Updated on: October 7, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for Minecraft in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN : Maintains really fast speeds, ensuring low latency and ping for smooth Minecraft games. It also comes with advanced security features, DDoS protection, and support for cloud gaming, and it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
It’s frustrating when I get slow speeds playing Minecraft on public Wi-Fi networks, like in cafes, airports, and hotels. This happens because many of these types of networks throttle your connection to ensure everyone using the network gets a fair share of data usage.
Fortunately, using a VPN can help with this. VPNs hide what you’re doing online, so your ISP (internet service provider) doesn’t slow down your connection based on your online activities. But not all VPNs are up to the task — many of them are slow, which increases your ping and ruins your gaming experience.
I shortlisted the best VPNs for Minecraft. But if you want my top pick, I recommend ExpressVPN thanks to its blazing-fast gaming speeds, high-end security features, and intuitive apps. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
PLAY MINECRAFT WITH EXPRESSVPN
Quick Summary of the Best VPNs for Minecraft
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Minecraft in 2024
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Minecraft — it offers the fastest speeds on the market, strong security features to secure your data during your online Minecraft games, and user-friendly apps. This is also why it’s ranked #1 on our best VPNs for gaming in 2024.
ExpressVPN’s proprietary protocol Lightway allows for lag-free Minecraft games — it’s the fastest protocol I’ve tested. During my tests, my ping was always low, even when I connected to very distant servers.
ExpressVPN also protects your online privacy and security while gaming. You get advanced features, including anti-DDoS protection on all servers, which prevents hackers from carrying out Distributed Denial of Service attacks — so other users won’t be able to interrupt your Minecraft games. It also comes with built-in protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks, guaranteeing your online gaming activities and IP address remain private.
ExpressVPN also is one of the only VPNs that have a native router app, which is particularly useful if you play Minecraft on a device that doesn’t support VPNs, like Xbox. The installation process is pretty straightforward — it took me only 7–8 minutes to install the app on my router. It also has apps for all major OS, including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
What’s more, ExpressVPN supports cloud gaming services and works with Amazon Luna and Xbox Cloud Gaming on Xbox Game Pass.
I really like how ExpressVPN apps are very easy to use — there’s a quick-connect option that automatically connects you to the fastest server, but you can easily find and manually connect to one of ExpressVPN’s servers in 105 countries.
ExpressVPN also has split-tunneling, which lets you decide which apps use the VPN and which apps use your local network. This way, I was able to use the VPN to play Minecraft without having to turn it off every time I wanted to access a site that blocks VPNs, such as my bank’s website.
ExpressVPN offers monthly and yearly plans starting at $4.99 / month — I know it’s a bit pricey, but it’s totally worth it, as it provides excellent value. On top of that, it backs each purchase with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is the best overall VPN for Minecraft. It offers lightning-fast speeds, advanced privacy and security features, including anti-DDoS protection, and user-friendly apps. It’s also one of the few VPNs available that supports cloud gaming and has a router app.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Great for Playing Minecraft on Android & iOS
Private Internet Access (PIA) offers customizable apps for mobile devices, making it a great pick for playing Minecraft on the go — you get multiple encryption options (128-bit AES and 256-bit AES) to customize speeds and security for the best Minecraft experience. In addition, I really like the great automation rules, such as auto-connecting on unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
The apps are also user-friendly and provide helpful explanations for all settings. I like that I can rearrange its features to access the ones I use most quickly, and PIA displays the latency for each server, making it easy to find the fastest one. Plus, it allows unlimited connections, so you can use it to play Minecraft on as many devices as you want.
PIA has very impressive speeds. In my tests, PIA maintained a stable connection while playing in multiplayer mode, so you don’t have to worry about unexpected attacks from creepers due to lag.
Like ExpressVPN, PIA comes with an excellent split tunneling tool, but I like PIA’s better as it lets you split-tunnel both apps and sites. But unlike ExpressVPN, it doesn’t offer cloud gaming support — I was able to play games on platforms like Amazon Luna and GeForce Now, but there’s no guarantee it’ll work for you.
