Best Free VPNs for 2021

As the world continues to become ever more connected and now that we are increasingly communicating more through the internet, the need for privacy and masking internet traffic has never been more important. For many years, internet users have trusted VPN (Virtual Private Network) services to ensure their internet traffic is safe from hackers, internet service providers, or even national governments.

A VPN works by routing your internet traffic through a private and secure server instead of that of your ISP. When you connect to websites and applications, they see the IP address of the VPN server instead of yours. This means your internet traffic can’t be tracked and also allows you to access geo-locked content like regional Netflix and blocked websites by making it look like you’re in a different country.

Whilst there are many great paid VPN services like Nord VPN, PIA, and the likes, they can become quite pricey. But the added privacy and extra security don’t have to come at such a steep cost. In this round-up, we’ll be weighing up the many free VPN services on offer and help you pick the free VPN that is right for you!

Available for: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS

Data Limit: 10GB per month

Locations: 5

First up is Hide.me VPN, a multi-platform VPN service from software development firm eVenture. Hide.me guarantees user security and has a robust no-logs policy which they advertise has been ratified by an independent security analysis. What that offers you is the peace of mind that your traffic is truly private, and with their implementation of an internet kill switch to cut your internet connection of the VPN routing drops out, Hide.me is great for privacy and security.

With their generous monthly data limit, you could easily stream video or download files whilst protected. This, unlike some free services, is something that the data transfer speeds offered in the free package can comfortably support. I was pleasantly surprised by the download speed, which I measured to be hovering around 35Mbps – entirely usable for streaming video or downloading files.

Hide.me offers five locations in their free package: Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and separate servers for both the East and West coast of the USA. Upgrading to their premium plan unlocks locations like the UAE, UK, and Japan.

Bottom line: Hide.me provides a free service with few noticeable restrictions, impressive performance, and a comparatively generous data limit. Adding in a pretty robust privacy policy, Hide.me boasts a complete package blending privacy and performance.

Available for: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS

Data Limit: 500MB Daily

Locations: 1

Next up, Hotspot Shield VPN’s free service benefits from a generous 500MB daily data limit, hence totaling 15GB per month. This free VPN makes a pledge against logging your data – so your browsing data and personal information is safe and secure from snooping ISPs, governments, or hackers. In my testing, the data transfer speeds were quite commendable, measuring 38mbps download using speedtest.net.

Though, Hotspot Shield’s basic tier suffers from far more limitations than the free offerings of its competitors in this round-up. Whilst the data limit looks fair against other free VPNs; you’re not very likely to use it all as the free tier blocks the use of streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, or Hulu – negating a huge benefit for using a VPN in the first place. I understand that Hotspot Shield must somehow incentivize upgrading to their premium tier – for which they offer a seven-day free trial upon download – but if you’re looking for a free VPN to access regional streaming services, Hotspot Shield isn’t your choice.

Hotspot Shield’s basic service is also limited to only one location: the US East Coast. If that’s the location you wish to mask yourself as then this should be ideal. Though, if you’re already in the US, Hotspot Shield’s basic tier won’t help you to bypass geo-locked services or sites.

Bottom Line: Whilst the free tier of Hotspot Shield’s reputable VPN service offers a generous data limit and a decent privacy record, if you’re looking for a VPN companion for streaming regional Netflix, this isn’t the choice for you. However, Hotspot Shield is a fantastic option for browsing the web as if you were in the United States and prevents interception of your internet data so you can surf the web with confidence.

Available for: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS

Data Limit: None

Locations: 3

ProtonVPN was born from a group of former CERN employees who met to create the self-proclaimed “only community supported secure VPN service.” Whilst the benefits of their community-centered approach aren’t likely to be appreciated by the average free VPN user, I have no doubt their ethos guides their surprising liberal free service offering. The main, major selling point of ProtonVPN’s free tier is the lack of a data limit. That’s right: ProtonVPN skips the monthly data cap model adopted by so many of its competitors.

They also advertise a robust privacy policy, backed by famous strict and rigid Swiss privacy laws. The service is ad-free and includes an automatic kill switch to ensure if the VPN connection drops out, your browsing data isn’t leaked to potential snoopers.

This is quite useful because the connection will drop out. In my testing, I found their service to be unreliable, frequently plagued with connection time-outs, and ‘No Internet’ screens as the app frantically attempts to reconnect. Also, as their free service is limited to only three servers and without the gatekeep of a data cap, chances are you’re going to experience some speed throttling at peak times.

