Which is better value, a traffic pack or a monthly plan? The answer is not in the price table but in your usage: if you burn through a bucket of data every month, the monthly subscription has the lower unit price; if you only need it a few times a year, a traffic pack that you buy once and use until it runs out is simpler. Below we first separate the rules of the two billing models, then estimate monthly data for light browsing, long streaming and cross-border work, and finally put all six tiers into one ledger with a decision method you can apply directly.
How the Two Billing Models Differ
VPNPX offers only two billing models, and the difference comes down to one question: how data is counted. One resets every month, the other never resets. Once that is clear, the rest of the math is easy.
Monthly plan: resets each month on your activation date
The monthly plan comes in three tiers: ¥9.9/month with 60GB, ¥18/month with 250GB and ¥28/month with 500GB. Data resets every month on your activation date — activate on 8 September and the next billing date is 8 October, not the first of the month. Unused data does not roll over. If you want to move up a tier mid-cycle, the difference is prorated by the remaining days, and the upgrade takes effect immediately without waiting for the next billing date.
Traffic pack: use it up, never expires
Traffic packs come in three tiers: ¥158/300GB, ¥358/1000GB and ¥658/3000GB. You buy a fixed amount of data once; it does not follow the calendar month and never resets. Use it until it runs out — it never expires. That suits intermittent use: two weeks of business travel, a quarterly project, or a spare route kept for a backup device. Checkout accepts Alipay, WeChat Pay and USDT, and signing up needs only a username and password — no email address.
Six Tiers: Price and Data Compared
Put all six tiers in one table and the pattern is obvious: monthly plan data is wiped every month, traffic pack data stays. You are buying data either way, but what you are really buying is two different kinds of time.
| Billing model | Tier | Data | Validity and reset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly plan | ¥9.9/month | 60GB | Resets monthly on activation date |
| Monthly plan | ¥18/month | 250GB | Resets monthly on activation date |
| Monthly plan | ¥28/month | 500GB | Resets monthly on activation date |
| Traffic pack | ¥158 | 300GB | Use until it runs out, never expires |
| Traffic pack | ¥358 | 1000GB | Use until it runs out, never expires |
| Traffic pack | ¥658 | 3000GB | Use until it runs out, never expires |
Neither billing model limits the number of devices: one bucket of data can be shared across several devices, with no second purchase needed for a second device. Coverage spans 100+ countries and 230+ routes, and switching regions does not require switching plans.
Three Usage Patterns and the Usage Math
Estimating usage does not need MB-level precision: multiply consumption per hour by hours per month, then leave a little headroom. The ranges below are planning estimates, not speed-test results; actual consumption depends on each platform's bitrate and your own habits.
Light browsing: 15–25GB per month
Web pages, social feeds, maps, music, plus the occasional ten minutes of short video. With this pattern the peaks almost always come from images and autoplaying video, so turning off autoplay on mobile data in social apps saves a noticeable amount. The ¥9.9/60GB monthly tier leaves clear headroom for this usage and is where most light users actually start.
Regular streaming: 60–100GB per month, more for 4K
1080p streaming runs about 1–1.5GB per hour; two hours a day works out to 60–90GB a month. At 4K the hourly figure multiplies, so at that level go straight to the ¥18/250GB or ¥28/500GB tier. A ¥158/300GB traffic pack can also cover it, but it fits a concentrated stretch of viewing better than every month.
Cross-border work: 30–60GB per month
Email, document collaboration and cloud-drive sync are light on their own; video meetings are what add up. An hour of HD conferencing runs about 0.5–1.5GB, so two hours a day across 22 working days puts meetings alone in the 20–60GB range. Add cloud sync and software updates and ¥9.9/60GB gets tight, while ¥18/250GB is safer.
Intermittent use: no fixed volume
If you need international routes for only two or three months a year, or keep one purely as a backup, the volume cannot be estimated monthly. This is exactly where a traffic pack earns its place: buy ¥158/300GB once, use it across several trips, and pay nothing for the months you do not use it.
