The best free VPNs of 2025: Secure, safe, and tested solutions

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Virtual private network (VPN) services cost money to run, so you should always approach supposedly "free" services with caution. In the VPN world, free usually means that providers will give you a connection but make money from you in other ways, such as through selling your data or by displaying adverts.

You can test the best VPNs with a free trial or a money-back guarantee, usually granting you up to 30 days of free service. If you want a free VPN for the long term, we can recommend some secure options, typically backed by paying subscribers.

I've extensively tested every major VPN on the market, including free offerings. My pick for the best free VPN is Proton VPN. The service, developed by the team behind the encrypted ProtonMail service, is supported by paying subscribers. The number of device and server connections is limited, but it's still a top-tier VPN that can help you maintain a high level of online privacy. If you're interested in a paid upgrade, Proton's paid plans start at $3.59/month.

Alternatively, I can also confidently recommend Windscribe and Hotspot Shield's free accounts.

Also: Best VPNs for businesses

There are other trustworthy options I recommend, as listed below. Alternatively, if you're interested in trying out a paid VPN, consider one of my picks for the best VPNs with free trials.

My top pick for free VPNs available in 2025 is Proton VPN, which, despite its limits, will suit many people who do not want to subscribe.

Why we like it: The free version of Proton VPN offers many useful features that are paid for through other services and VPN subscribers.

It doesn't cap bandwidth, so you can use it year-round without worrying about exceeding monthly data limits. Proton VPN's free tier also doesn't restrict your speed, but server selections are limited, so you might not experience the true speed of the network due to heavy loads.

During my frequent tests, I've found that Proton VPN's connection and server speeds are always reasonable. While it doesn't often match top-tier competitors, it's still a great option.

Review: Proton VPN

Robust online protection features like AES 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, leak protection, and a no-logs policy help hide your identity and digital footprint, regardless of whether you pay for this service. Also, Proton VPN doesn't sell your information or monetize its free apps with ads, allowing you to browse without distractions.

Who it's for: Anyone who wants a free VPN and won't mind server and device restrictions.

Free servers are available in five locations: the United States, Romania, Poland, the Netherlands, and Japan. However, you can't manually choose and connect to a server. The VPN automatically selects one for you, but you can click "Change Server" to be assigned a different server location.

Who should look elsewhere: A drawback is that you can only use one device with your free account. So, if you need a VPN for your PC, smartphone, and TV, for example, you should look elsewhere.

Alternatively, premium plans unlock 10 simultaneous connections and start at $3.59 per month on a two-year subscription. There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee.

My top pick for free VPNs available in 2025 is Proton VPN, which, despite its limits, will suit many people who do not want to subscribe.

Why we like it: The free version of Proton VPN offers many useful features that are paid for through other services and VPN subscribers.

During my frequent tests, I've found that Proton VPN's connection and server speeds are always reasonable. While it doesn't often match top-tier competitors, it's still a great option.

Review: Proton VPN

Who it's for: Anyone who wants a free VPN and won't mind server and device restrictions.

Who should look elsewhere: A drawback is that you can only use one device with your free account. So, if you need a VPN for your PC, smartphone, and TV, for example, you should look elsewhere.

Alternatively, premium plans unlock 10 simultaneous connections and start at $3.59 per month on a two-year subscription. There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Windscribe is another great free VPN choice because, like Proton VPN, you can do a lot with the app.

Why we like it: There are many customizable settings, including an ad-block feature, split tunneling, and a firewall to prevent leaks.

You can access free servers in 10 countries, allowing you to change locations. The free servers also support streaming across multiple popular platforms. You can use Windscribe on various devices, including Amazon Fire TV and browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

Review: Windscribe VPN

Recently, Windscribe's static IP servers received an upgrade. In the same breath, the company has warned seeders of torrent files that this doesn't count as personal use, and you may be at risk of a permanent ban.

Who it's for: You can connect unlimited devices, but free people have a maximum data usage of 10GB per month. This drops to 2GB per month for people not signed up with an email address. This is plenty for occasional use while browsing online, but it won't be suitable if you frequently stream movies and television shows or you want to torrent files.

