Updated on: March 1, 2023
This article contains
- 🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN in 2023
- 🥉3. hide.me — Best Free VPN for Torrenting
- 4. Proton VPN — Great Free Plan With Unlimited Data
- 5. Hotspot Shield — Good for Web Browsing (With Decent Speeds)
- 6. Windscribe — Decent Free VPN for Steaming (With Unlimited Connections)
- 7. TunnelBear — Best VPN for New Users (But Only 500 MB/Month)
- Comparison of the Best Free VPNs in 2023
- How to Choose the Best Free VPNs in 2023
- Free vs. Paid VPNs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Best Free VPNs in 2023 — Final Score:
Short on time? Here’s 2023’s best free VPN:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN: It doesn’t have a free plan, but you’re not going to find a better VPN on the market in 2023. Plus, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can test it out for a whole month risk-free. ExpressVPN comes with industry-leading security features, super-fast speeds, cool extras like split-tunneling and malware protection, and excellent streaming and torrenting support.
I’m not a big fan of free VPNs and I usually don’t recommend them, as they typically lack essential security features, keep user logs, limit data usage, have slow speeds, and let you connect only 1 device. What’s more, a lot of free VPNs don’t support streaming or torrenting.
To get a full suite of standard and enhanced security features and other perks, such asfast speeds, unlimited data, 5 or more simultaneous connections, and streaming and torrenting support, I recommend that you upgrade to a low-cost premium VPN service (ExpressVPN is my top choice in 2023).
But if you are only in the market for a free VPN, there are a handful of decent ones to choose from. All of the free VPNs on this list are secure, provide a few “extra” features, and are easy to use.
TRY EXPRESSVPN NOW (30 DAYS RISK-FREE)
Quick summary of the best free VPNs in 2023:
- 1. 🥇 ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN in 2023. Top-notch security features, extremely fast speeds, excellent streaming and torrenting support, and very intuitive apps for tons of operating systems. While it’s not free, it’s backed by a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
- 2. 🥈 CyberGhost VPN — Very good VPN for streaming. Has 100+ streaming servers that can access 50+ streaming platforms, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max. While it lacks a free plan, it comes with a free 24-hour trial and has a very generous 45-day money-back guarantee.
- 3. 🥉 hide.me — Best free plan for torrenting. Supports P2P traffic on servers in 5+ countries, allows 10 GB per month, has pretty fast speeds, and comes with strong security and privacy features.
- 4. Proton VPN — Great free VPN with unlimited data. Has high-end security and privacy tools, allows access to servers in 3 locations, and maintains decent speeds. However, only the premium plans support streaming and torrenting.
- 5. Hotspot Shield— Good free VPN for general web browsing. Provides pretty fast speeds, but it limits you to 500 MB per day, and it only lets you use servers in the US.
- Plus 1 more!
- Comparison of the Best Free VPNs in 2023.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN in 2023
ExpressVPN is not 100% free, but it’s the best VPN on the market and covers each purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee — so you can test it out and still receive a full refund if you’re not happy with it. However, it shouldn’t take you that long to realize why ExpressVPN sits at the top of the industry. It has the best security features, it’s the best VPN for streaming, torrenting, and gaming, it has the fastest speeds, and it has easy-to-use apps for just about every online device.
- TrustedServer Technology.This means no data is ever saved to the hard drive, and all of the data is erased each time the server is turned off/on. Plus, it has been verified by an external audit.
- Perfect forward secrecy.Changes your encryption key each time you connect to a server.
- Full leak protection.ExpressVPN includes protection against DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks.
- ExpressVPN Keys. This is a password manager that secures all of your logins, and also helps you generate strong passwords.
- Threat Manager.This feature blocks third-party tracking software that monitors your online traffic and stops you from visiting malicious websites.
Plus, the VPN also has split-tunneling, which lets you pick which apps use the VPN and which apps use your local network — for example, you can route only streaming traffic through ExpressVPN to get faster streaming speeds.
If you enjoy streaming movies and TV shows, you’ll love ExpressVPN. It works with every single popular streaming app, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Hulu, as well as 100+ other streaming services. I also like how the provider comes with a smart DNS (called MediaStreamer), which lets you access streaming sites on devices that don’t natively support VPNs, like gaming consoles or certain smart TVs.
You also get excellent P2P support, as the provider allows torrenting across all 3,000+ of its servers, which are located in 90+ countries. Also, it works with top P2P apps like qBittorrent and uTorrent.
