Best Free VPN: Tested, Ranked and Safe to Use Right Now

You are thinking that you would like to secure your privacy on the internet. But you are not willing to spend money on a VPN yet. Totally reasonable. You did a search on free VPN and got overwhelmed with results and now you do not know who is reliable.

This is what we want someone to tell us the first thing we should know, the majority of free VPN is horrible. Slowness, incessant advertising, small data limits and some of them are secretly tracking and selling your browsing history to other companies. You went in search of privacy and found the reverse.

Remember Hola VPN? It had snared its users onto their devices as exit nodes or in other words, had borrowed your bandwidth without permission. It is not protection, that is a problem. Having said that, not all free VPNs are traps. There are several that are legit, usually watered-down versions of mainstream paid services, which provide actual privacy with a dubious business ethic.

That is the secret of what they are. That’s what this guide is for. We will guide you to the ones that are worth using, those that are tolerable and those that you need to uninstall immediately among the free VPNs.

Are There Any Free VPNs: The Truth About Free VPNs

The majority of VPN review platforms simply rank the choices and proceed. Instead, we would spare a minute to tell you what is actually happening behind the curtains with free VPNs, since, after learning the business model, a lot of things would fall into place.

Free VPNs Have to Make Money Somehow

Running a VPN isn’t cheap. Servers, bandwidth, maintenance, and employees take real money. When a VPN is totally free and has no paid version, the question arises: where does the money come in?

The most usual ones are in-app advertising, selling your anonymized browsing history to advertisers, using your bandwidth to sell to other users or being sold up on an expensive plan. However, none of these are dealbreakers as such and you should be informed about what model you are enrolling in before you install something.

Many Free VPNs Collect and Sell User Data

This is the big one. A 2020 study reported that many free VPN applications (especially Android apps) had very worrying privacy policies that authorized them to sell user data to third parties. Others did not even possess a privacy policy, which is worse somehow.

It is ironic because you have put in place a VPN just in order to prevent being tracked and the VPN is tracking.

Some Free VPN Apps Contain Trackers or Malware

It gets worse. Embedded advertisement trackers have also been discovered in free VPN programs by independent security researchers on the official app stores and, in isolated instances, even actual malware. The app store review process is not perfect and bad players are aware that free VPN is one of the search terms through which millions of people search every day.

Always use VPNs of known companies with reputable records and independent auditors. When you have never heard of the developer and nothing is documented about him online, then that should also be a warning worth considering.

Limited Bandwidth and Speed Are Common

The good free VPNs are also restricted. Usually, the data caps (between 500MB and 10GB per month) are the norm. The options of servers are minimal and this implies that there will be more people using a few servers, which translates to low speed. Most of the free plans are just not going to work when it comes to streaming in HD or torrenting.

Imagine it is the express counter at a grocery store. The number of registers that are open is lower, the line is slower and you have a limited number of things that can be brought.

Why Trustworthy Free VPNs Are Usually Limited Versions of Paid Services?

The trend we have observed with the free VPNs that we actually trust is nearly always a reduced service of existing premium services. Some of the other companies such as Proton, Windscribe and hide.me provide free versions to allow users to trial out their products and since they make a living by charging subscribers, they do not need to sell your information.

That is the model that is in fact, in your interest. It is better to go in with realistic expectations, as well as being able to taste not the entire meal. But at least it’s honest.

Unlike most free VPNs, NordVPN has a verified no-logs policy independently audited by PwC and Deloitte, meaning your data is never collected, sold or shared with anyone. Try NordVPN today and get real privacy without the hidden cost.

Best Free VPNs Reviewed in Detail

We have tried all of the free VPNs on several devices, we made speed tests, we read privacy policies and we even used them in our real lives. Here’s what we found.

Proton VPN: Best Overall Free VPN

When anyone requests us to specify the free VPN they should simply install, we suggest Proton VPN the most. This is simply because it is the only truly respectable free VPN that offers unlimited data with no throttling, no advertisements, and no data-selling to cover the difference. The latter is a combination that is difficult to find in this space.

Why It Stands Out

The majority of free VPNs apply the pressure tactic by utilizing your data cap to induce you into a premium plan. Proton does not have to do that it has millions of paying subscribers who finance the operation. The free service is actual goodwill and it is reflected in its construction. You have genuine protection of privacy, rather than a poor cut version that is meant to endanger you so that you can upgrade.

Key Strengths

Proton VPN is headquartered in Switzerland, which is not part of the EU alliance or US surveillance network and has some of the best privacy laws in the globe. Its applications are entirely open-source and thus can be and are inspected by independent researchers to report anything suspicious within the code.

