7 Best Free VPNs for Gaming In US (April 2023)

Best Free VPN for Gaming
Searching for a gaming VPN that’s free and reliable? Well, there are plenty of free VPNs that can optimize your gaming experience. However, these VPNs often lack security, online privacy, speed, and performance.

Gamers face many privacy issues online. Thus the best free VPN for gaming sounds like a good option for protecting against DDoS attacks and swatting. However, the real challenge is finding a quality free VPN that is perfect for gaming.

There are many premium VPNs for gaming, but if you’re waiting to opt for a free VPN, then let us tell you that these VPNs come with many limitations. In addition, most free VPNs don’t offer the required security for gamers which becomes counterproductive.

The best premium VPN like ExpressVPN, on the other hand, offers full functionality with ultimate security, privacy, data protection, a best-in-class gaming experience, and a 30 refund policy.

However, if you’re still ready to choose a free VPN for games over the premium ones, just continue reading as we list some of the reliable VPN for gaming free for you. Let’s check how to get better ping in Minecraft:


Quick Overview – The Best Free VPN for Gaming

Need the best free VPN for gaming in US? Here is a list of the 7 free gaming VPNs that you can use to have a smooth gaming experience:

  1. ExpressVPN – Overall Best VPN for Lag-Free Gaming In US. Get low pings, lightning-fast speeds, global server coverage, and unlimited bandwidth for the best gaming experience. (Try ExpressVPN risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee)
  2. ProtonVPN – Unlimited Data and Bandwidth for Gaming. 100% free VPN with fast speeds and limitless data for optimized gaming. However, the free version comes with 3 server locations only.
  3. Windscribe – Free 10 GB per Month for Gaming. Equips effective security features and offers unlimited multi-logins for gaming on all your favorite devices, but you only get 10 GB of free data every month.
  4. TunnelBear – 500 MB Free Data per Month. With servers across 49 countries, you can unblock all the most anticipated geo-restricted games, but you’ll be bound to its 500 MB of free data per month.
  5. Hotspot Shield – 500 MB Free Data per Day for Gaming Privately. Offers Catapult Hydra for improved speeds and lets you be anonymous while gaming through its single US server and 500 MB/day on the free plan.
  6. Hide.me – 10 GB/mo Free Data with No Speed Restrictions. This free VPN offers 10 GB/mo of data without any bandwidth limitations, but only with 5 server locations.
  7. Speedify – 2 GB Data per Month with Channel bonding technology. This robust Channel bonding technology offers lag-free gaming with servers in 35 countries, but only 2 GB data/mo.

Check out these best free VPNs for gaming in detail and FAQs related to a free gaming VPN for online games.


Best Free Gaming VPNs: Brief Summary Test Ratings

The following table will compare the gaming performances of the 7 free VPNs listed in our guide based on a few testing metrics:


7 Best Free VPNs for Gaming (Updated 2023)

Free VPNs come with limitations and are not our top recommendation for gaming. However, we conducted extensive research on 31+ reliable free names in the industry and came up with a list of these 7 gaming VPNs free to use, after testing their speed, user-friendliness, and security:

1. ExpressVPN – Overall Best VPN for Lag-Free Gaming

ExpressVPN

Key Features:

  • 3000+ servers in 94 countries, 29+ server locations in US
  • 5 simultaneous connections
  • AES 256-bit encryption
  • Works with League of Legends, Fifa, Fortnite, and Minecraft
  • Compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, PS4, PS5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch, routers, and more

ExpressVPN is the overall best VPN service for playing games online. That’s because no free VPN can even come close to ExpressVPN’s blazing-fast speeds and lag-free gaming capabilities.

We tested the service by playing various online games, including first-person shooters, real-time strategy games, and massively multiplayer online role-playing games. In all cases, ExpressVPN had minimal impact on our ping and latency. This meant that we could enjoy a smooth, lag-free gaming experience.

During our testing, we chose to connect to servers in the UK and Australia. We played a couple of PUBG MOBILE sessions and were super impressed with ExpressVPN’s performance.

gaming-with-expressvpn

We were quite impressed by ExpressVPN’s ability to provide an excellent gaming experience.

