Best VPNs for Apex Legends
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Apex Legends is an award-winning sci-fi game that has gained popularity over the years for its unique and challenging gameplay. However, like all video games, it’s not immune to speed and lag issues, which could significantly reduce the gaming experience.
These lag issues can easily be solved or prevented by using a VPN. A reliable VPN will encrypt your connection and hide your IP address so that your internet provider can’t limit your internet speed. It will also send your network connection on a shorter path, further increasing speed. This will not only reduce Apex Legends lag and lower ping but also improve your online security. Keep reading to find out what the best VPNs for Apex Legends are and how they can help you prevent speed issues.
Best Apex Legends VPNs – our shortlist
- NordVPN – the best VPN for Apex Legends
- Surfshark – fast and affordable Apex Legends VPN
- IPVanish – secure and fast VPN for Apex Legends
- ExpressVPN – VPN with all essentials
- CyberGhost – geographically diverse VPN provider
Why do I need a VPN for playing Apex Legends?
A VPN can do many things, and one of those things is making your Apex Legends experience better. Here are some reasons why you should get a VPN for playing Apex Legends:
- Reduce ping. Reducing high ping is why you would want to get a VPN for Apex Legends. A VPN encrypts your connection by rerouting your traffic through its servers, which can be faster than your original internet speed. Because of that, chances are that your ping will get better, especially if you normally struggle with high ping while playing Apex Legends. Besides, a VPN is one of the best solutions that can help you fix Apex Legends lag and ensure smooth and enjoyable gameplay.
- Get easier lobbies. A VPN can help you to get around skill-based matchmaking and get you bot lobbies for an easier gameplay. By spoofing your location, you can get easier matches and boost your gaming skills.
- Avoid ISP throttling. Some internet service providers (ISPs) tend to limit bandwidth when they detect an increase in your download and upload speed, which naturally occurs when you’re playing video games. A VPN can help avoid such speed throttling.
- Avoid DDoS attacks. It is known that some players and generally malicious people sometimes execute Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on other players. They do that by using their IP address to send billions of requests to their server until it simply cannot take any more and denies access to the game. A VPN will hide your IP address and prevent DDoS attacks from ever happening to you.
- Protect your online privacy. By encrypting your traffic, a VPN hides whatever you’re doing online from everyone but you. Your ISP, school, workplace, or government won’t be able to see any of your online activities, and thus you’ll have total anonymity and privacy.
- Play with friends in other regions. With a VPN, you can connect to the same game servers your friends in other regions are connected to, even if they’re blocked in your location. A VPN will mask your IP address and make it seem like you’re in the same region as your friends.
Best VPNs for Apex Legends – our detailed list
Need a VPN for Apex Legends but don't know which one would be the best for you? Don't worry, we got you. Here's some more information about our favorite Apex Legends VPNs.
1. NordVPN – the best overall VPN for Apex Legends
| Based in: | Panama |
| Servers/countries: | 7400+ servers in 118 countries |
| Streaming services: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more |
| Current deal: | Get 77% OFF NordVPN + 3 months free |
NordVPN is the best VPN for Apex Legends. Firstly, it is one of the fastest VPNs currently on the market. Secondly, it has top-tier security features that will ensure a safe browsing and gaming experience. And on top of that, it also has some additional features that could be very useful and helpful in your everyday life.
In terms of speed, NordVPN delivers consistent and fast connections. Its NordLynx tunneling protocol is the fastest from a quite wide selection, but other protocols, such as IKEv2 and OpenVPN, work pretty well too. If your ISP is throttling you, you can count on NordVPN to help you get better ping and reduce lag in Apex Legends.
When it comes to security, NordVPN doesn’t disappoint either. Apart from next-gen encryption protocols, it also has a reliable kill switch that kills your device’s access to the internet in case a secure VPN connection is lost. While this may not be great for gameplay, it prevents your real IP address from leaking.
Because NordVPN hides your real IP address, malicious actors won’t be able to execute DDoS attacks and disrupt your gameplay, making the whole experience much more secure.
NordVPN also has 7400+ servers in 118 countries, so you’ll never run out of servers or locations to connect to and will be able to choose the best server for your needs.
And last but not least, NordVPN is one of the more affordable VPNs out there, with prices starting at $3.09/month. There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you end up not liking it, you can always cancel and get your money back.
For more information, check out our NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark – the most affordable Apex Legends VPN
| Based in: | The Netherlands |
| Servers/countries: | 3200+ servers in 100 countries |
| Streaming services: | Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and more |
| Current deal: | Now up to 87% OFF Surfshark + 3 months FREE |
Surfshark boasts the title of being one of the fastest and most affordable VPNs out there. And it also is perfect for playing Apex Legends, namely because of the speed and S-tier security. Surfshark has some additional features as well.
When it comes to speed, Surfshark’s WireGuard protocol performs the best, but other protocols are decently fast as well. You can rest assured that Apex Legends lag will be gone as soon as you connect, and ping shouldn’t rise above 100ms. If it does, try connecting to another server.
