Updated on: July 19, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best gaming VPN in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN : Provides the fastest gaming speeds on the market, has support for cloud gaming platforms, and also comes with really user-friendly apps (including a router app). What’s more, it has affordable plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
I tested the top VPNs in 2024 to find the best ones for gaming. I did that because I always use a VPN while gaming when playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2. I do that to make sure my internet service provider (ISP) doesn’t selectively slow down my gaming speeds and to also protect my gaming traffic (and avoid DDoS attacks).
Unfortunately, I learned that many VPNs are pretty bad for gaming — some have very slow speeds, causing lag, stuttering, freezes, and frequent disconnects, while others have buggy apps that are complicated to use.
Still, I managed to find a handful of really good gaming VPNs. All the VPNs on this list provide really fast speeds for gaming, have easy-to-use apps on all platforms (one even has an app for routers), include excellent security features, and are affordable. But my favorite is, by far, ExpressVPN. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for gaming:
- 1.🥇ExpressVPN — Best gaming VPN in 2024 with the fastest speeds for gaming & support for cloud gaming.
- 2.🥈Private Internet Access — Great pick for beginners thanks to its intuitive apps (also has great P2P support).
- 3.🥉CyberGhost VPN — Great for automatic VPN connections while gaming on dedicated gaming servers.
- 4. NordVPN — Good for secure gaming + has a great tool for hosting virtual LAN parties).
- 5. Surfshark — Super affordable VPN for gaming with easy-to-use apps (good for beginners).
- Plus 5 more!
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
🥇 1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Gaming in 2024
ExpressVPN is the best gaming VPN on the market — it has the fastest gaming speeds on this list (and on the market), easy-to-use apps, including a native router app, and it even works with cloud gaming platforms.
In my tests, I had very enjoyable gaming sessions — I didn’t experience crashes, my connection to the gaming servers never dropped, and I was even able to bypass an unfair IP ban. Plus, ExpressVPN provides access to servers in 105 countries, so it’s really easy to game on nearby servers to get the fastest speeds.
Also, ExpressVPN barely slowed down my speeds when I used Lightway (ExpressVPN’s proprietary protocol that’s faster than OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec). I connected to gaming servers almost instantly on my PC and I always had low ping — even when I used distant servers.
I love how user-friendly ExpressVPN’s apps are — installing them takes 1–2 minutes and the interface is simple to navigate (even if you’re new to VPNs). There’s a quick-connect feature that automatically connects you to the fastest server, but it’s also easy to manually find and connect to a server.
And on top of mobile and desktop apps, there’s also a router app. ExpressVPN’s router app is very easy to install, and there are helpful setup tutorials — it took me less than 8–9 minutes to set up the app on my router. I was able to game on my console, PC, and smartphone while connected to any one of ExpressVPN’s server locations. Another option is Aircove, which is the provider’s own router that comes with the app preinstalled.
And I really like how ExpressVPN supports cloud gaming services, which stream video games to portable devices like smartphones and tablets. ExpressVPN works with popular cloud gaming services like Xbox Game Pass, Amazon Luna, and more.
ExpressVPN has split-tunneling, which lets you choose which apps use your local network and which apps use the VPN. In my tests, I played video games while connected to one of ExpressVPN’s servers, but I browsed the internet while connected to my local network. This provided me with faster speeds for each online activity.
ExpressVPN has monthly and yearly plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s a little pricier than some of the other top VPNs, but with our exclusive 49% discount, you can get it for only $6.67 / month. And ExpressVPN frequently gives away 3 free months, so you can get a total of 15 months for the price of 12 months, which is a great deal in my opinion.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is my favorite gaming VPN in 2024 — it’s extremely fast, its apps are easy to install and use, and it even has a user-friendly router app so you can use ExpressVPN on your consoles. ExpressVPN supports cloud gaming, it comes with split-tunneling, and it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈 2. Private Internet Access — Great Easy-to-Use VPN for Gaming
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a great pick for gamers who are new to VPNs, as its apps are extremely simple to navigate and use. Plus, the vendor allows unlimited simultaneous connections, making it a great pick for large families or gamers who game online on multiple devices.
I also like how there are automation options available, so you can configure the VPN app to automatically connect to a VPN server when you game on public Wi-Fi. PIA doesn’t have a native router app, but it provides step-by-step guides that show you how to configure its service on your router.
There’s no cloud gaming support, and PIA doesn’t guarantee it will work with cloud gaming platforms — that said, I was still able to use this VPN to game on platforms like GeForce Now and Amazon Luna.
