Hopefully, you already have a VPN and if you haven’t, there are some recommended ones here. The question is, should you stick with your current VPN provider or switch to a different one?
A VPN, for those that have never had one, perform several tasks and they aid security and privacy when you are using the internet. They are especially good for those occasions when you use public Wi-Fi, either on your computer or your phone – apps are available for all devices.
VPNs help to prevent people spying on your internet activities, and they can make you appear to be in a different location, which is often used to access content or services available in other parts of the world as if you were resident there.
For those people that do have a VPN, there are several questions you may wonder about. Such as, when is the best time to change VPN providers? Should you stick with the same company or go with a different one? Is there any advantage to switching VPN services?
Yes, there can be advantages to switching and you may be able to reduce the price or get extras bundled with it. A few weeks or even a month before your current VPN subscription expires, start looking at alternative providers.
- The subscription renewal price may be higher than the deal new customers get.
- There may be special offers you can take advantage of to save you money.
- There may be coupons that provide extra discounts when you switch VPN providers.
- VPNs are cheaper at certain times of the year. Time your switch and save money.
(This article contains affiliate links.)
How to get the best VPN deals
VPN providers offer several different plans, such as monthly, yearly, two or even three-year plans. Never ever sign up for a monthly plan because they are horrendously expensive. Take a look at this example from NordVPN:
And this one from PureVPN:
These are just two examples and I could show you a dozen more. These sorts of discounts for longer plans are very common among VPN providers. They don’t want you for a month, they want to sign you up for a year or more and they make it worth your while by offering big savings on the monthly price. Never choose monthly!
Check renewal subscription price
Sign up for a year or two with a VPN provider and you will receive a big discount on the monthly price. An important fact to find out is whether this is forever or whether you revert to the ‘standard’ price when the introductory subscription expires.
This does not affect whether you sign up with a VPN provider in the first place because you get the great deal no matter what, but it can make a difference whether you stick with them or switch when the current subscription plan is up for renewal. Put your renewal date in your calendar to alert you before your subscription auto-renews.
Before renewing a VPN subscription, check the prices of alternative providers, look for special offers and see what is available. Don’t just let it auto-renew, check that you are actually getting the best deal by shopping around.
Look for special offers
Visit the website of a VPN provider and there may be a great deal on the home page. However, before you accept it, browse a few pages on the site, then move the mouse out of the browser window as if you are going to leave. This may trigger a popup offer that is even better than those listed. They really don’t want you to leave without signing up. Look at this offer I saw from Ivacy VPN:
I got that today. Will it still be there in a week, a month or six months? I don’t know. Offers like this come and go and you just have to look for them. Here’s a secret offer from PureVPN:
Visit VPN providers websites several times for a few weeks or even a month before your current plan expires and see what offers you can find. Even if you have a month left on your plan, it may be cheaper to switch right now instead of waiting because the offer may disappear by then.
Use money-saving coupons
You probably never realized it, but the price of a VPN depends on which web browser you use. If you are using Chrome, the most popular web browser, you may not be getting the best price on a VPN service.
Use Microsoft Edge browser on a PC or Mac and when you visit a VPN (and many other sites too), look at the right side of the address box for coupons. If you see that they are offered at the site, click the coupon icon and browse the offers.
Click a coupon to copy the code, then when you are at the checkout paying for the VPN, look for the option to apply a coupon code, click in the box and press Ctrl+V (PC), Cmd+V (Mac) to paste it in. You may get an extra discount on the subscription price, saving you money.
Time your renewal
Special offers come and go. They are around for a while and then disappear. However, there is an obvious pattern to them. Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are often the best prices you will see all year. If you buy a VPN subscription around those dates, it will always be up for renewal at the best time of the year for bargains.
Even if there is still a couple of months left on your VPN subscription, I would get one of the Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals. It can be worth it.
There are also Christmas sales, New Year sales and sometimes summer sales. Make sure you renew your subscription at one of these times so that you always catch the bargains. The VPN you want may cost 50% more a week after the Black Friday sales.
Summing up
VPN subscription prices are volatile and often change. The price you see today may not be the one you see next week. Before your current VPN subscription nears its end, you should start looking around. See what it will cost you to stay with your current provider and compare both the prices, features and extras that rivals are offering.
It is very competitive and every VPN provider wants to have the best deal. The worst thing you can do is to forget about your VPN subscription and let it auto-renew. It may not be the best deal.
