Mole
With its exceptionally low average internet speed loss of 13.5%, Mole Mullvad is one of the fastest VPNs we tested. Accordingly, Mullvad is an excellent VPN for gaming, where fast speeds and low latency are paramount. At just $5 per month, Mullvad is quite a value for money and undercuts much of the competition. Its combination of cheap pricing, ultra-fast connectivity, and cutting-edge privacy features make Mullvad a solid choice for gamers with serious privacy concerns.
Its network of 684 servers in 44 countries is well short of the thousands of servers in 90 to 100 countries you’ll get with many VPN rivals, including ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Proton VPN, Surfshark, and PIA. Due to its comparatively small server network, Mullvad is not ideal for international travel. Additionally, Mullvad isn’t great for streaming: in our tests, it worked well for Netflix and Disney Plus, but not for Amazon Prime Video. Still, if you have serious privacy concerns but need a fast but affordable VPN for gaming, Mullvad is a solid option.
Read our Mullvad VPN review.
IPVanish
IPVanish It’s a good VPN for casual users, but its high average internet speed loss of 44% makes it unsuitable for serious gamers. The monthly plan costs you $13 per month. You’ll pay $42 for 12 months of service on the annual plan, then $90 per year after that. A two-year subscription costs a pretty cheap $72 for 24 months of service and renews at $90 per year billed annually. While many VPN providers restrict the number of devices you can use at once, IPVanish boasts unlimited simultaneous connections.
IPVanish apps are simple and work equally well for both beginners and seasoned tech enthusiasts. With a VPN enabled, IPVanish’s speed loss is significantly higher than that of ExpressVPN and NordVPN – its unpredictable speeds make it a tough sell for video games that demand low lag. Likewise, IPVanish servers are located in 56 countries, well below providers like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Proton, and Surfshark. Once promotional pricing runs out after a year or two (depending on your plan), IPVanish’s pricing is disappointing, considering its uneven upload/download speeds and comparatively modest server network. With its uneven connection speeds, average prices, and smaller server contingent, other VPN providers outperform IPVanish in gaming and general usage.
Read our IPVanish review.
Private Internet Access (PIA)
Private Internet Access It is an affordable and capable alternative to Surfshark. If you’re looking for something even cheaper than Surfshark, but still a decent option for most gaming situations, then PIA is a good option. PIA’s speeds were slower than ExpressVPN and NordVPN (we measured an average download speed loss of 49% in our tests), but it’s hard to complain about the price. You’ll get access to a robust server network spanning 91 countries, which is slightly less than ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark.
We also like how customizable the PIA app is. If you like playing with the software and customizing your experience to your exact specifications, you’ll feel right at home with PIA. You can customize how much information related to your connection you want the app to display. But what’s even more useful for gamers is that they can customize the encryption level of their connection, so that they can achieve the perfect balance between speed and security for their gaming session. PIA works well on all major platforms and costs only $12 per month or $40 per year.
Read our PIA review.
