The Best VPN for FFXIV (Final Fantasy XIV) in 2022: Private Online Gaming
Final Fantasy XIV is one of the most popular MMORPGs out there, and if you’re playing, you should be making sure your internet connection is private and secure. A VPN for FFXIV can do just that, and we reviewed several excellent options.
Even though it was initially released over a decade ago, Final Fantasy XIV still enjoys a huge player base. It’s not really a surprise, seeing as it’s the latest installment in the series to have a strong focus on multiplayer and new players just keep on registering. But no matter how much you’re enjoying your time in Eorzea, keeping your connection private while you’re playing is a must, and a VPN for FFXIV is the right tool for the job.
Key Takeaways:
- A VPN for FFXIV will keep your connection secured and add DDoS protection, in addition to keeping your user data private.
- The best VPN for the job is ExpressVPN, with apps for every platform, a strong focus on security and minimal impact on speed and latency.
- NordVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost are all more affordable alternatives, but come with some kind of compromise.
- Mullvad has a strong focus on keeping user data private, but is rather bare-bones aside from that and doesn’t really offer too much.
When it was first released in 2010, Final Fantasy XIV received a lot of backlash from players worldwide. Square Enix, the development studio behind the game, rebuilt it and re-released it in 2013, a revision met with largely positive feedback. It takes place in the fictional world of Eorzea, and has several expansion packs and updates that keep it as engaging as ever.
That being said, you should keep your connection secure while you’re exploring Eorzea, which is where a VPN for FFXIV comes in. ExpressVPN is the overall best VPN for this purpose, but there are several alternatives that might save you a few bucks in the long run. Read on to see how they all fare.
Yes, you can play FF14 with a VPN, provided you choose a VPN provider that has an app for the platform you’re playing on.
No, using a VPN with FFXIV won’t get you banned from the game.
A VPN won’t help with ping and get you a lower latency, but a reputable VPN service will keep the impact on latency minimal.
ExpressVPN is the overall best VPN for gaming if money is no object, with excellent speed and latency results and overall great feature set.
Top VPNs for FFXIV
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$6.39 / month30-day money-back guarantee
What Makes the Best VPN for FFXIV?
If you’re looking for a virtual private network to play Final Fantasy XIV, you should find one that has little to no impact on latency and speed, has apps for the platforms you’re playing FFXIV on and doesn’t compromise on security. These five VPNs are all great in those aspects, and some others besides.
- ExpressVPN — Blazing-fast VPN with premium pricing
- NordVPN — Low-latency VPN with excellent security
- Surfshark — Versatile VPN with no limit on simultaneous connections
- CyberGhost — Very affordable VPN with specialty servers for gaming
- Mullvad — No-nonsense VPN with strong focus on data privacy
The key thing to watch out for with an FFXIV VPN service is how much it impacts latency and speed. Both are very important for online gaming — a slow connection will increase loading times, whereas a high latency will result in a noticeable delay between pressing a button and the button’s action being executed in-game. A good VPN will have little to no impact on both and will let you play with no delays and faster loading times.
The next thing an FFXIV VPN should do is have an app for the platform you’re playing on. FFXIV is available for Windows, macOS, and PlayStation 3, 4 and 5. Most, if not all VPNs, have a desktop app, but if you’re playing on console, you’ll want a router app because modern consoles don’t allow you to install a VPN directly on the console.
Finally, a VPN service should have good security. Aside from encrypting your connection by routing it through VPN servers, it should add features like split tunneling and a kill switch. A strict no-logs policy is a must too, to ensure your user data is kept private.
The 5 Best VPNs for Final Fantasy XIV Video Game
With all of the above in mind, we chose five VPNs that do a great job at keeping your connection secure. We also considered things like subscription prices and overall features. These are the five best VPNs for FFXIV.
1. ExpressVPN
More details about ExpressVPN:
- Pricing: $6.67 per month for the yearly plan, plus three months free
- Provider website: expressvpn.com
Pros:
- Speedy & low latency
- Excellent security
- Apps for any platform
Cons:
- Expensive
ExpressVPN is our pick for the best VPN, and it also tops this list for several reasons. Overall performance in terms of speed and latency is better than any of its competitors, and it also comes with all the security and features you’d need such as a kill switch, split tunneling and a strict no-logs policy. It also includes apps for almost any platform, and you can find out more in our ExpressVPN review.
ExpressVPN gave us a mere 3 ms increase in latency, from 23 ms to 26 ms, which is impressive. This was a consistent result when connecting to all nearby servers. Servers farther away gave us slightly worse results, but this is to be expected with any VPN, so we can hardly blame ExpressVPN.
