As the saying goes; ‘nothing is absolutely free, not even in Freetown’. This appears to be the case with some of the best VPN services available today. However, some VPN service provider is apparently not aware of this saying and offers many users free services which like everything comes with its pros and cons.
The VPN industry is filled with many services that are free and users can download apps for free and enjoy a safe and secured internet browsing experience. Just like the benefits of free VPNs are numerous, the negative effects are also there due to the fact that these VPN companies have to somehow make money through ads. The other dangers of using a free VPN include; having access to a limited number of servers, lesser security and privacy feature, not being able to block certain geo-locked contents, no custom
er service, and some technical issues.
In addition to all this, free VPN services make use of relatively weak encryption protocols as well as a relaxed logging policy which implies that they can easily access user’s encryption keys and monitor their online activities.
The best free VPNs all have very decent encryption protocols, do not monitor the online activities of users and are able to unblock some geo-restricted websites. So, despite not providing features and services like the paid alternatives, free VPNs do offer an amazing service for all things considered.
In this article, we examine some of the best free VPN service providers based on their feature, service and performance. You can check out our in-depth comparison of NordVPN and ExpressVPN at.
Table of Contents
Best Free VPNs
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot shield is a popular VPN that has a free plan which gives user’s access to about 500MB per day (15GB per month) which is arguably one of the largest monthly free data allocations available anywhere in the world.
Hotspot Shield Free VPN is a fairly decent VPN in terms of security and privacy as well as unblocking geo-restricted contents but it is quite amazing for P2P Torrenting and streaming. This is due to the fact that the free version allows for connection to only servers in the US. The extension allows users the chance to connect to servers in 15 countries which means that they can easily unblock contents from those countries.
Hotspot shield free VPN users can only connect to one device that runs on any of the major operating systems.
Pros:
- Lightning fast speeds
- Decent data encryption
- Access to blocked content
- Email support
Cons:
- Limited to 500MB per day
- Only one device
- Comes with ads
- Cannot unblock Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming sites
TunnelBear
TunnelBear is a very good VPN service for first-timers. Its apps are attractive and user-friendly across all major platforms. Howbeit, users have to manage a paltry 500MB data every month and an additional 1 GB free data if they tweet about the company.
TunnelBear was recently acquired by McAfee which means that it now has the resources of a major corporation and will most definitely develop better security and privacy features in the near future.
Pros:
- No IP or data logging
- User-friendly interface
- No popup ads
- Extra 1 GB each month if you tweet about the company
Cons:
- Monthly limit of 500MB
- Limited server access
- Doesn’t work well with Netflix
- Very few advanced settings
- Under US jurisdiction due to McAfee purchase
Windscribe
In addition to offering one of the best-paid VPN plans, Windscribe also offers users an amazing free plan which has a very effective ad blocker and firewall that ensures that they are safe and secure to go about their online business.
The best free VPN services allow users access to free monthly data. Fortunately, Windscribe offers its users up to 10 GB free data every month as well as an extra 5 GB free data every month for just tweeting about the company’s service. You can also get an extra 1 GB free data if you refer a friend.
Windscribe utilizes one of the best encryption on their free plan. In addition to a strict, no log policy users can make over 5 simultaneous connections on all major platforms.
Pros:
- Great speeds
- Has fee servers in 10 countries
- Built-in ad blocker and firewall
- Doesn’t store connection logs, IPs or visited sites
Cons:
- Limited data transfer
- Limited server access
Hide.me
Hide.me is a VPN service provider based in Malaysia. It is very popular among VPN users and has servers in more than 30 nations around the world. Hide.me Free VPN users have access to just servers in the Netherlands, Canada and Singapore. The fact that there are no servers in some choice locations like the US, UK etc means that it is quite difficult for Hide.me free VPN users to unblock contents from those countries.
However, on the bright side Hide.me offer its users access to about 2 GB free data monthly has a strict no logging policy and also a decent encryption protocol.
Pros:
- Offer 2 GB free monthly data
- Decent connection speed
- Not part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance (This is good for your privacy.)
- No ads
- No logging
- Full customer support
Cons:
- Limited to three server locations
- No access to OpenVPN
- Only one device per account
ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is one of the newest in the industry. It was established by technology experts who are focused on providing safe and secure VPN solutions to users worldwide. ProtonVPN boast of offering one of the best privacy services available in the market. It is particularly ideal for unblocking geo-locked contents.
However, the major drawback of this service is that it throttles the bandwidth of the free plan users. This implies that users do not have access to data for performing tasks like P2P Torrenting, HD streaming and other data-intensive activities.
Pros:
- No bandwidth caps on data
- No logging
- Attractive and intuitive interface
Cons:
- The free app is slower
- Limited number of servers and location
- Not compatible with iOS devices
Conclusion:
Based on the above review of some of the best free VPN services, potential you can easily make an informed decision when getting one. However, whenever you feel like upgrading to a paid version you can try ExpressVPN or NordVPN which both have a 30-day money back guarantee.