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We chose ProtonVPN as the best free VPN service because it offers the most comprehensive free plan with no ads and no bandwidth limits. Hotspot Shield and Ivacy came in close behind to round out our top three.
Free VPNs: Our Shortlist
Our Top Picks
Best Unlimited Free VPN
Best Money-Back Guarantee
Best Device Compatibility
Best Customer Support
Most Transparent
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The Top Free VPNs of 2023
Best Unlimited Free VPN
Features
- No bandwidth limits
- Apps for Linux, Chrome, Android, TV, & more
- One connection on up to 23 servers
#1 Top Pick for 2023
Many free VPNs limit monthly bandwidth–thankfully ProtonVPN isn’t one of them. Enjoy unlimited protection on one device at no cost.
Paid Plans Start At
$4 per month
Support
Email, ticketing
Infrastructure
44 countries
Bandwidth
Unlimited
Read More
Reasons to choose ProtonVPN
- No bandwidth limits
- Apps for Linux, Chrome, Android, TV, & more
- One connection on up to 23 servers
Reasons to avoid
- Limited number of servers & only one connection on the free plan
Unlike most other providers, ProtonVPN doesn’t impose any bandwidth limits on either paid or free users.
Bandwidth caps are the most common restriction with free virtual private networks (VPNs), and they can also be one of the most frustrating. Unlike most other providers, ProtonVPN doesn’t impose any bandwidth limits on either paid or free users. While you will be limited to one connection, 23 servers, and “medium” speeds, you’ll be able to upload and download as much as you want without hitting any caps. As such, ProtonVPN has the best unlimited free plan of any VPN in 2023.
- Who is ProtonVPN best for?
Not all VPNs offer full Linux support like ProtonVPN making it idea for Linux users. - Recent upgrades to ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN has always had a limited command-line tool for Linux, but its new Linux desktop application makes the service more accessible than ever for Linux users. It also released clients for Chromebooks and Android TV near the end of 2020, making ProtonVPN one of the most versatile providers when it comes to access on different devices. - ProtonVPN pricing
ProtonVPN offers a free tier. Additionally, the basic plan ($4 per month paid annually) comes with more servers, two connections instead of one, higher speeds, support for torrents, and an adblocker. Plus plan ($8 per month paid annually) adds access to all ProtonVPN servers along with 10 connections, no limits on speeds, Tor connections, support for streaming services, and more.
What Customers Are Saying About ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN users appreciate its seamless setup process and the quality of its free option relative to the alternatives. Customers also note that servers are highly concentrated in Europe and North America, with much less availability in other areas of the world.
Best Money-Back Guarantee
Features
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- Unlimited bandwidth for one device
- Access to more than 800 servers
Paid Plans Start At
$7.99 per month
Support
Email
Infrastructure
800+ servers
Bandwidth
Unlimited
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Reasons to choose Hotspot Shield
- Unlimited bandwidth for one device
- Access to 800+ servers for free
- Kill switch + traffic proxy
- Tor over VPN, IP leak protection
Reasons to avoid
- Paid plans are expensive
- Issues with the FTC in 2017
- Weak privacy policy
Hotspot Shield gives new subscribers an incredibly generous 45 days to decide whether the service is right for them, plus an unbeatable money-back guarantee.
If you’re looking for a new VPN, you probably want to test the platform you choose before you commit to spending any money. Hotspot Shield gives new subscribers an incredibly generous 45 days to decide whether the service is right for them, more than two weeks longer than what you’ll get with most other providers. Its unbeatable money-back guarantee makes it a low-risk option — just remember to make a decision before the end of the refund period. Hotspot Shield is also well-known for its support for streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus.
- Who is Hotspot Shield best for?
If you’re worried about trying a VPN, Hotspot Sheild has the best money-back guarantee to make the process risk-free. - Recent upgrades to Hotspot Shield
One difference with other privacy-focused VPNs is that Hotspot Shield’s privacy policy references some logging, which may turn some users away. The platform was also publicly accused of violating its privacy policy in 2017, and it has never undergone an independent audit or taken other meaningful steps to address the allegations. - Hotspot Shield pricing
The free Hotspot Shield tier comes with one device, one location, and 500 MB of daily data. Individual paid accounts are available for $12.99 per month, or $7.99 per month if you pay for a year at a time. All plans come with a password manager plus antivirus software and a spam call blocker, and you can also get a family plan with five accounts for $19.99 per month or $11.99 per month paid annually.
