The 10 Best Cheap VPNs in 2024 Ranked and Compared

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The best cheap VPNs are those that don’t compromise on features, security, speed, or unblocking power—value for money should not mean a lackluster service. Unfortunately, this can and often is the case unless you know what to look for.

Having tested VPNs and other security products for decades, we’ve compiled a list of the market’s best affordable VPN providers based on each one’s value-for-money proposition. Regardless of your needs, you’ll find a good cheap VPN here.

What Makes a Great Cheap VPN?

When researching and testing the best cheap VPNs, we took a multitude of factors into consideration in order to bring you a comprehensive list of the top ten affordable VPN service providers. Here are all the variables that factored into our decision:

The Best Cheap VPN Services Reviewed

There are dozens of VPN service providers out there. Researching and comparing them all would take weeks if not months, and that’s provided you have the knowledge to discern which VPN offers good value for money.

To save you valuable time and help you choose the best VPN service for your needs, we’ve put together in-depth reviews of the best cheap VPNs. Read on to learn everything about the security, features, servers, speed, and different pricing plans of each one. 

1. NordVPN — The Best Affordable VPN Overall

NordVPN isn’t the cheapest VPN out there, starting at $3.39/month on a two-year plan. However, considering the sheer number of security features it offers, it provides great value for money.

What makes NordVPN stand out from the sea of VPNs is the ongoing threat protection. In addition to hiding your IP and physical location and encrypting your online data, it shields you from malware, trackers, and ads 24/7. 

Even if your connection to one of NordVPN’s 6,400+ servers drops, the kill switch will immediately block internet access until the connection to a VPN server is re-established. This ensures that your data isn’t left unprotected, even for a millisecond. 

Another NordVPN feature worth mentioning is ongoing Dark Web monitoring.

If any of your online data ever gets leaked and shows up in the dark corners of the internet, NordVPN will immediately notify you so you can react, update your passwords, and turn on two-factor authentication.

With NordVPN, you can even establish a secure, VPN-protected peer-to-peer network by connecting directly to another NordVPN user.

This makes NordVPN ideal for businesses that share information between team members, gamers who want to connect with their friends, and anyone who wants to share files directly with another user securely.

Need more? Read our full NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark — The Popular Inexpensive VPN for Unlimited Simultaneous Connections

Surfshark is an award-winning VPN service provider that offers premium online protection at an affordable price.

At just $2.19/month on a two-year plan, you’ll enjoy ironclad security, complete online privacy, an ad-free online experience, and a high-speed internet connection on all your devices.

Surfshark uses uncrackable AES 256-bit encryption and offers four secure VPN protocols to choose from. It also prevents online tracking and hides your identity and online activity from cybercriminals, advertising companies, and even your ISP. 

There are over 3,200 servers in 95+ countries to choose from, all of which are RAM-only. This means Surfshark doesn’t store any of your data, and your online activity is automatically deleted after each session, so nobody can track you or steal your data, no matter how hard they try. 

To be on the safe side, Surfshark allows you to leverage the Multi-Hop connection to route your online traffic through two VPN servers, so your data is encrypted twice. 

In addition to premium security features, Surfshark provides CleanWeb, which blocks all annoying ads, banners, and trackers.

With Surfshark, you don’t have to worry about malware-infected websites since the VPN won’t allow them to display the pop-ups that contain download links for harmful software. 

Unsure? Read our full Surfshark VPN review.

3. ExpressVPN — The Best Value VPN for Security and Unblocking Power

While ExpressVPN’s pricing is above average, it offers excellent value for money and, depending on who you ask, is considered an affordable VPN service.

Is a few extra dollars worth it? We think so. For starters, unlike all of its competition, ExpressVPN has undergone the most independent audits (12 in 2022 alone).

These verify ExpressVPN’s security and privacy claims, proving it is as safe as the company claims it is. ExpressVPN is known to be highly committed to privacy and transparency.

Beyond this, it supports no-logging infrastructure, so nothing you do online is stored on ExpressVPN’s servers, leaving zero trace of your activity.

Its proprietary Lightway protocol is another huge USP. On par with the industry-leading WireGuard, it offers supreme security and speeds you won’t get with other VPN protocols.

Pair this with 1-10Gbps servers in 105 countries spanning the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa; it’s excellent for private, fast streaming, torrenting, and gaming.

ExpressVPN also supports 18 languages and boasts a built-in password management solution. So, while it costs a tad more than rivals and only supports 8 simultaneous connections, it’s easily one of the very best VPNs to use in 2024.

Here’s an in-depth ExpressVPN review if you need more information.

