Best Cheap VPNs for 2025: Quality at an Affordable Price

What is the best cheap VPN of 2025?

Surfshark is CNET's top pick for the best cheap VPN, thanks to its innovative feature set, outstanding speed performance, top-notch privacy protections and budget-friendly annual subscription plan. Surfshark is easy to use across all platforms and excellent for streaming -- especially if you want to maximize your Netflix viewing options. Granted, Surfshark's monthly subscription is quite a bit more expensive than the competition, but if you sign up for an annual or two-year plan, you'll pay far less than what you would for most other top VPNs' long-term subscriptions. Surfshark isn't just one of the top affordable VPNs -- it's one of the best VPNs on the market, period.

Private Internet Access , or PIA, is another solid budget-friendly VPN that has a strong reputation for privacy and transparency. PIA's apps have many customization options and are simple to use. It also has great options for streaming, but users with slow connections may struggle with PIA's rather slow speed performance. Nevertheless, PIA is an excellent, cheap VPN at just $40 for the first year (renewing at $50 annually). While it's sluggish -- we clocked an average 48% speed loss -- it's a good budget pick that undercuts most of the competition and works well for folks with fast internet speeds.

Mullvad rounds out our list of the best cheap VPNs. Its fast speeds, easy-to-use app and innovative privacy features all for a flat fee of $5 per month make this Swedish-based provider a great choice for privacy-conscious people on a budget. It's decent for streaming, but Mullvad struggles with some streaming services and doesn't offer full native app support for smart TVs or streaming devices. It's an otherwise well-rounded privacy-focused VPN that's a fantastic bargain.

Cheap VPN comparisons

About cheap VPNs

There's a lot to think about when choosing a VPN. While you might be tempted by the cheapest VPN, you need to make sure you're getting good value for your money. You can expect to spend anywhere from $5 to $15 for a monthly VPN plan, or around $40 to $100 for the first year. Be warned, most VPNs have an introductory offer and increase the price via an auto-renewal. How much a VPN offers for that price can vary massively. Over the years, we've learned from testing VPNs at both ends of the price spectrum that a high price tag does not necessarily translate to a premium product. And the opposite is also true: We've seen some fantastic VPNs at affordable prices.

We recommend opting for a yearly subscription over a monthly one for the greatest savings and the least risk, given how quickly things change in the VPN space. While some VPN companies also offer two-year or longer subscription packages that typically provide even more savings than an annual subscription, we like the sweet spot of a yearly plan. Too many factors can change for a VPN over the course of a year, and you won't want to be locked into a provider that isn't offering value for money in the long run. For instance, your provider could end up being acquired by a company with worse data privacy practices or even suffer a data breach over the course of a year. Most VPN providers offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the quality of the service. While the flexibility offered by having a monthly subscription is nice, the savings offered by most VPN companies on annual subscription packages translate into a significantly lower per-month rate.

Our CNET experts selected the best cheap VPNs that offer strong privacy, user-friendly apps and great streaming unblocking without breaking the bank. Whether you want to boost your privacy or stream on a budget, these VPNs get the job done with reasonable price tags attached.

Factors to consider in a cheap VPN

Based on our experience testing, using and researching VPNs, these are the most important factors to consider when choosing the best cheap VPN for your needs.

Cost

If your objective is to find the cheapest VPN for your needs, then price will likely be your primary consideration. Some VPNs cost up to $100 or more per year, but the cheapest VPNs can give you many of the same privacy features and protections for just $40 to $60 per year. Keep in mind that some VPN providers offer an introductory rate that will increase after your subscription renews. Generally, you can find the renewal price when you click through to the payment window, but sometimes you may have to go digging through the terms of service pages to find the true yearly cost of a VPN.

Privacy

Privacy is a major consideration for any VPN, regardless of what kind of VPN you want. The best VPNs all have privacy protections like a kill switch and DNS leak protection, along with a no-logs policy and AES 256-bit encryption (over OpenVPN and IKEv2) or ChaCha20 with WireGuard. Depending on the level of privacy you need, you can get a cheap VPN that offers additional features like Tor over VPN, obfuscation and multihop connections.  

Speed

A VPN will often slow down your connection speeds by 50% or more. So you'll want to look for a VPN that will cut your speeds by as little as possible -- ideally less than 20% so that you'll barely even notice a difference. Fast VPN speeds are essential for data-heavy activities like streaming, gaming, downloading and video conferencing. A fast VPN will easily handle all those activities, whereas slow VPN speeds may be suitable only for basic internet browsing. The fastest VPNs we tested include NordVPN, Proton VPN and ExpressVPN, all of which offered reliable connection speeds.

