Consumers are often drawn to buzzwords such as lifetime or Lifetime. It’s easy to see why. Lifetime subscriptions imply that a subscriber pays a one-time fee that gives them lifetime access to the service with no further investment. It sounds like a great deal.
When it comes to virtual private networks (VPNs), however, lifetime services may not provide as much value to the user as monthly services. Below are some reasons why lifetime software subscriptions are a poor investment.
The lifetime VPN Business Model is Unsustainable
VPN companies operate on significantly high capital. Most of the business expenses that a VPN incurs are ongoing and increase as the company develops.
- Extensive bandwidth
- A broad range of servers
- Expansive global markets
- Development costs on multiple digital platforms
- Organizational expenses
- Marketing & promotion
- Tech support
Considering operational cost, the lifetime VPN business model is not sustainable and does not lend itself to customer retention. One-time fees may appeal to a broader market, but also require an endless intake of new subscribers to continue operating. Eventually, the well runs dry. Consequently, consumers must toggle from one VPN to the next due to unreliable or canceled service.
Lifetime VPNs Are a Risky Investment
The purpose of saving money is to maximize investment with the least amount of risk. Lifetime VPNs do save consumers money but at a higher risk. How?
Poor Tech Support
There is zero incentive for an unlimited VPN to provide quality customer service and tech support once they draw in revenue. This is especially true if the company knows that they will not be in business forever. Responding to customer complaints is no longer a priority. Therefore, purchasing the product is a waste of money.
Poor Product Performance
Lifetime VPNs also have no incentive to improve product performance or handle technical issues such as network congestion or slow connections. Since the lifetime subscription model ultimately fails to generate residual revenue, companies cannot afford to enhance service or correct a costly technical issue.
No Guarantee of Security
VPNs must maintain massive amounts of data over countless servers. They must enable users to send and receive data as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Without residual revenue, it is fiscally impossible to provide this level of service without experiencing an array of security issues. Eventually, the company has to shut down due to the risk of facing multiple security breaches on various levels.
Lifetime Subscription Services Cannot Keep Up With Emerging Technology
Virtual private networks are always subject to emerging technology. Whether an agency is attempting to track private activity or a hacker has developed an encryption key, VPN developers must find innovative solutions to keep up with ongoing technological advancements to provide secure servers.
Lifetime VPN providers are not going to invest time or money that they do not have to upgrade their systems or security protocols to protect their customers. Instead, it’s easier for the company to shut down and start a new service the next day. Read more here to understand Why Super Cheap Unlimited Lifetime VPNs Might be a Terrible Idea.
Customer Data is Not Private
There is a difference between a poor business model and an outright scam. The scams are easily identifiable because the deals that these companies offer always sound too good to be true. While lifetime subscription services are heavily advertised, given credibility by industry leaders, and supported by the market, what they offer is little more than a marketing scheme.
Like any other digital company, lifetime VPNs have to make money. Therefore, they must attract as many consumers as possible to generate as much revenue as possible in the shortest amount of time. It can be safe to assume that they are not bringing in this much money on subscriptions. Furthermore, it is likely that they are selling customer data to third parties such as advertisers and marketing research companies. They may also be selling them to VPN startups.
Ads and Third-Party Websites
If a lifetime subscription service isn’t selling user data to other companies, then another way to generate revenue is to sell ad space or redirect a user browser to a third-party website. Users may wonder why they are receiving so many ads or pop-ups to the site or why they are being redirected to sites suddenly.
Since lifetime VPNs have the capability of attracting several customers at startup, they become attractive to advertisers and marketing agencies who use their platforms for ad placement. VPNs can make money quickly before they shut down.
Lifetime VPNs Often Operate Without a Kill Switch
The purpose of a virtual private network is to protect a user’s online activity and IP address from being exposed when they are on the Internet. Even the best VPNs can drop a secure connection for any number of reasons. For this reason, VPNs will provide a kill switch that prevents the user from accessing an unprotected Internet connection if there is a dropped connection. The kill switch monitors changes in connection status or IP address. If the connection fails, the switch shuts down the device or app until the VPN connection is restored.
Most of the services that lifetime software subscriptions provide offer limited features. This is why they can afford to offer a one-time fee. A feature that is often missing from their services is a kill switch. Thus, when the VPN drops a secure connection, the user’s data is exposed and vulnerable to the entire Internet.
The Solution: An Affordable, Monthly VPN Subscription
Surfshark VPN service offers safe, sustainable, and affordable network solutions for personal and business users. We currently host over 500 servers in 50 countries. Our servers are fast, reliable, easy to use, and highly intuitive. With Surfshark, you’ll never have to worry about ads, malware, or trackers. You can also utilize our service on multiple devices. Surfshark is a perfect way to secure your home or business.