Best Android VPN for gaming in 2025

You’ve probably already heard of NordVPN, because since its founding in 2012, it’s cemented itself as the de facto VPN for many internet users. It’s well deserving of its solid reputation too, as it offers a fantastic level of performance and a robust suite of privacy features.

During our testing, we found that it was notably faster than other major providers like ExpressVPN. When you’re at home, you might encounter artificial slowdown because your internet service provider (ISP) doesn’t like you using a lot of bandwidth. However, with a speedy service like NordVPN, you can mask your activity (limiting the ISP’s ability to slow things down) and potentially give you a faster, smoother experience than you’ve encountered before.

One thing we love about NordVPN is that it has continuously expanded its service over the years. Even just comparing its current offering to what was available at the start of the decade, you can see an increase in countries covered by the server selection, an increase in its simultaneous connection allowance, and even the addition of a NordVPN eSIM called Saily. Admittedly, Saily is a separate product, but there are frequent offers available that get new subscribers various Saily benefits for free.

Though it isn’t the cheapest VPN (nor, I hasten to add, the most expensive) it’s a case of getting what you pay for, with its impressive WireGuard protocol enabling swift encryption, and compatibility with pretty much all the major mobile games. It’s easy to see why it’s a popular choice, and while it might drain your battery just a little faster, that’s true of any VPN you might use.

VPNs are at their most annoying at times when you try to launch your favorite game (or app) and find that you can’t because the VPN is banned. Of all the providers on this list, ExpressVPN is the least likely to give you this problem because of the frequency with which it refreshes its VPN servers’ IP addresses. So if one of them gets blocked, before long it’ll have a new IP address and should have no trouble worming its way back in.

ExpressVPN loses out to NordVPN by just a hair’s breadth. Our only real reasons for putting it lower are that, A) it’s the most expensive of the popular VPN choices, and, B) it’s came out a little slower than NordVPN in our testing, which is a pity. For the price, you’d expect it to be the fastest of the bunch. (It’d also be nice to get a free trial, but, hey, VPNs almost never give them for some reason).

For the especially privacy-conscious among you, the addition of ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer system will also be a selling point. What it does is make it so it’s actually impossible for the servers to write any data on your internet activities, so you don’t need to worry about your secrets sitting inside some business’s database.

Like NordVPN, it also has the benefit of being compatible with all the major games and apps that you’re likely to use on your Android device. Besides, even in the rare instance that it is not, the IP refreshes we talked about earlier should rectify that issue. It essentially does everything you could want it to.

Just as a shark has a seemingly unlimited number of teeth as you stare into its gaping maw, Surfshark allows you to have an unlimited number of simultaneous connections. That’s particularly handy for anyone who has a large household that they want to keep private online – and though you might expect that to be quite an expensive service, it remains a relatively cheap VPN, and one that has a VPN free trial for anybody who wants to test the waters before committing.

If you want to download region-exclusive games, or get region-exclusive bonuses in games you already play, this VPN should make it easy for you to do so. Meanwhile, as it is compatible with most major streaming services, we’d say that it’s one of the best VPNs for streaming too. You could use it to turn your phone into an international entertainment center.

It’s worth noting that its servers span a smaller selection of countries than other providers, so if there are certain countries that you want to have covered by the service you’re using, then it’s worth checking the locations available on the Surfshark website to make sure they are covered. Nonetheless, though Surfshark’s selection may be modest compared to other leading providers, it still blows a lot of the smaller VPNs out of the water in this regard.

Gaming on your phone is great, but what about those of you who like watching movies and TV shows on your phone just as much, if not more? Well, to you, I recommend CyberGhost. This VPN is compatible with just about every major streaming platform, as it is notably cheaper than the likes of NordVPN and ExpressVPN, it saves you a bit of money to spend on Netflix or Disney Plus.

While it is a little slower, this won’t really be an issue for streaming. The slowdown will essentially be imperceptible to everyone other than super-competitive gamers. Casual gamers are also not likely to notice much difference here, and it will still protect you from DDoS attacks and give you access to content that is usually not available in your region.

It is a pity that you only get seven simultaneous connections here, especially when you have no cap with Surfshark, and even NordVPN and ExpressVPN have upped their limits recently. Still, if you’re only planning to use it on your phone for streaming and gaming, then this isn’t going to be a problem.

All things considered, if you’re after a cheaper mobile VPN to use on your Android device, then this is probably the best option. If you’ve got any reservations, you can still fall back on its 45-day money-back guarantee, which allows you to get a full refund at any point within the first month and a half if you’er unhappy with anything at all.