Usability

Getting a cheap VPN doesn't necessarily have to mean that you have to sacrifice usability. Many of the more budget-friendly VPN options are miles ahead of their pricier peers in terms of user-friendliness. Look for a VPN that works well across all the devices you want to use. Your VPN should be as easy to use as any other app you may download and should require little to no learning curve.  

How we test cheap VPNs

We tested VPNs from January through March 2025, putting each VPN through a battery of tests to see how it stacks up to our expectations and the rest of the competition. We rated each service on connection speed, features, privacy, usability and overall value.

Value assessment

Value is our biggest consideration when naming the best cheap VPNs. Some services offer advanced features at advanced prices -- while those might be good options for someone looking for the best overall VPN, they're not always the best choice for people looking for a good cheap VPN. We assess the quality of service and features against each VPN's initial and renewal prices and the transparency of those renewals. For this list, we prioritized services that quality features at a cheaper price than other competitors.

Connection speed testing

We run 250 speed tests for each VPN, measuring the average amount of speed lost across a variety of servers and platforms. This gives us a general sense of how much the service will affect your baseline internet speeds, and we look for VPNs that keep the speed loss to about 20% or less. Surfshark managed this with a respectable 21% speed loss, which is part of what made it our best cheap VPN.

Feature testing

Our feature evaluations look at the breadth of what a VPN can do, plus how effectively it works. A good cheap VPN should still offer a reasonable range of features that work reliably, including things like split tunneling and advanced privacy options.

Privacy evaluation

A good cheap VPN shouldn't sacrifice your privacy. When we test VPNs, we look for details like no-logs policies -- preferably backed up by third-party audits -- as well as strong encryption, reasonable (and readable) privacy policies and transparency reports. We also test for DNS leaks to make sure the VPN is performing the basics correctly.

Usability assessment

We evaluate how well the VPN performs when streaming and unblocking content from different regions worldwide, and how easy it was to change servers on different platforms. The best VPNs work as expected regardless of platform and are easy enough for beginners to use.

Other VPNs we tested

Proton VPN

Proton VPN was developed by the Swiss-based company behind the popular secure email service Proton Mail. The VPN has built a reputation for top-notch security and maximum transparency. Proton VPN's apps are fully open-source, and the software is also regularly audited to help affirm the security of the VPN for users without the time or know-how to inspect the code. On top of security features like a kill switch and DNS leak protection, Proton VPN offers extras like malware protection, Tor over VPN and a stealth protocol to help hide the fact that you're using a VPN. If you connect to Proton VPN's Secure Core servers, you'll be able to route your traffic through secure data centers located in Switzerland, Sweden or Iceland before exiting through another location. This provides a critical extra layer of security if you're a user with heightened privacy needs. Aside from its robust privacy protections, Proton does well at unblocking content from various streaming providers, including Netflix.

Proton VPN is an excellent choice for budget-conscious VPN users looking for a free VPN . Proton VPN offers the only free VPN wholeheartedly recommended by CNET because it's private and doesn't put limits on speed, data or usage time -- which is something the vast majority of free VPNs can't claim. The free tier doesn't include torrenting support or access to its Secure Core servers, but it delivers the same encryption standards and includes the same basic privacy protections like a kill switch, DNS leak protection and a no-logging promise.

Free users are allotted one connection at a time and access to servers in five countries (Japan, The Netherlands, United States, Poland and Romania). It's a great way to test out the service before you upgrade to the premium version, as there are no bandwidth limits or connection timeouts. The only real downside is that you can't specify the server you connect to, but it's still totally possible to access Netflix and other streaming sites if you want to see how it performs as an unblocking VPN. If you want to purchase a subscription to Proton VPN, it's more affordable than premium VPN providers like ExpressVPN, although initially not quite as wallet-friendly as rivals including Surfshark and PIA. The monthly plan is on the cheap side at $10 per month, while the annual plan costs $60 for the first year before jumping to $80 annually, and the two-year plan costs $108 for the first 24 months (then $80 annually). Proton's premium plans offer access to 13,800-plus servers peppering 122 countries, and you'll get 10 simultaneous connections. Ultimately, Proton VPN is one of the best cheap VPNs for privacy enthusiasts and entertainment buffs alike.

