Attention gamers! Are you ready to take your gaming experience to the next level? Look no further, because we have the perfect solution for you. Introducing the best cheap VPNs that will not only enhance your gaming performance but also provide you with epic discounts. Imagine having a VPN connection that ensures smooth and lag-free gameplay, protects your online privacy, and allows you to access exclusive discounts on popular gaming platforms. That’s exactly what these affordable VPNs offer.
With a wide range of servers strategically located around the world, these VPNs reduce latency and improve ping times, giving you a competitive edge in multiplayer games. Additionally, they encrypt your internet traffic, shielding you from potential DDoS attacks and hackers.
But that’s not all! By connecting to a VPN, you can also bypass geo-restrictions and unlock exclusive discounts on games and DLCs. The popular digital distribution services like Steam and Epic Games apply location-specific pricing based on the purchasing power of each country. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 is on sale for USD 59.99 on Steam for players from the US. When I change my IP to Turkey, the price for the very same game becomes TRY 799 which is around USD 29.78 (the prices and exchange rates are correct at the time of writing). As you can see the difference is massive. It is time for you to say goodbye to overpaying and hello to epic savings!
In this article about the best cheap VPNs for gaming, you’ll find out the reasons for using VPN for gaming, how to choose the best VPN for your needs, a list of the best cheap VPNs and their significant features and how to set a VPN on your PC or mobile device for smooth online gaming experience.
Here are the best cheap VPNs for gaming if you don’t want to read the detailed reviews down below:
- Surfshark $1.99/month – Best value for money VPN for gamers
- NordVPN $3.99/month – Ultra-fast budget gaming VPN
- PrivadoVPN $2.50/month – Entry level gaming VPN with premium features.
- iProVPN $1.30/month – The cheapest VPN for gaming (cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are accepted)
Reasons to Use VPN for Gaming
Using a VPN for gaming comes with a multitude of benefits that can greatly enhance your gaming experience. Firstly, VPNs provide an extra layer of security by encrypting your internet connection. This means that your online activities and personal information are protected from prying eyes, ensuring a safe and private gaming experience. Keep in mind that most premium VPNs for gaming (even the cheap ones) come with in-built antivirus and ad blocker tools. Therefore, you get multi-layer protection once you choose one of the best cheap VPNs.
Secondly, VPNs allow you to bypass geo-restrictions imposed by game developers or gaming platforms. By connecting to a VPN server located in a different region, you can access games and content that may not be available in your country. This opens up a whole new world of gaming possibilities, giving you access to a wider range of games and experiences.
Furthermore, VPNs can improve your gaming performance by reducing latency and improving ping times. With strategically located servers around the world, VPNs can route your gaming traffic through the most optimal pathways, minimizing lag and ensuring smooth gameplay. This can be especially beneficial for multiplayer games where split-second reactions can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Speaking of connection speed, I should mention that VPNs help you avoid ISP throttling. Your internet service provider might limit your connection speed in your area during busy hours. You can solve this problem using one of the best cheap VPNs for gaming listed on this page. By using a VPN you not only hide your identity from the apps and websites that you use but also keep your ISP’s curious gaze away from your internet activities as you connect to the internet via secure VPN servers located in different parts of the world.
In addition to these benefits, VPNs can also protect you from DDoS attacks. DDoS attacks, or Distributed Denial of Service attacks, can disrupt your gaming experience by overwhelming your internet connection with an influx of malicious traffic. By encrypting your connection and routing your traffic through VPN servers, you can effectively shield yourself from these attacks and enjoy uninterrupted gaming sessions.
How to Choose an Affordable VPN for Your Gaming Needs
When choosing a VPN for gaming, there are several factors to consider to ensure that you get the best possible performance and experience. Firstly, you should look for a VPN provider that offers a wide range of server locations. The closer the server is to your physical location, the lower the latency and ping times will be. Additionally, having servers in various regions can allow you to bypass geo-restrictions and access games from different parts of the world. The budget VPNs for gaming also have plenty of servers in quite many locations. So, you don’t need to invest a fortune into a high-end VPN service where you can get good enough service from a budget one. For example, iTopVPN costs only $1.66/month. For this price you get to connect to more than 1800 VPN servers located in 79 countries. See here to read our detailed iTop VPN review.
