Best Free VPN in 2026: Fast and Secure Options

The best free VPN may be your only solution if money is an issue. Premium providers are by no means expensive. However, if your wallet is emptier than a banker’s heart and you don’t see yourself paying for such a service, we’ve got you covered. Using a good free VPN is a fine way of protecting your privacy.

By installing it on your device, you can anonymize all traffic and prevent surveillance. Security and privacy are blissful these days in the threatening online world. However, free VPNs aren’t always safe and secure. Most store logs of your sensitive data and sell it to third parties. This is how they make money, but who are we to blame them?

Think of this as compensation for providing a complimentary service. Luckily, not all do this, and our experts were quick to find and recommend them. So, if you’re in, let’s get down to business and explore your options.

Best Free VPN Providers for 30 Days [Premium VPN Free Trial]

Before discussing the top really free VPNs, let’s take a quick detour and present to you a much better solution. Some premium providers let you use them risk-free and not lose any money in the first 30 days with a money-back guarantee. This means you can enjoy a full-fledged premium service with no limits and still pay nothing.

In other words, you’ll get:

• Unlimited bandwidth and data,
• Impenetrable security and privacy,
• Large server network,
• 24/7 customer support,
• Fast (unrestricted) speeds,
• Limitless streaming and torrenting,
• and much more!

Our team of experts recommends three specific VPNs that we found extremely reliable and secure. They include NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access.

🥇 NordVPN: Best Free VPN Overall (30-Day Free Trial)

NordVPN isn’t a free VPN. According to our ranking of the top paid VPN services, it’s actually #1. This isn’t a problem because the service has a 30-day refund policy. It’s not an average refund policy but rather a money-back guarantee. This means you’re guaranteed to get a refund if you request it in the first 30 days.

The solution to using NordVPN as the best free VPN is to get it, enjoy it for a month, and obtain a refund. Of course, the initial payment might be problematic for some. That’s why we ensured you can get a special discount and lower the price to just $3 per month for the Basic plan.

In doing so, you won’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy this highly appreciated free VPN in all of its beautiful glory. Don’t worry about the rest of the setup. NordVPN will handhold you, and you’ll get it running in no time.

Try NordVPN Risk-Free

⭐ Why Use NordVPN?

We’ll briefly review its features as the most reliable VPN with a free 30-day trial. This provider has 9,000+ servers in 130+ countries, with high-quality RAM-only servers. NordVPN doesn’t skimp on security and includes even Double VPN routing for more privacy. Users also get protection against malware, trackers, and ads.

Moreover, obfuscated servers bypass Chinese censorship. NordVPN is an all-rounder that includes dedicated IPs. As stated in our NordVPN review, it doesn’t keep logs and won’t infringe on your privacy. NordVPN also has modern and intuitive apps, including a free VPN for Chrome or Firefox, worth exploring.

Unlike the best really free VPNs below, NordVPN offers ten simultaneous connections. A huge selling point is the speed. NordVPN is fast and doesn’t limit your monthly bandwidth or data. This, with its streaming-optimized and dedicated P2P servers, makes NordVPN ideal for bandwidth-hungry activities.

As a free VPN with its 30-day trial, NordVPN also offers Onion Over VPN servers. Meanwhile, SmartDNS allows NordVPN to work on the first-gen Fire TV Stick and non-VPN-supported devices like PlayStation/Xbox consoles. State-of-the-art 256-bit encryption and a rock-solid kill switch spice up the formula, too.

NordVPN has every feature you’d ever want from the biggest free VPN. As said, it’s not really free (it’s one of the best free VPN alternatives, though), but for 30 days, you’ll get an unforgettable experience you’ll find in no other free or paid VPN.

Visit NordVPN

🥈 ExpressVPN: A Fast Free VPN With a 30-Day Refund Policy

Moving on with our favorite free VPNs for 2026, we have ExpressVPN. In our tests, it was slightly inferior to NordVPN. Nonetheless, being slightly behind NordVPN is a compliment, and ExpressVPN is excellent. The VPN has an 81% discount thanks to four free months for its biennial Basic plan, making it very affordable.

You can use it as a free VPN with the same 30-day money-back guarantee. This allows you to subscribe to ExpressVPN and use it for free by getting a refund. In the end, you enjoyed an amazing VPN for nothing, and the entire subscription works without costing you a cent—or a penny.

