Top Free VPNs: Comparing Features and Drawbacks

As internet privacy and security threats increase, more and more people enjoy free VPNs as they are affordable. However, it must be noted that not all virtual private network services are free, and many of the free services are restricted in some way or another and have ramifications for your web experience.

Today, several providers are legally available in the market for users, where they can try services without paying any amount of money, and some of them have the condition of validity of the virtual private network service up to 2024 as follows.

Top Free VPNs in 2024

The following free VPNs and their comparison of the basis of their developments of functions, drawbacks, and effectiveness are as follows:

ProtonVPN 

• Data Limit: Free data usage, meaning that the individual can browse and stream as much as you want. 
• Server Locations: Availability of servers in 5 countries. 
• Simultaneous Connections: It is compatible with only one device and at a time. 
• Kill Switch: Yes, with the bonus of disconnecting your internet in case the VPN connection should drop. 
• P2P Support: Some P2P functionalities; are not very good for a range of functions or sharing problems. 
• Encryption: AES-256 encryption is used to enhance the security of your data stored in the cloud services. 
• No-Logs Policy: It has a no logging policy in order to protect user’s privacy. 
• Best For: Computer expert users who are searching for a fast and reliable free virtual private network solution. 

Get in-depth details about ProtonVPN

PrivadoVPN 

• Data Limit: Although these plans come with limited data, they are good for the moderate usage of the internet by browsing and streaming at an average of 10GB monthly. 
• Server Locations: Provides proxy by server location from 13 different servers placed. 
• Simultaneous Connections: Provides the possibility to connect one piece of equipment at a time. 
• Kill Switch: Yes, enlarging the user’s usage security. 
• P2P Support: Yes, it supports operating with files from other users in P2P mode. 
• Encryption: Uses AES-256 to encode connections securely. 
• No-Logs Policy: Understands that a user does not want others to know that he or she is using a virtual private network and thus, does not log its clients’ data. 
• Best For: Any user who doesn’t want to spend money but at the same time look for good characteristics of the VPN service. 

Get in-depth details about PrivadoVPN

Windscribe 

• Data Limit: Offers users 10 GB of data per month; this amount can be increased to 15 GB if the user verifies their email. 
• Server Locations: There are at least 10 server locations in many countries. 
• Simultaneous Connections: Provides for an unlimited number of connections at any one time, which makes the solution quite universal in its application. 
• Kill Switch: Yes, the feature has been incorporated for security purposes. 
• P2P Support: Indeed, it fully supports P2P file sharing. 
• Encryption: AES-256 encryption ensures high security during communication between the users of the application. 
• No-Logs Policy: Adheres to no-logs policy to ensure that it does not retain any data about the users. 
• Best For: Business users for whom flexibility and large amounts of data are a priority.

Get in-depth details about Windscribe

TunnelBear 

• Data Limit: Free of charge up to 2GB per month. 
• Server Locations: Server availability in more than 40 countries. 
• Simultaneous Connections: Has support for 5 connections at a time. 
• Kill Switch: It has common functions such as telephony, GPS, and connecting interface but lacks the kill switch function. 
• P2P Support: No P2P application sharing as well as no FTP that can support file sharing. 
• Encryption: Enjoys secure connections given that it supports Advanced Encryption Standard of 256. 
• No-Logs Policy: It uses a no-logs policy to secure the client’s privacy. 
• Best For those users who do not use virtual private networks very often but need a service that allows them to connect to the internet with anonymity. 

Get in-depth details about TunnelBear

Hotspot Shield 

• Data Limit: Offers 30 calls to USA, Canada & Mexico per month & 15GB data usage allowance per month (with 500MB usage per day). 
• Server Locations: The paid edition has the advantage of being available in one server location in the United States While the free edition is severely limited and only allows for one server location. 
• Simultaneous Connections: Acknowledges only one device at a time can be connected. 
• Kill Switch: No kind of kill switch feature is provided in this case. 
• P2P Support: P2P file sharing support is not supported and/or not available. 
• Encryption: It supports data transfer security by having an Active Encryption Standard-256. 
• No-Logs Policy: This is because it carries the no-logs policy that helps in the protection of the user’s information. 
• Best For: Internet users who want to have easy, fast, and unlimited access to the contents produced in the United States of America. 

Get in-depth details about Hotspot Shield

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Thus, pinpointing the correct free VPN depends on personal requirements. So, it is crucial to select a virtual private network that is perfect for availing unlimited data with top-class privacy options, where the choice is ProtonVPN, while the one with the balanced use is PrivadoVPN. Windscribe is useful for power users, who may need versatility and more data allowed, but TunnelBear fits a casual user exceptionally well, as it is very simple to use. 

For a quick fix on watching US content and, as an extension, a program that grants access to the materials that from time to time become unavailable in certain countries, Hotspot Shield might be a good match; however, the provider’s weakness is the number of the countries with accessible servers. Remember to check how much data is allowed, or what additional security measures are offered in a free VPN service, as well as what the primary and secondary use of the service will be.