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Best lifetime VPN subscriptions in 2025: is a one-time payment VPN worth it?

lifetime vpn subscription

A lifetime VPN is a private network subscription offered as a one-time payment service. It grants access to a VPN for an indefinite period and is often marketed as a more affordable option than monthly or yearly subscriptions. Providers such as Ivacy, FastestVPN, and KeepSolid VPN Unlimited offer lifetime subscriptions.

However, lifetime VPNs might not be the best solution for you. For instance, providers offering indefinite subscriptions often don’t have sustainable revenue, which might lead to poor service or even shutdown. Additionally, lifetime VPNs can get outdated and unsafe due to a lack of investment in their infrastructure and feature updates.

To help you better understand the differences between lifetime VPNs and monthly VPNs, I did my thorough research and compared them in this article. However, even after testing tens of various VPNs and their subscription offers, I found that NordVPN offers the ultimate “lifetime VPN” experience – not because it offers a one-time payment but because of its long-term reliability, advanced features, consistent performance, and budget-friendly prices. Continue reading this article to learn more about the best lifetime VPN options and alternatives.

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Affordable alternatives to a lifetime VPN subscription plan

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Are lifetime VPN subscriptions worth it?

The term lifetime VPN refers to a VPN service for which you only pay once to get access for life. While it does sound like a cost-effective solution, it often fails to meet high expectations. For one, many of the lifetime VPN subscriptions don’t actually last a lifetime, instead covering only 3-5 years or until the company survives. Which, in many cases, is very unpredictable. Additionally, these lifetime VPNs usually fall short on speeds, and robust privacy protection and are often unable to bypass geo-restrictions imposed by popular streaming services, all because of insufficient funding and outdated infrastructure.

The whole concept of lifetime VPNs is flawed for many reasons, and popular one-pay VPNs illustrate the point. For example, KeepSolid VPN Ultimate offers only basic security features and struggles in reliably unblock popular streaming platforms. As for the FastestVPN, contrary to its name, this service often suffers from slow speeds and has a quite small server fleet, limiting its usability.

In contrast, NordVPN is the best alternative to lifetime VPNs. Although the provider does not offer a one-time payment subscription, its long-term subscriptions, such as the 2-year option, are very affordable while leaving no compromises on security, speed, and usability. Additionally, it comes with advanced security features, such as Threat Protection, has consistently fast connection speeds, and is unparalleled in unblocking geo-restricted content.

To paint a more detailed picture, here’s how the lifetime VPNs compare to NordVPN:

Feature FastestVPN KeepSolid VPN Unlimited Ivacy NordVPN (best lifetime VPN alternative)
Rating 9.0 ⭐⭐⭐ 8.0⭐⭐⭐ 8.2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 9.8 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price Around $80.00/lifetime Around $199.99/lifetime Around $100/lifetime $3.39/ month with the 2-year subscription
Number of servers 500+ 500+ 5700+ 7100+
Server countries 40+ 70+ 69+ 118+
Streaming compatibility ❌ Limited ❌ Limited ❌ Inconsistent ✅ Excellent
Speed ❌ Slow ❌ Moderate ❌ Averge ✅ Very fast (streaming-optimized servers)
Device compatibility 10 5 10 10
Money-back guarantee ✅ 15-day ✅ 30-day ✅ 30-day ✅ 30-day

As you can see from the table, lifetime VPNs fall short in almost every aspect compared to NordVPN. For instance, FastestVPN only has around 500 servers in 40 countries, which is a very small fleet, and you’re risking a chance of always running into congested servers. KeepSolid VPN Unlimited has a slightly bigger fleet but is almost useless for streaming. Ivacy might be an okay choice at first glance, but it will never match up to NordVPNs advanced features, huge fleet, and consistent 10+ Gbps connection speeds perfect for all network activities.

NordVPN is a reliable VPN suitable for a lifetime, because it comes with the most robust security features and easy refund policy. Additionally, NordVPN operates a huge server fleet perfect for all sorts of network activities. Lastly, with consistent 10+ Gbps speeds, you’ll soon forget about laggy streams and game sessions.
9.8 /10
Huge server fleet
Robust security features
Fastest speeds in the industry

Best lifetime VPN subscriptions in 2025: comprehensive list

I’ve tested around 20 of the most popular VPN providers to look for a viable alternative to existing lifetime VPN subscriptions. Before I put them on my list, I checked their affordability, looked for advanced features you won’t find in any of the lifetime VPNs, and made sure the alternatives offer consistently high speeds and robust security features. All in all, I found top 5 best lifetime VPN subscription alternatives in 2025 – read more about them in the comprehensive list below.

