There are a lot of VPN services out there, and many of them claim to be the cheapest. We went through our VPN reviews to find the services and make sure you get the best value.
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What to Look for in a Budget VPN
If you go through our selection of the best VPN services, you’ll quickly see many differences in how VPNs approach price. Some, like ExpressVPN, charge a lot upfront, but as you can read in our ExpressVPN review, they offer a lot, too, making it worth it. Others, like NordVPN, offer a very reasonable first-time fee but then more when you renew your subscription, something detailed in our NordVPN review.
These differences in approach make things very confusing for consumers looking for a VPN that doesn’t cost too much. These services below have everything a VPN should (security, privacy, and the ability to unblock Netflix) and do so without sacrificing performance.
They also do this without charging users too much. Overall, most quality VPNs cost about $60 per year. All my picks below are either on that mark or below. If you find they’re still out of your price range, check out our selection of the best free VPNs.
Best VPN Overall: NordVPN
NordVPN can be a pricey option if you’re looking at the full subscription price. However, the best VPN service also happens to offer very deep discounts almost year-round, and you can take advantage of that to sign up at budget VPN prices.
For example, as of September 2025, you can get Nord Basic for $3.09/month for two years and three months free on top of that. Basic offers just the VPN, but if you bump up to the Plus plan, at $3.99/month for two years, you also get a password manager, ad blocker, and other helpful privacy features.
While this is still a bit more expensive than our best budget VPN pick, Surfshark, you get one of the easiest VPNs to use and set up, with user-friendly apps and easy-to-read UIs, and fast speeds that you often can’t get from other budget options. While the tests in our NordVPN review show that sometimes these speeds can fluctuate, they can’t be called slow.
Just be sure to check the prices once that introductory rate is up and make sure that the price is still right for you.
- Logging policy
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No-log policy
- Mobile app
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Android and iOS
- Number Of Servers
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1,000+
- Free Trial
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30 days
- Encryption
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DES, RSA, AES
NordVPN is one of the fastest VPN options available. It’s also easy to use and compatible with a variety of devices.
- Very good speeds
- Easy to use apps, and easy to understand how to set it up
- Introductory rate brings prices down to budget VPN levels
- Speeds can fluctuate
- Subscription price rises quite a bit after the introductory rate
Best Budget VPN Overall: Surfshark
Surfshark is, hands down, the best deal for VPNs right now. The Surfshark Starter plan is only $1.89 a month for 24 months, and you get another 4 months on top of that for free. $53 total for 28 months of a great VPN is impressive. If you want additional features, you can upgrade to the Surfshark One or Surfshark One+ plans for $2.39 a month and $3.99 a month, respectively.
With an easy-to-use VPN service that can bypass region restrictions on Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services, you are also getting more than you’re paying for. Of course, if you’re forgoing the premium prices of services like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, you’ll be losing out on some features, and the speeds can be a bit slow at times (as we go over in our Surfshark VPN review).
Also, even if you go with the Surfshark One+ plan, you would still miss out on two features—Dedicated IP and Alternative Number. Dedicated IP makes it easier to browse the web when using Surfshark, so you don’t need to reverify your accounts, and Alternative Number can be used with accounts that you’re not sure you can trust to sell your data to curb spam calls. These features cost an additional fee, so it’s a shame that they’re not available on any of the current Surfshark plans.
But if you’re looking for an easy-to-use VPN that offers internet security and can crack streaming services while not taking a hit to your wallet, Surfshark is the service you want.
- Logging policy
-
No-logs policy
- Mobile app
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Android and iOS
- Number Of Servers
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3,200+
- Free Trial
-
30 day money-back guarantee
- Encryption
-
AES-256
Surfshark is a low-cost VPN service that offers unlimited simultaneous connections, making it a great pick if you want to share the VPN account with friends and family.
- Plans are available for under $2/month
- Easy bypasses geofencing by streaming services
- Apps are user-friendly on any platform
- Some features are an additional charge, regardless of plan chosen
Of all the VPNs out there, Private Internet Access (better known as PIA) offers the best deal. For $79, you get the service for three years and four months. This isn’t just the cheapest deal; it’s also the longest. The best part is that you can renew at that price, too—no shenanigans when you renew.
Just because PIA doesn’t cost a lot doesn’t mean it lacks features. As you can read in my Private Internet Access review, it’s a solid service that gets all the basics right. It’s secure, easy to use, and pretty fast, to boot. Though it isn’t the best in any one area except price, it does a fine job overall.
The only real issues I have with PIA are that I don’t like the app much and that it’s not the greatest for unblocking Netflix. However, neither of these are dealbreakers, so if you want a long-term VPN for a great price, I recommend giving PIA a spin and seeing how you like it.
- Logging policy
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No-Logs Policy
- Mobile app
-
Android and iOS
- Free Trial
-
30 day Money-Back Guarantee
- Encryption
-
AES 128-bit or 256-bit
- Supported platforms
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Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Opera
- Server locations
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91 countries
Private Internet Access is a low-cost VPN that offers excellent speeds and keeps latency to a minimum. If you’re looking for a secure and reliable service with an affordable price.
- Great discount
- Fast
- Creack Netflix
- Three year plan commitment
- Some interface issues
Best Budget VPN for Mac: Proton VPN
Proton VPN is another great pick if you want to save money on a VPN. This option is also fantastic for Mac and iPhone users as its apps work well on both macOS and iOS while losing none of the functionality of the native Windows app.
