There are a lot of reasons why using a virtual private network (VPN) is a smart choice. They can help protect your privacy, keep your data safe on public networks, enable you to access region-locked content, and much more. By using one of the best cheap VPN services, you can get these benefits without busting your budget.
If you know how to spot the right providers and compare them wisely, you shouldn’t miss out on any of the features that more expensive VPNs offer. With cost out of the equation, there’s very little reason not to use a VPN. Remember: a cheap VPN just means it’s low cost, not low quality.
In this article, we’re going to briefly walk you through how VPNs work. Then we’ll introduce you to five of the best cheap VPN services and talk about what they can offer you. Let’s get to it!
📚 Table of contents:
Why everyone should consider a VPN
Browsing the internet generally involves connecting directly to whichever server you’re trying to access. However, a VPN enables you to re-route your traffic through another computer before making that connection, which has a few key benefits:
- VPNs encrypt your data, so ISPs and governments can’t peek on what you’re doing.
- They can enable you to access region-locked content since you’ll technically be surfing from a different IP address.
- It can protect your data while using public WiFi networks.
There are a lot of legitimate reasons why you’d want to use a VPN. However, all those benefits usually come with a price tag, which is why it’s worth looking into cheap VPN services and seeing how they stack up.
Five best cheap VPN services in 2024
Below, we’ll compare our picks for the five cheapest VPN services based on their price and functionality.
1. NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the most popular VPN services for three reasons:
- It offers a variety of server options.
- It likely has an app for your chosen operating system (OS).
- It’s one of the only remaining providers to let you bypass Netflix region locks.
On top of letting you binge your favorite shows, NordVPN also offers ‘kill switch’ functionality. This means if you lose connection to your VPN, it blocks internet access so your IP doesn’t leak. If you’re concerned about privacy, it’s one of the most essential features to look for in a VPN.
NordVPN also claims they don’t keep any logs, which means they don’t keep track of your activities, ensuring your privacy. Combine this with support for cryptocurrency payments (as well as credit cards and PayPal), and it all makes for a secure combo. You could also add a dedicated IP to the mix with any plan, but it does cost extra.
Prices 💵
NordVPN plans start at $12.99 per month billed month-to-month, but that can go all the way down to as little as $3.39 per month if you’re willing to pay for two years up front. For everything you get, this makes it one of the best cheap VPN options available.
2. IPVanish
As far as server options go, IPVanish offers even more than NordVPN, with setups in over 75 countries. It also provides you with apps you can use with most operating systems, although Netflix support subjectively isn’t as good with this VPN.
On paper, IPVanish looks perfect due to the previous offerings and additional functionality such as kill switches. However, two downsides worth considering are that it doesn’t offer dedicated IPs, and has been known to log user activity in the past (despite promises not to do so).
Usually, dedicated IPs are only a concern if you want to use your VPN to access a private network. For example, if you configure WordPress to whitelist specific IPs, you’ll need dedicated options. On the other hand, creating logs is a much bigger concern if privacy is of the utmost importance to you.
Moving on, IPVanish does offer pretty competitive prices, in line with the other best cheap VPN services. It also supports up to ten simultaneous devices, which makes it a good option for power users.
Prices 💵
Plans start at $12.99 per month billed month-to-month, but you can pay as little as $2.99 per month if you pay for two years up front. That’s a fairly attractive VPN cost for many people.
3. VyprVPN
VyprVPN is a Switzerland-based company that includes a proprietary technology they call ‘Chameleon’ for its VPN users. Chameleon claims to be able to protect you against even the most intrusive surveillance techniques, although it only works for the Windows, Android, and macOS versions of the VyprVPN app.
Beyond this technology, VyprVPN works much the same as the other VPN companies we’ve seen so far. They offer apps for a range of operating systems, and they’re mostly easy to use. Their VPNs also include kill switch functionality, access to servers in over 70 countries, and a promise not to keep any logs.
