Best VPNs for Steam: Unleashing gaming anywhere

Steam is one of the biggest gaming marketplaces around, and it also serves as a social hub, mod management tool, and a place to get help if you’re stuck on a particularly tricky part of a game. However, most workplaces block it to prevent you from getting distracted. Additionally, users in some countries (like Russia) aren’t able to access their library while traveling. Don’t worry, though: we’ve rounded up the best VPNs for Steam so that you can game securely from anywhere in the world.

Think of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) as your personal cloak for gaming. It shields your online endeavors from prying eyes and teleports you digitally, enabling access from virtually anywhere. That encrypted tunnel ensures your gaming quests remain your secret, inaccessible to hackers, ISPs, or any watchful network administrators. Plus, your IP address is replaced with one from a location of your choice.

Short on time? Here’s a sneak peek into the best VPNs for Steam, handpicked and tested for absolute performance:

We found these to be the best VPNs for Steam:

1. NordVPN Our top recommendation for Steam. NordVPN boasts incredible speeds and an expansive network. It comes with excellent unblocking potential and lots of security extras. Plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Steam.
2. Surfshark: Best budget VPN pick for Steam. A provider known for its clean, modern apps and ability to circumvent blocks. Surfshark is privacy-conscious, with 24/7 support and a total lack of connection limits.
3. IPVanish: This fast VPN offers easy-to-use apps that are ideal for gaming, and boasts excellent security and privacy features. No connection limits.
4. ExpressVPN: fast and highly adept at bypassing blocks. Large network, with the ability to game safely in high-censorship countries like China.
5. CyberGhost: This provider boasts a huge server network, strong security, and a no-logs policy. It even has servers specially optimized for playing games.
6. ProtonVPN: Secure VPN ideal for advanced users. Get an IP address from 100+ countries to bypass Steam blocks or play games at work.
   
7. PureVPN: Speedy, low-cost VPN for gaming. Servers in 65+ countries. Works flawlessly with Steam and many popular streaming apps, including Netflix.
8. PrivateVPN: A small yet powerful provider, PrivateVPN offers lots of built-in security features and can evade the toughest of restriction measures.

Our criteria for the best Steam VPNs

Even if a VPN works with Steam, it may not be up to standard in terms of other factors, such as speed, reliability, and security. Our research and testing have led to these selections of the best VPNs for Steam based on the following criteria:

• Works with Steam from almost anywhere in the world
• Excellent download speeds with minimum impact on ping
• The ability to connect multiple devices
• Strong security and privacy features
• Easy-to-use apps for the major operating systems
• Solid customer support (live chat is preferred)
• Fair pricing with a money-back guarantee

You can read about our VPN testing process in more detail – and see the results of those tests – in the methodology section below. First, let’s take a closer look at the providers that impressed us.

The best VPNs for Steam: Our hands-on review

We’ve compared the most important features for the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for Steam.

Best VPNs for Steam

Here’s our list of the best VPNs for Steam:

1. NordVPN

Sep 2025 unblocks steamTested Sep 2025

NordVPN is our first choice for a Steam VPN. It operates servers in more than 100 countries and works perfectly with games like as Dota 2, Warframe, Rust, and Brawlhalla with no noticeable lag. This VPN can bypass almost any online restriction and offers two ways to sidestep country-wide censorship: obfuscated servers and a new, specially-designed protocol named NordWhisper. Users can secure 10 devices at once and speak with staff 24 hours per day over live chat.

Whether you’re trying to download newly-purchased games or play them online, you’ll need a fast connection. Our team tested NordVPN’s US servers at three times of day to see what kinds of speeds it was capable of. You’ll find our results in the chart below:

NordVPN delivered an average speed of 204.73 Mbps on a 250 Mbps connection. That’s an exceptional result, and means that this is actually the quickest VPN in our list. We were pleased to see that its results varied by just 6 Mbps too. As such, you can count on a speedy, low-latency connection, no matter what time of day you prefer to play.

This is a true no-logs provider and comes with plenty of security features. These include 256-bit encryption alongside perfect forward secrecy, automatic wifi protection, a kill switch in most apps, and protection against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks. If you want an extra layer of encryption, NordVPN offers double VPN on some servers.

Desktop clients are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and you can download iOS and Android apps from their respective app stores. The VPN works with certain routers via manual configuration, which is great for installing it on a Steam Deck.

BEST VPN FOR STEAM:NordVPN is our first choice. It’s super fast, has no shortage of servers, and packs lots of security features. It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for a risk-free deal.

Check out our full review of NordVPN.

