There’s no getting around the fact that you need to pay to get the best VPN services and features. That said, there are still several free options that cover the basics. Don’t worry; you don’t have to dig through all the fine print to find the best no-cost VPN. In addition to our usual VPN testing, which we’ve been conducting for more than 10 years, we’ve done the research to bring you this list of the best free VPNs that don’t compromise your data or security. Proton VPN is our top choice for free and paid VPNs, so you really can’t go wrong with it. Still, it isn’t your only option. Read on for all of 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. The company places no limit on the amount of data free subscribers may use. ProtonVPN does, however, limit free accounts to just one simultaneous connection. Also, free accounts can only access servers in five countries: the Netherlands, Japan, Poland, Romania, and the United States. Unlike some VPNs, however, you can select which server to use. ProtonVPN has a strong reputation for privacy, in part because of the success of its sibling product, ProtonMail. ProtonVPN similarly has good privacy policies and backs that up with public, third-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
US, Netherlands, Japan
Free Version Simultaneous Connection Limit
1
Free Connection Speeds Limited
No
No Ads In Free Version?
Yes
Learn More
Proton VPN Review
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Excellent privacy policy
- Annual independent audits
- Friendly, approachable design
- No multi-hop connections
- Unimpressive customer support
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 2GB per month data limit. Still, that’s not going to be enough for more than casual browsing.
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 Server Limit
All Servers
Free Version Simultaneous Connection Limit
Unlimited
Free Connection Speeds Limited
No
No Ads In Free Version?
Yes
Learn More
TunnelBear VPN Review
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 13 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
Free Connection Speeds Limited
Yes, After Data is Exhausted
No Ads In Free Version?
Yes
Learn More
PrivadoVPN Review
- 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 have no data limits, but we’re not thrilled at the 2Mbps speed limit for mobile devices. 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 servers in the US, UK, and Singapore. The company has not released the results of a third-party audit, but has been evaluated by 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. 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 just a handful of servers, so this service is best for people who are in the US, Singapore, or the UK.
Free Version Data Limit
500MB Per Day
Free Version Server Limit
Only US Servers
Free Version Simultaneous Connection Limit
1
Free Connection Speeds Limited
Yes, 2Mbps
No Ads In Free Version?
Ads For Free Android Users Only
Learn More
Hotspot Shield VPN Review
Best Company Transparency
Windscribe VPN
- Industry-leading company transparency and communication
- Large number of payment options
- Best free plan of any VPN we’ve tested
- Helpful AI support bot
- Open Netflix access in all regions benchmarked
- Unlimited number of simultaneous connections and 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
Learn More
Windscribe VPN Review
Best for Multiple Server Locations
Hide.me VPN
- Ten simultaneous connections
- Reliable Netflix access
- Privacy-first policies
- Affordable
- Full-featured free plan
Hide.me offers free users access to seven server locations, one device connection, and places no restrictions on data usage. Notably, Hide.me does not ask for your payment details when you create a free account. Plus, the service has received a third-party audit. That said, there are some restrictions other than those touched on above. You’ll be barred from advanced features like split tunneling, port forwarding, and the service’s proxy. Torrenting is also a no-go for free users.
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. While data is unrestricted, your performance will be impacted. The free servers are crowded, and you’re unlikely to get a fraction of the speed that you would on the VPN’s premium servers. A single simultaneous connection means you can only use one device at a time. Having access to seven 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
Free Connection Speeds Limited
No
No Ads In Free Version?
Yes
Learn More
Hide.me VPN Review
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The Best Free VPNs for 2025
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Buying Guide: The Best Free VPNs for 2025
Is There a 100% Free VPN?
Few VPNs offer a genuinely free option, while others offer free trials. The services that claim to offer completely free, unrestricted versions are often unscrupulous. Running a VPN requires a monetary investment, so it should raise a red flag when a company offers a product and asks for nothing in return. The reality is that these lesser-known free services often log and sell the data of users who connect to the network. Spyware, malware, and other forms of malicious software are sometimes packaged alongside the freeware as well.
It’s better to try a trusted service’s free version or trial. The most common iterations we’ve seen are three-, five-, or seven-day free trials, after which a subscription automatically kicks in or your access becomes restricted. However, some VPNs offer an entry-level free tier that doesn’t require you to sign up for a premium subscription.
We cataloged those completely free VPN apps and tested them to see which ones offer the most premium experience without the price tag. These aren’t the only free services out there, 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 for a VPN subscription typically unlocks all these features and often adds additional sweeteners unavailable at the free level. You tend to get access to the entire server network, unlock advanced features and settings, remove bandwidth restrictions, and can connect to the service with more than one device.
Do Free VPNs Work With Netflix?
Rarely. VPNs can bypass oppressive censorship by tunneling out to a VPN server beyond the control of despots. This practice is called location spoofing. That same feature can also be used to access streaming content unavailable 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.
Connecting to a specific region will allow you to access that country’s content catalog on any streaming service or site. Spoofing works on a wide variety of services like MLB, BBC, NHK, and even social media sites. The looming TikTok ban in the US has people looking for VPNs in nearby countries to circumvent the ban. There are numerous other examples, and many of them—especially Netflix—try to block VPN use to enforce those regional streaming deals.
Paid VPNs have become adept at accessing regional content. Thanks to vast server networks, these services can ensure access to Netflix. It’s not feasible for a streaming service to blocklist or block every single IP address, especially since a VPN can change configurations on the fly and replace the compromised address.
With a free VPN, you’re often restricted to a handful of servers. It’s easier for a streaming company to block those, so you’ll often find that you can’t use a free VPN to reliably access regional content. Even if you manage to get access, you may find your bandwidth too limited to stream content. One option to get around a Netflix blockade is to purchase a static IP address, which typically requires a paid 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?
The services we tested are safe, but free VPNs have some historical baggage since not all providers have always been the best actors. Some VPNs may have unseemly, if not outright malicious, practices. Figuring out who is and is not on the level is especially difficult with VPNs, as much of their operation isn’t visible to the outside world.
When we review VPNs, we review each service’s privacy policy. This is a good way to find out what information the service collects, if any. Ideally, a company should say it does not collect any logs on user activity. We highly recommend reading the privacy policy and terms of service for every VPN, particularly free ones, before committing.
These documents can sometimes be challenging to read, perhaps intentionally so. As part of our testing process, we send questionnaires to each VPN service 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.
Recommended by Our Editors
The best free VPNs have undergone extensive third-party audits to prove their trustworthiness. Having an audit isn’t a guarantee that a company is doing good work, since they often set the parameters of the audit. A meaningful audit is a good sign, though. TunnelBear VPN, for instance, has committed to releasing third-party audits each year and has made good on that promise.
Are Free VPNs Any Good?
Yes, if you can accept the service’s limitations. Regardless of which free VPN you pick, it’s not going to be as streamlined or easy to use as the premium version. For one, you’ll likely experience performance issues. 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. Free VPNs also lack the security features we like to see among the best VPNs. You won’t find advanced features like multi-hop connections, and you likely won’t have access to the full breadth of security protocols.
If you understand the caveats, then there are some free VPNs 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 2GB per month, but does allow free users to access all its servers and connect an unlimited number of devices. Windscribe VPN is 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. Audits show that a company is publicly staking its money and reputation. For all VPN products we’ve reviewed, we’ve spoken to their representatives and found their privacy policies at least acceptable upon examination.
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, 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 using a free subscription.
However, VPNs alone won’t protect you against every danger prowling the web. We also strongly recommend 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 these options have free versions, but you can mix and match to find the most affordable combination.
Chris Stobing contributed to this article.
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