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The Best VPNs for PUBG Mobile
Callum Tennent
Callum Tennent oversees how we test and review VPN services. He's a member of the IAPP, and his VPN advice has featured in Forbes and the Internet Society. Read full bio
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for PUBG Mobile. It has fast speeds, low ping, and no lag in 106 different server locations. ExpressVPN also works to bypass the PUBG Mobile ban in India on both Android and iOS devices.
PUBG Mobile, the mobile version of PlayerUnkown’s Battlegrounds, is banned in several countries, including India, China, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
Using a VPN you can change your online location and bypass geo-restrictions on PUBG Mobile. Without a VPN, it’s impossible to play PUBG Mobile in India as it has been removed from the App store and it blocks pre-existing players from matchmaking.
Playing PUBG with a VPN also protects you from doxxing and DoS attacks, as well as stopping internet throttling by your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
We’ve tested 62 VPN services to find the best VPNs that actually work with PUBG Mobile. They’ll hide your IP address and ensure your lag and ping are kept as low as possible while playing.
What Is the Best VPN for PUBG in 2024?
Our gaming tests reveal that the best VPNs for PUBG are:
The best VPN for PUBG in 2024 is ExpressVPN. In our testing, it delivered fast speeds, low ping, and minimal lag in 106 server country locations. ExpressVPN also works to unblock PUBG Mobile in India and other countries where the mobile game is banned.
Why Trust Us?
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The Best PUBG VPNs Compared
Through our in-depth testing methodology, we identified the five best VPNs for PUBG. They are fast, keep your ping below 20ms, and allow you to play PUBG in banned countries such as India.
That means you can connect to a local VPN server and play PUBG without impacting your FPS or graphics.
We carried out tests on longer-distance VPN connections, too. Our ping increased significantly, but our gameplay remained lag-free with the VPNs running.
Here’s a table comparing the VPNs that performed best in our testing:
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for PUBG Mobile, capable of producing low ping, lag-free gameplay anywhere in the world.
Low Ping across All Distances
We ran several ping tests from our server in India, including on local connections and distant connections to Singapore.
Here’s a summary of the results below:
An average ping of 109ms is impressive, especially over a distance of 3,000km+. We didn’t detect any lag while using ExpressVPN, and our gameplay remained smooth throughout the match.
Frustratingly, we couldn’t record the exact ping for our local connection as the lowest ping PUBG Mobile can display is 20ms. Regardless, a ping lower than 20ms is an excellent result and guarantees that you won’t experience any lag.
We were able to play PUBG Mobile with ExpressVPN without encountering any issues.
If the Singapore server experiences congestion or downtime, you can connect to a number of other virtual servers in Asia. All of ExpressVPN’s Asian virtual servers are physically located in Singapore, so you can expect a stable ping of 109ms regardless of where you connect to.
Optimized for iOS using built-in Apple automations
The fastest VPN for iOS
Intuitive, simple app for iPhone
Physical and virtual servers in Asia
Higher ping than ExpressVPN
NordVPN’s iOS app integrates seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem, providing fast speeds and strong security features.
Well-Designed iOS App & Fast Speeds
NordVPN has one of the best designed iOS apps of any VPN service. It integrates Apple automations, like Shortcuts, for a simpler, easier to navigate, user interface.
It’s also the fastest VPN for iOS we’ve tested, averaging a 2% loss in download speed when connecting to a local server.
Large Server Network Ensures Low Ping
NordVPN provides virtual servers close to India, such as its Bangladesh server location (via Singapore). You can also access servers that are physically located in Asia for more reliable ping, including in Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
NordVPN performed second best out of the paid VPNs.
Our ping on a local VPN connection remained firmly below 20ms.
We recorded an average ping of 112ms when playing PUBG Mobile on NordVPN’s Singapore server. This is an excellent result, only narrowly behind ExpressVPN.
Private Internet Access (PIA) has the best Android app for PUBG Mobile. It’s also a great cheap option for PUBG Mobile at only $2.03 per month over two years.
Fully-Featured Android App for Mobile Gaming
The Android app supports a wide range of VPN protocols including the exceptionally fast WireGuard, ensuring your ping is kept as low as possible.
