VPNInfobaseThe headline price is the first term only. Where the vendor publishes a renewal price, NordVPN’s two-year Basic plan works out to about $5.52 a month over 36 months, not the advertised $3.49, and IPVanish’s one-year plan to about $6.85, not $3.89. CyberGhost’s 26-month deal averages $2.90. PIA, hide.me and Windscribe state renewals at the same rate as the first term, and IVPN and Mullvad state no promotional gap. Some vendors publish no renewal price at all.
First term against renewal
All figures are USD for the entry plan as shown on the vendor’s pricing page on 28 September 2026. “36-month average” is our calculation: first-term total, plus the remaining months of a 36-month window charged at one twelfth of the published annual renewal, divided by 36. It is an estimate for comparison, not a quote, and it ignores tax and later promotions. Currency: the USD rows were read on 28 September. On 29 September the CyberGhost and Surfshark pages were read again in both currencies. A US-dollar copy showed the same USD figures as the rows below (CyberGhost $2.19 a month for 26 months, $56.94; Surfshark $2.49 for 27 months, $67.23), and a directly read copy showed the same numerals in euros (EUR rows added). Only CyberGhost’s monthly price differs (USD 12.99, EUR 11.99). PIA’s USD prices and IPVanish’s USD prices, including the two-year $57.36, were also re-read on 29 September. Mullvad prices in euros only. Confirm the currency and total at checkout. NordVPN’s own pages were blocked to us on 29 September; its first-term prices match Security.org’s 2026 table, and the $139.08 renewal is as recorded on 28 September. IPVanish’s two-year price was re-read on 29 September from a cached copy of the vendor’s page; other trackers list it between $2.19 and $2.99 a month, from other promotion dates.
| Plan | First-term charge | Advertised per month | Published renewal | 36-month average (ours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN Basic, 1 year | $65.88 for 12 months | $5.49 | $139.08 a year | $9.56 |
| NordVPN Basic, 2 years | $94.23 for 27 months | $3.49 | $139.08 a year | $5.52 |
| ExpressVPN Basic, 28 months | $83.72 for 28 months | $2.99 | $99.95 a year | $4.18 |
| IPVanish Essential, 1 year | $46.68 for 12 months | $3.89 | $99.99 a year | $6.85 |
| IPVanish Essential, 2 years | $57.36 for 24 months | $2.39 | $99.99 a year | $4.37 |
| CyberGhost, 26 months (USD) | $56.94 for 26 months | $2.19 | $56.94 a year | $2.90 |
| CyberGhost, 26 months (EUR, 29 Sep) | EUR 56.94 for 26 months | EUR 2.19 | EUR 56.94 a year | EUR 2.90 |
| hide.me, 26 months | $69.99 for 26 months | $2.69 | Same as first term, per vendor | $2.69 |
| hide.me, 13 months | $54.99 for 13 months | $4.23 | Same as first term, per vendor | $4.23 |
| Private Internet Access, 1 year | $47.88 for 12 months | $3.99 | Renews at $47.88 a year | $3.99 |
| Windscribe Pro, 1 year | $69 for 12 months | $5.75 | Billed $69 every 12 months | $5.75 |
| IVPN Standard, 1 year | $60 for 12 months | $5.00 | No promo gap stated | $5.00 |
| Mullvad | EUR 5 a month, flat, incl. VAT | EUR 5 | No promo gap stated | EUR 5 |
| ExpressVPN Basic, 28 months, as shown in EUR on 29 Sep | EUR 69.72 for 28 months | EUR 2.49 | EUR 79.95 a year | EUR 3.42 |
Published first-term prices with no renewal price
| Plan | First-term charge | Advertised per month | Why no average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surfshark Starter, 27 months (USD) | $67.23 for 27 months | $2.49 | Renewal price not stated on the page |
| Surfshark Starter, 27 months (EUR, 29 Sep) | EUR 67.23 for 27 months | EUR 2.49 | Renewal price not stated on the page |
| PureVPN Standard, 12 months | $47.95 on purchase | $2.55 | Renewal not stated; the displayed monthly figure does not equal $47.95 divided by 12, and we could not resolve why |
| PureVPN Standard, 27 months | $57.95 on purchase | $2.15 | Renewal not stated; billing period not stated |
| StrongVPN, 1 year | $47.69 for the first year | $3.97 | Renewal not stated |
| PrivateVPN, 36 months | $72.00 for 36 months (incl. VAT) | $2.00 | Renewal wording ambiguous on the page |
| Trust.Zone, 1 year and 2 years | $39.99 and $55.99 | $3.33 and $2.33 | Renewal not stated; bonus-term wording leaves the billed period unclear |
Month-to-month prices from the same pages, in USD: NordVPN $14.99, CyberGhost $12.99 (EUR 11.99), IPVanish $14.99, PIA $11.95, hide.me $11.99, PureVPN $12.95, StrongVPN $11.99, Windscribe $9, IVPN $6.
Refund windows
The refund window is the other half of the price. From the vendors’ own terms, read 28 September 2026:
| Provider | Window | Conditions stated |
|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 30 days | New subscriptions only; renewals not eligible |
| ExpressVPN | 30 calendar days | New subscribers only; not renewals |
| CyberGhost | 45 days on 6-month and 2-year plans; 14 days on 1-month | |
| Private Internet Access | 30 days | New subscribers only |
| IPVanish | 30 days on yearly and 2-year plans | Monthly plans not covered automatically |
| Surfshark | 30 days | Exclusions for some resellers, prepaid cards and add-ons |
| hide.me | 30 days | Written request by email; conditions in the terms |
| IVPN | 30 days | Once per account |
| Mullvad | 14 days | From payment |
| Windscribe | 7 business days | Usage under 10 GB |
| StrongVPN | 30 days | Annual plan only |
Conditions, payment-route exclusions and how to claim are compared in VPN refund policies compared.
How to use this
Before paying, check two things: the charge after the first term, and whether you can still get your money back when it renews. The refund windows above cover the first purchase: NordVPN, ExpressVPN and PIA say renewals are not eligible. If you plan to stay past the first term, the last column is the number to compare. If you plan to leave, the first two.
Method
Researched from each vendor’s pricing and refund pages, read on 28 September 2026, with ExpressVPN’s order page re-read on 29 September. That re-read returned euro prices for our location (Basic 28 months at EUR 69.72, renewal EUR 79.95 a year), which shows that price and currency depend on where the page is opened. Vendors change promotions often. This page is reviewed every 90 days. Nothing was bought or tested by us. NordVPN is the one provider we earn commission on (disclosure), and its rows come from its own pages like every other. Ownership and audit facts for the same providers are in who owns your VPN and the audit tracker; our shortlist of low-cost options is on the cheap VPNs page.