The cheapest VPN among the big names right now is Atomic VPN. It costs $2 a month on the yearly plan (billed $24 once a year) or $5.99 if you pay month to month. That beats NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN and CyberGhost on both monthly and long-term prices. Below is the full price comparison, what a VPN should cost and what you get for $2.
Cheapest VPN services in 2026, ranked
Here's a VPN price comparison of five popular services, from the cheapest VPN to the most expensive. We're the Atomic VPN team, so we're one of the five. Prices come from each provider's pricing page or a recent pricing review, linked in every entry and checked in October 2026.
By price alone, Atomic VPN is the best cheap VPN in this group. The biggest gap is on the monthly plan, where most of the others charge about twice as much. On long plans, only CyberGhost comes close. Even then, you have to pay for more than two years upfront.
1. Atomic VPN, $2 a month
Atomic VPN is the most affordable VPN in this comparison. It costs $2 a month on the yearly plan, $3.50 a month on the 6-month plan (billed $21) and $5.99 on the monthly plan. Every plan has the same features, so the low price doesn't hide anything behind a pricier tier.
Here's what you get on every plan:
- An independently audited no-log policy and RAM-only servers that a reboot wipes.
- 6,500+ servers in 88+ countries.
- WireGuard by default, with about 890 Mbps on a 1 Gbps line to a same-city server.
- 5 devices at once, plus router setup that covers your whole home without using a slot.
- Payment by card or crypto (BTC, XMR or USDT) and canceling in one click.
The price also stays the same when you renew, with no intro offer that jumps later.
If you want the best value VPN or simply the best VPN for the money, Atomic VPN gives you every feature on every plan at the lowest price in this table. Two things to know before you buy. Five devices at once is fewer than any other VPN here. Apps cover Windows and macOS for now, with iOS coming soon.
2. CyberGhost, about $2.19 a month on a long plan
CyberGhost is the second cheapest VPN in this comparison, with a catch. It doesn't sell a standard yearly plan. Its lowest rate, about $2.19 a month, comes with a 26-month plan billed about $57 upfront, according to Ecommerce Paradise. The 6-month plan costs $6.99 a month and the monthly plan $12.99.
You get 7 devices at once and an independently audited no-log policy. It's weaker on flexibility, though. Split tunneling is limited and P2P works only on select servers, according to our comparison table. CyberInsider's 2026 tests also found that Netflix blocks CyberGhost, so it's not the pick if streaming abroad is your main reason for a VPN.
CyberGhost suits people who are happy to pay for two years upfront and don't need much beyond the basics.
3. Proton VPN, about $4 a month
Proton VPN costs about $4 a month on a yearly plan and $9.99 month to month, based on Security.org's pricing breakdown. It comes from the Swiss company behind Proton Mail, has an audited no-log policy and allows 10 devices.
Its big extra is a free plan. It's limited and lacks streaming support, according to Security.org. Still, it's a real option if you can't pay at all. On paid plans, P2P is allowed, while split tunneling works only on select platforms.
Proton suits privacy-focused users who already use Proton Mail or other Proton apps.
4. ExpressVPN, about $5 a month
ExpressVPN's Basic plan costs about $4.99 a month on a yearly plan and $12.99 month to month, according to Security.org. Its own prices shift with promotions, so check them before you buy. Basic covers 10 devices. The top tier raises that to 14, according to TechRadar.
Split tunneling works on all its platforms and P2P on all its servers. TechRadar also calls it the best VPN for beginners in its Netflix VPN guide.
ExpressVPN suits beginners who want a well-known app and are fine paying more for it.
5. NordVPN, about $5.49 a month
NordVPN's Basic plan costs $5.49 a month for the first year (billed $65.88) and $14.99 month to month, according to its pricing page. After the first year, the yearly plan renews at $139.08. It covers 10 devices, has an audited no-log policy and is TechRadar's top pick among all VPNs.
It's also fast, thanks to its WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol. Split tunneling works on most platforms and P2P on select servers.
NordVPN suits people who want a top-rated brand with plenty of extras. It's also the priciest yearly plan in this group.
How much does a VPN cost per month and which plan to pick?
Across the five VPNs above, a good VPN costs about $2 to $5.50 a month on a yearly plan and about $6 to $15 on a monthly one. Monthly plans cost more because you can leave at any time, so providers reward a longer commitment with a lower rate.
So which plan should you pick?
- Monthly plan. Best for a trip, a short project or a test run before you commit. A cheap monthly VPN also suits anyone who doesn't want a subscription that renews for a whole year.
- Six-month plan. A middle ground that not every provider offers. Atomic VPN's costs $3.50 a month, billed $21.
- Yearly plan. The lowest rate per month and usually the cheapest VPN option if you'll use it for more than a few months. For the VPNs in this comparison, a year costs about the same as four to five months of monthly payments. So it pays off if you'll keep the VPN longer than that.
How much is a VPN per month in practice, then? Somewhere between $2 and $15. The plan you pick changes the price more than the brand does.
VPN deals vs a price that stays the same
Most VPN deals are first-term offers. The low rate often requires paying for one or two years upfront. The plan then renews at a higher price. For example, ExpressVPN's Basic plan renews at about $99.95 a year after its first term, according to vpnoverview.com.
So before you chase the best VPN deals, check how long you pay for upfront and what the plan renews at. Many VPN offers and discounts look cheap only until the first renewal.
Atomic VPN has no intro offer. The price on the site is the price you renew at, so you don't need to wait for a VPN sale or hunt for a promo code.
Cheap doesn't have to mean cut
An inexpensive VPN is only a good deal if it still does its job. A cheap VPN service can be just as safe as a pricey one. The cheapest VPN with good security is one that passes every check below, so run through them before you buy any cheap VPN, ours included.
The audit matters most. Any VPN can promise not to keep logs. An independent audit means someone outside the company has checked that promise.
Watch for tiered plans too. Several big VPNs now sell a basic tier and charge more for extras, for example NordVPN Basic and ExpressVPN Basic. So the cheapest plan from a brand isn't always its full product.
Then check the protocol. A cheap fast VPN usually runs on WireGuard, the modern default. Our WireGuard vs OpenVPN guide explains why.
Finally, read the renewal and cancel terms before you pay. A low first price means little if the plan renews higher or canceling takes a chat with support.
Is a free VPN cheaper?
A free VPN costs nothing upfront, but it's rarely the cheapest VPN option once you count what you give up.
Free plans usually come with data caps that run out fast, slower speeds and only a few server locations. CyberInsider reports that streaming services block almost all free VPN IP addresses, so free VPNs rarely work with Netflix and similar services.
The bigger cost can be your data. Running servers isn't free, so some free VPNs pay for them with ads or by collecting user data. Facebook's free Onavo Protect VPN was the best-known case. Facebook pulled it from the App Store in 2018 after Apple said it broke the store's data collection rules.
Honest free plans do exist. Proton VPN's free plan is one, though it's limited and lacks streaming support, according to Security.org. If you need a VPN only now and then and can live with those limits, a free plan from a trusted provider is fine.
For regular use, though, a cheap paid VPN with an audited no-log policy is the safer trade. Our guide on whether a VPN is worth it goes deeper into what free VPNs really cost.
If you'd rather pay a little than pay with your data, $2 a month is about as little as it gets.
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