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7 Best VPNs for Minecraft – Bypass IP Bans (+ Free Provider)

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If IP bans and network blocks are ruining your Minecraft experience, then using a VPN is the ultimate solution. But not just any VPN will work! Luckily, I did the hard part for you.

After thoroughly testing hundreds of VPN providers, Surfshark came out as my top pick because it consistently bypasses Minecraft IP bans and VPN detection measures.

With Surfshark, you’ll also enjoy fast speeds, unlimited simultaneous connections, and apps for all device types! But the competition is close.

In total, I found 7 VPNs that work best for Minecraft players worldwide. And my two runner-ups, NordVPN and ExpressVPN, do the job almost as well as my top pick.

Keep reading to find out which VPN is best for you!

Top 3 VPNs for Minecraft (March, 2024)

DDOS PROTECTION
NordVPN
NordVPN devices

With a huge server network and powerful VPN security features – including DDoS protection – NordVPN has everything a Minecraft player needs. Enjoy obfuscated servers, multiple simultaneous connections, apps for all devices, and an optional Dedicated IP.

4.6/5
Read More
BEST CHOICE
Surfshark
Surfshark Devices

Surfshark is a budget-friendly VPN for Minecraft players, offering world-class obfuscation and some of the fastest VPN speeds we’ve ever seen. You’ll also get unlimited simultaneous connections, apps for all devices, and a massive server network.

4.8/5
Get Discount
LOW-LATENCY
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN different devices

ExpressVPN offers thousands of high-speed, low-latency obfuscated servers worldwide to ensure Minecraft players aren’t disappointed. Combine this with multiple simultaneous connections and apps for all devices, and you’ve got a great Minecraft VPN.

4.6/5
Read More

Finding the best VPN for Minecraft means finding a VPN that consistently bypasses IP bans and VPN detection measures.

Not only are all of the VPNs listed in this guide great at doing both, but they also offer apps for all popular Minecraft platforms, multiple simultaneous connections, and fast gaming speeds.

Stick around to find out how I came to my conclusions and what each top VPN for Minecraft excels at!

The Best VPNs for Minecraft at a Glance

In this guide, I discuss in-depth why each VPN provider is great for Minecraft. But if you’re in a rush, here’s a quick look at my list:

How Do I Play Minecraft With a VPN? It’s Easy – Just Follow These 6 Steps!

minecraft 1.16.5 java edition

Using Surfshark as a base, here’s how to play Minecraft with a VPN:

  1. Choose a plan for a Minecraft VPN and pay the subscription fees to activate your account.
  1. Download the VPN app for the device (or devices) you play Minecraft on.
compatible OS and browser for Surfshark app
  1. When the app installation is complete, launch it and sign in to your account.
  2. Click or tap on the “Connect” button, so your VPN automatically connects you to the fastest server based on your real location.
Surfshark connect button
  1. After launching Minecraft on your device, click Multiplayer > Proceed > Add Server and enter the Minecraft server connection details.
minecraft add server button
  1. Click the Join Server button and enjoy!
minecraft join server button

Detailed List of the 7 Best VPNs for Minecraft

1. Surfshark – Best Minecraft VPN

Surfshark landing page

Surfshark has everything a Minecraft player needs – and more!

No matter how familiar you are with VPNs, using Surfshark to bypass Minecraft IP bans or unblock the game on your school’s internet is easy.

minecraft in game interface

With more than 3,200 servers in 65 countries worldwide, you can enjoy blazing-fast speeds that help keep your latency low, so you don’t get wiped out by an Enderman when you least expect it.

Surfshark VPN servers coverage

Surfshark also has two obfuscation features, which help hide the fact you’re using a VPN from Minecraft.

Camouflage Mode is a lightweight version that works perfectly for most gamers, while NoBorders Mode sacrifices some speed to protect Minecrafters in countries where VPNs are restricted or illegal.

Camouflage Mode is enabled by default when you connect to Surfshark using either OpenVPN protocol.