1. NordVPN - overall best lifetime VPN subscription

9.8
review-badge__icon Top VPN provider
Number of countries covered
Number of countries covered:
118
Number of servers
Number of servers:
7100
Support
Support:
24/7, email
  • Highly affordable with the 2-year plan
  • Premium VPN with robust security features
  • Huge server fleet
  • Only up to 10 simultaneous connections

NordVPN is my top choice for a lifetime VPN subscription. It comes with a convenient 2-year subscription, which costs $105.03 for the Plus plan, and an auto-renewal feature. If you’d like, you can use the 30-day money-back guarantee offered by NordVPN, but I highly doubt you’ll find anything off with this premium VPN.

NordVPN enable auto-renewal
NordVPN enable auto-renewal button

NordVPN operates a vast fleet consisting of 7100+ servers in 118+ countries. This wide variety of choices guarantees great usability and multi-functionality of the service. Plus, it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever find yourself stuck with a congested and pretty much useless server, unlike with some one-time payment VPNs.

I tested NordVPN’s geo-unblocking capabilities numerous times on multiple streaming platforms and never ran into any trouble unblocking and streaming any show I wanted. Beside streaming platforms, such as Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, Paramount+, BBC iPlayer, and more, I was also able to get into online gambling and betting sites with ease, even from countries where such activities are prohibited.

As for speeds, NordVPN is the fastest VPN around, with consistent 10+ Gbps connection speeds, no matter the proximity to your chosen server. Additionally, NordVPN has an incredible 94% initial speed retention rat,e which is great news for those into online gaming, streaming, and torrenting.

NordVPN also has a slew of additional features you won’t find in any lifetime VPN service. For instance, NordVPN has obfuscated servers for ultimate sneak factor and Threat Protection to safeguard your data from cyberattacks. For torrenters, there’s the port forwarding feature, and for gamers – split tunneling. Lastly, streamers can forget about laggy sessions due to NordVPN’s excellent efficiency against bandwidth throttling.

You can choose from multiple NordVPN plans depending on your needs, but the Plus option, which includes Threat Protection, is the most popular. Available options for it are 1-month, 1-year, and 2-year subscriptions, and the latter offers the best price at just $3.39/month. Don’t forget to use one of our special NordVPN coupons on your purchase!

If you’d like more information on this provider, read our comprehensive NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark - cheapest lifetime VPN with unlimited devices

Number of countries covered
Number of countries covered:
100
Number of servers
Number of servers:
3200
Support
Support:
24/7, FAQ
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
  • Ultra-fast speeds
  • Premium VPN with excellent features
  • Some features cost extra

Surfshark is the most suitable one-time pay VPN alternative if you’re looking for something highly affordable, well-designed, and ready to be used on an unlimited number of devices. The longest available subscription period is for 2 years, which costs around $55.72 for the Starter pack, and you can choose the auto-renewal option, too. Naturally, all your purchases are protected by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Surfshark operates a solid fleet of 3200+ servers spread across 100+ countries. Such a number is more than enough for comfortable use and with Surfshark’s servers in even the most remote corners of the Earth, you’ll find no trouble accessing even the most exotic content.

The service has never let me down at unblocking geo-restricted content and I can comfortably watch shows on HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer anytime I want. Besides streaming, Surfshark also works great with online gambling and sports betting sites.

Surfshark accessing BBC iPlayer
I had no issues accessing BBC iPlaer with Surfshark

Of course, Surfshark does not skimp on speeds, either. During my tests, I consistently got 10+ Gbps connection speeds, even on faraway servers. Plus, with an initial speed retention rate of about 92,% I managed to comfortably stream movies even when my internet speed was lower than usual.

As for additional features, Surfshark is brimming with them. With Surfshark, you get IP rotator and randomizer, a Dynamic MultiHop, and lots of other features to enhance your security and the efficiency of your VPN experience. Those wanting for an ultimate cyber ninja mode, can use Surfshark’s Camouflage and NoBorders modes, both of which are meant to make your VPN traffic look almost invisible. Plus, if you choose the Surfshark One pack, you’ll also be getting the renowned Surfshark Antivirus.

Surfshark has 3 packages to choose from: Starter which only has a VPN, Surfshark One with antivirus, and One+ with antivirus and data removal features. The basic plan costs only $2.19/month and you can get it for 1 month, 1 year, or 2 years. For the best subscription price, don’t forget to use one of our exclusive Surfshark coupon codes.

If you’d like to read more about this provider, you can check out our Surfshark review.

