Top 7 Truly Free VPN Providers of October 2022 | VPNOverview

          
          

          
          

          
          

          Many VPN providers offer free versions of their premium apps. Although limited, they are more than enough to
**keep you safe and anonymous online Some of them also **allow torrenting** and can even **unblock Netflix US**

Take a look at our top 7 (truly) free VPNs:
PrivadoVPN: Best free VPN for Windows and Mac users ProtonVPN: Best free VPN with unlimited data Hide.me: Best free VPN in terms of customer support TunnelBear: Best free VPN if you’re looking for many server locations Atlas VPN: Best free VPN for Android and iOS Windscribe: Best free VPN for fast connection speeds ZoogVPN: Best free VPN for FireTV
You don’t have to compromise your online safety and privacy to save money. These providers offer
**excellent protection 100% cost-free Unfortunately, they also come with limitations, like **speed caps** and **data limits If you want a cheap VPN that protects you online without restricting your browsing, we recommend Surfshark

Otherwise, we can dive deep into the top free VPNs of 2022. Read the full article below!
With a Virtual Private Network (VPN), you can use the internet more anonymously and securely by means of an
**encrypted connection Most VPN providers **require a monthly fee** if you want to use their secure server network. However, there are some VPN providers that offer a connection for **free**

In this article, you’ll learn more about
**free VPN services how they work, and why you should be careful about using them. We’ll also recommend seven excellent free services you can start using right away

## Be Careful with Free VPN Services
You always need to be somewhat wary of “free” products and services — and VPNs are no exception. Although some free VPNs will do their job very well, not all of them will be able to compete with paid VPNs

Many VPN services claim to be free but still take something from you, even if it isn’t your money. For example, some free VPNs, such as Hola VPN,
**sell your data connection to other customers Other free providers even **monitor the websites you visit** so they can sell this data to marketing agencies

In other words, you might think your online life is protected by these free VPNs, but your privacy is actually being compromised even more

 Worth considering: Free trial with a premium VPN for 30 days

Free VPNs generally come with certain limitations. Premium (paid) VPNs, on the other hand, are more secure and offer more options, such as unlimited data, unlimited speeds, proper customer support, and access to streaming services from all over the world

If you want to try a premium service for free, there’s a strong up-and-comer we wholeheartedly recommend: Surfshark. For less than $3 per month, you get
**all the advantages of a premium VPN The free trial comes in the form of a 30-day money-back guarantee. Within those first 30 days, you can get your money back without any problems

- Very user-friendly and works with Netflix and torrents
- 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked!
- Cheap with many extra options
If you want to know how you can use the Surfshark money-back guarantee to your advantage, you can check out this Surfshark free trial guide. You can also try one of the trial periods of other popular VPN providers

If a
**free VPN** is really what you’re looking for, there are a few **reliable options You might run into data limits or speed caps, but the free VPN providers on the list below are generally recommendable and are completely free

You don’t have to provide your payment information or make use of a money-back guarantee

**Free really is free** with these VPN providers

## Comparison Table of the Best Free VPNs of 2022
## What is the Best Free VPN?
After extensive testing, we conclude that
**PrivadoVPN** is the **best free VPN service in 2022**

Other good free VPN providers are ProtonVPN, Hide.me, TunnelBear, Atlas VPN, Windscribe, and ZoogVPN, with each option having its own unique advantages and features

Our top list of free VPNs can be summarized as follows:
PrivadoVPN: Best free VPN for Windows and Mac users ProtonVPN: Best free VPN with unlimited data Hide.me: Best free VPN in terms of customer support Tunnelbear: Best free VPN if you’re looking for many server locations Atlas VPN: Best free VPN for Android and iOS Windscribe: Best free VPN for fast connection speeds ZoogVPN: Best free VPN with a “refer a friend” program
 How did we determine our top seven list?
First of all, it was important that there were
**no direct or hidden subscription costs. **VPNs with free trials that automatically turn into a paid subscription were not included in our list

Additionally, we felt it was crucial that the VPNs we test
**don’t sell customer information** to third parties