Furthermore, we have played more games using ExpressVPN servers, such as Apex legends, and League of legends. Besides these we additionally ran CS:GO to check ExpressVPN performance but didn’t find any lags and pings while running it. So on the whole, we found ExpressVPN as the best gaming for VPN if you are looking for an answer on how to get better ping in Minecraft.

Furthermore, to check if ExpressVPN works with Ps4 and Ps5 consoles, we set it up following this linked guide. We enjoyed the next 3 hours playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II in HD graphics without any frustrating lags. We can say it’s the best VPN for PS4/PS5 consoles without a doubt!

As for ExpressVPN’s speeds, on our 100 Mbps connection, we never noticed our speeds drop below 30 Mbps. Pings also remained consistent, never going above 20 ms. We also tested the pings using the closest server to our actual location and noticed a significant drop. From 20 ms on long-distance servers, our pings dropped to just 10-11 ms.

In short, we got a download speed of 83.68 Mbps and an upload speed of 79.23 Mbps on our connection, which is superb!

expressvpn-speed-test-for-gaming

We enjoyed lag-free gaming, thanks to ExpressVPN’s speeds.

One thing we all mobile gamers worry about is battery life. Thankfully, ExpressVPN’s iOS and Android are not battery hoggers. Using ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol, we noticed a decline of 1% per minute in battery life on our iPhone 13 Pro Max.

We also did extensive testing for desktop gamers as well. Thankfully, ExpressVPN offers native router apps for Linksys, Netgear, Asus, and other routers. We were able to easily configure ExpressVPN on our Asus AC68U router within hardly 10-12 minutes.

Another impressive thing about ExpressVPN is that it supports both split tunneling and port forwarding. We added Overwatch and Roblox to our custom split tunneling list while leaving everything else out. This ensured that only the traffic used to play Overwatch or Roblox got encrypted while unnecessary traffic remained unencrypted. As a result, we noticed lower latency.

Well, let’s be clear. ExpressVPN is not a free VPN service. But it’s the best option for you if you’re an avid gamer who doesn’t want to end up frustrated between a match. If it’s for a limited time, then you can always try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days and enjoy this gaming VPN free trial with exceptional service!

For a detailed analysis of this VPN, go through our ExpressVPN review.

Pros

  • Unlimited bandwidth and blazing-fast speeds for gaming
  • 3000+ servers in 94+ countries to choose from
  • Compatibility with all popular gaming consoles and routers
  • 5 multi-logins
  • Keeps users anonymous and unidentified
  • Risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

  • Doesn’t offer customizable advanced features
Get ExpressVPN for Gaming30 Days Money Back Guarantee

2. ProtonVPN – Unlimited Data and Bandwidth for Gaming

ProtonVPN

Key Features:

  • 3 free server locations, 1 in the United States
  • 1 simultaneous connection
  • AES 256-bit encryption
  • Works with PUBG, Overwatch, CS GO, League of Legends
  • Compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch

ProtonVPN is the best free VPN for PC gaming with unlimited bandwidth. This means that even without paying a dime, you can play bandwidth-hogging games like Fortnite and CS GO online without any restrictions.

The only limitation of this VPN is that it only offers 3 server locations. This can be an issue if you wanna join a specific lobby. Speaking of servers, ProtonVPN offers 163 free servers in the US, Japan, and the Netherlands.

With ProtonVPN, if you connect to a server that is close to your location, you should have no trouble gaming online. However, we connected to its Netherlands server for testing purposes. This time, we played Call of Duty Mobile.

Still, if you think that you want more of a smooth gaming experience you may switch to Proton’s VPN US server to have a fast gaming experience. We also tried playing Hogwarts Legacy using the servers of this free VPN for Xbox games.

gaming-with-protonvpn

Thanks to ProtonVPN’s unlimited bandwidth, there were no restrictions while gaming.

