While there are a few decent ones, they're vastly outnumbered by dubious, ad-filled apps with no background and no privacy policies. It all boils down to which free VPN you choose. PrivadoVPN is still very capable when it comes to unblocking streaming sites, while Proton VPN has maintained its reputation for privacy, as well as its generous unlimited data plan. I haven't seen any huge changes in the free VPN landscape since my last round of updates on this page. Don't think it's worth your money? Just claim a full refund – no questions asked. While they are paid products, they include 30-day money-back guarantees, which allow you to trial them risk-free for a month.

The three providers below – ExpressVPN, Surfshark and NordVPN – are my highest-ranked VPNs overall. However, for infrequent users, one of the quality free VPNs listed further down this page might be all you need. If you're planning on using your VPN for streaming or 24/7 privacy protection, we recommend one of our top paid providers linked below. You'll get limited features and often data limits, but you can trust they're safe and secure. The best free VPNs are typically 'freemium' versions of paid services.

Pick the wrong provider and you may be doing yourself more harm than good. That all costs money, so it's well worth being aware of how your free VPN is funded. In simple terms, they encrypt all your traffic, hiding it from your ISP, and can virtually relocate you by sending you through one of their own servers anywhere in the world. However, having an understanding of how VPNs work behind the scenes is essential. Unlike many of the best VPN services, you might not even need to hand over your email address to get started. Total protection from snooping ISPs and governments, plus access to restricted or censored content? What's not to like.

If you're new to staying protected online, free VPN services might sound like a silver bullet.

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