VPNs, or virtual private networks, are among the best tools for protecting yourself online. They help keep your browsing anonymous, secure your data from prying eyes, and block invasive trackers from following your activity. On top of that, VPNs can bypass regional streaming restrictions and help prevent ISP throttling. The catch, however, is that most reliable VPNs require a paid subscription — and adding another monthly bill isn’t always ideal. That’s where free VPNs come in, offering an extra layer of privacy and security without costing you a cent.
Although I generally recommend choosing a premium service, such as those in our roundup of the best VPNs, I also understand that not everyone wants to pay for another subscription. That’s why I’ve put together a list of the best, most trustworthy free VPN services currently available. Below, I break down their limitations and explain which activities they’re best suited for, whether that’s streaming, torrenting, casual private browsing, or something else entirely.
Why you should trust PCWorld for VPN reviews and buying advice: Here at PCWorld we’ve been testing computer hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. As reviewers and users of PC hardware and software, we put every product through its paces using rigorous benchmarking and hands-on evaluation. We’d never recommend something we wouldn’t want for ourselves.
If you’re looking for speed and excellent privacy in a free VPN then Proton VPN is your best choice. The only real limitation to this service is that you can only connect with one device at a time. Other than that, it’s practically a premium VPN.
Proton VPN comes from a trustworthy, privacy-focused company with a sterling track record. The free version is also mercifully free of ads — a rarity among no-cost VPNs. You’ll be able to choose from 10 servers located all over the world. Plus, the real kicker is that there are no data limits, meaning you can surf and stream to your heart’s content. This feature alone — no data limits — is reason enough to use Proton VPN; add in everything else and the competition for top spot isn’t even close.
Proton VPN’s free version even showed decent speeds in my tests, just going to show that this is the VPN to get if you don’t want to spend any money.
The VPN is from the same company behind Proton Mail, a privacy-focused email service, so it’s very easy to integrate the VPN into the whole Proton ecosystem if you so wish.
The company has undergone multiple independent audits confirming its no-logs policy — that includes the free VPN, as well. If you decide to upgrade to the premium version the monthly price does come in at the expensive side, so make sure you try out the free version first before upgrading.
Read our full
ProtonVPN review
PrivadoVPN is a good option for just about anyone looking to use a free VPN. The good amount of global servers to choose from and ability to unblock streaming services means you can use it to stream while traveling for free.
The free version comes with 13 global servers to choose from, a generous 10 simultaneous device-connection limit, and up to 10GB per month of high-speed data. Most of the other free VPNs only match one of these features, but PrivadoVPN provides them all.
While the PrivadoVPN does work to unblock streaming services, just be aware that streaming in HD will hit that 10GB data limit pretty fast. The 10GB-per-month data cap only applies to high speeds though, after you reach the cap you’ll still be able to use the free VPN but with throttled speeds. Privacy-conscious users should also be aware that the company has not yet completed an independent audit, but it does promise to abide by its no-logs policy for both the paid and free versions.
The only reason Proton VPN came out on top in this list is because it offers a truly unlimited free version. That doesn’t take away from PrivadoVPN though, as it’s about as close as you’re going to get otherwise.
Read our full
PrivadoVPN review
CyberGhost VPN provides an excellent VPN with plenty of servers optimized for different tasks such as gaming, streaming, and torrenting. While you do need to pay for the premium service, with access to all of its 11,500-plus servers and additional security features, CyberGhost also has a great browser extension that it offers for free. If you have either Chrome or Firefox you can download the extension without having to pay anything and enjoy access to a limited number of the VPN servers — currently sitting at eight servers in four countries. Additionally, you are able to connect to and use these VPN servers without having to worry about bandwidth limits or data capping — which is a huge advantage as most other free services impose strict limits.