3. Proton VPN - one-time payment VPN with strong security features

Number of countries covered
Number of countries covered:
117
Number of servers
Number of servers:
9900
Support
Support:
Email
  • Strict no-logs policy
  • Enormous server fleet
  • Excellent connection speeds
  • Pricier than average

Proton VPN is one of the best lifetime VPN alternatives for anyone who puts security first and foremost. This Swiss-based provider offers subscriptions of up to 2 years, which costs around $107.76 and offers an auto-renewal function. All your purchases are protected with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is more than enough time to test it out.

After a recent expansion, Proton VPN now operates an enormous server fleet consisting of 9900+ pieces of hardware located in 117+ countries. All Proton VPN servers are bare metal, which accounts for greater reliability and consistency in performance.

As for unblocking capabilities, Proton VPN has granted me an easy pass to various Netflix libraries including Japan and Brasil, unlocked Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and other popular platforms. As for other geo-restricted content, such as online poker and betting, Proton VPN has easily gotten me in unnoticed into a variety of such pages.

I also tested Proton VPN speeds, and I wasn’t really surprised to find 10 Gbps speeds on average, with around 87% of initial speed retention. If you want to connect to a faraway server, don’t forget to use the VPN Accelerator featur,e which can raise the connection up to 4 times in such situations. Anyway, these speeds and retention rates are great for all network activities. As for torrenting, Proton VPN now has P2P-streamlined servers, too.

The provider offers a wide variety of additional features, including NetShield Ad-blocker to keep annoying ads at bay, DNS leak protection to ensure your browsing history never reaches the hands of your ISP, and a Stealth mode to bypass any VPN blocks – you won’t find any of these features even in the best lifetime VPN services.

Proton VPN security features
Here's a part of the advanced features you can find on Proton VPN

Proton VPN is a bit more expensive than average, with prices starting at $3.19/month for the 2-year Plus plan. Alternatively, you can choose a 1 month or a 1-year plan, but no matter which one you choose, don’t forget to use one of our Proton VPN coupons to get the best price.

For more information about this provider, head to our Proton VPN review.

4. Total VPN - fast and user-friendly VPN with lifetime subscription

Number of countries covered
Number of countries covered:
35
Number of servers
Number of servers:
50
Support
Support:
24/7, email
  • Highly affordable 1-year subscription
  • Beginner-friendly interface
  • Great security features
  • Lacks some advanced features

Total VPN offers great lifetime VPN deals for anyone looking for a simple-to-use, reliable, and fast VPN without too much fuss. The longest subscription offered by Total VPN lasts for 1 year and costs around $29.00 for the first year and $99.00 for subsequent years. The provider has an auto-renewal option and a 30-day money-back guarantee if you don’t want to commit to it straight away.

Total VPN operates a compact fleet of 50+ servers in 35+ countries. While this is significantly less than with other premium providers, TotalAV’s fleet covers all the most important locations for comfortable use.

Total VPN worked just fine at unblocking the most popular streaming platforms, such as Netflix and Hulu, but I sometimes had to switch around the servers if I didn’t get in during my first try. The same story repeated with gambling and betting websites, but after a couple of tries, I usually got in anyway.

Incredibly, Total VPN offers almost the same speeds as the top provider and showed consistent 8 Gbps speeds throughout my testing. With the initial speed retention rate at a high 85%, I experienced no troubles with streaming and torrenting.

Total VPN speed test
Total VPN speed test

As for additional features, Total VPN comes bundled with the well-respected and highly secure TotalAV antivirus software – you won’t get that with any of the one-pay VPNs. Additionally, there’s the Total Adblock to keep the irritating ads at bay and a password vault to keep your credentials safe.

Total VPN’s cheapest subscription comes at only $1.59/month which makes it the most affordable option on this list. If you’d like, you can try it first with a 1-month plan; just remember to use one of our Total VPN promo codes before you purchase.

If you’d like to read more about this provider, check out our Total VPN review.

5. Bitdefender - reliable lifetime VPN with a great 3-year plan deal

Number of countries covered
Number of countries covered:
50
Number of servers
Number of servers:
4000
Support
Support:
  • Offers a 3-year plan
  • Operates a large server fleet
  • Audited no-logs policy
  • Can get a bit pricey

Bitdefender is an excellent choice for those looking for the best VPN lifetime subscription deals. The provider offers an extensive 3-year plan with the Bitdefender Family Pack that’ll cost you $249.99, or around $5.00 a month. Naturally, your purchase is protected by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Bitdefender 3-year subscription
You can get a 3-year Bitdefender subscription with the Family Pack

Bitdefender has a solid fleet of 4000+ servers in 50+ countries. This is a nice spread of hardware and never had any issues in finding an uncongested server that I needed. And while the provider does not have obfuscated servers for an additional stealth factor, the AES-256 encryption did the job for me.