If your usage suddenly doubles, first check whether global proxy mode is on. With split routing, sites in mainland China connect directly and only traffic that matches the proxy rules counts against your plan; in global mode every bit of traffic goes over an international route, so consumption multiplies.
| Usage pattern | Rough monthly data | Basis for the estimate | Suggested tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light browsing | 15–25GB | Web, social, music, a little short video | Monthly ¥9.9/60GB |
| Regular streaming (1080p) | 60–100GB | About 1–1.5GB per hour, 2 hours a day | Monthly ¥18/250GB |
| Regular streaming (4K) | 200GB+ | 4K bitrate multiplies; work it out per hour | Monthly ¥28/500GB |
| Cross-border work | 30–60GB | 1–2 hours of HD meetings a day, plus cloud sync | Monthly ¥18/250GB |
| Intermittent use | Varies | Two or three months a year | Traffic pack ¥158/300GB |
One Ledger: Traffic Pack vs Monthly Plan
Start inside the monthly plans. All three are paid monthly: ¥9.9 buys 60GB, ¥18 buys 250GB, ¥28 buys 500GB — the higher the tier, the more data the same money buys. That is why enough and good value often pull in opposite directions: jumping a tier for the lower unit price can leave more than half unused every month, which costs more in the end.
Now compare with traffic packs. ¥158/300GB is a one-off payment; two consecutive months on the ¥18 tier give 500GB for ¥36 in total, and one month on the ¥28 tier gives 500GB for ¥28. As long as you are using it every month, the monthly plan costs less than a traffic pack of the same size. That holds for heavy users and fails for light ones.
Conversely, if you only need it two or three months a year, the monthly plan keeps billing in the months you do not use it, and that money buys no data at all; a traffic pack keeps the 300GB until you actually need it and does not expire while idle. Neither model is inherently better — it is a question of matching your rhythm of use.
Verdict: if you use it three months in a row or more and can burn around 60GB a month, take the monthly plan, starting at ¥9.9/60GB and moving up to the ¥18 or ¥28 tier when needed; if you need it two or three times a year, or just want a backup route, take the ¥158/300GB traffic pack — use it until it runs out, and it never expires.
Monthly plan data resets on your activation date each month and does not roll over. If you travel for a month and barely use it, that data does not carry into the next month — that rhythm of use suits a traffic pack better.
Three Steps to the Right Billing Model
If you are unsure, run through the three steps below and the decision usually makes itself.
- Measure one month of real usage. Check the data counter in your client and record it for 30 days straight. Note that under split routing only traffic over international routes counts against the plan; direct connections to sites in mainland China do not.
- Decide whether your use is continuous. If you need it every month for three months or more, go with the monthly plan; if it is two or three times a year, go with a traffic pack.
- Start at the lowest tier. Begin with the ¥9.9/60GB monthly plan and check the remainder at month end; if it is not enough, upgrade — the difference is prorated by the remaining days, with no need to wait for the next billing date.
- ✅ If you use more than 60GB every month, start with the ¥9.9/60GB monthly plan and move up to ¥18/250GB when needed.
- ✅ If you need international routes only two or three months a year, the ¥158/300GB traffic pack fits better — use it until it runs out, and it never expires.
- ✅ Several devices at once: neither billing model limits device count, so there is no second purchase for a second device.
- ✅ On a first try, buy the lowest tier and decide about upgrading after one full cycle.
- ❌ Going straight to ¥658/3000GB for the lower unit price while using under 300GB a year — the pack does not expire, but the money leaves your account first.
- ❌ Buying a monthly plan you do not use and expecting the data to roll over — it resets on your activation date and unused data does not carry.
- ❌ Running daily video meetings on the 60GB tier and having to upgrade before the month is out.
Common Questions
Do traffic packs expire?
No. A traffic pack is used until it runs out and never expires; there is no expiry date after purchase, and you can spread it over several months.
Does unused monthly plan data carry over?
No. The monthly plan resets on your activation date each month, and unused data does not carry into the next billing cycle.
How is a mid-cycle upgrade charged?
The difference is prorated by the remaining days and the upgrade takes effect immediately, without waiting for the next billing date to restart.
Do both billing models allow unlimited devices?
Yes. One bucket of data can be shared across several devices — Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and Linux all included — with no separate purchase per device.
Can I get a refund if it does not fit?
Yes. A no-questions refund can be requested within 14 days of the first payment, on both monthly plans and traffic packs.