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Best iPhone VPN for gaming in 2025

This list of the best iPhone VPN services, from ExpressVPN to CyberGhost and NordVPN, will help enhance your mobile gaming experience.

Best iPhone VPN apps on an iPhone 12

Which is the best iPhone VPN in 2025? Not only is it important to get one to protect your privacy (nobody wants a nosy little worm wriggling around in their Apple), but VPNs have the capacity the significantly enhance your mobile gaming experience, helping to give you a competitive edge when gaming online and protecting you from salty players who might DDoS you.

This list of the best iPhone VPNs is filled with recommendations that will serve you well and cover pretty much all Apple devices. Like all the best mobile VPN providers, they offer a safe way to use public Wi-Fi and to maintain your privacy, while accessing geo-restricted content in the best iPhone games. Whatever you use your iPhone for, the options in this list will have some way to enhance the experience.

Why you can trust our advice ✔ At Pocket Tactics, our experts spend days testing games, phones, tech, and services. We always share honest opinions to help you buy the best. Find out how we test.

NordVPN

NordVPN

Best iPhone VPN

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NordVPN specifications:
Server range 111+ countries
Compatible apps YouTube, Snapchat, Netflix, Call of Duty: Mobile, TikTok, and more
Free trial No free trial
Money-back guarantee 30 days
Simultaneous connections 10
Router support Yes
Average latency (ping) 24.94ms
Average jitter 15ms
Pros
  • Fastest VPN
  • Uses the excellent WireGuard protocol
Cons
  • Pricey
  • Offers no free trial

NordVPN has dominated the VPN arena since 2012 and is probably the most recognizable VPN brand among the general populace. It’s managed to achieve this level of success by offering a service that is speedy, reliable, and easy to use.

Part of the reason for its enduring success comes down to the fact that it has not stagnated. It’s a service that is continually updated and even in the last couple of years, we’ve seen significant improvements in terms of the number of simultaneous connections it allows, the number of regions its servers cover, and even more recent things like NordVPN’s Saily eSIM, which new subscribers frequently get special benefits for. There’s a good chance that there are features are benefits that don’t currently exist, but which you will eventually be able to enjoy if you opt for a two-year plan.

Ultimately, the two things most important things will be as follows – its compatibility with popular games and apps, and how it affects your phone’s performance. On these fronts, NordVPN excels; offering easy compatibility with Call of Duty: Mobile, TikTok, and more. Meanwhile, in our testing, we found it to be the fastest VPN of the bunch, meaning that you are not likely to experience any sort of slowdown, and indeed, may even find that it runs a little faster when you’re at home because a lot of internet service providers (ISPs) artificially slow things down when you’re using a lot of bandwidth (and VPNs stop them).

Admittedly, it might run down your battery a little bit faster, but to be fair, that is true of practically every app you have running in the background. Other than that, the only real criticism we can level at it is that it is slightly more expensive than a lot of VPNs (though still cheaper than ExpressVPN) and offers no free trial for you to try it out in, instead forcing you to fall back on a 30-day money-back guarantee, but the chances are you’ll be perfectly happy with it anyway.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN

Best premium iPhone VPN

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ExpressVPN specifications:
Server range 105+ countries
Compatible apps Tinder, Roblox, Disney Plus, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and more
Free trial No free trial
Money-back guarantee Money-back guarantee
Simultaneous connections 8
Router support Yes
Average latency (ping) 34.81ms
Average jitter 44ms
Pros
  • Uses the speedy Lightway protocol
  • Spans over 100 countries
  • Broad compatibility
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Cap on connection total
  • Privacy concerns

In terms of sheer quality of service, ExpressVPN comes pretty darn close to NordVPN. It’s another long-standing provider that has done an outstanding job of cementing itself as one of the de facto choices. Though it is a notably expensive service, it does have a lot of features to make it worth your while.

One of the biggest ExpressVPN selling points is its servers. Not only does it have a decent range of over 100 servers, but it refreshes their IP addresses on a regular basis. What this means is that if one of your favorite games ends up blocking VPN access, it should only be a short time before the IP address is refreshed and you can slide right back in.

Additionally, its TrustedServer system gives you an extra layer of privacy. Naturally, you want your search history to remain secret, and what this system does is ensure that it is not possible for ExpressVPN’s servers to record any information about what you do while the VPN is on.

