That "$2 a month" headline is a 2 to 3 year prepay that renews two to six times higher. This ranks VPNs by real cost and shows the facts reviews skip: independently audited no-logs, which actually unblock streaming, device limits and jurisdiction.
Indicative USD pricing; intro is the effective monthly on the best long plan, renewal is what it becomes. Deals change, confirm on the provider.
| $/mo intro ▲ | VPN | Renews at | Audited no-logs | Streaming | Devices | Countries | Jurisdiction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN intro 3.39, renews 12.99, countries 60, dev 10, nologs yes, stream yes Visit → | ||||||||
| Surfshark intro 2.19, renews 15.45, countries 100, dev 999, nologs yes, stream yes Visit → | ||||||||
| ExpressVPN intro 4.99, renews 12.95, countries 105, dev 8, nologs yes, stream yes Visit → | ||||||||
| Proton VPN intro 4.49, renews 9.99, countries 110, dev 10, nologs yes, stream yes Visit → | ||||||||
| Mullvad intro 5.50, renews 5.50, countries 45, dev 5, nologs yes, p2p yes Visit → | ||||||||
| Private Internet Access intro 2.03, renews 11.95, countries 91, dev 999, nologs yes, stream yes Visit → | ||||||||
| CyberGhost intro 2.19, renews 12.99, countries 100, dev 7, stream yes, p2p yes Visit → | ||||||||
| IVPN intro 6.00, renews 6.00, countries 37, dev 999, nologs yes, p2p yes Visit → | ||||||||
| Windscribe intro 5.75, renews 9.00, countries 69, dev 999, stream yes, p2p yes Visit → | ||||||||
| PrivadoVPN intro 1.99, renews 10.99, countries 63, dev 10, stream yes, p2p yes Visit → | ||||||||
| TunnelBear intro 3.33, renews 9.99, countries 47, dev 999, nologs yes, juris Canada (5) Visit → | ||||||||
| hide.me intro 2.59, renews 9.95, countries 90, dev 10, nologs yes, stream yes Visit → | ||||||||
| PureVPN intro 2.11, renews 10.95, countries 70, dev 10, nologs yes, stream yes Visit → | ||||||||
| VyprVPN intro 5.00, renews 10.00, countries 60, dev 5, nologs yes, stream yes Visit → | ||||||||
| Norton Secure VPN intro 3.33, renews 7.49, countries 30, dev 10, p2p yes, juris USA (5) Visit → | ||||||||
| StrongVPN intro 3.66, renews 10.99, countries 35, dev 12, stream yes, p2p yes Visit → | ||||||||
| ZoogVPN intro 1.87, renews 9.99, countries 50, dev 5, stream yes, p2p yes Visit → | ||||||||
| FastestVPN intro 1.11, renews 10.00, countries 60, dev 10, stream yes, p2p yes Visit → | ||||||||
| AdGuard VPN intro 2.99, renews 11.99, countries 70, dev 10, stream yes, p2p yes Visit → | ||||||||
| Kaspersky VPN intro 2.99, renews 4.99, countries 50, dev 999, stream yes, p2p yes Visit → | ||||||||
| Bitdefender VPN intro 3.33, renews 6.99, countries 50, dev 10, stream yes, p2p yes Visit → | ||||||||
On the intro, Surfshark, CyberGhost and PIA are ~$2/mo, but that's a 2-3yr prepay that renews far higher. The honest cheap option is flat-rate Mullvad (€5/mo, never jumps). Sort by renewal price for the real long-term cost.
A third party (Deloitte, PwC, Cure53, Securitas) actually verified the VPN keeps no logs, versus just claiming it. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Proton, Mullvad and PIA have proven no-logs by audit or in court. This table flags them.
NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark and Proton reliably unblock Netflix, Disney+, iPlayer and more. Privacy-first Mullvad does less streaming work. Unblocking changes often, so the money-back guarantee lets you test.
If you have lots of gadgets, yes. Most allow 5-10; Surfshark, PIA and IVPN are unlimited. Or install on your router to cover everything as one device.