The independent auditing of the no-logs policy has been made. It uses the WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols, has a built-in kill switch and DNS leak protection. It is no toy; it is a serious privacy tool and easily one of the best free VPN services available today.

Limitations

Here’s where reality sets in. On the free level, you only receive one concurrent connection and you are not able to select your own server manually. Proton automatically allocates you the fastest server in the free server pool. In case you require a certain country to geo-unblock something, that will be a miss or a hit.

And although the speeds are firm enough when it comes to web browsing and video conferencing, this tier is not really aimed at heavy streaming.

Key Features

• WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols
• AES-256 encryption
• Kill switch
• DNS leak protection
• Fully open-source apps

Data Limits: Unlimited, no caps, no throttling

Server Locations: 8-10 countries including the US, Netherlands, Japan, Poland, Romania, Norway, Canada, Switzerland, Mexico and Singapore, auto-assigned

Supported Devices: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Android TV (1 simultaneous connection)

Pros	Cons
Truly unlimited data	Only 1 device at a time
Audited no-logs policy	No manual server selection
Open-source and transparent	Limited streaming capability
Swiss jurisdiction

Windscribe: Best Free VPN for Privacy

Windscribe is the best and free VPN to use in case the user is willing to go the extra mile on privacy and does not mind operating within monthly data restrictions, as Proton VPN is the safe and reliable option.

Why It Stands Out

Windscribe adds a certain degree of transparency and privacy instrumentation that most premium VPNs are not even bothering with. Its in-built R.O.B.E.R.T (ad and malware block, tracker block, even social media and gambling platforms block) system operates on a DNS level, so it will protect you on all of your connections and not just within a browser extension.

To top the above, Windscribe has transferred to RAM-only servers, which implies that no data is ever physically stored on disk. Once the server has failed all that was on it is lost.

Key Strengths

Windscribe has undergone independent audit and also produces transparent reports and even has a post-quantum encryption option to users who desire the state of the art protection. The free plan also provides unlimited simultaneous connections, which is an exceptionally bizarre feature making it viable in a home with more than one gadget.

Limitations

The evident limitation is the 10GB monthly limit. Casual browsing is also fairly well supported but once you start watching a video or performing any other bandwidth-intensive activity, you will find yourself eating the bandwidth like it was butter.

Key Features

• WireGuard, Stealth and WSTunnel protocols
• R.O.B.E.R.T. ad, tracker and malware blocker
• Kill switch
• Split tunneling
• RAM-only servers

Data Limits: 10GB per month (15GB if you tweet about them)

Server Locations: 10 countries across North America, Europe and Hong Kong

Supported Devices: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, browser extensions (unlimited simultaneous connections)

Pros	Cons
Audited privacy + RAM-only servers	10 GB cap runs out quickly
Built-in ad and tracker blocker	Fewer server locations than competitors
Unlimited simultaneous connections	Stealth protocol can be slow
Post-quantum encryption option

TunnelBear: Best Free VPN for Beginners

TunnelBear is the VPN that we can simply give to our parents without creating them a three-page guide to use it. It is actually the most user-friendly VPN software that we have ever had the experience of using and that is not a trifle especially when you are a newcomer to all this.

Why It Stands Out

The interface is simple, lighthearted and it is free of any technical terminology. You choose a country and then tap connect and one of the cartoon bears tunnels on a map. That’s the whole experience. None of the protocol dropdowns, none of the configuration menus and none of the decisions. To a user who simply wants to have protection with no learning curve, TunnelBear has it nailed.

Key Strengths

Much of what other paid VPNs avoid publishing, such as, since it is an annual practice, independent security audits, TunnelBear does publish and this is what has earned the company a reputation of being uncharacteristically transparent in this sector.

It has a GhostBear obfuscation option that hides the VPN traffic as a normal HTTPS, useful in a setting that attempts to block VPN connections. The no-logs policy was audited and the company did not experience a severe privacy scandal.

Limitations

The actual issue here is the 2GB of monthly data cap. It can be heard until you notice that even an hour of HD streaming burns approximately 3GB by itself. The free plan at TunnelBear should be seen as a valuable tool that can be used for occasional tasks, rather than as an everyday tool. To get the heavier use, you would need to upgrade rather quickly.

