Accessing Discord in the UAE: A guide to overcoming bans with a VPN

Like most VoIP services, Discord is blocked in the United Arab Emirates. For a while, users were able to voice chat using the website instead of the official Discord app, but unfortunately, this no longer works. Now, in order to regain access, visitors from abroad (and members of the gaming community in the UAE) have to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

VPNs improve your online privacy by sending all of your internet traffic through an encrypted server. This allows you to spoof your location, making region-locked services believe you are connecting from a non-restricted area. It also prevents telecom companies, hotspot owners, and government agencies from seeing what you get up to online.

In this article, we’ll explain exactly how to use a VPN to access Discord within the UAE and list the best providers for the job. We’ll start with a quick summary. Scroll down for more in-depth reviews of each VPN.

The best Discord VPNs for users in the UAE:

1. NordVPN: Our top recommended VPN for Discord. Has a large network of servers, a wide range of security tools, and excellent streaming ability. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for Discord.
2. Surfshark: The best budget-friendly VPN. Offers faster speeds and more server locations than most of its rivals, plus a suite of advanced security tools
3. IPVanish: Excellent speeds, unlimited connections, constantly improving service, and a commitment to user privacy. Perfect for accessing Discord in the UAE.
4. ExpressVPN: A reputable provider with reliable speeds and custom router firmware, meaning you can even use Discord securely on gaming consoles
5. Private Internet Access: P2P-friendly VPN with 91+ server locations, no device limits, and support for many popular streaming services.
6. PureVPN: A cheap VPN that offers robust security and the ability to bypass blocks in the UAE. Works with Discord, Twitch, Reddit, and VoIP.
7. PrivateVPN: This security-conscious service works with plenty of streaming platforms and has a Stealth mode built for bypassing censorship

How to unblock Discord in the UAE

Voice chat is one of the core features of Discord, so going without it just doesn’t make sense. Just follow these steps to combine your VPN with Discord and unlock all of the functionality that this popular communication platform has to offer:

Here’s how to use a VPN with Discord in the UAE:

1. Choose one of the providers above (we recommend NordVPN)
2. Download the app and install it on any device you use Discord on
3. Log into the VPN app and connect to a server in a country that allows unrestricted access to Discord. In our years of testing VPNs, we’ve always found that the nearby servers provide the fastest, lowest-latency connections. However, if you’re unsure, servers in the US are always a good option.
4. You should now be able to start using Discord as normal. If you’re having connection issues, clear your cookies and cache or try a different server — it’s possible that the one you originally chose has been IP-banned.
5. Still struggling? Contact your VPN’s support team. They should be able to point you in the right direction.

How we selected the top Discord VPNs

It’s not enough for your VPN to just work with Discord; it also has to be suitable for all of your other day-to-day activities. That’s why we made our recommendations based on testing in the following areas:

• Speed: All VPNs slow your connection — the trick is finding the one that slows it the least. We speed-tested providers multiple times to find out which were the fastest.
• Features: We scored providers on the number of countries they had servers in. The more they have, the easier it is to home in on specific country content outside the UAE. We also scored them according to whether they offered obfuscation and split tunneling while using Discord.
• Streaming: Some VPNs allow you to access a whole new world of otherwise geo-restricted content. We used nine streaming-related criteria to gauge which were the most capable.
• Security and privacy: If you’re connecting from the UAE, you’ll want a trustworthy VPN that’s capable of keeping you safe online. To find which these were, we evaluated providers using 16 different security and privacy metrics.
• Ease of use: We value providers that offer a streamlined service. We gauged how easy each provider’s service was to use by measuring it against 10 different ease-of-use criteria.

The above is just a summary. You can read more about our testing criteria in the methodology section later in the article.

Best VPNs for Discord in the UAE: at a glance

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

Best VPNs for accessing Discord in the UAE

At Comparitech, it’s our mission to bring you the most helpful and accurate VPN information possible. To do that, we personally use every VPN and put them through rigorous real-world testing. The following reviews are the result of those first-hand experiences.

Let’s get started. Below, you’ll find the top VPNs for using Discord in the UAE:

1. NordVPN

Mar 2025 unblocks discordTested Mar 2025

NordVPN is our first choice VPN for accessing Discord. It has a vast network, with servers in 117+ countries. You can see where using the handy map on the app’s dashboard.

The provider also has a selection of servers that are specially configured for tasks like connecting to the Tor network or beating country-wide censorship. We can confirm that the obfuscated servers work in the UAE as well as in China.

Best of all, however, the provider is extremely quick. It clocked the fastest speeds in our tests, with an overall average of 176.54 Mbps. 

As our readers are no doubt aware, this is more than fast enough for simultaneous chatting and gaming.

As well as Discord, NordVPN works with notoriously tricky streaming platforms like Netflix and BBC iPlayer. It also has a smart DNS feature for streaming with devices that don’t support VPN software natively.

