The best free VPN of 2024 (2024)

One of the most popular security apps in the digital age, a virtual private network is essential to protect your information from cybercriminals, make your browsing more anonymous, and stream shows from other countries. Even better as with the best free VPN services all of this won't cost you a penny.

I've reviewed hundreds of VPNs over my four years in the industry, and I constantly test leading services to make sure my rankings are always accurate. I've also compared the pros and cons of a free vs premium VPN to help you pick the right service—analyzing speed, server locations, unblocking capability, privacy, and security.

Unfortunately, even the best free VPNs come with restrictions, and any service that says it doesn't should immediately be treated with caution. It typically means the service will be turning a profit in some other way, usually with invasive advertising or by selling your data to third parties—defeating the privacy purpose of a VPN.

Ultimately, this renders most of them useless for unblocking content and can give you a false sense of security. The best free services exist to give you a taste of the full product, and often limit both your speed and the amount of data you can use.

The three best VPNs in 2024

Paid VPNs offer so much more than their free counterparts. If you want to get the best VPN services for free, take advantage of money-back guarantees and see how they compare with the top free options.

The best free VPNs in 2024

Let's deep-dive into my top free VPN picks for today.

PrivadoVPN Free has been nipping at Proton's heels for a long time, and with recent updates, it's finally de-throned the long-standing Swiss champion. With a dedicated geoblocking team, it's one of few VPNs that can reliably unblock popular streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer—most paid services can't say that.

I also love the fact that, contrary to many other freebies on the market, Privado's free option offers plenty of customization and security features. These include a kill switch and always-on VPN to protect your data at all times and cut your internet use if your VPN connection drops.

The free platform even offers split-tunneling, so you can access local services while streaming your favorite shows abroad. You can even control your encryption protocol, and switch to WireGuard for a faster, more secure VPN experience.

▶ Try PrivadoVPN: the best free VPN

With its 865 Mbps download speeds, PrivadoVPN's free servers are just as fast as its paid-for ones. This knocks Proton VPN's free servers out of first place for the fastest free VPN with 740 Mbps. The higher server count also means that PrivadoVPN's servers are less likely to become congested, too.

However, if the data tap runs dry, you then get unlimited data via its "over-quota" mode, where you'll be placed on a speed-restricted server offering only 1 Mbps. While this might seem slow, it's still plenty for day-to-day internet use, and most users won't likely need more than 10 GB every month. In a recent discussion with Privado's engineers, they revealed the majority of its free subscribers only use around 4 GB of data per month.

PrivadoVPN is one of the only VPN providers to handle its own bandwidth and transit routes. This means you get fantastic speeds and almost no server congestion—it's a free service with a truly premium feel.

The choice of 13 locations over 10 countries beats most free services, including Proton VPN's free plan which only offers 3 countries. Here's a quick list of the free server locations:

• United Kingdom
• United States (4 locations)
• Canada
• France
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Switzerland
• Mexico
• Brazil
• Argentina

The apps are easy to use and reliable, but the service has some issues and limits. PrivadoVPN Free only supports a single connection, so if you install it on your laptop and your phone, you can only use one at a time.

Overall, PrivadoVPN Free is an excellent service that blows the competition out of the water. Its streaming results are a standout feature, and if paying for a VPN just isn't an option, PrivadoVPN gives you a premium service without a premium cost—or any cost for that matter.

Proton VPN Free used to top my free VPN charts, thanks to its mix of features, power, and app quality. While it may have lost its place, it's still a remarkable service that doesn't pile on the limits and restrictions to nag you into upgrading. This is a free VPN you could use long-term.

For starters, users can use their software as long as they want as Proton comes with no data limits. That's a big plus in a market where almost all other free VPNs might allow you 500MB to 10GB a month at most. This also ultimately translates into better privacy as you don't have to choose where you use the VPN when data's running low. If you feel there's a risk, or you're unsure, then just get connected—Proton VPN Free is always available.

Proton hasn't punished free users by omitting key features, either. Some free providers drop the kill switch, WireGuard, and maybe even support, but Proton VPN Free has all the core privacy features you need to stay safe online.

▶ Download this great VPN directly from the Proton website

There are still significant limits. You only get access to three locations, for instance: USA, the Netherlands, and Japan. Although you can install Proton VPN on as many devices as you like, you can only connect one at a time. There's no access to Proton VPN's specialist streaming servers, no P2P support, or bonus extras such as ad and malware-blocking—to use them, you'll have to upgrade to a premium plan.

None of this prevents Proton VPN Free from doing its central job, though, and much better than most of the competition. Its well-engineered, open-source, and audited apps are easy to use, but also stuffed with useful tweaks, tools, and technologies.