PIA also provides great security for gamers. It has Identity Guard, which is a data breach monitoring tool that lets you secure your login details for gaming accounts. In addition, it has MACE, which is an excellent ad blocker that gets rid of ads on gaming sites, and also blocks connections to malicious sites that claim to host online games.
PIA is a really good torrenting VPN — it allows P2P traffic on all servers, works with top P2P apps like uTorrent and Vuze, has port forwarding (connects you to more peers to get faster downloads), and provides SOCKS5 proxy support, which changes your IP address like a VPN but doesn’t use encryption, so you get much faster speeds. So, the VPN is a great pick if you are interested in torrenting copyright-free games.
Private Internet Access has affordable plans, which start at only $2.19 / month. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is a very beginner-friendly VPN for gamers, as its apps work on most platforms and are very simple to use. The VPN also allows unlimited connections, provides strong security, and has excellent P2P support. PIA has affordable plans, which it backs with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
Editors' Note: Private Internet Access and this site are in the same ownership group.
🥉 3. CyberGhost VPN — Dedicated Gaming Servers & Great Automation
CyberGhost VPN provides access to 90+ gaming servers in 4 countries (the US, the UK, France, and Germany) — those servers provide faster downloads and gaming speeds than its regular servers.
I also like how there are apps for all platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. There’s no router app, but you can perform a relatively quick manual setup on your router if you follow the provider’s tutorials. Also, CyberGhost VPN’s apps are very intuitive — I especially like that the dedicated gaming servers have their own category, which makes it very easy to find and connect to them.
And I’m a big fan of the Smart Rules feature, which is a feature that lets you customize your VPN preferences. For example, I used Smart Rules to set CyberGhost up to automatically connect to the fastest server whenever I opened Steam on my PC.
Unfortunately, there’s no cloud gaming support — however, CyberGhost VPN worked without issues when I tried using it with services like Amazon Luna.
The provider also has Content Blocker, which is its ad-blocking feature — this tool is useful if you use online gaming websites, as it gets rid of ads, and also stops you from accidentally accessing shady gaming sites.
I also like the Identity Guard feature, which alerts you if your email address and passwords have been leaked on the dark web — that helps you keep tabs on your gaming accounts to keep them safe.
CyberGhost VPN has monthly and yearly plans that start at $2.19 / month. It also backs all yearly plans with a 45-day money-back guarantee (the monthly plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee).
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN has dedicated gaming servers, provides great speeds, is very easy to use and comes with automation features, and is secure. It comes with an ad blocker and Identity Guard, which helps you monitor your gaming accounts. CyberGhost VPN is very affordable and has a 45-day money-back guarantee for long-term plans.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
Editors' Note: CyberGhost and this site are in the same ownership group.
4. NordVPN — Good VPN for Secure Gaming & Hosting Virtual LAN Parties
NordVPN is great for securing your gaming traffic. I especially like its Threat Protection feature — not only does it block ads and shady sites, but it also protects you from malware-infected downloads (which is great for securing your device against potentially malicious game files).
Not to mention that, on Windows, Threat Protection also has an app vulnerability scanner — so it can quickly flag outdated gaming apps that could put your entire system at risk.
And the VPN also has a dark web monitoring tool that alerts you if your NordVPN login details are compromised. If you use the same login for your gaming accounts, you can use this feature to keep an eye on them.
I also like the provider’s Meshnet feature — it lets you create a secure, private network and link up to 60 devices over encrypted VPN connections. This helps you host virtual LAN parties securely so you can game with all of your friends.
NordVPN protects you from DDoS attacks, but it lacks anti-DDoS protection (like ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and CyberGhost VPN have). So, an upset gamer could DDoS your VPN connection to disconnect you from the provider’s servers.
NordVPN offers monthly and yearly plans starting at $3.39 / month. It also has subscriptions that offer access to extra services like NordVPN’s password manager and encrypted cloud storage. NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN provides very strong security for gaming, including malware protection, an app vulnerability detector, and a data breach monitoring tool. Also, it’s great for securely hosting virtual LAN parties. All of NordVPN’s plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — Super Affordable VPN for Gaming
Surfshark has some of the cheapest plans on the market. So I think it might be a good pick if you need a decent gaming VPN and are also on a tight budget.
The provider also has user-friendly apps that make it extremely simple to find and connect to a VPN server to start gaming. Plus, the interface is very intuitive, so it’s really simple to find and change different VPN settings. What’s more, it has apps for all major platforms — though, it lacks a router app like ExpressVPN has. On the plus side, it allows unlimited connections.
Surfshark also comes with really good security features — it includes an ad blocker and IP Rotator, which regularly changes your IP address to make it harder for someone to track your location and DDoS you.
