How Much Does a VPN Cost?

There are a number of factors that affect the cost of a VPN. Below is a list of the main ones that can impact the monthly price of your VPN plan:

Length of Subscription Plan

The length of your subscription plan is the single biggest factor affecting the cost of a VPN.

As we’ve shown further up this article, the monthly cost of a VPN often decreases with longer subscription plans.

Out of the top 30 VPNs we’ve reviewed, pay-monthly plans range from $3.24 to $20.00. The average pay monthly price is $11.34.

As for longer-term plans, the monthly price ranges from $2.00 to $10.00. The average yearly/multi-year price of a VPN is $3.96 per month.

Number of Devices Covered

Most VPN services let you use their product on a set number of devices, regardless of your chosen subscription plan.

However, some VPN providers, like TorGuard, change their pricing based on how many devices you want to use the VPN with.

For example, here’s how many devices each TorGuard different Anonymous VPN plan covers:

• Anonymous VPN: up to 8 devices
• Anonymous VPN Pro: up to 12 devices
• Anonymous VPN Premium: up to 30 devices

Streaming (Netflix) Support

Most VPNs provide streaming support across their standard plans, however some don’t.

VPN providers like TorGuard and ProtoVPN charge more if you seek streaming support with your VPN subscription.

Number of Servers

Not all VPN services give you access to the same number of servers across all plans.

There are some providers that increase the monthly subscription price based on bigger server ranges.

In Proton VPN’s case, access to 400+ servers (in 40 countries) costs €4.00 per month. However, access to 1,778 servers costs €8.00 per month.

Sometimes, a more expensive VPN plan can also include access to faster servers (10Gbps or higher), and Multi-hop (DoubleVPN) servers.

Additional Features

Additional features like Dedicated IP and Residential IP typically come at an extra cost.

If you want these services, VPN providers like CyberGhost and Windscribe charge an extra fee on top of your subscription plan.

Moreover, companies like IVPN, only offer additional features like port forwarding and Multi-hop servers with their IVPN Pro plan, not their standard plan.

VPN Free Trials and Money-back Guarantees

VPN free trials let you test a fully featured VPN for a specific amount of time. Typically, this is 5 to 7 days.

The best, such as CyberGhost’s free trial, don’t even require submitting payment details up front. Testing these services carries no financial risk.

Other free trials ask for payment details upfront, and if you don’t cancel the trial in time, you will be charged a subscription cost. For example, you can get a Surfshark free trial for seven-days but you need to offer payment information.

The main difference between a true free trial and a money-back guarantee is whether or not you have to make a payment first.

With a money-back guarantee, you have to pay a subscription cost upfront. However, the highest-rated VPNs operate no-questions-asked refund policies.

In other words, money-back guarantees let you trial a VPN risk-free for up to 45 days.

Completely Free VPNs

You also have the option of using a completely free VPN.

Sadly, most free VPNs don’t safeguard your internet privacy and security. Some free VPNs are even dangerous to use.

That being said, there are selected good free VPNs to choose from. They are restricted by data caps, slow speeds, and limited streaming capabilities, but at least they are safe to use.