Best VPN Monthly Plan in 2026
Disclosure: SpeedTestHQ is reader-supported. We may earn a commission from purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we've tested or extensively researched. Last updated May 2026.
Monthly VPN plans cost more per month but give you the freedom to cancel without losing money. They make sense when you're traveling for a month, testing a VPN before committing, or need coverage for a specific event. We ranked the best monthly plans on price, refund policy, and whether the feature set matches the long-term plan.
At a Glance
| VPN | Monthly Price | Refund Window | Payment Options | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mullvad | $5/month | 30 days (prorated) | Cash, Monero, BTC, card | Privacy-first users |
| ProtonVPN | $9.99/month | 30 days | Card, PayPal, BTC, cash | Free tier upgrade path |
| NordVPN | $12.99/month | 30 days | Card, crypto, PayPal | Speed + features |
| Surfshark | $15.45/month | 30 days | Card, crypto, PayPal | Unlimited devices |
| ExpressVPN | $12.95/month | 30 days | Card, PayPal, BTC | Router + iOS/tvOS |
- Flat €5/month (~$5) — same price always, no tricks
- Account number only — no email or personal data
- Accepts cash by mail, Monero, Bitcoin, card
- 30-day prorated refund
- Lockdown mode kill switch
- RAM-only servers, Cure53 audited
- No streaming optimization (blocks Netflix on many servers)
- Smaller server count (~700)
- No live chat support
- Free tier has unlimited data (3 servers)
- €9.99/month paid — no long-term required
- Secure Core multi-hop servers
- Switzerland jurisdiction (not in 5/14 Eyes)
- Proton ecosystem (Mail, Drive, Calendar)
- $9.99/month is expensive vs. annual plans
- No obfuscation on Windows (Stealth only on other OS)
- Free tier is slow (deliberately)
- Consistently top speeds on NordLynx (WireGuard)
- $12.99/month with full feature access
- Threat Protection Pro (malware/ad blocker)
- Meshnet for device-to-device tunneling
- Deloitte no-logs audits (multiple)
- $12.99/month is steep vs. $3.79 on 2-year
- 6-device limit
- Panama jurisdiction (good for privacy, but no EU compliance)
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- NoBorders obfuscation for censored regions
- CleanWeb blocks ads and malware
- Surfshark Alert breach monitoring
- $15.45/month is the most expensive on this list
- Renews automatically — set a reminder
- Speeds vary more than NordVPN
- Best native Apple TV app of any VPN
- Aircove router with built-in VPN
- TrustedServer RAM-only infrastructure
- Lightway protocol (faster than OpenVPN)
- $12.95/month — expensive for monthly
- Only 8 devices
- Annual plan doesn't save as much as rivals
When a Monthly Plan Makes Sense
Long-term VPN plans are cheaper — but monthly plans are the right call in these situations:
- Short international trip: Flying to the UAE, China, or Russia for a few weeks — buy monthly, cancel on return.
- Testing a VPN: Use the 30-day trial period, then decide whether to lock in annually.
- Temporary security need: Using hotel or conference WiFi for a week-long event.
- Seasonal streaming: Subscribing during a sports season (e.g., Premier League) to access a geo-blocked stream.
If you need a VPN for more than 3 months, the annual plan almost always pays off. Even NordVPN's annual plan ($4.99/month) saves $96/year vs. monthly.
Monthly VPN Price Comparison
| VPN | Monthly | Annual | Savings/Year | Accept Crypto? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mullvad | $5.00 | $5.00 | $0 (flat rate) | Yes (Monero, BTC) |
| ProtonVPN | $9.99 | $4.99 | $60 | Yes (BTC, cash) |
| PIA | $11.99 | $3.33 | $104 | Yes |
| NordVPN | $12.99 | $4.99 | $96 | Yes |
| ExpressVPN | $12.95 | $8.32 | $55 | Yes (BTC) |
| Surfshark | $15.45 | $3.99 | $137 | Yes |
| CyberGhost | $12.99 | $4.29 | $104 | No |
Mullvad is the only VPN with flat-rate pricing — $5/month whether you buy one month or twelve. This is intentional: they refuse to incentivize long lock-ins, which aligns with their privacy-first ethos.
Anonymous Monthly VPN Payment Options
If you want to pay anonymously — no name, no email, no credit card — here's what each provider accepts:
| VPN | Cash by Mail | Monero | Bitcoin | Gift Cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mullvad | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| ProtonVPN | ✓ (via resellers) | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| PIA | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| ExpressVPN | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Windscribe | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
Mullvad is the clear winner for anonymous payment — mailing cash (in any currency) to their Gothenburg office is a fully supported payment method. They assign you an account number, no email required.
How VPN Money-Back Guarantees Work
All five picks offer a 30-day money-back guarantee — but the process varies:
- NordVPN: Live chat or email; refunds processed in 5–10 business days to original payment method.
- Surfshark: Live chat only; typically processed within 3 business days.
- ExpressVPN: Live chat; refund within 5–7 days.
- Mullvad: Prorated refund — if you paid for a full month and cancel after 10 days, you get 20 days refunded. No refunds on crypto payments.
- ProtonVPN: 30-day guarantee via support ticket; crypto payments are non-refundable.
Tip: Always initiate the refund via live chat, not email — chat refunds are typically processed same-day, email requests can take several days to even get a response.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which VPN has the cheapest monthly plan?
Mullvad charges a flat €5/month (~$5 USD) with no commitment — the cheapest monthly plan of any premium VPN. The next cheapest are ProtonVPN at $9.99/month and ExpressVPN at $12.95/month. Budget VPNs like PIA and Surfshark charge $11.99–$15.45/month on monthly billing, which is why their long-term plans represent such large savings.
Can I cancel a VPN monthly plan anytime?
Yes. Monthly plans auto-renew each month, and you can cancel before the next billing date with no penalty. All major VPNs let you cancel through the account dashboard. You keep access until the end of the paid month.
Is Mullvad the best monthly VPN for privacy?
Yes, for most privacy-focused users. Mullvad requires no email address — just an account number — accepts cash by mail and Monero, and has a flat $5/month price that doesn't incentivize long-term commitments. Their RAM-only servers and Cure53 audit back up the privacy claims.
Do monthly VPN plans have fewer features than annual plans?
No. Every provider on this list gives monthly subscribers access to all the same servers, protocols, and features as annual subscribers. You pay more per month, but you get the identical product.
Can I switch from monthly to annual mid-subscription?
Yes — all major VPNs let you upgrade from monthly to annual billing. Typically, the remaining days on your monthly plan are credited or refunded, and your new annual plan starts immediately. Contact support to confirm the credit before upgrading.