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Everyone needs a VPN, but not everyone is willing or able to pay the $10 per month or more that most services charge on average. The affordable services gathered here give you access to all the features that VPNs offer without limitations on bandwidth or servers that are common in free VPNs. But while these services are more affordable when compared with many premium options, how do we know they're the best? The answer is that we've been testing and reviewing VPNs for decades. Mullvad VPN is our Editors' Choice winner for the best cheap VPN. It costs just 5 euros per month (about $5.31 as of this writing) and includes split tunneling and multi-hop connections. Read on for all of our top picks in this category, how we decided, and how to choose the best cheap VPN for your needs.
Our Top Tested Picks
Mullvad VPN
Bitdefender Premium VPN
Windscribe VPN
IVPN
Opera VPN Pro
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Best Overall
Mullvad VPN
- Affordable
- Requires no email or account information
- Radically transparency
- Open Netflix access in all regions tested
- Awkward desktop interface
- No transparency report or warrant canary
- Servers in a small range of countries
With a price of just 5 euros per month ($5.31 as of this writing), Mullvad VPN provides the features of a premium VPN service at nearly half the cost and with a rabid dedication to privacy. Mullvad VPN uses an anonymous number system that associates little personal information with accounts. This system also lets you log in securely without a password. Along with IVPN, Mullvad VPN is one of only two VPN services we've seen that accepts cash payments sent directly to its HQ. It supports the WireGuard VPN protocol across all its platforms, as well as multi-hop connections. Split tunneling is available on most of its platforms, giving you control over which apps use the VPN connection and which do not.
With its commitment to privacy baked in and premium privacy features, Mullvad VPN appeals to the most privacy-conscious consumer. Furthermore, its low cost and simple interface mean that the barrier to entry is much lower than with the competition.
Best for International Browsing
Bitdefender Premium VPN
- Affordable
- Excellent app
- Split tunneling
- Confusing privacy policy
- Introductory pricing for annual plans
- No multi-hop connections on Windows
- No option to change VPN protocol on Windows
Bitdefender has long been a trusted name in the antivirus world, and its Premium VPN offering is a surprisingly generous addition to its menu. At just $6.99 per month, Bitdefender Premium VPN is already affordable, but there's even a free option if cheap isn't cheap enough. Powered by Hotspot Shield VPN, Bitdefender Premium VPN differentiates itself by letting you connect up to 10 devices simultaneously—double what we usually see among VPNs. It also offers a network of over 4,000 servers, which is impressive considering its price. Those nodes are in a globally diverse mix of countries, so you get a good selection for spoofing your location.
Because of the ties between Bitdefender Premium VPN and the company's antivirus offerings, existing Bitdefender customers are the most obvious customers for this VPN. But its generous number of simultaneous connections makes it a good choice for families or anyone with numerous devices. The fact that you can use it for free also means that nervous or first-time VPN shoppers can try it with little risk.
Best Transparency Policy
Windscribe VPN
- Industry-leading company transparency and communication
- Large number of payment options
- Best free plan of any VPN we've tested
- Helpful AI support bot
- Open Netflix access in all regions benchmarked
- Unlimited number of simultaneous connections and devices
- Anonymous signup allowed
- Middling speed results
Windscribe and Mullvad share many similarities—and that's a good thing. Both services let you subscribe to their networks with no identifying information. Both services are also radically transparent, providing a wealth of information about the company, its infrastructure, and its operations. Finally, both are also among the best VPNs we've tested.
Windscribe is for those who care about their privacy first and want to spend their dollars on VPN providers dedicated to radical transparency, which is, unfortunately, an exception to the rule in the industry.
Best for Single-Device Protection
IVPN
- Flexible, affordable pricing
- Powerful multi-hop system
- Privacy is baked into its account system
- Strong stance on transparency
- Offers few server locations
- Multi-hop and account ID features might confuse some
IVPN is foremost concerned with providing personal privacy products to the most people possible. Its starter plan costs just $6 per month. Another option for $10 per month gives you five more devices, as well as the option to multi-hop your connection.
IVPN falls into a similar category as Windscribe, offering its products at a lower cost since neither spends on affiliate and traditional marketing. For those who would rather buy a high-quality product rather than one that's simply advertised often, IVPN should be a top consideration.