Surprisingly, it offered decently low pings. Although not as stable as ExpressVPN, the pings never exceeded 30 – 40 ms. That being said, when we connected to the Netherlands server, we did notice slower speeds and higher pings overall. In our ProtonVPN speed test, we got a download speed of 52.37 Mbps and an upload speed of 45.19 Mbps on our 100 Mbps connection.

protonvpn-speed-test-for-gaming

The pings were definitely higher when compared to ExpressVPN.

When testing ProtonVPN free VPN for Warzone in this guide, we had our doubts as games like these and PUBG consume at least 200MB of data every hour. But to our surprise, ProtonVPN offered a lag-free gaming experience. In fact, we could actually call it a great free VPN for PUBG gameplay.

To test ProtonVPN on our desktop gaming setup, we configured it on our office router. However, we must say it was not easy. Although ProtonVPN offers both WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols, its setup process is way complicated. If you’re new to VPNs, you’ll surely find it hard to set up. Though on the plus side, you can find helpful setup guides on their website.

Furthermore, despite being free, ProtonVPN offers great privacy features. It offers military-grade encryption, no logs policy, leak protection, and even a kill switch that we tested time and again. It never leaked our US IP address which is just amazing.

For a detailed analysis of this VPN, go through our ProtonVPN review.

Pros

  • Compatible with routers and gaming consoles
  • Pings are quite low
  • Unlimited data for an unrestricted gaming experience
  • WireGuard protocol for speed and security

Cons

  • Offers only 3 servers
  • Speeds are quite inconsistent during gaming
  • Router setup is complicated

3. Windscribe – Free 10 GB Per Month for Gaming

Windscribe

Key Features:

  • Servers in 10 countries, 1 in US
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
  • AES 256-bit encryption
  • Works with Call of Duty, Fortnite, Fifa, CS GO
  • Compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, PS4, PS5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch, routers, and more

Windscribe is a great gaming VPN, offering 10 GB of data per month. Even with a data restriction, this VPN offers surprisingly low pings and support for P2P.

The most impressive thing about this VPN is that it offers fast speeds, excellent security, and allows P2P traffic. This means you can play all your favorite games like League of Legends, Minecraft, or Call Of Duty without any worries.

On paper, Windscribe seems great, but what about raw speeds?

Well, we did the testing for you. To test Windscribe, we ran Minecraft mobile on our iPad and connected to the closest server using its smart connect feature.

gaming-with-windscribe

This VPN’s AES 256-bit encryption protects you from DDoS attacks while gaming.

After some time spent playing the game, we obtained a meager 59.11 Mbps download speed on a 100 Mbps local connection (a speed loss of 41%). As far as the upload speeds are concerned, we got 37.07 Mbps only. That’s a major slump!

But despite the unimpressive download speeds, the free version managed to consistently offer low pings – roughly in the range of 45 – 51 ms. During gaming, we didn’t notice any major lags to complain about.

windscribe-speed-test-for-gaming

Windscribe offered us a lag-free connection while gaming.

The only downside of this VPN, just like ProtonVPN, is that it offers a few server locations. This makes it harder to find a specific server to use to join a specific lobby. If we talk about numbers, Windscribe only offers 10 server locations in the free version. These servers are located in North America, Europe, and Asia. Sadly, there are no servers in South America or Africa.

Windscribe was great for playing games on most operating systems, such as Android, iOS, Linux, and Windows but it is considered to be the best free VPN for mac among other operating systems. Moreover, it’s one of the best free VPNs for FireStick, and its router setup is relatively easier than ProtonVPN as well.

Furthermore, the good thing is during the testing of this VPN for gaming, we also operate this VPN for torrenting purposes and surprisingly it works really well for torrenting too, indicating itself to be the best free VPN for torrenting as well.

On the plus side, Windscribe is quite secure. We didn’t detect any leaks during testing, and it offers secure VPN protocols and even a kill switch.

For a detailed analysis of this VPN, go through our Windscribe review.