Key Features

• AES-256 encryption
• GhostBear obfuscation
• Kill switch (VigilantBear)
• Audited no-logs policy

Data Limits: 2GB per month

Server Locations: 48 countries, full network access on the free plan

Supported Devices: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android (unlimited simultaneous connections)

Pros	Cons
Easiest app to use, bar none	Very low 2GB monthly cap
Full 48-country server access	Not suitable for streaming
Annual third-party security audits	No Linux support
GhostBear obfuscation included

Hide.me: Best Free VPN for Mobile Devices

Hide.me does not receive the same mention as Proton or Windscribe does but in the case of mobile users, it should be given much more recognition than it gets.

Why It Stands Out

It provides infinite data on the free plan, which by itself places it in the small category of best free VPNs. The only difference that makes it special to mobile users is the consideration in the construction of the apps. The iOS version also has Siri shortcuts and thus, you can establish voice commands to connect or disconnect.

Android version has programmable auto-connect rules that auto-connect when joining an unknown wifi network and auto-disconnect when joining a trusted one. They are characteristics that only a high-end application could provide, not a free one.

Key Strengths

Hide.me provides a free user with the option to select a server location manually in 7 countries: more control than the free option that Proton gives to users. The kill switch is very much programmable as opposed to an on/off switch. None of the accounts need to utilize the free version on certain platforms, which eliminates some signup friction point that deters certain privacy-conscious users.

Limitations

We find significantly slower speeds with PrivadoVPN or even Proton in our test, especially in heavily used servers. And 7 countries of server are not enough in case you require a particular location, which is not among the list. It also has limitations on only one simultaneous connection on the free tier.

Key Features

• WireGuard, IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols
• Configurable kill switch
• Split tunneling (Android)
• Siri shortcuts (iOS)
• Programmable auto-connect

Data Limits: Unlimited

Server Locations: 7 countries, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, UK and US

Supported Devices: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, browser extensions (1 simultaneous connection)

Pros	Cons
Unlimited data	Slower speeds than competitors
Excellent mobile-specific features	Only 7 server countries
Manual server selection on free tier	Single device connection
No account required on some platforms

PrivadoVPN: Best Free VPN for Speed

In case the raw speed is desired, PrivadoVPN is not only the fastest top-rated free VPN we have tested, but it is not even close.

Why It Stands Out

PrivadoVPN has a max speed of 900 Mbps, which we reached in our performance test on a high-speed connection and it uses WireGuard. It is even quicker than the majority of the paid VPNs, not to mention the free ones. Speaking of which, around 25 Mbps will give you a stable 4K streaming. PrivadoVPN, with a free version, easily passes that test by a large margin.

What is also interesting is what occurs when you reach the 10GB monthly limit: PrivadoVPN does not reduce your connection and instead slows down to 24 Mbps or 4Mbps. Not that you cannot still browse and perform the basic tasks, but you are no longer enjoying the premium speeds. That is a far more convenient solution than a strict cutoff.

Key Strengths

In addition to speed, PrivadoVPN has Smart Route split tunneling that allows you to choose what apps are routed by the VPN and what use a superfast direct connection, such as game-play or office applications and which are routed through the VPN, such as sensitive browsing.

It also had a good showing on our streaming tests, as it was able to unblock content on a number of platforms that many of the free VPNs were unable to access.

Limitations

The limitation you have to plan around is the 10GB monthly limit. You can incinerate it at these speeds unless you are careful; half a day of HD streaming, and it is consumed. It is also limited to one device on the free plan, which is annoying when you use a laptop and phone frequently.

Key Features

• WireGuard and IKEv2 protocols
• Kill switch
• Smart Route split tunneling
• SOCKS5 proxy support

Data Limits: 10GB per month, then throttled to 2–4 Mbps (not cut off)

Server Locations: 10–12 countries and cities including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, India, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and France

Supported Devices: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux (1 simultaneous connection)

Pros	Cons
Fastest free VPN tested 900 Mbps+	10GB monthly data cap
Throttled rather than cut off after cap	Single device only
Strong streaming unblocking	No multi-hop or obfuscation
Smart Route split tunneling

How We Evaluated the Best Free VPNs?

We did not just download a plethora of applications and choose the most beautiful interface. The following is what we examined and then gave a recommendation.

Privacy Policy and Logging Practices

This was our first filter. We have gone through the privacy policies, the rather dull legal documents, to verify what each of the VPNs collects, keeps and maybe shares. An authentic no-logs policy implies that the provider does not store the logging of your browsing history or connection times or your IP address.

In case a privacy policy was ambiguous, had numerous loopholes or was nonexistent at all, then the VPN could not pass the test.

Speed and Reliability

We also conducted speed tests on various free VPN servers at various times of the day on a consistent base connection.

