Best free VPNs in 2024

In a world where subscriptions reign supreme, free VPNs offer a brief respite for your wallet. Hiding your IP address, unblocking restricted websites, and getting past geo-blocks are what they do best. Or, at least what they should do best, but countless free VPNs cause more trouble than they’re worth. However, a select few free plans exist from trusted VPN providers that give you total anonymity online free of charge, and we’ve sniffed out the ones that are worth your attention.

They may not be the best VPNs on the block, nor the greatest VPNs for streaming, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do their job right. In fact, they can go above and beyond what you’d expect to get from paying zero fees. From unlimited data for watching new streaming movies in other countries to security tools that keep your data safe, these VPNs help you stay on top of your online privacy.

They’re not without some caveats, though. Even the best free VPNs have strict data limits and a small server network in a handful of countries. Still, they’ll have you surfing the web privately without paying a dime.

Top free VPN apps you can install today

Windscribe, one of the most popular free VPNs in the world, has been around for a long time and is trusted by many users. Its free tier is ridiculously easy to operate; this is best represented by the web browser plug-in that can be installed and used within just a couple of minutes. Simplicity also translates to the Android app, which makes it a breeze to choose your server and connect.

Speaking of servers, there are currently 20 city locations across 11 countries to choose from. That’s a generous number compared to the handful that most free VPNs offer. In the US alone, there are servers in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seattle, and Washington. Server availability also extends beyond the domestic selections, including those in Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Turkey, Hong Kong, and more. Unsure of which to choose? Simply click “Best Location” and Winsdcribe will think for you.

Windscribe doesn’t skimp on the added extras, either. Its so-called R.O.B.E.R.T. tool blocks malware, ads, trackers, porn and gambling site access, and even clickbait articles. They’re all turned off by default, but very easy to toggle on in the settings menu. The same goes for its split tunneling tool, which is a very unusual free VPN feature, giving you more control by specifying what applications will and won’t be channeled through the VPN. It’s known to help unblock Netflix catalogs in various countries, too.

Regarding data limits, Windscribe’s default is 2GB per month. That goes up to 10GB if you supply your email address and 15GB if you tweet about them. So it’s not as good as the unlimited data offered by Proton VPN or Hotspot Shield, but still a fair amount per month.

If your main reason for getting a free VPN is to stream worldwide TV shows, then PrivadoVPN is the best option on this list. It’s rare for a freebie to function well enough to get around the geo-restrictions that prevent streaming services from being accessed outside their native setting, but PrivadoVPN has that power. So if, for example, you want to watch US Netflix exclusives out of the country, you can connect to one of its US servers. Similarly, you can watch BBC iPlayer from outside the British Isles by connecting to its UK server.

On the flip side, bear in mind that after your first 10GB of usage each month, the speeds are throttled to a bare minimum. So box-set bingers beware; streaming may be scuppered a few episodes into the season. Before that cap kicks in, however, PrivadoVPN’s speeds are just as fast as they are at the premium tier. Which is to say, rapid.

This free VPN is extremely easy to set up and use, and navigating its Android app is super straightforward. Once in, there are four servers in the US to choose from or one server in each of its other ten countries (e.g., UK, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India, and New Zealand). You’ll also have the choice between three protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2, or the speedy WireGuard.

“Internet Privacy is a basic human right and with the Free plan, we give our users the freedom to browse the internet privately.”

That’s the very straightforward raison d’être Hide.me pledges when you download its free Android app for the first time. The app officially has server locations in six countries, which is more than a lot of freebies on the Play Store but less than other options in this guide. The US, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Spain are all included.

Alternatively, you can just hit the “Best Location” option. When we did so, it placed us on a UK server; that came as a bit of a happy surprise, considering that it’s not even a location listed in its free options.

The Hide.me app is easy enough for beginners to get started — it doesn’t even ask for your email address, so anonymity appears to be prioritized. And if you’re a VPN pro who likes to tinker, you can choose from many protocols (including WireGuard), VPN tunnels (IPv4 or IPv6), and even configure your DNS.

There’s a tantalizing list of additional features in the Android apps Settings tab, but these are reserved for premium users only. So that means no SmartGuard tools to block ads or protect you from malware, no auto-connecting, and no kill switch or split tunneling.

With its five available locations and 200-odd servers, Proton VPN appears like any other free VPN. But unlike many of its competitors, it has no usage caps. That’s a really eye-catching bonus, especially if you’re planning to have Proton VPN turned on all the time.

As a company, Proton is probably best known for its secure email. So it should come as no surprise that there are plenty of privacy smarts integrated into its free VPN tier. For example, DNS Leak Protection, alternative routing, and a fully functioning kill switch are all included (although you’ll have to upgrade to a premium plan if you want additions like malware blocking). Thanks to the availability of the WireGuard protocol, connection speeds are fast, too, without any throttling to slow you down.

