Many of us are currently adjusting our spending habits due to inflation. However, some issues, such as your internet privacy and security, cannot be compromised. Although using a free VPN could seem enticing if you’re on a tight budget, we strongly advise against it because they’re frequently less secure (however, we do recommend sampling premium services for free). Fortunately, it is easy to get an inexpensive high-quality VPN for desktop and mobile. We’ve compiled our top picks for inexpensive VPN services that don’t skimp on security, functionality, or performance. These affordable VPN providers all include monthly price choices, or if you prefer, you may pay all at once for a whole year.
It’s vital to know that we don’t recommend committing to a membership that lasts for more than two years. We advise sticking with the plans that are least expensive when calculated based on their one-year or one-month prices and have the greatest money-back guarantees because the VPN industry is continuously changing and VPN providers change quickly. Despite the fact that many VPN services provide greater month-to-dollar value when you make such prolonged VPN commitments, you should avoid them.
For less than half the price of a premium VPN service, several inexpensive VPN providers provide a quick connection, robust security, and a wide range of privacy options. Even your phone or tablet may be connected for safe mobile browsing. We’ve spent numerous hours evaluating these inexpensive VPN service providers and have created a list of excellent options that are also affordable. See our ranking of the most affordable VPN providers for 2023.
Surfshark
The Editors’ Choice Best Value VPN award for 2022 went to Surfshark. At a cost that is far less than many of its top competitors, it provides strong privacy and security features, a refined UI, unlimited simultaneous connections, quick speeds, and an excellent worldwide network of VPN servers.
Surfshark offers ad and malware protection, camouflage mode, split tunnelling, and multihop connections together with industry-standard features including DNS leak prevention, AES 256-bit encryption, and a kill switch for $60 yearly (after an initial $48 for the first year). The applications from Surfshark have undergone independent cybersecurity audits, and the vendor claims it doesn’t track any of its customers’ internet behaviour. The business is also preparing to launch what it calls its “Nexus Network,” which includes technologies like Dynamic MultiHop, IP Randomizer, and IP Rotator and is meant to further increase customer privacy.
For those looking for extra security measures and a number of VPN-enhanced methods to increase their online anonymity, Surfshark is an affordable alternative. And if Surfshark’s Nexus Network lives up to expectations, the VPN may be a great option for those who have pressing privacy requirements.
Users who merely want to unblock geographically restricted material worldwide might also find success using Surfshark. The firm has a network that is quick enough to handle data-intensive activities like HD streaming video thanks to servers spread throughout 99 different countries. You may use Surfshark to unblock certain Netflix libraries as well as other streaming services like HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video. Disney Plus was a little difficult for us to access, but after some trial and error on a couple servers, we were successful.
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. But 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.
Proton VPN
The Swiss-based firm that created the well-known private email service Proton Mail has created a VPN product called Proton VPN. The VPN has a reputation for providing the highest level of security and transparency. The Proton VPN applications are entirely open-source, and the software is also frequently inspected to allow customers who lack the time or expertise to examine the code confirm the security of the VPN.
Proton VPN includes extras like malware protection, Tor over VPN, and a stealth protocol to help conceal the fact that you’re using a VPN in addition to security features like a kill switch and DNS leak prevention. You may also tunnel your traffic through safe data centres in Switzerland, Sweden, or Iceland before leaving through another location if you connect to Proton VPN’s Secure Core servers. If you’re a user with more stringent privacy requirements, this offers a crucial additional degree of security.
The third-fastest VPN we’ve tested right now, Proton VPN, performs a good job of unblocking Netflix and other streaming services’ content.
And while Proton VPN isn’t the most affordable option on this list, if you decide to use the service for more than a year, it will end up being less expensive overall than IPVanish. Proton VPN offers 10 concurrent connections and 1,800+ servers in 67 countries for $72 annually or $10 monthly. If you’re unhappy, you can return the item for a full refund within 30 days of your purchase.
Because to its amazing free tier, Proton VPN is included in our list of the best inexpensive VPNs. The free VPN from Proton does not have any speed, bandwidth, or use time restrictions, but it does not enable torrenting or grant access to its Secure Core servers. One connection at a time and access to around 100 servers across three nations are given to free users (US, NL, JP).
IPVanish
Despite not being the fastest VPN in the world, IPVanish is a great choice for casual users since it provides more than enough speed for tasks like streaming and video conferencing. However, we had problems with the Quick Connect option throughout our tests, as it occasionally failed to connect us to the quickest server. According to the current server load levels shown in the Locations section of the IPVanish app, connecting manually is advised if you’re seeking for the quickest server.
The initial yearly price for IPVanish is the same as Surfshark’s $48 for the first year, but it increases to $90 after that. In contrast to the majority of other VPN companies, IPVanish also provides a $30/quarterly membership option. But if you buy a monthly or quarterly subscription and decide the programme isn’t for you, you’re out of luck because the supplier only offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you buy a yearly plan. Other suppliers provide more accommodating free trials.
If you have a large family or several devices you want to secure simultaneously with a single VPN service, IPVanish is an excellent alternative. It joins Surfshark as one of the few VPN companies that enables unlimited simultaneous connections. During our tests, the VPN kill switch performed as expected, and the newly redesigned applications were simple to use. You’ll get access to more than 2,000 servers spread over more than 75 locations with IPVanish, plus you’ll have access to 24/7 live chat, email, and phone support.
Mullvad VPN
Mullvad is another open-source VPN service provider that charges reasonably, like Proton VPN. Mullvad’s straightforward pricing scheme differs significantly from most others. Whether you use the service for a month, a year, 10 years, or more, it costs $5 a month. Mullvad charges a fixed $5 cost for as many months you choose to use it, with no specials or discounts of any kind offered at any time of the year. That works out to $60 for a year, which, when promotional rates are excluded, is on par with Surfshark for the least expensive yearly price on our list.
Additionally, Mullvad has fully done away with recurring subscriptions so that it cannot retain payment information for any longer than is strictly required because the company claims to aim to know as little as possible about its clients. Even an envelope containing cash might be mailed to Mullvad to pay for the service. When you join up with Mullvad, a random 16-digit account number is automatically generated, and you can prepay for one, two, three, six, or twelve months at a time. You don’t have to input any personal information at all during signup, including your email address or username, because the organisation is so concerned about security and privacy.
The kill switch and DNS leak prevention are always active by default and cannot be turned off. Other security features include multi-hop connections, ad and tracker blocking, and split tunnelling (though only on Windows, Linux, and Android devices). Additionally, Mullvad provides a Shadowsocks proxy to assist users in avoiding firewalls and internet restrictions.
Mullvad is speedy in addition to being secure, losing only 23% of our typical internet speed in our most recent tests. It is not, however, prepared for streaming geo-restricted material worldwide. During our tests, we were able to connect to Mullvad servers and access Netflix, but not Disney Plus.
Although the service is oriented a little more towards the technological population, beginners and casual users shouldn’t have any trouble utilising it thanks to the well-designed and user-friendly applications. Since 2009, Mullvad has been a reputable VPN service provider, existing long before any other VPN on our list. It’s a great choice for VPN customers on a tight budget who desire enhanced privacy protection, enjoy simplicity, and value straightforwardness.
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