Best free VPNs in 2024 – What are the best free and truly secure VPNs?

Want to use a VPN for free? We’ve found the five best reliable free VPNs that protect user privacy effectively.

Interest in VPNs has skyrocketed in recent years due to growing awareness of online surveillance and privacy risks, and many people are searching for free VPNs to save costs. However, it's crucial to understand the potential dangers associated with most free VPN services. This guide explains why free VPNs can be risky and pinpoints the best free VPNs that work to protect your privacy.

Operating a VPN service requires significant investment in server infrastructure. Free VPNs often attract large user bases, leading to overloaded servers and higher data processing costs. So, how do these services cover their expenses without charging fees? The answer is simple: by monetizing user data. Most free VPNs have lax privacy policies that allow them to collect and sell user data to advertisers, data brokers, and other third parties.

This practice turns many free VPNs into data honeypots that continually harvest user data, creating a false sense of security and potentially endangering users. Fortunately, there are some exceptions.

A few premium VPNs offer a basic free plan to advertise their services and help users who can't afford a paid subscription. These plans come with various limitations but don't compromise on privacy or data security, which is most important.

In this guide, we've listed the best free VPNs that anybody can use to gain online privacy. However, each free VPN plan we’ve found has limitations compared to the best paid VPN services. So, for complete transparency, we will explain these as we go along.

Despite this, we think it's reassuring to know there are some safe free VPNs available on the market!

What makes a free VPN safe to use?

At BleepingComputer, we value data privacy above all else. We only feel comfortable recommending VPNs that genuinely work to prevent local networks, ISPs, and other unwanted third parties (including advertisers or businesses affiliated with the VPN provider) from harvesting user data to create revenue.

With this in mind, we believe that the best free VPNs must offer reliable encryption and privacy policies that never compromise user data. Unfortunately, most of the free VPNs available in app stores do not fall into this category. Instead, many free VPNs are risky services that lack encryption, lie about the protection they provide, and even hide spyware in their apps.

Many consumers are completely unaware of the risks associated with free VPNs. Consumers often give dangerous free VPNs good reviews on Google Play and other app stores – unaware that they are using a VPN that suffers from leaks or lacks basic encryption. Those customer reviews cause more people to download those VPNs, creating an ever-increasing circle of risk.

We understand that there are people who want to use a VPN for free. Not everybody can afford to pay for a VPN, and there are times when people living in countries suffering from political overfly and widespread censorship need to use a free VPN to communicate with friends and family. 

To help, we’ve carefully reviewed dozens of free VPNs. We tested each service thoroughly: analyzing privacy policies and checking features and encryption implementation. This process has allowed us to find a few free VPN plans that anybody can use safely without putting their devices or data at risk.

What are the best free VPNs?

1. Proton VPN: The best free VPN. A highly reputable VPN provider based in Switzerland. Offers free servers in Japan, USA, and the Netherlands. No monthly data caps. The free plan doesn't work for torrenting or streaming and has various limitations – including slower speeds. However, it offers the same level of privacy as the paid version. 
2. Hide.me: An impressive free VPN with servers in eight locations. Ad-free and completely secure in terms of privacy and security. Offers robust encryption. No monthly data caps, but users need to upgrade to access Netflix US and other streaming services. The free servers are slow compared with our top pick.
3. Windscribe: A free VPN that is based in Canada and has a concrete no-logging policy. Free servers in 11+ countries, including the US, Canada, UK, France, and Germany. Robust encryption prevents ISPs and other eavesdroppers from tracking your activities. Includes ad and tracker blocking. The free plan is capped at 10 GB of data each month.
4. Hotspot Shield: A popular free VPN used extensively during protests and social media blackouts during elections. Free server in the US only. Free plan does not work to access streaming platforms like Netflix US. Served ads, 500 MB daily download cap. Doesn’t sell user data to third parties but does harvest some data for internal use. 
5. TunnelBear: Popular Canadian VPN brand with a basic free plan. Allows users to download 2GB of data each month for free. Free servers are in the US, UK, and Canada. Speeds are a bit slow. The free plan blocks streaming services like Netflix US. Ad-free interface. No logs policy and robust encryption protect your privacy. 

