ResellPortal / Guides
How much does it cost to start a VPN business?
Short answer: the minimum is $20. On ResellPortal a $20 wallet deposit pays $6 a month wholesale per active client, with no servers, apps or monthly fee to fund. Running your own network starts at $4 to $6 a month per server location on a basic cloud server, plus $99 a year for Apple and $25 once for Google Play to publish apps, plus the cost of building and supporting those apps.
A VPN business sells private, encrypted internet access by subscription. The startup bill depends on one choice: run your own network and apps, build your product on a white-label VPN platform, or resell a finished service under your brand. Below are the real costs of each part, with published prices where they exist.
Startup cost at a glance
| Cost item | Doing it yourself | With ResellPortal |
|---|---|---|
| Servers | From $4 to $6 a month per location on a basic cloud server, more for capacity | $0. 90+ servers in 50+ countries included |
| Apps | Build and maintain apps per platform; $99 a year for Apple, $25 once for Google Play | $0. Ready apps for six platforms; branded store apps optional at $75 a month per platform |
| Cost per user | Your server bill, or a per-active-user fee on a white-label platform | $6 a month, $16 a quarter, $30 for 6 months or $54 a year per active client |
| Starting deposit | None for your own servers; varies by platform | $20 wallet minimum, plus a $10 bonus on a first deposit of $20 or more |
| Domain and website | About $11 a year or more for a .com, plus a site you build | Branded store, hosting and SSL free; standalone VPN website $20 a month, optional |
| Payments | 2.9% + 30¢ per US card payment on Stripe | Your own Stripe or PayPal; ResellPortal takes nothing from retail |
Servers and network
A self-run VPN needs a server in every country you sell. On DigitalOcean's published prices a basic cloud server is $4 a month with 500 GiB of transfer, or $6 with 1,000 GiB. A network in 20 countries multiplies that by 20 before you add capacity for busy locations, and every server needs securing, patching and monitoring. On ResellPortal the network is run for you: 90+ servers in 50+ countries, with WireGuard and OpenVPN.
Apps and development
Customers expect an app on every device. Publishing your own costs $99 a year for the Apple Developer Program and a one-time $25 Google Play registration, and building the apps costs far more. White-label VPN platforms cut the work but not all of it. Windscribe, for example, bills month to month per active user and can build branded apps on request, but your side keeps the UI, pricing, billing and front-line support, and it puts the typical implementation at about two weeks. ResellPortal includes ready apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, and Android TV or Fire TV. Apps with your own name in the app stores are an optional add-on at $75 a month per platform.
Wholesale cost per client
On ResellPortal there is nothing to buy in advance. The wallet minimum is $20, and each active client costs $6 a month, $16 a quarter, $30 for 6 months or $54 a year. At the $250 and $500 wallet tiers the monthly price drops to $5 and $4. When a client cancels, the VPN runs to the end of the period they paid for, and you stop paying for that client.
Domain, website and branding
A .com costs about $11 a year or more, because registrars have paid $11.17 for each one since November 1, 2026. On ResellPortal your store, checkout, emails and client VPN dashboard carry your brand on your domain at no cost. A standalone VPN website with six designs, your live prices and the live server list is $20 a month if you want one.
Payments
Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per successful US card payment with no monthly fee, plus 1.5% on international cards. Annual plans shrink the fixed part: one $135 yearly charge pays the 30¢ once instead of twelve times. ResellPortal clients pay you directly through your own Stripe or PayPal.
Marketing
VPN sells best as an add-on to something a customer already buys from you, such as IT support, website hosting, travel bookings or remote team setups. A trial lowers the barrier: from your panel you can email a prospect a free trial login that lasts up to 24 hours, one per prospect each day.
Example first-month budget
Say you are an IT provider adding VPN for ten small-office users on ResellPortal.
- Wallet deposit: $80, plus the $10 bonus, so $90 of credit
- Wholesale: 10 clients at $6, so $60, leaving $30 in the wallet
- Servers, apps and monthly fee: $0
- Domain: $0 on your existing domain
- Total out of pocket: $80
At the example retail price of $15 a month, revenue is $150 and you keep $90 before card fees, or $1,080 a year if all ten renew. The do-it-yourself version of the same launch needs a server in each country you cover, $124 in app store fees for the first year and finished apps before the first user signs up.
Common questions
Can I start a VPN business without servers?
Yes. As a reseller you sell a network someone else runs. On ResellPortal the servers, apps and client dashboard are included, and you pay $6 a month wholesale only for active clients.
What does a VPN business cost each month?
On ResellPortal, only the wholesale cost of active clients, since there is no platform fee. A self-run network pays for every server each month whether or not it has users, plus app store fees and support.
How much can I charge for a VPN?
You set the price. ResellPortal's example retail is $15 a month against $6 wholesale, and $135 a year against $54, keeping $81 per yearly client.
Do I need my own VPN app?
No. Clients use the ready app for their device with the login from your welcome email. Branded store apps are an optional $75 a month per platform.
Create a free ResellPortal account to see VPN and every other product with live wholesale prices.
