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A bully VPN is worthy paying for. Almost each work I'll urge arsenic 1 of nan best VPNs is either subscription-only aliases supported by paid plans. Free VPNs do person their place, though, arsenic not everybody tin spend yet different subscription successful nan software-as-a-service hellscape we unrecorded in. Since everyone deserves privateness and elasticity online, I wanted to put together a definitive database of nan champion free VPNs.
Now, immoderate will opportunity that free VPNs are, by definition, information risks that are to beryllium avoided by default. That estimation exists because free VPNs often really are a risk. As proliferating property verification laws person created a request for VPNs, immoderate free services person stepped up to reply nan call, while others person taken advantage of it to dispersed malware. Free VPNs are easy for scammers to group up and difficult for app stores to catch. I ne'er urge utilizing 1 without doing thorough research.
To that end, nan 3 providers connected this database are exceptions to nan consequence of free VPNs. While they each person tradeoffs, they're besides upfront astir what they do and don't do. Each 1 comes pinch reliable security, a cleanable grounds of handling personification information and apps that ne'er unit you to upgrade conscionable truthful they'll activity properly. They aren't nan only bully free VPNs, but they're nan apical 3 by far.
Editor's note: This database represents our ranking arsenic of October 2025. We intend to revisit nan database each 3 months astatine a minimum, astatine which clip our picks whitethorn beryllium adjusted based connected changes successful features, testing results and different factors.
Best free VPNs for 2025
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, routers | Server locations: 81 successful 58 countries | Notable features: Customizable divided tunneling, Stealth Guard beardown termination switch, move larboard forwarding, IPv6 support | Best price: $69.95 for 27 months
We're successful nan process of re-testing hide.me for a afloat review.
Hide.me had a beautiful elemental way to nan apical of my free VPN roster. It's nan only supplier whose free scheme checks nan astir important 3 boxes: nary ads, nary monthly information caps and nan action to prime your ain server location. That makes it nan only free VPN you tin consistently usage for streaming, arsenic agelong arsenic you want to watercourse from 1 of nan 7 free locations (USA, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland).
But hide.me is much than conscionable a default winner. For nary cost, you get easy navigable interfaces connected some desktop and mobile, positive very small resistance connected download speeds. While hide.me claims there's a velocity headdress for free users, I've ne'er seen it successful practice. As a information solution, you tin trust connected it beautiful overmuch indefinitely. This is simply a supplier that's intelligibly paying adjacent attraction to its free side, not treating it arsenic a trading afterthought.
Hide.me is supported by a paid plan, truthful there's nary request to beryllium suspicious astir really it makes money. Its privateness argumentation blocks it from keeping immoderate benignant of instrumentality fingerprints aliases personification activity records. A Securitum audit confirmed this successful 2024.
Its servers are besides group up to grip IPv6 traffic, a forward-looking characteristic that's uncommon connected immoderate VPN, fto unsocial a free one. Free users tin besides usage nan termination switch. If you do determine to upgrade, you'll get entree to 91 server locations, a move multihop characteristic that lets you take introduction and exit points, 10 simultaneous connections and nan SmartGuard advertisement blocker.
Pros
- Fully free pinch nary information limits
- Fast apps pinch awesome interfaces
- Free IPv6 support
Cons
- Free scheme has constricted locations
- Claims to headdress speeds aft you usage 10GB successful a month
Free OR $2.59 per period for 27 months astatine hide.me
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Fire TV | Server locations: 134 successful 69 countries | Notable features: R.O.B.E.R.T., pay-as-you-go plan, larboard forwarding, divided tunneling, packet size controls, fixed IPs | Best price: $69 for 12 months.
We're successful nan process of re-testing Windscribe for a afloat review.
Windscribe is nan closest point we've sewage to a counterculture VPN. From its unorthodox app creation to nan provocative writings of laminitis Yegor Sak, Windscribe is huffy arsenic hellhole astir each nan threats to some privateness and nan truth. And if you’re besides conscionable arsenic mad, this VPN intends you don’t person to return it anymore.
How does that construe to nan existent experience? Mostly rather well. Its free scheme gives you 10GB of information per period arsenic agelong arsenic you taxable a confirmed email reside (2GB if you don't). You tin get an other 5GB per period by posting astir Windscribe connected X/Twitter. You tin freely take betwixt 10 server locations that are spaced beautiful good astir nan world. Speeds are precisely nan aforesaid connected free and paid servers — almost ever fast, pinch only occasional dips.
Even better, location are nary paywalled features. While subscribing expands what you tin do pinch immoderate perks, for illustration nan R.O.B.E.R.T. advertisement blocker (don't ask, it doesn't guidelines for anything), thing is wholly down a interest gate. Windscribe is besides nan only VPN connected nan database pinch an action betwixt free and paid — you tin build a civilization scheme to usage only nan servers you need, pinch a minimum value of $3.
The biggest problem pinch Windscribe's against-the-grain attack is its headache-inducing personification interfaces. Determined not to transcript nan look of different VPNs, it employs an excessively compact creation that does thing to guideline first-time users and puts acold excessively galore steps into each process. That's really it for complaints, though, unless you count its fascination pinch 69 jokes.
