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A business VPN differs from a consumer one in management: central admin, single sign-on, dedicated gateways with fixed IPs, and access rules per team. NordLayer, from Nord Security, lists $8, $11 and $14 per user per month on annual billing for its Lite, Core and Premium plans, with a five-user minimum and a $40 monthly dedicated IP server for fixed-IP allowlisting, Cyberpresso reported in September 2026. Proton VPN for Business starts around $6.99 per user, with SSO and an admin console.
This guide covers what businesses need, pricing and how to roll one out.
What a Business VPN Adds
Central management lets admins add and remove staff, assign access and see which devices connect. SSO ties sign-in to Google Workspace, Microsoft or Okta, so leavers lose access when their account closes. Dedicated gateways give a fixed IP that internal systems can allowlist.
Business VPN Pricing
NordLayer lists Lite at $8, Core at $11 and Premium at $14 per user per month on annual billing, with Enterprise from $6 per user at 200 users, Cyberpresso and itechguides report. Its $40 monthly dedicated server makes a 20-person Core team about $260 a month. Proton VPN for Business plans run from about $6.99 to $12.99 per user; sources quote $39.99 to $49.99 a month for a dedicated server and IP.
Rolling It Out
Decide which systems need protecting, set up a dedicated gateway if you allowlist by IP, connect SSO, create teams with access rules, then install the app on staff devices. NordLayer allows six devices per licence, Cyberpresso notes.
Trials and Refunds
NordLayer offers no free trial but a 14-day money-back period, Cyberpresso reports. Proton’s business plans follow its own terms; check before buying.
Business VPN Security Features
Business plans add multi-factor authentication, device posture checks and access rules per team. NordLayer’s Premium tier adds advanced network segmentation, costbench’s plan table shows.
Site-to-Site Connections
Some plans link office networks to cloud resources through a gateway, so staff reach internal tools without exposing them to the internet.
Counting the Real Cost
Cyberpresso’s example puts a 20-person team on NordLayer Core with one dedicated server at about $260 a month once the server is added, more than the per-user figure suggests. Add any identity-provider fees on lower tiers.
Jurisdiction
Proton runs its business service from Switzerland. NordLayer belongs to Nord Security. Our ownership guide explains why the parent company matters.
Remote Staff
Staff working from cafés and hotels connect through the gateway, so company tools never face open Wi-Fi directly. Our public Wi-Fi guide explains the risks.
Offboarding
With SSO, disabling an employee’s identity account removes their VPN access at the same time. Without it, admins must remember to revoke access separately.
Logs and Privacy
Admins can usually see connection activity for security. Check what the provider and your own admins record, and tell staff.
Free Plans Are Not for Teams
Free consumer plans lack admin controls and limit devices. Proton’s free plan covers one device, for example.
Testing Before Rollout
Run a pilot with a few staff on the 14-day money-back window NordLayer offers, Cyberpresso notes, before buying for everyone.
Team Size
NordLayer’s plans require at least five users. Teams below that may find a consumer plan with enough devices cheaper, though without admin controls.
Is a Business VPN Worth It?
Yes once you need central control: adding and removing staff, fixed IPs for internal systems and SSO. Before that point, the management features go unused.
Dedicated Gateways and Speed
A dedicated gateway serves only your team, so its load stays under your control. It also gives the fixed IP that internal systems allowlist.
Quick Rule
Five or more staff, fixed IPs or SSO needed: a business plan. Two people on laptops: a consumer plan may do. Budget for the dedicated server either way if you allowlist by IP.
Support
Ask during the money-back window how quickly the provider responds to an outage, and which support channels your plan includes.
Devices per User
NordLayer allows six devices per licence, Cyberpresso notes, covering a laptop, phone and tablet for each employee.
Compliance
Some industries require records of who accessed what. Check that the plan’s logging and admin reports meet your obligations before buying, and ask the provider for documentation.
Regions
Choose gateway locations near where staff work. A distant gateway adds latency to every internal request.
Owner’s Consumer Record
NordLayer comes from Nord Security, NordVPN’s owner. NordVPN has six audits in our table, but those cover the consumer service, so check NordLayer’s own audit status.
Other Options
Perimeter 81, Tailscale and OpenVPN Access Server serve different needs, from zero-trust access to self-hosted gateways, costbench’s comparison shows. Our guide to VPN for Freelancers covers public Wi-Fi, client allowlists and split tunnelling.
When a Consumer VPN Is Enough
A freelancer or two-person team protecting laptops on public Wi-Fi may not need admin controls. A consumer plan with enough devices may do, as our unlimited devices guide explains.
How We Research
This page draws on Cyberpresso’s September 2026 NordLayer review, itechguides’ August 2026 business VPN guide, Gizmodo’s, Security.org’s and TechRadar’s Proton business coverage and costbench. We cross-checked these sources against each other, and where they conflict or something can’t be verified, we say so in the text rather than guessing. We checked time-sensitive figures, including prices in US dollars, on 8 October 2026. The main source we relied on is Cyberpresso’s NordLayer review. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Business VPN FAQ
A VPN with central management, SSO, dedicated gateways and access rules.
From $8 per user per month annually, plus $40 a month for a dedicated server.
Yes, from about $6.99 per user, with SSO and an admin console.
Only if internal systems allowlist by IP.
NordLayer offers none, but a 14-day money-back period.
The Verdict
A business VPN pays off once you need central control, SSO and fixed IPs. Budget for the dedicated server, not just the per-user price.