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The best VPN deals right now

ZDNET brings you the best VPN deals and money-back guarantees on the market right now. Protect your privacy without breaking the bank.
Written by Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer
Reviewed by Nina Raemont
PureVPN: As low as $1.66 per month | Best VPN deal overall
purevpn
PureVPN: As low as $1.66 per month
Best VPN deal overall
View now View at PureVPN
Surfshark: As low as $2.29 per month | Best VPN deal for usability
Surfshark VPN Web
Surfshark: As low as $2.29 per month
Best VPN deal for usability
View now View at Surfshark
Private Internet Access: As low as $2.19 per month | Best open source VPN deal
Private Internet Access VPN Web
Private Internet Access: As low as $2.19 per month
Best open source VPN deal
View now View at PIA
NordVPN: As low as $3.99 per month | Best deal for a premium VPN
NordVPN
NordVPN: As low as $3.99 per month
Best deal for a premium VPN
View now View at NordVPN
CyberGhost VPN: As low as $2.19 per month | Best money-back guarantee VPN deal
Cyberghost VPN Web
CyberGhost VPN: As low as $2.19 per month
Best money-back guarantee VPN deal
View now View at CyberGhost
Atlas VPN: As low as $1.64 per month | Best VPN deal for free months
Atlas VPN Web
Atlas VPN: As low as $1.64 per month
Best VPN deal for free months
View now View at Atlas VPN
Show more (1 item)

When you're shopping for a decent deal on a VPN service subscription, you'll be bombarded with "limited-time" offers and sales that look like they'll expire in minutes. But there's no need to rush -- countdown timers are prolific in the VPN service industry and are often just marketing tools designed to create an artificial sense of urgency.

You may be able to find offers for a VPN free trial, but you'll typically only get seven days free with limited bandwidth and a restricted number of servers. Or, if you opt for a free VPN, you will often be exchanging your data in return for a free and heavily restricted service. 

Be sure to read the fine print before taking advantage of free service offers. In most cases, you'll be better off opting for the longer plan with a money-back guarantee period (typically 30 days or longer) to test the service. If you catch a VPN provider at the right moment, you'll likely be able to enjoy a cheap service for a year or two -- and then there's nothing stopping you from switching to another cheap deal.

Also: The best VPN services of 2024: Tested and reviewed

The best VPN deal is for PureVPN, a reliable and easy-to-use VPN with low pricing. For only $1.66 per month, you'll have access to a solid VPN, a reasonable server and country network, and up to 10 simultaneous connections. However, for the best price, you'll need to agree to a five-year plan. Let's take a look at the best VPN deals available right now. 

The best VPN deals in 2024

PureVPN pricing:

  • Monthly: $10.95 - $20.95
  • 1-year: Standard: $3.74 | Plus: $5.82 | MAX $6.24 per month
  • 2-Year: Standard: $1.96 | Plus: $3.21 | MAX: $3.85 (four months free)
  • 5-Year: $1.66/month
  • Money-back guarantee: 31 days
  • Simultaneous connections: 10

PureVPN has a promotion on two-year subscriptions starting at $1.96 per month ($54.95 total), which includes four months of free access. Five-year options, however, are even cheaper, as they will only set you back $1.66/month (87% off).

If a 30-day refund period is just short of what you need, you're in luck -- PureVPN gives you an extra day to try out its service risk-free. Not to mention, this deal has the most free months thrown in out of any of our recommendations. It has standard monthly and one-year plans, but the two-year subscription has the lowest average monthly cost, whereas monthly options are expensive.

PureVPN has cross-platform compatibility, over 6,500+ VPN servers in 65+ countries, a kill switch, a modern user interface, and generally positive reviews as a mid-tier VPN service. However, it's worth noting that the firm's privacy policy is confusing and needs an overhaul. 

Surfshark pricing

  • Monthly: $10.99 - $21.99
  • 1-year: $47.88 ($3.99 per month) | Surfshark One: $4.09 per month | Surfshark One+: $6.49 per month
  • 2-year: $59.54 (billed annually, $2.29 per month) | Surfshark One: $2.89 per month | Surfshark One+: $4.29 per month (two months free)
  • Money-back guarantee: 30 days
  • Simultaneous connections: Unlimited

Surfshark has been considered one of ZDNET's top VPN choices for some time. The VPN has a simple interface, a reasonable array of servers and countries, unlimited connections for all of your devices, and consistently low pricing. 

While the low price promotions are constant -- and, so, you should ignore the marketing timers -- it's still a great deal, especially when you're willing to subscribe to a two-year plan. The basic Surfshark Starter package will suit many users at $2.29 per month, a plan that includes a VPN, ad blocker, and cookie blocker. If you're after more, the One and One+ packages offer features such as a private search engine, antivirus protection, and breach alerts. 

Two months of access have been thrown in for free on two-year plans.

