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You are thinking about getting a VPN but aren’t sure how much that service would cost. The market offers free and premium VPNs, with the latter offering far better quality of service. But what about the actual price range?
It depends on a lot of factors, including the chosen platform, subscription type, and features offered. Our guide below will reveal all details regarding VPN costs, including the most famous services like NordVPN and ExpressVPN. Here’s what you should know about these platforms!
What is the price range for VPNs?
If you want a premium VPN with decent performance, it will cost you from $9 to $15 monthly. That’s the average cost of a monthly subscription for an advanced VPN service with secure and reliable servers and network safety features.
It’s worth noting the price is different if you choose a yearly subscription. That involves paying for an entire year of using a VPN at once. If you accept that, the average price is from $40 to $85. But that also means the average monthly cost is from $3.5 to $7, which is lower than what you’d pay if you stick to recurring monthly subscriptions.
Top VPN service prices compared
Now that we covered the basics, it might be interesting to see how top VPN services compare in pricing. Our team gathered the top five platforms, most of which you’ll find in our best VPN for Roku and other recommendations. Check out the table below for a quick comparison, but keep reading for detailed pricing explanations of each platform!
| Service | Monthly subscription | Yearly subscription |
|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | $11.99 | $67.35 ($4.49 per month) |
| ExpressVPN | $12.95 | $80.04 ($6.67 per month) |
| IPVanish | $11.99 | $47.89 ($3.99 per month) |
| StrongVPN | $10.99 | $43.99 ($3.66 per month) |
| VyprVPN | $10 | $60 ($5 per month) |
NordVPN has extra features if you are ready to pay more
Our experts recommend NordVPN as the best VPN for Amazon Fire Stick. The sheer number of users that this platform attracts shows it’s trustworthy. All plans include over 5,200 servers in over 50 countries and safety features like IP masking and network lock kill switch.
If you check the NordVPN pricing plan, you will notice they have three different subscription tiers. These include the following:
Standard. You receive all the promised VPN features, as well as a tracker and ad blocker, and malware protection tool.
Plus. This version adds a data breach scanner, which monitors if your sensitive info is a part of stored data breaches. You also get a cross-platform password manager, which is a convenient addition.
Complete. The most advanced subscription includes everything from the previous two packages and boosts the offer with a 1TB encrypted cloud storage.
The difference between the prices isn’t significant. Furthermore, on a monthly level, the most expensive subscription only costs a few bucks more than the most affordable one. And all plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
It’s worth noting that NordVPN offers monthly, yearly, and 2-year plans for each subscription. As you might assume, a yearly subscription offers generous savings. They vary from 45% to 59%, depending on the package chosen. And if you pick a 2-year plan, you’ll get discounts up to 63%%. And the annual and biannual subscriptions include additional months for free.
ExpressVPN keeps things simple
You could say that ExpressVPN has simpler pricing than NordVPN since there are no different subscription tiers. The platform focuses on providing top-quality VPN services and doesn’t add extra features to the mix. The only thing you get is an integrated password manager with each package.
Although ExpressVPN is a reliable VPN provider, there’s no doubt it’s among the most expensive options. You can pick from monthly, semi-annual, and annual plans. And while a yearly subscription can save 49%, especially since it secures three free months, this remains a pricey option.
IPVanish is great if you plan to use a VPN for years
IPVanish has over 2,000 servers in more than 60 locations and uses 40,000 shared IP addresses for its customers. It’s among the best VPNs to bypass ISP throttling, making it suitable for streaming live channels.
As for the pricing, IPVanish tries its best to put long-term users first. Its monthly subscription is among the more expensive options. You can go with a quarterly plan, which covers you for three months and enables a 16% discount. But if you really want to save, the yearly subscription puts the discount at an impressive 66%. And that’s one of the most generous offers if you want to become a long-term VPN user.
StrongVPN believes in affordability
StrongVPN has a huge tradition, considering the company’s history goes back to 1994. They didn’t offer virtual private networks at first, but once they entered the market, the company proved reliable.
The platform keeps subscriptions simple. You only have monthly and yearly plans. StrongVPN puts the monthly price at a reasonable level when compared to similar services. It also secures a huge discount for long-term users. The savings go to 63%, making this an incredibly affordable option if you plan to use a VPN for an entire year. There’s a money-back guarantee with all plans, and it’s valid for 30 days.
