That’s how we came up with these eight (truly) free VPNs: You don’t have to compromise your online safety and privacy to save money. These providers offer excellent protection 100% cost-free. Unfortunately, they also come with limitations, like speed caps and data limits. If you want a cheap VPN that protects you online without restricting your browsing, we recommend Surfshark. Moreover, the Surfshark free trial comes in the form of a 30-day money-back guarantee. In this article, you’ll learn more about safe free VPN services, how they work, and why you should still employ caution when using them. We’ll also recommend eight excellent free VPN providers you can start using right away.
Are Free VPNs Safe to Use?
You always need to be somewhat wary of “free“ products and services, and VPNs are no exception. Although some free VPNs will do their job very well, other VPNs can offer a bad experience or even put your privacy in danger. Here are a few examples of what predatory free VPNs do:
Some free VPN providers monitor the websites you visit so they can sell this data to marketing agencies. For example, Hola VPN sells your data connection to other customers. Free VPN software may even contain malware. For instance, Turbo VPN was flagged for containing adware and other harmful spyware. Some free VPNs have compromised their users’ data. This includes SuperVPN, GeckoVPN, ChatVPN, and QuickFox.
But don’t worry. If you stick to the top choices recommended in this article, you’re minimizing any potential risk.
Worth considering: Free trial with a premium VPN for 30 days
Free VPNs are generally limited in some way, whether it’s a traffic cap or speed limit. Premium VPNs, on the other hand, are more secure and offer more options, such as:
Unlimited data Unlimited speed 24/7 (live) customer support Access to streaming services from all over the world Many more server locations
Luckily, you can try a premium service for free. Surfshark‘s one of the best-paid VPNs, and it’s really cheap. For less than $3 per month, you get all the advantages of a premium VPN. Plus, you can get a Surfshark free trial with their 30-day money-back guarantee. Just ask for a refund before those 30 days are up, and you haven’t lost a dime. You can also try one of the best VPN trials. They’re not all completely free, but you can always get your money back without too much trouble. If a free VPN is really what you’re looking for, there are a few reliable options. And don’t worry. You don’t have to provide your payment information or make use of a money-back guarantee with the options below. Free really is free with these VPN providers.
Top 8 Best Free VPNs of 2023
Eight of the free VPNs we tested were good enough to make our list. We wholeheartedly suggest these five as the very best. There are slight differences between the top 5 best free VPNs. And we’ll talk more about what sets them apart. But there are a lot of similarities too. For example, all of these top free apps give you unlimited connection speed. On the other hand, they were all unsuccessful in unblocking US Netflix. So if you’re curious about the specifics of each VPN, read on.
- PrivadoVPN
- Proton VPN
- Hide.me
- TunnelBear
- Windscribe
1. PrivadoVPN: Best Free VPN for Windows and Mac Users
PrivadoVPN is the best free VPN at the moment. PrivadoVPN promises to keep your identity private, and it excels at it. There are multiple reasons why this provider ended up at the top of the list, and we outline some of those below.
Why we picked PrivadoVPN
PrivadoVPN works with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Android TV. PrivadoVPN also has a Fire TV Stick App, and you can use it on different smart TVs as well. Furthermore, there are loads of server locations to choose from, especially for a free VPN. So what about speed? Is it fast enough for daily use? PrivadoVPN offers unlimited speeds as long as you stay within the monthly 10 GB data limit. Note that after depleting your 10 GB of monthly data, you can still use PrivadoVPN. You’ll just be limited to one server and 1 Mbit speed, but you’re still protected and anonymous. In our tests, we were also impressed by Privado’s privacy and security. This VPN provider is based in Switzerland, which is known for its strong privacy protection laws. As such, PrivadoVPN can guarantee users a strict zero-logs policy. It also has strong encryption protocols: IKEv2, WireGuard, and OpenVPN. Lastly, PrivadoVPN Free also comes with an automatic kill switch. These are essential security features often found only in paid VPN services. The fact that you get it all for free is commendable. Plus, if you’re into P2P file sharing, you’ll be happy to know that PrivadoVPN also allows its users to torrent to their hearts’ content. We tried downloading some torrents and could do so without any throttling issues.
