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The 10 Best Cheap VPNs of 2023

Rob Mardisalu

Rob Mardisalu

In this in-depth research, I’ll uncover the 9 cheapest VPNs you can possibly use. P.S. Not all of them are recommended, though. Read why..

NordVPN special offer
NordVPN offers a special price for only $2.99/mo on the two year subscription.

Editor’s note: we’re in the process of reviewing these VPNs again

The marketplace for cheap VPNs is filled with countless service providers who claim to have the “Fastest and Most Affordable” VPN on the market.

As most of you probably know, 90% of these claims are not true.

Cheap VPNs are often notoriously unreliable, un-secure, and painfully slow, but there are a few hidden gems among the VPNs that are worth your time and money.

To help you find the perfect VPN that keeps your wallet full and your browsing activity secure, I’ve compiled a list of the 10 cheapest VPN.

Without further ado, here are the 10 best cheap VPN services you can buy for less than $4/mo:

The 10 Best Cheap VPNs of 2023

In order to find the cheapest VPN, we compared their cost, plan options, speed as well as features and logging/torrenting policies.

1. NordVPN

Number of Servers: 5200+ | Simultaneous Connections: 6 | OpenVPN + AES 256-Bit Encryption | No-Logging Policy | Torrenting Allowed | Works With Netflix

Although NordVPN provides truly premium services (ranked #1 in our overall best VPN list), they are also one of the cheapest.

NordVPN does not increase the rate of your subscription after the first billing cycle, and they allow customers to pay with all sorts of credit cards or even Bitcoin to ensure that your transaction is completely anonymous.

All purchases are protected by a 30-day money-back guarantee and the company regularly runs promotions between $2.99/mo to $3.99/mo.

Customers receive access to all major protocols, a VPN that is fully compatible with all major devices, a true no-logging policy, and P2P support.

They unblock Netflix, allow torrenting, and keep you 100% anonymous.

Visit NordVPN.com

Click here to read our NordVPN in-depth review

2. SurfShark

Number of Servers: 800+ | Simultaneous Connections: Unlimited | OpenVPN/IKEv2 Encryption | No-Logging Policy | Torrenting Allowed | Works With Netflix

surfshark pricing options
Current pricing at SurfShark.com

Surfshark is a newcomer in the VPN market, and that’s probably the reason why it’s also great value for money.

Its lowest price tag is only $2.49 per month, which is as low as it gets. Even though the rising VPN star still has some issues to work out, at this price point, we can’t complain too much.

What do you get at this price? Secure tunneling protocols such as IKEv2 and OpenVPN, 800+ servers in over 50 countries, and unlimited torrenting bandwidth.

Although the server numbers are pretty low when compared to some other providers, Surfshark tries to compensate it by offering unlimited simultaneous connections.

The only downside we found was their email support, which isn’t a huge problem since they’ve got a great live chat support team.

Surfshark accepts all major credit cards (American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover). Privacy-focused buyers can also pay with cryptocurrency (BitCoin, Ripple, and Ethereum).

Visit Surfshark.com

Click here to read our Surfshark in-depth review

3. CyberGhost

Number of Servers: 3600+ | Simultaneous Connections: 7 | OpenVPN + AES 256-Bit Encryption | No-Logging Policy | Torrenting Allowed | Works With Netflix | Average Speed

cyberghost pricing options
Current pricing on CyberGhost.com

CyberGhost is another cheap VPN, and they also win the award for “VPN With the Coolest Sounding Name Ever”.

They slid onto this list with a price tag of only $3.50, well under the $5/month mark. CyberGhost brings a lot to the table.

CyberGhost is not the cheapest provider on this list but considering that they offer discounts, they might be the best option for someone on a particularly tight budget.

They offer a much more limited selection of payment options for potential customers, and you can only purchase CyberGhost using a card, PayPal, or Bitcoin.

The contents of your CyberGhost subscription are pretty standard fare and include access to 3600+ servers, unlimited bandwidth, 7-device simultaneous connection, no-logging policy, and ultra-strong double encryption.

Unfortunately, CyberGhost isn’t as fast as NordVPN. So you may experience some slow download speeds when torrenting or streaming.

