Best VPNs for Apex Legends in 2024
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Aurelija Tomkevičiūtė
Writer
Apex Legends is a very popular game among all kinds of players, with vibrant characters and interesting storytelling. However, more often than not, users experience lagging and high ping issues. This makes the game less enjoyable and sometimes outright unplayable.
Luckily, a VPN can help fix the Apex Legends lag problem. By hiding your IP address and rerouting your traffic through its own faster servers, a VPN can get you easier lobbies, improve your internet connection, lower the ping, and reduce lag. Besides, it's a great tool for ensuring your online privacy and countering cyberthreats.
So join us and find out what are the best VPNs for Apex Legends in 2024 and how to use one to tackle the lagging problems.
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.
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: | 6300+ servers in 111 countries |
| Streaming services: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more |
| Current deal: | 🔥Get 74% OFF NordVPN + 3 months free🔥 |
NordVPN is the best VPN for Apex Legends. Firstly, it is one of the fastest – if not the fastest – VPNs currently on the market. Secondly, it has top-tier security features that will ensure a totally safe browsing and gaming experience. And on top of that, it also has some neat additional features that could be very useful and helpful in your everyday life. But let’s take a closer look.
In terms of speed, NordVPN constantly delivers consistent and fast connections. Its NordLynx tunneling protocol is the fastest from a quite wide selection, but other protocols, such as the 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 also 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 6300+ servers in 111 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 86% 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, and they are pretty cool.
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 the military-grade 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 famous affordable pricing, Surfshark’s monthly subscription starts at $2.19/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 55 countries |
| Streaming services: | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Disney+, and more |
| Current deal: | 🔥Now up to 83% OFF IPVanish + 3 months FREE🔥 |
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. The military-grade 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.
And like we mentioned before, IPVanish is a game-changer – quite literally – for the 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 slow downs 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 the 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: | Thousands of servers in 105 countries |
| Streaming services: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more |
| Current deal: | 🔥 Now up to 48% OFF ExpressVPN + 3 months FREE🔥 |
ExpressVPN is one of the most popular Apex Legends VPNs on the market for gaming. With thousands of servers in 105 countries overall, you will have no issues finding a suitable server in the US. Moreso, 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. Expecting for a lower ping isn’t only a hopeless dream here.
As for security, there is 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 what apps and sites route through a VPN. And the kill switch protects you IP if a VPN connetion 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 $6.67/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 fare it against the #1 in our NordVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison.
5. CyberGhost – VPN with the most servers
| Based in: | Romania |
| Servers/countries: | 11500 servers in 100 countries |
| Streaming services: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ |
| Current deal: | 🔥Get 84% OFF CyberGhost + 4 months FREE🔥 |
If you’re looking for the Apex Legends VPN with numerous servers, CyberGhost is a pick for you. With 1356 US servers and 11500 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.
As we have spoken of servers, let’s also mention that CyberGhost 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 an 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 you 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 character 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 feel the waters before committing.
Get to know the service better from our CyberGhost review.
6. PrivateVPN – customizable VPN for Apex Legends
| Based in: | Sweden |
| Servers/countries: | 200+ servers in 63 countries |
| Streaming services: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Video, and more |
| Current deal: | 🔥Now up to 85% OFF!🔥 |
PrivateVPN is a Sweden-based VPN provider and it performs really well with Apex Legends. One of the most attractive things about it is that you can customize encryption levels and thus achieve better speeds. However, that may come with compromising on the security. But the more tech-savvy players might appreciate the opportunity to curate their own VPN experience.
PrivateVPN unfortunately doesn’t have WireGuard, so its speeds might be a little slower than that of the other providers on this list. But the VPN is still fast enough to get you pretty low ping and lag-free Apex Legends gameplay. And if you lower the security levels a bit, the speed might become even better.
When talking about PrivateVPN’s security, it’s important to mention that there are four encryption ciphers, ranging from the most to least secure. While we don’t recommend choosing the least secure encryption for browsing and other online activities, you can still try that with Apex Legends for faster internet speed.
PrivateVPN prices start at $2.00/month. There’s also a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you end up not liking it.
For more information, read our PrivateVPN review.
