How to unblock Fortnite at School

School network administrators often block access to popular game servers like Fortnite, Minecraft, Roblox, and PUBG. Colleges and universities do this to prevent users from clogging up the school network’s bandwidth, and to ensure students use the internet for their studies. These restrictions cause frustration for students who want to play Fortnite in their downtime. The good news is that you can easily unblock Fortnite in school with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

A VPN is an online service that allows you to bypass network restrictions and online geo-blocks. It works by encrypting your traffic and tunneling it to a server outside the school network. This lets you use the internet while bypassing the restrictions imposed by the school.

Best of all, a VPN is designed to give you online privacy. It does this by handling your DNS requests privately and by encrypting your traffic. As a result, the school admin has no way to tell what you are doing online – leaving you free to unblock Fortnite without anybody finding out.

In this guide, we recommend the top VPN providers to unblock Fortnite at school so you can play in your downtime. But first, here’s a quick summary of the best VPNs to unblock Fortnite at school:

1. NordVPN: Our #1 VPN for Fortnite. A super reliable VPN with over 1,970 servers in 20+ US cities. NordLynx protocol is designed to be fast; perfect for playing Fortnite. Advanced apps for all platforms. Super secure. Outstanding privacy features. Risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Fortnite.
2. Surfshark: Best budget VPN for Fortnite. Superb value for money. Servers in 100+ countries and 22+ US cities. Outstanding speeds for playing Fortnite or streaming in HD. Robust privacy features. Apps for all platforms. Unlimited simultaneous connections.
3. IPVanish: Well-known and reputable US provider. Unlimited connections are permitted with a single account. Incredibly fast thanks to its WireGuard implementation. Robust AES-256 encryption. Allows torrenting. Proprietary server network, with servers all across the US to play Fortnite.
4. ExpressVPN: A highly reputable service with servers in 105+ countries. Wide choice of servers in 24+ US locations. Unblocks two dozen Netflix regions. Lightning-fast Lightway protocol to play Fortnite. Robust AES-256 encryption.
5. CyberGhost: Perfect Fortnite VPN for beginners. Extremely easy to use. Apps for all platforms. Servers in 100+ countries, including over 1,200 in 11+ US cities. Very cheap when you commit for two or three years. Works with Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu.
6. Hotspot Shield: Lightning-fast Catapult Hydra protocol to play Fortnite. Works with Netflix, iPlayer, and other international streaming services. Servers in 80+ countries. Doesn’t track what you do while connected.
7. PrivateVPN: A fast and secure no-log VPN from Sweden. Works to unblock Fortnite in school. Ideal for streaming iPlayer, Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and most other international services. Lots of advanced privacy features.

To make choosing a VPN easier, scroll down for in-depth summaries about each provider that offers more information.

How to unblock Fortnite at school: Step-by-step guide

Follow the steps below to get a VPN subscription with a provider that works to unblock Fortnite.

Here’s how to unblock Fortnite at your school in the US:

1. Select a VPN for Fortnite. We recommend NordVPN because it has over 1,970 super-fast servers across the US to give you the best possible speeds.
2. Follow our link to subscribe to the VPN at the best possible cost.
3. Choose the VPN subscription length you prefer and download the VPN software.
4. Install the VPN app onto your Fortnite device. There are apps for computers and mobile devices.
5. Choose a server in the US and connect. A server closer to your school will provide better connection speeds.
6. As soon as the VPN connects, you will be able to launch Fortnite and play it as if you were off-campus.

Are you experiencing issues? We recommend clearing your cookies and trying to access Fortnite again. If it still doesn’t work, contact your VPN provider for help.

Testing criteria for Fortnite VPNs

The online marketplace is saturated with VPN providers, and they are often misleading about the level of service they provide, making choosing a VPN confusing.