Visit CyberGhost.com

Click here to read our CyberGhost in-depth review

4. Trust.Zone

Number of Servers: 170 | Simultaneous Connections: 3 | OpenVPN + AES 256-Bit Encryption | No-Logging Policy | Torrenting Allowed | Works With Netflix

Trust.Zone prices and plans
Current pricing on Trust.Zone
  • Monthly: $6.99/mo
  • 1 Year Plan: $3.99/mo
  • 2-Year Plan: $2.99/mo

At only $2.99/month for their 2-year planTrust.Zone is almost as cheap as PIA although the monthly and quarterly plans are a bit pricier.

Like PIA and PureVPN, Trust.Zone doesn’t change the price of your plan once you are locked in, so what you see is what you get, and you get a quite a bit.

  • Unlimited data transfer
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Unlimited server switching

Which is obvious because it’s not a free VPN.

Although Trust.Zone rarely runs sitewide specials, if you are willing to search the web, they do offer a plethora of discounts and coupons, many of which allow you to enjoy their services for more than 50% off.

Trust.Zone also gives their customers a wide variety of payment methods to choose from including debit card, PayPal, Qiwi Wallet, Bitcoin, WebMoney, and Alipay.

Visit Trust.Zone

Click here to read our Trust.Zone VPN in-depth review

5. SaferVPN

SaferVPN pricing current pricing
Current pricing at SaferVPN.com

Number of Servers:  700+ | Simultaneous Connections: 5+ | IKEv2 by Default + AES 256-bit Encryption | Questionable Logging Policy | Limited Torrenting | Works With Netflix

  • Monthly: $12.95/mo
  • 1 Year Plan: $5.49/mo
  • 2 Year Plan: $3.29/mo
  • 3 Year Plan: $2.50/mo

Israel-based SaferVPN is another great provider that comes armed to the teeth with incredible features and benefits while charging less than $3 a month.

While their monthly and annual pricing packages won’t win them any awards with more frugal consumers, at only $2.50/month, their three-year plan is hard to beat.

Like many of their competitors, SaferVPN does not charge a renewal fee after the initial billing cycle so there’s no need to worry about getting hit with a nasty (and unexpected) upcharge when your service renews.

SaferVPN regularly runs steep discounts and holiday specials (like the one mentioned above) so if you do need to stretch your budget as far as possible and are willing to wait until the next holiday, you can often purchase their services at a 50% discount or higher.

Visit SaferVPN.com

Click here to read our SaferVPN in-depth review

6. Ivacy VPN

current ivacy pricing
Current pricing at Ivacy.com

Number of Servers: 1000+ | Simultaneous Connections: 5 | OpenVPN + AES 256-Bit Encryption | No-Logging Policy | Torrenting Allowed | Does Not Work With Netflix

Here’s how their pricing plans work out:

  • Monthly: $9.95/mo
  • 1 Year Plan: $3.33/mo
  • 2 Year Plan: $2.25/mo

Charging only $2.25/month for their 2-year pricing plan, Ivacy VPN is, too, a quite cheap VPN on the market.

After reviewing their TOS, I can confirm that Ivacy does not charge a larger renewal price after the initial billing cycle so your prices are locked in until the company decides to increase its service prices sitewide.

Although Ivacy’s basic plans might not be the most budget-friendly options on this list, they regularly run insane specials that allow you to secure your VPN service for a significantly reduced rate.

Ivacy does offer a 7-day money-back guarantee to comfort any hesitant buyers. However, this refund is only applicable if you stay under 7 GB of bandwidth usage and 30 sessions so keep a careful eye on your browsing bandwidth. Like the other providers on this list, Ivacy allows customers to make their purchase using a wide variety of different methods including card, PayPal, BitCoin, Perfect Money, and Payment Wall.

Your VPN subscription includes access to 1000+ servers (many of which are P2P-optimized), unlimited bandwidth, a zero-logging policy, a kill switch, and access to all major VPN protocols.