Having said that, Windscribe also allows you to build a plan, starting at just $1 per location per month, if you want a VPN for specific countries. Alternatively, a subscription starts at $5.75 per month on an annual plan or $9 per month on a monthly plan.

Who should look elsewhere: A downside of this free VPN is that the user interface could use improvement, which may cause some people a bit of a headache to use. So if a user-friendly UI is at the top of your list, look elsewhere.

Windscribe is another great free VPN choice because, like Proton VPN, you can do a lot with the app.

Why we like it: There are many customizable settings, including an ad-block feature, split tunneling, and a firewall to prevent leaks.

Review: Windscribe VPN

Free people can connect to Hotspot Shield's proprietary protocol to take advantage of decent speeds.

Why we like it: The HotSpot Shield Hydra protocol has a reputation for fast service like NordVPN's NordLynx and ExpressVPN's Lightway. Hydra can handle connections up to 1 Gbps and works on iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows.

Were it not for the limited free server locations -- one virtual 'automatic' location -- Hotspot Shield Basic could have easily made our fastest VPN shortlist. Though it's fast, connection speeds may be affected due to server limitations, and you won't have access to servers optimized for streaming purposes.

During testing, I found that the connection to the one virtual location you have is almost instantaneous and remained stable throughout.

You can use the split tunneling feature to exclude some apps and websites from routing traffic on the VPN for optimal connections. This also helps you conserve bandwidth since you only get 500MB daily -- amounting to 15GB per month -- and you can't carry over any leftover bandwidth. However, you can bypass daily limits by watching ads.

Who it's for: Someone who wants to use a free, fast VPN for casual browsing.

The ad-free premium upgrade plan is priced at $7.99 per month and comes with a server selection of over 80 countries. It should also be noted that Hotspot Shield is now part of Aura.

Who should look elsewhere: Though Hotspot Shield Basic offers high-end encryption, the app is ad-supported. If the idea of adverts puts you off, try an alternative like Proton VPN.

Free people can connect to Hotspot Shield's proprietary protocol to take advantage of decent speeds.

During testing, I found that the connection to the one virtual location you have is almost instantaneous and remained stable throughout.

Who it's for: Someone who wants to use a free, fast VPN for casual browsing.

The ad-free premium upgrade plan is priced at $7.99 per month and comes with a server selection of over 80 countries. It should also be noted that Hotspot Shield is now part of Aura.

Who should look elsewhere: Though Hotspot Shield Basic offers high-end encryption, the app is ad-supported. If the idea of adverts puts you off, try an alternative like Proton VPN.

If you want a secure, free VPN with a high server location count, check out TunnelBear.

Why we like it: You can use all TunnelBear servers in more than 40 countries for free.

That's more generous than many of our top free VPN contenders. If you want to change your IP address to almost anywhere, TunnelBear should be your choice.

Review: TunnelBear VPN

During testing, I could quickly connect to servers in countries including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Singapore, and across Europe without any problems or reliability issues. It was quite fast, which I appreciated while testing out the free plan.

Thanks to its user-friendly and interactive interface, learning how to use TunnelBear is easy, even if it's your first time with VPNs. You can also connect as many devices as you want on the free account, and it has native apps for PC, mobile devices, and browsers.

Who it's for: The only significant limitation of the free VPN plan is the 2GB monthly bandwidth cap, which diminishes TunnelBear's usefulness for regular content streaming and makes it best suited for occasional people.

Who should look elsewhere: 2GB is not a lot of bandwidth to play with, and so if you plan to stream or use your VPN daily, this option isn't right for you -- consider Proton VPN or another one of my recommended VPNs, instead.

You could also subscribe to TunnelBear for $3.33 per month to access more features, like unlimited bandwidth and full access to the VPN's server network.

If you want a secure, free VPN with a high server location count, check out TunnelBear.

Why we like it: You can use all TunnelBear servers in more than 40 countries for free.