You can use any of the VPNs above for free and they will not compromise your privacy or put your devices at risk. However, please note that free VPNs are restrictive and slow compared to paid services. 

Alternatively, you can try the best VPN with faster speeds, unlimited data, and access to popular streaming services, completely free for 30 days. NordVPN allows anybody to test its service risk-free with a no-quibbles money-back guarantee. 

Unlike basic free plans, a premium service like NordVPN offers superior performance – including faster speeds, unlimited data, servers optimized for torrenting, and access to popular streaming services like Netflix US, Hulu, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer.

If you've never tried a VPN – or have only used free options – we highly recommend testing NordVPN with its risk-free trial. You'll notice a significant difference in performance, reliability, and accessibility!

How did we pick the best free VPNs?

To make our recommendations, we first examined the privacy policies of numerous free VPN services.

We have only recommended VPNs that don't keep permanent records of the servers you use or any of your activities while connected to the VPN. Additionally, we prioritized apps that support strong protocols like OpenVPN or WireGuard, featuring solid AES-256 or ChaCha20 encryption.

Later in this guide, we will detail our testing methods and criteria for selecting the top free VPNs. For now, here are the main factors we considered:

• Offers a free VPN plan that does not require you to provide any payment details.
• Keeps no usage logs and does not sell user browsing information to third parties.
• Has reliable apps that can be used for free on mobile or desktop computers.
• Has at least one free server location, and preferably a choice of free servers in various countries.
• The free plan uses trusted VPN protocols with well-implemented encryption.

Best free VPNs: Detailed reviews

All the free VPNs recommended in this guide provide strong levels of online privacy. You can use them to stop local networks, such as workplaces, from monitoring your activities as well as to stop public WiFi providers from snooping on you. They will also secure you against hackers and Evil Twin Hotspots when using public WiFi in cafes, hotels, and other locations.

These free VPNs protect against ISP-based mandatory data retention and stop your web traffic from being hoovered up by government spies. They also prevent websites from detecting your location and allow you to torrent without revealing your IP address to hackers lurking in the swarm.

As is always the case with trustworthy free VPNs, each service has limitations designed to encourage people to upgrade to a paid plan. We have listed each of these limitations in our summaries. This will let you see exactly what the free VPN is missing compared to popular premium VPNs such as NordVPN, Surfshark, or IPVanish.

Proton VPN stands out as a truly free and unlimited VPN service. It is one of the only trustworthy free VPNs that doesn't implement download limits – although it does cap speeds most of the time to prevent server congestion.  Despite this, Proton VPN remains an exceptionally fast free VPN when compared to the vast majority of competitors.

Free users get access to servers in the Netherlands, Japan, and the US. These provide a decent amount of global coverage and let users circumvent censorship and gain online privacy whether in America, the EU, or Asia. 

An important caveat: the free plan purposefully blocks access to streaming services like Netflix US, Hulu, and HBO Max. Torrenting is also restricted to the paid plans only. Plus, the free plan does not let you use Tor over VPN, MultiHop, split tunneling, port forwarding, or ad-blocking features – which are all reserved for paid users only. If you need these features, you will need to upgrade to a premium plan or consider another paid VPN.

Free users get rock-solid encryption, DNS leak protection, a kill switch, and Proton's trusted no-logging policy. The service keeps no records of the servers you use or your online activities. It also doesn't serve adverts, making it a breeze to use.

Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, which means it benefits from the country’s strong privacy laws. Proton VPN has also been independently audited, meaning it can be trusted to protect user data from eavesdroppers such as ISPs, public WiFi networks, hackers, or government snoops.  