The service previously topped my free VPN speed charts but has since been knocked off of its pillar by Privado. Speeds of 740 Mbps are nothing to scoff at, as some premium providers aren't that fast. However, the limited number of services comes with a high potential for congestion, so those speeds may not always be available.

Most of Proton's services come with free options, including its highly acclaimed ProtonMail service. Plus, on June 28, Proton Pass was launched to give people access to reliable password management through its security toolkit.

In an effort to combat censorship around the world, Proton launched the VPN Observatory to monitor spikes in VPN usage. The Observatory will act like a canary in the coal mine, signaling to the world when sudden acts of censorship have taken place.

Proton VPN Free may not be quite right for everyone. If you absolutely must have a location in the UK, for instance, or some other country not on Proton's very short list, then PrivadoVPN and Windscribe have more than 10 countries to choose from.

For most users, Proton VPN Free delivers just about everywhere. It's fast, secure, has excellent features, and it's also effortless to use.

Windscribe Free VPN is a quality Canadian service whose appealing mix of features more than justifies its place in the top three.

The data allowance is a little more restricted than my two top VPNs, at a strict 10GB a month. That's enough to protect a lot of online activity, though, and Windscribe Free VPN has its own plus point as compensation. Yet, while most free plans restrict you to only one connection, Windscribe has no limits. This means you can install and use the software on as many devices simultaneously as you need.

The network is another highlight, with Windscribe Free VPN users able to choose from 14 locations across 11 countries. That beats PrivadoVPN Free (10 countries), Proton VPN (3 countries), and many others.

▶ Put Windscribe to the test for free

Windscribe's premium service was one of the few VPNs that maxed out the speed testing line in my latest round of tests, and my previous testing has shown it's an above-average free service when it comes to performance, which is thoroughly commendable.

Recent revamps of the apps have made them a bit more simple in their design, but I dislike how cluttered they feel. Even still, it's a step in the right direction, and the new server location search function is incredibly helpful.

There are some surprising plus points, too. Although Windscribe Free VPN doesn't include the specialist Windflix dedicated streaming servers, I found the service still successfully unblocked UK Netflix and BBC iPlayer.I like that it doesn't disregard content unblocking for non-paying customers.

Put it all together, and while Windscribe Free VPN can't quite match Proton VPN and PrivadoVPN, it gets very close, and the service could well be the right choice for some people but when you consider that all of these services are free, why would you pick anything other than the best?

Atlas VPN Free first caught my eye with its impressive data allowance. Not the 10GB you get with its Windows VPN, Android VPN, and iOS VPN—although that's not bad—but its Mac VPN really goes the extra mile. Mac users get, in fact, an outstanding 2GB a day.

The service isn't as generous with its locations, though. There are just three: the Netherlands, Los Angeles, and New York. You're able to connect a couple of devices simultaneously, though (our top two free VPNs only allow one), and my speed tests found Atlas VPN Free reached an above-average 320 Mbps. Factor in the P2P support, and Atlas could be a smart torrenting choice.

▶ Try Atlas VPN for yourself

I'm not quite as convinced by the apps. They cover the basics, and what you get works well (the kill switch passed all my tests, for instance). But they're a little short on features, with a few small usability hassles, and can't match the likes of PrivadoVPN.

The service does have an independent audit, and that's a step above many competitors. But it's also relatively limited, covering the iOS app only. Meanwhile, TunnelBear Free VPN now has annual audits covering all its apps, servers, infrastructure, and more.

In other areas, though, Atlas VPN Free delivered a little more than I expected. It doesn't support unblocking any streaming sites, for instance, but I found the service got me into Disney Plus, and maybe you'll have luck with other sites.

Overall, while Atlas VPN Free has some issues, I found it generally did a good job of protecting me online, and Mac users in particular will love the 2GB per day data allowance.

Hide.me Free VPN is a solid mid-range service that doesn't hit the mark in every area, but still has more than enough standout features to make it worth a closer look.

Installing the service gets you a decent 10GB of data a month, and access to five P2P-friendly locations: east and west coast USA, Canada, Germany, and Netherlands. Not the best around, but enough to get by for most users, and it's useful as a torrenting VPN.

▶ Download now on the Hide.me website

The apps have more features and customizability than most of the free competition, which is a huge benefit. Auto-connect on accessing untrusted Wi-Fi, custom DNS, split tunneling, a powerful kill switch, advanced protocol tweaks, and capable browser extensions—they're all here. Great news for experts, although others might feel this makes for a more complex and intimidating interface compared to services like Privado and Proton.

