Calculator
The VPN true-cost calculator
VPN pricing is designed around one trick: a deep intro discount that quietly renews at a much higher rate. Pick a horizon and see what each service actually bills — intro term plus renewals, from the vendors’ own fine print.
Affiliate disclosure: NordVPN and Surfshark rows include labeled partner links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rows are sorted by your chosen horizon’s total cost, never by commission. Mullvad and Proton VPN Free earn us nothing and stay in the table because they’re often the right answer. Disclosure
Most people keep a VPN longer than the intro term — that’s what the pricing model bets on.
Longer intro terms are cheaper per month up front, but lock more cash in — and every term renews at the higher rate afterward.
Total cost, cheapest first
| Service | Intro deal | Renews at | Jump | Total | Get it |
|---|
Totals assume you pay the intro price for the first term, then the standard renewal rate for the rest of the horizon (pro-rated monthly for comparison). Vendors change prices and run promos constantly — treat this as a dated snapshot and verify at checkout. Currency: USD before tax.
How to not get renewal-trapped
Put the renewal date in your calendar
The day you buy, add a reminder two weeks before the term ends. Deciding then is free; auto-renewing at double is not.
Price the renewal, not the banner
If you’d keep the service at its renewal rate, it’s a fair price. If you’d only keep it at the intro rate, plan the exit before you enter.
Flat pricing exists
Mullvad has charged a flat €5/month for years — no intro games, no renewal jump. If your job is privacy (not streaming), flat pricing is calm pricing.
Refund windows are test labs
30-day money-back windows exist to be used. Test your actual job — home streaming service, travel Wi‑Fi — inside the window.
FAQ
Why do you show renewal prices when vendors barely do?
Because that’s the number you’ll actually pay in year two and beyond. Vendors disclose it in checkout fine print; we surface it up front. If a renewal price changes or we can’t verify it, we say so in the table.
Is buying the long intro term then canceling a legit strategy?
Yes — it’s just underused. A 2-year intro plan you cancel at month 24 is often the cheapest way to run a mainstream VPN. It requires one calendar reminder and the willingness to re-shop.
Why is Mullvad in here if it pays you nothing?
Because the table would be dishonest without it. Flat-price providers are the benchmark that makes renewal jumps visible. Our methodology requires non-partner options wherever they’re legitimate fits.
What about free VPNs?
Proton VPN’s free tier is the one we’ll name: it’s from an audited provider with a real business model, limited to basic locations and one device, no streaming support. Random free VPN apps that monetize your traffic are a different product — skip those. More in when you don’t need a VPN.
Related
VPN decision hub · Pickguard chooser · When you don’t need a VPN · Methodology