How much does a VPN cost?

The four numbers to collect

Before comparing a VPN offer, write down the first payment, months included, renewal payment and renewal interval. Add the currency and applicable tax. A page showing only “from $2.03 per month” cannot tell you the whole subscription cost.

A genuine monthly plan charges each month. A long-term plan usually collects its full initial payment at checkout and advertises that payment divided by the covered months. Both can be described with a monthly figure, but they create different bills and commitments.

The selected quotes on this site illustrate the difference. NordVPN Basic is quoted at $94.23 for 27 months, Surfshark Starter at $67.23 for 27 months, and PIA at $79 for 39 months, before applicable tax. Regional and affiliate offers can differ; those are documented USD quotes, not a live price feed.

USD quotes checked 12 October 2026, before applicable tax. Currency, campaign and checkout prices can vary. Monthly rates are equivalents of upfront payments. How pricing works.

Monthly equivalent versus the bill today

The initial equivalent is full initial payment ÷ included months. The NordVPN quote divides $94.23 by 27 to give $3.49. Surfshark’s $67.23 divided by 27 gives $2.49. PIA’s $79 divided by 39 is approximately $2.0256, displayed as $2.03.

The PIA example shows why you should calculate from the total rather than multiply a rounded rate. $2.03 × 39 is $79.17, while the quoted payment is $79. The difference is small, but the principle matters when comparing a receipt with a marketing line.

Upfront cash and monthly equivalent answer separate questions. Surfshark’s selected quote collects less today than PIA’s, while PIA’s longer first term has the lower equivalent. Choose which constraint actually applies to you instead of assuming the first provider in a rate-sorted table always costs you less.

Bonus months and commitment

A “two-year plus three months” term covers 27 initial months. If the same total were divided by 24 rather than 27, the monthly equivalent would be higher. The additional months improve the equivalent, but do not necessarily reduce the payment due today.

Bonus months often belong to the introductory term. PIA’s selected first term covers 39 months, while its quoted renewal interval is three years, or 36 months. Read the recurring line instead of assuming the initial three-month bonus repeats forever.

Also compare the months you expect to use. If a subscription costs $79 but you only use it for three months, its cost per month actually used is about $26.33. A shorter plan can cost less overall for that situation even with a higher advertised monthly rate.

Renewal is a new calculation

The renewal equivalent is renewal payment ÷ renewal months. NordVPN’s checked Basic renewal of $139.08 per year averages $11.59 per month. PIA’s quoted $79 three-year renewal averages approximately $2.19 per month.

Surfshark’s long-term plan renews annually at the applicable renewal price. We did not retrieve a reliable numeric renewal table value, so we leave that amount unfilled and link the provider’s current table. Substituting the $2.49 introductory figure would make the comparison misleading.

To compare the first term plus one renewal, add both payments and divide by all the months covered. The checked NordVPN figures give $233.31 across 39 months, approximately $5.98 per month before tax. This average is useful for planning but does not mean NordVPN bills $5.98 monthly: the payment schedule still contains two larger charges.

Calculate your own subscription quote

Enter the exact amounts shown in checkout, including tax and extras if you want to compare the final bill. The calculator does not fetch prices and does not assume a blank renewal amount is zero. Its combined figure covers the initial term and one renewal, not an indefinite subscription.

Taxes, currencies and add-ons

Providers can localize currency using location and payment information. The same-looking number in euros and dollars is not an interchangeable quote. Compare offers in a common currency only when you have a real conversion basis, and keep exchange fees or card charges separate if relevant.

Taxes may appear later in checkout. An initially advertised pre-tax total can differ from the amount collected. Optional dedicated IP, identity or security services can add their own payments and refund conditions, so review what is actually selected rather than comparing only the base VPN rate.

A discount percentage can also obscure the benchmark. A large “save” claim may compare a long-term promotion against repeated full monthly payments. It is less informative than the actual initial and recurring amounts for the term you intend to buy.

Renewal cancellation and refunds

If you want only the first term, follow the provider’s auto-renewal cancellation instructions after purchase and retain the confirmation. This normally preserves the access already paid for. Uninstalling the app does not cancel the subscription.

Refund requests are separate and depend on the provider’s terms and purchase channel. A 30-day initial-purchase guarantee does not automatically cover a later renewal or an app-store transaction. See the VPN refund guide before relying on a guarantee as a substitute for reading the bill.

A reusable buying checklist

1. Confirm the exact product and the settings you need on your operating system.
2. Write down the final first payment and the included months.
3. Read the recurring payment, billing interval and whether bonus months repeat.
4. Check tax, currency and any optional extras.
5. Compare the full payment with the period you expect to use.
6. Keep the receipt and renewal-cancellation confirmation if applicable.

Use the cheap VPN comparison for the selected quotes or compare by device features if cost is only one part of the decision.