Best Budget VPN 2025 – Cheap VPNs That Don’t Compromise
You don’t need to spend $10/month for a good VPN. Here are the best budget VPNs that deliver premium features at affordable prices.
Quick Answer
Surfshark is the best budget VPN at $2.19/month. It offers unlimited device connections, strong security, reliable Netflix unblocking, and good speeds – all at an incredibly low price.
Best Budget VPNs – Ranked
1. Surfshark – Best Overall Budget VPN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.6/5
Price: $2.19/month (2-year plan)
What you get:
- UNLIMITED simultaneous devices
- 3,200+ servers in 100 countries
- Good speeds (430 Mbps on local servers)
- Reliably unblocks Netflix
- Strong security with audited no-logs policy
- CleanWeb blocks ads and trackers
- MultiHop (double VPN)
- NoBorders mode for restrictive countries
Best for: Families, budget-conscious users, anyone with multiple devices
2. NordVPN – Best Value Premium VPN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.8/5
Price: $3.39/month (2-year plan)
What you get:
- 10 simultaneous device connections
- 6,000+ servers in 111 countries
- Very fast speeds (465 Mbps)
- Excellent Netflix unblocking
- Double VPN and Onion over VPN
- Threat Protection included
- Audited no-logs policy
Best for: Users who want premium performance without premium prices
Price Comparison
| VPN | Monthly Cost | 2-Year Total | Devices | Servers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfshark | $2.19 | $59.13 | Unlimited | 3,200+ |
| NordVPN | $3.39 | $81.36 | 10 | 6,000+ |
| ExpressVPN | $6.67 | $160.08 | 8 | 3,000+ |
What Makes a Good Budget VPN?
A budget VPN should still deliver on the essentials:
- Strong Security: AES-256 encryption and no-logs policy
- Good Speeds: Fast enough for HD streaming and browsing
- Reliable Streaming: Unblocks Netflix and other services
- Decent Server Network: Enough locations for your needs
- Multiple Devices: Protect all your devices
Both Surfshark and NordVPN deliver all of these at affordable prices.
Surfshark vs NordVPN: Which Budget VPN?
Choose Surfshark if:
- You want the absolute lowest price ($2.19/month)
- You need unlimited device connections
- You have a large family sharing the VPN
- Budget is your primary concern
Choose NordVPN if:
- You want faster speeds (465 Mbps vs 430 Mbps)
- You want more servers (6,000+ vs 3,200+)
- You want advanced features like Threat Protection
- You can spend $1.20 more per month for better performance
Free VPNs: Why You Should Avoid Them
Free VPNs are tempting, but they come with serious problems:
- They sell your data: Free VPNs monetize by logging and selling your browsing data
- Terrible speeds: Slow servers overcrowded with users
- Data limits: Often capped at 500MB-2GB per month
- Don’t unblock Netflix: Streaming services block them
- Security risks: Some inject ads or contain malware
At $2.19/month for Surfshark, there’s no reason to risk a free VPN.
Money-Saving Tips
- Always choose the longest plan: 2-year plans are 60-70% cheaper than monthly
- Use money-back guarantees: Test before committing long-term
- Share with family: Split the cost among multiple users
- Watch for sales: Black Friday and Cyber Monday often have extra discounts
Final Recommendation
For budget VPNs, Surfshark at $2.19/month is unbeatable value with unlimited devices. If you can spend slightly more, NordVPN at $3.39/month delivers better performance and is still excellent value.
Both come with 30-day money-back guarantees, so you can try them risk-free!