Below, we have included a list of the most important criteria we used to pick VPNs for Fortnite:

• Fast servers: A fast global server network, including a wide choice of servers in the US, is essential for gamers who want a stress-free experience while playing Fortnite. We perform speed tests for each provider while connected to servers in multiple countries worldwide.
• Apps for all popular platforms: You must be able to unblock Fortnite on any device you own, especially as a student with school and personal devices. The VPNs on this list have apps for all the major platforms.
• Security & privacy: Excellent reliability and advanced features keep your online habits private. Our security and privacy criteria include which VPN protocols they support and the level of encryption they use. Plus, a no-logs policy to ensure that what you do with the VPN is never recorded.
• Superb accessibility: It’s not just gaming that’s important to students. Watching the latest TV shows and movies also helps to deal with boredom. These VPN providers have servers that work to stream Netflix, Hulu, iPlayer, etc.
• Value for money: Let’s face it, most students are on a tight budget. We only picked VPNs that offer a free trial or money-back guarantee.

A comparison of our recommended VPNs

We’ve compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for Fortnite.

The best VPNs to unblock Fortnite in school

The summaries below provide additional information about each VPN service. All of our recommendations work to unblock Fortnite, but they also slightly differ. You can use these summaries to pick the perfect VPN for all your needs:

1. NordVPN

Mar 2025 unblocks fortniteTested Mar 2025

NordVPN is a highly reliable provider for seamlessly unblocking Fortnite and other popular games at school. The VPN is based in Panama, a superb location in terms of privacy. It is also a zero-log service, meaning it never records what its users do online.

Apps are available for all popular platforms and have a wealth of advanced features. These include a kill switch, obfuscation, DNS leak protection, Smart DNS, split tunneling, double-hop connections, and its proprietary NordLynx protocol, which is designed to provide even better speeds.

In our most recent speed tests, NordVPN performed exceptionally well. Its average download speed across the day of testing was 193.76 Mbps, more than 100 Mbps faster than the average of other providers. This makes it an excellent choice for gamers who want to avoid the frustration of buffering and slow gameplay.

7,200+ servers are located in 118+ countries around the globe, which gives it exceptional unblocking capabilities. This includes 1,970+ servers in 20+ US cities, perfect for streaming Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and YouTube or playing games like Fortnite, World of Warcraft, and Roblox.

When accessing public Wi-Fi networks at schools, airports, cafes, or any other location, you’ll want to ensure your connection is always secure. With NordVPN’s automatic Wi-Fi protection, you can rest easy knowing this is the case. Plus, its split tunneling feature allows you to connect to a VPN while using other apps with a regular internet connection.

Another stand-out feature is its range of available specialty servers, which allows you to connect to the Tor network in a single click or establish a connection to two VPN servers for additional security and privacy. If your school is located in a heavily restrictive country that makes bypassing VPN blocks tricky, such as China, you can benefit from obfuscated servers.

Plus, you won’t experience IP address leaks, Web RTC leaks, or DNS leaks when using NordVPN. This is important if you wish to avoid your true location being shared.

Apps are available for all popular platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, and Android. Plus, if you have a device that doesn’t support VPNs natively, you can purchase pre-configured routers.

You can install and use the VPN on up to 10 devices simultaneously, ensuring complete privacy and freedom of access on most of them. The VPN is extremely fairly priced for what you get, and you can even try it risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee.

BEST VPN TO UNBLOCK FORTNITE:NordVPN is our #1 choice. Thousands of US servers to get the best speeds at any school in the US. Servers in 118+ countries that work to unblock Netflix, HBO Max, and much more. Apps for all platforms. Zero logs. Many advanced privacy features. Outstanding value for money. Risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of NordVPN.

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2. Surfshark

unblocks fortniteTested Mar 2025

Surfshark is a VPN based in the British Virgin Islands, a location ideal due to its lack of mandatory data retention directives and overreaching intelligence agencies. The VPN is extremely cheap for what you get (perfect for students), and you can install and use it on an unlimited number of devices. This means that you can share the VPN with family and friends if you want to.

Servers are located globally, and this VPN has a fantastic reputation for being able to bypass censorship, geo-blocks, and any restrictions enforced on a local network – such as a college or university. The VPN is particularly good for unblocking Fortnite at school due to its super-fast Wireguard implementation.

