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Best Cheap VPN for Canadians
The global VPN Market is predicted to hit over $50 billion USD by 2024. That’s according to a report by Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence LLP.
This comes a time when internet freedom in Asia is hitting an all-time low, with China and Vietnam scoring near the bottom.
Even here in Canada there are worrying AI-leveraged technological developments.
The whole World is taking online security very seriously. This has extended to the everyday mobile user.
No VPN should cost you more than five loonies a month, but we intend to go some way under this.
Fortunately, VPNs are such a hot commodity that prices for a world-class provider are very affordable, especially long-term.
Here’s a look at the best cheap VPNs available in the Great White North.
5 Best Cheap VPNs for Canadians in 2022
| VPN | Basic Price | Encryption | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | $2.99/mo | AES-256 | 5 ★★★★★ |
| Surfshark | $2.49/mo | AES-256 | 5 ★★★★★ |
| PrivateInternetAccess | $3.33/mo | AES-256 | 4 ★★★★★ |
| VyprVPN | $2.50/mo | AES-256 | 4 ★★★★★ |
| CyberGhost | $2.75/mo | AES-256 | 3 ★★★★★ |
1. NordVPN
Key Features:
- AES-256-Bit Cipher
- Great for Amazon Prime, Hulu & Netflix
- Split-Tunnels
- Compatible on All Major Platforms
- Server Optimizations
- 1-Month Money-Back
- 24/7 Customer Support
Pros
- Very High Encryption Levels
- Great Speeds Despite Full Protocols
- 5000+ Servers in 60 Countries
Cons
- Lack of iTunes/Store Refunds
- Some (Limited) Monitoring
- Short-Term Plans Expensive
FAST Canadian Servers
Speeds in Canada are strong. It’s no wonder, as there are 364 servers in Canada alone (physical servers, not virtual) – at the time of writing this article.
You’ll have no problem selecting one nearby to you, thus optimizing your speeds and user loads. NordVPN has over 5,000 servers internationally, in over 60 countries.
You can connect to up-to six devices at once. Because of the immense infrastructure of Nord, wherever you are in the world – or whatever country IP you would like to use – this service usually has a solution.
Speed-drops are minimal. On average, Nord will reduce your internet speed by 3.2%, which is a tiny fraction of the speed-drops that most other best cheap VPNs cause.
Immense Security
With NordVPN, you’re going well with one of the most secure providers available.
The 256-AES cipher encryption gives cybercriminals a migraine. Also, grab the full-selection of security protocols out there, from PPTP to IPSec/IKev2.
The user interface makes things intuitive and straightforward. No need to figure out how to manage Open Tor, or automatic DNS protections. Most of this is magically set up for you.
Blocks Malware & Adware
Get your very own adware-blocking tool.
The feature name is CyberSEC. It automatically handles any malicious websites and adware installations. The same goes for tracking.
To activate this, just head to the General tab and you’ll see it in the Settings area.
Automatic Anti-Leak Protection
We always recommend that you test your client, even if it is an absolutely topmost best cheap VPN for Canada use, as all on this list are.
Many free VPNs (not on this list) are prone to leaking. But even with a quality premium VPN, it never hurts to double-check.
Nevertheless, it is a lot less likely that your IP will accidentally be revealed, with NordVPN.
This is because it handles automatic WebRTC checks, and blocks IPv6, as well as IPv4. Finally, it self-manages DNS requests.
24/7 Live Chat Support
Nothing simpler than to hop onto live chat and ask a specialist for assistance with your VPN.
Go to the bottom-right area of your VPN homepage. You’ll see a chat icon. Even better, you don’t need to login, in order to use live chat. Great little time-saver.
A Kill Switch Feature
If your cheap VPN connection glitches out – which will happen, even with a premium VPN – you want to be sure that your internet doesn’t continue running unprotected.
That’s what kill switches – or ‘killswitches’ – are for. Your bandwidth is automatically turned off, the moment your VPN is no longer active.
You can set this to affect all of your internet traffic, or just for specific applications. That system-wide kill switch is only available on the Windows version. As of today, the system-wide kill switch also does not seem to work on the Linux system.
Effective With Netflix
If you want to access geo-restricted versions of popular streaming sites like Netflix, NordVPN is a very solid choice. (e.g. if you want to watch American Netflix.)
To use, simply make sure your VPN is active. Once it’s running in the background, it will hide your IP address, confusing the streaming site.
You can even create a Netflix account that is based in a different country, which is legal, by the way. Access Amazon Prime, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, SpinTV, and so on.
