Best VPN for your needs: five paid VPNs matched to your devices

The short answer: match the VPN to your devices

No VPN is the best choice for every household. On this five-provider shortlist, Surfshark and Private Internet Access (PIA) suit homes with more than 10 devices connected at once, and both document app routing on current Macs. PIA is the one to examine for Linux app rules, NordVPN and PrivateVPN can close selected Windows programs, Surfshark can exclude websites on an iPhone, and PureVPN documents app routing on Android TV and Fire TV. PIA also asks for the smallest bill today: $46.54 for 26 months.

The shortlist covers NordVPN, Surfshark, PIA, PureVPN and PrivateVPN, the five paid providers The VPN Deal covers. It’s a selected shortlist, not a ranking of every VPN on the market. The picks come from each provider’s current documentation and from USD quotes checked on 13 October 2026.

We haven’t run speed, leak, streaming or hands-on app tests for this website, so you won’t find a score, a “fastest VPN” label or a promise about a streaming library here. Those claims need evidence that a feature page or an affiliate offer can’t provide. Start with your own list instead: the devices you use, how many will be connected at the same time, and any app or website that has to bypass the VPN. Then compare what you pay today with what the plan renews at.

Private Internet Access

VPN plan · unlimited devices

Today

$46.54 for 26 months $1.79/mo equivalent

Then

Renews yearly amount not shown on the deal page; confirm it at checkout

Get the PIA deal (affiliate link)

Opens PIA’s site · 30-day refund policy; eligibility and purchase-channel rules apply

Unlimited simultaneous devices, desktop app routing on Windows, Mac and Linux, and additional DNS controls on Windows and Linux.

Documented fit: App routing on Windows, Mac and Linux · DNS controls on Windows and Linux

PIA offer details · PIA review · All PIA guides

PureVPN

Standard plan · up to 10 devices

Today

$58.20 for 27 months $2.16/mo equivalent

Then

$47.95 every year

Get the PureVPN deal (affiliate link)

Opens PureVPN’s site · 31-day money-back guarantee on eligible first purchases

A 10-device subscription with desktop, mobile, TV and Linux apps. App split tunneling covers Windows and Android-based devices; port forwarding and dedicated IPs are paid add-ons.

Documented fit: Include or exclude apps on Android, Android TV and Fire TV · Port forwarding and dedicated IP add-ons

PureVPN offer details · PureVPN review · All PureVPN guides

Surfshark

Starter plan · unlimited devices

Today

$67.23 for 27 months $2.49/mo equivalent

Then

$79.00 every year

Get the Surfshark deal (affiliate link)

Opens Surfshark’s site · 30-day money-back guarantee on eligible first purchases

One subscription for unlimited simultaneous devices. Bypasser includes Mac app routing and iOS website exclusions, with platform limits.

Documented fit: Mac app routing with Bypasser · Website exclusions on iPhone

Surfshark offer details · Surfshark review · All Surfshark guides

PrivateVPN

36-month plan · up to 10 devices

Today

$72.00 for 36 months $2.00/mo equivalent

Then

$72.00 every year

Get the PrivateVPN deal (affiliate link)

Opens PrivateVPN’s site · 30-day money-back guarantee for new customers; terms apply

A 10-device subscription with Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone and Fire TV apps. Port forwarding and Stealth VPN are included; split tunneling is not built into its apps.

Documented fit: Port forwarding on selected servers · Stealth VPN in the Windows, Mac, Android and iOS apps

PrivateVPN offer details · PrivateVPN review · All PrivateVPN guides

NordVPN

Basic plan · up to 10 devices

Today

$94.23 for 27 months $3.49/mo equivalent

Then

$139.08 every year

Get the NordVPN deal (affiliate link)

Opens NordVPN’s site · 30-day money-back guarantee on eligible first purchases

A 10-device subscription with desktop, mobile and TV apps. Check the operating system before choosing split tunneling or a kill switch.

Documented fit: Windows app kill switch · App split tunneling on Windows and Android

NordVPN offer details · NordVPN review · All NordVPN guides

USD quotes checked 13 October 2026, before applicable tax. Currency, campaign and checkout prices can vary. Monthly rates are equivalents of upfront payments. How pricing works.

Picks by specific need

These are fit assessments drawn from documentation, not proof that one service performs better. Check current app requirements and the checkout before paying. One conflict matters for iPhone users: PIA’s iOS settings guide lists no split-tunneling control, while a PIA blog post describes per-app settings on iOS. We treat PIA’s iPhone app splitting as unverified and don’t recommend it on the assumption that the feature works.