Now that I started talking about prices, I should mention that it is quite important to find a VPN service that accepts payments via a payment method that you have. Especially, if you prefer cryptocurrencies and e-wallets, you might have a hard time finding the right inexpensive gaming VPN for you (see the VPNs that accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies here). But, we got you covered. In the reviews of the best VPN services published on VPNbudget, you’d find a detailed list of payment methods that you can use. That is a great convenience.
Another important factor to consider is the VPN’s speed and bandwidth capabilities. Gaming requires a fast and stable internet connection, so it’s crucial to choose a VPN that can provide the necessary speeds for lag-free gameplay. Look for VPN providers that offer unlimited bandwidth and have a reputation for reliable and consistent performance. This is actually the main reason why you should invest into a premium VPN service instead of a free one. Free VPNs come with bandwidth limits, speed issues, and a very limited list of server locations. If you are an avid gamer who wants to have constant secure connection while saving money, you should definitely go with a budget premium VPN for gaming.
Additionally, it’s important to choose a VPN that prioritizes security. Look for VPNs that use strong encryption protocols, such as OpenVPN or IKEv2, to ensure that your internet traffic is secure and protected. It’s also worth considering whether the VPN has additional security features, such as a kill switch or DNS leak protection, to further enhance your online safety. I’ll mention all these important features briefly while listing the best budget gaming VPNs down below.
Lastly, consider the VPN’s compatibility with gaming devices and platforms. Some VPNs offer dedicated apps for popular gaming consoles, such as Xbox or PlayStation, while others may require manual configuration. Thus, it makes sense to go with a VPN that is compatible with your preferred gaming device to ensure a seamless setup process. Here is a free life hack for you. Most of these budget VPNs can be installed on your router directly. So, all the gadgets that connect to the internet via your router will be connected to the VPN server that you select automatically. It doesn’t get easier than that, does it?
Best Cheap VPNs for Gaming
Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of using a VPN for gaming and the factors to consider when choosing one, let’s dive into the top cheap Virtual Private Networks that can elevate your gaming experience without breaking the bank. These VPNs offer a great balance between affordability and performance, making them ideal for gamers on a budget. So, all are suitable candidates to be your next favorite software. But, I’ve prepared brief summaries of each of my favorite gaming VPNs so that it’ll be much easier for you to choose among them. Let’s start!
Surfshark VPN Offers Great Value – Price Balance for Those Looking for Cost-Effective VPN Solution for Gaming
Surfshark offers premium VPN features for the price of a budget VPN. So, after testing many budget VPNs for gaming, I’ve decided to place this one on top of the list as it offers an all-in-one solution for the needs of most gamers. First of all, it has 3200+ servers in 65 countries. It is quite likely that you’ll find fast servers close to your current location. Fast server means low ping rates and smooth online gaming experience. Read our detailed Surfshark review to find out the full list of the server locations of Surfshark.
Surfshark VPN Great Value
Another great feature of Surfshark is that it offers unlimited bandwidth. So, you can game as much as you want without any restrictions. Moreover, Surfshark utilizes a military-grade AES-256-GCM encryption, so you won’t need to worry about dorm or ISP throttling. Nobody can track your online activities as long as you are connected to a secure Surfshark server. So, you can have uninterrupted online gaming experience without worrying about performance issues.
If these features are not enough for you, Surfhsark has more to offer. Since there are quite a lot of servers that you can connect to, you can always switch to a different server to change your IP. This way, if you get banned from an online game because of a mischievous behavior, then IP ban won’t be a problem for you. Take that Knight Online admin whose favorite activity was throwing away IP bans like candies on Halloween 15 years ago!