Unsurprisingly, we found Surfshark’s download speeds consistently fast during our most recent round of speed tests. It peaked at an impressive 191 Mbps at noon – perfect for a quick gaming session during your lunch break – and averaged 176.31 Mbps across the day. This makes it the second-fastest provider on this list.

The VPN has a no-logs policy, which means it never stores any records about what its users do online. It operates completely diskless servers that run in RAM, which means that if it pulls the plug all data is instantly wiped.

For added anonymity, Surfshark offers a rotating IP address feature for users concerned about their location being traced. You can also enable the NoBorders mode to bypass VPN blocks.

It also has static IP addresses available if you’re hosting a gaming server or carrying out another task that requires an unchanging IP address. If you want a dedicated IP address, you’ll have to pay a small extra fee every month as part of your subscription.

Another notable feature is its alternative ID generator, which allows you to generate an alternative persona complete with name, address, and date of birth. Surfshark’s features make it an excellent option for torrenting.

Apps are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Firestick, and select VPN-compatible routers. Those apps come with many advanced features, including malware protection and adblocking. It also throws in a free Smart DNS service.

In addition to working with Fortnite, this VPN has servers in over 100 countries that work to access Netflix, iPlayer, Disney+, and a wide choice of international TV platforms and services. This makes it great for students from abroad wanting to access services from back home. You can test it thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.

BEST BUDGET OPTION:Surfshark is the best cheap VPN to play Fortnite at college or university. Can be installed and used on as many devices as you like. Perfect for sharing with friends and family. Apps for all devices. Many advanced features. Allows torrenting. Works with Netflix US, iPlayer, Hulu, and more. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review.

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3. IPVanish

unblocks fortniteTested Mar 2025

IPVanish is a US-based VPN that prides itself on providing incredibly fast speeds. The VPN owns and operates more than 1,000 servers in 17+ different US cities. This is better in terms of privacy because it means the company retains complete control over its entire service. Worldwide, it boasts 2,400+ servers in over 140 locations.

Its excellent WireGuard implementation has ensured it’s one of the fastest VPNs in the world. This makes it an extremely good option for anybody who wants to stream in HD or play multiplayer games online like Fortnite.

Our download speed tests found that IPVanish offers fast speeds around the clock, averaging 103.21 Mbps. Much like a student, it was a little slow to get going in the morning but hit peak performance from noon onwards. You can rest easy knowing that IPVanish is up to handling fast-moving online games.

Admittedly, being based in the US – home to the NSA and gag orders – could be enough to put some users off. However, the VPN has been thoroughly audited by a third-party security company and has a solid no-logs policy. It implements a kill switch, secure AES 256 encryption, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation. This makes it a superb option for preventing ISP snooping and stopping the school network from tracking what you do on the college Wi-Fi.

No matter how strict the country you’re located in is with VPN usage, its traffic scrambling feature (on OpenVPN connections) ensures you can still access your favorite gaming platforms. However, this doesn’t include China.

Users will also enjoy the new Advanced plan, which protects against malware, trackers, and cookies. This includes an unlimited VPN, one terabyte of secure cloud storage, and a cloud-based browser that ensures your browsing is sandboxed on a remote server.

The VPN has apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Firesticks, which means you can easily use the VPN on all of your personal and school devices. All IPVanish apps are equipped to auto-connect VPN at startup, encrypting your device from the moment it powers on.

The only drawback is that this service doesn’t unblock as many international streaming platforms as our other options. However, you can try it yourself thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee, which offers exceptional value thanks to its unlimited connection allowance.

UNLIMITED CONNECTIONS:A great option for families or students who own many devices. Plenty of fast US servers to unblock Fortnite. Easy to use. Live chat support. Works to stream Netflix US. SOCKS5 proxy included for torrenting. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full IPVanish review.

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4. ExpressVPN

unblocks fortniteTested Mar 2025

ExpressVPN is a market-leading VPN that has been around for 16+ years, making it one of the longest-standing consumer VPNs on the market. It is an exceptional service that provides everything you need to gain freedom of access and privacy online. This includes 3,000+ servers in 105+ countries to let you access vast amounts of censored, geo-blocked, or restricted content.

