How Much is a VPN Per Month?
🔍 Quick answer:
A VPN costs between $0 and $15 per month. If you pay month-to-month, premium VPNs cost $10-15/month. However, most people choose annual or multi-year plans, which reduce the monthly cost to $3-6/month. Trustworthy free VPNs like ProtonVPN cost $0 but have limitations (fewer servers, slower speeds). Avoid completely free VPNs from unknown companies — they make money by selling your data.
VPN pricing by billing cycle (2026)
| VPN Provider | Monthly (month-to-month) | Annual (per month) | 2-Year (per month) | Free tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | $12.95 | $8.32 | — | ❌ |
| NordVPN | $12.99 | $4.99 | $3.09 | ❌ |
| Surfshark | $10.99 | $3.99 | $2.29 | ❌ |
| ProtonVPN | $9.99 | $4.99 | $3.99 | ✅ Unlimited free |
| Mullvad | €5 ($5.50) | Same as monthly | No discounts | ❌ |
Why monthly plans are more expensive
VPN providers charge higher monthly rates because they want to encourage longer commitments. Monthly plans offer flexibility — you can cancel anytime — but you pay a premium for that flexibility. Annual and multi-year plans lock you in but save you 50-70% compared to monthly billing.
- Monthly plan: $10-15/month — most expensive, cancel anytime, good for short-term use.
- Annual plan: $3-6/month (paid upfront $40-70/year) — best balance of price and commitment.
- Multi-year plan (2-3 years): $2-4/month — cheapest, best value for long-term users.
💡 Pro tip: Never pay month-to-month unless you only need a VPN for 1-2 months. Annual and multi-year plans save you 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.
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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.