Internet users today face a growing threat to their online privacy and freedom, as governments and corporations seek to control what we see and do online. That’s why finding a top-notch free VPN for your PC is more important than ever. By encrypting your data and masking your IP address, you can browse with confidence, knowing that no one is watching over your shoulder. In 2024, we’ll be sharing our top picks for the best free VPNs out there – so get ready to take back your online freedom.
For anyone looking to keep their online activities private and secure, finding a free VPN can seem like a daunting task. With so many options out there, how do you know which one to trust? And once you’ve found a good free option, how do you know whether it can stand up to the capabilities of a paid VPN? It’s important to remember that free VPNs often come with significant limitations – such as reduced speeds and data allowances – that may make them less suitable for high-intensity or mission-critical tasks.
When it comes to selecting a free VPN for your online activity, understanding its inner workings is crucial. Familiarizing yourself with how VPN providers are able to offer their services for free, as well as the performance and security compromises you may need to make, can significantly influence your decision.
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Issues with free VPN services
Free VPN services are possible, but there is typically a reason for this as it suggests that the provider is making money in some other way, typically by selling your personal information to other parties or displaying obtrusive advertising (rather breaking the purpose to protect your privacy at all).
Furthermore Free services often limit the amount of data you can use and the speed at which you can use it, rendering them worthless for streaming video or torrenting, or for offering an additional layer of safe protection for your ordinary online activities. Don’t anticipate the same kind of rapid access support or servers that you may get with paying services.
But if you’re eager to test a free VPN for your PC, or any other device, we’ve identified the best Seven that are well worth looking into and don’t put your user experience at danger. Additionally, if you are happy with the service and would like to subsequently take use of all capabilities given, they offer the option of upgrading.
Best Free VPN for PC in 2024
1. Proton VPN Free
Proton Best Free VPN – Completely Secure & Unlimited Data
Countries: 3 | Number of servers: 3 | Server locations: 3 | Maximum devices supported: 1 | Data limit: Unlimited | Support: Website, email
Swiss-based Proton VPN Free has a long-standing history of providing top-quality security and privacy. We’ve tried many of the top free VPNs and, out of all the options, this is the most secure and easy to use option.
The first thing that is what sets Proton VPN Free apart from other VPNs is that it provides completely unlimited data. It is the only free VPNs you’re able to put in place and forget about the amount of the data is being used. Also, with a peak speed of 380Mbps during our tests there’s no chance of being slowing down.
While you don’t get high-end features such as Proton’s Secure Core servers, you’ll get all the essentials such as WireGuard or OpenVPN protocols and a kill switch. access to the support team via email, and a vast knowledge base. Proton has zero-logging built in as standard and also comes with split tunneling as well as useful leak protection. Most paid plans don’t provide this feature, or even a free plan which has unlimited usage.
But, in comparison to the competitors, Proton VPN Free is the best free VPN download we’ve and if you cannot justify signing up with an expensive service, this is the one we would recommend strongly.
Get it now for free from the official website
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2. Windscribe Free
Countries: 11 | Server locations: 14 | Maximum devices supported: Unlimited | Data limit: 10GB per month | Support: Website, email
Windscribe VPN deserves to be among the best free VPN programs, as it provides you with 11 countries and 14 servers. In addition to that, there are no restrictions on the number of devices used.
The benefits are what truly distinguishes Windscribe’s free service.It offers a maximum of 10GB of bandwidth per month, and there are no limitations on devices. To be eligible for that bandwidth, you must have a verified email address. If not, you’re stuck at 2GB per month.
The service is free and offers 10 regional connections, including countries like the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, and Romania. There are also a lot of privacy options, including blocking notifications for websites’ “we use cookies” banners, WebRTC leak protection, tracking location spoofing, agents rotating, and much more.
Windscribe’s privacy policies state that it tracks the amount of bandwidth you use every month in order to ensure that bandwidth limits are enforced. The policy also records the date and time of your last visit to your Windscribe network.
Get it now for free from the official website
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3. PrivadoVPN Free
Countries: 9 | Server locations: 12 | Maximum devices supported: 1 | Data limit: 10GB per month | 24/7 live chat support
PrivadoVPN Free hasn’t been around too long, but it’s gained attention, particularly when it comes to free VPNs. Actually, PrivadoVPN Free is able to do something that is very unlike other VPNs: unlock local Netflix content.
With 10GB of unlimited data, it’s possible to get a lot of usage out of it. If you’re running out of space, you’ll be able to continue browsing with complete privacy, but at a slow speed of just 1Mbps. This service is available only through the Dutch emergency server; however, it’s definitely superior to nothing.
With your 10GB of storage, you’ll have access to a wide range of servers, including 12 across 9 countries. This is a greater selection than many service providers, such as Proton VPN Free, so if you’re planning to travel the world, PrivadoVPN may well be an ideal choice.
There are some limitations. You’ll only be able to utilize your plan on one device, and the apps aren’t as robust as Proton’s. Also, there’s no independent privacy review.
