6 Completely Free VPNs
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is one of the best ways to stay safe while you’re online, it also allows you to unblock some geo-restricted sites.
After you sign up with a provider, the VPN connects to their servers, encrypting the data sent to and from your device. It means that your ISP will no longer be able to see what you’re up to, while it’s useful for unlocking geo-restricted content like US Netflix or various sports.
They can also be used to bypass blocks put in place by changing the location of your IP address, which doubles as a security feature. (The websites you visit won’t be able to see your IP, although they will sometimes be able to tell that the user has a VPN.)
Overall, they’re great to use for an added layer of anonymity and security, although they won’t protect you if you download a suspicious file directly to your device.
If you wish to extend your knowledge beyond the basics, we strongly advise you to read our full VPN guide.
What is a Free VPN
Free VPN services are generally subpar when compared to premium providers, or they’re posited as a ‘trial’ version of the service. Most aim to retain their customer base by getting them to upgrade to the full-fat version, but a free version is still better than browsing without one. On the other hand, lots of free users also help to give a company legitimacy; especially if they’re dropping down five star reviews like it’s going out of fashion. Offering a solid free service is a great way to get some positive attention, and the market is fairly crowded.
If you’re strapped for cash, or you’re just unsure whether a VPN will be right for you, it’s a great way to see what they have to offer without committing to a contract.
Free VPN Benefits
A free VPN will be able to protect you in a range of different situations like we’ve discussed above, while some use adverts as a revenue stream instead of limiting their service.
At the very least, a decent VPN will ensure information about your online movements will be safe behind their encryption protocols, and you’ll be able to access geo-restricted content.
Best of all, they’re free! It might not be the most powerful version of the software, and it won’t come with the full range of features, but it’s a decent alternative if you can’t (or won’t) pay.
Why we Recommend ExpressVPN’s Money Back Guarantee
Although ExpressVPN isn’t technically free, it’s the best money can buy. Why you ask? Well, free comes at a cost. ExpressVPN uses an ultra-secure 256-bit AES encryption and doesn’t retain any logs, which ensures total anonymity online. It also offers geo-spoofing to 90+ countries, so you can stream whatever you want, wherever! These are just some of the things you won’t be able to find in a free VPN.
The best thing about ExpressVPN is their free trial: Try it for 30 days and get your money back- no questions asked! If you are looking for a VPN for a short time, ExpressVPN is your top choice!
With its super-fast speed, mobile accessibility, an easy to use app, and access in censorship-heavy countries, you’ll find all you need in a VPN with ExpressVPN.
For more information on ExpressVPN features, read our extensive ExpressVPN review.
The Best Free VPNs
We’ve prepared a list with six of the best free VPNs that are available for download. Pricing wasn’t the only criteria that were considered, as we looked at overall speeds and features to find the best VPN free trial offers.
#1 Cyberghost – The Best Free Unlimited VPN
CyberGhost is a very well-known VPN. It is known for its access to some of the top streaming websites around the globe (including Netflix and BBC iPlayer), safe and anonymous surfing (including on public Wi-Fi), and CyberGhost is one of the few VPNs out there that allows torrenting. With over 1200 servers, a no-logs policy, and 256-bit AES encryption, it is one of the safest and most trusted VPNs on the market. It also has an automatic kill switch, offers up to 5 simultaneous connections, and apps for all major operating systems.
Additional Free Features: While most VPNs require you to sign up for a credit card in order to take advantage of their free trial, that is not the case for CyberGhost. You can “try before you buy” with absolutely no commitment whatsoever. And the best part is that, unlike other free versions and free trials, CyberGhost’s trial offers its users all the premium benefits associated with their paid VPN – you will not experience bandwidth caps, data transfer limits, or a modified server list. To be sure this VPN will 100% fit your needs, we highly recommend giving it a test drive. It is of literally no cost to you.
If you choose to upgrade, this is the pricing:
- One month – $11.99
- One year – $5.99/month
- Two years – $3.50/month (and you save 71%!)
