Monthly subscriptions to VPNs can be expensive, but they’re usually a good way of finding out if the service you’ve bought is right for you. You can easily test all the features, see what streaming platforms work, and whether the UI resonates with you.
Almost all VPNs have a 30-day money-back guarantee and a free 7-day trial version so you can test them before making any big commitment.
The cheapest monthly VPN shouldn’t just be easy on your wallet, but also be able to provide adequate security. After careful testing and researching, we’ve come up with a list of some of the best VPNs that have inexpensive monthly plans and offer decent services.
Top 5 best cheap monthly VPNs
- Private Internet Access – The best monthly VPN in 2023
- ExpressVPN – Powerful VPN with a cheap single-month plan
- Surfshark – Cheap month-to-month VPN for families
- NordVPN – Secure VPN with an affordable monthly subscription
- CyberGhost – Inexpensive monthly VPN with streaming-optimized servers
We tested a variety of VPNs before finalizing our list. Some of the things we took into consideration during the testing process included:
- Price – How much the monthly packages cost.
- Security features – What features the VPNs provide.
- Speed – How fast the VPNs are.
- No-log policy – What sort of information the VPNs record.
- Trials and money-back guarantee – Whether the VPNs have a free trial version and money-back guarantee.
The best VPNs with cheapest monthly plan
Using a VPN is necessary if you want to protect your online data. Before you spend any money on yearly plans, it’s better to test the service by subscribing to a monthly one. Here are the top 7 cheapest monthly VPNs:
1. Private Internet Access – The cheapest monthly VPN in 2023
- Monthly plan gives you 10 simultaneous connections
- Cheap monthly VPN that has native apps for most platforms
- Advanced security features are included in the monthly plan
- Based in the USA (5 Eyes member)
Private Internet Access is the cheapest monthly VPN that comes with all the security features you need to protect your online traffic. Priced at $11.95 per month, the monthly plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and you can also avail a free 7-day trial version.
| Monthly plan cost | $11.95 per month |
| Location | Colorado, USA |
| Number of servers | 10,000+ in 84 countries |
It has native applications for almost all major platforms and 10 simultaneous connections. All of its apps allow you to choose between multiple protocols, including WireGuard and OpenVPN.
Private Internet Access has multiple protocols.
With military-grade encryption, a kill switch, split tunneling (except the iOS version), and DNS leak protection, it’ll be virtually impossible for any third party to decipher your encrypted online traffic. Feel free to check out our detailed review of PIA to learn more about its features.
PIA also has a 3-year plan that costs $2.03 per month in case you want to upgrade, but if you’re not ready to make that leap, the monthly plan should suit you just fine.
2. ExpressVPN – Fast and secure VPN with an affordable monthly plan
- Monthly plan gives you access to Lightway
- Threat Manager is included in the monthly plan
- You can use the monthly plan on 5 devices simultaneously
- User-friendly UI
- Trial version is only for iOS and Android
ExpressVPN is usually considered expensive, but its monthly plan is surprisingly cheaper than other VPNs’. For $12.95 per month, you get access to all the features the VPN is known for, including its proprietary protocol Lightway.
| Monthly plan cost | $12.95 per month |
| Location | British Virgin Islands |
| Number of servers | 3000+ in 94 countries |
It has 5 simultaneous connections, so you can easily try it out on multiple platforms to see if it’s right for you.
Other features included in ExpressVPN’s monthly plan are a kill switch, split tunneling, DNS leak protection, and a tracker blocker called Threat Manager.
ExpressVPN’s Threat Manager.
It has a free 7-day trial version, but it’s only available on Android and iOS. All of its plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. Surfshark – Cheap monthly VPN with unlimited simultaneous connections
- Monthly plan has unlimited simultaneous connections
- Lots of bonus features included in the monthly plan
- Free 7-day trial version for Android, iOS, and macOS
- Company is located in the Netherlands (a 14 Eyes member)
Surfshark’s monthly plan costs the same as ExpressVPN’s, $12.95 per month, but it has a wide variety of security features and unlimited simultaneous connections. Why is it placed below it then? That’s because it’s slightly slower and not as user-friendly. Despite that, it’s an excellent service that provides top-notch security.
| Monthly plan cost | $12.95 per month |
| Location | The Netherlands |
| Number of servers | 3200+ in 100 countries |
The monthly plan has a 30-day money-back guarantee and also a 7-day trial version for Android, iOS, and macOS. It includes many bonus features like an ad blocker, NoBorders mode, and Multi-Hop servers.
