A free VPN sounds like the perfect solution – complete anonymity online, unblocked streaming sites and the freedom to browse what you want without the fear of being tracked, all without spending a penny. But is that what you can realistically expect?It’s important to understand how a free VPN works before entrusting it with your online activity. Knowing how providers can afford to offer a free service in the first place and what sacrifices you’ll have to make in terms of functionality and privacy is essential, and will certainly factor into your decision.You won’t be surprised to hear that no free VPN can match the very best VPN services, but for casual users they can be a useful tool to have at your disposal. While none work with Netflix and all have limitations, they can be useful for checking emails and browsing privately on vulnerable networks – but for many, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.Is using a free VPN risky?Well, it all depends on which free VPN you choose. While there are a number of decent ones, they’re vastly outnumbered by dubious, ad-filled Android apps with no background and no privacy policies, which are very likely to be harvesting your data – exactly the opposite of what you want from a VPN.Beyond any risk to your data, though, it’s important to understand that every free VPN comes with limitations, even the good ones. Almost all impose some sort of data limit, speed caps, and restrict you to a handful of servers at best. If you want the best experience possible, we’d recommend signing up to a paid provider. Our top-rated VPN is ExpressVPN, but if you’re looking to save some money we’d recommend Surfshark. For less than $2.50 a month you’ll have unlimited data and simultaneous connections, rock-solid security, as well as in-depth features not available with free VPNs. If you’re dead-set on testing out a free VPN, though, below we’ve rounded up the best five which manage to avoid compromising usability too much, and are worth a look. Plus, all offer an upgrade plan should you like the service and want to get all the available features at a later date.
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The best free VPN services you can download today
(Image credit: ProtonVPN)1. ProtonVPN FreeTruly secure with unlimited data – the best free VPNSpecificationsNumber of servers: 3Server locations: 3Maximum devices supported: 1Data limit: Unlimited24/7 live chat: NoReasons to buy+Unlimited data allowance+Great privacy+Several server locations+Intuitive desktop appReasons to avoid–No Secure Core or P2P featuresWe’ve tested a whole bunch of free services, and our ProtonVPN review found that none overall can match the Swiss provider’s seriously impressive feature list and performance.First up, what sets ProtonVPN apart from the pack is the fact it delivers unlimited data – this is the only free VPN you really can set and forget without worrying about how much data you’re using.While ProtonVPN’s free option can’t access exclusive regional Netflix content (you’ll have to upgrade for that), we’ve found it able to watch Netflix Originals, and YouTube doesn’t appear to be an issue, either. However, the Plus plan is one of the best streaming VPN services on the market, so upgrading after you’ve tested the service is highly recommended.Of course, there are some limitations – the provider does want you to start paying at some point, after all. At peak times you’ll find that speeds drop as paying users have priority over bandwidth, you’ll have access for only one device at a time, you’ll get no P2P or Secure Core support, and only three locations to play with.However, compared to the competition, ProtonVPN’s zero-logging policy, excellent unlimited data plan, and support for a wide range of devices, plus its functional leak protection, split tunneling and custom DNS servers all combine to make the most well-rounded free VPN we’ve tested to date by far.Sign up now on the ProtonVPN website(Image credit: Privado VPN)2. Privado VPNGreat server range for a free VPNSpecificationsNumber of servers: 8Server locations: 8Maximum devices supported: 1Data limit: 10GB per month24/7 live chat: NoReasons to buy+Fairly generous data allowance+Useful kill switch+Reliable for daily usageReasons to avoid–Speeds very slightly limited–Support guides could be expandedA new entry into our free VPN round up, PrivadoVPN has proven to be a very capable free service that’s backed up by some very appealing features.For starters, the 10GB monthly data limit is generous, and although not unlimited, it should still be plenty for securing your daily browsing. And, what’s more, in our testing we weren’t faced with CAPTCHAs when searching on Google or accessing common sites – a common issue even with paid-for VPNs.In terms of connection speeds, PrivadoVPN isn’t quite up there with the best fast VPN providers, but for a free VPN the speeds we got in our PrivadoVPN review were more than satisfactory.A neat feature is the ability to sort your server list in a number of different ways, including latency and alphabetized. Plus, with the kill switch and autoconnect options, it’s a pretty powerful and secure bit of