Best for Opera Browser Users
Opera VPN Pro
- Affordable monthly and annual pricing
- Limited free version
- Simple design and execution
- Few features
- Limited server locations
- Requires Opera browser
- Free version only for iOS
Opera VPN Pro costs $7.99 per month, sneaking in just under our $8 cutoff. For that price, you get six simultaneous connections—which is one more than the average we've seen across VPNs—and...well, not much else. This is a remarkably simple service that's easy to use, but it doesn't have much beyond basic VPN protection.
A unique facet of Opera VPN Pro is that it's integrated directly into the Opera browser, so we recommend this VPN to people who are already using it. You don't need to use the browser to protect your traffic, but you do need it installed, and you must use it to change your VPN settings. If you don't use Opera, that's a bit of a hassle. But for a cheap and easy VPN, it might be worthwhile. Note that Opera also offers a capable free VPN, but the free version only secures your Opera browser traffic and nothing else.
How We Choose the Best Cheap VPN Services
Cheap is relative. Among all the VPN providers we tested, the average monthly price is $10.30. We decided that about two dollars less would qualify as a cheap VPN price and set the cutoff for this list at $8 per month.
We also consult our reviews to inform our choices. To qualify for this list, VPN services must have earned at least three out of five stars within the last two years. After all, these are supposed to be the best cheap VPNs.
Some VPN services have tiered plans, offering different features—antivirus, ad-blocking, ID theft recovery, etc—at different prices. We don't see it often, but if the service has a pricing tier that meets our requirements, it's eligible for consideration.
How the Best Cheap VPNs Compare Based on Annual Plans
Most VPN services give you a discount for buying longer-term subscriptions, so you pay more up front—on average, $58.30 for an annual plan among the services we track—but still less overall compared with the sum total of the monthly price for over a year.
This roundup focuses on the monthly subscription price because that's the least expensive up-front cost. Generally, we recommend new customers start with the shortest, cheapest plan a VPN offers (or better yet, a free trial) and only upgrade once you're satisfied.
Here's a breakdown of the best cheap VPNs based on their monthly, annual, and longer subscription prices. We define cheap here as an annual VPN subscription that costs less than $60.
What Is the Best Free VPN?
The only thing cheaper than cheap is free, so we've also rated the best free VPN services. Some of the services on this list offer a free version, usually with limitations that are lifted when you pony up some cash.
If you are looking for a free VPN provider, Proton VPN is our top choice. This rare five-star product offers an excellent set of features for less than many competitors and grants access to a whole suite of privacy services, such as Proton Mail. Although Proton VPN's free version has some limitations, it places no restrictions on monthly bandwidth.
Are Cheap VPNs Fast?
Many readers have expressed concern that VPNs can slow down internet connection speeds. It's true; a VPN will almost certainly reduce upload and download speeds and add connection latency.
The good news is that the best VPNs have a minimal impact on browsing speeds, and we see continual industry efforts to reduce it even further. You can read more about how we evaluate VPNs' effect on internet speeds in our article on how we test VPNs. The chart below shows our latest VPN speed testing data for all the services we review.
However, seeking out the fastest VPN may not be worthwhile. A VPN's effect on your connection will vary greatly depending on your max speeds and where you're connecting from. The VPN server location you're connecting to can also hamper speed—the further away the server, the worse your experience will likely be. Instead of focusing on speed, we strongly recommend emphasizing trustworthiness, features, and cost.
Recommended by Our Editors
Are Cheap VPNs Trustworthy?
Make sure you trust your VPN provider before signing up for a subscription, no matter how little it costs. That company could have significant insight into your online activities because all your data is routed through them. We consider the best VPN services to be those with clear and transparent policies for protecting your information.
In our reviews, we scour companies' privacy policies, ask what legal jurisdiction they operate under, and try to understand how they protect customers. You can read the full details of those assessments in our full reviews. If you find a cheap VPN that offers a great deal but something about it makes you nervous, look for another option. There are plenty to choose from.
What's the Best Cheap VPN?
With different prices, features, and apps, it's difficult to say which VPN is the best in any situation. However, it's a little easier when it comes to price: Mullvad VPN is an excellent product on its own and is also one of the cheapest VPNs on the market. It has all the features we expect from the best VPNs, and the company goes to incredible lengths to protect its customers.
Once you've picked a cheap VPN service, you can get up and running with our feature on how to set up and use a VPN. In addition to using an affordable VPN, you should also make sure you protect yourself in other ways. Advertisers have numerous tricks for gathering data, so use an ad blocker as well as the privacy features of your browser. Account takeovers are devastating, too, so protect your accounts with unique passwords from a password manager.
Max Eddy contributed to this article.
