Free VPNs can provide basic protection for users who cannot afford premium services. However, many free options come with significant limitations in terms of security and functionality. Most free VPN services impose restrictions to encourage users to upgrade to paid versions, affecting features like server access and data limits.
Despite these limitations, there are reliable free VPNs that let you enhance your online privacy without cost. This article reviews the top free VPNs on the market, emphasizing their capabilities and reliability in securing online privacy. All recommended VPNs are ad-free and feature robust encryption as well as no-logs policies. Additionally, we also highlight free VPNs that you should avoid due to potential privacy risks and unreliable performance.
Top free VPN services for 2024
There are several free VPNs that we can recommend as reliable options for users seeking to protect their online privacy. While most free VPNs impose some form of restriction, a few stand out by offering better features and performance than the rest.
Proton VPN
| Website | ProtonVPN.com |
| Location | Switzerland |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited |
| Support | 24/7 chat; Email |
Proton VPN’s free version provides servers located in the United States, Japan, Poland, Romania, and the Netherlands. Despite the limited server options, Proton VPN stands out by offering unlimited data usage, ensuring users can browse without restrictions. Proton VPN is praised for its robust security measures, including strong encryption and a strict no-logs policy, which ensures your activities remain private. The free plan also includes IP leak protection, making it an excellent option for privacy-conscious users.
Proton VPN MacOS app interface
Proton VPN’s free plan is particularly appealing due to the unlimited bandwidth, which makes it suitable for users needing uninterrupted service. However, the limited server options can hinder its ability to effectively unblock popular streaming services like Netflix.
For advanced features, Proton VPN’s premium version offers servers in over 110 countries, faster speeds, and enhanced security features like Secure Core and Tor over VPN. Starting at $3.59 per month, it provides a more comprehensive service.
Read more in our comprehensive Proton VPN review >
Overall, Proton VPN combines robust security features with a user-friendly interface, making it an excellent choice for users seeking a reliable and free VPN service.
Read more in our comprehensive Proton VPN review.
PrivadoVPN
| Website | PrivadoVPN.com |
| Location | Switzerland |
| Bandwidth | 10 Gb/month |
| Support | 24/7 chat; Email |
PrivadoVPN’s free tier provides access to servers situated in twelve different locations, making it a robust option for users seeking variety. This variety in server locations enhances accessibility and helps bypass geo-restrictions to access a wider range of content.
PrivadoVPN offers decent speeds and multiple server locations, moderately unblocking some streaming services. However, performance may vary, and users might experience mixed results in unblocking streaming services.
The service includes decent speeds, making it suitable for high-bandwidth activities. Additionally, the VPN includes essential online security measures such as IP leak protection and a kill switch, which safeguard your data even if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly.
PrivadoVPN also has a paid option with more server locations, faster speeds, and extra security features, enhancing the VPN’s overall performance and reliability.
PrivadoVPN maintains a strict no-logs policy, ensuring user privacy and security. This commitment to privacy makes it a good choice for users seeking a free VPN with a strong focus on privacy.
Trust.Zone
| Website | Trust.Zone |
| Location | Seychelles |
| Bandwidth | 1 GB |
| Support |
Trust.Zone’s free version is basically a 3-day free trial and includes a 1 GB data cap. Despite this, the VPN offers decent security features, making it suitable for basic online privacy. It features essential security measures like a kill switch and IP leak protection, safeguarding your online activities even if the connection drops.
Moreover, Trust.Zone offers a no-logs policy, which means that it does not keep records of your online activities. This commitment to privacy is crucial for users who prioritize anonymity and data security. The VPN also supports various protocols, including OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec, providing users with options to enhance their security based on their specific needs.
Trust.Zone stands out with its simplicity and ease of use, making it an appealing choice for beginners who are new to VPN services. The VPN's interface is straightforward, allowing users to connect with just a few clicks.
The VPN also offers a paid option, which provides unlimited data, more server locations, and enhanced security features like double VPN and anti-DDoS protection.
hide.me
| Website | hide.me |
| Location | Malaysia |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited |
| Support | 24/7 chat; Email |
hide.me is a free VPN service that offers a decent balance between privacy and performance. The free plan includes unlimited data allowance and access to servers in eight locations, providing users with some flexibility in choosing their connection points. The service is known for its strong security features, including AES-256 encryption and a strict no-logs policy that ensures user activities remain private.
