If you’re trying to keep your information and internet habits confidential or get around a Netflix geoblock, setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help shield your data from prying eyes. You don’t have to pay for it, either. The best VPN you can download for free is ProtonVPN, and we like it for its strong commitment to privacy and security, plus its easy-to-use client. The free version doesn’t have the best server selection, though, which is why we also recommend a number of other free VPNs.
Contents
- ProtonVPN
- PrivadoVPN
- Hotspot Shield VPN
- TunnelBear
- Hide.Me
With cybercriminals becoming bolder every day and advertisers paying your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for your personal information, it has never been more critical to ensure that your web browsing habits are kept private. These are the best free VPNs you can download right now
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ProtonVPN
- Country of registration:Switzerland
- Cost: FREE, or $4 per month; $48 per year for Basic; $96 per year for Plus
- Number of servers & locations: 1,255, 55 countries
- Clients supported:Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- Number of simultaneous connections:One with a free subscription
Unlike many free VPN services on the market, ProtonVPN has no monthly limits on the amount of data that you can use. In addition, you can set up a ProtonVPN client on your iOS or Android smartphone or your Linux, Mac, or Windows PC. There are no logins required, you can use an email address to sign up and get started, and there are no ads that are constantly bugging you to upgrade your plan.
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However, there are some notable disadvantages when it comes to using this service. Users are only permitted to use it on one device. People who use the free version also receive less speedy connections than those with a paid plan, and there is no person-to-person support offered, either.
Those limitations aside, ProtonVPN is an extremely strong, security-minded VPN service that can act as a permanent tool in your privacy arsenal, whether you pay for it or not.
PrivadoVPN
- Country of registration:Switzerland
- Cost: Free OR $8 per month; $60 for the first year
- Number of servers & locations:517 servers, 58 locations across 47 countries
- Clients supported: Windows, MacOS, Fire TV Stick, iOS, Android
- Number of simultaneous connections: One with a free subscription
- Special features:P2P transfers, SOCKS5 proxy support
If you want to take advantage of a VPN that prioritizes security and anonymity, PrivadoVPN is for you. This
If you decide to stick with the free version of PrivadoVPN, you’re welcome to do so, but you won’t have access to as many features unless you pay a small amount of $8 per month. Under the free plan, you can connect to 12 servers and only one device at a time, but the 10GB of data is an amazing deal to get you accustomed to PrivadoVPN and its features. If you ever have any issues you can contact the customer support team for 24/7 help. PrivadoVPN is a great service for those looking for basic protection with the free plan, but great value for money at only $8 per month if you decide to upgrade.
Hotspot Shield VPN
- Country of registration:United States
- Cost: FREE, or $13 per month or $96 for Premium plan; $20 per month or $144 per year for Premium Family plan
- Number of servers & locations:1,800+, 110+ locations across 80+ countries
- Clients supported:Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, smart TVs, routers
- Number of simultaneous connections: One with a free subscription
- Special features:Gigabit speeds, 45-day money-back guarantee
While some free VPN services can be very stingy with the bandwidth they allot you, Hotspot Shield VPN offers users 500MB per day or about 15GB per month and allows you to connect up to five devices at the same time. In addition, Hotspot lets users know upfront that their free services are paid for by purchasers of their premium
Their transparency continues by letting mobile users of their free Android VPN and iOS
TunnelBear
- Country of registration:Canada
- Cost: FREE, or $10 per month; $60 for the first year; $120 for the first three years
- Number of servers & locations:1,000+, 41 countries
- Clients supported:Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android
- Number of simultaneous connections: One with a free subscription
With servers in 23 countries across the world, you can connect up to five devices to TunnelBear and make use of McAfee-backed AES 256-bit encryption to keep them safe and private. If you run into any issues, you can consult TunnelBear’s dedicated support staff and review a host of commonly asked questions to resolve any problems.
