Best Free VPN in 2024: Speed, Streaming, Security & More 

By Arthur Sabayi

Last update: October 24, 2024

Many free VPNs are not free of controversy, so finding the right one can be challenging. Unlike the best premium VPNs, numerous free VPNs are associated with slow speeds, weak privacy, limited server locations and data caps. However, good free services do exist. Read on for a breakdown of the best free VPN services that are worth your time.

I tested more than 30 free VPN services using different criteria, such as connection speeds, security tests and the number of free locations available. I also looked into the types of features available for free compared to the ones behind a paywall to determine whether you’re getting a good value. Read this article to discover what I found out.

How to Choose the Best Free VPN Service 

You need to pay attention to some specific factors if you want to get the right free VPN:

• Reliable user privacy: This is the Achilles’ heel of most free VPNs. In exchange for free services, many free VPNs sell your data to third parties, putting your privacy at risk. The best free VPN should keep your data private and eliminate any chance of that data falling into the wrong hands. 
• Device compatibility and simultaneous connections: The ideal free VPN should be compatible with as many operating systems as possible for convenience. Furthermore, a free VPN that offers simultaneous device connections is better, as you can protect multiple devices with a single free account.
• Available features: Though we don’t expect free VPNs to be as feature-rich as premium ones, they shouldn’t limit the features so much that they become unusable. Look at the features available, such as the number of free locations or whether there is a data limit. 
• Available servers: Most freemium VPNs restrict the servers available on the free plan; the more available, the better.
• Fast speeds: Choose a free VPN with fast servers that don’t experience significant speed drops, even during peak hours. A VPN that lets you choose a server manually is also more convenient than alternatives that randomly select servers for you.

The Best Free VPN Providers 

Before diving into the key details, here’s a quick overview of the features the five best free VPN services offer.

1. PrivadoVPN — Best Overall Free VPN

PrivadoVPN offers 13 free server locations, with better distribution than alternatives on this list. You can connect to locations like Brazil, Argentina, India, Canada and the U.K., to name a few. You can unlock more content with PrivadoVPN than with hide.me VPN, for example, which doesn’t have free servers in South America or Asia.

PrivadoVPN’s unblocking capability and fast speeds make it one of the best free streaming VPNs on this list. However, unlike hide.me (my fourth pick), you need an email address to set up a free PrivadoVPN account; marketing emails started streaming in as soon as I created an account though, and I had to unsubscribe. 

PrivadoVPN has limited features; you can’t activate the ad blocker or malware protection features. The most you can do is use the kill switch and SmartRoute (split tunneling), change VPN protocols and set up auto-connect. PrivadoVPN also limits you to a 10GB monthly data cap.

My Experience With PrivadoVPN: Hands-On Performance

PrivadoVPN has beautifully designed apps for the different platforms it’s compatible with. You can install the free app on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and tvOS. The kill switch can be activated from the app settings, and you get a choice of three protocols: IKEv2, WireGuard and OpenVPN.

It’s worth noting that you can only connect one device on the free version, compared to 10 simultaneous device connections with PrivadoVPN premium. When you open the location tab, you’ll see the list of free servers neatly separated from the premium servers. 

Unfortunately, PrivadoVPN doesn’t provide a live chat option. The only way to contact customer support is to send a message through a contact form that opens a ticket, with responses taking up to 48 hours. 

Security Analysis Test Results

PrivadoVPN passed my DNS leak test without exposing my IP address or any details related to my internet service provider. In addition, nothing was out of place when I tested the VPN’s encryption on Wireshark. The service has never experienced a data breach, which makes it a trustworthy free VPN.

Streaming Service Unblocking Test Results

PrivadoVPN’s Paid Plans: Pricing and Value

The premium version of PrivadoVPN offers three paid VPN subscription options. The 24-month option costs $1.99 per month and comes with an extra three free months. The next-best deal is the 12-month plan, which costs $2.99 per month and includes three free months.  

Lastly, there’s a monthly plan for $10.99. A 30-day money-back guarantee covers the 24-month and 12-month premium plans. There’s no money-back guarantee for the monthly plan.

2. Windscribe — Best Free VPN for Unlimited Connections

The key feature that sets Windscribe apart from most free VPNs is the support for unlimited device connections. With a single free account, you can connect as many devices as you want, which is perfect if you have a large household.

