The best VPNs for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in 2026

ExpressVPN gives you the most ways to get an Xbox online through a VPN, and the simplest one costs money up front. Its Fortify router, built with GL.iNet, sells for $199.99 with ExpressVPN already on it and a 12-month Advanced plan included. You plug in the Xbox, choose a server and play. ExpressVPN says Fortify handles up to 86 devices at once and counts as one device on your plan, so a console, a smart TV and the kids' tablets all go through the VPN together. After the first year you need to renew to keep the VPN part working.

If you don't want new hardware, you can run ExpressVPN on a Windows PC and share the connection with the Xbox as a hotspot. For streaming apps, MediaStreamer is ExpressVPN's smart DNS, with setup guides for Xbox Series X and Xbox One. It is faster to set up, but ExpressVPN says it doesn't encrypt your traffic or hide your IP address, so it does nothing for privacy.

Basic costs $84 for the first 28 months, about $3 a month, then $99.95 a year, and covers 10 devices. Monthly billing is $15. You can try the iOS or Android app free for 3 days, and website purchases have a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Private Internet Access (PIA) is the cheapest way to put an Xbox behind a VPN, and its Xbox page is the most complete we read. It covers Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One and walks through all three methods.

For a router, you check that it supports custom firmware, add PIA through the admin panel and connect the Xbox to that network. For PC sharing, you run PIA on a Windows PC or a Mac, connect the Xbox to the computer with an Ethernet cable and turn on Network Sharing in Windows or Internet Sharing on a Mac, then set the console's IP and DNS to automatic. For smart DNS, you set the Xbox's DNS to manual and type in the address PIA gives you. PIA is clear that smart DNS doesn't encrypt your traffic or hide your public IP address.

There is no device limit, so a router, a PC and every phone can be on one account. The 3-year plan costs $81.20 for 3 years and 4 months, about $2.03 a month, and PIA says it renews at $81.20 every 3 years. The extra months are part of an early-access offer. The 1-year plan is $47.88 and monthly is $11.95. There is no free trial; new subscribers get a 30-day money-back guarantee instead.

Surfshark suits a house with several consoles and players, because every plan allows unlimited devices. Its Xbox page covers Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, and Xbox 360, and says plainly that Xbox consoles don't support VPN apps.

You get three routes. Add Surfshark's configuration to a router that supports VPNs, then connect the Xbox to that Wi-Fi. Or run Surfshark on a Windows PC, turn on sharing for the VPN adapter and plug the Xbox into the PC with an Ethernet cable. The third option suits a dorm room or hotel: share the VPN through a mobile hotspot from the Surfshark app. Surfshark's Xbox page doesn't mention smart DNS, so if region switching for streaming apps is the main goal, ExpressVPN or PIA cover it better.

Surfshark's gaming page warns that all VPNs may increase ping, so pick a server close to the game server. The network has more than 4,500 servers in 100 countries. The 2-year Starter plan is $67.23 for the first 27 months, about $2.49 a month, then $79 a year; monthly billing is $18.95. The 7-day free trial on 1-year and 2-year plans needs payment details and covers 3 devices, followed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Proton VPN is the only provider here that lets you put its free plan on a router. Router connections work on every plan, including Free, and the router counts as your one free connection. That gives you a no-cost way to find out whether your router can run a VPN and what it does to your Xbox's ping before you pay for anything. The free plan has no data limit and no ads, but Proton picks your server from 10 countries, so you can't choose a location near your game server.

Your router must support OpenVPN or WireGuard as a client. Proton has setup guides for AsusWRT, DD-WRT, FreshTomato, GL.iNet Flint, MikroTik, OpenWRT, OPNsense, pfSense and Vilfo, and warns that most routers supplied by internet providers don't support VPNs. Proton's pages we read mention no smart DNS option and no Xbox-specific guide, so this is the pick for people comfortable in a router's settings.

VPN Plus costs $83.76 for the first 24 months, about $3.49 a month, then $83.88 a year. It covers 10 devices, lets you pick from 140+ countries, according to Proton's pricing page, and has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

CyberGhost gives you the longest time to test a router setup and walk away if your ping gets worse. The 6-month and 28-month plans have a 45-day money-back guarantee, and the monthly plan 14 days. You can also try the app free for 24 hours on Windows or macOS without a card.

Its gaming page says PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo consoles don't support VPN apps, so you set CyberGhost up on a compatible router, and its 24/7 support will help with that. The page is also fair about speed: a VPN can help when your provider routes game traffic badly, but CyberGhost says it won't drop your ping every time. A dedicated IP is available at extra cost if you want the same address each time you play. Its feature and gaming pages don't mention smart DNS.

The 28-month plan costs $61.32 up front, about $2.19 a month, and renews at $61.32 a year. The 6-month plan is $41.94 and monthly is $12.99. One account covers 7 devices, the fewest here, and the network spans 100 countries. The apps include an automatic kill switch and support WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2.

Windscribe makes sense if your Xbox only needs one or two VPN locations. Build A Plan charges $1 a month for each location you pick, with a $3 minimum, and each location adds 10GB of data a month. Router setup is included on Build A Plan and on Pro, which costs $69 a year, about $5.75 a month, or $9 billed monthly.

Watch the data on Build A Plan. A router sends everything on your network through the VPN, including game downloads and streaming, and 10GB per location goes quickly. Pro is the safer choice if the whole house shares the router.

Windscribe works with any modern router that has an OpenVPN, IKEv2 or WireGuard client, and you download the configuration files from your account. The free plan, with 10GB a month after you confirm an email address, doesn't include router files, so it can't cover an Xbox. Paid accounts have no device limit and can add static IPs if you want the same address every time. The network covers more than 69 countries.