Best Cheap VPN for 2026: 6 VPNs Worth Your Money

Cheap VPN services often have a subpar reputation, but if you pick the best cheap VPN, your experience won’t suffer. For under $2 per month, you get the core VPN benefits. In our May tests, we found that NordVPN and ExpressVPN came out on top as the best cheap VPNs worth your money, with plans starting at under $3.20 per month. If price is your only concern, Surfshark at $1.99 per month is the most affordable VPN. Full breakdown is below.

Cheap VPN Comparison 2026: Top 6 Picks Ranked

The goal of this list of the cheapest VPN isn’t to necessarily pick the most affordable ones. We are looking for certain merits, such as safety, privacy, performance, streaming prowess, and more. We won’t be ranking budget VPN services solely on price, but rather on quality, a by-product of our ranking system.

	🤑 Cheapest VPN Plan
NordVPN	$3.09/mo Basic 2-year plan + 3 free months
ExpressVPN	$2.79/mo Basic 2-year plan + 4 free months
Private Internet Access	$2.19/mo 2-year plan + 2 free months
Surfshark	$1.99/mo Starter 2-year plan + 3 free months
Proton VPN	$2.99/mo 2-year plan
CyberGhost	$2.19/mo 2-year plan + 2 free months

Simultaneously, these providers are inexpensive, and their price ranges from $1.99 to $2.99 per month. Prices are accurate at the time of writing. For the newest deals and discounts on each VPN, use the provided links and buttons. The best cheap VPN providers in 2026 include:

1. NordVPN: Best Affordable VPN for Privacy, Security, and Streaming

The best cheap VPN is NordVPN. It’s not the cheapest VPN, but its qualities are far above any other service. NordVPN starts at $3.09 per month for the 2-year Basic plan. For the price, this VPN offers solid performance. Users can enjoy 9,400+ servers in 137 countries for accessing geo-restricted sites.

NordVPN is the fastest cheap VPN we have tested. With the NordLynx protocol, you’ll enjoy stable performance for torrenting, streaming, and gaming (check our favorite gaming VPNs here). NordVPN prides itself on being secure. It has 256-bit encryption and a kill switch to keep things private. The VPN uses Double VPN servers for two encryption layers.

Also, there’s Threat Protection Pro to fry malware and trackers on arrival. NordVPN doesn’t keep any logs (verified by Deloitte in 2026), so despite being one of the cheapest VPN, it won’t sell your data. This VPN allows 10 simultaneous connections and works on all devices. In addition, it has Meshnet for remote control and access.

NordVPN is a great all-around affordable VPN that ticks all the boxes. Being easy to set up and use, we see no reason not to test it. Plus, the cheap VPN subscription offers bonus security features, making it a 360-degree cybersecurity package. Its best budget VPN deal can be obtained below, where you can take advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee.

If you’re interested in the #1 cheap VPN in 2026, find out more about its features in our full review of NordVPN to learn why it’s our most recommended low-cost VPN.

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2. ExpressVPN: Best Budget VPN for Fast Connections

ExpressVPN is another reputable cheap VPN worth considering. Years ago, we couldn’t call it affordable, but nowadays, its 2-year Basic plan at $2.79 per month with 4 free months is very popular. Like other cheap VPN providers, ExpressVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee for risk-free testing.

ExpressVPN almost rivals NordVPN in speed, using the Lightway Turbo protocol. It excels at connection stability, thanks to 3,000+ servers in over 170 locations. ExpressVPN doesn’t hold back on security, with military-grade encryption, a kill switch, and tracker protection. This reputable, cheap VPN doesn’t keep logs, having multiple audits by KPMG (the last one in mid-2025).

Plus, ExpressVPN is highly reliable for unblocking streaming services, so Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu fans will appreciate it. It’s also optimized for torrenting, with strong performance and all-around security. ExpressVPN offers 3 plan tiers, but the Basic plan is sufficient for most. There’s the Advanced plan, at about $0.80 per month more, with 12 simultaneous connections, and the Pro plan, with ExpressAI, its privacy-first AI model for advanced prompting.

You’ll never spend a fortune on ExpressVPN’s feature-rich plans. Click below to test it risk-free. Alternatively, read our ExpressVPN review for 2026 and learn more about other vital aspects of this cheap VPN.

