Are you looking for the best VPN deals this Black Friday? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve reached out to our partners, the top VPN services around the word, and we are very pleased to tell you that we have found some impressive discounts for you! Read on and take advantage of these deals today!
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The best 2023 Black Friday VPN Deal — $1.99/month
By far, the best VPN deal for Black Friday comes from Surfshark.
For a 2-year contract, their starter VPN package costs just $1.99/month, and it comes with all the good stuff: unlimited data, fast VPN connections, over 3200 servers worldwide and the ability to connect an unlimited number of devices.
It seems this VPN company is on a roll. We just finished a round of testing, and we declared them the best VPN for iPhone in 2023!
Why the starter VPN plan?
If you are wondering why do we recommend the starter plan, here’s our reasoning.
The starter plan is no less and no more than the “old” VPN plan that Surfshark offered for a long time before they added additional services to their offering. And while the additional plans are worth looking into and exploring, we feel like the VPN only plan would suffice for most of our users. Why? Because this plan offers the best mix of privacy at the best possible price. Moreover, we feel that at this time, Surfshark’s additional services are not mature enough to be worth paying for.
The price
The starter package comes to $53.76 (plus tax) for 27 months. You get the core VPN service which Surfshark updates and upgrades regularly, an ad blocker and a cookie pop-up blocker. A solid VPN package that I, personally, use on all my devices.
If you want an antivirus as part of your VPN app or have access to Incogni, their new personal data removal service, then by all means go for it. However, my firm belief is that you are better off using dedicated and time — tested services for those tasks.
Black Friday discount vs. regular discount
If you followed the VPN world for a while, you know by now that you can always find a discounted VPN plan at any time of the year, and that’s true with Surfshark or any other VPN service out there.
The real price difference is about fifty cents / month. Their usual discounted price goes for $59.99 / 24 months, while the Black Friday price goes down to $53.76 / 27 months.
As you see, the dollar difference is not huge and if you don’t need to change your VPN at this time, you can safely wait a few more months and still get an outstanding deal with Surfshark.
What is Surfshark Missing Compared to Other VPNs
If you think you get an inferior VPN just because it costs less, think again. Surfshark offers just about everything that the other competitors offer, but at the fraction of the cost. Here’s the quick list:
- Settings for your auto-connect defaults: Extremely useful if you want to connect to a specific server/location when you press the auto-connect button.
- CleanWeb: If you enable this setting, it will block ads and trackers when the VPN is connected. Just this feature alone will improve your privacy on the web tremendously.
- Kill Switch: Another great privacy feature, the kill switch, will block your internet connection if your VPN dies, and restores it when the VPN reconnects.
- Choose your protocol: Surfshark currently offers IKEv2 and WireGuard protocols, but by default, the app will select the best one for you. While other companies offer more protocols, both of these are secure, time tested and trustworthy.
- Rotating IP: This feature is a great deterrent for fingerprinting and online tracking, as we explained in a previous article.
- NoBorders: If you live in countries where government are engaged in direct censorship and restrictive, you can enable this feature to access a freer internet.
- Invisible on LAN: When you enable the Invisible on LAN feature, it does exactly what you might expect. People on the local area network will not be able to see your device on the network anymore, thus increasing your privacy, especially on low security networks.
As you can see, Surfshark offers a very robust set of VPN features, and they are all part of the starter package.
Other Great Black Friday Finds
While Surfshark’s offer for Black Friday is compelling and extremely tempting, and yours truly got it for its personal use as well, there are many other companies offering great offers, even if they are not as affordable as Surfshark. While these offers are pricier, they also come with more features, and they usually perform better and are more stable overall across multiple devices and platforms.
NordVPN
As one of the most trusted and reliable VPN companies, NordVPN’s Black Friday offer, is quite compelling even if it does not match Surfshark’s low price.
However, at $2.99/month for a 2-year contract, you will get a few more extra goodies and features compared to Surfshark.
NordVPN vs. Surfshark
First off, NordVPN offers a whooping 5800 servers in 60+ countries, making it easier to find a reliable connection anywhere you travel in the world.
In addition to the huge number of servers, NordVPN also offers a custom VPN protocol called NordLynx, that is lightning fast and secure. While there’s nothing wrong with the currently available VPN protocols, being able to use an optimized protocol for your VPN connection will certainly improve both security and the connection of your VPN service.
PIA
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with PIA for the past years. I love it on my phone and I hate it on my Mac. However, their VPN pricing is extremely aggressive and if you’re looking for a mostly mobile VPN or as a backup VPN service, then by all means go for this outstanding offer.
Three years for less than you would pay NordVPN for 2 years, it’s a steal.
Surfshark vs. PIA
PIA’s offering is pretty similar to what Surfshark offers, however, there are a few things that make them different.
First, PIA’s headquarters is in the USA, a founding member of the Five Eyes Alliance, and not the best jurisdiction for a VPN company. Surfshark, for example, has their headquarters in the British Virgin Islands, a much better location for privacy-oriented companies.
Second, even though PIA has an extensive network of servers, the quality of the service is somehow below both NordVPN and Surfshark.
ProtonVPN
Proton VPN’s Black Friday offer is somehow difficult to decipher because the VPN service is part of a larger privacy-oriented suite of services.
On the ProtonVPN’s Black Friday page, they claim to offer you 60% off their regular price, which is true if you compare the price with the regular monthly price. However, it would be 30 months, two years and a half commitment.
