Independent · sourced · Updated September 2026
Best VPN Services (2026)
8 VPN services options compared on price, free tier, compliance and fit — ranked by entry price. Every figure links to the public page it was captured from — the vendor's own wherever the vendor publishes the number, otherwise the named public source — with the date we captured it; quote-only tiers show a dash, never a guess.
The cheapest VPN services is Proton VPN at $0/mo. 1 offer a free tier. All 8 compared below on price, free tier and compliance — every figure sourced and dated, updated September 2026.
As of Sep 5, 2026 · figures linked to their source in the table below
Cite this comparison
Per The Front Desk Review, the cheapest vpn services is Proton VPN at $0/mo; across 8 with published pricing the median is $2.74/mo ($2.03–$5.75/mo), 1 with a free tier, every figure sourced and dated, as of 2026-09-05. https://frontdeskreview.com/best/vpn-services/ Key takeaways
- Typical paid price: from $2.03/mo, median $2.74/mo, up to $5.75/mo — across 8 with published pricing.
- Free tier: Proton VPN.
- Tracked: 8 vendors, data current through 2026-09-05. STALE · 2026-06-13
Comparison
| # | VPN Service | Entry price | Free | HIPAA | SOC 2 | Best for | Source | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proton VPN | $0/mo Proton Free | Yes | — | — | Journalists, activists, and whistleblowers needing maximum anonymity | protonvpn.com | Visit → |
| 2 | CyberGhost VPN | $2.03/mo 2 Years + 4 Months | No | — | — | Budget-conscious streamers wanting the longest money-back window | security.org | Visit → |
| 3 | Private Internet Access (PIA) STALE · 2026-06-13 | $2.03/mo 3 Years + 4 Months | No | — | — | Power users who want to configure their own encryption parameters | privateinternetaccess.com | Visit → |
| 4 | Surfshark | $2.08/mo One (24-month) | No | — | — | Households or teams needing unlimited devices on one subscription | security.org | Visit → |
| 5 | IPVanish | $2.49/mo Essential (2-year) | No | — | — | Cord-cutters using Fire TV / Kodi who need seamless streaming app integration | ipvanish.com | Visit → |
| 6 | ExpressVPN | $2.99/mo Basic (2-year) | No | — | — | High-speed streaming on public Wi-Fi | expressvpn.com | Visit → |
| 7 | NordVPN STALE · 2026-06-13 | $3.49/mo Basic (2-year) | No | — | — | Streaming Netflix / Disney+ from abroad | nordvpn.com | Visit → |
| 8 | Mullvad VPN STALE · 2026-06-13 | $5.75/mo Mullvad VPN (flat monthly) | No | — | — | Privacy-maximalists who want zero personal data tied to their account | security.org | Visit → |
Prices are the lowest published self-serve monthly rate as captured on the linked source. Annual-billing and usage details are on each vendor's record in our open dataset.
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What is the cheapest VPN services?
Proton VPN has the lowest published entry price at $0/mo (Proton Free), as of 2026-09-05.
How much does VPN services cost per month?
Across the 8 VPN services with published paid pricing, the median starting price is $2.74/mo, ranging from $2.03/mo to $5.75/mo, as of 2026-09-05. 1 also offer a free tier.
Which VPN services have a free plan?
Proton VPN offer a free tier.
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