As with many online games, using a VPN for Valorant can be a huge advantage. It will allow you to connect to specific servers and navigate around any sort of geo-restrictions, all while protecting you from online threats like DDoS attacks and ISP throttling.
However, the sheer number of options available right now can spoil you for choice, making it difficult to find the best gaming VPN for your gaming needs. In comes PC Gamer—our experts have tested dozens of VPN services to see which ones actually work with Valorant.
I've compared performance, price, usability, and recent test results to ensure a VPN for every gamer and use case. Keep reading to learn about what makes NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark such great picks.
The 3 best Valorant VPNs at a glance
If you're in a rush, here's a short summary for my top three picks:
1. The best Valorant VPN overall: NordVPN
NordVPN lands itself atop yet another guide, as it also fits the bill when it comes to Valorant. You’ll get all the server locations you need, excellent speeds, and all-around security with built-in antivirus and ad-blocking.
It’s also second to none when it comes to knocking down geo-blocks on streaming sites—and you also get a 30-day money-back guarantee to try it out risk-free.View Deal
2. The best user experience: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the biggest names that’s ideal for just about every use case, including Valorant and gaming. It offers easy-to-use apps, rock-solid security, blazing speeds, and perhaps the highest number of server locations in the industry.
Although it’s not as cheap as its rivals, ExpressVPN makes up for that by offering 3 months of extra protection for free on its 12-month subscription. With a 30-day money-back guarantee in place, you can try it on for size without risking a penny.View Deal
3. The best budget option: Surfshark
Surfshark will have you covered from top to bottom without breaking the bank. In addition to a sub-$2.50 price tag and the fastest speeds in our testing, it also rocks unlimited connections for protection of all the devices in your household.
Everything else, from security and ease of use to unblocking performance, is top-shelf as well. Plus, you’ll have the added reassurance of a 30-day money-back guarantee in case it’s not for you.View Deal
The best Valorant VPNs in 2024
Let's take a deeper look at the best VPNs for Valorant, and see how each of them fared in my latest round of testing. To make sure I only recommend what's best for your gaming experience, and that you're never left wanting for privacy and security, either, I took into account several factors such as speed, security features, unblocking performance, ease of use, and of course, value for money.
NordVPN: The best Valorant VPN overall
✅ You want a full security suite: NordVPN encrypts your data twice and has its own antivirus and ad-blocking tools, as well as a password manager, dark web monitor, and cyber insurance.
✅ You have a need for speed: NordVPN is the quickest VPN I've tested, maxing out our line with speeds of over 950 Mbps.
✅ You want to host game servers: NordVPN's Meshnet feature allows you to host a local server and play with your friends no matter where they are.
❌ You want a simple interface: NordVPN's map-style interface is undoubtedly fun, but it can pose some problems, especially on mobile phones.
❌ You want a VPN for torrenting: only a few NordVPN servers are configured for P2P sharing, so you'll be better off with ExpressVPN if you want fast torrent speeds.
🔒NordVPN combines class-leading speeds, protection from DDoS attacks, Netflix unblocking, and budget-friendly prices to grab the #1 Valorant VPN spot. Try it out risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
With more than 6,000 servers in a whopping 110 countries, NordVPN is the best VPN for Valorant in my testing. It boasts an exhaustive list of security features and class-leading speeds and unblocking capabilities, so you're pretty much guaranteed a good and fast connection even if you’re in a location that’s far away from a Valorant server.
When it comes to performance, there's hardly a VPN that can nudge past Nord. I found it to be the fastest of all the VPNs, consistently clocking at over 950 Mbps, so you can rest assured that glitches, lags, or delays won't bother you in the slightest.
▶ Try NordVPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
In addition to rock-solid basics such as a reliable kill switch and a no-logs policy, there are a couple of extra security features you get with NordVPN. The first one that comes to mind is Double VPN, which routes your data through two servers instead of one, giving you double the protection from lurkers on your network.
