I'm Donny. I'm a world traveler, investor, entrepreneur, and online marketing aficionado who has a big appetite to compete and disrupt big markets. I thrive on being able to create things that impact change, difficult challenges, and being able to add value in negative situations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, VPN usage in the United States has risen by more than 120%. Virtual Private Networks are crucial for internet security and keeping your data safe from malicious parties.
Some VPNs are pricy, but there are plenty of free options available.
Hotspot Shield is one of the hottest VPN providers on the market. Hotspot provides protection and privacy via a mobile and desktop app. They are my #1 recommended best free VPN service.
Surfshark is a great VPN service that has a few unique privacy features - like a kill switch and multi-hop - that make it a worthwhile VPN. They are my top choice when it comes to torrenting. Check them out by clicking the link below.
If you’re looking to protect yourself without breaking the bank, we’re here to help. Here are five of the best free VPN services available in 2024.
Our Top Picks for the Best Free VPN
- Hotspot Shield - Best Overall
- Surfshark - Best for Torrenting
- TunnelBear - Most Secure
- PrivadoVPN - Best for Windows/Macs
- ProtonVPN - Best for Unlimited Data
Comparison of the Best Free VPNs
Hotspot Should helps you protect yourself with military-grade encryption, and access sites and streaming content around the world.
Surfshark is a great VPN service that has a few unique privacy features - like a kill switch and multi-hop - that make it a worthwhile VPN.
TunnelBear encrypts your internet connection to keep your online activity private on any network.
PrivadoVPN is a Switzerland-based VPN company that is fast, secure, and helps you protect your online privacy anywhere around the globe.
Our Partner
ProtonVPN has hundreds of secure VPN servers all around the world, including several free VPN servers.
5 Best Free VPN Services Reviewed
1. Hotspot Shield - Best Overall
Hotspot Shield is one of the most popular VPN options available. Though there are premium and premium family options, you can also opt-in for their basic plan at no cost whatsoever.
There are limitations, but everything that you need from a VPN is available. The basic plan allows you to connect one device with limited streaming access.
The connection speed goes up to 2 Mbps with a 500 MB daily data limit. With the basic plan, only one United States virtual location is available. An internet kill switch and multiple VPN protocols help to keep your identity private and secure. Military-grade encryption will stop your data from falling into the wrong hands.
Overall, it’s a free-to-use VPN that gives you everything you need to safely and comfortably browse.
Pros
Cons
2. Surfshark - Best for Torrenting
Our second option is SurfShark, though it comes with a caveat. SurfShark isn’t completely free, though it’s exceptionally cheap for a VPN. With a sign-up plan, you can earn two free months, making it free for a time before the next charging.
SurfShark is one of the best available options for torrenting and streaming. The ability to change digital locations helps you get around geographic barriers to skirt restrictions.
With data protection and antivirus, the SurfShark VPN is excellent for keeping you safe and hidden.
Pros
Cons
3. TunnelBear - Most Secure
TunnelBear is a reputable and reliable VPN to snag for free. It offers a low amount of features as far as free VPNs go and is difficult to suggest over competitors. The premium plans offer fantastic features, but as far as unpaid plans go, TunnelBear’s only selling point is being free.
For the free plan, TunnelBear offers 500MB of secure browsing. It’s enough to keep your data safe and see if you like Tunnelbear enough to upgrade to one of their fantastic paid plans.
If you don’t intend to upgrade, though, you’re likely better off going for another on this list.
Pros
Cons
4. PrivadoVPN - Best for Windows/Macs
PrivadoVPN is another option that offers a free plan as well as premium paths instead. The premium paths are fantastic, but if you don’t want to shell out the cash, the free plan option is still a great choice.
PrivadoVPN is especially popular among Windows and Mac users. The free plan offers 10GB of free data every 30 days with servers in 12 cities and a single connection.
With P2P connectivity, zero logs, and streaming support for unlimited devices, the free plan offers more than some paid plans do.
Pros
Cons
5. ProtonVPN - Best for Unlimited Data
Closing out the list is ProtonVPN, an excellent option both free and paid. With the free version, you’ll receive access to 24 servers in three different countries.
Though this pales in comparison to the paid plans 400+ servers in 40+ countries, it’s a strong feature for a free VPN service. The connection comes at a medium speed with a single VPN connection and a strict no-log policy. ProtonVPN is also great for accessing blocked content.
Overall, ProtonVPN is a solid choice for a free VPN service that won’t leave you feeling like you’re lacking features.
Pros
Cons
How We Decided
Free VPNs will often share similar features, making it sometimes difficult to find which is better than others. That said, many will still offer something that can help make the experience better than competitors.
Some, like TunnelBear, use their free plans as a way to promote their paid services. While that’s a solid strategy and TunnelBear is overall one of the most secure options available, it isn’t helpful if you want to use a free version indefinitely.
One of the first things to look at when comparing plans is the data offered. Some will cap out at a point, making them relatively useless if you use them frequently.
