The Best Cheap VPNs
Short Answer:
The best cheap VPN overall is Private Internet Access (PIA). At just $2.03 per month on its longest plan, it provides an unparalleled combination of:
Security: Proven no-logs policy and advanced encryption.
Speed: Excellent global speeds (only 4% loss in testing).
Features: The largest server network, built-in MACE ad-blocker, and port forwarding for torrenting.
For those who absolutely require a true month-to-month subscription without long-term commitment, Mullvad VPN is the best choice at $5.50/month. While not the cheapest number, it is the lowest price for a high-security, pay-monthly service with no annual renewal traps.
Table of Contents
| Section | Description |
| Short Answer: The Top Recommendations | The quickest answer for the top budget and pay-monthly VPN. |
| The Crucial Distinction: Cheap vs. Compromised | Why price alone is a dangerous metric for security tools. |
| Our Top 5 Best Cheap VPNs (Detailed Analysis) | In-depth reviews covering price, performance, and key features. |
| VPN Pricing Traps & How to Spot Them | Hidden costs, renewal shocks, and misleading ‘lifetime’ plans. |
| Expert Methodology: How We Define ‘Cheap’ | Breaking down the average VPN cost and our scoring system. |
| The Security Checklist for Affordable VPNs | Essential technical features a low-cost service must have. |
| Use Case Analysis: Best Budget VPN for… | Streaming, Torrenting, Pure Privacy, and Month-to-Month. |
| Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | Addressing common queries about security and cost. |
The Crucial Distinction: Cheap vs. Compromised
In the world of cybersecurity, the phrase “you get what you pay for” often rings true. When considering an affordable VPN, the fundamental challenge is finding a provider that maintains elite-level security and performance while offering a genuinely low-cost VPN service.
Our extensive research shows that the average cost of a premium VPN on a long-term plan is approximately $3.87 per month. Services priced significantly below this benchmark—especially those below $2.50 per month—require meticulous due diligence.
The Danger of the “Absolute Cheapest VPNs”
We strongly caution against selecting the absolute cheapest options (sometimes as low as $0.99/month, like certain “lifetime” or highly discounted plans from unknown providers). These often sustain their low prices by cutting corners in critical areas:
Weak Encryption: Using outdated or substandard encryption protocols, making your data vulnerable.
Data Logging: Engaging in activity logging, monetizing user data by selling browsing history to third-party advertisers. This nullifies the entire purpose of a VPN.
Poor Infrastructure: Overcrowded, slow servers that result in unusable speeds and frequent connection drops.
Lack of Support: Non-existent or slow customer service when issues arise.
Our selection of the best cheap VPNs below focuses on providers that are consistently rated high quality overall, but offer aggressive discounts on their longest subscription terms, thus providing the best possible value without sacrificing essential security.
Our Top 5 Best Cheap VPNs (Detailed Analysis)
Our rankings prioritize the balance between the Long-Term Monthly Price and the overall VPN Quality (security, speed, streaming, torrenting).
1. Private Internet Access (PIA): Best Cheap VPN Overall
Cheapest Price: $2.03/month (3-year + 3 free months plan)
Monthly Price: $11.99
Key Strength: Largest server network, security, and torrenting features.
Private Internet Access is a perennial favorite because it consistently delivers a premium feature set at a deeply discounted price point. It’s not just a budget VPN; it’s a top-tier service that happens to be inexpensive.
Expert Breakdown & Technical Deep Dive
Security & Privacy: PIA adheres to a zero-logs policy that has been repeatedly proven in court documents, cementing its status as a trustworthy privacy tool despite its US jurisdiction (a common concern for the Five Eyes alliance). It uses AES-256 encryption and supports WireGuard, which contributes to its blistering speeds. The inclusion of an effective ad, tracker, and malware blocker called MACE further solidifies its security offering.
Performance & Server Network: With the largest server network globally—spanning 91 countries and over 18,000 servers—PIA guarantees low latency and prevents server overcrowding. Our speed tests recorded an average speed loss of just 4%, ensuring seamless 4K streaming and gaming.
Torrenting Excellence: PIA is one of the best torrenting VPNs, offering dedicated P2P-optimized servers and the rare feature of Port Forwarding (on non-US servers). This allows for dramatically faster seed/leech rates without compromising anonymity, a significant advantage for P2P users.
The Jurisdiction Concern: While the US jurisdiction is a minor drawback for the most extreme privacy advocates, PIA’s history of refusing to comply with subpoenas (because they have no data to provide) effectively neutralizes this concern for most users.
| Metric | PIA Score |
| Long-Term Price | 10.0/10 |
| VPN Quality | 9.0/10 |
| Simultaneous Connections | Unlimited |
| Streaming Access (Netflix) | 6 Regions (US, UK, etc.) |
2. CyberGhost: Best for Beginners & Generous Trials
Cheapest Price: $2.03/month (2-year + 4 free months plan)
Monthly Price: $12.99
Key Strength: User-friendliness, streaming optimization, and best refund policy.
