The Best Cheap VPNs of 2023

1. NordVPN - Best Price-to-Feature Ratio

Editors Rating:

9.7 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

Multi-hop	Yes
Camouflage Mode	Yes
Kill switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

Features: We tested NordVPN for a little over a week, using it everyday for our browsing, downloads, and general internet use. What we noticed is that it has features for just about any situation that might arise.

When we needed to share files with a colleague working remotely, it had specialty servers built for peer-to-peer file sharing (which also makes it a good VPN for torrenting). When we needed extra privacy for this secret project we’re working on, we used Double VPN a.k.a. multihop. Even when we had to go to the deep web, NordVPN had this Onion over VPN feature that kept us connected to a secure VPN server. Not many VPNs can work with Tor (The Onion Router)2, the anonymity network used to access the deep web. Fortunately, NordVPN was there for us to keep anonymous and private.

>> Read More: How To Say Anonymous Online

Performance: All those features were accompanied by a solid performance both in security and speed. NordVPN passed all our safety tests. It effectively changed our IP address to that of the VPN server and shielded our real one from DNS and WebRTC leaks. We even used the DNS leak test tool from ExpressVPN3, one of NordVPN’s fiercest competitions, and it still passed.

When it comes to being fast, NordVPN’s download speed averaged around 228 Mbps on our 250 Mbps network. Assuming we were getting 250 Mbps from our internet provider the whole time, that’s a 9% speed loss from NordVPN, which is way below the 40% industry average. For reference, only Surfshark was faster than NordVPN, since it averaged over 230 Mbps.

>> Also See: The Fastest VPNs

Privacy: NordVPN is committed to privacy. We saw as much in its privacy policy and the fact that it has submitted itself to third-party security audits numerous times. The most recent one, performed by Deloitte in November to December 2022, confirmed NordVPN’s statement that it doesn’t log any identifiable browsing data.

To be clear, though, we did find that NordVPN still logs some data. For example, it records usernames and a time stamp of users’ last session status. So, technically, NordVPN knows who’s connected to its VPN servers at a given time. However, it doesn’t know what they’re doing, and it also deletes the information 15 minutes after each session.

>> Learn About: NordVPN Privacy Report

Is NordVPN really affordable? Well, it’s not the cheapest VPN, but given its features, we believe it is affordable. NordVPN costs a minimum of $3.79 per month. We spent more on coffee just today. Just to make it clear, though, you’ll need to purchase a two-year subscription (and pay for the whole thing upfront) to get that rate. That’s about $91 in total. We only wanted to test NordVPN for a week, so we bought a one-month subscription for $12.99. But keep in mind NordVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee. In fact, when we canceled our VPN subscription even though it was just for one month, NordVPN refunded us.

Here’s how much NordVPN costs per month depending on your plan:

To give you some perspective on NordVPN’s pricing, let’s look at one of its rivals, ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN costs a minimum of $8.32 per month with a one-year subscription. It doesn’t offer subscriptions any longer than that, so that’s also the best price you can get. With NordVPN, a one-year deal costs $4.49 – sounds affordable to us!

2. Surfshark - Best Performance

Editors Rating:

9.5 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

Multi-hop	Yes
Camouflage Mode	Yes
Kill switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

Features: When it comes to features, Surfshark was a close second to NordVPN. It had a kill switch, which we’ve proven works when it stopped our internet connection when we accidentally closed the app while browsing. It also offered split tunneling and multihop.

Surfshark also had a few extra features like ad and malicious site blocking. Not only did those make our browsing experience smoother without ads filling our screens, they also prevented us from accessing a potentially harmful phishing site from a convincing scam email we received.

>> Further Reading: Online Scams to Avoid in 2023

Performance: While our IP address, DNS, and WebRTC leak tests are pass/fail tests – they either pass or fail and there’s no grading system – we tested a Surfshark feature called Camouflage Mode that made Surfshark perform extra well. Camouflage Mode, or obfuscation, is a VPN technology that makes encrypted VPN traffic look like just regular traffic. It doesn’t just hide your IP address; it hides that you’re using a VPN. This came in handy when we tested the best travel VPNs while in Hong Kong, which is more restrictive towards VPN users.

In terms of speed, Surfshark didn’t disappoint, either. We notched the fastest average download and upload speeds – 234 Mbps and 227 Mbps, respectively. It’s not always fast, mind you, but throughout our nearly two-week testing period, we didn’t notice any significant slowdowns. We were able to keep up with our Netflix streaming, download gigabytes of files, and browse without any hitch.

>> Check Out: The Top VPNs that Work in China

Privacy: Surfshark has a zero-logs policy, and just like NordVPN, it has gone through numerous security and transparency audits. The latest was a server infrastructure audit done by Cure53.4 It bears significance because as we were reading through Surfshark’s privacy policy, we noticed that it does log IP addresses.