ExpressVPN offers monthly and yearly plans, and with our special 49% discount, you can get it for as low as £5.24 / month(and there’s usually a deal for additional months for free). And remember, ExpressVPN backs all plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
ExpressVPN Coupon in March 2023: 49% off 15-Month Plan
Get a full 15 months (12 months + 3 free months) at a 49% discount.
64% SUCCESS
Get Deal
Bottom line:
ExpressVPNoffers the best value out of all of the VPNs on the market in 2023. You’re not going to find a more secure or faster VPN out there. Also, it works with tons of streaming sites, allows torrenting, and has user-friendly features and apps. Although there’s no free plan, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee for all purchases.
Read the full ExpressVPN review here
🥈2. CyberGhost VPN — Really Good VPN for Streaming (With Free Trial & 45-Day Refund)
CyberGhost VPN is not completely free, but it comes with a free 24-hour trial — you don’t need to share credit card details to be eligible for the trial, and you get access to all of the provider’s features. This provider actually has one of the best free trials on the market.
On top of that, CyberGhost VPN also has a 45-day money-back guarantee for all long-term plans — this provides plenty of time to fully test the VPN to make sure it meets your needs. The shortest plan is backed by a 14-day money-back guarantee, which still provides enough time to try out the VPN.
I think this VPN is great for streaming because it has 100+ streaming servers in 20+ countries that work with 50+ streaming platforms, including top services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max — and the provider can also access tons of libraries, as it works with 15+ Netflix libraries, 5+ Amazon Prime libraries, and 5+ HBO Max libraries.
CyberGhost VPN also has one of the largest server networks out there (9,400+ servers in 90+ countries) and provides great P2P support, as it allows torrenting on 9,400+ servers in 70+ countries — though, I like ExpressVPN’s P2P support more because it allows P2P traffic on servers in 90+ countries.
And you also get very strong security and privacy features — the VPN comes with advanced features like full leak protection, RAM-only servers, and perfect forward secrecy, and it also has an audited no-logs policy. What’s more, it has Content Blocker, which is able to block some ads and can protect you from malicious sites.
I also like Smart Rules, which lets you set up VPN connection preferences — for example, you can configure CyberGhost VPN to automatically connect to a streaming server and open a streaming app when you launch it.
The provider also has really good speeds — in my tests, websites and HD videos loaded instantly, and 4K videos loaded instantly and there was only minor buffering at the start. Even so, this VPN still isn’t as fast as ExpressVPN.
CyberGhost VPN has affordable plans that start at only £1.92 / month — plus, the longest plan usually provides extra months for free. And don’t forget, there’s a generous 45-day money-back guarantee for all of the provider’s long-term plans.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN is really great for streaming since it has servers that work with 50+ streaming platforms, including top sites like Netflix and HBO Max. It also provides a huge server network, very good P2P support, really strong security and privacy features, and very fast speeds. It lacks a free plan, but it has a free 24-hour trial and a generous 45-day money-back guarantee for all long-term plans.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
🥉3. hide.me — Best Free VPN for Torrenting
hide.me has one of the only free plans on the market that allows P2P traffic — you’re limited to 10 GB per month, but that should be enough if you only occasionally download small torrent files. It also works with top P2P apps like uTorrent and qBittorrent.
The provider’s free plan also provides access to servers in 5+ countries, including the US, the UK, Singapore, and Germany. This makes it easier to connect to nearby servers to get faster speeds.
And speaking of speeds, hide.me’s free plan is pretty fast — websites usually loaded instantly, HD videos loaded in 2–3 seconds, and it only took me 6–7 minutes to torrent a 2.2 GB file.
Also, the VPN’s free plan provides strong security and privacy. It has advanced features like RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and full leak protection, and a strict no-logs policy.
That said, the free plan has some limitations — you can only connect 1 device, and you don’t get streaming support.
hide.me’s paid version allows 10 connections and adds great streaming support, as it works with popular platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime — however, unlike ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN, it can’t access Hulu.
You also get access to Multihop, which sends your traffic through 2 VPN servers, adding an extra layer of security. You also get hide.me Bolt, an experimental feature that might significantly increase VPN speeds, and port forwarding, which lets you connect to more peers to increase your P2P speeds.
The paid plan also adds access to the provider’s entire server network, which numbers 2,100+ servers in 50+ countries. While the network size is great, other competitors have larger networks — ExpressVPN has 3,000+ servers in 90+ countries, and CyberGhost VPN has 9,400+ servers in 90+ countries.
hide.me has affordable plans that start at £3.20 / month. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.
