The Best Free VPN 2022 | Free VPN | VPN
The Best Free VPN 2022, You Need Best Free VPN Read This blog And Find It
Best Free VPN: We all love free lunches, and the same can certainly be said when you download a VPN. Why bother paying for another software when there are so many free VPNs for desktop and mobile? We certainly understand the temptation, but it's also worth taking some precautions.
If the reason you have a VPN is to have a little more security on your laptop or mobile when using public Wi-Fi, a freebie can do a great job. And with more and more people needing to work safely and entertain at home, it's no surprise that free VPN users are increasing in numbers.
On this page, you'll find our picks among the best available to download today. We've assessed the potential of top free VPNs to see what will keep your online activity anonymous without costing you anything. ExpressVPN may take the crown of our favorite premium provider in the world, but the best free VPN at the moment is ProtonVPN – we explain why below.
If free VPNs are that easy, though, why did our recent survey find that less than half of users opt for a freebie over a paid-for service? This is because they have their own limitations, and you really should be aware of them as they can pretty much restrict what you were expecting to use your VPN…
problems with free VPN
Best Free VPN: Free VPN services may not cost anything but there is usually a good reason - this means that the provider will make a profit in some other way, usually with aggressive advertising or by selling your browsing data to third parties (whole Rather than defeat the drive) to privacy in the first place).
Plus, free services limit the amount of data you can access and the speeds you can use, making them an added layer of reliable protection for video streaming, torrenting, or your daily online life. become practically useless. . And don't expect the easy access support or server range you get with paid services.
So before we delve into our list of best free VPN downloads, it is worth knowing that the paid version can cost around $2/£2 per month and will give you better performance and security.
The Best Free VPN for 2022
1. ProtonVPN - Free VPN
2. Hotspot Shield - Free VPN
3. Windscribe free - Free VPN
4. TunnelBear - Free VPN
5. Speedify - Free VPN
Are Free VPNs Dangerous?
Best Free VPN: While the main criticism of free VPNs is that they aren't half as useful as paid alternatives, real dangers lurk with some proponents (thankfully not with the services mentioned above).
For example, in 2020 research suggested that around 40% of free Android VPNs available on the Google Play Store do not protect their users' privacy to a sufficient level. So the extra online security you thought you might be getting isn't there.
1. ProtonVPN - Free VPN
Our #1 free VPN - Unlimited data allowance without paying a penny
Supported on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux | Servers countries: 3 | Data limit: Unlimited | 24/7 live chat support: No
GOOD
- No monthly data limits!
- Surprisingly full feature set
- Great on the privacy front
BAD
- Speed throttling
- Limited support
Best Free VPN: ProtonVPN has reached the cream of our free VPN crop. While the stand-out feature is undeniable in that it offers zero limits on the amount of data you can use with your VPN usage, there is a lot to admire outside that alone.
However, we would be sorry not to start with that headline selling point. ProtonVPN does not impose any data restrictions. In other words, you're free to use as much data as you want each month – it's rare for a truly free VPN provider (as you'll find out with others on this guide below).
The free version of this service has servers in three locations, which are well spread around the world: in the US, Japan, and the Netherlands. There are clients for Windows and Mac, as well as apps for Android and iPhone. On desktop, we like the option to turn on automatic connections when you start your computer. And some unusual features for a freebie are also included, like split-tunneling and DNS leak protection.
There are naturally enough limitations to the free plan to encourage upgrades to be offered for pay. We think the most notable is the fact that free users get a lower priority in terms of speed than the paid ones. There is also no P2P support and speeds can drop at peak times when there are a lot of users around and paying people to get priority. And Proton makes it very clear that you'll need to upgrade to its plus tier if you want to use its VPN for streaming.
But if you can live with all that, it's an impressive provider with a strict no-logging policy, and you can sign up with nothing more than your email address and a username of your choice. There are no advertisements on the website, let alone the client.
2. Hotspot Shield - Free VPN
The easy-to-use freebie that gets you started in an instant
Supported on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS | Servers available: 1 | Data limit: 500MB per day | 24/7 live chat support: No
GOOD
- Most of the premium version features
- Easy-to-use
- Simple to set up
BAD
- Only one server
- Possible stability issues
Best Free VPN: The premium version of Hotspot Shield takes its place among the top paid services on the web and, in fact, holds the #1 slot on our fastest VPN countdown. So it's a little surprise that its free option is so popular.
Those with the free plan are limited to 500MB of data per day (so about 15GB per month). It may sound restrictive, but compared to the one or two on this list, it's actually one of the more generous limits (though, of course, not the patch on the unlimited data you get with paid-for services).