We tried ExpressVPN with Fortnite, PUBG, Roblox, WoW, LoL, and many other games and found it to be reliable.

However, ExpressVPN didn’t perform as expected in our recent speed tests, especially around noon when it reached only 30 Mbps. Slight improvements in the morning and evening brought the average across the day up to 49.81 Mbps. Still fast enough for playing Fortnite at school, but considerably behind the top three providers in this list.

This VPN provides apps for all platforms with AES encryption, the OpenVPN protocol, a kill switch, and obfuscation. It also has a no-logs policy, ensuring it can provide the highest levels of online privacy and data security.

You can enable or disable the kill switch, split tunneling, and auto-connect-on-launch features in the General section. Plus, the Advanced Protection tab allows you to choose whether to block ads and trackers and has options for blocking access to malicious sites.

The VPN is fast due to its proprietary Lightway protocol, which makes it ideally suited to playing online games like Fortnite or streaming in HD and torrenting. It is one of the few VPNs that works to unblock around 20 different Netflix regions—as well as many other popular services. If you do experience slow speeds, then make sure you play around with the various protocol options.

Apps are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and you also get browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. The app dashboard is simple to use for VPN beginners.

A single subscription lets you use the VPN on up to eight devices, which is usually enough for the average student. Best of all you can test it and compare it to our other recommendations by making use of its 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can contact them 24/7 thanks to their live chat service.

RELIABLE AND TRUSTED:ExpressVPN is a consumer-favorite VPN. Proprietary Lightway protocol is designed for speed, perfect for streaming and gaming. Unblocks two dozen Netflix regions. Servers in 105+ countries including 15+ US cities to get you better speeds at any college campus. 24/7 live chat support. No log policy. Free Smart DNS service. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN Review

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5. CyberGhost

unblocks fortniteTested Mar 2025

CyberGhost is a Romanian VPN provider that is a decent all-rounder and often recommended to beginners. The apps are available for all popular platforms and are extremely uncomplicated and easy to use. Despite this, they still have a fairly decent feature set with everything you need to gain online privacy – whether at home or on public Wi-Fi.

Speeds are fast because the VPN has a super-massive network of Tier 1 servers. This allows the VPN to avoid server congestion, making the experience better for all its users. In addition, the VPN has recently introduced WireGuard connections, which improve speeds for playing games like Fortnite or streaming in HD.

This need for speed was demonstrated in our recent download speed tests. As you can see, CyberGhost performed consistently throughout the day, averaging 146.78 Mbps. With highs of 176.6 Mbps at noon, this provider is one of the fastest on this list and therefore a great pick for gamers who play Fortnite, Roblox, Call of Duty, or Minecraft.

Fast speeds also make it a popular option for students who want buffer-free streaming of their favorite TV shows and movies – unblocking Netflix US, Prime Video, Disney Plus, HBO Max, and more. With a huge 11,500+ servers in 100+ countries to choose from, and over 2,000 servers in the USA located in 11+ cities, its server network is comfortably one of the best on the market. This means you can watch popular streaming services with ease while abroad, on vacation, or at home.

A no-logs policy ensures that your online habits are never recorded, and the VPN has a kill switch to prevent you leaking data to your ISP should the VPN connection drop out – great for torrenting. Plus, AES-256 encryption protects your data against eavesdroppers, ensuring your school has no idea what you’re doing online.

Apps are available for Windows, Mac OS X, macOS, iOS, and Android, and you can set up the VPN manually on Linux and some routers and set-top boxes. Plus you can use this VPN on up to seven devices simultaneously and an auto-connect feature ensures you are always protected on public Wi-Fi.

A superb all-rounder that you can try using its generous 45-day money-back guarantee and pay with Bitcoin to avoid payments being traced through your bank account.

IDEAL FORTNITE VPN FOR BEGINNERS:Easy to use on all platforms. Fast servers in the US and 100+ other countries. Excellent for gaming and streaming. Protects against Wi-Fi hackers. Kill switch and AES-256 encryption. Unblocks Netflix and iPlayer. Exceptional value for money. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost VPN review.

