Our Experts Have Tested 23 Products in the VPN Category in the Past Year
Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. (See how we test.)
Though you’ll likely have to pay to get all the premium features of the best VPN services, there are many free options available that go a long way toward protecting your internet traffic. If it’s money that has prevented you from getting a VPN, you should try one of these free services.What Is a VPN?A VPN creates an encrypted connection (often referred to as a tunnel) between your computer and a server controlled by the VPN company, and then it passes all network activity through that protected connection. This means that your ISP and anyone else watching won’t be able to see what you’re up to or trace online activity back to you. VPNs can help improve your privacy online, but they have limitations. Once your traffic exits the VPN server, it can be monitored and perhaps intercepted—especially if you’re connecting to sites that aren’t using HTTPS. It’s also possible, albeit difficult, to use complicated timing algorithms to predict when and where you leave the encrypted tunnel. Advertisers also have a myriad of tools at their disposal to track you online, so we recommend using a stand-alone tracker blocker and a privacy focused browser, such as Firefox.VPNs also won’t protect you against every danger stalking the web. We strongly recommend also using a password manager to create unique and complex passwords for each site and service we use, enabling multi-factor authentication wherever it’s available, and using antivirus software.
Paid VPN vs. Free VPNVery few VPNs offer a truly free option. Instead, many companies offer time-limited trials or money-back guarantees. The VPNs listed in the table above, however, offer totally free subscription levels. They aren’t the only ones, but they are the best we’ve reviewed so far.
The Best VPN Deals This Week*
*Deals are selected by our partner, TechBargains
That said, every VPN listed does put some restrictions on its free version. Some services limit the amount of bandwidth you can use in a given period. Some keep the number of simultaneous connections low, generally to one or two. Some restrict you to certain servers, meaning you can’t jump to a better-performing server or easily spoof your location—more on this below. Tunnelbear VPN is a noteworthy exception, allowing free users to access all its servers. Paying for a VPN subscription typically unlocks all these features, and often adds additional sweeteners unavailable at the free level. You get all the servers in all the locations, and usually the service also provides more simultaneous connections. Kaspersky Secure Connection VPN is one exception to this model providing an unlimited number of connections at its free tier. Because free VPNs are so limited, you’re likely to experience some performance issues. Generally, this is a result of the limited servers free users can access. ProtonVPN is notable as the only VPN we’ve yet reviewed that did not place a limit on user bandwidth. Hotspot Shield VPN goes in the opposite direction, providing 500MB of bandwidth per day but limiting you to speeds of just 2Mbps. Hotspot Shield VPN also monetizes free android users with ads.Using a Free VPN to Watch NetflixVPNs can bypass oppressive censorship by tunneling out to a VPN server beyond the control of despots, but that same ability can also be used to access streaming content that’s not available in your country. Overseas, Netflix subscribers see different shows and films that don’t show up within these United States. That’s because Netflix has specific deals to distribute this content in different areas.Netflix isn’t the only service that can be tricked. MLB and the پروکسی have different streaming arrangements for different regions. There are numerous other examples and many of them—especially Netflix—will try to block VPN use to enforce those regional streaming deals.This is particularly tricky for free VPN users. Most free VPNs limit the servers you can use, meaning you have fewer options (if any) to spoof your location. Free users will also have a harder time jumping to a different server looking for unblocked access or better speeds. One option to get around a Netflix blockade is to purchase a static IP address, which will almost certainly require a paid VPN subscription in addition to the cost of the static IP.In short, watching streaming services like Netflix with a VPN is hard, and doing it with a free VPN is even harder.Trust and TechnologyFree VPNs have some historical baggage, since not all VPN providers turn out to be good actors. Some VPNs may have unseemly, if not outright malicious, practices. Figuring out who is and is not on the level is especially difficult with VPNs, as much of their operation isn’t visible to the outside world.When we review VPNs, we look over each service’s privacy policy. It’s a good way to find out what, if any, information the service collects. Ideally, a VPN company should say that they do not collect any logs on user activity. Take note of where the company is located, too, as location can dictate data retention laws. We highly recommend that you read the review for a free VPN before you commit.Unfortunately, these documents can sometimes be difficult to read, perhaps intentionally so. As part of our review process, we send questionnaires to each VPN service, seeking to put companies on the record about specific privacy issues. We rely on companies to act in good faith when we ask them questions, and for third-party researchers to ferret out the companies that don’t.In general, we prefer providers that use WireGuard, OpenVPN, or IKEv2, which are all comparably new technologies. OpenVPN has the benefit of being open source and has thus been picked over for any possible vulnerabilities. WireGuard is the heir apparent of open-source VPN protocols, and one that could dramatically improve VPN speeds.Some VPNs have also undergone extensive third-party audits to prove their trustworthiness. This isn’t a guarantee that a company is doing good work, since they often set the parameters of the audit. But a meaningful audit is a good sign. TunnelBear, for instance, has committed to releasing third-party audits each year, and has made good on that promise.Where’s Kaspersky?Kaspersky Secure Connection VPN is one of the few VPNs that made the cut for this list, and it held a spot here for quite some time. We have, however, opted to remove the Kaspersky VPN product from this list. Although Kaspersky has long faced controversy for its connections to Russia, we have continued to endorse many of the company’s products. That’s partly because our work at PCMag focuses on the products themselves, not their geopolitical ramifications. Also, despite accusations of being in cahoots with the Russian government, no evidence has ever been provided to definitively prove Kaspersky was a bad actor.However, on March 27, 2022, the FCC issued a warning that labeled the company a national security threat. This came after several other organizations and governments dissolved their relationships with Kaspersky in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While we stand by our evaluations of Kaspersky products, we felt this latest development warranted a different response. We have removed Kaspersky’s products from our “Best for” lists, and added a statement to all our Kaspersky product reviews.What’s the Best Free VPN?Every free VPN has some catch, but ProtonVPN offers the most flexibility. A free account with ProtonVPN will limit you to just three VPN server locations, and one simultaneous connection. The ProtonVPN lists the speed of the free version as “medium,” but you’re not being throttled. You’re just competing with more people for fewer servers, which may mean worse performance. P2P is not allowed at the ProtonVPN free tier.Those are significant restrictions, to be fair, but at least your bandwidth isn’t limited. You can browse as much and as often as you want with ProtonVPN, without spending a cent. Upgrading to a paid account costs as little as $5 a month and loosens many restrictions. A $10 per month Plus account is still a good deal by VPN standards and provides all the perks ProtonVPN has to offer.How Choose the Right Free VPN ServiceThere is plenty of variation even among free VPN services, so it’s a good idea to try a few and figure out which one you like best. A great VPN service should be easy to use and understand, and shouldn’t throw up too many barriers, even when you’re using a free subscription. We highly recommend trying a few services out until you find the one that works for you, especially before you take the plunge and pay for a VPN.(Editors’ Note: While they may not appear in this story, IPVanish and StrongVPN are owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag’s parent company.)
var facebookPixelLoaded = false;
window.addEventListener(‘load’, function(){
document.addEventListener(‘scroll’, facebookPixelScript);
document.addEventListener(‘mousemove’, facebookPixelScript);
})
function facebookPixelScript() {
if (!facebookPixelLoaded) {
facebookPixelLoaded = true;
document.removeEventListener(‘scroll’, facebookPixelScript);
document.removeEventListener(‘mousemove’, facebookPixelScript);
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;
n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,
document,’script’,’//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘454758778052139’);
fbq(‘track’, “PageView”);
}
}