NoBorders Mode can be enabled by navigating to Settings > Advanced and sliding the “NoBorders” button to the right.

Surfshark noborders advanced setting

The kill switch also needs to be manually enabled.

This can be done by navigating to Settings > Connectivity and sliding the “Kill Switch” button to the right.

kill switch setting on surfshark

If you’re starting a Minecraft tutorials channel on YouTube or streaming your gameplay on Twitch, Surfshark is also one of the best VPNs for streamers. It protects you from DDoS attacks, so haters and trolls can’t intentionally crash your internet connection.

surfshark private dns and leak protection

Regardless of what Minecraft Edition you play, Surfshark has you covered with easy-to-use apps for all device types.

You can even connect as many devices as you want with a single account!

Pros

Cons

2. ExpressVPN – Premium Low-Latency Minecraft VPN

express vpn for gaming landing page

ExpressVPN also makes it easy to bypass Minecraft’s VPN detection methods – because all 3,000+ servers are automatically optimized for obfuscation thanks to its TrustedServer Technology!

playing minecraft while connected to expressvpn

You’ll never worry about latency issues, either. Every time I test ExpressVPN, I get VPN speeds nearly as fast as Surfshark’s. The difference is so small you have to run a speed test online to notice it!

ExpressVPN is also a great VPN for streamers, with excellent DDoS protection.

expressvpn encrypted dns

Plus, their apps are easy to use: simply install, login, and connect – no fiddling with the settings (unless you want to).

Best of all, you can get the ExpressVPN app for just about every device you can imagine.

The only slight shortcoming is you’re limited to a maximum of five simultaneous connections.

It’s also worth mentioning ExpressVPN is a premium provider.

Though their monthly subscription fees are tied with several others, they’re still the most expensive, even with the savings from their yearly plan.

The good news is you can unlock a 35% discount and three free months by signing up with our link!

Pros

Cons

3. NordVPN – Powerful DDoS Protection

nordvpn for gaming

Not long ago, I would’ve named NordVPN the best VPN for Minecraft.

However, the industry leader was overtaken in enough areas to push them down to number three on my list – but it was a close call!

If you want to beat Minecraft’s VPN detection methods, NordVPN’s obfuscation setup is easy to implement. It requires changing some advanced settings, but it’s still user-friendly.

First, navigate to Settings > Auto-connect and make sure OpenVPN TCP is selected under “VPN Protocol.

nordvpn obfuscation setup

Then, go to Advanced and move the “Obfuscated servers” switch to the right.

nordvpn advanced obfuscated servers setting

But there is a drawback.

You’re limited to the OpenVPN TCP protocol (as shown above), so you miss out on the faster speeds of NordVPN’s proprietary protocol, NordLynx.

As a result, the provider is slightly slower than Surfshark and ExpressVPN.

That said, I’ve never experienced latency issues while playing Minecraft with NordVPN!

playing minecraft while connected to netherlands server

Another downside is NordVPN’s obfuscation feature isn’t available on all 5,447 VPN servers.

While you still have plenty of options for bypassing Minecraft IP bans, this limitation becomes frustrating quickly.

nordvpn obfuscated servers setting

Nevertheless, NordVPN deserves to be recognized as one of the best Minecraft VPNs – especially for streamers looking for the best VPN for DDoS protection.

They also have dedicated apps for all your devices and let you connect up to six of them simultaneously.

Plus, their monthly plan is the most budget-friendly in our Top 3 – though you can get 68% off the two-year subscription by signing up with this link!

Pros

Cons

4. VyprVPN – Bypass Minecraft VPN Detection

vyprvpn for gaming

VyprVPN deserves to be recognized as one of the best VPNs for Minecraft.

One of the things I love about VyprVPN is they own all of their servers. This allows them to fully optimize every server without relying on a third party as most VPN providers do.

And that optimization includes robust DDoS protection.

It also allows VyprVPN to deliver lightning-fast gaming speeds.

