When browsing the Internet we can use different tools to improve privacy, hide information such as IP. One of those options is to use a VPN . In this article we are going to explain how much it would cost us to install one on our computer or mobile. We will also see why it is not a good idea to make use of free versions.
How much does it cost to have a VPN
As is often the case for almost everything on the Internet, we can find options that are paid and others that are free . However, in the case of a VPN, it is not appropriate to use this last option. If we want to maintain privacy at all times and avoid problems, it is important to use secure options, even if you have to pay.
Buying a VPN is not expensive, even more so if we compare it with the benefits we can achieve to stay safe on the Internet by connecting on public networks or being able to access restricted content if we are traveling.
First of all, we must bear in mind that we can hire a VPN service for a very varied time. It can be a single day, a week, a month, a year, several years … Everything will depend on the use that we are going to give it, how much time we really need.
We are going to show some of the main VPNs that we can find in the market and how much it would cost us. We can use them both on the computer and on mobile devices. Especially when using a mobile phone, it is very common to connect to public wireless networks and that could be a problem without using a service of this type that encrypts the connection and thus prevents our data from being available to anyone.
Surfshark
If we name some of the most popular and recommended VPNs to maintain security and smooth operation, for example Surfshark would cost us € 10.81 if we only hired one month , € 5.42 if we contract at least 6 months and up to € 2.08 if we decide to hire him for two years.
PureVPN
Another widely used is PureVPN . We can find similar prices. The one-month plan is € 9.60 , while if we opt for two years it would cost € 2.96 per month. It also has a one-week trial for € 0.99. These promotions are often present on VPNs and should take a look.
NordVPN
NordVPN is without a doubt one of the most popular as well. In this case, once again, we have various rates depending on how long we hire it. We can hire a month for € 9.56 , a year and it costs € 3.93 per month or two years and it would cost € 2.97 each month. As we can see, the longer we hire the cheaper service it will be.
CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost VPN also offers a number of options for hiring a VPN service. Prices vary depending on how long we hire you. For example, a single month would cost us € 11.99 , while a year or two years would cost us € 3.75 and € 3.19 per month, respectively. In all cases, they also offer a 45-day money-back guarantee.
ExpressVPN
Regarding ExpressVPN we can find three basic options. One of them, the simplest, is to hire it for a month at a price of € 11.08 . We can also opt for six months and in this case we would have to pay € 8.55 per month. While the cheapest option is acquiring the service for a year and we would pay € 7.12 each month.
Therefore we can say that buying a VPN can cost more or less depending on the time. In general, a single month would cost us € 9-10, while buying it for a whole year or even two would cost between € 2 and € 4. Sometimes there may be offers that make the price we are going to pay to be lower in certain circumstances. It is always advisable to take a look at these possible discounts that may be.
Some aspects must be taken into account when we are going to hire a VPN. One of them is the fact of being able to use it not only on different devices such as a computer or a mobile phone, but also being able to do it simultaneously. This way we will keep all our devices protected when browsing.
Why avoid free VPNs
We have seen how much it costs to have a VPN for our computer or mobile, however there are also free versions . Now this is not something we recommend. They may have major problems, as we will explain.
A VPN is a service that will be essential for our privacy. If we use a program that is not secure, our data could be compromised. Information could be leaked and exposed when surfing the net.
VPNs can sell our data
How do free VPNs make money? At the end of the day they are providing a service, they are making servers available to users, and that comes at a cost. The way they can profit is by selling the data of those who use these free programs.
It basically means that the application, the free VPN service that we are using, is going to collect the sites that we visit, from where, etc. All this has great value on the web, since it could be used for marketing campaigns, for example. However, this could put the privacy of those who use this tool at risk.
Leaks in free versions
The free versions can also have security issues . There could be information leaks that compromise user data. This means that they are not really going to encrypt the connection correctly. If, for example, we surf a public Wi-Fi network, our data would not be safe and could be collected by third parties.
This point is important, since one of the most serious problems that can occur in VPNs is precisely the leaks. One of the missions is to prevent the IP address or DNS from being filtered and thus protect the connections.
Slow speed
The optimal performance of a free VPN can be limited. We could have serious problems so that the speed of the connection is adequate. It could even be so limited as to not allow us to play streaming videos in good quality, download files from the cloud or make a video call without interruptions.
The normal thing is that the free services offer a very limited operation in the free version. They are especially focused on being able to offer a good service to those who pay for a subscription and thus have better speed.
Lack of servers
For this we will have to connect to servers in the country where we are trying to access. If we are using a free VPN it is very likely that these servers are very limited. We could even find ourselves unable to connect where we are interested.
Paying users use the bandwidth of the free versions
Another issue to keep in mind is that many free VPNs are free in exchange for users giving part of their bandwidth to users who pay for the product. This logically is a problem that will cause worse performance, in addition to damaging our privacy.
It’s another way for VPN services to offer something for free without losing money in return. You always think that somehow they need to profit and they are not going to offer something for free without getting anything.
In short, we have seen how much a VPN costs and why we should buy a paid one and avoid those that are free. There are different options that we can use and correctly protect our connection and not take risks that affect our data.