When comparing various free VPN services, we also looked at encryption, data limits, speed caps, the number of simultaneous connections that are allowed, and the server locations


 Picking the best free VPN for you
Free VPNs often have a combination of different
**limiting factors** regarding data, internet speeds, and server availability. In everyday practice, this doesn’t necessarily pose a problem. Which provider you pick is mainly **a matter of personal preference**

Do you intend to use the VPN for streaming? Then it’s important to have
**reliable speed** and a **large amount of data** available. Note that, when it comes to streaming, paid VPN services usually perform better because of their higher speeds and lack of data caps

Regardless of your purpose for the VPN, you should try to find a free VPN service that
**has servers in your country** and **no speed cap This can be difficult, given the limited number of server locations most free VPNs offer, but it’s not impossible

Below you will find some more in-depth information about the free VPNs on our top 7 list

 1. PrivadoVPN – Best Free VPN for Windows and Mac users
**PrivadoVPN is the best free VPN of this moment — a surprising newcomer with a great interface and user experience
|Feature||PrivadoVPN free version performance|
|Torrents||Allowed|
|Netflix||Yes|
|Simultaneous connections||1|
|Server locations||12 locations in 8 countries|
|Data limit||10 GB per month|
|Speed cap||None|
|Encryption||AES 256-Bit|
|Price||Completely free|
|Website|Visit the PrivadoVPN website
 Reasons to pick PrivadoVPN
PrivadoVPN promises to keep you private, and it excels at doing just that. There are multiple reasons why this provider ended up at the top of the list. First of all, PrivadoVPN works with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Android TV. PrivadoVPN also has a
**FireStick App **so you can use this VPN on different smart TVs as well. Finally, it **works with Netflix which is uncommon (and therefore a huge plus) for a free VPN service

With PrivadoVPN,
**torrenting poses absolutely no issue we tried downloading several different torrents ourselves whilst connected to PrivadoVPN, and the process worked smoothly

PrivadoVPN offers
**unlimited speeds** as long as you stay within the monthly 10 GB data limit. Note that, after finishing your 10 GB of monthly data, you can still use PrivadoVPN. You’ll just be limited to one server and 1 Mbit speeds, but you’re still protected and anonymized

Furthermore, considering it’s a free VPN, there are

**loads of server locations** to choose from: Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, London, Amsterdam, New York, Chicago, Washington, Miami, Los Angeles, Montreal, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires

Lastly, PrivadoVPN Free also comes with an
**automaticswitch This is an essential security feature often found only in paid VPN services

 Does PrivadoVPN have any limitations?
There are a few limitations to keep in mind with PrivadoVPN. First of all, there is
**no dedicated Linux app**

Also, you can use PrivadoVPN’s free version only on
**one device at a time Other than that, PrivadoVPN performed really well in our tests and has several impressive features you wouldn’t expect from a free service

 Verdict on PrivadoVPN
PrivadoVPN is, at this moment, our
**editor’s choice** for the best free VPN. It has a beautiful app, works intuitively, and is fast and user-friendly. A refreshing new player — and one to keep an eye on

 2. ProtonVPN – Best free VPN with unlimited data and many extra benefits
**ProtonVPN is the most well-known free VPN, ideal for those seeking a free VPN with unlimited data and zero logs. **
|Feature||ProtonVPN free version performance|
|Torrents||Not allowed|
|Netflix||No|
|Simultaneous connections||1|
|Server locations||23 locations in 3 countries|
|Data limit||None|
|Speed capMedium speed”|
|Encryption||AES 256-Bit|
|Price||Completely free|
|Website|Visit the Proton website
 Why choose the free version of ProtonVPN?
Proton can justifiably be called one of the best free VPNs on the market. This popular provider from Switzerland offers user-friendly software, an excellent free package of security tools, and applications with good encryption

The free version of ProtonVPN has
**no data limits which is unique amongst free VPN providers. It also doesn’t have any speed limits. This means you’re free to use this VPN as long as you want, for whatever you like to do online

Another of ProtonVPN’s features is that it
**functions well on all your devices Proton works with Mac, Windows, Android, Android TV, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, and even certain routers

