When you think of Black Friday, deals on VPN services might not immediately come to mind. But while most are considering where to get the best price on a laptop they've been eyeing, or how to get the cheapest phone or other consumer electronics device, why not spare a thought for how you might protect those devices and your privacy?
VPNs are super useful for our increasingly internet-connected lives. If you spend any time at all banking or shopping online, or even surfing on public Wi-Fi hotspots at your favorite coffee shop, you could benefit from a VPN.
What is a VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN takes your Internet connection and makes it more secure, by cloaking your internet activity in anonymity and stops you from being tracked across the web for advertising, having your traffic intercepted, or running into malicious sites. They are also great if you want to access content that is blocked in your region as you can use one to appear as if you are in another country.
You can run a VPN on everything from your computer or phone, to devices like your smart TV, Wi-Fi router, games console, and more, though you'll want to take a look at the below deals to snag the best price on the VPN that has the right features for you.
How do you pick the best VPN provider?
There's a lot to consider when deciding which VPN provider is right for you. As well as making sure it is available on all of the devices you wish to run it on, you also want to consider the service's server variety (both in number and physical location) to ensure you have a reliable connection and speed, what data (if any) will be logged, strength of the encryption used, ease-of-use, and quality of customer support. On top of all of that, you need to make sure the price is something you are comfortable paying.
Most providers will have a free trial or a money-back guarantee so you can try them out without risking your money. That being said, we've gathered up the best deals below with the most pertinent information to help you make an informed choice.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has been around for a long time and is one of the most highly-regarded services out there. Because of that, it is also one of the more expensive services. However, you can actually snag 15 months of the service for the price of 12 right now which works out at just $6.67 per month. It's unlikely that we're going to see a much better deal for it during Black Friday.
Top pick
ExpressVPN
Bottom line: ExpressVPN is pricey when compared to some of the competition, but it does offer reliable servers in more places, has excellent 24/7 customer support, and user-friendly apps for all major platforms that have earned it a solid reputation in the VPN space. It's more costly than some of the other services, but you get what you pay for. You can try it risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- 3,000+ servers in 94 countries
- No user logs (British Virgin Islands jurisdiction)
- Excellent customer support
- Apps for all major platforms
Cons
- Comparatively expensive
IPVanish
IPVanish falls in the middle of the pack for features, server availability, and price. None of that is bad necessarily, as a fairly-priced and reliable VPN service is the kind of product you want to get behind. It offers unlimited P2P traffic, powerful apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and even Fire TV, as well as a speedy connection.
We have seen IPVanish offer deals to coincide with both Amazon Prime Day and Back to School season with prices dropping as low as $3.25 per month, so we are expecting a similar level of discount for Black Friday.
Invisibilty cloak
IPVanish
Bottom line: With its current deal, IPVanish is fairly priced for its average feature set. We're expecting a significant price drop come Black Friday so it might be best to hold off on purchasing it before then, especially given it only has a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- 1,300+ servers in 50+ countries
- Reliable, speedy service
- Apps for all major platforms
- 10 simultaneous connections
Cons
- 7-day money-back guarantee
- U.S.-based
NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the best virtual private network (VPN) providers out there, due to its lack of user logs, plenty of servers, and P2P connectivity. It has apps for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and, and you can use one subscription across six devices simultaneously.
We recently saw NordVPN raise prices, though the best-value 3-year plan only went up by fifty cents per month. However, it is possible that we see prices drop down to their previous levels for Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Great option
NordVPN
Bottom line: NordVPN is one of the best VPN providers out there. Its balance of features and pricing make it a smart choice for those wanting to protect their privacy with a no-logs VPN. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out risk-free, too.
Pros
- Plenty of servers in many locations worldwide
- No user logs (Panama jurisdiction)
- Anonymous payment options
- Apps for all major platforms
- Lots of extra features
Cons
- Fluctuations in server performance
- Customer service is a little questionable
Surfshark VPN
Surfshark VPN is a new service that has already gained massive popularity. It offers one of the best prices of any paid VPN service at just $1.99 making it a smart buy all year round. It features 1,000+ servers in 60+ countries, strong encryption, and keeps no logs. It has apps for major platforms like Android, iOs, and Windows, as well as smart TV apps for Apple TV and Fire TV, games consoles, and more. You can also connect as many as you want with one subscription.