This VPN keeps you safe using 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, malware scanning, and leak protection. Recently, it introduced MeshNet, a new feature that can securely connect devices across different networks; ideal for anyone looking to securely access files from their home PC during a trip. NordVPN has been audited multiple times and proven that it doesn’t log any identifiable data (other than advertising IDs which can be cleared manually).

NordVPN offers apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux. You can also install it on routers to bypass the 10-device limit or secure traffic from gaming consoles or Smart TVs.

BEST VPN FOR DISCORD IN UAE:NordVPN is our #1 VPN pick for accessing Discord in the UAE. It operates a huge network of servers and pegs some of the fastest speeds available. Plans include a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full NordVPN review.

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2. Surfshark

unblocks discordTested Mar 2025

Surfshark is a low-cost VPN with a network of servers spanning 100+ countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel. Its censorship-beating NoBorders mode allows you to access the wider internet, and you’ll even be able to access popular streaming platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+ abroad.

Speeds were a little variable, though we couldn’t help but be impressed by the top speed of 216.38 Mbps.

Overall, the provider averaged 161.13 Mbps, placing it second over all. This is more than fast enough for using Discord while gaming at the same time. 

This provider offers a suite of security features, including 256-bit encryption, leak protection, automatic wi-fi protection, and a kill switch.

Additionally, there’s a CleanWeb feature capable of blocking ads, malware, and trackers, plus a rotating IP option that, from our point of view, should come as standard with every VPN. Surfshark follows a strict no-logs policy and has been audited to prove it.

Surfshark has its own iOS, Android, MacOS, Windows, and Linux apps. If you’re looking to use Discord on gaming consoles, you can manually install it on your router. Surfshark has no connection limit and a dedicated 24/7 support team.

BEST BUDGET OPTION:Surfshark is fast, reliable, and great at unblocking content. Plus, it doesn’t impose a device limit and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review.

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3. IPVanish

unblocks discordTested Mar 2025

IPVanish is a great option for users in the United Arab Emirates looking to access Discord, offering a solution to overcome the country’s strict internet censorship. With its robust network of servers and advanced obfuscation technology, IPVanish can effectively bypass the UAE’s VoIP ban and allow users to connect to Discord without any hassle.

When it comes to privacy, IPVanish takes a strong stance. The VPN follows a strict no-logs policy, ensuring your online activities remain confidential. It employs military-grade AES-256 encryption to secure your data and protect it from prying eyes, including your ISP and government surveillance.

IPVanish is compatible with a wide range of devices, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. The user-friendly apps make it easy to set up and use the VPN, even for those who are new to the technology. With unlimited simultaneous connections, you can protect all your devices and share your account with family and friends.

In terms of security, IPVanish offers a range of advanced features. The VPN includes a kill switch that automatically disconnects your internet if the VPN connection drops, preventing any accidental exposure of your online activities. It also provides DNS and IPv6 leak protection to ensure your real IP address remains hidden. In addition, IPVanish’s Advanced tier offers uses access to a secure server and includes 1Tb of secure cloud storage.

With an expanding network of over 2,400 servers in 140+ locations worldwide, IPVanish offers ample options for users in the UAE to connect to servers in nearby regions for optimal speeds.

During our tests, IPVanish’s speeds varied between 68 Mbps and 125.32 Mbps. However, rather than focus on this, we prefer to look at the overall average — which was 99.68 Mbps. 

This was a little faster than the combined average speeds of the other tested providers. In practice, it means that IPVanish will enable smooth voice and video calls on Discord.

IPVanish provides 24/7 customer support via live chat and email, ensuring you can get assistance whenever needed. The VPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving you ample time to test the service risk-free.

ULTRAFAST:IPVanish is an excellent choice for users in the United Arab Emirates looking to access Discord and overcome the country’s VoIP ban. With its advanced obfuscation technology, robust security features, and solid speeds, IPVanish ensures you can connect to Discord without any restrictions.

Read our full IPVanish review.

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4. ExpressVPN

unblocks discordTested Mar 2025

ExpressVPN is an excellent choice for accessing Discord in the UAE. It has always-on obfuscation, servers in 105+ countries, and an impressive privacy record. Moreover, it works with just about any streaming service you can think of.

In our tests, the provider averaged 79 Mbps overall. Although slower than some of the providers in this list, this is still quick compared with the VPN market as a whole.

More pertinently, these speeds are more than fast enough for use with Discord.

ExpressVPN combines ease of use with a strong security offering. It hides your online traffic using 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and DNS leak protection.

The provider works in countries like the UAE without any manual configuration needed, but if you’re having any issues, support is available 24/7 over live chat. ExpressVPN is a no-logs provider that accepts Bitcoin.

