It appears that the trend of paying more for fewer benefits has become commonplace. Microsoft 365 users are about to feel the effects of this shift, as the service’s integrated VPN will be discontinued after February 28.

A statement from Microsoft’s support page reveals that the company regularly examines the utility and performance of its features. Following this review, the decision has been made to eliminate the VPN from Microsoft 365.

The VPN Was Just Mediocre

In reality, this might not be a significant setback. Microsoft’s VPN came with a cap of 50GB per month and failed to enable users to mask their location, which arguably made it less functional than several top free VPN options. While it did help protect online activity, it lacked many essential features.

Nonetheless, the removal is somewhat frustrating, especially as it coincides with the first price increase for Microsoft 365 subscriptions in over a decade. The costs for both Personal and Family plans have risen by $3 per month, representing an approximate 43% surge. This spike in pricing is allegedly justified by the introduction of limited Copilot AI capabilities, which used to require a standalone fee of $20.

The option for those who still want to use Microsoft 365 without the VPN or AI features is to switch to the “Microsoft 365 Personal Classic” or “Microsoft 365 Family Classic” plans for the next year. This alternative maintains all existing features but removes AI capabilities, and, of course, the VPN. Microsoft has mentioned that it is “evaluating the future availability of these plans,” indicating that they might not be permanent.

For new users, the situation is less flexible, as they must adapt to the updated pricing immediately. On the bright side, the current Microsoft 365 plan continues to offer identity theft protection and credit monitoring, despite the absence of the VPN service.