How Much Does a VPN Cost? (And How to Save Money)

When it comes to cost, the best VPNs go for around $3.00-$10.00/mo. However, this could be higher or lower depending on each provider, the subscription type, and any available features. In most cases, paying for an annual plan or another long-term subscription is likely to cut your costs.

Let’s jump into VPN pricing, tips to save money on VPNs, and whether free VPNs are worth it. (Hint: They most likely aren’t as secure as paid options.)

How much does a VPN cost per month?

The average cost of a VPN per month is often around $3 to $10. This is typically true for most VPNs, including popular services such as NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

But pricing could vary depending on multiple factors. Each VPN provider could charge different rates depending on how popular they are. You might pay more because a certain company is known to provide excellent customer service and performance.

You also might pay more or less depending on the features you want included with your VPN service. For example, certain plans could offer a dedicated internet protocol (IP) address, a password manager, or cloud storage.

The biggest factor, though, regarding VPN pricing is often the type of subscription plan you choose. Paying for one month at a time is typically the most expensive option while paying upfront for 12 to 36 months often reduces your monthly cost by a large amount.

Let’s see how much a VPN costs from many popular services.

VPN pricing per month

This table shows the lowest monthly price available for five of the best VPNs. We've also listed on long the subscription is as well as how much you'll have to pay once you opt for that subscription. 

Consider how VPN pricing tends to get much less expensive as you lock in longer subscriptions.

VPN	Lowest monthly price	Subscription duration	Total upfront payment
	$3.59/mo (billed every two years)	Two years	$100.37
	$1.99/mo (billed every two years)	Two years	$63.86
	$3.59/mo (billed every two years)	Two years	$86.11
	$6.67/mo (billed annually)	One year	$99.95
	$2.19/mo (billed every two years)	Two years	$56.94

Is a cheap VPN good?

A cheap VPN could be good, depending on the provider. It also depends on what you consider to be “cheap.”

It’s reasonable to want to set up a VPN without spending too much money. But how do you balance online security with the costs of implementing said security measures? Fortunately, many budget VPNs are also considered to be some of the most popular services available.

For example, NordVPN is arguably the most popular VPN on the market, and you can get it for $3.59/mo (billed every two years) if you choose the 24-month plan.

Not budget enough? Consider these other popular VPNs:

VPN
Starting price	$2.19/mo (billed every two years)	$2.19/mo (billed every two years)	$1.99/mo (billed every two years)
# of device connections	Unlimited	7	Unlimited
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 45 days	Yes — 30 days
	Get Private Internet Access Read Private Internet Access Review	Get CyberGhost Read CyberGhost Review	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review

In the case of VPNs, you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice the quality of a product to be able to save money. It’s also not typically necessary to pay large sums of money for a VPN unless you have specific needs that require more features.

Is a free VPN worth it?

A free VPN likely isn’t worth it because it might offer less reliability and could pose a privacy risk compared to using a paid VPN.

This isn’t to say all free VPNs have the same issues and that all paid services are 100% effective. But in general, it typically makes more sense to use a premium option.

How are free VPNs less reliable?

If they’re free, they might not have all the features you’d want in a VPN. This could include being able to use multiple devices, not slowing down your internet connection speeds, and being able to bypass geo-restrictions on streaming services.

You also might find issues with the actual security side of the VPN, meaning there could be vulnerabilities in the product that you likely wouldn’t find on a paid VPN service.

And if you run into issues while using the VPN, what’s the incentive for the provider’s customer support team to help you? They might provide quicker service to paying customers, or you might not have any access to direct customer support.

What privacy concerns might you have with a free VPN?

The main privacy concern with free VPNs is that they might be sharing your data with other people. Many popular paid VPNs have strict no-logs policies that typically mean they don’t track any of your online activity.

This is often not the case with many free VPN options. A free VPN could be tracking your online activity, which begs the question — why?

Most likely because the company wants to sell your data to someone else. Even though a service provider might not be charging you to use its VPN, it typically still has to make money somehow. This is similar to how your internet service provider (ISP) could be selling your data to other companies.

Learn more about online privacy on our page about online privacy settings.

