VPNs, or virtual private networks, are one of the most effective ways to stay safe online. Not only do they allow you to stay anonymous, but they can help safeguard your data and keep intrusive trackers at bay. Plus, they allow you to get around region blocks on streaming services and avoid ISP throttling. However, you usually have to pay for a VPN subscription and adding an extra monthly expense might not be an option. That’s where a free VPN can come in handy, providing you with much needed security for no cost at all.
While I advise that you opt for a premium VPN, such as those in our roundup of the best VPNs, I understand that sometimes you just don’t want to pay for yet another service. Therefore I’ve curated a list of the best and most trustworthy free VPNs around. I detail what restrictions they may impose and what activities they’re best used for — streaming, torrenting, browsing, etc. Check out my my top picks below.
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Proton VPN – Best free VPN overall
Pros
- Unrivaled free plan
- Great privacy tools
- Reliable and transparent no-logs policy
Cons
- Premium plan is expensive
- Some minor unblocking issues
Who should use Proton VPN?
If you’re looking for speed and excellent privacy in a free VPN then Proton VPN is your best choice. The only real limitation to this service is that you can only connect with one device at a time. Other than that, it’s practically a premium VPN.
The service comes from a trustworthy, privacy-focused company that has undergone multiple successful audits of its no-logs policy. The free version is also mercifully free of ads — a rarity among no-cost VPNs. You’ll be able to choose from five servers located all over the world including Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and the U.S. Plus, the real kicker is that there are no data limits, meaning you can surf and stream to your heart’s content. This feature alone — no data limits — is reason enough to use Proton VPN; add in everything else and the competition for top spot isn’t even close.
Proton VPN’s free version even showed decent speeds in my tests, just going to show that this is the VPN to get if you don’t want to spend any money.
Proton VPN: Further considerations
The VPN is from the same company behind Proton Mail, a privacy-focused email service, so it’s very easy to integrate the VPN into the whole Proton ecosystem if you so wish.
The company has undergone multiple independent audits confirming its no-logs policy — that includes the free VPN, as well. If you decide to upgrade to the premium version the monthly price does come in at the expensive side, so make sure you try out the free version first before upgrading.
Read our full ProtonVPN review
PrivadoVPN – Best free VPN runner-up
Pros
- Excellent free version
- Unblocks streaming services
- Based in privacy-friendly Switzerland
Cons
- No independent audit
- Smaller server network
- Feature set not as robust as some competitors
Who should use PrivadoVPN?
PrivadoVPN is a good option for just about anyone looking to use a free VPN. The good amount of global servers to choose from and ability to unblock streaming services means you can use it to stream while traveling for free.
The free version comes with 13 global servers to choose from, a generous 10 simultaneous device-connection limit, and up to 10GB per month of high-speed data. Most of the other free VPNs only match one of these features, but PrivadoVPN provides them all.
PrivadoVPN: Further considerations
While the PrivadoVPN does work to unblock streaming services, just be aware that streaming in HD will hit that 10GB data limit pretty fast. The 10GB-per-month data cap only applies to high speeds though, after you reach the cap you’ll still be able to use the free VPN but with throttled speeds. Privacy-conscious users should also be aware that the company has not yet completed an independent audit, but it does promise to abide by its no-logs policy for both the paid and free versions.
The only reason Proton VPN came out on top in this list is because it offers a truly unlimited free version. That doesn’t take away from PrivadoVPN though, as it’s about as close as you’re going to get otherwise.
Read our full PrivadoVPN review
CyberGhost VPN – Best free VPN browser extension
Pros
- Enormous global server network
- Independently verified no-log policy
- Generous 45-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Server speeds can be hit-or-miss
- Lacks extra security features offered by competitors
Who should use CyberGhost VPN?
