In 2026, a VPN costs around $10 to $16/month for a 1-month subscription, $1.33 to $5/month for a 1-year subscription, or $1.11 to $3.39/month for a 2-year subscription. Get big savings by signing up for long-term plans.
VPNs generally cost between $2 and $5 per month, with an average of about $10–$16 per month for monthly, no-commitment plans. However, savings are available on long-term subscriptions, where monthly prices can drop to as little as around $1.11 to $3.39/month from top providers, once discounts have been applied.
Approximate 2026 VPN prices by plan length:
- 1-month plan: ~$9.99 – $15.45/month, the most expensive option, but good for short-term use without commitment.
- 1-year plan: ~$1.33 – $4.99/month, and can save you 50-80% compared to monthly pricing when billed annually.
- 2-year plan: ~$1.11 – $3.39/month, the best long-term value with the biggest discounts from top providers like NordVPN and Surfshark.
Right now, the cheapest premium VPN is Surfshark, now $ 2.49/month with up to 85% off. However, NordVPN offers affordable pricing at $ 3.49/month with up to 75% off long-term subscriptions. In 2026, NordVPN maintains its rank as our best-value VPN.
Compare VPN prices from leading providers
As of early 2026, VPN pricing remains highly competitive, with top providers offering large discounts on their long-term VPN subscriptions. These can be locked in using one of many premium VPN coupon codes. Though rolling monthly plans usually cost around $10 to $16/month, committing to a 2-year plan can reduce the monthly cost to as little as $1.11/month.
| VPN provider | Monthly price | 1-year plan | 2-year plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. NordVPN | From $12.99/month | From $4.99/month, up to 63% off | From $ 3.49/month, up to 75% off |
| 2. Surfshark | From $15.45/month | From $3.19/month, up to 81% off | From $ 2.49/month, up to 85% off + 3 months free |
| 3. Proton VPN | $9.99/month | $3.99/month, up to 60% off | From $ 2.99/month, up to 70% off |
| 4. TotalVPN | – | $ 1.59/month, up to 80% off | – |
| 5. Norton VPN | – | From $ 3.33/month, up to 54% off | – |
| 6. IPVanish | From $12.99/month | From $3.33/month, up to 74% off | From $ 2.19/month, up to 83% off |
| 7. CyberGhost | From $12.99/month | – | From $ 2.19/month, up to 83% off + 2 months free |
| 8. PIA | From $11.99/month | – | From $ 2.19/month, up to 82% off + 2 months free |
| 9. ExpressVPN | From $12.99/month | From $3.49/month, up to 73% | From $ 3.49/month, up to 76% off |
| 10. PrivadoVPN | From $10.99/month | From $1.33/month, up to 88% off + 3 months free | From $ 1.11/month, up to 90% off + 3 months free |
As shown in the table, 1-month VPN subscriptions are much more expensive than 1-year or 2-year plans. The average monthly cost of a 2-year VPN subscription in 2026 is around $ 1.11 to $ 3.49/month, representing a massive discount compared to rolling monthly subscriptions.
Similarly, 1-year plans offer big discounts compared to paying for a VPN on a month-to-month basis. The average monthly cost of a premium 1-year VPN subscription in 2026 is around $1.33 to $4.99/month, with discounts of around 54% to 88%. The cheapest 1-year subscription to a premium VPN comes from PrivadoVPN, at $1.33/month, while NordVPN is the most expensive, at $4.99/month.
Two-year plans offer the biggest overall savings and lowest monthly rates. In 2026, the average cost of a 2-year VPN subscription ranges from around $1.11 to $3.39 per month, with savings of roughly 70% to 90% compared to monthly pricing. Based on my research above, PrivadoVPN is the cheapest 2-year option at $ 1.11/month (up to 90% off), while NordVPN is the most expensive long-term plan at $ 3.49/month (up to 75% off).
Extra VPN costs to watch for
While discounted VPN prices are extremely affordable, especially on 2-year deals, it’s important to understand that introductory prices can rise in certain cases. For example, renewal pricing jumps significantly after your initial term ends. What’s more, some VPN providers charge extra for features like dedicated IPs, antivirus software, or increased device limits. Before choosing a VPN, make sure you understand the hidden costs that can creep in. Here are the most common hidden VPN costs to watch for:
- Renewal pricing increases: Most VPNs heavily discount their first subscription term, but after that, the monthly cost usually reverts to the standard monthly pricing. For example, Surfshark is $ 2.49/month for 2 years, with 3 months free, but it reverts to $15.45/month after that. It’s the most affordable premium VPN but has the largest renewal price jump.
- Add-on features that increase premiums: Features like dedicated IP addresses, antivirus tools, and encrypted cloud storage tend to be charged separately. If you add these to your plan, it increases your monthly cost. Cyberghost has one of the priciest dedicated IP add-ons, though it’s currently discounted.
- Simultaneous device limits: A handful of VPNs, such as Surfshark and IPVanish, allow for unlimited devices under a single account. However, others have limitations and may charge extra depending on the number of devices you specify in your plan. For example, Windscribe and PureVPN increase your monthly plan price based on the number of devices you choose.
- Build your own plan: Some VPNs offer an attractive rate on their basic VPN, but the price increases vastly based on a “build your own” approach to pricing. For example, Pure VPN offers 86% off + 3 months free for just $2.15/month. However, once I added all feasible optional extras, my total price rose to over $2,500.
Are free VPNs worth it?
