Best Free VPN for 2024: Affordable Risk-Free Privacy (2024)

1. Free VPNs simply aren't as safe

Free VPNs can be very dangerous. Why? Because to maintain the hardware and expertise needed for large networks and secure users, VPN services have expensive bills to pay. As a VPN customer, you either pay for a premium VPN service with your dollars or you pay for free services with your data. If you aren't ordering at the table, you're on the menu.

Some 86% of free iOS and Android VPN apps -- accounting for millions of installs -- have unacceptable privacy policies, ranging from a simple lack of transparency to explicitly sharing user data with Chinese authorities, according to two independent 2018 investigations into free VPN apps from Top10VPN. Another 64% of free VPN app offerings had no web presence outside their app store pages, and only 17% responded to customer support emails.

In June 2019, Apple reportedly brought the hammer down on apps that share user data with third parties. Eighty percent of the top 20 free VPN apps in Apple's App Store appear to be breaking those rules, according to a June update on the Top10VPN investigation.

In2021, 77% of apps were flagged as potentially unsafe in the Top10VPN VPN Ownership Investigation -- and 90% of those flagged as potentially unsafe in the Free VPN Risk Index -- still posed a risk.

"Google Play downloads of apps we flagged as potentially unsafe have soared to 214 million in total, rocketing by 85% in six months," the report reads. "Monthly installs from the App Store held steady at around 3.8 million, which represents a relative increase as this total was generated by 20% fewer apps than at the start of the year as a number of apps are no longer available."

On Android, 214 million downloads represent a lot of user login data, culled from unwitting volunteers. What's one of the most profitable things one can do with large swaths of user login data?

2. You can catch malware

Let's get this out of the way right now: 38% of free Android VPNs contain malware -- despite the security features on offer, a CSIRO study found. And yes, many of those free VPNs were highly-rated apps with millions of downloads. If you're a free user, your odds of catching a nasty bug are greater than 1 in 3.

Ask yourself which costs less: a secure VPN service for about $100 a year, or hiring an identity theft recovery firm after some chump steals your bank account login and Social Security number?

It couldn't happen to you, right? Wrong. Mobile ransomware attacks are skyrocketing. Symantec detected more than 18 million mobile malware instances in 2018 alone, constituting a 54% year-over-year increase in variants. In 2019, Kaspersky noted a 60% spike in password-stealing Trojans.

Malware isn't the only way to make money if you're running a free VPN service; there's an even easier way.

3. The ad-valanche

Aggressive advertising practices from a free plan can go beyond getting hit with a few annoying pop-ups and quickly veer into dangerous territory. Some VPNs sneak ad-serving trackers through the loopholes in your browser's media-reading features, which then stay on your digital trail like a prison warden in a B-grade remake of Escape from Alcatraz.

HotSpot Shield VPN earned some painful notoriety for such allegations in 2017 when it was hit with a Federal Trade Commission complaint(PDF) for over-the-top privacy violations in serving ads. Carnegie Mellon University researchers found the company not only had a baked-in backdoor used to secretly sell data to third-party advertising networks, but it also employed five different tracking libraries and actually redirected user traffic to secret servers.

When the story broke, HotSpot parent company AnchorFree denied the researchers' findings in an email to Ars Technica: "We never redirect our users' traffic to any third-party resources instead of the websites they intended to visit. The free version of our Hotspot Shield solution openly and clearly states that it is funded by ads, however, we intercept no traffic with neither the free nor the premium version of our solutions."

AnchorFree has since offered annual transparency reports, although their value is still up to the reader. More recently, HotSpot Shield was among just a handful of VPN apps found to respect users' refusal to permit ad tracking. In a November 2021 study from Top10VPN, just 15% of free VPN apps respected iOS users' choices when they declined voluntary ad-tracking. The rest of the free VPN apps tested by Top10VPN simply ignored users' Do Not Track requests.

Even if credit card fraud isn't a concern, you don't need pop-ups and ad-lag weighing you down when you've already got to deal with another major problem with free VPNs.

4. Buffering... buffering... buffering

One of the top reasons people get a VPN is to access their favorite subscription services or streaming site -- Hulu, HBO, Netflix -- when they travel to countries where those companies block access based on your location. What's the point in accessing the geo-blocked video content you've paid for if the free VPN service you're using is so slow you can't watch it, despite a good internet connection?

Some free VPNs have been known to sell your bandwidth, potentially putting you on the legal hook for whatever they do with it. The most famous case of this was HolaVPN, which was caught in 2015 quietly stealing users' bandwidth and selling it, mercenary-style, to whatever group wanted to deploy the user base as a botnet.

Back then, Hola CEO Ofer Vilenski admitted they'd been had by a "spammer" but contended in a lengthy defense that this harvesting of bandwidth was typical for this type of technology.

"We assumed that by stating that Hola is a [peer-to-peer] network, it was clear that people were sharing their bandwidth with the community network in return for their free service," he wrote.

If being pressed into service as part of a botnet isn't enough to slow you down, free VPN services also usually pay for fewer VPN server options. That means your traffic is generally bouncing around longer between distant, overcrowded servers, or even waiting behind the traffic of paid users.