That's more generous than many of our top free VPN contenders. If you want to change your IP address to almost anywhere, TunnelBear should be your choice.

Review: TunnelBear VPN

You could also subscribe to TunnelBear for $3.33 per month to access more features, like unlimited bandwidth and full access to the VPN's server network.

Unlike many services that only support streaming with a premium account, PrivadoVPN allows you to watch content online with the free tier plan.

Why we like it: You can access servers in 13 countries, including the US, Canada, and the UK -- for example, for watching BBC iPlayer -- but you won't have access to the complete 49-country network unless you're a paying subscriber.

Free people have access to servers that are part of the paid server fleet, meaning they have the same high-end protection online. PrivadoVPN also supports safe torrenting and file sharing on free servers.

Who it's for: Considering its low price, I found this VPN to provide excellent value for money during testing. However, its speeds and reliability make it best suited for casual use.

Subscriptions are very affordable, starting from just $1.11 per month with three months free.

Who should look elsewhere: This VPN is easy to install on devices, including Android TV and streaming media players like Fire TV Stick -- but choose wisely, as you're only given one free device connection. You also only receive 10GB of free data per month. If one connection isn't enough, it might be better for you to opt for a free trial of a paid service instead.

Unlike many services that only support streaming with a premium account, PrivadoVPN allows you to watch content online with the free tier plan.

Who it's for: Considering its low price, I found this VPN to provide excellent value for money during testing. However, its speeds and reliability make it best suited for casual use.

Subscriptions are very affordable, starting from just $1.11 per month with three months free.

Hide.me is a minimalist, basic service that could suit beginners who need a VPN.

Why we like it: Hide.me, like Proton VPN, offers unlimited bandwidth on the free plan, so you can browse, stream, and download content without limitations.

You can connect to eight server locations -- more than Proton VPN and other top free VPN providers. You can connect to Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK, the US, or a "best location" option selected automatically for you.

It has a minimalistic interface that I feel needs a makeover, but it is very easy to use and set up without much user input.

It has an ad- and tracker-blocker, minimizing annoyances and third-party intrusion. To maintain a high level of online privacy, there is also a no-logs policy.

Who it's for: The free plan allows only one simultaneous connection per account, but if that's all you will need and you're not too familiar with VPNs, try it out.

If you find you like this VPN and want full access, premium subscriptions start at $2.69/month plus two months free on a 26-month plan.

Who should look elsewhere: If you have some experience with VPNs, you might find another of our more advanced alternatives will be a better option.

Hide.me is a minimalist, basic service that could suit beginners who need a VPN.

Why we like it: Hide.me, like Proton VPN, offers unlimited bandwidth on the free plan, so you can browse, stream, and download content without limitations.

It has a minimalistic interface that I feel needs a makeover, but it is very easy to use and set up without much user input.

It has an ad- and tracker-blocker, minimizing annoyances and third-party intrusion. To maintain a high level of online privacy, there is also a no-logs policy.

Who it's for: The free plan allows only one simultaneous connection per account, but if that's all you will need and you're not too familiar with VPNs, try it out.

If you find you like this VPN and want full access, premium subscriptions start at $2.69/month plus two months free on a 26-month plan.

Who should look elsewhere: If you have some experience with VPNs, you might find another of our more advanced alternatives will be a better option.

The most popular VPN services barely have freemiums, but some offer free trials and money-back guarantees. These allow you to test all premium VPN features risk-free for a limited time. Here are our best picks with free trial opportunities.

NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee to all people, including iOS and Android. It remains our best VPN for iPhone, but the free trial is only available to Android people. The free trial runs for seven days and is only accessible if you sign up through the Google Play Store.

Review: NordVPN

With servers in more than 110 countries, secure features, and fast speeds globally, you can experience the best streaming and online gaming performance at no cost. There are also specialty servers, like Double VPN, for secure peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing.

Subscriptions start at $3.69 per month. NordVPN is also ZDNET's pick for the best no-log VPNs of 2025 and our favorite VPN of 2025.

