How to choose a VPN in 2026: the real price, the guarantee and the audit

Published 1 October 2026 · Prices checked on the official pages on 29 September 2026, in the page currency, excluding local VAT.

Most VPN rankings give scores you can't verify. Here you will only find what can be checked: the price on the official page, the money-back guarantee, the number of devices and the public independent audits, for 15 providers.

1. The monthly price is just the start

Providers almost always advertise the monthly price of the longest subscription. The amount you pay up front can be dozens of times higher, and after the first term many subscriptions renew at a higher price. We wrote a separate guide about this: VPN renewal prices.

2. The money-back guarantee

The guarantee lets you test the VPN on your own devices (speed, streaming, apps) and ask for a refund if it doesn't suit you. Of the 15 providers, 11 state at least 30 days. Shorter guarantees: Mullvad VPN (14 days), TorGuard (7 days). Read the conditions on the provider's site before buying: some guarantees have exceptions (for example for certain payment methods or for the monthly plan).

3. The independent audit

Almost every VPN says it “keeps no logs”. An audit by a third-party firm (Deloitte, KPMG, Cure53, Securitum etc.) is the only public evidence you can read. An audit doesn't guarantee absolute security, but it is much more than a marketing promise. In the table, every audit links to its source.

4. How many devices it covers

Count the phones, laptops and TVs in your home. Most providers allow between 5 and 10 simultaneous devices; Surfshark, Private Internet Access state unlimited devices.

The full table

Sorted by the lowest official monthly price. Click a provider in the comparator to see all its plans.

Prices may differ by country, currency, VAT and promotions. You see the final amount in the provider's cart. We have not run our own speed tests and we don't publish made-up scores.

What a VPN doesn't do

A VPN hides your traffic from the network you're connected to (for example public Wi-Fi) and changes your IP address. It doesn't protect you from viruses, infected files or a phishing link you open yourself. For that you need antivirus — we compare them on AVCompari.

Frequently asked questions

Which VPNs have an independent no-logs audit?

From our comparator: NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, Norton VPN, Mullvad VPN, IVPN. Each report links to its source in the table.

Which VPN has the longest money-back guarantee?

Norton VPN: 60 days, according to the official page on 29 September 2026.

Does a VPN protect me from viruses?

No. A VPN encrypts your traffic and changes your IP address, but it doesn't stop infected files or phishing. For that you need antivirus.