Yet, PrivadoVPN Free is a highly appealing option and is ideal for those who are seeking a short-term VPN to stream from; it might be the best option.
Get it now for free from the official website
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4. Atlas VPN Free
Countries: 2 | Server locations: 3 | Maximum devices supported: 2 | Data limit: 10GB per month | Support: Website, email
Atlas VPN Free is owned by Nord Security, which runs NordVPN. It’s mostly a paid-for VPN, but it also offers an unpaid level. At the time of its launch, it did not have any bandwidth restrictions, but it now restricts you to 10GB for a month in the Windows application.
Atlas VPN has three free servers. There is one server on each of the coasts of the USA and one located in Europe (in Amsterdam).
They don’t have the “fast connection speeds” that are promised to paying customers There aren’t assurances of speed for streaming video. However, they can allow P2P downloads.
We ran into a problem when using US Netflix as well as the UK’s BBC iPlayer, neither of which allows us to stream content outside of these countries. Atlas VPN says premium subscribers have higher success rates.
Get it now for free from the official website
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5. Hide.me Free VPN
Countries: 4 | Server locations: 5 | Maximum devices supported: 1 | Data limit: 10GB per month | Support: Website, email, live chat
Hide.me VPN was once offering the use of 2GB per month on its free service but it has increased that limit to 10GB without speed limits.
It’s even better if you continue using the service after you’ve reached the limit. You just will not be able to select the server that you’re connected with. It’s not guaranteed speed yet however it’s be the most efficient hide.me could offer.
A credit card is not required , and you don’t need to register an account. Install the program on the computer choose the free option and then hit the activate button.
In addition, while there’s the option of just five servers, they all comprise the USA, which means you can browse US websites which are restricted from Europe due to GDPR-related limitations.
Unfortunately, Netflix doesn’t provide support for US Netflix which means you won’t get to stream shows that aren’t available elsewhere.
The good news is that Hide.me provides the same features across every plan, including the free plans. It doesn’t track any user’s activity, and it does not also sell user data to earn profit.
Get it now for free from the official website
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6. Hotspot Shield VPN
Countries: 1 | Server locations: 1 | Maximum devices supported: 5 | Data limit: 500 MB | Support: Website
Hotspot Shield is another big name in VPN that is well-known for its free level.
However, it’s not as comprehensive in many ways, which could render it less attractive as some of the other free services available here.
While it’s real that it provides 15GB of bandwidth each month, it also has a second limit of 500MB per day. That means any dreams you had in mind of watching US Netflix during weekends are now no longer feasible. The streaming of video is also limited to standard definition. This means it’s not possible to watch videos in HD.
Additionally, you’ll be seeing lots of advertisements when using Hotspot Shield: that’s how the free service gets its funding.
There’s only one server that’s available (which is an US online location) It’s also possible to only connect one device to this free service.
The most restricting aspect is the fact that speeds are limited to just 2Mbps and users who are free do not have access to technical assistance.
Get it now for free from the official website
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7. TunnelBear Free VPN
Countries: 40+ | Server locations: 40+ | Data limit: 500MB per month | Connections: 1 | Support: Website, email
We’ve always loved TunnelBear. It’s user-friendly cost-effective and the speeds are excellent. When we ran speed tests, TunnelBear was not in the top 20; however, its speed was still excellent when we last looked at it and had an average speed of 30.6 megabytes per second.
This is plenty of bandwidth for what this VPN is suitable for, as it’s a limit monthly limit of 500MB. The idea is to give you an opportunity to test the service prior to making a commitment to buy.
It’s still enough for quick hits while in the car to check emails or for basic internet browsing. Furthermore, TunnelBear keeps track of the bandwidth you use so that it can tell you the moment you’re close to your limit.
Get it now for free from the official website
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Is using a free VPN secure?
Yes, it is possible. There aren’t any significant differences in the type of technology employed, meaning you’ll get the same level of protection and security. However, in some very rare instances, when you sign up for a free VPN service, you agree that the service will be able to record your details and sell them to third parties.
This isn’t the case when using the VPNs we recommend; however, should you choose another service, make sure you review the Ts & Cs prior to signing up.
Are free VPNs worth it?
It’s possible you’re willing to compromise on bandwidth or servers, particularly in the case where all you need to do is use the VPN to connect to public Wi-Fi networks for protection, yet the tiny allowances for data from the majority of free VPNs mean that you will not be streaming video. Many won’t let you unblock streaming services , but they will block them anyway.
If you reach the limit on data, you’ll have to wait until the data allowance is renewed in the next month. Choose a different free service or upgrade to a paid version of a service.
There are some exceptions. ProtonVPN provides unlimited bandwidth for free, and hide.me recently updated its free plan so that once you’ve exhausted your monthly allowance, you are able to continue using the service, but you cannot select which server you want to connect to. This is a huge benefit, even if you don’t have to pay.