Try ExpressVPN Risk-Free

⭐ Why Use ExpressVPN?

Our tests showed that ExpressVPN was the best-performing provider, right after NordVPN. Lightway Turbo, an in-house protocol, blends speed and security. This protocol uses AES-256 encryption for added privacy. Furthermore, the VPN relies on RAM-only servers and has superb IP/DNS leak protection.

ExpressVPN doesn’t stop there, as it also includes split tunneling to run only specific apps through the VPN tunnel. Everything works so well thanks to Forward Secrecy. Thanks to it, you can’t be traced because each connection is assigned a unique encryption key that can’t be compromised.

ExpressVPN’s no-log policy received multiple audits from renowned auditors such as PwC, KPMG, Cure53, and Deloitte. ExpressVPN has Advanced Protection that keeps trackers, ads, and malicious sites far away. There’s also Parental Control to block adult sites. ExpressVPN works with all popular streaming services.

Its speed and stability make it a well-established VPN for gaming. Its P2P connections are stable, and the VPN fully supports Tor Over VPN connections! ExpressVPN is decent if you’re on iOS or macOS. However, it also works on Windows and Android and has a reliable app for many Linux distros.

It allows for 10 to 14 simultaneous connections, both of which should more than suffice. In general, ExpressVPN is a great free VPN for speed, safety, security, and streaming. It’s risk-free, so check it out.

Visit ExpressVPN

🥉 Private Internet Access: Safety & Security at No Cost for 30 Days

Here’s another excellent free VPN provider with a 30-day free trial, Private Internet Access, also known as PIA. It’s the most affordable provider here, with a ludicrous 2-year plan with two or four free months at $2.03 per month. It’s hard to beat PIA at its game of affordability for long-term plans.

This VPN isn’t cheap in terms of quality. As we’ll explain soon, it’s pretty capable, beating many of its more expensive rivals—Hotspot Shield, for instance. You know the drill by this point. PIA is equipped with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Therefore, the process is the same, with a refund and all that.

You’ll claim a discount through our site, download, and use the VPN for free for 30 days. Before 30 days are over, get a refund from PIA, and you’re all set. That’s how you enjoy one of the best VPNs without paying anything.

Try PIA VPN Risk-Free

⭐ Why Use Private Internet Access?

To be clear, PIA isn’t better than NordVPN or ExpressVPN, but it has one notable advantage. Unlimited simultaneous connections. As a result, PIA is incredibly valuable as a free VPN service. Other than that, the provider packs 30,000+ servers in 91 countries and covers every American state; before you ask, it works with Netflix US.

The VPN implements WireGuard as well. This protocol works pretty well with PIA’s 10 Gbps servers. We observed that the VPN’s performance is stable and reliable across all of its locations. Security is top-notch. PIA has the MACE, which blocks ads and trackers. It also has Multi-hop servers and Shadowsocks for obfuscation.

PIA doesn’t keep logs. Its no-logs policy has been proven in court multiple times, on top of which, there’s an audit from Deloitte. Despite being in the US, PIA is privacy-inclined and has never had a single logging incident. PIA’s apps are modern-looking and available for all devices except for the Fire TV Stick.

However, it’s not a big deal since you can sideload it. Other features include dedicated IPs, antivirus (optional add-on), a kill switch, split tunneling, and Private DNS. PIA is P2P-friendly, offers round-the-clock 24/7 support, and has unlimited bandwidth. What more to wish for from one of the top-rated free VPNs for 30 days?

Visit Private Internet Access

5 Best Completely Free VPN Services (No Credit Card)

If you don’t want to bother with risk-free VPNs and would rather use a VPN without a credit card, we understand. In that case, you must use one of the best VPNs that won’t cost you a cent. As promised, we’ll cover these services too. However, we want you to pay attention to their far less impressive offerings.

1. Proton VPN: Best Free VPN With Unlimited Data

Proton VPN has unlimited data and is among the safest, completely free VPN services. There is no wonder why it is so widely adopted. Don’t believe us? Read its privacy policy and learn how it keeps zero logs. Proton VPN is filled with security features. It uses 256-bit encryption and a kill switch to prevent unwanted leaks.

WireGuard provides solid speeds, while Stealth VPN adds obfuscation. The VPN Accelerator is also there, promising speed boosts when needed. Instead of RAM servers, Proton VPN has full-disk encryption, adhering to the same privacy standards. So, what’s the catch? Proton VPN’s free version is slower than its paid VPN.

