VPN pricing is a bait shop. The $2.49 a month headline requires 2 years upfront, and when that term ends, NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN all renew at roughly 3x the intro rate, billed annually. Most comparison sites do not mention this because VPN affiliate commissions are among the richest on the internet. Ours are disclosed on every link, and the renewal price gets its own column.
For remote work specifically, the criteria are different from streaming: you need speed that survives video calls on hotel Wi-Fi, a kill switch that actually holds, split tunneling so your company tools stay off the VPN, and ideally a dedicated IP for services that allowlist addresses.
One more decoding note: in 2026 the big VPN brands barely advertise the VPN itself. The ads sell bundled antivirus and anti-phishing protection wrapped around a multi-year discount. Judge the bundle by the part you came for. The table below compares the VPNs themselves, and the renewal price after the promo term is still the number the ads leave out.
8.6/10StrongHow this score is built
The score is our own summary of the criteria this comparison publishes, weighted as the list below is ordered. It is not an average of user reviews, no vendor sees it before publication, and no vendor pays for it.
- 1.Prices pulled from official checkout pages in July 2026, in USD. Intro price, term length and documented renewal price are all listed; checkout promos fluctuate, so verify before buying.
- 2.Speed and reliability claims come from independent 2026 test data, not vendor benchmarks.
- 3.Ownership and audit history are treated as criteria: who owns the VPN matters as much as its feature list.
- 4.One tool on this page, Mullvad, has no affiliate program at all. We earn nothing when you choose it. It is here because leaving it out is how most VPN rankings quietly lie.
- 8.0 and up
- Strong. Wins its category on the criteria below, with a known trade-off.
- 7.0 and up
- Solid. Right answer for a specific reader, wrong one for others.
- 6.0 and up
- Adequate. Works, and something on this page does the same job better.
- under 6.0
- Weak. We would not buy it at this price.
The fastest of the big names, with the standard renewal trap.
- Price
- ~$3.09/mo↑$139.08/yron renewal×3.5
Basic: $12.99/mo monthly, about $3.09 to $3.39/mo on the 2-year deal. Renews at $139.08/yr (about $11.59/mo), billed annually even after a 2-year purchase.
- Free plan
- No
No free tier. 30-day money-back guarantee.
What holds up
- +NordLynx (WireGuard) is among the fastest in independent 2026 tests, and it holds up on video calls
- +Kill switch and split tunneling on all major platforms
- +Dedicated IP add-on (about $3.69/mo intro) for IP-allowlisted company tools
- +Repeated independent no-logs audits by Deloitte
Where it falls short
- −Renewal is about 3.5x the 2-year intro rate, and it bills annually whether you like it or not
- −Aggressive upsells into Plus, Complete and Prime bundles with antivirus and storage most people do not need
- −Marketing leans on fake-urgency countdown timers that reset forever
The rest of the readings
- Monthly plan
- $12.99
- 2-year deal
- Flagged: reading in your favour. ~$3.09/mo
- Devices
- 10
- Countries
- ~137
- Dedicated IP
- Flagged: reading in your favour. Yes, ~$3.69/mo
- Jurisdiction and audits
- Panama, Deloitte audits
Who this is for
It has the best speed, platform coverage and dedicated IP option for the money in year one.
Do not buy NordVPN if
- ·You will not set a reminder to renegotiate before renewal.
- ·You want one price forever. If auto-renewing at $139/yr would annoy you, buy Mullvad instead.
If that is you, buy Mullvad instead. It is ranked #4 on this page.
On the merits that matter to remote workers, speed, reliability, split tunneling, dedicated IPs, audits, NordVPN is the strongest package here. It is also a company whose pricing model depends on you forgetting when your term ends. Buy the 2-year deal, put the renewal date in your calendar, and it is excellent value. Forget, and you will fund the countdown timers.
ⓘAffiliate link.Affiliate link. NordVPN's programme accepted us on 6 August 2026, and it pays a share of your first term plus a smaller share of each renewal.
