A VPN costs about $15 a month if you pay monthly and about $3 a month if you commit to two years, but the second number is an introductory price. By our arithmetic from each provider’s pricing page on October 6, 2026, three years of NordVPN Basic cost $528.84 on monthly billing and $198.54 on the 2-year plan. ExpressVPN Basic works out to $539.64 monthly against $150.35 on its 2-year plan, and Proton VPN Plus to $359.64 against $167.64. The gap is the renewal: NordVPN’s 2-year plan renews at $139.08 a year, which is 3.3 times its first-term rate.
This guide covers price only. We have not tested speeds and we do not judge privacy or security claims here, since those depend on independent audits we have not reviewed.
What Each Plan Costs
The table lists the entry plan from each provider that publishes a full price. “First term” is what the pricing page charged up front, and “Renews at” is what the page says you pay afterward.
| Plan | Monthly billing | Per month, long term | First term | Renews at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN Basic, 1 year | $14.69 | $5.39 | $64.68 for 12 months | $139.08 a year |
| NordVPN Basic, 2 years | $14.69 | $3.49 | $94.23 for 27 months | $139.08 a year |
| ExpressVPN Basic, 2 years | $14.99 | $2.99 | $83.72 for 28 months | $99.95 a year |
| Proton VPN Plus, 1 year | $9.99 | $4.49 | $53.88 for 12 months | $83.88 a year |
| Proton VPN Plus, 2 years | $9.99 | $3.49 | $83.76 for 24 months | $83.88 a year |
| Surfshark Starter, 2 years | not read | $2.49 | $67.23 for 27 months | not shown on page |
| Mullvad | EUR 5 | EUR 5 flat | no term discount | EUR 5 a month |
Sources: nordvpn.com/pricing, expressvpn.com/pricing, protonvpn.com/pricing, surfshark.com/pricing and mullvad.net, all read on October 6, 2026. NordVPN’s 2-year plan includes three extra months, which is why the term is 27 months, and ExpressVPN’s includes four extra months. Surfshark’s page showed the promotional price but not what the plan renews at, so we leave its three-year total out rather than guess.
Device limits differ. NordVPN Basic and Proton VPN Plus list 10 devices, ExpressVPN Basic lists 10, Surfshark lists unlimited and Mullvad up to 5.
Renewal Price Jumps
The long-term monthly figure is a promotion, and it applies only to the first term. Here is how far each renewal rises, using our arithmetic on the page prices.
| Plan | Intro cost over 12 months | Renewal for 12 months | Renewal vs intro |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN Basic, 2 years | $41.88 (3.49 x 12) | $139.08 | 3.3 times |
| ExpressVPN Basic, 2 years | $35.88 (2.99 x 12) | $99.95 | 2.8 times |
| NordVPN Basic, 1 year | $64.68 | $139.08 | 2.2 times |
| Proton VPN Plus, 1 year | $53.88 | $83.88 | 1.6 times |
| Proton VPN Plus, 2 years | $41.88 (3.49 x 12) | $83.88 | 2.0 times |
Proton’s renewal is the same $83.88 whether you chose the 1-year or the 2-year plan, so only the first term differs. NordVPN’s renewal is the same $139.08 on both its terms. Mullvad’s pricing page says its price has not changed since 2009, which makes renewal a non-event, though we cannot verify that history independently.
Check the renewal terms before you pay. ExpressVPN’s page says its monthly plan autorenews at $14.99 and its 2-year plan autorenews annually at $99.95, so the second bill arrives a year at a time, not as another two-year charge.
Three-Year Totals
This is our arithmetic, not a quote from any provider. For each plan we add the first-term price and then charge the remaining months at the renewal price divided by 12. It assumes prices on the pages do not change, and they can.
| Plan | 3-year total | Per month, averaged |
|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN Basic, 2 years | $150.35 | $4.18 |
| Proton VPN Plus, 2 years | $167.64 | $4.66 |
| NordVPN Basic, 2 years | $198.54 | $5.52 |
| Proton VPN Plus, 1 year | $221.64 | $6.16 |
| NordVPN Basic, 1 year | $342.84 | $9.52 |
| Proton VPN Plus, monthly | $359.64 | $9.99 |
| NordVPN Basic, monthly | $528.84 | $14.69 |
| ExpressVPN Basic, monthly | $539.64 | $14.99 |
| Mullvad | EUR 180 | EUR 5.00 |
Mullvad’s total is in euros, so we did not rank it against the dollar plans. Convert it at your own exchange rate and check whether your card adds a foreign transaction fee.
