How much is a VPN in 2026? Complete pricing and cost guide

A monthly VPN subscription costs around $6.99 to $15.45/month on a rolling subscription, between $3 and $5/month for a 1-year plan, or $2 to $3/month for a 2-year plan in 2026. The best VPN deal in 2026 is $3.09/month with 76% off NordVPN.

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In 2026, a VPN can cost between $1.99/month and $15.45/month from the best VPN services depending on the provider and length of subscription that you choose. However, after researching 20+ premium VPNs, I determined that not all cheap VPNs are worth the money. Some have slow speeds, a small server network, lack independent auditing of their no-logs guarantee, or provide poor support.

Based on my research, the best VPNs based on price are as follows:

• Premium value: NordVPN ($3.09/month on 2-year deal).
• Budget-friendly: TotalVPN ($1.59/month) followed by Surfshark ($1.99/month) for consistent long-term value.
• Privacy-focused: Proton VPN ($2.99/month on 2-year deal).

You can also find free VPNs, though bear in mind that companies offering free VPN services need to generate income to support their business. To do this, they often share user information with third parties, which can lead to annoying targeted advertising or even identity theft if you choose a poor-quality service. In summary, you get a far safer and more reliable service from paid VPNs, so let’s explore VPN prices in detail.

Popular VPN pricing (as of June 2026):

1. NordVPN

   $3.09/month (2-year plan) to $12.99/month (monthly)
   9.8
2. Surfshark VPN

   $1.99/month (2-year plan) to $15.45/month (monthly)
   9.5
3. Proton VPN

   $2.99/month (2-year plan) to $9.99/month (monthly)
   8.6
4. Norton VPN

   $3.33/month (1-year plan)
   7.3
5. TotalVPN

   $19/year (1-year plan, around $1.58/month)
   8.2

VPN cost by subscription length

VPN pricing ranges from $1.99/month to $15.45/month, though some providers also offer free plans. Costs vary based on the provider and the subscription length that you choose, with longer plans offering the best value and those low prices from as little as $1.99 per month. The higher prices tend to come from undiscounted rolling monthly subscriptions.

Most VPNs provide monthly, 1-year, and 2-year plan terms, with monthly plans typically costing an average of $11.52/month, 1-year plans an average of $3.72/month, and 2-year plans as little as $2.62/month on average. The actual cost depends on the provider you choose and the deals they have available at the time.

• Monthly plans: Expect to pay between $6.99 and $15.45/month for complete flexibility and no commitment, but it’s the most expensive way to pay for a VPN.
• Annual plans: These average between $3 and $5/month when paid in full upfront for 1 year, though you get a 30-day money-back guarantee for risk-free testing.
• Multi-year plans: This is the best way to get low prices, usually around $2 to $3/month with a 30-day money-back guarantee and the biggest savings.

Current VPN prices for top providers

The VPNpro team researched and collated all leading VPN providers, before breaking down their plans to find the best low-cost, middle-ground, and premium VPNs for every budget. Here’s how much you can expect to pay for top VPN providers with current VPN prices and the average cost of each:

Is a cheap VPN actually worth it?

In 2026, a cheap VPN is absolutely worth using as long as you choose a reputable provider with low subscription costs rather than a free VPN. Many premium VPN services now have budget plans that match the level of security offered by expensive competitor services. Our list of the best cheap VPNs highlights the best providers that offer strong value for money.

For example, Surfshark is $1.99/month with 87% off + 3 months free. Despite its low price, it features AES-256 encryption, leak protection, 4,500 servers in 100 countries, and powerful protocols like WireGuard with lightning-fast speeds. However, NordVPN is the best-value VPN for its price, at $3.09/month with 76% off, a larger server network, more powerful malware protection, and the fastest speeds in the industry.

Get NordVPN, $3.09/month with 76% off

3 critical hidden VPN costs to watch out for

When choosing a VPN, the advertised price is often just the beginner. Many users overlook hidden costs that can make a supposedly cheap VPN service much more expensive than expected. Here are the main hidden costs to watch out for:

1. Renewal price hikes: Many VPNs offer low-cost introductory pricing, such as TotalVPN’s $19/year, 80% off discount. However, these prices can jump significantly after renewal. For example, TotalVPN costs $99/year after the first-year deal expires.
2. Add-on services: Adding features like dedicated IP addresses, antivirus software, or identity theft insurance can double your monthly cost. For example, you can get ExpressVPN for $2.44/month (78% off), but a dedicated IP address currently adds $3.99/month on top of that, more than doubling the monthly cost.
3. “Lifetime” VPN deals: Lifetime VPN deals are often scams from companies that vanish, leaving you without protection. Besides, there are no guarantees in business, and even legitimate companies can eventually fail, which means any lifetime plans you’ve paid for will disappear.

