Explainer
Do I need a VPN and what will I pay for it
A VPN hides your IP address from websites and encrypts the traffic between your device and the VPN server, but it does not give anonymity or protection against phishing. This guide is for anyone considering a VPN: it says what it is for, what it is not for, and what the first year costs against the renewal.
Compare these services:VPN
Head-to-head:NordVPN vs Proton VPN
Prepared by the Banbosh Studio editors with AI from the comparison's data; first published 14 October 2026. Facts checked on 14 October 2026 against the 5 sources listed at the end. Text last updated 14 October 2026.
The short answer
A VPN suits hiding your IP address from websites, protecting traffic on an untrusted network and reaching another country's content where the service allows it. It does not suit protection from phishing or malware, nor as a tool for anonymity. If you want one, compare the two-year price, not only the first year.
- A VPN protects traffic only between the device and the VPN server; you trust the VPN provider more than your internet provider.
- NordVPN prices are before VAT; VAT may be added. The Mullvad price includes VAT.
When does a VPN fit and when not?
- Need: Hide your IP address from websites
- Does a VPN help?: YesWhy: Websites see the VPN server's address
- Need: An untrusted network (hotel, airport)
- Does a VPN help?: PartlyWhy: A VPN encrypts traffic to the server; most websites now use HTTPS
- Need: Access to another country's content
- Does a VPN help?: SometimesWhy: It depends on the service; its terms may restrict VPNs
- Need: Protection from phishing and viruses
- Does a VPN help?: NoWhy: A VPN alone does not offer it; only an extra tool helps
- Need: Full anonymity
- Does a VPN help?: NoWhy: Cookies, logins and the browser fingerprint give you away even over a VPN
Decision flow: do I need a VPN
Do you want to hide your IP address from websites or your internet provider?
Yes → A VPN helps; choose a provider you trust.
Do you often work on foreign networks (hotel, airport)?
Yes → A VPN is reasonable; most web traffic is already HTTPS-encrypted though.
Are you looking for protection from phishing and viruses?
Yes → An antivirus and caution help, not a VPN alone; some bundles include both.
No → For ordinary browsing at home you do not need a VPN.
What is a VPN good for and what is it not?
According to the EFF a VPN hides your IP address from websites and your internet provider, but it is not a tool for anonymity. Web services track you through cookies, the browser fingerprint or logins too.
The EFF also points out that most web traffic is now encrypted with HTTPS, so a VPN on public Wi-Fi is no longer necessary for everyone. It moves trust from your internet provider to the VPN provider.
From CZK 122 a month (Mullvad VPN) to CZK 442 (NordVPN Basic).
7 services, the cheapest paid plan of each, paid monthly; official price lists checked on 10/8/2026 or later, rate of 11/6/2026.
At the current prices, paying for a year at once pays off most with hide.me VPN Premium: an estimated saving of CZK 2,849 a year.
Orange: 12 monthly payments, blue: a year paid at once (only the 8 plans that offer it); official price lists checked on 10/8/2026 or later, rate of 11/6/2026.
What do the first year, the renewal and two years cost?
The table shows prices from the providers' price lists. NordVPN prices are before VAT, which may be added; the Mullvad price includes VAT.
What follows for your choice?
NordVPN is cheap in the first year and much dearer after the renewal; the two-year plan is therefore better value than the yearly one with a renewal.
Mullvad has one price whatever the length and no e-mail at sign-up; Proton VPN Plus states prices by plan length. Proton prices are list prices, a current offer may be lower.
Surfshark Starter on the two-year plan comes to about 59 CZK a month before VAT (24 + 3 months for 1,593 CZK); the monthly payment is 399 CZK. We do not have its renewal price in our data.
Is a free VPN enough?
Free VPNs have limits: Proton VPN Free (CZK 0 a month VAT not stated) has one device, Windscribe Free (CZK 0 a month VAT not stated) 10 GB a month and PrivadoVPN Free (CZK 0 a month VAT not stated) 10 GB per 30 days, TunnelBear Free (CZK 0 a month VAT not stated) 2 GB a month. hide.me VPN Free (CZK 0 a month VAT not stated) has unlimited data but limited speed.
For occasional use on a trip they are enough; for steady use you pay for unlimited data.
Plans at today's price
Who it is for
- You consider a VPN and do not know what it is good for.
- You want to compare the first-year price with the price after renewal.
- You look for the cheapest paid or free VPN.
Watch out for
- The introductory price usually applies only to new customers and the first period; the renewal is often much dearer.
- A VPN is not a tool for anonymity: websites track you in other ways too, such as cookies or browser fingerprints.
- Ads promise that a VPN stops viruses and hackers; that does not make it a security suite on its own.
- You trust the VPN provider with traffic that your internet provider would otherwise see; read its privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a VPN useful on public Wi-Fi?
- The EFF says a VPN on public Wi-Fi is no longer necessary for everyone, because most web traffic is HTTPS-encrypted. On its own it does not protect you from phishing and viruses.
- Is the price the same after the renewal?
- Not always: at NordVPN the renewal is much dearer than the first year, Mullvad has one price whatever the length. The details are in the table.
- Can I use one VPN on several devices?
- It depends on the plan: Mullvad states up to five devices, Proton VPN Plus and NordVPN ten, Surfshark unlimited.