Steam is a game store in which you can buy and find many titles. On the site, there are many different genres and developers. Steam is a platform where you can buy many online and offline games. Some games are played on Steam servers, while others are hosted other parties. A VPN can reduce lag, improve ping, protect against DDoS attacks, and help you get around firewalls at school or work. Please join me as I share the best VPNs for Steam.
| Rank | VPN Provider | Price | Sign Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | $6.67 |  |
| 2 |  | $3.49 |  |
| 3 |  | $6.49 |  |
If you want to save on Steam games, then a VPN could help you. You can save up to 58%. Here is a quick look at the difference in prices on the PUBG in different regions:
- United Kingdom – £26.99 which is $33.26 USD
- United States – $29.99
- Australia – A$ 42.95 which is $29.28 USD
- Canada – $36.99 which is $27.94 USD
- Brazil – 55.99 Real which is $13.86 USD
Steam Gaming Info
Steam is an online platform where people can buy and sell games. Many game companies are hosted on the site. There are big companies like Bethesda and smaller indie groups like Toby Fox. There is a huge selection of games. You can play online games like CS;GO, ESO, Rocket League, or Smite. You can also find indie titles like Shovel Knight, Cuphead, and Undertale. On top of this, there is always deals going on so you can always pick up games for cheaper then they would normally be. Steam has a many games that I’m sure you and your friends will enjoy playing.
Game Server Locations
The Valve Cooperation has not released the specific servers in which they host steam on. This being said, Valve has said they have servers all around the world are located. We recommend connecting to a VPN server in Washington DC or Los Angeles to play in the United States. Frankfurt, Sao Paulo, Thailand, and Sydney are also good options for international gamers.
Steam Quickstart
Here is a quick guide to get you started playing on Steam with a VPN.
- Sign up for ExpressVPN (includes a 30-day money back guarantee)
- Download the ExpressVPN app and connect to a server in the region you wish to play in.
- Launch the game and enjoy!
Here are the best VPNs to use with Steam.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is our favorite VPN for gaming. There are a number of reasons including the ability to quickly change you’re IP address to be located in any of 160 cities across 94 countries. This is especially useful for purchasing games in other regions and unblocking restrictions. If you plan to play games at school or work then we highly recommend connecting to ExpressVPN to unblock any firewall restrictions. You can download the ExpressVPN app for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Members can install the app on as many devices as you want. You can connect on up to 3 devices at a time. You will also have access to ExpressVPN MediaStreamer service which will let you switch DNS on a wide range of devices including game consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Switch), streaming media boxes, and smart TVs, and more.
We’re excited to share an exclusive discount on ExpressVPN for our readers. You can save up to 49% off a year of VPN and receive an extra 3 months of free VPN. This will grant you unlimited access to both their VPN network and MediaStreamer service. Save on your favorite games, reduce lag, protect against DDoS attacks, and unblock restrictions at school or work. ExpressVPN offers a 30 day money back guarantee so you will have a month to test their VPN and experience all the benefits of the service.
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is another excellent choice for gamers. While NordVPN did not perform as well as ExpressVPN in out tests, they still offer fast gaming at an affordable price. You will find that NodVPN has servers in over 70 cities across 59 countries. They have all the major gaming regions covered. Members can download the NordVPN apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android. The difference being that NordVPN doesn’t have a stand alone Smart DNS service like ExpressVPN MediaStreamer. That makes NordVPN harder to use on game consoles and other devices that do not natively support VPN. Those with some technical background can run NordVPN through your router to encrypt all the traffic on your network and get around any geo-restrictions. It helps to have DD-WRT or Tomato firmware on your router.
NordVPN is a very privacy-centric VPN service. They have additional settings that will help you use the VPN service in more restricted countries like China. You can also connect through multiple server locations for better privacy. However, you can expect much slower speeds when connecting through multiple servers. For gaming we would suggest connecting to a server in the best region to purchase the game. Then you should connect to the closest server to the region you want to play in. This will help fix lag issues, improve ping times, and unblock restrictions. NordVPN comes with a 30 day money back guarantee.
3. IPVanish
IPVanish is our final choice for gaming with a VPN. You will find that the VPN service has a strong reputation for privacy. The IPVanish support team is always accessible to answer any questions you may have along the way. This is quite helpful when you’re first getting started. Members can download the IPVanish VPN app for Windows and Mac. They also have a nice mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Since game consoles don’t natively support VPN you would need to run the service through your router This can be complicated for those without some technical background. IPVanish VPN is better suited for PC and Mac gamers.
Unlike the other VPNs in our list, IPVanish is headquartered in the United States. Some have reservations using a VPN service based in the US for privacy reasons, but we have found IPVanish to be one of the fastest VPNs in North America. This makes them a great choice for gaming in the United States and Canada. The IPVanish team manages their own servers in key locations. This gives them an advantage over most VPNs when it comes to performance. We recommend connecting to their VPN servers in Ashburn, VA and Los Angeles for gaming. IPVanish offers all new members a 7 day money back guarantee.
Why is Steam Blocked at School or Work?
Most gamers have experienced the frustration of network restrictions. Whether it’s a firewall at school or work, you will find that popular game servers and social media sites are often blocked. A VPN will hide your traffic so that the network can not detect that you are playing a game or visiting your favorite sites like YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, etc. The VPN will encrypt your data which will stop it from being blocked by your network administrator.
Why is the Game Restricted by Region?
You will find that many games (and streaming sites like Netflix) have set restrictions based on the region of the world you are in. For example, Rainbow Six has servers in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Players are restricted to playing in their own region. What if you want to play with friends in another country? The solution is to use a VPN. Simply connect to a VPN server in the region you wish to play in. Preferably as close to the game server as possible for the best performance. You can also use a VPN to buy and play games that are not otherwise available in your region.
Not All VPNs Support Fast Online Gaming
It doesn’t help to have a VPN that won’t place you in the proper geographic region or isn’t fast enough for gaming. There are literally hundreds of VPN services that won’t cut it for online gaming. There are very few that support the speeds necessary to fix lag issues and provide the proper IP location. The key is using a leading VPN and making a connection close to the game server you wish to play on. The difference in routing can boost your speed. We recommend using ExpressVPN for the best performance.
