What is a Free VPN?
A Free VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a cost-effective online service that provides digital privacy, security, and the ability to unblock and download website content from all over the world at no cost at all.Running a complementary VPN service isn’t easy. That’s why the best providers charge subscribers for their services. However, we feel strongly that everybody should be able to access a VPN for free when they need one. That is why we have hunted far and wide for the five best free VPNs of 2017. In addition, to make your life easier, this article will explain everything you need to know about free services.
- Provider
- Features
- Visit Site
ExpressVPN
Not strictly free Offers 30 days money back guarantee Fantastic all-rounder Easy to use- 1
TunnelBear
- Downloads are limited Can connect up to 5 devices Easy to use, perfect for beginners Excellent encryption
- 2
hide.Me
- 2GB/month usage limit Experienced customer care Strong encryption
- 3
SurfEasy
- Easy set up, easy to use 2GB limit on starter pack Allows P2P
- 4
CyberGhost
- No bandwidth limits! Limited server locations Adverts
- 5
Windscribe
- Hides your geolocation. Makes your Internet use more private. Encrypts your online data. Works on multiple OS platforms. Helps you stream media.
Best Seller! Save time searching and get great service with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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VPNs also allow people to unblock website content by allowing them to pretend to be in a different country. This makes them perfect for people who are going on holiday and want to access services from back home. They are also ideal for people who want to access foreign TV streams (or sports competitions). Furthermore, VPNs are excellent for people living under strong government censorship.
In 2017, what’s the best COSTLESS VPN service the online world has to offer?
The providers in this article are the best complementary VPN services of 2017. However, for a full blisteringly fast and fully featured service (perfect for those that want to download a lot of data), please look at these premium VPNs. Remember, unlike most free options, the VPNs in this guide are reliable, secure, and highly efficient. They have all been thoroughly tested by our experts.
PROS:
- Simple setup, incredibly easy to use
- Excellent encryption
- Can connect up to 5 devices
- 500MB of free data every month
CONS:
- No peer-to-peer (P2P)
- Few advanced settings
- Usage capped
This VPN doesn’t keep any logs, which makes it great for security. In addition, the company’s privacy policy is outstanding, making this a reliable free VPN to use for online privacy and security. Another positive aspect of this free VPN is that it gives users access to all of the VPN servers on the network. In addition, those servers are excellently placed. Unfortunately, you can’t use the free option for any more than 500MB worth of web browsing per month. When the data limit kicks in, however, you can earn more data by doing some social sharing!
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Visit TunnelBear »30 day moneyback guarantee
Visit TunnelBear »30 day moneyback guarantee
#2 Free VPN in 2017: hide.Me
PROS:
- Strong encryption
- Servers in 22 countries
- Zero logs
- Superb privacy policy
- Highly experienced customer care
CONS:
- Limited to 2GB per month
As with all the free VPNs on our list, this VPN has limitations. If you use the internet a lot, then you should probably choose a non-data capped VPN. With that said, we really like hide.me – it is one of the best all-around free VPNs available in 2017.
#3 Free VPN in 2017: SurfEasy
PROS:
- Easy setup
- P2P allowed
- Owned by Opera
- Easy to use apps
- Servers across the globe
CONS:
- Minor logging
- 2GB limit on Starter Plan
The SurfEasy apps are easy to use, provide you with strong security and solid protection, and are pretty fast. The free version provides you with 500MB of data transfer, and you can increase your data by recommending the service to friends and family. Servers are reliable and the VPN is trusted. However, their paid plan is quite a lot better, and pricing starts at just $6.49/month.
#4 Free VPN in 2017: CyberGhost
PROS:
- No bandwidth limits
- Solid speeds
- Free iOs and Android apps
- Automatic internet kill switch
- Transparent privacy policy
CONS:
- Limited locations
- Advertisements
While CyberGhost Free is superb, there are some drawbacks to consider. CyberGhost Free users have in-app advertisements, queues to connect (during peak hours), and limited server locations.
Check out CyberGhost Free for yourself using the link below!
#5 Free VPN in 2017: Windscribe
PROS:
- Strong encryption
- Great privacy policy
- Easy to use
- Perfect for beginners
- High transparency
CONS:
- Limited support options
- Usage capped
The free windscribe plan can only be used on one device, and free users of the service don’t get access to all the servers. However, as this VPN is available for free, this is not a surprise and the servers that users do get access to are located in useful places. Furthermore, Windscribe provides great speeds – which is a real bonus. All in all a superb free VPN that is well worth a try.
What Can a VPN Do?
A free Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an online service that allows people to pretend to be in a different country. In addition, VPN subscribers get digital privacy and online security. Trusted VPNs protect subscriber data both at home and on public WiFi (to protect from hackers) by providing strong encryption.Once connected to a VPN, subscribers can securely pretend to be overseas to access and download any content. In addition, a VPN bypasses government blocks placed by landlords, workplaces, and other network administrators.