That is a cause for concern if not for the statement that it deletes the information 15 minutes after each session. There’s a lot someone can do with your IP address; for VPNs, they can see who accessed which servers, which can potentially tie a server’s activity (i.e. which websites are visited) to a user’s computer. Because of Surfshark’s transparency, though, we have no doubt that it follows the 15-minute protocol.

Surfshark started off as a budget VPN, but even though it has evolved into a premium VPN, it’s still very affordable. Surfshark offers three subscriptions: A monthly plan, a one-year plan, and a two-year plan. Once again, we went with a monthly plan, which was a little on the steep side. It cost us $15.45 for the one month compared to NordVPN’s $12.99 plan. However, if you sign up for a one-year or two-year plan, Surfshark becomes a lot cheaper.

All Surfshark plans are also covered by a 30-day money-back option. After we were done testing it on day 12 of our subscription, we requested a refund and got the full $15.45 back. Don’t hesitate to use the money-back option; it’s there to let you test VPNs until you find the one that works best for you.

>> Also See: Surfshark Antivirus Review, Pricing, and Plans

3. Private Internet Access VPN - Best Privacy Policy

Editors Rating:

9.4 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

Multi-hop	Yes
Camouflage Mode	No
Kill switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

Features: Private Internet Access provided us with a lot of features. While those features were not as advanced as NordVPN and Surfshark, they were just what we needed to protect our online privacy. It offered a kill switch, split tunneling, and multihop.

What we really appreciated about Private Internet Access was its customizability. For example, most VPNs encrypt data using 256-bit AES. That’s the most advanced and secure encryption standard used even by the U.S. government for top-secret data.5 Not all data, however, requires encryption that strong. Sometimes a more simple (but still plenty secure) 128-bit AES is all that we need, like when we’re using a VPN to stream movies, meet via Zoom, or play online games. Private Internet Access allowed us to lower the encryption for such occasions, which resulted in a slight speed boost.

>> You’ll Like: The Top VPNs for Online Gaming

Performance: Private Internet Access was another fast one. It averaged 221 Mbps for downloads, although the upload speed left us wanting a bit more. It averaged around 205 Mbps. It wasn’t bad – that’s still only an 18% loss – but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re doing upload-heavy tasks like live streaming via Twitch or uploading videos to YouTube.

In terms of security performance, we had no problems with Private Internet Access at all. It passed all our tests, even when we adjusted the encryption to 128-bit AES. It was successful in changing our Android’s IP address location and giving us a U.K. IP address, even though we’re in the U.S. As a result, we were able to stream shows exclusively available on BBC iPlayer.

Privacy: Private Internet Access’ strongest point was privacy. It has a no-logs policy that promises not to keep any logs of users’ activities, including which websites are visited and IP addresses are used. The only information it logs from users is anonymized connection data, which includes device identifiers, which VPN protocol is used, and a few more.6

What we found striking is that you can opt out from providing those pieces of information, as well. On PIA’s Windows app, for example, just go to the settings, select Help, and make sure the checkbox next to Help Improve PIA is left unticked. It’s disabled by default, but better check just to be sure.

>> Check Out: The Best Windows VPNs

Private Internet Access’ $2.19 monthly price is the cheapest among the five VPNs on this page, but it comes with a trade-off: You’ll need to buy a three-year subscription. That’s $79 total, which is actually not bad. Paying $79 for three years of Private Internet Access is still cheaper than $91 for two years of NordVPN. And overall, whether you’re signing up for a three-year, one-year, or one-month plan, Private Internet Access is more affordable than both NordVPN and Surfshark.

Another thing to note is that Private Internet Access doesn’t put limits on the number of devices you can connect. We had more than five desktops and about a dozen of our team members’ smartphones connected to PIA during our tests. Surfshark is another VPN we tested with unlimited simultaneous connections, but NordVPN only covers up to six devices.

>> Compare: Surfshark vs. Private Internet Access

4. CyberGhost - Best Money-Back Guarantee

Editors Rating:

8.9 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

Multi-hop	No
Camouflage Mode	No
Kill switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	No
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

Features: CyberGhost offers a healthy serving of features, although it’s missing quite a few. For example, it doesn’t offer multihop, and its split tunneling feature was quite limited. Split tunneling creates two tunnels for your traffic. One goes to the VPN server, the other takes the normal route (without VPN). We use it when we’re multi-tasking; for example, when we need to access our office backup server, which requires a non-VPN connection.

Normally, VPNs with split tunneling let us force entire apps to use the non-VPN tunnel. Unfortunately, CyberGhost didn’t have that kind of split tunneling. It relied on website URLs and IP addresses, which we had to enter into the given field. Not only was that more tedious to do than simply selecting apps, but when the office server rotated its IP address, we had to find the IP address and enter it again into the CyberGhost app.