Then there's also Nord's built-in antivirus, ad-blocking, password manager, data breach scanner, and even cyber insurance—basically everything you could want for all-around protection on the internet. And, of course, you'll be kept safe from DDoS attacks and ISP throttling when gaming, too.
A standout NordVPN offering is the Meshnet feature. Simply put, it allows you to host your own secure private server so that you can play Valorant with your friends (Meshnet allows up to 60 devices) no matter where they are, just like you would on a LAN.
What's more, NordVPN is also a great streaming VPN, meaning it will give you access to your favorite movies and TV shows from around the world. If you're in a region like the UAE where VoIP apps are banned, NordVPN will help you get past the restrictions and allow you to talk to your gaming buddies while you play Valorant as a team.
While NordVPN does offer apps on every single platform you can think of, they're admittedly not as intuitive and user-friendly as, say, ExpressVPN or Surfshark's, especially the mobile VPN apps. Still, with a full-fledged security suite, class-leading unblocking, and excellent gaming performance at a reasonable price, NordVPN remains my top choice. Even better, you can try it out risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee to see if it's for you.
ExpressVPN: The best Valorant VPN for beginners
✅ You're a beginner: with simple and navigable interfaces, class-leading support, and comprehensive help articles, ExpressVPN is a delight for newbies.
✅ You want the best global access: ExpressVPN has servers in 160 locations, so you'll be able to access game lobbies and discounts from around the world.
✅ You need best-in-class privacy: ExpressVPN is one of the most secure providers thanks to countless audits and a no-logs policy; you'll be safe everywhere you go.
❌ You're a bargain hunter: although ExpressVPN's premium prices match its quality, I'd recommend Surfshark or CyberGhost for those on a budget.
❌ You have lots of devices: ExpressVPN only supports eight simultaneous connections, one of the lowest in the industry.
🔒ExpressVPN, with a wide server network, excellent privacy features, easy-to-use apps, and 24/7 support, is as beginner-friendly as they come. Try it first-hand with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
ExpressVPN is a British Virgin Islands-based provider and an industry veteran that's been serving no-quibble privacy and top-notch performance whether that's for everyday browsing, streaming, or all-important gaming for more than a decade now. I've said it's the best VPN for beginners, and for good reason.
First, it comes with user-friendly and stable apps on all possible device types, including Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Furthermore, if you have any trouble navigating the app or its features, 24/7 expert assistance will sort that out for you in no time at all—and you'll also have access to an in-depth knowledge hub with tons of helpful guides.
▶ Try ExpressVPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
With peak speeds of 750Mbps in my latest tests, ExpressVPN is no slouch, either. Sure, NordVPN and Surfshark have faster peak speeds, but Express is quick enough to offer a no-lag gaming experience. Moreover, with super stable connections, an intuitive kill switch that works as advertised, solid AES-256 encryption, split tunneling, and a verified no-logging policy, ExpressVPN is tailor-made for the privacy-conscious.
The good news keeps coming when you look at ExpressVPN’s server network. While its 3,200 servers aren't as massive a number as some of the others on this list, they're smartly spread out in a class-leading 160 locations around the world. This will allow you to easily bypass Valorant's geo-blocking (Riot Games is pretty strict and doesn't give users a free hand over changing their location in settings) and access easier lobbies in places where Valorant isn't all the rage.
For when you're exhausted with hitting headshots (or losing countless matches in a row if you're a noob), ExpressVPN will look after your entertainment needs thanks to serious unblocking powers that are almost on par with Nord's. It's able to unblock a slew of Netflix libraries, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, and loads more.
ExpressVPN is admittedly more expensive than other providers, and it also offers one of the lowest numbers of simultaneous connections for any VPN on this list, but it's a tried-and-tested option, and most notably, the simplest VPN you can get if you're new to VPNs. Unsure? You can take it for a test ride without risking a single penny thanks to a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Surfshark: The best cheap Valorant VPN
✅ You're on a strict budget: Surfshark offers the best combination of high-end features and low prices.