It also supports port forwarding, custom DNS servers, and a dedicated VPN IP address, allowing you to optimize your connection for online gaming.
Ping Increases Substantially over Longer-Distances
As with all our top-rated PUBG VPNs, PIA remained below the 20ms threshold on local connections. We didn’t detect any changes to our framerate or screen quality, either.
PIA never exceeded 20ms on local VPN connections.
On longer-distance connections, PIA performed worse than ExpressVPN with our ping reaching 117ms on PIA’s Sri Lankan server (via Singapore). Despite this, gameplay was consistently smooth and free from lag.
PIA hasn’t got the best server coverage either. You can only connect to Singapore directly or connect to Sri Lanka via Singapore.
Proton VPN provides an advanced suite of security features, keeping your connection safe in online matches.
Mobile Apps Include Advanced Features for Secure Gaming
Proton VPN goes above and beyond to keep your online connection secure. The service uses open-source apps and trusted AES-256 encryption.
You can route your connection through Proton VPN’s ‘Secure Core Servers’ for added security. This sends your traffic through a second VPN server, protecting against malicious online attacks and ensuring your personal IP address remains private.
This creates a Double VPN connection which can increase your ping due to the added ‘bounces’ to the gaming server and back.
Lag-Free Gameplay across All Server Locations
On nearby connections, Proton VPN stayed below the 20ms benchmark without any drop in quality. Connecting to the Singapore VPN server, resulted in a ping of 117ms.
A ping of 117ms won’t affect your gameplay, even in vehicles.
We were able to play PUBG without any lag with this ping time, even when driving vehicles and playing on the highest graphics.
CyberGhost supports an impressive server network alongside easy-to-use mobile apps and a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.
Beginner-Friendly Mobile Apps & Affordable Pricing Plans
CyberGhost is a great option if you’re new to VPNs.
Its mobile apps use simple user interfaces with minimal extra features. You can also take advantage of its generous 45-day money-back guarantee if you’re unsure about purchasing the VPN service.
This guarantee only applies to subscription plans longer than six months, though. Refund requests are then processed within 5 to 10 working days with no questions asked.
If you need a cheap VPN for PUBG Mobile, CyberGhost is an excellent choice. At only $2.19 per month over three years, CyberGhost is one of the cheapest VPNs we’ve reviewed.
Minimal Latency alongside an Impressive Server Network
CyberGhost has an excellent spread of VPN servers covering 100 countries and 114 cities. This includes virtual servers in Pakistan and Sri Lanka which are routed via Singapore.
When connecting to a nearby CyberGhost server, our ping comfortably stayed below the lower limit of 20ms.
CyberGhost’s high ping didn’t affect our graphics or maneuverability.
Connecting to CyberGhost’s Singapore server caused a significant increase to 120ms. This is disappointing compared to other top VPNs but it didn’t noticeably impact our gameplay whatsoever.
This isn’t the case with TunnelBear free, though. It uses AES-256 encryption, DNS leak blocking, and first-party DNS to keep your connection secure. All of which has been confirmed by an independent audit.
1. TunnelBear Free: The Best free VPN for PUBG Mobile
Prone to occasional disconnections from the PUBG Mobile servers
TunnelBear VPN Free is the best 100% free VPN for PUBG Mobile.
Exceptional Server Coverage & Ping for a Free VPN
It has the largest server network of any free VPN we’ve reviewed, covering 47 countries. This includes servers in Malaysia, Taiwan, and Singapore.
It performed exceptionally well in our ping tests, even bettering ExpressVPN. While connected to a local VPN server our ping remained below 20ms.
TunnelBear VPN Free excelled in our ping tests.
Connecting to TunnelBear VPN Free’s Singapore server saw our ping increase to 100ms.
This is an impressive result, particularly for a free VPN.
Restrictive Monthly Data Cap & Regular Connection Drops
The major drawback is TunnelBear Free’s restrictive 2GB monthly data cap. Our testing revealed that PUBG consumes an average of 575KB a minute. This means you can only play around 57 hours of PUBG Mobile a month.
We didn’t include opening crates, customizing your character, or time spent matchmaking in calculating PUBG Mobile’s data usage.
We were also occasionally disconnected from the PUBG server while running TunnelBear. This wasn’t frequent enough to massively disrupt our online gaming experience but it’s still frustrating.
