Recommended Free Tools
Best verified U.S. value: ExpressVPN Basic is $83.72 upfront for 28 months ($2.99 per effective month), while NordVPN Basic is $94.23 for 27 months ($3.49 per effective month). Surfshark and PrivadoVPN may be cheaper, but their August 16, 2026 checkout totals were not stable enough to verify here. The “up to 87% off” headline is a maximum promotional claim—not a guaranteed price for every U.S. customer.
VPN promotions change by country, tier, tax, landing page and billing term. Check the final checkout screen before paying, and compare the renewal price rather than the percentage discount alone.
Quick comparison: verified U.S. introductory offers
These figures reflect offers available or reported for the U.S. market around August 16, 2026. “Effective monthly cost” divides the initial charge by every month of access, including bonus months.
| Provider and plan | Initial term | Free months | Upfront charge | Effective monthly cost | Renewal | Refund window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN Basic | 28 months | 4 | $83.72 | $2.99 | $99.95/year | 30 days |
| ExpressVPN Advanced | 28 months | 4 | $125.72 | $4.49 | $119.95/year | 30 days |
| ExpressVPN Pro | 28 months | 4 | $209.72 | $7.49 | $199.95/year | 30 days |
| NordVPN Basic | 27 months | 3 | $94.23 | $3.49 | $139.08/year | 30 days |
| NordVPN Complete | 27 months | 3 | $121.23 | $4.49 | $219.48/year | 30 days |
| Proton VPN Plus | 24 months | Not established | Verify live checkout | Verify | Verify | 30 days |
| Surfshark long-term tier | 24 months plus bonus months | Verify live checkout | Verify live checkout | Verify | Verify | Verify |
ExpressVPN figures come from its official checkout; NordVPN figures come from its official pricing page. Proton VPN and Surfshark use dynamic offers, so do not treat an advertised monthly figure as the amount charged today.
#1 Best Overall
- 【Five Gigabit Ports】1 Gigabit WAN Port plus 2 Gigabit WAN/LAN Ports plus 2 Gigabit LAN Port. Up to 3 WAN ports optimize bandwidth usage through one device.
- 【One USB WAN Port】Mobile broadband via 4G/3G modem is supported for WAN backup by connecting to the USB port. For complete list of compatible 4G/3G modems, please visit TP-Link website.
- 【Abundant Security Features】Advanced firewall policies, DoS defense, IP/MAC/URL filtering, speed test and more security functions protect your network and data.
- 【Highly Secure VPN】Supports up to 20× LAN-to-LAN IPsec, 16× OpenVPN, 16× L2TP, and 16× PPTP VPN connections.
- Security - SPI Firewall, VPN Pass through, FTP/H.323/PPTP/SIP/IPsec ALG, DoS Defence, Ping of Death and Local Management. Standards and Protocols IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.1q
How to read “up to 87 percent off”
VPN companies commonly calculate savings against a standard month-to-month list price. That comparison can produce a large percentage even when the offer requires a 24-month commitment, includes free months or renews at a much higher annual rate. Some campaigns apply only to new customers, one tier or one country.
Use this calculation:
Effective monthly cost = initial amount charged ÷ all months received (paid and free)
Then evaluate the renewal separately. An offer can have a low effective monthly cost and still become expensive if you forget to cancel before auto-renewal.
Provider-by-provider recommendations
ExpressVPN: best premium beginner option
The current U.S.-style promotion gives four bonus months with a two-year purchase. Basic costs $83.72 upfront for 28 months; Advanced costs $125.72; Pro costs $209.72. The plans renew annually at $99.95, $119.95 and $199.95 respectively. New customers receive a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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- 【AC1200 Dual-band Wireless Router】Simultaneous dual-band with wireless speed up to 300 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 867 Mbps (5GHz). 2.4GHz band can handles some simple tasks like emails or web browsing while bandwidth intensive tasks such as gaming or 4K video streaming can be handled by the 5GHz band.*Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【Easy Setup】Please refer to the User Manual and the Unboxing & Setup video guide on Amazon for detailed setup instructions and methods for connecting to the Internet.
