Updated on: August 26, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for Valorant in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN : Has the fastest speeds in the industry for low ping and no packet loss, a large server network so you can play from anywhere in the world, and a dedicated router app, which allows you to play Valorant on your Xbox or Playstation 5 console. It backs all of its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
I extensively tested the top VPNs to find the best ones for Valorant. The VPNs I recommend all have super-fast speeds, intuitive apps for PCs, and support popular router models, so you can play Valorant on Xbox and Playstation 5. Plus, they protect you from DDoS attacks, help you change your Valorant region, and let you play in restrictive countries.
My favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which is also our #1 VPN in 2024. It’s hand-down the fastest VPN out there, comes with advanced security features, has a native router app, and offers servers in 105 countries. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for Valorant:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for Valorant in 2024 with the fastest speeds & a dedicated router app.
- 2. 🥈Private Internet Access — Highly customizable VPN with a data breach monitor to protect your Valorant account.
- 3. 🥉CyberGhost VPN — Dedicated gaming servers for playing Valorant + automatic connection options.
- 4. NordVPN — Good VPN to protect you from malicious third-party Valorant apps & tools.
- 5. Surfshark — Excellent VPN for circumventing network restrictions to access Valorant.
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Valorant
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for Valorant. It has lightning-fast speeds thanks to its proprietary Lightway protocol, which is faster and more lightweight than the fastest VPN protocol, WireGuard. In my tests, I was able to play several matches of Valorant with no noticeable increase in ping and no lag whatsoever.
This provider also has an extensive server network spread across 105 countries. This makes it easy to find and connect to a nearby server for the fastest possible speeds and change your Valorant region to play with your friends.
ExpressVPN can reliably access Valorant from anywhere in the world, including restrictive networks, like your school or workplace, and countries where Valorant isn’t available, like Iran. This is because it supports obfuscation on all of its servers, which disguises your VPN traffic as regular internet traffic to evade VPN blocks.
I like how all of ExpressVPN’s servers are protected against DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks as well. A DDoS attack is when a hacker attempts to overload your network and create lag or disconnect you from the game server by routing a lot of traffic to your network.
ExpressVPN is one of the only VPNs with a dedicated router app. This simplifies the process of setting the VPN up on your router, so use a VPN when playing Valorant on your Xbox or Playstation 5 console, which don’t have native VPN support.
It comes with other extra features that may be useful for Valorant players. Its split-tunneling feature lets you decide which apps use the VPN connection and which use your local network. I routed my Valorant traffic through the VPN to play with my international friends while listening to streams on my local network. Its password manager (ExpressVPN Keys) can store your Valorant account in an encrypted digital vault and has auto-filling.
ExpressVPN offers both monthly and yearly plans, which start at $6.67 / month, and it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Valorant. It has super-fast speeds for playing Valorant with low ping and no lag and an extensive server network. Additionally, its servers are protected against DDoS attacks, it’s one of the only VPNs with a dedicated router app, and it comes with useful extras. All ExpressVPN subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Highly Customizable + Data Breach Monitoring
Private Internet Access (PIA) is an incredibly flexible VPN for Valorant with over 20+ options you can tweak in its Settings menu to get it working exactly as you like. The ability to switch to 128-bit AES encryption from the standard 256-bit AES encryption is useful for Valorant players, as the former will get you slightly faster speeds with a minimal decrease in security.
This provider has a data breach monitoring tool, called Identity Guard, which alerts you if the email address associated with your Valorant account is compromised in a data breach, so you can quickly change your password. It comes with the best VPN ad, tracker, and malware blocker in the industry, MACE, which does a great job of removing annoying ads from gaming sites. And all of its servers in 91 countries are equipped with anti-DDoS protection.
PIA is decent for accessing Valorant on restrictive networks and in countries where it’s blocked. It provides obfuscation via an encrypted open proxy, Shadowsocks, and has obfuscated servers in 5+ countries, including the US, the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, and Japan. I still think ExpressVPN’s obfuscation is better though because it’s available on all of its servers.
Its Windows app is intuitive. I really like how it displays your ping to each server (how long it takes for data to go from your device to the VPN server) and how the ping is color-coded with green meaning good ping and orange meaning bad ping, so you can quickly identify the best server to connect to.