Besides getting away with your unintentional naughtiness, you can get great discounts at gaming libraries like Steam, Epic Games, GOG, Ubisoft etc. simply by connecting to a server which is located in a country where purchasing power is lower than yours. Besides all these cool advantages that you’ll gain, you can enjoy Surfshark’s in-built ad blocker and antivirus tool. You can also install a browser extension in case you’d like to use it on a browser rather than your whole device. So, long story short you can get all these cool features for only $1.99/month. Click here to see the other subscription plans and get the one you like right away! Sufshark accepts credit and debit cards issued by Mastercard, Visa, Amex, and Discover. You can purchase your premium Surfshark subscription with PayPal as well.
NordVPN Offers Low Latency and Smooth Gaming at All Times
Number 2 in my Best Cheap VPNs for Gaming list is NordVPN. It is the right budget gaming VPN for you in case speed is your top priority. It utilizes top-notch VPN protocols such as IKEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN, and NordLynx. First two protocols are employed by many VPN services. However, NordLynx is the proprietary product of NordVPN which is built on WireGuard. This is especially important for gamers as NordLynx does a pretty good job providing fast VPN connection on top of great security features of WireGuard.
NordVPN Top Quality
NordVPN has over 5400 servers in 60 countries. You can see the full list of NordVPN server locations and price plans in our detailed NordVPN review. But, I can assure you that you’ll be able to find a server close to you unless you are a researcher currently based in Antarctica. Even then you can connect to a server in Argentina and get decent speed, perhaps good enough to play most online games in case you have high-speed internet connection in your cabin.
Speaking of connection speed, if you connect to a NordVPN server which is close to you with the NordLynx protocol, you’ll see that it pings at 20 to 30 ms. This is the performance that you need for a seamless online gaming experience. You can play games like CS:GO, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, League of Legends, and GTA Online without experiencing serious lag when you get such low latency and speed. But, keep in mind that ping time might go up to 90 ms if you connect to a server which is quite far away from your location.
When you purchase a NordVPN subscription, you’ll get all features I listed above and military-grade encryption along with in-built ad blocker and antivirus. You can also use it on 6 devices simultaneously. It all costs you only $3.99/month. Click here to see the other subscription plans and purchase the one you like right away!
PrivadoVPN is a Great Gaming VPN Solution for Cheapskates
PrivadoVPN is an absolute gaming VPN on a budget. It comes with 338 high speed VPN servers located in 47 countries. It utilizes AES 256-bit encryption in order to provide utmost security so that nobody can see your internet activities and hack into your device. There is even a free version which comes with 10 GB monthly data. It is not enough in the long run but it is great to try it out.
PrivadoVPN Good Value
PrivadoVPN does most of the things that a premium VPN service does. You get unlimited bandwidth, can connect to an unlimited number of devices and even enjoy premium features like split tunneling and SOCKS5 proxy. But, it doesn’t come with features like ad blocking and antivirus. If you’d like to learn more about this budget gaming VPN, you can check out our super-detailed PrivadoVPN review.
Now that we know what you can and can’t do with PrivadoVPN, let’s check out why it is good for gaming. First of all, the speed that I got while being connected to a PrivadoVPN server impressed me dearly. Even with a free server I could get over 250 Mbps download speed while upload speed scaled around 26 Mbps. Naturally, the premium servers are even faster, meaning that you won’t face lags while gaming. Moreover, I didn’t face any serious connection issues while testing it. It was stable all along.
To sum up, despite the fact that PrivadoVPN doesn’t have doesn’t have as many servers and some cool features like the expensive premium VPNs, it does provide fast and stable connection in case you can find a server located close to you. And the best thing about PrivadoVPN is that you can get it for only $2.50/month. It literally costs less than a cup of coffee and does the job unless you are looking for a more comprehensive VPN solution. In that case, I’ve already listed 2 more advanced options right above. Click here to try PrivadoVPN right away!
iProVPN is the Cheapest Gaming VPN (Cryptocurrencies Accepted)
I kept the cheapest gaming VPN to the last. iProVPN is the cheapest VPN for gaming which offers decent performance with 250+ servers in 29 countries. It even comes with some premium features such as Kill Switch, Ad Blocker, and Malware Protection. Moreover, it utilizes military-grade AES-26-bit encryption.
iProVPN Best Price
It is perfect for securing internet connection, accessing GEO-restricted streaming libraries, and grabbing location-specific discounts. You get all these for only $1.3/month. Yes, it is that cheap. You can even try it for $0.99 for a week. Read our iProVPN review to learn more about the subscription plans and other prominent features of this VPN service.