Unsurprisingly, geo-locked streaming services are not supported in the free plan, and therefore this isn’t the VPN to go for if you’re looking to delve into the UK’s BBC iPlayer or the US’s Netflix.

Bottom line: If you’re willing to be patient with spotty connections and speed throttling, then the unlimited data offered by ProtonVPN makes their free service appealing to those who struggle with data caps. If you’re a power user who eats through allowances, perhaps ProtonVPN is the one for you.

Available for: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS

Data Limit: 10GB (2GB without verification)

Locations: 10

With ten locations, a generous data limit, and support for streaming services, Windscribe is a fantastic all-rounder option for your free VPN needs. Benefiting from a wide selection of server locations, this is my recommendation for those looking for a VPN to access regional streaming services and geo-locked sites. With decent download speeds of around 35Mbps in my testing, I was easily able to access Canadian Netflix and stream shows without buffering and slowdowns. With locations in Asia, Europe and America, if you’re looking for regional content, chances are you’ll be able to find it with Windscribe.

As Windscribe is a Canadian company, they’re subject to the Canadian anti-piracy and intelligence laws: namely the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network. Therefore, Windscribe is by law obliged to keep some essential connection logs. They, however, do not store your source IP or the sites you have visited. They’re open about what they log and have been applauded by privacy firms across the world for their plain explanation of their privacy-concerning activities. If privacy is your jam, I would highly recommend reading their policy and commitments – you’ll find them assuring.

Windscribe has one of the best multi-platform support I have ever seen for a free VPN. There are applications available for Windows, macOS, and Linux as expected, so is there for Android and iOS. Windscribe also supports FireTV, Nvidia Shield, and even your router! Also, the support of third-party VPN connections like OpenVPN and WireGuard is also appreciated for those who swear by their little third-party applications.

Bottom Line: Windscribe’s free service offers a generous 10GB data limit, access to geo-locked regional sites, and even Netflix support. This is the free VPN for those out there looking to watch regional streaming services. Their privacy policy is decent, and so are the speeds. Windscribe’s free VPN is certainly one of the best available on the web.

Make sure you’re safe and secure!

Many free VPNs have their individual strengths, but the nature of the no-cost business model means there are inevitably going to be trade-offs users must navigate. We hope this round-up can help you choose which pros and cons are important to you.

One of the biggest dangers of using free VPNs is trusting in services that don’t take privacy seriously. Some malicious providers may store your data or even sell it to third parties, whilst some may be disclosing your browsing data to hackers or even national governments. Just because you’re using a VPN, doesn’t mean you’re automatically safe from back-door interceptions or hackers.

Therefore, it is vital you pick a trusted, safe and secure VPN to guarantee the privacy of your data. All of the options in this round-up have been independently audited and intensely examined to make sure your data is safe.

Do I need a VPN?

A significant question to ask in your search for a VPN is whether you would properly benefit from using one. There do exist drawbacks to using free VPNs, and removing these limitations can become quite expensive if you do choose to use a premium VPN service. Therefore, I’ll end this article by addressing whether you would benefit from using such a service.

Do you want to access geo-locked content? If so, yes – a VPN is one of the only options for you. By routing your traffic through a remote server in a different country, you will be able to bypass any regional restrictions placed on you by your local government.

Want to access regional streaming services and content not available in your country? Again, yes – a VPN is a great choice. Given the VPN supports services like Netflix, routing your connection through that server would allow you to access the streaming catalog available in the country you are masking yourself as.

Worried about your network admin, ISP, or government spying on your browsing data? A VPN is a great way to mask your internet information if you want to maximize your privacy and keep snoopers away from what you browse on the web. Install a VPN.

Are you worried about your passwords being stolen on public wi-fi? You don’t need a VPN. This is a common marketing ploy used by VPN providers to scare you into using your services. They try to sell you “military-grade encryption” to suggest your banking details and passwords, and other personal data are at risk and for the taking if you don’t use a VPN. The truth is, as long as you are using an HTTPS connection (look for the little green padlock in the address bar of your browser), your data is already using SSL encryption. Nowadays, virtually all log-in pages and payment portals are using HTTPS SSL encryption. Keeping your passwords safe simply means looking out for that padlock and ensuring you don’t give your data away to a site that doesn’t have an SSL certificate. You don’t need a VPN to ensure that.

Conclusion

There are many great, and legitimate reasons you might want to use a VPN, and all of our recommendations on this list have been maliciously tested for their efficacy and safety. These are services you can trust. Pick what features mean the most to you with the peace of mind your privacy is safe with these providers.