This VPN also comes with very strong security and privacy. You don’t have to worry about your IP address or location leaking while you’re playing Minecraft, as it has full leak protection that keeps them anonymous. It also has anti-DDoS protection on all of its servers.
Private Internet Access offers low-cost plans at just $2.03 / month. Plus, all of its plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is an excellent choice for playing Minecraft on mobile devices thanks to its user-friendly apps, fast speeds, and stable ping. It also comes with advanced security features, and all of its plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
Editors' Note: Private Internet Access and this site are in the same ownership group.
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Offers Optimized Gaming Servers for Playing Minecraft
CyberGhost VPN has dedicated gaming servers that maintain low ping, which is ideal for playing Minecraft. It has 90+ gaming servers in 4 countries (the US, the UK, Germany, and France ), and in my tests, I had faster load times and better ping than with its regular servers. Still, its regular servers were pretty fast, too — I didn’t experience any significant lag.
CyberGhost maintained high speeds when playing in multiplayer mode. During my tests, it had a minimal impact on my connection, resulting in smooth gameplay with no lag. That being said, ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access were both faster.
CyberGhost VPN also offers apps for all major platforms. While it doesn’t have a router app like ExpressVPN, you can easily set it up on your router by following the provided tutorials. I also like that the gaming servers have their own category, making them easy to find and connect to.
You also get strong security and privacy, including DNS leak protection and anti-DDoS protection. I also really like the Identity Guard feature, which alerts you if your email addresses and passwords have been leaked on the dark web — this way, if you use the same email address for your Minecraft account and other accounts, you’ll know if it was exposed.
CyberGhost VPN offers plans starting at $2.03 / month. Plus, all long-term plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee, so you have plenty of time to test the VPN.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN offers dedicated gaming servers for stable ping and fast speeds. It has advanced security features, like DNS leak protection to protect your Minecraft traffic, and Identity Guard to help you monitor your email and passwords for your gaming accounts. Its long-term plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
Editors' Note: CyberGhost and this site are in the same ownership group.
4. NordVPN — Speedy + Secure VPN for Minecraft
NordVPN offers advanced security features for secure Minecraft gaming sessions, including full leak protection and a Dark Web Monitor feature that notifies you immediately if your Minecraft login credentials turn up on a shady gaming site.
NordVPN also protects against DDoS attacks by regularly changing your IP address. However, unlike ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access, it lacks anti-DDoS protection on its servers, leaving your VPN connection vulnerable to DDoS attacks from an upset gamer. In that case, your real IP address is protected, but you’ll need to reconnect to another VPN server.
I was really impressed with NordVPN’s Meshnet, a feature that lets you connect up to 60 devices to a private VPN network to secure them. This is perfect for hosting virtual LAN parties when playing Minecraft with your friends.
NordVPN is pretty fast as well. In my tests, I could download a 15GB game update in just 7 minutes. And whether I was connected to a nearby or a distant server, I had low ping while playing Minecraft.
NordVPN also has very user-friendly apps for all major platforms. The app includes a quick-connect feature, a digital map for easy server connection, and an auto-connect option that stops you from accidentally going online without protection.
NordVPN has monthly and yearly subscription plans, starting at $2.99 / month. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN is a top choice for Minecraft gamers due to its high-end security and fast speeds. It also offers advanced security features to keep gamers safe, such as full leak protection, a unique Meshnet feature, and user-friendly apps. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — Budget-Friendly VPN for Minecraft
Surfshark has some of the most affordable plans on the market, so it’s a pretty good choice if you’re on a tight budget but need a great gaming VPN.
It also offers user-friendly apps for all major platforms, making it easy to find and connect to a VPN server — plus, it allows unlimited connections. My family and I connected all of our devices to a Surfshark server, and we had fast and stable connections.
The speeds are pretty decent, but they’re still slower than ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access. During my tests, I was able to play Minecraft without any interruptions but experienced high ping when connected to more distant servers.
Surfshark comes with excellent security features, including an IP rotator that regularly changes your IP address, making it very difficult for others to track your location or target you with a DDoS attack. It also has anti-DDoS protection on all servers and DNS leak protection.
