Steam is a service known to every gamer. Created by Valve Software, Steam, in fact, is a system to deliver game content directly to a user’s computer, for example, games, modes, updates, etc. Steam is a marketplace where you can get Counter Strike, GTA V, Doom, and many others. In addition, the service has a social component, which makes it sort of Facebook for gamers. You can chat with other users, add them to friends, create groups, collect cards, stream gameplay, and much more. Steam, like any other online platform, can be accessed with a VPN. In this post, you’ll find out about the best VPNs for Steam. We will also reveal secrets on how you can benefit from such services. Ready? Let’s go.
Table of Contents
Why Do You Need a Steam VPN?
There are several reasons to use a VPN with Steam. In general, a VPN will help solve problems with accessing the platform as well as assist in changing your geographical location. This is how a VPN can improve your experience with Steam:
Unblock Steam at School
The Steam may be blocked by certain networks, for instance, at schools, colleges, or at your work. It is done to stop people from playing games when they should be studying or working. A VPN is designed to get past such restrictions. It changes your IP address and encrypts traffic so that your Internet provider can’t monitor your connection anymore. If the network is unaware of what sites you visit, it can’t block Steam. A VPN will also help overcome firewalls if the service is totally banned in your country.
Get More Content
Many streaming services, such as Netflix, use geo-restrictions to limit video catalogs depending on countries the viewers are from. The same goes for Steam. The service has a different number of games or other content available for users who live in various countries. You may lack some games in your local catalog while they are available to gamers from a neighboring country. Even games release dates may vary from a region to a region. Moreover, certain games may be blacklisted in specific countries such as Saudi Arabia, for example, for being too brutal. Either way, a VPN may help to pretend that you are from a different country and it will open access to game content you are missing.
Get Better Prices for Games
Not only catalogs are dissimilar for various countries but also prices. Steam offers better deals for users from poor countries. But you can benefit from lower prices as well if you change your virtual location. Just don’t use your credit card to make a purchase because it will give your real whereabouts away. The best solution is to pay via PayPal or even Gift Cards since they give more anonymity.
Become more Secured
It makes sense to protect your Internet connection every time you go online. Hackers may break your account and make a mess. Or even worse, they can find out sensitive information, such as your credit card details or passwords, and you will have to say goodbye to your money. Thanks to solid encryption, a VPN safeguards your traffic and makes your connection much more secure. Even if somebody intercepts your data, it will be impossible to decipher and use it.
What to Look for in a VPN for Steam
It is important that your provider is secure and reliable because Valve doesn’t allow using a VPN with Steam. The company cracked down on VPNs when more users started employing these services to forge their location and buy games cheaper than in their countries. If Steam figures out that you have a proxy or any other anonymizer, your account will be blocked. However, if you use a very powerful VPN provider, there is not much risk of being caught.
You should consider a few critical factors when choosing a Steam VPN. First of all, your service must provide strong encryption. Secondly, there should be many server locations across the globe allowing you to get an IP in practically any country. Thirdly, a good VPN for Steam has to be fast enough to support video games. Ease of use is also important.
The Best VPN to Use for Steam
There are many VPN providers to choose from. You may read about their services and look at the reviews to find out which is the most suitable VPN for your needs. Or you can simply trust our experts who have already analyzed and tested dozens of popular services and singled out these three best VPNs for Steam:
- Provider
- User Rating
- Our Review
- Price
PureVPN- 4807 Votes
- $3.24 / month
ExpressVPN- 3795 Votes
- $6.67 / month
Let’s look at our recommended VPNs in more detail:
NordVPN
This provider offers a wide range of security functions as well as special-purpose servers for gaming. You can benefit from military-grade encryption provided by OpenVPN protocol and unbreakable AES-256 cipher. Gamers are able to take advantage of DDoS protected servers. There is also an obfuscation option to help you get past firewalls. If you don’t want to share your IP address with thousands of other users, you may purchase your own dedicated IP that is much more beneficial considering that Steam fights with VPNs. NordVPN has the largest server roster in the industry consisting of 5,000+ servers in 62 countries. The service is available for all major devices and operating systems such as Windows, MacOS, Linux and many others. Despite uncompromising security functions, NordVPN is an easy-to-use and affordable provider. Its monthly subscription doesn’t cost much but the annual plans are a real bargain. You can try NordVPN without any fear thanks to a no-question 30-day money back guarantee.
PureVPN
PureVPN is incredibly balanced service that combines strong security, decent speeds, and robust functionality. Totally, it has more than 6.500 servers spread out 78 countries. The benefit of PureVPN is special Ozone-Ready servers that feature anti-malware software, content filter, and Intrusion Detection system. The service is equipped with all necessary security functions (such as Kill Switch and DNS protection) and useful extra features (for instance, split tunneling). Additionally, you can purchase some handy add-ons (a dedicated IP address or port forwarding, for example). PureVPN offers jaw-dropping tariff plans and its 2-year subscription is dirt cheap. Try it out risk-free thanks to a solid 31-day money-back guarantee.
ExpressVPN
If you are looking for an ultra-fast provider, then ExpressVPN is exactly what you need. The company runs a network of highly-optimized servers to maintain the best connection speed in the industry. Currently, ExpressVPN has more than 3,000 servers in 94 countries. The service supplies the latest security protocols and top-notch encryption uncrackable even for supercomputers. ExpressVPN’s users can benefit from a consistent performance and its app is the most straightforward we’ve ever seen. The provider is a bit pricey and it is the only reason it’s ranked #2 on our list. However, its 1-year subscription comes with a significant discount and you can get yourself a nice deal. Add a 30-day refund policy and you’ll get one of the best VPNs for Steam.
Conclusion
By using the best VPN for Steam, you can significantly expand your access to this digital platform. You are able to overcome firewalls and heavy network filters that prevent using Steam whenever you want. VPNs will also help get game content that is unavailable in your country because of various restrictions or late releases. You can even make better deals if you get an IP address in countries with lower prices. Keep in mind that Steam’s developer is not happy when users resort to VPNs, that’s why you need a top-notch provider that won’t cause any suspicion. This said, we don’t recommend free VPNs. They have small networks and all their IP addresses are likely to be blacklisted. Besides, they can’t offer the same level of security as the industry leaders and their connection speeds leave much to be desired. When it comes to the best Steam VPNs, premium services are necessary, such as the ones that we recommend.