Hide.me Free VPN also supports the speedy WireGuard protocol, so you can take advantage of the latest and greatest in VPN encryption protocols. However, performance is a concern for if you use the free plan. Its paid service is one of the fastest VPN services around, but I found Hide.me Free VPN averaged only downloads of around 25 Mbps. That's significantly less than the speeds I saw from PrivadoVPN and the other top providers.

That's enough speed for browsing, streaming, and most other tasks, though, and if you'll use Hide.me Free VPN's more advanced app features, it could be the right service for you. However, when you factor in the competition, it's not really worth it when you can get so much more for nothing elsewhere.

Hotspot Shield Basic is a popular free VPN plan with a very major plus: last year, the provider began upgrading the service to offer unlimited data across all platforms. Mac, Android, and iOS now support unlimited data, with Windows joining the party later.

In a world where most free VPNs restrict you to 10GB a month or even less, being able to use the service as much as you like is a huge advantage. So, you might be wondering, "Why is Hotspot Shield Basic not higher up the list?"

▶ Try Hotspot Shield for yourself

One major catch with the service is that it only allows connecting to a single US location. PrivadoVPN and Windscribe support around ten countries, while TunnelBear offers almost 50.

Usability issues and irritations include mobile apps that regularly display video ads when you connect. The Mac app has no ads but does open pages on the Hotspot Shield website every time you connect and disconnect.

One big privacy problem is that Hotspot Shield Basic doesn't include a kill switch. If the VPN connection drops, your traffic may be unprotected.

Oh, and if you experience any problems with any of this, there's no live chat or email support. You're left to browse the Hotspot Shield website and figure out a solution yourself.

This makes it difficult to recommend Hotspot Shield Basic above the competition, even with its unlimited data. But it may still be useful for simple tasks, or as an emergency backup for another provider, and it's worth checking out the service for yourself.

While most VPNs sell themselves on their lengthy lists of advanced technical features, TunnelBear Free VPN is all about creating a simple service that is easy for anyone to use. And it takes this to a surprising extreme.

Most VPNs boast around all the protocols they support, for example, and give you stacks of settings in their apps—great if you understand VPN protocols, but what if you don't? Don't worry, TunnelBear strips away the technical difficulty of VPNs.

▶ Head through to TunnelBear

TunnelBear Free VPN simplifies this by not even mentioning protocols in its website feature lists, support pages, or most of its apps. This isn't because it's underpowered—the Windows app still supports WireGuard and OpenVPN, the best protocol choices around. It just handles them itself, rather than exposing users to the low-level details.

The apps have other advanced features, although TunnelBear tries to soften these with less technical language. There's a kill switch called VigilantBear, for instance, and split tunneling called SplitBear.

The result is a service with some positives. It's easy to use, with a huge choice of 48 locations across 47 countries. Speeds are good at 300 Mbps, and TunnelBear's annual VPN audits—the most in-depth in the business—give a huge amount of reassurance that your privacy is protected.

There's also a real problem, though, in TunnelBear's miserly data allowance of just 500MB a month. This might be enough if you only need to securely check your email very occasionally, or unblock a single website. But it's far behind the free 10GB you'll typically get elsewhere.

How I pick free VPNs

With so many free VPNs to choose from, and with all of them claiming to be the best and most "unlimited" of them all, I take a very strict approach to choosing which ones make it on the list. I test VPNs every single day, and I've lived and breathed them for the past three years (nearly four).

A VPN is only included in one of my pages if it meets all of the following criteria:

• It's a VPN I have actually tested: I wouldn't recommend something I've never had my hands on. How can I verify it works if I've never used it? I'm always testing VPNs, and always happy to consider new entries for the list, but I won't recommend a service that doesn't deserve to be here.
• It's a reliable service: you can trust it to keep you and your loved ones safe online. This means no invasive privacy policies, no stealing your IP address, and a genuine no-logs policy is vital. Many services claim they have a no-logs policy, but their third-party partners do the tracking instead.
• It's actually worth using: what's the point of a free VPN if you can't really use it? If it doesn't work, it's not going on the list. Likewise, if the privacy policy isn't up to scratch, or the encryption isn't good enough, or the servers are too slow, then what's the point when there are some excellent services out there offering free plans?
• It's genuinely free: if you have to pay up-front for the service, then it's not a free VPN. VPN free trials are a whole other kettle of fish, and worth taking advantage of, but it's not right for this list.
• It doesn't have a shady privacy policy: so many free services make their money by harvesting your data and selling it. To make this list, a VPN service must have a robust no-logs policy. That means no one will be tracking what you do online, not the VPN, nor any third party they associate with—yes I've turned providers down in the past for this.

