The Best iOS VPNs #1 ExpressVPN. #2 CyberGhost.
It's no surprise that free VPN downloads have become so popular. Installing a VPN gives your Windows PC, Mac, Android device or iPhone an extra layer of security. And the extra functionality that their URL-shifting nature gives - watching sports and TV in other countries, getting around geo-blocked websites, anonymous torrenting - means that there's little surprise free VPNs are so highly sought after.
On this page, you'll find our pick of the best free Virtual Private Networking options available to download today. We've tested and retested dozens of them and assessed their ability to keep your online activity safe and anonymous without you having to spend a cent. That goes whether you're looking for the best free VPN for Android, iPhone, Mac or your Windows PC.
The best free VPN at the moment is Hotspot Shield Free. We really like the fact that - despite the fact it's a freebie - you still get cover for five devices at the same time from just one account. The data usage limit is more generous than other packages, too.
But (there's always one) is it really possible to get a good and completely free VPN that does the job you need? The answer is... sort of. Ultimately, if you're looking for a free VPN for casual use you will find something that meets your needs - just so long as you are happy with the limitations that free VPNs usually come with.
And before we get stuck in to our list of the best free VPNs, it's worth knowing that a paid-for version can cost as little as $3 per month and can give you much better performance and protection, so we'd recommend checking out the overall best VPN service page as well. Just remember: free VPNs may cost nothing but there is usually a good reason for that - it might be that the provider may be turning a profit with invasive advertising or, in some cases, by selling on data to third-parties (rather defeating the whole drive for privacy in the first place).
The best VPN in the world right now is: ExpressVPN
We have reviewed more than one hundred VPN providers, both free and paid and our top recommendation right now is ExpressVPN. That's because, while it's a paid option, its speed and robustness as well as the servers it has in nearly 100 countries worldwide and accommodates almost any of your devices.
It's not free, but it does come with a 30-day no-quibble money back guarantee and we highly recommend trying it over any free options - plus if you use the following link, you can claim 3 months free with an annual plan!
- Check out our guide to the best VPN of 2019
- The best US VPN
The best free VPN in 2019:
1. Hotspot Shield Free VPN
Number of servers: N/A | Server locations: 25 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 5
Not only is Hotspot Shield Free one of the better known free VPN options in our rankings, we also reckon it's the best. You can choose to anchor yourself to one of 25 countries if you pay for the Elite version of Hotspot, and this should enable you to access just about anything you want; in the free version, you're limited to locations that Hotspot Shield chooses for you and put up with ads.
Those on the free plan can protect up to five devices simultaneously, and are limited to 500MB of data per day (so around 15GB per month). That may sound restrictive, but compared to TunnelBear below, it's actually one of the more generous free VPN limits. If security is your sole aim, then Hotspot is on the same wavelength, boasting 'military-grade encryption' - comforting if you do your banking and shopping online or by mobile.
In addition to security, Hotspot Shield Free also won plaudits in our testing for being so friendly to use. Whether on its mobile version or on desktop, you won't find it the hair-pulling user experience offered by some competitors.
That said, getting started is a little bit of a pain with Hotspot requiring you to go through a seven-day trial of the premium version first. That's all very well and good, but that involves giving them your credit card details in case you decide to carry on with the full version once the trial is completed. However, can of course then go for the free version once the premium trial has expired.
Want to try Hotspot Shield Free? You can download it here
2. TunnelBear
Protecting your identity doesn't get easier than this – TunnelBear is the best free VPN you can download today
Number of servers: ~1,000 | Server locations: 20+ | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 5
TunnelBear might have something of a cutesy design, but it's a serious free VPN, especially after its acquisition by security giant, McAfee. There are free and paid-for subscriptions to choose from. The only restriction with the free plan is that you are limited to 500MB of traffic each month. This isn't a huge amount, so you won’t be able to use TunnelBear all of the time without paying, but it's great for those times when you feel like you need a little extra protection and want to go down the VPN free route. TunnelBear offers a range of paid-for plans that remove the restrictions associated with the free plan, like the download limit, the numbers of countries available and the amount of connected devices. TechRadar has secured an exclusive deal from TunnelBear that gives you all this for as little as $4.99 per month, that's a whopping 58% saving.
