Switzerland-based open-source provider with six independent audits, the best free tier on the market, and Secure Core double-VPN.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv6 audits
$3.59/mo
mo on the 24-month plan
30-day refund
Best cheap VPNs
The lowest-cost long-term VPN plans that still deliver strong privacy, fast speeds, and reliable unblock performance.
Netherlands provider that ships unlimited simultaneous devices, four audits, and the lowest introductory price of any audited VPN we tested in 2025.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv4 auditsFree trial
$2.49/mo
mo on the 24-month plan
30-day refund
British Virgin Islands veteran with twelve independent audits, TrustedServer RAM-only fleet, and consistently the most reliable unblocks of regional streaming catalogs.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv12 auditsFree trial
$2.99/mo
mo on the 28-month plan
30-day refund
Panama-based market leader with five audits, owned-and-RAM infrastructure across 118 countries, and the fastest WireGuard implementation we measured in 2025.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv5 auditsFree trial
$3.49/mo
mo on the 24-month plan
30-day refund
United States-based provider with four no-logs audits, the largest rented server count, verified no-logs in real court cases, and strong torrent-friendly defaults.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv4 audits
$2.03/mo
mo on the 39-month plan
30-day refund
Romania-based provider with the largest rented server fleet, dedicated streaming and torrenting server categories, and a 45-day refund window.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv3 auditsFree trial
$2.19/mo
mo on the 26-month plan
45-day refund
Italy-based provider with owned bare-metal servers, the most payment options in the industry, and the open-source Eddie client.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidrouter
$2.75/mo
mo on the 12-month plan
3-day refund
United States-based Nord Security-owned provider with unlimited devices, two audits, and a solid free tier.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv2 audits
$1.64/mo
mo on the 24-month plan
30-day refund
United States-based provider owned by Ziff Davis with two no-logs audits, unlimited device count, and a StrongDNS bonus for Fire TV users.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidandroid-tv2 auditsFree trial
$2.19/mo
mo on the 24-month plan
30-day refund
Sweden-based budget-friendly provider with owned servers, port forwarding, and 10 simultaneous devices, but no published audit.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidrouter
$2.00/mo
mo on the 36-month plan
30-day refund
Gibraltar-based privacy-hardened provider with three audits, owned-and-RAM infrastructure, multi-hop, and port forwarding.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidrouter3 auditsFree trial
$4.00/mo
mo on the 12-month plan
30-day refund
United States-based provider with the most torrent-friendly defaults in the industry, dedicated streaming IPs, and Stealth VPN for restrictive networks.
windowsmaclinuxiosandroidrouterFree trial
$2.50/mo
mo on the 24-month plan
7-day refund
Expert guide
A cheap VPN does not have to be a bad VPN. The cheapest long-term plans bundle the same WireGuard protocol, the same audited no-logs policy, and the same streaming unblock as the most expensive options. Our budget guide ranks providers on the lowest published long-term price per month, with a hard floor on quality (audited no-logs, modern protocols, working apps).
How to evaluate a cheap VPN
- Long-term price per month on the longest published plan (typically 2 years).
- Independent audit on file; we exclude providers without one, no matter how cheap.
- WireGuard or equivalent modern protocol; legacy-only providers are out.
- Native apps for every platform you use, not just Windows and macOS.
- Money-back window of at least 30 days so you can test without commitment.
Watch out for renewal prices
Most VPN providers advertise a low introductory price that doubles or triples on renewal. We surface the renewal terms in our pricing notes so you know what you will actually pay in year three. Some providers hold the same price across renewals; others reset to a much higher rate. Read the fine print before you sign up for a long term.
Is the cheapest plan enough?
For most users, yes. The biggest differences between a $3/mo VPN and a $12/mo VPN are extra features (dedicated IP, password manager, encrypted cloud storage) that are not core to the VPN experience. If all you need is a fast, private, audited tunnel, the cheapest plan on our list will do the job.
Best cheap VPNs - frequently asked questions
Which VPN is the best for best cheap vpns?
Our top pick for best cheap vpns in 2026 is ProtonVPN, based on the 18-dimension rubric we maintain and the live pricing snapshot from our most recent scrape. The full ranking below explains why.
How do you score VPNs?
Each VPN gets a 0-5 score on 18 dimensions (jurisdiction, audits, speed, protocols, encryption, leak protection, availability, owned servers, RAM servers, transparency, bug bounty, payments, pricing, bypass, support, ethics, ad-blocker, features). A weighted 5-factor composite (Privacy 30%, Price 25%, Speed 18%, Streaming 14%, Features 13%) produces the overall rating published on each review.
Do you accept payment to influence rankings?
No. Sponsored placements are clearly labelled and never affect a score. Affiliate links earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, but they never change where a provider ranks.