CyberGhost is the ideal entry point for beginners seeking a reliable, low-cost VPN. Its polished, intuitive apps and generous trial offers remove all financial risk for new users.
Expert Breakdown & Technical Deep Dive
Risk-Free Commitment: CyberGhost provides the most flexible options to try the service before committing. This includes an excellent 45-day money-back guarantee (longer than the standard 30 days) and various free trials (up to 7 days on mobile, 24 hours on desktop with no credit card required).
Streaming Focus: CyberGhost stands out for its dedicated, labeled streaming servers. These servers are manually optimized to unblock specific geo-restricted services like US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and sports channels. This takes the guesswork out of streaming for the user. It reliably unblocked 10 Netflix regions in our tests.
Performance & Security: It uses AES-256 encryption and the highly efficient WireGuard protocol. While its local speeds are excellent, its international connection speeds showed a slightly larger performance drop (around 19% loss) compared to PIA and Surfshark, placing it just slightly below in raw speed metrics.
Feature Set: The app includes a useful Smart Rules feature, allowing you to automatically connect the VPN when you open a specific application or network, streamlining security automation.
| Metric | CyberGhost Score |
| Long-Term Price | 10.0/10 |
| VPN Quality | 8.2/10 |
| Simultaneous Connections | 7 |
| Streaming Access (Netflix) | 10 Regions |
3. Surfshark: Best Value & Unlimited Devices
Cheapest Price: $1.99/month (2-year + 3 free months plan)
Monthly Price: $15.45
Key Strength: Unlimited simultaneous connections and a massive feature set.
Surfshark is technically the cheapest option on our list by a few cents per month, and its offering of unlimited simultaneous connections makes it the undisputed champion for families, roommates, or users with many devices.
Expert Breakdown & Technical Deep Dive
Unlimited Value: This feature drastically reduces the effective monthly cost per user. No matter how many phones, laptops, tablets, or Smart TVs you own, one subscription covers them all.
Feature Richness: Surfshark is packed with advanced features typically only found in more expensive VPNs:
CleanWeb: An excellent ad, malware, and tracker blocker.
MultiHop (Double VPN): Routes your traffic through two separate VPN servers for enhanced anonymity.
Camouflage Mode: Special obfuscation technology to bypass VPN detection and deep packet inspection (DPI) in restrictive countries.
GPS Spoofing: A unique Android feature that matches your GPS location to your VPN server location.
Pricing Flaw: While its long-term deal is superb, its $15.45 monthly price is the highest on our list. This makes it a poor choice if you only need the service for a short period (less than one month).
| Metric | Surfshark Score |
| Long-Term Price | 10.0/10 |
| VPN Quality | 8.8/10 |
| Simultaneous Connections | Unlimited |
| Streaming Access (Netflix) | 9 Regions |
4. Mullvad VPN: Best Cheapest Pay-Monthly & Privacy King
Cheapest Price: $5.50/month (Fixed monthly price, no discount)
Monthly Price: $5.50
Key Strength: Absolute privacy focus, anonymous payments, and fixed pricing.
Mullvad operates with a philosophy that is radically different from its competitors. It offers no long-term discounts and focuses entirely on proven anonymity, making it the definitive choice for pure privacy advocates on a budget.
Expert Breakdown & Technical Deep Dive
Unrivaled Anonymity: Mullvad requires no email address or username to sign up. You are assigned a unique, random account number. Crucially, it accepts cash payments sent via mail, allowing for true, untraceable anonymity.
Fixed Pricing Model: The price is a fixed €5 (approx. $5.50) per month, indefinitely. There are no sales, no renewal rate hikes, and no long-term contracts. This transparent, fixed pricing is ideal for users who distrust the typical VPN sales cycle.
Technical Excellence: It is one of the few VPNs to use the WireGuard protocol exclusively (OpenVPN available but discouraged) and has undergone a rigorous, independent security audit to prove its no-logs status.
The Compromise: Mullvad is designed purely for security and privacy. It does not unblock any major streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, etc.). If streaming is your priority, choose PIA or CyberGhost. If privacy is paramount, Mullvad is the cheapest secure option available.
| Metric | Mullvad Score |
| Long-Term Price | 7.0/10 |
| VPN Quality | 7.6/10 |
| Simultaneous Connections | 5 |
| Streaming Access (Netflix) | 0 Regions |
5. PrivateVPN: Best Cheap VPN for Streaming on a Budget
Cheapest Price: $2.00/month (3-year plan)
Monthly Price: $9.90
Key Strength: Exceptional streaming unblocking, even with a small server fleet.