Read our Proton VPN review

PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN is a wallet-friendly VPN provider that sets you back $11 monthly, $20 for the first year (then $60 annually) or $30 total for the first two years (then $96 total for two years). This is an exceptionally cheap introductory offer that even other budget providers like Surfshark and PIA struggle to match. Aside from its paid premium plans, PrivadoVPN offers a free VPN tier giving you access to 13 different international servers, including spots in the US, UK, Canada, France, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. The zero-cost service lets you pick any server you like, but you're limited to 10GB of monthly usage.

With a paid plan, PrivadoVPN offers hundreds of servers in 49 different countries. That's fine for casual users, but well below the thousands of servers in 100-plus countries that competitors like ProtonVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN boast. In our testing, Privado was decent for casual users, providing largely user-friendly apps, solid streaming service unblocking and privacy-friendly jurisdiction.

However, its small server network, unreliable internet download speeds and lack of third-party audits make it tough to recommend for all but basic privacy. Power users seeking blazing-fast speeds for streaming, international travelers or folks with critical privacy needs (like political activists, asylum-seekers or paranoid torrenters) should look elsewhere. But if you need fundamental privacy for web browsing or streaming on a budget, Privado's free or low-cost plans may fit the bill.

Read our PrivadoVPN review .

Surfshark

Surfshark delivers innovative privacy features, a polished interface, unlimited simultaneous connections, fast speeds and an impressive global network of VPN servers in 100 countries -- all while offering long-term subscription plans that are considerably cheaper than its closest competitors. Following an introductory price of $48 for the first year, the annual plan renews at $79 per year. While you can also opt for a two-year plan that costs $60 for the first two years combined and then recurs annually at $79. While that's not the cheapest VPN we tested, it's pretty close, and Surfshark offers a generally more cohesive suite of features than other VPNs with similar costs. Just avoid the pricey monthly plan.

Why we like it

Surfshark offers ad and malware protection, camouflage mode and split tunneling . You'll also get standard features like DNS leak protection, AES 256-bit encryption (with the OpenVPN and IKEv2 VPN protocols) or ChaCha20 with WireGuard and a kill switch . The company's Nexus Network allows you to seamlessly swap servers without your internet connection going down. You'll even get access to nifty privacy features like Dynamic MultiHop, which jumps your connection through multiple Surfshark servers in different locations, as well as IP Rotator to shift your IP address automatically every five minutes. 

Surfshark is an excellent option for streaming and can help you unblock multiple Netflix libraries along with other streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and Hulu. Surfshark also offers an entire suite of privacy-preserving tools that augment the protection you get from the VPN service. Some of these are standard fare, such as an ad-blocker and a data-removal service, but there are more unique features like Alternative ID, which generates a fresh anonymous identity and masked email so you can protect your identity when signing up for sites you don't trust.

Surfshark averaged 21% internet download speed loss in our 2025 testing, making it more than quick enough for 4K video streaming or competitive online gaming.

You can get a seven-day free trial on Android , iOS and MacOS if you sign up through Google's Play Store or Apple's App Store. If you've purchased Surfshark and you're not satisfied with the service for any reason, the VPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• Also featured in: Best VPN for Amazon Fire TV , Best VPN for Streaming

See at Surfshark

PIA

Private Internet Access is one of the cheapest VPN providers around, at $12 per month, $40 for a year (and then $50 per year) or $80 every three years. While we don't generally recommend multi-year VPN deals, three years of PIA costs less than the renewal price of a single year of ExpressVPN or NordVPN. PIA's apps are highly customizable and built on open-source software, which should appeal to the techie crowd and privacy-conscious folks who appreciate transparency. However, PIA's speed loss averaged considerably higher than competitors -- double what we saw from Surfshark and Mullvad -- which makes it a bad choice for anyone on slower connections like satellite.

Why we like it

PIA had its no-logs policy independently audited in 2024, regularly releases transparency reports and has had its no-logs claims tested in the wild on multiple occasions. Along with standard privacy features like AES 256-bit encryption with OpenVPN and IKEv2 or ChaCha20 on WireGuard, DNS leak protection and a kill switch, PIA also offers multihop connections, obfuscation and an ad and malware blocker. 

