The best VPN deals: 88 percent discounts on ProtonVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NordVPN and more

A virtual private network (VPN) is useful in several ways — a good one can stream foreign TV shows and events, protect your information from cybercrime and thwart those online trackers that show you creepily invasive ads. Although we strongly recommend using a VPN, a bit of comparison shopping goes a long way in this market. The pricing you see on VPN websites is often not an accurate portrayal of what you'll actually pay.

Even so, there are some great bargains on the table. VPN providers want to boost their subscriber numbers, so they give out steep discounts to customers who sign up for a year or more at once. This is a win for you as well — while you pay out more upfront, if you divide the cost by the months of service, it's significantly cheaper over time.

Most of the deals we highlight below follow that ...