Pros
- Fast and private
- All features astatine slightest partially disposable for free
- Build your ain paid plan
Cons
- Awkward app design
- Limited expertise to usage immoderate features
- Monthly information caps
Free OR $5.75 per period for 12 months astatine Windscribe
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, Chrome, Firefox, Android TV, Apple TV, Firestick, routers | Average download velocity drop: 12.5 percent | Server locations: 154 successful 62 countries | Notable features: NetShield advertisement blocker, Secure Core servers, Tor complete VPN | Best price: $107.76 for 24 months
Read our afloat Proton VPN review
Proton VPN is nan champion VPN correct now, for reasons I'm ever happy to explain. It matches fast, reliable capacity pinch reasonable pricing and a deficiency of immoderate superior weaknesses. Its apps are uniformly excellent, it's sewage a information grounds without a awesome blemish and it moreover unblocks Netflix everywhere. It's also, to my knowledge, nan only VPN to physically unafraid immoderate of its servers successful an impenetrable underground lair.
As a free VPN, Proton lags somewhat down nan competition, though it's still adjacent successful 3rd place. Free users get unlimited data, which is fantastic, but you can't take your ain server location without paying — nan app will prime nan fastest location for you instead. If you request a free VPN chiefly for streaming, you're amended disconnected looking to hide.me.
That said, Proton VPN's free scheme includes 8 locations pinch aggregate servers successful each one. Not only are nan free servers comparatively ray connected lag, they're besides spaced retired good capable that you astir apt person 1 nearby. If you link your free Proton VPN app and hide astir it, you tin enactment indefinitely anonymous online.
The free type of Proton VPN doesn't show ads, which intends nary advertisement trackers. Free users are besides covered by its no-logs privateness policy, which is guaranteed by an yearly audit — astir precocious by Securitum successful September 2025. You tin besides usage nan termination move without paying, on pinch nan Stealth protocol, which obfuscates your relationship to conclusion broad VPN bans.
Pros
- Very accelerated pinch nary information caps
- Free termination move and obfuscation
- Eight free servers
Cons
- Can't take server connected free plan
- Best features are paywalled
Free OR $107.76 for 24 months astatine Proton VPN
Other free VPNs we tested
The first 3 no-cost VPNs mentioned present are worthy of proposal successful their ain ways, but didn't rather make nan trim for our apical picks. I've near notes connected them present successful lawsuit 1 of them turns retired to beryllium cleanable for you, and because they're connected my database for induction into nan free VPN pantheon if they improve.
None of nan supra applies to Hotspot Shield, which you should not use. It's connected present arsenic a warning. You tin find much specifications successful that conception below.
PrivadoVPN
PrivadoVPN is simply a beardown capable contender that I earnestly considered adding it to nan database arsenic my 4th charismatic recommendation. It's technically unlimited, though erstwhile you usage 10GB of data, it sharply handicaps your velocity for nan remainder of nan month. Free users tin take betwixt 13 server locations connected 4 continents. It moreover performs good connected worldwide latency tests, though download speeds plaything beautiful heavily.
That uncertain velocity stat kept Privado retired of nan winner's circle, arsenic did 1 different concern: though it has a clear and extended privateness policy, it's ne'er gone done a third-party audit. Additionally, it's a newer service, having only launched successful 2019 — truthful it's harder to make claims astir its business practices.
Finally, while hide.me, Windscribe and Proton VPN each clasp their excellence connected nan paid plan, PrivadoVPN isn't arsenic worthy paying for. Outside nan free plan, it's a decent VPN pinch nary logic to prime it complete Proton aliases ExpressVPN. That said, if it passes an audit — aliases faces a real-world trial of its no-logs policy, for illustration a server seizure — look for Privado to subordinate nan large leagues soon.
TunnelBear
TunnelBear does free VPN work good — it conscionable doesn't do enough. Trust me, I don’t return pleasance successful criticizing its adorable, hole-digging carnivore mascot, which goes a agelong measurement toward making nan app welcoming to beginners. I for illustration that its free scheme offers entree to nan full server network, nan only VPN that does so.
But nan difficult truth is that 2GB of information per period is not capable to do overmuch of anything. With specified a debased information limit, TunnelBear's free scheme is an enticement to upgrade to its paid service, not a viable VPN solution successful its ain right. That really is simply a bully bear, though.
EventVPN
EventVPN, developed by nan ExpressVPN team, was launched a period ago and could 1 time go an outstanding free VPN. However, fixed its bizarre determination to tally ads successful nan app, I can't endorse it correct now.
Were EventVPN not associated pinch ExpressVPN aliases Kape Technologies, I mightiness take sides its determination to show ads by pointing retired that each advertisement search information is anonymized — location isn't moreover a backend successful which to shop it. That mightiness beryllium a decent measurement to money a full-featured free VPN. But EventVPN is openly portion of a lucrative VPN portfolio, and has its ain paid tier, truthful there's nary excuse for nan 30-second video ads.
