When something is advertised as free, it often comes with some sort of catch; remember the saying, ‘if you’re not paying for a product, then you are the product’. VPNs are certainly not exempt from the situation, since there are many schemes on the internet that intend to hunt for the most unsuspecting victims.
However, the good news is that there are also VPN providers that play fair and actually practice what they preach, delivering a relatively vast range of options for free. For this to be possible most providers cut down on additional features or impose service limitations, but that doesn’t stop many of these being truly worthwhile solutions for the average user.
Even if you’re in the market for a free VPN service, it’s still advisable to choose a trustworthy VPN provider that offers free and limited offers rather than simply searching online for the best completely unlimited alternative, since doing so could well turn up results of unscrupulous businesses that may use dodgy tactics to trick or trap you into paying them – whether that’s with cash or your private details.
Best Free VPN Services of 2018
1. Windscribe
| Free Account | |
| Reviews | |
| Bandwidth | 10GB/mo |
| Devices | Unlimited |
| Countries (Free VPN) | 11 |
| P2P (Free VPN) |  |
| OpenVPN |  |
| Credit Card Required | |
This free VPN account can be used on as many devices as you like and has a good range of 11 locations, including the U.S. and Switzerland but sadly does not have any Asian locations. The speed and performance of their VPN network is quite impressive for a free account, too, it’s even on par with some of the better paid VPN services.
Not only does Windscribe have a light and easy to handle VPN client for all of the usual platforms like Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, but it also throws in browser extensions for Firefox and Google Chrome, too. What is most welcome with Windscribe’s free VPN – aside from the generous bandwidth – is that it comes with a stellar firewall, allows P2P traffic and provides ad blocking when you combine the client and browser extension.
2. Hide.me
| Free Account | |
| Reviews | |
| Bandwidth | 2GB/mo |
| Devices | 1 |
| Countries (Free VPN) | 3 |
| P2P (Free VPN) | |
| OpenVPN | |
| Credit Card Required | |
Hide.me’s complete set of tools includes a kill switch and DNS leaking prevention, a serious range of VPN protocols, free proxy servers and much more. Moreover, the VPN network includes over 30 locations – which is admittedly not exactly the greatest number – but by including P2P servers in different countries the company goes further than many.
The free version has unlimited use, though it comes with some obvious limitations. There are only three countries available – Canada, the Netherlands and Singapore – and the same number of VPN protocols (IKEv2, PPTP and SSTP). However, there is good news, too: all countries are P2P connections, the monthly data transfer limit is 2GB, and a kill switch and DNS leak prevention are also included as part of the free package. The combination of all of these means that Hide.me allows anonymous torrenting for free, which is quite rare.
3. TunnelBear
| Free Account | |
| Reviews | |
| Bandwidth | 500MB/mo |
| Devices | |
| Countries (Free VPN) | 3 |
| P2P (Free VPN) | |
| OpenVPN | |
| Credit Card Required |
TunnelBear’s network is composed of 20 countries, a limited amount that is at least enough to ensure our furry friends can reach Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas. Additionally, the service comes with extra security features: the so called GhostBear disguises VPN traffic as real, and VigilantBear blocks unsecure traffic whenever a Wi-Fi connection drops.
Surprisingly, the free version includes all of this, too, even the complete server network. However, Little Bear users – the name of the free plan – still have to deal with some restraints, though in this case they’re not too vast. The only limits are the transfer data at 500MB per month – though tweeting about TunnelBear adds a further 500MB – and the number of connections restricted to just one.
4. SurfEasy
| Free Account | |
| Reviews | |
| Bandwidth | 500MB/mo |
| Devices | 5 |
| Countries (Free VPN) | |
| P2P (Free VPN) | |
| OpenVPN | |
| Credit Card Required | |
But there’s also a downloadable client for computers and mobile devices in which the free plan – called Starter – is the default upon opening the program. This plan is available for an unlimited amount of time, and grants a greater freedom of movement than its Opera-exclusive version thanks to the larger number of countries to choose from – 16 in total.
