Free VPNs have had a bad reputation in the VPN community for a number of reasons. There have been numerous reports of free VPNs farming your data and even using your connection as a node for its paying users.
However, not all free VPNs are working this way. There are many different companies who treat their VPN as a marketing expense and thus offer reduced features but with the same security that you would expect in a fully-fledged version of their product.
Using a trusted free VPN can be a great way to test out how a VPN helps you, so let’s take a look at why you need a VPN and which VPNs have a rock-solid free version.
Why you need a VPN?
A Virtual Private Network uses one of its own servers set up in a remote location to handle all of your internet traffic. This means that anyone who tries to spy on your internet connection and tries to take a look at your browsing history will only be able to see that you are connected to a VPN server (the VPN server will then connect to the server that you want, ensuring anonymity on your end).
When using an unprotected connection, there is also a fair chance of your data being intercepted because of DNS or IP leaks. A VPN also prevents this from happening by having certain security measures that prevent these leaks.
Lastly, a VPN provides you with AES-256 encryption which is used by banks and military organizations worldwide to protect important and confidential data. Because of this, even if someone manages to intercept your data, they will not be able to view it. If you use some of the best free VPN solutions, then you can have this encryption guarding all your internet traffic too.
Why a free VPN is good for beginners
If you are someone who has never used a VPN before in their life, then free VPNs might be just what you need. Before you invest in a VPN service, it is better to acquaint yourself with all of the features that are offered. For example, you might want to know what a kill switch is and whether or not you want a VPN which has this feature.
On top of that, an extremely small percentage of users may not even need the full version of a VPN. If you are someone who only occasionally uses the internet and can get by on the limited features that the free VPN services offer, then you will only be wasting money on a VPN. However, remember that most people who use the internet will require the full version of the VPN as the free versions are quite restricted for the most part.
How experienced users can use a free VPN
People who have some knowledge about VPNs and want to purchase a full version can use the free version of the service to see whether or not they are getting good speeds and if the connection is stable. This can also be done on the paid VPNs as almost all of them offer a 30-day money back guarantee (which can be used as a free trial of the product).
Now that you know why you need a free VPN, let’s take a look at some of the best available options.
Tunnelbear
Tunnelbear has a really cute interface, backed by some really sturdy hardware. Unfortunately, you are only allowed to use 500 MB of data each month on the free plan, making this option work only as a test service for the full version of the product.
ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is a great free VPN because it might just be the only free VPN service in the world that provides you with unlimited data and does not sell your information to make up for the costs.
Instead, you only get access to a total of 3 servers, so you need to be close to one of them if you want to be able to enjoy a stable connection. On top of this, the speeds on the free VPN are reduced drastically. If you are planning to do any sort of video streaming, gaming, or communication over your VPN, then purchase the full version.
Windscribe
Windscribe is probably our favorite free VPN due to the fact that it offers the most amount of features in its free service. You get access to a total of 10 locations (including 1 location which is closest to you for maximum stability), most of the security features in the full version, and a total of 10 GB of data every month.
On top of this, you can use its custom Build-a-Plan feature to add one location and 10GB of data for only $1 a month. For users who only use the internet for work or for tasks that do not put a strain on their data, this option is perfect.