On top of that, ProtonVPN is a very safe provider. It does not keep any logs of user data and is well-known for its
**focus on security and privacy As long as your VPN connection is activated, you’ll be protected

Finally, creating a Proton account gives you access to a
**whole suite of other security services These include: ProtonMail, a secure email service Proton Calendar, with end-to-end encryption Proton Drive, including 1 GB of free secure cloud storage
If you choose to upgrade to a premium Proton plan, you get upgrades in all these services, making it a
**great all-in-one online privacy provider**

 Disadvantages of the free version of ProtonVPN
Although the free version of ProtonVPN doesn’t have a speed cap, it can be
**quite slow at times This makes sense, considering how many people use the limited number of free ProtonVPN servers. Internet speeds can dip as the servers struggle to handle all the traffic. The Proton website also openly advertises the speed of their free VPN as “medium,” while all their paid subscriptions have “high speeds.”
Furthermore, Proton
**doesn’t support torrent downloads This means you cannot download files from torrent sites when you are connected to a free ProtonVPN server. This free service also won’t be able to give you access to Netflix — you’ll have more luck unblocking foreign Netflix libraries with Proton’s premium servers or, for a free option, PrivadoVPN

The free version of ProtonVPN gives you access to
**servers in “only” three different countries nine servers in the United States, three servers in Japan, and eleven in The Netherlands. This very limited selection of servers could be troublesome for some users

You can use ProtonVPN for free on
**one device at a time But seeing as it’s a free service you could theoretically register multiple accounts with different email addresses. This way you can protect every device you own with a separate ProtonVPN account

 Verdict on ProtonVPN
Our editorial team finds that ProtonVPN is currently
**one of the best free VPNs available Aside from Proton’s free package, we have also reviewed the premium version of this provider

 3. Hide.me – Best free VPN in terms of customer support
**A trustworthy free VPN that allows torrents but denies access to Netflix
|Feature||Hide.me free version performance|
|Torrents||Allowed|
|Netflix||Did not work in our tests|
|Simultaneous connections allowed||1|
|Server locations||5 locations|
|Data limit||10GB per month|
|Speed cap||None|
|Encryption||AES 256-Bit|
|Price||Completely free|
|Website|Visit the Hide.me website
 Why choose the free VPN service from Hide.me?

Hide.me is a well-known name in the VPN landscape. This provider offers both paid and free subscription options. The free subscription gives you access to
**five servers** in four countries: one in the Netherlands, Canada, and Germany, and two in the USA (East and West)

Hide.me is a
**zero-logs VPN This means the provider doesn’t store any information regarding your internet activities, which is good news for the privacy-conscious. The free version of Hide.me also gives you 24/7 access to **customer support**

In past years, Hide.me didn’t allow people to use the free version to download torrents. Now, this policy has changed, and free users can in fact
**download via torrent sites They do, however, need to keep in mind the monthly data limitations of 10GB when downloading

There is
**no speed limit** for free Hide.me users. Furthermore, the Hide.me app works on **many operating systems like Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Linux, and Fire TV

Operating systems that Hide.me works with
 Disadvantages of the free version of Hide.me
Hide.me free VPN generally
**does not work with Netflix US We tested this ourselves in June 2022 and weren’t able to unblock any geo-restricted shows or films on Netflix. Hide.me also mentions on their website that their free version doesn’t work with streaming

Another drawback of the free version of Hide.me is that it has a
**data limit of 10 GB per month If you want to stream, you will reach this data limit quite rapidly. In such cases, the free version of ProtonVPN might be a better pick. Alternatively, you could consider a cheap paid VPN option like NordVPN or Surfshark

With Hide.me, you’ll only be able to protect
**one device at a time Like ProtonVPN, however, you can bypass this limitation by registering multiple accounts; one for every device you want to use Hide.me on

 Verdict on Hide.me
The free version of Hide.me will work well for most of your needs. There is a data limit, however, which isn’t ideal for streaming or downloading

Even though you get a lot more data than most competitors, 10 GB is still a relatively small amount. Unlike other services, though, Hide.me lets you torrent with their free VPN