Best free VPNs

Here are some of the best free VPNs to check out if you’d rather not use a paid option:

VPN	Monthly data cap	Number of server locations
	Unlimited	8
	Unlimited	1
	10 GB	13
	Unlimited	5
	10 GB	10

How to save money on a VPN

Learn how to save money on a VPN using these strategies:

Annual subscriptions

Paying upfront for a longer subscription period is often one of the most effective ways to save money on a VPN. In many cases, switching from a monthly VPN subscription to an annual or multi-year subscription could lower your average monthly cost by three times the amount or more.

For example, NordVPN charges $12.99/mo for one month of its Standard plan. But if you choose the two-year plan, it drops to $3.59/mo (billed every two years). That’s over three times cheaper.

These yearly subscriptions can also come with extra months thrown in, which also helps lower the price you pay per month. For instance, you'll often find the Surfshark two-year plan with three extra months included. 

Deals

It’s common for companies to have different types of deals and sales throughout the year. VPN providers are no exception, often providing sales on their services during heavy shopping periods. 

The holiday season could be an excellent time to find a deal, especially around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Money-back guarantee

Ever had buyer’s remorse? With VPNs, you might instantly have some regret. After all, you could be getting a VPN for a very specific purpose (e.g., watching a different Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Hulu content library). If the VPN doesn’t work for that purpose, you’ll likely know fairly quickly.

Fortunately, many VPNs offer 30-day money-back guarantees or free trials for a certain period of time. So feel free to use the VPN as much as you want during that time, and, if a service doesn’t meet your needs or expectations, cancel your service and keep or get your money back.

Discounts

Do you have some sort of status, such as being a student, teacher, or military veteran that typically offers discounts on different purchases? If so, you might qualify for a discount on a VPN from certain providers.

The most common discount is likely for students, but it doesn’t hurt to check for other types of discounts as well.

What to look for when checking VPN pricing

When comparing VPN pricing between different providers or plans, keep an eye out for these important features:

• No-logs policy: Review what information your VPN provider collects and whether that information is necessary
• Kill switch: An essential feature that can block your internet traffic if the VPN drops, which can be useful on unsecure Wi-Fi networks
• Server network: Make sure your VPN has plenty of server options to avoid overcrowding 
• Bypass geo-restrictions: If you're looking to use a VPN for streaming, make sure it has streaming-optimized servers or obfuscation to help with VPN block
• Simultaneous connections: Check how many devices can be connected to the VPN at the same time
• Operating system (OS) support: See which devices are supported based on your own device needs
• 24/7 customer support: Go over the customer support options to ensure you have help around the clock
  
• Money-back guarantee: Make sure you have a substantial trial period with your VPN to see if it's worth the cost

Some of these features are likely essential, while others could depend on the situation. For example, you typically want a no-logs policy so your VPN provider isn’t tracking your online activity. A kill switch is also important because it helps ensure your internet traffic is hidden even if your VPN connection drops.

But you might only need support for multiple connections if you plan to use the VPN from a phone and a laptop at the same time. And not everyone is trying to bypass geo-restrictions to stream content from other countries and regions.

It could make sense, however, to get a VPN that offers support for different systems and platforms. Do you use Windows, Chrome, Linux, or Firefox? Do you use Android or iOS? A Mac or an iPhone?

We can delve into plenty of scenarios where having a certain VPN feature could prove helpful. But it really depends on each situation and what you’re trying to accomplish. From increased online security to privacy while torrenting, VPNs have a variety of uses.

But keep in mind that using a VPN won’t legalize any illegal activity. If an action is already considered illegal, using a VPN won’t change that. And in some parts of the world, VPNs may not be legal.

VPN pricing FAQs

Bottom line

If you need a VPN, the monthly or annual cost isn’t likely to be an issue. The average monthly cost is around $5 to $10, though you could pay around $3 per month if you pay for an annual subscription (or longer) with certain providers.

Keep in mind that it’s generally worth paying for a VPN versus using a free service for multiple reasons, including increased online security and reliability.

Here are a few top recommendations for VPNs that offer good value for the price:

• NordVPN
• Surfshark
• CyberGhost

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Author Details

Ben Walker

About the Author

Ben Walker is a security, travel, and credit card writer with a passion for all things internet and technology, whether it's using VPNs while away from home or organizing his life with password managers.