Bottom Line:
hide.me has the best free plan for torrenting — it has servers in 5+ countries that support P2P traffic and allows 10 GB per month, which is enough for torrenting small files. It also comes with strong security and privacy features, and fast speeds. The paid version adds more security features, servers, and streaming support. The paid plans are affordable and backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full hide.me review here
4. Proton VPN — Great Free Plan With Unlimited Data
Proton VPN is the only VPN on this list that comes with unlimited data, which means it doesn’t place a cap on how much internet data you can use per day or month.
The provider’s free plan also includes access to servers in 3 countries — the US, the Netherlands, and Japan. This is decent, but you get better variety with hide.me’s fee plan, which allows you to connect to servers in 5+ countries.
You also get access to split-tunneling and VPN Accelerator, which lets you increase VPN speeds on distant servers — in my tests, it usually boosted my connection speeds by about 30–40%, which is great.
But the provider’s free plan has some drawbacks — it doesn’t work with streaming sites, it doesn’t support torrenting (unlike hide.me’s free plan), and it limits you to 1 device.
Upgrading to the paid version (called Plus) adds more perks, such as 1,900+ servers in 60+ countries, support for 30+ streaming services, 300+ P2P servers in 15+ countries, and 10 connections. That said, ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN provide much better value overall, as they have larger server networks, work with more streaming services, and have better P2P support.
Proton VPN’s paid plans start at £3.32 / month, and the provider has a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Proton VPNis no doubt the best free VPN I tested — you get unlimited data, access to 3 server locations, and pretty good speeds. It also includes enhanced security features like perfect forward secrecy and has open-source apps that have been inspected for security flaws. Upgrading to Proton VPN’s premium plans adds more servers in more countries, streaming and torrenting servers, faster speeds, up to 10 connections, an ad blocker, and much more.
Read the full Proton VPN review here
5. Hotspot Shield — Good for Web Browsing (With Decent Speeds)
Hotspot Shield’s free plan is good for basic web browsing, as it has a daily limit of 500 MB/per day. While this data allowance might not sound like a lot, Hotspot Shield actually gives you more data per month (15 GB) than most free VPNs on the market — but I don’t like that any unused data isn’t rolled over to the next day.
The provider’s free plan doesn’t throttle connections, and you get decent speeds — in my tests, websites took 2-3 seconds to load, and I was able to watch videos on YouTube in standard definition without any buffering (but keep in mind you only get enough daily data to watch videos for about 30 minutes).
But the free plan only lets you use 1 server location in the US. This might be enough for US users, but other people might want more variety, which Hotspot Shield’s competitors provide — hide.me’s free plan has servers in 5+ countries, and Proton VPN’s free plan has servers in 3 countries.
Hotspot Shield’s free version also lacks streaming support, and it only lets you connect 1 device.
Hotspot Shield has monthly and yearly subscriptions that start at £2.49 / month— they remove the data cap and IP logging, add access to 1,800+ servers in 80+ countries, add streaming support, allow 5 connections, and are also backed by a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Hotspot Shield’s free plan is decent for basic web browsing, as it allows 500 MB per day. It also has pretty good speeds, but it limits you to 1 server location in the US and 1 device, and it logs your IP address. The paid version removes IP logging, adds 5 connections and more servers, provides much better security, is affordable, and comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
TRY HOTSPOT SHIELD FOR FREE NOW
Read the full Hotspot Shield review here
6. Windscribe — Decent Free VPN for Steaming (With Unlimited Connections)
Windscribe has one of the only free plans that has streaming support — it works with top sites like Netflix, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime. In addition, this is also one of the few free VPNs that allows unlimited connections, so you can use it on as many devices as you want, making it a good pick if everyone in your family needs a free VPN.
Windscribe also has pretty good speeds. During testing, websites usually took 4 seconds to load, and HD videos loaded in 4–5 seconds — this is decent, but not as fast as hide.me, Proton VPN, and Hotspot Shield’s free plans.
Windscribe places a limit of 10 GB of data per month, which is pretty generous, and you can get an additional 5 GBs through tweeting at the VPN. That being said, I still prefer Proton VPN’s free plan as it comes with unlimited data.
Windscribe allows you to access servers in 10+ countries, and it also provides access to split-tunneling. In addition, it comes with advanced security features like perfect forward secrecy, RAM-only servers, and full leak protection. You also get access to ad and malware blocking via the R.O.B.E.R.T feature.