With the help of NoBorders mode, you can use Surfshark in China.
It’s one of the best VPNs for families and large companies because it has unlimited simultaneous connections.
In case you can’t decide what to get, we recommend you check out our comparison review of Surfshark and ExpressVPN.
You can test it on every single device you have before you upgrade to the yearly or bi-yearly plans, which cost $3.99/month and $2.49/month, respectively.
4. NordVPN – Monthly VPN with multiple advanced security features
- Monthly plan comes with a multitude of bonus security features
- NordLynx protocol can be used on the monthly plan
- Monthly subscription includes Onion over VPN servers
- Trial version is only for Android
NordVPN is a bit like Surfshark, but it comes with more bonus features at a slightly higher price. For $12.99 per month, you get Double VPN servers, 6 simultaneous connections, Onion over VPN servers, and an ad and tracker blocker. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
| Monthly plan cost | $12.99 per month |
| Location | Panama |
| Number of servers | 5000+ in 59 countries |
The only downside is that the free 7-day trial version is limited to Android devices. If you can look past that, though, then you’ll get a VPN that comes with some of the best features on the market.
NordVPN has some of the most advanced security features in the VPN industry.
All of its 5000+ servers run on RAM and it uses an improved version of WireGuard tunneling protocol called NordLynx. It’s been externally audited by PwC.
If you feel satisfied with the monthly plan, you can upgrade to the bi-yearly plan which you can get for as low as $4.19 per month.
5. CyberGhost – Cheap VPN that comes with streaming and torrenting-optimized servers
- Streaming-optimized servers included in the monthly plan
- Monthly subscription gives you a 45-day money-back guarantee
- User-friendly UI makes it perfect for beginners
- Trial version doesn’t require credit card details
- Lacks many advanced security features
CyberGhost costs the same as NordVPN, but it doesn’t have as many features. It’s great for beginners who are more interested in watching geo-restricted content while also getting access to basic security features. Unlike other VPNs, CyberGhost’s monthly plan has a 45-day money-back guarantee.
| Monthly plan cost | $12.99 per month |
| Location | Romania |
| Number of servers | 9000+ in 91 countries |
It has a free trial version for every platform and you can avail it without having to provide your credit card details. Don’t be dissuaded by its lack of bonus features, because you still get military-grade encryption and over 9000 RAM-based servers.
Many of its servers are optimized for streaming and torrenting. During the testing, we were easily able to unblock Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ using its streaming-dedicated servers.
CyberGhost’s streaming-optimized servers.
The bi-yearly plan is one of the cheapest on the market, costing only $2.19 per month.
6. IPVanish – Customizable VPN that has an inexpensive single-month plan
- WireGuard is included in the monthly package
- Can be used on all major platforms
- Provides a high degree of customization
- No kill switch on the iOS app
- No RAM-based servers
IPVanish is another cheap monthly VPN that has thousands of servers. It costs $11.99 per month and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The reason why it’s not among the top 5 cheapest monthly VPNs is because it doesn’t have any RAM-based servers and it’s located in a 5 Eyes country, making it less secure than VPNs like Private Internet Access and ExpressVPN.
| Monthly plan cost | $11.99 per month |
| Location | Orlando, Florida |
| Number of servers | 2000+ servers in 75 countries |
Nevertheless, it’s a great choice for those who like to tinker with their VPNs because it provides a lot of customization. It’s equipped with many security features like split tunneling, a kill switch, and Wireguard tunneling protocol.
IPVanish has highly customizable options which makes it great for advanced users.
The kill switch is noticeably absent in the iOS version, which is disappointing since it’s such an essential security feature.
Despite not having RAM-based servers, IPVanish is safe to use because its no-log policy has been externally audited.
Another reason IPVanish made the list is because it has unlimited simultaneous connections so you can test it on all your devices before switching to another plan.
Comparison of the cheapest monthly VPNs
As always, we’ve added a table below that highlights some of the main differences between the cheapest monthly VPNs.
|
Private Internet Access |
ExpressVPN |
Surfshark |
NordVPN |
CyberGhost |
IPVanish |
|
|
Monthly plan’s price |
$11.95 per month |
$12.95 per month |
$12.95 per month |
$12.99 per month |
$12.99 per month |
$11.99 per month |
|
Money-back guarantee |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
30 days |
45 days |
30 days |
|
Max devices |
10 |
5 |
Unlimited |
6 |
7 |
Unlimited |
|
Tracker/ad blocker |
Yes |
Yes, but only blocks trackers |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Kill switch |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
DNS leak protection |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
WireGuard |
Yes |
No (uses Lightway instead) |
Yes |
Yes (NordLynx) |
Yes |
Yes |
|
RAM-only servers |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Methodology: how we tested these VPNs
We tested over 20 VPNs to see which one has the best and cheapest monthly plan. Here are the things we considered while testing them:
- Price – Price was the most important factor, but we also wanted to make sure the VPN provides good value for money. There’s no point in a VPN being cheap if it’s not able to protect your data.
