The Best Free VPNs 2026

The best free VPNs are Proton VPN, PrivadoVPN, TunnelBear, and Windscribe. If you’d rather try a premium VPN risk-free, Surfshark offers one of the best free trials available.

Finding a free VPN you can actually trust is harder than it sounds. Most free options come with serious trade-offs, like data caps, slow speeds, or worse, privacy practices that defeat the purpose of using a VPN in the first place.

After testing dozens of options, we've identified the free VPNs worth your time. Each of our top free picks is a legitimate free tier backed by a trustworthy paid service, so you're not trading your privacy for a free connection.

The best free VPN services 2026

Compare the best free VPNs

VPN
Best for	Unlimited data	Free trial	Free plan streaming	Free server access	Multiple devices
Free version
Unlimited data
# of free server locations	5 server locations	4,500+ servers in 100 countries (with free trial)	13 server locations	47 server locations	10 server locations
Learn more	Get Proton VPN Read Proton VPN Review	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get PrivadoVPN Read PrivadoVPN Review	Get TunnelBear Read TunnelBear Review	Get Windscribe Read Windscribe Review

Proton VPN: Best for unlimited data

What we liked

Proton VPN is one of the best VPNs on the market, so we love that it offers a free service as well. Proton's free VPN has no caps on bandwidth or speed. You'll also still get security features like a kill switch.

Proton is a provider dedicated to privacy, and this extends to its free version. Its strict no-logs policy, which has been independently audited and tested in court, extends to Proton Free. Plus, it offers open-source apps so anyone can review and verify that it's secure.

What we didn't like

Proton Free lacks many of the features that make Proton Premium so great. You won't get access to its unique features, such as the VPN Accelerator for faster speeds or servers optimized for streaming or torrenting. Also, the 24/7 live chat is limited to paid subscribers.

Data cap	No data limits
Speed cap	No speed limits
Simultaneous connections	1
Server locations	5 server locations
Headquarters	Switzerland
No-logs policy	No logs
Encryption	AES-256 or ChaCha20
Details	Get Proton VPN Read Proton VPN Review

Test results

Star rating summary

Surfshark: Best free trial

What we liked

Surfshark offers one of the most flexible free trials of any premium VPN. You get a seven-day free trial for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. 

Surfshark's free trial stands out because it's available across more platforms than most competitors, whereas rivals like NordVPN limit their trials to Android only. 

Once activated, you can use your trial account on up to three devices across any platform. After the trial ends and a charge is processed, the 30-day money-back guarantee kicks in, allowing you to continue testing the service risk-free. That's up to 37 days total to try the service risk-free.

What we didn't like

The free trial does require entering payment details upfront, which may be a barrier if you're wary of accidentally being charged. You'll need to remember to cancel before the seven-day window closes. 

During the trial, you're limited to three simultaneous device connections, as the unlimited-devices perk only kicks in on a paid subscription. 

Simultaneous connections	Unlimited
# of servers	4,500+ servers in 100 countries
Headquarters	Netherlands
No-logs policy	No logs
Encryption	AES-256-GCM
Details	Get Proton VPN Read Proton VPN Review

Test results

Star rating summary

PrivadoVPN: Best free plan for streaming

What we liked

PrivadoVPN is a newer VPN, based in Switzerland. It offers a fairly generous free tier, along with some reasonably priced premium plans. The servers and your connection are fully encrypted, and the company keeps no logs of any of your traffic or data.

If you want to watch Netflix with a VPN, you're in luck. PrivadoVPN's free plan works with Netflix and many other popular streaming services, so you can watch content that may be blocked in your location.

The free plan gives you a generous 10 GB of full-speed data every month. The performance is quite good, with no arbitrary speed limits.

What we didn't like

PrivadoVPN's biggest downside is that the free plan only supports one VPN connection at a time. That means if you have the VPN installed on your phone, router, and computer, only one of these devices can access it. This could be a hard limit for some to work around.

Data cap	10 GB/mo
Speed cap	No speed limits
Simultaneous connections	Unlimited
Server locations	13 server locations
Headquarters	Switzerland
No-logs policy	No logs
Encryption	AES-256
Details	Get PrivadoVPN Read PrivadoVPN Review

Test results

Star rating summary

TunnelBear: Best free server access

What we liked

TunnelBear is a Canadian VPN that's all about simplicity. The idea behind this VPN is to get you browsing securely and privately with as little hassle as possible.

To that end, it hides many of the more advanced features and technical settings that most VPNs pride themselves on. The features it offers are packaged in a way that makes them easy to understand.

The result is an easy-to-use service that works very well. This is also the only free VPN we're aware of that doesn't limit you to specific servers on the free plan — you can access all 48 server locations across 46 countries. Performance is consistently fast, and the free version can access Netflix.

What we didn't like

Unfortunately, the free version of TunnelBear has a major issue: a 2 GB monthly data limit. This means it's effectively limited to occasional use and emergencies, and the Netflix access is almost entirely useless.

You can earn an extra 1 GB by posting about TunnelBear on social media, but that's still only 3 GB — far less than any other provider on this list. That said, if you only need a VPN occasionally, TunnelBear might be your best option.

Data cap	2 GB/mo (you can earn 1 GB extra by posting on social media)
Speed cap	None
Simultaneous connections	1
Server locations	48 server locations
Headquarters	Canada
No-logs policy	No logs
Encryption	AES-256
Details	Get TunnelBear Read TunnelBear Review

Test results

Star rating summary

Windscribe: Best free for multiple devices

What we liked

Windscribe offers a solid free VPN. You get 10 GB of monthly data allowance and access to 10 server locations. Windscribe is also the only free VPN on this list that offers unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can seamlessly transition from phone to laptop to tablet without a hiccup.

