Best Budget VPN Router Under $100

Why a VPN router doesn't have to cost $200+

The VPN router market is dominated by pre-flashed hardware that carries a premium price tag. The ExpressVPN Aircove, for instance, retails at $189.906—nearly double our budget. But the truth is, the things actually worth buying in this space aren't always hardware. The cheapest path to a full-network VPN gateway is software: free, open-source tools running on hardware you may already own or can buy for under $60.

The key enabler is WireGuard, a modern VPN protocol whose low resource overhead makes even a $35 Raspberry Pi viable as a network-wide VPN gateway2. Pair it with PiVPN's one-command installer, and you have a setup that protects every device on your LAN for less than the cost of a single year of most commercial VPN subscriptions.

Here's how the options stack up—from the absolute cheapest DIY approach to the closest plug-and-play hardware pick.

Our picks

1. PiVPN + Raspberry Pi — Best overall value

The cheapest real VPN router you can build. PiVPN is a free, open-source installation script that deploys WireGuard or OpenVPN on a Raspberry Pi (or any Linux server) with a single command1. Add a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 ($35–55 depending on model) and you have a network-wide VPN gateway for under $60 total.

What makes PiVPN the value champion isn't just price—it's simplicity. The installer handles key generation, configuration, and firewall rules automatically. Once it's running, you point any device's VPN client at your Pi's IP address, and that device's traffic is encrypted and routed through your VPN tunnel. Set your Pi as the default gateway for your LAN, and every connected device gets VPN protection without individual client installs.

Verdict: If you're willing to spend 30 minutes at a command line, this is unbeatable value. You get enterprise-grade VPN routing for the cost of a Raspberry Pi.

2. WireGuard — The protocol that makes it all possible

WireGuard is the reason sub-$100 VPN routing works at all. Unlike older protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard is designed for speed and minimal resource consumption, using modern cryptography and a lean codebase that runs efficiently even on low-power ARM processors2.

You don't "pick" WireGuard as a standalone product—it's the protocol layer underneath PiVPN, Gluetun, and most modern self-hosted VPN setups. But it's worth understanding because it's what makes a $35 Pi perform like a $200 router. WireGuard can also run directly on OpenWrt-flashed consumer routers, giving you another budget path if you have an old router lying around.

Verdict: Not a product you buy, but the foundation that makes every other pick on this list viable. Free, fast, and proven.

3. Gluetun — Best if you already run Docker

If you have a mini-PC, NAS, or any device that runs Docker, Gluetun turns it into a VPN gateway with zero additional hardware cost. It's a thin Docker container that acts as a VPN client, routing traffic from other containers through WireGuard or OpenVPN3.

Gluetun shines in homelab environments. You can route specific containers through specific VPN endpoints, keep the rest of your traffic direct, and manage everything through Docker Compose. It supports dozens of commercial VPN providers out of the box, or you can point it at a self-hosted WireGuard endpoint.

Verdict: The zero-cost pick for anyone who already has Docker infrastructure. Not for beginners, but powerful and free.

4. InvizBox 2 — Closest plug-and-play hardware (slightly over budget)

At $129, the InvizBox 2 stretches past our $100 ceiling, but it's the closest dedicated hardware VPN router in this lineup4. It supports Wi-Fi 6, works with multiple third-party VPN providers, and can maintain several simultaneous VPN endpoints—useful if you want different devices routing through different countries.

The appeal is simplicity: plug it in, connect your VPN provider credentials, and you're done. No command line, no Docker, no Raspberry Pi to configure. For users who want the "router" experience without the DIY, this is the most accessible option—just be aware you're paying a $30–40 premium over the PiVPN route for that convenience.

Verdict: The no-setup hardware pick. Worth the extra cost if you value plug-and-play over maximum savings.

5. Vultr Cloud Compute — Cheapest remote VPN endpoint

If what you actually need is a remote VPN exit node (your own private VPN server in another country), Vultr's Cloud Compute instances start at $3.50–$5/month5. Install WireGuard on a Vultr VPS, and you have a self-hosted VPN endpoint with full control over logging, location, and configuration.

This isn't a router—it's the other half of the equation. Pair a Vultr VPS with PiVPN or Gluetun locally, and you have a complete self-hosted VPN pipeline: your Pi routes LAN traffic, and Vultr provides the exit point. The monthly cost is small but ongoing, so factor it into your budget.

Verdict: Not a router, but the cheapest way to self-host a VPN endpoint. Add it to any of the above picks if you need a remote exit node.

How they compare

The bottom line

Budget VPN routing is a software story. Free tools on cheap hardware beat expensive pre-flashed routers every time. A Raspberry Pi running PiVPN and WireGuard gives you network-wide VPN protection for under $60—less than a third of what a premium VPN router costs6. If you already run Docker, Gluetun gets you there for free. And if you just want something that works out of the box, the InvizBox 2 is the closest hardware option, even if it bends the budget by $29.

Disclosure: We may earn affiliate commissions from some links in this article, at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our editorial recommendations.

Want a follow-up the article didn't answer? Ask the engine — it carries the article's context.