To top it off, subscription streaming sites are savvy to those who try to sneak into their video services for free. These services routinely block large numbers of IP addresses they've identified as belonging to turnstile-jumping freeloaders. Free VPNs can't afford to invest in a long list of fresh IP addresses for users the way a paid VPN service can.

That means you may not even be able to log into a streaming service you've paid for if your free VPN is using a stale batch of IPs. Good luck getting HBO Max to load over that VPN connection.

5. Paid options get better all the time

The good news is that a lot of solid VPNs on the market offer a range of features, depending on your needs and budget. You can browse our ratings and reviews to find the right VPN software for you. If you're looking for something mobile-specific, we've rounded up our favorite mobile VPNs for 2024.

If you'd like a primer before deciding which service to drop the cash on, we havea VPN buyer's guide to help you get a handle on the basics of VPNs and what to look for when choosing a VPN service.

Best Free VPN for 2024: Affordable Risk-Free Privacy (2024)

FAQs

Which free VPN is best for privacy? ›

My VPN industry rankings
VPN serviceRatingReviews
1. NordVPN⭐⭐⭐⭐½Check out our NordVPN review
2. ExpressVPN⭐⭐⭐⭐½Check out our ExpressVPN review
3. Surfshark⭐⭐⭐⭐½Check out our Surfshark review
4. Private Internet Access⭐⭐⭐⭐½Check out our Private Internet Access review
7 more rows
Jun 5, 2024

Is there a free VPN that actually works? ›

When it comes to free VPNs, the only provider CNET recommends currently is Proton VPN's free tier as it provides quality performance, robust security features and no cap on data usage. However, many paid VPN providers offer free trials, which let you try service before buying.

Which VPN is very strong and free? ›

The best completely free VPN is Proton VPN Free. It's very fast, highly secure, doesn't track user web logs, and doesn't limit data usage. Sadly, it only offers free servers in 3 countries, which don't bypass streaming geo-restrictions.

Is there a free VPN without subscription? ›

The best free VPN available

“Proton VPN is a service that will do all it can to protect your privacy. All of its applications are open source and audited by third parties, and it has a robust privacy policy. Spoiler, it's very good.”

Is there a 100% free VPN Hide Me? ›

Can I use hide.me VPN for free? Yes! We provide a top-notch free VPN service that's always free, with no trials, payments, or sign-ups required. Plus, Free users get the same security as our paid users, ensuring everyone enjoys the same level of security and anonymity.

Is there any 100% free VPN? ›

Proton VPN — Completely Free VPN Without Data Caps for Unlimited and Safe Browsing. While most free VPNs impose caps, Proton VPN is a 100% free VPN that offers unlimited monthly data. This is very beneficial if you require extensive online data usage for activities like browsing, streaming, and downloading.

Is it safe to use a free VPN? ›

When it comes to exposure to malware, using a free VPN is also riskier than having no VPN at all. That's because some free VPNs may contain malware or adware, infecting your device and compromising your security. Of course, it's important to note that not all free VPN providers sell your data or expose you to malware.

Which free VPN is undetectable? ›

So pick ProtonVPN Free or other trusted services and if you got blocked, change your server and see if that works. Proton VPN will be good enough. If you don't require specific features - free will be enough.

How to get NordVPN for free forever? ›

This automatically enrolls you on its seven-day free trial. You can then use the free trial account on all other devices. You can also use NordVPN risk-free for 30 days by taking advantage of its money-back guarantee. It's not possible to use NordVPN completely free forever.

Are free VPNs illegal? ›

In most countries, using a VPN is legal. VPNs are legitimate tools designed to encrypt internet traffic. As such, there are generally no laws prohibiting the use of VPNs for personal or business purposes.

Is ProtonVPN really free? ›

We believe privacy and security are fundamental human rights, so we also provide a free version of Proton VPN to the public. Unlike other free VPNs, there are no catches. We don't serve ads or secretly sell your browsing history.

Does DuckDuckGo have a VPN? ›

DuckDuckGo VPN is included in the DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro subscription. To subscribe to Privacy Pro and use our VPN, first download the DuckDuckGo Browser on mobile or desktop and subscribe to Privacy Pro in the browser's settings.

Which VPN is truly private? ›

NordVPN is overall the best VPN that doesn't keep logs. It has been independently audited four times and confirmed to comply with the no-logs policy by PwC (in 2018 and 2020) and Deloitte (in 2022 and 2024). Other VPNs on my list are also great options for protecting your data and remaining anonymous.

Are free VPNs private? ›

Free VPNs are highly ineffective at bypassing content restrictions, but they also often expose users to privacy and security risks they're meant to protect against.

Does free VPN hide your location? ›

Bottom Line. VPNs can hide your IP address, location and online activities from ISPs and potential eavesdroppers, providing a significant level of privacy and security. However, they can't protect against cookies, website-level tracking, malware or the information you voluntarily share online.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Jamar Nader

Last Updated:

Views: 6048

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (75 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Jamar Nader

Birthday: 1995-02-28

Address: Apt. 536 6162 Reichel Greens, Port Zackaryside, CT 22682-9804

Phone: +9958384818317

Job: IT Representative

Hobby: Scrapbooking, Hiking, Hunting, Kite flying, Blacksmithing, Video gaming, Foraging

Introduction: My name is Jamar Nader, I am a fine, shiny, colorful, bright, nice, perfect, curious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.