Let me be honest with you about VPN deals before we get to them. The giant “76% off” banners are mostly theater. That percentage is measured against a monthly price almost nobody pays, and the cheap rate you see is for a two or three-year commitment that quietly renews higher later. None of that makes the deals bad. The long-term prices really are low, and every provider here gives you a money-back window long enough to test the thing properly. It just means you should read the offer, not the banner.
So here are the deals I think are actually worth taking right now, what each one really costs, and how long you have to get a refund if it is not for you. Prices are for the longest plan, billed upfront, which is where the real savings live.
NordVPN
The one I point most people to first, and the deal holds up. The two-year plan lands at roughly $3 a month for the core tier, with the pricier tiers adding Threat Protection and other extras. It is fast, it unblocks just about everything, and its no-logs policy has been independently audited more than once. You get 30 days to change your mind, which is plenty of time to put it through a real week of use. For the full picture, read my NordVPN review.
Surfshark
The best value in the lineup, and the deal is the reason. The two-year Starter plan comes in around $2 a month, sometimes a touch less when they tack on a few free months, and the headline feature is unlimited simultaneous connections. One subscription covers every device you and your family own, with no per-seat math. The money-back guarantee runs 30 days. If you are price-sensitive or kitting out a whole household, this is the one I would buy.
ExpressVPN
The premium pick. On the long plan it works out to roughly $2.50 a month for the base tier, usually with a few extra months thrown in, against a monthly price that is genuinely steep if you pay month to month. What you are buying is polish: it is fast, the apps are the easiest in the business, and it is one of the more reliable options in places that try hard to block VPNs. The refund window is 30 days. Worth grabbing while the extra-months promo is live.
FastestVPN
This one is on the list for a single reason: the lifetime deal. You pay once, somewhere around $30 depending on which seller is running the offer, and you are done with renewals forever, with coverage for up to 15 devices. Despite the name, it is not the fastest VPN I have used, so go in understanding you are buying value and simplicity rather than raw speed. The money-back window is shorter here at 15 days, so test it promptly. For a set-it-and-forget-it second VPN, the math is hard to argue with.
CyberGhost
Good for streaming, friendly for beginners, and home to the most generous refund policy here. The long plan drops to around $2 a month, and the money-back guarantee runs a full 45 days, the longest of any provider on this page. One catch worth knowing: that 45-day window only applies to the six-month-and-longer plans. The short plans get 14 days. Pick the long plan and you have a month and a half to decide.
Private Internet Access
The pick for people who care about privacy and like to verify things for themselves. The three-year plan comes in around $2 a month, the apps are fully open-source, and the no-logs policy has been independently audited and tested in court. You get 30 days to get your money back. If transparency is what you are shopping for, PIA earns its place.
ProtonVPN
The one with a free tier that is actually worth using. The free plan costs nothing, asks for no card, and gives you unlimited data on a limited set of servers, which is rare and genuinely useful. If you want the full thing, the Plus plan runs about $3 a month on the two-year term. It is Swiss-based, open-source, and the provider I trust most on privacy principle. Paid plans come with a 30-day guarantee. Start free, upgrade only if you need the speed and server choice.
How to read a VPN “discount”
A few habits will keep you from overpaying or getting surprised at renewal:
- Ignore the percentage. Look at the actual monthly cost and the total you are charged upfront. That total is what leaves your account today.
- Check the renewal price, not just the intro price. The cheap rate is almost always for the first term only, and the renewal is higher.
- The savings come from committing to two or three years. If you only want a VPN for a month or two, the long-term “deal” is not a deal for you, and a monthly plan or a free tier makes more sense.
- Use the money-back window as a free trial. Buy the long plan, test it hard for a week, and request a refund if it does not deliver. Every provider below honors this.
Money-back guarantee by provider
This is your real safety net, so here is the window for every provider I cover. Treat it as the trial period it effectively is.
| Provider | Money-back window |
|---|---|
| CyberGhost | 45 days (on 6-month+ plans) |
| PureVPN | 31 days |
| NordVPN | 30 days |
| ExpressVPN | 30 days |
| Surfshark | 30 days |
| Private Internet Access | 30 days |
| IPVanish | 30 days |
| ProtonVPN | 30 days |
| StrongVPN | 30 days |
| SpiderVPN | 30 days |
| FastestVPN | 15 days |
Still weighing your options? The best VPN lists rank these against each other, and the reviews tell you what each one is actually like to live with before you commit a single dollar.