CyberGhost VPN provides an excellent VPN with plenty of servers optimized for different tasks such as gaming, streaming, and torrenting. While you do need to pay for the premium service, with access to all of its 11,500-plus servers and additional security features, CyberGhost also has a great browser extension that it offers for free. If you have either Chrome or Firefox you can download the extension without having to pay anything and enjoy access to a limited number of the VPN servers — currently sitting at eight servers in four countries. Additionally, you are able to connect to and use these VPN servers without having to worry about bandwidth limits or data capping — which is a huge advantage as most other free services impose strict limits.
CyberGhost’s free version is ideal for users who don’t want to pay for a premium VPN service but also don’t want to worry about a monthly data cap. Plus, the fact that CyberGhost VPN’s free version is browser-based means that users who don’t want to bother downloading and setting up a new application can simply use the VPN in either their Firefox or Chrome browser.
CyberGhost VPN: Further considerations
While being a browser-based VPN is certainly convenient, it does come with the drawback of being overly simplistic. You lose access to all of the robust features and tools included in the standalone VPN app.
Also, in my tests I found that the servers I used in the browser extension were not able to successfully unblock streaming servers. However, if you start using the free browser extension and decide you like CyberGhost, you can always opt for a premium membership, which can be as low as $3 a month for a long-term plan and even comes with a generous 45-day money back guarantee.
Read our full CyberGhost review
Windscribe – Best free VPN for speed
Pros
- Good free plan
- Fast speeds
- Unlimited device connections
Cons
- Streaming unblocking is inconsistent
- Smaller server network than some competitors
Who should use Windscribe VPN?
Those who want a free VPN with fast speeds and a generous helping of extra perks will find that Windscribe is the go-to option. In my testing, I noticed no discernible speed differences between the paid and free versions, and considering that the paid version already had great average speeds, that is a huge bonus.
Most free VPNs are only good for location spoofing with no real added features, and that’s why Windscribe is so good. It offers way more for users and the fact that it gives you up to 10GB of bandwidth means you can use it multiple times throughout the month before hitting the data cap. The free service offers 10 regional connections including the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, and Romania. Plus, Windscribe does not use any virtual servers at all, meaning everything is a real physical server located in that region—a nice bonus for those concerned about server security and location spoofing.
It also has a ton of privacy features such as blockers for site notifications and “we use cookies” banners, WebRTC leak protection, user agent rotation, and more. The service is extremely easy to use with a simple setup and solid performance for a free VPN.
Windscribe VPN: Further considerations
While Windscribe’s free version does offer up to 10GB of data per month, to get that bandwidth you’ll need to confirm via email address — if not, you’re stuck at 2GB per month. Additionally, some users might be turned off of the interface which seems a bit over-designed and not as intuitive as it could be. Still, Windscribe is a great free option with very few downsides.
I not only recommend the Windscribe free service on its own, but also as an easy way to get to know the service before committing to a paid tier with premium features.
Read our full Windscribe Pro review
TunnelBear – Best free VPN for get-in, get-out tasks
Pros
- Fun and easy-to-use interface
- Reliable security features
- Unlimited simultaneous device connections
Cons
- Lacks some advanced features for power users
- Customer support not the most helpful
- Not a good option for torrenting
Who should use TunnelBear VPN?
I’ve always liked TunnelBear. It’s simple to use, affordable, and the speeds are fine. TunnelBear’s free VPN is best suited for those who need a one-and-done VPN experience. The 500MB data cap is quite restrictive, but you have access to all of the premium features from an excellent VPN service. This includes split-tunneling, a unique HTTPS masking feature, and your choice of multiple VPN protocols.
The idea is to provide a trial for testing out the service before making a bigger commitment. Thankfully, beyond the data limit, the free version of TunnelBear puts no restrictions on what features are available so you’re able to experience the full application for no charge.
TunnelBear VPN: Further considerations
TunnelBear’s data limit won’t allow you to stream or play games for the most part, but it’s enough for quick hits when you’re on the road for checking email, or some basic web browsing. Plus, TunnelBear keeps track of your bandwidth usage so you can see when you’re getting too close to the limit.
