Online privacy while working from home doesn't have to cost a fortune. Protect your online life with a cheap VPN service.
Surfshark
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IC: SURFSHARK |
- Number of servers: 3,200-plus
- Number of server locations: 65
- Country/jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands
- Cost: $2.49 a month for two years ($59.76 up front)
Private Internet Access
- Number of servers: 3,252
- Number of server locations: 52
- Country/jurisdiction: US
- Cost: $2.69 a month or $69.95 per 2 years (two months free)
While we haven't reviewed it recently, VPN provider Private Internet Access likely has the strongest reputation among the three best cheap paid VPN services on this list. Beloved by a loyal fan base, the VPN company has been around since 2010, swears by its no-logging policy and routinely offers new updates and features. PIA does not release information on the number of IP addresses available for its VPN service, but at 3,252, its VPN server count is more than any of our other cheap VPN picks. This recommended cheap VPN provides 10 simultaneous connections, a connection kill switch feature (like the other two VPNs in this list) and some good online documentation and security guidance. PIA's servers are also all friendly to peer-to-peer sharing if you're into torrenting.The desirable WireGuard VPN protocol is currently available on all of PIA's platforms, which range widely and include Windows, Android, Mac, iOS and Linux. This cheap VPN also offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Opera, as well as a new private browser for iOS that wipes your data when you close it. If you're ready to make the leap to VPN routers, PIA has those, too. Even though it doesn't offer live chat, PIA does promise 24/7 support and accepts a wider range of payment options than most VPN service providers. Along with credit cards and PayPal, you can pay with Bitcoin, Etherium or Amazon payments. In an additional privacy boost, this cheap VPN provider will even accept gift cards from 90 different retailers.
IPVanish
- Number of servers: 1,600
- Number of server locations: 75
- Country/jurisdiction: US
- Cost: $10 a month or $80 a year
A big win for VPN service provider IPVanish is its fun, configurable interface, which makes it a great VPN for those who are interested in learning how to understand what a VPN does under the hood. Its multiplatform flexibility is also ideal for people focused on finding a Netflix-friendly VPN for streaming. A unique feature of IPVanish, one we're intrigued by, is the VPN's support of Kodi, the open-source media streaming app that was once known as XBMC. Any serious media fan has used or built Kodi or XBMC into a media player and the integrated IPVanish Kodi plugin provides access to media worldwide.At $10 a month or $80 a year ($3.33 per month for the first year), IPVanish is obviously trying to move you towards its yearly program. I'm a little disappointed that it only allows a seven-day trial, rather than a full 30 days, but it does offer a full money-back guarantee. No IP address, DNS or other potentially user-identifying data leaks were detected during my testing. Even so, we recommend some caution here. In 2019, reviewers at CNET's sister publication ZDNet detected a partial IPVanish DNS leak during testing. Without DNS leak protection, organizations that want to block VPN traffic could do so and it could be harder to hide your VPN use from government authorities. Despite this, I still recommend IPVanish as a flexible, configurable cheap VPN subscription choice for users who are new to VPNs.
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