You can still get a free one that’ll reliably protect your privacy. In no particular order, here are the best free VPN service providers.
1. Hotspot Shield
This robust, free VPN by AnchorFree has a slick interface and lots of tools for protecting your privacy. While it’s big on privacy, Hotspot Shield is limited in terms of poor speed-test performance, server locations (especially with the free version), and its fiddly setup. It is easy to use, security-focused with protection on up to five devices simultaneously, and has a daily data allowance of up to 500MB, which is about 15GB monthly. As restrictive as this may sound, its limits are more generous than other free VPNs. If all you want is security, Hotspot Shield’s military-grade encryption is available to secure your online shopping and banking or mobile transactions. Why we like it
Security-focused Large server network Malware detection Free browser plugins BitTorrent and P2P allowed User-friendly Protects up to five devices simultaneously
What we don’t like
Fiddly setup Unsuitable for unlocking geo-restricted content Access to Hulu, Netflix, and BBC iPlayer limited to premium users Mandatory seven-day trial to access premium version Free version limited to US-based servers
2.Speedify
As its name suggests, this free VPN strives to give you a faster, more stable, and more secure experience in one platform. If your location has poor internet connectivity, Speedify is your best bet, as it combines all incoming connections, like Wi-Fi and cell signals, into a single access point. The advantage here is you don’t have to endure a loss of speed like you would with other free VPNs. You also get a 5GB per month data allowance and encryption for all your traffic using AES or ChaCha. Speedify also has a zero-log policy, so it doesn’t keep logs on traffic or data activity. There are other security features like error correction and packet-loss protection, performance-boosting technology, and automatic failover. All these work together to ensure your connection is secure but speedy at the same time. Why we like it
Full access to servers (similar to paid subscription) 5GB first month Supports up to five devices Great performance Turbocharging technology for fast connections
What we don’t like
Limits data you can download Data allowance drops to 1GB after first month
3. Windscribe
This free VPN offers a Windows desktop and Chrome browser version, with some great extras like ad and tracker blocker, a firewall that prevents IP address exposure, and Secure link generator. The free package has all these extras, but it restricts data downloads, plus you’re limited to using servers in the US, UK, Hong Kong, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg. If you want to access more, you have to pay for the pro version to get a forty more countries. That said, Windscribe is a secure and top-notch free VPN, with a generous data cap, sterling privacy policy, and up to 10GB of data monthly. As a relative newbie to the free VPN space, Windscribe has a lot to offer that you wouldn’t get with other free options, such as it doesn’t store IP stamps, connection logs, or sites you visit. It stores your username, the amount of data transferred, and the VPN server you’re connected to. But once your session ends, the data is erased within three minutes. Why we like it
Up to eight server locations to choose from Sending a tweet about Windscribe earns you an extra 5GB You get 1GB for inviting a friend to join Windscribe Built-in security extras like firewall and adblocker
What we don’t like
Protects only one device
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4. Hide.me VPN
Hide.me offers solid technology that “hides” your identity from online snoops and other potential threats to your privacy and data. It is affordable and offers up to 2GB data monthly, but it limits you to only one device and three server locations in Canada, Singapore, and Netherlands instead of the thirty you’d get with the paid plan. However, it doesn’t throttle connection speeds (even if you use the free version), keeps no logs or user data, and doesn’t sell your data for a profit, as it doesn’t have any data to pass on anyway. Why we like it
Easy-to-use and simple design Good speed test results Strong on privacy Advanced features Transparent Desktop and mobile clients BitTorrent friendly No ads No speed throttling
What we don’t like
Fewer servers (non-specialized) Design not intuitive Limited to one device Three locations
Limitations of Free VPN services
Before you pick a free VPN, these are some of the limitations that’ll help you make an informed decision.
May track and sell your data to third parties, as some free VPN apps contain some form of tracking Free VPNs lack regulation, as many are found in shady offshore jurisdictions, making it hard to learn about and regulate They’re a rich and large source of potential cyber-crime victims They could be using your IP address and connections as endpoints and offering a portal to other users Free VPNs give traffic priority to ads so as to make money, resulting in slower page-loading times They can leak your IP address as the tunnels are less robust than those of paid VPNs. Your data can also leak and get picked up by online snoops Most free VPNs may have speed and data caps on data transfers monthly Performance is usually unreliable with regular outages and deteriorated speeds There are fewer server locations with free VPN services and limits to which servers you can use There’s no way to guarantee your privacy
Conclusion
Free VPNs come in handy when you’re not able to pay for such services, but if you still need to use one even after understanding the risks involved, then you can pick one of these four. Do you use a free VPN? Which one do you use and why? Share your experience in a comment below.