Also, while TunnelBear’s free version provides you with its full premium feature set, these features are rather minimal compared to other top services. TunnelBear is all about simplicity and fun and that will appeal to a lot of people, but not everyone.
Read our full TunnelBear review
Other free VPNs we liked
While we believe that the above VPNs are currently the best and most trustworthy, there are a few other services that deserve attention: Hide.me is a well-rounded service that ticks almost every box and the fantastic array of configurable settings make it a power-user’s dream. It recently did away with it’s data limits as well, which is a huge upgrade for free users. Hotspot Shield is another decent free option if you’re fine with only U.S.-based servers and a few ads. There is a 500MB data limit per day though so it’s really only suitable for private browsing. IPVanish nails all of the basics: good speeds, a large server network, and privacy promises backed up with independent audits. There is no dedicated free version, but the generous 7-day free trial is useful to try out the service or for short term usage needs. Also, the newcomer EventVPN, developed by ExpressVPN for iOS and Android, is a free VPN for mobile users with privacy at it’s core.
I’m continuously evaluating new VPNs and reevaluating services I’ve already tested on a regular basis, so be sure to come back for more recommendations and to see what else we’ve put through their paces.
Can I get a better VPN deal?
Here at PCWorld, we are regularly hunting down the best VPN deals to help you get the most bang for your buck. VPN services are frequently running deals throughout the year, so if you decide to upgrade from a free to premium tier, you should have a few chances to snag your favorite VPN on a steep discount if you can time it right.
While the prices for all VPNs on this list are updated daily, they do not account for special deals or offers. It’s best to keep checking our deals article to see what new limited-time discounts are on offer each week. Additionally, sales events such as Amazon Prime Day in mid-July and Black Friday at the end of November provide excellent opportunities to find even cheaper VPN deals.
How we test VPNs
We judge VPNs on a variety of criteria including server network, connection speeds, privacy protections, ease-of-use, additional features, and cost. For a more detailed guide on our evaluation process, check out PCWorld’s comprehensive guide on how we test VPN services.
Speed tests are kept as simple as possible. We average the connections between different global locations for any given VPN and then compare them to our baseline internet speed to get a good picture of the overall connection speeds.
We thoroughly research and analyze the privacy policies and histories of each VPN and note any outstanding discrepancies or data collection issues. Experience and ease-of-use are subjective, but we try our best to give an accurate representation of how it feels to work with the VPN. And finally, we compare the value of the service based upon its price and additional features to the industry average to help you gain an accurate picture of what you’ll get for your money.
Why you should trust PCWorld for VPN reviews and buying advice
Here at PCWorld we’ve been testing computer hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. As reviewers and users of PC hardware and software, we put every product through its paces using rigorous benchmarking and hands-on evaluation. We’d never recommend something we wouldn’t want for ourselves.
Who curated this article?
Sam Singleton is PCWorld’s VPN beat reporter and jack of all trades. When he’s not on the hunt for the best computer deals he’s covering VPNs, productivity software, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade hardware and software.
How to choose the best free VPN
Choosing a free VPN is a question of weighing the trade-offs with each service. Do you want unlimited bandwidth but a restriction on devices? Or is it preferable to have more devices but deal with a bandwidth limit?
Server network
One of the first things you should look for in a free VPN is the number of servers and locations. It’s difficult to judge any VPN by just one feature, but a semi-reliable way to tell if a VPN is even worth your time is to look at the server network. While premium services should have 1,000 or more total servers, free VPNs will provide a lot less. Look for something in the range of 8 to 10 total servers, preferably located in different countries around the world.
Speed
The next thing to consider is a VPN’s speed. This may be tricky to do since you aren’t likely to be able to test connection speeds without paying to use the service. Reading reviews online will give you a general estimate. Look for reviews, like ours, that give you a relative average of connection speeds rather than direct Mbps speed comparisons, for a more accurate picture. Also, be sure to check if the free version comes with any speed restrictions.