You also get no P2P support, and every torrenting attempt will result in stalled downloads and uploads. We’re also disappointed by its server park. While its bare-metal 10 Gbps servers are of the utmost quality, they’re slowed down to force you to buy the premium VPN. This is also because of overcrowding.

Proton VPN offers ten server countries on the free VPN plan, including the US, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, and Romania. You can now pick from these locations, though the app will default to the fastest one. That’s an improvement over before, but having ten countries when the paid plan covers 125+ is still limiting.

Even the fastest free server can result in unstable performance, which affects gamers. Another con is streaming support. Proton VPN can’t reliably unblock popular streaming platforms on the free plan. It also protects one device at a time, while our preferred free VPN for 30 days protects 10 or more.

Try Proton VPN for Free

---

2. Hide.me: Top Free VPN for Security

Among the best free VPN services in 2026 is Hide.me. It saw massive improvements recently, with unlimited data and stellar speed. Hide.me performs well and offers a no-logs policy. It’s based in Malaysia, which explains the strong privacy. Hide.me’s security is top-notch. Its 256-bit encryption protects you without compromises.

We also tested its kill switch, which works like a charm. Hide.me takes advantage of Private DNS servers to avoid leaking your DNS address to the public eye. Hide.me’s free VPN has an identical number of servers to Proton VPN (a few more on top), in countries like Singapore, the US, Canada, and a few more.

Also, Hide.me performs a tad better for gaming, with slightly lower latency than its rival, though our full free VPN for gaming guide shows how limited these options remain. As always, there’s a catch. Hide.me doesn’t allow torrenting as a result of unlimited data. This would make its premium VPN pointless for P2P.

As expected, you can’t access geo-restricted streaming services, except for a few foreign TV channels. Compared to our top three favorite free VPN providers, Hide.me is slower and performs worse. Hide.me doesn’t offer its premium tools. MultiHop is locked to a paid account, and SmartGuard won’t work.

A small redeeming factor is the 24/7 live chat service, but it’s not as important as other features you’d expect from a quality non-paid VPN in 2026.

---

3. PrivadoVPN: Good Free VPN for P2P & Streaming

PrivadoVPN isn’t the #1 best free VPN, but its qualities are undeniable. This VPN costs nothing but is still as fast as many premium services. That’s because it uses 10 Gbps servers and provides WireGuard as the main protocol. For example, we noticed its ability to unblock a few Netflix libraries.

Torrenting is also allowed, and the VPN can be bound to clients like uTorrent or BitTorrent for added convenience. We appreciate PrivadoVPN’s ubiquitous servers. It offers them in 13 or so countries, such as the US, France, Canada, the UK, Mexico, Switzerland, and others. A Swiss VPN like this also keeps no traffic logs.

The downside is the lack of third-party audits that would make this reputable free VPN more trustworthy. Oh, and another downside is the 10 GB monthly data cap. It’s pretty small even for iOS and Android phones, let alone Windows or macOS computers. PrivadoVPN doesn’t have great Linux apps, which is disappointing.

On the other hand, users with Android TV can install it for limited streaming. PrivadoVPN uses bank-grade encryption, and the implemented kill switch prevents IP leaks. It lacks the SOCKS5 proxy from the premium version, and there’s no Control Tower Smart DNS that blocks ads, malware, and ransomware.

PrivadoVPN’s support is helpful, but the VPN will quickly annoy you because of its data limit and no simultaneous connections. It’s similar to Proton VPN, Hide.me, and the next completely free VPN we presented.

---

4. TunnelBear: Best Free VPN for Beginners

TunnelBear isn’t annoying when you’re just looking at it. Beautiful apps crafted with surgical precision grace iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS devices. TunnelBear has been audited many times and is one of the safest and most reliable free VPN in 2026. Its GhostBear feature is great for obfuscating your VPN traffic.

Even the VigilantBear feature, a kill switch, works completely fine. TunnelBear’s dependable DNS/IP leak protection stops leaks in their tracks. And there’s a no-log policy that really makes you wonder what’s wrong. TunnelBear is the largest free VPN, too, with over 8,000 servers in 47 countries.

