Best free VPNs in 2024

Free VPNs are an easy way to quickly hide your IP address and jump between locations around the globe without shelling out a few dollars. Yes, they have their fair share of snags, and you may have heard they’re more trouble than they’re worth. Well, there’s some truth to that — unless you use one recommended by a trusted source like Android Police.

While they may not offer the speeds, servers, or security tools provided by the best VPNs you pay a monthly fee for, they aren’t without their advantages. From bypassing geo-restricted websites to viewing a streaming service’s library in another country to watch new streaming movies, these VPNs let you do it all without fees.

Sure, the best things in life are free, but it’s good to know that even the best free VPNs have strict data limits, a small server network in a handful of countries, or bandwidth throttling. Nevertheless, these top free VPN picks will have you surfing the web privately without paying a dime.

Top free VPN apps you can install today

Windscribe, one of the most popular free VPNs in the world, has been around for a long time and is trusted by many users. Its free tier is ridiculously easy to operate; this is best represented by the web browser plug-in that can be installed and used within just a couple of minutes. Simplicity also translates to the Android app, which makes it a breeze to choose your server and connect.

Speaking of servers, there are currently 20 city locations across 11 countries to choose from. That’s a generous number compared to the handful that most free VPNs offer. In the US alone, there are servers in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seattle, and Washington. Server availability also extends beyond the domestic selections, including those in Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Turkey, Hong Kong, and more. Unsure of which to choose? Simply click “Best Location” and Winsdcribe will think for you.

Windscribe doesn’t skimp on the added extras, either. Its so-called R.O.B.E.R.T. tool blocks malware, ads, trackers, porn and gambling site access, and even clickbait articles. They’re all turned off by default, but very easy to toggle on in the settings menu. The same goes for its split tunneling tool, which is a very unusual free VPN feature, giving you more control by specifying what applications will and won’t be channeled through the VPN. It’s known to help unblock Netflix catalogs in various countries, too.

Regarding data limits, Windscribe’s default is 2GB per month. That goes up to 10GB if you supply your email address and 15GB if you tweet about them. So it’s not as good as the unlimited data offered by Proton VPN or Hotspot Shield, but still a fair amount per month.

PrivadoVPN

Best for streaming

Unblocks Netflix catalogs and more

PrivadoVPN has quickly become one of the best free VPN options you can get, featuring servers in an impressive 11 countries. What’s most exciting about this freebie VPN is that it can unblock several major streaming services when you travel abroad.

Pros

• Unblocks major streaming services
• Servers in 11 countries
• Choice of protocols

Cons

• Restricts speeds after 10GB

If your main reason for getting a free VPN is to stream worldwide TV shows, then PrivadoVPN is the best option on this list. It’s rare for a freebie to function well enough to get around the geo-restrictions that prevent streaming services from being accessed outside their native setting, but PrivadoVPN has that power. So if, for example, you want to watch US Netflix exclusives out of the country, you can connect to one of its US servers. Similarly, you can watch BBC iPlayer from outside the British Isles by connecting to its UK server.

On the flip side, bear in mind that after your first 10GB of usage each month, the speeds are throttled to a bare minimum. So box-set bingers beware; streaming may be scuppered a few episodes into the season. Before that cap kicks in, however, PrivadoVPN’s speeds are just as fast as they are with the premium tier. Which is to say, rapid.

This free VPN is extremely easy to set up and use, and navigating its Android app is super straightforward. Once in, there are four servers in the US to choose from or one server in each of its other ten countries (e.g., UK, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India, and New Zealand). You’ll also have the choice between three protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2, or the speedy WireGuard.

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Hide.me

Most customizable

Tailor this free VPN to your needs

With locations in six countries, Hide.me’s free VPN benefits from multiple protocol and tunnel options to configure as you wish. No email address is required to sign up, and it’s really easy to get started.

Pros

• No personal details required
• Highly configurable
• Multiple protocols and tunnels

Cons

• Six countries only
• Lots of features behind paywall

“Internet Privacy is a basic human right and with the Free plan, we give our users the freedom to browse the internet privately.”

That’s the very straightforward raison d’être Hide.me pledges when you download its free Android app for the first time. The app officially has server locations in six countries, which is more than a lot of freebies on the Play Store but less than other options in this guide. The US, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Spain are all included.

Alternatively, you can just hit the “Best Location” option. When we did so, it placed us on a UK server; that came as a bit of a happy surprise, considering that’s not even a location listed in its free options.

The Hide.me app is easy enough for beginners to get started — it doesn’t even ask for your email address, so anonymity appears to be prioritized. And if you’re a VPN pro who likes to tinker, you can choose from many protocols (including WireGuard), VPN tunnels (IPv4 or IPv6), and even configure your DNS.

There’s a tantalizing list of additional features in the Android apps Settings tab, but these are reserved for premium users only. So that means no SmartGuard tools to block ads or protect you from malware, no auto-connecting, and no kill switch or split tunneling.

Proton VPN

No data limits

Free VPN without limits

Proton VPN is a fast, easy-to-use free VPN with a real ace up its sleeve — no data limits. It has around 200 servers across five countries and plenty of features you’d expect from a fully-fledged premium option.

Pros

• Unlimited data allowance
• Fast server speeds
• WireGuard protocol included

Cons

• Limited server locations
• Can’t choose location

With its five available locations and 200-odd servers, Proton VPN appears like any other free VPN. But unlike many of its competitors, it has no usage caps. That’s a really eye-catching bonus, especially if you’re planning to have Proton VPN turned on all the time.

