How Much Does It Cost to Run Your Own VPN?
WireGuard is free software, but a self-hosted VPN still has a total cost. Count the server, public IPv4, bandwidth, backups, monitoring, and your maintenance time.
Visible monthly costs
Count the VPS, IPv4 surcharge, monthly transfer, bandwidth overage, snapshots, and backups. Provider pricing changes, so check the current plan.
Hidden operating cost
Updates, firewall mistakes, lost keys, abuse notices, outages, and troubleshooting all consume time. A cheaper server is not cheaper if it repeatedly interrupts work.
Multiple locations multiply setup
One VPS normally means one exit location. Another country generally requires another server, endpoint, key set, and maintenance surface.
Make a fair comparison
Compare your monthly bill plus time with a managed plan that includes locations, clients, operations, and support. Choose self-hosting when control is valuable.
Quick checklist
- Include server, IPv4, bandwidth, and backup costs.
- Value your maintenance time.
- Count each extra location.
- Compare outcomes, not only software price.
This guide focuses on practical self-hosting. See the complete WireGuard server guide for the full setup. Tired of maintaining the server yourself? ZeroBlock handles the VPN infrastructure so you can connect without managing a VPS.