Visit Ivacy.com

Click here to read our Ivacy VPN in-depth review

7. VPN Unlimited

VPN unlimited current pricing
Current pricing on VPNUnlimitedapp.com

Number of Servers: 400+ | Simultaneous Connections: 5 | OpenVPN + AES 256-Bit Encryption | Questionable Logging Policy | Limited Torrenting | Works With Netflix

  • Monthly: $9.99/mo
  • 1 Year Plan: $5.00/mo
  • 3 Year Plan: $2.78/mo

Founded in 2013 under the umbrella of Keep Solid Inc., VPN Unlimited has quickly gone from the new kid on the block to one of the leading budget VPN providers on the market, and it’s easy to see why. 

With VPN Unlimited, you can purchase lifetime access to their VPN service for only $149.99. Considering that their annual pricing plan only costs $5.00/month, it should be pretty easy to see why VPN Unlimited has become so popular.

As an added bonus, VPN Unlimited allows you to pay with almost any method imaginable. From cards to PayPal, to Bitcoin, to Subway gift cards (no, I’m not kidding), there aren’t many limits to how you can pay for your subscription.

Luckily, there are no sneaky upcharges or pricing modifications after your first year of service. The prices listed above are locked in as long as you keep an active subscription with VPN Unlimited… Or until they decide to increase the rate across their entire company. 

Your subscription includes access to 400+ servers across 70 countries, compatibility with most major devices, access to all major VPN protocols, and a 5-device simultaneous connection limit.

Visit VPNUnlimitedapp.com

Click here to read our VPN Unlimited in-depth review

8. VPNArea

VPNArea pricing options
Current pricing on VPNArea.com

Number of Servers: 230 | Simultaneous Connections: 6 | OpenVPN + AES 256-Bit Encryption | No-Logging Policy | Torrenting Allowed | Works With Netflix

  • Monthly: $9.90/mo
  • 1 Year Plan: $4.92/mo
  • 3 Year Plan: $2.99/mo

Charging their customers a relatively small fee of $5.00/month for 1-year plans, VPN Area has a feature-rich and affordable service that is sure to delight the budget VPN enthusiast.

There are no upcharges or changes to the original price after your first billing cycle but, as always, you should be aware that the company’s ToS does allow them to change the market price of their services which could result in an increase to your subscription.

At this time, VPNArea allows their customers to pay with only a handful of options including MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, Bitcoin, and Payza.

I haven’t seen the company run very many public promotions. However, I do know that there are numerous coupons and affiliate discounts available to the savvy bargain hunter.

In exchange for your patronage, VPNArea gives their customers access to 200+ servers across 70 countries, a 6-device simultaneous connection limit, a no-logging policy, and unlimited bandwidth.

Visit VPNArea.com

Click here to read our VPNArea in-depth review

9. Private Internet Access

Number of Servers: 3300+ | Simultaneous Connections: 10 | OpenVPN + AES 256-Bit Encryption | No-Logging | Torrenting Allowed | Only 1 Server Worked With Netflix

pia pricing

Here’s a complete breakdown of PIA’s pricing plan:

  • Monthly: $9.99/mo
  • 1 Year Plan: $5.99/mo
  • 2 Year Plan: $3.49/mo

Although it might be only the fourth provider on the list, they offer some of the most budget-friendly pricing plans that we’ve ever seen regardless of the length of time that you choose to use their services.

Their yearly pricing package comes in at a mere $5.99/mo and the 2-year plan at $3.49/mo.

Although PIA does not increase the price for your subscription after the initial billing cycle, it does state in their privacy policy that they reserve the right to alter the fees associated with their services which would be reflected after the initial 1, 12, or 24-month period.

Unlike PureVPN, PIA doesn’t directly offer coupons and regular discounts on their site, and I have yet to see any holiday specials or last-minute deals that would significantly affect their price.

For $3.49/month, PIA gives you access to more than 3,300 servers across 32 countries, unlimited bandwidth, P2P support, an ads blocker, SOCKS5 proxy, and access to all major VPN protocols.

At this time, PIA allows payments to be made with all major credit card providers, PayPal, Bitcoin, Amazon Pay, Cashu, OKPAY, Mint, and Z-cash (and even gift cards for staying anonymous).