Those with a low data cap can hit that VPN downloads cap within a week or so and have no benefit for the rest of the month. How many servers they offer is also vital for your connection and experience.
If they only offer one server a great distance away from you, you may find the VPN practically unusable. Make sure there are connections nearby you.
Finally, a VPN that doesn’t offer different countries is useless for getting around geographical blocks, such as streaming services that aren’t offered in your nation.
Because of this, you should aim for a VPN that lets you switch nations if streaming is your goal. Overall, there are dozens of features that you’ll want from a VPN.
Look into connection speed, data caps, available servers, and regions that you can switch over to. These are generally the make-or-break features that you’ll want in a VPN, free or not.
Free VPN vs. Paid VPN: What’s the Difference
To put it simply, a free VPN will generally have fewer features than a paid VPN. Data caps are usually much lower, if they exist at all. Paid VPNs often have no cap, allowing you to use the VPN for as long as you’d like rather than nullifying them after a certain amount of data is gone.
Free VPNs will often also have a limited connection speed that slows your VPN down in comparison to paid VPNs. Generally, this is somewhat arbitrary to help convince you to change your subscription to a paid premium plan from the same company.
Free VPNs also will give fewer servers that you can utilize. Additionally, they might limit the nations you can switch your VPN to. Paid servers will provide more nations to switch to, as well as more servers to pick from, making it easier to access blocked content.
Finally, free VPNs will often offer fewer supported devices. A free VPN is usually only able to support one device at a time. Paid VPNs will support many more, typically an unlimited number, though it depends on the provider in question.
How to Choose a Free VPN to Use
Ultimately, the best free VPN service is the one that fits your purposes. The first thing you should do is decide what you intend to be using your VPN for.
If you’re using it for streaming or torrenting, for example, you should look for one that lets you switch nations to avoid blocks.
If your primary purpose is secure browsing, you might not need alternate servers or nations. Instead, focus on one that offers strong encryption, log-free data, and other features to keep your data safe.
Users that have no specific focus may just want to look for generally strong features. Good connectivity, a large number of servers and nations supported, multi-device support, and a high data cap are all things that you might want for your free VPN.
If there’s a certain brand that you’ve been considering the premium version of, take their free VPN first. It usually will serve as an example of what you can expect from their premium versions as a whole, making it an easy choice.
Next Steps
Now that you know everything you need to know about securing your internet access with a free VPN, the next step is to consider your needs. Look into what you want from a VPN and choose which from our list best fits it.
If none on our list fit, there are thousands of other options! VPNs provide security on the internet and keep your data out of the hands of others.
They’re an important tool whether you’re trying to skirt content blocks for foreign streaming services or browse websites in peace. Free or premium, you should look into one immediately.
For more information, feel free to contact us. You can also browse our extensive website to learn more about cybersecurity and VPNs.
Free VPN FAQ's
With everything discussed, there are still some questions that linger for many users. Here’s a brief list of frequently asked questions to help dispel any remaining concerns over using a free virtual private network.
The primary limitations are speed, devices, data caps, and nations represented. However, the limitations are not universal as it depends on the VPN.
Different companies will give different limitations, making your decision easier if you know what limitations you’re okay with. Some will offer unlimited data but at a lower speed or some other trade-off.
Few VPN providers offer unlimited devices or a large number of nations represented. Overall, the limitations depend on the provider.
Absolutely! Many free VPNs are meant to be a trial for a paid program, which makes them relatively barebones. However, many VPNs are free as a whole and are still completely usable VPNs without needing to upgrade.
On our list, the only VPN that isn’t indefinitely usable for free is SurfShark. Others, like TunnelBear, offer relatively little to help encourage you to upgrade to a paid program.
Past that, the VPNs on our list are completely free to use for as long as you want. Though you may decide that you would prefer to upgrade to a free version, nothing is forcing you to do so.
You’re free to use these - and many other VPNs - for as long as you would like.
Free VPNs can be dangerous, and you should always do the needed research to ensure that the one you’re using is safe to use. Simply searching for a free VPN and giving your information to the first one that appears is a massive risk and not one that we suggest you take.
One of the most important things for us in making this list was reputable names. We strongly suggest you stick to companies with a good reputation and strong reviews, even if another is offering a better free VPN.
Reputable companies will keep your data secure, but there are plenty of scam VPNs. Stay with well-known companies to ensure your VPN isn’t the threat you’re trying to protect yourself from.
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Should helps you protect yourself with military-grade encryption, and access sites and streaming content around the world.
- Hotspot Shield - Best Overall
- Surfshark - Best for Torrenting
- TunnelBear - Most Secure
- PrivadoVPN - Best for Windows/Macs
- ProtonVPN - Best for Unlimited Data
I'm Donny. I'm a world traveler, investor, entrepreneur, and online marketing aficionado who has a big appetite to compete and disrupt big markets. I thrive on being able to create things that impact change, difficult challenges, and being able to add value in negative situations.
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