Gjurgjica Panova
Updated on: December 17, 2023
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for Twitch in 2024:
- 🥇ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN has a large server network in 105 countries, including ones where Twitch is available, like in the US, Argentina, Germany, and more. It has the fastest speeds on the market and comes with strong security features.
Twitch is a popular live streaming platform that shows video game live streams, esports competitions, and music broadcasts. However, it’s not available in certain countries, like Turkey, China, and Russia. Plus, the platform restricts content based on the streamer’s location, so you may not have access to all the streams you want to watch.
A VPN can change your IP address to virtually any location in the world, including locations where Twitch streams are available. So, in theory, you could use a VPN to access Twitch from a country where Twitch isn’t available or watch streams from other locations. But please keep in mind that this could constitute copyright infringement and is against Twitch’s community guidelines.
I spent a few weeks testing and found the best VPNs for Twitch. ExpressVPN is my top choice as it has a large server network in 105 countries, maintains the fastest speeds on the market, and has strong security features.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for Twitch:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for Twitch in 2024 with the fastest speeds for streaming & gaming.
- 2. 🥈Private Internet Access — Highly customizable VPN apps for streaming on Twitch + very secure for gaming.
- 3. 🥉CyberGhost VPN — Large server network for Twitch + dedicated servers for streaming & gaming.
- 4. NordVPN — Top-notch security for streaming on Twitch + fast speeds on all servers.
- 5. Surfshark — User-friendly VPN for Twitch with affordable plans (good for beginners).
- Comparison of the Best VPNs for Twitch in 2024.
Disclaimer: My colleagues and I at SafetyDetectives don’t condone copyright infringement. The VPNs we recommend below have strict no-logging policies that prevent them from keeping track of (or even seeing) what you do online. This means you’re responsible for how you choose to use a VPN, so please be sure to follow all applicable rules and regulations.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Twitch
ExpressVPN is my top choice for streaming Twitch. It has a large server network in 105 countries, including ones where Twitch is available, like the US, Germany, and North Macedonia. Plus, ExpressvPN has multiple server locations in each of these countries, allowing you to connect to the closest one to get the best speeds.
The VPN had the fastest speeds in my tests. Thanks to its proprietary protocol, called Lightway, I was able to watch videos on Twitch without any interruptions, and I didn’t experience any lag while gaming.
This provider is great for streaming. Besides Twitch, it also works with 100+ streaming sites, like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and BBC iPlayer (as confirmed by ExpressVPN’s support reps and our international team of testers).
If you’re looking to play your own games online, ExpressVPN is our top pick, too. All of its servers come with DDoS protection, and the VPN supports cloud gaming services. One of my favorite things is ExpressVPN has a native router app, which is easy to install and configure. This way, you can connect all of the devices in your household to the VPN.
I like that ExpressVPN has split-tunneling, which lets you choose which apps use your local network and which apps use the VPN. In my tests, I streamed video games on Twitch while connected to one of ExpressVPN’s servers and excluded all other apps from the VPN to get even faster speeds for streaming.
All of ExpressVPN’s servers have obfuscation, which hides your VPN traffic, making it look like regular internet traffic. This is how it bypasses most online restrictions, including in countries that censor the internet and deny you to use Twitch. The Automatic protocol option is the best for obfuscating your traffic.
The VPN is very secure. It has RAM-only servers, which never store data on the hard drive and erase all data with each server reboot, as well as DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak protection. It also has perfect forward secrecy, which changes the encryption key for each session to minimize the amount of data potential hackers could access, and its no-logs policy has been independently audited and confirmed multiple times.
I found ExpressVPN’s apps easy to navigate. They come with a Shortcuts feature that allows you to create 1-click shortcuts to your favorite sites, like Twitch. Plus, there’s a quick connect feature, which automatically connects you to the fastest server, and all servers are separated into regional locations (like Europe, Asia, etc.).
ExpressVPN has plans starting at $6.67 / month. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN for Twitch. It has a large server network in 105 countries, including ones where Twitch is available. The VPN maintains the fastest speeds on the market, has great streaming and gaming support, and cool extra features like split-tunneling and obfuscation on all servers. Plus, it’s very secure and very easy to use. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Customizable Apps for Twitch
Private Internet Access (PIA) has customizable apps that allow you to change settings to get more secure and faster connections. For example, you can easily change encryption levels from 256-bit AES encryption to 128-bit AES encryption to get faster speeds for streaming on Twitch. Or, choose whether or not to connect to the VPN when using untrusted Wi-Fi networks.
