Top 10 Free VPNs available online

The Best VPNs, Free of Charge

With nearly everything we do in life now involving the internet to some capacity- our work, our schools, our finances, our social lives- privacy from advertisers and safety from potential attackers are imperative to our online existence. But, for a person on a budget, what VPN providers can offer these protections for free? Well, this guide will endeavor to profile what is, in our opinion, the best 10 free VPNs one can find.

What is a VPN?

VPN stands for a “Virtual Private Network”, which can protect your computer from a variety of online attacks or can provide other utilities for the average user. A VPN hides your IP address- and by extension any personal details a hostile party might be able to extract from you online- by filtering your internet activity through one of the provider’s encrypted private servers. Aside from the added security, it can also provide a user with the ability to bypass online restriction, which could vary from blocked sites on a school wifi, to going around region-specific regulations to watch a certain YouTube video only available in another country. Therefore, VPNs are highly recommended for every internet user, not just for the added security but because they really can be quite convenient sometimes, and this guide will endeavor to provide you with 10 VPN recommendations that are 100% free of charge.

Key Features to Look Out For

Encryption Grade: This is an indicator of the strength of security provided by a server, and thus the extent to which your personal details are safe when you browse the internet. The industry gold standard is AES-256 encryption- this is what a site offers when it promises “military-grade” encryption. Most sites on our list will pick this, and for the security-focused customer, we would certainly recommend them to use VPNs with this encryption grade. There is the slightly inferior AES-128, however this can still be adequate by providing basic protections, and is often complimented by site-specific safety features or utilities to offset the decrease in safety. 

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Server Variety: This is an indicator of how many servers a site provides and how spread out they are across the globe. For American or Central European users, this will only matter much if you're looking to bypass regional restrictions in your home country, or if you want to access content from one specific country. However, for users of other nationalities, having a server nearby is important, as connections traveling long distances can suffer from higher latency, making connections slower.

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Server Speeds: This is an indicator of how quickly you’ll be able to do things on your computer through the VPNs servers. Doing all internet activity through an external server can be quite demanding, and may potentially provide slower internet speeds than your home WiFi. As a result, seeing how quickly or slowly you can use the internet on a VPN server is an important variable in your decision. 

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Data Limit: As most quality VPN providers offer paid plans in addition to free plans (and some industry giants only offer paid plans), some will put a data limit on your capacity for internet access in an attempt to encourage you to buy the free plan. Depending on the limit, this might not be entirely problematic (though that really depends on how often you use the internet and for what purposes), but it's best to keep an eye out for the select few offering unlimited data plans.

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No Logs Policy: A strict no-logs policy is the backbone of a safe VPN connection, as obviously what's the point in exchanging surveillance by online parties to surveillance by one specific VPN company. A no logs policy simply means the VPN provider pledges not to keep track of any of your details when you connect to their servers, meaning you don’t need to worry about your data being given away to advertisers.

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Ad Blocker: Speaking of advertisers, most VPN services provide some level of advertisement blocking (though some stronger than others) so this might be a handy service for those looking to binge foreign content without interruption, or just being generally concerned with advertisers trying to use your data to sell you some dodgy products. 

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P2P Transfer: Finally, P2P Transfer is an additional protection provided by only some providers than gives you a bonus layer of protection for any large file transfer (like downloading a show or installing a game, for example) that might be too server-intensive and therefore lowering the strength of the VPN’s protection.

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Our Top Picks:

Privado 

Encryption Grade: AES-256

Server Variety: 13 free servers, each with different locations around the globe

Server Speeds: Averages at around 10-20 mbps

Data Limit: 10GB/month

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Privado is a strong name on this list, offering a wide variety of features that makes it competitive with some paid-for VPNs. That said, the only big downside is the data limit, which might pose a challenge to more active users seeking a VPN for work or other data-demanding activities. Nonetheless, Privado is still a strong pick we’d recommend for anyone just looking for a VPN for casual, non-intensive use. 

Proton

Encryption Grade: AES-256

Server Variety: 3 free servers in the U.S, Netherlands and Japan

Server Speeds: Up to 520 mbps

Data Limit: Unlimited Data

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Proton is another high-level VPN that, despite having a lesser emphasis on security or geographic diversity like Privado, Proton’s fast server speeds and unlimited data makes it an ideal pick for anyone looking for a VPN to support intensive use. That said, the limited choice in terms of free servers means some users might struggle with higher latency from trying to connect from other parts of the globe, and the overall lack of server numbers means there might be slower speeds during peak times. Proton would also not be a top pick for anyone seeking a VPN for the purpose of bypassing regional restrictions. 