- 【Pocket-friendly】Lightweight design(145g) which designed for your next trip or adventure. Alongside its portable, compact design makes it easy to take with you on the go.
- 【Full Gigabit Ports】Gigabit Wireless Internet Router with 2 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN ports, ideal for lots of internet plan and allow you to connect your wired devices directly.
- 【Keep your Internet Safe】IPv6 supported. OpenVPN & WireGuard pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers. Cloudflare encryption supported to protect the privacy.
Basic is the sensible choice if you want the VPN without the additional password or identity features in higher tiers. ExpressVPN is a good fit for simple apps and broad device support, but the headline $2.99 figure requires paying the entire 28-month amount immediately. See the official ExpressVPN checkout.
NordVPN: strong all-purpose choice
NordVPN Basic is $94.23 for 27 months, including three extra months, and renews at $139.08 per year. Complete is $121.23 initially and renews at $219.48; Prime is $202.23 initially and renews at $296.28. Each tier has a 30-day money-back guarantee, and the VPN feature list states support for 10 simultaneous devices.
Basic suits readers who need a mainstream VPN. Complete and Prime add broader security, password, storage or identity services, so compare the bundle value rather than assuming the higher tier is a cheaper VPN. Details are on the NordVPN pricing page.
Proton VPN: best privacy-first and free option
Proton’s deal page advertises savings of up to 70 percent, not 87 percent. Its live U.S. paid price was not established in the available page, so verify the amount at Proton’s deal page before ranking it by price.
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- New-Gen WiFi Standard – WiFi 6(802.11ax) standard supporting MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology for better efficiency and throughput.Antenna : External antenna x 4. Processor : Dual-core (4 VPE). Power Supply : AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz), DC Output : 12 V with max. 1.5A current.
- Ultra-fast WiFi Speed – RT-AX1800S supports 1024-QAM for dramatically faster wireless connections
- Increase Capacity and Efficiency – Supporting not only MU-MIMO but also OFDMA technique to efficiently allocate channels, communicate with multiple devices simultaneously
- 5 Gigabit ports – One Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, 10X faster than 100–Base T Ethernet.
- Commercial-grade Security Anywhere – Protect your home network with AiProtection Classic, powered by Trend Micro. And when away from home, ASUS Instant Guard gives you a one-click secure VPN.
Proton VPN Plus supports up to 10 devices and includes the paid feature set. Proton Free allows one device at a time and randomly assigns servers in 10 countries, with fewer locations, speeds and features than Plus. Paid plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee. Proton Unlimited bundles the VPN with other Proton products and should not be compared with a VPN-only subscription at the same price.
Surfshark: best for households and many devices
Independent July coverage listed Surfshark at $2.49 per month for 24 months plus three free months, described as 85 percent off. A European promotion advertised 87 percent off. Those figures demonstrate why the market, currency and campaign must be checked: the official Surfshark deal page does not provide a stable U.S. total here.
Surfshark is attractive when several household devices need coverage and when bundled ad blocking, antivirus, breach alerts or identity tools are useful. Select the VPN-only tier if you do not need those extras, and confirm the simultaneous-connection allowance on the checkout tier.
Cheaper alternatives: PrivadoVPN, PIA and IPVanish
A July PCWorld snapshot listed PrivadoVPN at $1.48 per month for 24 months plus three free months, Private Internet Access at $1.33 per month for 36 months plus three free months, and IPVanish at $2.19 per month for 24 months. These are historical promotional figures, not verified August checkout prices. Confirm current upfront totals, privacy evidence, streaming performance, device policy and renewal rates before buying.
Rank #4
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- 【NETWORK CONTROL WITH TOUCHSCREEN SIMPLICITY】Slate 7’s touchscreen interface lets you scan QR codes for quick Wi-Fi, monitor speed in real time, toggle VPN on/off, and switch providers directly on the display. Color-coded indicators provide instant network status updates for Ethernet, Tethering, Repeater, and Cellular modes, offering a seamless, user-friendly experience.