If security is your only objective, Hotspot is on the same wavelength, boasting the same 'military-grade encryption' that most premium VPNs scream about. In addition to security, Hotspot Shield Free also received praise for being so friendly to use in our testing. Whether on its mobile version or desktop, you won't find the hair-pulling user experience offered by some competitors.
In the past, we've seen weird issues surrounding free Hotspot Shield downloads. For a period of a few weeks in early 2021, Hotspot was completely eliminating the ability to search on Google when it was turned on. We only got one error - and we tried it out from a lot of different places and devices. Thankfully this issue seems to be resolved now.
If you pay $2.50 per month for the premium version of Hotspot, you can choose to anchor yourself to one of the 70-odd countries and let Google solve the problem, and that will give you access to your website. Must be able to access anything you want; In the free version you're limited to a US-based location that Hotspot Shield selects for you, and you'll have to advertise if you're using on Android and the speed is limited to 2 Mbps.
3. Windscribe free - Free VPN
Super secure with a generous data cap
Supported on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux | Server countries: 11 | Data limit: 2-10GB per month | 24/7 live chat support: No
GOOD
- Sterling privacy policy
- Easy to start and use
- Even works with Netflix
BAD
- Speeds are sometimes inconsistent
- Standard 2GB data in a month isn't much
Best Free VPN: The folks at Windscribe are loudly and vocally proud of their free VPN offering... and why shouldn't they be! It's a really strong choice, thanks to its generous data allowance and commitment to protecting your privacy.
You get 2GB of bandwidth per month as standard - not that much. But if you're happy to give your email address to Windscribe then that easily expands to a more delicious 10GB. The free version lets you choose from 11 remote server locations, including the UK, Hong Kong, Germany, Canada, Turkey, and eight US VPN cities at last count). It's a 'freemium' model here, so if you like what you see you have a few gentle nudges to sign up for the unlimited version, but the upselling isn't too annoying or offensive.
It's easy to get started with its desktop client or super useful Chrome extension - you'll be jumping around the world to a variety of servers in no time.
We really don't expect free VPNs to help us get around the area blocked from certain apps, sites, and streaming services. So we were delighted when Windscribe went above and beyond the call of duty in our Netflix VPN test. Unlike most others, it gave us full access to exclusive content in the US, Germany, and the UK (as well as later BBC iPlayer). Of course, the data limit is going to prevent you from getting too busy, but it's good to know about the weirdest shows on your trip or trip.
Windscribe does not store connection logs, IP stamps, or visited sites; When you are actively connected to a server it stores your username, the server you are connected to and the amount of data transferred, but it is erased within three minutes after the session ends. And if all that isn't enough to tempt you, there's also a built-in ad blocker, malware protection, and firewall.
A word on speed though. We found Windscribe to be less consistent than some of their competitors and sometimes even took a while to connect to the server. But those are fairly minor complaints in the grand scheme of things... did we mention it was free!
4. TunnelBear - Free VPN
Protecting your identity with ease
Supported on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS | Servers countries: 20+ | Data limit: 500MB per month | 24/7 live chat support: Yes
GOOD
- Really user-friendly
- Both mobile and desktop clients
- Decent speeds
BAD
- Meager data limit
- Not many options or settings
Best Free VPN: TunnelBear may have some flashy design, but it's a serious free option, especially after its acquisition by security giant McAfee. There are free and paid subscriptions to choose from.
The major restriction with the free plan is that you are limited to 500MB of traffic per month. This is a really small amount and means you can only use it when you feel you need a little extra security and want to go the free route. You will not be able to keep it running all the time and you can forget to use this VPN for torrenting and streaming. Obviously going for a provider like ExpressVPN or NordVPN takes away this pain completely.
But at least this free version doesn't limit you on the available servers, making all 20+ countries of the premium service available. And TunnelBear recently tuned its privacy policy so it now collects even less data on users — removing the need to supply a first name to sign up, and the user's total lifetime connections. deletes its records.
5. Speedify - Free VPN
Secure, speedy, and with lots of servers
Supported on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux | Servers available: 50+ | Data limit: 2GB per month | 24/7 live chat support: No
GOOD
- Nifty performance boosting tech
- Solid on the privacy front
BAD
- The software has few low-level controls
Best Free VPN: Speedify has, as the name suggests, one main objective as a free VPN provider: to make sure your internet connection stays as fast as possible while you benefit from encryption. To this end, this provider will use all available Internet connections to achieve the best possible performance, potentially combining an Ethernet connection (fixed broadband) with a tethered mobile connection. Even if you only have one type of internet connection, the firm claims its turbocharging technology will still help speed things up.
While the free plan claims full access to those servers (as with subscription options), the only restriction of the free offering is that you're limited in the amount of data you can download. Free users get 2GB of data every month. It's not a huge allowance, and certainly not as much as some of the other rivals you'll see elsewhere on this page, but it's more than anything else and still enough to cover some basic surfing and email duties. Is.