I can hear you asking “The price is tempting but is it good enough for gaming?” During my tests, I felt satisfied with the performance in general. However, there were occasional stability issues. So, if you are a hardcore gamer, iProVPN may not be the right choice for you. However, for occasional gamers who wouldn’t mind experiencing lags from time to time, I can totally recommend it. Another shortcoming of iProVPN is the number of server locations. There is a high chance that you’ll find a secure iProVPN close to your location. Nevertheless, you should check our iProVPN review to see the full list of server locations before making your purchase.
Click here to try iProVPN for only $0.99 or buy a long-term subscription for $1.3/month. You can pay with debit and credit cards, PayPal and also cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin Cash.
Performance Optimization Tips for Gaming With a VPN
Now we know why we should use VPN for gaming and the best cheap VPNs that we can use while gaming online. But, if you’d like to enhance your gaming experience even further, there are a few tips and tricks you should definitely keep in mind to make sure your gaming sessions are as smooth as possible.
First things first, try to pick a VPN server that’s as close to your actual physical location as you can. This little trick can work wonders in reducing lag and ping times, giving you that ultra-smooth gameplay you crave.
Now, when it comes to your connection, consider going old-school with a wired connection instead of relying on Wi-Fi. Trust me, wired connections are like the rock-solid foundation of online gaming – they’re stable and have way less latency. But if you’re stuck with Wi-Fi, make sure your signal is strong and stable to avoid any nasty interruptions mid-game.
Here’s a sneaky tip: shut down any background apps or processes that might be munching on your bandwidth. By doing this, you’ll free up precious resources for your gaming adventures, ensuring everything runs like a dream. Also, think about tweaking your in-game settings a bit. Lowering those graphics settings or disabling any resource-hungry features can take the load off your system and give you a smoother ride overall.
And don’t forget to keep your VPN client and gaming device’s firmware up to date. This is important not only for performance but also for security. Outdated software can sometimes cause compatibility issues or leave you vulnerable to cyber threats, and we definitely don’t want that messing up your gaming experience!
How to Set up a VPN for Gaming on Different Devices
Setting up a VPN for gaming on various devices is a breeze, and it adds a layer of excitement to your online adventures. Most VPN providers have nifty apps for all the cool platforms, making the setup a snap. Here’s a fun and easy guide to get you started:
For Your Gaming PC:
- Start by grabbing your VPN provider’s client for PC. Install it, and voila! You’re ready to roll.
- Launch the app, and sign in with your credentials. Easy-peasy.
- Now, pick a server location that vibes with your gaming groove, and click “connect.”
- That’s it! You’re all set to dive into your favorite games, knowing you’re safe and sound in the virtual realm.
On Your Mobile Devices:
- Head over to your app store and snag your VPN provider’s app. Download and install – it’s like a virtual treasure hunt!
- Open the app, log in (because you’re the boss here), and choose a server that tickles your fancy.
- Tap the “connect” button, and bam! Your device is now locked and loaded with VPN protection.
- Time to unleash the gaming beast within! Fire up your gaming apps and conquer the digital world with peace of mind.
For Your Gaming Consoles:
- Buckle up, because this one might require a bit of manual action. First, you’ll need the secret VPN details from your provider: server address, username, and password.
- Then, follow your console’s network settings guide – it’s like going on a tech adventure!
- Plug in those VPN details, and once it’s all set up, you’re in for some secure and unrestricted gaming action.
- Now, who said setting up a VPN couldn’t be an exciting part of your gaming journey? Get ready to level up and conquer the virtual world like a pro!
