Best VPN Deals: Enjoy Better Online Security From Just $2 a Month

The internet is a big old place filled with wonders and joy, but also filled with, well, the other stuff. If you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to stay safe, then a good VPN is a must. That’s why our team of experts has scoured the web for all of the best VPN deals on all of the best VPN services. This means you can get your hands on extra security for as little as $2 a month.
Best VPN deals
The VPNs in this first group have been tested and reviewed by CNET’s team of experts. We can broadly recommend them, with the caveats noted above. The fast-changing ownership landscape in the VPN market may continue to shake things up, but we’ll continue to update this list as we uncover more.
ExpressVPN: $5 a month for 28 months
Devices: Up to eight
Refund policy: Fully refundable for 30 days
Surfshark: $2 a month for 27 months
Devices: Unlimited
Refund policy: Fully refundable for 30 days
If you want a few more perks, you can try Surfshark One, which sets you back just under $3 a month or an upfront payment of $73. This gives you some added features, like a private search engine and 24/7 virus protection. In a similar deal, you can get Surfshark One Plus for less than $5 a month, with three months free for a 27-month subscription, billed at $116 upfront. You’ll get everything the other two packages offer, plus data removal from companies’ databases and people-search websites. Surfshark merged with rival NordVPN in 2022, although the companies have continued to operate independently.
NordVPN: $3 a month for 24 months and up to a year for free
Devices: Up to 10
Refund policy: Fully refundable for 30 days
Similar promos apply to the loftier plans in NordVPN’s lineup. The Complete plan is just over $5 per month and also comes with the free six months. The top-tier Prime plan is available for around $8 per month for 24 months, or $201 upfront. The Prime plan includes 1TB of cloud storage and cyber protection benefits for users in the US, among other bonuses, plus all of the aforementioned benefits. You’ll also get a full year free with this one. As we noted, NordVPN and Surfshark have merged but have continued to operate autonomously so far.
Proton VPN: $4 a month for 24 months
Devices: Up to 10
Refund policy: Fully refundable for 30 days
PIA VPN: $2 a month for 26 months
Devices: Unlimited
Refund policy: Fully refundable for 30 days
Despite its affordable price, PIA’s VPN tested fairly well. It offers AES 256-bit encryption as well as a kill switch function, and it boasts a respectable speed loss of just 24%. You also get 500GB of cloud storage with this deal. It’s worth noting that PIA does fall under US jurisdiction, which might be a concern if you’re a security-focused user, although the company appears to be doing everything in its power to alleviate those concerns, including making its source code openly available.
Norton VPN: $4 a month for 12 months
Norton might be a company better known for its antivirus software, but Norton Secure VPN is a solid option for those who want a way to keep their data private while browsing the internet. Right now, you can save 50% on its annual plan, which scores you 12 months of service for $50, or just over $4 per month.
IPVanish: $2 a month for 24 months
Devices: Unlimited
Refund policy: Fully refundable for 30 days
Additional VPN deals
We haven’t fully tested the following VPN. Because of that, we can only recommend it for casual use, such as bypassing geographic restrictions while streaming media.
Devices: Up to 10
Refund policy: Fully refundable for 31 days
PureVPN presents another affordable option if you’re in the market for a simple VPN without a big price tag. With a solid server fleet numbering over 6,500 in 78 countries, PureVPN promises reliable service, although we haven’t had the chance to verify that. Another disclaimer: PureVPN was reported by our sister site ZDNet as having provided timestamp-only logs to the FBI in a cyberstalking case in 2018. PureVPN has since stopped the timestamp logging practice and undergone a third-party audit to ensure that it keeps to its no-log policy.
It currently has a special offer on a five-year Standard plan, knocking it down to $115, or just $2 a month. That’s a super cheap plan for the long term if you’re certain PureVPN is the service for you. If you’re looker for a shorter commitment, two-year plans start at just $2 a month. Different service tiers are offering additional features like password management and up to 10 logins.
What is the best VPN deal right now?
If you’re on a budget, Surfshark is offering the best VPN deal right now. Starting at just $2 a month, it’s the most affordable of our top three VPN services (which also includes ExpressVPN and NordVPN), and there’s no limit on the number of devices you can use. It also comes with a few other services, such as an ad blocker and a masked email generator.
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How we evaluated these VPN deals
This list is almost exclusively focused on VPN services that have been tested and reviewed by our team of experts, as you don’t want to risk having your personal information leaked just to save a few bucks. Fortunately, almost all of our top-rated VPNs are offering some excellent deals right now. We’ve analyzed the discounts, subscription length, refund policy, internet speed loss, maximum number of devices allowed and what each service is best suited for to bring you the best offers available right now.
There are also a few factors you should be aware of when choosing one of these deals:
- Some of these offers have countdown clocks saying the VPN deals end today. These are usually marketing gimmicks that have no relationship to the deal’s actual end date.
- We’ll update sale prices when we notice a change, so check back often.
- The VPN industry has undergone significant changes in the past few years, with all three of our top VPN choices announcing major shifts in corporate ownership. In 2021, ExpressVPN announced that it had joined Kape Technologies, a company that already owns several other VPNs and has raised privacy concerns in the past.
- In February 2022, NordVPN and Surfshark announced they were merging, although they continue to operate autonomously. We’ve given ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark fresh reviews in light of these changes, and continue to evaluate other VPN services as well. Our rankings are subject to change, as they reflect our latest findings.
- Most of the offers below are for two-year or longer subscriptions, which is a long time to tie yourself to a service that could change ownership or terms of service, or even have a security incident. Though most services have a 30-day free cancellation policy, check the terms of service before signing up for a long-term commitment.