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6. Hotspot Shield

unblocks fortniteTested Mar 2025

Hotspot Shield is a VPN provider based in the USA that is well known for providing good speeds. This makes it a good option for those who want to unblock Fortnite or stream HD content on services like Netflix.

However, in our recent speed tests, it performed a little below par, with download speeds well behind the top providers on this list. It averaged 32.41 Mbps across the day, peaking at 39.61 Mbps in the morning – improving just in time for that first school break. Despite these results, it’s still a reliable choice for streaming video, playing games, and browsing the web.

The VPN has 1,800+ servers in over 80 countries, including a wide choice of servers across the US. It also allows torrenting and provides good download speeds due to a proprietary VPN protocol dubbed Hydra.

Admittedly, it being based in the US might put some people off. However, this VPN has solid apps for all platforms with a kill switch and strong AES encryption.

You can customize the app behavior by automatically starting the client and auto-connecting to the last server. Other options include a split tunneling feature, protocol switching, and automatic Wi-Fi protection. This makes it robust in terms of security and means you can use it to gain privacy and online security whether at home, in a college dorm, on campus, or using public Wi-Fi.

Hotspot Shield is one of the few VPNs to work in China, but its website is blocked, so make sure you download the software and any installation and troubleshooting guides before you enter the country.

Live chat support is available 24/7. However, it is only available to paying subscribers. The apps can be installed on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and the VPN has decent setup guides for VPN-compatible routers too. You can give it a trial run thanks to its 45-day money-back guarantee.

POPULAR SERVICE:No usage logs. Works to unblock international streams including Netflix. Has IPs in 80+ countries, including the US to play Fortnite. Works with iPlayer, Hulu, and Disney+. Solid speeds. 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Hotspot Shield review.

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7. PrivateVPN

unblocks fortniteTested Mar 2025

PrivateVPN is a provider based in Sweden that offers high-quality privacy features and excellent unblocking capabilities. Being based in Sweden is good in terms of privacy because the country lacks mandatory data retention directives that apply to VPNs. Plus, this service has a solid no-logs policy that ensures everything you do online remains completely private both now and in the future.

Servers are located in 63+ countries, and the VPN has a wide choice of servers across the US to ensure you get the best speeds for playing Fortnite on any campus or dorm.

Download speeds were pretty consistent and stable across the day in our recent speed tests – PrivateVPN averaged 37.61 Mbps. This meant it was just over 80 Mbps short of the average of other providers. However, despite this, you shouldn’t encounter any speed issues when playing Fortnite.

Apps are available for all platforms, and they have a wide set of advanced features. This includes a kill switch, obfuscation, split tunneling, DNS leak protection, and AES-256 encryption.

PrivateVPN also allows port forwarding, which is great for torrenting. The port number – displayed in the dashboard when connected – can be used in your torrent client to download and upload files more efficiently.

In terms of accessibility, this VPN can provide access to around 20 different Netflix regions, and it works with Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and countless other services. However, you may only be able to establish a connection when the VPN is in stealth mode. This is easily enabled and accessible via the settings menu.

Live chat support is available for between 18 and 20 hours per day. If it is closed, you can send an email and they will get back to you as quickly as possible. That said, this VPN is extremely easy to use on all platforms and you can install it using setup guides on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and select routers. You can test it using its 30-day money-back guarantee.

STRONG ON PRIVACY:An outstanding all-rounder. Praised by consumers. Zero logs policy. Apps for all devices. Live chat support. Kill switch and obfuscation. Works to unblock tons of Netflix regions. Able to unblock Fortnite. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

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Testing methodology: How we found the best VPNs for Fortnite at school

There are certain characteristics we look for in a VPN. In this case, we obviously want VPNs that have the ability to unblock Fortnite. However, there are other factors to consider. Playing Fortnite online requires a fast and consistent connection, for example. Our methodology below explains what we looked for:

Server availability

The best VPNs for unblocking Fortnite at school have servers across dozens of countries. As such, you’ll be able to find a server close to your physical location for faster, more consistent speeds. It also allows you to potentially bypass other restrictions such as those of streaming services.