Visit PrivateInternetAccess.com

Click here to read our PIA in-depth review

10. PureVPN

PureVPN current pricing
Current pricing at PureVPN.com

Number of Servers: 200+ | Simultaneous Connections: 5 | OpenVPN + AES 256-Bit Encryption | Keeps Some Logs | Torrenting Allowed | Does NOT Work With Netflix

  • Monthly Plan: $10.95/mo
  • 1 Year Plan: $3.33/mo
  • 2 Year Plan: not available

Headquartered in Hong Kong, PureVPN is (by far) the cheapest provider on the entire list. Although their 1-month plan is far from budget-friendly, costing $10.95/mo, they offer an unbeatable 1-year pricing package for only $3.33/month.

The 24-month pricing does require that you pay for the entire 2-year period upfront, meaning that a subscription with PureVPN will set you back $69.99 for the next two years.

In exchange for this relatively nominal sum, PureVPN customers receive the following features: 2000+ servers including P2P-optimized servers in 141 countries, unlimited data and bandwidth, 24/7/365 “live” customer support, compatibility with all major devices, and access to all major protocols.

With no renewal fees and the option to pay with PayPal, debit card, Alipay, Paymentwall, Coin Payments, Cashu, and even gift cards, it’s easy to see why PureVPN has become the go-to budget provider.

However, as a drawback, they’ve given log files to the FBI (so they keep some log files), and according to our tests, they didn’t seem to work with Netflix. Last but not least, they aren’t as fast as NordVPN.

Visit PureVPN.com

Click here to read our PureVPN in-depth review

What About the Renewal Prices?

While all of the VPNs on this list offer a “what you see is what you get” pricing plan, there are plenty of cheap providers who will enroll their customers in an annual subscription at a discounted rate only to change the pricing agreement right before the renewal period.

If you do find another cheap VPN that isn’t included on this list, be wary of hidden renewal fees and read their terms of service very carefully (actually read it) to make sure that you don’t get roped into paying double the agreed-upon rate.

The Best VPNs for Netflix and Torrenting

For those of you looking to stream Netflix or anonymously torrent files, you don’t have to purchase an expensive premium VPN in order to do so.

In fact, the following cheap VPNs will suit your needs just fine.

Cheap VPNs That Allow Torrenting:

  1. NordVPN
  2. Surfshark
  3. CyberGhost
  4. Private Internet Access VPN
  5. Trust.Zone

Cheap VPNs That Work With Netflix: 

  1. NordVPN
  2. Surfshark
  3. CyberGhost
  4. Trust.Zone
  5. Ivacy
  6. VPNArea

*Please note that due to the nature of using a VPN with Netflix, compatibility can change (literally) overnight, so please do your due diligence before purchasing a VPN based solely on its Netflix compatibility.

Are These Cheap VPNs Safe?

It’s important to note that just because a VPN is affordable does not mean that it’s safe to use.

The safety (or lack thereof) of a given VPN is typically dependent on two things.

  1. Their jurisdiction
  2. The logging policy of the provider

While the logging policy is pretty straightforward (the fewer logs, the better), I want to take a moment to discuss VPN jurisdiction.

Ever since Edward Snowden executed his infamous data breach, leaking hundreds of thousands of classified NSA files, the general public realized that our private lives aren’t quite as private as we’d like to believe.

VPN jurisdiction

In fact, there is a partnership known as the “Five Eyes Agreement” between the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Canada that effectively allows each country to collect, analyze, and share sensitive data with one another, circumventing the privacy laws of each respective nation.

For example, if there is a law that prevents the United States government from legally surveying and spying on one of their own citizens, they can easily sidestep this law and request that one of their partners do the dirty work for them.

Meaning that the privacy laws of each nation are effectively rendered null.

But things don’t stop there.

The five countries created a “Third Party Partnership” with Denmark, France, Holland, and Norway, thus expanding the initial network to “Nine Eyes”.

But wait! There’s more.

If that wasn’t enough, the original Five Eyes partners expanded their network once again adding Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, and Italy to their list of partners.

The Snowden leaks also confirmed that Singapore and South Korea are also limited members of the new “14 Eyes” partnership.

So what does this have to do with VPN safety?