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2. Surfshark

unblocks steamTested Sep 2025

Surfshark is our top budget VPN. Despite its low price point, its network spans 100+ countries, and unlike most of its rivals, this service allows you to connect any number of devices. This provider is known for its fair price and its ability to unblock sites, making it perfect for those who want to stream and game. It even works in China and other countries with strict internet censorship.

Every VPN will slow down your connection to some extent, but there’s no excuse for a sluggish service these days. We performed multiple speed tests on Surfshark’s American servers (using a 250 Mbps connection, the average household broadband speed in the US) to see what it was capable of. Let’s take a look:

Surfshark did extremely well in our testing, with an average speed of 199.63 Mbps. There was just 5 Mbps of difference between its highest and lowest results, too, making this one of the most consistent services on the market. We didn’t notice any issues while gaming, streaming, or making video calls, and were able to download a 1GB file in around 40 seconds. In other words, this is a fantastic choice for gamers.

Surfshark continues to add items to its roster of security features. Aside from 256-bit encryption and perfect forward secrecy, you get a kill switch on all platforms, protection against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks, split tunneling, and automatic wifi protection. This provider never logs your data, and we know that for sure because it’s been audited several times. Users can even have their IP address rotate periodically, making them virtually impossible to track across the web.

Apps are available for Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Apple TV, and Android, and you can configure the VPN to work with select routers. Customer support representatives are available via live chat at all times.

BEST BUDGET CHOICE:Surfshark is great at unblocking and provides you with stable connections backed by a ton of security features. Subscriptions include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

See our full review of Surfshark.

3. IPVanish

unblocks steamTested Sep 2025

IPVanish recently expanded its network to cover more than 100 countries. This is in addition to swapping to 25 Gbps servers, improving its unblocking ability, and adding several new security features. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s one of the only providers with no connection limit! Whether you want to access region-locked content or reduce the chance of DDoS attacks and swatting, it’s a fantastic choice.

IPVanish generally ranks very highly in our industry-wide speed tests. That said, even minor adjustments to the network can have a real impact on performance, so it’s vital we retest regularly. Our experts performed tests on this provider’s US servers to see how fast it was and how much its speeds varied throughout the day. Take a look:

With an average speed of 183.96 Mbps and a variability of around 8 Mbps, IPVanish was one of the top performers in this list. It’s significantly faster than you’ll need for a flawless gaming experience, and can even handle you being on a video call or watching content in the background as you play. Not bad, especially considering how affordable this VPN is.

IPVanish has a strong security offering, with unbreakable encryption, a kill switch, and protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks enabled as standard. It’s been independently audited to prove that it doesn’t keep logs and has just recently introduced a link-safety checker across all of its apps. Users can now also take advantage of multi-hop servers that apply two layers of encryption for greater privacy. Another new addition is the Advanced Tier, which includes the unlimited VPN, one terabyte of secure cloud storage, and a cloud-based browser that ensures your browsing is sandboxed on a remote server. This protects you against malware, trackers, and cookies.

You can download apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. The VPN can be configured with Linux and some routers. It’s also possible to download the APK directly — if you need help, live chat is available 24 hours per day.

SECURE AND PRIVATE:IPVanish takes your security and privacy very seriously and offers a fast, stable connection for gaming. Annual plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Check out the full IPVanish review.

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4. ExpressVPN

unblocks steamTested Sep 2025

ExpressVPN is a great option for gamers. To begin with, it has servers in more than 100 countries and can bypass virtually any online restriction, even working effortlessly in countries like China, so you shouldn’t have any problems using Steam at school. It permits up to eight simultaneous connections, 24/7 support over live chat, and its own router app, making it a great way to game securely on your Steam Deck.

We’ve previously had great results playing online games with ExpressVPN. Still, our goal is to provide you with the most up-to-date test results, so we ran three more tests on its US servers in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon. Let’s take a look at how quick this provider was, and equally important, how much its speeds varied:

ExpressVPN managed to provide admirable speeds, averaging 144.32 Mbps on a 250 Mbps connection. There was only 6 Mbps of variance too, which is a fantastic result. In real terms, you should be able to game without the slightest interruption. Naturally, with speeds like these, streaming and torrenting won’t be an issue either, even during peak times or when lots of other people are sharing your connection.

Security is a priority for this VPN. It uses 256-bit AES encryption, which is currently considered uncrackable and offers a built-in kill switch, as well as DNS and IPv6 protection. Recent updates added automatic tracker, ad, and malicious site-blocking, as well as quantum-resistant encryption. Crucially, ExpressVPN has a no-logs policy, a fact verified by its extensive audit history.