Here, we’ve calculated scores for each provider based on server availability for Fortnite users.

ExpressVPN came out on top with a score of 9.4, closely followed by Surfshark and Hotspot Shield at 9.1. NordVPN (8.5) and IPVanish (8.7) also scored well. For top-notch server availability, these five are your best options.

US speeds

Speed is particularly important when playing online games. The lower your ping, the less you’ll suffer performance issues such as lag. Our speed tests have helped us find the fastest VPNs, all of which use fast protocols such as WireGuard, and offer unlimited bandwidth.

We looked to see how fast these VPNs were when connected to US servers during peak and off-peak hours, as most Fortnite servers are primarily located there. Here are our download speed results for each provider.

Our number one VPN pick, NordVPN, performed amazingly well with a 10/10 score. Surfshark and CyberGhost also performed admirably, scoring 9.7 and 7.2 respectively. Not only do these providers offer great download speeds in the US, but they’re also excellent choices no matter your location around the world.

Streaming

With all of the VPNs on this list, we made sure they could unblock Fortnite and other online games while connected to school networks. However, students will also want a VPN that does much more than this, granting them access to major streaming platforms such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO as well.

Plus, we considered whether the VPNs had any features that might improve your gaming experience, like a Smart DNS service, built-in ad-blocker, or streaming-optimized servers. See below for our results.

Considering all of the above, we scored each VPN’s streaming ability out of 10, so you could see how they compare in this head-to-head.

Our top four providers – NordVPN, Surfshark, IPVanish, and ExpressVPN – all performed really well, with three of them scoring 9.2. So, if you want a guaranteed first-rate streaming experience while gaming or watching your TV shows at school, these VPNs do the trick.

Security & privacy

If you want to be able to unblock and play Fortnite at school and do so securely without the risk of the school admin seeing what you’re doing, strong security is a must. This means high-end encryption, leak protection, and a kill switch. A VPN should offer this as a minimum. Below are the full set of features we considered for each provider.

Worryingly, some VPNs keep identifying logs of users (including browsing data) which may be sold to third parties or otherwise shared with authorities upon request. We looked at some 140 VPN logging policies to find VPNs that protect your privacy with a no-logs policy.

Having analyzed all of the privacy and security features listed here, we scored each provider to see who offers the most secure service.

Unsurprisingly, all seven providers scored exceptionally well. With the highest score coming in at 9.5 (NordVPN and Surfshark) and the lowest at 8.6 (Hotspot Shield and PrivateVPN), you really can’t go wrong with these VPNs if security and privacy are your main considerations.

Ease of use

A VPN should allow you to connect to a server and start playing Fortnite in little to no time. Having tested each VPN’s apps, we can confidently say that they’re beginner-friendly and won’t waste the little time you have for online gaming. What’s more, they all include live chat and email support.

Our extensive research showed there were no great concerns when it came to functionality and ease of use, so you don’t need to worry if you’re a VPN newbie. For peace of mind, they all make it very easy to cancel your subscription should you find yourself struggling. Take a look at our score chart below.

These scores revealed that all of the VPNs are high-performers when it comes to usability. However, NordVPN just sneaked the top spot with a score of 9.6.

Value for money

There are VPNs on the market that are slower and less secure than those listed in this post. Despite this, they work out to be more expensive. You can get the best VPN for unblocking Fortnite at school at the best possible price thanks to the VPN discount coupons in this post.

Here’s how the providers on this list compare for value for money.

As a pupil, the student discounts offered by NordVPN, Surfshark, IPVanish, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost particularly stand out. Plus, all of the providers on this list offer free trials and money-back guarantees, so you can try before you buy. Put simply, if you’re on a budget, these seven providers are excellent options.

You can find more information about our process in our VPN testing methodology post. It covers how we analyze VPNs in terms of speed, security, and unblocking.

Fortnite VPN FAQs