Pros

  • Comes with 10 GB per month for a few hours of gaming
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
  • Compatible with routers and operating systems
  • Lag-free gaming

Cons

  • Over 40% speed drop
  • Based in Canada – a member of the Five Eyes Alliance

4. TunnelBear – 500 MB Free Data Per Month

TunnelBear

Key Features:

  • Servers in 51+ locations, 1 in the US
  • 5 simultaneous connections
  • AES 256-bit encryption
  • Works with Minecraft, Garena Free Fire, Fortnite
  • Compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, PS4, PS5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch, routers, and more

TunnelBear is yet another popular free VPN for gaming offering 500 MB of data/mo only. This limited data is not much to have a phenomenal gaming experience. Although you can tweet about TunnelBear and get an extra 1GB of data, we still believe it’s not that much considering that games like Counter-Strike can consume 200+MB data per hour.

Unlike ProtonVPN or Windscribe, the free version of TunnelBear gives you access to its entire network of servers located all over the world. This makes it much easier to find specific gaming lobbies of your choice.

To test out its performance, we played Garena Free fire – an old game but definitely a classic. Using TunnelBear’s UK server, we were able to play a couple of matches without any issues. We noticed no issues when it comes to latency.

gaming-with-tunnelbear

TunnelBear’s data cap really hindered our playtime.

What’s cool about TunnelBear is that it offers around 42+ P2P server locations which makes it very easy to find a server near you. On our 100 Mbps connection, the Japanese server we tested provided us with a ping of 69 ms and download speeds of 55.27 Mbps with upload speeds of 40.21 Mbps, which is average to play games like Overwatch.

tunnelbear-speed-test-for-gaming

While there were no lags, these speeds were still not what we’d prefer for gaming.

The downside of this VPN is that it can’t be configured on routers. The provider currently doesn’t offer support for manual configurations. This prevented us from testing it for desktop and console gaming. Another con of this VPN is that it offers limited data to play around with, as mentioned above.

On the flip side, TunnelBear is not only easy to use on both desktop and mobile devices, we can definitely say it has one of the nicest user interfaces of any VPN out there. There are cool and interactive animations everywhere throughout the apps.

It offers multiple security features as well. While gaming, we checked the VPN for DNS leaks and TunnelBear passed the test easily. It also offered a kill switch so we get disconnected from the internet if the VPN connection drops.

For a detailed analysis of this VPN, go through our TunnelBear review.

Pros

  • Unblocks games from worldwide with its server network
  • No latency while gaming
  • User-friendly interface for novice gamers with VPN

Cons

  • Offers 500 MBs of data per month only
  • Doesn’t offer router configuration

5. Hotspot Shield – 500 MB Free Data Per Day for Gaming Privately

Hotspot-shield

Key Features:

  • 1 server location in the US only
  • 5 simultaneous connections
  • AES 256-bit encryption
  • Works with Call of Duty, CS GO, Overwatch
  • Compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, PS4, PS5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch, routers, and more

Hotspot Shield is another household VPN name in the industry offering 500MB of data/day.  This means that you’ll get 15GB of data per month which is decent enough for moderate gaming sessions.

Now, you must be thinking why did we choose this free VPN for gaming? Well, it’s mostly because of its Hydra protocol. It’s no gimmick, it is actually fast. We tested it extensively. When we tested it with Call of Duty Mobile, we were blown away by how well it performed.

gaming-with-hotspot-shield

We could only play games at odd times due to traffic overload on its only US server.

We used its US server, which is our actual location, and managed to keep our pings below 90 ms. As far as download speeds are concerned, they were above average as well. On our 100 Mbps, we managed to get a download speed of 45.63 Mbps and an upload speed of 39.56 Mbps. During gameplay, we didn’t notice any ping hikes and our overall experience was smooth.

hotspot-shield-speed-test-for-gaming

The pings were high on Hotspot Shield’s US server.

Speaking of servers, that’s the only downside of this VPN. It only offers one server location – the US. So if you’re picky about servers and specific gaming lobbies for games like PUBG – you’re out of luck. We also couldn’t test this VPN on our desktop gaming setup as Hotspot Shield doesn’t support routers.

While it only offers one server location in the free version, Hotspot Shield does offer a one-week free trial when you sign up for it to give you a taste of its unthrottled performance. When we tested its Netherlands server with the free trial, we noticed little latency (31 ms) when playing Fortnite. That’s what happens when you connect to servers near you.

