The best free VPNs, ranked by people who actually use them.

Proton VPN is the one we end up recommending to friends. Unlimited data is the reason: no counter ticking down, no monthly reset to plan around. No other free plan here can say that. The company is Swiss, the apps are open source, and the no-logs policy has been through independent audits rather than just being promised. You also won't see a single ad, which is rare on a free tier.

Windscribe gives you the most actual features of any free plan we tested. The 10 GB monthly allowance is generous, you get free servers across more than ten countries, and it bundles R.O.B.E.R.T., a built-in ad, tracker and malware blocker that most free VPNs make you pay for. It's also one of the better free options for unblocking content. Two caveats. Stream a couple of movies and that 10 GB is gone, and unlike Proton, its no-logs policy hasn't been through an independent audit yet.

PrivadoVPN is the free VPN to reach for if you want to watch something. It unblocks more streaming services than most free plans, gives you a choice of servers in ten countries, and includes an ad blocker and kill switch. What sets it apart is what happens at the 10 GB mark: instead of cutting you off, it drops you to unlimited slow data, so you're never completely stranded. Like Windscribe, its no-logs claim hasn't faced an independent audit yet, and fair warning: slow mode really is slow.

If you've never used a VPN before, TunnelBear is the gentlest way in. The bear-themed app is silly in a good way, and connecting takes one tap with no settings to wrestle with. Its no-logs policy has been independently audited, and the free plan can reach the entire server network. The big limitation is data: just 2 GB a month, which is fine for occasional privacy on public Wi-Fi but nothing more. As of early 2026, the free tier also picks your server for you automatically rather than letting you choose.

Hotspot Shield consistently posts some of the fastest speeds of any free VPN, thanks to its proprietary Hydra protocol. Instead of a monthly cap it gives you roughly 500 MB per day (about 15 GB a month if you use it daily) and it supports P2P traffic, which most free plans block. It comes with baggage, though: ads on the free tier, only four server locations, and a privacy reputation that doesn't match Proton or Windscribe. Think of it as a speed play rather than a privacy pick.