It’s also interesting to note that TunnelBear recently tuned up its privacy policy, so the VPN now collects even less data on users – removing the need to supply a first name to sign up, and ditching its record of the user’s number of total lifetime connections.
- Want to get TunnelBear for free? You can download it here
- Buy TunnelBear Premium for as little as $4.99 per month
3. Windscribe
Super secure, with a very generous data cap, Windscribe is a top-notch free VPN
Number of servers: N/A | Server locations: 10 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: Unlimited
Windscribe is a relative newcomer to the free VPN scene, but its generous data allowance and commitment to protecting your privacy make it the best around if you need more data than the 500MB free tier with TunnelBear. You get 10GB bandwidth per month as standard and can choose from ten remote server locations with the Windscribe VPN free including UK, Hong Kong, Canada and US VPN). You only need to create a username and password to sign up (an email address is optional, but might prove handy if you forget your password).
Windscribe doesn’t store connection logs, IP stamps, or visited sites; when you’re actively connected to a server it stores your username, the VPN server you’re connected to and the amount of data transferred, but this is erased within three minutes of the session ending. Tweeting about the provider will earn you an extra 5GB, and you’ll get 1GB each time you invite a friend to join.
As an added perk, if anyone you’ve referred decides to upgrade to a Pro subscription (starting at around $4 per month billed annually), you’ll get the unlimited plan as well and far more servers (60+ in total). If that isn’t enough to tempt you, there’s even a built-in adblocker and firewall. Give it a try today – we think you’ll be impressed.
- Want to try Windscribe? You can download it here
4. Speedify
Want a secure yet speedy connection? Then look no further
Number of servers: 200+ | Server locations: 50+ | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 1
Speedify, as the name suggests, has one main aim as a free VPN provider: to ensure that while you benefit from encryption, your internet connection remains as speedy as possible. To that end, this provider will make use of all available internet connections to get the best possible performance, potentially combining, say, an Ethernet connection (fixed broadband) with a tethered mobile 3G/4G connection. Even if you only have one type of internet connection, the firm claims its turbocharging technology will still help speed things up.
The free plan boasts full access to those servers (just as with the subscription options), the only restriction of the free offering being that you’re limited in the amount of data you can download. Free users get 5GB of data each month, but that drops to 1GB during subsequent months. That’s not a huge allowance, and certainly not as much as some other rivals you’ll see elsewhere on this page, but it’s more than some, and still enough for covering some basic surfing and email duties. And this VPN provider is definitely worth a look on the performance front, as during our testing, the aforementioned speed-granting technologies did actually prove themselves to have a positive effect.
Want to try Speedify? You can download it here
5. ProtonVPN Free
You won’t be constrained by a monthly data allowance with this free VPN
Number of servers: N/A | Server locations: 3 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 1
ProtonVPN is another provider that offers a free VPN alongside a paid option, but the former has some very strong points, the most notable of which is that it doesn’t impose any bandwidth restrictions. In other words, you’re free to use as much data as you want every month. There are, naturally enough, limitations for the free plan to incentivize upgrading to the paid offering. And ProtonVPN Free’s restrictions include limiting you to only one device, only three locations, and free users get a lower priority when it comes to speed compared to paying subscribers. There’s no P2P support either. But if you can live with that, this is an impressive provider with a strict no logging policy, and you can sign up with nothing more than your email address. There aren’t even any ads on the website, let alone the client.
Speaking of clients, there are a good range of these – with native software for Windows PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, plus Android – and we found performance levels were pretty solid too. However, speeds may drop at peak times when lots of users are around and paying folks get priority; at which point you may be tempted to upgrade to a paid plan. But clearly, with its unlimited data allowance, this is one freebie which is well worth considering.