Limitations of PrivadoVPN
There are a few limitations to keep in mind with PrivadoVPN. First of all, there is no dedicated Linux app. Linux users might be better off using something like Windscribe. Also, you can only use PrivadoVPN’s free version on one device at a time. However, you can quite easily circumvent this issue by creating several accounts using different (anonymous) email addresses. Other than that, PrivadoVPN performed really well in our tests and has several impressive features you wouldn’t expect from a free service.
Verdict on PrivadoVPN
PrivadoVPN is, at this moment, our editor’s choice for the best free VPN. It has a beautiful app, works intuitively, and is fast and user-friendly. We also tested Privado’s premium version extensively if you’re curious about our take on their paid VPN.
2. Proton VPN: Best Free VPN With Unlimited Data and Many Extra Benefits
Proton VPN is the most well-known free VPN. It is ideal if you want unlimited data to browse the internet for as long as you like. Moreover, it has a zero-logs policy. Hence, it doesn’t keep track of your online activity.
Why we picked Proton VPN free
ProtonVPN functions well on all of your devices. You can install it on Mac, Windows, Android, Android TV, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, and even certain routers. Its great device support is not its only perk, though. Proton is one of the best free VPN services on the market. This popular provider from Switzerland offers user-friendly software, an excellent free package of security tools, and high-level encryption. On top of that, Proton VPN doesn’t keep any logs of user data. As long as your VPN connection is activated, you’ll be safe and anonymous. It also offers a kill switch and these safe VPN protocols:
OpenVPN Wireguard IKEv2 Stealth
Most notably, Proton VPN Free has no data limits. That’s a huge thing. It’s the only reliable free VPN that offers this. It also doesn’t have any speed limits either. This means you’re free to use this free VPN for as long as you want. Finally, creating a Proton account gives you access to a whole suite of other security services. These include:
Proton Mail, a secure email service Proton Calendar, with end-to-end encryption Proton Drive, including 1 GB of free secure cloud storage
If you choose to upgrade to a premium Proton plan, you get upgrades for all these services, making it a great all-in-one online privacy provider.
Limitations of Proton VPN free
Although the free version of Proton VPN doesn’t have a speed cap, it can be quite slow at times. This makes sense, considering how many people use the limited number of free Proton VPN servers. Internet speeds can dip as the servers struggle to handle all the traffic. The Proton website openly advertises the speed of their free VPN as “medium,” while all their paid subscriptions have “high speeds.” The free version of Proton VPN gives you access to servers in “only“ three different countries: 22 servers in the United States, eight servers in Japan, and 38 in The Netherlands. This is a very limited selection of server locations. But unfortunately, server variety is something you’ll have to sacrifice when using most free VPNs. You can use Proton VPN for free on one device at a time. But seeing as it’s a free service, you could theoretically register multiple accounts with different email addresses. This way, you can protect every device you own with a separate Proton VPN account. Moreover, Proton VPN free doesn’t support torrent downloads. This means you cannot download files from torrent sites when you are connected to a free Proton VPN server. However, you’ll be able to torrent with Proton VPN if you upgrade to the premium version. The free service can’t unblock Netflix either. That’s why Proton VPN is useful if you want more privacy, but it’s not the best pick for entertainment.
Verdict on Proton VPN
Proton VPN is currently one of the best free VPNs available, thanks to its great security features. We also reviewed the premium version of Proton VPN if you’re curious about upgrading.
3. hide.me: Best Free VPN in Terms of Customer Support
A trustworthy free VPN that allows P2P file sharing. There is also the option to choose from several VPN protocols and download the hide.me app for various operating systems.
