Last Update: May 2, 2022
Minecraft is an incredibly popular game that’s almost universally been ranked as one of the best games of all time by many publications. Ever since its initial release, it has emerged on more and more platforms. Nowadays, almost anyone with an internet-ready device can play it.
However, did you know that access to Minecraft is restricted in some areas? In fact, the game is outright banned in several countries due to all sorts of reasons. With that being said, I’d also like to state that playing Minecraft can be dangerous. Doing so without the right protection can leave you in a position wherein your online security can be compromised.
Luckily, there are VPNs (virtual private networks) that you may use to safeguard yourself while playing Minecraft. In this article, we’ll discuss what we believe are the best VPNs for the game.
Credit: nordvpn.com
Unblocking & Speed Capabilities: NordVPN is a great VPN solution not just for Minecraft but also for gaming in general. It has excellent unlocking capabilities. During my time with the provider, not once was I unable to access a website or online service that I wanted to.
Another thing to mention is that NordVPN is a great traveling companion. It bypasses the Great Firewall of China with ease and amazing consistency. Hence, it’s safe to say that the service is also capable of working around other notorious government-established censorship systems.
The speed capabilities of NordVPN are impressive. All of its nearby servers barely made a dent in my base connection speeds. Meanwhile, the provider’s more distant locations brought about several rather minor dips to my connection. However, none of these dips was game-breaking.
Privacy & Security: I’ve never felt unsafe while using NordVPN. Given its status in the industry, it should come as no surprise that it utilizes AES-256 encryption. Moreover, the provider shall soon have a zero-logs policy that’ll be backed by a 100% RAM-disk-enabled server network.
Another thing to know is that NordVPN was once hacked. To re-establish its good reputation to the public, it has established a worldwide bug bounty program. Aside from that, the provider also established NordLynx, which is a secure VPN protocol that’s based upon WireGuard.
NordVPN has very user-friendly applications that can be mastered by just about anyone. They are loaded with an assortment of features that’ll let you further enhance your online privacy as well as security. Last but not least, NordVPN supports a max of six simultaneous connections.
Pricing: The current monthly rate of NordVPN is $8.87.
If you ask me, this is very fair especially when you consider everything that NordVPN offers. It’ll let you access Minecraft from anywhere and keep you safe while you’re doing so. Furthermore, the provider does have a 30-day refund guarantee policy that’s got your back.
Credit: surfshark.com
Unblocking & Speed Capabilities: Surfshark can overcome any geo-restriction that you throw at it. As such, it’s perfect for granting you access to Minecraft where it’s unavailable. And if you are wondering, yes. The VPN provider can consistently circumvent the Great Firewall of China.
Given its ability to provide reliable access to the free global internet in China, it’s safe to say that Surfshark can do the same in other countries too. Because of that, it makes for an excellent companion for Minecraft gamers that constantly find themselves on the open road.
Speed is something that you don’t need to worry about if you are using Surfshark. The provider has always been able to maintain a good connection while I was using it. More importantly, it never introduced any internet-related inconveniences as I was playing Minecraft.
Privacy & Security: Surfshark was established in 2018. Ever since then, it has been praised almost unanimously for its security capabilities. The provider is based in Panama, meaning it doesn’t have to follow restrictive copyright and privacy laws. Besides that, it has a zero-logs policy that’s backed by a massive server network that is 100% entirely RAM-disk-enabled.
Granted that it’s a premium VPN service, Surfshark makes use of nothing but the best AES-256 military-grade encryption. It allows you to pair that with a broad range of protocols, including WireGuard. If anything, this makes the VPN provider very flexible to suit your needs.
Surfshark is loaded with features. Its user-friendly apps and extensions come with a malware & ad blocker, split tunneling, and an automatic kill switch. Besides that, they also let you take advantage of an optional hacking alert system and proprietary secure search engine.
Easily the most relevant thing that makes Surfshark shine is the fact that it allows for unlimited simultaneous device connections. Because of that, one account is all that you will need to uphold the digital privacy and security of all your family members and friends.
Pricing: Surfshark is more expensive than many of its competitors. As of writing, it charges $12.95 for a 1-month basic subscription plan.
If you ask me, every cent of that $12.95 that you’ll spend on your Surfshark subscription will be worth it. After all, the provider has so much to offer. In addition, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee policy that’ll be there if ever you’re unsatisfied with the VPN service provider.
Credit: expressvpn.com
Unblocking & Speed Capabilities: ExpressVPN has been dubbed by many as the best VPN for circumventing geo-restrictions. It can provide you access to any game, website, online service, digital retail outlet, or unavailable streaming library that you can ever think of.