During my speed tests, video gaming streams loaded in 1–2 seconds and played without any interruptions. Other types of streams, like esports competitions and music, worked really well, too. That said, PIA is a bit slower than ExpressVPN.
I’m a big fan of PIA’s large server network in 91 countries, which are evenly spread out across the globe. This means that you’ll find a server in many server locations where Twitch is available.
PIA has good streaming and gaming support. It consistently works with 30+ streaming platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, and France TV. For your own gaming, all of its servers include DDoS protection, and you can configure the VPN on your router (but it doesn’t come with a native router app like ExpressVPN). PIA also allows unlimited connections, so it’s great for large households.
This provider has RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, an audited no-logs policy, and full leak protection. What’s more, I like that its apps are open source, which means that everyone can inspect the code for security issues.
PIA provides obfuscation via Shadowsocks, which is an encrypted open-source proxy. The VPN allows you to choose from Shadowsocks servers in 5+ countries where Twitch is available, including North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It also has a quick-connect setting that picks the fastest Shadowsocks server for your location.
Its apps are intuitive. They show the ping next to each server (how long it takes for your device to communicate with the VPN server and back), which helps you find the fastest servers. Moreover, all features are set to a recommended default setting, so you don’t have to worry about changing them. Plus, there are short explanations for all settings.
Private Internet Access offers plans that start at $2.11 / month. Each plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access has customizable apps that allow you to create more secure and faster connections for streaming and gaming on Twitch. Moreover, the VPN maintains fast speeds, has a large server network, and provides good streaming and gaming support. Plus, it comes with strong security features, obfuscation through the Shadowsocks protocol, intuitive apps, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — A Large Server Network
CyberGhost VPN has a vast server network in 100 countries, including ones where Twitch is available. This means that you’ll most likely find a server in or near your locations for faster speeds for streaming on Twitch.
In my speed tests, streams loaded in 3–4 seconds with minor buffering in the beginning, and I experienced high ping only on distant servers. However, CyberGhost is slower than Private Internet Access and ExpressVPN.
When it comes to security features, CyberGhost VPN is also a top performer. It comes with RAM-only servers, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and perfect forward secrecy to ensure that your Twitch traffic is secure. Plus, the VPN also has a no-logs policy that has been independently audited and confirmed. However, CyberGhost doesn’t provide obfuscation, like ExpressVPN.
I’m a big fan of CyberGhost’s streaming and gaming support. It has streaming-optimized servers located in 20+ countries, including the US, the UK, Japan, Germany, and France, where Twitch is available (though it doesn’t have one specifically for Twitch). Even so, Twitch streams worked perfectly. The VPN also has servers that work with 50+ other streaming platforms.
When you want to play your own games against friends, you get dedicated gaming servers in Germany, France, the UK, and the US — these servers are optimized to provide the fastest speeds.
This provider’s apps are very beginner-friendly — the interface is easy to navigate and all settings and features have helpful explanations. There’s also a Smart Rules feature, which allows you to personalize the VPN connections. For example, you can make the VPN app automatically connect to a server and open Twitch on launch.
CyberGhost VPN’s plans start as low as $2.03 / month. Long-term plans have a 45-day money-back guarantee, whereas monthly plans have a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN has dedicated servers for streaming Twitch. It maintains fast speeds for streaming and gaming on Twitch and a large server network in 100 countries. It also has strong security features and user-friendly apps. Long-term plans have a 45-day money-back guarantee, and monthly plans have a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
4. NordVPN — Top-Notch Security Features for Twitch
NordVPN comes with all the advanced security features, like full leak protection, RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, dark web monitoring, and an audited no-logs policy.
I really like NordVPN’s ad blocker, called Threat Protection. It blocked most of the ads when playing games on Twitch and prevented me from accessing shady sites. The ad blocker remains active while the VPN is off, which makes it very helpful for all users.
The VPN works with 10+ streaming platforms, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+. My colleagues in the US were able to access these streaming platforms without any issues.
This provider had fast speeds in my tests. HD streams loaded in 5 seconds and played with some interruptions and I experienced minor lagging when gaming. However, ExpressVPN had faster speeds.
While I had low ping for gaming, I don’t like that NordVPN lacks DDoS protection on its servers (unlike the other VPNs on this list). It will protect your real IP address from an attack, but NordVPN’s servers are vulnerable, which could knock you offline.
NordVPN has obfuscation through the OpenVPN protocol. It allows obfuscation on 100+ servers in 15+ countries. Unfortunately, NordVPN doesn’t reliably work in restrictive countries but may still work for Twitch on other restricted networks like at a school or workplace.