 4. TunnelBear – Best free VPN if you’re looking for many server locations
**TunnelBear is one of the most reliable providers offering a free VPN solution
|Feature||TunnelBear free version performance|
|Torrents||Not allowed|
|Netflix||Did not work in our tests|
|Simultaneous connections allowed||5|

|Server locations||49 countries|
|Data limit||500MB per month|
|Speed cap||None|
|Encryption||AES 256-Bit|
|Price||Completely free|
|Website|Visit the TunnelBear website
 What benefits does the free TunnelBear VPN application provide?
TunnelBear is another good option if you’re looking for a free VPN. The interface is clear, fun, and easy to use. The visual style is unique and very recognizable. The website is easy to navigate and the
**installation** of TunnelBear software **is quick and simple**

Additionally, the
**security** and encryption are up to par, and the free version of TunnelBear **doesn’t cap speeds**

Even with its free version, TunnelBear allows you to choose from all of its available servers in countries like the USA, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Spain, France, Brazil, India, and Italy

We were able to view several different online streaming services whilst being connected to a TunnelBear server, including Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and YouTube. Netflix USA didn’t seem to work, however

TunnelBear is available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Moreover, their free VPN can be used
**on multiple devices at the same time just like their paid one

This VPN provider has some limitations but is still a very good free VPN. If you want to download the free version, click “Pricing” at the top of their website, then select the free subscription

 Downsides of the free version of TunnelBear
The biggest disadvantage of using TunnelBear is the
**data limit as you only get **500 MB per month For everyday use, most people would surpass this data limit, especially when streaming videos

You can add 1 GB of free data to this limit if you tweet about TunnelBear, but the question is whether you’re willing to do this as a user looking for more online privacy

**Customer support is limited** for free users. TunnelBear states on its website that paying customers can expect “priority customer support.” This means you will be helped quickly and more efficiently if you’re facing any issue with TunnelBear

Finally, there’s the issue of Tunnelbear
**not allowing P2P traffic** on their servers, so we highly discourage torrenting via Tunnelbear’s servers

 Verdict on TunnelBear
The free version of TunnelBear is of high quality, but only suitable

**if you need a small amount of data The unpaid package can suffice if you occasionally want to safely log into a public Wi-Fi network. This prevents you from falling victim to a hacker who is lurking on said public network

 5. Atlas VPN – Best free VPN for Android and iOS
**A fast, free VPN with generous bandwidth and some great features on mobile devices
|Feature||Atlas VPN free version performance|
|Torrents||Allowed|
|Netflix||Did not work in our tests|
|Simultaneous connections allowed||1|
|Server locations||3 locations in 2 countries|
|Data limit||10GB per month|
|Speed cap||None|
|Encryption||AES 256-Bit|
|Price||Completely free|
|Website|Visit the Atlas VPN website
 Why should you choose the free version of Atlas VPN?
Atlas VPN is a relatively new provider, but it provides a feature-rich free VPN that is on top of its game. The VPN is available for
**Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV Its mobile apps are particularly good, as they come with a few exclusive features. One of these features is split-tunneling, which allows you to u **se the VPN connection on some apps, but not on others This way, you can protect your online activity while still seeing relevant pages on your local news app, for example

Furthermore, you can use the free version of Atlas VPN immediately after installing the app: you don’t have to create an account or sign in. You get a relatively generous
**bandwidth of 10GB per month without any speed limits This isn’t the unlimited data use that Proton offers, but can still be enough for your everyday use, provided you don’t use it for streaming and torrenting all day long

Free users can access
**three locations namely The Netherlands, Los Angeles, and New York. Our speed tests indicated that Atlas VPN offers **pretty high speeds** across its servers

In terms of security, your data is protected by
**AES-256 bit encryption **and the highly secure **WireGuard protocol** (even on its free version) as well as **IPSec/IKEv2 The free version also offers aswitch, which you can enable from the settings menu

 Disadvantages of Atlas VPN’s free version
Atlas VPN has a lot of promise, but also comes with a few limitations. To start with, the free version offers access to just
**three server locations** and cannot unblock Netflix or any other streaming services. On top of that, the 10GB data limit can become a problem if you plan on using your VPN constantly