As for security features, Surfshark uses powerful AES-256 encryption and makes sure that no data or metadata escapes a thorough encrypting process. There is also a kill switch which doesn’t allow for accidental data and IP leaks.
When it comes to more browsing-focused security features, Surfshark offers the CleanWeb feature, which acts as an ad and malicious site blocker, which is pretty useful if you want to avoid accidentally downloading malware or adware.
Additionally, Surfshark has more than 3200 servers in 100 countries, making it relatively easy to find the best server location for your Apex Legends gaming session, no matter where you are or what time of the day it is.
As for the affordable pricing, Surfshark’s monthly subscription starts at $1.99/month. There is also a 14-day free trial for Android and iOS users, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Gain valuable insights from our Surfshark VPN review or compare Surfshark vs NordVPN for a comprehensive evaluation.
3. IPVanish – fast and secure Apex Legends VPN
| Based in: | United States |
| Servers/countries: | 2400+ servers in 109 countries |
| Streaming services: | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Disney+, and more |
| Current deal: | Now up to 83% OFF IPVanish |
Another great VPN for Apex Legends, IPVanish is probably the best provider for those living in the US, as it has 17 server locations in the country. Other than that, IPVanish is fast, secure, and very easy to use.
When it comes to speed, IPVanish’s ultimate weapon in this department is the WireGuard protocol. During our tests, the speeds were blazing fast, and the gameplay was smooth and enjoyable. However, there is a chance that the speed won’t be as good with other protocols.
In terms of security, IPVanish has only the best to offer. Industry-standard encryption and additional authentication processing with hash functions ensure the utmost anonymity of your data. Besides, there is a kill switch, and IPVanish also uses perfect forward secrecy, meaning that a part of the encryption is always changing.
IPVanish is a game-changer for US Apex Legends players, as it has a pretty big range of US server locations. That means that you won’t have to look very far for the fastest server or expect major slowdowns in speed due to overcrowding.
To add to that, IPVanish offers pretty good prices, too. The monthly price starts at $2.19, and there’s also a 30-day money back guarantee, so you can try the service without having to risk anything.
To learn more, take a look at our IPVanish review.
4. ExpressVPN – premium VPN for gaming
| Based in: | British Virgin Islands |
| Servers/countries: | Servers in 105 countries |
| Streaming services: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more |
| Current deal: | Now up to 61% OFF ExpressVPN + 4 months FREE |
ExpressVPN is one of the most popular Apex Legends VPNs on the market for gaming. With servers in 105 countries overall, you will have no issues finding a suitable server in the US. Moreover, this provider ensures fast and stable connection speeds.
Speaking of connection speed, ExpressVPN can be proud of its in-house-built Lightway tunneling protocol. This one maintains lightning-fast speeds without impacting your protection.
As for security, ExpressVPN has everything you might need from a VPN to stay secure. First of all, your traffic is encrypted using advanced AES-256 encryption (ChaCha20/Poly1305 if you use the Lightway tunnel). Meanwhile, split tunneling allows you to choose which apps and sites to route through a VPN. And the kill switch protects your IP if your VPN connection drops.
Furthermore, ExpressVPN is capable of bypassing geo-restrictions with ease. This means you will be able to access Apex Legends, other geo-blocked video games, and all the popular streaming sites, like multiple Netflix catalogs.
On the downside, this VPN provider is quite harsh with its pricing. That being said, you would have to pay at least $4.99/month to use its service. However, a 30-day money-back guarantee will help you make a final decision about staying risk-free.
Read up on this provider in the full Express VPN review or compare it with the #1 provider in our NordVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison.
5. CyberGhost – VPN with the most servers
| Based in: | Romania |
| Servers/countries: | Servers in 100 countries |
| Streaming services: | Netflix, Hulu |
| Current deal: | Get 84% OFF CyberGhost + 2 months FREE |
If you’re looking for an Apex Legends VPN with numerous servers, CyberGhost is a good choice for you. With servers in 100 countries overall, this provider raises no questions about finding a suitable server.
Its server fleet isn’t the only thing that makes this VPN a great choice for gaming. It also has the WireGuard tunneling protocol available, which helps maintain fast connection speeds without noticeable speed drops. In fact, your connection speed shouldn’t go lower than 80% of the initial speed.
CyberGhost also has specialized servers for gaming, torrenting, and streaming. This means that you will be able to enjoy servers with the lowest latency. Plus, its content unblocking capabilities guarantee access to geo-blocked games and sites wherever you are.
But that’s not all. CyberGhost is actually a secure VPN to use too. It uses AES-256 encryption to mask your online activity, while the kill switch feature ensures your IP isn’t exposed even if a VPN connection is lost. Plus, you can use NoSpy servers that belong to CyberGhost, and no third party has access to them.
Lastly, this VPN is very cheap. With the starting price of $2.03/month, it causes no financial issues. And you can also use its 45-day money-back guarantee to test it before committing.
Get to know the service better from our CyberGhost review.