As for security, Hotspot Shield uses 256-bit encryption for data security with perfect forward secrecy. Unfortunately, it also offers a kill switch that only works on its desktop version. Hence; proving itself to be one of the best free VPN for windows or desktops.

For a detailed analysis of this VPN, go through our Hotspot Shield review.

Pros

  • 15 GB data/mo for gaming
  • Hydra protocol for a lag-free gaming experience
  • Low pings

Cons

  • Offers a single server location
  • Not compatible with routers

6. Hide.me – 10 GB/mo Free Data with No Speed Restrictions

Hide.me

Key Features:

  • 5 server locations, 2 in the US
  • 1 simultaneous connection
  • AES 256-bit encryption
  • Works with Minecraft, Overwatch, Fifa
  • Compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, PS4, PS5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch, routers, and more

Hide.me is a lesser-known VPN with 10GB of free data each month. This data is only best for moderate gaming. But the good thing is that there is no daily usage limit.

When compared to TunnelBear and ProtonVPN, its performance is truly impressive. Despite being free, it is a powerhouse! When testing it with a bandwidth-hogging game like Minecraft, we were super impressed with its performance. For testing purposes, we used the Netherlands server which was relatively close to our location.

gaming-with-hide.me

The gaming speeds were relatively slow when compared to the VPNs above.

As for speeds, on our 100 Mbps connection, we got a download speed of around 40.21 Mbps and an upload speed of 29.89 Mbps on average. As for pings, we noticed that our pings never exceeded 70 ms.

hide-me-speed-test-for-gaming

The upload speeds were relatively slow for Hide.me.

Just like some other free VPNs we’ve discussed, Hide.me also offers a few server locations. It offers the US, Germany, Netherlands, and Canada. That’s not a lot but we can’t complain. The cool thing about Hide.me is that it lets you see the pings of different servers in real-time so you can pick and choose the best one.

We couldn’t test it on gaming consoles like Xbox and PS5 as Hide.Me doesn’t offer router support.

As far as privacy is concerned, Hide.me is very capable. It supports the latest WireGuard protocol and supports advanced features like split tunneling. It is also 100% leakproof means it will not leak your identity to your ISP. Despite being free, it exceeded our expectations. Also, we tried playing Valorant with Hide.me, and when we connect to its different gaming server, it successfully connected us without any issue and it masks our IP address in different regions, potentially improving your latency and overall gaming experience. Therefore, proving it self to be the top free VPN for Valorant.

For a detailed analysis of this VPN, go through our Hide.me review.

Pros

  • Offers 10 GB of data every month – great for gaming
  • WireGuard protocol for fast speeds

Cons

  • Comes with 5 server locations only
  • No router support
  • Considerably high pings than its competitors

7. Speedify2 GB Data per Month with Channel Bonding Technology

Speedify

Key Features:

  • Servers in 36 countries, 12 server locations in US
  • 5 simultaneous connections
  • AES 256-bit encryption
  • Works with League of Legends, Call of Duty, PUBG
  • Compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, PS4, PS5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch, routers, and more

Speedify is an impressive VPN with channel bonding technology. This means that with Speedify, you may combine and add more connections like 4G and Wi-Fi for the most consistent gaming experience.

For this test, we deliberately used a slow Wi-Fi connection when playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. As we all know, lower speeds result in higher ping and response times.

gaming-with-speedify

You might get cut off during gaming due to its data cap.

Then, using Speedify’s channel-bonding technology, we combined the poor Wi-Fi connection with a fast cellular 4G internet connection. As a result, our pings dropped from 75 ms to just 25 ms. Moreover, we got a download speed of 50.28 Mbps and an upload speed of 38.27 Mbps on our 100 Mbps connection.

speedify-speed-test-for-gaming

Speedify’s speeds were quite average for gaming.

Just like other free VPNs, Speedify also comes with a few limitations. If we talk about data limits, you’ll be disappointed by the fact that Speedify only offers 2 GB of monthly data. This is nowhere enough for even light gaming. In case you run out of data, you’ll have to wait an entire month to use it again.