Its large server network spanning 91 countries makes PIA a great VPN for travel , while its unlimited simultaneous connections mean it's a good virtual private network solution for multiple devices . It's one of the only VPN providers out there with servers in all 50 states, making it a great choice if you want a low-latency connection in the US. If you have high baseline internet speeds, PIA is an excellent cheap VPN that provides top-notch privacy and is more than capable of handling almost anything you'd want to do online. Like Surfshark, PIA has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• Also featured in: Best VPN for Apple TV , Best VPN for Multiple Devices

See at IPVanish

Mullvad

Mullvad is an open-source VPN provider that offers its services at a competitive rate, making it a great cheap VPN over short or longer terms. Mullvad's simple pricing structure is vastly different than most others. The service costs a flat fee of 5 euro per month, whether you use it for a month, a year, 10 years or longer. That comes out to 60 euro for a year, which roughly matches Surfshark's regular yearly subscription price. It's a top choice for anyone who wants the best privacy options, but not quite as good as other VPNs when it comes to streaming.

Why we like it

What sets Mullvad apart from the rest of the VPN industry is its commitment to bulletproof privacy above all else. There are positives and negatives to this approach, so you should be sure it's your main priority. For example, Mullvad has done away with recurring subscriptions, even if you sign up through a third party like PayPal. That way, there's absolutely no customer data kept in Mullvad's systems. You can even mail Mullvad an envelope with cash to pay for the service. Mullvad automatically generates a random 16-digit account number when you sign up, and you can prepay for one, two, three, six or 12 months at a time. The company is so focused on security and privacy that you don't have to enter any personal data at signup -- no email, username or password is required. And with an average 24% download speed loss in our 2025 testing, Mullvad is fast enough for streaming or competitive online gaming.

Mullvad is fast and offers excellent privacy, but isn't ideal for streaming enthusiasts because it doesn't offer full native support for smart TVs or streaming devices and sometimes struggles to stream certain content. I streamed content on Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus without any issues during my tests, but Amazon Prime Video detected the VPN and blocked my access. It's otherwise an excellent option for budget-conscious VPN users who value extra attention to privacy and appreciate straightforward simplicity. Similar to PIA and Surfshark, Mullvad offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• Also featured in: Best VPN Service , Fastest VPN

See at Mullvad

Best cheap VPN FAQs

What is the best cheap VPN?

Surfshark is the best cheap VPN on the market. There are lower-cost VPN providers, like Private Internet Access, but it's tough to find the price-to-performance ratio of the wallet-friendly Surfshark. Additionally, PIA is slower than Surfshark, so while you may be able to get a cheaper VPN, Surfshark doesn't compromise on privacy, speed or streaming service unblocking.

Can I get a free VPN?

Proton VPN's no-cost tier is the only free VPN service we recommend. Otherwise, we don't recommend using a free VPN for various reasons. First, free VPNs are typically slow, lack premium features, offer a small selection of servers and impose usage limits. Worse, there are free VPNs that sell your data to make money and some are even riddled with malware. You're much better off getting a full, premium VPN experience with a cheap VPN than risking your privacy with a free VPN just to save money.

How much does a cheap VPN cost?

As with many VPN services, the longer you commit, the bigger the savings over time. A VPN may have an expensive monthly rate of around $10 to $14 per month, but it can still be considered a cheap VPN if its annual subscription prices are more budget-friendly. You can get a cheap VPN for anywhere from around $40 to $60 for the first year. By comparison, many pricier VPNs like ExpressVPN set you back as much as $100 in your first year. Keep in mind that most VPNs charge higher renewal rates at the end of your subscription -- Surfshark and Proton both jump from $60 per year to $80 per year. Mullvad is one of the only VPNs that charges a flat rate.

Can I get in trouble for using a VPN?

Using a VPN is perfectly legal across most of the globe, so you shouldn't have to worry about getting in trouble simply for using a VPN. Check your local laws and regulations before purchasing a VPN. If you do anything illegal while using a VPN, it's still illegal. If you're in a region where VPN use is restricted, you can connect to an obfuscated server to hide your VPN usage.

Are there any downsides to using a VPN?

While VPNs have many benefits, like improving your privacy, helping you access geo-protected content such as foreign Netflix libraries and bypassing throttling or censorship, there are some downsides. Notably, all VPNs slow down your internet connection somewhat, although the fastest VPNs only drop your internet download speed by an average of 20% or less. Some apps or websites might not load properly while you're using a VPN, so you could experience issues until you turn off your VPN or enable split tunneling, which routes only select traffic through an encrypted virtual server.

Check out Yahoo's latest VPN advice, based on hands-on testing.

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