Airlines and hotel booking sites price fares differently depending on where they think you are. It isn’t quite a conspiracy, but it isn’t a myth either. Long-haul routes with a foreign leg often come up cheaper when you’re browsing from the country the route starts in. Hotel chains give locals promo rates that don’t show up on the English booking flow. A VPN doesn’t magically halve prices, but it does turn the tap on for offers your default country wouldn’t see.
We tested eight VPN apps against real bookings across Skyscanner, Google Flights, Booking.com, and a handful of airline apps. Each pick below has good server coverage in the countries that consistently produce cheaper fares (Portugal, Argentina, Turkey, Malaysia, Vietnam, India for long-haul; Poland and Hungary for European legs), a working kill switch so the app doesn’t leak your real location mid-search, and an Android client that isn’t a battery drain.
What to look for in a travel VPN app
Not every VPN is useful for finding cheap flights. The specific things that matter:
- Countries with meaningful pricing spread in the server list. Portugal, Argentina, Turkey, India, and Vietnam consistently produce cheaper long-haul fares. If a VPN doesn’t have a server in the country you want to appear from, it’s useless for the job.
- A reliable kill switch. If the connection drops mid-search, the booking site sees your real IP and quietly re-prices everything.
- Split tunnelling on the Android client. You want the browser routed through the VPN and everything else (banking, transit, payment apps) on your real network.
- No aggressive IP blocklists on your target sites. Booking.com and a few airline apps sometimes reject known VPN ranges; the picks below have the freshest IPs.
- Airplane-friendly features. In-flight Wi-Fi captive portals sometimes need the VPN off during login; a one-tap toggle beats a long menu.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN | Free unlimited data, real audits | Android, iOS, Win, macOS, Linux | Unlimited data, 5 countries | Around $4 on long term |
| Mullvad VPN | Anonymous flat-fee accounts | Android, iOS, Win, macOS, Linux | None | About €5 flat |
| Surfshark | Unlimited devices on one account | Android, iOS, Win, macOS, Linux | None | Around $2 on long term |
| NordVPN | Broadest server list, streaming-friendly | Android, iOS, Win, macOS, Linux | None | Around $3 on long term |
| ExpressVPN | Streaming reliability, in-flight Wi-Fi handling | Android, iOS, Win, macOS, Linux | None | Around $6 on long term |
| Windscribe | Generous free tier, build-a-plan | Android, iOS, Win, macOS, Linux | 10 GB/mo, 11 countries | $1 per location on Build A Plan |
| Private Internet Access | Widest server count, best on flaky Wi-Fi | Android, iOS, Win, macOS, Linux | None | About $2 on long term |
| Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP | Quick free proxy, no signup | Android, iOS, Win, macOS, Linux | Unlimited, single endpoint | Free; WARP+ from around $5 |
The apps
1. Proton VPN, best for a real free tier that isn't a trial
Proton VPN is the only major VPN with a free plan that isn’t a lure to the paid tier. Unlimited data on servers in five countries (currently the US, Netherlands, Japan, Poland, and Romania), audited annually, and open source on every platform. For casual fare hunting you can live entirely on the free tier as long as one of those five countries is a useful vantage point.
Where it falls short: the free tier limits you to one device and excludes streaming-optimised servers, which some airline promo pages sit behind. It also lacks split tunnelling on iOS.
Pricing:
- Free: unlimited data, 5 countries, 1 device
- Paid: around $4 per month on the two-year plan
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook, browser extensions.
Bottom line: Proton VPN for travel is the free-forever option if Poland or Romania is a useful search vantage. Upgrade if you want servers in Argentina, Turkey, or India.
2. Mullvad VPN, best for a flat monthly rate with no account drama
Mullvad VPN charges a flat €5 per month, no annual discount, no upsells, no email required. You get a numeric account ID at signup and top it up as you go. That structure matters when you’re travelling: the account is disposable, and you can spin one up for a two-week trip and let it lapse.
Where it falls short: no free tier, no long-term discount, and Mullvad has been openly hostile to streaming-optimised routing, so a few airline promo pages that IP-check heavily can bounce you.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: €5 per month flat
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Bottom line: Mullvad is the least-bother pick for a one-trip subscription that doesn’t quietly renew.
3. Surfshark, best for unlimited devices on one plan
Surfshark puts no cap on simultaneous connections, which matters if you’re travelling with a phone, tablet, laptop, and want to keep the family’s devices under the same plan. Its server list covers most of the countries that produce cheaper fares, and the Android client’s split tunnelling is fast to set up.
Where it falls short: the intro pricing renews at a higher rate after the first term, so treat it like a rolling subscription you actively manage. A few streaming-optimised servers get flagged and rotated by target sites.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: around $2 per month on the two-year plan
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, browser extensions, smart TV apps.
Bottom line: Surfshark for travel is the household pick that covers everyone’s devices at once.
4. NordVPN, best for the broadest server list
NordVPN has the largest server list of anything on this page, including deep coverage across Latin America and Southeast Asia. The fresh-IP rotation is aggressive enough that most airline apps don’t reject the IP outright, and the Android client is one of the fastest at switching countries.
