Holiday season VPN deals: which services aren’t lowering their prices?

Sleigh bells, snow and stress-inducing last-minute Christmas shopping: it's finally the right season. There are also some great end-of-year deals you can take advantage of, with many VPN services keeping their best deals under wraps until the end of 2023.

I'm constantly reviewing the industry's best VPNs (and promising newcomers) and putting their features, speed, and unblocking power to the test. I'm also always looking for the best and biggest deals, because who doesn't love a bargain? So if you missed the Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday sales, there's one last chance to save some money.

However, some suppliers have decided they'd rather be Scrooge than Santa Claus and haven't lowered their prices or unveiled stunning offers in time for the holidays. That's disappointing news for anyone eyeing a particular provider in the hope of getting a discount, and means you'll have to pay full price for the service – or try a more budget-friendly VPN.

Which VPNs Don't Reduce Their Prices at Christmas?

First on the naughty list is ExpressVPN– which isn't a huge surprise, considering this titan of the industry rarely participates in seasonal sales. You, me and everyone else would Love to see ExpressVPN roll out a huge discount at the end of 2023, not least because the service is a lot more expensive than its closest competitors, but is simply not on the (Christmas) cards.

The good news is that you get a premium product for a premium price tag. ExpressVPN is my #1 VPN overall, and a service I use every day at work and at home. It's packed with security tools, more than fast enough to handle gaming and torrenting, and unblocks just about any streaming service you can think of – which is crucial, as I plan to stay glued to Netflix over the holidays.

While you can get a 49% discount on a 1-year subscriptionwith 3 extra months of coverage and a full year of cloud storage at no extra cost, you're still paying a hefty $6.67 per month when there are cheaper alternatives.

It's next Hotspot shield. This solid all-rounder is especially good at unblocking international Netflix catalogs and has some of the best mobile VPN apps I've used. So if you're relying on unreliable Wi-Fi hotspots during the break, Hotspot Shield will ensure your passwords, personal data and financial information stay safe.

Unfortunately Hotspot Shield will not make sure your wallet stays as plump as a Christmas turkey. There are no eye-popping holiday deals available, and a premium subscription will cost you $7.99 per month if you opt for a 1-year subscription. That's quite pricey. Luckily, there is an unlimited free VPN tier if you want to try Hotspot Shield for a test drive, although you'll miss out on the dedicated streaming mode.

Number three on my list is VyprVPN; a great privacy-focused choice for anyone looking for a seriously secure VPN. One of VyprVPN's standout features is its Chameleon protocol, which can help you bypass aggressive VPN bans, and its plethora of leak protection that ensures no one gets their mitts (or mitts) on your data.

VyprVPN may not have great end-of-year deals, but its pricing structure is clear. You can opt for a one-year subscription for $5.00 per month, or you can do it per month and pay $10.00.

The latest VPN that decided to hibernate instead of celebrate is Astrill VPN. It's not one of the big boys in the industry, but I found it to be a great choice for travelers, thanks to its network of servers spread across 57 countries. In fact, Astrill VPN is one of the most reliable Chinese VPNs our team has tested. I was pleasantly surprised by how much Astrill VPN was also able to unblock, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Channel 4. In short, you won't run out of content until next Christmas.

However, Astrill VPN is seriously expensive. Go for a one-year subscription and you'll have to part with a whopping $15.00 per month. The 1-month version is even more expensive: $30.00 per month. Astrill VPN, with these prices you get a lump of coal for Christmas.

Okay, so what's the best VPN deal for the holidays?

NordVPN tops the sweet list with a huge deal you won't want to miss. Grab one 2-year subscription for just $4.99 per monthand you also get an additional 3 months of free coverage. That's a huge 69% savings on one of my favorite secure, controlled, and feature-packed services (and the fastest VPN I've ever put to the test).

Surf shark is as fast as Rudolph and already the very best cheap VPN at any time of the year. However, you can save big during the holidays with one 86% discount on the 2-year starter planand pay only $1.99 per month. Surfshark offers great value with an extra 4 months free, and you even get unlimited simultaneous connections to share with the family.

Both providers also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the service on your own devices over Christmas and New Year, all without risking a cent.