That "$2 a month" headline is a 2 to 3 year prepay that renews two to six times higher. This ranks VPNs by real cost and shows the facts reviews skip: independently audited no-logs, which actually unblock streaming, device limits and jurisdiction.
Indicative USD pricing; intro is the effective monthly on the best long plan, renewal is what it becomes. Deals change, confirm on the provider.
| $/mo intro ▲ | VPN | Renews at | Audited no-logs | Streaming | Devices | Countries | Jurisdiction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | Panama (no eyes) | Visit → | ||||||
| Surfshark | Netherlands (9) | Visit → | ||||||
| ExpressVPN | BVI (no eyes) | Visit → | ||||||
| Proton VPN | Switzerland | Visit → | ||||||
| Mullvad | Sweden (14) | Visit → | ||||||
| Private Internet Access | USA (5) | Visit → | ||||||
| CyberGhost | Romania | Visit → | ||||||
| IVPN | Gibraltar | Visit → | ||||||
| Windscribe | Canada (5) | Visit → | ||||||
| PrivadoVPN | Switzerland | Visit → | ||||||
| TunnelBear | Canada (5) | Visit → | ||||||
| hide.me | Malaysia | Visit → | ||||||
| PureVPN | BVI (no eyes) | Visit → | ||||||
| VyprVPN | Switzerland | Visit → | ||||||
| Norton Secure VPN | USA (5) | Visit → | ||||||
| StrongVPN | USA (5) | Visit → | ||||||
| ZoogVPN | Greece | Visit → | ||||||
| FastestVPN | Cayman Islands | Visit → | ||||||
| AdGuard VPN | Cyprus | Visit → | ||||||
| Kaspersky VPN | Switzerland | Visit → | ||||||
| Bitdefender VPN | Romania | Visit → |
On the intro, Surfshark, CyberGhost and PIA are ~$2/mo, but that's a 2-3yr prepay that renews far higher. The honest cheap option is flat-rate Mullvad (€5/mo, never jumps). Sort by renewal price for the real long-term cost.
A third party (Deloitte, PwC, Cure53, Securitas) actually verified the VPN keeps no logs, versus just claiming it. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Proton, Mullvad and PIA have proven no-logs by audit or in court. This table flags them.
NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark and Proton reliably unblock Netflix, Disney+, iPlayer and more. Privacy-first Mullvad does less streaming work. Unblocking changes often, so the money-back guarantee lets you test.
If you have lots of gadgets, yes. Most allow 5-10; Surfshark, PIA and IVPN are unlimited. Or install on your router to cover everything as one device.