Meanwhile, though our tests found it to be slightly inferior to NordVPN in this regard, ExpressVPN is still one of the fastest solutions on the market. Its use of the Lightway Protocol puts it in a good position to circumvent the artificial slowdown that your ISP may be subjecting you to. You won’t notice any kind of slowdown when it’s on, but it is possible that you will notice the battery draining just a little faster.

However, not only is ExpressVPN the most expensive of the bunch, it also gives us cause for concern on the privacy front. Not only is it owned by Kape Technologies, a company that has a history of malware scandals, but as recently as 2024, it was discovered that ExpressVPN was inadvertently leaking data via its split tunneling feature. These looks could have potentially been going on for years, and while the Kape scandals predate its acquisition of ExpressVPN, it is certainly not a good precedent. The VPN works well and is compatible with most gaming and streaming platforms, but if privacy is your main concern, street clear.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost

Best iPhone VPN for streaming

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CyberGhost specifications:
Server range 100+ countries
Compatible apps FIFA Mobile, TikTok, Instagram, Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and more
Free trial 24 hours
Money-back guarantee 45 days
Simultaneous connections 7
Router support Yes
Average latency (ping) 45.19ms
Average jitter 16ms
Pros
  • Decent server selection
  • 45-day money-back guarantee
  • Great for streaming
Cons
  • Free trial could be longer
  • A little slower than some other top providers

We recommend CyberGhost as the best VPN for streaming because of its broad compatibility with pretty much everything. Combine that with the fact that it has connection points in over 100 countries and you can then access all the international libraries of whichever streaming apps you prefer to use.

If you want to test it out on various platforms before being locked in, its 45-day money-back guarantee gives you over two weeks more time to get a grasp of things than you’ll get with the other major providers. If you find anything that you don’t quite like in that time, there is nothing to stop you from getting a full refund. There’s also a 24-hour free trial, which gives you a bit of extra time to try it out too.

Once upon a time, CyberGhost was a cut above the rest in terms of its connection allowance. Where others typically gave about five, it edged them out by offering seven. Unfortunately, times have changed and those that once offered less than CyberGhost now offer more, so if you plan on having multiple people on the same plan, it might make more sense to go for a different VPN.

Its average download times are also sometimes a little slower than competitors (and keep in mind that average download speeds change all the time due to a number of factors), but this is certainly no issue for streaming or general use – more for anyone who’s interested in serious, competitive, online play.

If you’re after a cheaper option, it’s significantly less expensive than many of the bigger VPNs too. For those reasons in particular, we’re loath to be too critical of it. Generally speaking, it stands shoulder to shoulder with the pricier ones, while the few small flaws are perfectly understandable for the price point.

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access

Best cheap VPN

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Private Internet Access specifications:
Server range 91+
Compatible apps YouTube, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, and more
Free trial No free trial
Money-back guarantee 30 days
Simultaneous connections Unlimited
Router support Yes
Pros
  • Low price for our readers
  • Least likely to have server congestion
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
Cons
  • Slightly slower than some others
  • No free trial

Private Internet Access (PIA) is the best VPN to go for if you’re on a budget. You might worry that going for a cheap VPN means going for a sub-standard service, but aside from some minor limitations, PIA is in no way sub-standard.

Similar to CyberGhost (which is owned by the same business), its only real issue is the fact that its average download speeds can be a bit slower than the likes of ExpressVPN and NordVPN. However, these slower speeds are so minor that they’re really not going to register to anyone other than, perhaps, those who need a pristine connection to host a stream, or for playing competitively online.

One big benefit of PIA is the fact that it allows you to have an unlimited number of simultaneous connections – which sets it above a lot of the premium choices. You could split the bill between all the members of your household, making it even cheaper, and everyone can still have it on every single one of their compatible devices (without going down the complicated route of connecting via a router).

It’s got connection points in over 90 countries, and interestingly has over 35,000 servers spread across those locations. While server totals aren’t a huge indicator of the quality of a service, having as many as this is pretty cool because it essentially eliminates the risk of server congestion (slowdown caused by inordinate amounts of people using the same server to connect at once).

For its lower price, it’s a really impressive service – and if you want something that’s completely free, check out the next recommendation below.

PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN

Best free iPhone VPN

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PrivadoVPN specifications:
Server range 66+ cities worldwide
Compatible apps TikTok, Netflix, Tinder, YouTube, and more (limited on free plan)
Free trial No free trial, but free plan available
Money-back guarantee 30 days
Simultaneous Connections 10 (paid)
Router support No
Pros
  • Has a free plan you can use indefinitely
  • Generous data allowance
Cons
  • Difficult to refresh data limit if you use it all
  • Fewer servers than others

Going for a free VPN can be a bit risky. There are many options out there that can offer their service for free because they’re making loads money by selling the private data that they accumulate from customers while the VPN is on. Fortunately, PrivadoVPN is one of the few free services you can genuinely trust.

The free plan is almost like an indefinite free trial, as PrivadoVPN also has several paid packages available. Going for the free one limits you to 10GB of data each month and only gives you access to a couple of the servers – besides that, you are essentially getting the full service.

While 10GB won’t be enough for someone who likes to watch loads of movies and TV shows on their iPhone, it’ll still be a very handy thing to have for many othes. Worried about the dangers of public Wi-Fi? Switch on your VPN whenever you use it. Disgusted by the idea of big companies tracking your health-related Google searches? Save the VPN for your more sensitive browsing sessions.

As (trustworthy) free VPNs go, 10GB is quite a generous allowance. However, if you happen to use it all up before it refreshes the following month, you’ll have a difficult time getting it to refresh, as it won’t do it automatically after that. Just keep a close eye on your data limit though and you should be able to avoid that problem.

The paid plan is not bad for anyone who decides to upgrade. It covers over 65 countries and it lets you have up to ten simultaneous connections. As a provider that’s only been around a few years, there’s a lot to love here, though – especially its free offering.

How to choose the best iPhone VPN providers

If you’re still finding it hard to narrow down the best VPN to get for your iPhone, there are lots of things to keep in mind. First and foremost, you’ll want to check that there is an iPhone app because if there isn’t, that’s a very easy way to rule out of provider.

Aside from that, it depends on what you’re most interested in. Is privacy your top concern? If so, check to find out whether or not any of the VPNs you’re considering have undergone independent privacy audits anytime recently, as that’s always a good indication of a VPN’s integrity. Basic features like a kill switch (which severs the connection if the VPN drops for added privacy) are also important to look out for (all the VPNs on this list have that).

If you’re a connoisseur of international content and like to access geo-restricted games or streaming libraries, the first step is checking whether a VPN has servers in the countries of specific things you’d like to access. After that, the total number of countries where a VPN is available is a good yardstick in this regard.

To some extent, speed is an important factor too, and we’ve listed speeds for all the VPNs we’ve had a chance to test here. For any other providers, it’s worth reading up on different user experiences in this regard, as there are some VPNs out there that cause significant slowdowns (but none of the major ones). Mostly, this will only be a factor for anybody who enjoys competitive gaming – for anyone else, the differences will be so minute, they’ll not make much difference.

Other than this, there are just two main points to remember – the first is that sometimes VPNs describe their money-back guarantee as if it were a free trial, which can lead you think that you’re starting a trial when you’re starting a subscription (all providers with trials are clearly signposted in this list) and that some VPNs will act as though their ordinary prices are a special deal – crosscheck against the prices on this page to confirm whether it is standard or a genuine deal.

If you have any more questions, check out the FAQs below:

Does the iPhone have a built-in VPN?

No, it doesn’t. If you want to protect your privacy on our iPhone, you’ll need to download an app and sign up for a service.

Do I need a VPN turned on on my iPhone?

We would advise that you have a VPN switched on if you ever use public Wi-Fi hotspots. You never know who might be exploiting these locations to maliciously harvest personal data from innocent people.

Should I leave my VPN on my phone?

Generally speaking, this is a good thing to get into the habit of if you want to protect your private internet data. Having said that, if you’re using a free VPN with a limited data allowance, you might want to only switch it on during particularly sensitive searches. Meanwhile, everyone might want to avoid switching it on for Internet banking, just in case the seemingly overseas access causes your account to be locked.

Does a VPN drain your battery?

Yes, it does, but not in any major way. It’s the equivalent of a messenger or social media app that’s always running in the background ready to notify you.

Still want more VPN guidance? Our lists of the best iPad VPN providers and the best VPN apps are also worth a read.