--- title: "VPN Research Hub | Pricing, Digital Access & Consumer Privacy | vpnrank.io" description: "Independent, transparent research from vpnrank.io. Explore our VPN Price Index, public data and work on digital access and online privacy." url: https://vpnrank.io/research language: en --- vpnrank.io research # Clearer data for a more informed internet. Our latest figures: in September 2026, Iran blocked 21 of the 25 platforms we measure, and one year of a VPN at the median ongoing price cost 4.1 days of average income in the median country. We publish transparent work on VPN pricing, digital access and online privacy. Our aim is simple: make complex, fast-changing topics easier to check, cite and use. [View the VPN Price Index](https://vpnrank.io/vpn-price-index) [Press & data requests](https://vpnrank.io/press) ## What has vpnrank.io research found? The headline finding of each study, recomputed from its own data whenever that data is refreshed: - [VPN Price Index](https://vpnrank.io/vpn-price-index)A VPN costs $7.99–$15.45 a month on a month-to-month plan (median $12.97) and $1.59–$3.09 a month on a 2-year plan (median $2.11), across the 8 VPNs vpnrank.io tracks, with prices verified on 21 October 2026. - [Internet censorship index](https://vpnrank.io/research/internet-censorship-map)In September 2026, Iran blocked 21 of the 25 platforms in vpnrank.io’s censorship index, more than any other of the 179 countries measured; Finland was next with 12. - [Internet censorship in Iran](https://vpnrank.io/research/internet-censorship-map/iran)All 8 VPN provider websites vpnrank.io could measure were confirmed blocked in Iran in September 2026, in 90.3–96.9% of measurements. - [A blackout is not a block](https://vpnrank.io/research/blackout-is-not-a-block)In September 2026, none of the 23 countries that lost at least 5% of the month to measured connectivity outages also blocked a platform at national scale. - [VPN affordability index](https://vpnrank.io/research/vpn-affordability-index)One year of the same $89.36 VPN subscription costs 5.5 hours of average income in Bermuda and 136 days in Burundi, a 591-fold spread across 170 countries (September 2026 edition). - [Link rot in library privacy guides](https://vpnrank.io/research/privacy-tool-link-rot)20 of 72 library privacy and cybersecurity guides (27.8%) link to at least one page that no longer exists, in vpnrank.io’s September 2026 sweep. Each study page states its data window, its sources and what the figures do not show. What we are building ## A focused, useful research library. We will publish only work that has a clear question, a documented method and a useful answer. New research categories will be added selectively, rather than filling this hub with one-off commentary. 01 Active research ### VPN prices & renewals We track public VPN prices over time to make introductory deals, billing terms and renewal costs easier to understand. [Explore the VPN Price Index](https://vpnrank.io/vpn-price-index) 02 Research agenda in development ### Digital access We are building a source-led knowledge base on access to online services while travelling, during major events and when digital rules change. [Explore access guides](https://vpnrank.io/can-i-watch) 03 Active research ### Censorship & online freedom Two monthly indices from network measurement: a country-by-platform blocking matrix, and a join of measured connectivity outages against measured blocking that separates a blackout from a block. [Read the censorship measurement index](https://vpnrank.io/research/internet-censorship-map) 04 Active research ### Cost of access What a VPN costs as a share of local income, country by country. One price held constant, World Bank income data varying, and the censorship measurements joined on the same country axis. [Read the VPN affordability index](https://vpnrank.io/research/vpn-affordability-index) 05 Active research ### Privacy education on the web A quarterly, hand-checked measurement of dead links in library privacy and cybersecurity guides: what share of guides send readers to pages that no longer exist, and which kinds of source disappear. [Read the link rot study](https://vpnrank.io/research/privacy-tool-link-rot) Available now ## The VPN Price Index Our first public research asset tracks advertised public prices, introductory discounts and key plan terms across the VPNs we cover. The current data is available to read and reuse with attribution. For journalists & researchers Use the live data, review the method, or ask for a specific historical cut. [Visit the press room →](https://vpnrank.io/press) ## How we work - **Documented methods:** we explain where a number comes from and what it does not show. - **Visible dates:** every live data asset shows when it was last checked. - **Clear separation:** research and affiliate recommendations are kept distinct. ## Use our work responsibly You are welcome to quote and link to our public research. Please preserve the context, cite vpnrank.io and include the date you accessed live data. For custom data requests, corrections or collaborations, contact us directly. 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