The Best Free VPNs for 2024

If you want all the features of the best VPN services, in most instances you have to pay for them. Fortunately, several free options cover the basics of improving your privacy online. But don’t worry; you don’t have to dig through all the sales pitches, complex plan details, irritating restrictions, and tricky fine print to find the VPN with the best no-cost offering. In addition to our usual testing, which we’ve been conducting for more than 10 years, we’ve done the research to give you the easy-to-parse list of the best free VPNs below. Proton VPN is our top choice for both free and paid VPNs, so you really can’t go wrong, no matter which version you choose. But it isn’t your only good choice. Read on for our top picks, followed by what to look for when choosing a free VPN.

Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks

• Best free VPN subscription yet
  

• Numerous advanced privacy tools
  

• Strong customer privacy stance
  

• Large server network
  

• Slick, accessible client
  

• Excellent upload speed scores

ProtonVPN is our top choice for premium VPNs and free VPNs . company is places places limit data free subscribers use . ProtonVPN is limit , , limit free accounts simultaneous connection . , free accounts is access access servers countries : Netherlands , Japan , United States . Unlike VPNs , , you is select select server use . ProtonVPN is has strong reputation privacy , success sibling product , ProtonMail . ProtonVPN is has similarly good privacy policies backs public , – party audits .

Without data restrictions, Proton VPN is the only service that could be a true daily driver for free. However, the limited server options mean that you ideally want to be in or relatively close to the countries where servers are offered. Additionally, you can only protect one device at a time.

Free Version Data Limit

Unlimited

Free Version Server Limit

, Netherlands , Japan

Free Version Simultaneous Connection Limit

1

Can Manually Select Server In Free Version

Are All Features Available In Free Version?

Free Connection Speeds Limited

Ads Free Version ?

Yes

Best for Free Location Spoofing

TunnelBear VPN

• Unlimited simultaneous connections
  

• Excellent privacy policies
  

• Annual independent audits
  

• Friendly, approachable design (with bears!)

• No multi-hop connections
  

• Split tunneling not available on all platforms
  

• Data limit free subscription

With its playful interface and deadpan bears, it’s easy to dismiss TunnelBear VPN as all show and no substance. But it would be a mistake, as TunnelBear has strong privacy policies that it backs up with a string of annual third-party audits. The free version of TunnelBear VPN allows unlimited simultaneous connections. It does put one hefty restriction on free subscribers: a 500MB per month data limit. You can earn another 1GB of data on top of that if you post about the company on social media. Still, that’s not very much.

The free version of TunnelBear VPN lets you access any of its global servers, making it a good choice for travelers or anyone who needs to spoof their location. But given data limitations, this free VPN is best for people who plan to use it only occasionally.

Free Version Data Limit

500MB – 1.5GB Per Month

Free Version Server Limit

Servers

Free Version Simultaneous Connection Limit

Unlimited

Can Manually Select Server In Free Version

Are All Features Available In Free Version?

Free Connection Speeds Limited

Ads Free Version ?

Yes

Best for Free US-Based Browsing

Hotspot Shield VPN

• Numerous server locations
  

• Slick, approachable client
  

• Open Netflix access in all tested regions
  

• Hefty services bundle

• Expensive
  

• Slowest VPN we’ve tested
  

• Free version supported by targeted ads on Android

Hotspot Shield VPN’s free subscription has a lot of give and take. We like that free users get 500MB of data per day, but we’re not thrilled at the 2Mbps speed limit for mobile devices. Free subscribers on macOS have no data limit, however. Hotspot Shield VPN also uses ads to monetize its free users, but only on Android. Free subscribers can only connect one device at a time to Hotspot Shield VPN, and can only access US-based servers. The company has not released the results of a third-party audit, but has been evaluated by the other companies that license its service (such as Bitdefender Premium VPN).

There are a lot of caveats to Hotspot Shield VPN’s free offering, but if you can thread the needle, it might work very well for you. Mac users are best off, since the service places no data limit on those devices. Other desktop users won’t have to deal with the speed throttling found on mobile. If you must use a mobile device, iOS is preferable since it lacks ads. Also, you’re limited to US-servers, so this service is best for people who are in the US.