Speedify supports all major operating systems, like iOS, macOS, Windows, Android, and Linux. So, if you play games on these OSes, then it’s a win-win situation for you. However, using your gaming consoles with Speedify is a bit tough since it supports a few specific routers only.

In terms of security features, depending on the device you’re using, Speedify uses either AES-128-GCM or ChaCha20 encryption. It even supports tunneling protocols Like OpenVPN UDP/TCP. Moreover, if you want to protect your online privacy while gaming on Steam, using a free VPN for Steam can help ensure that your sensitive information stays secure with Speedify.

For a detailed analysis of this VPN, go through our Speedify review.

Pros

  • Channel bonding technology for high speeds
  • Compatible with specific routers

Cons

  • Offers a single device connection
  • 2 GB data/mo
  • High pings

Quick Comparison Table: Best Free VPNs for Gaming

The qualities that every gamer should consider while searching for the best free VPN for games are compared in the table below. We’ve outlined the key features of each VPN, such as average speeds, data use limits and average latency. Let’s check it out:


How to Get a Free VPN Trial for Gaming?

If you don’t want to deal with restrictions and high pings, go for a gaming VPN free trial instead of a totally free option. Because then you will be able to improve your gaming experience, avoid server and bandwidth limitations, and benefit from absolute privacy and security for a brief period of time.

There are a few best VPNs for gaming that provide free trials. But we’ll provide you with a step-by-step tutorial on how to download ExpressVPN, which is the best gaming VPN for online games.

To take advantage of the 7-day free trial of ExpressVPN, you’ll need an iOS or Android handset, but after that, you can use it on any compatible device. So, here’s what you need to do:

1. Install the ExpressVPN app from the Google Play Store.

get-ExpressVPN-free-trial-1

2. Open a new account, then choose a plan that offers a 7-day free trial.

Get-Expressvpn-free-trial-2

3. Select a payment option.

Get-Expressvpn-free-trial-3

4. Log into your account after downloading the app to any device you choose.

5. Remember to cancel the subscription before the 7-day free trial or 30-day money-back guarantee expires.

Get ExpressVPN for Gaming30 Days Money Back Guarantee

Tips on How to Choose the Best Free VPN for Gaming

There are multiple factors you need to look into and various tests you need to conduct. That’s exactly what we did while jotting down the free gaming VPNs in our guide.

But if you are an online gamer looking for a free ping booster, take the responsibility on your shoulders. Here are the essential factors you need to look into:

  • Truly free: 

    You should choose a VPN that provides no financial danger to you all of the free VPNs listed in this guide are either entirely free or have a reliable money-back guarantee.

  • Various servers:

    You often only get a few servers with free VPNs. There will always be less congestion on the servers if there are more of them, which will result in faster speeds and reduced ping. To ensure low latency, it is important to opt for a free VPN offering servers that are near your actual location.

  • Fast speeds: 

    For online gaming, it is advised to have speeds of at least 5 Mbps. Our download and upload speeds with every VPN we listed were above 20 Mbps. In general, your speeds should be faster when there will be more participants in the game because more data will need to be transferred.

  • Adequate data allowance: 

    A game requires between 1MB and 300MB of data per hour. Ensure that the best free VPN for gaming for Android and other devices allows you to use enough data for the games you want to play. We’ve chosen a few VPNs with reasonable data caps, and listed absolutely free VPN for Android and other devices with unlimited bandwidth as well.

  • Router support:

    The best method for connecting your gaming console to a VPN is by using a VPN on your router. Now that’s something not many free VPNs will provide. However, we carefully listed a few VPN services that provide no-cost router assistance.

  • Robust security:

    The protection of shared game servers from hackers depends on this factor. To defend yourself from DoS attacks, each of these free VPNs offer industry-standard security features including leak protection, military-grade encryption, and a kill switch. They are all reputable service providers that won’t sell your information to third parties for profit.


Free VPN for Gaming Limitations and Restrictions

Free VPNs don’t charge users subscription-free, as discussed above, so the question is, how do free VPNs make money? Well, these free services limit most features and compromise security features.

