About 24; min
VPN services are a commodity — hundreds of providers offer the same core feature (hide your IP, encrypt your traffic). But pricing ranges from $2/month to $13/month for what looks like identical service. The real differences are in server speed, privacy policies, simultaneous connections, and whether the VPN actually works with streaming services.
We compared the 6 most popular VPNs by price, speed, and what actually matters for daily use in 2026.
Quick Pricing Comparison
| VPN | Monthly | 1-Year Plan | 2-Year Plan | Simultaneous Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | $12.99 | $4.59/mo | $3.09/mo | 10 |
| Surfshark | $15.45 | $2.99/mo | $2.19/mo | Unlimited |
| ExpressVPN | $12.95 | $6.67/mo | N/A | 8 |
| ProtonVPN | $9.99 | $4.99/mo | $4.49/mo | 10 |
| Mullvad | $5.46 (€5) | $5.46/mo (flat) | $5.46/mo (flat) | 5 |
| Private Internet Access | $11.95 | $3.33/mo | $2.03/mo | Unlimited |
2-year plans are where VPNs get cheap: Surfshark at $2.19/month and PIA at $2.03/month are under a cup of coffee. But you’re committing $52–$57 upfront for 2 years of service. Monthly pricing is 5–7x more expensive.
The VPN Pricing Trap
VPN marketing is full of deceptive pricing. “83% off!” means the monthly price is artificially inflated to make the annual deal look like a steal. Every VPN on this list shows a “monthly” price of $10–$15 that almost nobody pays. The real prices are the annual and 2-year rates.
Also watch for: renewal rates. Many VPNs offer a low first-term price that doubles or triples on renewal. NordVPN’s 2-year plan at $3.09/month renews at $4.59/month after the initial term. Surfshark’s $2.19/month renews at $2.99/month. Always check the renewal price before committing.
NordVPN: The Market Leader
NordVPN is the most popular VPN with the largest server network (6,400+ servers). The Standard plan at $3.09/month covers what 90% of users need: fast connections, strong encryption, and a verified no-logs policy.
NordVPN’s Strengths
- Speed: Consistently the fastest mainstream VPN. WireGuard (NordLynx) protocol delivers 500–800 Mbps on most servers — fast enough for 4K streaming with headroom to spare
- Server network: 6,400+ servers in 111 countries. More locations = better chance of finding a fast server near your target
- Streaming: Reliably works with Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime across most regions. VPN detection bypass is actively maintained
- Audited no-logs: PricewaterhouseCoopers has audited NordVPN’s no-logs policy twice. They don’t store your browsing history, connection timestamps, or IP addresses
- Specialty servers: Double VPN (route through 2 servers), Onion over VPN (Tor through VPN), obfuscated servers (hide VPN usage in restrictive countries)
Surfshark: Best Value
Surfshark’s killer feature: unlimited simultaneous devices. One subscription covers your phone, laptop, tablet, smart TV, router, and your entire family’s devices. Every other VPN limits you to 5–10 connections. For a household of 4 people with multiple devices each, Surfshark replaces 4 separate VPN subscriptions.
At $2.19/month (2-year), Surfshark is the cheapest mainstream VPN. Combined with unlimited devices, the per-device cost approaches zero.
ProtonVPN: Best Privacy
ProtonVPN is made by the team behind ProtonMail — the privacy-focused email service based in Switzerland. Swiss privacy laws are among the strongest in the world, and Proton’s entire business model is built on not collecting user data.
ProtonVPN Free: The Only Trustworthy Free VPN
ProtonVPN’s free plan is genuinely usable: unlimited data, no ads, no logs. The limitations: 1 device, 5 country locations, and medium speeds (enough for browsing, not enough for HD streaming). Every other “free VPN” either sells your data, injects ads, or caps bandwidth at unusable levels. ProtonVPN Free is the only free VPN we’d recommend.
Mullvad: No Account, No Identity
Mullvad is the privacy purist’s VPN. No email to sign up. No account — you get a random number as your identifier. You can pay with cash mailed in an envelope. Every client is open-source. Servers run entirely in RAM (no hard drives = no data survives a reboot).
The flat $5.46/month pricing (€5) is unique: no discounts for annual plans, no upsells, no tiers. What you see is what you pay, every month, forever. This honesty is refreshing in a market full of deceptive “83% off!” marketing.
Mullvad’s Trade-off
5 device limit (vs Surfshark’s unlimited), smaller server network (700+ vs NordVPN’s 6,400+), and no streaming optimization. Mullvad doesn’t try to unblock Netflix — they focus purely on privacy. If streaming geo-unblocking is your primary use case, Mullvad is the wrong choice.
ExpressVPN: Premium Price, Premium UX
ExpressVPN is the most expensive mainstream VPN at $6.67/month (annual). The premium buys you: the best apps (every platform, including routers), the smoothest UX, and consistently fast speeds worldwide. If your VPN frustrates you with connection drops and slow servers, ExpressVPN’s polish is worth trying.