4. PureVPN — The Best Low-Cost VPN and Password Manager Combo

PureVPN is a service we often recommend to our readers, and starting at just $2.14/m on a 2-year plan, it’s an excellent option for anyone after an inexpensive VPN.

During our testing, we found its ease of use a real highlight. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, even for beginners.

We also liked that despite not being as big as names like Nord and ExpressVPN, it performs on par with these market leaders and boasts a solid reputation, with over 3 million people using it.

While PureVPN’s server fleet only spans 65+ countries, which is less than some rivals, it does offer over 6,000 servers, so finding a fast server close by shouldn’t be an issue.

We found that this, paired with 20Gbps connections and some of the best protocols, including WireGuard, contributed to our flawless streaming experience with PureVPN.

We could easily unblock Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and other geo-block services to watch House of the Dragon, the Bear, and live events like the Euro and Wimbledon with ease.

We also really like PureVPN’s pricing flexibility. For under $4.10, you can get a password manager and digital privacy manager (which will get data brokers to remove data they have on you).

It offers plans for individuals, families, and even businesses.

Read our full PureVPN review for more information.

5. IvacyVPN — The Cheapest VPN Service for Anonymous Browsing and Streaming

Ivacy VPN is the most affordable VPN service on our list, and despite this, we found it delivered excellent value for money and above-average performance.

During our review of the platform, we were able to unblock a wide variety of geo-blocked apps, including Netflix, Prime, Hulu, and even ESPN+ and Disney+.

While it isn’t the fastest VPN, it’s more than sufficient for buffer-free streaming—with most servers optimized for this and for torrenting.

The best part? Ivacy VPN scans your downloads for malware, adding to its suitability for torrenting activities. Beyond this, we also love that you can pay for IvacyVPN anonymously.

This makes it an excellent option for those after a China VPN or in any other area where there’s intense online censorship.

It boasts all the usual security features you’d expect, such as DDoS protection, a no-logs policy, AES-256 encryption, and leak (IPv6 and DNS) protection.

It also offers the WireGuard protocol, although not for Mac and Linux users, and it has yet to undergo an independent audit to verify its privacy claims.

Learn more with our full IvacyVPN review.

6. CyberGhost — Best Fast Cheap VPN for Streaming and Beginners

CyberGhost VPN is among the more affordable VPNs out there, starting at $2.03/month on a two-year plan. What makes it one of the best options for people who have never used a VPN before is its 45-day money-back guarantee.

This gives you a month and a half to try out the VPN, test all of its features in practice, and see if it’s the right choice for you without a long-term commitment. 

In terms of safety and security, CyberGhost offers industry-standard AES-256 encryption and three powerful, secure VPN protocols — IKEv2, OpenVPN, and WireGuard.

CyberGhost also blocks all online tracking attempts, ensures complete online privacy and anonymity through its NoSpy servers, and allows you to bypass internet censorship and access geo-restricted websites and content on all popular streaming platforms.

CyberGhost also has one of the largest server fleets out of all VPN service providers we reviewed, with over 9,000 ultra-fast servers in more than 90 countries.

What’s more, some servers are optimized for streaming TV shows and movies on Netflix, so you can watch online content without any buffering or interruptions.

CyberGhost is available on all devices and operating systems, including smart TVs and consoles. Due to its stable performance and lightning-fast connection speeds, it’s also one of the best gaming VPNs in 2024. 

Here’s a full CyberGhost review if you need more details.

7. ProtonVPN — The Best Free VPN for Secure Browsing

ProtonVPN is a renowned Swiss VPN service provider, offering its users an option to stay protected on the internet free of charge. 

While the free plan is limited to only medium-speed servers in three countries, it’s still a great way to try out ProtonVPN before committing to a monthly subscription.

You can take a week, a month, or even a year to test out all the features of ProtonVPN and see if you like it without paying a cent. 

On the flip side, the premium version of the VPN is relatively expensive, starting at $4.49/month on a two-year plan. If you decide to upgrade, you’ll have access to over 6,000 high-speed VPN servers, malware and ad-blocker, and a VPN accelerator. 

ProtonVPN adheres to a strict no-logs policy, and all of its apps are open-source and independently audited. This means that the company doesn’t store any of your data on its servers.

Additionally, the VPN traffic is routed through multiple Secure Core servers before leaving the ProtonVPN network, making it impossible for hackers, snoopers, and trackers to get a hold of your online data.

Here’s a detailed Proton VPN review if you need more information.

8. Norton Secure VPN — Reputable VPN and Antivirus Combo

Norton is a name most people know for its incredible parental control and antivirus products. As with rival antiviruses, like TotalAV, Norton now offers a VPN for an all-around security suite.