Where it falls short: the intro-price-then-renewal pattern is the most aggressive of the paid picks here, and the home screen constantly pushes NordPass, NordLocker, and Threat Protection Pro upsells.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: around $3 per month on the two-year plan (initial)
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, browser extensions.
Bottom line: NordVPN for travel if the country you want to pretend to be in is niche and the smaller providers don’t cover it.
5. ExpressVPN, best for in-flight Wi-Fi that hates VPNs
ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol is unusually good at reconnecting after a network switch, which matters on in-flight Wi-Fi that changes hops when the plane crosses regions. Its server list covers 100+ countries, and the Android client has a specific setting for auto-reconnect on unstable networks.
Where it falls short: the most expensive pick on this list, and no free tier.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: around $6 per month on the two-year plan
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, browser extensions, router firmware.
Bottom line: ExpressVPN earns its price on the reconnect quality alone if in-flight Wi-Fi is a regular part of the search.
6. Windscribe, best for the generous free tier
Windscribe hands out 10 GB per month on the free tier across 11 countries with no email required (add an email and it jumps to 15 GB). The Build A Plan flow lets you pay $1 per location per month, which is the cheapest way to get a specific country on a rolling monthly bill.
Where it falls short: the free tier’s 10 GB burns quickly if you tether or leave the VPN on for other apps. The desktop client has a steeper learning curve than the mobile one.
Pricing:
- Free: 10 GB per month, 11 countries
- Paid: $1 per location per month on Build A Plan, or around $6 per month unlimited
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, browser extensions, router firmware.
Bottom line: Windscribe for occasional fare hunting when you don’t want a full subscription.
7. Private Internet Access, best for flaky Wi-Fi on the road
Private Internet Access publishes the widest raw server count (35,000+) and the Android client’s obfuscation modes get through hotel Wi-Fi and coffee-shop captive portals that filter standard OpenVPN traffic.
Where it falls short: the UI feels older than the newer picks here, and PIA’s parent company Kape is the same holding group that owns ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, which some users prefer to know.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: about $2 per month on the three-year plan
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, browser extensions, router firmware.
Bottom line: PIA for the trip where you know the hotel Wi-Fi is going to fight you.
8. Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP, best for a free proxy with no signup
Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 + WARP app is the outlier here. It’s a fast, free proxy that improves latency and encrypts your DNS traffic to Cloudflare’s edge. WARP+ (about $5 per month) gives access to Cloudflare’s premium routing but not to specific countries the way a normal VPN does.
Where it falls short: you can’t pick a country. If the goal is “make Skyscanner think you’re in Turkey”, WARP doesn’t do that. The paid Zero Trust tier does more, but that’s a business product.
Pricing:
- Free: unlimited data, single Cloudflare endpoint
- Paid: WARP+ from around $5 per month
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Bottom line: WARP for encrypting DNS on hotel Wi-Fi, not for pretending to be in a specific country.
How to pick
Want to spend nothing and one of Proton’s five free countries is a useful vantage: Proton VPN free tier.
Want a rolling monthly bill that doesn’t quietly renew: Mullvad VPN at €5 flat.
Want one plan for the whole household’s devices: Surfshark.
Want the widest possible list of countries to spoof from: NordVPN.
Chase price differences over in-flight Wi-Fi regularly: ExpressVPN for the reconnect quality.
Occasional fare hunts, don’t want a full subscription: Windscribe’s Build A Plan at $1 per location.
Hotel and coffee-shop Wi-Fi is where you shop: Private Internet Access for the obfuscation modes.
You just want DNS encryption on public Wi-Fi and don’t need to change country: Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 + WARP, free.
FAQ
Do VPNs actually get me cheaper flights? Sometimes. Long-haul routes with a foreign leg are the most consistent winners; connecting from Turkey, Argentina, or India frequently surfaces fares 10 to 40 per cent cheaper than the same search from the US or UK. Domestic flights inside the destination country rarely change. Hotel booking sites are more volatile.
Which country should I connect from for the cheapest flights? It depends on the route. Portugal for long-haul out of Europe, Turkey and India for Asia and the Middle East, Argentina for Latin America, Malaysia and Vietnam for Southeast Asia. Try the origin country of the airline first, then the country the route starts in.
Is it legal to use a VPN to book flights? Yes. Buying a fare in a different currency after connecting through another country is legal in most jurisdictions. Airlines’ terms of service occasionally reserve the right to void a booking they consider bought from outside the correct region, though enforcement is rare. Always double-check the currency and refund policy before you confirm.
Do I need a paid VPN or is free enough? Free is enough if one of Proton VPN’s five free countries or Windscribe’s eleven happens to be a useful vantage. If you want Turkey, Argentina, or India specifically, paid is required.
Can I use a VPN on the airline’s app to book? Yes. Enable the VPN, clear the app’s cache first (or use a fresh incognito session in the mobile browser), search, and pay in the local currency if the app offers it. A card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees pairs well.
What is the best free VPN app for finding cheap flights? Proton VPN, because its free tier has unlimited data. Windscribe is close behind if 10 GB per month is enough for a few evenings of searching.