Apparently, you can save your bandwidth, by turning on NordVPN when you begin streaming with Hulu… Then turn off your VPN, and Hulu will still be unblocked. (This does not seem to work with Netflix.)
1-Month Refund Policy
We couldn’t recommend this as one of the cheapest VPNs around, if not for this one month money-back guarantee.
For 30 days, you can get your money back after paying for a subscription. The cancellation mechanism can be found in the Automatic Payments area of your account. Or, just pop open the live chat window and ask a representative to handle it for you.
2-Year Plan Discounts
Every single VPN gives you their best rate if you opt for a longer-term contract. Going for a month-by-month rolling contract is the most expensive way to purchase one, by far.
With NordVPN, the two-year deal gives you the best price-point.
2. SurfShark
Key Features:
- No-Limit On Device Numbers
- Military-Grade Security
- Split-Tunnelling
- No Logging
- Kill Switch
- Live Chat Support Whenever
Pros
- Works With All Best Streams
- Best Cheap VPN in Canada
- Over 1000 Servers
Cons
- Top Speeds Not Best Available
- Could Have More Servers
- Non-Useful In Censored States
Discounts Galore
PrivacyCanada always tries to link our readers with the best deals currently available, when they choose a provider through our website.
Click the link above to grab a two-year contract. This is the best cheap VPN in Canada. With a full month money-back guarantee. Try it out and get reimbursed if it’s not for you.
Surfshark also has a very wide selection of payment processing possibilities, which includes crypto and PayPal.
Extreme Security
A mountainous array of security systems are available with this VPN.
They frequently update their systems. A two-factor authentication process gives your login information an extra layer of security. And there are new servers being made available.
They have a strict no-logging policy. As well as the very useful Split-Tunneling feature. With that feature, you can use your VPN for specific streams of internet traffic.
The encryption levels are the highest available anywhere. 256-AES encryption ciphers are theoretically unhackable. A nice peace of mind, when online surfing.
World-Class VPN For Streaming (Canada Or When Abroad)
As you can see with this marketing-graphic piece, Surfshark has a strong focus on online streaming (one of the best cheap VPNs for streaming Canada has).
Want to use Netflix? No problem, with this solution, as long as your connection is already strong, high-definition will be a breeze.
Don’t worry about buffering issues, while accessing any geoblocked Netflix Library in the world – no matter where you are.
Forget This for China, UAE, Iran etc.
Today, more of the world is adopting VPNs, in order to bypass government surveillance and internet restrictions. This is especially so in the Asia-Pacific.
Unfortunately, you will have a hard time bypassing the network firewalls and administrators of many of these states, with this VPN. There are also few servers to choose from, for China.
Shadowsock connections are also usually overcome by administrators. If you are intending to circumvent censorship by restrictive states, Surfshark is probably not your best bet. This is especially true with China.
Also: Not Quite the Fastest Cheap VPN Canada Has (But Super-Solid)
Every VPN on this list will give you a strong online speed.
Surfshark isn’t amongst the top percentile. But it holds its own. Speeds-drops are minimal. Just to clarify, with any VPN you will get a speed-drop of some percentage
Find servers in Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto. Access all of your Canadian favorites, such as CraveTV, Netflix, and CBS. Select a server closest to your location.
Expect somewhere around the range of 20-30% reduction in your overall internet speeds. If your connection is already solid, HD-streaming and online gaming will not be a problem
3. Private Internet Access: Handy for Public Wi-Fi
- Premium Protocols e.g. OpenVPN
- Unbarred Bandwidth
- Use On Up-To Ten Devices
- No Logging!
- Smart Blockers & Anti-Trackers
- 1-Month Return Policy
Pros
- Cute UI
- Good Value
- Great For Public Wi-Fi
Cons
- Cute But Simple UI
- Few Servers
- Potentially Blocked By Netflix
Small Install Size
If you are anything like me, you have to really pick-and-choose what new applications you install on your mobile phone. There’s just so little free space available.
No need to worry here. Private Internet Access is only 26MB in size. It’s unlikely you will need to go deleting any other apps just in order to install this one.
Somehow, they’ve still managed to pack this VPN with everything you would expect of a secure provider. But it does slip behind when it comes to the more advanced configurations.
One of the stranger oddities is that you cannot adjust your login information, so that it is more-easily memorable. Make sure that you keep a note of all of your details, so you don’t have to keep dragging it up by email every time!
No Logging! (Proven In Court)
Yep, during a legal battle, it was proven that PIA does not keep any logs.
When a VPN logs your information, it means that there is some information – regarding your use of the VPN – that is recorded.