8.2/10StrongHow this score is built
The score is our own summary of the criteria this comparison publishes, weighted as the list below is ordered. It is not an average of user reviews, no vendor sees it before publication, and no vendor pays for it.
- 1.Prices pulled from official checkout pages in July 2026, in USD. Intro price, term length and documented renewal price are all listed; checkout promos fluctuate, so verify before buying.
- 2.Speed and reliability claims come from independent 2026 test data, not vendor benchmarks.
- 3.Ownership and audit history are treated as criteria: who owns the VPN matters as much as its feature list.
- 4.One tool on this page, Mullvad, has no affiliate program at all. We earn nothing when you choose it. It is here because leaving it out is how most VPN rankings quietly lie.
- 8.0 and up
- Strong. Wins its category on the criteria below, with a known trade-off.
- 7.0 and up
- Solid. Right answer for a specific reader, wrong one for others.
- 6.0 and up
- Adequate. Works, and something on this page does the same job better.
- under 6.0
- Weak. We would not buy it at this price.
Unlimited devices at the lowest intro price, same parent as Nord.
- Price
- ~$2.49/mo↑~$99/yron renewal×3.0
Starter: $15.45/mo monthly, about $2.49 to $2.79/mo on the 2-year deal. Renews at about $99/yr (about $8.25/mo).
- Free plan
- No
No free tier. 7-day app-store trial, 30-day money-back guarantee.
What holds up
- +Unlimited simultaneous devices, a genuine differentiator for a home-office full of gear
- +Cheapest 2-year intro price of the big names
- +Dedicated IP add-on (about $3.75/mo), WireGuard, kill switch and split tunneling
Where it falls short
- −The most expensive monthly plan on this page at $15.45
- −Same roughly 3x renewal jump as NordVPN, and the 2-year price cannot be renewed
- −Owned by the same holding company as NordVPN since 2022, so less market independence than the branding suggests
The rest of the readings
- Monthly plan
- Flagged: this reading costs you money. $15.45
- 2-year deal
- Flagged: reading in your favour. ~$2.49/mo
- Devices
- Flagged: reading in your favour. Unlimited
- Countries
- 100
- Dedicated IP
- Flagged: reading in your favour. Yes, ~$3.75/mo
- Jurisdiction and audits
- Netherlands, Nord Security group
Who this is for
It covers a whole household of devices on one cheap plan.
Do not buy Surfshark if
- ·You pay month to month: $15.45/mo is the worst per-month deal here.
- ·You are choosing it to avoid Nord as a company. Know that they merged in 2022.
If that is you, buy NordVPN instead. It is ranked #1 on this page.
Surfshark is NordVPN's value brand in practice, and a good one: unlimited devices, a dedicated IP option and the cheapest respectable 2-year price in the business. The same renewal mechanics apply, so the same calendar-reminder discipline is required. If your laptop, phone, tablet, partner and TV all need coverage, this is the rational pick.
✓This link earns us nothing.We are not in Surfshark's affiliate programme. This link earns us nothing.
8.0/10StrongHow this score is built
The score is our own summary of the criteria this comparison publishes, weighted as the list below is ordered. It is not an average of user reviews, no vendor sees it before publication, and no vendor pays for it.
- 1.Prices pulled from official checkout pages in July 2026, in USD. Intro price, term length and documented renewal price are all listed; checkout promos fluctuate, so verify before buying.
- 2.Speed and reliability claims come from independent 2026 test data, not vendor benchmarks.
- 3.Ownership and audit history are treated as criteria: who owns the VPN matters as much as its feature list.
- 4.One tool on this page, Mullvad, has no affiliate program at all. We earn nothing when you choose it. It is here because leaving it out is how most VPN rankings quietly lie.
- 8.0 and up
- Strong. Wins its category on the criteria below, with a known trade-off.
- 7.0 and up
- Solid. Right answer for a specific reader, wrong one for others.
- 6.0 and up
- Adequate. Works, and something on this page does the same job better.
- under 6.0
- Weak. We would not buy it at this price.
The privacy-first option with the only honest free tier.
