1 Month vs 12 Months vs 24 Months: Which VPN Term Costs Less
When a short VPN plan is the better buy, and when a 12-month or 24-month term actually lowers what you pay.
Published 6 November 2026
By the Best VPN Finder editorial desk. A named author has not been supplied. See the editorial policy.
One month is the test drive
A monthly plan costs more per month and less in total. That is the right term if you are trying a provider, travelling for a few weeks, or you are not sure the apps will work on your devices. NordVPN’s published monthly rate on this site is US$14.99. CometVPN’s checkout with COMET10 is US$8.99. DombayVPN’s is US$12.99. LockNet VPN’s monthly checkout is US$7.99. You can stop after one charge.
Use the refund window as well, but do not plan your purchase around getting the money back. A 30-day guarantee is a safety net, not a pricing strategy.
Twelve months is the usual compromise
A year is long enough for the introductory discount to matter and short enough that you are not locked in if the service gets worse. On the checkout totals checked for this site, CometVPN’s 12-month term with COMET20 is US$24.00 upfront for 13 months of access. NordVPN’s 12-month offer is US$74.85 upfront for 15 months. LockNet VPN’s yearly checkout is US$52.99 for 15 months. DombayVPN’s annual plan is US$89.99 for 12 months.
Read the renewal line. The second year is often billed at a higher rate than the intro term. The cheap monthly equivalent only describes the first checkout.
Twenty-four months is the lowest rate, if they offer it
A two-year term is the lowest effective monthly price among the providers that publish one. CometVPN’s 24-month checkout with COMET30 is US$31.75 upfront for 27 months. LockNet VPN’s two-year checkout is US$51.00 for 24 months. NordVPN’s 24-month plan is US$94.23 upfront for 27 months. Extra months are included in the access total where the checkout lists them.
Skip a two-year plan if you might change phone platforms, if the provider has a short track record you have not tested, or if no 24-month price is published. Paying for time you will not use is not a saving.
The numbers come from the same price list as the VPN plan comparison. Read the comparison method before treating a card as a test, and use corrections if a checkout has changed.