Is It Safe to Use a VPN that is free?
If you find the right free VPN, then yes, it is safe to use. Sadly, however, there are many free services around that we simply can’t recommend. With VPNs, you really do get what you pay for. Many free services make money by selling user data to third parties. This is a highly insecure practice. After all, a VPN is meant to keep your browsing habits private – not sell the data to the highest bidder.Many free VPNs have poor privacy policies, outdated encryption, and generally, provide unreliable connections. The good news, however, is that this is not always the case.
Some free services are secure and only place bandwidth and usage limits in order to provide the service for free. In this article, we have included the five best free VPNs of this kind.
These changeless services have been selected because they are safe to use. However, you should remember that they are all restrictive compared to a premium VPN service. Paid services have more and better choices of servers, and provide faster connection speeds for streaming, as well as stronger security.
Finding a VPN that you can trust
There are many hundreds of VPNs on the market. This can make choosing a provider quite daunting. Furthermore, trustworthy and reliable free services are incredibly hard to find.In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about getting a free service, what a free VPN is, and how it differs from a paid VPN. We will also describe what a free VPN can be used for.
What makes one VPN free and another one a paid service? Why is it important to avoid some free VPNs? By the end of this article, you will have all the knowledge you need about free VPNs.
Can I Get a Free, Unlimited VPN?
The honest answer to this is tricky. There are free VPNs out there that do allow you to use them without usage limits. Unfortunately, those services make revenue by collecting data about their consumers to sell to third parties. We consider this to be the exact opposite of what a VPN should do. Thus it’s impossible for us to recommend these risky VPN services.Beyond that, it is true that you will find some free VPNs on this list that don’t have a usage limit and instead throttle the bandwidth (speed) of the VPN. This means you can use it all month. However, the speed throttling will make it very hard to enjoy streaming in HD, for instance.
How Do You Use a VPN?
A VPN works by encrypting all data coming and going from a subscriber’s device. Encrypted data is securely scrambled so that nobody can access it. The outcome is that anyone snooping on your data – be it your ISP, the government, or a hacker on public WiFi – can’t see the web browsing data. This protects vital information such as logins, credentials, passwords, and credit card details.Furthermore, when connected to a VPN the websites that you visit believe that you are in the location of the VPN servers instead of where you really are. This allows users to access the internet as if they were in a foreign country, which is perfect for people living in a country with lots of censorship.
How to Download & Set Up a VPN that Costs Nothing
Setting up a free VPN is incredibly easy. Just follow this simple walkthrough:- Choose a VPN service and click the link to its website.
- Subscribe and get the free VPN download that you require.
- Follow the installation instructions to get the free VPN software onto your device.
- Run the app and select the encryption option you prefer. We recommend OpenVPN as it is the strongest, but anything other than Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) will be fine.
- Choose a VPN server where you would like to pretend to be and click “Connect.”
- Once the VPN connection has been established, the software will tell you. From that point on, you can access geo-restricted content securely.
Can I Use a Costless VPN with My Mobile Phone?
If you want to use a free VPN on your phone, any of the services in this guide will work fine. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that Android is usually covered more than iOS by VPN providers. However, at least some of the services in this guide do provide free VPN for iPhone software.In fact, no matter whether you are looking for a free VPN for Windows, or Mac, there is an option on this list that has you covered! No matter which platform you run, you will be able to access free VPN servers with our recommendations.
What Makes One VPN Free and Another One Paid?
The free VPNs in this guide provide the service as a loss leader in order to entice people into purchasing a premium subscription. That’s why the free services are restricted.Using a VPN for free can leave some people feeling cold. The experience can be slow and highly limited. Most of the time you will likely get cut off when you are streaming with a free VPN because you reach your usage limit.
With a paid VPN, subscribers get unlimited use of the servers and no bandwidth limits. This means that the VPN is fast and can be used to do even the most data-intensive tasks.
Other free VPNs may be less restrictive in terms of use, but the payoff comes in the form of worse encryption and a insecure privacy policy. Because a VPN is supposed to protect user data, we consider these types of services to be too risky to recommend.
Which Is the Best Free Service?
Generally speaking, the best free VPN service is one that doesn’t put user data at risk in order to provide the service for nothing. That’s why the best free services tend to restrict the service a little. VPNs are costly to run and thus at their very best they do cost a subscription fee.Remember, many free VPNs are there to collect their subscribers’ web browsing histories in order to sell them to third parties (which is highly insecure). For this reason, if you need free VPN access we urge you to stick to a trusted VPN from this guide.
Free VPNs: Considerations
When you are choosing a free VPN, there are a few key considerations that you need to keep in mind:a) What do plan to use your free VPN for?
b) How much use do you intend to get out of your free VPN?
