Proton VPN alternatives
What Proton VPN costs today: $9.99/mo (a free plan is available). site ↗pricing ↗
Below are the 4 other vpn tools we track daily, cheapest entry first — each one written up from what our record actually holds, with a link to its own site and pricing page. Where we have written a full comparison, the name links to it.
The alternatives, tool by tool
Surfsharksite ↗pricing ↗
Paid plans start at $2.49/mo (Surfshark Starter); no free plan is published. The ladder we hold runs 3 paid tiers, topping out at $4.49/mo (Surfshark One+). It bills by country — entry £1.79/mo to a UK reader and €2.49/mo in the eurozone, from our same-day reads.
ExpressVPNsite ↗pricing ↗
Paid plans start at $2.99/mo (Basic); no free plan is published. The ladder we hold runs 3 paid tiers, topping out at $7.49/mo (Express Pro). It bills by country — entry £2.19/mo to a UK reader and €2.49/mo in the eurozone, from our same-day reads. Its published prices moved on 2026-08-27 — the change log holds the rows.
NordVPNsite ↗pricing ↗
Paid plans start at $3.49/mo (Basic); no free plan is published. The ladder we hold runs 3 paid tiers, topping out at $7.49/mo (Prime). It bills by country — entry £2.59/mo to a UK reader and €3.49/mo in the eurozone, from our same-day reads. Prints the renewal price beside the intro price on its own pricing page — rare candour in this category.
IPVanishsite ↗pricing ↗
Paid plans start at $3.89/mo (Essential); no free plan is published. The ladder we hold runs 2 paid tiers, topping out at $5.39/mo (Advanced).
Side by side
| Tool | Paid from | Free plan | Currency | Read | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfshark | $2.49/mo | — | USD | 2026-08-29 | page |
| ExpressVPN | $2.99/mo | — | USD | 2026-08-29 | page |
| NordVPN | $3.49/mo | — | USD | 2026-08-28 | page |
| IPVanish | $3.89/mo | — | USD | 2026-08-29 | page |
How to choose in this category
- The intro price is not the price — renewal rates run higher and commitment terms stretch past two years in this set.
- Compare the renewal row, not the banner figure.
- A refund window is not a free tier — look for a plan actually priced at zero.