Why we picked hide.me
hide.me is a well-known name in the VPN landscape. This provider offers both paid and free subscription options. And they’re very different. The free subscription only gives you access to five servers in four countries: one in the Netherlands, Canada, and Germany, and two in the USA (East and West). During your first week, you’ll be able to try out all of hide.me’s premium servers as well, as a free trial. After that, you’ll be limited to the free features. Whatever option you get, you’ll at least have a few privacy guarantees. hide.me is a zero-logs VPN. This means the provider doesn’t store any information about your internet activities, which is good news for the privacy-conscious. The free version of hide.me also gives you 24/7 access to customer support. In the past, hide.me didn’t allow people to use their free VPN to download torrents. Luckily, hide.me changed this policy, and free users can download via torrent sites now. They do, however, need to keep in mind the monthly data cap of 10GB. hide.me has an app for many operating systems, including Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Linux, and even Fire TV Stick. Lastly, hide.me offers plenty of different VPN protocols to choose from:
IKEv2 OpenVPN SoftEtherVPN WireGuard SSTP
Limitations of the free version of hide.me
hide.me free VPN does not work with Netflix US. We tested this ourselves and weren’t able to unblock any geo-restricted shows or movies on Netflix. hide.me also mentions on their website that their free version can’t unblock most streaming sites. Another drawback of the free version of hide.me is that it has a data limit of 10 GB per month. If you want to stream or download anything, you will reach this data limit quite rapidly. That’s why the free version of Proton VPN might be a better pick. Alternatively, you could consider a cheap paid VPN option like NordVPN or Surfshark. With hide.me, you’ll only be able to protect one device at a time. Like Proton VPN, however, you can bypass this limitation by registering multiple accounts, one for every device you want to use hide.me on. Another disadvantage is that hide.me can be pushy with their upsell campaign. There is always a button that urges you to switch to premium when using the app. Moreover, if you click on a premium feature, you are also pushed to upgrade. Some users might find this a bit annoying.
Verdict on hide.me
Because of its small server network, hide.me free is not the best free VPN out there. Its free servers aren’t exactly fast, and a data limit is never ideal. On the bright side, the free 10 GB of data that hide.me offers is a lot more than most free providers will give you. Also, the fact hide.me’s free version allows for torrenting is a great plus. If you want more features, check out hide.me’s paid version.
4. TunnelBear: Best Free VPN for Its Range of Server Locations
TunnelBear has the largest collection of free VPN servers. You can also use it on several devices at the same time. However, the data limit may not be enough for most people.
Why we picked TunnelBear
TunnelBear is another good option if you’re looking for a free VPN. The interface is clear, fun, and easy to use. Their visual style is unique and engaging, and the app’s very easy to install. Additionally, TunnelBear’s security and encryption are very solid. This free VPN also offers some great extra features like a kill switch (VigilantBear) and obfuscation technology to hide the fact you’re using a VPN (GhostBear). TunnelBear’s biggest perk is its huge server list. Even with the free version, TunnelBear allows you to choose from all of its available servers in countries like the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Spain, France, Brazil, India, and Italy. But are all these servers good for anything? We tested TunnelBear to see if it can unblock online streaming sites. The results were a resounding success. TunnelBear was (most of the time) able to circumvent geo-restrictions from sites like Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and YouTube. Unfortunately, it did fail at unblocking them on occasion. Moreover, we couldn’t access Netflix US at all. Interestingly, we did manage to unlock the UK version of Netflix. TunnelBear is available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Moreover, their free VPN can be used on multiple devices at the same time, just like their paid one.
Limitations of the free version of TunnelBear
The biggest disadvantage of using TunnelBear is the data limit, as you only get 500 MB per month. Most people would surpass this data limit in a day, especially when streaming videos. You can add 1 GB of free data to this limit if you tweet about TunnelBear. But that’s not ideal for people looking for more online privacy. Customer support is limited for free users, with paying customers getting “priority customer service.” So you might have a harder time getting help without TunnelBear premium. Finally, there’s the issue of TunnelBear not allowing P2P traffic on their servers, so you won’t be able to torrent via TunnelBear’s servers.
Verdict on TunnelBear
The free version of TunnelBear is high quality but only suitable if you can manage with tight data restrictions. The unpaid package can suffice if you occasionally want to safely log into a public Wi-Fi network, for instance. Curious if the premium VPN is worth your time? We also extensively tested TunnelBear’s paid version.
5. Windscribe: Best Free VPN for All Devices
Decent free VPN that works on almost all operating systems and devices, including Linux. Windscribe also offers fast servers and a reasonable data limit.