- Price
- ~$2.99/mo↑~$83.88/yron renewal×2.3
VPN Plus: $9.99/mo monthly, about $2.99/mo on the 2-year promo ($71.76 upfront). Renews at about $83.88/yr (about $6.99/mo), the mildest jump of the paid group.
- Free plan
- Yes, unlimited data
Yes, the only reputable free VPN: unlimited data, 1 device, around 5 auto-selected countries, medium speeds, no server choice.
What holds up
- +Swiss jurisdiction, open-source audited apps and a no-logs record tested in court
- +Mildest renewal increase of the big providers, and transparent about it
- +Free tier works as a genuine emergency fallback on any trip
Where it falls short
- −Apps are heavier and slower to connect than NordVPN or ExpressVPN
- −The monthly plan is poor value next to the 2-year promo
- −No dedicated IP on consumer plans (business plans only), and pricing nudges you toward the Unlimited bundle
The rest of the readings
- Monthly plan
- $9.99
- 2-year deal
- Flagged: reading in your favour. ~$2.99/mo
- Devices
- 10
- Countries
- 140+
- Dedicated IP
- Flagged: this reading costs you money. Business plans only
- Jurisdiction and audits
- Flagged: reading in your favour. Switzerland, open source, audited
Who this is for
It is the pick when privacy credentials matter more than raw convenience.
Do not buy Proton VPN if
- ·You need a dedicated IP for allowlisted access: consumer plans do not offer one. NordVPN or Surfshark solve that for under $4 a month extra.
If that is you, buy NordVPN instead. It is ranked #1 on this page.
Proton VPN is what the marketing of every other VPN pretends to be: Swiss, open-source, audited, and with a free tier that is not a data harvest. Remote workers lose one thing, the dedicated IP, and gain a provider whose renewal letter will not read like a ransom note. If you value that trade, it is the most trustworthy paid option here.
✓This link earns us nothing.We are not in Proton VPN's affiliate programme. This link earns us nothing.
7.9/10SolidHow this score is built
The score is our own summary of the criteria this comparison publishes, weighted as the list below is ordered. It is not an average of user reviews, no vendor sees it before publication, and no vendor pays for it.
- 1.Prices pulled from official checkout pages in July 2026, in USD. Intro price, term length and documented renewal price are all listed; checkout promos fluctuate, so verify before buying.
- 2.Speed and reliability claims come from independent 2026 test data, not vendor benchmarks.
- 3.Ownership and audit history are treated as criteria: who owns the VPN matters as much as its feature list.
- 4.One tool on this page, Mullvad, has no affiliate program at all. We earn nothing when you choose it. It is here because leaving it out is how most VPN rankings quietly lie.
- 8.0 and up
- Strong. Wins its category on the criteria below, with a known trade-off.
- 7.0 and up
- Solid. Right answer for a specific reader, wrong one for others.
- 6.0 and up
- Adequate. Works, and something on this page does the same job better.
- under 6.0
- Weak. We would not buy it at this price.
One flat price forever, no account email, no affiliate program.
- Price
- €5 flat=Same price on renewal.
€5/month (about $5.50), whether you stay one month or ten years. No intro discounts, no renewal jump, no sales, ever.
- Free plan
- No
No free tier. 14-day money-back guarantee (excludes cash and crypto payments).
What holds up
- +The only VPN here whose price never changes: no promo, no trap, no negotiation
- +Best-in-class privacy: numbered accounts with no email, RAM-only servers, frequent audits, and a police raid that yielded zero data
- +Excellent WireGuard speeds
Where it falls short
- −Only 5 devices and about 50 countries, the smallest footprint here
- −No dedicated IP, and port forwarding was removed
- −WireGuard-only since January 2026: it can fail on corporate or hotel networks that block UDP, with no OpenVPN fallback
- −Account is a random number with no recovery if you lose it
The rest of the readings
- Monthly plan
- Flagged: reading in your favour. €5 flat
- 2-year deal
- Flagged: reading in your favour. €5/mo, same price
- Devices
- Flagged: this reading costs you money. 5
- Countries
- Flagged: this reading costs you money. ~50
- Dedicated IP
- Flagged: this reading costs you money. No
- Jurisdiction and audits
- Flagged: reading in your favour. Sweden, raid-tested no-logs
Who this is for
It is the pick if you never want to think about VPN pricing again.