Surfshark has cheap plans for as low as $1.99 / month. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is a very budget-friendly VPN. It offers decent speeds on nearby servers, advanced security features for safe Minecraft gaming sessions, and user-friendly apps for all major OS. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.
Read the full Surfshark review
Quick Comparison Table
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
How to Choose the Best VPN for Minecraft in 2024
- Choose a VPN with strong security. I only recommend VPNs with industry-standard security features, such as military-grade 256-bit AES encryption, strong leak protection, a no-logs policy that guarantees the VPN doesn’t log any online activities, and a kill switch that disconnects you from the internet when your connection to the VPN server drops.
- Select a VPN with a large server network. A vast server network allows you to connect to Minecraft servers worldwide without restrictions. The VPNs on my list have servers in at least 80+ countries. Surfshark, for example, has servers in 100 countries.
- Opt for a VPN that provides fast speeds. Speed is important for a seamless Minecraft experience. During my tests, ExpressVPN was the fastest, which meant lag-free gameplay.
- Look for a VPN with anti-DDoS protection. VPNs defend against DDoS attacks by changing your IP address, which prevents hackers from targeting your network with overwhelming traffic. Most of the VPNs on my list also have built-in DDoS protection on their servers, so you are safe even if the VPN server is attacked.
- Pick a VPN that offers device compatibility. You’ll want a VPN that works across all your devices, whether you’re playing Minecraft on a PC, console, or mobile. I focused on VPNs that provide seamless compatibility across various platforms.
- Find a VPN that gives value for money. A good VPN should offer quality service without breaking the bank. All the VPNs I recommend provide excellent value, including really fast speeds and great security features at a reasonable price.
- Choose a VPN with a money-back guarantee. A money-back guarantee gives you the confidence to try a VPN without risk. Every VPN on my list offers at least a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- PrivateVPN. PrivateVPN has pretty good speeds for playing Minecraft and offers decent security, including DNS and IPv6 leak protection and anti-DDoS protection. However, it’s very minimal and lacks key features like split-tunneling.
- ProtonVPN. Proton VPN is a very secure and private VPN that has anti-DDoS protection and full leak protection, as well as fast speeds across all of its servers. That said, it’s slower than the VPNs I recommend.
- TunnelBear. TunnelBear is a user-friendly VPN with decent speeds, making it a decent choice for beginners. However, it only has servers in 47 countries, which is fewer than all the VPNs on my list, and I did experience more lag when connected to its servers compared to the VPNs I recommend.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get around Minecraft IP server bans?
It depends on the type of ban. In Minecraft, the person in charge of the server can ban you as a player or ban your IP address. If they ban you as a player, then you can get around the ban by accessing the server with a different account. If you’re dealing with an IP ban, then you’ll have to change your IP address — in theory, you can do that with a VPN, which masks your real IP address with a virtual one. However, keep in mind that this is against Minecraft’s terms and conditions.
Can I get banned for using a VPN with Minecraft?
Yes, but it’s rare. Most players get banned for bad behavior like bullying other players or not respecting server rules. Still, some public servers have strict VPN detection measures. For example, popular servers such as Hypixel, Cubecraft, and Mineplex are pretty good at blocking VPNs.
That’s why I recommend the very best VPNs on the market — a VPN like ExpressVPN regularly updates its servers and IP addresses and makes it very difficult for anyone to detect VPN traffic.
How can I play Minecraft on a school or work computer?
Playing Minecraft on a school or work computer should be fine as long as network policies allow it. In theory, if the administrator is blocking the game, you can bypass the firewall by using a reliable VPN.
Can I use a free VPN with Minecraft?
Yes, but I don’t recommend it. A lot of Minecraft servers actively block VPNs, and there’s a pretty good chance that they can easily detect a free VPN’s server IP address, which aren’t rotated as much as on premium servers.
If you manage to get past the blocks, even the best free VPNs have a lot of disadvantages — most have small server networks, so you won’t be able to find a nearby server for fast speeds. In addition, a lot of them are very slow and many lack industry-standard VPN security features. That’s why I recommend getting an affordable VPN that’s fast and secure for the best possible Minecraft gaming experience.
