VPN Price: Plans, Monthly Cost & Price History

VPN pricing depends far more on plan length than on the brand. Month-to-month plans cost the most, and the low prices in advertisements are nearly always long-term deals paid up front. A fair comparison therefore needs both the monthly rate and the long-term rate, plus what the plan renews at.

This page combines independent guides with provider list prices. Average prices come from Security.org, checked on Oct 14, 2026, and deal prices quoted by TechRadar, checked on Oct 14, 2026. Provider prices come from the plan pages of Proton VPN, CyberGhost and Mozilla VPN, which were read from archived copies of those pages. VPN offers change often, so confirm the current price and renewal terms on each provider's site.

Security.org's comparison of many providers averages the effective monthly price by plan length.

A month-to-month plan averages $11.79/mo. A 12-month plan averages $4.82/mo and a 24-month plan averages $3.81/mo, both as monthly equivalents. Those long-plan figures are the monthly equivalent of a larger payment made in advance, so the cash you hand over at checkout is much bigger than the monthly figure suggests.

Review sites often quote the lowest promotional price a provider offers.

TechRadar quotes $3.49/mo for NordVPN, $2.49/mo for Surfshark and $2.99/mo for ExpressVPN. These are promotional figures tied to long plans, and they can change when a deal ends.

Provider pages show the plan options directly.

Proton VPN Plus is $9.99/mo for a single month and $3.49/mo on the long plan. CyberGhost lists $12.99/mo for one month, $6.99/mo for six months and $2.19/mo on its longest promotional plan. Mozilla VPN lists $9.99/mo monthly and $4.99/mo on the annual plan (monthly equivalent), before tax.

Long plans often renew at a different price from the first term.

According to its page, Proton VPN Plus renews at $83.88/yr after the long promotional plan. CyberGhost lists a yearly renewal of $56.94/yr. Compare each renewal with its promotional price, and read the fine print for the other providers before you pay for a multi-year plan.

• Plan length. Longer plans lower the monthly rate and raise the up-front payment.
• Promotions. Deals can end without notice and may apply only to new customers.
• Renewal terms. Renewal rates may differ from the first term.
• Features and tiers. Some providers sell higher tiers with extras bundled in.
• Taxes. Some providers list prices before tax, so your total may be higher.

Free VPNs exist but usually come with limits. A paid plan removes those limits in exchange for a fee. Look carefully at how any provider makes money, since a free service has to cover its costs somehow.

Line up plans of the same length before you compare brands. A one-month price and a multi-year price answer different questions. Then add up what you would pay over the period you expect to keep the service, including the renewal. That total shows the real difference between providers far better than a monthly figure in a banner.

Decide how long you will really use the service. A short commitment costs more per month but risks less. Check the refund window before you pay for a long plan. Note the renewal date and turn off auto-renewal if you do not want to continue. Compare the renewal rate, not only the first-term deal.