Windscribe’s paid version starts at £4.79 / month, and it adds servers in 65+ countries. Unfortunately, there’s only a 3-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Windscribe’s free plan allows you to access popular streaming sites, including HBO Max, Netflix, and BBC iPlayer. It also supports unlimited connections, allows 10 GB per month, comes with servers in 10+ countries, has decent speeds, and provides strong security features. The paid version adds servers in more countries, is affordable, and is backed by a 3-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Windscribe review here
7. TunnelBear — Best VPN for New Users (But Only 500 MB/Month)
TunnelBearhas a very intuitive dashboard across all apps — all of its features are well-designed and easy to access, and there are cute bear cartoons all over the apps that help you understand and use all of the functions.
TunnelBear’s free plan includes access to all of its servers in 45+ countries, which makes it very simple to find a server that’s closest to your real location to get the best speeds. In my tests, TunnelBear had pretty good speeds, but they weren’t as fast as hide.me, Proton VPN, and Hotspot Shield’s free plan speeds.
It’s also great that TunnelBear gives free subscribers full access to its premium features, including GhostBear, which overcomes VPN blocks in countries that restrict internet access, and SplitBear, TunnelBear’s split-tunneling tool. Plus, TunnelBear lets all free subscribers install TunnelBear on unlimited devices.
Unfortunately, TunnelBear Free has a monthly data limit of only 500 MB. While there’s an option to get an extra 1GB by mentioning TunnelBear on social media, it’s still only enough data to browse the internet for a few hours. hide.me, Hotspot Shield, and Windscribe’s free plans provide better data caps, and Proton VPN’s free plan has unlimited data.
To get unlimited data, you’ll need to upgrade to one of TunnelBear’s premium plans, which start at £2.77 / month.
Bottom Line:
TunnelBear’s free plan comes with beginner-friendly apps, and it also maintains good speeds, allows unlimited connections, and provides free users with access to all of its features. However, TunnelBear’s free plan only gives you 500 MB per month, which is barely enough to watch a couple of short videos. Upgrading to TunnelBear’s premium plans gives you unlimited data.
Read the full TunnelBear review here
Comparison of the Best Free VPNs in 2023
| VPN | Starting Price | Data Limit | Speed Limit | Number of Countries | Simultaneous Connections | Streaming Support |
| 1.🥇ExpressVPN | £5.24 / month | Unlimited | Unlimited | 90+ | 5 | ✅ |
| 🥈 2. CyberGhost VPN | £1.92 / month | Unlimited | Unlimited | 90+ | 7 | ✅ |
| 🥉3. hide.me | £3.20 / month | 10 GB/mo | Unlimited | 5+ | 1 | ❌ |
| 4. Proton VPN | £3.32 / month | Unlimited | Unlimited | 3 | 1 | ❌ |
| 5. Hotspot Shield | £2.49 / month | 500 MB/day | Unlimited | 1 | 1 | ❌ |
| 6. Windscribe | £4.79 / month | 10 GB/mo | Unlimited | 10+ | Unlimited | ✅ |
| 7. Tunnelbear | £2.77 / month | 500 MB/mo | Unlimited | 45+ | Unlimited | ❌ |
TRY EXPRESSVPN NOW (30 DAYS RISK-FREE)
How to Choose the Best Free VPNs in 2023
- Pick a VPN with a good free plan. Most free VPN plans are very limited — to get a good experience, you should look for free VPN plans that have good data allowances (hide.me allows 10 GB per month, and Proton VPN has unlimited data), don’t spam you with ads, provide access to a decent number of server locations, or come with P2P or streaming support.
- Look for a VPN with strong security. All of the VPNs on this list come with standard security features like 256-bit AES encryption (one of the strongest encryptions in the world that is also used by banks), a kill switch that disconnects you from the internet if your VPN connection is dropped, a no-logs policy to prevent the VPN from collecting your data, or protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.
- Choose a VPN with good speeds. All VPNs decrease your internet speeds due to the encryption process. Free VPNs usually have even slower speeds than premium VPNs because they only give you access to a small number of servers, which creates overcrowding and as a result slows down your connection. But all of my VPN choices offer decent speeds (ExpressVPN is the fastest).
- Pick a provider with user-friendly apps. Many free VPNs often come with buggy apps that are difficult to use. But all the VPNs on this list have intuitive apps for all major operating systems that are simple to install and use.
- Choose a provider with affordable pricing and good value. The VPN’s paid plans should be budget-friendly and provide access to great extra features, such as large server networks, great streaming and P2P support, and multiple connections. It’s also good if there’s a money-back guarantee for all purchases.