Moreover, although it claims to be a “no logs” VPN, it
**does collect some data** such as device identifiers. It’s also based in the United States, which is a 5 eyes country and doesn’t have the strongest privacy laws

Lastly, during our tests, we experienced
**a few technical kinks such as **issues with theswitch We’re hoping this provider can smooth over these issues to make Atlas VPN an even better service and a great free option

 Verdict on Atlas VPN
Atlas VPN is an attractive free VPN with high speeds and solid security. It offers a decent 10 GB of data per month and three server locations. It also includes
**an easy-to-use split tunneling option on its mobile apps which makes it a great choice for iOS and Android users

 6. Windscribe – Best free VPN for fast connection speeds
**Decent free VPN that works with almost all operating systems and devices
|Feature||Windscribe free version performance|
|Torrents||Allowed|
|Netflix||Did not work in our tests|
|Simultaneous connections allowed||Unlimited|
|Server locations||10 countries|
|Data limit||2GB to 10GB per month|
|Speed cap||None|
|Encryption||AES 256-Bit|
|Price||Completely free|
|Website|Visit the Windscribe website
 Why choose Windscribe’s free VPN?
Windscribe is one of the more well-known free VPNs we tested these past years. This service’s
**security measures seem of the highest level even though news broke in July 2021 that some of their servers hadn’t been updated since 2018

You can use Windscribe on
**all major operating systems Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and even FireTV

The free version of Windscribe has fewer options than the paid package. For free users, Windscribe provides
**ten servers** divided among different countries around the world. This is relatively few compared to the paid option, which lets you use servers in up to 63 countries. However, when you compare it to the three servers of, for example, Atlas VPN, it’s quite a nice offer

On top of that, the
**Windscribe servers are very fast You can also use Windscribe on **as many devices as you want Pretty unique for a VPN that comes free of charge!
 Disadvantages of Windscribe free VPN
This free VPN service has a
**data limit of 2 GB per month However, if you choose to share your email address with Windscribe and verify your account, you get 10 GB a month

Keep in mind that this is technically a payment: you

pay” with your email address** and get more data in return. We think this is a bit odd. Likely, your email address is used for marketing purposes, so Windscribe can approach you by email and get you to upgrade to a paid subscription. Even when you manage to acquire 10 gigabytes of data, you’re likely to **quickly burn through this** after some days of internet use, especially when downloading or streaming

Another downside of Windscribe is its lacking usability. Windscribe’s software is
**not as easy to use** as some of the other free VPN providers listed above. Most of the buttons in the software take you to your account page on their website. This is not as user-friendly as software that lets you edit certain settings from within the VPN application itself

Lastly, we were
**unable to access Netflix** with Windscribe. Torrents, however, were no issue

 Verdict on Windscribe
The free VPN package of Windscribe is really solid. The speeds are great, although we do dislike the data limitations. Also, Windscribe
**isn’t a great pick for people who enjoy watching Netflix** with their VPN

 7. ZoogVPN – Best free VPN with a “refer a friend” program
**A free zero-logs VPN provider with a limited number of servers that can be used on one device at a time
|Feature||ZoogVPN free version performance|
|Torrents||Allowed|
|Netflix||Did not work in our tests|
|Simultaneous connections allowed||1|
|Server locations||3 locations|
|Data limit||10 GB to 50 GB per month|
|Speed cap||None|
|Encryption||128-Bit|
|Price||Completely free|
|Website|Visit the ZoogVPN website
 Why choose ZoogVPN?
ZoogVPN offers users
**multiple encryption protocols Free users can choose between IKEv2 and OpenVPN, while paying users have additional protocols to choose from. For most users, OpenVPN will suffice, as this is a very suitable protocol for security and speed and is the standard among VPNs

This VPN works on
**Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, and Android devices There’s also **support for AndroidTV and FireTV**

When testing the free application of ZoogVPN, we discovered it even offers a
switch** functionality. This feature ensures that all internet traffic is interrupted whenever the secure VPN connection unexpectedly drops. The presence of aswitch is pretty special for a free VPN. This unique feature is shared only by Atlas VPN