Return Policy: “CyberGhost has a 30 day, no questions asked, refund policy for all of our products. This ensures that no mistake purchases are made or avoids situations like customers not being able to use our services (for example when your ISP is blocking VPN connections).”
Try Now Cyberghost – Completly Free – No Credit Card Needed
For more information on Windscribe features, read our extensive Cyberghost review.
UPDATE: Don’t miss the free trial download link. Please refer to the image below for the link located on the page. Download the VPN client and start surfing the web with maximum privacy – for FREE.
#2 Windscribe – The Best Free Limited VPN
Windscribe is a tiered VPN provider with a great free plan. It’s available on unlimited devices, with 11 server locations to choose from. You’ll be able to access their firewall and ad blocking features, and they give an allowance of 10GB of data that renews each month. Windscribe is for sure the best free VPN option
Additional free features: It’s a liberal lump of free data, and they get rid of your information straight away thanks to their strict logging policy. It’s a trustworthy, great service that is well worth trying out. (You can also use the 10GB allowance for P2P sharing.
If you choose to upgrade, this is the pricing:
One Month: $9.00
12 months: $4.08
Return Policy:“In case you are not satisfied with the commercial Service, once you have subscribed you have the right to obtain a full reimbursement, given that your request is sent within 3 commercial days from the subscription payment.”
Try Now Windscribe VPN – Completly Free – No Credit Card Needed
For more information on Windscribe features, read our extensive Windscribe review.
#3 HideMan – Limited but Great for Mobile
The second provider on our list is HideMan. Every user is eligible for four hours of free access per week, and the London-based VPN is banking on the restrictions being enough to persuade you to switch to their paid service. If you just want a free VPN for light use, it’s arguably the best free VPN for Android or iPhone.
Additional Free Features: You’re always going to be tempted if you run out of time, but their paid services are worth a try if the trial is working out well for you.
If you choose to upgrade, this is the pricing:
Mobile:
One Month: $2.90
12 months: $2.07
All Devices:
One Month: $9.00
12 months: $5.75
Return Policy: “The company will return the client’s funds within 21 business days but no more than 30 calendar days.”
Try Now Hideman VPN – Completly Free – No Credit Card Needed
For more information on Hideman VPN features, read our extensive Hideman review.
#4 Hotspot Shield – Enjoy Free Version of an Elite VPN
Hotspot Shield is the free version of the popular Hotspot Shield Elite VPN. You don’t need to input any information to download and begin using their app, although they do sell advertising space on websites you visit, as well as collecting user data to make the ads more relevant. It’s not ideal if you’re worried about security and anonymity.
Additional Free Features: It’s one of the best free VPNs for torrenting and accessing international content. Of course, they’d prefer it if you upgrade to the Elite version, which has better connection speeds and no adverts.
If you choose to upgrade, this is the pricing:
One Month: $12.99
Six Months: $8.99
12 months: $5.99
Return Policy: “Customers can request a refund within 30 days from the purchase date.”
Try Now Hotspot Shield VPN – Completly Free – No Credit Card Needed
For more information on Hotspot Shield VPN features, read our extensive Hotspot Shield review.
#5 Hide.Me – No Logs Free VPN Client
Another top free VPN, Hide.Me is well worth testing out if you’re in need of a service in the long term. The free version is limited to three server locations, (Canada, Netherlands, and Singapore) with one simultaneous connection, which is basic, but still usable. The strict ‘no logs’ user policy ensures your personal information won’t be stored.
Additional Free Features: It’s more than a glorified advert for their premium services, although they must hope you’ll sign up for more server locations and unlimited bandwidth after seeing the quality of their VPN.
If you choose to upgrade, this is the pricing:
Hide.me Plus: $4.99
Hide.me Premium: $9.99
Return Policy: “There is no minimum contract term or notice period, you may cancel it at any time. Just contact our support and give them a short notice that you want to cancel your account.”
Try Now Hide.me VPN – Completly Free – No Credit Card Needed
For more information on Hide.me features, read our extensive Hide.me review.