PrivateVPN offers an impressive balance between ultra-low price and elite streaming performance, often outperforming much larger competitors in specialized geo-unblocking.
Expert Breakdown & Technical Deep Dive
Streaming Powerhouse: Despite having a relatively smaller server network (around 200 servers), PrivateVPN specializes in manually managing and optimizing its IPs for streaming. It is remarkably effective at bypassing regional blocks for services like BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, and multiple Netflix libraries.
App Simplicity: The software offers two views: a simple view for beginners (one-click connect) and an advanced view for power users. The advanced settings allow for fine-tuning of protocols, including Stealth VPN, an obfuscation mode that helps bypass restrictive firewalls in countries like China.
Affordable Monthly Option: At $9.90/month, its month-to-month pricing is significantly cheaper than PIA or CyberGhost, making it a viable option for users who only need a VPN for a single month or short trip.
| Metric | PrivateVPN Score |
| Long-Term Price | 9.5/10 |
| VPN Quality | 7.9/10 |
| Simultaneous Connections | 10 |
| Streaming Access (Netflix) | 12+ Regions |
VPN Pricing Traps & How to Spot Them
When looking for an affordable VPN, the initial price is rarely the final price. Expert users know to look out for several key financial pitfalls designed to lock you in or charge you significantly more down the line.
1. The Renewal Rate Shock
The single biggest trap is the high renewal rate. A provider might advertise a 2-year plan for $2.00/month, but bury in the terms that the renewal rate after two years jumps to the full, non-discounted price—often $8.00 to $12.00/month.
Expert Advice: Always look at the total contract cost and the renewal terms. Set a calendar reminder to cancel or renegotiate before the promotion period ends. Our recommended VPNs (PIA, CyberGhost, Surfshark) offer exceptional value even when comparing their standard pricing to the competition.
2. The Misleading “Lifetime” Subscription
Never buy a lifetime VPN subscription. The term “lifetime” typically refers to the lifetime of the company, not the lifetime of the user. VPN companies offering these deals often struggle with capital, forcing them to overcrowd servers and compromise service quality to handle the influx of users who paid a one-time fee. This leads to slow speeds, poor support, and eventual collapse or drastic changes in policy.
3. The Bait-and-Switch on Features
Some services offer an extremely low initial price but require add-on fees for essential features like:
Dedicated IP Address: Necessary for some remote work setups or avoiding security flags on banking sites.
Ad/Malware Blocker: Sold as a separate package.
Unlimited Devices: Many providers charge extra tiers for more than 5 connections.
Always ensure the advertised low price includes all the features listed in our security checklist below.
Expert Methodology: How We Define ‘Cheap’
To provide an objective ranking, we contextualize “cheap” against industry standards and weight our scoring based on the user’s need for both low cost and high quality.
Industry Benchmarks (The Average Cost)
Before comparing budget VPNs, we establish the mean cost across 60+ top-rated services:
| Subscription Term | Average Monthly Cost | Max Discount Achieved |
| Monthly Plan | $11.51/month | N/A |
| 1-Year Plan | $6.48/month | Approx. 44% |
| Long-Term Plan (2+ Years) | $3.87/month | Approx. 66% |
To earn a spot on our list, a VPN must price its longest term significantly below the $3.00/month threshold while maintaining a VPN Quality score above 7.5/10.
Our 4-Pillar Scoring System for Cheap VPNs
We calculate a final Overall Cheap VPN Rating by weighting these four elements:
VPN Quality (35%): The most important factor. This measures security (no-logs policy, Kill Switch, encryption), speed performance, and streaming/torrenting capabilities. A cheap VPN must be a quality VPN first.
Long-Term Monthly Price (30%): The cost of the longest, most discounted plan offered (typically 2-3 years).
Monthly Price (30%): The price of a single month’s subscription. This is crucial for short-term users or those who cannot afford the upfront cost of a long contract. Mullvad scores a 10.0 here.
Free Trial / Guarantee (5%): The length and ease of the money-back period or free trial. A 45-day guarantee (CyberGhost) or a truly free trial (CyberGhost) adds significant user value.
The Security Checklist for Affordable VPNs
An affordable VPN must never compromise on core security. Use this checklist to vet any budget service:
1. Protocols & Encryption (The Backbone of Security)
AES-256 Encryption: This military-grade standard is non-negotiable. Ensure the provider uses this for all its main connections.
Modern Protocols: The best services offer WireGuard. This protocol is faster, leaner, and more efficient than the older OpenVPN, and is essential for maintaining low speed loss, which is vital for any budget provider.