TRY EXPRESSVPN NOW (30 DAYS RISK-FREE)
Risks & Disadvantages of Using a Free VPN
- Poor security— Most free VPNs are missing essential security features, which basically defeats the purpose of using one. For example, without strong encryption, a third party can track your browsing habits, and without a kill switch, your data could leak onto the internet if your VPN connection fails. The best way to ensure you’re fully protected is to use a reputable VPN like the ones on this list.
- Slow speeds — A lot of free VPNs only allow you to access a small number of servers. This creates overcrowding on the servers, which leads to slower speeds. However, all of the VPNs on this list maintain good speeds.
- Blacklisted servers — The servers that are available on free VPN plans usually don’t refresh their IP addresses often. This means that many of these IP addresses will get blocked or blacklisted, preventing you from accessing certain websites (including streaming sites).
- Can’t access streaming sites — The majority of free VPNs don’t have streaming support. And the free VPNs that actually work with streaming sites usually have monthly or daily data limits, so you can only watch a few movies or TV shows each day or month. If you’re looking to stream a lot of content, I strongly recommend purchasing a premium VPN.
- Selling your data — There are some free VPNs that log the websites you visit and then sell this information to other websites. These websites then target you with annoying ads. To protect your privacy, make sure you use a quality VPN that has a strict no-logs policy (ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPNhave both had their no-logs policy independently audited and confirmed).
TRY EXPRESSVPN NOW (30 DAYS RISK-FREE)
Free vs. Paid VPNs
All of the free VPNs on this list include good security features to protect your data and privacy. My recommendations come with industry-standard VPN security features like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, a strict no-logs policy, or protection against DNS, IPv6, or WebRTC leaks. Some also have advanced tools like full leak protection, RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and/or full-disk encryption.
However, most free VPNs don’t have the full range of features that premium VPNs offer. This means they include scaled-down server networks, set limits on the amount of data you’re allowed to use, allow fewer connections, throttle your speeds, or don’t provide streaming and P2P support.
Here are a few examples — hide.me’s free plan allows torrenting and has good speeds, but it limits you to servers in 5+ countries, 1 connection, and 10 GB per month, while Proton VPN’s free plan allows unlimited data and has strong security and good speeds, but it lacks streaming and P2P support, and it limits you to servers in 3 countries and 1 connection.
In contrast, upgrading to a top paid VPN will provide you with a much better experience — unlimited data, a large server network, multiple connections, very fast speeds, extra features like split-tunneling and an ad blocker, and full support for streaming and torrenting. Plus, most VPNs offer competitive pricing and back each purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test out the product risk-free.
Overall, the top free VPNs offer good security, but they’re usually pretty limited in functionality — paid VPNs offer a much better value.
TRY EXPRESSVPN NOW (30 DAYS RISK-FREE)
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut:
- Private Internet Access (PIA). There is no doubt that PIA is one of the best VPNs out there — it has robust security features, really fast speeds, and works with all of the top streaming apps. While it doesn’t offer a free plan, it has monthly and yearly plans that start at just £1.69 / month.
- NordVPN. This provider has tons of really good security features, including ad and malware protection, a data breach monitoring tool, and double VPN servers. Also provides good streaming and fast speeds. However, it lacks a free plan — but it’s premium plans start at only £4.16 / month.
- Surfshark. A good VPN that allows unlimited connections, works with tons of streaming services, has great P2P support, and comes with a large server network. That said, it doesn’t have a free plan — although its paid plans are super affordable and start at only £1.92 / month.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best free VPN?
hide.me is my #1 pick for the best 100% completely free VPN in 2023 — it’s one of the only free VPN plans out there that support torrenting, it allows 10 GB per month, and it comes with fast speeds, servers in 5+ countries, and strong security and privacy features.
While all of the free VPNs on this list are decent, ExpressVPN is the best overall VPN on the market. It’s not free, but it covers each plan with a 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN is ultra-secure, has the fastest speeds out there for browsing, streaming, torrenting, and gaming, and offers user-friendly apps for all of the major platforms.
Are free VPNs safe?
Most free VPNs aren’t safe — some free VPNs lack industry-standard security features, some store your data and personal information, and some even come bundled with malware.
But if you’re only in the market for a free VPN, I recommend the free VPNs on this list — hide.me, Proton VPN, and Windscribe all come with really strong security and privacy features.
Are free VPNs legal?