This VPN is just as capable at unblocking the most popular streaming platforms and online gambling sites as any other. However, similar to Total VPN, I sometimes had to choose another server if the current one wasn’t able to bypass geo-restrictions.

Bitdefender offers excellent speeds of 8 Gbps on average and has an 84% initial speed retention rate. This service has several tunelling protocols for you to choose from, but the fastest ones, and the best suited for streaming and gaming are CatapultHydra and WireGuard. Remember to select them when you need exceptional speed.

This service comes with all the necessary features to ensure your security, such as military-grade encryption, a kill switch, and a DNS & IP leak protection. Additionally, Bitdefender VPN has an ad & tracker blocker to enhance your browsing experience and an app traffic optimizer to ensure a fast internet connection.

Bitdefender subscription prices start at $2.92/month, and you can choose from several packages and plan lengths, including a 1-month and a 1-year subscription. As always, make sure you use one of our exclusive Bitdefender coupons to get the best price.

If you’d like to learn more about this provider, read our in-depth Bitdefender review.

Lifetime VPN deals in one place

Lifetime VPNs Rating Servers Speed Longest plan Price for longest plan Free trial Money-back guarantee
NordVPN
9.8
7100+ 10+ Gbps 2-years $3.39/month ✅Yes, 7 days ✅Yes, 30 days
Surfshark
9.5
3200 10+ Gbps 2-years $2.19/month ✅Yes, 7 days ✅Yes, 30 days
Proton VPN
8.6
9900 10 Gbps 2-years $3.59/month ❌No ✅Yes, 30 days
Total VPN
8.2
50 8 Gbps 1-year $1.59/month ✅Yes, 7 days ✅Yes, 30 days
Bitdefender
8.2
4000 9 Gbps 3-years $2.92/month ✅Yes, 7 days ✅Yes, 30 days

How I tested and selected the best VPNs with lifetime subscriptions

I find it very important to test every VPN thoroughly before including it on any list. So, to find the best lifetime VPN alternatives, I checked around 20 VPNs based on these criteria: subscription length, security features, streaming and torrenting compatibility, speed, server fleet, customer support, and affordability.

  • Subscription length. If you’re looking for a one-time pay VPN, chances are, you simply do not want to bother renewing your subscription every month. So, I checked whether my top VPNs have at least 1-year plans, but the longer one I found – the better.
  • Security features. I do not recommend subscribing to a VPN service that comes without AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, IP & DNS leak protection, and a verified no-logs policy, Thus, you won’t find any VPN among my recommended ones that do not have these features.
  • Streaming and torrenting compatibility. I also checked whether the VPN services have large enough server fleets for streaming and torrenting, come with kill switches, and offer both streaming- and P2P-optimized servers.
  • Speed. To browse, stream, and torrent comfortably, you need a VPN with speeds of at least 5+ Gbps. But “at least” does not cut it for me, so I only included VPNs with 8 Gbps connection speeds at the lowest and with at least 80% initial speed retention rate.
  • Customer support. If you’re purchasing a VPN for a long period, you’d want a solid, responsive, and knowledgeable customer support. A feature you won’t find with any of the one-time payment VPNs on the market.
  • Affordability. Lastly, I checked if the VPNs provided a good price-to-feature ratio, so you wouldn’t overpay for a mediocre service and get the most bang out of your buck.

Is there a free VPN with a lifetime subscription?

There are free lifetime VPNs, but I strongly recommend against using them as they come with significant security risks and limitations. Such providers may log and sell your data, inject ads, and compromise your data security in many ways.

For instance, the one-time pay Hola VPN was caught turning its users into a botnet which essentially meant that their bandwidth was being sold without their consent. Meanwhile, SuperVPN, another lifetime subscription VPN, lack strong encryption protocols and has been flagged for severe vulnerabilities and data lekas. Lastly, VPN Proxy Master, another lifetime VPN, was uncovered to include malware and intrusive tracking software in their service.

Instead of risking your security with free lifetime VPNs, I recommend trying out well-respected free VPN services that won’t compromise your security. Or, better yet, get a premium VPN with a 7-day free trial and a money-back guarantee, such as NordVPN, and enjoy a top-tier service for an extended period without paying for it.

