Best Cheap VPN in 2024: The Most Affordable Services (From $2/mo)

With inflation spreading like wildfire worldwide, people are turning to the cheapest VPNs. The best cheap VPN sounds quite awesome at first. You pay a low price and still reap all the benefits of high-end services.

But this begs a logical question – does such a thing exist?!

Our team of experts agrees on one thing – most VPNs are cheap! Some are more affordable, some less, but the typical price of a few monthly dollars isn’t such an expense. Besides, we spend that much on coffee, junk food, and whatnot.

While most VPNs are inexpensive, we believe you want those that really won’t break the bank. In this list of the least expensive providers, we’ll go over our favorite picks, examine their prices, and see what they have to offer.

Their prices will start at a measly $2 per month, so you’re getting a great value overall.

Best Cheap VPN Providers for 2024: Our 5 Favorites

Before we move on with the list, we must go over a quick disclaimer. Namely, the goal of this list of the cheapest VPNs isn’t to necessarily pick the most affordable ones. Instead, we’re looking for certain qualities described later in this guide.

To simplify it, all providers must exemplify true qualities, such as safety, privacy, performance, and so on, to make it on this list. We won’t be ranking budget VPN services solely on price, but rather on quality, which is a by-product of our ranking system.

Simultaneously, these providers are inexpensive, as you’ll soon see, and their monthly price will range from $1.99 to $3.3 at the time of writing.

One more thing. Prices are accurate at the time of writing too. For the newest deals and discounts on each provider, use the provided links below.

Now that we’re over the disclaimer, let’s answer the question from before. The best cheap VPN providers for 2024 include:

1. NordVPN – under $3.3/mo for the 2-year plan with 3 free months
2. Private Internet Access – under $2/mo for the 2-year plan with 2 free months
3. Surfshark – under $2.2/mo for the 2-year plan with 3 free months
4. CyberGhost – under $2.2/mo for the 2-year plan with 2 free months
5. Hide.me – under $2.7/mo for the 2-year plan with 2 free months

Read on to find out what each service has to offer.

1. NordVPN

The best-value VPN on this list is NordVPN. As explained, it’s not the cheapest but its qualities are far above any other services. NordVPN starts at just over $3/mo and its 2-year deal with 3 free months is honestly majestic.

What about other features?

Let’s say that this provider offers the best price-performance ratio. Users can enjoy 6,300+ servers in 111 countries, which is handy for accessing geo-restricted sites worldwide. Another perk is the speed. NordVPN is the fastest cheap VPN we tested so far.

With the NordLynx protocol, you’ll enjoy stable performance for torrenting, streaming, and even gaming (check our favorite gaming VPNs here). NordVPN prides itself on being safe and secure. Indeed, it has 256-bit encryption and a kill switch to keep things private.

The VPN uses Double VPN servers for two encryption layers. Also, there’s Threat Protection to dissolve malware and trackers like nothing. NordVPN doesn’t keep any logs either, so despite being one of the cheapest VPNs around, it won’t sell your private data.

This VPN allows for 10 simultaneous connections and works on all devices. In addition, it supports Meshnet for remote control and access. NordVPN is a great all-around budget VPN that ticks all the boxes. Being easy to set up and use, we see no reason not to test it.

Its most affordable deal can be obtained below, where you can take advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re enticed by the #1 cheap VPN in 2024, it doesn’t get better than this.

Find out more about its numerous features in our full review of NordVPN.

Visit NordVPN now

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2. Private Internet Access

PIA comes with an affordable 2-year plan at just $1.99/mo, making it officially the cheapest VPN in 2024. It’s no slouch, though. PIA has unlimited connections and offers apps for Windows, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Android. Security-wise, it’s sublime.

The provider’s audited no-logging policy reassures doubtful users. Above all, the service relies on bank-grade encryption coupled with the powerful WireGuard protocol. This, along with other features like PIA MACE, split tunneling, and SOCKS5, makes PIA safe to use.

We love PIA’s advanced features, as well. MultiHop is there and users can use obfuscation to get over firewalls. PIA works with Netflix and offers a few dedicated P2P servers. This inexpensive American VPN even has Dedicated IP addresses found in NordVPN.