There are some quirks to be aware of on its free Android app, though. It has locations in the US, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, and Romania, but you don’t get to choose which one you use, and you can only change location every 20 minutes. Plus, there are no streaming or P2P servers with Proton VPN Free, so it’s not the ideal tool to use for watching Netflix or torrenting.

Hotspot Shield is a well-established VPN that’s been in the game for over a decade, but it gets a lot of its credit for its free VPN plan. As it should; its Basic plan is one of the few that offers unlimited bandwidth and data, meaning data-hungry users looking to break down blocked websites won’t be stopped by restrictions (which is good news for streaming).

That’s not its only major perk. There’s no limit on bandwidth, and you can expect speeds up to 1GB/s from its range of over 800 servers available. It even brings a choice of VPN protocols for Basic users, including its proprietary Hydra VPN protocol, known for its speed and reliability, and OpenVPN. There’s no lack of security features, giving users anti-phishing protection, a kill switch, split tunneling, DNS leak protection, and plenty more.

Of course, free VPNs have their limitations, and Hotspot Shield has a few of them. First and foremost, its Basic plan is supported by ads, but only Android users will have to face them. For privacy’s sake, this isn’t a good sign, seeing as these ads are supported by Google Ads, which collects user information. There are no ads in sight in the iOS, macOS, and Windows versions, but only up to five VPN locations are available — depending on what system you use. For example, macOS users will only get one US location, while Android and iOS users will get up to four, including Los Angeles, New York, Singapore, and the U.K., along with an Auto option.

Despite its ads, Hotspot Shield has a strict no-logs policy and has been tested by an independent auditor to back its claims. Otherwise, you can expect a full VPN experience for free with Hotspot Shield.

Simply put, ExpressVPN is the best VPN you can get. While some of the numbers probably speak for themselves (more than 3,000 servers, 105 countries, eight simultaneous connections), it’s the user experience that really stands out.

You’ll love the 24/7 live chat customer service that will provide guidance if anything goes wrong or if you get lost in its myriad tools and features. In terms of features, you’ll get everything you need, including rapid proprietary Lightway protocol, military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, and the ability to unblock pretty much any streaming service. There are even features like Threat Manager, Parallel Connections, split tunneling, kill switch, and password manager.

It’s not the cheapest around, costing $6.67 a month for its best-value 15-month plan. So what’s it doing in this guide? Well, you can try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days thanks to its quibble-free money-back guarantee. That means you can give this best-in-class software a go without spending a cent.

Consider a paid VPN for the best experience

While many are here to grab the best free VPN (no) money can buy, there’s a reason paid VPNs are regarded as essential privacy tools. They offer unlimited data with superb speeds and a vast server network in numerous countries around the globe and deliver an advanced privacy and security tool suite.

Beyond kill switches and split tunneling, which are tools only a handful of free VPNs offer, paid VPNs come with anti-tracking, web protection from malware and malicious links, double VPNs, and even dark web monitoring. You may also find Smart DNS features that help get past streaming service blocks much easier than free VPNs.

Of course, not all paid VPNs offer these traits, but the best services always have unique features to give you the upper hand when it comes to privacy or streaming. Yes, many paid VPNs ask for a hefty monthly sum — some for under $2 per month if you opt for a two-year plan. However, if you’re on a tight budget, that’s when a handy free VPN comes in.

Protect your Android instantly with the best free VPN app

Download a free VPN from the Google Play Store, and you’ll have thousands of options to choose from. The problem is that many of the selections come at the expense of your privacy, mining personal data through ads or worse, installing malicious software. For example, SuperVPN leaked 360 million personal user records in May 2023.

That’s why it’s important to choose a free VPN that does what it says on the tin, and this list narrows down the best you can get. For an all-encompassing mix of excellent speeds, number of servers, and security tools, Windscribe should be your top choice. With a 15GB data limit, up to 11 countries to connect to, and military-grade AES-256 encryption to keep your data safe, Windscribe has you covered on all fronts to browse with privacy in mind.

If you’re looking to get past geo-restrictions on streaming services, PrivadoVPN is up to the task. While its 10GB data limit is a shame, it’s still enough to watch around ten hours of content. More importantly, its servers in 11 countries have proven to get past major streaming platforms like Netflix and BBC iPlayer. That’s free access to a new library of shows and movies across the globe.

Anyone who doesn’t want to be constrained by data limits will enjoy Proton VPN’s free plan, thanks to its uncapped data. Since it can be turned on at all times, it’s similar to having a paid VPN. On the flip side, you won’t be able to choose your location, which can be a problem if you’re after a specific country, and it’s not made for streaming.

The best part about this list? If one doesn’t suit your needs, just move on to the next. Even better, use them all. These are free VPNs, after all.