Why we picked Windscribe
Windscribe is a popular free VPN. We tested it extensively and found that it mostly lives up to the hype. This service’s security measures are of the highest level, even though news broke in July 2021 that Windscribe hadn’t updated some of their servers for years. You can use Windscribe on all major operating systems: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and even FireTV Sticks. You can also use Windscribe on as many devices as you want. The free version of Windscribe has fewer options than the paid package. For free users, Windscribe only provides 11 servers in several countries. Paying customers have access to up to 63 countries. However, for a free VPN, the number of server locations is still decent. Not to mention, Windscribe servers are very fast. They maintained decent speeds when we used them for browsing or even downloading torrents. The privacy conscious will also appreciate that Windscribe offers multiple security protocols:
IKEv2 OpenVPN WireGuard WStunnel Stealth
Windscribe also offers some great extra (security) features, like an ad blocker and a kill switch. You even get a split tunneling option. This allows you to determine what part of your traffic should pass through the VPN, and it’s something you rarely see in a free VPN.
Limitations of Windscribe free VPN
This free VPN service has a data limit of 2 GB per month. However, if you choose to share your email address with Windscribe and verify your account, you get 10 GB a month. Keep in mind that this is technically a payment: you “pay“ with your email address and get more data in return. But Windscribe gets your data to use for marketing and potentially shares it with select third parties. That’s why we recommend you use an anonymous email address to sign-up for Windscribe. And remember, 10 GB might be enough to scroll through Reddit and Twitter, but not much else.You can burn through that pretty quickly, especially if you stream or download content. Another downside of Windscribe is its lacking usability. Windscribe’s software is not as easy to use as some of the other free VPN providers listed above. Most of the buttons in the software take you to your account page on their website. It would be better if you could edit account settings from the VPN application itself. Lastly, we were unable to access Netflix with Windscribe. That’s a downside, but it’s rare to see a free VPN that can unblock Netflix these days.
Verdict on Windscribe
The free VPN package of Windscribe is really solid. The speeds are great, although the data limits are strict. Also, Windscribe isn’t a great pick for people who enjoy watching Netflix with their VPN, as it can’t unblock the streaming giant. If you like Windscribe, but want more out of your account, check out our review of Windscribe’s premium version.
6. Atlas VPN: Best Free VPN for Android and iOS
A free VPN with generous bandwidth and some great features on mobile devices. Atlas VPN also offers very good speeds in all server locations and a decent data limit.
Why we picked Atlas VPN
Its mobile apps are particularly good, as they come with a few exclusive features. One of these features is split tunneling, which allows you to use the VPN connection on some apps but not on others. This way, you can protect your online activity while browsing social media but enjoy high speeds when streaming content. Furthermore, you can use the free version of Atlas VPN immediately after installing the app: you don’t have to create an account or sign in. You get the regular limit of 10GB per month without any speed limits. This isn’t the unlimited data use that Proton VPN offers, but it is still enough for everyday use. Just don’t expect to use Atlas for lots of streaming and torrenting. Free users can access three locations: The Netherlands, Los Angeles, and New York. Our speed tests indicated that Atlas VPN offers pretty high speeds across all of these servers. So you may be limited by how many locations you can pick, but at least you get high connection speeds. In terms of security, your data is protected by AES-256-bit encryption and the highly secure WireGuard protocol, as well as IPSec/IKEv2. The free version also offers a kill switch, which you can enable from the settings menu.
Limitations of Atlas VPN’s free version
Atlas VPN has a lot going for it, but it also comes with a few limitations. To start with, the free version offers access to just three server locations and cannot unblock Netflix or any other streaming services. On top of that, the 10GB data limit can become a problem if you plan on using your VPN constantly. Moreover, although it claims to be a “no logs” VPN, it does collect some data, such as device identifiers. It’s also based in the United States, which is a 5 eyes country and doesn’t have the strongest privacy laws. Lastly, during our tests, we experienced a few technical issues, such as a malfunctioning kill switch. But that might not be representative of your experience with Atlas VPN.
Verdict on Atlas VPN
Atlas VPN is one of the best free VPN services, with high speeds and solid security. It offers a decent free 10 GB of data per month and three server locations. It also includes an easy-to-use split tunneling option on its mobile apps, which makes it a great choice for iOS and Android users. And if you want more from your VPN, Atlas VPN’s paid version is stacked with amazing features.
