VPN

Best Free VPN: TOP 5 Services (+ Alternatives)

Author
Martin Gschwentner
Last update
2. Aug 2022

As more and more people become aware of the risks and dangers from unprotected Internet usage, the availability of VPN software, as well as the number of service providers, has increased. To guarantee continuous security, paid monthly subscriptions are necessary, however, a number of interesting freemium offers do exist which provide some VPN functionality at no cost.

Although the VPN market is huge, only a handful of services offer free versions of their clients or apps. These are always limited in one way or another, either in terms of the amount of data users are given, the number of servers that can be connected to, or the variety of features that can be accessed. This makes sense though, as if you aren't ready to pay for a VPN service, you shouldn't expect to receive all of the benefits that they provide.

Nevertheless, in this article, we'll introduce you to our Top 5 free VPN picks:

1.

ProtonVPN

Proton VPN
Proton VPN
(109,527 )
With its open source philosophy and extra security features, Proton VPN targets security-conscious VPN users. But thanks to its user-friendly interface and suitability for streaming, it's worth a look for a wide audience.
open source & external audits
1,900+ servers in 67 countries
solid performance
free plan without data limit
not suitable for China
8.7
good
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
1 - 10
Protocols
3
Contract Period
0 - 24 months
Proton VPN Free
$0.00
monthly price
Visit Website »
Free forever

ProtonVPN impressed us during our evaluation, serving as a classic example of the sum being greater than its parts. We think that the provider could have what it takes to compete with the market's heavyweights, so long as it continues to develop and grow. The service's free version stands out in particular since it imposes no data limits whatsoever and offers solid speeds.

Of course, this doesn't mean that they aren't restrictions. You can't connect multiple devices at the same time, and you'll have to make do with 3 server locations: the Netherlands, the US, and Japan. Additionally, video streaming is only possible with the purchase of the "Plus" or "Visionary" subscriptions.

If you're able to live with these restrictions, you'll be treated to unlimited surfing by ProtonVPN, without having to dig into your wallet.

  • No data limits

  • Intuitive application with plenty of features

  • No video streaming

  • Only 3 server locations

  • Only 1 device can be connected at any time

Review
8.7
good
Visit Website
Check Review
Installation and Features
10 / 10
Security and Privacy
10 / 10
Performance
8.6 / 10
Customer Support
7.4 / 10
Server Network
7.4 / 10
2.

hide.me VPN

hide.me VPN
hide.me VPN
(25,655 )
Hide.me secures its place in our top 10 with good to very good grades in all test categories. The app is filled to the brim with handy features, the performance is solid, and with 10 GB of data per month, the free tier is also worth a look.
78 locations in 49+ countries
many features, incl. split tunneling
free plan with 10 GB monthly
anonymous payment
no recent audit
8.4
good
Data Volume
10 - ∞
Devices
1 - 10
Protocols
7
Contract Period
0 - 36 months
hide.me Free
$0.00
monthly price
Visit Website »
Free forever

Unlike ProtonVPN, hide.me's free version comes with a data limit, however, at 10 GB per month, this is relatively generous, unless you're downloading in bulk.

You won't have to register or input a payment method to take advantage of hide.me's free VPN. As an aside, we're also pleased to report that the provider doesn't finance its free version through ads or trackers.

Free users have access to five server locations and can connect one device, while premium users can have 10 simultaneous connections. As with ProtonVPN's free version, video streaming isn't possible without a paid subscription, however, free users can download P2P.

Owing to hide.me's range of features and solid speeds, we rated it as a good service, which also explains our favorable opinion of its free version, despite the data limit.

  • No registration necessary

  • No speed throttling

  • Monthly data limit of 10 GB

  • No video streaming

  • Only possible to connect one device at a time

Review
8.4
good
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Check Review
Installation and Features
10 / 10
Customer Support
8.6 / 10
Performance
8.0 / 10
Server Network
8.0 / 10
Security and Privacy
7.4 / 10
3.

Windscribe

Windscribe VPN
Windscribe VPN
(131,719 )
With its flexible pricing and a generous free plan, Windscribe is a solid option for budget-minded VPN users. It also has a nice, lean app with lots of features – but sadly, its performance can't keep up.
lots of features
free plan with 10 GB limit
unlimited devices
weaker performance
smaller server network
7.8
good
Data Volume
10 - ∞
Devices
unlimited
Protocols
2
Contract Period
0 - 12 months
Windscribe Free
$0.00
monthly price
Visit Website »
Download for free

In our exhaustive evaluation of more than 20 top VPN providers, Windscribe missed out on a higher ranking owing to its performance. However, in every other area we examined, the Canadian service performed well.

Perhaps, Windscribe can leave its mark in the world of VPNs with its free version: Per month, users are given 10 GB of data to be used with any synchronized device across 10 different server locations. For those who don't want to register using their email address, Windscribe offers 2 GB of data per month.

All of the above make Windscribe considerably more generous than its competitors, which use their freemium versions to entice, but not really satiate users. Of course, Windscribe's free version is not without limitations: Its dedicated streaming servers are restricted to paying customers, meaning that you can't stream foreign content on platforms like Netflix without a subscription.