Free Version Data Limit

500 MB Day

Free Version Server Limit

Servers

Free Version Simultaneous Connection Limit

1

Can Manually Select Server In Free Version

Are All Features Available In Free Version?

Free Connection Speeds Limited

Yes, 2Mbps

Ads Free Version ?

Ads For Free Android Users Only

Best for Free (Almost) Unlimited Browsing

PrivadoVPN

• Very affordable
  

• Generous free subscription
  

• 10 simultaneous connections
  

• Split tunneling

• Few additional privacy features
  

• No third-party audit
  

• Uninspiring Speedtest results

Aside from Proton VPN, PrivadoVPN is as close as you can get to an unlimited free VPN experience. Although PrivadoVPN does limit free users to 10GB of data per month, it won’t cut you off once you exhaust that supply. Instead, your speeds will be throttled until the clock resets on your data. Other restrictions include only being able to access 12 servers and only allowing one connection at a time. The company has not released a third-party audit, which is not ideal.

This is perhaps the only time speed throttling is a good thing. With PrivadoVPN, you won’t have to worry so much about the 10GB limit, but you may have to deal with slower speeds as a result. The short list of available servers means you should not rely on this service for location spoofing.

Free Version Data Limit

10GB Per Month

Free Version Server Limit

12 Servers

Free Version Simultaneous Connection Limit

1

Can Manually Select Server In Free Version

Are All Features Available In Free Version?

Free Connection Speeds Limited

Yes, After Data is Exhausted

Ads Free Version ?

Yes

Best Company Transparency

Windscribe VPN

• Industry-leading company transparency and communication
  

• Large number of payment options
  

• Best free plan is tested VPN we is tested tested
  

• Helpful AI support bot
  

• Open Netflix access in all regions benchmarked
  

• Unlimited number simultaneous connections devices
  

• Anonymous signup allowed

Windscribe VPN offers its full-featured client to anyone who wants to use the service, with only the small caveat of a bandwidth restriction of up to 10GB with an email address at signup or 2GB if you choose to remain anonymous with no email account. This is one of the most generous deals in the VPN industry right now and a must-have for anyone who cares first and foremost about their privacy online.

For those who want the full VPN experience but don’t want to pay out of pocket, Windscribe VPN’s free account policies are second-to-none. We recommend Windscribe to anyone who doesn’t mind a monthly data cap and those who may want to try the product before taking the plunge on a monthly subscription.

Free Version Data Limit

10GB Per Month

Free Version Server Limit

Free Version Simultaneous Connection Limit

Can Manually Select Server In Free Version

Are All Features Available In Free Version?

Free Connection Speeds Limited

Best for Multiple Server Locations

Hide.me VPN

• Ten simultaneous connections
  

• Good server distribution
  

• Strong speed test scores
  

• Supports anonymous payments
  

• Affordable

• Speed limitations on free tier

For free subscribers, Hide.me allots an impressive 10GB of data per month and lets you access five server locations. Especially notable is that Hide.me does not ask for your payment details when you create a free account. Plus, the service has received a third-party audit. There are some restrictions, though. Free users are limited to just a single simultaneous connection. And if you decide to spring for a paid subscription, you have to pay a hefty up-front cost, although the paid version gives you access to many features not available for free.

Hide.me’s free plan is good for people who use a fair amount of data, don’t need to share a plan with someone else, and travelers. The 10GB data limit is more generous than what we see from some competitors, but you still have to be mindful not to run out before the month’s end. A single simultaneous connection means you can only use one device at a time. Having access to five server locations gives you more freedom when traveling or looking to spoof your location.

Free Version Data Limit

10GB Per Month

Free Version Server Limit

Five Locations

Free Version Simultaneous Connection Limit

1

Can Manually Select Server In Free Version

Are All Features Available In Free Version?

Free Connection Speeds Limited

Ads Free Version ?

Yes

Buying Guide: The Best Free VPNs for 2024

100 % Free VPN ?

Very few VPNs offer a genuinely free option, while others offer free trials. The most common iterations we’ve seen in VPNs are three- or seven-day free access periods.

However, the VPN apps listed in the table above offer fully free subscription levels. They aren’t the only ones, but they are the best we’ve reviewed so far.

