cheap.

Is it legal to use a VPN for gaming?

VPNs are legal to use in most countries, with the only exceptions being Belarus, Iraq, and North Korea. Other countries such as China, Turkey, and Russia heavily restrict VPNs and see their use as a sign of suspicion, so use them with caution in these locations.

Will a VPN increase my ping?

There’s a chance a VPN can lower your ping by sending packets through a more direct route, and you’re more likely to achieve this if you use one of the VPNs recommended in this article, rather than another, lesser-known provider.

For more recommendations, have a look at our guide on the best VPN overall. If you’re after a bargain, also take a look at our VPN deals page, where we list the best prices on all the big brands.