If you want to unblock regional content on streaming services like Netflix, iPlayer and Prime, or access websites that aren’t available in your region, a VPN is an essential tool. VPN services can also provide you with online privacy as well as provide you with secure connection to open Wi-Fi networks in cafes, hotels, airports and other places. We can help you find the cheapest VPN that suits your needs.
Choosing which VPN service to subscribe to can be difficult, and this is compounded by the fact that there are so many offers and discounts. This is where we come into the picture. All the services you’ll find below are ones we would use ourselves – and we do on a daily basis. We tell you the latest prices and best deals so you can find the VPN that suits you at the best price.
Read How to use a VPN on a Mac for more information, and if you’re still not sure why you need a VPN, read: Should I use a VPN on my Mac/iPhone?
Best VPN deals right now
All of these offers save a significant amount of money compared to paying for each of these services on a rolling monthly subscription. VPN providers tend to offer discounts throughout the year, but there are some deals that mean you won’t be locked into a monthly fee, or at least not one that’s expiring soon. Here are two of the best examples:
One deal to take a look at is FastestVPN’s Lifetime plan – which at 93% off makes it an absolute bargain as you pay once and have access to the VPN for life. It’s a one-off price of $40 (about £33), and the company says the full price would be $600.
We have many more offers below. Note that many of the deals lock you in for a year or two, after which you could end up paying a lot more, so check the advertised monthly price. We recommend setting a reminder in your calendar to cancel and look for a new agreement to replace the one you had at the end of the contract period.
For our recommendations of Mac antivirus software that we’ve tested, see: Best Antivirus for Mac 2024: Top Security Software Compared. We also rate the best VPN for iPad and the best VPN for iPhone.
Best Free VPN
There are a few free VPNs on offer, but our advice is usually to be very careful with them. Companies that give stuff away want to make money one way or another, and you can’t be sure they aren’t selling your data.
A decent VPN that offers a free tier is Proton VPN (read our review). You can use Proton VPN for nothing as long as you are happy with US, Japan and Netherlands as your server locations. It’s also limiting in that you can only connect a single device and the speeds are slower than the paid plans, but the free version is available on all platforms and if you like it, you can always subscribe to get the full package , which will unblock a host of features, including an ad and tracker blocker and improved speeds of up to 10Gbit, as well as an expanded 10-device limit. There’s also Port Forwarding for downloads and games, as well as a Kill Switch to disconnect should the VPN drop out.
Best Cheap VPNs for Mac
We’ve reviewed all of these services in our roundup of the best VPNs for Mac. Below you’ll find details of the best deals currently available for each of the major VPN providers – these deals change all the time.
Most VPNs cost less than $5/£5 per session. month, with some less than $3/£3 a month. There are even some free VPNs, but these are usually very limited and may collect data about you. The ones we share here are generally around $3/£3 a month or less.
Here are our top recommendations for the cheapest Mac VPNs:
As we said above, just remember to note the renewal date when you start a subscription so you can cancel before you’re charged the full price.
Best VPN deals: Save money on a VPN for your Mac
1. NordVPN for Mac
Benefits
- Incredibly easy to use
- Lots of server options
Disadvantages
- Pricing weighted towards two-year plans
Price upon notification:
That’s €3.49/mo
NordVPN is a full-featured VPN option that is secure, easy to use, and incredibly fast compared to its competitors.
Prices change all the time. NordVPN’s basic plan is currently $2.99/£2.59 per month for 2 years.
Read our full NordVPN pour Mac review
2. Surfshark for Mac
Benefits
- Simple to use
- No device restrictions
Price upon notification:
That’s €2.30/month
SurfShark is a great VPN option that’s as easy to use as the best of them, while maintaining security across an unlimited number of devices – something we don’t see often.
Right now Surfshark’s starter plan costs $1.99/£1.69 per month for 2 years + 3 free months.
Read our full Surfshark pour Mac review
3. Private internet access
Benefits
- Lots of power functions
- Privacy oriented
- Great value
Disadvantages
- Less intuitive than some others
Price upon notification:
That’s €1.99/month
Private Internet Access (PIA) offers a robust feature set that makes it one of the more impressive VPNs out there.
Right now PIA has a deal that means you pay $2.03/£1.69 a month for two years and get two months free.
Read our full Private Internet Access review
4. CyberGhost for Mac
Benefits
- Simple to use
- Decent speeds
- Lots of servers
Disadvantages
- Lacks some superuser features
Price upon notification:
That’s €2.19/month
CyberGhost takes a lot of the complexity out of VPN use, for better or for worse. On the one hand, some users may want more superuser features.
Currently you can get 82% off at Cyberghost. This is $2.19/£1.92 per month for 2 years with 2 free months. It is fully refundable for 45 days, according to the company.
Read our full CyberGhost pour Mac review
5. hide.me VPN
Benefits
- Dedicated streaming servers
- Impressive free level
Price upon notification:
Free (Premium from €4.99/month)
Hide.me is a solid VPN with a great free tier, but the user interface is not very intuitive.
Hide.me’s deal means you pay $3.84/£3.84 per month for 26 months.
Read our full hide.me VPN review
6. ProtonVPN
Benefits
- Simple to use
- Free plan
- Great speed
Disadvantages
- The setup on macOS was a little difficult
Proton VPN’s free tier, ease of use, and impressive speeds place it right near the top of our VPN recommendations.
There is a free tier of Proton VPN, but if you want a little more flexibility and a few more features, prices start at $4.49/€4.49 per month for two years. Normally $9.99/€9.99 per month. The Swiss company doesn’t seem to like pounds, so unfortunately it’s dollars or euros.
Read our full ProtonVPN review
How to find the best VPN deal for Mac
VPN subscriptions typically work out cheaper if you commit for a year or longer, saving a lot of money. Prices rarely exceed $6/£6 per month with multi-year subscriptions and are often closer to $2/£2… or even less.
Many major VPN providers offer discounts throughout the year and sometimes even offer permanent discounts. These discounts may look impressive at first. It’s not uncommon to see a countdown timer telling you when the deal ends – but these are almost always to induce FOMO – the fear of missing out – to persuade you to sign up right away.
Big discounts are par for the course with VPN services, especially when you subscribe for multiple years. This makes it all the more important to look into the different providers and what each has to offer before jumping into a long-term commitment.
All VPNs we’ve tested also offer cross-device coverage, so you can use them on your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and more. We have separately collected the best iPhone VPNs and iPad VPNs.