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How Much Does a VPN Cost?
Overview
We calculated that the average cost of a VPN on an annual plan is $5.01 per month ($60.12 per year). Month-to-month plans are significantly more expensive, averaging $10.94 ($131.28 per year). For the best value, longer-term plans (typically 2 or 3 years) can lower the monthly cost by over 50% to as low as $2.00.
VPN prices can vary greatly based on the quality of the service, the subscription length, and the number of devices covered.
To get the best value, you’ll need to sign up for at least an annual plan.
Thankfully, virtually every VPN service offers free trials or money-back guarantees, so you can use it before committing to a long-term plan.
Though they can be tempting, many free VPNs are not safe to use, so it’s crucial to choose carefully to protect your security and privacy.
Why Trust Us?
We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our advice is based on our own testing results and is unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.
Price Comparison of the Top VPN Services
SUMMARY:
Here’s the average cost of a VPN:
- Monthly Plans: $10.94
- Annual Plans: $5.01 (54% savings vs monthly)
- Long-Term Plans (2-3 years): $3.96 (64% savings vs monthly)
To compare, here’s the average cost of a top 15 VPN:
- Monthly Plans: $12.51
- Annual Plans: $5.75 (52% savings vs monthly)
- Long-Term Plans (2-3 years): $4.00 (68% savings vs monthly)
In the table below, we’ve compared the pricing plans of the best 15 VPNs on the market:
As the table above shows, a high price isn’t always an accurate indicator of quality in the VPN market. Some of our favorite VPNs, like Private Internet Access, are significantly cheaper than VPNs that we don’t rate so highly.
Below we compare the cost of a monthly, yearly, and the cheapest subscription plans with our top 15 recommended VPNs.
Month-to-Month Plan Cost Comparison
Use the chart below to compare the cost of a month-to-month VPN subscription:
Like most subscription services, the shorter your subscription period, the more expensive each month is.
However, in our research, we found the price of a month-to-month VPN plan is very similar for top VPNs.
Of our top 15 recommended VPNs, 12 are priced between $9.00 and $13.00.
The outliers are Mullvad, which costs significantly lower than the rest at just $5.50 per month, while Astrill costs $30.00, which is almost twice as much as Surfshark, the second-most expensive pay monthly VPN.
We worked out that the average was $12.51, though this drops to $11.26 if you exclude Astrill.
Still, compared to longer-term plans (averaging $5.75 for an annual plan or as low as $2.00 for 3 years), rolling monthly subscriptions are significantly more expensive.
However, they do give you the flexibility to switch services after a month.
But if you want to try out a service before committing, we suggest taking advantage of a VPN’s free trial or money-back guarantee.
Annual Plan Cost Comparison
Use the chart below to compare the cost per month of an annual VPN subscription:
Annual plans are a great option for VPN users. With a yearly subscription, you typically get a highly discounted monthly price, with the flexibility to switch after a year should you wish to.
If a specific VPN you’re looking for isn’t in the table above, this is because not all VPNs actually offer an annual subscription.
Most VPNs let you choose whether to pay a total upfront cost or by monthly debit, which is great if you want to personalize your own budget.
Cheapest Plan Cost Comparison
The chart below compares the cheapest plans available with our favorite VPNs:
As you can see in the chart above, the cheapest plans for most VPNs are multi-year contracts, ranging from around $2.00 per month (PrivateVPN) to $12.50 (Astrill).
If you want a multi-year subscription, make sure to check the length of your VPN subscription, as most VPNs automatically renew as an annual subscription (without a discount applied) once your initial term is over.
As an example, NordVPN is $2.99 per month for the first 24 months ($78.96 in total). Once time is up, you’ll be automatically transferred onto a $99.48 annual subscription.
Types of VPN Pricing Plans
Understanding the different types of VPN pricing plans is crucial when comparing costs across various providers.
VPNs typically offer a range of plans that vary in subscription length, features, and additional services.
Below, we’ll break down the most common VPN pricing models to help you navigate your options and find the best for you.