Because it didn't exist last Black Friday, it's hard to predict what will happen with its price this year. Given its price is already the best in comparison to the paid VPN competition, it's hard to see it dropping much lower.
Affordable
Surfshark VPN
Bottom line: Surfshark VPN is a relative newcomer but has already earned a strong reputation. It's one of the most affordable options on the market and has a solid feature set. It has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- Servers worldwide
- No user logs (British Virgin Islands jurisdiction)
- Unlimited device connections
- Apps for all major platforms plus smart TV platforms
Cons
- Sparse support site
- Finicky kill switch
Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access is pretty popular, partially thanks to its already-affordable pricing such as its annual plan that costs just $3.33 per month. It has over 3,000 servers, though they are spread across only 32 countries. It has apps for all of the major mobile and desktop platforms as well as browser extensions. One downside is PIA being based in the U.S. which means any information it has could be requested by intelligence agencies. That being said, PIA states it keeps no logs so there would be nothing to hand over.
We have seen occasional deals at PIA, so we expect there could be movement in price for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Connect more
Private Internet Access
Bottom line: Private Internet Access is already affordable at just over $3 per month. It has lots of available servers and you can run it on 10 devices at once which is more than most other providers allow. It's got apps everywhere you'd expect, though there's no live chat for support, just an email ticket-based service.
Pros
- 3,300+ servers in 32 countries
- Strong performance, unlimited bandwidth
- Apps for all major platforms
- 10 simultaneous connections
- Affordable pricing
Cons
- U.S.-based
- Email ticket support
$3.33 at Private Internet Access
PureVPN
PureVPN is super affordable at only $1 per month but reviewers have had some issues with its reliability and speed. It does have one of the broadest server availabilities with over 2,000 servers in 140 countries, so it may be worth trying out yourself to see if you experiece any problems. There is a 31-day money-back guarantee, so there's no risk involved in doing so. It's got apps for all the major platforms, plus add-ons for devices like Kodi, Fire TV and Wi-Fi routers making it a good choice for those niche use cases.
Given its price is so low already, it is unlikely that it will drop for Black Friday, though we have seen the company offer super long-term subscriptions in the past with steep discounts.
Not so fast
PureVPN
Bottom line: PureVPN doesn't have the best track-record in reviews, but it's hard to argue with the price. The extra-long money-back guarantee also means you can try it yourself for a decent stint before making your mind up.
Pros
- 2,000+ servers in 140+ countries
- No user logs (Hong Kong jurisdiction)
- Apps for all major platforms plus smart TVs and Wi-Fi routers
- 31-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Slow speeds
- 5 simultaneous connections
Why would I even want a VPN?
We use the internet for so much these days, and that's only going to increase. VPNs were traditionally (and are still) used as a way to remotely access a company's servers without exposing them to the open internet. However, due to waning internet privacy and shady open Wi-Fi access points just about everywhere you go, VPNs are catching on with the general public.
A VPN offers regular internet users increased privacy and security with strong encryption for your personal data before it hits the open internet. If you spend any time at all on public Wi-Fi networks, like at your favorite coffee shop, a VPN also prevents your traffic from being intercepted by bad actors. They can also provide ad- and tracker-blocking, and help bypass geo-restrictions.
Do you have to pay for a VPN?
While most reputable VPN services rely on subscription-based business models, there are plenty of free VPNs out there. However, it costs money to run thousands of servers and employ staff to maintain them, so VPN providers are going to have to make money somehow. Some will inject ads into your online experience, while others will go so far as to sell your internet traffic to interested parties. What you want to avoid is using a free service that sacrifices your privacy in order to get the price down to free, otherwise you may as well not run a VPN at all.
The best free VPN services generally offer a free tier which has a limited bandwidth or lacks some of the features of its paid tiers to incentivize its free users to become paying users. Some paid VPN providers also offer free trial periods or extended money-back guarantees so you can try out the service risk-free.
Can I use a VPN on my phone?
Absolutely. The vast majority of VPN providers offer apps for your Android and iOS as well as Windows, macOS, Linux, and many more platforms.
Using a VPN on your phone is, for the most part, as easy as installing your provider's app from the relevant app store and following some simple instructions to allow it to run.
Get ready for Black Friday
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