The free plan allows only one device connection – compared to 10 with the paid plan. If you want to use the free version of Proton VPN on multiple devices, you'll have to join with various email addresses – a bit of a pain but pretty easy all things considered.

Overall, we found this free VPN plan to be extremely impressive thanks to decent speeds and its commitment to user privacy. A great way to bypass internet blocks and access regional news or other restricted content without being tracked. 

TRUSTED BRAND: Proton VPN is a trusted VPN that offers a free plan designed to give people privacy, regardless of their circumstances. The free plan is not as fast as the premium servers, but still pretty good compared to other free VPNs. No-logs policy ensures all your activities remain private. Strong encryption. 

Read our full review of Proton VPN.

Hide.me is a lesser-known Malaysian VPN that offers a feature-packed premium VPN and a trustworthy free VPN that anyone can use without providing payment information. This makes it accessible to anyone wanting to access news, social media, messaging apps, or important educational resources that are blocked.

The free version of Hide.me has servers in seven strategic locations: Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. These servers are perfect for bypassing geo-restrictions and any local blocks imposed by public WiFi, workplaces, school campuses, or ISPs working on behalf of the government.

For free, users get access to robust encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch. Features like static IPs, port forwarding, split tunneling, and MultiHop are exclusively available for paying subscribers. The free servers will not work to access services like Netflix. These limitations are used to encourage users to upgrade to a paid plan.

Hide.me can only be used for free on one device at a time. However, you can connect for free using various laptops, phones, tablets, etc, as long as you connect them one at a time. The apps are user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing, making it easy for beginners to use any of the free VPN features.

Hide.me limits free users to 10 GB of data per month. This is a generous free data allowance, especially considering the free plan's average download speeds of around 80 Mbps. This makes it a decent option for watching YouTube or Twitch. Anyone looking for a free VPN for torrenting will also be impressed to find out P2P is not blocked on the free servers.

Hide.me's commitment to privacy has been confirmed by independent audits, which verified its no-logs policy and the reliability of its encryption. Plus, the free plan has no ads, which makes it a pleasure to use. Finally, Hide.me offers 24/7 customer support to all users, including those on the free plan.

FAST FREE VPN: Hide. Me is a lesser-known VPN provider based in Malaysia. It has a superb reputation and has a rock solid no logging policy. The free plan offers a choice of protocols and a kill switch. Prevent online surveillance by ISPs and government agencies. Easy to use to bypass online blocks at work or due to region locks. 

Windscribe has long been a standout among free VPN services, offering robust security and a strict no-logs policy alongside a plethora of features that enhance user safety and internet freedom. One of its most appealing aspects is the free 10 GB of data each month. Users enjoy access to servers across 10+ locations, making it quite generous for a basic free plan. Plus, it is ad-free, making it a breeze to use.

Windscribe is one of the few free VPNs that allows unlimited simultaneous connections, so users can protect multiple devices at once. Just bear in mind that you’ll burn through your 10 GB data allowance faster if you use the VPN across multiple devices or share the account with family members. If you run out of data too quickly, consider getting separate accounts for each family member using a unique email address. 

Another benefit of Windscribe free is its “ROBERT” technology. This is a DNS-based system that blocks malware, ads, and trackers. This not only bolsters your security but can also increase page load times and save on data – perfect when browning using your mobile data allowance. 

The Windscribe free plan lets you pick between strong encryption protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard, ensuring solid security for its users. The only real drawback is that this VPN is based in Canada, which has mandatory data retention laws and is part of the FIVE EYES spying alliance. This may put some privacy advocates off the service.

In addition, the free plan has various limitations designed to encourage people to upgrade to a paid plan. The free servers will not work to access streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Crave, BBC iPlayer, or HBO Max. The free plan also blocks P2P connections, so no torrenting.

Finally, live chat support is off-limits for free users, but you can email for help. 