Despite its robust security measures, hide.me's free version has some limitations. The connection speeds are restricted compared to the paid plan, so it may not be as effective for streaming compared to some other VPNs. Users may also experience slower speeds during peak times due to server congestion, which can affect the overall browsing experience.
For those seeking enhanced features and greater flexibility, hide.me also offers a premium plan. The paid version includes top speeds, access to servers in over 90 locations, and additional security features such as fixed IP addresses and dynamic port forwarding.
Windscribe
| Website | Windscribe.com |
| Location | Canada |
| Bandwidth | 10 Gb/month |
| Support |
Windscribe’s free service includes servers in over ten countries, making it effective in bypassing regional content restrictions and accessing a wide range of content.
The free plan provides users with 10GB of data per month, same as PrivadoVPN. Windscribe also has robust unblocking capabilities for various streaming platforms, making it effective for accessing geo-restricted content. The VPN is also recognized for its user-friendly interface and solid performance, making it a reliable choice for users looking to secure their online privacy.
Windscribe includes a proprietary ad blocker called R.O.B.E.R.T., which enhances the browsing experience by filtering out unwanted content. However, on the free plan, R.O.B.E.R.T. only includes the “Malware” filter list, meaning it does not block ads or trackers.
For more comprehensive features, Windscribe’s paid plan offers unlimited data, more server locations, and faster speeds, making it a well-rounded option for users needing more than the free plan offers.
TunnelBear
| Website | TunnelBear.com |
| Location | Canada |
| Bandwidth | 10 Gb/month |
| Support |
TunnelBear provides a user-friendly interface, making it accessible for users who are less tech-savvy. The free plan includes 2 GB of data per month, which may not be sufficient for heavy users but is adequate for basic browsing. The VPN offers solid security features, ensuring that users’ online activities are protected. TunnelBear’s intuitive design caters to users seeking straightforward VPN solutions for basic online privacy.
Additionally, TunnelBear offers a feature called “GhostBear,” which helps to mask VPN traffic, making it harder for ISPs and governments to detect that you are using a VPN. This can be particularly useful in regions with strict internet censorship.
For those needing more data, TunnelBear’s paid version includes unlimited data and access to more servers, making it suitable for users with higher data needs.
Overall, TunnelBear is a good option for users looking for a simple and secure free VPN with a user-friendly interface.
Quick comparison table
| Data limit | Advanced encryption | No-logs | Live chat support | |
| ProtonVPN | Unlimited | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| PrivadoVPN | 10 GB/month | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Trust.Zone | 1 GB | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| hide.me | Unlimited | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Windscribe | 10 GB/month | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| TunnelBear | 10 GB/month | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
Can free VPNs unblock streaming services
Many free VPNs offer access to various server locations, helping to bypass geographical restrictions and access more content, which is beneficial for accessing your favorite streaming services even when abroad.
However, the effectiveness of free VPNs in unblocking streaming services varies. Some, like Proton VPN, offer decent capabilities, while others struggle with geo-restrictions due to limited servers and potential congestion during peak times.
Overall, while free VPNs can support streaming services to some extent, users seeking reliable and consistent performance may need to consider premium options, as free VPNs often struggle with speed and server availability for smooth streaming.
Are free VPNs safe?
Using free VPNs can expose users to privacy risks. Many free VPNs have exaggerated security claims, potentially compromising trust. Scrutinizing privacy policies and terms of service is crucial to understand how your data might be used or shared.
Effective privacy policies disclose how user data is handled and shared with third parties. Reviewing these policies ensures your data is not sold or misused. Few VPNs guarantee immediate data deletion upon account closure, emphasizing the need for careful selection.
Another important consideration is DNS leak protection, which is crucial in VPNs as it ensures that your online activities remain private by preventing your DNS requests from being exposed to your ISP or other third parties.
Privacy policies
Reviewing a free VPN’s privacy policy is crucial to understand its data collection practices. A transparent policy should clearly disclose how your data is handled and whether it is shared with third parties for marketing or other purposes.
Users should avoid free VPNs that sell data or have unclear privacy policies. Choosing VPNs with strong privacy and security features, like the ones recommended in this article, ensures better online protection.
Third-party audits
Third-party audits establish accountability and transparency in the security claims of free VPN providers, validating their security measures and ensuring user data is genuinely protected.
