How much does a VPN cost?

A VPN is a valuable option for anyone looking for added online protection, whether for personal or business use. As with so many products, it can be difficult to understand what price you should pay, and what features you should expect.

In this article, we’ll provide some more information about the costs you can expect to run into, how often you’ll be paying, and whether there are cheap options available to suit your needs. We’ll also touch on the free versions available, and to what extent they can work for you.

If you want to do a little more research, our what is a VPN page might be useful. If you want to find out which option will suit you the most, our best VPN page is the place to go.

How much does a VPN cost?

The table below includes a top-level view of VPN costs from some well-known suppliers. Some prices are listed in dollars, but all suppliers offer plans globally.

Prices in dollars are still available in the UK; prices correct as of 5th May, 2020

As a rule, VPN providers will offer similar prices, and your budget is unlikely to shift dramatically between them. However, what you get for the price paid may vary – understanding which VPN is suitable for your needs, whether professional or personal, is the best way to decide on which price is worth paying. Visit our best VPN page now to get a better idea of the features on offer.

Monthly costs

VPN providers will offer a range of pricing options. Monthly plans tend to be the least cost-effective compared to longer-term plans, though can be suitable if you don’t want or need the VPN for an extended period of time. Monthly costs tend to be between $8 and $12

Annual costs

As mentioned above, your VPN will be more cost-effective with a longer plan. If you opt to sign up for a VPN for three months, your overall price will be cheaper per month. If you opt to sign up for an annual subscription, your plan will be even cheaper on a monthly basis.

It is worth noting that most VPN suppliers will charge annually, so rather than paying each month, you’ll pay one total amount, which will then need to be renewed – or will automatically renew – the following year. Annual costs tend to be between $55 and $75.

Multi-year costs

If you decide to sign up for a VPN for a period of longer than a year, your monthly costs will decrease significantly, especially compared to the cost of a monthly plan. It is worth noting here that not all VPN providers will offer the same terms, though many offer 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year plans.

Generally, as with the annual plans, you will pay once for a multi-year plan, which will then need to be renewed. Multi-year costs will differ depending on the length of the contract. For more information on specific providers’ multi-year plans, continue on to the next section.

Which plan is best?

You’ll have the best idea of how long you will need your VPN for. If you are just testing the product, or don’t think you’ll need it for long, then a monthly option is probably best. If you know that you’ll be using a VPN for the foreseeable future, then a longer plan will be preferable – not to mention more cost-effective.

However, it is important to bear in mind how you will be paying. Though cheaper overall, the longer the plan, the more you will be paying upfront.

Compare VPN supplier costs

In the section above, we’ve provided some top-level costs that you might expect to pay, including some of the more common plans.

In this section, we have broken down the various plans available from the suppliers we’ve listed. Some prices are listed in dollars, but the plans are available globally.

PureVPN

PureVPN offers a range of pricing plans:

• 1 week trial: £0.99
• 1 month plan: $10.95
• 6 month plan: $8.33/month – total billed: $49.98
• 1 year plan: $5.83/month – total billed: $69.95

NordVPN

NordVPN offer a range of pricing plans:

• 1 month: £9.20
• 1 year: £5.38/month – total billed: £64.59
• 2 year: £3.84/month – total billed: £92.22
• 3 year: £2.69/month – total billed: £96.74

IPVanish

IPVanish offer a range of pricing plans:

• 1 month: $10
• 3 months: $8.99/month – total billed: $26.99
• 1 year: $6.49/month – total billed: $77.99

TorGuard

TorGuard offer a range of pricing plans:

• 1 month: $9.99
• Quarterly: $19.99
• Semi-annually: $29.99
• Annually: $59.99

TorGuard also offer other services to consider:

• Anonymous Proxy: $5.95/month
• Anonymous Email: $0
• Streaming Bundle: $21.98/month

CyberGhost

CyberGhost offer a range of pricing plans:

• 1 month: £11.99
• 1 year: £4.59/month – total billed: £55.08
• 2 year: £3.09/month – total billed: £74.10
• 3 year: £2.10/month – total billed: £75.60

Which is the cheapest VPN plan?

Simply choosing the cheapest VPN is one path you can take. Fortunately, most providers will offer a broad range of features that will suit most people, whether they need a VPN for personal or professional uses. It might also make sense if you’ve never used one before, and you just want to get a feel for it.

It is also worth bearing in mind that the cheapest option overall will normally be to take a longer-term plan. Below, we have listed the cheapest single-month plan, as well as the cheapest 3-year plan.

• Cheapest 1-month plan: IPVanish: $8.99
• Cheapest 3-year plan: TorGuard: $59.99 – approximately £48 total paid

Cost of setting up a VPN

The cost of setting up a VPN is factored into the overall price you are paying. In the sections above, we have provided some of the options for this. As a rule, there is no specific cost to setting up a VPN, as it is included in the monthly or yearly costs that you pay.