kit. Well worth a try – especially for free!Sign up now on the PrivadoVPN website(Image credit: Future)3. Hide.meFlexible and powerful free VPNSpecificationsNumber of servers: 5Server locations: 5Maximum devices supported: 1Data limit: 10GB per month24/7 live chat: YesReasons to buy+Tons of configurable features+Decent data limit+Good speedsReasons to avoid–Takes a while to connect–Kill switch can be problematicIn our last round of reviews, Hide.me was a standout provider, and while not quite up there with the big dogs yet, it has improved as a service and is well worth considering – especially as a free VPN.Perfect for those who like to dig around in features and setting, Hide.me offers tons of customizable features, all of which are available to free users. That includes a kill switch, a favorites list for servers that can be reordered, split tunneling, Stealth Guard, a whole host of protocols, and more.Unlike ProtonVPN, however, Hide.me does impose a data limit on its free users. At 10GB a month, it’s fairly generous, but we’d prefer an unlimited plan. Otherwise, though, there’s not a lot wrong with Hide.me, and if you’re pretty techy with a desire to set your VPN up exactly as you want it, it’s a compelling choice.Sign up now on Hide.me’s website(Image credit: Future)4. WindscribeGenerous on data, and secure tooSpecificationsNumber of servers: 10+Server locations: 10+Maximum devices supported: 1Data limit: 10GB per month24/7 live chat: NoReasons to buy+Excellent privacy+Up to 10GB per month of free data+R.O.B.E.R.T. is very usefulReasons to avoid–Cramped apps–Poor supportWindscribe’s premium service is excellent, and that translates over to its free VPN, too. When you sign up you’ll get the chance to bag either 2GB a month without handing over any info, or 10GB if you provide an email address – learn more in our Windscribe VPN review.We also like the fact you can pick from a selection of servers, including North America, Europe, Hong Kong, and the recently added Turkey. Of course, if you upgrade you’ll get a far larger selection, but this is generous for a free VPN.What’s interesting is that Windscribe’s free VPN has been known to be able to access Netflix. While we can in no way guarantee this as the goalposts are always moving, if you’re looking for a free Netflix VPN you could do a lot worse – plus you’ll get an ad-blocker, a firewall, and claims of no-logging.However, Windscribe’s apps do let the side down a little – the interface is quite cramped and can make it tricky to find settings. But, if you stick to the recommended settings and just turn it on and off (or just get used to the UI), it’s perfectly serviceable. It’s also worth noting that neither paid nor free versions get 24/7 support, so you could be left in the lurch if something goes wrongOverall, though, Windscribe is a powerful free VPN service that’s simple and effective. Well worth a look.(Image credit: Hotspot Shield)5. Hotspot Shield FreeDecent free VPN with generous data allowancesSpecificationsNumber of servers: 1Server locations: 1Maximum devices supported: 5Data limit: 500MB per day24/7 live chat: NoReasons to buy+500MB daily data allowance+Easy to use+Useful Chrome extensionReasons to avoid–Previous issues with Google–Some minor loggingIn our Hotspot Shield review, we rate the provider’s paid VPN as one of the very best, so it should come as no surprise that the free VPN offering is good, too. Delivering good speeds (although not nearly as fast as the paid version) and a generous 500MB daily data allowance, it’s perfectly usable for keeping you private online.As soon as you open up the app you’ll know it’s a professional bit of kit, as the apps are slick and work very well. However, while you’ll be able to see all the premium servers in-app, free users are limited to just a single US location.It’s not all plain sailing with Hotspot, though. In the past we’ve had issue accessing google Search, with a 403 Error being displayed, but in our most recent testing, though, this seems to have been remedied. However, Hotspot Shield itself blocks Netflix access for free users, so you won’t be able to watch anything with it switched on.There are also some concerns about advertising and logging. It’s widely claimed that Hotspot Shield injects ads into your browsing in order to subsidise free users, but in our experience we didn’t really notice any difference. What the provider collects about users, though (bandwidth used, your OS, the time you connect and more), is a little worrying.Overall, Hotspot Shield is a very capable free VPN – and the paid version is excellent – but the fact of matter is that there are more well-rounded, flexible, and secure options out there right now.Sign up now on Hotspot Shield’s website
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Free VPN FAQsWho are free VPNs best for?Even the best free VPN services are only good for occasional use, such as when traveling or in a café. They simply don’t provide enough data usage or speed for 24/7 home VPN connections. If you want to encrypt all your home internet traffic, all the time, you should pay for one of the best VPN services – our top pick is ExpressVPN.