Committing is where the savings are. On NordVPN Basic, the 2-year plan costs $330.30 less over three years than paying monthly (our arithmetic). The tradeoff is that you pay up front and are bound by the refund window: NordVPN, Proton and Surfshark list 30-day money-back guarantees, and Mullvad lists 14 days. After that, a plan you stop using is money spent.
Higher Tiers
Each provider sells bundles above its entry plan. We list the prices but do not assess what the extras are worth, since that depends on what you use.
| Plan | Per month, 2-year term | First term | Renews at | 3-year total (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN Complete | $4.39 | $118.53 for 27 months | $219.48 a year | $283.14 |
| ExpressVPN Advanced | $4.49 | $125.72 for 28 months | $119.95 a year | $205.69 |
NordVPN’s Complete and Complete Max (renewing at $301.08 a year) plans cost far more at renewal than the Basic plan, so the entry price can mislead if you plan to stay past the first term.
Free VPNs and Their Limits
Proton VPN Free is the only free tier whose terms we verified. Its pricing page lists $0, no credit card, one device at a time, medium speed and servers in 10 countries that are selected for you at random, and it lists unlimited data. That covers occasional use on one device, but you cannot pick a country or run several devices.
Other free offerings exist, and we did not read their terms. Before using any free service, read what it says about how it pays for itself, since the cost of a free product is rarely zero. A paid plan on a 30-day guarantee is a lower-risk way to compare.
When Paying More Does Not Make Sense
If you only need a VPN occasionally, say on public Wi-Fi a few times a year, the free tier or one month at $9.99 to $14.99 beats a multi-year plan you stop using. If you need it every day, the 2-year plan wins by a wide margin, as long as you set a calendar reminder for the renewal and compare prices then. Our guides on cloud storage costs and AI subscription costs show the same pattern: a low entry price, then a higher price once you are used to the service. Add the VPN to the same list of recurring bills.
Bottom Line
A VPN costs $10 to $15 a month on monthly billing and about $4 to $6 a month averaged over three years on a 2-year plan, once renewals are counted. By our arithmetic, ExpressVPN Basic at $150.35, Proton VPN Plus at $167.64 and NordVPN Basic at $198.54 are the cheapest long-term options we could price, and renewal jumps of up to 3.3 times are the reason to read the fine print. Free tiers work for light use, with Proton’s limited to one device. Recheck the pages before you buy, because promotional prices change often.
FAQ
How much does a VPN cost per month in 2026?
Monthly billing runs from $9.99 for Proton VPN Plus to $14.99 for ExpressVPN Basic, with NordVPN Basic at $14.69, per each provider’s pricing page on October 6, 2026. Mullvad charges a flat EUR 5. Multi-year plans advertise $2.49 to $3.49 a month, but those prices apply only to the first term.
Do VPN prices go up when you renew?
Yes, on the plans we read. NordVPN’s 2-year plan renews at $139.08 a year, ExpressVPN’s at $99.95 a year and Proton VPN Plus at $83.88 a year, all well above their intro rates. Mullvad’s page says its price has stayed the same since 2009.
Is a free VPN good enough?
It depends on what you need. Proton’s free plan covers one device at medium speed with servers in 10 countries chosen for you, which is enough for light use. It will not suit you if you want several devices or a specific country.
What is the cheapest VPN over three years?
Of the plans we priced, ExpressVPN Basic on its 2-year term comes to $150.35 and Proton VPN Plus on its 2-year term to $167.64, our arithmetic from page prices. Mullvad’s EUR 180 is in euros and Surfshark’s renewal price was not shown, so we could not rank them. Check current prices, since all of them change.