Free VPN – Best VPNs for Free
It is essential to enhance the overall security of our devices, as we are surfing the web. This is where a VPN comes along, since it is the best tool for everyone to encrypt their traffic. With data encryption, penetrating your system and invading your privacy gets a lot more difficult and if done correctly, almost impossible. So, VPNs act against hackers and snoopers, as well as all threats known to harm Internet connected devices.
However, money has always been an issue. Many people cannot afford (or may not want) to spend money on VPNs. This is a matter of balancing the cost and the practical character of the service provided. On a brighter notice, there are several VPNs offered for free. This means that Internet users who are concerned about their security online can turn to them free of charge.
Which are the best VPNs for free, though? This is what we are about to find out in this article. In fact, we have compared and contrasted various competitors and we have come up with this list of the top 5 VPN service providers for free. Check them out!
Spyoff VPN
SpyOFF is a great VPN solution, offering a free trial that stretches up to 15 days. You enjoy up to 14,000 IPs, coming from 335 VPN servers in 21 countries of the world. You get full compatibility with all devices and OS, using a single account. With the use of SpyOFF, you get unlimited bandwidth and stellar customer care.
Given the fact that the free trial is so generous and does not lack anything in features, it is a great opportunity for you to see if the services match your desires or not. They use SSL connection and advanced encryption, they do not keep any logs and their performance is quite fast. These are all amazing details, along with the fact that their premium plans are not that expensive, either.
Hide.me VPN
Next on our list is Hide.me VPN. This also allows you to connect to the web via VPN, at no charge whatsoever. Here we find premium VPN plans waiting for you, too. When it comes to their free VPN version, you are restricted to 3 VPN locations and you get a generous 2 GB data transfer limit. The bandwidth is also best effort, as with Total VPN.
Apparently, there is a difference between the free clients and the paying customers. Nobody can blame the company for that. Limited security protocols and only one device connected at a time are also justifiable features. No port forwarding is available in the free version. The great thing is that you do not need a credit card to sign up for the service you get.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost is our next pick as a free VPN service provider. You can upgrade to a premium VPN plan whenever you want, apparently. However, there is a much broader spectrum of VPN servers you can connect to. It is available for download automatically on their website and you can start using the VPN right away.
The encryption is advanced, which is another major advantage of CyberGhost. On the other hand, you may find trouble with speed rates. Especially if you have been using a top speed Internet connection, this may come as a shock. Still, it is offered for free and therefore no nagging is accepted! This is a cool choice, particularly when finding non-crowded VPN servers.
- No logs are kept, anonymity is embraced
- accepts bitcoin
- non US company
- allows filesharing (not in all countries)
- filesharing only partially
Hotspot Shield
Apart from the Elite version, Hotspot Shield VPN also offers a free VPN plan that you are going to find especially helpful. There is no limitation as to the compatibility of the VPN and you can actually select the respective setup guide that matches the criteria of your own device.
There are also mobile apps available for you and advanced HTTPS encryption is guaranteed. While the Elite VPN plan blocks ads for you, this is not a deal-breaker, when using the free version. Overall, this is a really decent option when you do not wish to spend any money on VPN, but you still like the privacy offered.
TunnelBear
Last but not least, there is TunnelBear. This Canada based VPN service provider offers a free version for VPN seekers. Using that, you are going to get 500MB of free data every month. You also have the ability to connect to 5 computers, tablets or phones at the same time. Fortunately, the speed is blazing-fast, no matter which plan you get to pick.
Another great thing is the fact that they offer 24 hour support, even to the non-paying customers. One of the minor problems that you may deal with when using TunnelBear is the restriction on P2P. In Canada, such activities are not accepted and therefore you have to make do.
Tips
Now that we have completed our list with the 5 best VPNs for free, here is some extra food for thought:
First, you need to consider the actual use of the VPN you are planning. For instance, if P2P is your primary concern, you should check out VPNs that do not have a cap limiting their data transfer. If, however, you simply need to enhance your online privacy and anonymity, any VPN is fine. Then, you have to make sure that the VPN offers decent speed rates. Otherwise, your Internet experience is going to be a bad one and you are going to end up uninstalling the VPN software within a day or two.
Opera browser has added a free VPN client on their browser and this is certainly something you can try out. It may be to your liking and save you quite a few dollars. Another thing that you should keep in mind is the fact that most VPN service providers have a generous free trial.
This is the best way for you to check them out and not pay a single penny, unless you are convinced that they are reliable and worth the extra cash. The free trial may stretch from a couple of days (which is not the best thing, as you will be forced to download and uninstall VPN software continuously) to a whole month. Of course, a whole month is more than adequate for drawing your conclusions.
On the whole, free VPNs can offer a decent solution to everyone who wants to encrypt their traffic without spending money. As you can understand, the free VPN cannot be compared to a premium VPN. The list of special features and the unlimited bandwidth or data transfer are only provided to those who pay for their service.
Alternative to VPN
If you don’t want a VPN, you can still surf anonymously by using TOR browser. It’s based on Firefox, enhanced with a few security plugins and works on the TOR network which is a community of other anonymous TOR users that share their connection likewise. When you connect to TOR, your computer becomes part of that network, it becomes a TOR node, receiving and sending traffic to other individuals. This helps becoming one of many in a huge network, almost impossible to identify. Especially for not-so-legal stuff within the dark web, you will need TOR and maybe a reliable VPN in addition to get extra security and make sure to stay anonymous.
What TOR is not
While you can use VPN to alter your location, you can not get a specific virtual location using TOR. So if you plan on doing researches in search engines from other countries, TOR won’t help you. With a VPN server in that location, you can become that virtual local that you want search engines to think you are.
Conclusion
It is in your hands to decide which way to go. If you cannot afford the subscription to a VPN, the free VPNs we have outlined above are a great way out. If, nevertheless, you can spare some money, you ought to prioritize. After evaluating your VPN use, it is time to see if you ought to continue on with the free stuff or upgrade to a premium VPN plan, especially tailored to your personalized needs!