Excellent Performance With Lightway
ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol is built with the wolfSSD cryptography library and is only about 2,000 lines of code in total. This is very lightweight and is a big part of why ExpressVPN has better speeds and lower latency than any other VPN on our list.
ExpressVPN is expensive even on a yearly plan, but for a premium, no-compromise VPN, the price is very much worth it. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you change your mind. Overall, ExpressVPN’s modus operandi cuts no corners, making it a premium VPN in every sense of the word. If money is no object, this is the VPN you want for FFXIV.
2. NordVPN
More details about NordVPN:
- Pricing: $3.71 per month for the two-year plan
- Provider website: nordvpn.com
Pros:
- Low latency on close servers
- Strong security features
Cons:
- Important settings buried deep within the menus
NordVPN comes with a very strong focus on security and features like a kill switch, split tunneling and a strict no-logs policy. It has apps for any platform, but the UI isn’t that well thought out, with important settings being hidden deep within the settings menus. You can find out more about it in our NordVPN review.
Unfortunately, consistency isn’t its strong suit, which is why it comes in second on our list. Over NordLynx, we usually got a mere 12 ms increase in latency, but OpenVPN was much less consistent and we would recommend avoiding it if possible. Speeds were good when tunneling through nearby servers, but they suffered a bit when connecting to servers that are farther away.
Play FFXIV With Obfuscated Servers
FFXIV doesn’t prohibit you from playing with a VPN, but if you still want to hide the fact that you’re using one, NordVPN’s obfuscated servers do just that. You can route your connection through a VPN server without the game servers detecting the VPN. If you’re in a restrictive country like China, your ISP can’t detect the VPN either.
NordVPN isn’t expensive per se, though there are definitely more affordable options. If you don’t mind subscribing for two years, you’ll get an even better deal, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you don’t like it. NordVPN is a great alternative to ExpressVPN, but the inconsistent speeds and unintuitive settings menu within the apps put it firmly in second place.
3. Surfshark
More details about Surfshark:
- Pricing: $2.30 per month for the two-year plan, plus two months free
- Provider website: surfshark.com
Pros:
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Multi-hop servers add security
- Optional static IP address
Cons:
- Expensive monthly plan
Surfshark believes that if you’re paying for a VPN, you shouldn’t be limited in any way. A subscription gets you unlimited simultaneous connections, as well as a slew of other useful features like a kill switch and split tunneling. There are apps for almost all platforms, and in our testing, Surfshark had respectable results with regard to speed and latency. You can find out more in our Surfshark review.
With Square Enix prohibiting account sharing, Surfshark’s static IP address feature will come in handy. You’ll be connecting to the FFXIV server from the same IP address every time, reducing the chances of your account being flagged for sharing. You can even route your connection through Surfshark’s multi-hop servers, which add a second VPN server for added security.
Unlimited Everything
When it comes to the number of simultaneous connections, Surfshark doesn’t impose any limitations whatsoever. This makes it perfect for sharing with family members or friends, so you can all go on raids without paying for separate subscriptions.
Surfshark gets you affordable pricing on its longer plans, and as we mentioned, sharing your subscription will make it even more affordable. There is a 30-day money back guarantee too, in case you experience long ping times or don’t really need the unlimited bandwidth.
If you intend to share your subscription, or really need the unlimited bandwidth, data and simultaneous connections, Surfshark is perfect for you. If not, though, NordVPN and ExpressVPN are better picks.
- : Unlimited GB bandwidth,Unlimited devices
- : Unlimited GB
- : Unlimited
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4. CyberGhost
More details about CyberGhost:
- Pricing: $2.15 per month for the three-year plan, plus three months free
- Provider website: cyberghostvpn.com
Pros:
- Low-latency gaming servers
- Very affordable
- Huge server network
Cons:
- Mediocre performance when using OpenVPN
CyberGhost’s forte is its large server network and its specialty gaming servers that focus on low latency. You’re getting both, as well as features like split tunneling and a kill switch, for a very affordable price — that’s an excellent deal. CyberGhost also has apps for almost all popular platforms, and you can read more about it in our CyberGhost review.
Performance was a bit of a mixed bag, with OpenVPN being slow and inconsistent. IKEv2 was much better, though, with only a 10 ms latency increase, which is excellent when it comes to FFXIV VPNs. CyberGhost’s impact on speed wasn’t too bad either, and you can definitely use this as a gaming VPN.
Low-Latency Gaming Servers
Low latency is crucial for gaming, and CyberGhost has a whole list of gaming servers in four locations that you can choose from. Each server has its estimated latency listed right next to it. In most cases, that’s close to the actual latency, making it easy to pick the right server for playing FFXIV.