VyprVPN offers plenty for the money
It might not be the most impressive in server number, with around 700 servers in 70 different locations. But VyprVPN tries to offer great value for the money to its users. The platform allows up to ten simultaneous connections with a single account, which is among the top offers in the market.
The pricing is as simple as it gets. The default monthly VyprVPN subscription is $10, and if you choose an annual plan, it’s cut in half. You’ll pay at once but get a 50% saving. Although there’s a money-back guarantee, there are no free months included with the annual payment.
Are any VPNs free?
Yes, there are free VPNs. These provide great options to try if you need a VPN service. However, there are good reasons why they aren’t good for long-term users. We’ll dive into them below, but for now, here’s an overview of free VPNs worth trying:
Proton VPN. The free version of this service is great since it offers unlimited bandwidth. The server speed is usually at high levels, but you only have three locations available.
PrivadoVPN. You get 10GB for free, which should be enough to enjoy live-streaming TV services for a while. But once you pass that 10GB, the speed reduces significantly, and you can’t watch videos.
Hide.me. The platform offers free access to servers in five different locations, and there’s a monthly 10GB limit.
Windscribe. You have the same 10GB restriction when using this service, and server speeds aren’t that impressive.
TunnelBear. Although the app is easy to use, you only get 500MB free. That’s nowhere near enough if you need a VPN for streaming.
Premium vs. free VPN services
Using a VPN has become imperative in today’s modern world. It’s an excellent way to stay secure and maximize internet privacy and safety while bypassing geographic restrictions often used for content control.
Apart from premium VPNs, there are also platforms offering this service free of charge. Even some leading providers have a free plan available, but it comes with different limitations.
Let’s check the advantages of premium VPNs:
A huge number of servers. Free versions only allow accessing several servers, while premium VPNs have hundreds in different countries and locations.
No bandwidth limits. Free VPNs come with a 500MB to 10GB monthly limit. But with premium VPNs, you get unmetered connections. You can use servers 24/7 at full speed.
Faster connections. Free servers are often crowded. With a large number of servers and their better quality, you can rest assured premium VPNs offer high-speed connections.
Advanced features. Premium VPNs often come with advanced features, such as double IP masking. Convenient extras, such as Threat Protection and other monitoring tools, are another reason to pick premium VPNs.
From the perspective of someone interested in streaming live TV, you’ll need a premium VPN. Otherwise, you’ll hit the bandwidth limit quickly. But there’s no restriction on the data you can spend with a premium VPN. Just check our Flixed TV guide and find your favorite shows and movies. You can sit back and relax while watching in the highest resolution without worrying you’ll reach your bandwidth limit or lose connection!
What VPNs offer free trials or discounts?
It’s not common for premium VPNs to offer free trials. Some platforms have free versions with limited bandwidth and server access. But the majority has a money-back guarantee that goes from 30 to 45 days. That means you can test the service during that time. And if you aren’t satisfied, you have the right to ask for a refund. The platform will approve your cancelation and return your money as long as you do everything per the specified terms and conditions.
As for discounts, most platforms offer better prices if you choose long-term subscriptions. Quarterly, semi-annual, annual, and bi-annual plans might all be available, depending on the provider. And discounts go from 10% to 60% or more, which is impressive. Another thing to note is that
Our takeaway – VPNs are worth the investment
There’s an obvious difference between monthly and yearly VPN prices. You can get a default monthly subscription for around $10. But a yearly subscription can vary from $40 to $80, which means it can be as low as $3.5 monthly.
IPVanish and StrongVPN are good examples of excellent prices for long-term customers. NordVPN does great in offering extra features and different subscription tiers, while ExpressVPN keeps things simple. Ultimately, consider what you need. If you want to watch video streaming services like Sling or VOD platforms like HBO Max, you should have a premium VPN. Check out the options available and pick your favorite based on the available budget!
Aneeca Younas
Aneeca Younas is a graduated journalist with years of experience writing in different niches based in Oakland, CA. She is a huge movie fan that also enjoys watching sports. That's why she spends hours daily using various streaming services. Over the years, Aneeca profiled herself as an expert in cable-free and VOD platforms.