The Best Free VPNs for Linux 2024

While premium virtual private networks (VPNs) offer a variety of advanced features, we’ve gathered a list of free VPNs for Linux that can still protect your internet connection and data while you browse the web. The best free VPNs for Linux include Proton VPN and PrivadoVPN.

In this article, we’ll solely focus on the free versions of the top Linux VPNs available, detailing their features for speed, location access, security, and privacy. Starting with our top choice, Proton VPN, we’ll cover compatibility with various Linux distributions (distros), bandwidth limits, strong VPN protocols, and more.

The best free VPNs for Linux

• Proton VPN: Best for security and unlimited data
• PrivadoVPN: Best for privacy and travelers

Top 2 free VPN services for Linux compared

VPN
Free version	Yes — Unlimited bandwidth	Yes — 10 GB data limit
Paid plan starting price	Starts at $2.99/mo (billed every two years)	Starts at $1.48/mo (billed every two years)
Learn more	Get Proton VPN Read Proton VPN Review	Get PrivadoVPN Read PrivadoVPN Review

Proton VPN: Best for security and unlimited data

Who it’s best for

Proton VPN is ideal for anyone who prioritizes security. IT professionals, developers, and technology students will appreciate its open-source nature and can contribute to its security.

Its seamless integration with Linux distros like Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora makes it a go-to choice. The free version doesn’t have a bandwidth limit, which is great for anyone who wants to try using a VPN.

What we liked

Proton VPN’s free version offers strong security features, unlimited bandwidth, and great Linux support with easy-to-follow guides. It has 26 high-speed free servers in three locations.

Here are its privacy and security-centered features:

• Kill switch: A kill switch disconnects your device from the internet if your VPN connection drops.
• Secure VPN protocols: Proton supports fast and secure protocols like WireGuard, Smart, and Stealth.
• Open-source software: This boosts security as it allows public auditing, which makes it more trustworthy for VPN users.
• No-logs policy: Third-party companies have verified its strict no-logs policy, demonstrating its commitment to privacy.
• Swiss-based: Being based in Switzerland with stringent privacy laws and outside of the 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, and 14 Eyes Alliances is a major plus.

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What we didn’t like

We had connectivity issues with the IKEv2 protocol while testing Proton’s free VPN service. When the IKEv2 protocol was selected, we couldn’t connect to any VPN servers unless we disabled the kill switch first. This was quite frustrating since a kill switch ensures your data traffic is protected even when you lose your VPN connection.

Other key factors we weren’t too pleased about include:

• Poor server selection: You can’t choose specific countries for servers. The selection is automatic and can be limiting.
• Wait time between server changes: There's a wait of 85 seconds to change servers, which is a nuisance when you want to swap servers quickly.
• Limited advanced features: Features like Netshield, which blocks malware, ads, and trackers, as well as Secure Core servers, Tor access, P2P support, and streaming support, are reserved for paid premium plans.

Proton VPN Free specs

Price range	Free–$9.99/mo
Free version	Yes
Bandwidth limit	No — unlimited bandwidth
Number of servers	26 free servers across 3 locations
Number of connected devices	1
VPN protocol	IKEv2, WireGuard, Stealth
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix?	No
Torrenting support	No
Learn more	Get Proton VPN Read Proton VPN Review

PrivadoVPN: Best for privacy and travelers

Who it’s best for

PrivadoVPN is a great choice for travelers who want to access the internet securely from their Linux-based devices, whether they’re at a coffee shop, airport, or hotel. 

What we liked

PrivadoVPN offers 13 free global servers and top-notch encryption. PrivadoVPN is protected by Swiss laws, which are very tough on maintaining privacy — another privacy bonus. And with its no-logs policy, it’s a no-brainer for anyone who prioritizes privacy.

PrivadoVPN still offers the same protections as its paid plans, including IP masking and end-to-end encryption. Plus, if you want to upgrade to the premium version, private payment options like cryptocurrencies are accepted.

What we didn’t like

PrivadoVPN’s free plan was lacking in the following areas:

• Protocol options: You can only select IKEv2 as your VPN protocol. You can’t select WireGuard or OpenVPN in PrivadoVPN's free version, based on our testing.
• Advanced features: These premium-only features include ad blockers, unlimited device connections, kill switch, streaming support, unlimited data, and more.