Paid VPNs
Paid VPN services offer a wide range of features, better security, and faster speeds than free alternatives.
They are typically far more effective at unblocking streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer.
For example, we’ve found that though only one free VPN can unblock US Netflix, 23 paid VPNs bypass the service’s geo-restrictions.
Unlike the vast majority of free VPNs, NordVPN and every other top paid VPN unblocks US Netflix.
Most VPN services offer different pricing tiers based on the length of your subscription, with discount for committing to longer term plans.
You can typically choose between a month-to-month plan, annual plan, or multi-year plan.
Hidden Costs
While many paid VPN services advertise a low price, there are often hidden costs that can significantly increase the total price.
Being aware of these can help you avoid unexpected charges.
Here are some common hidden costs you might encounter when using a paid VPN service:
- Higher Renewal Rates: Many VPNs charge you a higher price once your initial subscription period is up. For example, the $55.98 one-year NordVPN plan renews at a much higher price of $99.48.
- Automatic Renewal: VPNs, like other subscriptions, will auto-renew without notifying you first. We recommend cancelling the VPN subscription immediately after signing up, as you’ll still have access until the end of your billing period.
- Dedicated IP Addresses: A VPN’s base subscription won’t allow you to access a single IP address that is not shared with other users. These are available as an add-on, typically costing as much as $5-$10 per month.
- Core Features Behind Paywalls: Some VPNs reserve key features like ad-blocking or multi-hop connections for higher-tier subscriptions. What seems like a standard feature might require upgrading to a more expensive plan.
Lifetime VPN Subscriptions
Lifetime VPN subscriptions allow you to pay just once for lifetime access to the product.
However, the problem is that they’re rare, and no top VPN currently offers one.
Of the 61 VPNs we’ve tested, only FastestVPN ($40.00) and VPN Unlimited ($199.99) offer a lifetime subscription.
We purchased a lifetime FastestVPN subscription for just $40.
Keep in mind, however, that the term “lifetime” applies to the lifespan of the VPN service, not your own.
If the VPN ceases operation, you may lose access without any refund, making the initial investment a risk.
Free VPNs
Free VPNs are extremely popular because they don’t require an upfront cost.
However, many of these free VPNs come with significant limitations. Here are some of the most notable:
- Lacking Features: Useful features like multi-hop, obfuscation, static IP addresses, or streaming servers are usually not available with free VPNs.
- Limited Bandwidth: Most free VPNs impose strict data limits, usually capping users at around 10GB or less. This makes them unsuitable for data-intensive activities like streaming, gaming, or torrenting.
- Fewer Servers: Free VPNs typically only offer a handful of server locations, and some don’t let you choose a server location at all.
- Security Risks: Unsafe free VPNs monetize their service by displaying annoying in-app ads, or sell user data, which defeats the purpose of a privacy app.
Unlike its paid variant, Proton VPN Free doesn’t let you choose a server location, making it useless for streaming.
Types of Free VPNs
When looking for a free VPN, you’ll typically come across two categories:
- Free Version of a Paid VPN: These are typically far more secure than solely free VPNs because they’re a way for paid VPNs to attract new customers. These will almost always have a data cap.
- Solely Free VPNs: This type of VPN is typically the most dangerous and insecure. They attract users with promises of no data cap so they can log excessive amounts of data, like your IP address and browsing activity. They often fail to encrypt traffic, leak your sensitive data, and include malware or in-app ads.
Factors Affecting the Cost of a VPN
It can be surprising to see how much VPN prices can vary, not just between providers but also within the same service based on the plan you choose.
Here are the key factors that influence the cost of a VPN:
Length of Subscription
Like with most subscription services, the longer you commit to a VPN, the lower the cost.
You can see how much the length of subscription impacts the cost of a VPN in the table below:
| VPN Provider | Pay Monthly Price | Cheapest Price per Month | Cost Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | $12.95 | $4.99 | 61% |
| NordVPN | $12.99 | $2.99 | 77% |
| PIA VPN | $11.99 | $2.03 | 83% |
| Surfshark | $15.45 | $1.99 | 87% |
| PrivateVPN | $9.90 | $2.00 | 80% |
As shown, longer subscriptions can result in substantial savings, with some providers offering discounts of up to 85%.
