The best gaming VPN in 2018

By VPN  

Ping is a priority, but DDoS protection might also be for some

A VPN for gaming? Surely that’s a daft idea, you might well think to yourself, given that using even one of the best VPNs – encrypting traffic and routing it through a server – can potentially affect performance, with the danger of a higher ping time and a slower connection in general.

And we’re not going to argue with you in terms of these possible pitfalls, but that said, there are a number of good reasons why you might want to use a VPN for playing games online.

One of the more obvious ones is unrestricted access. A VPN allows you to unblock games that are geo-restricted, access servers locked to other regions and play anything freely from any part of the world.

There’s also the ever-present consideration of security. Using a VPN can increase your protection against DDoS attacks, and it’s not unheard of for these to be used as a weapon against online opponents, particularly when it comes to competitive gaming.

And there’s always a chance that the VPN connection will actually reduce your ping time and improve download/upload speeds, which all affect the responsiveness of your game (although ping is by far the most important consideration). Of course, it’s difficult to state this categorically, and everyone’s mileage will vary, but in some of our VPN testing, we’ve actually found our connection to be faster with the VPN turned on compared to our standard rates.

Top 5 VPNs for gaming in 2018

1. IPVanish

Best all-round VPN for gaming

Number of servers: 1000+ | Server locations: 60+ | IP addresses: 40000+ | Maximum devices supported: 10

Great server coverage
Excellent performance
Slightly pricier than others
No free trial

IPVanish runs its own network and infrastructure, and this shows in terms of performance – in our testing, we found this service up to five times faster than some rivals over short hops, with excellent download speeds all-round.

This provider also offers a good number of servers in over 60 countries, and it’s easy to find a solid server – indeed you can sort by ping time, and usage options which allow you to hunt specifically for servers tailored for gaming.

The drawback here is pricing, as IPVanish is a bit more expensive than your average VPN. There’s no free trial either, but subscriptions do come with a 7-day money-back guarantee. Out of the three available plans, the 1-year plan offers the best value-for-money. The packages available are:

2. VyprVPN

Fastest overall VPN

Number of servers: 700+ | Server locations: 70+ | IP addresses: 200,000+ | Maximum devices supported: 3-5

Superfast speeds
Free trial
Expensive monthly billing
No refunds

[Save 40%] Get 40% off VyprVPN's annual plans. VyprVPN is a fast, highly secure VPN without third-parties, all  for as little as $36.00 for the first year. Get VyprVPN here 

(25% Off) Exclusive VyprVPN Deal: TechRadar readers get 25% off VyprVPN annual plans ($45 USD for 1 year). VyprVPN is a fast, highly secure VPN without third parties. Get VyprVPN here. 

VyprVPN is also a tier-1 network with its own servers and infrastructure, offering some impressive performance levels as a result. Indeed, in our tests we found our download rates increased by a factor of 2.5 with this VPN.

The service features a worldwide server network with plenty of locations and 200,000+ IP addresses, plus there’s a NAT firewall to block unrequested inbound traffic and a host of easy-to-use apps for almost every device.

One point to bear in mind is that VyprVPN doesn’t do refunds on any grounds, but you can test the service with a free three-day trial.

There are only two subscription plans to choose from: Basic or Premium, and you can subscribe on either a monthly or annual basis. The Basic plan offers three connections while Premium gives you five and is generally the better option. The packages available are:

3. ExpressVPN

Best for mobile gaming

Number of servers: 2000 | Server locations: 148 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 3

Good choice of servers and locations
Quality mobile apps
Above-average prices
No free trial

With 148 different locations across 94 countries, ExpressVPN should allow you to find a swift server from anywhere in the world. The service excels in the mobile department by offering intuitive custom apps, in particular for Android and iOS. Naturally, all of that means nothing without solid speeds and this VPN certainly delivers in that regard with very good performance levels overall.

ExpressVPN costs more than most VPNs and there’s no free trial available to get a sneak preview. If you opt to sign up, the 1-year plan is the most affordable choice, plus you get a bonus three months. However, if you're not satisfied with the service, you can contact customer support within 30 days of your purchase and get a full refund, no questions asked. The packages available are:

4. NordVPN

Most secure VPN

Number of servers: 5054 | Server locations: 62 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 6

Extensive server network
Tight security
Monthly billing is expensive

We found that this Panama-based VPN delivered impressive performance levels in our testing, with speeds nearly matching our regular (non-VPN) rates. Doubtless the fact that NordVPN boasts over 5,050 servers in 62 cities globally helps when hunting for a fast and stable connection. 

Gamers have a wide range of smart native clients at their disposal – Windows, Mac, iOS and Android – with tutorials for a variety of other devices and platforms.

This provider is particularly strong on the security front, offering ‘double VPN’ functionality (where traffic is sent through two separate VPN servers), the option of a dedicated IP, and DDoS protection on selected servers. NordVPN operates a ‘no logs’ policy.

The service offers a free trial but you wouldn’t know it from NordVPN’s homepage. While monthly billing is expensive, things get far more affordable if you commit for longer, and indeed the limited two-year subscription represents very good value for money. The packages available are:

5. Buffered VPN

Best for ping

Number of servers: N/A | Server locations: 45 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 5

Impressive low latency
Good refund policy
One of the pricier VPNs

With servers in 45 locations, Buffered VPN offers decent global coverage, but it’s the performance which is of most interest here – specifically the low latency offered. In our tests, this provider actually gave us slightly lower ping times than our normal connection, with fast upload speeds to boot (although download speeds weren’t so hot).

That said, if you’re into mobile gaming,  you have both Android and iOS as an option. iOS client is fairly recent so it might not be as polished as other clients. Also, setup instructions are given for manually configuring smartphones and tablets for the more tech-savvy.

Buffered VPN is among the pricier providers, even if you opt for a 13-month plan which is the best option. At least there’s a sterling refund policy here, allowing you to get your money back as long as you haven’t gone over any of the following limits: 10 hours, 100 sessions or 10GB of bandwidth. The packages available are:

How to choose the best gaming VPN

There are a couple of things you need to pay attention to if you want to muster the best gaming experience from a VPN. The more servers the firm has available, the better, as this will increase your chances of finding a fast connection.

Speedy performance levels are obviously important, as is having a stable and reliable connection. Finally, be on the lookout for handy bonus features like DDoS protection and dedicated gaming servers.