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5 Best Cheap VPNs UK (Detailed Comparison) in 2023

May 20, 2023

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Are you looking for the best cheap VPN (UK)?

As more and more people are becoming aware of the importance and benefits of using a VPN, it is becoming increasingly necessary to find affordable VPN options to suit the growing demand.

Thankfully, due to the overload of VPNs on the market nowadays, it has become fairly easy to find a VPN that is competitively priced.

The problem is, once you find an affordable VPN, you then have to also ensure that you are not only getting the cheapest prices, but also the most reliable service and the top security protocols.

To find the cheapest VPN that is also effective and reputable, keep reading.

In a Hurry? Here Are 5 Best Cheap VPN Services for UK

5 Best Cheapest VPNs in the UK

Based on our reviews of over 50 VPN services on the market, these are the top VPN providers that offer not only reliable services, but also the cheapest VPN prices.

1. ExpressVPN: Fastest of Cheapest VPN Providers

Devices compatible with ExpressVPN

If you are looking for an affordable premium VPN for the UK, ExpressVPN is it.

ExpressVPN offers the very best security and privacy features, including DNS and IP leak protection, an automatic Kill Switch, split tunneling, a strict no-logs policy, military-grade encryption, and perfect forward secrecy.

If you want to use the best cheap VPN when it comes to speed, ExpressVPN’s servers have proven to be the fastest and most reliable, with over 3,000 servers spread across almost 100 countries worldwide.

ExpressVPN can easily unblock popular blocked services, like over 20 Netflix libraries, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, and many more, allowing you to stream any content you choose (without buffering) no matter what country you visit.

Using ExpressVPN, you can also reliably and consistently access the web from China, as this is one of the very few VPNs that work diligently at staying ahead of these difficult-to-bypass blocks imposed by the Great Firewall.

If you want to test this VPN before committing to a long-term plan, you can test ExpressVPN for up to a month with its 30-day refund policy; and you won’t even have to jump through hoops to cancel since you can request cancellation, ask questions, or get advice simply by connecting to ExpressVPN’s round-the-clock live-chat support.

Pros:

  • Supports P2P sharing
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Fastest speeds
  • 5 devices simultaneously
  • Strong encryption
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons:
Most expensive of the cheapest VPN

2. NordVPN: Secure and Affordable VPN

Devices compatible with NordVPN

NordVPN is another of the most popular of the best cheap VPN (UK) choices that just happens to also be at the top of our list of best VPNs for users of any budget.

NordVPN offers users top security protocols, including OpenVPN, as well as a strict no-logs policy, a Kill Switch, WebRTC, DNS, and IP leak protection, military-grade encryption, and NordVPN’s CyberSec ad and malware-blocker.

You can use this VPN with any device or operating system, connecting it to your Windows, iOS, Android, Mac, or Linux device, and you can connect up to 6 devices to a single VPN account at once.

NordVPN has over 5,200 servers that are accessible in more than 60 countries, and you can easily use these to unblock popular blocked streaming sites like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, and more.

Pros:

  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • 24./7 live-chat service
  • CyberSec ad-blocker
  • 6 devices simultaneously
  • Cheap VPN (UK)
  • Large network of VPN servers

Cons:
Desktop app can be unreliable

3. Surfshark: Best Cheap VPN (UK)

Devices compatible with Surfshark

Surfshark is one of the cheapest VPN providers on our list, and it is the cheapest of the premium (top 3) VPNs.

This VPN offers access to a network of over 3,200 servers in more than 65 countries, allowing users to connect to geo-restricted sites and platforms like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more, with an unlimited number of devices allowed on a single account.

In terms of online protection, Surfshark offers a no-logs policy, split tunneling, a Kill Switch, and AES 256-bit encryption, so you can be safe from cyber-criminals and other threats even though you are not spending an arm and a leg on your plan!

You can test Surfshark for up to a month with a full money-back promise, so there is really no reason not to subscribe to try it today.

Pros:

  • 30-day refund guarantee
  • Multi-hop servers
  • 24/7 live-chat support
  • Best cheap VPN (UK)
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections

Cons:

  • Speeds can be slower at times
  • Some servers not as reliable as others

4. CyberGhost: Fast VPN with 45-day Refund

Devices compatible with CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a popular cheap VPN that is easy enough to use even if you are a VPN novice.

CyberGhost has over 7,700 servers spread across more than 90 countries worldwide, helping you unblock streams from around the world on platforms like Disney+, Netflix, ESPN, YouTube TV, and more, and allowing you to connect up to 7 devices to a single user account.

You are also protected when using this VPN with a no-logs policy, military-grade encryption, and other top online protections to ensure that you are always safe online, whether torrenting, gaming, streaming, or surfing the web.

Another big perk of this VPN is that it allows users a 45-day period to test this cheap VPN with a money-back policy, so you essentially get to use a VPN for free for a month and a half.