Free VPNs are nearly always slower than paid ones, so we were not hoping for miracles, but we wanted to know which ones were slow enough to be livable and which ones were slow enough to be excruciating. Consistency mattered too. A fast VPN today and slower than a snail tomorrow is not what we would recommend to anyone.

Data Limits and Bandwidth Restrictions

All the free VPNs that we have tried have some form of restriction or limitation. We also kept a record of precise data that each of them provides, reset after a month and whether some of the options such as streaming or torrenting are available on the free plan. Nothing hidden in the small print.

Server Locations

A larger number of locations of the free VPN servers tends to imply greater flexibility and improved speeds. We have verified the number of countries each free tier serves and whether those servers are actually useful in typical scenarios such as accessing US or UK content or simply a token server with a bunch of esoteric places.

App Usability and Device Compatibility

A nightmare VPN to install is counterproductive. We considered the simplicity of the applications in Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. User-friendly interface, simple connection and no needless hoops to go through. And in case we require a tutorial in order to be linked to a server, then there is a problem.

Reputation and Transparency

Lastly, we examined the large scope. Is the company audited as an independent organization? Have they ever experienced a data breach? Are they transparent with the way that they finance their free service? The history of the VPN company speaks volumes more than anything the company will tell you in its marketing copy.

Free VPN vs Paid VPN: What’s the Real Difference?

And this is the question that we are asked the most and the truthful answer to this is quite a lot. Free VPNs are actually getting better over time but there is still a significant difference between what you get free and what you get after paying. That is where that gap does present itself.

Speed Differences

Paid VPNs spend a lot of money on server infrastructure that allows them to have faster connections and less traffic. Free plans normally operate on fewer free VPN servers that are shared by significantly more users and that algebra never plays to your advantage at times of peak traffic.

Paid VPNs were always faster in our testing and at times by a wide margin. Mostly free VPN is acceptable for light browsing, but then it slows down as soon as you do anything that is bandwidth-intensive.

Server Network Size

A high-quality VPN such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN would provide you with access to thousands of servers and 90 and up to 150+ locations. Most free tiers? You are browsing 5-10 places and you can hardly have a choice as sometimes the application chooses everything on its own.

That is restrictive when you require a particular nation to be unblocked geographically or simply a server that is geographically niche and thus provides a better speed.

Data Limits

This is most likely the most annoying distinction between practical use. VPNs that are paid have unlimited data. Free VPNs also limit you to 500MB/month, which is wiped out shamefully quickly. Even the free options that are more generous have a limit of about 10GB per month.

It will not last long in case of casual browsing, which may take us long distances, but in case of streaming, downloading, or working at home, it will not last long.

Streaming and Geo-Unblocking Capabilities

Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ streaming services are all actively trying to prevent VPN traffic. VPNs that are paid allocate material resources to evading those blocks, changing server IPs, obfuscation and dedicated streaming servers.

Very often, free VPNs do not have the capacity to follow that game of cat and mouse. With streaming, free versions are either hit or miss in our case and miss in most cases.

Customer Support and Reliability

When paying for a VPN, you would usually have 24/7 live-chat support, extensive troubleshooting instructions and somebody to actually assist when it goes wrong. Best free VPN services may have a help desk at best and a sluggish reply to email at the most. When something breaks down on a Sunday night, you are virtually on your own.

Security Features

Free and good VPN options tend to have equal fundamental encryption standards, AES-256, WireGuard or OpenVPN protocols. But paid plans would often contain extras that are important: kill switches that turn off your internet when your VPN fails, DNS leak protection, split tunneling, multi-hop connections and obfuscated servers with restrictive networks. Free versions have a habit of removing them completely or placing them behind a paywall.

Free VPNs may be very handy – in an instance of privacy on a Wi-Fi in a coffee shop, light browsing or simply trying out VPNs before deciding to commit. But they are hardly a complete substitute for paid service.

When a Free VPN is Actually Good Enough?

We do not wish for this guide to look like it is a sales pitch for paid VPNs. The fact is that the best free VPN can encompass all that you need, depending on how you really use the internet. These are the areas where a free tier really works.

Protecting Yourself on Public WiFi

This is truly the best application of a free VPN. Coffee shop networks, airport Wi-Fi and hotel networks are really dangerous areas and someone in the same network can monitor your traffic. A free VPN will encrypt that connection and will make you a significantly harder target.

This does not require an unlimited amount of data or 60 server locations. All you have to do is activate the encryption and the vast majority of decent free VPNs take care of it.

Light Browsing Privacy

A free VPN will suffice in the event that your chief interest is preventing your ISP from constructing a profile of your web usage or just providing a simple level of anonymity during normal web usage.