With its generous data limit and solid package of features, Windscribe offers one of the better free VPNs we've come across. Should the day come when you want to upgrade your free account to a premium one, you can tailor your subscription to your needs and requirements.

  • 10 GB of data (monthly)

  • Connections possible with 10 different servers

  • Intuitive and feature-loaded app

  • Only 2 GB of data per month if using without an email address

  • No video streaming

Review
7.8
good
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Check Review
Installation and Features
9.4 / 10
Performance
8.0 / 10
Customer Support
8.0 / 10
Server Network
7.4 / 10
Security and Privacy
6.0 / 10
4.

Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield VPN
Hotspot Shield VPN
(1,766,162 )
800+ servers
70+ countries
with free plan
below-average performance
potential privacy issues
7.5
good
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
1 - 25
Protocols
5
Contract Period
0 - 36 months
Hotspot Shield Free
$0.00
monthly price
Visit Website »

In our evaluation Hotspot Shield had to settle for a place in the middle of the pack, almost entirely because of our concerns about its privacy policy. Apart from that, the provider made a good impression, owing to its solid performance, well-balanced package of features, and decent server network.

Since our top VPN providers are all paid services, Hotspot Shield might still have what it takes to carve out a market segment as a free provider, in particular, owing to its very generous daily data limit of 500 MB (roughly 16 GB per month). Mobile users have to watch ad videos every half hour to "reload" their data.

There are other restrictions as well: For example, video streaming of any kind is not possible, and you're limited to a single server (based in the US). Speed is also throttled to 2 MB/s.

  • Up to 15 1/2 GB of data per month

  • User-friendly applications

  • No video streaming

  • Single server location (USA)

  • Speed is throttled to 2 MB/s

Review
7.5
good
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Performance
8.0 / 10
Customer Support
8.0 / 10
Server Network
8.0 / 10
Installation and Features
8.0 / 10
Security and Privacy
5.4 / 10
5.

TunnelBear

TunnelBear VPN
TunnelBear VPN
(363,451 )
free plan
independent security audit
low price
Small server network
no split tunneling on desktop
7.1
good
Data Volume
0.5 - ∞
Devices
1 - ∞
Protocols
2
Contract Period
0 - 36 months
TunnelBear Free
$0.00
monthly price
Visit Website »

TunnelBear was by far the most playful VPN service from our sample, capturing our hearts with its wordplay, puns, and humor. Unfortunately, it was unable to challenge the more "serious" providers at the top of our ranking since it suffers from a few critical issues, such as a limited server network and lack of features.

Its free version also has a few limitations: Users are only treated to 500 MB of data per month, which won't be anywhere near enough for regular surfing, let alone downloads or streaming. Anyone who tags the provider on Twitter can get an extra GB, but this doesn't really change the picture.

As such, TunnelBear's free version seems to be an appetizer for a paid subscription. The good news is, at least in its three-year plan, this is a real bargain.

  • All server locations can be connected to

  • 1 GB Twitter bonus

  • Monthly data limit of 500 MB

Review
7.1
good
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Check Review
Security and Privacy
8.6 / 10
Customer Support
8.0 / 10
Performance
7.4 / 10
Installation and Features
7.4 / 10
Server Network
4.0 / 10

Alternatives

All of the free VPNs we've mentioned above come with certain conditions, either in terms of their daily or monthly data caps, the number of server locations that can be connected to, or the ability to watch content on video streaming platforms. Should you prefer to not deal with any of these, we recommend our price-performance winner, Surfshark, which received a very good score (4.4 / 5) in our evaluation and can be had for a bit more than $2 per month. Surfshark offers unlimited data and reliable streaming.

Surfshark VPN
Surfshark VPN
(121,804 )
Surfshark is one of the cheapest providers on the market, but it's a lot more than a great budget option: the relatively new VPN boasts strong protection, many features, and a great support with 24/7 live chat.
3,200+ servers in 100 countries
unlimited number of devices
many apps (Linux, FireTV, ...)
cheap 24-month plan
expensive monthly plan
8.8
good
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
unlimited
Protocols
3
Contract Period
1 - 24 months
Surfshark 24 months
$2.49
monthly price
Visit Website »
Get 83% Discount

Most freemium VPNs offer users small amounts of data, making their use as all-purpose VPNs impossible. Some of the free VPNs we've introduced above are exceptions to this trend, however, there do exist other services that offer functional apps without subscriptions. Detailed reviews of 22 of the leading VPN providers can be found in our comprehensive VPN evaluation.

In addition to these freemium programs, there also exist a wide variety of "free" VPN services, particularly for mobile users, with a search for "Free VPN" in the Google Play Store likely to yield hundreds of results. However, these providers need to earn money somehow - in the best case with advertisements, and in the worst, with your data. As a result, we limited ourselves to the best freemium offers, since these come from established providers. If choosing a "free" VPN that isn't freemium, we recommend doing so carefully.

Author ( German Version) : Martin Gschwentner
Martin Gschwentner majored in American Studies and Media Studies in Germany, the USA and France and works as a freelance editor in Paris. He is a doctoral student at the Institute for English and American Studies at the University of Paris Diderot, where he is researching the influence of money on US politics. On EXPERTE.com he writes about IT security, data protection and software for the self-employed and small businesses.
Translator & Editor: D Bare
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