However, one small downside to VyprVPN is the lack of dedicated IPs, except for ‘premium’ customers. So if this feature is important to you, then VyprVPN might fall outside the realm of cheap VPN options. Otherwise, it’s one of the most affordable VPN companies on the market. See the pricing below.
Prices 💵
VyprVPN plans start at $10 per month, but you can pay just $5 per month if you’re willing to pay for a year up front.
4. CyberGhost
Out of all the cheap VPN companies we’ve tried so far, CyberGhost offers arguably one of the best user experiences. They have options for pretty much every OS (as is the norm), and they’re all pretty user-friendly.
In addition, this Romanian VPN provider offers all the perks you’ve come to expect so far. This includes kill switch functionality, a guarantee not to keep logs, streaming region-lock bypass (although somewhat limited), and high privacy standards.
The only areas where CyberGhost falls short is in its servers, as the selection is limited. It also doesn’t offer dedicated IPs, but it does enable you to pay for your plan using Bitcoin if you want the added layer of anonymity.
Prices 💵
Plans start at $12.99 per month, but you can pay just $2.19 per month if you’re willing to pay for two years up front. At those prices, it rightfully earns a spot on this list of cheap VPNs.
5. Private Internet Access (PIA)
This US-based VPN is arguably the most popular option currently. We can attribute this popularity due to how long the service has been around for and the overall high-quality service that it offers.
As with other providers, Private Internet Access offers features such as kill switches, thousands of servers in over 30 countries, rock-solid encryption, and more. However, PIA’s ‘no logs’ policy has come under scrutiny throughout the years. It may be something to look into further if you’re considering a VPN based on privacy alone.
On the other hand, Private Internet Access offers the broadest range of payment methods we’ve seen so far. On top of the usual – such as PayPal and credit cards – they also take Bitcoin, and gift cards from retailers such as Starbucks.
Prices 💵
Plans start at $11.95 per month, but you can also pay as little as $2.03 per month if you’re willing to pay for three years up front. There’s also an annual plan available, which comes out to $3.33 per month.
Bonus: Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 Warp
Before wrapping things up, we also wanted to mention another service that caught our eye – Cloudflare 1.1.1.1. Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 is a public DNS resolver offered for free by Cloudflare, and they claim it to be the quickest option available online.
Starting in 2019, Cloudflare also added VPN functionality to its 1.1.1.1 DNS, called Warp. This is a free VPN service targeted towards mobile users that doesn’t keep any logs.
If you’re looking for a free VPN for just your mobile devices, Warp could be a great option and is available for both Android and iOS right now.
Final thoughts on best cheap VPN services 🏁
Many of us spend time on the go using public networks to access the Internet. If this rings true for you, we recommend using a VPN to keep your information safe. However, VPNs have a lot of practical applications beyond security. For example, you can use them to get dedicated IPs, bypass region locks, and more.
🏆 If you’re looking for the best cheap VPN service that’s worth your time, here are our top five suggestions:
- NordVPN: One of the only major VPN providers to offer dedicated IPs.
- IPVanish: This offers by far the largest selection of servers among VPN providers.
- VyprVPN: The Chameleon technology (available for Android, macOS, and Windows) claims to be the best option for protecting your data online.
- CyberGhost: If you’re looking for a VPN app that’s easy to use, CyberGhost would be our first pick.
- Private Internet Access: One of the oldest VPNs around, this provider offers a very broad range of payment options.
Whichever one of the best cheap VPN companies you go with, it’s important to carefully review what their plans include. For example, with certain features like kill switch functionality, all five of the best cheap VPN companies include them in their plans. So if that’s a crucial thing for you, then you’re covered no matter which cheap VPN you go with.
However, with other features like a dedicated IP, only some companies include it as part of the VPN cost. Others will charge you extra for it, and some don’t even offer it at all.
So as you’re making your decision, keep in mind not only the VPN cost, but also what you are getting in return.
Feel free to bookmark this page and come back to it if you need to review these VPNs and their features one more time, before you make a final decision.
Do you have any questions about which of the best cheap VPN services you should use? Ask away in the comments section below!
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