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3. Private Internet Access: Best Affordable VPN for Security

PIA has an affordable 2-year plan at $2.19/mo with 2 free months, making it the cheapest VPN in 2026, next to Surfshark. PIA supports unlimited simultaneous connections and offers apps for Windows, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Android. Security-wise, it’s one of the most advanced VPNs. The VPN’s audited no-logging policy reassures doubtful users.

Above all, the service relies on 256-bit GCM encryption and WireGuard. Other features like PIA MACE (ad-blocking), split tunneling, and SOCKS5 make PIA safe. MultiHop is also there, with Shadowsocks obfuscation for bypassing censorship. PIA works with Netflix and offers many dedicated streaming servers.

This low-cost VPN from the USA has dedicated IP addresses for only $2.50 per month. PIA’s Dedicated IPs are cheap, but the downside is inconsistent speed. On the flip side, Private Internet Access uses RAM-based servers and has a state-of-the-art Private DNS. With the unbeatable price comes a few downsides, but nothing to worry about.

Private Internet Access won’t work in China, unlike NordVPN, the best VPN in China. Another compromise is an outdated UI. It’s among the VPNs with the least expensive subscription plans and can be yours at $2.19 per month, with a 30-day refund policy.

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4. Surfshark: Cheapest VPN for Head-to-Toe Protection

Surfshark offers flexible and competitive pricing, ranking it #4 on the list of the best cheap VPN in 2026. It has many features, one of which is MultiHop for doubling encryption and providing better privacy. Another is a private browser for anonymous web browsing. As one of the cheapest VPNs, it supports unlimited simultaneous connections and native apps for Windows, iOS, Fire TV Stick, tvOS, and other devices.

Surfshark costs only $1.99 per month, making it the cheapest VPN service in May. This doesn’t affect the performance, as the VPN is still fast and offers WireGuard and Dausos protocols (Dausos is a macOS exclusive) optimized for performance. Surfshark is one of the top VPN options for Netflix, too.  In our test, the VPN unblocked US, UK, Canadian, Japanese, and Australian Netflix, putting it above other cheapest VPN streaming-wise.

All servers are RAM-based, and the VPN offers Static and Dedicated IPs. Users can also purchase an antivirus in the Surfshark One plan for threat protection. Surfshark’s Smart DNS allows you to stream without setting up the VPN. It also lets you access the NoBorders mode for avoiding censorship. A unique tool is the IP Rotation, which periodically changes your IP (every 5-10 minutes) for more privacy.

Surfshark is another no-log VPN (audited by SecuRing in 2026). Despite the Dutch jurisdiction, Surfshark’s log-free nature never subsided. This is undoubtedly among the best cheap VPN services, just as capable as its multiple-times-pricier rivals.

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5. Proton VPN: Cheap VPN for Robust Privacy

Proton VPN isn’t always our go-to cheap VPN, but it’s the best budget VPN with some of the best features. Proton VPN offers more than 20,200 servers with unlimited bandwidth and stable performance. This budget VPN relies on privacy and security. It’s a Swiss service, so it’s privacy-inclined, as proven in its third-party audits (last one in 2025, from Securitum).

The VPN also uses advanced technologies, such as full-disk encryption instead of RAM servers, AES-256 encryption with a kill switch, IP/DNS leak protection, and Secure Core servers (Double Hop). Proton VPN’s NetShield blocks ads, trackers, and malicious sites for a safer and cleaner internet. Furthermore, there’s Stealth VPN (obfuscation) to get over firewalls.

Streaming and P2P are its strengths, with dedicated servers for both. Plus, there’s port forwarding to speed up P2P downloads. Unlike other low-cost VPN picks, it takes one step forward and introduces a free version with no data cap. Similar to Hide.me, one of the best free VPNs. Proton VPN also offers its VPN Accelerator to counter ISP throttling.

Its apps span all platforms, and the VPN supports 10 simultaneous connections, like NordVPN, our favorite affordable VPN service. Proton VPN’s discount on the 2-year plan drops the price to under $3 per month and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Proton VPN costs almost as much as NordVPN, slightly less, so it’s a very cheap VPN.

