As the world continues to globalize, with more communication taking place over the internet, the importance of protecting privacy and masking internet traffic is at an all-time high. For years, users have employed VPN (Virtual Private Network) services to shield their internet traffic from malicious actors such as hackers, ISPs, and even governments.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) works by sending your internet traffic through a protected and private server, instead of relying on your Internet Service Provider (ISP). As a result, websites and applications you access will recognize the IP address of the VPN server instead of your own, making it impossible to track your online activity. This also enables you to access geographically restricted content like certain versions of Netflix or websites that have been blocked, by making it appear as if you are located in a different geographical area.
Many paid VPN services such as Nord VPN and Express VPN offer excellent service, but at a high cost. Fortunately, there are free VPN services available with trials and added privacy/security benefits that don’t require a significant financial investment. In this guide, we will evaluate free VPN services and provide recommendations to help you choose the best one for your needs.
Table of Contents
1. Hide.me VPN
Hide.me VPN, a multi-platform service developed by eVenture, is the first provider to be reviewed. It offers strong user security and is fully transparent with its no-logs policy, which has been verified by an independent security audit. This provides users with a high level of assurance that their data is secure, and the inclusion of an internet kill switch to automatically terminate the VPN connection also makes Hide.me an ideal choice for those prioritizing both privacy and security.
I was quite impressed by the download speed of 35Mbps, which was more than sufficient for streaming videos or downloading files. The generous data limit, coupled with the free package’s data transfer speeds, provided a secure environment for these activities. Unlike some free services, the data transfer speeds included in the free package were more than adequate to support this.
In the free package, Hide.me provides access to five locations: Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and individualized servers for the East and West coasts of the USA. Upgrading to the premium plan grants users access to additional locations, such as the UAE, UK, and Japan.
Bottom line: Hide.me provides a free service with few noticeable restrictions, impressive performance, and a comparatively generous data limit. Adding in a pretty robust privacy policy, Hide.me boasts a complete package blending privacy and performance.
2. Hotspot Shield VPN
Hotspot Shield’s free plan offers a generous amount of daily data with a 500MB limit, totaling 15GB per month. Furthermore, this free VPN claims to not log your data, providing a secure environment for browsing and personal data from snooping ISPs, governments, or hackers. My testing found the data transfer speeds to be impressive, with a download of 38mbps measured by speedtest.net.
Though, Hotspot Shield’s basic tier suffers from far more limitations than the free offerings of its competitors in this round-up. Whilst the data limit looks fair against other free VPNs, you’re not very likely to use it all as the free tier blocks the use of streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, or Hulu – negating a massive benefit for using a VPN in the first place. I understand that Hotspot Shield must somehow incentivize upgrading to their premium tier – for which they offer a seven-day free trial upon download – but if you’re looking for a free VPN to access regional streaming services, Hotspot Shield isn’t your choice.
Hotspot Shield’s primary service is limited to only one location: the US East Coast. If that’s the location you wish to mask yourself as, then this should be ideal. Unfortunately, if you’re already in the US, Hotspot Shield’s basic tier won’t help you bypass geo-locked services or sites.
Bottom Line: Whilst the free tier of Hotspot Shield’s reputable VPN service offers a generous data limit and a decent privacy record, if you’re looking for a VPN companion for streaming regional Netflix, this isn’t the choice for you. However, Hotspot Shield is a fantastic option for browsing the web as if you were in the United States and prevented interception of your internet data so you can surf the web confidently.
3. ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN was born from a group of former CERN employees who met to create the self-proclaimed “only community-supported secure VPN service.” Whilst the benefits of their community-centred approach aren’t likely to be appreciated by the average free VPN user, I have no doubt their ethos guides their surprising liberal free service offering. The principal, central selling point of ProtonVPN’s free tier is the lack of a data limit. That’s right: ProtonVPN skips the monthly data cap model that many of its competitors adopted.
They also advertise a robust privacy policy backed by famous strict and rigid Swiss privacy laws. In addition, the ad-free service includes an automatic kill switch to ensure that your browsing data isn’t leaked to potential snoopers if the VPN connection drops out.
This is quite useful because the connection will drop out. However, in my testing, I found their service unreliable, frequently plagued with connection time-outs and ‘No Internet’ screens as the app frantically attempts to reconnect. Also, as their free service is limited to only three servers and without the gatekeep of a data cap, chances are you will experience some speed throttling at peak times.
Unsurprisingly, geo-locked streaming services are not supported in the free plan, and therefore this isn’t the VPN to go for if you’re looking to delve into the UK’s BBC iPlayer or the US’s Netflix.
Bottom line: If you’re willing to be patient with spotty connections and speed throttling, then the unlimited data offered by ProtonVPN makes their free service appealing to those who struggle with data caps. If you’re a power user who eats through allowances, perhaps ProtonVPN is the one for you.
4. Windscribe
With ten locations, a generous data limit, and support for streaming services, Windscribe is a fantastic all-rounder option for your free VPN needs. Benefiting from a wide selection of server locations, this is my recommendation for those looking for a VPN to access regional streaming services and geo-locked sites. With decent download speeds of around 35Mbps in my testing, I could quickly access Canadian Netflix and stream shows without buffering and slowdowns. With locations in Asia, Europe and America, if you’re looking for regional content, chances are you’ll be able to find it with Windscribe.
As Windscribe is a Canadian company, they’re subject to the Canadian anti-piracy and intelligence laws: the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network. Therefore, Windscribe is by law obliged to keep some essential connection logs. They, however, do not store your source IP or the sites you have visited. They’re open about what they log and have been applauded by privacy firms worldwide for their plain explanation of their privacy-concerning activities. If privacy is your jam, I highly recommend reading their policy and commitments – you’ll find them assuring.
Windscribe has one of the best multi-platform support I have ever seen for a free VPN. As expected, there are applications available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and so are there for Android and iOS. Windscribe also supports FireTV, Nvidia Shield, and even your router! Also, the support of third-party VPN connections like OpenVPN and WireGuard is appreciated by those who swear by their little third-party applications.
Bottom Line: Windscribe’s free service offers a generous 10GB data limit, access to geo-locked regional sites, and even Netflix support. This is the free VPN for those looking to watch regional streaming services. Their privacy policy is decent, and so are the speeds. Windscribe’s free VPN is undoubtedly one of the best on the web.
Make sure you’re safe and secure!
Many free VPNs have their strengths, but the nature of the no-cost business model means there will inevitably be trade-offs users must navigate. We hope this round-up can help you choose the essential pros and cons.
One of the biggest dangers of using free VPNs is trusting in services that don’t take privacy seriously. Some malicious providers may store or sell your data to third parties, while others may disclose browsing data to hackers or even national governments. Furthermore, just because you’re using a VPN doesn’t mean you’re automatically safe from back-door interceptions or hackers.
Therefore, you must pick a trusted, safe and secure VPN to guarantee the privacy of your data. All the options in this round-up have been independently audited and intensely examined to ensure your data is safe.
Conclusion
There are many excellent, legitimate reasons you might want to use a VPN, and all of our recommendations on this list have been maliciously tested for efficacy and safety. These are services you can trust. Pick what features mean the most to you with the peace of mind your privacy is safe with these providers.