1. Security

Free VPNs don’t offer the same security and protection as those offered by the best DDoS protected VPN. Therefore, with substandard security features, free VPNs cannot protect you from in-game DDoS attacks.

And that’s not it. Instead, most free VPNs are subject to data logging and selling user data to third-party advertisers. For example, Hotspot Shield monetizes its free VPN app using ads.

2. Bandwidth Limitations

Gaming requires 300 MB of data per hour. However, most free VPNs only offer a maximum of 10 GB of data which is very little for gamers who play data-intensive games. Similarly, free VPNs that offer unlimited bandwidth restrict your speed. Therefore, you cannot play heavy games like Overwatch with a free VPN.

3. Limited Server Access

Free VPNs limit the number of servers that users can access. Fewer servers mean these servers are congested with traffic, thus leading to slow connection speeds. With so much traffic on fewer servers, free VPN providers also restrict your speed and bandwidth to prevent servers from crashing.

Premium VPNs, on the other hand, offers optimized servers for gaming. So, instead of searching for a free gaming VPN for lower ping, just opt for a premium option.

4. Compatibility

Most free VPNs do not offer compatibility with routers, as can be seen above. The problem is that gaming consoles don’t have native support for VPN apps, so users configure VPNs on the router. The console is automatically protected when connected to the network.

Unfortunately, router compatibility is only offered by premium VPNs like ExpressVPN, and it is hard to find a VPN that works with routers and offers optimal performance.

All these limitations are exactly why we suggest avoiding a free VPN for PUBG and other games and opting for ExpressVPN for gaming as it comes with no bandwidth limitations, and instead offers thousands of servers, robust security features, and compatibility with all popular gaming consoles, and routers.

For more information on VPNs, check out our best free VPN.


What Are the Risks of a Free VPN for gaming?

There are various risks to using a free VPN. If you’re thinking about using a free VPN, then it’s a good idea to be aware of potential problems that could be associated with free offers, such as the following:

  • Some free VPNs keep logs and later sell them. Many third parties are prepared to spend a sizable sum of money to acquire your data because it is a valuable asset. Make sure to read the privacy policies of any free VPN for games you intend to use for gaming to ensure that no personal information is logged or exposed.
  • Many free VPNs offer insufficient security. Key security features like an automatic kill switch and dedicated IP/DNS leak protection are unavailable in free services. Since they are free that’s why lack the resources or money necessary to stay current with security measures.
  • Free VPNs can contain viruses and spyware. Before installing any free VPN gaming software on your computer, we advise running the downloaded app file through an anti-malware software scan. Your gaming account (as well as the entire device) may be at risk due to spyware that it may include.

Furthermore, a lot of free VPN for pc gaming is ad-supported, which is very frustrating when it interrupts while gaming. This is why free VPNs are not recommended for gamers.

That is why we recommend gamers use a premium VPN such as ExpressVPN instead of going for a free VPN to reduce ping. But if you are looking for less expensive options, you can grab the best premium VPN deal of your preference and enjoy the gaming without any hassles.


Free VPNs to Avoid

Not every VPN offers a reliable service for gaming. Some may claim to be the best free VPN for gaming, but often equip slow speeds, unreliable connections, or risky security. This is why we highly suggest only opting for the free gaming VPNs on our list.

A few VPNs that are not safe for gaming are as follows:

  • Betternet: According to a CSIRO analysis, Betternet’s app is loaded with viruses. Your privacy is at risk because their Android app downloads over 10 third-party tracking libraries. This gaming VPN lower pings, which can be detrimental when you’re in the midst of important stages of gaming.
  • Hola Free VPNNow, Hola doesn’t work like a traditional VPN, but instead uses a P2P network that threatens your security and privacy. Your IP address is shared with anyone on the P2P network run by Hola, and your data is not encrypted. Additionally, according to its privacy statement, Hola Free VPN gathers information including your name, email address, browser history, and IP address.
  • Hoxx VPN: This VPN is notorious for keeping records of information such as your IP address, log times, visited pages, language and type of browser, phone number, device location and model, and operating system. Additionally, if necessary, it might reveal your details to the authorities. Doesn’t that seem terrifying?
  • TouchVPNThis service merely functions as a proxy and lacks the security that a VPN offers. In order to create targeted advertisements, it is also known to collect your browsing history and share it with outside parties.
  • Other free VPNs to Avoid: CrossVPN, VPN One Click sFly Network Booster, Faceless.me, OKVPN, EasyVPN, Hoxx VPN, Archie VPN, Hat VPN, Private Pipe VPN, Tuxler VPN, GO VPN, Hexatech, FinchVPN, Fast Secure Payment.