Pros:

  • User-friendly interface
  • Cheapest VPN
  • 7 device connections
  • 45-day refund guarantee
  • P2P optimized servers

Cons:

  • Speeds inconsistent
  • Won’t work for China

5. UltraVPN: Fast Speeds and an Affordable Price

Devices compatible with UltraVPN

UltraVPN is an easy VPN to overlook, with a smaller server network of only around 100 servers located in about 50 countries worldwide.

Despite its small size, though, UltraVPN does, in fact, have servers located on all of the continents, and it offers speeds that rival some of the very top VPNs.

UltraVPN offers users online protection, including AES 256-bit encryption and a no-logging policy; and it can help you unblock geo-restricted content seamlessly around the globe.

Using one UltraVPN account, you can connect up to 6 devices at once to the premium plan, with compatibility with iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac.

You can test this VPN service for up to 30 days with a refund guarantee, so there is no risk at all in giving it a try today.

Pros:

  • Good speeds
  • Servers on all continents
  • 6 simultaneous devices
  • 30-day refund guarantee

Cons:

  • Smaller server network
  • Based in USA

Are Cheap VPNs in UK Worth It? 

If you are interested in VPNs (which you must be if you are reading this article) then you probably already know some of the perks of using a virtual private network.

VPNs can help keep you protected while torrenting, improve your gaming speeds, unblock streaming services and websites in other regions, and keep your most sensitive information away from hackers and prying eyes.

While choosing the right VPN to serve all of these functions can be tricky, it does not have to be expensive.

What we hope you will know after this article is that a VPN does not have to be pricey to be good. In fact, some of the best cheap VPN services are also some of the very best VPN services, period.

That being said, cheap VPNs are not in the same ballpark as free VPNs. Using free VPNs can put you at risk online instead of protecting, and most won’t successfully achieve your goals of unblocking sites, protecting your privacy, or spoofing your location.

Why You Need a VPN

VPN providers are extremely useful tools when it comes to keeping you safe and expanding your reach on the internet. Here are some of their benefits:

Access geo-restricted content:

If you are sick of watching BBC iPlayer in the UK, want to access BBC iPlayer from outside the UK, or want to access other content restricted to access in a different country, using a VPN is key.

Using a cheap VPN (UK) service, you will be able to spoof your location, giving you access to sites that are available all around the world simply by connecting to a VPN server in one of those regions.

The best cheap VPN on our list for accessing the content in any country with great speeds is ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN has the broadest server reach, with servers in close to 100 countries around the globe and the fastest local and long-distance speeds.

Privacy and anonymity:

Even if you are just using your VPN to access blocked content on your streaming devices, privacy and security should still be of concern to you.

All of your online activity can be seen and recorded by your Internet Service Provider and by your government, and can easily be uncovered by hackers or prying eyes.

The best cheap VPN services on our list above will conceal your real IP Address and encrypt your online activity, sending it through an encrypted tunnel. This process will keep you protected on public wi-fi, at work, at school, or in your own home, ensuring that your information is kept private from threats in the online world.

The VPNs on our list all offer the top protection features, like AES 256-bit encryption, a strict no-logging policy, leak protection, and secure protocols.

Download torrents safely:

Anytime you download torrents, you are putting yourself at risk online, as torrent sites are full of malware and viruses, and are hotbeds for hackers and third parties looking to grab your information.

When you use a VPN to download torrents using P2P-supported servers, your IP address and activity are encrypted, concealing your traffic and your actual location online. This also helps keep your activity private from your ISP, ensuring that any activity on these questionable sites won’t come back to haunt you.

Because the reputable VPN providers, like the ones above, all offer a strict no-logging policy, you can also trust that any accidental download or sharing of copyrighted content on any torrenting site will not be logged to be passed on to authorities.

*VPNBrains does not condone any illegal activity online.

Should I Pay for a VPN? Why Just Not Use a Free One?

Many users who are looking to use a VPN service are in search of online privacy, hoping to protect their sensitive data and stay safe from hackers, malware, surveillance, or DDoS attacks.

The United Kingdom is among the most surveilled regions of the world, seizing communications from people’s mobile phones or from your Internet Service Provider via the IPAct (Investigatory Powers Act).

UK residents or visitors also often choose to pay for a VPN service if they want to access content that might be geo-restricted in the UK or to access UK content from abroad.

While it might seem like a good idea to just use a free VPN provider for these purposes, put on the brakes for a second and keep reading.

Free VPN services are often completely unsuccessful at helping users access blocked content, with server networks that are typically small and IP addresses that are easily blocked by streaming platforms.

On top of this, free VPNs often put caps on your data and bandwidth, so you will have an impossible time trying to stream, torrent, or play games online using any of these providers.

In terms of online privacy, if you are planning on using a VPN to help improve your Internet security, free ones may actually have the opposite effect, introducing malware to your devices or even selling your private data to third parties for a profit (since they are not making any income off of your subscription).

Your best bet to access content from the UK and to maintain your online privacy and security is to use one of the best cheap VPN services listed above.

