VPN Pricing Index 2026: What 7 Providers Actually Cost
VPN ads quote the first invoice. This index shows the intro price, the upfront total, the renewal rate and the refund window in one place. The median two-year price is $2.99/month, but the median renewal is $6.58/month.
Key findings
- Cheapest overall: PIA at $2.03/month on a three-year plan, but you pay $79 upfront.
- Cheapest two-year plan: Surfshark and CyberGhost at $2.19/month.
- Median intro price: $2.99/month. Median renewal: $6.58/month.
- Smallest renewal jump: CyberGhost, from $2.19 to about $4.75/month.
- Largest renewal jump: NordVPN, from $3.09 to about $11.59/month.
VPN price comparison, checked 31 October 2026
All prices in USD, excluding tax. "Upfront" is the advertised first-term charge. "Renews at" is the standard rate the provider lists after the promotional term.
| Provider | Plan | Intro | Upfront | Renews at | Renewal /mo | Refund | Devices | Servers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIA | 3 years + 3 months | $2.03/mo | $79 | ~$79/year | $6.58 | 30 days | Unlimited | 35,000+ |
| Surfshark | 2 years + 3 months | $2.19/mo | $59.13 | $119.52 / 2 years | $4.98 | 30 days | Unlimited | 4,500+ |
| CyberGhost | 2 years + 2 months | $2.19/mo | $56.94 | $56.94/year | $4.75 | 45 days | 7 | 11,500+ |
| ProtonVPN | 2 years | $2.99/mo | $71.76 | $83.88/year | $6.99 | 30 days | 10 | 20,000+ |
| NordVPN | 2 years | $3.09/mo | $74.16 | ~$139/year | $11.59 | 30 days | 10 | 7,400+ |
| Mullvad | Monthly, flat | €5/mo | €5/month | €5/month | ~$5.50 | None (prepaid) | 5 | 700+ |
Mullvad is priced in euros and converted at approximately 1.10 USD/EUR for comparison. Its price does not change with term length. Vendor prices vary by region and promotion; always confirm at checkout.
What the data shows
The median intro price is $2.99 - the median renewal is $6.58
Across seven providers, the middle introductory price is $2.99/month and the middle renewal price is $6.58/month. The average buyer will pay more than twice the advertised rate after the first term.
Renewal jumps range from 117% to 275%
CyberGhost has the gentlest increase, from $2.19 to about $4.75/month. NordVPN has the steepest, from $3.09 to about $11.59/month. ProtonVPN and Surfshark sit in the middle.
The cheapest plan is not the cheapest year
PIA's $2.03 rate requires a 39-month upfront payment of $79. If you only need 12 months, its one-year plan costs $3.33/month. The longest term always wins on the monthly number, but it locks up more cash.
Refund windows are the real trial
CyberGhost offers 45 days; everyone else offers 30 days except Mullvad, which is prepaid and does not offer refunds. Use the window to test streaming, speed and the apps you actually use.
Server counts have moved
ProtonVPN now reports 20,000+ servers, PIA 35,000+, CyberGhost 11,500+ and Surfshark 4,500+. Older comparisons still quote 2,200, 3,200 and 6,400. Count matters less than coverage in the countries you need.
Flat pricing is rare
Mullvad is the outlier: €5/month regardless of term, no promotional price, no renewal jump. You pay more upfront than the cheapest annual deals, but you avoid the renewal trap entirely.
How to read a VPN price
- Intro price: the promotional monthly equivalent for the first term. It assumes you pay the full term upfront.
- Upfront total: what actually leaves your account on day one. This is the number to budget for.
- Renewal price: what you pay after the promotional term. It is usually the standard annual or biennial rate.
- Refund window: how long you have to cancel and get your money back. Check whether the refund is full or prorated.
- Currency and tax: prices are usually quoted in USD or EUR before tax. Your bank may add a foreign transaction fee.
Methodology and sources
We recorded each provider's advertised price from its public pricing page or checkout on 31 October 2026. Where a provider quoted a promotional term with bonus months, we used the full term and the advertised monthly equivalent. Renewal rates come from the same checkout or the provider's published renewal terms. Upfront totals are the advertised first-term charge; where a provider did not publish an exact total, we calculated it from the monthly rate and term and marked it as calculated.
This is a price index, not a performance ranking. A cheap VPN can be a bad deal if it is slow, leaks data or has poor support. Pair this page with our benchmark data and tested rankings.
Sources: vendor pricing pages for NordVPN, ProtonVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, PIA, and Mullvad; cross-checked with published reviews where the vendor page rendered prices dynamically.
Download the data
The full index is available as a CSV for researchers and journalists. It includes provider, plan, intro price, upfront total, renewal rate, refund window, devices, servers and source URL.
Cite this index
VPN Security Blog. (2026, October 31). VPN Pricing Index 2026: What 7 Providers Actually Cost. https://vpnsecurity.blog/vpn-pricing-index/
@misc{vpnsecurity_pricing_2026, title = {VPN Pricing Index 2026: What 7 Providers Actually Cost}, author = {{VPN Security Blog}}, year = {2026}, month = {October}, url = {https://vpnsecurity.blog/vpn-pricing-index/}, note = {Data checked 31 October 2026} }
Changelog
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-31 | First edition published. Seven providers checked; median intro $2.99/month, median renewal $6.58/month. |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average VPN price in 2026?
The median introductory price across the seven providers in this index is $2.99/month. The median renewal price is $6.58/month. The average is skewed by Mullvad's flat €5 rate and NordVPN's high renewal.
Why do VPN prices increase after the first term?
The low monthly rate is a promotional acquisition price for the first term. At renewal, providers move you to their standard annual rate, which is usually much higher.
Which VPN is cheapest overall?
PIA is cheapest at $2.03/month, but it requires a 39-month upfront payment of $79. Surfshark and CyberGhost are $2.19/month on two-year plans with shorter commitments.
Is a longer VPN plan always better value?
Only if you will use it for the full term. A three-year plan that you cancel after six months is worse value than a one-year plan. Match the term to your actual usage.
Are these prices guaranteed?
No. VPN prices change frequently with promotions, currency and region. Treat this index as a dated snapshot and confirm the current price at checkout.
Chart: intro price vs renewal price
The gap between the first invoice and the renewal is the real cost of a VPN.
Embed this chart with a link to the pricing index.
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Estimate the first-term and renewal cost. Prices are the dated figures in the index above.
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Keep reading
- Best VPN 2026 - performance rankings to pair with these prices.
- Best Cheap VPN - the best budget picks and renewal traps.
- VPN Free Trials - free tiers and refund windows.
- VPN Benchmark Matrix - speed, audits and server data.
- NordVPN vs ProtonVPN - the two premium picks compared.
- VPN Black Friday Deals 2026 - the current deals, checked at checkout.