 Disadvantages of ZoogVPN
The big downside when it comes to ZoogVPN is that they use
**128-bit encryption instead of the AES 256-bit** offered by other free VPNs. Why they would purposely choose to provide their free users with lesser encryption, is lost on us

If you have a free package with ZoogVPN, you can

**only use three servers** in the entire server network. These servers are located in The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The free version can be used on **just one device at a time**

ZoogVPN has a
**data limit of 10 GB** per month. You can add to this limit, but to do so, you’ll have to refer paying customers. Every paying customer you refer to ZoogVPN will earn you an **additional 5 GB of data and you can earn up to 50 GB per month

The VPN servers of ZoogVPN are quite fast, but when they are under heavier load, free users are the first to notice. When we tested ZoogVPN’s free servers in January 2022,
**Netflix did not work**

 Verdict on ZoogVPN
Even though ZoogVPN is not in the first position on our list, keep in mind that there are more than 300 free VPN options on the market. The fact that a provider is included in this list of the best free VPN services means they
**meet a certain quality threshold ZoogVPN does have its fair share of limitations, like every free product out there, but it remains a decent choice for a free VPN

## Free VPN vs. Paid VPN
You need to be careful when using free VPN services. A study conducted a couple of years ago, which included over 300 free VPN applications, found that
**many free VPNs don’t protect your data properly Access to all kinds of unnecessary sensitive information (such as your contacts, photos, and social media) is often requested. Some free providers even infect your device with spyware and other malware

Many free VPN services are owned by Chinese companies, which might raise suspicions about their intentions and the level of safety and anonymity they actually provide. As we all make non-stop use of the internet these days, it’s worth using a good and reliable VPN service

**Paid VPN services will generally be more mindful of your privacy. **They also offer a more advanced level of security, as well as many extra features

For instance, connections tend to be much faster with paid VPNs. You’re allowed
**multiple simultaneous connections** (to share your subscription with friends and family — or to use one account on both your laptop and your phone). You also have a higher chance of accessing free streaming services from abroad, such as Netflix USA or BBC iPlayer. On top of that, you can **safely download torrents** without having to worry about data limits or fines


Most of these features aren’t available with free services. What’s more, paid VPN subscriptions have become quite cheap — and they’re worth every penny. If you want to know which companies currently offer the best VPN services, have a look at our comprehensive top five best VPNs

 Cheap VPNs
There are large price differences between paid VPNs. Some premium VPN providers may shock you with their price tag, but luckily, there are several that offer
**very good VPN connections for low prices Occasionally, a good cheap VPN turns out to be just as good, if not better, than a VPN with a higher monthly fee

For
**just a few dollars a month you can get a really good VPN and enjoy peace of mind regarding the safety of your internet connection and data. A good example of a great VPN that costs little is Surfshark

Want to learn more about the different cheap VPNs out there? You can check out our article here:
## Free VPNs Without Data Limits
As you’ve seen, most good free VPNs come with data limits. Free VPN users are restricted this way, because
**maintaining VPN servers and VPN connections costs money Data limits give you a chance to get to know the VPN service without it costing the provider too much money

Nevertheless, there’s at least
**one free VPN without data limits: ProtonVPN The free version of this VPN can be quite slow at times, because all its free users are spread out over just a handful of servers. When these servers get too crowded, your speed will go down. Proton hopes this makes lengthy use of its free services less attractive. However, if slow speeds are not an issue for you (for example, if you don’t need your VPN for streaming), ProtonVPN is certainly worth considering

A big downside to the data limits of free VPNs is that they’ll often
**keep you from watching an entire movie or TV show When you’re watching an online stream (for example on Netflix), you’ll hit the monthly data limit after about an hour or two. So, even if the speed of the connection isn’t an issue, your viewing pleasure will be short-lived

## Free VPNs Without Speed Caps
Most free VPNs already employ data limits, so they don’t need to set speed caps. As a result, these VPNs are often just as fast as paid VPNs. Some free VPNs don’t actively set speed caps, because their free servers are already slowed down by a large number of users