PIA’s Dedicated IPs are chapter but the downside is slower speed. On the flip side, Private Internet Access uses RAM-based servers and comes with a state-of-the-art Private DNS solution to prevent anyone from spying on your DNS queries.

With the unbeatable price come a few downsides but nothing to worry about. Private Internet Access won’t work in China, unlike NordVPN, which is the best VPN in China. Another compromise is a slightly outdated Windows client that can be clunky at times.

Is this a deal breaker?

Considering it is among the VPNs with the least expensive subscription plans, certainly not. Private Internet Access can be yours at $2/mo below, again, with a 30-day refund policy, 24/7 live chat service, and plentiful other notable features.

Visit PIA Website

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3. Surfshark

Surfshark offers flexible and competitive pricing, ranking it #3 on the list of the best cheap VPNs in 2024. This provider offers a heap of features, one of which is MultiHop for doubling your encryption. Another one is a private browser for untraceable web browsing.

Surfshark goes all in, guns blazing, as they say. As one of the cheapest VPNs around, it rocks unlimited connections coupled with apps for Windows, iOS, Firestick, tvOS, and other devices. Remember that Surfshark costs under $2.2, so its price is very affordable.

This doesn’t affect the performance, as the VPN is still fast and offers WireGuard. Surfshark is one of the top options for Netflix too! In our test, the VPN easily unblocked around 30 libraries, putting it above other cheapest VPNs streaming-wise.

While not the fastest pick, Surfshark is stable enough, with over 3,200 servers in 100 countries. All servers are RAM-based and the VPN offers a wealth of Static and Dedicated IPs. Users can also purchase an antivirus for added threat protection.

We love Surfshark’s Smart DNS support, which allows you to stream without setting up the VPN. Its subscription lets you access the NoBorders mode for circumventing censorship. A unique feature is the IP Rotator, which periodically alters your IP for more privacy.

Speaking of that, Surfshark is another VPN without logs. Despite the Dutch jurisdiction, Surfshark’s log-free nature never subsided. This is undoubtedly among the cheapest, yet, most capable VPNs you can get right now, ranking very high on this list.

Visit Surfshark Website

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4. CyberGhost

Ranking a tad lower is CyberGhost. However, this low-cost VPN offers excellent value for money thanks to a 2-year plan at under $2.2/mo with 2 free months. CyberGhost offers an incredible 12,000+ servers in 100+ countries, so it’s simultaneously a huge provider.

Numbers aside, CyberGhost is from Romania, which screams privacy. Its NoSpy servers are great, in particular, and the VPN offers 256-bit encryption with every protocol. CyberGhost uses WireGuard but OpenVPN and IKEv2 are supported for more variety.

We like CyberGhost’s unique domain split tunneling, with the option to automatically enable a kill switch. Moreover, CyberGhost’s streaming/torrenting servers make it extremely attractive. It has servers for platforms like BBC, ABC, Netflix, and others.

P2P servers ensure fast and anonymous torrenting. This is also partly because of a no-logging policy verified by Deloitte. CyberGhost is the second cheapest VPN here, so it’s impressive you get the level of quality that almost rivals NordVPN.

Besides, CyberGhost includes an ad blocker, antivirus, and even the option to get a Dedicated IP. Its Smart DNS addition is the best around, with IP addresses in different countries for unlimited streaming. Sadly, CyberGhost lacks obfuscation, so it’s not usable in China.

The silver lining is how welcoming CyberGhost feels. Think about its 45-day refund policy combined with the said low-cost 2-year plan. This budget VPN is very close to being the cheapest option today, and with notable qualities, it earned its place on this list swiftly.

Visit CyberGhost Website

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5. Hide.me

Hide.me isn’t our favorite provider but it’s surely among the cheapest VPNs you can find. Is it bad? Not even remotely! Hide.me offers more than 2,400 servers with unlimited data and stellar performance. Above all, this budget VPN relies on privacy and security.

It’s a Malaysian service, which immediately spawns no-logging practices, RAM servers, and other privacy tidbits. Security is prison-like. You’ll be enjoying AES-256 encryption with a kill switch, IP/DNS leak protection, and MultiHop to fortify your encryption further.

We love Hide.me’s SmartGuard for blocking ads, malicious sites, and trackers. Furthermore, there’s StealthGuard, which uses obfuscation to get over firewalls. Users who love downloading torrents in P2P will appreciate Dynamic Port Forwarding.

