Want to cut straight to the chase? The best Steam VPNs right now are Private Internet Access and ExpressVPN.
As a standalone software client, Steam came around in September 2003 to provide video game digital distribution services to its numerous users around the globe.
As a company owned by Valve, it has succeeded in providing a game service with automatic updates for its games.
The service has expanded beyond distributing games from Valve alone; it has also included in its game collections games from other third-party publishers.
Why You Need a VPN For Steam
If you’re a game lover who loves to buy steam games with a VPN you’re likely asking this question: why do you need a VPN for Steam?
You need a VPN for Steam for several reasons. But one of the most essential reasons we always advise our readers to use a VPN for Steam is to maintain their online privacy. Since you don’t like the prying eyes of hackers and other snoops spying on your online activity including when you’re on Steam, you should get a VPN that works perfectly with this software. The good thing about the VPN helping you to maintain your online privacy is that it’ll ensure your online data and personal information are completely protected from hackers, government agencies, and other snoops.
Other benefits you stand to derive from using a VPN for the general purpose include providing you unrestricted access to a large number of servers, protecting you against attacks from DDoS, shielding your information from your Internet Service Provider (ISP), reducing your lag, and enhancing your ping, among others.
Overall, using a VPN for gaming on Steam isn’t totally a must but there are definitely many benefits you can gain from using it especially if you find yourself in certain situations that warrant it.
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Is Using a VPN on Steam Illegal?
There is a sort of technicality you need to understand about answering this question. The first and most important point we’ll like to raise here about whether or not you can use a VPN on steam is that it’s totally against Steam’s Subscriber Agreement. By this, the terms of service make it illegal for its users to use a VPN or other proxy services for gaming on the platform.
Moreover, it prohibits gamers from using a VPN for buying games cheaper, accessing or unblocking its geo-blocks. Although you can still try using a VPN for some reasonable purposes, you may get banned under certain situations like using it for a purpose contrary to the terms of service provided by Steam.
And, in that case, it wouldn’t be counted as going against Steam’s Subscriber Agreement if you’re using a VPN to maintain your online security and privacy. Overall, you can use a VPN for reasons such as the one just stated above and you’ll do fine with it.
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Tips to Stay Safe with Using a VPN For Steam
So you’re set t get a VPN for your Steam games but still not sure if this would lead you to trouble or risking a ban by Steam. Don’t worry! In this section, we have added extra few tips to help you use a VPN with Steam without getting banned for it.
- Don’t Use Your VPN For Illicit Activities. We can’t stress this point enough but the point we are making here is to not use your VPN for carrying out illegal activities. If you think you’re smart at doing this, it wouldn’t take you far before you’re caught and banned from this service.
- Don’t Try to Buy Games Cheaper Through Other Countries. This is one of the ways by which most people get their Steam account flagged by trying to buy games from other countries where they’re being offered at cheaper prices. Doing this is a blatant act of breaking the Steam Subscriber Agreement for your country.
- Don’t Try to Access Games Earlier. Certain in-game downloads, discounts, etc. are made available for some countries alone, and trying to access via a VPN is against Steam’s terms of service and could get your account banned. Try not to be tempted to do this and you will be fine with using a VPN for your Steam account.
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How to Connect Your VPN to Steam
One of the questions we have been asked times without numbers is “why steam doesn’t work with VPN?
If you’re just starting out to use steam or VPN or you’re already a loyalist of Steam, you’re likely wondering how to solve this problem, too.
The process of connecting a VPN to Steam begins with the following steps:
- Go to the official website of the VPN service provider to download the app and install it on any device of your choice.
- Launch the VPN on your device
- Select a location and connect to a server closest to your location or any server you like. In the case of US residents who want to access Binance.com, they should select a location and connect to a server outside the country.
- Once you connect to a VPN server, your traffic is redirected to that location and then you’re good to go with visiting Binance.com to start your Crypto trading.
Note: You must always manually update our store location each time you try to connect to a different server after already connected to a server from another location.
However, there are some other things you need to take note of should you have a problem with using your VPN for Steam. In addition to manually updating your Steam store country, you should try and avoid using a free VPN. There are many reasons you should not ignore this including having a premium VPN that can guarantee your online security and privacy, as well as having a VPN regularly updated and maintained by experts rather than one sort of useless and outdated VPN.
Oftentimes, the problem you have with using a VPN with Steam isn’t from Steam but with your VPN. Some VPNs can impact negatively your Steam’s functionality if not properly wired. A typical example is where you’re using a VPN with a split tunneling capability. In that case, you should always include Steam in your secure tunnel each time this feature is enabled on your device.
By following all the tips above, you should be able to use your VPN with Steam effortlessly.