Furthermore, Windscribe doesn’t hide many of its features behind a paywall, so not much separates free and premium users. Free users have the same access to the Windscribe firewall, split tunneling, GPS spoofing, malware and ad blockers, obfuscation and more.

Windscribe also gives you the option of creating a free account with or without an email address. However, unlike hide.me, if you create a free account without an email address, you’ll be limited to 2GB of monthly data. Creating a free account with an email address grants you the full 10GB of monthly data after verifying the email address.

A free Windscribe VPN account gives you access to 25 locations in 10 countries. In addition, you can use a feature called R.O.B.E.R.T to block ads and malicious domains, and to customize rules for blocklists. Protocols available to free users include WireGuard, Stealth, OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WStunnel. Learn more in our Windscribe VPN review.

My Experience With Windscribe: Hands-On Performance

The Windscribe app is a little clunky compared to Proton VPN, probably because it packs in so many features. Navigating through them can be challenging for new users. I didn’t see any pop-up ads when using the free Windscribe app on macOS, Windows or Android.

Compatible platforms include Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Huawei, routers, F-Droid, Chrome, Firefox and Edge. Free users can contact support through email or via live chat bot.

Security Analysis Test Results

Windscribe VPN passed my encryption and DNS leak tests without exposing any identifiable data that could be tied back to my actual IP address. The Wireshark test returned a series of confusing text and symbols, while the DNS leak test displayed only the virtual IP address I was connected to. You can rest easy knowing that you’re protected.

In 2021, Ukraine authorities confiscated two Windscribe VPN servers that had not been encrypted. This allowed the authorities to monitor and decrypt traffic. Fortunately, since Windscribe VPN doesn’t log VPN traffic, no data was exposed.

Streaming Service Unblocking Test Results

Windscribe’s Paid Plans: Pricing and Value

Windscribe Pro comes with three price plans. The yearly plan costs $3.25 per month, and the monthly plan goes for $9. The third plan is called Build a Plan and is billed at $1 per location per month. Windscribe VPN has a seven-day money back guarantee, the shortest of all premium options we’ve covered so far.

1. $3.25 per month for 12 months
   

   Overall Rating 8.7 / 10

   Visit Windscribe VPN

3. TunnelBear — Good VPN With Many Free Servers

Like Windscribe VPN, TunnelBear offers unlimited simultaneous connections on the free version. This is perfect for users with multiple devices or many family members. However, the best reason to use TunnelBear’s free plan is that all server locations are available, meaning you can get IP addresses for many more countries than other VPNs on this list.

TunnelBear also has compelling features (all bear-themed), such as SplitBear (split tunneling), which allows you to choose which apps and websites you want to route through the VPN and which ones to leave out. 

VigilantBear (the kill switch) disconnects your internet when the VPN connection drops to prevent IP leaks. GhostBear hides your VPN activity in high-censorship networks that block VPNs. Learn more about these two features and others in our TunnelBear VPN review.

My Experience With TunnelBear: Hands-On Performance

I started by creating an account using an email address, and the VPN was ready to use in less than a minute. TunnelBear granted me 2GB of data, and I was able to connect to a U.K. server quickly. 

TunnelBear VPN is compatible with iOS, iPadOS, Android, macOS, Windows and browsers like Firefox and Chrome. You also get three VPN protocols — WireGuard (the fastest), OpenVPN and IKEv2. TunnelBear provides round-the-clock customer support, but you’ll mostly deal with a chatbot that redirects you to a contact form to submit queries.

Security Analysis Test Results

TunnelBear aced my security tests without any glitches. I passed my traffic through Wireshark to see if the encryption worked, and the results were positive. The same was true for the IP and DNS leak tests; I didn’t see anything close to my IP address on display. TunnelBear VPN has yet to experience a data breach or user privacy issues.

Streaming Service Unblocking Test Results

TunnelBear’s Paid Plans: Pricing and Value

The premium version of TunnelBear VPN offers two price plans. The two-year plan costs $4.17 per month, and the one-year plan goes for $4.99 per month. TunnelBear VPN doesn’t have a monthly plan, and it does not have a money-back guarantee, though TunnelBear may offer refunds on a case-by-case basis.