Windscribe's performance, though not as fast as some of the other VPNs here, is more than adequate, and it doesn't appear to throttle speeds. Those speeds are especially useful for streaming, since Windscribe supports Netflix access.

What we didn't like

The main downside of Windscribe is complexity. Although the apps offer a number of features and configuration options, this can make them tough to use for the less tech-savvy among us. If you can deal with that, though, Windscribe is a fine choice.

Data cap	10 GB/mo
Speed cap	No speed limits
Simultaneous connections	Unlimited
Server locations	10 server locations
Headquarters	Canada
No-logs policy	Logs the last time you connected and the amount of data you've used for the month
Encryption	AES-256
Details	Get Windscribe Read Windscribe Review

Test results

Star rating summary

Best premium VPN free trials

You can't get paid VPNs completely free. However, many of the top-paid VPNs offer free trials and/or a 30-day money-back guarantee. This is a great way to try them out risk-free before purchasing. Of the VPNs that offer these trials, these four are our favorites.

VPN	Free trial	Money-back guarantee	Learn more
	Yes — 7 days for Android	30 days	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review
	Yes — 7 days for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS	30 days	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review
	Yes — 7 days for Android and iOS	30 days	Get ExpressVPN Read ExpressVPN Review
	Yes — 3 days for Android, 7 days for iOS, 24 hours for Windows and macOS	30 days	Get CyberGhost Read CyberGhost Review

What to look for in a free VPN

There are a few key features and specs to watch for when choosing any VPN — but especially a free one. Here are some of the most important things to consider:

• No-logs policy: Most people use a VPN to protect their privacy. To this end, you should review the logging policy of any VPN you use, free or not, to see what it keeps and what it doesn't. Ideally, you want a provider that masks your IP address and keeps no logs of your personal data whatsoever.
• Data and speed limits: Many of the trustworthy free VPN options are limited versions of paid services. This often means data usage and speed are limited. Make sure your choice offers enough data to meet your needs.
• User reviews: It's always a smart idea to pay attention to user reviews — especially when the product or service deals so heavily with something as sensitive as your privacy. User reviews will often expose issues that may not be readily apparent.
• Number and location of servers: A VPN is only as good as its servers. The location, in particular, can have a big impact on speed, latency, and privacy.
• Business model: VPNs are operated by companies, and those companies need to make money to stay in business. The old saying applies here: if you're not the customer, you're the product. Ensure that your chosen provider has a way to make money without selling your data. Examples include premium VPN plans.
• Encryption: Make sure any VPN you use encrypts your data with AES-256-level encryption. It should also use a secure VPN protocol like WireGuard, OpenVPN, or IKEv2.

Are free VPNs safe?

It depends on how free they are. VPNs require a lot of infrastructure and can be expensive services to maintain. If the company has no way to turn a profit, it won't last long. For this reason, most VPNs are premium services, and nearly all of the trustworthy free options are free versions of those paid services.

If you find a 100% free VPN that has no other obvious way to make money, there's a decent chance your data is the product they're selling. Plus, there are some other risks you should consider:

• VPNs, by nature, can track your data. Free options may not have the same rigorous security measures and safe logging practices as premium options.
• Some free VPNs have been known to exhibit outright malicious behavior, such as selling data or embedding malware in their services.
• Some VPNs, particularly free ones, are not clear about ownership. In some instances, there is evidence of ties to certain governments with ulterior motives.
• This isn't exclusive to free VPNs, but if you log in to an account with any VPN, the company that owns that account can still see your activity. For example, if you log into Google when performing a search, it will still be recorded in your Google search history.

Free VPN apps also tend to come with limitations, such as limited data or missing features like split tunneling and a kill switch. Others may slow your connection speed or keep free users from accessing VPN servers that support torrenting or allow you to unblock shows in other countries on BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other streaming sites.

Free VPNs to avoid

We've said it several times now, but it bears repeating: not all free VPNs are trustworthy! These in particular have reputations as insecure, shady, or outright malicious:

• Hola: Hola keeps a lot of data and has a poor reputation for privacy and security.
• Hoxx VPN: Hoxx VPN has poor security, sketchy logging practices, and slow speeds.
• SuperVPN: SuperVPN has a reputation for poor privacy practices and a lack of transparency, particularly around who owns it.
• Turbo VPN: Turbo VPN has a poor reputation for security, which we confirmed during testing. And, despite its name, it is very slow.
• Betternet VPN: Our testing showed that Betternet fails to live up to its promise, with slow speeds and a lack of basic privacy and security features.
• Psiphon: Psiphon performs well but logs way too much data for an app that's meant to protect your privacy.
• WhoX VPN: During our testing, the VPN app was flagged as malware on macOS and Windows. We tested the Chrome extension and found that the VPN drastically slowed our computer, leaked our data, and prevented Netflix from working.

Bottom line

VPNs are excellent privacy tools, but they can be expensive, and the free options out there can be… well, anything but private.

Fortunately, there are some options for those who want a free, secure VPN. Our four favorite free VPNs are Proton VPN, PrivadoVPN, TunnelBear, and Windscribe. Each of these offers solid data, speed, and — most importantly — privacy practices. And if you want to take a premium VPN on a test run, we recommend Surfshark's seven-day free trial. 

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