#6 TunnelBear – Very Light Free VPN
TunnelBear offer a completely free version of their VPN, with a number of caps and limitations in place. Free users are limited to 500MB data per month, which is renewed on the same day each month. The cap means that it won’t be helpful for power users, but it’s still viable if you’re a light VPN user.
Additional Free Features: It’s a free VPN that you can use forever, and you can’t say fairer than that. They also have a strict logging policy which means your information will be secure.
If you choose to upgrade, this is the pricing:
One Month: $9.99 per month
12 months: $4.99 per month
Return Policy: “Many issues can contribute to sub-optimal performance (ISP, location, censorship, settings, etc.). The TunnelBear team goes to exceptional lengths to satisfy users who experience sub-optimal performance or the occasional outage. However, TunnelBear does not offer financial reimbursement due to these issues.” In other words, they don’t offer refunds.
Try Now Tunnelbear VPN – Completly Free – No Credit Card Needed
For more information on Tunnelbear VPN features, read our extensive Tunnelbear review.
What are the Drawbacks of a Completely Free VPN
As we’ve mentioned, free doesn’t always mean ‘free’. Given the sensitive nature of your personal information, it’s tough to trust any company that are willing to waive a charge. The best free secure VPN will keep your information safe, without outrageous limitations to their speeds and features. Essentially, trust is the most important aspect, and you could end up being burned if you go with a dodgy provider.
Then there are issues in terms of speed and server locations. A free provider will always struggle to match a paid alternative when it comes to either, which can have a major impact in terms of buffering or general lag. Overall, a free VPN is better than none at all, yet it’ll never match up to a premium service.
If you are a heavy user and in need for a fast and unlimited VPN service, you check our best VPN service ranking.
I will recommend you ivacy lite. It is free and provides unlimited data, unlike other free VPNs.
Hi Mickel,
Thanks for the hint.
We would love to look into this service and review it.
I am full-on into downloading porn.
Thanks for putting this together. For someone like me who just wants to stay private when on the web these are helpful.
Honestly, I’ve tried a bunch of free options and there is just no comparison with the additional power for a paid version. Not sure why this page is even a thing.
The free version of Windscribe is ok, but I definitely noticed the increase in quality when I upgraded.
What kinds of connection speeds can I expect?
Hi. I’m thinking of installing HideMan on mobile but I’m a bit worried that it’s in the UK. Surely the data laws mean that it’s no completely safe?
Hi. I’m trying to update my Windscribe to the paid service but I can’t find how? any ideas?
I’ve always used the free Cyberghost option and never had any problems. Obviously you can’t access Netflix, etc. but it’s fine for security. Never heard of Windscribe before but will definitely be trying it out! Thanks for sharing (most free VPN posts just try and get you to use trial periods)
this is just not true!! Free VPNs are liable to connection drops, which leaves you data completely visible. In my opinion, you’re more likely to take online risks if you think you have VPN protection. So, if you use a service that drops out and you’re torrenting, for example, then you’ve basically been caught red-handed. DO NOT TRUST FREE VPNS
These seem better than the free proxies, at least. Limited services seem easier to trust.
Never trust anything free, that’s my motto.
It seems from this article that the only way to get true VPN protection is to pay for it.
Do you mean Tunnelbear has a “no logs” policy? I thought logging was bad with VPNs? The article is unclear.
I use Hideman and it’s pretty good overall. Started using them because of the cheap mobile upgrade option. Never used the free version as the upgrade was so cheap. It’s solid on public Wi-Fi.
I’m probably wasting my time by asking, but do any of these free VPNs support torrenting? I know that there are probably going to be download / speed limits, but for what I usually like to leech, it will work as long as I can torrent. Any suggestions?
If you’re determined to use a free VPN, Hotspot Shield is going to be your best choice. While ad-driven, it still has decent speed. I have been able to torrent over it but speeds on full versions are obviously better. However, in a pinch, it isn’t bad.
Out of this list, Hotspot shield is the best. I’ve had good results with them. DON’T USE TUNNELBEAR! It is very limit and super slow compared to others. Their service must like to hibernate a lot. Yes, I have dad jokes, but still – use one of the other services.
These options are seriously limited, but at least they’re honest about it