Desktop clients are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and mobile apps can be downloaded for iOS and Android. If you’d like to protect every internet-connected device in your home, including those without native apps, you can configure the VPN with select routers.

SOLID GAMING VPN:ExpressVPN is another solid selection for use with Steam. It provides a stellar service, including fast speeds, strong security, and excellent customer support. Plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Find out more in our ExpressVPN review.

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5. CyberGhost

unblocks steamTested Sep 2025

CyberGhost is a novice-friendly VPN with plenty to offer. For starters, it has a network of over 11,000 servers in more than 100 countries, and it has servers optimized for gaming, streaming, torrenting, and maximizing your anonymity. Not only that, but it’s also able to bypass virtually any geographic restriction (although it doesn’t work in countries with high censorship, unfortunately). Live chat is available around the clock in case of any issues.

The real question is whether CyberGhost can provide the fast speeds needed for competitive online play. To find out, we tested its servers in the US at three times of day. These tests were run on a 250 Mbps test connection designed to replicate the average US household’s internet. You’ll find our results in the chart below:

CyberGhost did very well here, achieving an average speed of 152.53 Mbps. Considering most online games only need around 15 Mbps at most, you’ll have plenty of bandwidth left over for playing music, chatting with friends, or broadcasting live gameplay. There was around 9 Mbps of variance too, which is well within normal parameters and shouldn’t even be noticeable.

If you’re looking for a security-conscious VPN, you’re in the right place. CyberGhost keeps you safe using a kill switch, unbreakable encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and a proven zero-logs policy. It also has a customizable smart rules feature that lets you choose when and how the VPN connects automatically. In short, this is a great way to protect yourself from hackers, DDoS attacks, and most other online threats.

Apps are available for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android, and the VPN can be configured to work with select home routers.

SECURE AND RELIABLE:CyberGhost is a reliable option for use with Steam. Boasts high speeds, servers optimized for various tasks, and 24/7 support via live chat. Plans include a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read more in our in-depth CyberGhost review.

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6. ProtonVPN

unblocks steamTested Sep 2025

ProtonVPN is a well-renowned service that was developed by the team behind Proton Mail, so you know it can be trusted on privacy. There are servers in more than 100 countries, and this VPN works with most major streaming platforms, so unblocking Steam abroad won’t be an issue. Users are allowed up to 10 simultaneous connections, and support staff are on hand day and night to answer any questions you might have.

Slow speeds are a nightmare for gamers. If your connection is too slow, you’ll find yourself teleporting all over the map and possibly even being kicked from lobbies at a crucial moment. We ran three speed tests on ProtonVPN’s US servers to see if it was up to the task. Let’s take a look at those results:

ProtonVPN achieved an average speed of 121.2 Mbps. That’s respectable, and more than enough for virtually any activity. What really caught our attention was its consistency, though: this VPN’s speeds varied by just 2.66 Mbps throughout the day. That’s almost unheard of, and really drives home that this is one of the most reliable options on the market.

So, how secure is this service? In a word: very. It shields users with a combination of unbreakable AES encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, a kill switch, and an independently audited no-logs policy. You can also take advantage of split tunneling, port forwarding, or multi-hop connections, plus a Stealth mode that hides the telltale indicators that you’re using a VPN at all.

ProtonVPN has its own apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Alternatively, you can follow manual setup instructions to get it running on routers, which will let you protect your Steam Deck or any other gaming device.

SECURE AND PRIVATE:ProtonVPN is a secure VPN that is ideal for advanced users. It has a solid no-logs policy, AES encryption, a kill switch, and obfuscation. Works to get an IP address in more than 100 countries, to bypass Steam blocks or play games at work. A 30-day money-back guarantee lets you test it with your Steam account risk-free.

Find out more in our ProtonVPN review.

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7. PureVPN

unblocks steamTested Sep 2025

PureVPN is a cheap and reliable VPN with lots to offer. For instance, it boasts 6,000+ servers in over 65 countries and can access all manner of geo-blocked platforms. This makes it nice and easy to access region-exclusive Steam titles, join easier lobbies, buy games earlier or at better prices, and shield yourself from DDoS attacks during competitive play. If you need help, live chat is available 24/7.

When it comes to performance, PureVPN is usually a solid choice. That said, we wanted to find out how this provider’s speeds have changed lately, so we tested its US servers at multiple points throughout the day. The chart below shows how quick they were on a typical 250 Mbps connection:

With an average speed of 63.73 Mbps, PureVPN was competitive, though not the quickest service around. It’s still well above what’s required for gaming, torrenting, or live streaming, and we were able to play reflex-sensitive games like Overwatch 2 with no problems whatsoever. However, if you’re looking for raw speed, you may want to consider one of the providers above instead.