NordVPN: Windows app controls on 10 devices

NordVPN documents up to 10 simultaneous devices and apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad, Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV. Examine it if you need its Windows controls: the Internet Kill Switch blocks connectivity, and the App Kill Switch closes programs you select. App split tunneling is documented on Windows, Android and Android TV, while Linux gets a port and subnet Allowlist. NordVPN documents no app splitting on a Mac or iPhone, and it says its Internet Kill Switch takes priority over split tunneling, so it can block traffic you meant to exclude.

Basic costs $94.23 paid upfront for 27 months, two years plus three months, before tax. That works out to $94.23 ÷ 27 = $3.49 a month as an equivalent. It renews at $139.08 a year, so keeping it through one renewal costs $233.31 for 39 months. That’s the largest first bill and the highest published renewal of the five.

Get the NordVPN deal (affiliate link), or read the NordVPN offer guide, the NordVPN review and all NordVPN guides.

Surfshark: unlimited devices and Bypasser on Mac and iPhone

Surfshark documents unlimited simultaneous devices, which takes the device count out of the decision for a busy household. Its Bypasser routes apps and websites around the VPN on Windows, Android and supported Macs. On an iPhone it excludes websites but not whole apps, and Linux isn’t on its Bypasser list. On a Mac, Bypasser needs a system extension approved and doesn’t support Big Sur, and Surfshark’s current Mac setup guide requires macOS 12 or later.

Starter costs $67.23 upfront for 27 months: $67.23 ÷ 27 = $2.49 a month as an equivalent. Surfshark’s renewal table lists $79.00 for each following year, before tax, and notes that the displayed renewal prices may be subject to testing. Keeping it through one renewal costs $146.23 for 39 months.

Get the Surfshark deal (affiliate link), or read the Surfshark offer guide, the Surfshark review and all Surfshark guides.

PIA: desktop app rules and the smallest first bill

Private Internet Access documents unlimited simultaneous devices and app rules in its Windows, macOS and Linux apps. A rule can send an app around the VPN or let it go online only through the VPN, and on Windows and Linux, DNS can follow those rules. A current Mac needs the PIA Split Tunnel network extension approved first. Android has per-app settings, and PIA documents port forwarding in supported locations. iPhone app splitting stays unverified for the reason given above.

The deal behind our button costs $46.54 for 26 months, two years plus two months: $46.54 ÷ 26 = $1.79 a month as an equivalent. That’s the smallest upfront bill and the lowest equivalent on this shortlist. The deal page says the plan renews yearly but doesn’t print the amount, so read the renewal line at checkout before you count PIA as the cheapest over several years.

Get the PIA deal (affiliate link), or read the PIA offer guide, the PIA review and all PIA guides.

PureVPN: TV-device app routing and the lowest published renewal

PureVPN documents up to 10 simultaneous devices and apps for desktop, mobile, TV and Linux. Examine it for app routing on Android phones, Android TV and Fire TV, where you can keep chosen apps off the VPN or send only chosen apps through it. On Windows, the apps you add are the ones that use the VPN. PureVPN documents no split tunneling on a Mac, iPhone or Linux. Its Internet Kill Switch is documented on Windows, macOS and its Linux GUI app for connection drops, while on Android PureVPN points to the system’s Always-on VPN setting. Port forwarding and dedicated IPs are paid add-ons, so either one adds to the bill.

Standard costs $58.20 upfront for 27 months. PureVPN advertises $2.15 a month, but $58.20 ÷ 27 = $2.1556, which rounds to $2.16; PureVPN cuts off the extra digits instead of rounding. It renews at $47.95 a year, the lowest published renewal here, so keeping it through one renewal costs $106.15 for 39 months.

Get the PureVPN deal (affiliate link), or read the PureVPN offer guide, the PureVPN review and all PureVPN guides.

PrivateVPN: port forwarding included, 36 months upfront

PrivateVPN documents up to 10 simultaneous devices and apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone and Fire TV. Examine it if you want port forwarding without paying for an add-on: PrivateVPN includes it on selected servers. On Windows, its Application Guard closes selected programs if the VPN connection is lost. Its apps have no split tunneling, only manual WireGuard and OpenVPN routing guides, and there’s no Linux app; the Linux kill switch is a manual script. On an iPhone there’s no kill-switch toggle, and PrivateVPN says the IKEv2 protocol has one built in.

The plan costs $72.00 upfront for 36 months, sold as 12 months plus 24 months extra: $72.00 ÷ 36 = $2.00 a month as an equivalent. Its plan card says it’s then billed $72.00 every 12 months, so keeping it through one renewal costs $144.00 for 48 months. PrivateVPN’s terms exclude renewals, crypto payments, App Store purchases and orders under USD 45 from its 30-day guarantee; the $72.00 plan is above that threshold.

Get the PrivateVPN deal (affiliate link), or read the PrivateVPN offer guide, the PrivateVPN review and all PrivateVPN guides.