As a company, Proton is probably best known for its secure email. So it should come as no surprise that there are plenty of privacy smarts integrated into its free VPN tier. For example, DNS Leak Protection, alternative routing, and a fully functioning kill switch are all included (although you’ll have to upgrade to a premium plan if you want additions like malware blocking). Thanks to the availability of the WireGuard protocol, connection speeds are fast, too, without any throttling to slow you down.

There are some quirks to be aware of on its free Android app, though. It has locations in the US, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, and Romania, but you don’t get to choose which one you use, and you can only change location every 20 minutes. Plus, there are no streaming or P2P servers with Proton VPN Free, so it’s not the ideal tool to use for watching Netflix or torrenting.

Atlas VPN

Unlimited speeds

Beginner-friendly with no speed limit

Atlas VPN has made a name for itself for its low-cost subscriptions, but its free VPN service should also get some praise. With unlimited speeds, no device limit, and a simple but effective user interface make it a solid choice to become anonymous online. That said, its 5GB of monthly data isn’t a lot, and users will only have three countries to choose from.

Pros

• No speed limits
• User-friendly interface
• Ad-free

Cons

• Only three countries
• 5GB data limit

Aimed at VPN novices, Atlas VPN offers an exemplary introductory class. With a simple user interface on the devices it’s available on, including Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS, it’s a great, easy-to-use privacy tool. Moreover, its free service offers plenty of perks.

Offering uncapped speeds that won’t throttle your internet and an ad-free experience, you can expect to jump online and get past strict blocks in no time. A special touch Atlas VPN adds is its IP swapping servers, meaning a new IP address will become available if one IP address gets flagged. That makes it good at getting past region-restricted sites and streaming services. You may only have three countries to choose from, including the Netherlands, Singapore, and the US, but you can pick which server to connect to freely.

What you’ll have to put up with is its limited 5GB of monthly data, which isn’t ideal if you use it on several devices or solely use it for streaming. Despite having independent security audits and a strict no-logs policy, Atlas VPN is still based in the U.S., meaning it’s open to scrutiny. During usage, we did find its speeds weren’t the fastest around. However, it’s enough to do the job, especially considering it’s completely free to use.

ExpressVPN

Premium pick

Best VPN you can get bar none

If you simply want the best virtual private network possible, ExpressVPN is the one you need. It’s super secure with speedy connections and servers in 105 countries — and you can try it risk-free with its 30-day trial.

Pros

• 3,000+ servers in 105 countries
• Superb for streamers
• Try free for 30 days

Cons

• Premium plan is quite pricey

Simply put, ExpressVPN is the best VPN you can get. While some of the numbers probably speak for themselves (more than 3,000 servers, 105 countries, eight simultaneous connections), it’s the user experience that really stands out.

You’ll love the 24/7 live chat customer service that will provide guidance if anything goes wrong or if you get lost in its myriad tools and features. In terms of features, you’ll get everything you need, including rapid proprietary Lightway protocol, military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, and the ability to unblock pretty much any streaming service. There are even features like Threat Manager, Parallel Connections, split tunneling, kill switch, and password manager.

It’s not the cheapest around, costing $6.67 a month for its best-value 15-month plan. So what’s it doing in this guide? Well, you can try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days thanks to its quibble-free money-back guarantee. That means you can give this best-in-class software a go without spending a cent.

Consider a paid VPN for the best experience

While many are here to grab the best free VPN (no) money can buy, there’s a reason paid VPNs are regarded as essential privacy tools. Not only do they offer unlimited data with superb speeds and a vast server network in numerous countries around the globe, but they also deliver an advanced privacy and security tool suite.

Beyond kill switches and split tunneling, which are tools only a handful of free VPNs offer, paid VPNs come with anti-tracking, web protection from malware and malicious links, double VPNs, and even dark web monitoring. You may also find Smart DNS features that help get past streaming service blocks much easier than free VPNs.

Of course, not all paid VPNs offer these traits, but the best services always offer a unique feature to give you the upper hand when it comes to privacy or streaming. Yes, many paid VPNs ask for a hefty monthly sum — some for under $2 per month if you opt for a two-year plan. However, if you’re on a tight budget, that’s when a handy free VPN comes in.

For more on the difference, take a look at our detailed breakdown of how free and paid VPNs compare.

Protect your Android instantly with the best free VPN app

There’s a sea of free VPNs out there, and as enticing as they may be to download on the Google Play Store or elsewhere, there’s always a risk that they won’t keep your data private. Take SuperVPN as an example, which leaked 360 million personal user records in May 2023. It’s unfortunate, but not all free VPNs are out to get you.

Knowing where to look and finding the right free VPN for your device is essential, and this list showcases the best of them. Windscribe is the top of the crop, as it never fails to impress when it comes to speed, servers, and security. Boasting AES-256 encryption to keep your data safe, 11 countries to hop between, and up to 15GB of data to use, this free VPN is nothing to sneeze at, even when compared to many paid VPNs.

For streaming, you can’t go wrong with PrivadoVPN. Offering superb servers that bypass streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer, it’s amazing what this VPN platform can get you for free, especially with the 11 countries you can pick and choose from. It’s a shame about its 10GB data limit, but it will get you out of a bind if you need a quick way to stream.

If data limits are getting in your way, Proton VPN is your best bet. Offering a generous uncapped data limit, you can have this VPN switched on at all times without forking over any cash. However, it’s not great for streaming, and you won’t have the freedom to choose which servers to connect to.

Here’s a tip: if one doesn’t work the way you’d like it to, just try another. Better yet, mix and match! These are completely free, after all.

Windscribe

Best overall

Reliable and secure selection

With 20 VPN locations across 11 countries, Windscribe is a trustworthy free VPN that is really easy to get started with on Android and your other devices.