VPN Renewal Prices Compared: What You Pay After Year One
Mullvad and hide.me are the VPNs to pick if you never want a second-year jump, since Toolradar has Mullvad at €5 a month whatever the term and VPN Scout found hide.me renewing at the same $2.59 a month it charges at sign-up. NordVPN shows what most of the others do instead, with its Basic plan going from $3.09 a month on a two-year plan to $139.08 a year at renewal, by vpnoverview's count.
Pound prices in the table come from The VPN Advisor's own comparison data, checked in September and October 2026.
Year-one prices for six VPNs on 12-month plans
| Provider | A month on the 12-month plan | A year on that plan | Same price at renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mullvad | £4.24 | £50.88 | Yes |
| hide.me | £4.23 | £50.76 | Yes |
| NordVPN | £4.09 | £49.08 | No |
| ExpressVPN | £3.99 | £47.88 | No |
| ProtonVPN | £3.59 | £43.08 | No |
| IPVanish | £3.40 | £40.80 | No |
NordVPN renews Basic at $139.08 a year
NordVPN renews at one figure per tier, ComparEdge notes, whichever prepaid term you started on. On vpnoverview's figures, Plus starts at $3.89 a month and renews at $179.88 a year, while Complete goes from $5.39 a month to $219.48 a year.
Auto-renewal is on by default, so you're charged the standard rate unless you cancel before the term ends. NordVPN's checkout page says the price may change and that you'll be told before any new charge. VPN Online advises checking your account dashboard ahead of renewal, as the company adjusts its rates from time to time.
CNET's advice is to cancel before the plan renews, and with many providers you can cancel straight after signing up without losing the time you've paid for.
ExpressVPN shows its renewal price before you pay
ExpressVPN lists its renewal prices on its order page, so you see them before you buy. On VPN Scout's figures, Basic costs $2.49 a month on a two-year plan, billed as $69.72 upfront, and renews at $8.33 a month. Basic autorenews at $99.95 a year, vpnprograms reports, and Gizmodo has Advanced renewing at $119.95 a year and Pro at $199.95.
ExpressVPN's own support page says its rates can change on 30 days' notice. It also covers renewed subscriptions with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Gizmodo adds that ExpressVPN sends the renewal figure at least 30 days before your term ends. VPN Scout's list of low-cost VPNs has no higher renewal than ExpressVPN's.
Surfshark keeps the amount off its pricing page
eCommerce Paradise found no renewal amount on Surfshark's pricing page, only a line in its FAQ about an applicable renewal price. Starter costs $67.23 upfront for its first two years, which VPN Scout works out at $2.49 a month, and renews at $6.58 a month. Gizmodo puts One at $99.00 a year and One+ at $119.00 a year once they renew.
Every Surfshark subscription has auto-renewal switched on, and vpnoverview warns that you'll pay the standard rate after the first term unless you cancel. Billing turns annual once the first 27 months are over, eCommerce Paradise adds.
Mullvad, hide.me and Windscribe hold their price
CNET counts Mullvad among the few providers that charge the same whether you sign up for a month, a year or ten, which sets it apart from NordVPN. Coppers found one other big name keeping its price at renewal, Windscribe. Its paid plan stays at the same rate when it renews. Windscribe also has a free tier with a monthly data cap.
hide.me alone among the low-cost VPNs VPN Scout lists renews at its sign-up price. Mullvad allows five devices at once, half as many as NordVPN and ExpressVPN. On The VPN Advisor's own ratings, hide.me scores 4.2 stars and Mullvad 4.1, against 4.4 for NordVPN and 4.5 for ExpressVPN. All four have had an independent security audit and keep a no-logs policy. A first year of hide.me also costs more than one of NordVPN or ExpressVPN, at £50.76 on its 12-month plan.
IPVanish, CyberGhost and PureVPN jump at renewal too
On VPN Scout's figures, IPVanish goes from $2.19 a month to $7.50, more than three times as much. CyberGhost's long-term plan bills $41.34 upfront, or $1.59 a month, and renews at $3.45. PureVPN starts at $2.15 a month, billed $58.20 upfront, with $4.00 a month after that. PrivateVPN's entry plan costs $2.00 a month, billed $72.00 upfront, and renews at $6.00 a month.
Hotspot Shield has the smallest first bill there, $29.00 for the year, and renews at $8.00 a month. iTop VPN and AirVPN don't publish what you'll pay once the promo ends. Toolradar has ProtonVPN Plus starting between $2.99 and $3.99 a month and often renewing toward $9.99. Its free plan gives you one device at medium speed in 10 random countries.
Mullvad or hide.me for a price that never jumps
Pick Mullvad if you want one price for as long as you keep it and can live with its device limit. Pick hide.me if you'd rather have 10 devices at once, with a renewal that matches its sign-up price.
NordVPN suits a buyer who will be gone within the first term, as auto-renewal is on by default. ExpressVPN suits someone who wants to see the renewal before paying, though its renewal tops VPN Scout's list. Surfshark keeps its renewal off the pricing page, so read its FAQ before you buy. Whichever you choose, settle before the first term ends whether to keep it at the renewal price or cancel.