Surfshark has monthly and yearly plans starting at just $2.19 / month, and it includes a 30-day money-back guarantee with all plans.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is a very affordable gaming VPN. It also supports unlimited connections, comes with really user-friendly apps, provides decent gaming speeds, and has good security features. It backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
6. Proton VPN — Best Free Gaming VPN
Proton VPN has the best free plan for gaming (and also one of the best free plan on the market) — it’s one of the only free plans that allows unlimited data, so you can use it to game as much as you want.
The free plan limits you to servers in 5 countries, including the US, the Netherlands, Romania, Poland, and Japan. The free version doesn’t let you manually connect to a server location, but it automatically connects you to the fastest server for your location (which is still convenient).
While the free plan limits you to 1 device, you can use Proton VPN on your router to cover all devices, including consoles. Unfortunately, there’s no router app (like you get with ExpressVPN), but there are useful tutorials that make the setup process pretty simple.
Upgrading to Proton VPN’s paid plans adds more perks, including 10 simultaneous connections, servers in 100 countries, a very good ad blocker, access to VPN Accelerator (a unique feature that boosts VPN speeds on distant servers), and more.
Proton VPN’s paid plans start at $3.59 / month, so they’re pretty affordable. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee, but it’s prorated.
Bottom Line:
Proton VPN has the best free plan for gamers — it comes with unlimited data and strong security, good speeds, servers in 5 countries, and 1 connection. Upgrading to the premium plans gets you a speed-boosting tool, servers in 100 countries, up to 10 connections, and a great ad blocker. All purchases come with a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Proton VPN review
7. IPVanish — Good for VPN for Torrenting
IPVanish provides access to good P2P support, as it allows torrenting on all of its servers, works with top P2P apps, and has SOCKS5 proxy support. So, it’s a great pick if you need a VPN to torrent copyright-free games, like abandonware games.
Plus, I like how IPVanish has support for cloud gaming platforms — I never experienced any issues while using this VPN to game on GeForce Now.
And IPVanish has easy-to-use apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. The apps aren’t as sleek as ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and CyberGhost VPN, but they’re still intuitive — there’s a quick-connect feature, it’s simple to manually connect to a server, and almost all settings have helpful short explanations. The provider also supports unlimited connections.
IPVanish has monthly and annual subscription plans that start at $2.19 / month. Plus, the yearly plans come with a VIPRE antivirus subscription for protection against malware attacks (but only for Windows and Macs). IPVanish backs its yearly plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
IPVanish provides good P2P support for gamers. It also provides fast speeds while gaming and maintains stable ping, allows unlimited connections, and has support for cloud gaming. IPVanish’s apps have intuitive interfaces, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee for the yearly plans.
8. VyprVPN — Very Fast Gaming VPN
VyprVPN is really fast and provides great security features. Despite only having 700+ servers in 64 countries, I maintained fast gaming speeds on local and distant servers and didn’t experience high ping or lag.
VyprVPN has user-friendly apps on most platforms. It also works with routers, but it doesn’t have a router app, like ExpressVPN, which is much easier to install. Still, VyprVPN offers comprehensive guides on how to make the VPN work on different types of routers, which is convenient.
The provider has anti-DDoS protection on all of its servers. What’s more, it claims to have 300,000+ IP addresses, which would make it extremely hard for someone to monitor and target your VPN IP while gaming.
Unfortunately, there’s no official support for cloud gaming (like ExpressVPN and IPVanish have), so VyprVPN can’t guarantee that its service will work with those platforms — though it did work in my tests. There’s also P2P support on all servers and good streaming support.
VyprVPN has monthly and yearly plans that start at just $3.00 / month and come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
VyprVPN is a very fast gaming VPN with good security features. It also has anti-DDoS protection on its serves, 300,000+ IPs, and easy-to-use apps. VyprVPN has monthly and yearly plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
9. PrivateVPN — Decent Minimalistic VPN for Gaming
PrivateVPN’s iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS apps have a minimalistic design, as there aren’t a lot of features and settings to change, so gamers new to VPNs won’t feel overwhelmed when using them. And the few settings that are available come with helpful explanations.
You can also use the VPN on your router, but there’s unfortunately no router app (like you get with ExpressVPN) — luckily, the manual setup is not very difficult since there are step-by-step tutorials available, some of which even include screenshots.
There’s no support for cloud gaming platforms, but the provider still works with these services most of the time. You also get strong security features, including an app-based kill switch that shuts down selected apps (like video games) if your VPN connection drops.
