Best Free VPNs Compared in 2021

Hotspot Shield takes the top spot on our list as one of the most comprehensive free VPNs out there. To start with, it has a focus on security, which is great for anyone who does online shopping or banking.

With what the team refers to as military-grade encryption, it is among the best options for keeping your nerves in check. Another key feature is its daily data allocation of 500MB. This translates to 15GB monthly limit, making it one of the most generous offers from free providers.

And if you were to upgrade to the Elite version, there would be no data limit whatsoever. It is also a highly versatile choice, appropriate for both experts and beginners. For newbies, it comes with an intuitive interface, meaning no steep learning curve. Both the desktop and mobile versions are easy to use, which is a major plus in the VPN arena. With the free version, you can protect a maximum of 5 devices. However, even though it has 70+ server locations, the free version limits you to automatic selection.

During signup, you will notice that there is no way to go directly to the free plan. Rather, you have to sign up for a free trial of the Elite plan which lasts 7 days. After the period elapses, you can now go for the free version. The downside here is that you have to provide your credit card information just in case you decide to stay on the paid plan. Overall, Hotspot Shield is one of the best options if all you want is to encrypt your traffic and hide your identity.

Aside from being one of the best providers of paid VPNs, Windscribe also offers a compelling free plan. It is renowned as one of the more generous options when it comes to data limits.

You can get up to 10GB data allocation monthly, which is quite competitive. Moreover, users get enticing offers for various activities. If, for instance, you refer your friends and they subscribe to a paid plan, you get free access to the same plan. You can also get a boost of 5GB data allocation simply for tweeting about the service.

And every time you invite a friend to join, you get a further 1GB. The signup process is a breeze and does not require any personal details. Even giving your email is optional, though it would be of great help if you forget your password.

With over 60 server locations, the service allows free users to choose from up to 10 locations. These include Canada, UK, US and Hong Kong. A unique feature of the service is that it gives you a built-in firewall and adblocker. With regards to privacy, the service does not store visited sites, IP stamps or connection logs. For the duration that you are actively connected to their server, it will only store your username and password.

It will also keep track of the amount of data you transfer and the server you connect to. But once you end the session, it erases all data within a mere three minutes. There is no limit on the number of devices supported. On the downside, the interface looks a little cramped and is not user-friendly. If you opt not to provide your email address, your data allocation will be limited to 2GB.

Despite of its whimsical name and design, TunnelBear is one of the more serious free VPNs at the moment. Following its acquisition by MacAffee, the service has gone out of its way to provide a compelling offer. Sporting a clean user interface, both on the desktop version and mobile app, it is a great choice for beginners.

The signup process is fast and hassle-free and does not require any personal information. And thanks to some recent tweaks to its privacy policies, it collects very little data from users. You will not have to provide a name during the signup process and they will not track the number of connections you make using the service. Even though the service only has servers in 20 countries, free users can connect to any of these.

It has a setting known as Ghostbear, which mimics regular data traffic to conceal the fact that you are using a VPN. One of the biggest downsides to the service is that you only get 500MB monthly data allocation on the free plan. Though you can get a bonus for tweeting about the company, it only amounts to 1GB. In view of today’s auto-playing ads and massive web pages, heavy internet users will likely burn through that data in a day.

This makes it ideal for use as a standby option only or for light use such as checking mail. Another underwhelming aspect is its slow and unreliable network connections. Its average latency is significantly lower than that of most competitors.

For anyone who appreciates a free VPN but cannot stand data restrictions, ProtonVPN is the ideal choice. This is one of the few free options where you can use as much data as you want with no restrictions. Based in Switzerland, which is famous for its liberal cyber laws, ProtonVPN offers excellent privacy policies. To start with, its policies strictly forbid logging user data.

Signing up simply requires your email address and there are no ads whatsoever anywhere, not even on its site. It supports all operating systems, including Android, Mac, Windows and iOS plus a command line for Linux. You will also enjoy access to a fever chart showing data traffic as tabular details for total data transferred and time connected. However, as with all other service providers, ProtonVPN wants to incentivize you to upgrade to a paid plan.

In order to do this, it limits the use of the free version to only a single device and a mere three server locations. Only its secure core servers are based in Switzerland and out of the reach of law enforcement agencies elsewhere. However, free users are limited to servers in the Netherlands, Japan and the US. As such, they are not as privacy-protected as paid users. When it comes to speed, free users get lower priority in comparison to its paid users. Also, free users notice that their VPN speeds often drop during peak hours.