Key factors affecting VPN price

The price of a VPN is influenced by more than simply providing you with a private connection. It’s affected by a VPN provider’s ongoing hardware and server maintenance costs, security updates, and the size and geographic reach of their server network. Here are key factors affecting your VPN’s pricing:

• Server infrastructure: The larger a server network, the better its speeds and choices when it comes to unblocking content, but maintaining a large server network costs millions each year. Currently, NordVPN has the widest country coverage with 9,300 servers in 137 countries, hence its higher price of $3.09/month. Surfshark is the most affordable at $1.99/month but has fewer servers (4,500 in 100 countries).
• Performance and speed: Providers that invest in faster protocols, such as WireGuard, and premium server hardware usually charge more. For example, NordVPN’s proprietary NordLynx protocol offers the fastest VPN speeds in the industry, but it’s not the cheapest VPN.
• Independent security audits: Reputable VPN providers pay third-party companies like Deloitte or PwC to verify their no-logs guarantees. These audits can cost upward of $100,000, a cost that can influence your monthly subscription price for peace of mind.
• Device limits: Providing a larger number of simultaneous connections can mean that a provider needs to charge more each month to support its infrastructure and thus support a larger number of user devices.
• Advanced features and bundles: Adding features such as dedicated IPs, specialized servers, and antivirus functionality to a VPN service costs companies more, which means your subscription pricing may be higher. Alternatively, these features might be offered as paid add-ons.

Free vs paid VPNs

When comparing VPN prices in 2026, free VPNs are absolutely not worth the risks associated with them, including potentially compromised data, connections that leak your IP address, the threat of malware, slower speeds, and unreliable access to international content.

Instead, I recommend picking one of the cheapest VPNs you can get, such as Surfshark for $1.99/month (up to 87% off), with 3 months extra free. This includes a 7-day free trial on mobile devices and a 30-day money-back guarantee. With Surfshark, you get speeds of up to 850 Mbps based on my tests, leak protection, powerful encryption, an independently audited no-logs guarantee, and many other security tools.

Almost all premium VPN services now offer a VPN free trial ranging from 3 days (NordVPN) to 30 days (Norton VPN), so if you only need a VPN for a short time, it’s better not to take risks and leverage a VPN free trial. I recommend choosing NordVPN or Surfshark, as these services offer the fastest speeds and large server networks, allowing you to test the full potential of a premium VPN without risking your privacy.

Get NordVPN free for up to 33 days

How to save money on VPN services

In 2026, the average VPN costs between $1.99 and $15.45/month, depending on the provider and the plan length you choose. Fortunately, there are several ways to pay even less for a premium VPN without compromising on features or security. For example:

• Buy during Black Friday and Cyber Monday events. Subscribing to a service during a VPN Black Friday event or Cyber Monday event can get you the biggest discounts you’ll see all year.
• Check out VPN coupon codes. Leveraging VPN coupon codes can save you as much as 80% to 90% on the cost of long-term VPN subscriptions.
• Leverage student or military discounts. VPN student discounts or military discounts can often result in slightly higher savings than those available to the general public. While not available from all providers, Surfshark is an excellent example of a premium VPN service that offers custom discounts for these users.
• Choose longer subscription terms. Choosing a longer-term subscription gets you cheaper pricing from premium VPN services. For example, while Surfshark costs $15.45/month on its 1-month plan, you can pay just $1.99/month for Surfshark when subscribing for 2 years.

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FAQ

Is a VPN expensive?

A VPN is generally not expensive if you choose a long-term plan, which ranges from $3 to $5/month for a 1-year term or $2 to $3/month for a 2-year term. However, signing up for just one month can cost as much as $15.45/month from premium providers such as Surfshark. In 2026, the best-value VPN is NordVPN, at just $3.09/month with up to 76% off its 2-year term.

How much does a good VPN cost?

A good, reputable VPN service ranges from $2 to $13 on average, depending on the length of your subscription. NordVPN is the best VPN and one that I personally recommend, with up to 76% off at $3.09/month for 2 years. Based on higher competitor pricing and NordVPN offering the fastest speeds and best security, it’s my personal choice. Rolling monthly VPN subscriptions are most expensive, but 1-year and 2-year plans can get you savings of up to 70% to 80% and prices as low as $2 to $3/month.

How much is a VPN per month?

VPN services usually range from $2 to $16/month, but the price you pay is heavily dependent on the length of the plan you choose. For example, the cheapest one-month VPN plan comes from Bitdefender at $6.99/month, while most other VPNs cost about $13/month. The cheapest one-year plan comes from TotalVPN at $19/year, or about $1.58/month. For a more premium VPN, I recommend Surfshark at $3.19/month on a one-year plan. Some of the lowest monthly rates come from two-year plans, and I recommend NordVPN at $3.09/month or Surfshark at $1.99/month.

How much does a VPN cost for a company?

Business VPNs tend to run between $2.50 and $16/month per user, though prices can vary depending on the number of users, plan length, and extra features such as dedicated IP addresses. NordLayer costs $8 per user/month for example, while Proton VPN charges around $6.99 to $14.99 per user/month.

Why are VPNs so expensive?

VPNs are often seen as expensive due to the operational costs of running the service and the fact that month-to-month subscriptions can be pricey. However, you can often save as much as 50-80% on premium VPN services by subscribing to a long-term plan with a VPN coupon code. For example, you can currently get 74% off NordVPN, the best-rated service in 2026.