Every year virtual private networks (VPNs) battle it out over Black Friday. Whether it’s undercutting each other’s prices, throwing in exclusive deals, or aggressive marketing campaigns, every VPN wants your custom this time of year. But with so many great deals on the market, which ones should you actually consider?

There’s much more to the best VPN than the price you pay, so this Black Friday, I wanted to put together a list of the services that I would genuinely consider—as someone who tests them every day. I’ve only included VPNs that are actually amazing services, and not just the cheapest offers.

The Black Friday VPN deals worth buying

Black Friday is almost over, so without further ado, here are my top 5 Black Friday VPN deals that are both excellent services and genuinely worth your time.

Note: all prices are in US$.

NordVPN's 69% off banner for Black Friday 2023

Surfshark's Black Friday VPN offer banner

Private Internet Access' Black Friday savings banner

How I chose Black Friday VPN deals

Just because something looks like it’s a bargain, doesn’t mean it really is, and some services look like they’ve changed their prices when in actuality, they haven’t. Unfortunately, ExpressVPN, NordLayer, Perimeter 81, and FastestVPN haven’t lowered their prices for Black Friday. However, just because they’re the same price doesn’t mean it’s not a worthy consideration.

ExpressVPN is my go-to service. I use it every single day without fail, and it tops my list of the best VPN services out there—it wouldn’t have that crown if it didn’t deserve it. Ultimately, ExpressVPN just doesn’t engage with Black Friday price cuts, instead, it prefers to keep prices consistent throughout the year. If you want the best of the best, you’ll have to pay full price, I’m afraid.

FastestVPN on the other hand is an up-and-coming provider that showed some early promise. With a lifetime subscription for $40, it’s not a bad deal, but again, it’s the same price it would normally be, so it looks like a special Black Friday deal.

NordLayer and Perimeter 81 haven’t lowered their prices either, and that’s likely because running a business VPN incurs a greater cost than a commercial VPN. While it’s not an ideal situation, these services are absolutely brilliant for any organization looking to protect its employees.

Which VPN’s didn’t lower prices for Black Friday?

Just because something looks like it’s a bargain, doesn’t mean it really is, and some services look like they’ve changed their prices when in actuality, they haven’t. Unfortunately, ExpressVPN didn’t lower its prices for Black Friday. However, just because it’s the same price doesn’t mean it’s not a worthy consideration.

ExpressVPN is my go-to service. I use it every single day without fail, and it tops my list of the best VPN services out there, it wouldn’t have that crown if it didn’t deserve it. Ultimately, ExpressVPN just doesn’t engage with Black Friday price cuts, instead, it prefers to keep prices consistent throughout the year. If you want the best of the best, you’ll have to pay full price, I’m afraid.

Black Friday VPN deal FAQs

When can I get the best Black Friday VPN deal?

The day is finally upon us, so check out our Black Friday 2023 hub pages to get the best deals, not just for VPNs, but for everything else, too. Don’t worry if you miss the offers on the day, because Cyber Monday will be just around the corner, and most providers offer the same, if not a similar deal, for both.

VPN interface connecting on an iMac screen, which is on a desk with keyboard, plants, pens in a pot

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Do I need a VPN?

Yes. A VPN is an essential tool, even for the everyday internet user. It’s not just about hiding yourself from snooping internet providers, it’s for everyday protection.

Let’s say you connect to the public WiFi in your local cafe. You’re browsing the internet, maybe you’re doing some online banking or buying something in the Black Friday sales. That’s all fine, except you’re not the only person seeing your information. That public WiFi that you thought was real could have been compromised or set up by someone wanting to steal your personal information.

Without a VPN, your internet traffic is open and accessible, and can easily be acquired by hackers. With a VPN, your data is encrypted, so even if you’ve connected to that fake WiFi hotspot, the hacker will have no clue what’s going on in your data packets. It keeps you safe online while protecting your privacy and anonymity at the same time.  

You can find out more in our “What is a VPN?” guide.

What are the best Black Friday deals

If you’re looking for more than just a VPN, here are my top picks for the best deals outside of VPNs:

Will these prices change over Cyber Monday?

No, these deals will run straight through Cyber Monday, so if you miss out on Black Friday, you don’t need to worry, there’s still plenty of time for you to take advantage of the best VPN prices I’ve seen all year.

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

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