And this provider is definitely worth a look on the performance front, because, during our testing, the above speed-granting techniques have really proven themselves to be a positive influence.
6. Hide. me - Free VPN
You’re on a hiding to something with this privacy-conscious service
Supported on: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS | Servers available: 5 | Data limit: 10GB per month | 24/7 live chat support: Yes
GOOD
- Strong on privacy
- No adverts or speed throttling
BAD
- Limited to one device
Best Free VPN: Hide.me offers both paid and free VPN products, the latter giving you 10GB of data per month to play. There are other limitations as well: You can connect up to one device and are limited to five server locations (including the US and Canada VPNs) instead of the 50+ locations that paying customers.
On the plus side, however, this provider will not reduce the connection speeds of free users, and Hide.me further promises that it keeps no logs and stores no user data, so any data will not be passed on to third parties. Will not pass in order to try and make a profit (simply because there is no data to pass in). There are no ads here, and it also offers P2P support on its five available free VPN servers.
You get native software for Windows PC and Mac, Android and iOS, smartly designed customers, as well as 24/7 technical support (which is also free for users). Performance was impressive in our testing as well. Overall, it's a more than solid free offering that tries to maintain your privacy without too many restrictions.
Is a free VPN worth getting?
Best Free VPN: Honestly, there is no easy answer to this question. It depends on what you want to use your free VPN for. If it's just a matter of having a little more security on your laptop or mobile when using public Wi-Fi, they may be just the ticket. Jump on the service, turn on an encrypted server connection and protect your online activities in the knowledge that no prying eyes will be able to see your private information.
But if your main purpose is, say, a streaming VPN, or want to use it when 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 wash out in no time. While most do not have the easy access support or server range needed to facilitate those activities with a virtual private network.
How to Choose a Free VPN: 5 Important Questions
Best Free VPN: Some years have seen an increase in global threats to personal privacy, with the long-held right to anonymity and a cloak of legitimacy undermining net neutrality.
While virtual private networks are not a panacea for being safe, secure, and private on the Internet, it is an essential component of the arsenal for individuals seeking these freedoms.
If you don't have one yet, you can grab one for free, without paying a dime. Be careful though as not all free VPN providers are created equal and some may even compromise your security.
Here are five questions you need to ask yourself before downloading and installing.
1. What is its business model? Providers are for the money and it costs a lot to run a business like this, especially if it is a popular one. Some will use its free version, like Dropbox, as a marketing tool to entice potential customers to switch to a paid version when they'll be happy with the free one. However, most will sell user data or provide something to a third party which will again compromise your privacy.
2. How does it protect my PC? Most providers typically use a desktop application that runs in the background, encrypting your data as you surf the web. However, this only solves part of the problem. Your laptop can still be fingerprinted due to allowing tracking solutions that can be found on almost all websites online. Some, including WIndscribe, take a more holistic approach by integrating the equivalent of Super Ad-Blocker
3. What do I lose by being free? Generally one can expect a free product to cut some corners and in fact be the same for all providers. Some offer more free bandwidth than others, with prime location and even easy pay for ad blocking, P2P, and firewall upgrade paths that unlock more locations and unlimited bandwidth with OpenVPN config.
4. Does your provider log anything? Make sure your provider does not store users' internet activity. You can usually find this on --- the Terms and Conditions page or the End-User License Agreement, commonly known as the EULA. Sadly, a lot of providers like to frustrate end users with lengthy terms or privacy statements that often hide important details about their operations. On the other end of the spectrum are providers who will erase everything and no longer keep logs after your session is closed.
5. Can I sign up completely anonymously? Having a provider that you can subscribe to without an email address and that accepts bitcoin payments is the maximum amount of privacy you can expect online. Some providers also offer double hopping where you can further obfuscate your traffic by essentially doubling the privacy.
Are Free VPNs Dangerous?
Best Free VPN: While the main criticism of free VPNs is that they aren't half as useful as paid alternatives, real dangers lurk with some proponents (thankfully not with the services mentioned above).
For example, in 2020 research suggested that around 40% of free Android VPNs available on the Google Play Store do not protect their users' privacy to a sufficient level. So the extra online security you thought you might be getting isn't there.
How to Get Premium VPN for Free
Best Free VPN: Still not deciding whether to go for a free VPN or a premium paid-for option? Might be the perfect compromise, as all the best providers in the world try to let you risk them - and cost-free. Our dedicated guide to the best VPN-free tests will help you locate one and get started.
You'll see some familiar names listed there. Our #1 favorite service in the world ExpressVPN tops the list, so you can try it out for 30 days. While the news is even better with the likes of Hotspot Shield, where the money-back guarantee extends all the way up to 45 days.
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