PrivateVPN has very affordable plans that start at $2.00 / month. It also backs each purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
PrivateVPN has minimalistic apps for all major platforms that are pretty easy to use for gaming. It also provides really good gaming speeds, works with cloud gaming platforms most of the time, and has strong security features. It has very affordable plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full PrivateVPN review
10. TunnelBear — Good Beginner-Friendly VPN for Gamers
TunnelBear is good for beginners because its apps are very fun to use. The interface is simple to navigate, and you can even use a digital map to connect to VPN servers — and when you do that, an adorable digital bear digs a tunnel to the server’s location (on iOS and Android, it even roars when you connect to the server).
And like Surfshark, TunnelBear allows unlimited connections. While you can use TunnelBear on most devices, it unfortunately doesn’t have router support (like ExpressVPN) — so you can’t use it while gaming on your consoles. It also doesn’t have support for cloud gaming platforms, but it does work with them most of the time.
I also like how you get access to split-tunneling, which is called SplitBear in the provider’s apps. You can use this tool to enhance your gaming speeds by only sending gaming traffic through TunnelBear’s servers.
TunnelBear has a free plan, but it limits you to 2 GB per month, so it’s not good for gaming — instead, I recommend getting its affordable plans that start at $3.33 / month. Unfortunately, there’s no money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
TunnelBear is great for gamers new to VPNs thanks to its fun-to-use apps. It also allows unlimited connections, provides good speeds, and works with cloud gaming services most of the time. Its free plan isn’t good for gaming, and there’s no money-back guarantee, but at least its paid plans are affordable.
Read the full TunnelBear review
Bonus. Hotspot Shield — Really Fast Speeds & Intuitive Apps
Hotspot Shield has really good speeds for gaming — I always maintained low ping on nearby servers and stable ping on distant servers, and it usually took me only 7–8 minutes to download 10 GB games. You also get access to 3,200+ servers in 85 countries.
The provider doesn’t guarantee that its services will work with cloud gaming platforms (like ExpressVPN and IPVanish do) — even so, I was able to game with Hotspot Shield on platforms like GeForce Now pretty much all the time.
Hotspot Shield has user-friendly apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux, but it lacks a router app (like ExpressVPN has) — to use this VPN while gaming on your console, you’ll need to perform a manual setup. Luckily, there are setup guides that show you what to do.
Hotspot Shield’s paid plans start at $2.99 / month. There’s also a free plan with unlimited data, but it limits you to 1 device, curbs your speeds at 2 Mbps, and only allows access to servers in the US, the UK, and Singapore. The paid plans are covered by a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Hotspot Shield provides really fast speeds for gaming. It also works with cloud gaming services almost all of the time, has user-friendly apps, and provides strong security features. It has a decent free plan and paid plans that are affordable and come with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Hotspot Shield review
Quick Comparison Table
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
To find the best VPNs for gaming, I followed our tried-and-true testing methodology. This involved comprehensive testing of lots of VPNs on the market under a multitude of gaming-specific scenarios to assess their capabilities and effectiveness. Below, you’ll find the criteria I used to test, compare, and ultimately rank the VPNs:
- I assessed server locations and ping times. I checked each VPN’s global server distribution and made sure I only included VPNs that allow gamers to connect to servers around the world. I specifically measured ping times to popular gaming servers to ensure low-latency connections, which is crucial for competitive gaming.
- I tested connection speeds. It’s essential that a VPN maintains high-speed internet connections to handle high-bandwidth activities like online gaming without noticeable lag. I conducted speed tests on both local and distant servers. ExpressVPN had the fastest speeds in my tests, maintaining more than 80% of the base internet speed.
- I checked the security features. Every VPN on my list protects you while gaming online. This includes 256-bit AES encryption, a no-logs policy,, and a reliable kill switch. I also checked for leak protection, confirming the VPNs are able to shield your identity during gaming sessions.
- I made sure the VPNs have anti-DDoS protection. VPNs protect you against DDoS attacks by changing your IP address (hackers can’t use it to DDoS your network). A DDoS attack is when another user routes tons of traffic to your network. The overload of traffic on your network can force you offline, disconnect you from the game server, or create lag to slow down your connection. Almost all the VPNs on my list also have anti-DDoS protection on their servers. This way, you’re protected even if someone decides to DDoS the VPN server you’re connected to.
- I evaluated ease of use in gaming contexts. The VPNs I recommend are easy to navigate, so gamers can quickly change settings or switch servers without having to deal with complicated menus or technical jargon. I tested desktop and mobile apps of each VPN to ensure they are intuitive and straightforward to use.
