The Best VPNs for Gaming 2023

We’re also pleased that Surfshark has finally completed an independent audit by Deloitte to verify its no-logs policy [1]. As long as you’re using the VPN, Surfshark can’t track your online activity. The VPN also has other premium security features to protect your data, including an ad and malware blocker, cookie pop-up blocker, and two-factor authentication.

What are online games like through ProtonVPN?

Can you imagine what it feels like to play an online game using a VPN server eight thousand kilometers away from you?

Surprisingly it’s good enough. I used to rent a VPS in the US from Digital Ocean, and I experienced zero lag when I played online using a VPN tunnel through it. In fact, I had my ping improve — maybe Digital Ocean had a better transatlantic connection than my ISP did. Weird.

Obviously, I can’t complain about free ProtonVPN servers since they are… free. But they are overloaded, and I suspect I get significant packet loss which may explain frequent lags.

To make matters worse, I play competitive first person shooters in VR. So lags are even more painful for me.

I’m considering either renting a VPS again or buying yearly Visionary plan.

Plus users of ProtonVPN, do you experience any issues in online games?

The Best VPNs for Gaming 2023

Gamers need fast internet speeds to keep up with their skill shots, so here are our top VPNs that offer security but won’t get in the way.

Sara J. Nguyen , Author
Catherine McNally , Editor
Last updated May 26, 2023

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Learn More
On Surfshark’s website

• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Works with Netflix and other streaming services
• Headquarters in Nine Eyes Alliance

Best for Consoles

Learn More
On ExpressVPN’s website

• Strict no-logs policy with independent audit
• In-house Lightway protocol for more speed and security
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

Best for Fast Speeds

Learn More
On Proton VPN’s website

• Easy to use
• A strict no-logs policy that’s been tested in court
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

A virtual private network (VPN) may not seem a necessity for gaming. After all, even the best-performing VPN can slow down your internet connection a bit. But there are several benefits to protecting yourself with a VPN while you game. It can secure your privacy, prevent bandwidth throttling from your internet service provider (ISP), and protect you from a DDoS attack.

After testing and reviewing several VPNs and testing their connection speeds and latency, or the amount of time it took for data to travel from our device to its destination, we found Proton VPN was best for protecting your PC or console while barely affecting your internet connection. A more budget-friendly option is Surfshark with unlimited devices and great internet speeds. And if you’re willing to splurge, ExpressVPN may be a good fit for you.

Let’s dig into these gaming VPNs to find out which one is the MVP.

In this article

The best VPNs for gaming 2023

Top 3 VPN services for gamers compared

VPN	Proton VPN	Surfshark	ExpressVPN
Starting price	Starts at $4.99/mo	Starts at $2.39/mo	Starts at $6.67/mo
Server count	1,900+	3,200+	Servers in 94 countries
Max devices	10	Unlimited	5
Router configuration
Streaming support
Learn more	See ProtonVPN Pricing	See Surfshark Pricing	See ExpressVPN Pricing

Prices as of 03/29/2023.

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Proton VPN: Best for fast speeds

Get the Fastest Speeds with Proton VPN
Learn More
On Proton VPN’s website

• Easy to use
• A strict no-logs policy that’s been tested in court
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

Who it’s best for

Proton VPN is a great option for gamers looking for the fastest speeds and premium security. This is also the only VPN on our list with a free subscription plan available — though Proton’s free plan is limited in terms of servers and devices.

What we liked

ProtonVPN had the lowest impact on internet speeds and a minimal rise in latency out of all the VPNs we tested. This may be due to a feature called VPN Accelerator designed to enhance its performance and increase speed.

Proton’s VPN Plus plan also gets you access to its 10 Gbps servers, making it a premier option for gamers who want the security of a VPN without losing their fast internet speed. It’s also great to watch Netflix with a VPN abroad.

Speaking of security, it’s hard to find fault with Proton VPN. It includes:

• Independently audited no-logs policy
• Ad blocker
• Safe file sharing
• Based in Switzerland, a country with strict data privacy laws
• Strong AES-256 encryption
• Built-in Tor support
• DNS leak protection
• No personal identifying information is needed to sign up for ProtonVPN

What we didn’t like

Compared to other VPNs, Proton VPN is a bit more expensive with plans starting at $4.99/mo.

Proton VPN does have a free plan, but it’s limited in its capabilities. You can only connect it to one device, and it only has over 100 servers in three countries (the U.S., the Netherlands, and Japan). You’ll need to upgrade to the paid plan to access its fastest servers.

Proton VPN specs

Feature	Proton VPN
Price range	$4.99 to $11.99/mo (Free plan available)
Server count	1,900+
Max devices	10
Unconnected vs. connected download speed (U.S. server)	50.11 to 53.11 Mbps (+3 Mbps difference)
Unconnected vs. connected upload speed (U.S. server)	5.15 to 5.02 Mbps (-.13 Mbps difference)
Unconnected vs. connected latency (U.S. server)	12 to 18 ms (+6 ms difference)
VPN protocol	WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN
No-logs policy	No logs
Router configuration	Yes
Streaming support	Yes
Learn more	Get Proton VPN Read Our ProtonVPN Review

Prices as of 03/29/2023.

