If you’ve ever used a VPN service before, then you probably know that most VPN subscriptions aren’t particularly expensive compared to other software. Still, those with experience on this kind of services know that it is almost always possible to find services that are almost as good as the most expensive ones for really cheap prices.
In case you’re here because you want to save some money or because you’ve grown tired of using free VPNs or trial versions of paid services then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve managed to list some of the best options available in the market of VPN services so you can get the most out of every penny.
What Defines Cheap VPNs?
If you find a VPN service that provides you with strong encryption protocols, fast connection speeds, a wide variety of locations to connect from and an even wider list of servers so that availability doesn’t become an issue and on top of this it costs very little, then you’ve stumbled upon a cheap VPN.
Unlike their free counterparts, which we’ll talk about soon enough, cheap VPNs can be trusted. Maybe not all of them, but at least the ones we present you are worth your trust because, like all VPN services should, they put their users’ privacy at the top of their list of priorities.
Beware Free VPNs
There are a lot of companies out there that claim to offer VPN services completely free of charge. You have to understand that no good service is ever free, because it takes resources that need to be constantly maintained, so if a company does not charge you with money, chances are you’ll end up paying for it in another way.
Since free VPNs do not get any profit from the service they provide you, they have to find other means to monetize their work. This usually means putting ads all over the place or, what’s worse, selling their users’ private information to advertising companies or surveillance agencies. This is exactly the main reason people adopt VPNs in the first place and ends up making you the product instead of the customer.
Some extreme cases have even been found to install malware on their users’ computers, which can lead to a further leaking of data that goes beyond your online activity. To help you avoid this, here we present you with some of the best VPNs you can find when it comes to price/value relation:
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|---|---|---|
| Multi-platform Compatible | ||
| 256-AES Encryption | ||
| PRICE | $5 for 1 month with code "best10VPN" | $6.95 a month |
| Website Rating | 9.9 | 8.8 |
| 24/7 Live Chat | ||
| Residential / Dedicated IP for permanent streaming access | ||
| Has Mobile App + PC / Mac Support | ||
| Stealth VPN / Advanced Obfuscation techniques | ||
| Visit VPN Provider | Visit TorGuard | Visit PIA |
TorGuard
TorGuard is the preferred choice of many users because it allows P2P connections, meaning you can download and share bit torrents completely anonymously. In fact, the “Tor” in their name stands for torrent (although many people think it is related to the Tor project). They’ve even optimized some of their servers for this feature and ask their users who like torrenting to stay connected to certain locations to keep their other servers stable and fast.
They include a huge amount of features in their client and, for a little extra, they also provide browser proxies and anonymous email services. Like all the others on this list, they are a logless VPN and count with the strongest encryption protocols and the fastest VPN protocols.
Their VPN subscription costs $59.99 per year, or a more expensive $9.99 if paid monthly.
GhostVPN
This provider has fewer years in the market than the others of this lists, so it is still missing a few features. However, this hasn’t prevented them from growing fast and providing a proficient service. GhostVPN has all the perks of a major VPN service provider, this includes strong security protocols, fast speeds, a wide variety of server locations, multiplatform support and zero log keeping.
They’re still missing a mobile app and live customer support, but this doesn’t take away the fact that they’ve managed to become one of the best cheap VPNs in very little time. They compensate their lacking with a very competitive price: their subscription costs a reasonable $59.99 per year and an expectedly more expensive $9.99 per month.
IPVanish
IPVanish is a very good choice if you’re looking for fast and cheap VPNs that still keep you protected with strong privacy settings and encryption protocols. IPVanish claims to keep no logs of their users’ activity, meaning that if law enforcement agencies were to seize their servers, they wouldn’t be able to retrieve any information about their users or their navigation. This is pretty convenient because their headquarters are found in the US, which is a country that made the headlines in 2013 because of the scandal involving Edward Snowden and its National Security Agency.
Like others on this list, Vanish features a wide list of countries to connect from as well as a lot of servers in said countries to ensure good, stable connections for all users. You will find their most basic yearly subscription starts at $77.99, or $6.49 per month.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has earned its name thanks to the fact that its servers are optimized for fast connections and they do not pose any bandwidth limit for their users. This means that you’ll barely notice you’re even using a VPN after you’re connected. They do keep some activity logs of their users but these are only dates and data usage info for maintenance and stability purposes and by any means associated with IP addresses.
While it is the fastest VPN of this list, this comes at a cost. They offer a service that’s more expensive than the others on this list, starting at $99.95 a year and 12.95 a month, but the quality of their service is surely worth it.
Private Internet Access
PIA is another extremely good cheap VPN that features all the strongest encryption protocols and privacy settings you would need. They offer more than 3000 servers distributed across 25 countries, which is less than others on this list, but more than enough for most people. They also support every major platform including iOS, Android, Windows, Mac OS and Linux, although their support for iOS is a bit limited.
The main downside about this VPN provider is their user interface, which is still somewhat confusing and not precisely what you’d call user-friendly, but starting at $39.95 per year and $6.95 per month, you can be sure you’re getting the most out of every cent you’re spending.
Why VPNs Are Important
VPNs are one if not the best tool internet users have to protect themselves from online threats. Demand for Virtual Private Networks has increased incredibly in the last few years, especially since the scandal involving Edward Snowden and the US National Security Agency. Back in 2013, it was made clear that our privacy is always at risk while we browse the internet and that if we do not take any measures against it, then we’re most likely giving away our valuable private data to surveillance agencies and advertisers.
And it has only gotten worse. With the UK passing a bill last year that made it legal for law enforcement to collect all user data from ISPs and the US Congress allowing local internet providers to sell the same kind of data to advertisers without users’ consent or even knowledge, you can be certain that your privacy has never been as vulnerable as it is right now.
In case you’re not familiar with them, a VPNs job is to hide all your traffic by encrypting it and rerouting it through a network of servers so that neither your ISP nor anyone can spy on it. It is understandable you’d want to save money on such a service but remember that your privacy is one of your most valuable assets, one that companies are paying millions to bypass. So it is only responsible to take the proper measures to protect it.