✅ You want unlimited connections: protect all the devices of your friends and family on a single Surfshark subscription.
✅ You want a fast gaming VPN: Surfshark is a perfect choice for speed enthusiasts thanks to peak speeds of over 950 Mbps.
❌ You want lots of customization options: Surfshark is a delight for beginners, but it might be too simple for those who want to play around with the settings.
❌ You need a reliable kill switch: Surfshark’s kill switch could potentially leak under extreme pressure, which is not the case with NordVPN or ExpressVPN.
🔒Surfshark offers exceptional speeds, great unblocking, rock-solid security, and an overall value for money that can't be beat. You can use its 30-day money-back guarantee to try it first-hand without risking a single penny.
I found this Netherlands-based provider to be an extremely capable VPN for Valorant thanks to easy-to-use apps across the board, lightning-fast speeds, thousands of servers in a massive 100 countries, and excellent unblocking capabilities.
Its party piece, though, is its value for money. Surfshark is over twice as cheap as ExpressVPN, however that doesn’t mean that it’s in any way limited. In fact, it’s tied with NordVPN as the fastest VPN on the market right now because it, too, knocked it out of the park in my recent tests, churning out speeds of 950 Mbps on a 1 Gbps line.
▶ Try Surfshark with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Next, while most VPNs offer a maximum of 8-10 simultaneous connections, Surfshark allows you to protect an unlimited number of devices on a single subscription. This means you can share your VPN's protection with your entire Valorant group, and even with your family members.
Perhaps Surfshark cuts back on streaming performance then? No, sir, it does not. It sweeps the floor with both big and small-name streaming sites, unblocking tons of Netflix libraries and more. It’s also incredibly secure, offering advanced WireGuard encryption to keep you safe from malicious activities hindering your gaming sessions.
Furthermore, you also get ad-blocking and antivirus protection, just like with NordVPN. However, it’s worth noting that Surfshark’s kill switch failed when I put it through rigorous testing—although it didn’t compromise my privacy, plus a kill switch failure like this is very unlikely to happen in the real world.
Surfshark's unique NoBorders mode is also geared towards enhancing your overall experience. Once the Surfshark app detects restrictions on your current network, it automatically turns on the NoBorders mode, which then gives you a list of all best-performing servers that can bypass those restrictions.
All in all, though, Surfshark is a fully-featured yet wallet-friendly gaming VPN that gives premium providers a serious run for their money. It’s also the best VPN for Linux on this list, as it's one of the few providers to offer a dedicated Linux GUI. Be sure to make the most of its 30-day money-back guarantee to see if it's the right first for you.
Other VPNs I’ve tested and recommend
✅ You want access to a wide server network: CyberGhost VPN offers 10,000+ servers in 100 countries, with dedicated gaming and streaming servers to choose from.
✅ You're on a budget: available at a little over $2/month, CyberGhost is neck-and-neck with Surfshark as the best cheap provider for Valorant.
✅ You want a long refund period: CyberGhost comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee, 15 more days than the industry standard of 30 days.
❌ You need access to every streaming site: CyberGhost couldn't unblock UK Netflix, Disney Plus, and 10 play in our latest tests.
❌ You want to use lots of devices: CyberGhost allows just 7 installations, meaning logging out from one device to use it on another won't be enough; you'll have to uninstall it from the first device.
🔒 CyberGhost VPN is a fast and stable VPN with a larger server network than most, gaming- and streaming-optimized servers, plus a price tag as low as Surfshark. Even better, you get a 45-day money-back guarantee to try it out.
If you're looking for a cheap gaming VPN other than Surfshark—perhaps one with just a stupendous amount of servers and unique features—then CyberGhost is worth a serious look. A real advantage of using this Romania-based provider is that it comes with gaming-optimized servers to reduce ping and load time, meaning you'll have an uninterrupted experience when playing online games, including Valorant.