If you’re looking for a solid online protection solution that goes beyond a VPN, Norton Secure VPN is an excellent choice. It costs just $59.99 for the first year ($4.99/m) for 10 devices.

So while it may not be the most popular option, especially among those after a streaming VPN, for example, it offers great value for money, particularly for online security and parents.

Its servers only span 28 countries, which is, of course, much less than what a dedicated VPN like ExpressVPN offers, but considering, we were impressed with the features on offer.

For example, it offers a password manager, parental control, dark web monitoring (alerting you if your details have been leaked on the dark web), and even supports P2P activities.

With the antivirus, it’s a top choice for torrenting. It even offers split tunneling, where you can choose which apps use the VPN connection, although this isn’t supported on Mac or iOS.

Similarly, you even get kill switch support, which disconnects you from the internet if your VPN connection drops, protecting your data and online activity from leaking.

Overall, Norton Secure VPN isn’t the fastest or the best for streaming, but it’s certainly an excellent choice for families after an all-in-one security suite.

9. IPVanish — Cheap, Fast VPN With a High Degree of Customization

IPVanish is another affordable VPN option, starting at $2.19 on a yearly plan.

While the deal IPVanish offers isn’t as good as some of the discounts some of the leading alternatives provide, the slightly higher price is warranted, given the fact that IPVanish provides built-in ransomware and malware protection.

Plus, you don’t have to sign up for a multi-year plan to get IPVanish’s lowest price. Additionally, you can connect as many devices as you want to IPVanish with a single subscription, including your PC, laptop, Android or iPhone, and even your Fire TV. 

What’s interesting about IPVanish is the fact that the 40,000+ IP addresses IPVanish offers are shared between users. This provides an additional layer of protection on top of industry-standard encryption, making it virtually impossible to tie a particular online activity to a single user.

With over 2,400 servers in 75+ countries, a VPN kill switch, stable high-speed connections, and a verified no-logs policy, IPVanish is a great choice for anyone who wants to protect themselves from cyber threats. 

Unsure? Read our complete IPVanish review.

10. PrivateVPN — The Best Cheap VPN for Tor

PrivateVPN offers one of the best deals we’ve ever come across. If you opt for the three-year plan, you’ll get 36 months of PrivateVPN for just $72.00.

This amounts to $2 per month for the first three years, making PrivateVPN one of the most affordable VPNs on the market.

That said, you can’t just look at the price tag in a vacuum — it’s crucial to understand the value you’re getting for your money. When it comes to online security, privacy, and speed, PrivateVPN is on par with the world’s leading VPNs.

However, it offers nothing apart from standard VPN protection. What’s sorely lacking is protection from real-time threats and the ability to block annoying ads on shady websites.

While providers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN offer in-built security features, PrivateVPN is yet to catch up. What PrivateVPN has going for it is uncapped bandwidth speed, plenty of VPN protocols to choose from, and that it reliably unblocks content on the vast majority of popular streaming platforms.

Learn more with our full PrivateVPN review.

The Best Inexpensive VPN Services Compared

This table offers an easy-to-read overview of the best cheap VPNs available on the market, so you can quickly compare the top providers today and make an informed decision.

Related: 

• Our Full Guide on VPNs

Are Cheap VPNs Safe?

In the world of virtual private networks, affordable doesn’t necessarily mean bad. In fact, some of the most powerful and most secure VPNs on the market, like Surfshark, NordVPN, and CyberGhost, all offer super-affordable pricing plans.

All leading cheap VPNs rely on the strongest encryption currently available (AES-256) and offer multiple secure VPN protocols to choose from. The best cheap VPNs also have strict zero-logs policies, meaning they don’t store any of your data.

Our number one choice of cheap VPN, NordVPN, has a strict no-logs policy showing everyone that you can get an affordable VPN without sacrificing data privacy or online security.

The main reason why so many VPN service providers offer affordable pricing plans or large discounts is the fierce competition.

There are dozens of superb VPNs on the market, and the only way for a secure, reliable VPN to gain an edge over the competition is to offer its services at a lower price.

One VPN lowering the cost of its annual plan by 80% starts a domino effect, where all other leading VPN service providers have to follow suit. As a result, we all get access to premium VPN features at a more affordable price!

Conclusion

Numerous excellent premium VPNs offer cheap long-term plans and excellent value for money, but NordVPN is hard to beat.

NordVPN’s proprietary NordLynx protocol, excellent speeds, and incredible security features make it easily the best cheap VPN in 2024.

All, including NordVPN, offer a money-back guarantee, allowing you to try them risk-free. You have nothing to lose and complete online freedom and anonymity to gain.

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