On the other hand, the default bandwidth limit is only 500MB per month, but there are numerous ways to get more: confirming your email address rewards you with 100MB, adding a second device earns 250MB extra while inviting friends doubles the initial amount by adding a further 500MB. The free account can utilize up to five devices, and even includes extra features like automatic connections and Wi-Fi safety.
5. Hotspot Shield
| Free Account | |
| Reviews | |
| Bandwidth | 500MB/day |
| Devices | |
| Countries (Free VPN) | 20 |
| P2P (Free VPN) | |
| OpenVPN | n/a |
| Credit Card Required | |
Even better is the fact that Hotspot Shield provides two ways of using their service for free. There is a completely free version that can be used for an unlimited amount of time and a seven-day free trial of the full service. The latter is obviously the most advantageous and can be activated upon installation of the client. For one week, users will benefit from the so-called Elite version of Hotspot Shield, with access to the entire VPN network and other features like IP leak prevention and Wi-Fi hotspot protection.
Conversely, the free version would be more attractive if it wasn’t supported by targeted ads. This is understandable given that clients are not paying for the service, but it puts a big question mark over the company’s privacy policy. Not only that but the U.S. is the only available country, while bandwidth usage is capped at 500MB per day.
6. Avira Phantom VPN
| Free Account | |
| Reviews | |
| Bandwidth | 500MB/mo |
| Devices | |
| Countries (Free VPN) | 20 |
| P2P (Free VPN) | |
| OpenVPN | n/a |
| Credit Card Required | |
When it comes to its VPN, Avira Phantom VPN doesn’t even require a registration and users can make use of both a desktop program and a sideloaded app. The first allows the addition of any of those extra tools already mentioned while the latter is best for when only the VPN is of interest.
By default the VPN will choose the closest connection by examining low ping and finding fast connections, but those who are looking for specific countries will also be happy to know that Avira Phantom VPN offers 22 server locations. The VPN network covers everywhere from the U.S. to Australia, with multiple servers in different countries across Europe and Asia.
When it comes to extra features within the free version there are obviously some limitations. There is no fail-safe protection or tech support, and the service is limited to a maximum of 500MB bandwidth per month. However, everything is pretty satisfactory overall: free users can use the program on multiple devices, tune the app to automatically launch the VPN when connected to a Wi-Fi network, benefit from DNS leak prevention and encrypted traffic, and even install a browser extension for private surfing without ads.
Free VPN Trials
There are different formats of free VPN trials and they don’t follow any specific expectations since they are offered according to each company’s own criteria, even though there are some familiar patterns. Free versions that have unlimited use commonly include restrictions in the available features and servers, while a free trial of the entire program almost always comes with a limited period of time to make use of the full software.
But then there are providers who sometimes don’t opt for either of these two options but instead offer a considerate refund policy instead. Though this does require a prior payment for the service to begin, by using this method it’s possible to enjoy a service at its fullest for the time the refund policy is applicable. After that, if a user is not happy with the service they can easily ask for their money back.
Usually these money back guarantees last for 30 days, though there are some companies that provide either longer or shorter periods. Likewise, the majority make this easier by making a no questions asked refund policy.
Best Free VPN Trials
1. CyberGhost
This means that for one week all customers can enjoy unlimited bandwidth and access to the entire VPN network of more than 1,250 servers in 57 countries. On top of that there’s yet another trial to make use of: the 30-day money back guarantee. Though this requires an upfront payment, it’s possible to get a no-questions-asked refund by contacting the team before the end of that period.
2. ExpressVPN
This includes such features as a kill switch, the complete server network of over 145 VPN locations, unlimited bandwidth and much more. The conditions behind this are simple and there are no restrictions on the amount of server switches available or bandwidth used, though any change to the subscribed plan is treated as a waiver of the money back guarantee.
3. SaferVPN
4. HideMyAss
However, this chance at trying HideMyAss risk-free has some other details that need close attention. To be eligible for a refund, customers cannot have exceeded 10GB of bandwidth nor connected to the service more than 100 times. Not only that but HideMyAss states that in those cases where the bandwidth limit is exceeded but “the original order is for more than one month”, the company may charge based on usage and issue only a “partial refund”.