Also: Best mobile VPN in 2025

Review: NordVPN

Subscriptions start at $3.69 per month. NordVPN is also ZDNET's pick for the best no-log VPNs of 2025 and our favorite VPN of 2025.

Also: Best mobile VPN in 2025

Contrary to NordVPN, CyberGhost favors iPhone people more, offering them a 7-day free trial without a credit card or subscription. Android and Windows/macOS devices can access shorter free trials of only three days and 24 hours, respectively.

CyberGhost's 45-day money-back guarantee is more generous than most providers, allowing you to test the service and claim a refund if you are unhappy with the service.

As recommended in our CyberGhost review, it's one of the best choices for streaming, thanks to its optimized servers that are available for multiple platforms worldwide. The app can be used even on PlayStation and Xbox consoles via the Smart DNS feature or a direct router setup.

It costs just $2.19 per month for the most affordable two-year plan with two months of free access. You can also opt for a six-month subscription or on a month-to-month basis.

CyberGhost's 45-day money-back guarantee is more generous than most providers, allowing you to test the service and claim a refund if you are unhappy with the service.

It costs just $2.19 per month for the most affordable two-year plan with two months of free access. You can also opt for a six-month subscription or on a month-to-month basis.

Surfshark offers a 7-day free trial that includes Mac device people. You can only access the free trial via the App Store or Google Play Store for Android devices.

It's also supported by a 30-day money-back guarantee for risk-free testing.

When using the Surfshark app for free, you can access servers in 100 countries and tons of other paid features, including the NoBorders tool that works on network firewalls blocking VPN traffic. It's only $2.19 per month for the two-year starter package with three months of free access included, but short-term plans are more expensive.

Review: Surfshark VPN

Surfshark offers a 7-day free trial that includes Mac device people. You can only access the free trial via the App Store or Google Play Store for Android devices.

It's also supported by a 30-day money-back guarantee for risk-free testing.

Review: Surfshark VPN

Typically, free VPN usage is discouraged because these solutions can impact your online safety and privacy.

Some "free" VPNs are in no way actually free -- they simply obtain payment in ways other than cash. There are free VPNs that secretly collect your data and auction it to the highest bidder, defeating the purpose of a VPN as a privacy tool.

Ads are another problem. They're annoying and could indicate that your data is being used to profile you.

Some free VPNs are malware apps in disguise, and we've encountered supposedly "free" versions of legitimate VPNs that have slipped through vetting on official app stores and software repositories. These may contain viruses, spyware, or keyloggers designed to steal your information.

These and many more hidden risks of free VPNs prompted us to explore secure options you can use to bolster your online privacy. The free VPNs on our list have passed safety tests and garnered positive testimonials from millions of people. They're not flawless, but you don't have to watch your back much while using them.

Accessing a VPN free trial depends on the provider. It's important to check the company's website for clear instructions on how to access their free trial or plan.

Some VPNs will require you to sign up and provide your billing information, while others provide a free service without this information.

VPNs that offer free trials via money-back guarantee refunds will charge you beforehand, expecting that you'll voluntarily ask for the money back if you change your mind.

Mobile trials are not the same as PC and desktop trials. You'll likely need to visit Google Play or Apple's App Store to access them, and most of the time, you will be given up to a week of free access.

Best free VPN

Free bandwidth

Free server locations / countries

Lowest starting price

Proton VPN

Unlimited

$3.59

Windscribe

10GB/month

$1 - $5.75

Hotspot Shield Basic

15GB/month

$7.99

TunnelBear

2GB/month

40+

$3.33

Privado VPN

10GB/month

12-13

$1.11

Hide.me

Unlimited

7-8

$2.69

Choose this free VPN...

If you want…

Proton VPN

Privacy-centered features. While limited in server availability, Proton VPN maintains your privacy. You'll be missing out on paid features, but this is a secure VPN in either case.

Windscribe

Many server locations and unlimited simultaneous connections. Bandwidth is limited, but generous and custom paid plans are also available making this VPN another top choice.

Hotspot Shield Basic

Fast connections in the U.S. as well as on major devices and platforms. Customer support and server locations are limited on the free plan, and this option is ad-supported.

