VPNs are subscription-based services, so you're expected to pay a certain amount on a regular basis. We're sure that you're looking for a capable and powerful VPN – without having to spend plenty of money - and that you'll appreciate any advice you can get on this. With that said, join us as we explore the best options right now, looking for the best cheap VPN.
Before we proceed, know that we've already compiled our overview of the best VPNs right now. That's where you'll find a range of the most capable VPN services - and as you can expect, those can be pricey (even though they bring plenty of value).
In this article, we'll present only the most affordable VPNs, but keep in mind that we've tested all of them hands-on. That means that you won't end up with a bad deal, as we gave our best to find those that make smart compromises. With this said, you can be sure that you'll get the best for the price you're willing to pay.
How to Find a Powerful VPN Service on a Budget?
Yes, you’re looking for a cheap VPN – but that doesn’t mean that you should settle on a less-than-powerful VPN service. So, here’s a set of criteria to keep in mind when trying to find the VPN suitable for all your needs.
- Strong & Reliable Protocols: VPNs come with all kinds of protocols. However, make sure to focus on OpenVPN first and foremost, as this one is the VPN industry standard. Depending on your planned activities, you can also benefit from IKEv2 and IPSec. Protocols such as PPTP and SSTP can be helpful in certain cases, but they are not secure.
- User-Friendly Privacy Policy: Ideally, you’ll want a no-logs VPN service. This means that none of your private information will ever be collected, and this is something you can expect even from the most affordable VPNs around.
- Website Unblocking & Media Streaming: If you plan on unblocking websites or using media streaming services, you need a VPN that supports those activities. We recommend relying on hands-on information instead of trusting what VPNs say on their websites, and TechNadu’s reviews will most certainly help with this.
- Satisfactory Performance: Even the best of VPNs will slow down your Web speed. However, this doesn’t have to be as noticeable. In general, we recommend going for a VPN with plenty of servers to avoid this problem.
- Money-Back Guarantees:Â And finally, picking a VPN with a generous money-back guarantee will give you peace of mind. In case of any issues, you can always have your money returned.
Best Cheap VPN in 2021
Finally, we're ready to give you our list of recommendations. What follows is our list of the 7 best cheap VPN services, offering the highest value in 2021.
- Ivacy (5-Year Plan | $0.99/month | 2TB Cloud Storage)
- VyprVPN (3-Year Plan | $1.81/Month | 86% OFF)
- Private Internet Access (3-Year Plan | $2.03/Month | 3 Months FREE)
- Surfshark (2-Year Plan | $2.21/Month | 3 Months FREE)
- CyberGhost VPN (2-Year Plan | $2.17/month | 3 Months FREE)
- PrivateVPN (3-Year Plan | $2.00/Month | $85% OFF)
- NordVPN (2-Year Plan | $3.29/Month | 72% OFF)
1. Ivacy (5-Year Plan | $0.99/month | 2TB Cloud Storage)
Save 88% on Ivacy’s 5-year plan + get premium password manager – now priced at $1.19/month ($71.64 in total). 30-day money-back guarantees available!
We'll start our list of recommendations with Ivacy. This is a highly popular VPN service based in Singapore. It's been around for a long time now, and it comes with a reputation for keeping its users safe across the world. And it also comes at a very affordable price.
First and foremost, Ivacy comes with a whole slate of VPN protocols. It brings polished apps for various platforms and comes with a limit of five simultaneous connections. And when it comes to connecting to its servers, you'll get to pick from over 100 locations, which is where Ivacy truly shines.
As per our hands-on tests, we recommend it for regular Internet browsing and media streaming as well, as it unblocks Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and more. It's also suitable for gaming as well. The only downside is that it's not the fastest VPN, which means you'll need a speedy Web connection.
Plenty more could be said about this interesting VPN. So, make sure to check our Ivacy review, where you'll find all the needed information.
2. VyprVPN (3-Year Plan | $1.81/Month | 86% OFF)
Save 44% on VyprVPN's 1-year plan – now priced at $8.33/month ($100.00 in total). 30-day money-back guarantees available!