Epic Discounts and Deals Available with VPNs for Gamers
One of the exciting perks of using a VPN for gaming is the ability to unlock exclusive discounts and deals on popular gaming platforms. By connecting to a VPN server located in a different region, you can take advantage of regional pricing differences and potentially save a significant amount of money on games and DLCs.
For example, certain games may be priced lower in certain regions due to currency exchange rates or regional market dynamics. By connecting to a VPN server in that region, you can access the lower pricing and enjoy substantial savings. This can be particularly beneficial for gamers who frequently purchase games or DLCs.
Additionally, VPNs can help you bypass region-locked content and access games that may not be available in your country. This opens up a whole new world of gaming possibilities, allowing you to enjoy a wider variety of games and experiences.
However, it’s important to note that while using a VPN to access discounted games is generally legal, it may violate the terms of service of certain gaming platforms. Therefore, it’s crucial to use VPNs responsibly and abide by the rules and regulations set by the game developers and platforms.
Enhancing Your Gaming Experience with a Cheap VPN
In conclusion, using a VPN for gaming isn’t just about security and performance – it’s like unlocking a treasure trove of benefits that can seriously spice up your gaming life. Here’s the lowdown on how you can up your game without burning a hole in your wallet:
First things first, when picking a VPN, go for one that’s easy on the pocket but still packs a punch with a bunch of servers all over the globe, lightning-fast speeds, and rock-solid security features. With the right VPN, you’ll be gaming like a pro in no time.
But hey, it’s not just about picking any VPN. Consider your gaming needs and think about factors like server locations, speed, security, and whether it plays nice with your gaming setup. For that extra edge, choose a server that’s practically in your backyard, plug in a trusty wired connection (if you can), and tinker with in-game settings to hit that sweet spot of performance.
Setting up a VPN for gaming? Piece of cake! Most VPN providers offer apps tailor-made for your gaming devices. Just follow their step-by-step guide, and you’ll have a secure and turbocharged connection for all your gaming escapades.
And here’s where it gets exciting – with a VPN, you can teleport yourself to different regions, unlocking exclusive discounts and deals. But remember, stay on the right side of the gaming platforms’ rules and game responsibly.
So don’t settle for a run-of-the-mill gaming experience. Join the league of elite gamers and level up your game with one of these awesome budget-friendly VPNs. It’s time to reign supreme in the gaming universe!
Best Cheap VPNs for Gaming FAQs
The cheap VPNs for gaming that are mentioned in this article provide quite decent connection speed. I’ve personally tested them and listed my reasons why you can rely on them. However, there are certain things you need to consider. First of all, you need to have a decent internet connection speed to begin with. Use an ethernet cable if you can. Also, try to connect to a VPN server close to your actual location in order to reduce latency.
Yes, you can access region-locked games with VPN. Your VPN client connects your device to the internet via a secure VPN server. This way the website/app that you use cannot know your actual location and identity. The system thinks that you are located in the country where the VPN server that you use is located.
Absolutely! A budget-friendly VPN can work magic, slicing through lag and latency like a hot knife through butter.
You bet! You can wield a cheap VPN’s power on mobile devices and desktops alike, leveling up your gaming no matter where you play.
Indeed, a cheap VPN can be your trusty guardian in the gaming realm, keeping your gaming secrets safe from digital dragons. All the VPNs listed in this article come with military-grade encryption and additional security features.
It’s not just PC gamers who get to have all the fun – gaming consoles can also party with a budget-friendly VPN. You can directly install a VPN on your console if it allows third-party software to be installed. However, you can also install a VPN on your router directly so that all the devices that are connected to the internet via your router get protected automatically.
Most online games allow VPN use. Some don’t even care. You can even get around IP ban using VPN. However, there are certain games that prohibit using VPN while gaming. The main reason is that they don’t want you to sneak into some rooms that you are not allowed in. If they catch you, then you might get into trouble. So, it is wise to check the terms and conditions of the game you’d like to play before switching your VPN on prior to gaming online.
