5 Best VPNs for Gaming Comparison Table:
| Provider | Price (Annual Plan) | Free Trial | Refund Option (Days) | # of Countries | Immediate Support (chat, toll-free) | Own DNS Servers | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $8.32 per month | No | 30 | 87 | Yes | Yes | Visit site |
 | $3.75 per month | Yes | 0 | 64 | Yes | Yes | Visit site |
 | $5.75 per month | Yes | 30 | 57 | Yes | Yes | Visit site |
 | $6.49 per month | No | 7 | 60 | No | Yes | Visit site |
 | $4.16 per month | No | 7 | 35 | No | Yes | Visit site |
Most users buy VPNs to secure their data, use torrents and access restricted services like Hetflix or Hulu. VPNs were not popular among gamers as they slowed connection speed and few milliseconds can change the outcome of the match (being late with you ultimate or heal can be very disappointing). Things have changed and using VPN for gaming became popular during the past few years.
Some VPN providers grew large Tier-1 networks, which means they provide as fast connection speed as possible. Besides not cutting your connection speed, some VPN providers claim to lower Ping and lag. It became possible as many gaming VPN providers place their servers as close to main gaming servers as possible. It shortens routes between users and gaming servers, meaning that if gaming server is located far away, you can still find faster routes using VPN.
Best VPNs for gaming can also protect you from potential DDoS attacks. For example, German professional eSports team Roughnex, uses VyprVPN to protect themselves from DDoS during tournaments.
What are the benefits of using VPNs for gaming?
- Unblocking geo-locked games
- Lower Ping and less lags
- Playing “early access” games by using servers in countries with earlier release dates
- Securing your data (You don’t want to lose your Steam account, I suppose)
- Protect against DDoS attacks
- Some VPN services provide dedicated gaming servers
While compiling our list of best gaming VPN providers, we considered a number of factors like Speed, Price, Number of servers, Customer service and Security level. Despite the fact that we value all mentioned factors, we think that Speed and the number of servers are the main factors to consider in evaluating best VPNs for gaming.
Best VPNs for Gaming
ExpressVPN
Protocols: OpenVPN (TCP, UDP), L2TP-IPsec, SSTP, and PPTP
Pros: Fast Speed; 100+ locations in 78 countries; Easy to use apps; No logs
Cons: Pricey
When it comes to online gaming, ExpressVPN offers great speed and a no buffering experience. Being among the most renowned VPN providers on the market, ExpressVPN has everything you need for smooth online gaming. Their apps work great and are compatible with all modern platforms.
No logs policy and 256-encryption will make you feel safe and secure no matter what games you play and what servers you use. As ExpressVPN works under jurisdiction of British Virgin Islands, US (and other countries) data retention laws does not apply to them.
ExpressVPN is famous for its’ support, so there is no way you find yourself alone in case some problems occur. Either you need help with set-up process or advice on best server for your particular requirements – you can rely on ExpressVPN support.
ExpressVPN prices are above the average, but considering the service quality and 30-day money back guarantee, every gamer should try it.
VyprVPN
Protocols: OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, Chameleon
Pros: Fast; Chameleon encryption; 3-day free trial
Cons: Security issues
VyprVPN claims that their VPN is the “World’s Fastest VPN for Gaming”. No doubt, VyprVPN is of the fastest VPNs on the market as they use their own network and hardware. Their servers are located closely to main gaming servers and by rerouting your traffic through “optimized for speed” network, VyprVPN delivers lower Ping and better gaming experience.
VyprVPN protects your IP from possible DDOS attacks (after connecting to VyprVPN, your real IP becomes hidden so it cannot be targeted). With VyprVPN you have a choice of 200 000+ IP addresses and 700+ servers in more than 38 countries. You will also get free NAT Firewall to block unrequested traffic. As VyprVPN offers 3-day free trial, you will have enough time to test its’ servers before making a decision.