In our VyprVPN vs. NordVPN Comparison a few months ago, it was a close tie for which VPN is faster!

VyprVPN also lets you use its proprietary Chameleon VPN protocol, an obfuscated version of OpenVPN. This means you can easily bypass Minecraft VPN detection without increasing your latency – a huge plus in my books!

playing minecraft while connected to vyprvpn

However, where VyprVPN disappoints is how small its server network is: a mere 700+ servers in 70+ locations worldwide.

At the same time, because VyprVPN owns all of those servers, the network includes somewhere between 300,000+ and 400,000+ IP addresses. That means you’ll never worry about Minecraft IP bans, either!

And although VyprVPN’s kill switch isn’t enabled by default, it’s as easy as going to Customize > Kill Switch and switching it on.

Plus, VyprVPN’s apps are easy to use on all devices, though you can only connect up to five devices simultaneously.

But if you sign up using this link, you’ll get a massive discount with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

vyprvpn spring sale

Pros

Cons

5. IPVanish – Unlimited Multiple Connections

ipvanish for gaming

IPVanish promises it’s the best VPN for gaming, but there are a couple of reasons I put them in fifth place as a Minecraft VPN.

First of all, you need to enable the kill switch manually. This is easy enough – just fill in the checkmark at the top of the app interface.

ipvanish kill switch setting

But more importantly, when we did our IPVanish vs. NordVPN In-Depth Comparison recently, our internet speed dropped by around 50% while using IPVanish.

This was a drastic downgrade from our IPVanish vs. Private Internet Access Comparison from a month before when our speed only dropped by 17% to 19%.

Unfortunately, this means you can expect varying latency levels depending on how far you are from the IPVanish server you’re connected to.

There aren’t many servers to choose from, either.

ipvanish vpn servers

IPVanish offers 1,600+ servers in 75+ locations – though that includes over 40,000 IP addresses so that Minecraft IP bans won’t be a problem at least!

playing minecraft while connected to ipvanish vpn

One way you can boost your speed is by using the SOCKS5 proxy instead of the OpenVPN protocol.

But doing so means you can’t take advantage of the obfuscation feature (which is confusingly marked as “Scramble” in the app settings) to bypass Minecraft’s VPN detection methods.

ipvanish scramble setting

Speed is likely to be your top priority, anyway.

IPVanish’s apps are also available for all device types, so no matter your Minecraft Edition, you can unblock the game with the easy-to-use VPN.

They also recently started allowing unlimited simultaneous connections.

Get the most out of IPVanish with our exclusive discount deal!

ipvanish subscription prices

Pros

Cons

6. Private Internet Access – Huge Server Network

Private Internet Access website

If you’re looking for a Minecraft VPN to help you bypass IP bans, then Private Internet Access has 32,000+ servers to offer!

private internet access vpn servers

Their apps are also user-friendly, no matter what device you’re using.

You can even connect up to ten devices simultaneously!

PIA also gives you the option of using the SOCKS5 proxy connection instead of a VPN protocol.

This way, you can boost your speed for even lower latency!

However, SOCKS5 won’t encrypt your connection.

private internet access socks5 setting

But even without SOCKS5, I’m enjoying low-latency and high speeds – even faster than with NordVPN!

Still, PIA has a couple of drawbacks.

You’re more likely to get caught by Minecraft’s VPN detection measures, as PIA doesn’t have any obfuscation features.

They’ve promised obfuscated servers from as far back as 2017, but since the new parent company took over, PIA deleted all mentions of it on their website and forums.

reddit deleted comment about pia onfuscation

Luckily, I haven’t run into any issues using PIA for Minecraft so far.

minecraft game menu

The second drawback: not all servers have dedicated DDoS protection, and there’s no way to tell if the one you’re connecting to does.

The provider recently clarified on Reddit that “user-level DDOS prevention is not available as a specific function.

pia comment on reddit

What they don’t make clear is how a DDoS attack on their servers affects connected users.