Except for PrivadoVPN, all of our recommended free VPNs have undergone third-party security audits.
No-logs policy
A strict no-logs policy ensures that a VPN provider does not track user activities, guaranteeing no information regarding your online activities is stored, thus enhancing privacy.
Without a no-logs policy, a VPN provider might track user activities, compromising privacy. Choosing VPNs with strict no-logs policies ensures your data remains private and secure.
Performance and limitations of free VPNs
Many free VPNs have limitations in bandwidth and server options, often resulting in slower speeds and reduced performance, especially during peak usage times due to server congestion.
Free VPNs often struggle to access a wide range of streaming services. Limited VPN server options and high user demand can hinder the VPN’s ability to maintain optimal speeds and performance.
| Limitations of free VPNs | ||
| Data limits | Speed and bandwidth | Connection stability |
Data limits
Many free VPNs restrict monthly data usage with caps as low as 500 MB, significantly impacting browsing and streaming activities and making extensive use challenging.
TunnelBear, for example, imposes a monthly data cap of only 2GB for its free users, which may hinder extensive use. Despite its friendly design and the ability to connect unlimited devices, the data limit remains a significant drawback.
Users wanting unlimited data may need to consider premium VPNs, as most free options impose strict data caps that limit usability.
Speed and bandwidth
Free VPNs often face significant performance issues due to server congestion and high user demand, resulting in slower internet speeds and difficulty in streaming content or browsing efficiently, especially during peak times.
Many free VPNs also impose data limits and bandwidth caps that restrict user experience. For instance, PrivadoVPN and Windscribe offer 10GB monthly, while TunnelBear is limited to 2 GB, further limiting usability during peak times.
Connection stability
Free VPNs often experience unstable connections, which occurs when many users access the same VPN servers simultaneously.
Choosing a free VPN with multiple server locations can help mitigate these issues by providing more server connection options. However, users should note that even with multiple locations, free VPNs may still struggle to maintain stable connections during high-traffic periods.
Top premium VPN recommendation
While free VPNs offer basic privacy and security features, a premium VPN like NordVPN provides a more comprehensive and reliable experience. Known for its outstanding privacy features and reliability, NordVPN is a top choice among VPNs in 2024.
NordVPN includes advanced security features like double VPN encryption, Threat Protection to block ads and malware, and a strict no-logs policy. It also offers access to over 6,400 servers in 111 countries, including various specialty servers, ensuring fast and stable connections worldwide.
NordVPN’s paid subscription starts at $3.09 per month, offering a wide range of features unmatched by free VPNs. For the best in online privacy and security, investing in NordVPN is worthwhile. You can the best deal with our coupon below:
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Free VPNs to avoid
Betternet VPN
Betternet VPN is not recommended due to several significant privacy and security concerns. The service has been found to collect user data and display intrusive ads, which can compromise privacy. Additionally, Betternet’s encryption standards are subpar compared to other VPNs, making it less secure for protecting online activities. Independent studies have also revealed that the VPN contains tracking libraries and even malware. These issues are reason enough to stay away from Betternet VPN.
Opera Free VPN
Opera Free VPN is integrated into the Opera browser, offering a convenient option for casual users. However, it comes with significant drawbacks that make it best to avoid. The service lacks transparency regarding its privacy policies, raising concerns about how user data is handled. Moreover, Opera Free VPN routes traffic through proxy servers rather than providing true VPN encryption, which compromises the level of security and anonymity it offers. Additionally, the service has limited server locations, resulting in slower speeds and reduced performance. These issues highlight why Opera Free VPN is not a reliable choice for securing online privacy.
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield's free VPN service is best avoided due to several significant privacy and security concerns. While it offers a user-friendly interface and decent speeds, the free version of Hotspot Shield has been criticized for its invasive data collection practices. The service has been found to log user data, including IP addresses, and share it with third parties for advertising purposes. Additionally, Hotspot Shield has faced allegations of injecting ads and tracking cookies into users' browsers, further compromising their privacy. These issues raise serious concerns about the trustworthiness of Hotspot Shield's free VPN.