Server Network
In general, VPNs with higher prices tend to offer a larger number of server locations across more countries.
This is due to the costs associated with purchasing, maintaining, and renting servers worldwide.
To cover these expenses and maintain a high-quality service, VPN services often need to charge higher subscription fees.
You can see this in the table below:
| VPN Service | Countries with Servers | Pay Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mullvad | 44 | $5.50 |
| Windscribe | 69 | $9.00 |
| PrivateVPN | 62 | $9.90 |
| NordVPN | 118 | $12.99 |
| ExpressVPN | 106 | $12.95 |
| Surfshark | 100 | $15.45 |
As you can see, there’s a noticeable correlation between the number of countries with servers and the VPN price. For instance, ExpressVPN costs roughly twice as much as Mullvad, but it offers servers in over twice the number of countries.
Number of Devices Covered
Some VPN services change their pricing based on how many devices you want to use the VPN with.
As an example, TorGuard has a different price for 8, 12, and 30 device subscriptions. The price varies by as much as 50%, depending on which one you pick.
TorGuard has different pricing plans depending on how many simultaneous connections you want.
If you want to use a VPN on multiple devices, it’s better to use a cheap VPN with no device limit, like PIA or Surfshark.
Features
Additional features like dedicated IP and malware blocking typically come at an extra cost.
If you want these add-ons, VPNs like CyberGhost and Windscribe charge an extra fee on top of your subscription plan.
Moreover, companies like IVPN, only offer additional features like multi-hop servers with their more expensive IVPN Pro plan, not their standard plan.
IVPN has a 2-device limit on its standard plan and its multi-hop feature is only available with its pro plan.
How to Save Money on a VPN Subscription
Learn how to save money or even how to use a VPN for free in the sections below.
Seasonal Sale Periods
The simplest way to save money on a VPN subscription is to wait for popular sale periods, like Black Friday and the Back to School season.
For reference, last year for Black Friday, NordVPN dropped its annual subscription by over 30% to just $40.00.
To maximize our savings, we subscribed to NordVPN during Black Friday weekend.
We’ve noticed that VPNs rarely offer discounts randomly and almost always align them with seasonal events. So, if you’re hoping to find a coupon or discount at a random time, you’re unlikely to have much luck.
However, if you need a VPN immediately and aren’t near one of these seasonal events, waiting for a discount might not be an option.
Referral Schemes
Many VPN providers offer discounted subscription prices or free months of service when you refer a friend.
We’ve successfully used this scheme with all of our top 3 VPN services: ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Private Internet Access.
To do this, find the ‘Refer a Friend’ page in your account settings on the VPN’s website. Then, copy the link, and either send it directly to someone or share it via social media.
Once your friend signs up, you’ll typically receive at least one month of free service.
PIA’s referral scheme allows you to get 30 days of use for free.
VPN Free Trials
VPN free trials let you experience the full version of a VPN app for a limited time — typically 7 days — without paying upfront.
The best trials, like CyberGhost’s free trial, don’t even require payment details, allowing you to test the service with zero financial risk.
Others, like Surfshark do ask for your payment details upfront, meaning you’ll be charged if you don’t cancel before the trial ends.
CyberGhost has a 1-day free trial on desktop that doesn’t require any credit card details.
Money-Back Guarantees
With a money-back guarantee, you’ll need to purchase a subscription upfront, but you can contact the VPN service and ask for a refund — usually within 30 days — if you’re not satisfied with the service.
The highest-rated VPNs offer hassle-free, no-questions-asked refund policies, making it a lot easier to get your money back if the service doesn’t meet your expectations.
We contacted NordVPN via live chat to request a refund within the first 30 days of our subscription.
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.
Many of the features on Proton VPN’s Mac app can’t be used without a paid account.
