Best gaming VPN 2024 (2024)

1. ExpressVPN – best overall

2. NordVPN – fastest option

3. Surfshark – unlimited connections

8. Private Internet Access – budget choice

ExpressVPN

Best gaming VPN overall

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ExpressVPN specifications:

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,meaning that the chances of the servers being blocked are low, with any service and any region– including Japan. You can always cancel within the first 30 days and you’ll get your money backon the off-chance that you do face any troubles.

ExpressVPNhas also recently improved its service by giving gamers an allowance of up to eight simultaneous connections across an unlimited number of devices. Previously, you were only allowed five simultaneous connections and this update makes it a lot easier for your whole household to use a single subscription plan while gaming across different devices, or using it as aVPN for streaming.

Read our ExpressVPN review.

NordVPN

The fastest VPN for gaming

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NordVPN specifications:

There aren’t many VPN providers that can beat NordVPN. With 6,000+ servers under its belt and fast download and upload speeds, it’s a comprehensive and reliable package. On top of that, it uses an adapted WireGuard protocol (dubbed NordLynx) which encrypts your data more swiftly than other protocols and comes with less of a performance tax.

The only slight crack 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, especiallyin light of ExpressVPN upping its allowance to eight.

Still, NordVPNofferssupport for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and is one of the best-known and most respected VPNs around. You can use it to protect yourself from being DDoSed in Rainbow Six Siege,relocate yourself in Pokémon Go, or enhance pretty much any game you might play online.

Read our NordVPN review.

Surfshark

Best gaming VPN for unlimited connections

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Surfshark specifications:

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. Manyhave other providers are 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(increasing the risk of server congestion), 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 – although do keep in mind that this is for Mac or mobile devices online, so you’d need to connect via your mobile to use it on PC.

Read our Surfshark review.

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PureVPN specifications:

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.

Having said that, 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 – surpassing both NordVPN and ExpressVPN. This should easily cover most of the devices in your house, even if you’ve got several gamers living under one roof.

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IPVanish specifications:

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.

CyberGhost

The gaming VPN with the best money-back guarantee

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CyberGhost specifications:

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. Plenty of time to test its performance with all your favorite games.

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.

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VyprVPN specifications:

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 (although of course, speeds vary).

Still, on a positive note, VyprVPNrarely encounters compatibility issues and seems to be run with integrity and transparency. Those who are particularly mindful of their private data should definitely give this one a closer look.

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Private Internet Access specifications:

With over a decade’s worth of experience, Private Internet Access (otherwise known as PIA) unsurprisingly prides itself on privacy.Features like a kill switch protect your privacy even if the VPN cuts outand a no-logs policy to keep your data from being recorded.Fun fact:PIA is one of the onlyVPNs to prove its no-logs policy in a court of law.

Gamers benefit from a low monthly asking price when they 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. All things considered, for its smaller price tag, this is a fantastic option.