To play PUBG Mobile with a VPN, you need to install a VPN app onto your mobile device.
We’ve outlined the process below, step-by-step.
Here’s how to play PUBG Mobile with a VPN:
Go to your mobile device’s app store and search for a VPN. We recommend installing ExpressVPN.
Once the VPN app has been installed, create an account and log in.
Connect to a VPN server in a region where PUBG Mobile isn’t banned.
We advise Singapore if you’re based in Asia.
Open the PUBG Mobile app and matchmake as normal.
There isn’t any further setup required to play PUBG Mobile with a VPN. However, if you’re experiencing excessive lag while connected to a VPN then you may need to change your PUBG Mobile region.
Here’s a video demonstrating how to change your PUBG Mobile region in a few quick steps:
Make sure you change to a region with the lowest ping for the best performance.
To change region on the PUBG Mobile app go to the default lobby and select Settings, then tap on the Change button adjacent to Select Server.
From here, select a region from the drop-down menu that matches your VPN’s server location.
EXPERT ADVICE: You can only change PUBG Mobile region once every 60 days. Make sure you select your new region carefully.
Why You Might Need a VPN Service to Play PUBG
You need to use a VPN to play PUBG Mobile in countries where the game is banned. It is impossible to play PUBG Mobile without a VPN in India, for example.
The PC and console versions of PUBG aren’t banned anywhere but you can still use a VPN to improve your online gaming experience.
Regardless of what platform you’re playing on, using a VPN can protect you from doxxing, DoS attacks, and internet throttling from your ISP.
Quick Summary: Why You Need a VPN for PUBG
To bypass PUBG Mobile bans: If you live in India, Afghanistan, China, or Bangladesh then a VPN can allow you to download and play PUBG Mobile.
To prevent doxxing: Your real IP address is exposed in an online match and can be hidden by a VPN.
To protect against DoS attacks: Denial-of-service attacks can’t target your connection if it’s routed through a VPN server first.
To stop internet throttling: A VPN can conceal your online activity from your ISP and prevent your connection speeds from being throttled.
Bypassing PUBG Mobile Bans
If you live in a country where PUBG Mobile is banned then you won’t be able to do the following:
Access the PUBG website.
Download and install the PUBG Mobile app.
Log into the PUBG Mobile app and matchmake.
On Android, you can use a VPN to bypass all three restrictions.
We received this message when trying to access the PUBG website in India without a VPN running.
By connecting to a VPN server in a region where PUBG Mobile isn’t banned you can access the PUBG website and download the game directly as an .apk file.
This is only applicable to Android users. If you want to download PUBG Mobile on iOS then you’ll need to change your Apple Store region to one where the game isn’t banned.
How to Change Your Apple Store Region on iOS:
Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap your name and then Media & Purchases.
Select View Account and sign in if prompted.
Tap Country/Region > Change Country or Region.
Select the region you want to switch to, we recommend the US.
Tap Agree to continue and confirm the change.
Enter a valid payment method with an appropriate billing address. You can use StatesCard to generate a US card with the correct address.
Note: You don’t need to use a VPN at any point in this process.
Once you’ve installed PUBG Mobile on your device, you need a VPN to log in or create an account. This is the case for both Android and iOS.
We’ve outlined how to bypass PUBG Mobile’s geo-restrictions with a VPN below, using India as an example:
We used ExpressVPN to easily bypass India's ban on PUBG Mobile.
Connect to a VPN server in an unrestricted region and then open the PUBG Mobile app. You can now play the game without any limitations.
Preventing Doxxing
Connecting to a PUBG game server exposes your real IP address to the entire lobby.
By connecting to a VPN you are assigned the IP address of the VPN server, hiding your real one.
This limits the effectiveness of a doxxing attack as only your in-game username would be publicly available, not your real IP address.
Protecting Against DoS Attacks
PUBG Mobile is popular in e-sports and attracts large viewing figures on Twitch streaming. This leaves players susceptible to denial of service (DoS) attacks as opponents look to gain an advantage.
These attacks send large volumes of traffic to your IP address with the aim of disrupting your connection and even disconnecting you from the match.
You can connect to a VPN to conceal your real IP address and prevent a DoS attack from occurring.
