A VPN should cost less than the problem it solves. However, a great many customers end up paying for several servers, for various extras that are included and that they never make use of, and instead leave out the two or three features that protect their privacy. There is no equivalence between price and quality, and the listed price is seldom the amount you actually end up paying after the first term.
The guide here will show you how to distinguish the features that are important from the marketing, and explain how resources such as VPNpro and others of a similar nature can help you to determine what a reasonable price is.
Start With What You Need a VPN to Do
A VPN secures the connection between your device and the server. It keeps you safe on public Wi-Fi, hides your browsing from your Internet Service Provider, and hides your IP address from websites. But it won’t make you anonymous, or protect you against viruses.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation says the same thing in its guide about choosing a VPN: you are trusting the VPN provider instead of your internet provider, so the provider’s reputation is more important than its features. Think about what you want to protect first. Using Wi-Fi in a café needs less protection than downloading files, traveling, or streaming from different regions.
Features Worth Paying For, and Ones to Skip
Marketing pages list dozens of features. Only a handful affect your privacy.
| Feature | Worth paying for? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Audited no-logs policy | Yes | It is the core promise, backed by an independent audit |
| Kill switch and leak protection | Yes | Stops traffic from escaping if tunnel drops |
| Modern protocols (WireGuard, OpenVPN) | Yes | Fast encryption with no speed penalty |
| Large server count | Only if you travel or stream | A few well-run places cover most of the privacy needs |
| Bundled password manager or storage | Only if you will use it | Extras are tier uppers in price, otherwise skip them |
| Dedicated IP address | Rarely | Good for remote access, not for everyday privacy |
If a plan gets more expensive because it has a password manager, cloud storage, or breach alerts, ask yourself if you’d buy those tools on their own. You already have them, or you often would not.
Value is also subject to two practical limits. Be sure to check how many devices a subscription will cover. A family of four phones and two laptops can outgrow a cheap plan quickly. And test speed during the refund window, because a slow or overloaded server can make a bargain feel slow enough that you don’t use it.
Red Flags in Cheap and Free VPNs
Low prices make sense. Suspiciously low prices do not. Servers cost money to run, so a service that charges nothing has to make money somewhere, often from advertising or data sharing.
The Federal Trade Commission sounded the alarm in its tips for using VPN apps. It found that some of these apps do not encrypt traffic, ask for strange permissions, or share information with third parties. So read the app’s privacy policies and seek out reviews from outside sources you trust.
- No named company, address, or owner information was provided.
- Vague claims like “military-grade encryption” with no protocol listed.
- A no-logs guarantee without a review or a record is a big mistake.
- Permissions granted to many apps that have nothing to do with the network.
Where Discounts and Long-Term Plans Make Sense
When you’ve chosen a provider, what you should focus on is the price. Many VPN companies offer large discounts if you go for longer-term plans. As a result, a two-year plan generally costs less per month than a monthly plan. Comparison websites feature these offers. For instance, VPNpro has a NordVPN coupon page which lists the discounts and tells you how to use them. In some cases you just need to click to apply the code, while in other cases you have to enter it at the point of checkout.
Use any coupon page as a starting point. Prices can change, so check the price on the provider’s checkout page before you pay. Two things from VPNpro’s page are important to remember. NordVPN does not have a free trial, but it does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, which VPNpro says is the only way to try the service for free. Also, a longer plan means you pay for the whole term upfront, so check what the renewal price will be.
Check What You Are Actually Paying For Before Signing Up
- Estimate your monthly cost for the full term by dividing the total by the number of months, including the renewal price.
- Also, have a look at the refund window. Our 30-day guarantee means you can test the speed, support, and apps at no charge.
- Match the plan tier to your needs. Pick the base tier unless the extras replace the tools you have already purchased.
- Put renewal on your calendar. Set a reminder before auto-renewal so you can switch or renegotiate.
Spend Less, Protect More
The best VPN is the one that suits your requirements. Start by identifying your risks and ensure that it has been assessed by experts, doesn’t keep any logs, and has a kill switch. Don’t choose any extra features that add to the cost. Look at websites such as VPNpro to find good offers and compare the prices and return policies before making a purchase. Select a basic plan from a reliable provider to safeguard your data.