7. ZoogVPN: Best Free VPN With a ‘Refer a Friend’ Program
A free zero-logs VPN provider with a useful referral program. However, it doesn’t use 256-bit encryption, and the free version can only be used on one device at a time.
Why we picked ZoogVPN
ZoogVPN offers multiple encryption protocols. Free users can choose between IKEv2 and OpenVPN. Paying users have more options, but OpenVPN is good enough for most people. It doesn’t have as many protocol options as some of the other entries on this list, but it’s still secure enough when compared to most free VPNs. ZoogVPN has apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, and smart TVs. This makes it very versatile. You can install it on basically anything. When testing the free application of ZoogVPN, we noticed it also offers a kill switch functionality. This feature ensures that all internet traffic is interrupted whenever the secure VPN connection unexpectedly drops.
Limitations of ZoogVPN
The big downside to ZoogVPN free is that it uses 128-bit encryption instead of the AES 256-bit offered by other (free) VPNs. A 128-bit encryption is still good, but it’s a big miss when compared to the other entries on this list. If you have a free package with ZoogVPN, you can only access five servers in the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, The Netherlands, and Singapore. Moreover, you can only use the free version on one device at a time. ZoogVPN has a data limit of 10 GB per month. Uniquely, you can refer new customers to increase this limit. Every paying customer you refer to ZoogVPN will get you an additional 5 GB of data, and you can earn up to 50 GB per month. So while it’s a limiting data cap, it’s not as bad as most of the other free VPNs. The VPN servers of ZoogVPN are quite fast, but when they are under heavier loads, free users are the first to notice. When we tested ZoogVPN’s free servers, Netflix did not work, and we experienced considerable lag at times.
Verdict on ZoogVPN
Even though ZoogVPN is not the number one VPN on our list, keep in mind that there are hundreds of free VPN options on the market. The fact that a provider is included in this list of the best free VPN services means they stand up to scrutiny. ZoogVPN does have its fair share of limitations, like every free product out there. But it remains a decent choice for a free VPN.
8. Hotspot Shield: Best Free VPN With a Generous Data Limit
A popular free VPN with some of the most advantageous data limits. However, it uses 128-bit encryption, and the free version of the app is not very user-friendly.
Why we picked Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield is a pretty decent all-around free VPN. Its encryption isn’t the best, and it caught some flak over the years for its data protection on free plans. Nonetheless, it’s good enough for a free service. Hotspot Shield uses a proprietary VPN protocol, Hydra, which is based on the industry standard of OpenVPN. On top of that, it features amazing extra security features not available on most free VPNs, like IP and DNS leak protection, traffic obfuscation, and DNS filtering. If you’re looking for a secure free VPN, Hotspot Shield is one of the best picks. Hotspot Shield had OK speeds when we tested it. Most importantly, though, Hotspot’s free VPN has the best data limits (after Proton VPN). 500 MB per day means you get 15 GB per month. However, there is a catch, so let’s talk about Hotspot Shield’s downsides.
Limitations of Hotspot Shield
Your unused daily data doesn’t roll over to the next day of using Hotspot Shield for free. So even if you just used 100 MB in a day, the 400 MB left are lost. The next day, you’re back to a cap of 500 MB. This might not be a problem if you want to use the VPN to browse social media. But it’s a bummer if you want to download anything that’s larger than 500 MB. In that case, you’ll need a different VPN. Moreover, the free version of Hotspot Shield isn’t too user-friendly. It pushes ads on you, and a lot of users reported random disconnections, although we’ve experienced none of that when testing the app. Lastly, Hotspot Shield has a bad reputation related to user data collection. They had a few scandals about it in the past, and their current privacy policy is less than ideal. Not to mention, their parent company Aura is based in the US, a 5 eyes country with an equally bad record of protecting their citizens’ privacy. You can find out more about this in our Hotspot Shield review.
Verdict on Hotspot Shield
We were hesitant about including Hotspot Shield in this list. Their rocky past and current privacy policy almost made us drop it. And it’s still not our first pick because of it. However, some users won’t mind the data sharing on Hotspot’s part as long as they’re getting a functional free VPN for it. For those people, Hotspot’s ample limits, decent speeds, and extra security features can make it a great free VPN.
How Did We Determine Our Top Eight List of the Best Free VPNs?