When comparing VPN prices in 2026, free VPNs aren’t worth the risk. Premium VPNs cost as little as a couple of dollars per month for long-term plans, but free VPNs can have weak privacy, data leaks, malware risks, slow speeds, and limited access to streaming services.
Right now, one of the cheapest reliable premium VPNs available is Surfshark, with long-term pricing as low as $ 2.49/month on its 2-year plan. You get strong encryption, access to global servers, decent streaming support, no ads, and no restrictive data caps. What’s more, the provider will never track or sell your data. Comparatively, free VPNs typically come with serious drawbacks, including:
- Logging and selling your data to third parties
- Weak encryption or DNS/IP leaks
- Malware and intrusive advertising
- Strict data limits and throttled speeds
- Inability to unblock streaming platforms
Even if you only need a VPN for a short time, there’s no reason to take the risk. Most premium VPNs offer at least a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. For example, Surfshark’s 30-day money-back guarantee gives you full access to all features with no restrictions, making it a much safer alternative than relying on an untrustworthy free VPN.
What factors determine the price of a VPN plan?
The price of a VPN plan involves more than simply a secure connection, as providers have ongoing hardware costs, security maintenance, and must cover the cost of providing connections across a vast global network. However, other factors that can influence the price of your VPN subscription include:
- Server network size: Maintaining a large, fast, and secure network in multiple countries involves significant outlay for a provider to manage its hardware and other infrastructure. More servers means faster speeds, lower congestion issues, and a greater number of connection points for streaming, gaming, or bypassing restrictions. For example, NordVPN offers 9500+ servers in 137+ countries, which is one reason why its 2-year subscription costs more than Surfshark, which has 4500+ servers in 100+ countries.
- Performance and speed: Providers that invest in the fastest protocols, such as NordVPN’s NordLynx and WireGuard, tend to have the fastest speeds. Thanks to NordLynx, NordVPN has the fastest speeds of up to 850 Mbps during our tests. However, this doesn’t come without investment from the providers themselves.
- Security features: Strong encryption, leak protection, kill switches, and independent audits for no-logs guarantees all come with ongoing costs that can influence the amount charged to users.
- Simultaneous connections: More devices permitted under a single account can have a small impact on monthly subscription fees.
- Extra features: Features like dedicated IP addresses, specialized server types, antivirus software, and ad blockers all add value but also cost. In some cases, you can choose to forgo a feature to pay less per month.
- Customer support: Supporting users with 24/7 live chat and human-staffed phone lines means that providers have wages to pay to more staff, and as a result your subscription fees can be higher.
Are cheap VPNs worth it, or should you pay more for a premium VPN?
Low-cost VPNs can absolutely be worth it if they come from a reputable provider that prioritizes data security over data monetization. For example, Surfshark has a robust no-logs guarantee, doesn’t log, store, or sell your data, and includes security features like military-grade encryption and leak protection to ensure your anonymity is protected, all while charging just $ 2.49/month for its longest-term plan.
However, NordVPN is the best-value secure VPN for its price, at just $ 3.49/month on a 2-year plan. While it costs slightly more than Surfshark, NordVPN delivers stronger overall performance and has one of the largest server networks in the industry. It also has the fastest download speeds and advanced privacy tools like Threat Protection, which blocks malware, trackers, and malicious downloads. For those who want the best streaming reliability, fast 4K speeds, and advanced security tools, the slightly higher monthly cost is tied to better long-term value.
While the average VPN price is around $10 to $16/month, you can get the best-value VPN for only $ 3.49/month. NordVPN currently ranks as #1 out of 54 VPNs on our list, making it the one of the best VPNs for international unblocking and streaming, gaming, torrenting, and security. What’s more, you can start with a 3-day free trial from the Google Play Store and get a 30-day money-back guarantee on any device.
Final tips for saving on your premium VPN
The average price of a VPN in 2026 is around $10 to $13 for a month-to-month plan, with 1-year and 2-year plans costing as little as $ 1.11 to $ 2.49/month. However, there are ways to pay less for your premium VPN subscription. I recommend looking for holiday sales, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which usually attract the biggest discounts.
The team at VPNoverview also regularly checks and collates all working VPN coupon codes so that you can access the best deals right away:
VPNs often have student discounts or veteran coupon codes too, so I recommend comparing the existing discounts available for these groups, as they can occasionally be even better. Currently, you can get up to 85% off Surfshark or 81% off Surfshark One for students.
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FAQ
In 2026, expect to pay an average of $9.99 to $15.45/month for a 1-month plan, $4.99 to $7.99/month for a 1-year plan, and $1.99 to $3.99/month for a 2-year plan. Getting a long-term subscription saves you money and means that you can get a large discount on your subscription.
A typical VPN service costs around $9.99 to $15.45/month if you subscribe to a monthly plan. You can reduce this cost and get a big discount by subscribing to a longer-term plan. For example, NordVPN is $12.99/month, but its 1-year plan costs $4.99/month with 63% off, and its 2-year plan costs $ 3.49/month with up to 75% off.
The average yearly cost of a premium VPN is around $4.99/month to $7.99/month when you subscribe for a single year. However, by signing up for a 2-year plan, you can reduce this price to an average of $1.99 to $3.99/month. For example, NordVPN is currently the best VPN and costs $4.99/month on a 1-year plan or $ 3.49/month with 75% off for 2 years.
A good VPN usually costs around $2 to $5 per month if you sign up for a long-term 1 or 2-year plan. Rolling monthly subscriptions tend to run between $10 and $16/month, but you can get big savings by subscribing to longer-term plans. Fortunately, if you choose a VPN like NordVPN or Surfshark, you get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