Apps are available for Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android, and iOS. This is the only major VPN with its own router firmware, which simplifies the process of gaming securely on your PlayStation, Xbox, or other games consoles.

SECURE AND RELIABLE:ExpressVPN is highly versatile. It provides a vast network of servers and has your back when it comes to privacy and security. All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

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5. Private Internet Access

Unblocks discordTested Mar 2025

Private Internet Access is an excellent security-focused VPN with a network spanning 91 countries. We’ve had no issues using it for Discord, Netflix, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, or other popular streaming services.

In our tests, PIA averaged 49.89 Mbps. While this is fine for Discord calls, you may notice some connection degradation if using it to stream on several devices simultaneously.

But don’t despair — the good news is that it’s possible to increase your speeds. PIA is one of the relatively rare providers that allows you to sacrifice encryption strength in return for a speed boost.

As you might expect, PIA uses uncrackable encryption to shield your activities from prying eyes. It also offers a kill switch, ad-blocking, malware protection, and leak protection.

Private Internet Access refuses to log any data that could identify you, a fact that has been verified by independent auditors. Live chat is available day and night, just in case you have any issues, and this provider has no device limit.

Private Internet Access has apps for Linux, MacOS, Windows, Android, and iOS. You’ll have to follow manual setup instructions to get it running on routers, though.

BULLETPROOF SECURITY:Private Internet Access is a solid VPN choice with strong security, no connection limits and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Private Internet Access review.

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6. PureVPN

unblocks discordTested Mar 2025

PureVPN offers internet users in the UAE a robust, secure connection through its servers in Dubai and over 64 other supported countries. This VPN is particularly effective for bypassing VoIP and website blocks in the UAE, making it an excellent choice for using Discord privately.

With PureVPN, you can torrent anonymously, prevent ISP and government snooping, bypass website blocks at work, and use public wi-fi safely in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or anywhere else in the UAE. Best of all, it is very cheap, making it an affordable Discord VPN for anybody on a tight budget.

In our tests, the VPN was effective in obtaining IP addresses in various locations, enabling access to popular UAE streams like OSN Streaming, STARZPLAY, and Wavo. It also worked well with popular international platforms like Netflix.

In our previous tests, PureVPN has stood out for its ability to maintain high-speed performance. This wasn’t the case for this round of testing, which saw the provider achieve an average download speed of 54.55 Mbps.

While this is plenty fast enough for Discord, you may want to look at the faster providers on this list if you want a VPN for gaming in the UAE.

PureVPN’s commitment to security is reflected in features like a kill switch, DNS, and IPv6 leak protection, and its 256-bit AES encryption on OpenVPN and ChaCha20 on WireGuard. Its privacy practices have been validated by multiple independent audits, affirming its dedication to user privacy.

Dedicated apps are available for Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, and MacOS, and comprehensive installation instructions for numerous router models can be found on its website. The service allows up to 10 simultaneous device connections and offers 24/7 live chat support.

You can test PureVPN risk-free with its 31-day money-back guarantee, whether in the UAE or traveling abroad.

SECURITY ON A BUDGET:PureVPN is a beginner-friendly provider with reliable servers in the UAE and 65+ other countries. It never compromises on privacy and includes a 31-day money-back guarantee with every subscription. Works with Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, and other popular international services.

Take a look at our comprehensive PureVPN review.

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7. PrivateVPN

unblocks discordTested Mar 2025

PrivateVPN has a smaller server network than some of its rivals but still offers servers in 63 locations, including Dubai and Turkey. This provider works flawlessly with Discord as well as BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video.

Speed-wise, the provider averaged a relatively modest 54.08 Mbps. Like PIA, PrivateVPN allows you to reduce the level of encryption used on your traffic in return for a small speed boost.

This VPN secures your internet traffic with uncrackable encryption, leak protection, and a customizable kill switch. There’s a toggleable Stealth mode too, and our research showed that this even works in places like China.

PrivateVPN accepts Bitcoin and follows a no-logs policy, so there’s no need to worry about your activities being revealed to telecom companies or the government.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. PrivateVPN can be manually installed on Linux systems and routers. Live chat isn’t available 24/7, but it’s not far off, with around 18 hours of coverage each day.

SOLID SECURITY:PrivateVPN boasts impressive unblocking abilities, powerful privacy tools, and the ability to browse safely in the UAE. Subscriptions include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

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Methodology: Choosing the best VPNs for Discord in the UAE

You can’t just use any old VPN with Discord in the UAE. First, it has to evade detection, then it needs to provide the extra security features and reliable speeds needed for glitch-free voice chat. During our testing phase for this article, we put providers through their paces in all of the following areas to make sure we only recommended the very best VPNs for Discord:

Speed

If your connection isn’t up to the task, you’ll notice robotic-sounding audio on regular calls. To find the fastest providers, we conducted three speed tests: one in the morning, one at noon, and one in the afternoon.

