Best Free VPNs
Genuinely free VPN plans worth trying
Updated April 2026
| # | VPN | Score | Free Plan | Servers | Privacy | Credibility | Protocols | Bug Bounty | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ProtonVPN Free | 4.8 | Unlimited Data | 5 countries | No Logs Verified Switzerland | Open-source, independently audited, backed by Proton AG (CERN scientists) | WireGuard OpenVPN Stealth | Public program — up to $100,000 per report (via YesWeHack; cap raised from $10,000 in Nov 2025) | The only free VPN with unlimited data and an independently audited no-logs policy. Speeds are capped vs the paid tier, but usable for everyday browsing. |
| 2 | Windscribe Free | 4.2 | 10 GB/mo | 11 countries | Audited No Logs Canada | Independently audited, voluntarily discontinued affiliate program | WireGuard OpenVPN IKEv2 Stealth | Disclosure program — up to $5,000 (no guaranteed minimum) | Best free server selection with 11 countries. ROBERT ad-blocker works on free plan. 10 GB is enough for moderate browsing but not streaming. |
| 3 | Hide.me Free | 3.8 | 10 GB/mo | 8 locations | Audited No Logs Malaysia | Independently audited no-logs, member of VPN Trust Initiative | WireGuard OpenVPN IKEv2 SoftEther | No formal program; vulnerability reports accepted by email | Solid free tier with good speeds and multiple protocol options. Malaysian jurisdiction is outside major surveillance alliances. |
| 4 | PrivadoVPN Free | 3.6 | 10 GB/mo | 12 servers | Claims No Logs Switzerland | Swiss jurisdiction provides legal privacy protection, but no independent audit published | WireGuard OpenVPN IKEv2 | No VRP | Good server variety for a free VPN. Swiss privacy laws are strong, but the absence of independent audits means trust rests primarily on jurisdiction. |
| 5 | TunnelBear Free | 3.5 | 2 GB/mo | 49 countries | Audited No Logs Canada | Annual independent audits by Cure53, owned by McAfee | OpenVPN IKEv2 | No VRP | Access to all server locations on the free plan — rare for a free tier. The 2 GB monthly cap is the main limitation; adequate for occasional, light use. |
| 6 | Hotspot Shield | 3.2 | 500 MB/day | US only | Known Issues USA | History of privacy complaints; FTC settlement in 2017 over data practices | Hydra (proprietary) | No VRP | Fast speeds via proprietary Hydra protocol, but a documented history of ad injection and an FTC settlement undercut the privacy story. US-only free server. |
| 7 | Atlas VPN Free (Discontinued) | 3.0 | Discontinued (shut down 2024-04-24) | N/A — service closed | Service Closed USA (closed) | Parent Nord Security shut Atlas VPN down on 2024-04-24; paid users migrated to NordVPN, free users lost access | | N/A (service discontinued) | ARCHIVED — Atlas VPN shut down on 2024-04-24 and is no longer a usable free VPN. Listed only for historical reference; do not choose it as an active option. |
| 8 | Calyx VPN | 3.0 | Unlimited | Few locations | No Logs (nonprofit) USA (nonprofit) | Run by Calyx Institute, a nonprofit focused on digital rights | OpenVPN | No VRP | Completely free, unlimited data, no account required. Operated by a digital rights nonprofit. Limited server locations and inconsistent speeds are the trade-offs. |
| 9 | Riseup VPN | 2.8 | Unlimited | Few locations | No Logs (activist) USA (collective) | Donation-funded activist collective, operating since 1999 | OpenVPN | No VRP (donation-funded collective) | Built for activists and journalists in censored regions. No account required. Very limited server infrastructure — reliability and speed vary. |
| 10 | Opera VPN | 2.5 | Unlimited | 3 regions | Known Issues Norway / China | Not a true VPN — browser-only HTTPS proxy. Majority-owned by Chinese consortium since 2016 | HTTPS proxy | No VRP | Built into Opera browser but technically a proxy, not a system-wide VPN. Only browser traffic is protected. Chinese ownership is a documented concern. |
| 11 | Kaspersky VPN Free | 2.4 | 200 MB/day | 1 location (auto) | Known Issues Russia | Russian company banned from US government systems; jurisdiction is a major concern for international users | Hydra WireGuard | Public program via HackerOne (Kaspersky Security Network) | Tiny 200 MB daily limit. Russian jurisdiction and a US government ban make this a high-risk choice for users outside Russia with privacy concerns. |
| 12 | Speedify Free | 2.3 | 2 GB/mo | All locations | Claims No Logs USA | No independent audit; unique channel bonding tech but privacy claims are unverified | Channel bonding (proprietary) | No VRP | Unique channel bonding technology combines multiple connections for improved reliability. Only 2 GB/month free and no independent audit of privacy claims. |
| 13 | ZoogVPN Free | 2.2 | 10 GB/mo | 5 servers | Claims No Logs Greece | Small provider, Greek jurisdiction, no independent audit published | OpenVPN IKEv2 | No VRP | Decent 10 GB free allowance but only 5 server locations. Greek jurisdiction is EU-based. No published audits to substantiate privacy claims. |
| 14 | VPN Gate | 2.0 | Unlimited | Volunteer servers (varies) | Known Issues Japan (academic) | University of Tsukuba academic project; transparent but openly logs connection data for research | OpenVPN L2TP SoftEther | No VRP (academic project) | Academic research project with volunteer relay servers. Connection data is openly logged for research purposes. Useful for bypassing censorship, not for privacy. |
| 15 | Hola VPN | 1.5 | Limited daily use with time limitations | Peer-to-peer network | Known Issues Israel | History of selling user bandwidth; used in botnet attack in 2015 | Proprietary P2P | No VRP | WARNING: Uses peer-to-peer model — your device becomes an exit node for other users' traffic. Hola's own FAQ confirms the free tier has daily time limits (not unlimited). Documented botnet incident in 2015. Listed here as a cautionary example. |