Lower ping to specific servers, DDoS protection during competitive play, and account security when you're logging into marketplaces across our directory.
A more direct network route to a specific game server can reduce latency, especially useful for competitive shooters and extraction games where timing matters.
Masking your real IP address reduces exposure to DDoS attacks, a real concern in competitive lobbies and extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov.
Encrypts your connection when logging into vendor marketplaces, adding a layer of protection on top of the practices in our safety guide.
Scores reflect our editorial assessment of speed, server network size, DDoS protection and ease of setup for gaming use — not individually verified customer reviews. We do not recommend using a VPN to circumvent regional pricing restrictions.
| VPN | Servers | Devices | Kill Switch | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 6,000+ | 10 | Yes | — |
| ExpressVPN | 3,000+ | 8 | Yes | — |
| Surfshark | 3,200+ | Unlimited | Yes | — |
| ProtonVPN | 2,900+ | 10 | Yes | Yes |
| CyberGhost | 9,000+ | 7 | Yes | — |
Server counts and device limits are approximate figures as advertised by each provider and change often; confirm current details on the provider's site.
Sometimes — a VPN can occasionally find a more direct network route to a specific game server than your default ISP path, but it can also add latency by routing through an extra server. Results depend on your location, your ISP, and the specific server you're connecting to.
We'd steer you away from that use case specifically — most publishers' terms of service treat regional price circumvention as a violation, similar to the real-money trading risks covered throughout this site. This page focuses on VPNs for latency, security and DDoS protection instead.
A VPN is most valuable for competitive or extraction-based games where DDoS attacks and account security carry higher stakes. Casual play generally sees less benefit, though general browsing security is still a reasonable everyday use case.
A VPN encrypts your connection and sends it through a server operated by the VPN provider. For gaming, that has three practical effects, and each comes with limits worth knowing before you pay for a subscription.
Every VPN adds an extra hop, so in most cases it adds a little latency rather than removing it. The exception is when your internet provider routes traffic to a game server inefficiently: a VPN can occasionally find a shorter or less congested path. The only reliable way to know is to test — note your ping with and without the VPN, try several server locations close to the game's data center, and prefer the provider's fastest protocol (WireGuard-based options are generally quicker than older protocols). If a VPN does not improve your numbers, turn it off for gaming.
In some games, other players can discover a player's IP address and flood their connection with junk traffic. Routing through a VPN hides your home IP from peers and makes that kind of targeted attack harder. It does not protect the game's servers, and it cannot fix a bad connection between you and them, so it is most useful in peer-to-peer lobbies and for streamers who might expose their address.
On public or shared Wi-Fi, a VPN encrypts traffic between your device and the provider, which reduces the risk of someone on the same network snooping on you. It does not stop phishing, malware, fake marketplaces or you handing your password to a stranger. Pair it with unique passwords and two-factor authentication, and read our safety guides before paying any third-party vendor.
A VPN does not make buying currency, accounts or boosting safer with respect to a game's rules. Publishers detect violations through account activity, not your IP address, and some games or anti-cheat systems restrict or flag connections from VPN addresses. We also do not recommend using a VPN to get around regional pricing or access restrictions — most publishers' terms treat that as a violation. VPN legality varies by country, so check your local rules if you travel or live somewhere that restricts them.
Our scores are editorial assessments that consider speed and stability reports, server network size and spread, DDoS-related features and ease of setup for gaming, drawn from public information and third-party testing rather than our own measurements. Providers change their features and pricing frequently, so confirm current details on the provider's website. Some links on this page are affiliate links; see our Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure and our Editorial Policy for how that is kept separate from scoring.