This service has a robust set of security tools and is based in the British Virgin Islands, a country with no mandatory data retention laws. It uses 256-bit AES encryption to keep your traffic private, and backs that up with a kill switch, leak protection, automatic tracker-blocking, and a proven zero-logs policy. PureVPN will even alert you if your personal info is found on the dark web!

This VPN has apps for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS. It can also be manually installed on most routers (instructions are on PureVPN’s website).

CHEAP STEAM VPN:PureVPN is a reliable low-cost VPN for gaming. It has servers in 65+ countries and works to access all popular games, stubborn streaming apps, and regional game servers for countless titles. It is fully audited, with no logging policy and strong encryption. 31-day money-back guarantee.

Find out more in our PureVPN review.

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8. PrivateVPN

unblocks steamTested Sep 2025

PrivateVPN has a smaller network than its rivals, but don’t let that put you off. It owns, hosts, and acts as an ISP to all 200 of its servers, and still manages to cover more than 60 countries. Better yet, this VPN works in countries with extreme censorship, such as China and the UAE. It has no issues unblocking stubborn geo-blocked platforms like Steam, Amazon Prime Video, or Disney+ either.

Now, it’s time to discuss PrivateVPN’s performance. Historically, this service hasn’t quite been able to match the other VPNs in this list. However, our years of testing has shown that it’s still fast enough for most tasks. We ran speed tests on PrivateVPN’s US servers with the goal of seeing how suitable it is for gaming. Here are the results:

Following three tests, PrivateVPN had an average speed of 59.31 Mbps. That’s not the highest we’ve seen, but it’s certainly respectable. We had no issues playing games while connected, and you should be able to broadcast your gameplay simultaneously just fine. This provider’s consistency was top-notch, though, with roughly 3 Mbps of variance throughout the day.

This provider lives up to its name by keeping no logs whatsoever. It secures your data with military-grade encryption, perfect forward secrecy, protection against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks, and a kill switch. There’s also a Stealth VPN toggle in the advanced view — you’ll need this to browse anonymously while visiting high-censorship countries. If you need help, live chat support is available during European business hours.

PrivateVPN apps are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. It supports routers too, but you’ll have to follow manual setup instructions.

PRIVACY-FOCUSED:PrivateVPN is a secure, fast service with a strict no-logs policy and great unblocking potential. You can try it with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Find out more in our complete review of PrivateVPN.

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How we found the best VPNs for Steam: Our methodology

There are literally hundreds of VPNs to choose from, many of which are unsuitable for use with Steam. We created an exhaustive testing process to make sure that only the best of the best earn our recommendation. Below, we’ll walk you through our five main areas of consideration and why each is so important:

Speed

Speed is a crucial thing to consider if you want a VPN for gaming. The disadvantages of a sluggish connection far outweigh the security benefits, and will actively contribute to a poor gaming experience. However, it’s surprisingly difficult to get reliable speed test results due to the randomness of the internet and how much performance changes during peak times. So how do we combat this?

Rather than relying on a single speed test, we run three (one in the morning, one at noon, and one in the afternoon). These are then averaged to help account for natural variability and normalized, giving us a final score out of 10 for each candidate. Note that our tests were run on a 250 Mbps connection, using US servers, since this simulates the average American household broadband connection. Let’s see how our top VPNs compared:

NordVPN was the fastest provider overall, earning a perfect score here. Surfshark was right behind it, just 5 Mbps slower on average. Competition was fierce in this category, though, and since VPNs are scored relative to one another, even our lowest-scoring services outperform most other VPNs on the market.

Gaming suitability

Next, our team evaluated services to see how suitable they were for gaming. This was fairly straightforward: we first considered how large their networks were (since this impacts their ability to shrug off DDoS attacks) and how many devices they allow users to connect simultaneously. Finally, we checked for the presence of split tunneling, since this allows you to maximize speeds by allowing gaming clients to download updates, encryption-free, without actually having the game itself pass through the VPN. Here’s how our top VPNs held up:

Surfshark took first place, with ProtonVPN and PureVPN following close behind. These services all support split tunneling as standard and have high connection limits (or in Surfshark’s case, no limit at all). ProtonVPN and PureVPN also have two of the largest networks around, which helped propel them to the top in this category.