VyprVPN comes from Switzerland, and this VPN is trying to do things a bit differently. The most prominent feature of VyprVPN is its no-logs policy, backed by the VPN’s independent audit. This means that you should never worry about someone getting to your private data.
To ensure that no data is collected, VyprVPN uses bare-metal servers. This means that VyprVPN actually owns its entire server network instead of renting it or creating virtual servers. It puts the VPN in greater control over what happens with their servers, and this also translates to incredibly stable performance.
Then, let’s not forget that this VPN has a proprietary protocol called Chameleon, known for breaking even the toughest anti-VPN measures. The only downside is its inability to unblock media streaming services. It works great with Netflix and BBC iPlayer, but that’s about all you can expect regarding this matter.
To see the other features you can expect, we recommend checking our hands-on VyprVPN review. We’re sure you’ll see why this is one of the best cheap VPNs.
3. Private Internet Access (3-Year Plan | $2.03/Month | 3 Months FREE)
Pay $2.19/month for PIA’s 2-year plan + get 2 Months Free ($56.94 in total). 30-day money-back guarantees available!
What can be said about a VPN that had refused to give PII data to the FBI? Or about a VPN with a newly released open-sourced application? Yes, we’re talking about Private Internet Access here, one of the most trustworthy VPN services you’ll find today.
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a US-based VPN service, which might raise some eyebrows. However, PIA has proven numerous times before that it truly cares about its customers. It doesn’t collect personal information, comes with modern-looking applications for plenty of devices, offers a multitude of servers, and gives you up to ten simultaneous connections.
Also, this is one of the fastest-developing VPNs, with new features coming in regular intervals (such as the recently introduced WireGuard protocol, for example). Also, it works with services such as Netflix and Disney Plus.
We could talk about PIA for a very long time, so it’s best to leave you to our Private Internet Access review. That’s where you’ll find all the additional info you need.
4. Surfshark (2-Year Plan | $2.21/Month | 3 Months FREE)
Save 83% on Surfshark’s 2-year plan + get 3 months free – now priced at $2.21/month ($59.76 in total). 30-day money-back guarantees available!
Even though it's one of the youngest VPNs, Surfshark is also one of the most powerful VPN services right now. It comes with an incredibly compelling offer, as it provides you with a set of unique and capable features at an unbelievably low price.
First, know that Surfshark doesn't log anything you do online. You get the best possible protection for your data via AES-256 encryption and a choice of several VPN protocols. This VPN also offers highly modern applications for all currently popular platforms (it even spoofs your GPS location on Android). And the best thing is that it imposes no limitations on how many concurrent connections you can have.
Finally, know that our hands-on tests put Surfshark among the speediest VPN services, so there's practically nothing worth mentioning in terms of its downsides. And, of course, Surfshark is highly recommended for media streaming as well.
If you check our Surfshark review, you'll see that you also get some unique features – including protection for your email address. To learn more, use the provided link.
5. CyberGhost VPN (2-Year Plan | $2.17/month | 3 Months FREE)
Pay $2.29/month for CyberGhost’s 3-year plan + get 3 extra months ($89.31 in total for first 3 years). 45-day money-back guarantees available!
We don't have to think twice about recommending CyberGhost in this article. This is perhaps one of the best VPNs you'll find right now – known for offering regular discounts as well. Being an ultra-powerful VPN, we're sure that it'll meet the needs even of the most demanding users out there.
Based in Romania, CyberGhost VPN comes with a no-logs policy complemented by protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard. Your Web traffic will also be encrypted via AES 256-bit encryption. This is enough to prevent even the most aggressive online trackers.
Then, know that CyberGhost comes with an army of servers, many of which are specialized. It unblocks all of the major streaming platforms, in addition to dozens of regional streaming platforms as well. It is the reason why CyberGhost is featured in our overview of the best VPNs for streaming, in addition to being one of the best VPNs for torrenting as well.
