As VPN editor at Tom's Guide, I spend a heck of a lot of time testing, reading, and writing about virtual private networks. The people in my life know this, and I'm always getting asked "When's the best time to buy a VPN?"
The answer is invariably "Black Friday" – but it's not always quite that simple. Some of the best VPN providers offer incredible Black Friday VPN deals, while others don't offer any discounts at all. So, depending on which VPN you've got your eye on, you could be getting a steal, or you might be paying full price.
Here, I'm rounding up a bunch of the most accessible VPN deals, and cutting through the marketing bluster to see if they're actually worth going for. I'll also outline the real difference in price compared to any other day in the year so you can gauge exactly how much you stand to save.
NordVPN
Deal: 2 years + 3 months free, including up to $30/£30 Amazon gift card
NordVPN is my second-best-rated VPN on the market, and I've never seen it offer a deal like this before.
The headline price is already eye-catching – at just $2.99 a month it's knocking on the door of genuine cheap VPN services.
However, exclusively for Tom's Guide readers, the privacy powerhouse is throwing in an Amazon gift card for free as well.
If you just go for the Standard plan, which includes the VPN, malware protection, and a tracker blocker, you'll get a $10/£10 gift card. Pick the Plus plan, and you'll get Nord's password manager NordPass thrown in, alongside a £20/£20 gift card.
Those who go all-out and purchase the complete plan will get all that plus NordLocker (Nord's cloud storage solution) and a hefty $30/£30 gift card.
Whichever you choose, this is easily the best deal I've ever seen from Nord, and it's only available until November 29. If you were considering choosing NordVPN previously, now's definitely the time to buy.
Difference in price: $3.89 a month $2.99 a month
Saving over 1-month plans: up to 69%
Surfshark
Deal: 2 years + 3 months free for $1.99 a month
Surfshark is a provider that's known for offering great prices all year round, and its current Black Friday deal is certainly tempting at $1.99 a month.
Compared to the competition this is up (or down) there with the cheapest monthly VPN prices on the market. The inclusion of three free months helps drop that headline figure a little, although this is a bit of a 'hack' that VPN providers use to make their monthly prices appear cheaper.
However, unlike some providers, Surfshark has cut the price as well as offering a freebie. A month or so ago, Surfshark was already offering two months free, but charging $2.30 a month. So, with this deal, it's actually offering some genuine extra value.
I've found Surfshark to be very capable of unblocking streaming sites and staying private online, so if your budget can't quite stretch to NordVPN, Surfshark may well be the one to go for
Difference in price: $2.49 a month $1.99 a month
Saving over 1-month plans: up to 80%
Private Internet Access
Deal: 2 years + 4 months free for $2.03 a month ($57)
Looks familiar, doesn't it? Private Internet Access's current deal is almost like-for-like with Surfshark's, although you'll get four months for free, not two. Those extra couple of months will see you through into April 2026 rather than February, but in practice, it's not a huge differentiating factor.
What is a little more notable is that the overall discount PIA is offering isn't quite as impressive. Before Black Friday, PIA has been vacillating between $2.19 a month and $2.03 a month – so while this is equal to the cheapest I've seen the provider go for, it's not quite as special as the two deals I've outlined above.
However, whichever way you slice it, it's still seriously good value – especially if you're looking for a capable torrenting VPN that has a bunch of extra features rarely seen from mainstream providers.
Difference in price: $2.19 a month $2.03 a month
Saving over 1-month plans: up to 83%
PrivadoVPN
Deal: 2 years + 3 months free for $1.11 a month
OK. Now we're talking.
PrivadoVPN is a pretty new name to the VPN scene and has made a name for itself by offering the best free VPN I've ever reviewed – But over Black Friday its paid plan is so incredibly cheap I couldn't help but include it.
Sign up for the 2-year plan, and you'll pay just $1.11 a month. Including the 3 free months, that's just $30 for 27 months of VPN coverage. What's more, when it auto-renews, you'll still only pay $30 for 24 months, which is a breath of fresh air compared to some other providers that hike the price on renewal.
So why isn't this my headline deal? Well, while I consider PrivadoVPN to be secure and safe to use, it quite simply can't match the likes of NordVPN in terms of quality – yet, at least. However, it's pretty effective at unblocking streaming sites, and if you're looking for basic VPN protection for as cheap as possible, this is the one to go for.
Difference in price: $1.99 a month $ 1.11 a month
Saving over 1-month plans: up to 90%
Proton VPN
Deal: 2 years + 6 months free for $3.99 a month
Proton VPN isn't known for being incredibly cheap or even offering discounts on its products, so I'm pleased to see the Swiss provider getting involved with Black Friday this year.
This very much is a Black Friday special too, and don't expect it to stick around for long. Proton definitely values itself and believes users are willing to pay a little more for its superior service (just like a certain provider we'll see in a moment).
However, at a chunky $3.99 a month, it's certainly no bargain, and an initial outlay well into three figures could put off some users.
For some, there will be a few very good reasons to choose Proton VPN, and I personally appreciate its commitment to user privacy and unique features like its Secure Core servers. Those looking to save big, though, ought to look elsewhere.
Difference in price: $4.99 a month $3.99 per month
Saving over 1-month plans: up to 60%
ExpressVPN
Deal: 1 year + 3 months free for $6.67 a month
It may well be the top pick in terms of quality and overall performance, but ExpressVPN is steadfast in its attitude to promos and discounts. As in, it never offers them.
What you see today is what you'll get all year round with the ultra-premium VPN. As a token of gratitude, ExpressVPN does offer 3 months free to Tom's Guide readers, as well as a year's subscription to Backblaze could storage. But no matter how it brands it, this quite simply isn't just for Black Friday.
In terms of deals, it's one of the priciest out there – but in my experience, you do get what you pay for. After all, I rank it as the #1 best VPN service for a reason. Just like Proton VPN, though, if you're looking for a bargain I'd advise you to scroll back up to the top and take your pick.
Difference in price: $8.33 a month $6.67 a month
Saving over 1-month plans: up to 49%