Free Gaming VPN: FAQs

ProtonVPN is the best free gaming VPN that offers all gamers unlimited bandwidth. With decent speeds, gamers can use this free VPN to reduce ping while playing Call of Duty, Overwatch, Destiny 2, and PUBG easily. However, it equips 3 server locations only on its free plan.

This is why we recommend subscribing to ExpressVPN for gaming. This VPN offers unrestricted access to all your favorite games worldwide with fast speeds and low pings. Instead of an immediate long-term commitment, you can try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days.

ProtonVPN is a 100% free VPN for gaming. This VPN comes with unlimited data, reliable speeds, impressive security features, and 3 server locations that one can use for gaming as a free ping booster.

ProtonVPN is undoubtedly the best free VPN for PUBG. It comes with unlimited data, meaning you can play games like PUBG for as long as you like easily using this VPN. It also offers 3 server locations, all of them located in major countries of the world to stay encrypted while gaming.

Yes, but with certain time restrictions. However, it’s always better to opt for the best VPN for Valorant to enjoy unlimited data and bandwidth for data-heavy games.

Proton VPN is the only absolutely free VPN with unlimited data, but it only offers you three server locations, resulting in slow speeds.
Talking about Valorant, the game utilizes a minimum of 400 MB of data/hr, and since most free VPNs come with a data limit of up to 10 GB/mo, you’d only be able to enjoy gaming for 25 hours each month. This may not be enough if you’re a hardcore gamer.

It all depends on how much effort you’re ready to put into it. You can remove your PC/gaming console from the router connection or configure a bypass, depending on your connection. If your PC is the only client, then you can also disable the VPN whenever required. For more details, read this thread.

Yes, you can play Dota with a free VPN but you have to deal with poor speed and high pings or high latency. For anyone who wants to play Dota 2 without experiencing any glaring slowness, we recommend you use ExpressVPN as it’s currently the best VPN for Dota 2 means it is a good low latency VPN to use for gaming purposes. With more than 3000+ servers in 94+ countries, it boasts one of the biggest networks on the market.

Yes, a free VPN for gaming can lower your ping and improve the speed of your network connection. It can do that by sending your data packets through much more direct routes instead of traveling it via your regular connection. This way, the information will flow freely, and you’ll be able to enjoy low pings while gaming.

There are some free game VPN services available that you can use to play Roblox, such as ProtonVPN, Windscribe, and Hotspot Shield. However, free VPNs may have limitations in terms of speed, bandwidth, and server locations.

Therefore, it’s worth considering paid VPN services as they often offer more features and better performance. (We recommend ExpressVPN,) as it comes with a 7 days free trial that you can test for a top notch gaming experience.



Bottom Line

These are some of the best free VPNs for gaming with trustworthy privacy policies. As you can see, VPNs are a must for gamers to protect against DoS and DDoS attacks. However, you need a fast and compatible VPN with routers for it to work with your gaming consoles. Apart from these gaming VPNs.

The gaming VPNs mentioned above are all good options for gamers, but they come with many limitations, and most are not compatible with routers. However, for complete security, protection, anonymity, and an excellent gaming experience, we recommend the top-tier premium option such as ExpressVPN instead of using any random free VPN gaming software you found over the internet.

ExpressVPN offers 3000+ servers in 94 countries that can easily offer you the best-in-class gaming experience while protecting your online identity, privacy, and data with AES-256-bit encryption.

The best thing is that you can try out the VPN risk-free for a month through ExpressVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee.

https://www.vpnranks.com/free-vpn/gaming/

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