Price is an important consideration for most people for most purchases, including VPNs. When VPN prices vary wildly from provider to provider and generally range between $5 to $15 per month or anywhere from $40 to $100 or more per year, how do you know which VPN is actually good -- and worth the price?

What I've learned over the past decade testing and using VPNs is that, like with a lot of things, there isn't necessarily a direct correlation between a VPN's quality and its price. I've encountered several expensive, overpriced VPNs that turned out to be severely inadequate in virtually every possible way -- think buggy apps, slow speeds and poor privacy for upwards of $100 per year. On the other hand, some of the best VPNs on the planet deliver premium performance and innovative features at a refreshingly budget-friendly price. There are excellent VPNs for every budget, so you don't need to break the bank to get a premium-quality VPN service.

If you're looking to stretch your dollar, I'd recommend opting for a yearly subscription plan in most cases rather than going month-to-month because you'll usually enjoy greater savings in the long run. VPN companies typically offer a variety of subscription plan lengths -- most commonly monthly, yearly and two-year plans -- with the longest normally offering the most savings. I don't recommend signing on with any VPN provider for longer than a year at a time because of how quickly things tend to shift in the VPN industry. VPNs get bought and sold, terms of service may change, performance may fluctuate, features may come and go -- or your VPN service may cease to operate altogether.

The cheap VPNs I've highlighted on this page are all excellent, top-tier options that cater to a wide variety of use cases. Best of all, each one is supremely gentle on your pocketbook.