But at 3x the price of Surfshark for fewer features (8 devices vs unlimited, fewer servers, no built-in ad blocker), the value proposition is harder to justify in 2026 than it was 3 years ago.
Speed Comparison (Average Download Speed via WireGuard)
| VPN | Nearby Server | US to EU | US to Asia |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 760 Mbps | 520 Mbps | 310 Mbps |
| Surfshark | 680 Mbps | 470 Mbps | 280 Mbps |
| ExpressVPN | 720 Mbps | 490 Mbps | 290 Mbps |
| ProtonVPN | 650 Mbps | 430 Mbps | 250 Mbps |
| Mullvad | 700 Mbps | 460 Mbps | 270 Mbps |
| PIA | 600 Mbps | 380 Mbps | 220 Mbps |
All mainstream VPNs are fast enough for 4K streaming (requires 25 Mbps). Speed differences only matter for large file transfers, gaming (latency matters more than throughput), and users on gigabit connections who want to maintain near-full speed.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | NordVPN | Surfshark | ProtonVPN | Mullvad | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devices | 10 | Unlimited | 10 | 5 | 8 |
| Servers | 6,400+ | 3,200+ | 6,500+ | 700+ | 3,000+ |
| No-logs audit | PwC (2x) | Deloitte | Securitum | Assured AB | KPMG |
| RAM-only servers | Yes | Yes | Some | Yes | Yes |
| Kill switch | All platforms | All platforms | All platforms | All platforms | All platforms |
| Split tunneling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ad/malware blocker | Yes | CleanWeb | NetShield | No | No |
| Streaming unblock | Best | Good | Good | No | Good |
| Free tier | No | No | Yes (1 device) | No | No |
| Open-source clients | Partial | No | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Router support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Best (dedicated app) |
2-Year Cost Comparison (Total Upfront)
| VPN | 2-Year Total | Monthly Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| PIA | $56.94 | $2.03 |
| Surfshark | $57.18 | $2.19 |
| NordVPN | $80.73 | $3.09 |
| ProtonVPN | $107.76 | $4.49 |
| Mullvad | $131.04 | $5.46 |
| ExpressVPN | $159.99 (1-yr x2) | $6.67 |
Who Should Pick What
Pick NordVPN If:
- You want the best all-around VPN with the fastest speeds and largest server network
- Streaming unblocking (Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer) is a primary use case
- Specialty features (Double VPN, Onion over VPN) matter for extra security
- You’re willing to pay $3/month for a premium, battle-tested service
Pick Surfshark If:
- You need unlimited devices (family, multiple personal devices, share with roommates)
- Budget is the priority — $2.19/month is the cheapest quality VPN available
- Ad and malware blocking (CleanWeb) adds value beyond just VPN
- You want the best price-to-feature ratio in the VPN market
Pick ProtonVPN If:
- Privacy is your top priority and you trust Swiss jurisdiction over Panama (NordVPN) or the Netherlands (Surfshark)
- You want a free VPN that doesn’t sell your data or inject ads
- Open-source clients that you can audit matter to you
- You already use ProtonMail and want a unified privacy suite
Pick Mullvad If:
- Maximum anonymity — no email, no account, cash payment accepted
- You don’t need streaming unblocking or a large server network
- You value transparent, flat pricing over discount games
- Open-source and RAM-only servers are non-negotiable requirements
Best overall: NordVPN at $3.09/month — fastest speeds, largest network, and best streaming support. The safe default for most users.
Best value: Surfshark at $2.19/month — unlimited devices at the lowest price. Best for families and multi-device households.
Best privacy: Mullvad at $5.46/month — no accounts, no email, cash payment, open-source. The VPN for people who take privacy seriously.
Best free VPN: ProtonVPN Free — the only free VPN worth using. Unlimited data, no logs, no ads. Limited to 1 device and 5 countries but genuinely safe.
FAQ
Do I even need a VPN in 2026?
For public Wi-Fi security: less than before (most sites use HTTPS now). For streaming geo-unblocking: yes, VPNs still work for accessing content in other regions. For privacy from your ISP: yes, your ISP can see every domain you visit without a VPN. For bypassing censorship: yes, essential in restrictive countries.
Will a VPN slow down my internet?
Modern VPNs using WireGuard reduce speeds by 10–20% on nearby servers. On a 500 Mbps connection, you’d get 400–450 Mbps through a VPN — still fast enough for anything. Distant servers (US to Asia) see more speed loss (40–50%).
Are “free VPNs” safe?
Almost all free VPNs (except ProtonVPN Free) monetize by selling your browsing data, injecting ads, or worse. If the VPN is free and not ProtonVPN, you are the product. Avoid Hola, SuperVPN, and any free VPN with millions of downloads and no clear revenue model.
Can my employer see my VPN traffic?
Your employer can see you’re connected to a VPN server but cannot see what you access through it. However, if you use a company device, they may have monitoring software installed that operates at the device level — a VPN doesn’t protect against local device monitoring.
