{
  "id": 13999417,
  "title": "A VPN for a small team is a different purchase than a VPN for one laptop",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/a-vpn-for-a-small-team-is-a-different-purchase-than-a-vpn-for-one",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-12T16:38:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/tanit365/a-vpn-for-a-small-team-is-a-different-purchase-than-a-vpn-for-one-laptop-a79"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A VPN for a small team is a different purchase than a VPN for one laptop. Small teams often buy a VPN the same way they buy antivirus software: they skim the features list, compare the first-year price, and move on with their week. However, this approach often becomes problematic later when the renewal arrives and they cannot explain what the subscription actually protects.\n\nTo determine whether a VPN plan remains worthwhile in year two, different questions should be asked compared to those answered on the sales page. The first question is about whose traffic is being protected. Two distinct purchases lie behind the term \"VPN\": a router-level tunnel for a fixed office where everything behind that router shares one connection and one subscription, and a client on every laptop, phone, and tablet that leaves the building. If your team never leaves the office network, the first option covers everything. However, as soon as anyone works away from the desk, you are purchasing the second type, and the number of devices in your team becomes the primary determining factor.\n\nThe server count is the least useful number on the VPN page. Instead, focus on how likely the provider is to offer fast, uncongested endpoints near the people who need them. The question to ask is whether the provider has endpoints in the places your team connects from and the places your suppliers and banks expect to see you. Everything else on the page represents marketing arithmetic.\n\nKey features that make a VPN effective include a kill switch, which stops traffic when the tunnel drops; split tunnelling, which routes the office printer and local file server around the tunnel while keeping everything else inside it; a double-hop route, which uses two servers and two layers of encryption; a private mesh between devices, which provides a direct, encrypted link between office machines; threat filtering, which blocks malware, phishing, and trackers within the tunnel; and an audited no-logs policy, which ensures independent verification of the VPN's practices.\n\nEntry pricing for VPNs for small teams typically ranges from $3.49 to $5.49 per month on a 2-year commitment. The basic tier offers a limited number of simultaneous connections and one login per device. As the team grows, the need for additional seats, fixed addresses, and admin controls becomes apparent. Speed varies depending on the location of the endpoint, with nearby endpoints offering hundreds of megabits in both directions with minimal loss, while distant connections may experience higher packet loss and slower performance. It is essential to test the VPN in a normal working week, run multiple devices simultaneously, and thoroughly test critical tools like voice calls, large uploads, and remote access to ensure the VPN meets the team's needs before committing to a long-term subscription.",
  "summary": "Most small teams buy a VPN the way they buy antivirus: skim a features list, compare the first-year price, and get on with the week. The mistake only becomes visible later, when the renewal lands and nobody can say what the subscription is actually protecting. What decides whether the plan is still worth paying in year two is a different set of questions than the ones the sales page answers.…",
  "key_points": [
    "Small teams buy VPNs like antivirus software, focusing on price and features",
    "Different VPN purchases: router-level tunnel vs. client on every device",
    "Key features: kill switch, split tunnelling, double-hop route, private mesh"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}