Security and privacy

Let’s not forget that the main purpose of a VPN is to protect your online activities from being intercepted or monitored. For this reason, our team has a strict set of criteria for services we recommend. They have to offer unbreakable encryption, a kill switch, leak protection, and a no-logs policy, at a bare minimum. Naturally, that’s not all we consider; take a look at the following table for everything that goes into our scoring decision:

Feeling a little lost by the technical terms above? No problem! We deducted points for every area where a VPN could use a little improvement, and created a chart with the final standings. Simply put, the higher the score in the chart below, the more secure a VPN is and the fewer avenues an attacker has to compromise your data:

We have a tie here between NordVPN and Surfshark, each earning 9.5 points. While each provider could bolster their offering slightly, they’re strong enough overall that neither shortcoming is a major issue. In fact, the lowest score we recorded in this category was an 8.6, which just goes to show how seriously our top VPNs take your privacy.

Ease of use

No surprises here: the easier a VPN is to use, the better. But what does this mean? Essentially, we look for services with well-designed apps, clearly-described settings, and quality of life features that make the VPN as accessible as possible to novices. Do they have servers specifically designed for gaming or accessing platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Disney+? Is there 24/7 support? Do they allow a high number of simultaneous connections? Here’s everything we factor into our scoring decision:

NordVPN took the top spot again here, boasting an impressive 9.6 points. We really appreciated how streamlined its registration process is, and the lengths it goes to to ensure that users understand its advanced functionality. Of course, the fact that it can unblock just about any region-locked service and works anywhere in the world is a huge advantage too.

Value for money

Here at Comparitech, we want you to get a high-quality VPN. However, we also want to ensure you don’t pay too much for it. That’s why our team pays close attention to details like how often different providers go on sale, whether they offer reduced rates for students, and how steeply their long-term subcriptions are discounted. We also make sure that each VPN we recommend offers a money-back guarantee so that you can try them risk-free. Let’s see how the best VPNs for Steam compared:

Surfshark came in first place, scoring 9.7 points. IPVanish was right behind, with 9.6. These services have a lot in common, including industry-leading speeds, a total lack of connection limits, and impressive streaming ability.

Thanks to our VPN testing methodology, we’ve been able to find the best VPNs for Steam so that you can game securely and with minimal lag.

How to unblock Steam with a VPN

If you find that your office, school, or college has blocked access to Steam, not to worry, as circumventing those blocks is quick and simple. Below are the steps to quickly set up your VPN and access Steam.

Here’s how to unblock Steam with a VPN:

1. Subscribe to your chosen VPN provider. We particularly recommend NordVPN.
2. Install the relevant app on your device. Desktop clients can be downloaded from the provider’s website.
3. Connect to a VPN server. The location shouldn’t matter for bypassing these types of blocks, but geographically close servers tend to give you faster speeds. Some VPNs will automatically connect you to the fastest server or list ping times to give you an idea of latency for each server.
4. Open the Steam application and you should find you can play your games with no issues. If this doesn’t work, try clearing your cache and cookies and connecting to a different server.

If you are having problems, you may need to contact your VPN provider support team for help with troubleshooting.

Note: If you want to access Steam content from a specific country, you will need to connect to a VPN server there for a local IP address. For example, if you want to download Steam games only available in Japan, connect to a VPN server there so that you are assigned a Japanese IP address.

How to change Stream region with a VPN

As mentioned, you may wish to change your store country within Steam. Your store country is set to the location where you first made a Steam purchase. If you move and want to change to your new location you can follow the steps below.

Here’s how to change the Steam region with a VPN:

1. Log in to your Steam account.
2. Click your username in the upper right-hand corner of the screen and select Account Details.
3. Click Update store country and click the arrow for the dropdown menu. You should see your current location as an option.

Once you’ve changed countries, subsequent purchases will need to be made using a payment method from that country.

As mentioned, it’s possible to spoof your current location using a VPN. However, it’s worth mentioning again that this is against Steam rules and you could end up having your account blocked.

Using a free VPN with Steam

Using a free VPN with Steam is not a good idea. Free VPNs usually don’t perform well when it comes to tasks such as unblocking restricted sites, as they’re easily detected and blocked.

Even if you do manage to access Steam with one, free VPNs aren’t a good solution for playing online games. These services tend to have slow, unreliable connections. You’ll likely have to deal with lag and may find your connection drops partway through a game.

Free VPNs also disappoint when it comes to privacy and security. Unlike paid providers that make it a priority to respect your privacy, many free VPNs are looking to profit off your information. Some free VPNs will track your online activity and sell the resulting profile to advertisers.

VPN for Steam FAQs