In fact, Xbox Live support recommends you use a VPN to protect against DoS attacks while playing online:
Microsoft Support encourages you to use a VPN to protect your console.
Stopping Internet Throttling
Playing an online video game like PUBG Mobile can consume lots of bandwidth. Your internet service provider (ISP) may choose to intentionally slow down your connection speed to regulate how much bandwidth you’re using.
This is known as internet throttling.
Using a VPN hides your traffic and online activity from your ISP.
You can stop internet throttling by concealing your online activity with a VPN. Connecting to a VPN encrypts your traffic, preventing your ISP from monitoring your activity.
EXPERT ADVICE: The best VPN for preventing internet throttling is ExpressVPN. Its unbreakable encryption and impressive suite of security features ensures that your traffic is kept hidden from your ISP.
Can You Play PUBG Without a VPN?
You can only play PUBG Mobile without a VPN if you don’t live in a region where the game is banned.
Otherwise, you cannot play PUBG without a VPN.
We were prevented from accessing our pre-existing PUBG Mobile account while in India.
If you choose to play PUBG Mobile without a VPN running then you’ll also lose the benefit of protection against doxxing, DoS attacks, and stopping internet throttling.
EXPERT ADVICE: The PC and console versions of PUBG aren’t banned anywhere and can be played without a VPN.
Will Using a VPN Get You Banned in PUBG?
We read through the User Agreement on PUBG Mobile’s website and found multiple references to using third-party software.
In fact, the player conduct section states that players must agree not to:
“Use IP proxying or other methods to disguise the place of your residence, whether to circumvent geographical restrictions on the Services or for any other purpose;”
The section concludes by encouraging players to report any violation of these rules through the “Report Abuse” feature. We find it troubling that PUBG Mobile equates using a VPN to abusing the service.
Having said that, there are no known instances of a player being banned for using a VPN on PUBG Mobile.
We tested multiple VPNs on the PUBG iOS and Android apps and never received any warning or suspension.
EXPERT ADVICE: For extra assurance, use a top-rated service like ExpressVPN to encrypt your traffic and bypass the PUBG censors.
Can You Use a VPN with PUBG Lite?
In a now deleted post, PUBG Lite was terminated on April 29 2021:
PUBG Lite was a stripped-back version of the original game for lower performance PCs.
You can no longer install or play PUBG Lite on your PC but you can download the standard PUBG game for free as of January 2022.
Testing Methodology: How We Test VPNs for PUBG
To find the best VPN for PUBG Mobile we identified several key parameters, including: average ping time, international connections speeds, server proximity to banned regions, and the VPN service’s logging policy and jurisdiction.
You can use the table below to see how the VPNs performed in each testing category, alongside their overall PUBG rating:
We’ve outlined our testing criteria in more detail below:
1. Average PUBG Ping Time: 40%
Minimum Requirement: An average ping of <50ms locally and <150ms internationally.
We Recommend: An average ping of <20ms locally and <120ms internationally.
Ping is the most important part of online gaming especially in a battle royale game like PUBG Mobile where you only have one life per match.
A high ping can cause your game to lag which gives your opponent an edge in a firefight as it increases delay between your inputs and the game responding.
A VPN will always increase your ping as your connection has to pass through an additional ‘hop’ on the way to the gaming server and back.
The best VPNs for PUBG Mobile minimize your ping as much as possible across all regions.
We ran several ping tests without a VPN to calculate an average baseline. We then recorded our ping while connected to a VPN server location close to our testing server in India. We also tested our ping while connecting from India to a Singapore VPN server.
We prioritized India as its government has banned multiple iterations of PUBG Mobile.
We used Singapore VPN servers for our testing as a majority of VPN services have physical servers in Singapore and route their virtual servers via Singapore. This makes it ideal for PUBG Mobile players in India and Asia generally.
Sadly, it’s unlikely you’ll find a VPN that supports multiple physical servers in Asia outside of Hong Kong and Singapore.
The VPNs that performed best on PUBG Mobile barely increased our ping, irrespective of distance or location.
2. PUBG Server Locations: 25%
Minimum Requirement: At least one VPN server in your home region and a neighboring one.
We Recommend: Multiple servers in your home region and neighboring ones.