1. $3.33 per month for 36 months
   

   Overall Rating 8 / 10

   Visit TunnelBear

4. hide.me — Best Free VPN With No Sign-Up or Data Cap

hide.me makes my list for several reasons. The sign-up process is a piece of cake, and you don’t need to provide an email to get a free account. I tapped on the sign-up button and was able to log in right away. This VPN service has never experienced a breach and has never been embroiled in any data privacy controversy.

Even with a free account, hide.me is well equipped with features like split tunneling. You also get a kill switch, which disconnects your internet if the VPN connection drops, preventing accidental IP leaks. hide.me grants free access to seven locations. You can read more on that in our hide.me VPN review. 

My Experience With hide.me: Hands-On Performance

hide.me is one of the most user-friendly free VPNs. You can easily access the kill switch, split tunneling and VPN protocols within the app settings. I didn’t run into a single pop-up ad, either.

Furthermore, unlike most free VPNs, which limit their customer support to premium users, hide.me has 24/7 customer support available to free users as well. I tested the response times, and a live agent on standby answered my inquiry in less than a minute.

Security Analysis Test Results

I passed my traffic through the Wireshark app to test for encryption. The results returned a series of indecipherable symbols and text that proved that hide.me did encrypt my internet connection.

Streaming Service Unblocking Test Results

hide.me’s Paid Plans: Pricing and Value

If the free plan isn’t suitable, you can purchase a premium hide.me plan, which comes with three pricing tiers. The best deal is the 24-month plan, which costs $2.69 per month and comes with three free months. Next is the 12-month option for $4.75 per month. Finally, the monthly plan goes for $9.95. All three price plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.

1. $2.69 per month for 26 months
   

   Overall Rating 8.6 / 10

   Visit hide.me VPN

5. Proton VPN — Free VPN With No Data Cap

Proton VPN ticks many boxes for what makes a free VPN worthwhile. It doesn’t keep logs, so your privacy is protected at all times — a feature many free VPNs lack. Secondly, there are no monthly data caps, so you can stream, download and play online games without worrying about speed drops. 

Furthermore, you have access to more than 290 free servers across five locations. However, you can’t manually choose the server you connect to. Proton VPN randomly connects you to the fastest free server. This can be inconvenient if you plan to unblock a specific site using a specific server location.

As for features, the free Proton VPN app offers four VPN protocols, including IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard and Stealth. You can also use the kill switch to protect your connection if the VPN is disrupted, as well as standard encryption to keep your online traffic secure.

My Experience With Proton VPN: Hands-On Performance

I installed the free Proton VPN app on macOS to test its usability, and a few details stood out. For instance, you don’t need to go into the app settings to activate the kill switch — the button is readily available. There’s also a quick connect button clearly visible at the top that connects you to a random server within seconds.

Other quick configurations available in the app settings include auto-connect, DNS leak protection and alternative routing, which helps you access Proton VPN if the connection to its servers is blocked on the network you’re using. Free users can also freely select any of the four available VPN protocols. 

Proton VPN is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome and Firefox, but you can only connect one device at a time. Furthermore, Proton VPN provides live chat only to premium customers, and you need to be signed in on the website to use it.

Security Analysis Test Results

The free version of Proton VPN offers AES-256 encryption, which protects your traffic from unauthorized access. I confirmed this with a Wireshark test, and no sensitive information, such as my IP address, was displayed.

Proton VPN has yet to be hit with data breaches or privacy issues, which should inspire confidence if you’re considering using the free version. Read more in our Proton VPN review.

Streaming Service Unblocking Test Results

Proton VPN’s unlimited data is good for streaming, and the free version managed to unblock Netflix, Amazon Prime, Max, Hulu, Disney+ and more. However, not being able to choose the server you want is not ideal. For example, I was connected to different Netherlands servers three times in a row before getting a U.S. server. 

Furthermore, Proton VPN limits the number of times you can successively switch servers if you don’t land on the one you want. The intervals between when you can switch servers increase exponentially from one to 20 minutes. Disconnecting the VPN doesn’t make this countdown disappear, and neither does quitting and restarting the VPN.

Proton VPN’s Paid Plans: Pricing and Value

You need Proton VPN premium to unlock features like Secure Core servers, the NetShield ad blocker and the ability to connect up to 10 devices simultaneously.

Of the three premium plans, the best deal is the 24-month option, which goes for $4.49 per month. The next cheapest deal is the 12-month plan, which costs $4.99 per month. Finally, the monthly plan goes for $9.99. A 30-day money-back guarantee covers each plan.