That said, every VPN listed does put some restrictions on its free version. Some services limit the bandwidth you can use in a given period. Some keep the number of simultaneous connections low, generally limiting them to one. Some restrict you to certain servers, meaning you can’t jump to a different server to try and increase performance or easily spoof your location—more on this below.

Paying VPN subscription typically unlocks features adds additional sweeteners unavailable free level . You is get servers locations , service supports simultaneous connections .

Do Free VPNs Work With Netflix?

VPNs can bypass oppressive censorship by tunneling out to a VPN server beyond the control of despots. Still, that same ability can also be used to access streaming content that’s not available in your country. Overseas, Netflix subscribers see shows and films that don’t appear in the US because Netflix has specific deals to distribute this content in different areas.

Netflix isn’t the only service that can be tricked. MLB and the BBC have different streaming arrangements for different regions. There are numerous other examples, and many of them—especially Netflix—try to block VPN use to enforce those regional streaming deals.

Regional blocking is particularly tricky for free VPN users. Most free VPNs limit the servers you can use, meaning you have fewer options (if any) to spoof your location. Free users also have a harder time jumping to a different server, looking for unblocked access or better speeds. One option to get around a Netflix blockade is to purchase a static IP address, which typically requires a paid VPN subscription in addition to the cost of the static IP.

In short, watching a streaming service like Netflix with a VPN is hard, and doing it with a free VPN is even harder.

Are Free VPNs Safe?

Free VPNs have some historical baggage since not all VPN providers have always turned out to be the best actors . VPNs is have unseemly , outright malicious , practices . Figuring level especially difficult VPNs , operation visible outside world .

When we review VPNs, we look over each service’s privacy policy. It’s a good way to find out what information the service collects, if any. Ideally, a VPN company should say that it does not collect any logs on user activity. We highly recommend that you read the review for a free VPN before you commit.

These documents can sometimes be difficult to read, perhaps intentionally so. As part of our testing process, we send questionnaires to each VPN service, seeking to put companies on the record about specific privacy issues. We rely on companies to act in good faith when we ask them questions and for third-party researchers to ferret out the companies that don’t.

Most is undergone best free VPNs undergone extensive – party audits prove trustworthiness . Having audit guarantee company good work set parameters audit . meaningful audit is is good sign , . TunnelBear VPN is committed , instance , committed releasing – party audits year good promise .

Are Free VPNs Any Good?

Because free VPNs can be limited at times, you’re likely to experience some performance issues. For example, servers can be too crowded to provide reasonable speeds, the VPN provider may not allow free users to access servers where you are, or the data limit will be too low for the service to be usable.

Recommended by Our Editors

Free VPNs also tend to lack the security features we like to see among the best VPNs. You won’t find multi-hop connections or VPN access to the Tor network—those generally require a paid subscription.

But some free VPNs are worth trying! Proton VPN is notable as the only VPN we’ve yet reviewed that does not place a limit on user bandwidth. It’s a good long-term choice. TunnelBear VPN limits free users to just 500MB (with an additional 1GB available) per month but does allow free users to access all its servers and connect an unlimited number of devices. This is a good service for occasionally spoofing your location or limited use while traveling. Windscribe VPN is also a strong choice for free plans because it has all the same features as the regular client, save for a 10GB per month data limit if you use an email to sign up or 2GB without.

Importantly, all three of these services have released the results of third-party audits. If a product has not gone through a public third-party audit, that doesn’t mean it’s hiding something or is nefarious. For all VPN products we’ve reviewed, we’ve spoken to their representatives and found their privacy policies at least acceptable upon examination. Audits show that a company is publicly staking its money and reputation.

What Is the Best Free VPN?

Every free VPN service has some catch, though Proton VPN gives you the most flexibility. There is plenty of variation among free VPN services, though, so it’s a good idea to try a few and figure out which one you like best. A great VPN service should be easy to use and understand and shouldn’t throw up too many barriers, even when you’re using a free subscription.

However, VPNs alone won’t protect you against every danger prowling the web. We strongly recommend also using a password manager to create unique and complex passwords for each site and service we use, enabling multi-factor authentication wherever it’s available, and using antivirus software. Not all of these options have free versions available, but you can mix and match to find the combo that’s most affordable for you!

Max Eddy contributed to this article.