Why think twice before buying a lifetime VPN plan?

People are fed up with software subscriptions. There are so many of them, all demanding attention and money, that considering a one-time purchase is a way to save precious money. But when it comes to VPNs , you should stay away from lifetime subscriptions.

5. No room for feature development or improvement

VPNs don't have lifetime plans for good reason – subscription plans help them provide, maintain, and improve their services. Unfortunately, VPNs aren't a set-it-and-forget-it product. They require ongoing investment in operating costs to maintain the service. Therefore, offering a one-time payment model is unsustainable.

When you pay once for lifetime access, the VPN provider has no financial incentive to improve the service. So don't expect to see regular updates or new features. The company will likely run out of cash just trying to retain existing users.

4. Weak or non-existent customer support

Customer support is often one of the first things to suffer with lifetime VPN service providers. After all, you paid up front, so the company has little incentive to provide ongoing support.

Most VPN companies operate on thin profit margins, rely heavily on new signups, and have fewer resources to support existing customers. If you have connection issues or problems accessing your account, you may not get support for a while.

In contrast, top VPNs with enough resources from ongoing subscriptions can easily provide 24/7 support, serving all users worldwide without being overwhelmed. That level of support requires steady revenue, something that one-time payments cannot sustain.

3. Limited features

Lesser-known VPNs often offer lifetime deals. To keep operating costs low, these providers will restrict access to certain features to lifetime subscribers, such as dedicated IP addresses and advanced security protocols.

And because feature development takes time and money, you won't find all the premium features offered by the best VPN services like NordVPN , ExpressVPN , and Surfshark on lifetime plans. For example, you probably won't have as many servers to choose from, and those servers won't match the speeds of top VPNs.

2. Your data may not be secure

Running a VPN service involves ongoing costs. Before purchasing a lifetime VPN plan, ask yourself how the service can sustainably support its users. Due to their unsustainable business model, VPNs that offer lifetime plans may have to log your data and sell it to stay in business.

Even if they don't, they may still lack the resources to prioritize user privacy in the long run. If the company doesn't have the money to continue investing in security enhancements or patching, your data could be at risk.

1. 'Forever' rarely means forever

The term 'lifetime' in VPN marketing materials rarely refers to the actual duration of the service. Instead, it usually refers to the lifespan of the product, which is dependent on the company providing the service. This isn't limited to VPNs – it's common practice across software products.

Many VPN companies that have offered such plans in the past have either shut down, changed ownership, or quietly redefined what 'lifetime' means.

VPN Secure is a prime example of how a change in ownership can impact such plans. After being acquired in May 2023, the new owners canceled all lifetime subscriptions on April 28, 2025, citing that they were only acquiring 'the company's technology, domains, and customer base — but not its liabilities,' according to an email shared on Reddit and embedded above.

Another problem with lifetime plans is that they can only apply to a specific version of the software.

Kareem Winters

Update 03 June 2025