A cheap VPN is only worth it if it actually works. We tested for speed, privacy credentials, streaming performance, and device limits — and only included services where the low price does not come at a meaningful cost to quality.
All prices below are for long-term plans (2–3 years). Short-term pricing for every VPN is significantly higher — the monthly price without a long plan is rarely good value. If you are willing to commit to a 2-year plan, you can get a quality VPN for under £2/month. If you need month-to-month flexibility, expect to pay £10–13/month regardless of provider.
One important note: cheap VPNs almost always increase the renewal price after the first term. Always check what you will pay on renewal — not just the introductory rate.
Surfshark is the best value VPN in our entire review set — and it is not particularly close. At £1.69/month on a two-year plan, you get unlimited simultaneous connections (meaning every device in your household is covered), solid speeds on WireGuard, a Deloitte-audited no-logs policy, reliable streaming for all major platforms, and a built-in ad blocker. There is almost no area where Surfshark fails meaningfully — it simply does what good VPNs do, at a price that is hard to fault. The only caveat is that it shares a parent company with NordVPN (Nord Security).
PIA is the cheapest option in our review set on its three-year plan at £1.49/month, and it pairs that price with genuinely strong credentials — fully open-source apps and a no-logs policy that has been tested and confirmed in actual court proceedings on two occasions. It also offers unlimited simultaneous connections. The trade-offs are a US jurisdiction (Five Eyes), Kape Technologies ownership, a less polished app than the top picks, and inconsistent streaming performance. For technically minded users who want maximum transparency at minimum cost, PIA is hard to beat.
CyberGhost offers the best streaming experience in the budget category. Its dedicated streaming servers — organised by platform name in the app — make unblocking content straightforward and reliable. At £1.99/month it is only slightly more expensive than Surfshark, and the 45-day money-back guarantee (the most generous in the market) means you can take your time deciding. If streaming is your main reason for getting a VPN and you want to keep costs low, CyberGhost is the most practical option.
PureVPN is the cheapest option in absolute terms at £1.33/month on its five-year plan. It has a KPMG-audited no-logs policy, a useful dedicated IP add-on, and decent global coverage. We include it here with full transparency about its history: in 2017 PureVPN provided connection logs to the FBI, contradicting its then no-logs policy. Since then, it has undergone multiple audits and restructured its practices. At this price it is worth considering for budget-first users who have read and accepted that history — but it ranks fourth here because the other three picks offer better overall value without the same trust baggage.
| VPN | Best Price/mo | Plan Length | Devices | Money-back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfshark | £1.69 | 2 years | Unlimited | 30 days |
| PIA | £1.49 | 3 years | Unlimited | 30 days |
| CyberGhost | £1.99 | 2 years | 7 | 45 days |
| PureVPN | £1.33 | 5 years | 10 | 31 days |
| NordVPN (for reference) | £2.99 | 2 years | 10 | 30 days |
| Proton VPN (for reference) | £3.49 | 2 years | 10 | 30 days |
Choose Surfshark if you want the best quality-to-price ratio and need to cover multiple devices. It is our overall recommendation for budget-conscious users.
Choose PIA if open-source transparency matters and you want the court-proven no-logs record. Also the best pick for households with many devices at a slightly lower price.
Choose CyberGhost if streaming is the main reason for getting a VPN and you want dedicated servers that just work, with the comfort of a 45-day guarantee.
Choose PureVPN only if the absolute lowest price is the deciding factor and you have read our full review including the 2017 incident. It is a reasonable service now — the history just requires transparency.
Looking for something different? Browse our other category guides.
Top picks ranked on jurisdiction, audit quality and no-logs credentials.
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