- I picked VPNs that offer an overall good value. The VPN I selected are great for gaming across various devices and give you useful bonus features, such as split-tunneling. Plus, they have reasonable, flexible pricing, accept a variety of payment methods, and either offer a free plan or have a good money-back guarantee.
Can You Use a VPN on Gaming Consoles?
Yes, but not directly. Gaming consoles don’t support VPN apps, meaning you can’t download and install a VPN app from the app store on your console.
Instead, you’ll need to set up the VPN on your router. Once you do that, all web-connected devices in your home (like your gaming console) that use the router to access the web will use the VPN connection.
Setting up a VPN on your router is a bit complicated, but hopefully this guide will make things easy for you. If you’re interested in doing this, I recommend getting ExpressVPN, as it’s one of the only VPNs with a router app — you can install it directly on your router, which is more convenient than performing a manual setup. And if you don’t want to deal with that and don’t mind spending some money, you can just buy ExpressVPN’s Aircove router, which comes with the VPN pre-installed on it.
Can a VPN Help You Circumvent Bans in Games?
Yes, but it mostly depends on the ban you’re dealing with. If it’s an IP ban, then yes, a VPN will help you circumvent it. You just need to connect to a VPN server to get a new IP address, and you’ll be able to rejoin the gaming server (as the VPN’s IP isn’t banned).
That said, many games might use account-level bans. This means the game developer bans your gaming account. In this case, a VPN can’t help you circumvent the ban — the only realistic option would be to set up a new account.
Also, VPNs can’t get around hardware bans — this is when the game ban is tied to your hardware ID (HWID), which is the unique identifier associated with a hardware component installed on your device.
It’s honestly best to just avoid getting banned in the first place. The best way to do that is to respect the game’s community guidelines and terms of service.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut:
- Hola VPN. Hola VPN has fast speeds for gaming and is free, but it doesn’t use encryption, keeps user logs, and has leaked user IP addresses. And Hola VPN uses a P2P model — you use another Hola VPN user’s IP address and they use your IP address. This is dangerous because someone could use your IP address to engage in illegal activities.
- Total AV Safe Browsing. Total AV Safe Browsing is fast and secure, but it’s not reliable at assigning you an IP address from the server location that you connect to. Even if you get the correct IP address, Total AV VPN has a very small server network.
- Astrill VPN. Astrill VPN is easy to use and includes great security features for gaming, but it’s very expensive. All of the VPNs on this list offer a better value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best VPN for gaming?
ExpressVPN is my favorite gaming VPN in 2024 — it provides the fastest gaming speeds on the market, has very intuitive apps (including a router app), includes support for cloud gaming platforms, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Do you need a VPN for gaming?
Yes, I strongly recommend using a VPN when gaming online. A VPN provides excellent security and privacy features for gaming.
In terms of security, VPNs encrypt your traffic, making it completely unreadable — so, nobody can spy on your gaming traffic. That means your internet service provider can’t throttle your bandwidth (slow down your speeds) when you enjoy long gaming sessions over the weekend or at night.
When it comes to privacy, a VPN replaces your IP address with an IP address from a different location, essentially hiding your actual IP address. This protects you from distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Also, it helps you bypass IP bans.
If you want to use a VPN for gaming, I recommend ExpressVPN — it provides excellent security features, has the fastest speeds on the market, has support for cloud gaming platforms like GeForce Now, and comes with very intuitive apps (including a router app).
How do you use a VPN for gaming?
You can start using a gaming VPN in just 3 quick and simple steps:
- Pick a good gaming VPN. Choose a VPN that is secure, fast, and easy to use — I recommend ExpressVPN.
- Download and install the VPN app. The installation process takes about 1–2 minutes.
- Connect to a VPN server. Open the VPN app, and either use the quick-connect feature (it connects you to the fastest server for your location) or manually scroll through the list of available locations and pick a server. And that’s it — you can now game securely and privately.
Can you use a free VPN for gaming?
There are free VPNs out there, but I don’t recommend using them. Free VPNs usually lack important security features, log your traffic, are slow, limit how much data you can use, and have glitchy apps.
Honestly, I strongly recommend that you purchase a low-cost gaming VPN like ExpressVPN. It’s secure, provides fast gaming speeds, has intuitive apps for most platforms, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
What’s the fastest VPN for gaming?
In my tests, ExpressVPN provided me with the fastest gaming speeds (which isn’t surprising, as this is the fastest VPN on the market) — I connected to gaming servers nearly instantly, I always maintained good ping across all servers, I didn’t experience lag, and large updates downloaded really fast.
But I also had fast speeds with all the top VPNs on this list.
