That's like saying "Since some investment funds turned out to be ponzi schemes, then all investment funds are ponzi schemes". Yegor Sak, from popular free VPN provider, Windscribe (opens in new tab), disagrees with our analysis.Īlthough they were examples of VPNs that sold lifetime subscriptions, and then closed shop and ran with the money, suggesting that the same applies to all VPNS that offer lifetime subscriptions is ludicrous. And as ever, to stay safest, always buy directly from a reputable VPN. In fact, when you take into account the many possible downsides of a lifetime VPN subscription, you may well feel that simply shopping around for a good VPN with a cheap two- or three-year deal may be the way to go. In conclusion, the offer of a lifetime of VPN service is certainly a prospect you should exercise caution around, and the smart buyer may well be tempted to look elsewhere. The VPN might work well now, but what if, in a couple of years, it's slower, Netflix is blocked, you hate the new interface, and a new service has just launched that's so much better? VPNs change, and so do your needs, so it's simply unrealistic to think the best choice for you right now, will be the best choice forever. Who knows – you may not be any better off than if you had used a free VPN, and paid nothing at all.Įven if the company is entirely honest, with perfect integrity, that doesn't guarantee you'll be getting a good long-term deal. Again, any complaints are likely to fall on deaf ears.Īs for your privacy, or any guarantees of keeping no logs? Again, those promises may begin to look pretty hollow – the ‘lifetime’ VPN may well be looking to maximize any profits going forward by selling off data to third-parties. The same applies to potential issues with congestion or sluggish connections. There is, therefore, no incentive to offer any kind of quality support, or indeed any support at all, with no reason to be responsive to user complaints. After all, the company already has your cash, and you’ve given up the ability to vote with your wallet after that initial payment. If you do end up with a lifetime subscription from one of these kind of dodgy outfits, you will likely suffer in terms of support, as well. The failed firm could even restart its business under a different name and/or brand, keeping the same network of servers and hardware, and repeat the con trick all over again. This could be a real danger with less reputable providers, and could leave you seriously out of pocket. There are obviously clear risks in forking out money upfront for a lifetime service, only to find out that the VPN shuts down. (Image credit: / Askobol) Risky business It’s not hard to see how this house of cards could easily come tumbling down… The VPN then hopes that more subscribers keep signing up to keep the model viable for a while longer, so they can just keep selling more subscriptions. They plan to keep on taking folks’ money upfront, with their incredible offer of VPN for the rest of the user’s life. Therefore, these unlimited VPN offerings would seem to be an unsustainable business model. So, given all that, it doesn’t really make any sense to sell a lifetime of VPN and support from a reputable provider for the one-time cost of a moderate dinner at a restaurant. Yes, running a VPN can certainly be an expensive endeavor. Finally, take into account the cost of marketing the VPN and providing tech support. For example, TechRadar Pro’s best VPN pick for 2020, ExpressVPN (opens in new tab), runs in excess of 3,000 servers across 94 different countries.Īlso, don’t forget to factor in the development costs of software for multiple platforms (desktop, mobile, and perhaps other devices). The VPN has to have plenty of bandwidth for all its users, and maintain a large range of servers, ideally across an equally wide expanse of countries. Realize that running a VPN costs money in fact, some serious money. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Money, money, money…
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