Countless services have reached out to me in the past looking to get on this page, and they have been thoroughly ticked off when I've explained why they don't meet my standards.

In short, it comes down to this: if I wouldn't feel comfortable with my friends and family using it, how could I ask you to use it?

My VPN industry rankings

Want to know how each of my free VPN picks fares against the rest of the market? check out my industry rankings below.

What is a VPN?

A virtual private network (VPN) is a cybersecurity tool that protects your device from hackers, cybercriminals, and snoopers. It encrypts your data and routes it through a secure server elsewhere in the world. This lets you pretend to be in another part of the world by changing your IP address (a number that identifies your device and location).

When you put all of this together, you get a service that shields your digital privacy, and lets you unblock censored or restricted content—no matter where you are.

How I test free VPNs - VPN review methodology

My VPN reviews begin with a detailed look at the provider's website. What features do you get? How useful is the support site? Has the provider gone through an audit, and if so, what did it say? And are there any catches in the small print?

VPNs can vary hugely between platforms, so I test and compare apps on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. I look at usability, features, settings, and more, and make sure each app works as expected.

Peeking under the hood can give you very useful information about a VPN, so I also dig deeper into the Windows app, exploring the files it uses, the settings, and whether it's properly setting up your connection for the best possible privacy.

Speed matters, even for a free VPN. I test performance from a UK cloud PC with a speedy and ultra-reliable 1 Gbps, giving each VPN plenty of bandwidth to show me just what it can do.

Providers might claim to have a kill switch, but does this really give you the protection it claims? I use various techniques to force a VPN connection to close, and monitor each app to make sure it handles each situation correctly.

The limited data on most free VPN plans means they're not ideal for unblocking streaming sites. But it's still interesting to see who delivers on the unblocking front, and who doesn't. To find out, I check whether each provider can access exclusive regional content on (depending on the available locations) US Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and BBC iPlayer.

Tested by

Meet the experts behind our free VPN guide:

Should I use a free VPN?

Honestly, there isn't one easy answer to this question. It depends on what you want to use your free VPN for. If it's just about having a bit more security on your laptop or mobile when using public Wi-Fi, they can be just the ticket. Jump on the service, turn on an encrypted server connection, and crack on with your online activities safe in the knowledge that no prying eyes will be able to see your private information.

But if your main purpose is to have a streaming VPN say, or want to use it while downloading terabytes of torrent files, a free VPN just isn't going to do the trick. For starters, most of them limit you to a daily or monthly data allowance that you'll rinse through in no time at all. Most don't have the kind of easy access support or server range required to make those activities easy with a virtual private network.

Remember: price doesn't always equal quality, and some of the best VPN services cost as little as $2/£2 per month. The best cheap VPNs will give you much better performance and protection—without breaking the bank.

How to choose a free VPN - five must-ask questions

The last couple of years have witnessed the rise of global threats to individual privacy, with long-maintained rights to anonymity and net neutrality being undermined with a cloak of legitimacy.

While virtual private networks are not the panacea to being safe, secure and private on the internet, it is an essential component of the arsenal for individuals inclined to seek these liberties.

If you don’t have one yet, you can grab one for free, without having to pay a single penny for one. Just be careful though as not all free VPN providers are created equal and some might even compromise your security.

Here are five questions you need to ask yourself before you download and install one.

Are free VPNs safe?

While the main criticism of free VPNs is that they just aren't half as useful as the paid-for alternatives, there are some serious concerns about the majority of free services out there.

Most free VPNs don't have the proper security to keep you protected—offering sub-par encryption (sometimes even none at all), and failing to hold up under any serious scrutiny. Even worse, many of the free services make their money by harvesting and selling your data.

As the adage goes: if the product is free, then you are the product.

The core purpose of a VPN is to secure your internet traffic and ensure your digital privacy remains intact. This is totally undermined if the VPN provider is the one doing the snooping instead.

In the most extreme instances, some VPN services are a front for malware, injecting viruses and spyware onto your device the second you download them from the app store/website. That's why it's so important to use the right VPN, especially if it's a free one.

How to get a premium VPN for free

Can't decide on whether to go for a free VPN or a premium paid-for option? There may be a perfect compromise, as pretty much all the world's best providers let you try them risk– and cost–free. Check out the best VPN free trials to see what the best prices are right now.

You'll see some familiar names mentioned there. My#1 VPN service, ExpressVPN is also on the list, letting you give it a try for 30 days—absolutely risk-free.

It's worth pointing out that you do have to pay upfront for these services. But they pride themselves on making the money back as hassle-free as possible, allowing you to claim a full refund online without trouble.

Free VPN FAQs