Yes, free VPNs (and premium VPNs) are perfectly legal in most countries, but there are some exceptions — countries like China, Iran, Indonesia, North Korea, and a few others have banned the use of VPNs. If you’re caught using a VPN in a country that has banned VPNs, you could face a stiff fine or even jail time.
If you’re using a VPN in a country that allows VPNs, just be cautious with how you use it, as it’s illegal to use a VPN to commit a crime. But as long as you use a VPN for legal purposes, there’s nothing to worry about.
Do free VPNs work with Netflix and other streaming platforms?
Yes, there are some free VPNs that are able to access streaming services, but most aren’t very good for Netflix — they either can’t access the site, or only work with it sometimes.
During my tests, Windscribe was able to access Netflix, and other top sites like Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Disney+. Even so, Windscribe’s free plan limits you to 10 GB per month, so you can’t use it to binge Netflix titles.
So you’re better off getting a paid VPN to watch Netflix, like ExpressVPN— it consistently works with Netflix and 100+ other streaming services, can access 10+ Netflix libraries, and doesn’t limit your data.
Is there a 100% free VPN?
Yes, and there are a few pretty good ones, too. For example, hide.me’s free plan allows torrenting, provides strong security and privacy, and lets you connect to servers in 5+ countries, and Proton VPN’s free plan allows unlimited data, has fast speeds, and is very secure.
But even great free VPNs have noticeable limitations — hide.me’s free plan limits you to 10 GB per month and 1 device, and you don’t get streaming support, and Proton VPN’s free plan lacks streaming and P2P support, only lets you use servers in 3 countries, and limits you to 1 device.
Overall, you get a much better experience if you pick a premium paid VPN, like ExpressVPN — it works with 100+ streaming services, has 3,000+ servers in 90+ countries and allows P2P traffic on all of them, and allows 5 connections.
How do free VPNs make money?
Some VPNs, like hide.me, support their free plans through their paid plans. Essentially, enough people are recurring paid subscribers that the VPN provider can afford to offer their services (with limited features) to users for free.
However, other free VPNs may sell your data to third-party advertisers or display ads based on your browsing activity — they do that to recoup the money from their free plans.
This is why I strongly recommend that you purchase a paid plan from an affordable VPN provider. My favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which has plans that start at £5.24 / month — this is a bit pricey compared to other VPNs, but ExpressVPN is the best VPN on the market in 2023.
Which devices can I install a free VPN on?
Most free VPNs are available on all popular devices. All of the VPNs on this list have easy-to-use apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. A few of them are also available on Linux and smart TVs.
What is the best free VPN for torrenting?
hide.me is my favorite free VPN for torrenting — it’s one of the only free VPNs that allows torrenting, maintains fast download speeds, and works with all popular torrenting apps like BitTorrent, uTorrent, Vuze, and others.
While hide.me is good for torrenting, its free plan restricts you to only 10 GB of data per month, so you can only download a handful of small files. Upgrading to one of its paid plans gives you unlimited data, access to 2,100+ servers in 50+ countries, and up to 10 simultaneous connections.
That being said, ExpressVPNis our top pick for torrenting, as it has high-end security features, the fastest speeds in the industry, and servers in 90+ countries.
What’s the fastest free VPN?
hide.me has the fastest free plan on this list — in my tests, sites loaded instantly, HD videos loaded in up to 3 seconds, and it only took around 7 minutes to download a 2.2 GB file.
But hide.me’s free plan has some noticeable limitations — it limits you to 10 GB per month, only lets you connect 1 device, doesn’t have streaming support, and limits you to servers in 5+ countries.
So it’s ultimately better to just get an affordable premium VPN, like ExpressVPN — it’s the fastest VPN on the market, and it also comes with unlimited data, 5 connections, support for 100+ streaming apps, and 3,000+ servers in 90+ countries.
Best Free VPNs in 2023 — Final Score:
Rank
Provider
Overall Score
Best Deal
About the Author
Chief Editor
Updated on: March 1, 2023
About the Author
Eric Goldstein is Chief Editor at SafetyDetectives. As an internet security researcher and IT journalist, he has over 2 years of experience writing and editing articles and blog posts about VPNs, antiviruses, password managers, parental controls, and identity protection products and tools. In addition, Eric writes and edits news stories focused on cybersecurity issues for SafetyDetectives. He also spent 20+ years as a sportswriter for multiple media outlets and served in a communications role for a national corporation. When he's not working, he can be found spending time with his family, working out, and watching his favorite sports teams.
978 873