The VPN has a quick connect button which automatically connects you to the fastest server in your location. Plus, there’s an interactive digital map that allows you to use country pins to pick servers.
NordVPN has plans starting at $3.39 / month. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN has strong security features for streaming and gaming on Twitch. It also comes with some extra ones, like Dark Web Monitoring and Threat Protection. It has decent streaming and gaming support, fast speeds, an obfuscation feature, and user-friendly apps. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — Beginner-Friendly VPN With Affordable Plans
Surfshark is great for beginners as all settings and features have explanations. There’s also a quick connect feature that automatically connects you to the fastest server in your location, so you can start streaming or gaming on Twitch right away. Plus, the VPN allows unlimited simultaneous connections.
The VPN has affordable plans. So, it’s a great option if you’re on a tight budget and looking for a quality VPN that will protect your data and device when streaming or gaming on Twitch.
This provider has decent speeds for streaming on Twitch. During my tests, live gaming streams played with some interruptions, but it was minor. Moreover, the VPN has a larger server network of 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, so you’ll more easily find a fast, nearby server. However, Surfshark is still slower than ExpressVPN.
Camouflage Mode is Surfshark’s obfuscation feature, but it doesn’t work in restrictive countries. Surfshark also has a NoBorders feature — it provides a list of servers that can circumvent network restrictions, such as when using college or workplace Wi-Fi networks that restrict access to sites like Twitch.
This VPN has advanced security features, like RAM-only servers, DNS leak protection, perfect forward secrecy, and an audited no-logs policy. I’m a big fan of the IP Rotator feature which regularly changes your IP address without disconnecting you from the VPN server, which improves your privacy.
Surfshark has plans that start at $1.99 / month. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is a great choice for beginners and is quite affordable. It has decent speeds, a large server network, and advanced security features. It also has obfuscation and No Borders for bypassing internet restrictions to stream Twitch. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
Comparison of the Best VPNs for Twitch in 2024
How to Choose the Best VPN for Twitch in 2024
- Look for a VPN that works with Twitch. All the VPNs on this list reliably work with Twitch 24/7.
- Consider fast speeds. All VPNs slow down your speeds because they encrypt your data. However, top VPNs are able to maintain fast speeds across all servers. ExpressVPN had the fastest speeds in my tests.
- Get a VPN with strong security features. I only recommend VPNs that come with industry-standard VPN security features, like 256-bit AES encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and a kill switch that blocks your internet connection if your VPN disconnects to avoid accidental data leaks.
- Choose a VPN with user-friendly apps. Each VPN on this list has apps for most major devices. Plus, the apps have an intuitive interface, which makes it easy to find the server you’re looking for.
- Pick a VPN that offers the best value. All the VPNs on this list allow multiple simultaneous connections, offer generous money-back guarantees, and come with extra features, like split-tunneling.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- Cactus VPN. Cactus VPN is secure, pretty fast, and good for streaming. However, it only has servers in 22 countries, severely limiting your options for finding a local server or one that supports Twitch. It also doesn’t work in restrictive countries.
- TunnelBear. TunnelBear works in restrictive locations but only has a server network in 47 countries, which is a lot smaller than a lot of top VPNs. It also lacks RAM-only servers and perfect forward secrecy. What’s more, the VPN doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee.
- Windscribe. Windscribe only offers a 3-day money-back guarantee. Plus, its no-logs policy hasn’t been independently audited, which means that there’s no guarantee that the VPN won’t collect your IP address, browsing history, and other sensitive or identifying information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best VPN for Twitch?
ExpressVPN is my top choice as it has a large server network in 105 countries, including ones where Twitch is available. It has the fastest speeds on the market and strong security features for a safe streaming experience on Twitch.
Can I use a free VPN with Twitch?
Maybe, but I don’t recommend it. Many free VPNs have small server networks, log user data, and put data caps on a daily or monthly basis. So, if you won’t be able to stream a lot on Twitch.
Instead, I recommend getting a premium VPN, like ExpressVPN. It has a large server network in 105 countries, works with tons of streaming services (including Twitch), maintains very fast speeds, and includes robust security features.
Is VPN good for Twitch?
Yes, a VPN is good for Twitch. It encrypts your traffic protecting it from third parties, like your ISP who might throttle your bandwidth and ruin your streaming experience on Twitch. Moreover, Twitch isn’t available in some locations, so with a VPN you could (in theory) use the platform from these countries.
Do VPNs affect streaming quality on Twitch?
No, the top VPNs on this list don’t impact the streaming quality thanks to their fast speeds and large server networks, so you can easily find a server in or near your location for faster speeds.