FEATURE PACKED: A reliable and reputable provider that has a basic free plan. Includes a solid no-logging policy and a built-in ad-blocking feature. Lets you connect to servers in 10+ locations for free. Provides 10 GB of free data each month, but if you exceed this, you will need to pay for a subscription or wait until the following month.

Read our full review of Windscribe.

Hotspot Shield is a popular free VPN that is known for its use during significant events, such as the Turkey coup and the Arab Spring. The service is easy to access online and on app stores and provides a Chrome extension in addition to the VPN app, making it even more accessible. 

Hotspot Shield offers pretty decent speeds due to its proprietary Hydra protocol. However, the free plan comes with a daily data cap of only 500 MB, so it’s not suitable for streaming. Besides the data cap, the free version also blocks popular services like Netflix US and Hulu.

Unlike our other recommendations, which offer connections to various countries around the world, the Hotspot Shield free VPN app is limited to just one country: the US. 

Both the free and premium versions of Hotspot Shield have the same privacy policy. However, the free plan includes ads, which can be annoying. These are generic ads that aren’t tailored using personal information – in line with the provider's no-logs policy. It should be noted that Hotspot Shield collects some personal information from users such as wireless network details and approximate location. This info is for internal purposes and does not include usage logs or details of the VPN servers used.

Hotspot Shield is available for free on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. The free plan lacks several features available to premium subscribers, such as ad-free browsing, the ability to connect five devices at once, and access to a more extensive network of servers suitable for streaming and gaming. Additionally, free users do not have access to 24/7 customer support, which is reserved for paying customers.

FREE US VPN SERVER: Hotspot Shield makes it easy to get an IP address in America for free. Useful to access US social media services and apps. Works with YouTube and other popular services, however, premium streaming services like Netflix are blocked. The free plan is limited to 500 MB each day. 

Read our full review of Hotspot Shield.

TunnelBear is a Canadian VPN service that offers a basic free plan. It lets users connect to servers in 20+ different countries. However, it is restricted to 500 MB of data per month, which is extremely low compared to our other recommendations.

Users can earn additional data by tweeting about the service. This will net you an extra 1 GB of data to use. However, this is a one-off bonus, so the free VPN is still not a great option for data-intensive tasks like downloading, streaming, or gaming.

TunnelBear applies the same level of protection to both free and paid users. The service uses strong 256-bit encryption, and its privacy policy clearly states that it does not log user activity. TunnelBear has published independent security audits that verified its privacy claims.

TunnelBear’s free plan can be used on custom apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. The free version does not include customer support, which is reserved for paid subscribers.

PLENTY OF SERVERS: TunnelBear provides a basic free plan with servers in 20+ countries. Works to bypass blocks and gain online privacy, Strong encryption and a no-logs policy. Easy to use. A very limited amount of data is allowed each month. No support for free users.

Free VPN – testing methodology

To find the most private free VPNs, we tested the market in search of VPNs with rock-solid privacy policies and strong encryption. We aimed to identify the best free VPNs that effectively conceal your online activities from online services, government surveillance, nosey ISPs, and local networks.

To identify free VPNs that meet these stringent criteria, we employed a meticulous VPN testing methodology. Our approach included leak tests, encryption assessments, and a comprehensive analysis of privacy policies to ensure that the VPNs do not maintain any records of user activities – even when using their free plan.

While free VPNs inherently come with some restrictions—such as data caps, limited server locations, and fewer advanced features compared to their premium counterparts—they can still offer substantial privacy and security benefits. Features like MultiHop, Tor over VPN, or advanced obfuscation are usually unavailable in free versions. However, we were careful only to recommend free VPNs that offer essential privacy protections like strong encryption and a no-logs policy.

Below we have included some of the criteria each free VPN had to meet to be considered for our list:

• Strict no-logs policy: Ensures user activities are never tracked or recorded.
• Robust encryption: Uses strong encryption to protect data.
• Essential security features: Includes kill switch and DNS leak protection.
• Reasonable speed and performance: Offers decent speeds suitable for general use.
• User-friendly apps: Available on multiple devices for ease of use.
• Free plan: That you can use without providing payment details.