Compare documented settings side by side

Selected plans and documented features; checked 13 October 2026

Compare
Selected plan	Basic	Starter	VPN	Standard	36-month
Initial payment · USD	$94.23	$67.23	$46.54	$58.20	$72.00
Initial months	27	27	26	27	36
Monthly equivalent	$3.49 (upfront plan)	$2.49 (upfront plan)	$1.79 (upfront plan)	$2.16 (upfront plan)	$2.00 (upfront plan)
Quoted renewal	$139.08 / 12 months	$79.00 / 12 months	Annual; check current table	$47.95 / 12 months	$72.00 / 12 months
Simultaneous devices	10	Unlimited	Unlimited	10	10
Split tunneling	Windows, Android and Android TV app rules; Linux port/subnet Allowlist. No documented Mac or iOS app splitting.	Windows, Android and supported macOS apps/sites. iOS websites only; Linux Bypasser not listed.	Windows, macOS and Linux app rules; Android per-app settings. iOS app splitting is unverified.	Windows app rules; include or exclude apps on Android, Android TV and Fire TV. No documented Mac, iPhone or Linux split tunneling.	No split tunneling in the PrivateVPN apps. Manual WireGuard or OpenVPN routing guides only.
Refund policy	30-day initial-purchase guarantee, with eligibility and purchase-channel conditions.	30-day initial-purchase guarantee; renewal payments are excluded under the stated policy.	30-day refund policy; current terms include initial purchases and renewals, subject to eligibility.	31-day initial-purchase guarantee; renewals, trial conversions, crypto and app-store purchases are excluded.	30-day guarantee for new customers; the terms exclude renewals, crypto, App Store payments and orders under USD 45.
Details	NordVPN review Offer and sources	Surfshark review Offer and sources	PIA review Offer and sources	PureVPN review Offer and sources	PrivateVPN review Offer and sources

USD quotes checked 13 October 2026, before applicable tax. Currency, campaign and checkout prices can vary. Monthly rates are equivalents of upfront payments. How pricing works.

A check mark beside “kill switch” hides real differences. PIA’s Advanced Kill Switch blocks traffic even when you’ve turned the VPN off, while PureVPN documents its Internet Kill Switch only for connection drops and doesn’t say what happens after a manual disconnect. NordVPN’s App Kill Switch and PrivateVPN’s Application Guard close programs rather than block the network. Read the kill-switch guide and the provider’s instructions for your operating system.

Split tunneling changes with the operating system too. Apps, websites, ports and subnets are different rule types, and PureVPN’s Windows rules work the opposite way to an exclusion list: the apps you list are the ones routed through the VPN. Traffic that bypasses the VPN doesn’t get the tunnel’s protection, even when HTTPS still encrypts a website’s content. The split-tunneling guide explains the rule types and the DNS complications.

Checks before you buy

1. Confirm the app runs on your operating system and has the setting you need there, not only on another platform.
2. Read the full upfront payment, the months it covers, the currency and any tax added at checkout. Check optional add-ons separately.
3. Note the renewal amount. All five long-term plans renew for 12 months at a time, and the bonus months don’t repeat.
4. Read the refund policy for the way you pay. App-store purchases follow different rules, and canceling auto-renewal is separate from asking for a refund.
5. Set up the VPN on your own devices while the refund window is open. A provider’s feature page isn’t an independent test result.

Head-to-head comparisons

When two providers are left, a direct comparison goes deeper: NordVPN vs Surfshark, NordVPN vs PIA, Surfshark vs PIA, NordVPN vs PureVPN, NordVPN vs PrivateVPN and Surfshark vs PureVPN. If cost decides it, the cheap VPN comparison works through every bill and renewal, and the VPN pricing guide explains the arithmetic.

Common questions

Which VPN is the best overall?

None of the five wins for every setup, and we haven’t run the performance tests a single verdict would need. Choose by your devices, the routing you need and the bill. For example, Surfshark or PIA suit many active devices, PIA suits Linux app rules, and PureVPN suits Fire TV app routing.

Which of these VPNs is the cheapest?

It depends on the measure. PIA has the smallest upfront bill, $46.54, and the lowest monthly equivalent, $1.79, but its deal page doesn’t show the renewal amount. PureVPN has the lowest published renewal at $47.95 a year.

Which VPN covers the most devices at once?

Surfshark and PIA document unlimited simultaneous devices, while NordVPN, PureVPN and PrivateVPN allow 10. Count the devices connected at the same time, not every device you own.

Is the monthly price what I pay each month?

No. Each long-term deal here is paid upfront for the whole first term, and the monthly figure is that bill divided by its months. NordVPN, for example, collects $94.23 at checkout, which is $3.49 a month over 27 months.