We used each provider’s US servers and took measurements using the desktop version of the Ookla speed-testing app. To make our base connection speed more in line with the UAE — which has an average fixed broadband speed of 304.24 Mbps — we rate-limited it to 250 Mbps.

Once we’d gathered the results, we averaged them and converted them to a score out of 10. This makes it easier to compare providers relative to each other rather than focusing on the raw speeds.

The fastest providers in our tests were clearly NordVPN and Surfshark. Their speeds were around twice that of most of the other providers. IPVanish and ExpressVPN also showed decent speeds. While the bottom three do offer speeds fast enough for day-to-day streaming and voice calls, if you have a slower base connection, you might want to opt for a faster provider.

Features

If you want to access Discord, you’ll need to connect to a server outside the UAE. We checked which providers had the most options and scored them appropriately. We then scored them on whether they had obfuscation capable of masking the fact that a VPN is being used. Finally, we scored them on whether they had split tunneling available. This will enable you to access Discord while using other apps with a regular internet connection.

To make it more straightforward to compare providers, we summed the results, averaged them, and then converted them to a score out of 10.

All but one of the providers scored highly, though NordVPN and ExpressVPN took joint first place. Both offer powerful obfuscation and servers in more than 100 countries. Although PrivateVPN’s servers are often excellent quality, it couldn’t help but lose marks for having a much smaller network than the others on this list.

Streaming

The UAE has very strict online blocking, so you’ll need to fly under the radar to access popular VoIP services like Discord, Skype, or WhatsApp. To find which VPNs are able to beat this kind of restriction consistently and easily, we evaluated them against the nine metrics shown in the table below.

To make comparing providers a little easier, we scored each metric and converted their sum to an overall score out of 10.

NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN all scored 9.2, suggesting that they are particularly well-suited to a range of streaming tasks. All three can unblock stubborn platforms with ease and come with a useful smart DNS feature.

Security and privacy

To make sure you’re as anonymous as possible, we looked for services with excellent security toolkits. This means, at minimum, 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, a no-logs policy, and leak protection. You can see the other criteria we looked for in the table below.

Each criteria received a score, which we then combined to generate an overall score out of 10 for comparison.

NordVPN and Surfshark came out top this time, with equal scores of 9.5 each. PIA and ExpressVPN are good alternatives if you value your online security and privacy.

Ease of use

The best services need no tutorials. That’s why our top picks all have well-organized, beginner-friendly apps and solid multi-platform support. We also made sure that there’d be live chat-based support in case you run into any issues. You can see all of the criteria we tested providers against in the table below.

Again, we scored each of these criteria and used the results to generate an overall score out of 10.

First place was tied between NordVPN and PIA — with each scoring 9.6. IPVanish and ExpressVPN secured second and third place, with scores of 9.4 and 9.3, respectively.

Using a free VPN for Discord in the UAE

We always advise against using a free Virtual Private Network, but that advice is even more important in countries with strict online censorship like the UAE. After spending years testing consumer VPNs, we’ve found that free providers tend to have fewer servers, slower speeds, and low monthly bandwidth caps that make them unreliable long-term solutions. However, more important than that is the security risk.

Free providers can’t compete with premium VPNs in terms of security. We’ve seen cases where they outright lie about the logs they keep, and research indicates that a high number of services fail to use any encryption at all. To avoid compromising your privacy, we’d suggest choosing a paid VPN provider with a proven track record instead of using whatever’s free. Remember: most offer a 30-day money-back guarantee or free trial, so there’s really no risk.

Using a VPN in UAE: Legalities

If you’re wondering if it’s legal to use a VPN in the UAE, the answer is that it’s somewhat of a legal grey area. In general, the use of a VPN is allowed, but it’s illegal if used to commit a crime. You should be aware that it’s a crime in the UAE to access certain content, such as websites related to gambling, pornography, and anti-religious hate speech, so accessing these using a VPN would still be illegal.

It’s worth noting the penalties for these crimes are pretty steep. If internet protocols are manipulated to commit crime or fraud, perpetrators can face jail time as well as a fine of up to Dh2 million (around $544,000).

With the legality of VPNs being something of a gray area in the UAE, it’s a good idea to download and install a VPN before you travel. That way, you can better protect yourself from prying eyes as soon as you arrive.

We would recommend downloading your chosen VPN for Discord before you travel to the UAE. There’s a high level of internet censorship in the area, and, as such, some VPN websites may be blocked, preventing you from downloading your preferred VPN once you arrive. Furthermore, you may attract the attention of authorities if you visit a VPN site and download a VPN while in the country.

Disclaimer: Although we’ve spent hours researching this topic, we are not legal experts. As such, nothing we’ve said above should be taken as legal advice. We encourage you to consult local laws before using a VPN in the United Arab Emirates.

Accessing Discord in the UAE: FAQs