NordVPN vs Surfshark vs Proton VPN in 2026: how to choose, and how not to overpay

Black Friday is when VPN companies advertise their lowest prices, and almost all of those prices are intro prices. This guide compares three well-known VPNs on the things that stay true all year, and shows you how to avoid the renewal trap. We have not run speed tests or hands-on reviews for this page. Where we quote a price, we say where and when we checked it.

What to check before you buy

• Intro price versus renewal price. A two-year deal is cheap per month, but the plan then renews at a higher yearly price. Ask what you will pay after the first term, not only what you pay today.
• Where the company is based. Laws on data requests differ by country. Switzerland and the Netherlands are common homes for privacy-focused providers.
• Independent audits. Look for a published audit of the no-logs claim, and check the date of the latest report. A promise is not proof.
• How many devices at once. Households with many phones, laptops and TVs need a generous limit.
• What you actually need it for. Public Wi-Fi, travel and privacy need different things than streaming from another country, and no VPN guarantees that a streaming service will work.
• Extras you will not use. Antivirus, password managers and cloud storage raise the price. Skip them if you already pay for those.
• The money-back guarantee. Use it. All three companies below advertise one, so try the service on your own devices in the first weeks.

The three options

NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the most widely used VPNs, and it allows up to 10 devices at once on every plan. We checked its prices on its own pricing page; see NordVPN's real Black Friday price for every plan with its intro and renewal price. It is a good fit if you want a well-known service with a long track record and you buy on a deal.

See NordVPN's current prices

Surfshark

Surfshark's main selling point is that it does not limit how many devices you connect at once, which suits large households. It often has some of the lowest intro prices, and the renewal price is the number to check before you pay. We could not load Surfshark's pricing page when we wrote this, so we do not quote its prices here. Open the page yourself and read the renewal line before you buy.

See Surfshark's current prices

Proton VPN

Proton VPN is made by the Swiss company behind Proton Mail. Its apps are open source and its no-logs claim has been audited by independent firms. It also has a free plan with no data cap, with fewer servers and features. That makes it the easiest to try before you pay, and a good fit if privacy is your main reason to use a VPN. We could not load Proton's pricing page when we wrote this, so we do not quote its prices. Read the renewal price on the page before you buy.

See Proton VPN's current prices

Which one for whom

How not to pay the renewal price

1. Write down the renewal date the day you buy.
2. Turn off auto-renewal in your account after you buy. You keep the plan to the end of the term.
3. Shop again before the term ends. All three run deals through the year.
4. Use the money-back guarantee if it is not for you.

What a VPN does not do

A VPN hides your traffic from your network and shows the VPN's address to websites. It does not make you anonymous, and it does not protect you from phishing or malware. Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication as well. Use a VPN only for lawful purposes.

If you are traveling, see eSIM vs AT&T and Verizon international plans.

Kyasla earns a commission if you buy through the links on this page. It does not change the prices you pay or what we write. Plans and prices change; always check the provider's own page before you buy.