Best of all, it isn’t a slouch, and our tests have proven that it performs fairly well. Nowhere near NordVPN, however. We said TunnelBear isn’t annoying, but once you start to use it, it becomes infuriating. The VPN’s monthly data limit is 2 GB, and it’s insulting. This is hardly enough for one day of browsing, let alone a month.

The VPN also isn’t P2P-friendly, so all torrenting endeavors are blocked. Despite the imposing server network, TunnelBear is poor at bypassing geo-blocks. It’s a Canadian VPN in a 5 Eyes country, a slight concern—users in Britain should also consult our dedicated free VPN for UK guide for better-suited alternatives.

TunnelBear is by no means the #1 free VPN overall for its data limit. When we think about it, it lacks many things. There’s no Fire TV Stick VPN app if that’s a priority; see our guide to the best free VPN for Firestick. It protects one device at a time, customer support is subpar, and MultiHop is absent, so it’s far from excellent.

---

5. Hotspot Shield: Best Completely Free VPN With US Servers

At the bottom of our Best Free VPN list is Hotspot Shield. Its excellence is undeniable regarding the Hydra protocol and US servers, making it one of the few picks in our free VPN for USA roundup. The Hydra protocol is based on OpenVPN TLS, which brings many benefits: obfuscation and firewall circumvention.

Hotspot Shield is decent for schools when you want to unblock social media platforms. Another perk is the VPN’s split tunneling, available on all platforms, which allows for a more bespoke experience. Hotspot Shield’s free VPN comes with a kill switch and is reasonably fast. Its modern apps span all platforms.

Plus, you can install the VPN on routers and TVs. As of recently, Hotspot Shield alleviated its data limit, but only on iOS and Android, if you watch ads. Otherwise, you’re limited to 500 MB a day. Unspent data doesn’t “spill over” to the next day, making the VPN limiting if you’re not a fan of ads.

Hotspot Shield won’t work for streaming, and torrenting is limited to small files. We said this free VPN has US servers, but that’s all. No other locations are in play, which is another annoyance. Perhaps the second-worst thing is privacy. Hotspot Shield claims not to keep logs in the free version.

Yet, its free mobile VPN apps are littered with targeted ads that wouldn’t be possible without logging. We heard that Hotspot Shield also sells your private data to earn money from its free VPN, making the VPN not exactly free of charge. Its security is great, but privacy is another story. A tragedy, so to speak.

---

Best Free VPN Comparison

	🛜 Data	⚡ Speed	📺 Streaming	🔁 Torrenting	🔒 Security	📱 Devices
NordVPN	Unlimited	Fastest	Yes	Yes	Excellent	10
ExpressVPN	Unlimited	Fastest	Yes	Yes	Excellent	10-14
PIA	Unlimited	Fast	Yes	Yes	Excellent	Unlimited
Proton VPN	Unlimited	Middling	No	No	Good	1
Hide.me	Unlimited	Middling	No	No	Good	1
PrivadoVPN	10 GB	Middling	Limited	Limited	Good	1
TunnelBear	2 GB	Slow	No	No	Limited	1
Hotspot Shield	500 MB	Slow	No	No	Subpar	1

Why We Typically Avoid Using Free VPN Services

Now that our ranking of the best free VPNs is complete, let’s discuss another issue. Our team is against free services, especially with the presence of pretty affordable premium offers. Take NordVPN and PIA as examples. Their prices don’t go over $3.50 per month, even without special discounts.

Despite that, they offer exemplary performance, impenetrable security, and free VPN apps for all platforms. However, to clarify this subject, we’ll review some shortcomings you can expect if you use 100% free services.

Data Restrictions 🚧

The obvious caveat with these providers is restricted data. Proton VPN and Hide.me are unlimited free VPN services, but think about the performance. Both can be slow and make the experience infuriating. VPNs with limited data, such as PrivadoVPN, usually offer faster speeds, but you have only 10 GB a month.

As you can see, even the best free VPN will limit you in some way, and compromises will start to rear their ugly heads immediately. You can’t get both unlimited data and fast speeds – often neither. That’s not the case with risk-free providers whose performance, speed, and stability are superior to the five complimentary options.

No Streaming & P2P Support 📺

One thing in common for most free VPN providers is the lack of streaming support. It just so happens that services with limited data can unblock a few popular streaming platforms, only a few, no more. In most cases, you can forget about this satisfaction.