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- 【VPN CLIENT & SERVER】OpenVPN and WireGuard are pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers (active subscription required). Simply log in to your existing VPN account with our portable wifi device, and Slate 7 automatically encrypts all network traffic within the connected network. Max. VPN speed of 100 Mbps (OpenVPN); 540 Mbps (WireGuard). *Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【PERFECT PORTABLE WIFI ROUTER FOR TRAVEL】The Slate 7 is an ideal portable internet device perfect for international travel. With its mini size and travel-friendly features, the pocket Wi-Fi router is the perfect companion for travelers in need of a secure internet connectivity on the go in which includes hotels or cruise ships.
See the comparison at PCWorld, then open the provider’s own checkout: PrivadoVPN, Private Internet Access or IPVanish.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose by use case, not discount percentage
For privacy and transparency
Look for independent audits, open-source applications, clear ownership, technical documentation and a specific logging policy. “No logs” is a policy statement, not automatic proof. A VPN masks an IP address but does not make you anonymous or stop phishing and malware by itself.
For streaming
VPN endpoints are actively blocked, so results vary by service, country, server, device and date. Treat “works with Netflix” or similar claims as conditional rather than guaranteed.
For travel or restrictive networks
Streaming success does not prove that a service will work through censorship. Check current availability and local law before traveling; do not assume a U.S. promotion is available abroad.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
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- Next-Gen Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Speeds: 2402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz bands ensure smoother streaming and faster downloads; support VPN server and VPN client¹
- A More Responsive Experience: Enjoy smooth gaming, video streaming, and live feeds simultaneously. OFDMA makes your Wi-Fi stronger by allowing multiple clients to share one band at the same time, cutting latency and jitter.²
- Expanded Wi-Fi Coverage: 4 high-gain external antennas and Beamforming technology combine to extend strong, reliable, Wi-Fi throughout your home.
- Improved Battery Life: Target Wake Time helps your devices to communicate efficiently while consuming less power.
- Improved Cooling Design: No heat ups, no throttles. A larger heat sink and redefined case design cools the WiFi 6 system and enables your network to stay at top speeds in more versatile environments.
For bundles
NordVPN Complete/Prime, ExpressVPN Advanced/Pro, Surfshark One/One+ and Proton Unlimited combine VPN access with other products. Compare the cost of the individual services you actually need, not the apparent discount on the bundle.
Renewal and checkout checklist
- Confirm the market and currency. U.S. prices do not transfer to the U.K., EU, Canada or Australia.
- Read the final charge. Landing pages can differ from checkout because of tax, device, tier or location.
- Count all months. “Two years plus four months” means 28 months of access, but the full amount is generally charged immediately.
- Record the renewal rate. NordVPN and ExpressVPN renew automatically at the then-applicable annual price unless canceled.
- Set a cancellation reminder. Turn off auto-renewal through the provider account and confirm whether access continues through the paid term.
- Check the refund route. Direct web purchases may have a 30-day guarantee; Apple, Google and reseller purchases can follow different rules.
- Check eligibility. Promotional pricing may be limited to new customers and may not be available to an existing subscriber.
What the 87 percent headline means for this article
The maximum 87 percent figure has appeared in particular campaigns, including a European Surfshark promotion and a July PrivadoVPN comparison. It should not be presented as a guaranteed U.S. price for Proton VPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN and NordVPN collectively. The most reliable comparison is the amount charged today, months included, renewal exposure and the features you will actually use.
For a polished premium experience, start with ExpressVPN Basic. For a broad mainstream feature set, compare NordVPN Basic and its bundles. For privacy-focused users, check Proton’s live Plus price and consider its free plan for light use. For a household seeking the lowest effective cost, verify Surfshark’s current U.S. checkout before committing.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