What Customers Are Saying About Hotspot Shield
Customers and reviewers offer positive feedback for Hotspot Shield’s fast speeds and compatibility with most popular streaming services. However, several publications have raised concerns with the service’s privacy policy and response to allegations filed with the Federal Trade Commission in 2017.
Best Device Compatibility
Features
- Xbox, Linux, browsers, routers, and more
- Purchase up to five years in advance
- Very affordable paid plans
Paid Plans Start At
$1 per month
Support
24/7 live chat
Infrastructure
52+ countries
Bandwidth
Unlimited
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Reasons to choose Ivacy
- Supports more devices than others
- Incredibly affordable paid plans
- Fully-featured VPN
Reasons to avoid
- Not as easy to use
Ivacy offers significantly more than Windows and Mac, including support for Xbox, Linux and Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers.
Every VPN on this list should work smoothly on Windows and Mac, and most of them are also compatible with the iOS and Android operating systems. However, Ivacy offers significantly more than that including support for Xbox as well as Linux and the Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers. You can also set up the VPN directly on your router to protect all traffic on your home network regardless of the device that’s connected.
- Who is Ivacy best for?
If you have a lot of different types of devices, Ivacy has broad compatibility to work on the most possible devices. - Recent upgrades to Ivacy
Ivacy optimized its software for Apple’s M1 chip. - Ivacy pricing
Ivacy offers a free plan. For paid plans, Ivacy costs $9.95 per month when you pay for individual months, but that goes all the way down to $3.66 per month for a full year. Two-year subscriptions are available for a one-time payment of $59, which works out to just $2.45 per month. These plans also come with 2 TB of encrypted cloud storage, making it one of the better deals on this list for users who are looking for storage in the cloud.
What Customers Are Saying About Ivacy
Ivacy only has a small number of user reviews, but the feedback we were able to find is generally positive. One particularly popular feature is support for up to 10 devices on the same account, much more than most other VPNs offer with individual subscriptions.
Best Customer Support
Features
- Free VPN for Windows, iOS, Android, and Mac
- Email, phone, live chat, and remote help
- Very detailed knowledge base
Paid Plans Start At
$29.99 per year
Support
Email, phone, chat
Infrastructure
100+ countries
Bandwidth
200 MB per day on free
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Reasons to choose Kaspersky
- Excellent customer support
- Completely free for multiple platforms
- Easily download the VPNs you need
- Just $29.99 per year
Reasons to avoid
- Website is confusing
- Limited to 200 MB per day on free
Kaspersky is one of the best-known names in cybersecurity, and its VPN stands out to us due to its exceptional customer service. The Knowledge Base contains detailed articles about a variety of Kaspersky applications, and you can get support through email, phone, live chat, or even remote assistance — all available 24/7. These outstanding resources and positive experiences from past users make Kaspersky a clear choice for the best customer support of any VPN in 2023.
While Kaspersky’s VPN comes with its own branding and customer service, it’s worth noting that it’s powered by Hotspot Shield — as the Kaspersky website notes, the “Kaspersky VPN uses Hotspot Shield technologies.” Meanwhile, we would expect its VPN to offer a similar performance to Hotspot Shield itself. Since there’s no difference in the servers, you’re mostly paying for access to Kaspersky’s support team instead of Hotspot Shield’s team.
- Kaspersky Secure Connection pricing
The free tier of Kaspersky Secure Connection is limited, with just 200 MB of traffic per day and no control over the server you connect to. Users can upgrade to a paid subscription for $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year when paid annually, which is essentially a 50% discount. These plans come with simultaneous access on up to five devices.
What Customers Are Saying About Kaspersky
While Kaspersky doesn’t offer its own servers, it’s still an extremely popular option because of its incredibly competitive prices. Even though Kaspersky uses the Hotspot Shield infrastructure, it’s substantially cheaper at just $2.50 per month paid annually compared to $7.99 per month for Hotspot Shield.