When it comes to spoofing your location, CyberGhost's nearly 10,000 servers in 100 countries will spoil you for choice, as well as allow you to grab the best region-locked deals on your favorite games and in-game purchases. Moreover, the provider displays the ping, distance, and user load next to the server locations so that you can pick the best server for Valorant depending on your location.
▶ Try CyberGhost VPN with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
CyberGhost also comes with dedicated servers for other use cases, such as torrenting and streaming. Given that nearly all of its servers have been optimized for P2P traffic, CyberGhost is an excellent choice as a torrenting VPN. As for streaming, CyberGhost is a mixed bag. While it can effortlessly unblock US Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer, it failed to unblock Disney Plus and UK Netflix in my recent testing.
One of its many highlights is the Smart Rules panel, which allows you to automatically connect to your preferred server every time you launch its apps. Next, you can use its NoSpy servers, which are in-house servers in CyberGhost's Romanian office featuring top-of-the-line hardware, for unrivaled privacy, security, and performance.
In case you're wondering why it's not further up on my list, that's because of its underwhelming streaming performance and a mere 7 simultaneous connections. If you're looking for a VPN to cover all of the devices in your household, you'll be better off with Surfshark. Another itching point for me, although trivial, is that the Windows app doesn't send any notifications when it connects or disconnects.
Coming back to the positives, while CyberGhost doesn't tumble any speed records, it's still faster than Proton VPN, clocking over 760Mbps in my last testing. Last but not least, CyberGhost's $2-ish per month pricing is a showstopper, no doubt, but an industry-leading 45-day money-back guarantee is an equally fantastic offering and quite simply the best I've ever seen a VPN offer. This will give you ample time to decide if this is the right VPN for your needs.
✅ You need a Linux VPN: Proton VPN is one of the few VPNs to have a graphical user interface (GUI) for Linux devices.
✅ You want a VPN to set and forget: Proton VPN’s always-on feature allows you to connect once and stay protected always.
✅ Privacy is king: Proton VPN is backed by Swiss privacy laws and offers open-source and audited apps, as well as Secure Core servers for extra protection.
❌ You need a budget VPN: Proton VPN offers one of the most comprehensive VPN packages, but it's pricier than the competition.
❌ You want to stream for free: Proton VPN Free doesn't come with any unblocking capabilities and only a handful of servers.
🔒 Proton VPN is a delight for privacy purists who want a lightning-fast Valorant VPN that can unblock international content with ease. Although it's more expensive than the rest, you can take a risk-free test ride thanks to a 30-day money-back guarantee.
I found this Swiss provider to be one of the most secure VPNs around right now, making it a solid choice for Valorant players who are on the hunt for class-leading privacy and security.
Firstly, it's based out of Switzerland, meaning users benefit from some of the strongest privacy laws in the world. Secondly, it’s one of the few providers to open-source all its apps (which are all audited, by the way), allowing anyone to inspect the code, which further cranks up its reliability.
▶ Try Proton VPN's unlimited free plan.
That's not all, though. In addition to ad-blocking, split tunneling, MultiHop, and DNS and IPv6 leak protection, Proton VPN really shines through for user security with its Secure Core technology. This routes your internet traffic through an ultra-secure server in privacy-friendly countries like Sweden, Switzerland, or Iceland before finally connecting you to your destination, adding an extra layer of protection.
Even better, Proton VPN ties great security with an equally applause-worthy performance. A decent number of servers and server locations (admittedly not as many as the competition above) will secure you a fast and reliable connection for Valorant, no matter where you are.
Speaking of speeds, I'm happy to report that Proton VPN has more than doubled its WireGuard speeds and now competes with the big dogs with peak speeds of over 950 Mbps. Furthermore, it comes with a unique VPN accelerator that ensures the VPN is pushing for the best possible speeds at all times.