Luckily, there are free providers that offer
**a relatively sizeable number of servers such as **TunnelBear** and **Windscribe This means that, even though the VPN connection is free, speeds are still very decent. TunnelBear especially clearly demonstrates what a paid subscription would look like, as this VPN provider gives you access to all its servers, albeit with very limited data (500MB/month)

## Free VPN for All Your Devices
Most good free VPNs offer software and apps that are compatible with common devices and operating systems. This means that such VPNs are easy to install on your computer, smartphone, tablet, and TV

Some VPNs even offer software for lesser-used operating systems, making it possible to use a free VPN on Linux, for instance

 Best free VPN for your computer or Mac
Most free VPNs are available for Windows and Mac. There are three ways in which you can use a VPN on your computer:
- With a dedicated application for your operating system
- Through the settings of your operating system (built-in VPN support)
- Through a browser extension
Some VPNs are
**only available as a browser extension** on Chrome or Firefox. This means they do NOT protect your other internet traffic, including torrents and emailing. The only thing a VPN browser extension protects is the ** internet traffic running through your browser such as online banking via your bank’s website

Different operating systems require different kinds of VPN software. Linux users will often have a harder time setting up a VPN connection compared to Windows or Mac users. Setting up a VPN connection on Windows or Mac is usually just a matter of
**downloading and installing the provided software Linux users often have to **manually configure** their VPN connection

 Free VPN for iOS and Android
VPNs for smartphones are becoming more popular. Not only do we use our smartphones daily, but we also connect them to unprotected Wi-Fi networks more often than we do with a computer. A free VPN definitely adds value for any smartphone user

Nearly all good free VPNs offer applications for
**both Android and iOS All free VPN providers we mention in our overview above offer free software for both Android and iOS. If you want to see how these VPNs perform specifically on the iPhone, check out our detailed review of the best free VPNs for the iPhone

 Free VPN for tablet
Smartphones are not the only devices running on Android and iOS:
**iPads and Android tablets** do, too. It is just as easy to install and set up free VPN software on your tablet as it is on your phone

Using a VPN is ideal if you want to watch the American version of Netflix on your iPad, for example. Just as with smartphones, all free VPNs listed above have software for both iPads and Android tablets

## Free VPN Server Locations
Most free VPNs grant you access to a

**small sample of servers** compared to their paid subscription. The only exception is TunnelBear, which gives you access to its entire global network of servers

|Free VPN||Server locations|
|PrivadoVPN||The United States, The Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina, and France|
|ProtonVPN||The US, The Netherlands, and Japan|
|Hide.me||United States (East, West), The Netherlands, Germany, and Canada|
|TunnelBear||All of their global servers, including the US and the UK|
|Atlas VPN||The Netherlands and the United States|
|Windscribe||United States, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Canada, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Romania|
|ZoogVPN||The US, The UK, and The Netherlands|
## Free VPNs You Should Avoid
There are also numerous free VPNs out there that you should avoid. Many aim to
**track your data and sell it to others Their usage harms your privacy instead of protecting it

Some free VPNs even
**sell your connection to other users Usually, your bandwidth is given to premium users of the service, who in turn use your connection and IP address as their very own ‘VPN server.’
Below you’ll find an overview of some unsafe free VPNs that are relatively popular

|Free VPN||Why it’s best not to use it|
Hola |Hola sells your bandwidth to paying users. This enables paying users to use your internet connection to access the web. As a result, your IP address could end up being connected to suspicious activities.|
SuperVPN |SuperVPN keeps track of your data to fulfill DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) requests. If you’re looking for a way to download anonymously, you’ll be better off with a different VPN.|
Psiphon Pro |Psiphon Pro allows partner companies to track users. It also shares data with commercial partners, other partners, and the Psiphon Pro parent company. In other words, you’ll have a hard time staying anonymous with this VPN.|
Touch VPN |Touch VPN adds different types of trackers (cookies, pixel tags, web beacons) to a user’s browser and shares data with third parties.|
Betternet |Betternet allows advertisers, among other third parties, to track user data.|
AnonyTun |AnonyTun allows advertisers to place cookies and build user profiles.|
Turbo VPN |The free version of Turbo VPN is filled with adware and allows advertising partners to place cookies and track users.|