Basically, if you are using a VPN that is located anywhere within the 14 Eyes partnership, the safety and privacy of your information are brought into question.

Although you should have very little to worry about if your VPN provider upholds their no-logging policy, it’s important that you are cognizant of this partnership and its ramifications on your personal security.

Should I Choose an Expensive vs. Cheap VPN Software?

As with most things in this world, the answer to this question is far more complicated than it might first appear.

There are numerous factors to consider when selecting a VPN provider, and the impact on your wallet is only one of those factors.

One of the most important things that you can remember is that a VPN is about your personal security and privacy.

Choosing the right VPN could be the difference between having all of your banking and personal information stolen and successfully thwarting a would-be hacker.

Choosing the right VPN can mean the difference between having your personal emails sent all over the internet and keeping your sensitive data safe and sound where it belongs.

If you live in or are visiting a country with draconian censorship laws, choosing the right VPN could literally mean the difference between life and death. 

When you take these realities into consideration, it should quickly become apparent that finding the most budget-friendly VPN should never be your goal.

Finding the most effective VPN to suit your goals should. 

While I personally believe that NordVPN is the best all-around VPN for 99.99% of consumers, if you do have real budget constraints, something like Private Internet Access is probably your next best bet.

Cheap VPN Review Conclusion

At this point, it’s my hope that this guide has provided you with all of the information and insight you need to select the ideal budget VPN for your needs.

With every factor taken into consideration, NordVPN is the undisputed champion of cheap VPNs. If you want to go even cheaper, your choice should be Surfshark.

I hope that this guide provided you with everything that you need to find the best and fastest VPN to suit your needs.

30 thoughts on “The 10 Best Cheap VPNs of 2023

  1. The problem with these cheap plans is that you have to pay the full price up front. If you want to cancel after a couple of months, then you will not get your money back.

    1. Ian, that’s why you start with their monthly plan to test them out first and if you don’t like the service you cancel. If, after purchasing the monthly plan, you like their services then you move to the ‘long term service’ plan and save money.

  2. I am sick of all of these VPNs saying they’re only 2 or 3 bucks a month! If I throw down a hundred bucks all at once. I don’t want, and cannot, pay two or three years up front. Why do they all do this, and why can’t it just be that much per month flat out? All of them are making me crazy. I’d be fine if they were just $5 or so, but none of them will just do that. They all want several months.

    Can someone PLEASE come up with a sane one?

    1. Remember, credit cards charge $3 per transaction. Add that to your monthly bill. OUCH!! some of the other billing services listed also charge extra.
      They need some money to operate and improve or add benefits. Besides, if you can’t afford $48 ($2 a month for a 2-year plan listed above) or wait for one of the cheap VPN to offer a holiday special …buy a flip phone.

      1. What are YOU using?
        I’ve NEVER had ANY fees per transaction on ANY credit card I have had.,and I’ve had some pretty CRAPPY ones.. (annual fees type)
        It’s VERY easy to just open a checking account and use your DEBIT card.. There are (literally) hundreds of Banks that have ZERO credit checks and ZERO monthly fees (as long as you USE your card you don’t get charged an inactivity fee).
        That, or even MORE options in the pre-paid card market..

        1. I believe he meant the merchant is charged $3 per credit card transaction, meaning that it wouldn’t be financially viable for them to offer a month-to-month cheap plan.

    2. Ray, the VPN companies do ‘this’ because it’s called a ‘discount’ for purchasing their ‘long term vpn service’. The VPN companies are not falsely advertising “2 or 3 bucks a month” and they clearly state the requirements of getting the price as low as 2 or 3 bucks a month. They also understand that not everyone can afford purchasing a long term service which is why they also have their monthly price. “Why can’t it just be that much per month flat out”? That is the same logic as saying ‘why can’t it just be free’. Answer… Because they are ‘businesses’ and like any good business they must make a profit in order to remain in operation.

  3. What happens if you sign up for a 1, 2 or even 3 year contract and the company closes? What guarantee is there that the contract will be honoured?

    1. Good question. I recommend choosing a reputable/well-know VPN like NordVPN. In that way you can be sure that they will not close their doors :).