Private Internet Access’s plans start at a very affordable $2.19 / month, and every subscription is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is a highly customizable VPN for Valorant with great security features, like a data breach monitor and the best VPN ad, tracker, and malware blocker in the industry. It’s also pretty good for accessing Valorant on restricted networks and in countries where it’s blocked and has a very intuitive Windows app. PIA backs all of its plans with 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 — Dedicated Gaming Servers + Automated Connections
CyberGhost VPN has 90+ dedicated gaming servers in 4 countries (the US, the UK, France, and Germany), which are optimized to provide the best possible experience for games like Valorant. If you need to connect to a Valorant region outside of these areas though, CyberGhost also has a vast server network spanning 100 countries.
The other great thing about CyberGhost is its Smart Rules feature, which makes using a VPN for Valorant hassle-free. With Smart Rules, you can set it so that it automatically connects to a specific VPN server when you launch Valorant. Alternatively, you can set it so that Valorant launches automatically after you connect to CyberGhost.
Cyberghost comes with an ad, tracker, and malware blocker, called Content Blocker, and it has a data breach monitor also called Identity Guard. This provider doesn’t include an obfuscation tool though, which means it’s not good for accessing Valorant on restrictive networks and countries where it’s blocked. That said, it has split-tunneling on Windows via Exceptions under Smart Rules.
CyberGhost VPN’s plans start at just $2.03 / month, and all of it backs all subscriptions with a money-back guarantee. Long-term plans have a lengthy 45-day money-back guarantee, while short-term plans have a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN offers dedicated servers for gaming in the US, the UK, France, and Germany, as well as general VPN servers in 100 countries across the world. Its Smart Rules feature allows you to automate your VPN connections. It comes with an ad, tracker, and malware blocker and a data breach monitor but doesn’t provide obfuscation. All of CyberGhost’s plans are backed by a money-back guarantee (up to 45 days).
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
Editors' Note: CyberGhost and this site are in the same ownership group.
4. NordVPN — Protects You From Malicious Valorant Apps & Tools
NordVPN can scan third-party Valorant apps and tools you download for malware to keep your device and account safe. This malware scanner is a unique feature of its ad, tracker, and malware blocker, Threat Protection Pro. It also includes cloud-based threat detection, which lets you upload a file to the cloud, where NordVPN executes it and inspects its behavior to determine if it’s malicious. What’s more, Threat Protection Pro works even when you aren’t connected to a VPN server.
Like Private Internet Access and CyberGhost VPN, it has a dark web monitoring tool to help protect you from data breaches. Its split-tunneling tool worked flawlessly in my tests as well.
This provider has servers in 111 countries, and it provides obfuscated servers in 15+ countries, which you can use to access Valorant on restricted networks. That said, NordVPN isn’t a reliable VPN for use in restrictive countries. Unlike every other VPN on this list, NordVPN’s servers don’t have anti-DDoS protection either. You may have to reconnect to a new server if you get targeted.
NordVPN’s plans start at $3.09 / month, and it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN’s File Protection feature can scan any app and tool you download from third-party Valorant sites for malware. This provider also comes with a dark web monitoring tool and split-tunneling, a massive server network, and supports obfuscation. It’s not good for restrictive countries, though, and its servers don’t have anti-DDoS protection. All of NordVPNs plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — Great for Accessing Valorant on Restrictive Networks
Surfshark can access Valorant on restrictive networks, like your school or workplace. This is thanks to its NoBorders feature, which is designed for circumventing network restrictions. I think it’s great that NoBorders turns on automatically when it detects that you’re on a restrictive network, too. Do note though that Surfshark’s obfuscation doesn’t work well in restrictive countries, like ExpressVPN.
Besides its ability to unblock Valorant, Surfshark also comes with a decent ad blocker, called CleanWeb, a split-tunneling feature, called Bypasser, and anti-DDoS protection on all of its servers.
