Best picks at a glance
| # | VPN | Score | 2-year price | Servers | Devices | Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FastGuardBest speed per dollar | 9.0/10 | $2.49/mo | 3,100 | 7 | Get deal |
| 2 | NordSecureBest VPN overall | 9.6/10 | $3.39/mo | 6,800 | 10 | Get deal |
| 3 | ShieldVPNBest for privacy and value | 9.4/10 | $2.99/mo | 4,200 | 8 | Get deal |
Scores out of 10. Prices checked Sep 1, 2026.
Compare features
| Feature | FastGuard | NordSecure | ShieldVPN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Split tunneling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multihop | No | Yes | No |
| RAM-only servers | No | Yes | Yes |
| Router app | No | No | Yes |
Method
How we picked
This use-case ranking applies a purpose-specific weighting to the same central VPN test records used across Fly MS.
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Latency40% of score
Nearby ping and loss under WireGuard.
Repeated New York and London runs
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Stability30% of score
Reconnect behavior and packet-loss consistency.
Sleep/wake and network-change tests
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Server choice20% of score
Countries, cities, and nearby capacity.
Central network inventory
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Price10% of score
Current long-term monthly equivalent.
Dated checkout records
Your questions
Questions about this
Can a VPN lower gaming ping?
Sometimes, if the VPN route avoids poor ISP peering. Usually it adds a small amount of latency, so choose a nearby server.
Which protocol should gamers use?
WireGuard is the default because it has lower overhead and faster reconnects than OpenVPN in our test setup.