7. PureVPN – Apex Legends VPN with always-on audit
| Based in: | British Virgin Islands |
| Servers/countries: | 6500+ servers in 65 countries |
| Streaming services: | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, HBO Max, Disney+ |
| Current deal: | 🔥Now 82% OFF PureVPN + 2 FREE months!🔥 |
PureVPN, despite some troubles in the past, nowadays is one of the best VPNs overall, and perfectly good for Apex Legends. It has good speeds, high number of server locations, and a lot of premium features that will make your online experience much more secure.
When it comes to speed, the WireGuard protocol is pretty fast and sure to reduce lag and ping in Apex Legends. Besides, the other protocols perform just as well, so you don’t really have to worry about speed when it comes to any other activities, too.
Another thing you won’t have to worry about is security – PureVPN uses military-grade encryption and is one of the first VPNs to have the always-on-audit policy. This means that their security and privacy policies and implementation are always being tested by independent auditors.
PureVPN also covers a pretty wide range of locations – they have 6500+ servers in 65 countries all over the world. It doesn’t matter in what country you play Apex Legends – this VPN will definitely give you plenty of choice when it comes to choosing a server.
As for pricing, PureVPN may surprise you – its five year plan costs only $2.14/month. There is also a 31-day money-back guarantee, so even if you don’t like the provider after giving it a try, you won’t be at risk of losing any money.
For more information, check out our PureVPN review.
Best VPN for Apex Legends compared
| VPN | Rating | Servers | Speed | Security features | Price |
| NordVPN | 6300 servers in 111 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 $2.19/month | |
| IPVanish | 2400 servers in 55 locations | 80% | AES-256 encryption, Kill switch, WireGuard protocol, Threat Protection, Obfuscated servers, Forward secrecy | From $2.19/month | |
| ExpressVPN | 3000 servers in 105 locations | 77% | AES-256 encryption, Kill switch, Lightway protocol, IP & DNS leak protection, Threat Manager, Malware protection | From $6.67/month | |
| CyberGhost | 11500 servers in 100 locations | 86% | AES-256-GCM encryption, Kill switch, WireGuard protocol, Content blocker, RAM-only servers | From $2.03/month | |
| PrivateVPN | 200 servers in 63 locations | 30% | Customizable encryption, Kill switch, OpenVPN protocol, Stealth VPN | From $2.00/month | |
| PureVPN | 6500 servers in 65 locations | 67% | AES-256 encryption, Kill switch, WireGuard protocol, Always-on-audit | From $2.14/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. 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. 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 DDoS attacks on you, nor find out your real location and pay an unexpected visit.
- Server and location count. 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. Not everyone’s wallets are bottomless, and 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:
Whereas 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 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’s, Apex Legends creators, 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 much 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.
Can I use a free VPN for Apex Legends?
You can use a free VPN for Apex legends but we don't recommend doing that. Free VPNs tend to significantly slow down your internet speed and make online games unplayable due to high ping.
When it comes to server locations, free VPNs don’t usually have much to offer either. You can most often choose from 3 to 10 different server locations, and compared to the paid providers, that is a pitifully small number.
There are also certain risks that come with using a free VPN. They cannot always guarantee top-tier security and even leak your real IP address. Besides, free VPN providers tend to collect and sell user data to third parties in order to minimize maintenance costs.
All in all, using a free VPN with Apex Legends might not be your best move. But if you really want to try a VPN for free, we suggest you look into VPNs that have free trials. Or you can also go ahead and claim your NordVPN free trial right now, or try the 14-day Surfshark free trial offer.
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.
Is a free VPN good enough to play Apex Legends?
No, free VPNs are usually not the best option to play Apex Legends. They tend to slow down connection speed. Besides, they offer very few server locations, and this might result in higher ping. We suggest trying out free trials of premium VPNs or simply investing in a reliable VPN, like NordVPN.
Can I reduce ping in Apex Legends by using a VPN?
Yes, you can reduce ping in Apex Legends by using a VPN, especially if your internet connection is being throttled by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). NordVPN is especially good for reducing ping in Apex Legends because it is one of the fastest VPN providers on the market right now.
Can I play Apex with a VPN?
Yes, you can use a VPN to play Apex and improve your overall gameplay experience. Helping you bypass the throttled internet connections, a VPN can help you avoid lag: something we all wish to do when playing video games.
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