Best Free VPN in 2024

Free VPNs have gained popularity due to their utility and cost-effectiveness, even more so in 2024. As journalists specializing in tech reviews, we have explored a variety of free VPN providers to provide essential information to potential users. Free VPNs promise to offer security at no cost, but like anything free, they have their own limitations.

Free VPN Categories

It is paramount to understand the different categories of free VPNs available. The first includes completely free to use VPNs, no strings attached, we refer to them as completely free VPNs. The other category is comprised of VPN providers that offer a money-back guarantee, ranging from 7-45 days. We refer to these as free trial VPNs. They allow users to benefit from a VPN with all its features for a predetermined duration, ranging from seven to 45 days. This offer can be particularly advantageous if you need a VPN service for a short period, for example during a two-week vacation. During the trial phase, users generally have access to all available servers, which allows them to reroute internet traffic through different countries and access online content and region-locked streaming services.

Completely free VPNs

AtlasVPN

AtlasVPN offers one of the best free plans on the market. Compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Android TV, and Fire TV, this free VPN particularly shines with its commitment to security.

Indeed, it follows a no-log policy and also offers Split Tunneling (the ability to choose which traffic goes through the VPN) and torrenting. Its AES-256-bit encryption also guarantees optimal security. Finally, AtlasVPN provides malware protection, all without any ads.

However, if your priority is not security, you might be disappointed by its few limitations. AtlasVPN's free package only offers 5 GB of bandwidth per month and only guarantees access to two countries, namely, the United States and the Netherlands.

If you're interested in AtlasVPN's free offer, click here.

PrivadoVPN

Another major player in the free VPN market, Privado offers more choices in terms of server locations, with nine countries represented. Compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, it also allows its users to use an unlimited number of devices simultaneously. Like its AES-256-bit encryption, PrivadoVPN guarantees a certain level of security with its free offer.

However, with only 10 GB of bandwidth per month, this VPN quickly reaches its limits for a user looking for more frequent use of the software.

Click here to access PrivadoVPN's free offer.

ProtonVPN

The free version of ProtonVPN shines more for its commitment to security than for the efficiency of its product. In addition to its AES-256 encryption, it follows a no-log policy. Furthermore, this VPN is compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Android TV, Linux, and even Chromebook.

However, the unlimited bandwidth offered by ProtonVPN is not enough to hide the slowness of its servers, the few locations offered, as well as the absence of torrenting and Split Tunneling.

Click here to access ProtonVPN's free offer.

Hide.Me

Compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and Fire TV, Hide.me is one of the big names among free VPN providers. With its AES-256 encryption and no-log policy, it provides enhanced security for free. With no ads and its customer support available 24/7, it also shines in usability.

However, with only 10 GB of free bandwidth per month and only five servers across four countries, Hide.me offers a somewhat limited service. Plus, it only allows one device at a time.

Click here to access Hide.me's free offer.

TunnelBear

Like some of its competitors, TunnelBear's free version stands out more in the security sector than in efficiency. Encrypted with AES-256 and committed to a no-log policy, it ensures relative peace of mind for its users.

However, this free VPN only offers 500 MB of monthly bandwidth (the smallest in the market), no Split Tunneling, nor torrenting. It is also only available on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, even though the 46 countries covered by its servers help mitigate these limitations.

Click here to access TunnelBear's free offer.

Windscribe

With a satisfying number of countries covered by its servers, Windscribe's free VPN also allows torrenting, supported by a very satisfactory speed. Moreover, despite its small 2 GB offer, it allows up to 10 GB of monthly bandwidth by verifying your email address. Finally, it is compatible with a good number of operating systems: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV.

However, beyond the absence of Split Tunneling, Windscribe's free package leaves something to be desired on other plans. Its no-log policy leaves some doubts, especially due to its affiliation with the Fourteen Eyes alliance, which may require Windscribe to hand over certain data in the event of a government request. Finally, providing your email address to get the 10 GB may allow Windscribe to market to you via email.

Click here to access Windscribe's free offer.

Conclusion on completely free VPNs

In conclusion, although completely free VPNs can offer cost-effective solutions for users, it's essential to understand the trade-offs involved. Potential users need to consider their individual needs and circumstances when choosing a VPN, weighing up the benefits and limitations of each type of free VPN. Whether looking for a short-term or long-term solution, it's particularly important to be informed and cautious when choosing a free VPN.

List of free trial VPN Providers

ExpressVPN

The provider that stands out particularly with its free trial is ExpressVPN. Simply put, with this 30-day trial, the user benefits from all the features of the premium VPN: access to 94 countries, unlimited bandwidth, no-log policy, etc.

However, when signing up with ExpressVPN, an initial payment is still required when choosing the plan. Fortunately, with ExpressVPN, there's no endless and discouraging cancellation process: you just have to inform ExpressVPN of the cancellation request via live chat. So, you only need to mark the date in your calendar to be sure not to forget to get your money back.

Learn more about ExpressVPN in our review.

CyberGhost

While offering some of the lowest prices on the market, CyberGhost also has a very attractive free trial offer. After paying for the chosen package in full, you will have the option to cancel your subscription within 45 days. Meanwhile, you will of course have access to all features guaranteed by your package. However, this 45-day period only applies to one, two, and three-year plans. For shorter plans, this period lasts only 14 days. To get all your money back, you just need to remember to cancel your CyberGhost subscription within 45 days.

We've reviewed CyberGhost and went into a lot more detail on why CyberGhost is a solid choice as a VPN provider in 2024.

NordVPN

Refund in case of cancellation within 30 daysAccess to all featuresEasy cancellationRequires an initial payment

NordVPN completes the podium of the best free VPN trials. Like ExpressVPN, it allows you to get all your money back in case of cancellation during the first 30 days after activating your VPN. Of course, this means that you can still enjoy all the features of NordVPN during these 30 days. As with ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, this is a refund policy. You will therefore need to make an initial payment, but are assured of getting your money back after your cancellation. This cancellation is easy, just request it from an agent via live chat.

Click here to read our NordVPN review.

Private Internet Access (PIA)

Like CyberGhost, PIA offers relatively competitive prices and also provides a refund guarantee in case of cancellation within 30 days. Meanwhile, you can enjoy all the features of their VPN. However, you must make an initial payment when subscribing to PIA. If all of this closely resembles the previously named offers, PIA loses points on the complexity of its cancellation process. You will first have to cancel your subscription via live chat, then get a support ticket to request your refund. This process also varies depending on how you obtained the VPN (App Store, Play Store...).

Our PIA review can be read here.

SurfShark

You should begin to recognize the pattern. Like its competitors named above, Surfshark allows you to test its VPN risk-free. After making an initial payment, you will have 30 days to cancel your subscription and get all your money back. Unlike PIA, you just need to fill out a cancellation form to be put in contact with an agent. The refund is without conditions, which means you will not need to provide any justification for your cancellation request.

SurfShark offers other great features and comes at a very competitive price point, read our review to learn more about why SurfShark is the best value VPN.