I couldn’t find any complaints from users being disconnected as a result, though PIA admits a 2016 DDoS attack negatively affected its users.

I still think PIA is a good Minecraft VPN and their 30-day money-back guarantee means you can test them yourself risk-free.

Grab your 73% discount (including two months free) by signing up with this link!

Pros

Cons

7. CyberGhost VPN – Beginner-Friendly Minecraft VPN

cyberghost for gaming

CyberGhost is another popular VPN for Minecraft.

After all, with 6,876 servers in 90 countries worldwide, it’s easy to bypass IP bans!

cyberghost vpn servers

But there are a couple of catches.

As shown in our CyberGhost vs. NordVPN Comparison, we regularly found connecting to CyberGhost cut our internet speeds in half.

That’s a pretty steep drop that can introduce a lot of latency when trying to play Minecraft.

Fortunately, CyberGhost offers dedicated gaming servers. While this limits your options, it also improves speed and reduces latency significantly.

cyberghost for gaming

But for beating the Minecraft VPN detection methods, you’ll have to use the NoSpy Servers instead.

This is a drawback, as the NoSpy servers introduce severe latency and cost extra.

This is as good as not having obfuscation at all – you’re better off sticking to the “gaming” servers.

playing minecraft while connected to cyberghost vpn

Back to the positives, CyberGhost’s apps are beginner-friendly and available for all devices.

You can even connect up to seven of them at the same time.

CyberGhost is also moderately priced. It’s not the cheapest VPN on this list, but it’s not the most expensive either.

CyberGhost price

But if this is your first VPN experience, sign-up with this link to get an exclusive 83% discount, plus three free months on a three-year subscription!

Pros

Cons

What Is the Best Free VPN for Minecraft?

The best free VPN for Minecraft is Windscribe.

However, I strongly recommend against using a free VPN for Minecraft.

But if you have no choice, Windscribe offers 2GB of bandwidth every month (10GB/month if you sign-up with an email address), making it a decent free VPN for Minecraft.

windscribe connected to toronto

That said, I can’t guarantee Windscribe’s free version will work consistently.

Windscribe is a premium VPN, meaning they subsidize the cost of offering a free version with premium subscriber fees.

For this reason, free users can only choose from a small portion of servers.

This is still better than most other free VPNs that limit servers and bandwidth while also spying on users and selling their personal information to advertising companies.

Overall, free VPNs will rarely, if ever, pass under the radar when it comes to Minecraft’s VPN detection methods.

Although Mojang doesn’t outright ban using a VPN when playing Minecraft, they’re known to block connections they recognize as coming through a VPN.

Windscribe won’t always work. Most of the time, it’s more likely not to work at all. So, if you find a free server that works, consider yourself lucky.

This is why I recommend sticking to a paid VPN provider with a proven track record.

Don’t forget you can get an 81% discount on Surfshark when you sign-up using this link!

Read Also: Can You Be Tracked With a VPN? (7 Privacy Tips)

How to Choose the Best VPN for Minecraft?

minecraft game

If you’re determined to shop around, this cheat list of must-have features will help you choose the best Minecraft VPN:

  • Many VPN servers (and IP addresses) – the more, the better! This will help you bypass Minecraft IP bans with ease and give you plenty of options for reconnecting if you get an IP ban on one of the VPN’s servers.
  • Fast, consistent VPN speeds – without fast speeds, you’ll struggle with a poor ping rate and high latency. Having many VPN servers usually helps with this because users can spread out more easily without causing network overload.
  • Ability to bypass Minecraft’s VPN detection measures – you won’t be able to connect otherwise. Obfuscated servers (or an obfuscation feature) are the most sure-fire way for a VPN to meet this requirement. But generally speaking, if it works with Netflix, it’ll work with Minecraft too!
  • DDoS protection – this is especially important if you’re streaming your Minecraft gameplay or even uploading edited clips to platforms like YouTube.
  • Easy-to-use apps for your devices – you can’t use your Minecraft VPN if the provider doesn’t have an app for the device you’re playing on, after all! And the easier it is to install and use, the more time you can spend playing instead of fiddling with the VPN settings.
  • Budget-friendly – it doesn’t help to find the perfect VPN for Minecraft if you can’t afford the subscription fees.

