Black Friday is generally considered the best time to pick up a VPN. In 2024 we saw some huge Black Friday VPN deals from some of the best VPNs – including a few first-ever offers from providers that don't usually offer discounts.
Unsurprisingly, Surfshark – which we rate as the best cheap VPN – came through with one of best VPN deals of the season. At $1.99 per month, which included four extra months, it worked out at around $55 all-in. This was a great deal on a high-quality product, and predictably sold incredibly well. NordVPN didn't break any records, but it reprised 2023's $2.99-per-month offer – great value for our top-rated provider.
There were a few big surprises, however. ExpressVPN – well-known for never offering any kind of discount – did the unthinkable and dropped its price to $4.99 per month. Combined with all its new features, this was excellent value, although admittedly more of an outlay than some.
FastestVPN offered a scarcely believable $23 lifetime plan, while PrivadoVPN dropped its price to $1.11 per month – both excellent choices for those on a tight budget.
Here, I'll run down my predictions for Black Friday 2025. But first, there are a few VPN deals on offer right now that are worth considering if you need immediate VPN protection.
The best VPN deals available today
While the following deals might not be quite as good as those we saw over Black Friday and Cyber Monday, they're still worth considering if you need a VPN right now.
- Surfshark: $1.99/month – Best Deal Overall
- NordVPN: $2.99/month – Best VPN Overall
- Proton VPN: $3.99/month – Save 64%
- PIA: $2.03/month – Best for Torrenting
- Norton VPN: $3.33/month – Best AV Bundle
- ExpressVPN: $4.99/month – Best for Beginners
- FastestVPN: $22 – Lifetime Plan (code: Newyear2025)
- IPVanish: $2.19/month – 4-star VPN
Last year's Black Friday VPN deals in detail
Tons of excellent deals were available by the week of Black Friday, and the best came from Surfshark. At $1.99 per month, it was one of the cheapest options, but also one of the very best – I rank it as #2 overall.
NordVPN was also very tempting, coming in at $2.99 per month. While ExpressVPN is never the cheapest option, the new 2-year plan was far more affordable than we'd seen it in the past, and the $4.99-per-month price tag wasn't to be sniffed at.
FastestVPN is a decent, if not outstanding, VPN – but its Black Friday deal certainly was. At $23 for a lifetime plan, this wasn't very cheapest option available last year.
In 2025, I expect a number of these deals to return or be beaten, but it's unlikely we'll see such massive savings in any sales event before that.
Below are a few examples of deals in detail that we featured. These may not be available any more, so I've removed the links – these are just to give you an idea of what to expect next Black Friday.
Black Friday VPN buying tips
For better or for worse, I know more than most about the pricing and fluctuations in the VPN market. If you're not quite as plugged in as me, there are a few tips to bear in mind.
Firstly, identify what you want from your VPN. If you're looking for proven impenetrable security with blazing-fast speeds and super reliable access to every streaming site under the sun, a bargain-basement option probably won't cut it – although some cheap providers are very good. Instead, you'll want a "premium" provider that's got the monetary backing to ensure everything is running as well as possible. Think NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark.
If you're willing to cut a few corners, more providers come into the picture. Streaming is typically the first place where you'll notice a lower standard, and it's also the only thing potentially worth sacrificing. You definitely don't want to miss out on any privacy features. Providers like this include PrivadoVPN and FastestVPN, and they're reliable, but not quite as good as the top-tier providers.
It's also worth being aware of any shady marketing tactics employed by providers. For example, although NordVPN is our top-rated provider, it employs a false timer when you first visit the page. If you let this run down, you'll pay more. Because of this, I recommend always right-clicking and opening each link in Incognito mode, or your browser's verison of private browsing. This means you'll get the best price no matter how may times you've visited the page.
How are these Black Friday VPN deals chosen?
My choice and ordering of these deals is, of course, subjective, but there's a method to how I've ranked them.
Last year, while the very cheapest options (PrivadoVPN, PureVPN) dis cost less money than, say, NordVPN, this page was ranked in terms of value, rather than price. I consider all of the VPNs I recommend to be perfectly safe to use, but when the difference is less than a dollar a month, I believe some providers simply offer much more for your money than others do.
Lots of incredibly cheap services didn't make the cut. This is because in our expert VPN reviews, they simply weren't up to scratch, and I'm only interested in recommending the best of the best when it comes to personal online privacy.
Black Friday VPN deal FAQs
Why do you need a VPN?
In short, a VPN is a tool that can help you maintain anonymity online. It reroutes your traffic away from your Internet Service Provider's (ISP) servers and through its own private, encrypted servers. This means your ISP can't track what you're doing online.
Also, each time you connect, your IP address changes. This makes it much harder for sites to track and locate you, meaning it's less likely for a detailed profile of your activity to build up. These are often sold to advertisers and marketers to show you 'relevant' products.
One of the most popular VPN uses is for unblocking streaming sites. Netflix, for example, shows different content to people in different countries. By connecting to a UK VPN server, for example, you can watch UK-exclusive titles from anywhere in the world.
You can learn more in our detailed what is a VPN article.
Are lifetime VPN deals worth it?
We saw a very unique deal last year – a lifetime VPN offer from FastestVPN. at around $23 all-in, it was incredibly cheap, and flew off the proverbial shelves. However, while it's a perfectly safe option, there are some reasons why a lifetime plan might not be the best choice for you.
Firstly, I've never used a VPN that offers a lifetime plan that can match the all-round ability or even the most middling VPNs that only offer monthly and yearly plans. Of course, there are some bad ones, but there's a reason why every provider I recommend in my guide to the best VPNs requires renewal at some point.
This is because that regular flow of income allows these providers to continue to update and innovate their products. If you just pay once, there's no guarantee to the developer that more money will be coming, so it's likely the apps won't be as powerful.
Secondly, streaming support is often the first thing that's lost. Fairly few VPNs in general are able to unblock streaming sites like BBC iPlayer abroad, or access global Netflix libraries. Unfortunately, I've never used a VPN with a lifetime plan that is reliable for streaming, whereas subscription services like NordVPN and ExpressVPN are very effective.
However, if you just need cheap privacy and decent connection speeds, there are a few lifetime VPNs that do the trick – FastestVPN being one of them.
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.