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6. CyberGhost: Low-Cost VPN for Streaming and Torrenting

CyberGhost is a famous, cheap VPN with good value for money. This low-cost VPN has a 2-year plan at $2.19 per month with 2 free months. For the price, you get 12,000+ servers in 100+ countries, unlimited bandwidth, and support for all platforms and devices. Numbers aside, CyberGhost is from Romania, a privacy-friendly jurisdiction.

Its NoSpy servers are impressive, as CyberGhost owns and operates them out of Romania for better anonymity. It relies on 256-bit encryption and uses WireGuard to provide ample performance and speeds for all activities. CyberGhost’s unique domain split tunneling lets specific websites bypass the VPN tunnel. Moreover, CyberGhost’s streaming/torrenting servers make it one of the most versatile VPNs.

It has designated servers for BBC, ABC, Netflix, and other streamers. At the same time, P2P servers are fast and secure. This is also because of a no-logging policy verified by Deloitte in February 2026. Like most other cheap VPNs, CyberGhost includes an ad blocker, antivirus, and Dedicated IP addresses. The latter two are optional.

Its Smart DNS is the best around, with IP addresses in different countries for unlimited streaming. CyberGhost lacks obfuscation, so it’s not usable in China. The silver lining is its 45-day refund policy with the low-cost VPN plan for 2 years. This budget VPN is close to being the cheapest option, and with notable qualities, it earned its place on this list without a doubt.

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Cheap VPN: Selection and Ranking Methodology

Selecting the best VPN is easier when the price variable is out of the way. However, for this ranking of the least expensive VPNs, we changed our perspective to provide you with good, but still high-quality VPNs. Here’s what we considered when we made the list of the top low-cost VPN.

Security and Privacy

No matter the list, these are always #1. A VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. The word Private tells you everything. All cheap VPN services on this list have advanced security and privacy measures. RAM servers, bank-grade encryption, modern protocols, and no-logs policies.  They also make you more private by preventing your sensitive data from leaking to the public.

These are the best and cheapest VPNs around, but they don’t skimp on this aspect. This usually isn’t the case when you look at many other low-cost VPNs. On the security and privacy front, NordVPN takes the win. Others are also good, though not quite as technologically advanced.

Performance

Another crucial aspect of our top-rated cheap VPN providers. Think about the best value for money VPN like NordVPN. Its speeds are the fastest we tested (particularly on local servers, where we reached up to 324 Mbps with a baseline of 342 Mbps). NordVPN has strong performance for any online scenario: streaming, torrenting, browsing, gaming, and so on.

All VPNs on our list have 10 Gbps servers (some even go up to 100 Gbps), WireGuard (or Dausos, in Surfshark’s case), and carefully woven server fleets for stable and fast speeds. Speed, with safety and security, and a low price, is a perfect combo found in our top 6 cheapest VPN picks.

Streaming and Torrenting

All will work with Netflix or BBC iPlayer, for instance. The best VPN provider for streaming is Surfshark, while NordVPN and ExpressVPN follow closely. Are other low-cost VPNs great, too? Yes. PIA and Proton VPN offer full streaming support as well. Torrenting is another aspect we appreciate in the best cheap VPNs. All offer P2P support, and some, like CyberGhost, even include dedicated P2P servers.

Price and Discounts

Price is important if you’re shopping for a budget VPN. Some VPNs are cheap during Black Friday (see our page featuring the best VPN deals for Black Friday). The rest of the year, they ditch their cheapest VPN deals. We are experienced enough to recognize these patterns. We picked the cheapest VPN picks whose prices, while also changing, remain affordable throughout the year.

NordVPN may not always cost $2.99 per month, but it never goes above $3.40 per month. The point is, even if the price fluctuates, it remains low. These VPNs have excellent deals and discounts every month, so you can always get the VPN without spending a fortune. CyberGhost, for instance, never costs above $2.20, while Surfshark always hovers around $2.00 per month.

Ease of Use and Compatibility

No matter which cheap VPN you pick from our list, the setup will be straightforward and apps will offer one-click connections. Compatibility-wise, our VPNs offer apps for all systems, such as Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, Fire TV Stick, and AppleTV (tvOS). With helpful guides, you can set up and install a VPN on any router or gaming console.  Despite being inexpensive, you’ll get 7 (CyberGhost) to unlimited (PIA, Surfshark) simultaneous connections.