Try NordVPN with a 7-day free trial

Lifetime VPNs refund policies

Refund policies for lifetime VPN subscriptions are usually less-transparent and more rigid compared to regular subscriptions. Most one-pay VPNs offer a fairly short refund window, lastly only about 7 to 30 days, which may not be enough time to test out the service properly. For example, KeepSolid VPN Unlimited only gives a 7-day money-back guarantee, which is much less than most premium VPNs.

Moreover, refund terms and conditions are often buried deep into the fine print, requiring proof of an actual technical issue to qualify for a full refund. To make it even worse, many providers deny refunds for lifetime VPN subscriptions, claiming that the one-time payment is non-refundable due to its discounted nature. Either way, you risk losing your money and getting stuck with a less-than-ideal VPN service.

So, if you’re still willing to invest your money into a dubious service for an indefinite period, then I’d advise you to carefully read and review their refund policies. Or, simply choose a well-respected and reliable premium VPN, such as NordVPN, and forget about troubles getting a refund during the 30-day full-feature money-back guarantee.

Get a premium VPN and enjoy a fuss-free experience

User experiences with lifetime VPN services

If you’d rather take Reddit’s word over mine, I did thorough research on lifetime VPN experiences there, too. Overall, people are mostly dissatisfied with such VPN services and offers, noting that not only are they unreliable and of poor quality, but outright scams.

Lifetime VPN Reddit reviews
People are mostly dissatisfied with lifetime VPNs on Reddit

Yet again, this proves that you’d be much better off with a regular subscription to a premium VPN with clear refund policies, robust security features, and excellent geo-unblocking capabilities. My top lifetime VPN deal alternative is NordVPN, as I simply couldn’t find a better VPN at this time.

Get NordVPN and enjoy premium service

Conclusion: best lifetime VPN subscriptions for different uses

For some users, a lifetime VPN subscription might seem like a good idea, but it actually never is. One-pay VPNs are mostly subpar in their services, come with unclear privacy policies and are incredibly hard to get a refund if you don’t like them afterall. Instead of choosing such a dubious VPN, I recommend picking one of my alternatives for a smooth and reliable VPN use experience.

Best lifetime VPN alternative for streaming. The best choice in this case is either NordVPN or Surfshark, as they are both excellent at unblocking various popular streaming platforms such as Hulu, foreign Netflix libraries, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and HBO Max, just to name a few. You won’t find such a reliable geo-unblocking and streaming experience with any of the one-pay VPNs.

For privacy and security: If you’re looking for top-tier security, choose either Proton VPN or NordVPN as an alternative for one-pay VPNs. Both of these services come with the most robust security features, the highest levels of encryption, and have third-party verified no-logs policies.

For gaming: Again, here I’d recommend choosing either NordVPN, Proton VPN, or Surfshark. Not only because all three have exceptional connection speeds and vast server fleets, but also because of the port forwarding featured in their rosters and minimal latency.

For torrenting: Torrenters have the most choice in this case, as all of the providers on this list offer excellent initial speed retention rates of over 80% and have P2P-streamlined servers for the best experience.



FAQ

Are there any one-time payment VPNs?

Yes, there are one-time payment VPNs, such as KeepSolid VPN Ultimate, FastestVPN, and Ivacy. However, they’re mediocre at best, and if you’re looking for a truly solid lifetime VPN experience, I recommend getting NordVPN and trying it out during a 7-day free trial.

Is lifetime VPN legit?

Yes, there are legitimate lifetime VPNs. However, they do not live up to premium VPN standards and often fall short on speeds, reliability, customer support, and robust security features. Instead, I recommend getting NordVPN which is a well-trusted, secure, premium VPN.

Does NordVPN offer a lifetime subscription?

No, NordVPN does not offer a lifetime subscription. Instead, you can choose its 2-year subscription, enable the auto-renewal option, and use the service for as long as you like. This way, you won’t be tied down to a service for an indefinite period, leaving you with the freedom to choose and switch around.

Are there any lifetime VPN subscription deals available?

Yes, there are, but I do not recommend investing your money in a lifetime VPN subscription. Such services usually don’t really last a lifetime, come with a subpar server selection, and crippling speeds unsuitable for streaming or gaming. Instead, look into premium VPNs, such as NordVPN, which often has great deals. For instance, you can now get NordVPN with 72% off.

Can I get a refund on a lifetime VPN subscription?

No, you cannot get a refund on a lifetime VPN, unless you provide proof on actual technical issues with the service. Additionally, lots of lifetime VPN providers have very murky refund conditions, so it’s very unlikely you’ll get your money back.

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