Do not buy Mullvad if
- ·You depend on a dedicated IP.
- ·You need coverage in unusual countries.
- ·You regularly sit behind restrictive corporate firewalls where WireGuard is blocked.
If that is you, buy NordVPN instead. It is ranked #1 on this page.
Mullvad refuses to run an affiliate program, which is why you rarely see it in 'best VPN' lists. We earn exactly nothing if you choose it, and for a certain kind of user it is the best answer on this page: flat pricing forever, genuine anonymity, audited infrastructure. The trade-offs are real for remote work, no dedicated IP and WireGuard-only, so check your networks before committing.
✓This link earns us nothing.Mullvad runs no affiliate programme at all, so this link can never earn us anything.
7.5/10SolidHow this score is built
The score is our own summary of the criteria this comparison publishes, weighted as the list below is ordered. It is not an average of user reviews, no vendor sees it before publication, and no vendor pays for it.
- 1.Prices pulled from official checkout pages in July 2026, in USD. Intro price, term length and documented renewal price are all listed; checkout promos fluctuate, so verify before buying.
- 2.Speed and reliability claims come from independent 2026 test data, not vendor benchmarks.
- 3.Ownership and audit history are treated as criteria: who owns the VPN matters as much as its feature list.
- 4.One tool on this page, Mullvad, has no affiliate program at all. We earn nothing when you choose it. It is here because leaving it out is how most VPN rankings quietly lie.
- 8.0 and up
- Strong. Wins its category on the criteria below, with a known trade-off.
- 7.0 and up
- Solid. Right answer for a specific reader, wrong one for others.
- 6.0 and up
- Adequate. Works, and something on this page does the same job better.
- under 6.0
- Weak. We would not buy it at this price.
Polished and reliable on bad Wi-Fi, at a premium and with baggage.
- Price
- ~$2.49/mo↑~$99.95/yron renewal×3.3
Basic: $12.99/mo monthly, about $2.49/mo on the 2-year deal with bonus months (post-2025 restructuring). Renews at about $99.95/yr (about $8.33/mo).
- Free plan
- No
No free tier. 30-day money-back guarantee.
What holds up
- +Lightway protocol (now with post-quantum protection) is exceptionally stable on flaky hotel and cafe Wi-Fi and network switches
- +Strongest audit cadence in the industry plus RAM-only TrustedServer infrastructure
- +214 locations across 113 countries after the 2026 expansion
Where it falls short
- −Owned by Kape Technologies, a company with an adware past that also owns CyberGhost, PIA and several VPN review sites: a structural conflict of interest
- −Historically the priciest at renewal for the features you get
- −Fewer configuration options for power users than the competition
The rest of the readings
- Monthly plan
- $12.99
- 2-year deal
- Flagged: reading in your favour. ~$2.49/mo
- Devices
- 8-10
- Countries
- 113
- Dedicated IP
- Yes, add-on
- Jurisdiction and audits
- Flagged: this reading costs you money. BVI, audited, Kape-owned
Who this is for
It is the most dependable connection on hostile networks, which frequent travelers will feel.
Do not buy ExpressVPN if
- ·The owner of your privacy tool matters to you.
- ·You are optimizing for price. You can get 90% of this product for less elsewhere on this page.
If that is you, buy NordVPN instead. It is ranked #1 on this page.
ExpressVPN remains the smoothest VPN experience: connect, forget, and it survives network handoffs that break others. The reasons it sits last are not technical. Kape's ownership of both VPNs and the review sites that rank them deserves your skepticism, and the renewal pricing is premium without a premium reason. Fine product, complicated seller.
✓This link earns us nothing.We are not in ExpressVPN's affiliate programme. This link earns us nothing.