It speeds up your downloads, ensuring everything goes smoothly. Like the other 4 low cost VPNs, Hide.me works with streaming services but it takes one step forward and introduces a free version with no traffic cap! Quite similar to Proton VPN, which is the best free VPN.

Hide.me also offers its Bolt Proxy to avoid ISP throttling and provide a better internet experience. Its apps span all platforms and the VPN offers 10 simultaneous connections like NordVPN, our favorite affordable VPN service. We haven’t talked about price, have we?

Hide.me’s 2-year plan with 2 free months drops the price to under $2.7/mo. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee to spice up the deal. With a total upfront price of just under $70 for 26 months, Hide.me is a fierce rival to the previous best cheap VPNs.

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How Did We Choose the Best Cheap VPNs?

Selecting the best overall VPN is much easier when the price variable is out of the way. However, for this ranking of the least expensive providers, we altered our perspective to ensure we provide you with excellent services while keeping the price low.

Here’s what our team considered when we crafted the list of the top low-cost VPNs.

Security & Privacy

No matter the list we’re making, these two factors are always #1. Why is privacy important? Think about this. A VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. The word “Private” means the network should exude privacy by not keeping logs and using advanced measures.

All our VPNs have RAM servers, Private DNS, AES-256 encryption, WireGuard/NordLynx protocols, and so on. These features aren’t only for your security. They also make you more private by preventing your sensitive data from leaking to the public.

Sure, these are the best and cheapest VPNs around but they don’t skimp on this aspect. This usually isn’t the case when you look at many other providers that are not expensive. On the security/privacy front, NordVPN takes the win, which is why it’s at the forefront of the list.

Performance

The performance is another crucial aspect of our top-rated inexpensive providers. Think about the best value for money provider like NordVPN. Its speeds are the fastest we’ve ever tested, even beating CyberGhost, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN which isn’t on the list.

NordVPN provides an excellent experience for just about any scenario – streaming, torrenting, browsing, gaming, and so on. All providers on our list come with 10 Gbps servers, WireGuard (or a derivative), and carefully woven server fleets to allow for stable and fast speeds.

The performance combined with safety and security and an unbeatable price is a perfect combo. Luckily, such a combo can be found in our top 5 cheapest VPNs.

Streaming & Torrenting

P2P and streaming support are characteristic of paid providers. All of them will work with Netflix or BBC iPlayer, for instance. The best VPN provider for streaming is Surfshark, while NordVPN and CyberGhost follow very closely.

Are other low cost VPNs great too?

Yes! PIA and Hide.me offer full streaming support as well. With fast speeds and good stability, streaming even in 4K will be a walk in the park. Torrenting is another aspect we appreciate in the best cheap VPNs. All of them offer P2P support.

We love NordVPN’s dedicated P2P servers, as they’re the fastest. However, you’ll find them in CyberGhost and PIA too. That’s not to say Surfshark and Hide.me are less awesome. We tested both and ended up with staggering P2P experiences.

Price & Discounts

Okay, so price is obviously important if you’re looking for a proper budget VPN. However, it’s not only about the price, as this is often an “inconsistent” factor. Some VPNs are cheap during, let’s say, Black Friday (see our page featuring the best VPN deals for Black Friday). The rest of the year, they ditch their inexpensive VPN deals.

Our team is experienced enough to recognize these patterns. We picked the cheapest VPNs whose prices, while also changing, REMAIN affordable throughout the year. NordVPN might not always cost close to $3 but it never goes above $4/mo. Do you get it?

These providers have excellent deals and discounts every month, ensuring you can always get the VPN without spending a mini-fortune. CyberGhost, for instance, never costs above $2.5/mo, while PIA’s aforementioned deal is active pretty much the entire year.

Ease of Use & Compatibility

The only thing simpler than using a VPN is… well, there’s no such thing. Jokes aside, no matter which affordable VPN you pick from our list, the setup won’t last longer than a few minutes. Their state-of-the-art apps also allow for one-click connections.

NordVPN connects in 1-2 seconds to the server you want, encrypting your connection promptly. The same goes for PIA or Surfshark, both of which are paramount providers in the world of the cheapest VPNs. As for compatibility, all 5 are awesome.