The most important consideration is connection speeds. Slower connection speeds make it very hard to enjoy streaming with your free service. A free VPN that isn’t speed-capped usually has usage limits, so you may not get much opportunity to stream shows with a faster free VPN.
At the end of the day, if you plan to use a VPN all the time to watch geo-restricted streams in HD, or play gaming servers that are geo-restricted, you will likely need to opt for a paid service with a money-back guarantee. That way you can get a feel for a premium service without actually having to spend any money.
A VPN Free Trial?
Some VPNs offer a free trial. These services give you the opportunity to trial a full-blown premium service for anything between three days and a week.Another option is to pay for a 30-day trial of a VPN and simply ask for your money back if you don’t like it. ExpressVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee that it always honors – it is also the best VPN service in the world.
As such, using the free VPNs in this guide is only one option for getting the use of a free VPN. If you decide that you like using a VPN, it is definitely well worth using the free trials and money-back guarantees that the best VPNs provide.
A Free service for Netflix or Kodi
Netflix actively blocks VPNs and it is almost impossible to get a free service for Netflix. However, both Kodi users and Netflix subscribers can unblock streaming content for free using one of many VPNs’ free trials or money-back guarantees. This will allow you to stream as much content as you like for free for around 30 days – and then get your money back. We understand better than anyone just how many people want to find a VPN for Kodi that is free, and for those Kodi users, these VPNs are just the ticket. As for Netflix, a full premium package is going to be the only real way to get the job done, so a 30-day money back guarantee may be the best option for those who want to try a VPN for nothing.A Free Service for iOS 11 or Android
For people looking for a costless VPN for iOS, the VPNs in this guide are all a great option and will work perfectly on any iOS device. The same goes for Android users: these services are ideal for use on all mobile devices.A Warning About Free Services
The vast majority of free services are a privacy and security nightmare. Free VPNs often handle data insecurely, provide outdated OpenVPN encryption that can be hacked, and sell user data to the highest bidder. Thus we urge you to think twice before using untrusted free services – the risks truly are massive!Virtual Private Networks are amazing and even the very best are not too expensive. For that reason, we strongly advise in favor of a fully featured VPN service that will protect users properly. There are plenty of superb cheap services around, and the level of freedom and security you get with a premium service is incomparable to what users get for free.
Free VPNs for Torrenting
When it comes to torrenting you will need a VPN that provides plenty of data usage and good speeds. The services in this guide will certainly get you on your way and will allow you to torrent securely for free. However, it is worth bearing in mind that for those people that want to do a lot of downloading using P2P, a paid service is probably going to be needed in the long run.Free Virtual Private Network Services: Conclusion
Over the last few years, there has been a massive explosion in awareness about Virtual Private Networks. Due to this increase in knowledge people are looking for recommendations about which service to get in order to protect themselves.There are well over 850 commercial VPNs on the market and that number is growing all the time. Many of those VPN services lie about the level of service that they provide. They are only there to make a quick buck from unsuspecting consumers.
This article is designed to help people who want to try out a VPN for free to have the opportunity to do so safely. The free VPN services in this article are by far the best options available. They do not skimp on security or sell their users’ data.
In the end, a free VPN will only get you so far. For people who become interested, we strongly recommend upgrading to a paid service such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN. There are plenty of cheap options, and even the most expensive VPNs on the market really don’t cost much per year. The difference in the level of service that you get with a paid service, however, is vast.
Finally, we would like to remind you that you are far better off using one or a combination of the free VPNs in this article than you are using one of the many untrusted free services on the market that we have purposefully left off this list. Our recommendations are the best free VPNs on the market, so please stick to these if you value your privacy and security.
Best Free VPN Providers Recap
- Provider
- Features
- Visit Site
-
ExpressVPN
- Not strictly free Offers 30 days moneyback guarantee Fantastic all-rounder Easy to use
- 1
-
TunnelBear
- Downloads are limited Can connect up to 5 devices Easy to use, perfect for beginners Excellent encryption
- 2
-
hide.Me
- 2GB/month usage limit Experienced customer care Strong encryption
- 3
-
SurfEasy
- Easy set up, easy to use 2GB limit on starter pack Allows P2P
- 4
-
CyberGhost
- No bandwidth limits! Limited server locations Adverts
- 5
-
Windscribe
- Hides your geolocation. Makes your Internet use more private. Encrypts your online data. Works on multiple OS platforms. Helps you stream media.
Best Seller! Save time searching and get great service with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Written by Ray Walsh
Published on July 3, 2017..
I am a
freelance journalist and blogger from England. I am highly interested in
politics and in particular the subject of IR. I am an advocate for
freedom of speech, equality, and personal privacy. On a more personal
level I like to stay active, love snowboarding, swimming and cycling,
enjoy seafood, and love to listen to trap music.