That comes at $119.7 for the offer. Please note, that the VPN only plan, called VPN Plus, comes with a few extras that Proton does not properly highlight on their page. With their Proton VPN Plus plan you also get access to Proton Mail, Proton Drive & Proton Pass, their password manager application.
I wish there was a way for me to buy just the VPN service and get a cheaper price if I don’t want the other services bundled in, but it can still be a very valuable offer for someone who is interested in getting all of these services for a very affordable price.
ProtonVPN vs. Surfshark
ProtonVPN position themselves as a premium service, and it certainly feels like that sometimes. They use their VPN protocol called Stealth, and they have advanced privacy features like Tor support and DNS leak protection.
Their apps work great, but they are not as polished nor as user-friendly as Surfshark’s applications.
I would use Proton if I were to travel to very restrictive and censorship prone countries, however, for my day-to-day life and travel between Europe and the US, Surfshark fits the bill perfectly for me.
CyberGhost
The closest offer to Surfshark in terms of price to Black Friday is the limited time pricing from CyberGhost VPN. You will pay only $56.94 for 28 months of service (2 Years + 4 Months) which is extremely great. Considering that you will get a very solid VPN provider with a unique extra storage offer from pCloud, another excellent privacy-oriented storage solution, this offer is worth considering.
What I like about CyberGhost is that they focus, like Surfshark, on providing a good, solid and complete VPN solution. They have apps for most of the devices you may want to install a VPN on, the signup process is easy, and the VPN connections I get from them are stable and extremely fast.
Surfshark vs. CyberGhost
This time, the offering is extremely similar, and I think the only edge that CyberGhost has over Surfshark is the addition of the pCloud 500 GB secure online storage.
The rest of the offering is extremely similar. Surfshark on the other hand wins with a slightly better offer, polished applications and their British Virgin Islands headquarter location is much better for privacy than Europe, where CyberGhost is located.
ExpressVPN
We’re now down to the most expensive VPN on the list, the daddy of the VPN industry, ExpressVPN. However, if you take a look below at their pricing, you may have a moment of déjà vu. Why? Because what you see below, even though it comes from their Black Friday offer page, it’s the same offer they have the whole year. There’s nothing about the pricing for Black Friday.
To be fair, given the fact that they are considered the Rolls-Royce of VPNs, I’m not surprised by this approach, but I must say I am disappointed by it.
Regardless, if you are OK with paying for a quality service, then go for it. You will not go wrong with ExpressVPN.
Surfshark vs. ExpressVPN
Let’s start with the amount of connected devices. Surfshark allows you to connect all your devices, no matter how many. ExpressVPN, even though they raised the number of devices to 8/account, is still lagging Surfshark in this regard.
Technology wise, with ExpressVPN you do get access to the highly praised Lightway protocol as well as the TrustedServer technology, but Surfshark also has the MultiHop feature for added anonymity.
As a unique service bundled with the VPN, ExpressVPN started offering their Keys password manager, which is a nice addition for privacy-minded individuals and it sweetens the deal they offer.
Conclusion
As you can see, the VPN industry offers some good discounts for people looking to buy a VPN service and if you time your purchase right, you can benefit from doing this every other year or so. While we do recommend Surfshark as best VPN deal for Black Friday, all offers mentioned on this page could be great for the right buffer and need.
My advice, as with any other purchase, only get a VPN at a discounted price during this Black Friday if you really need it, or if you can afford a backup solution. Otherwise, use your current VPN if you are happy with it, and look for discounts a month or two before your subscription ends.
Be sure to also check our website around that time, you will most probably find great deals, regardless of the time of the year you are searching.
FAQ’s
Let’s take a look at some common questions people ask when we approach Black Friday regarding the VPN industry.
Are Black Friday VPN deals better than regular discounts?
While many VPN providers offer discounts throughout the year, Black Friday deals often present the best prices. For instance, some providers may offer additional months free or lower per-month rates exclusive to Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.
What makes Black Friday 2023 different for VPN deals?
The VPN deals in 2023 are more competitive, with many providers offering extended plans like two-year subscriptions with additional months free, enhanced security features, and increased simultaneous connections, making them more appealing than past years.
Can I find deals for both streaming and security with Black Friday VPN offers?
Yes, this Black Friday, VPNs like Atlas VPN, PureVPN, and Ivacy are offering deals that cater to both enhanced security features and unblocking streaming sites, giving users a comprehensive package at a lower cost.
What should I look for in a Black Friday VPN deal besides the price?
Apart from the best price, look for features like a no-logs policy, the number of simultaneous connections allowed, the ability to unblock streaming sites, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Providers like Private Internet Access and CyberGhost offer such comprehensive features.
How do I choose between multiple Black Friday VPN offers?
Consider factors like the length of the subscription (e.g., two-year plan vs. long-term VPN), the number of free months offered (e.g., 3 months free vs. 6 months free), and specific needs like unblocking capabilities or a free version availability.
Are there any unique offers from popular VPN providers this Black Friday 2023?
Yes, for Black Friday 2023, some popular VPNs like CyberGhost and ProtonVPN are offering unique deals like double VPN features, customizable VPN options, and free subscriptions for a limited period.
Is it worth waiting for Cyber Monday after Black Friday for VPN deals?
While some providers might offer exclusive Cyber Monday deals, the difference in savings between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is generally not significant. It’s advisable to check both days for the best deal, as some might extend their offers or introduce new ones.
