Best cheap monthly VPN plan 2021
On your search for the best VPN service, you might have been confused by the different plans and offerings of each provider when trying to figure out the best value option.
For the most part, going for a longer-term plan will save you more money (sometimes as much as 70% or more), though not everyone wants to commit for a year or longer. Fear not, though, as cheap monthly VPN plans do exist so you can get set up with a VPN without spending a ton of cash upfront.
Best Cheap Monthly VPN Plans
- IPVanish: $4.99/1-month
- PureVPN: $0.99/7-day trial
- ProtonVPN: $5/1-month
- Windscribe: $9/1-month
- ExpressVPN: $12.95/1-month
You don't have to go broke each month or pay a huge upfront cost to get a great VPN. These cheap monthly VPN plans make it affordable to try out a VPN for yourself before committing for a longer period of time or just pay for VPN service as and when you need it without a commitment.
IPVanish VPN: 50% off one-month plan
With its current deal, IPVanish is cheaply priced for its feature set whether you go for one month or one year of service with 50% off. It's one of very few VPN providers that is actually offering a discount on its one-month offering making it a great choice for those not wanting to commit to a long-term plan.
PureVPN: 7-day trial
If you're looking for a short-term VPN deal just to try one out or for one specific use case, you can try PureVPN for yourself in full for 7 days for just $0.99. PureVPN is so confident you'll like its service, that it offers a 31-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free either way.
ExpressVPN: The most well-known VPN for security
ExpressVPN is our top-rated VPN service and it offers a no-commitment plan that is $12.95 per month. That's not bad value for the best VPN on the market, and you can always upgrade to an annual plan if you find you like the service and save 49%.
While you'll definitely spend more overall by going month-to-month on your VPN subscription, it does provide the added freedom of being able to stop paying whenever you want, not having to put a chunk of money down upfront, and being able to change VPN provider whenever you want.
Even at full price, most VPN providers charge less than a cup of coffee per week to get you set up with a VPN so it's hardly a bad value, but note that most providers we link to will want to get you subscribed for a year or two and will frame their pricing with a low monthly equivalent cost for doing so.
For this list, we're focusing purely on the shortest-term plans so you have license to cancel at short notice or put down the lowest amount of money upfront while you find the best cheap VPN for your needs.
1. IPVanish VPN
50% off 1-month plan
Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, YouTube, Hulu | Servers: 1,600 | Server Locations: 75+ in 52 countries | Trial Period: 30 days
Pros:
- Over 40,000 shared IP addresses
- Great customer support
- Now offers unlimited devices to be connected simultaneously
- Cloud storage bundle
Cons:
- Server locations don't always match what's said
- No iOS kill switch
Most VPN providers don't discount their month-to-month offering, but IPVanish is the exception to that rule with a 50% discount on both its 1-month and 1-year plans. That means you can score a month of the service for only $5 and try it out in full without committing a bunch of cash.
The service offers 1,400 servers spread across 75 different locations, allows for up to 10 devices to be connected at the same time, and boasts an impressive 40,000 shared IP addresses.
It has apps for basically every device you're likely to own including Mac, Android, iOS, Windows, Roku, Fire TV, and more. The apps are pretty bare-bones and not the most attractive, but they are perfectly functional and allow you to get connected quickly and get back to whatever you're actually wanting to do.
In our IPVanish review, we found its servers were almost always up and running and the download speeds were consistent, though we did spot that some server locations didn't match what was stated which could cause some hiccups when trying to access region-restricted content. That's a pretty minor qualm though as you can easily switch to another server.
Another area where IPVanish excels is customer support. You can get support any time since the company offers 24/7 coverage, and agents are able to be reached right from within the iOS and Android apps. It really doesn't get easier than this, and the company recently moved from a 7-day to 30-day money-back guarantee.
IPVanish VPN
IPVanish may not have the biggest numbers for stats, but the service that the company offers is reliable and fast. Getting set up takes just minutes, so start today!
2. PureVPN
$0.99 7-day trial
Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon, YouTube | Servers: 6,500+ | Server Locations: 180+ in 140+ countries | Trial Period: 31 days
Pros:
- Over 6,500 servers
- Round-the-clock customer support
- Tons of shared IP addresses
- Works with almost every device & browser
Cons:
- Only works on five devices at once
If you're mainly looking for a VPN for streaming, PureVPN is one of the best VPN providers to consider. The service works with Android TV, Roku, Kodi, Xbox, PlayStation, and so many more devices.
While its monthly plan costs $10.95, you can try it out in the short term for just $0.99 with its 7-day trial. That means you can use the fully-featured service, see if it works for your needs and suits your preferences, while only having committed one dollar. If it does, you can then save almost half on its annual plan.
PureVPN offers over 6,500 server locations (which is a lot) spread across 140 different locations. Given the variety of locations, PureVPN is able to maintain fast speeds for streaming relatively easily and allows you to easily unblock content on Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming services with ease.
PureVPN offers round-the-clock customer support 365 days a year and edges out the competition by offering a 31-day money-back guarantee instead of just 30 days. We have a full PureVPN review to check out as well.
PureVPN
PureVPN offers a ton of server options spread wide in different areas and has great customer support. You can try PureVPN for yourself in full for just $0.99 and then save 47% on its 1-year plan.