Private Internet Access pricing

  • Monthly: $11.99
  • Six months: $45 ($7.50 per month)
  • 2-Year: $56.94 (billed annually, $2.19 per month, two months free)
  • Money-back guarantee: 30 days
  • Simultaneous connections: Unlimited

Private Internet Access balances cost, longevity, and performance. When ZDNET tested Private Internet Access, it had good overall features and reliability. And it's only a fraction of the cost of many of the best VPNs.

PIA is open source and includes access to servers in 91 countries, utilizes WireGuard, split-tunneling, and more. It also offers unlimited simultaneous connections -- once being only 10 connections -- which will suit any household. There is a standard 30-day money-back guarantee. Two months of free access has been thrown in with new subscribers to two-year plans.

NordVPN pricing:

  • Monthly: $12.99 - $15.99
  • 1-Year plan: Standard: $4.99 per month | Plus: $5.99 per month  | Ultimate: $7.99 per month
  • 2-Year plan: Standard: $3.99 per month | Plus: $4.99 per month  | Ultimate: $6.99 per month
  • Money-back guarantee: 30 days 
  • Simultaneous connections: Six devices

NordVPN is a well-respected and feature-rich VPN solution, and it's discounted subscription plans by up to 63%. It's on the expensive side, but it's also one of our favorite VPNs overall. If you're willing to spend a little more and you want more advanced features, NordVPN's current promotions are worth exploring. Two-year plan signups will also provide you with a coupon for three months of free access.

The standard plan includes VPN service, tracking, ad blocking, and malware protection. The Plus plan also provides a password manager and data breach scanner. Lastly, the Ultimate plan adds 1TB of cloud storage and file encryption alongside coverage for identity theft and cyber extortion. 

Review: NordVPN

CyberGhost VPN pricing:

  • Monthly: $12.99
  • 6 months: $41.94 ($6.99 per month)
  • 2-Year: $56.94 ($2.19 per month with two months free)
  • Money-back guarantee: 45 days
  • Simultaneous connections: 7

CyberGhost has solid prices, and the two-year plan (with two free months) has an average cost of only $2.19 per month, which makes it competitive with the cheapest VPNs on the market. You will also receive two months of free access if you sign up for a two-year plan -- a similar promotion currently offered by many of the top VPN providers. The deal has a 'deadline' timer, but we've found that these prices generally don't change often.

What makes CyberGhost VPN a good deal is its money-back guarantee period, which is 45 days. That's over two weeks longer than other top VPN services

The VPN provider offers over 9,600 servers in over 100 countries with free ID guard monitoring and a kill switch. 

The refund period should give you plenty of time to test drive CyberGhost on all of your devices (up to seven at the same time). The free trial period could make sense if you're not interested in CyberGhost VPN's two-year subscription. Otherwise, you'll have a lower monthly cost with one of the longer plans.

Review: CyberGhost VPN

Atlas VPN pricing:

  • Monthly: $11.99
  • 1-Year: $39.42 ($3.29 per month)
  • 2-Year: $49.21 ($1.64 per month with six free months)
  • Money-back guarantee: 30 days
  • Simultaneous connections: Unlimited

Atlas VPN's two-year subscription is a solid deal because it only costs an average of $1.64 per month and comes with six months of free access, the best promotion for free access we've seen on the market.

Students in the US, UK, Mexico, or Spain are also eligible for additional discounts on the two-year plan. You can register for the student discount here.

For only a few bucks a month, you'll have protected connections on every device you own, thanks to unlimited simultaneous connections, whether you want a VPN for your smartphone, PC, or other connected devices.

Atlas VPN markets itself as a VPN solution suitable for torrenting and offers SafeSwap servers, multi-hop functionality, a kill switch, and over 1,000 servers in 38 countries.

What is the best VPN deal?

The best VPN deal is for PureVPN, a reliable and easy-to-use VPN with low pricing. For only $1.66 per month, you'll have access to a solid VPN, a reasonable server and country network, and up to 10 simultaneous connections. However, for the best price, you'll need to agree to a five-year plan.

if you want a VPN for the long term, the deal is a steal compared to what you could pay for other top VPN services over time. 

VPN

Number of connections

Monthly price

Cheapest plan

PureVPN

10

$10.95

$1.66 per month

Surfshark

Unlimited

$10.99

$2.29 per month

Private Internet Access

Unlimited

$11.99

$2.19 per month

NordVPN

6

$12.99

$3.99 per month

CyberGhost

7

$12.99

$2.19 per month

Atlas VPN

Unlimited

$11.99

$1.64 per month

Which is the right VPN deal for you?

What makes a great VPN deal for you depends on your situation. For example, if you have many devices that need protecting during travel, you'll want to focus on the number of connections you can link to one account. However, if a budget is your priority, you may decide to compromise on flexibility and features for the best price.

Choose this VPN...

If you want...

