VPN cost calculator: what you really pay after the intro deal
VPNs are the kings of renewal shock. You sign up for $2 to $3 a month on a two-year deal, then the subscription quietly renews at $12 or more a month. The advertised price is the intro price; your real cost is the average across the whole term. Type the two prices and a term below, or tap a preset, and see exactly what you will pay.
Brutal renewal shock: +226%. Always budget for the renewal price. Consider renegotiating or switching every year, or pick a provider with a fair flat price.
The intro price covers the first 2 years (a typical long-term deal). After that, the renewal price applies. Advertised deals quote the intro price; your real cost is the average across the whole term.
Why the renewal price is the real price
Almost every VPN runs the same playbook: a low effective monthly rate if you prepay for two or three years, and a much higher rate the moment that first term ends. The first term is the bait, the renewal is where the money is made. A deal at $2.49 a month that renews near $15 a month is not really a $2.49 service; over three years its real price per month lands far higher, and the calculator above shows that number instead of the one on the banner.
The honest move is to plan for the renewal, not the lure. When the jump is steep, set a reminder before the term ends and either renegotiate, switch to a fresh intro deal, or move to a provider that simply charges the same price every year. Mullvad, for example, sticks to one flat rate with no teaser and no hike, which makes the real long-term cost trivial to predict. Whatever you pick, judge it on the price you will pay in year three, not the price you pay in month one.