Sure, there are free VPNs, but they often come with limitations and risks. It can be unclear how those vendors make their money and whether or not your data is being mined as it transits across the free VPN providers’ networks.
It’s better when VPN vendors make money from their customers rather than from shadowy marketing or even criminal enterprises, but sometimes, cheap or limited VPNs can operate by using the cash flows from paying subscribers. If you want better protection, consider choosing an option from our list of the highest quality VPNs. But there are cheap VPN providers that can get the job done while keeping your data safe.
I rounded up the top best budget VPN services I could find that are worth checking out.
Also: The best VPN services (and whether it’s worth trying free VPNs)
Atlas VPN is an exceptionally affordable VPN – and yes, it actually works well. It also doesn’t skimp on privacy, and we were (happily) surprised that Atlas VPN enlists the services of an outside company to perform security audits. That’s good practice.
Compared to higher-priced VPN providers, the number of locations offered by Atlas VPN is relatively limited. The company operates about 750 servers in 45 countries, compared to the thousands of servers operated by more expensive competitors.
We like that company uses a warrant canary, which informs you whether or not the company has been asked to cooperate with government investigations.
Atlas VPN frequently offers discounts and sales on its services. At the moment, you can spend as little as $1.82 per month if you sign up for a two-year plan. Three months of free access are also included.
CyberGhost is an affordable VPN that provides users with high levels of encryption, DNS leak protection, split tunneling, customizable security options, and a vast network made up of over 9000 servers in 91 countries. However, simultaneous connections are limited to seven devices.
At present, the company is offering a deal on two-year subscriptions: $2.11 per month, with three months free. CyberGhost also offers a 45-day money-back guarantee for long contracts, which is more than the majority of VPN providers.
See: CyberGhost VPN review: More than just VPN, an all-in-one security kit
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a reliable VPN which is perfect for beginners as it is very user-friendly. While the company’s one-month and six-month plans are quite expensive, two-year subscriptions are very affordable.
PIA’s VPN offers server connections in 84 countries, multi-hopping, split tunneling, ad and malware blocking, and encryption capabilities. PIA takes security seriously and operates a no-logs policy. Furthermore, the VPN’s code is publicly available on an open source basis, which allows anyone to examine the code.
At the moment, the best price available for this VPN is $2.11 per month, with three months of free access added to the length of the contract. However, you need to agree to a two-year plan to take advantage of this price.
See: Private Internet Access review: A cheap, powerful, open-source VPN
Ivacy is one of the newer VPNs on the market.
Ivacy has over 6500 servers across over 100 locations, a zero-logs policy, split tunneling, and utilizes the WireGuard protocol. However, you are limited to 10 simultaneous device connections.
As a bonus, Ivacy is compatible with many devices and operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Kodi, Xbox, and PlayStation.
At the moment, Ivacy has a deal running for five-year plans. If you’re willing to sign up for so long, you will pay the equivalent of only $1 a month. The company has also included free cloud storage and a password manager.
This service provides top-tier security along with unlimited connections, making it a potentially cheaper alternative to other top VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN. Plus, you get a 30-day refund guarantee – that’s hard to beat.
If you want to learn more about how VPNs work and how to choose the best one for you, check out our guide: What is a VPN is and how does it work?
If I’m going to recommend a VPN, it needs to meet certain minimum standards, like having a kill switch, a reasonable data log policy, and no outstanding issues linked to improper customer data use. The server network range and capacity, money-back guarantee periods, privacy policies, and the number of simultaneous connections allowed are also important.
It’s worth trying to use a VPN to save money on flights. I’ve managed to score slightly cheaper long-haul flights by appearing to come from my destination country, for example, but the discounts haven’t been huge.
But now the negative impact is almost unnoticeable, especially with the fastest VPN services. Most (but not all) VPN providers also limit the number of devices you can connect to simultaneously, so you may have to pick and choose which home devices to connect to.
Running a good VPN service requires hundreds of servers worldwide and a ton of networking resources – it’s expensive. If you’re not paying to support that infrastructure, who is? Probably advertisers or data miners. What’s the point of a VPN if it doesn’t keep your data secure?
However, I want to clarify that no one tool can guarantee your privacy. First, anything can be hacked. Second, a VPN protects your data when it transits from your computer to the VPN service, but it doesn’t protect what you put on servers or whatever cloud-based application you’re using. It doesn’t typically offer password security or multi-factor authentication unless you pay for these add-ons. Privacy and security require you to be diligent throughout your digital journey, and VPNs, while helpful, are not a miracle cure.
If what has been highlighted here doesn’t suit your needs, you can try out other services that may meet your requirements. Some may be free, even – with limited capacity and network scope – whereas others are still cheap, but might not perform quite as well as our top picks. Below, you can check out other VPNs that are worth consideration.