Best VPN for Apex Legends compared
| VPN | Rating | Servers | Speed | Security features | Price |
| NordVPN | 7400 servers in 118 locations | 90% | AES-256 encryption, ChaCha20 encryption, NordLynx protocol, RAM-only servers, kill switch, Threat Protection, Dark Web Monitor | From $3.09/month | |
| Surfshark | 3200 servers in 100 locations | 86% | AES-256 encryption, WireGuard protocol, kill switch, RAM-only servers, CleanWeb feature, Surfshark Alert, GPS spoofing | From $1.99/month | |
| IPVanish | 2400 servers in 109 locations | 80% | AES-256 encryption, kill switch, WireGuard protocol, Threat Protection, obfuscated servers, forward secrecy | From $2.19/month | |
| ExpressVPN | Servers in 105 locations | 77% | AES-256 encryption, kill switch, Lightway protocol, IP & DNS leak protection, Threat Manager, malware protection | From $4.99/month | |
| CyberGhost | Servers in 100 locations | 86% | AES-256-GCM encryption, kill switch, WireGuard protocol, Content blocker, RAM-only servers | From $2.03/month |
How we selected and tested these VPNs
If you’re interested in how we tested and selected the best VPNs for Apex Legends, take a look at some aspects that we took into consideration:
- Speed (35%). Because you will be mainly using the VPN to reduce ping and fix lag in Apex Legends, speed is a crucial deciding factor here. The speedier the VPN, the lower the ping will be.
- Security (25%). Security is another important factor to take into account. A VPN must not leak your real IP address and have a reliable kill switch in case a secure VPN connection is lost. That way, no salty players from the losing team will be able to execute a DDoS attack on you or find out your real location and pay an unexpected visit.
- Server and location count (30%). High server numbers in various locations are good to have because that way, you’ll be able to choose the most optimal location for better internet speeds. This, in turn, is great for reducing ping and lag in Apex Legends.
- Price (10%). You want to get a VPN for an affordable price without sacrificing necessary features and speed. We chose VPNs that have the best price-quality ratio.
How to use a VPN to get easy lobbies in Apex Legends
Playing Apex Legends with a VPN in order to get easy lobbies or reduce lag is really simple. Just follow this easy step-by-step guide:
- Choose a reliable VPN for Apex Legends. We recommend NordVPN
- Install the VPN onto your device (or router, if you’re using a gaming console)
- Connect to a VPN server. Connecting to the nearest server will get you faster speeds
- Launch Apex Legends and get to playing
Best Apex Legends VPNs compared
We tested all of the Apex Legends VPNs on our list in 4 different locations – the US, UK, Germany, and Japan. Here are the in-game ping results in these different locations:
- Baseline in-game ping: 32ms
| Country/VPN | NordVPN | Surfshark | IPVanish | ExpressVPN | CyberGhost | PrivateVPN | PureVPN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | 105ms | 107ms | 115ms | 101 ms | 106 ms | 108ms | 110ms |
| UK | 56ms | 65ms | 62ms | 38 ms | 36 ms | 51ms | 57ms |
| Germany | 55ms | 50ms | 45ms | 32 ms | 26 ms | 50ms | 52ms |
| Japan | 270ms | 270ms | 275ms | 292 ms | 285 ms | 320ms | 285ms |
We tested several VPNs on Apex Legends – and all of the options on this list and table are excellent options. NordVPN was the best of the bunch, with average worldwide ping of just over 140 ms.
The testing results for locations differ, because the farther away the VPN server location is from where you are, the higher the ping and the bigger the lag will be.
For example, our testing location is pretty far from the US, so whenever we were connected there, VPN ping was around 100-115ms. Latency was pretty noticeable:
Meanwhile, in Germany, the country closest to our testing location, ping was relatively low, and thus the game didn't lag at all:
What else can cause Apex Legends to lag?
Sometimes, it’s not your internet connection quality that causes lag. There are a couple of other factors that can be in play here. Here’s a short list of what can cause Apex Legends to lag:
- Your system doesn’t meet the minimum requirements for playing Apex Legends on your device. If you’re experiencing a lag, and a VPN is not helping, check your system’s requirements and see if they meet the ones set by Electronic Arts.
- Apex’s servers are down. There have been instances of Respawn, Apex Legends creator, servers being down for some time, resulting in enormously long waiting times and incredibly high ping. So before you do anything else, check Reddit, check your gamer forums, and see if others are experiencing the same issues.
- Bugs that aren’t patched yet. There are always bugs in games, and developers are always fixing them. They don’t always succeed in fixing them in a timely manner, though. So, like with the server problem, take a look at Reddit and various forums – maybe it’s a bug that is yet to be fixed.
Take a look at our detailed list of reasons why Apex Legends might be lagging and what you can do to fix it.
FAQ
Can you get banned on Apex for VPN?
No, you won’t get banned on Apex for using a VPN to reduce lag or get better ping. However, using a VPN in order to change your location to access geo-restricted features or items or purchase skins and/or items for cheap, you will be at risk of getting banned.
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