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Windscribe 

Encryption Grade: AES-256

Server Variety: 10 free servers

Server Speeds: Averages at around 10-15 mbps

Data Limit: 10GB/month 

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With a bit more server diversity compared to somewhere like Privado, and with its own advanced ad-blocking software made free to unpaid users, Windscribe is a great option for someone looking for a VPN for less intensive use. While the limit is 10GB/month, this can be expanded up to 16GB by doing certain tasks like Tweeting about Windscribe or recommending it to a friend when prompted. All in all, a solid VPN we’d recommend to anyone interested. 

Hide.me

Encryption Grade: AES-256

Server Variety: 4 free servers

Server Speeds: Averages at around 20-30 mbps

Data Limit: 10GB a Month

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Hide.me is a fairly competitive VPN offering slightly faster server speeds than some of its competitors, though this comes at the cost of less geographic diversity. Ultimately, Hide.me can still be a viable option for European users looking for a free VPN with slightly higher speeds than some of the other free options on the market. 

Hotspot

Encryption Grade: AES-128

Server Variety: 1 free server

Server Speeds: Averages at around 10-20 mbps

Data Limit: 500MB/day

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Hotspot is a VPN we’d only especially recommend to users in the US who aren’t looking to bypass any geographic restrictions. Hotspot offers a day-to-day data limit for its server, which helps bump up their server speed and reduce server traffic in peak hours. While it doesn’t offer free users the full AES-256, Hotspot doesn’t require you to register yoru personal details in order to gain access, making it a quick, no-nonsense VPN for a user in a rush or one looking for absolute anonymity. 

TunnelBear 

Encryption Grade: AES-256

Server Variety: 5,000 servers across the globe

Server Speeds: Averages at around 10-20 mbps

Data Limit: 2GB

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TunnelBear is a great option for someone looking for a quick download from an obscure location, offering P2P file sharing and a wide range of server locations, all with decent speeds and consistently low latency. The only gripe with TunnelBear is that once you expend the 2GB limit, you can’t use it again, as it is essentially a trial run for a paid version. While this list does try to focus exclusively on VPNs suitable for long-term use, TunnelBear might provide some value to a user looking for one specific use in a location otherwise not covered by most free plans. 

Opera 

Encryption Grade: AES-256

Server Variety: 3 general locations

Server Speeds: Averages at around 5-15 mbps

Data Limit: Unlimited Data

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Opera is a widely beloved browser for gamers and other internet users, which offers a free, build-in VPN for all its users. As a result, Opera might be a good call for anyone looking for a VPN to compliment a new browser. Opera is also very effective and bypasses regional restrictions, as it offers general locations rather than specific servers, meaning it isn’t tied to one specific national restriction. That said, the main downside from Opera is the VPN only covers activity within the browser itself, so for those looking for full coverage while they use other applications, Opera might not be the best port of call. 

Speedify

Encryption Grade: AES-256

Server Variety: 55 free servers across 36 countries

Server Speeds: Averages at around 20-30 mbps

Data Limit: 2GB/month

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Similarly to TunnelBear, Speedify is a great option for users not overly concerned with lengthy usage, but instead looking for small, non-intensive uses in specific geographic locations. Unlike TunnelBear, however, Speedify is more sustainable, with its free plan being available for long term use. As a result, it still presents a good option for those looking to stream a specific series or film, but perhaps not to those in a workplace environment. 

Betternet

Encryption Grade: AES-256

Server Variety: 1000+ servers

Server Speeds: 2-10 mbps on average

Data Limit: 500MB/day

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Betternet is a great choice for anyone who has cash on hand to spend money on a VPN but first wants to trial out its features. Betternet’s VPN, unlike some others on this list, offers most of the core features of its paid service to its free users, merely on a relatively tight 500MB/day limit. This include P2P transfers, ad blocking and a no longs policy that is often reserved exclusively for paid members on other sites. As a result, if you’re in the market for a paid, premium VPN but first want a taste of what it can offer, Betternet is our recommended pick. 

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Zoog

Encryption Grade: AES-256

Server Variety: 50 free server

Server Speeds: 15-25 mbps on average

Data Limit: 10 GB/month

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Zoog is a great all-around VPN, best suited for casual users not looking for absolute anonymity or a million locations, but a decent variety of all VPN features. With a generous serving of servers for bypassing regional restrictions, solid but fluctuating server speeds and a data limit that- much like many of Zoog’s industry compatriots- would require extensive use to expend, Zoog offers a good deal for anyone looking for a solid, decent VPN. 

Final Notes

Ultimately, your choice of VPN will largely depend on what you intend to do with it. While all the VPNs here are on the top of the free VPN market, I’d especially recommend Privado or Proton. With Privado’s top level encryption for the secretive user, and Proton’s unlimited data plan for all free users, I would argue that they both offer a strong deal for both main types of users: Privado for the user looking for less intensive but secure VPN coverage, and Proton for those looking for an all-encompassing VPN service for consistent use. That said, for those looking to fulfill a more niche requirement, I believe any and all of these VPNs would do a great job to meet your needs. 

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