On a phone, a free VPN is only worth installing if it is the limited free plan of a paid service. Proton VPN is the only one of the four with no data cap, so it is the first to try.
Privacy: VPN.com research ledger, cited. Counts, apps, plans: provider-stated, checked Oct 24, 2026. How we score →
You want a VPN on your phone and you do not want to pay yet. That is a reasonable place to start, so this page asks one question before it ranks anything: who pays for the app, if you do not? The answer decides whether the free plan protects your traffic or sells it.
This page covers phones and tablets only. For the full list across every device, read our best free VPN guide. If you would rather pay for a phone app, see the paid-plan guides for Android and iPhone.
What Is Different About a Free VPN on a Phone
A phone changes three things about a free plan. It moves between Wi-Fi and cellular, so a data cap runs down faster than on a laptop. It installs apps from a store, so the risk is a look-alike app rather than a bad download link. And it is one device, so a free plan that allows a single connection fills up quickly.
What to check
Why it matters on a phone
What to look for
Who funds the app
An ad-funded app can record and sell what you do
A free plan that is a limited version of a paid plan
Data cap
Cellular use and background apps count against it
A cap you can name, or none
Developer name in the store
Look-alike apps copy a real provider’s name and icon
The provider’s own name, linked from its own website
Devices on the free plan
Your phone and tablet may not both fit
The number of connections the free plan allows
Kill switch
A dropped connection exposes your traffic
A provider that states a kill switch on your platform
The Free Plans Compared
Each row below comes from the provider’s own plan data on our site, checked on 2026-10-12. A cap or limit can change, so check the plan page before you install.
This is where a phone differs most from a laptop. The table shows only what each provider says on its own website. “Not stated” does not mean the feature is missing: it means the provider does not say, so we do not claim it either way.
VPN
Kill switch on Android
Kill switch on iPhone
Split tunneling on Android
Split tunneling on iPhone
Proton VPN
Yes
Yes
Yes
Not stated
Windscribe
Not stated
Not stated
Yes
Not stated
Hide.me
Not stated
Not stated
Not stated
Not stated
TunnelBear
Not stated
Not stated
Not stated
Not stated
Proton VPN states a kill switch in all its apps and the others do not break it down by platform. If a kill switch matters to you, it is the one provider here that says so for both phones.
iPhone and Android Are Not the Same Risk
On an iPhone, apps come from the App Store only, so the risk is a look-alike listing. Check that the developer name matches the provider’s website before you install.
On Android, the Play Store is the first place to check, but Android also lets you install an app file from outside the store. A 2016 peer-reviewed study of 283 Android apps that use the VPN permission[1] found apps that leak traffic, intercept encrypted connections and inject tracking code, which is the main reason this page recommends installing only from a store listing the provider links to from its own website. Our guide to malware explains what a fake VPN app can do once it is installed.
Our Picks
Proton VPN: Best Overall
Proton VPN is the first free plan to try on a phone. It is the only one here with no data cap, and the free plan has no ads. It runs on both iPhone and Android and states a kill switch in all its apps.
The free plan allows one device and assigns you a server in one of its ten free countries, so you cannot choose where you connect. Proton VPN ranks #3 of 22 on our Trust Score.
Free data: No cap
Free devices: 1
Android extras: Split tunneling
Limit to know: No manual server choice
Best for: Anyone who wants one free VPN on a phone and does not want to watch a data meter.
Windscribe: Best for Many Devices
Windscribe’s free plan covers an unlimited number of devices[2], which makes it the one to pick if the VPN has to cover a phone, a tablet and a laptop at once. It adds a built-in ad and tracker blocker and supports split tunneling on Android.
The cost is the cap: 10 GB a month once you confirm your email. That is enough for browsing and messaging and will not last long if you stream video on cellular.
Free data: 10 GB a month with a confirmed email
Free devices: Unlimited
Android extras: Split tunneling
Limit to know: The cap; kill switch on phones not stated
Best for: Households with several devices and light data use.
