A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a server run by the VPN provider. Websites see the VPN server’s IP address instead of yours, and you can get around geo-blocks, censorship and ISP throttling. The best VPN services are paid, but there are still a handful of free options that do the job well.
Most free VPNs come with hidden costs, because running servers isn’t cheap and a company that doesn’t charge you has to make their money elsewhere. Many do this by logging your browsing activity and selling it to advertisers, while others flood you with ads and track you via apps.
We’ve skipped the risky ones and narrowed this list down to the few free VPNs that are actually worth trusting, even though none of them suit every single need. Each free plan has its own limits, so we’ve tailored each choice to the type of user, those limits don’t get in the way.
Best Free VPN overall
Proton VPN
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✓ Unlimited data without ads | ✗ Can’t choose your location |
| ✓ Review no-logs policy | ✗ One device only |
| ✓ Kill switch and stealth protocol included |
- Country of registration: Switzerland
- Customers supported: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Chromebook, Browser Extensions, Routers
- Number of free places: 10 countries
- Number of simultaneous connections: 1
- Special features: Unlimited data, no ads, kill switch, stealth protocol
Proton VPN is our top free pick because it avoids some of the restrictions that usually make free VPNs frustrating to use. There is no monthly data fee, no ads, and no speed cap imposed specifically because you are using the free tier. Free accounts are also protected by the same no-logs policy as paying customers, backed by Proton’s Swiss jurisdiction.
Security features have also not been removed from the free version. Proton includes a kill switch in its stealth protocol that disguises VPN traffic to make it harder for restrictive networks to identify and block the connection. Router support also means it’s possible to protect devices over a home network while still using the only connection allowed by the free account.
The biggest trade-off is how little control you get over the connection itself. Free users cannot manually select a server location, as Proton automatically selects an available free server, and performance may decrease when these servers become full. Anyone who mainly wants private day-to-day browsing without worrying about a monthly data bill should find these limitations pretty easy to live with.
Best multi-device free vpn
Windscribe
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✓ Unlimited devices | ✗ 10GB monthly data cap |
| ✓ Built-in ad and tracker blocker | ✗ Inconsistent speed |
| ✓ Supports torrenting |
If you want to protect multiple devices without paying, Windscribe gives you much more space than most free VPNs. There is no limit to simultaneous connections, and the free plan still includes many of the features available to paying customers, including its always-on firewall, split tunneling, ROBERT blocker for ads and trackers, and support for torrenting.
Where Windscribe becomes more restrictive is data usage. An account created without an email address starts with 2GB each month, while confirming your email increases this permanently to 10GB. Posting via Windscribe on X can add another 5GB if you have at least three followers, and each successful referral gives both users an extra 1GB per month. Unsubscribing from Windscribe promotional emails drops the allowance back to 2GB.
Free servers can also become noticeably slower when they are busy, and services like Netflix can detect and block some connections. Even with these limitations, Windscribe works well for households with multiple phones, laptops, or other devices that occasionally need VPN access, as long as the monthly data allowance is sufficient for how you plan to use it.
Best unscripted free VPN
Hide.me
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✓ Unlimited data without ads | ✗ Throttle speed |
| ✓ No email required to register | ✗ Free plan must be renewed every 30 days |
| ✓ Choose your own location |
- Country of registration: Malaysia
- Customers supported: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, browser extensions
- Number of free places: 8 countries
- Number of simultaneous connections: 1
- Special features: Unlimited data, no ads, no email required, kill switch, split tunneling
Getting unlimited VPN data for free usually involves giving up something else, but Hide.me keeps the trade-offs relatively manageable. You can use the service all month without counting gigabytes, there are no ads, and you don’t even have to provide an email address to get started. The same no-logs policy used for paid accounts also applies here, and Securitum independently reviewed it in 2024.
There is also more control over the connection than Proton gives its free users. Hide.me lets you choose from its available free locations and includes a kill switch across supported platforms, while split tunneling is available on Windows, Mac and Android.
The trade-off is mostly in performance and comfort. Free accounts are throttled, the smaller server pool can become overloaded at busy times, and the free plan must be renewed every 30 days. These disadvantages are easier to accept when unlimited browsing and registration without an email address is more important than getting the fastest possible connection.
Best free VPN for streaming
PrivateVPN
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✓ Streaming-friendly free servers | ✗ No independent audit |
| ✓ Choose your own location | ✗ Kill switch only on desktop |
| ✓ Supports torrenting |
- Country of registration: Switzerland
- Customers supported: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Android TV, Apple TV
- Number of free places: 10 countries
- Number of simultaneous connections: 1
- Special features: Streaming-friendly free servers, P2P support, SmartRoute split tunneling, kill switch
Streaming is where PrivadoVPN makes the strongest case for itself, as its free servers still have access to a number of major platforms and the service doesn’t restrict streaming or torrenting separately. Free users get 10GB every 30 days across servers in 10 countries, and unlike some rivals, PrivadoVPN lets you choose exactly where you want to connect.
Reaching the monthly allowance does not mean that the VPN stops working immediately. Instead, PrivadoVPN moves the connection to limited emergency servers until the next release begins, giving you at least some connectivity instead of cutting access completely.
There are also useful extras here, including SmartRoute Split Tunneling to decide which apps and websites use the VPN. Windows and Mac users get a kill switch, though Android relies on the operating system’s built-in equivalent. Only one device can connect at a time, and the company’s no-logs haven’t been independently reviewed, leaving less external verification than you’d get from some of the other services on this list.
For someone who only occasionally needs a VPN for streaming or torrenting, the combination of location choice and relatively generous free features is appealing. The 10GB monthly allowance is the main thing you need to keep an eye on.
Best for anonymity
binding
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✓ Completely free without an account | ✗ Much slower than a VPN |
| ✓ No company that holds your data | ✗ Mobile only |
| ✓ Bridges help bypass censorship |
- Country of registration: Not a commercial company (developed by the Guardian Project, an open-source collective)
- Customers supported: Android, iOS
- Number of free places: 78 countries
- Number of simultaneous connections: Unlimited
- Special features: Tor-based routing, per-app protection, bypassing censorship bridges, .onion site access, open-source code
Anyone primarily concerned with anonymity rather than streaming or connection speed should look at Orbot differently than the other options here. Instead of routing traffic through servers operated by a commercial VPN company, it sends connections through the Tor network of voluntary relays, so no single point along the route can see where the traffic comes from and where it goes.
There is no subscription, account, advertising or monthly data fees, and the software is open source. This also means that no VPN company sits between you and the Internet and asks you to trust its no-log policy. On mobile, Orbot can protect traffic through Tor and includes bridges that can help if access to the Tor network itself is restricted.
All that additional routing comes at a significant cost to speed. Streaming and large downloads are generally impractical, some websites repeatedly serve up CAPTCHAs or block Tor traffic altogether, and the iOS version is more limited than the Android app. So Orbot makes a lot more sense for mobile users who need stronger anonymity or another route around censorship than it does for someone looking for a fast everyday VPN. If streaming, downloads or general browsing speed are the priority, one of the conventional VPNs above will be a better fit.