Unlike some other no-cost VPN services, you won’t have your traffic throttled if you choose to make use of a free account. Also, TunnelBear no longer requires users to provide a first name when signing up, and it no longer records how many times users connect to their servers. Free users are restricted to a monthly data cap of 500MB, though, which may be inadequate for those interested in constantly using a
Hide.Me
- Country of registration:Malaysia
- Cost: FREE, or $10 per month; $60 for the first year; $120 for the first three years
- Number of servers & locations: 2,000 in 75 countries
- Clients supported: Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and all major platforms
- Number of simultaneous connections: One with a free subscription
While some VPN services make promises to not collect your user data or sell your web traffic information to a third party, Hide.Me doesn’t collect any of that kind of data in the first place. Their free
With native software designed to work with both Mac and Windows PC, as well as Android and iOS, you can ensure that the VPN will work well with your setup. Even better, free users of Hide.Me have access to 24/7 technical support in the event of any issues, and they don’t have to deal with pesky ads that nag them into paying for an upgrade. Unfortunately, these benefits do come with some notable limitations. You can only use Hide.Me on one device, which isn’t ideal for those looking to protect their whole family.
Furthermore, while paying members of Hide.Me can access servers in over thirty countries, free account holders have access to five locations worldwide. While this isn’t the most, the combination of 10GB of free data per month is certainly satisfactory for most users.
Those problems aside, Hide.Me is an excellent all-around VPN service. If you are interested in keeping your privacy and still having a decent amount of bandwidth for free, Hide.Me has you covered.
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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have access to a vast amount of information on various topics, including virtual private networks (VPNs). I can provide you with information related to the concepts mentioned in this article. Here are the search results for the concepts mentioned in the article:
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ProtonVPN:
- ProtonVPN is a VPN service that offers a free version with no monthly limits on data usage.
- It has a strong commitment to privacy and security.
- The service has a client that is easy to use.
- The free version has limitations, such as limited server selection and slower connections compared to the paid plans.
- ProtonVPN is available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android devices.
- It does not require logins and does not have constant ads urging users to upgrade.
- However, the free version only allows one device to be connected at a time and does not offer person-to-person support.
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PrivadoVPN:
- PrivadoVPN is a VPN service that prioritizes security and anonymity.
- It offers 10GB of data per month for free on its lightning-fast servers.
- The service supports P2P transfers and SOCKS5 proxy.
- PrivadoVPN allows users to choose between OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols.
- The free version has limitations, such as fewer servers and only one device connection at a time.
- Upgrading to the paid plan provides access to more features and servers.
- PrivadoVPN offers customer support 24/7.
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Hotspot Shield VPN:
- Hotspot Shield VPN is a VPN service that offers a free version.
- The free version provides users with 500MB of data per day or about 15GB per month.
- It allows users to connect up to five devices simultaneously.
- Hotspot Shield VPN does not keep logs of browsing activity and claims to prioritize user privacy.
- The free version is supported by advertisem*nts encouraging users to upgrade.
- To use the free service, users need to sign up for a seven-day premium trial and provide credit card information.
- The service offers military-grade encryption for user activity and ensures the safety of financial information.
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TunnelBear:
- TunnelBear is a VPN service that offers a free version.
- The free version allows users to connect up to five devices simultaneously.
- It provides servers in 23 countries and uses AES 256-bit encryption.
- TunnelBear does not throttle traffic for free users.
- The free version has a monthly data cap of 500MB.
- TunnelBear offers dedicated support staff and a FAQ section for troubleshooting.
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Hide.Me:
- Hide.Me is a VPN service that offers a free version.
- The free version provides users with 10GB of data per month.
- It does not collect user data or sell web traffic information.
- Hide.Me offers native software for Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS devices.
- Free users have access to 24/7 technical support and do not encounter ads.
- The free version is limited to one device and five locations worldwide.
Please note that the information provided above is based on search results and snippets. It's always a good idea to visit the official websites of these VPN services for the most up-to-date and accurate information.