The best cheap monthly VPN plans in 2023

In our Hide.me review we were seriously impressed by the Malaysia-based VPN’s performance, and for those that like to tinker with their software, it’s an absolute goldmine.

10 Best Paid Monthly (Pay as You Go) VPN Plans in 2023

Short on time? Here’s the best paid monthly VPN in 2023:

• ��ExpressVPN — Offers advanced security features, maintains ultra-fast speeds, works with Netflix and 100+ other streaming platforms, and has very intuitive apps. Its monthly plan starts at €12.18 / month and is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
  • Get the best monthly VPN plan here (ExpressVPN).

  I typically don’t like to purchase long-term subscriptions if I can help it. Although they usually offer the best value, I’m not always comfortable being committed to one product or subscription for multiple years. For example, I may only need the product for a couple of months, and I don’t want to get stuck paying for something I may not use. So, I can completely understand why someone may prefer to pay for a virtual private network (VPN) on a month-to-month basis.

  However, not all VPNs with monthly plans provide good value. There are a lot of VPNs that have very expensive monthly plans. And out of the ones that have affordable monthly prices, many VPNs have slow speeds, poor streaming and torrenting support, or buggy apps.

  I spent weeks testing the top VPNs in 2023 to find the best monthly plans. All the VPNs on my list are great options, but ExpressVPN is my favorite one because its monthly plan comes with industry-leading security features, blazing-fast speeds, and excellent streaming and torrenting support.

  Quick summary of the best paid monthly VPNs:

  • 1. ��ExpressVPN — Best paid monthly VPN in 2023.
  • 2. ��Private Internet Access (PIA) — Excellent monthly plan for browsing and torrenting.
  • 3. ��CyberGhost VPN — Great pay-as-you-go VPN for streaming and gaming.
  • 4. NordVPN — Really good security + flexible monthly plans.
  • 5. Surfshark — Easy-to-use & secure monthly VPN.
  • Plus 5 more!
  • Comparison of the Best Monthly (Pay as You Go) VPNs in 2023.

  ��1. ExpressVPN — Best Monthly (Pay as You Go) VPN

  

  ExpressVPN offers my favorite monthly plan in 2023 — it includes industry-leading security features, has the fastest speeds on the market, and offers intuitive apps for all major platforms.

  ExpressVPN comes with excellent security features:

  • RAM-only servers — Data is only written to the RAM, ensuring that every server reset wipes everything.
  • Perfect forward secrecy — Changes the encryption key for each VPN session to prevent hackers from using potentially compromised past or future encryption keys to spy on your browsing.
  • Full leak protection — All of the provider’s apps come with built-in IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leak protection. I ran leak tests on servers in 10+ countries and never experienced any leaks.
  • Obfuscation — ExpressVPN’s obfuscated servers make it appear as if you’re not using a VPN, allowing you to access the web in restrictive countries like China and Iran.
  • Threat Manager — This feature blocks trackers and prevents you from visiting websites that may contain malware.
  • Verified no-logs policy — ExpressVPN’s no-logs policy has been independently audited and confirmed multiple times.

  You also get access to split-tunneling, which lets you pick which apps use the VPN and which apps use your local network. Split-tunneling is available on Android, Windows, and macOS (most VPNs don’t have split-tunneling on macOS).

  

  Another cool feature is ExpressKeys, which is a good password manager. It allows you to store all of your passwords, logins, and personal information like credit card numbers and your passport details in a secure vault. One of the best things about ExpressKeys is you get to use it even after your ExpressVPN subscription ends — this way, you can continue using it if you only need the VPN for a few months.

  It’s also the best VPN for streaming as it can access 100+ streaming platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Hulu. Plus, ExpressVPN ranks as the top VPN for torrenting because it allows P2P traffic on all servers in 90+ countries, has port forwarding (lets you connect to more peers for faster downloads) via its router app, and works with all of the top torrent clients. And, if you’re a gamer, you’ll love ExpressVPN — it includes DDoS protection on all servers, has a native router app so you can use the VPN on your gaming consoles, and works with cloud gaming services.

  ExpressVPN is also the fastest VPN on the market. Thanks to its proprietary Lightway protocol, I had really fast speeds on local servers in the US, but I noticed little difference in browsing, streaming, torrenting, and even gaming speeds while connected to servers in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Websites always loaded right away, videos started without virtually any delays, and I was able to download small and large files very fast.

  I also love how extremely user-friendly ExpressVPN is. All of its apps have an intuitive design and simple interface that make it a breeze to navigate and connect to a server. You also get Shortcuts, which lets you set up 1-click shortcuts for apps and sites — the shortcuts show up on your screen after you connect to a server, which is really convenient.

  ExpressVPN’s monthly plan costs €12.18 / month, but the longest plan is the best value at €6.27 / month (and it usually includes additional months for free). ExpressVPN backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  The best cheap monthly VPN plans in 2023

  

  Signing up for a cheap monthly VPN can often be a smart move. While the best prices are found on long-term plans, many people don’t like the idea of committing to two or more years with the same provider. What’s more, if you only need the best VPN for a month or so to access content from home while you’re abroad, a monthly VPN plan is a no-brainer.