Proton VPN is also the best free VPN for Valorant, as it doesn't put any caps on your monthly data usage or connection speeds, unlike other free options. However, it's worth noting that Proton's free tier no longer lets you choose where you connect to, and it doesn't come with any unblocking capabilities, either. None of that stops it from keeping you reliably safe and private on the internet, though,
To be able to hop from one location to another, switch over to a paid Proton VPN plan, where you can also unblock almost every streaming site you want, including Netflix UK, US, and Canada, as well as Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer.
Overall, although Proton VPN costs a pretty penny, it offers a jam-packed security suite and performance that now snaps at the heels of the likes of NordVPN and Surfshark. Try one of its paid plans out with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
How to pick a Valorant VPN
When it comes to the best Valorant VPN, there are a few things to keep in mind. Foremost, you want a VPN that has servers across multiple regions around the world—most of the popular VPNs do, but you may want to check first if you plan to use any region in particular.
Connection speeds are important as well, with the top ones on our list all offering speeds that will work well for gaming on any platform, especially our current fastest VPNs, Surfshark and NordVPN.
Good security will keep you protected from your ISP throttling your bandwidth as well as sore losers that may fire up a DDoS attack. Generally speaking, you must always choose a VPN with excellent encryption, a strict no-logs policy, a reliable kill switch, and leak protection.
Your budget is going to play a crucial role when choosing a gaming VPN. The key is to match your budget with the features you want. Now, the best news is that most top VPN services are very reasonably priced.
Additionally, the number of devices you want to protect, ease of use, and customer support are all important factors to consider when you're out shopping for the best Valorant VPN for your needs.
How we test Valorant VPNs
Our experts conduct a detailed analysis of hundreds of VPNs regularly, combing through their websites to find out any changes in policies, the introduction of new features, or if/when the sites use any tracking cookies.
Then we install their apps on popular device types, including Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and stress-test the apps and their features to see if everything works as advertised. This is also where we form an opinion on how easy the apps are to use.
For speed testing, which is super important to find out which providers are suitable for gaming, we use at least three speed test websites, two sessions, and multiple settings back to back. All tests put together, we test a VPN provider's speed at least 120 times to make sure that our results are as accurate as they can be.
Next, we test if the VPN is capable of unblocking various streaming websites. For this, we connect to different servers and try accessing big-name platforms such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer.
Valorant VPN FAQs
Is using a VPN to play Valorant legal?
Using a VPN to enhance your gaming experience is completely legal in most countries. This includes spoofing your location to land closer to the main game servers and lowering your actual ping, staying protected from DDoS attacks and ISP throttling, and accessing easy bot lobbies. Moreover, this is true for all online games, not just Valorant. The only exception is in countries where VPNs are banned outright.
Will I get banned for using a VPN to play Valorant?
Although using a VPN for Valorant isn’t illegal, Riot Games (Valorant’s owner) doesn’t allow the use of VPNs for changing your location. Still, it’s highly unlikely that they will ban you for using a VPN to reduce ping or improve your gaming experience. However, if you’re caught using a VPN trying to gain an unfair advantage in the game or harassing other players, that is when the ban-hammer can fall on you.
Can I use a free VPN to play Valorant?
We don’t recommend using a free VPN for Valorant, or gaming in general. That’s because free providers almost always come with limited bandwidth, which you’re likely to exhaust with just a short stint of gaming.
Next, even if a provider does offer unlimited data, it won’t give you access to a large number of servers and regions, nor will it come with any unblocking capabilities—meaning you won’t be able to access international game lobbies, libraries, or discounts.
Another reason we recommend opting for one of the best cheap VPNs over a free one if you’re pinching for pennies is that free VPNs are often privacy nightmares. They may log your data and sell it to third parties for profit, or they can be Trojan horses for malicious software.
Which is the best VPN for gaming?
NordVPN is currently the best gaming VPN in our testing. It’s an industry leader with budget-friendly prices. It also comes with the fastest speeds in the industry and an all-in-one security suite that includes built-in malware protection and ad-blocking.
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