Our top criteria for these VPNs was that they had no direct or hidden subscription costs. VPNs with free trials that automatically turn into a paid subscription were not included in our list. Additionally, we felt it was crucial that the VPNs on our list don’t mine your information too much. That’s a common problem with free VPNs, so we disqualified any app we found to play too loose with data protection. Here are the other criteria we considered in our research and testing:
Encryption Data limits Speed caps The number of available servers and server locations The maximum number of simultaneous connections
Free VPNs vs. Paid VPNs
You need to be careful when using free VPN services. Many free VPNs don’t protect your data properly. The apps may keep logs of your activity or even collect more data to sell for marketing purposes. These apps may request access to all kinds of sensitive information, such as your contacts, photos, and social media. Some free providers even infect your device with spyware and other malware. Apart from these unsettling facts, many free VPNs have some other disadvantages. Here’s a brief overview of the main differences and similarities between paid and unpaid VPNs. As you can see, premium VPNs often offer features and options you’re not likely to get with a free VPN. Plus, some paid VPN subscriptions are quite affordable, with a few absolute bargains out there. If you want to know which companies currently offer the best VPN services, have a look at our comprehensive top five best VPNs list.
Cheap VPNs
There are large price differences between paid VPNs. Some premium VPN providers may shock you with their price tag. Luckily, there are several that offer very good VPN connections for low prices. Occasionally, a good cheap VPN turns out to be just as good, if not better, than a VPN with a higher monthly fee. For just a few dollars a month, you can get a really good VPN and enjoy peace of mind regarding the safety of your internet connection and data. A good example of a great VPN that costs very little is Surfshark. Want to learn more about the different cheap VPNs out there? You can check out our article here:
Free VPNs You Should Avoid
There are also numerous free VPNs out there that you should avoid. Many aim to track your data and sell it to others. Their usage harms your privacy instead of protecting it. Some free VPNs even sell your connection to other users. Your bandwidth is given to premium users of the service, who in turn use your connection and IP address as their very own “VPN server.” Below you’ll find an overview of some unsafe free VPNs that are relatively popular and why you should avoid them. These aren’t the only unsafe free VPN providers out there. Many VPNs in the App Store and on Google Play don’t have clear policies regarding data processing and privacy. If you encounter such a VPN yourself, always be careful. Don’t assume you’ll be able to browse the internet anonymously with these VPNs. Feel free to let us know in the comments about other VPNs to avoid and help us further protect our visitors.
Conclusion: What Is the Best Free VPN?
At the moment, the best all-around free VPN is PrivadoVPN. This provider is the absolute best choice when it comes to security and features. Proton VPN is the best VPN if you’re looking for unlimited data, while Windscribe performs best when it comes to speed. TunnelBear is the most user-friendly free option that also offers the best server network, and Atlas VPN is your best bet for a free smartphone VPN. The table below contains the best free VPN providers at this moment for specific purposes and criteria: The free VPN services recommended in this article generally support multiple platforms and operating systems. So, whether you’re looking for a free VPN for iPad, Android, or iPhone, the recommended VPN services should work for your device. However, the moment you start using a free VPN regularly or for streaming, you will quickly run into data limits and speed caps. Similarly, you will often experience restrictions when you try to download shows and movies with a free VPN. In such cases, you’ll be much better off with a cheap, paid VPN. You can also experiment a little bit with different free VPN trials. If you’re looking for a free VPN service, make sure to choose one of the trustworthy providers listed in this article – especially since many free VPN apps in the Play and App Store don’t work properly or are a threat to your privacy and security. If you want to know more about the best free VPNs for different purposes, have a look at these articles: If you want unlimited access to Netflix with a VPN (to get access to American Netflix, for example), you’ll be better off with a good premium VPN. If you want to use a free VPN, you should always make sure to pick a safe one. Check out our article, for an overview of the best, safest free VPNs of this moment. Luckily, not all VPNs do this. Proton VPN, for example, has a safe free version, the costs of which are covered by their premium service. If you’d rather have a free VPN with many server locations or high speeds, other options are a better fit. Read more about the best free VPNs here. However, it might be worthwhile to purchase a cheap premium VPN, such as Surfshark.