  Some top quality cheap VPNs start at less than $10 a month, so testing out a few monthly VPNs in succession to find your favorite doesn’t have to be expensive. And, of course, once you’ve found one you like you can lock in for a couple of years to secure the very best deal.

  Whatever your reasons for wanting to bag a cheap monthly VPN, we’ve pulled together the best short-term VPN deals from our long list of hand-tested and approved providers. All you need to do is test them to find out which is right for you!

  1. Hide.me | 1 month | $9.95
  Hide.me is a very secure VPN that scored an impressive 4/5 in our independent testing. It delivers some of the fastest connection speeds of any VPN and even includes 2TB of free cloud storage. It’s great overall value, and the current Hide.me deal is just $9.95 for a single month.

  2. Ivacy | 1 month | $9.95
  Ivacy is another provider leading the charge when it comes to good-value, low-commitment monthly VPN plans. With decent streaming performance, good speeds and a usable interface, it’s well worth considering at just $9.95 a month.

  ExpressVPN – The best VPN available on a 1-month plan
  It’s not the cheapest, but if you want the best of the best, we wholeheartedly recommend ExpressVPN. Scoring 5/5 in our review and coming in at $12.95 a month it’s not far off the competition – and if you do want to commit, you can get 3 months FREE on a 12-month plan.

  The best cheap monthly VPN plans today

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  1. Hide.me

  Mega monthly value from the techie’s favorite

  Number of servers: 2,000+ | Server countries: 75 | Single-month price: $9.95 | 30-day money back guarantee: Yes | Maximum devices supported: 10 | Unblocks: Netflix, iPlayer, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Disney+

  +3 MONTHS FREE
  Hide.me – 24 Months
  Hide.me – 6 Months
  Hide.me – 1 Month
  Powerful, customizable apps
  Excellent short-term deal
  Apps could appear complex to casual users
  Not as intuitive as some

  In our Hide.me review we were seriously impressed by the Malaysia-based VPN’s performance, and for those that like to tinker with their software, it’s an absolute goldmine.

  With more customization options than just about any other VPN on the market, it’s clearly geared toward an audience that knows what it’s doing. However, although the apps take some getting used to, it’s still a fine choice if you want to simply plug and play. Don’t think that you’ll have to set anything up from scratch to get a good experience.

  In terms of connection speeds, Hide.me is up there with the very fastest. Peaking at 880Mbps, it outstrips most other VPNs. it’s also great for streaming, unblocking Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and more in our rigorous testing.

  So, if you’re in the market for a fast, effective cheap monthly VPN, Hide.me is your best bet.

  Bargain price with Hide.me’s 1-month deal
  Right now, Hide.me is the best monthly VPN on the market. At just $9.95 for 30 days of cover, it’s unbeatable, and you won’t have to make any sacrifices in the process. In fact, you can trial it risk-free for 30 days to make sure you enjoy the service.

  2. Ivacy VPN

  A decent pick for bargain TV streaming

  Number of servers: 5,700+ | Server countries: 100+ | Maximum devices supported: 10 | Single-month price: $9.95 | 7-day money back guarantee: Yes | Unblocks: Netflix, iPlayer, Amazon, Disney+, Hulu

  +2TB CLOUD STORAGE
  Ivacy – 1 Year
  Ivacy – 5 Years
  Good privacy features
  Includes malware protection
  Unblocks most TV streaming services
  Variable guarantee
  No audits of any kind

  Ivacy is one of the most recent VPN services to rank on our guide, and offers both good privacy protection and malware detection. Your online activity won’t be tracked because of the secure VPN, but also viruses and other online threats won’t have an easy time infecting your device.

  This VPN client has the important security features you need, like an automatic kill switch and split tunneling. Ivacy is also decently fast. Our in-house tests showed top speeds of around 630Mbps, so you shouldn’t have to worry about slowdown while connected – although there are plenty of providers that offer higher peak speeds.

  Ivacy hasn’t undergone any third-party audits of its services, which is becoming the norm for most high-end VPN providers, but in our Ivacy review we saw decent results in how secure it is. Plus it doesn’t keep any records of your personal information, so there isn’t a way to trace online activity back to you at all.

  One impressive feature of Ivacy VPN is the number of TV streaming services it unblocks. This includes Netflix in just about every country, BBC iPlayer, Amazon, Disney+, and Hulu.

  While there are a fair few providers we’d choose over Ivacy, its one-month plan is excellent value, and if you like the service it’s an incredibly cheap VPN if you don’t mind signing up for a long time – the five-year plan is around $1 a month.

  3. Bitdefender VPN

  Antivirus star takes on VPN

  Number of servers: 1,300+ | Server countries: 48 | Maximum devices supported: 10 | Single-month price: $6.99 | 30-day money back guarantee: Yes | Unblocks: BBC iPlayer