NordVPN
Website: nordvpn.com
Review: www.best-vpn.net/nordvpn-review/
Protocols:
- OpenVPN
- L2TP-IPsec
- SSTP
- PPTP
Pros:
- Based in Panama
- Double data encryption
- Kill Switch
- Own DNS servers
- 6 simultaneous connections
- P2P is available
- Bitcoin payments
- 780 servers in 57 countries
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons:
- Double data encryption can slow down your speed
If you ask us about a VPN that “has it all”, NordVPN will be the first one in our minds. This VPN is packed with nearly all features you may ever need (Kill Switch, P2P, Tor over VPN, Smartplay, etc.).
NordVPN is based in Panama and offers its services since the late 2012. The main reason why NordVPN wasn’t presented on our list of the best VPNs for gaming before is because their servers’ network was very limited (only 100+ servers in 28 countries at the end of 2015).
It all has changed! As of today, NordVPN offers 780+ servers in more than 55 countries. It’s a huge growth for a 2-year period, but we are not even surprised. NordVPN was able to keep the provided service on the highest level during all operating years.
Let’s get back to gaming. NordVPN offers 6 simultaneous connections, AES-256 encryption with 3072-bit handshake, DNS leak protection and Double VPN option. Besides, it leads strict no logs policy which means they don’t store any information about NordVPN users activity.
Speaking of speed, NordVPN performed above the average in our tests so you can expect smooth and lag-free gaming experience.
NordVPN is not cheap and comes for $5.75/m (in case of 1-year subscription) but it’s worth every penny.
So if you need fast and stable VPN for gaming, then NordVPN is the right provider to try.
IPVanish
Protocols: IKEv2, PPTP, L2TP/ IPSec, OpenVPN
Pros: Great speed; Decent security; 500+ servers
Cons: No live chat
IPVanish is a Tier 1 VPN Network, which is so optimised that it just obliterates stream buffering when playing videos, music or online gaming. Top Tier VPN Network is perfect for online gaming and delivers immense speed for better gaming experience. They offer 500+ servers in more than 60 countries. With such a large network, you can always find the right server for your gaming needs.
IPVanish updates and improves its’ servers on a regular basis. Besides great speed, their connection is extremely stable which means no more spoiled moment because of lags (every spell will be casted immediately and every shot will be on target).
IPVanish does not keep any logs, provides decent encryption level (128- and 256-bit) and accepts Bitcoin. What else do you need? 7-day money back guarantee on top of it. Even the most inveterate gamer will have enough time to test IPVanish before making the final choice.
Iron Socket VPN
Protocols: OpenVPN, L2TP, PPTP
Pros: No logs; Secure; Shared IP; Based in Hong Kong; Accepts Bitcoin
Cons: No free trial
Iron Socket VPN is incredibly advanced in security, with the promise of the same standard of security as a military computer. Iron Socket provides AES 256-bit encryption with 2048-bit key certificate (even 4096-bit key encryption is available). With cutting edge encryption technology, and other bonuses such as fast speed and no logs policy – Iron Socket will not disappoint you in terms of gaming experience.
Iron Socket has 50+ servers located in 36 countries (not many, but definitely enough for the majority of users).
Iron Socket is among the cheapest VPN providers but it is not reflected in service quality (which is superb). They do not offer free trial period but with 7-day money-back guarantee you can try Iron Socket risk-free.
Conclusion
With the amount of threats to gamers available, most notably DDoS attacks, you can definitely see the advantages for serious gamers to consider getting a VPN service. Not only just for your security, but also for a better internet speed which drastically improves gaming experience. In addition, gaming VPN can lower your Ping and decrease the amount of lags.
As with everything in life, there is no choice that fits all. Some providers offer better speed, others guarantee top-notch security. We advise you to evaluate pros and cons of each VPN from our list before making the final call and as all of them offer either free trial or money back guarantee, fill free to test them all before buying.
Best VPN Providers for Gaming:
| Provider | Price (Annual Plan) | Free Trial | Refund Option (Days) | # of Countries | Immediate Support (chat, toll-free) | Own DNS Servers | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $8.32 per month | No | 30 | 87 | Yes | Yes | Visit site |
| $3.75 per month | Yes | 0 | 64 | Yes | Yes | Visit site |
| $5.75 per month | Yes | 30 | 57 | Yes | Yes | Visit site |
| $6.49 per month | No | 7 | 60 | No | Yes | Visit site |
| $4.16 per month | No | 7 | 35 | No | Yes | Visit site |