Privacy
You’ll also want to read up on a VPN’s privacy protections. Does it have a no-logs policy? Has it undergone any independent audits of its servers? Where is the VPN company located? All of these will give you an idea of whether or not a VPN is transparent with its data collection policies and if it’s subject to government data sharing requirements.
Other factors to consider
One thing you definitely want to avoid is a VPN that is ad supported. Ads expose you to tracking by the company delivering said ads, which is something you don’t want. Also, stay away from any deal that suggests you can get a VPN by “sharing” your bandwidth like we saw with the Hola VPN scandal back in 2015. You also want to watch out for any VPNs with no name recognition, or that don’t have any official reviews by third-parties.
FAQ
What is the best free VPN?
Proton VPN is our pick for best free VPN overall. With the free version, you’ll get all of the same privacy and security benefits of the premium version, plus no monthly data limits and good speeds.
The only major drawback is that you’ll be limited to a few global servers, but there should be enough variety to access what you want.
Are free VPNs safe?
Free VPNs have a bit of a bad rap as some have been used to exploit users with targeted ads and dubious privacy policies. Figuring out which services are reputable and which you should steer clear of can be challenging.
When we review VPNs here at PCWorld, we look closely at each service’s privacy policy and do in-depth research to determine if there’ve been any historical data sharing issues associated with the company.
The best free VPNs, such as those listed above, will have strict no-logs policies and back them up with third-party audits. Many of these details aren’t widely known, so if you’re unsure about a service’s track record or privacy policy commitments, be sure to check out our detailed reviews, or do a bit of research on your own before using a free VPN.
Do free VPNs work with Netflix?
Netflix has a reputation for strongly combating VPN usage on its site. Sometimes, even with premium VPNs, it can be difficult to find servers that can unblock these types of streaming sites.
Free VPNs in particular can struggle to access streaming services such as Netflix due in part to their limited number of servers—more servers means more potential options to bypass blocks. Additionally, free VPNs often limit connection speeds or the amount of data for users, meaning streaming isn’t a viable option.
I recommend that if your main goal with a VPN is to access location-restricted content, then you opt for a premium VPN such as those in our list of best VPNs for Netflix. Otherwise, you might find it difficult with any free VPN to access streaming content.
Is a free VPN any good?
If you’re looking to increase your privacy and security while surfing the web, then the right free VPN can be a perfectly viable solution. You may run into some performance issues with free VPNs due to their imposed limitations, though.
That being said, all of the free VPNs above are more than worth trying out, especially if your VPN needs are basic. Just make sure that you stick with a reputable provider such as those above, with strong privacy practices.
What is a VPN?
VPNs create a secure tunnel between your PC and the internet. When you connect to a VPN your web traffic is routed through the chosen VPN server to make it appear as though you’re browsing from that server’s location, and not from your actual location. The VPN app will also encrypt your data so that any third parties such as your ISP can’t see your specific online activities. A VPN can be a great response to a variety of concerns, such as online privacy, anonymity, greater security on public Wi-Fi, and, of course, spoofing locations.
Can I be tracked with a free VPN?
While a trustworthy free VPN will certainly offer you better privacy and security, neither it nor any other premium VPN can make you completely anonymous or keep you from being tracked entirely.
A VPN will keep your ISP from seeing your traffic, but there are a mind-boggling number of ways that other companies or sites track you across the internet. For example, when you sign into a website, your identity is still revealed to that website, VPN or not. Or when you log into your Gmail account while using a VPN, Google can now collect personalized cookies based on your browsing.
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Author: Sam Singleton, Assistant Editor, PCWorld
Sam Singleton is PCWorld's VPN beat reporter and jack of all trades. When he's not on the hunt for the best computer deals he's covering VPNs, productivity software, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade hardware and software.