Free VPNs FAQs

Is a free VPN private and secure?

While there are some VPN providers that offer trustworthy free plans, these options are extremely rare. Many free VPNs available on platforms like Google Play have questionable privacy policies that permit them to track your online activities for profiling purposes. These VPNs often log your IP address and browsing history, then sell this data to third parties like marketing firms and data brokers, compromising your privacy.

Most free VPNs impose limitations, such as offering access to only a few server locations and setting data caps, restricting how much you can use the VPN each month. They may also block access to popular streaming services like Netflix, encouraging users to upgrade to paid subscriptions.

Not all free VPNs are risky to use. On this page, we have carefully selected free VPNs that are reputable and secure. Unlike random VPNs found online or in app stores, our recommendations adhere to stringent privacy standards. 

These VPNs maintain robust encryption, comprehensive security features, and a strict no-logs policy, ensuring that even their free versions safeguard your online activities from prying eyes, whether they be local network administrators or ISPs. However, they still have many limitations that make them inferior to paid VPN plans with leading providers like NordVPN.

By using one of the free VPNs we’ve highlighted, you can trust that your data and privacy are protected even when using the free version of the VPN. Our recommendations were tested to ensure their reliability, security, and adherence to privacy standards, making them safe options for anyone looking to enhance their online privacy without paying for a VPN.

Can I stream Netflix using these free VPNs?

No. The free plan offered by trusted, reliable VPNs is primarily there to advertise their service. For this reason, the free plan will block access to popular streaming services, including Netflix. By blocking streaming on the free servers, the VPN encourages users to upgrade to a paid subscription. This will unlock streaming-optimized servers that can be used to watch home TV services on vacation and bypass region locks to watch international content libraries.

Can I use a free VPN for torrenting?

This depends on the policies and restrictions that apply to each free VPN we have recommended. Some of the VPNs may allow P2P connections. However, because of the data limits implemented by these free VPN plans, they will still not be efficient for torrenting, because you are likely to run out of data.

If you need to torrent safely and regularly, we strongly recommend opting for a premium VPN service that offers torrenting-optimized servers and unlimited data. This will allow you to share files Peer-to-Peer on an unlimited basis and will ensure you get access to a wider set of features that are useful for torrenting, such as split tunneling and port forwarding.

Will a free VPN keep me safe on public WiFi?

Yes. Although the free VPN plans we have recommended are limited in numerous ways, they were specifically chosen because they have the privacy and security features you need to conceal your browsing data from local networks and ISPs. 

The encryption provided by these free VPNs means you can use the VPN to connect safely to any public WiFi hotspot – safe against surveillance capitalism and the threat of hackers. 

Free VPNs have data caps. If you reach the limit, the VPN connection will drop out and your data will be exposed over the public hotspot, so be sure to monitor the VPN carefully to ensure it is still connected.

Are free VPNs dangerous?

Yes. Studies have revealed that many free VPNs are risky. Most free VPNs have lousy privacy policies that let them log your browsing activities and personal information. Free VPNs sell this data to third parties like advertisers or data brokers to create a revenue stream. This means that most free VPNs will spread your data rather than provide privacy,

Additionally, free VPNs often have fewer security features and may contain malware or harmful software, exposing users to potential cyber threats. They also suffer from leaks and lack proper encryption, which means they don't actually stop your ISP from detecting your activities. 

To ensure your data remains secure, it is vital that you stick to reputable and trusted VPNs like the ones in this guide. Using any free VPN that isn't listed on this page could be dangerous, so please do your research and ensure that the VPN you intend to use is completely safe. There are dozens of dodgy free VPNs based in China designed to steal your data, so be careful and stick to our recommendations to be safer.