Surfshark: Best value

Surfshark’s VPN Plans are Budget-Friendly
Learn More
On Surfshark’s website

• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Works with Netflix and other streaming services
• Headquarters in Nine Eyes Alliance

Who it’s best for

People who are looking for an affordable VPN for gaming without compromising on speed. Because of Surfshark’s unlimited simultaneous VPN connections, it’s also a great option for large households or people with several devices.

What we liked

When it comes to speed, Surfshark won’t heavily impact your gaming experience. With the VPN turned on, it only bumped up the latency by 17 ms. Download speeds didn’t slow significantly, and there was zero difference in upload speed.

Surfshark also includes split-tunneling with its Bypasser feature. This means you can turn the VPN on for your game, but let other apps like your browser use an unencrypted Wi-Fi connection.

We’re also pleased that Surfshark has finally completed an independent audit by Deloitte to verify its no-logs policy [1]. As long as you’re using the VPN, Surfshark can’t track your online activity. The VPN also has other premium security features to protect your data, including an ad and malware blocker, cookie pop-up blocker, and two-factor authentication.

Surfshark lets you quickly connect to the fastest VPN server with the click of a button. Just choose “Fastest location” when picking your server.

What we didn’t like

Surfshark offers a 7-day free trial only for Android, iOS, and macOS devices. This means you can’t try it out on your PC or router before handing over your credit card information. However, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Surfshark specs

Feature	Surfshark
Price range	$2.39 to $12.95/mo
Server count	3,200+
Max devices	Unlimited
Unconnected vs. connected download speed (U.S. server)	205.9 to 173.4 Mbps (-32.5 Mbps difference)
Unconnected vs. connected upload speed (U.S. server)	5.5 to 5.5 Mbps (0 Mbps difference)
Unconnected vs. connected latency (U.S. server)	124 to 151 ms (+17 ms difference)
VPN protocol	WireGuard, IKEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN UDP/TCP
No-logs policy	No logs
Router configuration	Yes
Streaming support	Yes
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Our Surfshark Review

Prices as of 03/29/2023.

ExpressVPN: Best for gaming consoles

ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer Makes Secure Gaming Easy
Learn More
On ExpressVPN’s website

• Strict no-logs policy with independent audit
• In-house Lightway protocol for more speed and security
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

Who it’s best for

ExpressVPN is great for gamers looking for a reliable connection for their consoles without compromising on speed. With server locations in nearly 100 countries, you can easily play games with anyone in the world. (And using a VPN is legal in most locations.)

What we liked

ExpressVPN rounds out our top three in terms of speed. It didn’t lower download speeds as much as Surfshark did, and it just barely lagged in latency. You may find ExpressVPN’s internet speeds to be comparable with Surfshark’s.

A big perk of ExpressVPN is it gives gamers plenty of options to secure their consoles, such as an Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. Compared to other VPN apps, ExpressVPN has the most thorough guides to installing the VPN onto your router. You can choose the exact router model you want to connect, and ExpressVPN has a step-by-step guide to install the VPN.

Alternatively, you could purchase an Aircove router with ExpressVPN already installed. You can also choose to use its MediaStreamer feature to spoof your location for devices not able to directly install the ExpressVPN app. However, the latter option does lack the security features of a VPN.

What we didn’t like

ExpressVPN is easily one of the most expensive options, with plans starting at $6.67 per month. That’s nearly double the cost of Surfshark’s cheapest subscription. While ExpressVPN is reliable and fast, there are cheaper long-term subscriptions available.

ExpressVPN specs

Feature	ExpressVPN
Price range	$6.67 to $12.95/mo
Server count	Servers in 94 countries
Max devices	5
Unconnected vs. connected download speed (U.S. server)	203.8 to 177.7 Mbps (-26.1 Mbps difference)
Unconnected vs. connected upload speed (U.S. server)	5.7 to 4.9 Mbps (-.8 Mbps difference)
Unconnected vs. connected latency (U.S. server)	134 to 156 ms (+18 ms difference)
VPN protocol	Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2
No-logs policy	No logs
Router configuration	Yes
Streaming support	Yes
Learn more	Get ExpressVPN Read Our ExpressVPN Review

Prices as of 03/16/2023.

VPNs that didn’t make the cut

When it comes to gaming, every millisecond counts. During our review, we made speed and latency the top priority, and these VPNs weren’t quick enough to make our list.

IPVanish

IPVanish has many benefits including unlimited devices, an optimized app experience, and all of the necessary security features you expect from a VPN. And while it doesn’t have specific gaming servers, it does let you filter servers by latency so you can avoid rubberbanding.

Sadly, it was the slowest VPN during our speed tests with significantly reduced download and upload speeds. The latency also rose and made our overall connection slower.

CyberGhost

One of the most affordable VPNs is CyberGhost. It’s a secure VPN with plenty of servers, but our experience left a lot to be desired.

CyberGhost had the most reduced download speed during our tests, and the latency ranked toward the bottom. Gamers may find this VPN too slow for their needs.