Cheap VPN vs Expensive VPN: Are Expensive Ones Better?

People always associate a higher price with a higher level of quality. This usually makes sense, but in the VPN world, it’s not always the case. Take Astrill VPN, whose cheapest plan is $12.50 per month, for a 2-year deal. For two years, you spent $300, more than on NordVPN and ExpressVPN combined. Is Astrill VPN better than these two?

You have our NordVPN vs Astrill VPN duel, where we answer that question. In short, it’s not. At around $3.09 per month, NordVPN has way more features, faster speeds, and better-looking apps. The cheapest VPN can be better than an expensive one, sometimes a lot, sometimes a bit. In some cases of suspiciously cheap VPNs, you can also expect inconsistent performance.

	Cheap VPN	Free VPN
🔴 Streaming	Unlimted	Blocked
🧲 Torrenting	Unlimited	Blocked
📥 Data Allowance	Unlimited	Up to 10 GB; sometimes unlimited
⚡ Speeds	Very fast	Slow or moderately fast
📱 Simultaneous Connections	5 to unlimited	Single
🛡️ Security	Advanced (ad-blocking, malware protection, MultiHop, obfuscation, etc.)	Basic (256-bit encryption, kill switch, leak protection)
🔐 Privacy	No-logging policy, RAM servers, forward secrecy	Depends (most free VPNs store logs, some have audited no-log policies)
📢 Ads in VPN apps	No	Sometimes (often in iOS and Android apps)

Examples are countless, but Ivacy VPN is good, as it often drops to $1.69 per month. We tested it and found it performs poorly and lacks the advanced security features of our cheapest VPN services in 2026. The cheapest you can go and get a good VPN is $1.99 per month for Surfshark, or slightly more for Private Internet Access or CyberGhost. Everything below that is too good to be true.

Why Not Use a Free VPN Instead of a Cheap VPN?

The top 6 VPN we presented offer great value. But you may look for something more extreme, such as a 100% free VPN. There’s a difference between the cheapest and free VPNs. Even Surfshark, with a $1.99 per month price, is better than Proton VPN’s free version. Free VPNs do terribly in terms of performance, often limiting your speed, data, and bandwidth. Worse yet, they’re limited security-wise.

Hola VPN, Betternet, and others sell your private data and store logs. They also can’t unblock streaming services. Free VPNs also limit torrenting or block it. Unlike the cheapest VPN for 2026, they limit you to a single connection. In addition, most VPNs don’t offer support for non-VPN-friendly platforms like routers, older generations of streaming devices, or gaming consoles.

Free VPNs won’t save you anything, in the end. Think about the data collection that some resort to for a second. You’ll end up paying for the VPN with your privacy. That’s why we recommend an affordable VPN like NordVPN or PIA, or other options on this comprehensive list.

Best Cheap VPN: Our Final Recommendations

In conclusion, we want to digress on our ranking of the best cheap VPN services:

• NordVPN is #1, offering a 2-year deal with a heap of amazing features, rock-solid privacy, fast speeds, and streaming and torrenting support. The most competitive VPN in 2026 bar none.
• ExpressVPN is #2, with a 2-year Basic plan with 4 free months at an all-time-low price. It’s fast, easy to use, secure, and anonymous, offering one of the best experiences for the price.
• PIA is #3, with the an inexpensive 2-year plan at $2.19 per month. With unlimited connections, 30,000+ servers, and advanced security options, it’s a cheap VPN worth using.
• Surfshark is #4. It has MultiHop, an ad-blocker, streaming-friendly servers, and obfuscation. Being reasonably priced while packing a punch makes Surfshark one of the cheapest VPN services.
• Proton VPN is #5 and stands out from the crowd with stringent no-log practices, Secure Core servers, and NetShield for blocking ads. It has over 20,000 servers and offers a free plan with unlimited data.
• CyberGhost is #6 with 256-bit AES encryption, NoSpy servers, and WireGuard. While lacking obfuscation, it’s still secure, keeps no logs, and provides a capable ad blocker. Don’t forget about its 45-day money-back guarantee for long-term plans.

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FAQ About Cheap VPNs