Want to try ProtonVPN Free? You can download it here
6. Hide.me
You’re on a hiding to something with this privacy-conscious VPN
Number of servers: N/A | Server locations: 3 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 1
Hide.me offers both paid and free VPN providers, with the latter giving you 2GB of data per month to play with. There are other limits too: you can only connect a maximum of one device, and are limited to three server locations (Singapore, Canada, and Netherlands) rather than the 30 locations paying subscribers get. On the plus side, however, this provider won’t throttle the connection speed of free users, and Hide.me further promises that it keeps no logs and stores no user data, so won’t pass on any data to third-parties in order to try and make a profit (simply because it doesn’t have any data to pass on). There are no adverts here, either.
You get native software for Windows PC and Mac, Android and iOS, with the Windows client being smartly designed, plus there’s 24/7 technical support (which is in place even for free users). Performance was impressive in our testing, too. Overall, then, this is a more-than-solid free offering which tries to maintain your privacy, without too many restrictions.
Want to try Hide.me? You can download it here
7. SurfEasy (Opera Free VPN)
A good argument for switching your browser?
Number of servers: 1000 | Server locations: 25 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 5
SurfEasy is a Canadian-based free VPN from the same organization responsible for the Opera web browser, and indeed it’s bundled within Opera as an integrated VPN. There are both paid and free offerings, with the latter not restricting the amount of devices you can use – free users can hook up a maximum of five devices simultaneously, just like paid subscribers. You also get 1,000 servers across 25 countries, and a very user-friendly Windows PC client. Performance is solid enough, although we found that some longer distance trips to more remote servers (i.e. the US) could be rather sluggish.
The main restriction here is a monthly data limit of 500MB, which means you won’t get very much mileage out of this VPN on a free basis, and it’s really for very light or occasional use only (or testing it if you’re looking at signing up for a paid plan). It’s important to note, though, that if you’re using the Opera browser with its integrated VPN, there’s no data limit here (at least for protecting your browsing activities). Which could be a compelling argument to switch from the likes of Chrome or Firefox…
Want to try SurfEasy? You can download it here
8. PrivateTunnel
A free VPN that’ll keep your data and identity safe on any PC or mobile device
Number of servers: N/A | Server locations: 9 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 3
Like some of the other free VPN providers featured in this roundup, PrivateTunnel is available for a number of platforms – specifically Windows PC, Mac, Android and iOS. Another characteristic shared with many of its contemporaries is the existence of a limited, free package in addition to paid-for subscriptions. Well, sort of. Rather than offering a traditional monthly subscription package, you are instead provided with 200MB of non-expiring data to use as you want. When this runs out, you can purchase more data in bundles of 20GB or 100GB. If you feel that you'd like to use PrivateTunnel all the time, you can opt for a $30 per year package which give you unlimited data – see the 200MB as something of a taster session to see if you like everything. As a VPN, PrivateTunnel works fairly well, although connections can be a little temperamental at times. It's all very easy to use, so there's little reason not to take it for a test drive.
Want to try PrivateTunnel? You can download it here
- We also reviewed dozens of VPN providers and listed the best ones in our updated best VPN buyer's guide.
Today's very best free VPN providers compared
How to choose a free VPN: 5 must-ask questions
The couple of years have witnessed the rise of global threats to individual privacy with long maintained rights to anonymity and net neutrality being undermined with a cloak of legitimacy.
While VPN - virtual private networks - are not the panacea to being safe, secure and private on the internet, it is an essential component of the arsenal for individuals inclined to seek these liberties.
If you don’t have a VPN yet, you can grab one for free, without having to pay a single penny for one. Just be careful though as not all free VPN providers are created equal and some might even compromise your security.
Here are five questions you need to ask yourself before you download and install one.