It certainly wouldn't be an overstatement to say this VPN brings plenty of value for its price. We offer you our CyberGhost VPN review to learn why.
6. PrivateVPN (3-Year Plan | $2.00/Month | $85% OFF)
Save 85% on PrivateVPN's 3-year plan – now priced at $2.00/month ($72.00 in total). 30-day money-back guarantees available!
PrivateVPN is a relatively small VPN, based in Sweden, and it is coming with a reputation for being hugely transparent. It doesn't have the "shiniest" features out there, but PrivateVPN should offer more than what average home users will need.
First of all, this one doesn't collect your personal information. There are absolutely no logs collected, and no reports indicate that PrivateVPN has ever logged any data. Then, there's a small but powerful network of servers capable of unblocking plenty of websites (including streaming platforms as well).
PrivateVPN has apps for all currently popular devices, and you can even install it on your router. And let's not forget to say that PrivateVPN is powered by a range of robust protocols that you can easily fine-tune to optimize the speed of your Internet connection.
Want to know more about why this is one of the best cheap VPNs? Don't worry, our PrivateVPN review will tell you all you need to know.
7. NordVPN (2-Year Plan | $3.29/Month | 72% OFF)
Save 62% on NordVPN’s 2-year plan + get 3 extra free months – now priced at $3.09/month ($83.43 in total). 30-day money-back guarantees available!
We're going to end our list of the best cheap VPNs with NordVPN. Being one of the most recognizable VPN brands, NordVPN has millions of users around the world. Also, considering the number of features it offers, we strongly believe that NordVPN is one of the best cheap VPNs, and here's why.
First of all, NordVPN is a no-logs VPN service, which was proven by independent audits and in-depth penetration testing. Then, it's constantly working on introducing new technologies and features, with NordLynx being one of the freshest examples.
This VPN is incredibly safe to use, comes with thousands of servers, can unblock even the toughest media streaming platforms, and offers a selection of specialized servers. Overall, it truly brings plenty of value for its price. And also, let's not forget that this is a double-VPN, which is something that privacy-conscientious users are going to love.
If you'd like to learn more about this VPN, you should check our NordVPN review.
How Much Does a Good VPN Cost? How Much Can You Expect to Pay?
As you know, VPNs follow subscription-based pricing systems. All of them come with monthly subscriptions (typically ranging from around $10.00 to $13.00), which means that you’ll be charged a certain amount every single month.
However, keep in mind that this is the least affordable way to get a VPN. Instead, you should focus on long-term plans, which can help you save up to 90% in some cases. Find more information here.
Speaking of long-term plans, almost all VPNs offer yearly subscriptions. These are typically presented via their per-month prices. This way, you’ll be charged annually, so do the math, and don’t forget to read the fine print. When it comes to these subscriptions, expect to pay from around $4.00 up to $6.00 per month ($48.00 to $72.00 per year, in other words).
And finally, know that VPNs (at least the trustworthy ones) don’t come with any hidden fees. Before paying for a VPN, you’ll see the full price, so you shouldn’t expect any surprises along the way.
Read: Best VPN Deals Available Right Now
Why Not Just Use a Free-of-Charge VPN? What’s the Catch?
We understand that it might be very tempting to use a free VPN. After all, why would you pay for anything if you can get it for free, right? Well, just like with other things in life, everything has its price.
Even when it comes to the best free VPNs, if you’re not paying with money, you’re paying with something else. In many cases, this is going to be your private data, which is often collected and sold to third parties (such as marketing agencies, for example).
Free VPNs are known for their security vulnerabilities and data logging. Also, they can rarely unblock websites and almost none of those work with media streaming services. As written about extensively, free VPNs aren’t safe to use – and we strongly recommend you avoid them.
We hope you've realized that buying a VPN doesn't have to cost a lot. There are plenty of cheap VPNs out there with an incredibly powerful set of features – and we hope that we've helped you find one. In case you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to use the comments section below.