You are not watching 4K video or downloading big files; you are merely browsing, reading, perhaps checking emails on a network you do not totally trust. In that type of light usage, the data limits in an excellent free plan are normally adequate.

Occasional VPN Use

Not all people require a VPN that operates 24/7. When you just fire it up a few times a week to perform a particular task: open a blocked site in your country, look at something secretly or use an unknown network, a free VPN with a monthly data cap will last significantly longer than you expect. Occasional application is where the best free VPN services are the most sensible.

Testing VPN Technology Before Upgrading

This one gets overlooked. A free plan offered by a well-known developer is indeed the most effective method of determining whether you truly enjoy the use of a VPN before paying money on one.

You have the option of trying the interface, understanding the extent to which it will influence your speeds, whether it works well with your gadgets and whether the entire process is worth it for your lifestyle. Imagine it as a long free trial and you do not even need a credit card, which is a rather good offer, according to me.

Free VPNs work for occasional use but if you find yourself hitting data caps or needing more servers, NordVPN starts at just a few dollars a month and removes every limitation a free plan comes with. Get NordVPN now and never worry about data caps or slow servers again.

How to Get a Free VPN for Your Needs?

All free VPNs are not constructed in the same manner and not all users require the same features. Rather than merely throwing you a list of popular free VPN options, ranked and saying work, here is a fast method of whittling down which of the best free VPNs is truly the correct answer to your situation.

If Privacy Is Your Priority

Find a VPN that has a no-logs policy that is confirmed, preferably one that has been subjected to a third-party audit. Jurisdiction matters too. The VPN located in one of the privacy-friendly jurisdictions such as Switzerland or Iceland, will be less prone to governmental data requests in comparison to those located in the US or the UK.

The name that we continue returning to this category is Proton VPN. It is operating in Switzerland, is independently audited and its free version does not sacrifice the privacy principles.

If Speed Matters Most

Pay attention to free VPNs that provide a sufficient number of servers and do not overcrowd the free users. Both Windscribe and hide.me are quite decent with respect to this department as compared to the average free version.

Saying that, set your expectations straight. There is no way that free will is as fast as paid during a peak time. Being connected to a server in a geographically close proximity to your actual location is also a better idea than most people know.

If You Mainly Use Mobile Devices

Ensure that the VPN has an app with a good rating on both Android and iOS, which is actively supported. The free VPN for Android experience varies widely across providers. There are others that offer good desktop VPN but have poor, slow or old apps on mobile, which drain your battery or have constant disconnections.

Both Proton VPN and Windscribe have good mobile experiences. Also, make sure the free option works with more than one device at once. Some offer free plans just for one device.

If You Want Something Simple and Beginner-Friendly

Skip the free VPNs that will force you to configure them manually or to select which protocol to use before you can even connect. Find a clean one-tap connect interface that already has reasonable defaults. The free VPN setup with Hide.me will work well here; it is easy to set up, nothing excessive, and it will overload you with upsells every time you boot the app.

If You Only Need Occasional Protection

The size of the data cap is not a great concern in this case compared to the reliability and convenience. You desire something that connects fast, which does not force you to log in each and every time and simply works when you need it. A 500MB per month quota might seem excessively large.

But when used just a few times per month, in particular tasks only. Here, virtually any of the good free ones will serve the purpose, as you can just choose one of those that are offered by a reputable service provider and install it until the time when you will really need it.

The Bottom Line

Having tried all these, the truth of the matter is as follows: not any one of these is a perfect free VPN. Both trade-offs and it is all a matter of what you need and the correct decision to make.

Should I be asked to choose only one of them that I would recommend to the majority, I would choose Proton VPN. Infinite data, true privacy certification and a business that you can properly check. To most common users, it is the best and free VPN option at a bare minimum without any of the sketchy details.

And a final clarification to make is that the free VPNs are not the end but the beginning. Until you are ready to take that step, one of the five options above will be much better than the hundreds of dubious best free VPN services that flood the application stores. Stay safe out there.

Resources

Official Sources & Verification Links

• Proton VPN – Official website and transparency details
  https://protonVPN.com
• Windscribe – Official website and privacy info
  https://windscribe.com
• TunnelBear – Official website and independent audits
  https://www.tunnelbear.com
• Hide.me – Official website and mobile app features
  https://hide.me
• PrivadoVPN – Official website and speed/performance details
  https://privadoVPN.com
• HackerOne – Bug bounty and vulnerability disclosure program (for supported VPNs)
  https://www.hackerone.com
• Switzerland – Privacy-friendly jurisdiction (relevant for Proton VPN)
  https://www.admin.ch