Most Transparent
Features
- 2 GB of browsing on the free plan
- Affordable paid plans if you want to upgrade
- Annual security audits
Paid Plans Start At
$3.33 per month
Support
Email
Infrastructure
47 countries
Bandwidth
2 GB/mo on free
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Reasons to choose TunnelBear
- Annual security audits
- Servers in several South American countries
- Delete account data at any time
Reasons to avoid
- Smaller infrastructure than others
TunnelBear goes further than most competitors in respect to transparency, undergoing a fresh security audit every year and publishing the results on their website.
The most important thing you can do when looking for a free VPN is to make sure you find a provider you can trust. TunnelBear goes further with respect to transparency, undergoing a fresh security audit every year and publishing the results on its website. Cure53, a German cybersecurity company that specializes in website penetration testing, completes the audits. What you see is what you get, so TunnelBear was an easy choice for the most transparent free VPN available in 2023.
TunnelBear currently offers servers in 41 countries — far more than some of the alternatives, but still well short of top competitors like ExpressVPN (94) and Hotspot Shield (more than 70). Like ProtonVPN, most of TunnelBear’s servers are concentrated in Europe and North America, but there are a surprising number of options in South America, including Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Peru.
- Who is TunnelBear best for?
In contrast to ProtonVPN, TunnelBear limits free users by total bandwidth rather than by speeds or server access. You’ll only be able to use the service for up to 2 GB of monthly data, making it more suitable for testing or extremely light usage rather than anything consistent. - Recent upgrades to TunnelBear
|Recently, TunnelBear has increase their free data limit to 2GB per month from the previous 500MB per month. - TunnelBear pricing
If you want to upgrade TunnelBear’s free plan, unlimited plans are available for $9.99 per month, $5 per month paid annually, or $3.33 per month paid every three years.
What Customers Are Saying About TunnelBear
TunnelBear has received generally positive feedback from both consumers and professional reviewers. It’s also popular for its welcoming, user-friendly design that stands out from most other VPNs.
Compare Free VPN Services
Free VPN
Best Features
Cheapest Paid Plan
Best Unlimited Free VPN
- No bandwidth limits
- Apps for Linux, Chrome, Android, TV, & more
- One connection on up to 23 servers
$4 per month
Best Money-Back Guarantee
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- Unlimited bandwidth for one device
- Access to more than 800 servers
$7.99 per month
Best Device Compatibility
- Xbox, Linux, browsers, routers, and more
- Purchase up to five years in advance
- Very affordable paid plans
$1 per month
Best Customer Service
- Free VPN for Windows, iOS, Android, & Mac
- Email, phone, live chat, and remote help
- Very detailed knowledge base
$29.99 per year
Most Transparent
- 2 GB of browsing on the free plan
- Affordable paid plans if you want to upgrade
- Annual security audits
$3.33 per month
What You Need to Know
What does a VPN do?
A VPN connection establishes a secure connection between you and the internet. All your data traffic is routed through an encrypted virtual tunnel via the VPN. This disguises your IP address when you use the internet, making its location invisible to everyone. A VPN connection is also secure against external attacks.
Is it really necessary to have a VPN?
VPN use is important for online privacy when you’re logging into the internet from a public spot because cyber snoops could track your online activity when using public Wi-Fi, whether on your computer or your mobile device.
Is it okay to leave a VPN on all the time?
If you’re using a VPN for privacy reasons or to keep yourself anonymous online, you should always keep it on. Since your VPN is your best protection against hackers and helps keep your information private, it’s best to leave your VPN on whenever you’re on the internet.
Is there a downside to using a VPN?
Some VPNs may slow your connection speed, and you could experience connection drops. You could be blocked from using particular services or websites, like Netflix. VPNs are illegal in a few countries and could give you a false sense of legal impunity.
Can a VPN be hacked?
VPN services can be hacked, but it’s extremely difficult to do so. Most premium VPNs use OpenVPN or WireGuard protocols in combination with AES or ChaCha encryption, a combination almost impossible to decrypt using brute force attacks.
Can a VPN service see my information?
The VPN encrypts your internet traffic before it leaves your computer. The encrypted traffic passes through your router and ISP, but because it’s encrypted, neither of them can see its content.
How We Review Free VPNs
Whether you’re looking to stream region-locked content, avoid website trackers, or keep your internet activity safe from your internet service provider (ISP), a consumer VPN is the best way to get started. Fortunately, a long list of providers offer reliable VPN services at an affordable cost.
I signed up for a plan with each VPN service to test:
Learn more about our review methodology.