1. $4.49 per month for 24 months
   

   Overall Rating 8.8 / 10

   Visit Proton VPN

The Best Free VPN Apps for Different Devices

Free VPN apps can differ depending on the platform they’re designed for. For instance, Windscribe for Android is smoother and easier to use than Windscribe for macOS. Let’s look at the best free VPN apps for the different devices available.

What’s the Best Free VPN for Android?

The best free VPN for Android is Windscribe. It connects quickly, offers fast speeds and has a user-friendly interface that’s easy even for newbies to navigate.

What’s the Best Free VPN for iPhone & iPad? 

PrivadoVPN is the best free VPN for iPhone and iPad because it offers fast speeds that can handle mobile gaming and has a user-friendly interface.

What’s the Best Free VPN for Mac?

Proton VPN is the best VPN for Mac, as it offers unlimited data and more than 290 free servers in five locations, and is fast enough for streaming, gaming and browsing.

What’s the Best Free VPN for Windows? 

TunnelBear is the best VPN for Windows, as it offers a user-friendly Windows app with reliable settings like a kill switch for IP leak protection and access to multiple free servers for unblocking content.

Are Free VPNs Safe? 

The VPNs in this list are safe, but most free VPNs are not always safe, and only a handful can be considered reliably secure. The reason for this is that most free VPNs are able to offer their services for free because they sell your data to third-party entities. For instance, they may offer you free services in exchange for selling your valuable residential IP address to high-paying clientele.

The lack of a no-logs policy with most free VPNs also means that your data might be available to governments or law enforcement. It’s much safer to operate without a VPN than to use many free VPNs. For example, Hola VPN offers a free service that logs your IP address and traffic. It even explicitly states in its privacy policy that it may share data with third parties.

Free VPN Red Flags: What to Avoid

You should avoid the following free VPN policies:

• Data logging: A VPN has no business collecting and storing any of your sensitive personal data. This includes your IP address, traffic data, the websites you visit and the duration of those visits. 
• Speed throttling: If your speeds decrease to alarming levels while using a free VPN, there’s a high chance your bandwidth has been throttled. 
• No independent audits: Independent audits are one of the most reliable ways of telling how trustworthy a VPN service is. A VPN service that has never been audited can’t be trusted to offer free services in the first place.
• Poor customer support: Customer support provides solutions to customers when they run into issues. When a free VPN service can’t even offer something as simple as a communication channel, it’s a red flag — it may mean they’re not equipped to answer tough questions. 

The Best Paid VPNs with Free Trials or Money-Back Guarantees

If free VPNs aren’t your cup of tea but you don’t have the budget for a premium option, the VPN services listed below have amazing free trials that you can take advantage of:

• NordVPN: You can use NordVPN risk-free for seven days on Android devices through the Google Play store. Note that you will be charged the full amount if you don’t cancel the free trial within seven days. Learn more in our NordVPN review.
• Surfshark: A free seven-day trial is available on Android and iOS but only through the Apple App store and Google Play store. Read more in our Surfshark review.
• ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN offers a seven-day free trial on Android and iOS through the Apple App store and Google Play store. We discuss all of this and more in our ExpressVPN review.

Conclusion

Good free VPNs are hard to come by. Many free ones are plagued with privacy concerns, slow speeds, unreliable security and limited features. However, reliable free VPNs like PrivadoVPN, Windscribe, TunnelBear, hide.me and Proton VPN get the job done. 

Have you ever used a free VPN? How was your experience compared to premium services? Which free VPN did you use? Would you be open to trying any of the five options discussed in this article? Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thank you for reading our blog.

FAQ: Free VPNs

• What Is the Actual Best Free VPN?

  I think PrivadoVPN is the best free VPN. It offers many features and has amazing speeds that can handle streaming and gaming.

• Is There a 100% Free VPN?

  Yes, there are 100% free VPNs; however, all free VPNs come with limited features that deny you the chance to use them to the fullest. Some unreliable ones even sell your data without your knowledge, putting you at greater risk.

• Is Proton VPN No Longer Free?

  Proton VPN still has a free option that offers unlimited data, servers in five locations and reliable security.

• Is There a Free VPN Without Signup?

  hide.me VPN allows you to create an account without signing up with an email address. This makes it ideal for people who don’t want to leave an online trail or receive unsolicited marketing emails.