Our providers offer apps for all your devices and systems, such as Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, Firestick, AppleTV (tvOS), and dozens more.

With helpful guides on their sites, you can easily set up and install a VPN on any router or gaming console.

Oh, one more thing. Despite being inexpensive, all services offer impressive numbers of simultaneous connections. NordVPN and Hide.me come with 10, CyberGhost with 7, and Surfshark and PIA offer no limits.

Cheap vs Expensive VPN: Are Expensive VPNs Better?

There’s always this debate about cheap versus expensive stuff, be it a VPN, a car, particular food, and so on. People always associate a higher price with a higher level of quality. This usually makes sense but in the VPN world, it’s not always the case.

Let’s take Astrill VPN as an extreme example. The cheapest deal on this provider is $12.5/mo for the 2-year plan, which ends up costing $300 for 2 years. NordVPN costs around 4 times less. Yet, NordVPN is a WAY better provider, as Astrill VPN mostly relies on working in China.

Other than that, NordVPN offers more servers, faster speeds, better streaming abilities, and so on. Another example is ExpressVPN. It’s an excellent VPN, make no mistake – and we’ve proven that in our ExpressVPN review. However, at $6.67/mo, it’s also not very affordable.

At just above $3/mo, NordVPN has a Double VPN, more servers, and other advanced features that ExpressVPN lacks. We can go on like this but you get the point – hopefully. The cheapest VPNs can be better than expensive ones, sometimes a lot, sometimes a bit.

In some cases of “extremely” cheap VPNs, you can also expect terrible performance. Such is an example of Ivacy VPN whose 5-year plan is just $1.17/mo at the time of writing. This provider is such a slog all while not displaying the privacy and security of our cheapest VPNs.

Why Not Use a Free VPN Instead?

The top 5 VPNs we presented offer great value overall. But then, you might be looking for something more “extreme”, such as a 100% free VPN. Why not go this route instead? Believe it or not, there’s a huge difference between the cheapest and free VPNs.

Even PIA with an affordable $2/mo price is way better than, let’s say, ProtonVPN’s free version. Free providers do terribly in terms of performance, often limiting your speed and bandwidth. Worse yet, they’re limited security-wise, which is a waving red flag.

Hola VPN, Betternet, and others are inclined to sell your private data and collect tons of logs. Not to mention their inability to unblock streaming services, which many will find disappointing. Free VPNs also limit torrenting or forbid it completely.

Another issue is compatibility. Unlike our cheapest VPNs for 2024, they limit you to a single simultaneous connection. In addition, most don’t offer support for non-VPN-friendly devices like routers or gaming consoles. We don’t need to explain further, everything’s clear.

Besides, we see no point in using such a limiting and non-capable VPN only to save $2 or so a month. We don’t want to offend anyone but if you’re reading this article, you probably have a computer or a smartphone, so you’re likely not that poor.

Free VPNs won’t save you anything compared to our affordable services. Think about data collection that some resort to for a second. You’ll end up paying for the VPN with your privacy! That’s why we recommend an inexpensive VPN like NordVPN or PIA.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we want to digress on our ranking of the best cheap VPNs so far:

• NordVPN is #1, offering an excellent 2-year deal with a heap of amazing features, rock-solid privacy, fast speeds, and streaming and torrenting support. The most competitive VPN in 2024 bar none!
• PIA is #2, with the least expensive 2-year plan at $1.99/mo. With unlimited connections, 30,000+ servers, and advanced security options, it’s a mighty provider worth using.
• Surfshark is #3. It’s jam-packed with features like MultiHop, Private Browsers, streaming-friendly servers, and NoBorders. Being reasonably priced while packing a punch makes Surfshark one of the best-value services in our book.
• CyberGhost is #4 with state-of-the-art encryption, NoSpy servers, and reliable WireGuard connections. While lacking obfuscation, it’s still secure, keeps no logs, and provides a capable ad blocker for added convenience. Don’t forget about its 45-day money-back guarantee that makes it unique!
• Hide.me is #5 and stands out from the crowd with stringent no-log practices, a Bolt proxy, and a nifty SmartGuard that boosts your security. The service has a smaller server park but offers a free plan with unlimited traffic and plentiful VPN locations.

Now, all you have to do is make your choice.

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