3. ProtonVPN
Security-focued VPN from $5
Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon, YouTube | Servers: 1,200+ | Server Locations: 55+ in 55 countries | Trial Period: 30 days
Pros:
- Based in Switzerland
- Many servers utilize 10 Gbps connections
- Has great free plan with unlimited bandwidth
Cons:
- Free plan users are deprioritized during peak hours
If privacy and security are your key reasons for setting up a VPN, ProtonVPN is the service you need to look into. The service is designed to ensure that no one can eavesdrop on your connection, and it does so by routing your connection through fully encrypted tunnels. Better yet, the base-level paid plan is available for just $5 monthly which is around half the price of many other providers.
The company is based in Switzerland, which means that it benefits from additional strong legal protection. ProtonVPN also has clear and strong no-logging policies, DNS leak protection, a kill-switch, and it can be used as an always-on VPN that automatically reconnects to a server should the connection be interrupted at any point. All of the servers have a minimum speed of 1 Gbps, and many of them actually use a 10 Gbps connection.
Before you get started with the paid service, you could always try ProtonVPN out for free. It is worth noting that the company does prioritize paid users during peak times, though, so you may notice slower speeds on the free plan when more people are online. Check out our ProtonVPN review for a more in-depth take.
ProtonVPN
From the creators of the secure and encrypted ProtonMail comes ProtonVPN. While there's a free plan with some limits, an entry-level paid account is only $5 monthly.
4. Windscribe
Affordable 1-month plan
Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon, YouTube | Servers: 400 | Server Locations: 110 in 63 countries
Pros:
- Free plan offers generous data bucket
- Supports unlimited simultaneous connections
- Apps for all major platforms
Cons:
- Speeds can be a little slow
- No 24/7 support
Though we tend to talk about Windscribe when it comes to free VPNs, it also offers one of the best cheap monthly VPN plans.
At just $9 per month, it's a few bucks more affordable than most other monthly plans. It also removes the restrictions imposed on the free offering that may frustrate anyone but the most casual of users like moving from a limited data and connected device cap to unlimited connections and bandwidth.
Windscribe has clients for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and extensions for all the popular browsers. You can manually set up Windscribe on your router, Kodi, and more with a little extra effort. It's got more than 400 different servers that span across over 60 different countries, which is about average, and it works for streaming BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and other content.
Unfortunately, Windscribe speeds can be a little bit slow (due to the low overall server count, likely), and there is no 24/7 support which means that you may have to wait a bit to get any issues you encounter resolved. It may not be the fastest or offer the most options, but Windscribe is definitely worth considering. You can always check out the free plan first to get a feel for the service and its apps and then upgrade based on your needs.
Windscribe VPN
The $9 Windscribe price is affordable compared to the competition and it's not a limited-time deal you need to hop on hastily — it's just that affordable every month.
5. ExpressVPN
Our top overall VPN pick for most people
ExpressVPN is so sure you'll like the service that it offers a 30-day full money-back guarantee should you want to cancel it.
Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon, YouTube | Servers: 3,000+ | Server Locations: 160 in 94 countries | Trial Period: 30 days
Pros:
- Servers in 160 locations
- 100 Mbps download speed
- Great customer support
- Works with almost every device & browser
Cons:
- More expensive than others
- Limited to five devices simultaneously
ExpressVPN combines the best of nearly all worlds and features when it comes to VPNs, but it isn't the most affordable option. That being said, you can use the service on a no-commitment basis for just $12.95 per month which is around the same price as a cup of coffee per week.
Based on our ExpressVPN review, it's one of the most reliable offerings that we've tested with the fastest and most consistent speeds. The service is easy to use and the mobile apps are super friendly. ExpressVPN offers 24/7 customer support so should you run into any issues, you can get them resolved pretty easily.
Though the pricing structure is higher than some of the competition, it does have a 20-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out risk-free. If you like it and want to save some cash in the long term, using our link you can actually save up to 49% on your first year of service, along with an extra three months free. You'll also get a year of Backblaze backup software (worth $60) for free.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is nearly unbeatable. This is our favorite paid VPN for providing speed, reliability, and outstanding customer service. It's not the most affordable option though it's still a great value. If you're looking for the best of the best, ExpressVPN is it.
What should I look for in a cheap monthly VPN plan?
In terms of prioritization, a low monthly price that's paid monthly is top of the list, but you shouldn't have to sacrifice power, privacy, and ease of use for that. Most of the best VPN services have monthly payment options and the service is exactly the same.
We listed IPVanish as the best cheap VPN monthly plan is it is currently discounting its 1-month offering by 50% which means you can try out its fully-featured VPN offering without spending a ton of cash or committing for a year or more to get a deal.
That being said, our top overall VPN service, ExpressVPN, also makes this list despite being on the more expensive end. Even at its full $12.95 month-to-month cost, it doesn't exactly cost a fortune so you can get set up with the best VPN on the market on a no-commitment basis.
Why are monthly VPNs more expensive?
With most service-based offerings, the longer you commit, the less it costs on a monthly equivalent basis. The simple explanation for this is that companies would rather you put down more money upfront, have you committed to them for a longer-term, to avoid losing you as a customer to a rival.
In order to lure you in, they offer discounts on longer-term subscriptions. That being said, you can usually try the service out for a month to see if you like, make use of a free version or trial, or even use a money-back guarantee to get a refund if you need to, so there's little risk with signing up.
Should I try a free VPN before paying?
Free versions of VPNs are useful for a few reasons, but in the context of this article, the main benefit is being able to try out a VPN without spending anything at all. You'll get a feel for the service, the apps, the customer support, and more, and it can help you decide which VPN to go for in the long term.
However, it's worth bearing in mind that the vast majority of free VPN plans have some kind of limit imposed in order to incentivize you to upgrade to a paid plan. These may make it impossible to use for your needs, for example, a small data limit will soon run out if you want to stream Netflix.
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