As you might have already expected, ExpressVPN is also China-capable. As a matter of fact, all our testers in the country have successfully circumvented the Great Firewall. Hence, there should be no reason to believe that ExpressVPN also can’t bypass other systems.
ExpressVPN is fast. I wouldn’t say that it’s the world’s fastest VPN but it’s most definitely a top contender. While paired to its servers, I was able to play Minecraft, quickly download torrents, and browse the internet very smoothly. Sometimes, it even felt like I was not using any VPN.
Privacy & Security: One could argue that ExpressVPN is a pioneer in the VPN industry. After all, it was the first leading provider to adopt a 100% RAM-based network. On top of that, it is among the first VPN providers to have itself regularly audited by independent third parties.
Unsurprisingly, ExpressVPN encrypts your private information using none other than AES-256 military-grade encryption. Also, it supports most leading protocols. Quite interestingly though, the provider doesn’t support WireGuard. In its place, it has Lightway, which is proprietary.
The browser extensions and apps of ExpressVPN are a charm to utilize. Even those who aren’t tech-savvy can get to master them in practically no time. Plus, they’ll get to use the interesting features they have. Two prime examples of this are an automatic kill switch and split tunneling.
If ExpressVPN were to improve on anything, I’d have to say its set of features. That’s because it still doesn’t have anything unique to offer potential subscribers. Aside from that, the VPN provider’s applications don’t even have dedicated built-in ad & malware blockers.
Pricing: Like Surshark, ExpressVPN charges $12.95 for a monthly subscription plan.
Needless to say, I believe that Surfshark has more to offer. After all, it does allow for unlimited simultaneous device connections. With that being said, I would still have to say that ExpressVPN is a great choice for Minecraft players and is 100% worth it.
If millions of people around the world play Minecraft without using a VPN, then why should you even bother? Here are a couple of reasons why:
To begin, a VPN will allow you to access Minecraft in places like China where it’s banned. That’s because VPNs can mask your IP address and replace it with their own. In doing this, they fool China’s censorship measures into thinking you are browsing the web from someplace else.
Also, VPNs can safeguard your anonymity while you play. You see, Minecraft’s servers are very active lurking grounds for hackers and other types of cybercriminals. With a VPN, you’ll be able to stay out of the way of these entities and avoid any of the issues that they might cause you.
One last thing to know is that a Minecraft VPN can provide you with a better playing experience.
That’s because certain VPN servers can eliminate bandwidth throttling. Consequently, these servers can make your internet connection speeds faster by possibly getting you off any ISP-imposed bandwidth caps.
Needless to say, connecting to a VPN server doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have a better internet connection. Due to that, it’s best to manage your expectations before using a Minecraft VPN.
Do you need help using your VPN for Minecraft? Follow these simple steps:
Get yourself a VPN before anything else. Be wise and don’t settle for just any provider. While there are tons of free or super cheap options out there, it’s best to invest. Go with a VPN that boasts the specs and features that you need.
If you wish to avoid all the hassles of researching, go ahead and choose one of the three VPN providers that we talked about earlier. Every one of them is a great performer that certainly won’t disappoint you, especially if you utilize them for all your Minecraft gaming needs.
Install your VPN’s application on any device that you’ve got Minecraft on. Don’t worry about the difficulty of setting up your provider. That’s because downloading then installing any virtual private network service on any modern operating system is incredibly easy nowadays.
With that being said, it’s also important to mention that VPN router installation can be a rather tricky task to do. Fortunately, all of our recommended Minecraft VPNs sell a wide range of pre-configured router models that provide an incredibly easy out-of-the-box experience.
The next thing to do after installing your VPN is to pair to a server. In order to guarantee that you’ll be able to access Minecraft, choose a country where the game is free to access.
I’d also like to mention that the further a VPN server is, the likelier it is to hamper your online connection speeds. For that reason, I highly recommend that you stick to a location that isn’t that far away. Otherwise, you run the risk of having a slow internet connection when playing.
Your kill switch needs to be activated before you play Minecraft or any other online game. That is because without it, you’ll be leaving yourself open to countless online threats.
To get things out of the way, a kill switch is a very important VPN security feature. It safeguards you from accidental online exposure as you play Minecraft. How does it function? By cutting your device’s internet connection if its connection to your VPN service gets interrupted.
Your final course of action should be to open Minecraft and start playing. As you play, always remain connected to your VPN provider. That way, you shall get to avoid any of the penalties that come with disconnection.
We took a lot of time to establish our rankings. To kick things off, our researchers narrowed down the services that were worth looking into in the first place. After that, we tested out candidates to determine which among them were the best performers.
The last thing that we did was compare the pricing schemes of our top VPNs for Minecraft. Why? For us to know which of them provided you with the greatest monetary value.