Tuxler VPN |Tuxler VPN‘s free version is very unsafe, collects user data, and shares that with third parties. On top of that, it’s also incredibly slow.|
These aren’t the only unsafe free VPN providers out there. Many VPNs in the App Store and on Google Play
**don’t have clear policies regarding data processing and privacy**

If you encounter such a VPN yourself, always be careful. Don’t assume you’ll be able to browse the internet anonymously with these VPNs. Feel free to let us know in the comments about other VPNs to avoid and help us further protect our visitors

## Conclusion: What is the Best Free VPN?
At the moment, the best all-around free VPN is
**PrivadoVPN This provider is the absolute best choice when it comes to security and server network quality. **ProtonVPN** is the best VPN if you’re looking for unlimited data, while **Windscribe** performs best when it comes to speed. **TunnelBear** is the most user-friendly free option, and **Atlas VPN** is your best bet for a free smartphone VPN

The free VPN services recommended in this article generally support
**multiple platforms and operating systems So, whether you’re looking for a free VPN for iPad, Android, or iPhone, the recommended VPN services should work for your device

However, the moment you start using a free VPN regularly or for streaming, you will quickly
**run into data limits and speed caps Similarly, you will often experience restrictions when you try to download shows and movies with a free VPN. In such cases, you’ll be much better off with a cheap paid VPN. Free VPNs are **perfect for occasional use and when you only need limited data**

If you’re looking for a free VPN service, make sure to choose one of the trustworthy providers listed in this article — especially since many free VPN apps in the Play and App Store don’t work properly or are a
** threat to your privacy and security Internet safety begins with a good VPN, and a bad VPN can have the opposite effect

There are some new free VPN services on the market that we haven’t included in our top list yet. Some providers seem promising, but they can only be called “safe to use” after they have passed the test of time

The table below contains the best free VPN providers of this moment, for specific purposes and criteria:
|Criterium||Best free VPN option|
Speed |Windscribe|
Data |ProtonVPN|

Server locations |TunnelBear|
Safety |PrivadoVPN|
Ease of use |PrivadoVPN|
Do you have a question about free VPNs? Click on one of the frequently asked questions below to read the answer

Many “free” VPNs do more harm than good and aren’t free at all. These VPN apps
**store and sell your personal information In such a case, the VPN can’t actually be called free, as you pay with your data

VPN providers that don’t do this and that offer very decent free versions include ProtonVPN, Windscribe, and TunnelBear. If you want to check out other truly free and safe VPN providers, take a look at our “Best Free VPN” article

Because free VPNs often offer just a handful of servers, you won’t be able to watch Netflix with many of these services. Some free versions of VPNs — such as ProtonVPN and Zoog VPN — occasionally work with Netflix, but this isn’t guaranteed

If you want unlimited access to Netflix with a VPN (to get access to American Netflix, for example), you’ll be better off with a good premium VPN

Many free VPNs don’t do what they promise. Some won’t make you anonymous, and some will sell your private data to other companies or even install malware on your phone or computer

If you want to use a free VPN, you should always make sure to pick a safe one. Click here for an
**overview of the best, safest free VPNs** of this moment

Some (free) VPNs earn their money by collecting your user data and selling it to other parties. In such cases, you may not pay money to use the VPN, but you do pay with your personal information instead

Luckily, not all VPNs do this. ProtonVPN, for example, has a safe free version, the costs of which are covered by their premium service

There are a number of good free VPNs that you can use safely, although they often have data or speed limits. Your personal preferences determine which one is best for you

Do you want free protection with unlimited data? Then ProtonVPN might be a good choice

If you’d rather have a free VPN with many server locations or high speeds, other options are a better fit. Read more about the best free VPNs here

If you want to start using a free VPN, the most important consideration is your online security. Can the VPN be trusted? Be sure to look at the various features different free VPNs offer. Many free VPNs have a data or speed limit

Don’t want to be bothered by these limits? Then it might be worthwhile to purchase a cheap premium VPN, such as Surfshark.