PrivadoVPN specs

Price range	Free–$10.99/mo
Free version	Yes
Bandwidth limit	Yes — 10 GB data limit
Number of servers	13 free servers
Number of connected devices	1
VPN protocol	OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, SOCKS5
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix?	No
Torrenting support	No
Learn more	Get PrivadoVPN Read PrivadoVPN Review

Risks of using a free VPN for Linux

While saving money or wanting to simply test one out are often the two primary reasons for using a free VPN, they usually come with limitations that hinder VPN use.

Consider the following disadvantages of using a free VPN for Linux:

• Limited bandwidth or data caps: Data is often restricted to a limited number of gigabytes of data that can be used monthly. It’s a big con for streaming and gaming.
• Lower server count or server locations: Having fewer server options limits you to available servers that are potentially too far from your location and can slow down speeds. Overcrowded servers also slow down VPN speeds.
• Data harvesting: Free VPN providers may collect user data, usually for monetary reasons like selling it to third parties.
• Logging activity: Your online activities may be monitored and logged for reasons such as advertising purposes, maintenance and troubleshooting, or selling data to third parties.
• Advertising from third-party companies: Ads may display on your free VPN to make up for the VPN’s lack of revenue. After all, anything that’s free is often not free.
• Less secure: Free VPNs often lack advanced security features that safeguard your activities on the web from malware-infected websites, phishing, or man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Less private: There are higher chances of logging your user data, which reduces the likelihood of true privacy. It may not have a no-logs policy in effect, but some logs or all.

Honorable mentions

Even though the listed VPNs below didn’t make it to our top VPNs list, they’re still worth considering as the best VPN services for various Linux distros and offer excellent security and privacy features. Each offers a money-back guarantee as well, so you can test drive each VPN engine on your Linux machine.

• Surfshark: With compatibility for Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint distros, Linux enthusiasts will appreciate Surfshark's versatility. It’s popular due to its unlimited bandwidth, unlimited connections, and high-speed servers in 100 countries — perfect for large households and multiple Linux devices.

  Get Surfshark | Read Our Surfshark Review
  

• Private Internet Access: PIA offers full Linux support and works on Linux distros, such as Mint, Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora, and Debian. It’s a fast and secure VPN for torrenting, streaming, and gaming.

  Get Private Internet Access | Read Our Private Internet Access Review

• NordVPN: Supporting a wide range of Linux clients: AArch64, ARMv5, ARMv7, i386, and x86_64, NordVPN is a noteworthy VPN for Linux and beyond. The Linux app for NordVPN is completely open-source, boosting its security and trustworthiness.

  Get NordVPN | Read Our NordVPN Review
  

How we test VPNs 

First and foremost, we curated our list of the top two VPNs for Linux based on their compatibility with various Linux operating systems or Linux distros. In our quest to find the top two VPNs for Linux, we also considered the following features:

• Server count and server locations: A higher server count usually provides faster VPN speeds due to less overcrowding. Plus, access to various server locations gives it more flexibility.
• Speeds and stability of connections: It’s important that a free VPN maintains decent or fast speeds and doesn't have connectivity issues, such as when selecting a particular VPN protocol.
• Secure VPN protocols: This ensures that online activities remain secure from malicious actors and threats on the web. WireGuard support is great since it’s one of the latest protocols and is fast and secure.
• Strong encryption: With strong encryption, you can keep your online activities private and secure to prevent ISP throttling and geo-restrictions, cyberthreats, and potentially bypass government censorship. 
• No-logs policy: A no-logs policy means that your data isn’t harvested and logged, so it can’t get sold to third-party companies.
• Advanced security features: We looked for features like a kill switch that protects your data even when your VPN connection drops.

FAQs

Bottom line: The best free VPNs for Linux

The best free VPNs for Linux are Proton VPN due to its excellent security features and unlimited bandwidth and PrivadoVPN due to its privacy-centric features and having the most server locations worldwide.

Although Surfshark, Private Internet Access, and NordVPN don’t offer free plans, they still remain robust VPNs for Linux due to their compatibility with a variety of Linux distros.

2 best free VPNs for Linux 2024

	Starting price	Best for	Learn more
	Starts at Free	Best for security and unlimited data	Get Proton VPN Read Proton VPN Review
	Starts at $1.48/mo (billed every two years)	Best for privacy and travelers	Get PrivadoVPN Read PrivadoVPN Review