Summary (updated 24th August 2017): As more and more people look for ways to increase their online security, finances may keep internet users from getting the protection they need. Invasion of privacy, government intrusion and cyber criminals all combine to increase the need for a VPN. With that in mind we created the 2017 Free VPN list. While we are here to review a list of free VPN providers, we do however warn you that in our opinion, and also in the opinion of other experts, a free VPN has a lot of limitations, one of the most common being that a free VPN service won’t unblock Netflix, and there is a reason that they can provide the service for free (cause let’s face it, nothing is free in life). Firstly the way that free VPNs make money is that they sell your data to third parties, which is a huge security risk and a massive invasion of privacy. For that reason we suggest that you think twice about using a free VPN.
Top 3 Best Free VPNs
There are a handful of options out there for free VPN services, so here are some of the top scoring ones on the net, and what they have to offer their users for absolutely nothing out of pocket.
SPONSORED LISTING: ExpressVPN – 30-Day Money Back Guarantee
ExpressVPN might not offer a free version, but they do offer a 30-day free trial, so you can fully test it out before you spend any money. Its developers ensure that it has the capabilities necessary to unblock streaming platforms like Netflix, and tests consistently show that it’s one of the fastest VPNs on the market. Free VPNs, on the other hand, rarely work to unblock streaming platforms, and can slow down your web browser significantly. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and $7 a month might be worth a hassle-free internet experience. Read our ExpressVPN review for more details.
SPONSORED LISTING: NordVPN – 30-Day Money Back Guarantee
NordVPN is one of the biggest and best VPNs available. While they don’t offer a free version of their service, they do offer 30 days free, money back guaranteed, and different package deals. We’d highly recommend NordVPN for a range of features that you won’t find elsewhere. If speed and security are your main concerns, it’s well worth checking out. Visit our NordVPN review for more details. More details can be found on NordVPN review.
#1 CyberGhost – (Really Free VPN) Unlimited bandwidth, great for streaming
If you need a free VPN that isn’t going to limit your bandwidth, CyberGhost is a great option – they’re one of the few that don’t.
Their service does put limits on speed, just to keep the connection relatively even for all of their users, but aside from that, it’s a great option for streaming or downloading.
It’s free, so give it a whirl for streaming Netflix, and see how it does.
Another great thing about this free VPN service is that it’s truly anonymous – CyberGhost never keeps any activity logs, so you never have to worry about being tracked or monitored.
Plus they accept Bitcoin, and use shared IPs, so you’re almost impossible to trace.
Their customer support has limited hours of availability, so that’s something to keep in mind. They’re also only available by email, and their usual wait time for support is about two days.
Of course, it’s a free service – if I was paying, I’d have more of a problem with that, but for these purposes, it’s not that big of a deal to me.
If you want to see if CyberGhost is the free VPN you’ve been looking for, check it out here.
Visit our Cyberghost VPN review for a complete analysis by our expert.
#2 TunnelBear – 6.3/10 – Great, user-friendly software
Can I just say this? I. Love. TunnelBear. It’s not the most comprehensive, and they do limit your bandwidth, but this is one of the most user-friendly VPNs I’ve ever seen.
Their software doesn’t look, feel, or act like state of the art VPN technology, but that’s exactly what it is – despite the cute fuzzy bears that scratch their heads and zap spam with laser beams.
Aside from their download cap though, there isn’t much to complain about with TunnelBear.
Their free VPN is even compatible with most operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, unlike CyberGhost, which places compatibility limitations on its free plans.
Another cool thing about TunnelBear is that their support is 24/7, even though it’s just an email ticketing system.
You should be able to get a response from them relatively quickly if you’re having connection problems.
Keep in mind that if you do sign up for this adorable fuzzy VPN, that it has a pretty limited server selection, so you may not get the most reliable connection, depending on where you’re located.
To see what all the hype is about with TunnelBear, go check them out here.
#3 Hotspot Shield– 4.9/10 – Supports ads
Hotspot Shield isn’t a bad free VPN. There are no download limits for one thing, and they don’t restrict your speed, so that’s great compared to my other two recommendations.
The only reason their rating kind of tanked here was because of all the ads.
Free comes with a catch, no matter who it is, and with Hotspot Shield, it’s the copious amount of ads built into their free software.
However, let’s not get too picky here. If you can stand them, they do give you unlimited bandwidth, and are compatible with most major operating systems.
Though their support isn’t 24/7 or live, they do have an email ticketing system in place if you decide you need some help.
It’s not the best free VPN you’ll find, and I really can’t say it’s the fastest either, but if you need more wiggle room on your bandwidth allowance, Hotspot Shield might be a good one to look into.
To see if this one will work out for you, check out Hotspot Shield here.
Conclusion: Use CyberGhost for Fast, Unlimited Access
A tight budget shouldn’t get in the way of your online security – it’s just too important.
While free VPNs definitely don’t offer as many features as their paid counterparts, they offer users a secure connection, with a data allowance that you can use when you need it most.
Use a VPN for things like:
- browsing on public connections
- online shopping
- streaming Netflix or Pandora overseas
- skyping in China
- privacy and anonymity
Even a free VPN can do most of that for you, if not all.
For the most comprehensive free VPN we’ve seen, check out CyberGhost today.
cyber ghost and hotspot don’t work on netflix
Hello,
With some VPNs its a constant back and forth on how they’re working on Netflix. There’s a bit of a crackdown and workarounds (and workarounds to those workarounds) are being created often. Have you tried contacting the customer service of one of those VPNs?
Best,
Lyndon
CyberGhost is no longer providing free VPN. They say all free slots are blocked
Hello Jakes,
I just did a check myself about this. They do have a limited number of free slots, which are sometimes at capacity, but it is possible to use the VPN freely still. It does unfortunately require a bit of waiting.
Hope this helps.
Best,
Lyndon
Access to Netflix content on CyberGhost is now only available through their Premium (subscription) service ….. and still not garunteed to work!
Dear Andy,
Thanks for letting us know!
Best,
Lyndon
cyber host work with police , so may be try andorra vpn service ar another country whitch not have relation with europa/us country :))
tried 5 times it says connection droped
My experience with VPN has been a nightmare. NordVPN don’t have a live chat option and couldn’t log in nor set up the L2 encryption service. Express VPN do NOT respect users privacy, they started posting on their Facebook my friends personal details after she asked them if they respected peoples privacies. Do you really want to download an app, from the USA NAS
territory or Romania were they can either monitor all your details or steal them, like your financial details? how do you know who they really are? none of these VPN companies are certified by any regulations.
My dilemma is that I have had people online and near my area hacking remotely and nothing has stopped them. What else can you do to keep your details private even TOR have a backdoor problem where hackers have infiltrated, the last time I used them the websites kept stalling it was terrible.
Hello Maurice,
Sorry to hear that you’ve been having difficulties.
As for your problem, I would say it depends highly on what you have available to you. In some cases I wouldn’t rely on networks at all and use a data plan instead. As far as VPNs go, I understand your concerns. Right now we think Buffered VPN is the best for most circumstances. As for regulations, they know that if they betray the customer word will get around very quickly (much like your experience with ExpressVPN) and customers will jump ship to another VPN very quickly, so the best VPNs are trustworthy.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Lyndon
Cyberghost cuts the connection after some ours, and you have to re-connect (and wait for slots to be available). Very annoying, looking for alternative… but looks like I’m going to get a $5 VPS and setup my own VPN server.
Cyberghost is really nice VPN but it getting the error sometimes and need to reconnect. Overall it good in work