  4. I am simply echoing everyone else – they should NOT allowed to advertise how CHEAP they are when they
    force you to pay 3 years up front – like NordVPN – $107.55 for 3 yrs !!!!!!! When are they going to restrict
    advertising and force them to be more HONEST. Truth is there are NO cheap ones if you want to pay for only
    6 or 12 months.

    1. Have you checked SurfShark? It should be cheapest VPN available that provides quality at the same time.

    2. Amber, the VPN companies are ‘businesses’ and like all business they must make a profit to stay running. It is not false advertising to advertise how “cheap they are” when you purchase a 2 or 3 year plan. It’s called a ‘discount’ because you purchased their ‘long term services’. The companies know that not everyone will be able to purchase the discounted ‘long term plan’ of 2 or 3 years which is why they have monthly plans. You say “they should NOT [be] allowed to advertise how CHEAP they are when they are [forcing] you to pay 3 years up front … for 3 yrs”. Then you go further to state “when are they going to restrict advertising and force them to be more HONEST”. First of all, not one of the VPN companies is “forcing” anyone to purchase a 3 year plan, and they are not being dishonest in their advertising. Secondly, but most importantly, what body, or organization do you want to use in order to “restrict” their [VPN companies] advertising and “force them to be more HONEST”? ‘Government’ ? Aren’t those the very same organization these VPN’s are trying to assist you in protecting your privacy from?

  5. ProtonVPN offers top-notch security VPN for $5 a month (monthly pricing). The speed is alright, as well. Doesn’t work with Netflix though.

  6. *Update on ProtonVPN: Netflix does work on their Switzerland servers- which as an added advantage, are wholly owned and operated by them. Switzerland does not technically come under 14 Eyes either. Plenty of servers for Torrenting, including the Swiss ones I just tested Netflix on. Even TOR is supported on certain servers. All this covered by OpenVPN AES-256. Truly a gem for $5 a month (billed monthly as well), if you ask me. Disclaimer: I am neither a ProtonVPN employee, nor a paying customer at this time. I’m on their 7-day free trial at the time of writing this.

    1. Thank you, Ribeiro.

      We will update the reviews gradually and this will be added to our to-do list. Thank you for your help!

    1. How many simultaneous devices can you use at the same time? For example: you install a VPN on your desktop, laptop, tablet and smart phone. – That’s 4 simultaneous connections. Hope this helps!

  7. I assume the people complaining about paying upfront for 2+ years are the ones that want to torrent free movies/software/etc.
    How dare I have to pay 2 or 3 years in advance. I just want to download 1000 movies in 2 months and then cancel!
    If you want a cheaper option, go to the library or a coffee shop and download off of their WiFi.

    1. If I remember correctly from the top of my head, IPVanish is around 6.50/mo on the yearly plan, that’s not very cheap.

  8. A quality VPS with virtually unlimited traffic costs 2.49 Euro/month. A VPN with none of the functionality except traffic that I assume is worse then the VPS with 100GBit connection wants more than 10$/month. I don’t understand. Am I missing something? Please help me understand what makes VPN providers so expensive! Are there maybe chinese VPN providers that are cheaper? I don’t mind sharing my torrents with foreign gov./secret agencies.

  9. So if the UK is a member of the original Five Eyes Agreement among nations surveilling private citizens and Surfshark is located in the British Virgin Islands, why would I choose Surfshark?

    1. Although the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a British overseas territory, it operates under its own legislature system and laws. The Virgin Islands is a self-governed entity and doesn’t belong to any intelligence-sharing agreements as the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes Alliances.
      Depending on the country VPN provider is based in, it might be asked to hand over the information to the government about its users. However, companies that operate under the legal jurisdiction of the BVI are not obliged to retain any identifying information about its users or their online activity, which is a part of our no-logs policy.

  10. This is absolutely not what I was looking for, I don’t care if the 3-year plan is cheap… I was looking for a low-cost MONTHLY plan…

    1. Hey Bill,

      Long term packages are just the “cheapest” options when it comes to VPN services. I understand your frustration though and I’m sorry that you didn’t find what you were looking for.

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