While the above providers are not free, they each offer a money-back guarantee, allowing you to test each service for between 30 and 45 days (for CyberGhost) with no strings attached.

What’s the Price of the Cheapest VPN in UK?

While there are quite a few reputable cheap VPN (UK) services, none of the reliable VPN services are free.

Free VPNs are, at best, unreliable, and at worst, very risky to use.

Even if the cheap VPN you choose has a nominal subscription fee, this fee combined with the fee collected from other users is enough to help this for-pay VPN service build a strong and professional infrastructure that provides users with the top security protocols, a vast server network, and protection of your sensitive data.

The cheapest of the best VPN providers on our list is Surfshark, which is a premium VPN service consistently ranking in our top 3, offering plans starting as low as £2.20 per month for unlimited simultaneous device connections on a single plan.

Best Cheap VPNs UK: Comparison 

While we have narrowed it down to our top 5 affordable providers, here is a comparison of our top 3 services:

Best Cheapest VPN for UK in 2023: Surfshark 

If you are looking to find not only a top-3 VPN but also an extremely competitively-priced top-3 provider, Surfshark is it.

At the moment, Surfshark offers users plans starting at only £2.20 per month for 24 months, which is currently an 81% discount off of the original price.

For this nominal price, you get good speeds, compatibility with all major devices and platforms, and unlimited simultaneous device connections on one user account.

Best Cheap VPN UK for Torrenting: NordVPN

When it comes to torrenting, NordVPN is a great option, with optimized servers for P2P sharing and DoubleVPN protection offered so you can send your traffic through an extra layer of protection if you choose to enable this feature.

NordVPN also has the top privacy and security features to protect you on torrenting sites so that you are always torrenting anonymously and without detection by your ISP, hackers, or authorities.

For its most competitively priced plan, NordVPN currently costs only £2.89 per month for a 2-year plan, which is a 67% discount off of the original price.

NordVPN allows users to connect up to 6 devices on a single user account and is able to access content with great speeds by connecting to one of the VPN server locations in over 60 countries worldwide.

You can find NordVPN desktop and mobile VPN apps for your Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Fire TV, FireStick, Android TV, Smart TV, and more.

Best Cheap VPN UK for Fast Speeds & Streaming: ExpressVPN 

Though ExpressVPN is the most expensive of the best cheap VPN (UK) providers, it is still quite affordable, only costing you the price of buying a couple of mugs of tea at the local tea house in London.

ExpressVPN is the fastest of this cheap VPN (UK) services, and it is also the most reliable in terms of connectivity.

This provider is able to unblock geo-restricted content on platforms like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, HBO Max, Disney+, and over 20 different regional Netflix libraries, all without buffering or lag.

What is the Overall Best Value VPN for UK?

The VPN with the overall best value for the UK is ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN is a bit more expensive than the other VPNs that made it onto our list, but it is still plenty affordable for the average VPN user, costing as much for a monthly plan as it would cost for 2 cups of tea at your local tea house in London that you could finish drinking in the span of an hour.

ExpressVPN offers the best speeds, the most reliable connectivity both on local and long-distance servers, and the largest number of platforms that you can unblock by connecting to Express’s network of over 3,000 servers in almost 100 countries.

On top of all of this, we do not question our security online at any point when using this top VPN service, since it has proven to take online protection seriously and continues to stay at the forefront of the latest online protection protocols and updates.

FAQs

What is the cheapest VPN in the UK?
Of the cheap VPN (UK) providers, Surfshark is the one that has the lowest cost while still offering the top features, like unlimited device connections, military-grade encryption, and great online speeds.
Is it legal to use a VPN in the United Kingdom?
Yes. Using a VPN in the UK is entirely legal. Using a VPN for any illegal activity while in the UK is, however, still illegal even when you are connected to this VPN network. The best bet is to check your local laws before using a VPN to ensure you are not doing anything questionably legal.
Should I use a VPN in the UK?
Definitely. Using a VPN in the UK is a must anytime you are trying to protect yourself online or access content that may be blocked in the United Kingdom.

You do not have to break the bank with a VPN, though, as the cheap VPN services listed above will serve the purpose and save you a few dollars!

Our top VPN pick for the UK is ExpressVPN.

Affordable Virtual Private Network UK: Conclusion

If you are looking for the best cheap VPN (UK) that does not compromise on any of its features, the VPN providers listed above are each a sure thing.

While there are dozens upon dozens of VPNs from which to choose these days, there continues to be a range of prices for these providers that can make it very confusing when trying to pick the one that works best for you.

The bottom line is, the best VPN does not always have to be the cheapest VPN. All of the VPNs on our list are within a few bucks of each other, but they all offer similar protection features and capabilities.

Keep in mind, though, that cheap does not mean free. Free providers are not proven effective and safe, and we would advise you to steer clear of these!

Our top VPN recommendation is ExpressVPN, which is the most expensive of the cheap VPNs. Since you can test ExpressVPN for up to 30 days, risk-free, we urge you to see for yourself what we love about this VPN!

Check back for the best VPN deals available on the web today!

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