Surfshark ticks all the right boxes, including being an incredibly budget-friendly premium VPN – especially if you sign-up with this link!

But overall, all 7 best VPNs for Minecraft listed in this guide will do the job.

How to Bypass the Minecraft VPN Blocker?

Here’s how to bypass a Minecraft IP ban or get past their VPN blocker:

  • Sign-up with a Minecraft VPN (we recommend Surfshark).
  • Install the VPN app and use the connect button to connect to the fastest VPN server or choose your preferred location.
  • Launch Minecraft and join one of the online servers.
  • If Minecraft detects you’re using a VPN, close the Minecraft app. Turn on your VPN’s obfuscation feature and then try again.
  • If you get an IP ban while using your VPN, close the Minecraft app and reconnect to a different VPN server before logging back into the game.

Why Is Minecraft Blocked?

Minecraft is most likely blocked because you’re trying to launch the game on your school or work’s internet connection.

Schools and businesses usually block games because they want to limit online distractions so you can focus on learning or work.

Like IP bans (which are typically issued because a player using the same IP broke a multiplayer server’s rules), you can unblock Minecraft with one of our recommended VPNs.

Interesting Reads:

FAQ

Does Surfshark Work on Minecraft?

Yes, Surfshark works on Minecraft and will help you beat an IP ban, unblock the latest Minecraft features no matter your location, or bypass your school’s firewall.

Surfshark is one of the best VPNs for Minecraft, thanks to its fast speeds, large server network, and obfuscation features. Plus, it has unlimited simultaneous connections for all your devices!

Does NordVPN Work on Minecraft?

Yes, NordVPN works on Minecraft and will help you beat an IP ban, unblock the latest Minecraft features no matter your location, or bypass your school’s firewall.

Thanks to fast connection speeds, a large server network, and obfuscation features, NordVPN is one of the best VPNs for Minecraft.

NordVPN also offers six simultaneous connections for all your devices.

Can You Play Minecraft With a VPN?

Yes, you can play Minecraft with a VPN to bypass an IP ban, unblock censored Minecraft content in your country, or get through your school or workplace’s firewall.

However, not all VPNs work on Minecraft.

Surfshark is our recommended best VPN for Minecraft, as it offers the best obfuscation features, fast speeds, a large server network, and unlimited simultaneous connections for all your devices.

Can You Get Banned for Using a VPN on Hypixel?

Yes, you can get banned for using a VPN on Hypixel and almost always will.

Hypixel doesn’t directly forbid it but still issues a security ban for using a VPN to connect to their server and map.

Does Hypixel Ban IPs?

No, Hypixel does not ban IP addresses. Instead, they ban user accounts and flag the connected IP as a security threat for about a week (unconfirmed).

New account login attempts on a flagged IP will also receive a security alert ban.

Will I Get Banned for Using a VPN on Minecraft?

Your IP might get banned for using a VPN on Minecraft – unless your VPN can beat Minecraft’s VPN detection.

All of the VPNs listed in this guide are excellent choices for avoiding Minecraft’s VPN detection methods.

What Countries Are Minecraft Banned In?

Minecraft is not banned in any countries at the time of writing.

However, China and Turkey both have censored versions of Minecraft.

You’ll need to use a VPN with powerful obfuscation features, like Surfshark’s NoBorders Mode, to access the regular Minecraft from these countries.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re trying to enjoy your lunch break, beat an IP ban, or bypass your country’s censorship, the best VPNs for Minecraft will help you dive back into the world’s favorite sandbox game!

My favorite Minecraft VPN is Surfshark, thanks to its excellent speeds, large server network, and powerful obfuscation features.

Sign-up with this link to get a major discount for the best, most budget-friendly Minecraft VPN!

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