A large server network is vital for keeping your ping low as the nearer you are to a VPN server the faster your connection speeds.
Signing up to a VPN service with a large server network like ExpressVPN ensures that you’ll always have at least one server close to your home region.
It’s also important if you live in a country where PUBG Mobile has been banned such as India or China.
Top gaming VPNs are likely to have a server located near your country allowing you to bypass the local ban without noticeably impacting your connection speeds.
3. Privacy & Logging Policy: 25%
Minimum Requirement: A clear logging policy with only minimal anonymized connection logs.
We Recommend: A watertight zero-logs policy with absolutely no activity or connection logs.
Some VPN services may log user activity and even sell the data to third-party services.
This can be particularly problematic if you’re using a VPN to play PUBG Mobile in a region where the game is banned.
A VPN with a poor logging policy can reveal your online activity and location, potentially causing you legal trouble.
4. Additional PUBG Features: 10%
Minimum Requirement: The ability to customize your VPN connection settings in-app.
We Recommend: Multiple additional features including port forwarding and split tunneling.
The best VPNs for PUBG Mobile support split tunneling, allowing you to designate which apps enter the VPN tunnel.
This lets you specify PUBG Mobile for the VPN connection and exempt the rest of your apps.
This is particularly useful if you want to avoid verification checks on banking or retail apps, as well as any location-sensitive software.
Port forwarding is another welcome feature for PUBG Mobile. You can forward your ports to change a strict NAT Type and improve your latency to the PUBG server.
Data Cap Penalty
Nearly every free VPN is limited by a data cap that renews periodically. This is to encourage users to upgrade to a paid subscription.
Using up your allotted data, prevents you from connecting to the VPN anymore. As such, your connection will be left exposed to doxxing, DoS attacks, and internet throttling. You also won’t be able to bypass India’s ban on PUBG Mobile by connecting to a different region.
We apply a penalty to the VPN’s final overall rating for PUBG based on its data cap:
Unlimited bandwidth: No deduction to the overall rating
10GB per month: -20% to the overall rating
500MB per day: -25% to the overall rating
5GB per month: -30% to the overall rating
1GB per month: -35% to the overall rating
200MB per day: -40% to the overall rating
500MB per month: -50% to the overall rating
FAQs
Does a VPN Work on PUBG and PUBG Lite?
You can use a VPN while playing PUBG without any issues. If you’re playing PUBG on your PC, it’s simply a case of installing the VPN app, connecting to a VPN server, and starting your PUBG game as normal.
If you’re playing on a games console then you’ll need to follow our VPN gaming setup guides to play PUBG with a VPN.
VPNs did work on PUBG Lite before it was discontinued.
Are VPNs Legal in India for PUBG?
VPNs are legal in India but there are a few conditions to keep in mind.
There have been cases of VPN restrictions in the northern region of Kashmir and Jammu. If you’re suspected of using a VPN to incite secessionist ideals then you may be detained for questioning.
It’s still legal to use a VPN in Kashmir but we strongly advise against it. If you live elsewhere in India, though, then you should be fine.
There’s also the issue of India’s intrusive data laws. As of April 2022, the India government has ordered all VPN companies to log customer data for a minimum of five years.
This means that the India government would have access to the entirety of your online activity, including the now banned PUBG Mobile.
However, you can use our best VPNs for PUBG to bypass this entirely. Connecting to a server in a nearby country like Sri Lanka or Pakistan allows you to maintain fast connection speeds without compromising your personal information.
EXPERT ADVICE: We recommend connecting to a VPN server in Sri Lanka to play PUBG Mobile. It’s near India and a PUBG game server, guaranteeing low ping and fast speeds. It’s also exempt from any intrusive data laws.
What's the Best VPN for PUBG Crate Opening?
It’s widely reported that you can use a VPN to connect to a country with better loot or a higher chance of getting rare items.
There’s zero evidence that this is the case. PUBG crates are randomized and have no correlation to your IP address.
You can, however, use a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions on PUBG crates.
Since 2018 the Netherlands has viewed loot boxes as a form of gambling.
If you live in the Netherlands or Belgium you won’t be able to open crates on your PUBG account.
Creating a new PUBG account, while connected to a VPN server in a different country, allows you to bypass this.