CyberGhost is as affordable as it gets, provided you subscribe for three years. The VPN will even throw in three free months, as well as a 45-day money-back guarantee, compared to the usual 30 days offered by most competitors.
If you’re trying to save a bit, CyberGhost is the perfect budget VPN for lag-free gaming. The only reason it comes in at fourth place is the mediocre performance over OpenVPN and the fact that some VPNs have even less of an impact on latency.
5. Mullvad
More details about Mullvad:
- Pricing: $5 per month
- Provider website: mullvad.net
Pros:
- Sign up without any ID
- Strong security
- Minimal impact on speed
Cons:
- Very bare-bones feature set
Mullvad checks all the boxes when it comes to the important features — a reliable connection, automatic kill switch and a split tunneling feature, but that’s about all it has. You won’t get specialized servers, for example, or any advanced configuration, which is why it comes in last on our list. You can find out more in our Mullvad review.
From a performance perspective, Mullvad resulted in a 9 ms increase in latency and had negligible impact on connection speeds. This makes it a great choice if you want to play FFXIV with a VPN and maintain online privacy. Mullvad also has apps for all desktop and mobile platforms, and offers configuration files for routers if you’re a console player.
No-User-Data Sign-Up
If you don’t want to share any user data whatsoever, Mullvad offers the option to pay by mailing them cash. You log on with a unique number, so you don’t even need an email address. It’s a creative sign-up process that protects your data by not even asking for it in the first place.
Mullvad comes at a reasonable price, but unlike other VPN providers, it doesn’t get cheaper if you stay subscribed longer. You do, however, get a 30-day money-back guarantee. Mullvad focuses more on data privacy than features, which is why it comes in last on our list. It is definitely one of the best VPNs for FFXIV and will get you a solid gaming experience.
- : Unlimited GB
- : 5
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Honorable Mention: Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access gets an honorable mention on our list. Even though it offers sufficient online protection, affordable pricing and features like a kill switch and split tunneling, the connection speeds and latency results were far from impressive. PIA more than doubled latency to nearby servers and had a significant impact on speed, and you can find out more in our Private Internet Access review.
PIA is incredibly affordable if you subscribe for three years, and there is a 30-day money-back guarantee if you don’t like it. Paired with a zero-logs policy, a configurable kill switch and a built-in ad blocker, it would’ve been an even better choice if not for the subpar performance.
Can You Use a Free VPN for Final Fantasy XIV?
In most cases, we would suggest that you steer clear of free VPNs, especially if data privacy and protection are a priority. A free VPN can cause a whole range of problems, often either not securing your data at all or bundling malware with the installation files — we covered this in our worst free VPNs piece.
Two notable exceptions you won’t find on the worst list, though, are Windscribe and ProtonVPN.
Windscribe has consistently topped our list of best free VPNs for several reasons we discussed in our Windscribe review. It has a solid focus on security and a minimal impact on latency. However, it also has somewhat inconsistent speeds, and the free plan is capped at 10GB of data, which probably won’t be enough if you’re playing Final Fantasy XIV often.
ProtonVPN, on the other hand, has a free plan that doesn’t limit how much data you can use, but will throttle your speed. It also only offers three locations to choose from, but as we mentioned in our ProtonVPN review, it does a good job if you don’t want to spend any money.
Why You Should Use a Reliable FFXIV VPN
Online gaming isn’t always safe. If someone gets access to your private user data, chances are they don’t have your best interests at heart. This is why, whether you’re playing online games in general, or just FFXIV, using a VPN is crucial.
A VPN will provide protection from anyone who might be snooping in on your internet connection, including your ISP, but it will also make sure you are safe from IP address and DNS leaks. These leaks can potentially lead to DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks, which may impair your connection’s speed and stability, resulting in higher latency, delays and dropouts.
Final Thoughts: Best VPN for FFXIV
If you’re a fan of the Final Fantasy series and enjoy the 14th installment and the world it immerses you in, you should definitely be using a VPN for FFXIV. It will allow you to enjoy the game and level up your favorite characters in Eorzea without worrying about the privacy of your data and the security of your internet connection.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for FFXIV, combining a negligible impact on speeds and latency with strong security and apps for any platform you could be playing Final Fantasy on. If you want something more affordable, NordVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost are all great alternatives, and Mullvad will even let you mail in your payment in cash if user data protection is your priority.
Which one of our top picks is your favorite choice for grabbing experience in Eorzea? Do you go all out and splurge on ExpressVPN’s no-compromise service, or do you prefer something more affordable in exchange for fewer features? Let us know in the comments, and as always, thank you for reading.
