What Does a VPN Cost?
🔍 Quick answer:
A VPN costs between $0 and $15 per month. Trustworthy free VPNs like ProtonVPN cost nothing (no ads, no data selling). Premium VPNs are $10-15/month if paid monthly, or $3-6/month with annual plans. The best value is a 2-3 year plan at $2-4/month. Avoid completely free VPNs from unknown companies — they make money by selling your data.
VPN pricing breakdown (2026)
| VPN Provider | Monthly | Annual (per month) | 2-Year (per month) | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | $12.95 | $8.32 ($99.95) | — | ❌ 30-day refund |
| NordVPN | $12.99 | $4.99 ($59.88) | $3.09 ($74.16) | ❌ 30-day refund |
| Surfshark | $10.99 | $3.99 ($47.88) | $2.29 ($54.96) | ❌ 30-day refund |
| ProtonVPN | $9.99 | $4.99 ($59.88) | $3.99 (2 years) | ✅ Unlimited free |
| Mullvad | €5 ($5.50) | Same as monthly | No discounts | ❌ |
Free VPNs: What's the catch?
Trustworthy free VPN — ProtonVPN Free
- Unlimited data — no bandwidth caps, ever
- No ads — completely ad-free experience
- AES-256 encryption — military-grade security
- WireGuard & OpenVPN — modern protocols
- No-logs policy — independently audited by Securitum
- Switzerland jurisdiction — strong privacy laws
- Funded by paid subscribers — not by selling your data
Limitations: 5 server locations, slower speeds, 1 device, no P2P
Free VPNs to AVOID
- Hola VPN — turns your device into an exit node
- Betternet / TouchVPN — logs and sells your data to advertisers
- TurboVPN — contains adware, sells user data
- Hotspot Shield Free — shows ads, owned by ad company
⚠️ If you're not paying, YOU are the product. Your data is being sold.
What affects VPN price?
- Server network size: More servers = higher operating costs. ExpressVPN has 3,000+ servers, NordVPN has 6,000+.
- Independent security audits: Audits by Deloitte, PwC, Securitum cost money but prove trustworthiness.
- Customer support: 24/7 live chat costs more than email-only support.
- Marketing budget: Big brands spend heavily on ads, reflected in price.
- Jurisdiction: Companies in expensive countries (Switzerland, BVI) may have higher overhead.
- Features: WireGuard protocol, RAM-only servers, obfuscated servers add value.
💡 Pro tip: Never pay monthly for a VPN — annual or multi-year plans save 50-70%. Most premium VPNs offer 30-day money-back guarantees, so you can test them risk-free. If you're on a tight budget, ProtonVPN Free is genuinely trustworthy and costs $0 — unlimited data, no ads.
On this page
Top 3 VPNs 2026 Tested
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Similar questions
Terms you'll meet
- IP address
- Your device's public ID online.
- Encryption
- Scrambling data so only you can read it.
- No‑logs policy
- VPN doesn't store your activity.