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Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2026 software deals: how to judge them
By Top Shelf Picks · Updated October 30, 2026 · We'll update this page as deals go live. Black Friday is Friday, November 27; Cyber Monday is Monday, November 30, 2026.
Software "deals" are mostly about the first term. The headline percentage is usually calculated against a renewal or monthly price, and the subscription then renews at a higher rate. Here's what we're tracking and the checklist we use.
The 5-point deal checklist
- Total charged today, including tax, not the per-month figure.
- Total months you get, including any bonus months. Divide one by the other.
- Renewal price, usually shown in small print at checkout. Write it down.
- Refund window. Test in week one.
- Do you need it? A free plan beats a discounted paid one you won't use.
Deals we're tracking
| Tool | What we saw on Oct 30, 2026 | Our take | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | Pricing page already shows a Black Friday banner. US 2-year Basic $94.23 for the first 27 months; Complete $107.73. Renews at $139.08/yr (Basic) and $219.48/yr (Complete). 30-day money-back guarantee. | Complete is the better value if you'd use the password manager. Compare | Check price |
| NordPass | Premium and Family sold on 1- and 2-year terms, billed upfront; 30-day money-back guarantee on personal plans; free plan available. | Pick Family if 2+ people need it. Review | Check price |
| Systeme.io | Free plan: 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course, unlimited emails, no card. Paid: Startup $17/mo, Webinar $47/mo, Unlimited $97/mo; the pricing page advertises "2 months free" (annual billing). | Start free; only upgrade when you hit a limit. Guide | Start free |
| beehiiv | Has a free plan for starting a newsletter. | Start free. Review | Try beehiiv |
We haven't invented discount percentages for deals that aren't announced yet. When a vendor publishes its Black Friday price, we'll add it here with the date we checked.
Cyber Monday vs Black Friday
In our opinion, for subscription software the difference is usually small: many vendors run one promotion from early November through Cyber Monday. If a tool you need is already discounted and the checklist above works out, there's little reason to wait. The refund window protects you if a better price appears, though whether a vendor will honour a price change is up to them.
Physical deals
For gadgets and gifts, see our 2026 gift guide and the Black Friday 2026 countdown page.
Related:NordVPN Black Friday 2026 explained · Best password managers 2026
Sources
nordvpn.com/pricing and systeme.io/pricing (accessed Oct 30, 2026); NordPass details from our NordPass review sources.