VPN price calculator
The number on the pricing page is the first term only. Pick a plan and how long you'll realistically keep it, and see what you'll actually pay.
Free, no sign-up, nothing stored. Part of our VPN tool set · data from tests run September 4, 2026.
- Pick the plan length you would actually buy
- Pick how long you will realistically keep it
- See the total, including the renewal rate
- Every VPN we rate
- Renewal rates included
- 1, 2 or 3 year view
- Introductory rate
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- Renewal rate
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- Total over 1, 2 or 3 years
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- True cost per month
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Prices checked against each provider's own checkout when we re-test.
Over 2 years on the 2-year plan, the gap between the cheapest and the dearest VPN we rate is $89.28. Private Internet Access works out lowest at $48.72.
| VPN | Intro rate | Then renews at | Total over 2y | True per month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 PIA8.3/10 · Unlimited devices | $2.03/mo | $3.33/mo+64% | $48.72Cheapest | $2.03/mo | Visit PIAReview |
 PureVPN8.4/10 · 10 devices | $2.14/mo | $2.14/mo | $51.36 | $2.14/mo | Visit PureVPNReview |
 Surfshark9.4/10 · Unlimited devices | $2.19/mo | $3.19/mo+46% | $52.56 | $2.19/mo | Visit SurfsharkReview |
 CyberGhost8.1/10 · 7 devices | $2.19/mo | $6.99/mo+219% | $52.56 | $2.19/mo | Visit CyberGhostReview |
 IPVanish7.6/10 · Unlimited devices | $2.19/mo | $5.33/mo+143% | $52.56 | $2.19/mo | Visit IPVanishReview |
 NordVPN9.7/10 · 10 devices | $3.39/mo | $4.99/mo+47% | $81.36 | $3.39/mo | Visit NordVPNReview |
| IceVPN5.7/10 provisional · 5 devices | $2.99/mo1-year plan — no 2-year offered | $4.99/mo+67% | $95.76 | $3.99/mo | Visit IceVPNReview |
 Proton VPN8.9/10 · 10 devices | $4.49/mo | $4.49/mo | $107.76 | $4.49/mo | Visit Proton VPNReview |
 ExpressVPN9.1/10 · 8 devices | $4.99/mo | $6.67/mo+34% | $119.76 | $4.99/mo | Visit ExpressVPNReview |
 Mullvad8.0/10 · 5 devices | $5.40/mo | $5.40/mo | $129.60 | $5.40/mo | Visit MullvadReview |
 Windscribe7.8/10 · Unlimited devices | $5.75/mo | $5.75/mo | $138.00 | $5.75/mo | Visit WindscribeReview |
Totals assume you keep the same plan and it renews at the rate each provider publishes (2-year plan → the renewal column). Taxes and currency differences are not included, and a long plan is billed as one payment up front rather than monthly. Prices checked against each provider's own checkout — how we verify them.
About this tool
VPN pricing is built to be compared wrongly. The figure in the largest type is the two-year plan divided by twenty-four, which makes a service look like it costs two dollars a month when the payment is a single charge of fifty-odd dollars. Then, at the end of that term, it renews — and on most providers it renews at the one-year rate, not the one you signed up at.
What the calculator does differently
It prices the first term at the rate you would actually pay, then prices every month after that at the renewal rate the provider publishes. Over three years on a two-year plan, that means twenty-four months at the deal price and twelve at the renewal — which is where the ranking of “cheapest VPN” starts to rearrange itself. The renewal column flags the jump as a percentage so you can see which providers rely on it and which hold their price.
Choosing a term honestly
The long plan is genuinely cheaper if you keep it. The question is whether you will. A two-year commitment to a service you stop using after four months is more expensive than paying monthly for four months, and no discount fixes that. If you are unsure, the annual plan is the sensible middle: most of the saving, a decision you revisit sooner.
Whatever you choose, the money-back guarantee makes the first purchase close to risk-free — 30 days on most, 45 on CyberGhost, 3 on Windscribe. That is long enough to run it on every device, test the streaming services you care about, and claim a refund if it does not deliver. We claim one from each provider ourselves and record how long it took to arrive; the figure is in every review.
If you are holding out for a sale: the discounts are smaller than the marketing implies, and what November usually brings is set out with today's prices next to it, so you can decide whether waiting is worth it.
Cheap is not the same as good value
The cheapest total in the table is not automatically the right buy. A VPN that costs a dollar more a month but is meaningfully faster, unblocks the service you subscribe to and covers every device in the house is better value at a higher price. That is what the value score in our ratings weighs, and what the VPN finder balances against everything else you need. Use this page for the money, and those for the decision.
Questions people ask
How much does a VPN cost?
On a two-year plan, most reputable VPNs land between $2 and $5 a month, billed as one payment up front. Paid monthly the same services cost $9 to $15. The number that matters is neither of those on its own — it's what you pay across the whole time you keep it, once the intro term ends and the renewal rate takes over.
Why is the renewal price higher than the price I signed up at?
Because the long plan's headline rate is an introductory offer on the first term only. A two-year plan advertised at $2.19 a month typically renews at the one-year rate — often double or triple — and the charge lands automatically two years later, long after you've forgotten the number. A few providers renew at the same rate; the calculator shows which.
Is the monthly plan ever worth it?
If you genuinely need a VPN for a few weeks — one trip, one project — then yes, and it's cheaper than a two-year commitment you'll abandon. Beyond about four months, the annual plan wins on almost every provider. The three-year view in the calculator makes the crossover obvious.
Does the calculator include tax?
No. Sales tax and VAT depend on where you are and get added at checkout, so a US buyer and a UK buyer see different final numbers from the same list price. Currency conversion can move it too. Treat these as the pre-tax comparison they are.
What about the money-back guarantee?
Every VPN in the table has one, from 3 days to 45. It applies to the first purchase, so you can buy a two-year plan, use it properly for a few weeks and get the whole thing back if it disappoints. We claim a refund from each provider ourselves and record how long it took — that's in every review.
Are these prices current?
They're checked against each provider's own checkout when we re-test, monthly. Prices move with promotions, so treat a figure that's a few weeks old as close rather than exact, and check the provider's page before you commit.
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