We do not believe that it is wise to go for a VPN that stores personal data about their users. They could be forced to reveal that information, either by being compromised in a cyber-attack, or through legislation.
If there is no information being tracked, then there is no information for them to hand over, in the case of someone requesting to see it.
Strong Protocols
The VPN you use is only as strong as its choice of security protocols.
Different security protocols require different degrees of processing. The heavier the amount of processing required, the more your speed-drop will generally be (higher encryptions).
Some encryption protocols have a good balance of both security and speed. We recommend L2TP/IPSe as the one offering the highest degree of encryption while not slowing you down too much.
Never go for a best cheap VPN that only offers PPTP as the security protocol. None of those on our list only offer this security-type. (That usually means there are other serious risks).
Anonymous at Every Step
Because Private Internet Access allows you to pay via cryptocurrency, at no point along the way – in the process of purchasing a VPN – do you need to give away your personal identity.
Cryptocurrency can be used to make anonymous payments. We won’t get into the geo-political implications of this. But it seems to be a very good accompaniment to VPN Technologies.
We hope to see more VPNs offering crypto as a payment method.
Strong Canadian Speeds
There are plenty of Canadian servers to choose from – 256 in total, with over 1500+ in the US.
Speeds are actually pretty good. The speed-drop should not be too significant. Just make sure to select a server near to your specific location – unless you need to access geo-blocked content.
(On that note, Private Internet Access seems to be blocked by Netflix a lot of the time).
Expect speed-drops of about 15%. Which is somewhere in the middle, in this list. Not the fastest, but definitely not the slowest.
Anti-Data-Leak Systems
Lastly, there are both automatic DNS and WebRTC protections.
Those two are common culprits for IP addresses suddenly leaking through your VPN. If your IP address leaks, this reveals secondary and tertiary information about you.
In effect, having data-leaks makes your VPN virtually useless. Very good to see that PIA employs automatic defenses against this.
4. VyprVPN: Business Tools & Effective Chinese Servers
- Military-Level Encryption
- Works With Netflix, ESPN, HBO Go, & Prime
- VyprVPN Business
- Up-To 6 Devices At Once
- 1-Month Money-Back
- 24/7 Live Chat
Pros
- Great Value esp For Businesses
- Lots of Servers
- Advanced
Cons
- Run-of-the-Mill Speeds
- Lots of Virtual Servers
- Average-Value For Non-Businesses
VyprVPN For Business (On the Cloud)
Grab this service and you get a dedicated IP address for your company.
You’ll be using a self-hosted, dedicated server. Which means your speeds will be vastly improved from what you can expect from an ordinary VPN.
We think VyprVPN offers an extraordinary service for businesses – one that you cannot find elsewhere – but average value for other individuals.
Dedicated hosting is a more expensive form of getting online, usually reserved for those who have to serve a large audience of customers. Not exactly a budget option.
With dedicated hosting, your security will be even vaster. You can run private streams that have an extra layer of protection away from prying eyes.
Bypasses Chinese Restrictions
If your business needs speed as well as the ability to work with Chinese-related services and individuals, look no further.
VyprVPN has a good selection of servers. Select from 700 in over 70 countries. There are also more than 200,000 IP addresses to choose from. With dynamic server-switching, for skipping third-parties.
And if you want to be anonymous when interacting with Chinese servers – or those in Iran or the UAE – just manually connect to a server of your choice. It is effective at getting through network surveillance. (It may be the most effective for China).
Tons of Virtual Servers
You get the most accuracy in your optimization-efforts when you use physical servers. In other words, the server you’re using is exactly where it is listed to be.
Virtual servers may actually be located in a completely different country from where they are listed to be supposedly residing.
For people who need to bypass censorship from countries – such as UAE, China, and Iran – not knowing where your server is located could be an annoyance.
In the case of China, there are some special mediations in place. See a bit further down in this mini-review.
Roughly 60% of all servers are virtual. This may be why VyprVPN has decent speeds but not the best around. We couldn’t rank it nearer the top for cheap VPNs in Canada because of this.
Bypasses Geoblocks
This best cheap VPN is a bit of an assassin.
Get access to all of your favorite streams, such as BBC iPlayer, HBO, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. You won’t have any issues, this VPN is very proficient at bypassing restrictions
This is also a good choice if you want to do some torrenting. They do not explicitly forbid torrenting using their service. But it is not optimized in the same way as CyberGhost.
(Cyberghost is the real assassin of the torrent underworld)
Top Deals
You can grab one of the cheapest packages around if you go with his VPN. Once again, the two-year package is optimal.
Use our link above to jump right into the plan.
Solid Speeds
Very competitive speeds here. No the fastest is in the list, but inching up towards the leading section of the pack.
