VPN Pricing: What You Pay in Year One vs Year Two
Published · updated · 4 min read
Key takeaways
- Advertised VPN prices are almost always the two-year promo rate, not the renewal rate.
- NordVPN is about $12.99/mo monthly and roughly $4.49/mo on two-year terms.
- ExpressVPN is $12.95/mo monthly and around $6.67/mo billed annually.
- Mullvad charges a flat €5/month regardless of term, with no email required.
- Proton VPN is the only one here with a genuinely unlimited-data free tier.
The ranking at a glance
| # | Tool | Pricing | Twinover Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proton VPN | freemium | 8.9 |
| 2 | NordVPN | subscription | 8.8 |
| 3 | Mullvad | subscription | 8.7 |
| 4 | ExpressVPN | subscription | 8.6 |
Three prices per provider
Every mainstream VPN quotes three numbers: the monthly rate, the annual rate and the multi-year promo rate. The promo is the one in the advertisement, and it applies to the first term only. NordVPN and ExpressVPN both sit near $13/mo month-to-month and drop sharply on long terms.
- NordVPN: ~$12.99/mo monthly, ~$4.49/mo on two-year plans
- ExpressVPN: $12.95/mo monthly, ~$6.67/mo annually
- Mullvad: flat €5/mo, one price for everyone, no term required
The renewal jump
Long-term VPN plans are discounted to acquire you and renew at a much higher rate. That is the number to check before buying: two years of a promo rate followed by renewal at standard pricing is often more expensive than simply paying monthly for a shorter period. Set a calendar reminder for the renewal date, or pay for the term you actually intend to use.
Flat pricing exists, and it is a different philosophy
Mullvad charges €5 a month, one price, no tiers, and does not ask for an email or a name — you get an account number. It even accepts cash. That makes it the only provider here whose price cannot surprise you, and the reason its marketing looks nothing like the others'.
Free tiers are real, with a catch
Proton VPN's free plan has no data cap, which is rare and genuinely useful. The catch is that free servers sit in a handful of countries and are slower, so it is a privacy layer for browsing rather than a tool for unblocking services or working around regional limits.
What price actually buys
Above the free tier, the paid differences are server count and country spread, streaming reliability, simultaneous devices, and extras like ad-blocking or bundled password managers. Speed differences between major providers are small on a good day and large on a bad one, so a cheaper plan from a well-run network usually beats a pricier plan you cannot configure.
- Streaming unblocking is the feature most likely to fail on a cheap plan
- Router support protects devices a VPN app cannot cover, like consoles
- Device limits matter for households more than for individuals
How to compare them honestly
Ignore the headline rate. Ask two questions instead: what does this cost per month at renewal, and how long am I actually committing? A flat €5 with no contract and no email can be the cheapest option for someone who wants a VPN for a few months, even though it looks expensive next to a $4.49 promo.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is my VPN more expensive after the first term?
- The introductory rate applies only to the plan you buy upfront. At renewal, most providers switch to their standard monthly-equivalent price, which is often two or three times higher. Renewal dates are worth putting in a calendar.
- Which VPN is cheapest if I only want it for a few months?
- A flat-rate provider like Mullvad at €5/month avoids a long commitment entirely, so it is often the cheapest short-term choice even though its advertised rate looks higher than a two-year promo.
- Is a free VPN safe?
- Proton VPN's free tier is a genuine no-cap free plan from a provider with audited policies, so it is a reasonable choice. The risk sits with free VPNs that monetise by logging or selling data, which is why the provider's privacy record matters more than the price.
- Does a more expensive VPN mean better privacy?
- Not necessarily. Price mostly tracks marketing spend, server count and bundled extras. Privacy depends on jurisdiction, logging policy and independent audits, and the cheapest flat-rate provider here has one of the strongest records.