- Security features – The next thing we focused on was how useful the security features are. All the VPNs on our list have multiple advanced security features that enhance your privacy.
- Speed – Every VPN on the list has WireGuard (except ExpressVPN which uses Lightway), which is considered to be the fastest tunneling protocol. You can easily stream movies in HD and download torrents with these VPNs.
- No-log policy – A VPN that doesn't have a no-log policy can’t be trusted. All of the services on our list have had their policies audited by independent firms and the top 5 ones have RAM-based servers so there’s no way for them to record your data.
- Trials and money-back guarantee – The whole point of a monthly plan is so you can try out the VPN. Having a free trial version and a money-back guarantee can help with that. All the VPNs we’ve listed have a free 7-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How to subscribe to a 1 month VPN plan?
Getting a 1 month VPN plan is easy. Here’s how you can do it:
- Choose a VPN that you think is right for you.
- We recommend Private Internet Access because its monthly plan is cheap and has multiple security features.
- Pay for the subscription using your preferred payment method and install it on your device.
- Connect to a server.
- Your online traffic is now secure!
Why do I need a VPN for a month or two?
Getting a VPN for a month or two is a convenient way to try it out and see if you’re ready to commit for a longer period of time. Here are some other reasons why you might need one for a month:
- Testing multiple VPNs – If you’re confused about which VPN to get, you can buy multiple services and test all of them. Once you’ve figured out which one you like the most, you can get a refund for others and upgrade the one that suits you.
- Traveling purposes – If you’re traveling for only a month, you don’t have to buy a yearly subscription to a VPN. You could just get it for a month. This way, you can easily access content from back home and protect your online traffic when you’re connected to public Wi-Fi connections.
- Streaming geo-restricted content – Most people buy a VPN so they can stream movies and TV shows that aren’t available in their country. By getting a VPN for a month, you can change your IP address and watch movies and TV shows from other countries.
- Unblocking sites in restricted regions – A lot of the sites and apps we use everyday are blocked or restricted in countries like China and Russia. If you’re traveling to those countries for a month, you can get a VPN to not lose access to them.
Should I consider a long-term VPN subscription?
Yes, you should consider a long-term VPN subscription because it’s usually much cheaper than the monthly plan.
For example, Private Internet Access has a 3 year plan which only costs $2.03 per month.
The total amount that you have to pay for the entirety of the plan is $73.08. If you get the monthly plan, which costs $11.95, the total amount that you’d have to pay to remain subscribed for just a year would be $143.4!
Other VPNs have a similar pricing structure so their yearly plans tend to be cheaper than the monthly ones. With most VPN services, there’s no difference in the features that you get. In fact, it’s very likely that you’d get more features with yearly plans than monthly ones.
The only time it makes sense to buy a monthly subscription is when you’re traveling for a short period of time or when you want to test the service and see if you’re ready to switch to a long-term plan.
Bottom line
Getting a VPN for only a month is a great option for those who are traveling or just want to try the service out before committing to a long-term plan. Private Internet Access is the cheapest monthly VPN that provides excellent protection from cybersecurity threats.
Monthly packages of VPNs tend to be more expensive than yearly ones and there’s usually no difference between the features that you get with them.
It’s usually cheaper to get a yearly plan than a monthly one in the long run.
Once you’ve tried the VPN on all your devices and are satisfied with the service, we recommend upgrading to a long-term plan so you always stay protected.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, all VPNs have a monthly package. It’s usually the most expensive package of the VPN but it allows you to try out the service and see if it fits your needs so you can upgrade to a long-term plan. Private Internet Access’s monthly plan costs $11.95 per month.
Private Internet Access is the best VPN for a month since it’s cheap and has all the essential security features you need to keep your online traffic safe. It has RAM-based servers, WireGuard tunneling protocol, and advanced security features like split tunneling, an ad blocker, and a kill switch.
Private Internet Access’s monthly plan costs $11.95 per month. ExpressVPN’s cost $12.95 per month. NordVPN has multiple monthly plans but the cheapest one is priced at $12.99 per month.