Risks of Free VPNs
The reason why everyone should opt for services that offer free trials or limited versions of complete services is simple, because otherwise it’s far too easy to be fooled by untrustworthy companies. Some VPN apps collect data about their users to sell online, which can have all sorts of harmful consequences.
Not only will the user’s private details fall into the hands of unknown third parties, but often the banking information can also be compromised. Others make use of limited-time free trials to trick their users into committing to an upgraded plan that can cost small fortunes – often without any warning – which is made worse by the fact that the uninstall process of such rogue apps is often complex.
The providers that we recommend here monetize their free services by limiting the available options so that customers may eventually upgrade to paid subscriptions, the so-called freemium model. There are also companies like AnchorFree that insert advertising into their free VPN product to monetize it in addition to the income they earn on their paid premium version.
As our Hotspot Shield review and earlier controversies regarding the company’s privacy policy have shown, these ad-supported free VPN services should be approached with caution. They may be tracking users and their actions, perhaps not to sell the data to third parties but rather to use it for the purpose of targeted advertising.
In this regard it’s important check on our reviews and the opinions of other users to find out whether or not a certain VPN service can be trusted.
Best Paid VPN Services of 2018
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Paid VPN vs Free VPN
Like any other business, the objective of any VPN company is to make profit out of users’ subscriptions, which explains some of the conditions and limits on the available free plans. The difference between a free and a paid VPN is considerable, and therefore not solely limited to the number of servers, maximum amount of bandwidth or a decrease in speed.
Actually, some of these free VPN services that we recommend leave more advanced security features to their respective premium subscriptions. Kill switches or the ability to choose different VPN protocols, for instance, are two of the most common extras that are restricted to paid accounts. The same is true for the ability to add more devices to the same account or make use of exclusive settings for other, more unusual platforms like game consoles or smart TVs, often via router configurations.
Likewise, the number of available countries that users can connect to is typically extended on premium accounts, though often this means companies will unlock multiple servers inside larger or more popular countries.
Depending on the provider, paid subscriptions can also provide exclusive access to specific servers reserved for torrenting purposes. Considering the number of threats that can come from unprotected browsing nowadays, a VPN has become a small price to pay to reclaim some of the lost privacy when accessing the internet.
What to Look for in a Free VPN
Free VPN for Torrenting
Having a VPN is crucial for torrenting, because this is one of the riskiest tasks to perform. Torrents are illegal in many countries, so doing so with an unprotected IP address will likely get you in legal trouble. A kill switch is also important for this need as it shuts down all internet connections if the VPN fails, ensuring that no real IP addresses are ever shown.
Free VPN for Kodi
Kodi is one of the most popular online media streaming services, allowing users to watch foreign TV channels. Because of this, VPNs are necessary not only to overcome geographically blocked content but to remain hidden from ISPs, too. Because they can’t see what users are doing when connected to a VPN, they won’t throttle any connections to those who have bandwidth restrictions. A VPN with DNS leak prevention and a kill switch is the most suitable here.
Free VPN for Netflix
As with the previous need, having a VPN for Netflix is recommended to gain access to the streaming service’s alternative libraries in other worldwide locations. America and Mexico have the most complete selection in the world by far, but other regions include programs and films that you might not find in these libraries. Additionally, it is useful to ensure you are free from any ISP throttling. In fact, this has become such a common practice that Netflix started to block some VPNs a while ago. The good news, though, is that some services still work one way or another, even for free.
Free VPN for Windows
Windows is the most popular operating system in the world, with a mix of older and different versions still in use. VPN providers know about this, and so there isn’t a single provider that doesn’t offer a client for Windows 10 or older. Having a VPN for Windows protects the entire computer and most providers often go as far as Windows Vista or Windows 7. It’s even possible to find some supporting all the way back to Windows XP.
Free VPN for Android
Android is to mobile devices as Windows is to computers; it is the most popular operating system for mobile and because it’s so common to connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots using smartphones or tablets, most VPN providers also provide apps for Android devices. This is vital to ensure your smart device is safe from the many dangers that public networks represent. Their trials or free forever versions can often also be enjoyed on mobile, and enabling features like automatic connections while on Wi-Fi is advisable.