Surfshark’s plans start at a low cost of $2.19 / month, and you can try it out risk-free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is a good VPN for unblocking Valorant at your school or workplace. It supports obfuscation on all of its servers, and its NoBorders servers are tailored for circumventing network restrictions. It also comes with a decent ad blocker, a split-tunneling tool, and anti-DDoS protection. Every Surfshark subscription comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
To figure out which VPN is best for playing Valorant, I followed our proven testing methodology for VPNs. This involved playing several matches of Valorant while connected to different servers on each VPN to measure its impact on the game’s performance and a close examination of other features relevant to Valorant gamers, like anti-DDoS protection, split-tunneling, and more. Below, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of the criteria I used to rank and compare the VPNs on my list:
- I checked each VPN’s server network. The VPNs on my list all have great server coverage, so most Valorant players will be able to find a nearby server to connect to no matter where they live in the world for the best possible speeds. This also lets you change your Valorant region to play with your friends or connect to a server in a country where VoIP isn’t banned, so you can use the in-game voice chat and other features.
- I tested every VPN’s speeds. All VPNs will reduce your connection speeds slightly due to encryption, and for a twitch shooter like Valorant, even the difference of a few milliseconds can mean the difference between victory and defeat. So I conducted extensive speed tests to ensure that all the VPNs I recommend can maintain low ping and lag-free gameplay. ExpressVPN performed the best in my tests.
- I evaluated each VPN’s security features. I only recommend VPNs with industry-standard VPN security features, including 256-bit AES encryption, a no-logs policy, and a kill switch. Additionally, almost every VPN on my list has anti-DDoS protection on its servers, so hackers can’t ruin your Valorant match by DDoSing the VPN server you’re connected to.
- I made sure the VPN’s Windows app is easy to use. The VPNs I recommend have intuitive interfaces and make it easy for you to find and connect to a server. This way, you don’t have to waste time messing around with them and can get to playing Valorant as soon as possible.
- I chose VPNs that provide good overall value. The VPNs on my list all come with useful extra features, like data breach monitoring and/or split-tunneling, have reasonably-priced plans, allow a minimum of 7 device connections, and come with a money-back guarantee.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- Hola VPN. It may look attractive since it has a free plan with unlimited data and decent speeds, but it has a terrible privacy policy and isn’t safe to use. Hola VPN operates on a peer-to-peer model, which means that when you connect to the VPN, you’re using another Hola VPN user’s IP address, and other Hola VPN users can use your IP address. This puts you at risk if someone uses your IP address to engage in illegal activities.
- TunnelBear. TunnelBear is a beginner-friendly VPN with anti-DDoS protection and a great free plan. However, it bothers me that it doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee on purchases, and its free plan is limited to 2 GB of data per month, which isn’t nearly enough even for casual gamers.
- HMA VPN. This VPN has a massive server network spread across 210+ countries and anti-DDoS protection. However, it’s a bit overpriced compared to the other VPNs on my list, and it lacks split-tunneling on its Windows app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a free VPN for Valorant?
I don’t recommend playing Valorant with a free VPN. Free VPNs are much slower than paid VPNs, which can cause high ping, freezing, and even disconnects. Additionally, free VPNs often come with other downsides, such as poor server selection (so you may not be able to play in the region you want) and strict data caps that limit how much you can play. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and headache by getting an affordable paid VPN instead.
Am I allowed to use a VPN for Valorant?
Yes, using a VPN doesn’t violate Valorant’s terms of service. But Riot Games, the company behind Valorant, has blocked some popular VPN services because of issues with language barriers and lag. I tested all the VPNs on my list though, and they all work reliably with Valorant.
Can using a VPN lower my ping in Valorant?
It’s possible that using a VPN could lower your ping in Valorant. If your ISP throttles your bandwidth when playing Valorant, a VPN could increase your speeds by preventing this throttling. Sometimes, a VPN may also route your traffic through a more optimal server than your ISP.
Most of the time though, using a VPN will increase your ping instead. This is because when connected to a VPN server, your internet traffic has to travel further before it reaches its original destination. VPNs also take some time to encrypt your traffic to ensure your privacy and security. That said, the VPNs I recommend provide very fast speeds, so you won’t notice too big of a difference.
What’s the best VPN for Valorant?
ExpressVPN is my top VPN for Valorant. It has blazing-fast speeds, so you’ll be able to maintain low in-game ping. It has a large server network for accessing the game from anywhere in the world. And it has anti-DDoS protection on all of its servers. Additionally, ExpressVPN has a dedicated router app, so it’s easy to set up for your Xbox or Playstation console, and it comes with a ton of useful extra features, like split-tunneling, a password manager, and more.