Performance: If you can look past the less-than-impressive feature-set, CyberGhost actually performs well. It passed our IP address leak tests, and it put up great speeds. It had symmetric upload and download speeds; uploads and downloads were equally fast, unlike with PIA where the upload speeds were slower.

CyberGhost’s average readings were 218 to 222 Mbps. That’s about a 12% drop, so even if your internet isn’t as fast as ours, you’d still be able to do most things you normally do. For example, we were still able to stream 4K shows on our iPhones using our AT&T mobile data plan (about 50 Mbps normally).

>> See More: Our Favorite iPhone VPNs

Privacy: Next to Private Internet Access, CyberGhost has the best privacy policy in this list. It has a no-logs policy that stores only two types of aggregate data from all users to be used as a metric for measuring the performance of its overall server network. Those types of data are connection attempts – for example, it logged every time we tried to connect to a server and our country of origin – and successful connections to identify things such as peak hours and how many users are connected on an hourly or daily interval.

Those types of data are benign. They can’t be used to track what a person is doing while connected to CyberGhost. Our only gripe is that CyberGhost itself doesn’t process the collected data. We learned from the privacy policy that it uses a third-party service provider for data analytics, and often, the more people involved, the higher the risk of a data breach.

>> Learn More: What Is A Data Breach?

CyberGhost offers subscriptions up to two years, and if you go with the longest plan, you’ll get CyberGhost’s $2.37 per month price. That’s $56.97 for the whole two years, the second most affordable pricing on this page next to Private Internet Access.

Here’s a complete look at CyberGhost’s pricing:

Another thing we like about CyberGhost is that you get a longer time to test the service before locking in your subscription. As discussed, NordVPN, Surfshark, and PIA all have a 30-day money-back guarantee. That’s par for the course of the VPN industry. CyberGhost, however, gives users two extra weeks for a total of 45 days to test out its VPNs. If you decide it’s not for you, you can cancel for free and get your money back.

Bear in mind though that the 45-day money-back option applies only to the six-month and two-year plans. We went with the $12.99 monthly plan, which comes with only a 14-day refund option. That’s not so bad; we canceled on day 10 and got a full refund within six days, but just something to remember when choosing a CyberGhost subscription.

5. Proton VPN - Best Monthly Plan

Editors Rating:

8.8 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

Multi-hop	Yes
Camouflage Mode	Yes
Kill switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

Features: Proton VPN actually closely resembles NordVPN’s feature-set. It has split tunneling, multihop, and a kill switch. More than that, it was another VPN we tested with an Onion over VPN capability. So yes, we were able to keep our VPN connection while browsing the deep web.

What Proton VPN has that NordVPN doesn’t is Secure Core. Secure Core is a specialty network that connects you to servers only in privacy-friendly countries. Everytime we connected, we got either a Switzerland or Sweden location, but other countries like Iceland were available, too. As opposed to countries like India that forces VPN servers to store user data, Secure Core countries have no mandatory data retention laws, making them safer for privacy.

>> Read About: 5 Countries Where VPNs Are Illegal

Performance: Proton VPN’s performance kind of dipped. It was secure – it passed all our IP address leak tests – but the speed was sometimes inconsistent, especially on those Secure Core servers. Sometimes, we got great speeds up to 235 Mbps; other times, it was a more sluggish 210 to 215 Mbps. Nonetheless, when it’s fast, Proton VPN is one of the fastest VPNs. You just have to troubleshoot the VPN a little when it’s not performing as well, like switch to a different server or choose a different VPN protocol.

Privacy: Proton VPN comes from the same company that brought us ProtonMail, the secure, private, and encrypted email service. As such, we expected nothing less than complete privacy. Did Proton VPN deliver? Without question!

We liked the fact that because Proton offers different cybersecurity products, it has a detailed privacy policy for each. For the VPN, it makes clear that it does not log which websites you visit, traffic or the content of any communication, IP addresses, session lengths, and location-based information.

>> Learn More: How to Change Your PC’s Location

We want to make clear that Proton VPN is on this list for one reason and one reason only: It’s less than $10 per month for the month-to-month subscription. Proton VPN is actually on the more expensive side if you’re planning to get a two-year or one-year plan. Two years of Proton VPN costs $120 ($4.99 per month), which is nearly $30 more than NordVPN. So if you’re looking for a cheap VPN to use long-term, Proton VPN is not it.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a cheap VPN you can pay for monthly, Proton VPN is an affordable option. As you’ve probably noticed, a VPN monthly plan typically costs more than $10. NordVPN and CyberGhost cost us $12.99 each, Surfshark was $15.45, and Private Internet Access was $11.99. When we bought a monthly Proton VPN subscription, it cost us only $9.99. And remember, we got NordVPN-like features from Proton VPN, so it’s worth your money if you’re going with a monthly subscription.