Speed-drops are only about 10 to 15%. And the system is overall solid in infrastructure, not giving you many errors or dropped connections. Not a low-quality product, that’s for sure.
5. Cyber. CyberGhost: Cheap VPN for Streaming in Canada
- Very Secure
- Torrenting Optimizations
- No-Logging Policy
- Kill Switch / Split Tunnel
- Seven Connections
- 24/7 Live Chat Support
Pros
- Very Simple UI
- Cheap VPN for Torrenting in Canada
- Great Privacy Policy
Cons
- Bit More Expensive
- Limited No-Spy Server Access
- Not Effective in China
Time-Saving Server-Pinpointing Features
With the Best Location feature, CyberGhost automatically connects you to the best-located server possible, instantaneously.
In other words, it automatically matches you up with the optimal country/server. You can force it to only search for the best server, by choosing the country, right-off-the-bat.
Do a complete manual search by selecting the country and specific server yourself if you like. Rely on the “Best Location” tool, however, and you’ll save yourself time. No need to fiddle around with settings with every login.
Great For Netflix
Have serious entertainment to do?
Cyberghost is very good at getting entry into geo-blocked streams, including Netflix. You can do this without serious speed-drops, letting you do high-definition.
This has been tested with Netflix libraries as wide-ranging as the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and America. It seems to work every time.
Superstar VPN For Torrenting in Canada
We’re not exaggerating here. CyberGhost is the best cheap VPN in Canada for torrenting and P2P downloading, on this list.
The VPN client is optimized for torrent downloads. There are even specialized torrent servers, designed to give you the highest-speeds possible.
Everything is organized in a very user-friendly way. You can see information regarding your server, including its distance and user-load.
Check the organization menus on the left-hand side. There’s even a section of service organized especially, which is why this is the best cheap VPN for streaming or torrenting in Canada.
Ability to Split Tunnel
We at PrivacyCanada frankly love this. Let’s give you a scenario, so that you understand the utility off the Split Tunneling feature.
Let’s say you are running a series of torrent downloads, all connected to your VPN. As you’d expect, your torrent downloading activities are completely anonymous.
However, perhaps you would like to access a local service, that requires you to reveal your IP address. (This can be necessary if you are using an online banking system of some kind.)
With Split Tunneling, you don’t have to shut down your VPN, turn off your torrenting, and then reactivate everything – while you check your bank account.
You can just siphon off a portion of your ISP’s bandwidth for checking your online bank account. And, because you are using a very affordable VPN, there should be some good Canadian dollars residing inside.
Well-Regarded
Customers on review sites like trustpilot.com also seem to love this best cheap VPN.
We like to have a look at what customers think, as they can provide a more realistic idea of how various providers perform in people’s homes and mobile devices.
A VPN can spit out a massive list of features and download speeds, without delivering a great customer experience. CyberGhost seems to be very well-regarded amongst its customers.
Free Trial & Long Refund
Very few VPNs are completely free to try. CyberGhost gives you a full day to test them out, without any upfront payments.
Furthermore, they extend this offer with the longest money-back guarantee policy on this list. For 45 days, you can make up your mind, on whether this is the VPN for you.
If, within this policy period, you decide to switch providers – or to not to use a VPN – you can get your money back.
No questions asked. You should be able to do this via the live chat support or via your accounts page.
Best Cheap VPN Canada Buying Guide
Best Cheap VPN Canada Has
Surfshark takes the winner here. Actually, VyprVPN is cheapest. But you get overall better value with Surfshark.
Highest-Security Budget VPN
The business features available with VyprVPN are extraordinarily useful, as well as unique to this client.
Your dedicated host will get you climbing to speeds unmatched by any other VPN.
With extra layers of protection against outside prying eyes. Host conferences that are invisible to any and all third-parties.
Fastest Best Cheap VPN Offered in Canada
Simply, it’s hard to compete against NordVPN. It has a terrific 3.2% speed-drop, which is the smallest amongst those in our list.
Most Widely-Available VPN
NordVPN has an impossible number of physical servers located in over 60 countries.
Unlike VyprVPN, none of these are physical locations. All provide optimal performances outputs.
No wonder they’re so fast. Surfshark comes just in second-place.
Most Private VPNs
Well, every single VPN on our list is stellar, when it comes to not logging your personal data.
Unfortunately, NordVPN has some limited monitoring of information. None of it should compromise your privacy, however.
Best Budget VPN For Censored Countries
In overly-restrictive countries such as the UAE, China and Iran, VyprVPN is your assassin-to-go. It can get through network censorships via manual servers.