No free VPN works with Netflix, as we demonstrate in our free VPN for Netflix guide—and their slow speed makes streaming a chore. As a result, you won’t be able to count on them to change region on Netflix. What about torrenting? Proton VPN, Hide.me, and TunnelBear block all P2P traffic in free plans.

Our free VPN for torrenting guide covers what actually works. Hotspot Shield and PrivadoVPN allow it, but guess what: their data is limited. Again, you’ll face severe issues with these activities, both of which require powerful VPNs.

You’ll find these features in NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and PIA, all of which work with Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and fully embrace P2P support on thousands of servers. Not to mention, they have limitless data for your enjoyment.

Questionable Privacy & Security 🔏

We’re cybersecurity experts who hate privacy-unfriendly providers. Our crème de la crème free VPN service options (the first three) are splendid. But you have Hotspot Shield, which stores logs and possibly sells your data, employing targeted ads. While our five options are safe and secure, many other free VPNs aren’t.

They have a heap of problems, such as weak encryption, outdated protocols, and even IP and DNS leaks. Worst of all is logging, which we can never forgive.

Subpar Compatibility 💻

Have you noticed one stubborn trend up until this point? Free VPN providers usually offer a few apps for basic platforms, such as Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. TunnelBear is a prime example. This usually isn’t a big problem compared to the lack of simultaneous connections that are hard to overcome.

You can protect a single device at a time in all five really free VPNs we presented. Users in specific regions, such as those looking for a free VPN for India, will feel these limitations even more. If you use one of them on your computer, you’ll have to log out of it and log in on your phone to use the VPN. It gets old quickly.

Poor Customer Service ☎️

We haven’t gone in-depth about this, but poor customer service is typical for such services. They prioritize paid users, leaving free users on the back burner. Proton VPN’s 24/7 live chat support is only for premium users, while free VPN users rely on email support. If you have an urgent problem, good luck getting help.

Some free providers have no customer support, which sounds funny but is insulting at the same time. Urban VPN is one of them as one of the worst-rated services ever.

Some Free VPN Providers to Avoid

Mentioning Urban VPN made us think about another thing. While we don’t recommend non-paid options, we don’t think you should absolutely avoid them. However, there are some examples of poorly designed services, such as:

• Urban VPN. Not the best pick—probably the worst. It offers a wealth of slow, unreliable, and IP-leaking servers. The provider doesn’t work for streaming, isn’t P2P-friendly, and comes with no security features. Of course, it’s log-heavy and stores every bit of your private data, later selling it to third parties.
• Hola VPN. This free VPN at least works. It can (sometimes) be used with Netflix and offers unlimited data. On the other hand, the provider’s P2P nature means other users can hijack your IP address and use it for their own purposes. Even worse, the VPN stores logs and sells them to companies like Bright Data and others.
• Betternet. A provider from the same company as Hotspot Shield (Aura). It’s guilty of logging and frequent IP leaks. The provider offers an array of security features, like Hydra and a kill switch, but offers a very small server park and is slow. Not to mention its annoyingly low daily data allowance of 500 MB per day.
• Mobile-only free VPNs. These are likely the worst examples. They’re usually available only on iOS or Android and offer free plans with sometimes unlimited data. However, they store traffic logs in the background and benefit from stealing your privacy. With ad-littered apps, they’re annoying and sometimes extremely slow. Avoid these at all costs.

Best Free VPN 2026: Final Recommendations

After our comprehensive list of the best-rated free VPNs for 2026, it’s time to digress. For those too lazy, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access are the obvious choices. They’re fantastic free VPNs for up to 30 days with no restrictions on security, privacy, and other aspects.

People on a shoestring budget will likely prefer not to pay at the start because they don’t have the money to spend on a VPN. This calls for another solution in the form of 100% free VPN services. Proton VPN and Hide.me are our favorites for unlimited monthly data and are well-built services.

Other providers that you can use without a credit card, like PrivadoVPN, TunnelBear, and Hotspot Shield, are good but not great. You can use all five if you want, but even those five combined aren’t enough to beat a risk-free VPN like NordVPN.

We gave you eight choices, and most of them also feature in our regional picks, like the best free VPN for Australia. However, don’t expect a really free VPN provider to perform like some of our top picks. There’s a distinction between free and premium services, and these two words should tell you enough about their differences.

Try NordVPN Risk-Free Now

FAQ About the Best Free VPNs