Hide.me: Best for Light Use
Hide.me’s free plan gives you 10 GB a month and a choice of five server locations. It supports its full set of protocols on the free plan, WireGuard included.
Hide.me does not state a kill switch or split tunneling by platform, so treat those as unknown until you see them in the app.
Free data: 10 GB a month
Free locations: 5
Limit to know: Free device count and platform-level features not stated
Best for: Occasional use where you want to pick a location yourself.
TunnelBear: Best for Beginners
TunnelBear is the easiest of the four to start with, and its Cure53 security audits have been published since 2016. The free plan allows only 2 GB a month[3], with all server locations.
Treat it as a way to try a VPN app for the first time, not as an everyday plan.
Free data: 2 GB a month
Free locations: All
Limit to know: The lowest cap of the four
Best for: A first look at what a VPN app does on your phone.
How to Set Up a Free VPN on Your Phone Safely
Open the provider’s own website, not a search result for “free VPN”, and follow its link to the App Store or Google Play.
Check that the developer name on the store listing matches the provider.
Install the app and create a free account. A trustworthy free plan should not ask for a card.
Turn on the kill switch if the app has one, and switch on connecting automatically on untrusted Wi-Fi.
Find where the app shows your remaining data, so the cap does not catch you out.
What a Free Plan Will Not Do on a Phone
A free plan is built to give you a taste of the paid service. It limits data, servers or speed, and a phone uses data in the background that you do not see. If you want a VPN that stays on all day, a paid plan on a nearby server is the better fit. Our best VPN for Android and best VPN for iPhone guides rank those.
For access to content in other regions, free plans are the weakest choice: the free server pools are small, and the terms of the service you want to reach still apply.
Final Verdict
If you want
Pick
One free VPN with no data meter
Proton VPN
One free plan for a phone, a tablet and a laptop
Windscribe
To choose a location yourself on a small cap
Hide.me
The simplest first try
TunnelBear
Start with Proton VPN, then move to a paid plan if the free limits get in the way. Whichever you choose, install it from a store link on the provider’s own website.
References
M. Ikram, N. Vallina-Rodriguez, S. Seneviratne, M. A. Kaafar, and V. Paxson. 2016. An analysis of the privacy and security risks of android VPN permission-enabled apps. 2016 ACM Internet Measurement Conference, IMC 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/2987443.2987471.
Is there a free VPN for iPhone and Android that is actually safe?
Yes, if it is the limited free plan of a paid service. Proton VPN, Windscribe, Hide.me and TunnelBear fit that description, because paying customers fund them. Install from the provider’s own link to the store, and avoid apps whose only income is ads.
Which free VPN has no data limit on a phone?
Of the four on this page, only Proton VPN has no data cap on its free plan. It allows one device at a time and assigns your server for you. The others cap data between 2 GB and 10 GB a month.
It depends on the plan. Windscribe’s free plan allows unlimited devices, while Proton VPN’s allows one device at a time. Hide.me and TunnelBear do not state a free-plan limit, so check it before you plan to cover two devices.
How do I install a free VPN on my iPhone safely?
Open the provider’s website, follow its link to the App Store, and check that the developer name matches the provider. Install the app, create a free account, then turn on any kill switch and automatic connection the app offers.
Does a free VPN have a kill switch on a phone?
Only some say so. Proton VPN states a kill switch in all its apps. Windscribe, Hide.me and TunnelBear do not state one by platform, so check the app settings after you install.
Can a free VPN split traffic so only some apps use it on Android?
Windscribe and Proton VPN both state split tunneling on Android. Neither states it on iPhone. If you need to keep one app outside the VPN, check the app settings before relying on it.
Will a free VPN slow down my phone?
Usually yes, a little. Free plans share a smaller set of servers, and a VPN adds some delay to every connection. Choose the closest server you can, and expect video and large downloads to be the slowest.
When should I move from a free VPN to a paid one on my phone?
Move when you hit the data cap in the first half of the month, when you need to choose a server, or when you need more than the free device limit. Most providers here let you upgrade inside the same app.
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