If a VPN service is based in the USA, it will be subject to search warrants presented by US law-enforcement agencies. Also, all free VPN services log user connections, no matter what the service claims.
Many of the services we review here are based in Canada, Switzerland or Germany, which have stronger privacy laws, but one of the Canadian services, TunnelBear, was recently bought by a US company and will have to honor US warrants and subpoenas under a new US law.How does a free VPN work?Free VPN services encrypt your data while it’s in transit, creating a virtual tunnel through the internet. This separates your data packets from the countless others around them until they reach the service’s exit nodes many miles away from where you are.
Not only is the data encrypted, as it would be during a normal secure web session, but the routing information about the sender and intended recipient is hidden as well.
Today, the most popular VPN protocols are OpenVPN and various implementations of Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), which include IPsec by itself or in combination with Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) or Internet Key Exchange versions 1 and 2 (IKEv1 and IKEv2).
A VPN’s scrambling and unscrambling of your data can sometimes slow internet traffic to a crawl. The best free VPN will have fast servers connected to huge data pipes to minimize this performance decline. They also have thousands of servers located in scores of countries, ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe.Is there a completely free VPN?Well, it depends on what you classify as ‘free’. There are plenty of free VPNs that don’t part you from your cash, but you could be paying for them by watching ads or even unknowingly giving them your data to sell.
The best free VPN services tend to be ‘free versions’ that are intended to give you a taster of a paid product before asking you to actually hand over your money. The best providers like ProtonVPN and Windscribe do this by using data limits and server restriction to create an incentive to upgrade. Many people do, which pays for the company’s costs overall.
We’d recommend avoiding any free VPN that doesn’t have a paid option – if there isn’t a paying customer-base supporting the development of the software, who knows where the company’s getting its money?When might a free VPN not be a good choice?A free VPN is likely to come up short for those looking to stream or torrent, or people looking for a gaming VPN. That’s because these activities use up tons of data. If you’ve got unlimited data with your VPN, that’s not an issue, but if you’ve only got 500MB to play with, that’s only about one episode in standard def on Netflix – and that’s only if you can actually access the service.
Also, you might find that your connection speeds drop, and for gamers and torrenters that’s a killer. Those activities rely on having high speeds, and only the best paid-for fast VPN services can provide that.
Finally, some free VPNs struggle with privacy issues, and the addition of ads can be a real pain for users. If you want the most secure service, you’ll have to pay for one – at least then you’ll know exactly how your VPN is making money, rather than hoping it’s not using your info to cash in.Are free VPNs legal?In short, yes. VPN software itself is no less legal than any other mainstream software.
However, using it as a torrenting VPN to download copyrighted files is still illegal, as is accessing any other illicit content.
Essentially, while a free VPN is perfectly legal to own and use, it doesn’t make illegal acts legal just because it makes the crime harder to detect.Round up of today’s best deals