PureVPN

The best VPN deal overall. PureVPN has a range of settings you can tweak to suit your needs and is a solid VPN choice. Best of all, this is a great option for long-term plans, with five-year subscriptions priced at only $1.66/month. 

Surfshark

Consistently low pricing. Surfshark has an easy-to-use interface, a reasonable server and country network, and consistently low pricing for subscribers happy to sign up for longer plans. 

Private Internet Access

A long-term cheap VPN based on open source technologies. We used to consider PIA a mid-tier VPN because simultaneous connections were limited, but recently the VPN provider announced support for unlimited devices. 

NordVPN

A premium plan for less. NordVPN is far from the cheapest VPN, but if you want a trustworthy, long-term solution with an array of useful features and an extensive network, it might be worth picking up during a promotion.

CyberGhost

An extended money-back period. CyberGhost isn't as impressive as some others on our list, but the VPN is very user-friendly, and with such a long money-back guarantee, CyberGhost is worth considering. 

Atlas VPN

Lowest monthly cost and a reasonable server network. Atlas VPN consistently runs coupon code promotions, but even outside of these marketing pushes, Atlas VPN is consistently a cheap option.

How did we choose these VPN deals?

We searched for deals from VPN brands we have tested and loved. When selecting which deals to include we evaluated the following factors:

  • Cost: We aimed to find the best deals we could for VPN subscriptions. You'll often find that month-on-month agreements tend to be expensive, and so we showcased one and two-year plans that offer real value for money. 
  • Features: While the cost is a deciding factor, so too must be the features on offer. There's no point in purchasing a VPN if it does not have at least the basic security and features you need to utilize a VPN on a daily basis. We considered country and server availability, mobile and OS compatibility, security controls, and more.
  • Simultaneous connections: How many devices you can connect to the VPN at the same time is important in today's market, especially when we have numerous laptops, PCs, and mobile devices to consider. Typically speaking, VPN developers that only offer one connection at a time for paid subscribers simply aren't providing enough. 
  • Speed and reliability: We only recommend VPNs we have personally tested. VPNs must offer reasonable speeds and reliability in relation to server connections.

When you're looking for a VPN deal, it's important to take the advertised price with a grain of salt. The overwhelming majority of VPNs advertise their standard prices as a huge discount, but if the price is always advertised as 83% off, then that's just the regular price. Also, limited-time deals often have the same upfront cost with extra months added to the subscription length. Those deals will reduce the average monthly cost but not what you pay out-of-pocket when you purchase the service.

Do any VPN services offer a free trial period?

Many of the VPN deals we've highlighted give you a month -- or more -- to test the service and get a full refund if you're not satisfied. But you will have to pay upfront and navigate the provider's refund process if you want to discontinue service during the money-back period.

Very few VPN services advertise a free trial period these days, but you can sometimes find an offer for a free trial period (typically seven days) when you sign up through mobile.

Keep in mind, if you take the free 7-day trial, you may end up paying more in the long run. We've noticed that the long-term (cheaper) plans are sometimes unavailable when taking advantage of the free trial period. So be sure to pay attention to the plan you'll be subscribed to and factor that into your decision.

What price will I pay for my VPN service when it renews?

To lock in the lowest average monthly cost, you'll need to subscribe to the longest plan, which can be anywhere from a two to five-year commitment. You'll have to pay the full cost for the entire term upfront in one lump sum and there is tax to consider.

Despite the lump-sum cost, the longer subscriptions can be worth it -- you just need to pay attention to the renewal price. When you subscribe to a VPN service, you'll want to look at the fine print. Once your initial subscription plan expires, your cost is likely to increase. 

Although it can vary by service, you'll usually have to renew at the annual rate after the introductory offer ends. A one-year subscription is typically 30% to 50% more than longer-term plans, so it's something to be aware of when your plan approaches renewal time.

Wouldn't a free VPN service be a better deal?

"Free" makes everything taste better -- but this isn't applicable when it comes to VPN services.

A free VPN may sound like a great deal, but it comes with a non-monetary cost. First is performance: free VPNs have fewer features, slower speeds, and aren't likely to have great customer service. But that's not the real reason you should think twice about a gratis VPN.

If you're not paying for a VPN, the company is making money some other way. This could be from ads or worse, like selling your information. Not to mention, malware is a potential risk with free VPNs.

One possible exception to this rule is a reputable VPN service that offers a limited free version to get customers to try out the service. In this case, be sure to do your research and know that your options will be limited -- and your speed will be throttled. 

An example of a free and reputable VPN is ProtonVPN. However, the caveat is that the free service will only give you access to servers in three countries. 

Are there alternative VPN deals worth considering?

If the offers we've highlighted aren't a good fit for you, there are other VPN deals to consider. Each of the alternate offers listed below has a money-back guarantee period of at least 30 days, so you can try out the service for a month and back out if you don't like it.

View at PrivadoVPNView at IPVanishView at Hotspot ShieldView at ExpressVPN
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