1. What is its business model? VPN providers are in for the money and running such a business does cost a lot especially if it is a popular one. Some, like Tunnelbear, will use free, just like Dropbox, as a marketing tool to entice potential customers to move to a paid version once they are happy with the free one. Most however will sell user data or provide a something to a third party that will, again, compromise your privacy.
2. How does it protect my PC? Most VPN providers usually use a desktop application that runs in the background encrypting your data while you surf the web. However, that’s only solves part of the problem. Your laptop can still be fingerprinted because of the permissiveness of tracking solutions that can be found on almost all websites online. A few, including WIndscribe, have a more holistic approach by integrating the equivalent of a super ad-blocker
3. What do I lose by going free? Usually one can expect a free product to have some corners cut and that is indeed the case for all VPN providers. Some offer more free bandwidth than others, major locations and even ad blocking, P2P and firewall with an easy paid for upgrade path that unlocks unlimited bandwidth with more locations and OpenVPN Configs.
4. Does your provider log anything? Make sure that your provider doesn’t store users’ internet activity. You can usually check that in the terms and conditions page or the end user license agreement, commonly known as EULA. Sadly, a lot of VPN providers prefer to frustrate end users with long T&Cs or privacy statements that often hide significant details about how they operate. On the other end of the spectrum are VPN providers that will erase everything after your session closes and don’t keep logs.
5. Can I sign up completely anonymously? Having a VPN provider that you can subscribe to without an email address and one that accepts Bitcoin payments, for maximum privacy, is pretty much the best you can expect online. Some providers also offer double hopping where you can obfuscate your traffic further by essentially doubling down on privacy.
Looking for a VPN for your smartphone or tablet? Then head to either of our guides to:
Apple’s iPhone is widely regarded as a stable and secure smartphone, but that isn’t to say that iOS doesn’t have its own issues regarding security and privacy – particularly in today’s climate of hacking and security breaches.
Even Apple's App Store is not devoid of its own share of dodgy apps (although truth be said, Google Play is a far more dangerous place to be). In terms of harmful activities, the argument that iPhone users have less to worry than other (especially Android) users certainly has some merit. However, that doesn't mean they should be too pleased with themselves.
Using one of the best VPN choices - and, in particular, one of their VPN apps - ensures you retain your digital privacy, while also allowing for other neat features like accessing geo-restricted content and circumventing censorship.
- Check out the best VPN service of 2019
The best iPhone VPNs
1. ExpressVPN
Number of servers: 3000+ | Server locations: 160 | IP addresses: 30,000 | Maximum devices supported: 5
ExpressVPN is our top pick for best all-round VPN, and specifically for iOS devices. This British Virgin Islands-based provider has a large server network (with 160 server locations in over 90 countries) that managed to provide very good speeds throughout our testing. ExpressVPN also has no trouble helping you access streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, making it ideal for streaming. Its custom traffic obfuscation will allow you to achieve better connectivity in censorship-heavy regions like China and the Middle East.
The iOS client is very easy to set up and boasts a user-friendly interface that focuses on smart server selection via different filters. Users can connect with a single tap and use the VPN seamlessly, with an option to reconnect automatically should your mobile data or Wi-Fi connection unexpectedly drop. The main drawback is the lack of a kill-switch, so that might be an issue for some. There are some unusual extras too, like the ability to switch protocols. The app itself supports iOS 8 and higher, a somewhat better level of support for the iPhone than found elsewhere.
ExpressVPN offers 24/7 customer support through live chat or email, to help users with any questions or issues they may encounter. The provider has an excellent privacy policy and doesn't collect or log traffic data, connection IPs, or browsing activity.
The prices aren’t the cheapest, but may be worth the added cost for those who want the best experience for iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads. The most affordable option is the yearly subscription, for which ExpressVPN throws in 3 additional months for free. The packages available are:
- Exclusive deal[$6.67 a month] 12-months (plus 3 free months) - $99.95
2. IPVanish
Number of servers: 1200+ | Server locations: 60+ | IP addresses: 40000+ | Maximum devices supported: 10
IPVanish delivers consistently great performance, and indeed actually improved our download speeds by around 15% over long distances, with even faster results when it came to some short hops. The native client supports iOS 9 or better, works equally well on iPads and connects automatically anytime internet traffic is detected. It also suggests the fastest server based on your location and ping time.
