Get a Free VPN

Though you'll likely have to pay to get all the premium features of the best VPN services, there are many free options available that go a long way toward protecting your internet traffic. If it's the price tag that has prevented you from keeping yourself (and your internet traffic) safe with a VPN, you should try one of these services.

What Is a VPN?

VPN software creates an encrypted connection (often referred to as a tunnel) between your computer and a server controlled by the VPN company, and then passes all network activity through that protected tunnel. This way, your online activities are hidden from everyone—including your ISP, which is now allowed to sell your anonymized information.

Think of it this way: If you drive out of your garage, someone can follow your car and track where you went, how long you were there, and when you returned home. We call that stalking. Using a VPN service is like driving into a closed parking garage, switching to a different car, and then driving out. Anyone following your original car now has no idea where you went after entering the garage. A VPN service keeps the stalkers at bay.

Of course, no technology is foolproof. Once your traffic exits the VPN server, it can be monitored and perhaps intercepted—especially if you're connecting to sites that aren't using HTTPS. It's also possible, albeit difficult, to use complicated timing algorithms to predict when and where you leave the encrypted tunnel. There are other services, such as Tor, that can provide greater levels of anonymity.

Editors' Note: IPVanish is owned by j2 Global, the parent company of PCMag's publisher, Ziff Davis.

Paid VPN vs. Free VPN

Very few VPNs offer a truly free option. Instead, many companies will offer time-limited trials or money-back guarantees. The VPNs listed in the table above, however, offer totally free subscription levels. They aren't the only ones, but they are the best among those I've reviewed thus far.

That said, every VPN listed here restricts its free version. Some services limit the amount of bandwidth you can use in a given period. Some keep the number of devices you can connect simultaneously low, generally to one or two. Some restrict you to certain servers, meaning you can't jump to a better-performing server, or a server in a particular location.

Performance is an important consideration in choosing a VPN service, especially when you're looking at free tools. While none of these services outright throttle your speeds, limiting the servers you can connect with may have an impact on performance. You don't have the option to jump to a server with fewer people, which would provide more bandwidth. Nor can you find a server that's nearby, which can also affect performance.

Paying for a VPN subscription like Editors' Choice NordVPN typically unlocks all these features, and often adds additional sweeteners unavailable at the free level. You get all the servers in all the locations, and usually more simultaneous connections. To date, PCMag has yet to review a paid VPN service that limited user bandwidth—this is by far the biggest benefit to paying for a VPN.

Using a Free VPN to Watch Netflix

VPNs are often used to bypass oppressive censorship by tunneling out to a VPN server beyond the control of despots, but that same ability can also be used to access streaming content that's not available in your country. Overseas, Netflix subscribers see different shows and films that don't show up within these United States. That's because Netflix has specific deals to distribute this content in different areas.

Netflix isn't the only service that can be tricked. The BBC and the MLB have different streaming arrangements for different regions. There are numerous other examples and many of them—especially Netflix—will try to block VPN use to enforce those regional streaming deals.

This is particularly tricky for free VPN users. Most free VPNs limit the servers you can use, meaning you have fewer options (if any) to spoof your location. Free users will also have a harder time jumping to a different server looking for unblocked access or better speeds. Some VPNs offer servers specifically for watching Netflix, but not for free users. Another option to get around a Netflix blockade is to purchase a static IP address, which will almost certainly require a paid VPN subscription in addition to the cost of the static IP.

In short, watching streaming services like Netflix with a VPN is hard, and doing it with a free VPN is even harder.

Trust and Technology

As is the case with most encryption technology, verifying the efficacy of a particular VPN's security is very difficult. True, we could monitor traffic to confirm that it's encrypted, but that really doesn't tell us much. If, for example, the fundamental execution of the encryption scheme is flawed (either in how it is set up or how the math works) there would be almost no way to know it. Nor is it easy to tell if a VPN is honoring its comitment to your privacy, or if it's selling your data behind your back.

Free VPNs definitely have some baggage, since not all VPN providers turn out to be good actors. Some VPNs may have unseemly practices, if not outright unsafe ones. We rely on companies to act in good faith, and for third-party researchers to ferret out the companies that don't.

In general, we prefer providers that use OpenVPN or IKEv2, both of which are comparably new technologies. OpenVPN has the benefit of being open-source, and has thus been picked over for any possible vulnerabilities. IPSec is also acceptable, and is a lot better than the older PPTP. If PPTP is the only option, or you can't figure out which protocol the VPN uses, that's reason for concern.

We also look over the service's terms, conditions, and privacy policy. It's a good way to find out what, if any, information the service collects. Ideally, a VPN company should say that they do not collect any logs on user activity. Make note of where the company is located, too, as location can dictate data retention laws. I highly recommend that you read the review for a free VPN before you commit.

Some VPNs have also undergone extensive third-party evaluations to ferret out security and privacy issues. TunnelBear and AnchorFree Hotspot Shield are two services listed here that have not only been audited, but have decided to share the results of those audits. Doing so is a strong statement from the companies that they are operating above board.

What's the Best Free VPN?

Every free VPN has some kind of catch, but ProtonVPN offers the fewest. A free account with ProtonVPN will limit you to just three VPN server locations, and one simultaneous connection. The ProtonVPN lists the speed of the free version as "slow," but you're not being throttled. You're just competing with more people for fewer servers, which may mean worse performance. P2P is not allowed at the ProtonVPN free tier.

Those are significant restrictions, to be fair, but at least your bandwidth isn't limited. You can browse as much and as often as you want with ProtonVPN, without spending a cent. Upgrading to a paid account costs as little as $4 a month, and undoes many restrictions. An $8 Plus account is still a great deal by VPN standards, and provides all the perks ProtonVPN has to offer.

The other services in this list have their merits and their drawbacks, but ProtonVPN is the best free service PCMag has yet reviewed. It has a lower score than some other products because at the paid tier, there are services that simply offer much more. But make no mistake: ProtonVPN is an excellent service whether you pay for it or not.

How Choose the Right Free VPN Service

There is plenty of variation even among free VPN services, so it's a good idea to try a few and figure out which one you like best. A great VPN service should be easy to use and understand, and shouldn't throw up too many barriers, even when you're using free software. We highly recommend trying a few services out until you find the one that works for you.