As for money, Proton VPN takes up an interesting spot. At first glance, you wouldn’t be saving all that much at $60 per year, but it gets interesting once you factor in the Proton Unlimited bundle, which costs $120 per year (less if you sign up for two) and gets you a VPN, secure mail, a password manager, and cloud storage.
As you can read in my Proton VPN review, I think this offers a great deal of value to consumers, allowing them to secure their online presence in one swoop for just one payment. The Proton ecosystem allows you to ditch Google pretty easily and get a lot closer to making the web a place where you can be without being spied on.
- Logging policy
-
No-Logs Policy
- Mobile app
-
Android and iOS
- Number Of Servers
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13,000+
- Free Trial
-
Free version with limited features
- Encryption
-
AES-256, ChaCha20
- Supported platforms
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Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Chromebook, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV
Proton VPN is a fast and secure service, that comes with a strong reputation for privacy.
- Great bundles
- Reputation for privacy
- Great for Netflix
Best Budget VPN for Netflix: CyberGhost
If the main reason you want to use a VPN is getting through Netflix geoblocking, CyberGhost is the right budget VPN choice for you. When testing it out for my CyberGhost review, I had very little issue getting through to the streaming service. This is in no part due to the fact that it has special servers set up for this very purpose, so you can test out different ones until they work.
Price-wise, CyberGhost is pretty cheap—it’s $60 for the first two years, and when you renew it, it becomes an annual plan. Though it’s not as generous as PIA, it’s a lot better than Surfshark or NordVPN, and it costs about half the money most VPNs initially charge.
What you get for your money is pretty good, too. I really like the CyberGhost interface, especially for people who may be new to VPNs and would like some help navigating this type of software. If you want to switch Netflix libraries on the cheap, CyberGhost is a solid choice.
- Logging policy
-
No-Logs Policy
- Mobile app
-
Android and iOS
- Number Of Servers
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125
- Free Trial
-
45 day Money-Back Guarantee
- Encryption
-
AES 256-bit
- Supported platforms
-
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Chrome, Firefox
CyberGhost has a user-friendly interface, perfect for beginners. It’s also one of the few VPNs to offer automation features.
- Very cheap two-year plan
- Offers a 45-day money back guarantee instead of the average 30 days
- Cracks Netflix with ease
- Renews for only one year
- Some speed issues
Most Customizable Budget VPN: TorGuard
If you want a cheap and extremely customizable VPN, you’ll like TorGuard. In my review, I found that the service was extremely flexible in what it let you do with it yet somehow still managed to be user-friendly. Striking a balance between being easy to use and also letting you go wild with settings is rare for any kind of software, making TorGuard a special case.
What also sets TorGuard apart is its pricing, with its basic package setting you back only $33 per year, making it one of the very few services on this list that lets you go year-by-year on the cheap. If you don’t like to commit to long-term subscriptions—and I don’t blame you—TorGuard may be just the ticket.
That said, there are some issues to be aware of with TorGuard. While it lets you leave the garden path, it gives you very little guidance when doing so. This means your tinkering could put you at risk. If you’re comfortable with that, you may want to try TorGuard.
- Logging policy
-
Zero-Logs Policy
- Mobile app
-
Android and iOS
- Number Of Servers
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3000+
- Encryption
-
AES-256
- Supported platforms
-
Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- Server locations
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50+ countries
TorGuard offers a range of advanced features like custom scripts. The service ensures a low ping and latency while still offering great security.
- Year-to-year subscriptions over the average 24 month plans
- Great speeds
- An easy to use app
- No multi-year subscriptions available if you do want it
- A bit overwhelming overall, despite the app’s ease of use
Best User-Friendly Budget VPN: VyprVPN
Another great entry is VyprVPN, a service that did extremely well when I took it through its paces for my VyprVPN review. Besides being fast, it has a very nice, user-friendly app, a great pricing scheme, and a VPN protocol that lets you easily bypass any censorship blocks.
What will likely draw your eye first, though, is VyprVPN’s pricing scheme, which sees you paying just $72 for two years, which is a steal. Though PIA is a little cheaper, I think VyprVPN offers slightly better value thanks to better performance and a nicer app. Note, though, that the one-year plan costs $60 and thus isn’t anywhere near as good a deal.
VyprVPN stands out because of its lovely app which recently got an update and looks sleek and modern, a rarity in an industry dominated by drab apps and interfaces. If you want a VPN that has a definite aesthetic—that can’t be described as “slapdash”—then VyprVPN is the budget option for you.
- Logging policy
-
No-Log Policy
- Mobile app
-
Android and iOS
- Free Trial
-
30 Day Money Back Guarantee
- Supported platforms
-
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV
- Server locations
-
Nearly 70 countries
- Devices allowed
-
Up to 5
VyprVPN is an old-school VPN with a revamped, modern look and feel. It’s fast, and comes at a great price.
- Cheap
- Great app
- Obfuscation tech
FAQ
What is a VPN?
A virtual private network (VPN) is a tool that lets you connect to the internet via a remote server. This allows you to mask your identity while online and access sites normally blocked in your location.
Should I use a VPN to use Netflix?
Using a VPN while watching Netflix isn’t necessary, but it greatly improves the experience as you can access other countries’ libraries. This greatly increases the movies and shows you have at your disposal.
Does a VPN make my ping better?
No. Since a VPN reroutes your connection, this hurts your latency, or ping. There is no way around this, sadly.