TunnelBear

IP addresses in multiple countries and user-friendly apps. You can tap into over 40 countries. Bandwidth is extremely limited, so this won't be suitable for heavy use or streaming.

Privado VPN

Ample servers for streaming and accessing geo-locked content. This is a great option for streaming and safe torrenting but take note of monthly bandwidth limits.

Hide.me

Unlimited data transfers without a subscription. However, the app is basic, and you are restricted to one device connection and a small selection of countries.

If you're set on using a free VPN, check for these essential features and be aware of some of the disadvantages of free services.

Also: Best iPad VPNs of 2025

The free and paid VPN providers we recommend have been vetted and reviewed by members of our ZDNET team. I've been reviewing VPNs for years, have spoken with their management and their people, and developed a generally favorable impression if I've included specific services on this list.

ZDNET tests VPN services from multiple locations, but we can't test from all locations. Every home, community, local internet service provider (ISP), and nation has a different infrastructure. Once you choose a VPN, it's essential that you test for all your likely usage patterns and then decide whether to keep the service or request a money-back guarantee refund.

I analyzed the best free VPNs below using the following criteria:

Support: As with any subscription software, you may encounter problems with installing apps, using the service, renewing, or canceling. I have listed VPNs with an available support team, although support may be limited on free plans.

For a more extensive breakdown, check out our comprehensive VPN testing methodology page.

Avoid free VPNs that don't provide basic security or have a negative privacy reputation. Here are some of the services people have reported experiencing major issues:

At the moment, there is no free VPN solution that we can recommend for use in China. Instead, although it is expensive, Astrill VPN is one of the best VPN choices with customers reporting high success rates. China has imposed restrictions on many providers, and even premium VPNs might not work correctly. Also, you should download the VPN app before arriving in the country because you might face challenges accessing the website once you're there.

Also: Best VPN for travel in 2025

Windscribe, CyberGhost, TunnelBear, Proton VPN, and other services have Chrome extensions. All of the VPNs on our free list have extensions for Chrome and other browsers like Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.

When installed on a browser, a VPN masks your IP address, secures your online activities, and enables you to access content on the go without the need for a native app on your device. However, you should carefully check the features supported by free VPN extensions, as some don't provide encryption or servers.

Also: The best VPN extensions for Chrome: Expert tested

Some VPN providers double as proxy services such as Hide.me, Turbo VPN, HMA, and VPN Proxy Master. You can also use exclusive proxy services like ProxyScrape, FreeProxy, and Oxylabs. Keep in mind that while proxies can give you IP addresses to different locations, they do not encrypt your traffic like VPNs. This means websites, ISPs, and Wi-Fi owners can still monitor your activities.

Also: Proxy vs VPN: What's the difference? | The best proxy server services: Expert recommended

A free VPN or free trial can be enough to get you started in the VPN world. You can use them to learn the basics, explore how servers and country selections work, and experiment with different protocols. However, the majority of free VPNs we recommend are backed by paid subscribers to ensure they are as secure as possible, so they will come with restrictions.

For example, you will be limited in the number of device connections you can have, your speed, or your server selections. You'll find that a free VPN may be enough for some basic browsing tasks, but it may not be suitable for bandwidth-heavy activities such as streaming or gaming.

No software or online service, including VPNs, is fully protected from cybercriminal activity. Vulnerabilities in code or accidentally introduced during updates may be discovered, zero-day bugs may be exploited, or user data leaks could occur. Your best bet is to choose a trustworthy VPN provider with a proven and transparent approach to audits and security updates.

If you want to try out an excellent VPN with some of the best speeds on the market, take advantage of ExpressVPN's 30-day money-back guarantee. Prices start at $4.99 per month.

Consider Private Internet Access (PIA) if you want a cheap subscription with unlimited device connections. Plans start at $2.19 per month with two months free.

Privacy Hero 2 is a hardware alternative if you want to take advantage of a free one-year VPN subscription. This router is currently available for $190.

The best free VPNs of 2025: Secure, safe, and tested solutions

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