How We Chose the Cheapest VPNs
Whether you’re looking to stream region-locked content, avoid website trackers, or keep your internet activity safe from your internet service provider (ISP), a consumer VPN is the best way to get started. Fortunately, there is a long list of providers that offer reliable VPN services at an affordable cost.
With so many options out there, you may not know where to start looking for your next VPN. That’s why we did the work for you and tracked down some of the top cheapest VPNs currently available. We focused on these four features to help you find the cheap VPN that’s right for you.
Pricing
Needless to say, the first thing we looked for was a reasonable price tag. There’s no reason to overpay for a VPN when there are countless budget options that offer most or all of the same features and speeds.
Of course, that isn’t to say that there aren’t some functions that are worth a little extra money. ProtonVPN, for example, offers a free plan that comes with a small selection of crowded servers and significant restrictions on browsing speed. While that might be enough for some situations, most users will likely be better off spending a few dollars per month on a more robust product.
Device Support
Most VPNs offer desktop access through a website or dedicated application, but support for other devices varies widely from one provider to another. You might be interested in using your VPN on a mobile device running iOS or Android, or even on gaming and streaming devices like Xboxes, Fire Sticks, and Chromecasts.
Along with the range of supported devices, we also looked at each provider’s terms and conditions to find out how many simultaneous connections they offer. ExpressVPN limits subscribers to five connections at a time, while Ivacy doubles that figure with 10 simultaneous connections. That makes it a much more practical option for families and other groups who want to share a single VPN account.
Security
No matter what you need a VPN for, security should be one of your top criteria when selecting a provider. While it can be difficult to determine the security profile for a given VPN, we prioritized a few key factors to help you find a provider you can trust.
VPN security starts with basic tools like 256-bit encryption and two-factor authentication to secure accounts. Some providers offer even more transparency by submitting to third-party audits of their security practices.
While a long list of providers have claimed to provide a no-logs guarantee, some of those claims have been proven wrong in practice. Independent audits by reputable organizations are the best way for consumers to find out what their VPN is doing with their data.