2. Proven No-Logs Policy
The “no-logs” claim is easy to make but difficult to verify. Look for providers that meet one or both of these criteria:
Third-Party Audit: An independent cybersecurity firm (like Deloitte or PricewaterhouseCoopers) has audited the VPN’s servers and code to verify that no activity logs are stored. NordVPN and ExpressVPN (not listed here, but the Gold Standard) have led this charge.
Real-World Test: The no-logs claim has been proven in court, as was the case with PIA, where authorities seized servers and found no identifiable user data.
3. Automatic Kill Switch
This feature is a non-negotiable safety net. If your VPN connection unexpectedly drops—due to network changes, a weak signal, or server maintenance—the Kill Switch instantly cuts all internet traffic to prevent your real IP address from being exposed. All of our top-rated cheap VPNs include this feature, but always ensure it is enabled in the app settings.
4. Leak Protection (DNS and IPv6)
A VPN is only as good as its weakest link. It must have robust protection against:
DNS Leaks: When DNS requests accidentally route outside the encrypted tunnel.
IPv6 Leaks: When traffic is sent over the newer IPv6 protocol outside the tunnel.
The best cheap VPNs (like PIA and Surfshark) actively block or disable IPv6 and handle DNS requests internally to ensure zero leakage.
5. Favorable Jurisdiction
While a proven no-logs policy can mitigate risk, the jurisdiction (legal country of operation) still matters. Avoid services based in countries that are known for mandatory data retention laws or are members of the Five, Nine, or Fourteen Eyes intelligence alliances, which have a history of mass surveillance.
| Recommended Jurisdictions | Cautionary Jurisdictions |
| British Virgin Islands (ExpressVPN) | United States (PIA) |
| Panama (NordVPN) | United Kingdom |
| Romania (CyberGhost) | Canada (Windscribe) |
| Switzerland (Proton VPN) | Australia, New Zealand |
Use Case Analysis: Best Budget VPN for…
The ideal low-cost VPN service depends heavily on your primary online activity.
Best Budget VPN for Streaming
Winner: CyberGhost
While Surfshark and PIA are excellent, CyberGhost excels due to its app design. Its servers are labeled and categorized for specific streaming platforms (e.g., “Netflix US,” “BBC iPlayer UK”). This guaranteed access makes it the most reliable cheap option for unblocking content. Furthermore, its unique Smart DNS feature allows you to stream geo-blocked content on devices that don’t support native VPN apps (like older Smart TVs and gaming consoles).
Best Budget VPN for Torrenting
Winner: Private Internet Access (PIA)
Torrenting requires three things: security, speed, and features. PIA delivers on all three:
Security: Proven no-logs policy and secure encryption.
Speed: Excellent P2P speeds due to its massive, uncongested server network.
Features: Port Forwarding, which allows for a direct connection to more seeders, drastically increasing download speeds without sacrificing anonymity.
Best Budget VPN for Pure Privacy & Anonymity
Winner: Mullvad VPN
For those whose usage involves high-risk anonymity or simply a profound distrust of corporations, Mullvad’s radical approach is unmatched. The ability to sign up without an email and pay with physical cash ensures a level of anonymity that no other major VPN provider can match, making it the cheapest secure VPN for activists and journalists.
Best Budget VPN for Short-Term Travel (Month-to-Month)
Winner: Mullvad VPN / PrivateVPN
Mullvad: At $5.50, it is the lowest-priced secure month-to-month option.
PrivateVPN: At $9.90, it is more expensive, but its superior streaming unblocking makes it a better choice if you are traveling for a month and need to access home streaming libraries.
Avoid: Surfshark, which charges $15.45 for a single month.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are Cheaper VPNs Slower than Premium Ones?
No, not necessarily. Thanks to the adoption of the efficient WireGuard protocol, many high-quality affordable VPNs (like PIA and Surfshark) now record minimal speed loss, often outperforming older, more expensive providers that still rely heavily on OpenVPN. Performance is determined by server infrastructure, protocol, and server load, not solely price.
Is it safe to use a cheap VPN for banking?
Yes, as long as the cheap VPN meets our security checklist. Since all our top recommendations use AES-256 encryption and secure protocols, they provide the necessary tunnel security. However, we recommend two best practices:
Disconnect the VPN: If your bank’s security system is sensitive, it may flag logins from a foreign VPN IP as suspicious.
Use Split Tunneling: If the VPN has this feature, you can set your banking app or website to bypass the VPN tunnel while keeping the rest of your traffic encrypted.
Should I pay monthly or commit to a long-term plan?
Commit to the longest plan you can afford. This is the only way to achieve the true low-cost VPN service prices of $2.00-$3.00 per month. If you are unsure, leverage the generous money-back guarantees (30 or 45 days) to test the service risk-free before the refund window closes. If you absolutely cannot afford the upfront cost, Mullvad offers the best transparent monthly price.