The app itself has some neat properties like the ability to auto-connect when visiting specific domains or the option to see the server ping and load times. While the app is missing a kill-switch and the interface could be better, it's still a great piece of software.
When it comes to security, IPVanish offers a broad range of protocols (for iOS, IKEv2 and IPSec are available), and on the privacy front, the provider doesn’t record any online activity or connection data while using the iOS app.
In short, the only niggle with IPVanish is its pricing. There is no free trial available and it's slightly more expensive than others. That said, the three plans include a 7-day money-back guarantee. The 1-year subscription is the most affordable option. The packages available are:
3. NordVPN
One of the most secure VPN apps for iPhone
Number of servers: 5300+ | Server locations: 62 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 6
NordVPN’s iOS app is user-friendly where everything is well organized, with at-a-glance information displayed by the ‘quick connect’ widget which details the closest server, availability, load percentage and so on. However, the interface as a whole could have been better. This provider’s network boasts a plentiful amount of servers, and offers perfectly acceptable performance.
On the security front, NordVPN supports 256-bit encryption, and offers an automatic kill switch, along with double data encryption (which passes your data through two separate VPN servers). This provider also has a ‘no logs’ policy, which is good to see.
Potential customers can sign up for a free trial, tucked away on the website, which is useful as the monthly billing is certainly on the expensive side. The rest of the paid subscriptions are much more reasonably priced, and indeed if you want to commit longer-term, the limited three-year plan actually offers fantastic value. The packages available are:
4. Private Internet Access
Best balance of performance and price
Number of servers: 3,300+ | Server locations: 52 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 10
In our performance tests, PIA yielded some great results, which is always a plus for any VPN. The native client requires iOS 9 on 64-bit or higher and it works quite well on iPads as well. The app itself is somewhat basic and it's generally low on features, but it does its job well.
On the security front, the provider supports the PPTP, OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec protocols with the 128-AES and 256-AES encryption. A kill-switch is also available which works admirably and the provider states that it doesn't have logging of any kind.
Sadly, the provider doesn't offer a free trial but there is a 7-day money back guarantee and the plans are quite affordable. The two-year plan is the best choice here if you don't mind committing that long (at the moment you'll also get extra 3 months). The packages available are:
5. SaferVPN
Very affordable VPN app
Number of servers: 700+ | Server locations: 34 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 2-5
Download Free Vpn For Iphone
SaferVPN offers lots of quality software clients, and the iOS app is no exception. You can connect with a simple tap without any prior configuration as the app automatically determines the best server locations for optimal performance. The client also automatically protects data over any unsecured Wi-Fi hotspot.
SaferVPN manages its own network. In our performance tests, we found speeds were pretty good compared to rivals, and we obtained solid download rates even over longer distances.
On the downside, this VPN records some session data, although none of this is related to your actual activities online – but it’s still more information than competitors collect, generally speaking.
Safer boasts a free access-all-areas 24-hour trial to check it out. Among the three price plans, the limited 3-year plan offers the best value. The packages available are:
- We’ve rounded up the best free VPN services
Best Free Vpn For Iphone 6s
How to choose the best iPhone or iOS VPN app
There’s no shortage of VPNs with decent iOS support, with many providers offering dedicated iOS apps, which is obviously a main consideration here – and preferably the software will be easy-to-use, and yet provide enough options for more advanced users to be able to tweak things.
Other important considerations include tight security (obviously) and a favourable privacy policy, along with terms of service which make it quite clear what logs and details are stored by the provider. The number of simultaneous connections allowed and the ensuing speeds you get from the VPN provider are also well worth considering, as ever.