Top Steam VPNs
| Brand | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. ExpressVPN | $12.95/month | Robust features |
| 2. CyberGhost | $4.49/month | Fast gaming |
| 3. Private Internet Access | $2.19/month | Easy access |
#1 ExpressVPN
With ExpressVPN boasting over 3,000 trusted servers spanning 160 locations with reliable and blazing-fast speed, this provider is a great option for gaming on Steam. While the service is a bit expensive when compared with other rivals, the investment is worth it if you consider the reliability of speed and security it offers you when connecting to your steam.
Also, ExpressVPN uses 256-bit encryption that makes it very difficult for hackers to break your traffic while using it for playing steam games. There are other features such as kill switch; DNS leak protection, and OpenVPN. The good thing about OpenVPN is that it’s compatible with all platforms.
Moreover, this VPN allows up to 5 devices connected at the same time. On top of that, the provider maintains a zero-logging policy. And last but not least, ExpressVPN is known for being one of the VPNs out there with the most trusted server technology that allows you to connect up to 5 devices simultaneously without compromising your security and privacy on anyone. So with this option, you can easily share your ExpressVPN’s subscription with family and friends without paying an extra fee and while enjoying your Steam games with your family and friends.
Pros
- Fast speed for gaming
- OpenVPN works across multiple platforms
- Zero-logging policy
- Up to 5 devices connected simultaneously
Cons
- A bit costly than some of its competitors
Get started with ExpressVPN today.
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#2 CyberGhost
CyberGhost is one of the VPN software that works with so many gaming and streaming services such as Steam, BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Disney+, etc. With a user-friendly interface, this provider has over 6,000 servers distributed in over 90 countries thereby making it easy for you to select from a wide range of servers. Just like other advanced VPNs, CyberGhost features a military-grade 256-bit AES encryption on OpenVPN with other essential features like kill switch, IP and DNS leak protection, and strict no-logs policy.
One thing we also like about this VPN software is the fact that it’s a cross-functional app, meaning apart from being perfect for playing games on Steam, it works with other platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Sky Go, BBC iPlayer, among others. And not only that, you can also install the app on operating systems such as Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, macOS, to mention but a few.
To crown it up, this VPN is one of the best VPNs for Steam and you can even try it out now by taking advantage of its 45-day money-back guarantee. The good thing about this is that you can ask for a full refund if you don’t like what you see after testing the service.
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- Affordable VPN services
- Ad- and malware-blocking app
- Up to 7 devices connected simultaneously
Cons
- The inconsistent speed that varies with some servers
Get started with CyberGhost today.
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#3 Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access offers one of the most gigantic networks of servers of about 35,550 servers cutting across 78 countries thereby making it easy for you to select from a wide range of servers. With this large number of servers, you can’t only select from wide options you can also easily find a server close to your location no matter where you live in the world.
While you have these phenomenal servers to connect to, this VPN allows you to connect up 10 simultaneous devices to the server leveraging PIA’s user-friendly apps. Although this provider doesn’t normally offer discounts on their prices their pricing options are always very affordable for all classes of the budget. Another interesting about this VPN service provider is that they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for you to try out the product. And, within this window of 30-day, you can always use the software to see how it works with Steam and decide whether or not it’s the right choice for you.
Additionally, PIA comes in handy when it comes to choosing a VPN that will help you maintain total privacy and security for your Steam gaming sessions. With the highest standard of 256-bit AES encryption used by this provider, you can rest assured all your sensitive data and privacy will be kept secured and protected from hackers and other snoops including malware. Although the provider also offers 128-bit encryption – which comes as the default encryption – we advise you always choose and enable the 256-bit encryption, which is the highest standard available in the industry.
Other security protocols that come with this app include an automatic kill switch; DNS leak protections and an app for blocking adware, malware, or tracker. On top of that, this VPN service promises they don’t keep user’s logs. This means PIA wouldn’t have any information to share with any third party or government agency should they ask for one.
Pros
- Gigantic server to select from no matter your location in the world
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Up to 10 devices can be connected at the same time
- Perfect for multiple streaming and gaming services including Steam
- It’s a cross-functional platform app that works with Windows, iOS, Android, etc.
Cons
- Sometimes you need to switch servers to get one with fast speed
Get started with Private Internet Access today.
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Wrapping Up On Best VPN For Steam
Although you don’t need to use a VPN with your Steam account it’s necessary to keep your online activity and gaming session safe and private. While using a VPN is against Steam’s Subscriber Agreement, you’ll be OK if you don’t use your VPN to harm others or commit illicit activities.
We already highlighted above certain tips and things to stay out of if you must use a VPN with your Steam account without getting banned. You must keep to these tips and stay away from any act that can put you into trouble.