Hotspot Shield: Tested and not recommended
Hotspot Shield was erstwhile nan poster kid for free VPNs; today, it's go 1 of nan clearest illustrations of why they're dangerous. You get 500MB of browsing information per day, which is reasonable, connected par pinch Windscribe's champion offer. However, not only does nan free type headdress speeds astatine 2 Mbps, but it besides restricts you to 1 location, nan United States.
Worse, it shows you ads. Unlike EventVPN, which astatine slightest limits itself to ads from a azygous service, Hotspot Shield lists nary less than 8 advertisement coordinators successful its privacy policy. One of them is Meta, which you should never, ever trust pinch immoderate delicate data. I can't sanction a amended textbook illustration of "if nan merchandise is free, you're nan product."
What to look for successful a free VPN
Selecting a VPN is difficult capable pinch each nan title retired there, but pinch a free VPN, nan stakes are moreover higher. Free VPNs are each complete nan place, and app stores don't vet them effectively. You're near connected your ain to find whether a free VPN is mediocre, exploitative aliases moreover a straight-up malware vector.
My apical 3 recommendations — hide.me, Windscribe and Proton VPN — are clean. If you take to usage different one, present are nan reddish flags to consider.
Security: First, make perfectly definite nan free VPN isn't a threat to your security. Research it to spot if immoderate experts person warned against it, and cheque to make judge it uses known and approved encryption protocols (OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2 aliases an equivalent). If you person an antivirus program, download nan VPN successful sandbox mode truthful you tin scan it while it's quarantined.
Privacy: Read nan free VPN's privateness argumentation successful item to spot if it claims immoderate liberties pinch your individual data. As a rule, ne'er usage an "ad-supported" free VPN, since almost each advertisement services way users for targeted campaigns. Other free services, for illustration Hola VPN, make money by trading personification IP addresses arsenic residential proxies. Be alert for immoderate denotation that nan VPN will profit disconnected your individual data.
Usage requirements: If you've wished a free VPN is safe and secure, your adjacent measurement is to make judge you'll beryllium capable to usage it for nan tasks you person successful mind. Most reputable free VPNs are constricted successful immoderate way. Match nan restrictions to what you need; for example, if you want a free VPN for streaming, prime 1 without information caps that lets you take your ain server location.
Speed: Even if it meets nan minimum requirements of information and privacy, a free VPN still needs to meet nan aforesaid criteria arsenic immoderate paid service. Mainly, it's sewage to beryllium fast. With nan free VPN active, run velocity tests utilizing Ookla successful respective locations. On average, it shouldn't trim your unprotected download velocity by much than 25 percent.
Customer service: Some different full-featured free VPNs skimp connected customer service, restricting unrecorded thief to paid users. Even Proton VPN is blameworthy of this. If you're a beginner aliases deliberation you're going to request other help, make judge to prime a free VPN pinch a well-written knowledgebase and disposable tech support.
Free VPN FAQs
Let's decorativeness up pinch immoderate of nan free VPN questions we get astir often. Leave a remark if you'd for illustration maine to reply 1 I haven't gotten to yet.
What is simply a free VPN?
A free VPN is simply a virtual backstage web that's disposable to individual users astatine nary cost. They mostly return nan shape of desktop and mobile apps downloaded done websites aliases app stores. You tin usage them to select your net relationship done different server, changing your virtual location and hiding what you do online.
Most group usage free VPNs to make it look that they're getting online from location else. This gets astir restrictions connected net usage successful definite jurisdictions, for illustration China's "Great Firewall" aliases nan UK's property verification laws. It tin besides beryllium utilized to watercourse TV shows and events that aren't disposable successful nan user's location region.
Are free VPNs safe?
While free VPNs aren't inherently dangerous, nan usage lawsuit and underlying business exemplary makes them an easy vector for unscrupulous companies to return advantage of susceptible users. It's easy for a malicious character to group 1 up quickly and get it hosted connected an app store. Likewise, nan group who download free VPNs thin to request them urgently and whitethorn not look excessively intimately astatine what they're putting connected their phones aliases computers.
As a norm of thumb, you should attack a free VPN pinch utmost caution. If it's not connected our recommended database above, we'd propose avoiding it. In general, it's almost ever safer to activity retired VPNs that support their free versions pinch paid subscriptions, since they don't request to make money nether nan table. But immoderate VPN – aliases different integer work – that's put guardant arsenic wholly free puts america successful mind of nan aged adage astir gambling: If you can't spot nan sucker astatine nan table, it's astir apt you.
What is nan champion free VPN?
I've rated hide.me arsenic nan champion free VPN. Its free work gives you a batch to activity pinch — 7 free locations and a information headdress that doesn't really use successful practice. It's besides conscionable arsenic unafraid and trustworthy arsenic its paid version, without skimping connected thing important.
Can you get a free VPN connected your phone?
Yes — successful fact, location are much free VPNs connected mobile app stores than almost anyplace else. All 3 of my apical picks (hide.me, Windscribe and Proton VPN) person apps for some iOS and Android, and astir each different free VPN useful connected astatine slightest 1 mobile platform.
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