This is especially effective if you want to use Chinese services, or surf inside China.
Best Choice of Protocols
Once again, all of the VPNs on our list should be suitable. They cover the expected range of protocols, such as OpenVPN.
Just make sure to avoid any VPN that only offers PPTP as a protocol.
Best UI
Our first two VPNs – Surfshark and CyberGhost – take the win here.
NordVPN is very close third. Note that while Private Internet Access is very simple, the features are not very advanced.
Best Cheap VPN Has For Customer Service
Every VPN on this list offers you exceptional customer service. Crucially – as far as the PrivacyCanada team is concerned – all of them have live chat support, which is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Compatibility With Different OS’ & Devices
There are some issues with Linux and Max OS, when it comes to getting a system-wide kill switch, with the NordVPN client.
Other than that, you’ll be able to use any VPN – on this list – with all of the most popular systems. And Surfshark has an unlimited number of simultaneous connections.
Best Cheap VPN FAQs
Are Free VPNs Secure?
Nope.
There’s so many free VPNs around on Android stores, and this is not a good thing.
We talk more about why, in the above link. The most important thing to know is that you put your personal devices and personal information at serious risk when you use a free VPN.
The closest thing to a free VPN – that still offers you great security – would be CyberGhost’s 24-hour, no-upfront costs, free trial. Those are few and far between.
Regardless, every best cheap VPN on our list is very affordable. These are a great way to get protection, for no more per month than the cost of a double-double.
What is the Best Cheap VPN in Canada?
That Would be Surfshark.
Surfshark has more than 1000 servers, located in over 60 countries. One of the biggest selling-points is that you can have as many connections open as you want, at once.
Find advanced and sometimes rare features, such as Kill Switches and Split-Tunnels. These make you experience much more customized and capable. With high security.
And the speeds are solid. Because it is very effective at accessing geo-blocked streams such as Hulu and Netflix, you can watch your favorite shows in high definition. No need to worry about seeing the dreaded buffering symbol.
None of these!
Are Best Cheap VPNs Worth It?
Better Safe Than Sorry.
Businesses and individuals are using VPNs at an increasingly-rapid rate.
Once upon a time, they were solely by businesses. Nowadays, the average person has much more personal information floating online.
People are working from home in greater numbers than ever. And online-shopping is now commonplace, rather than the exception.
A VPN is your only safeguard against savvy cyber-criminals. Also, prices are lower than ever, with long, cheap contracts. There’s never been a better time to get a VPN.
Are Best Cheap VPNs Legal in Canada?
Yes, they are.
Any behavior you get up to that is illegal in-and-of-itself is obviously not protected by any law or country.
However, using VPNs themselves is completely lawful in Canada. You can even use it to access geoblocked content, without worrying.
While stream services such as Netflix do not officially advertise that you should access libraries that are outside of your location, they have not made this a crime under the Copyright Act.
Stream to your heart’s content.
Is It Illegal to Watch Netflix Using a VPN?
No. Just don’t pirate.
Once again, this is not illegal under the Copyright Act.
Streaming providers – such as Netflix – frown on you for accessing libraries that are not in your location, or creating accounts that are outside of your location.
But there is no specific law that makes this a crime. As long as you are not pirating any of the information, there is no need to worry. At least, for now.
Should I Let My VPN Run All Day?
You could turn it off to save bandwidth/boost speeds.
We mentioned to me earlier in this guide that some geo-blocked streams like Hulu have a very cool workaround that can save your VPN some of its bandwidth.
Here’s what you do:
- ☑️ Turn on your VPN
- ☑️ Run your Hulu stream (one that is geo-blocked ordinarily)
- ☑️ Now turn off your VPN (you should still be able to watch your chosen video)
Note that this does not seem to work with Netflix, which kicks you out once you turn off your VPN, even if the video is already running. You may also want to switch off your VPN for high-def gaming.
Are Budget VPNs Secure?
The ones in our top 5 are.
Be very careful when choosing your best cheap VPN.
There are lots who are working with Chinese-owned companies, in order to sell-off your data. Others install malware, in order to actually steal your private information. (Malware scanners are a possible workaround).
Our list only contains those with the highest levels of encryption, the best security protocols, and all at affordable prices.
Conclusion
Once you start using a VPN, and become aware of why it’s important, there’s no going back.
Quite simply, you have a great peace of mind when accessing public wi-fi. Even when you’re at home, you can trust that your credit card information is safer.
There is also the issue of government-surveillance agencies collecting personal information about you. The cheapest VPNs in Canada also provide an awesome solution for businesses and freelancers.