Any free VPN on Google and Apple app stores
While there are numerous free VPNs available on the Google and Apple app stores, it is generally best to avoid them due to significant privacy and security concerns. Many of these free VPN apps monetize their services by collecting and selling user data to third parties, which compromises user privacy. Furthermore, these VPNs frequently suffer from slow speeds, data caps, and limited server options, which can hinder your browsing experience.
Additionally, free VPNs often lack robust encryption standards and have unclear or deceptive privacy policies, making them unreliable for protecting your online activities. What’s worse, some free VPNs have even been found to contain malware. For these reasons, opting for a reputable premium VPN service is a safer and more reliable choice for ensuring online privacy and security.
Conclusion on using a free VPN service
Free VPNs can provide decent privacy and security but often come with limitations compared to premium options. While premium VPNs offer more features and better performance, free VPNs can be suitable alternatives for those who cannot afford a subscription.
Choosing a reliable free VPN is crucial, as many options can compromise data and security. Users should be aware of trade-offs like potential data limits and slower speeds.
Avoid free VPNs with unclear privacy policies or excessive ads, as these can indicate potential data misuse. For more robust and reliable protection, consider a premium VPN service like NordVPN.
FAQs about free VPNs
Are free VPNs safe to use?
Free VPNs can pose significant privacy risks. Many generate revenue by selling user data to third parties, compromising privacy.
When selecting a free VPN, it is crucial to scrutinize their privacy policies and terms of service. Look for VPNs that have undergone third-party security audits to verify their claims. Additionally, be wary of free VPNs that display intrusive ads or require extensive permissions, as these could indicate data harvesting practices. Opting for a VPN with a clear commitment to user privacy and security will help mitigate potential risks associated with free services.
Can free VPNs unblock streaming services?
Free VPNs can sometimes unblock streaming services, but their effectiveness varies. Proton VPN, for example, offers decent unblocking capabilities, but performance may drop during peak usage times due to server congestion.
Free VPNs generally face challenges in maintaining consistent access to streaming services due to limited server options and high user demand. While some free VPNs can temporarily bypass geo-restrictions, they often struggle with speed and reliability, especially for high-definition streaming. Additionally, free VPNs may lack the necessary resources to keep up with frequent updates from streaming platforms designed to block VPN traffic. Users seeking a more dependable solution for streaming should consider premium VPN services, which offer a broader range of servers and better performance to ensure seamless access to content across different regions.
Do free VPNs have data limits?
Yes, most free VPNs impose data limits. They often implement data caps to manage server load and encourage users to upgrade to their premium versions. These data limits can be particularly restrictive for users who engage in data-intensive activities such as streaming high-definition videos, downloading large files, or gaming online.
For example, TunnelBear’s 2 GB monthly limit may only be sufficient for light browsing and occasional use, while Windscribe’s 10GB monthly allowance offers more flexibility but can still be quickly exhausted with regular streaming or downloading.
Additionally, some free VPNs may offer ways to increase your data allowance through promotions or referrals. For instance, Windscribe allows users to earn an additional 1GB of data for each friend they refer to the service. However, these methods may not be practical for all users and still fall short of the unlimited data provided by premium VPN services.
What are the performance issues with free VPNs?
Free VPNs often experience slower speeds and connection instability due to server congestion and high user demand. These issues can make it challenging to maintain a consistent and reliable internet connection.
Furthermore, free VPNs typically have fewer servers available, which can lead to overcrowding, especially during peak times. This overcrowding can result in significantly reduced bandwidth, making activities such as streaming, gaming, or even simple web browsing frustratingly slow.
Moreover, free VPNs often impose data caps that can further hinder performance. Once the data limit is reached, users may experience throttled speeds or be cut off from the service until the next billing cycle. This can be particularly problematic for users who rely on VPNs for continuous protection and privacy.
Why should I consider a paid VPN over a free one?
Paid VPNs offer more comprehensive features and better performance compared to free VPNs. They provide advanced security measures, faster speeds, and more server options, ensuring a more reliable and secure online experience.
In terms of privacy, paid VPNs are less likely to engage in data logging or selling your information to third parties. This is because their revenue model is based on subscription fees rather than advertising or data sales. This commitment to privacy can give you greater peace of mind when using the internet.
Overall, while free VPNs can be suitable for basic needs, the enhanced security, performance, and features of paid VPNs make them a valuable investment for anyone serious about maintaining their online privacy and security.
This best free VPNs guide was last updated on October 2, 2024.
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