Best Free VPNs 2026

This guide compares free VPN plans by data allowance, server access, device limits, privacy evidence, and real-world trade-offs. Use it to find free VPN plans that genuinely work, unlimited-data options, and each VPN's risk information and past controversies.

Updated Maintained by the OpenTheRank editors Methodology Corrections: support@opentherank.com

Free VPN comparison guide

22 free VPNs Independent no-logs audit; free plan usable day to day ProtonVPN Free Independent no-logs audit; free plan usable day to day Windscribe Free Independent no-logs audit; free plan usable day to day Hide.me Free Usable, with tighter limits or less public evidence PrivadoVPN Free Usable, with tighter limits or less public evidence TunnelBear Free Usable, with tighter limits or less public evidence Calyx VPN Usable, with tighter limits or less public evidence Riseup VPN Usable, with tighter limits or less public evidence Planet VPN Free Usable, with tighter limits or less public evidence Browsec Free Usable, with tighter limits or less public evidence AdGuard VPN Free Usable, with tighter limits or less public evidence VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy Usable, with tighter limits or less public evidence Cloudflare WARP Usable, with tighter limits or less public evidence Psiphon Basic Documented concerns, or not a full VPN Speedify Free Documented concerns, or not a full VPN Hotspot Shield Documented concerns, or not a full VPN Opera VPN Documented concerns, or not a full VPN Kaspersky VPN Free Documented concerns, or not a full VPN VPN Gate Documented concerns, or not a full VPN Hola VPN Documented concerns, or not a full VPN X-VPN Free Documented concerns, or not a full VPN Turbo VPN Free Documented concerns, or not a full VPN vpnify Free
Free plan
Free allowance Unlimited data 10 GB/mo with a confirmed email (2 GB without) Unlimited data 10 GB high-speed, then 1 Mbps 2 GB/mo Unlimited data Unlimited data Unlimited data; no account Unlimited data; free speed limited to 1 Mbps 3 GB/mo; up to 20 Mbps Unlimited data; no account; ads Free WARP; no data cap advertised Free Basic; ads and reduced features 5 GB/mo (free account required) Unlimited on the pricing page; ad-supported No data cap 200 MB/day per device (300 MB with an account) Unlimited data Limited daily use with time limits Unlimited data; no account Unlimited data; ad-supported Unlimited data; no account; ads
Free locations 10 countries · automatic assignment
Countries & servers

United States · Canada · Mexico · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Romania · Switzerland · Japan · Singapore

10 countries / regions
Countries & servers

United States · Canada · United Kingdom · Hong Kong · France · Germany · Netherlands · Switzerland · Norway · Romania

7 named countries · 8 locations claimed
Countries & servers

Finland · Switzerland · United States · United Kingdom · France · Netherlands · Germany

12 locations claimed; 10 country examples
Countries & servers

Argentina · Brazil · Canada · France · Germany · Mexico · Netherlands · Switzerland · United Kingdom · United States

Automatic; free country pool not listed Current network not confirmed Current country / location list not confirmed 5 countries · 6 locations
Countries & servers

United States · United Kingdom · Netherlands · Germany · France

4 countries · 4 locations
Countries & servers

Netherlands · Singapore · United Kingdom · United States

10 advertised · Linux help says 4 25+ Android locations · free country list incomplete Automatic Cloudflare routing · no country choice Basic free subset not disclosed Reduced free set; complete list not published 3 countries · 4 named locations
Countries & servers

United States · United Kingdom · Singapore

3 regional choices · 3 named exits
Countries & servers

United States · Netherlands · Singapore

Automatic; free countries not listed Live volunteer list; countries change
Countries & servers

Free server count: Live count changes; see official list

Peer-to-peer exits; no stable free list 15 countries · 26 mobile locations claimed
Countries & servers

United States · Canada · United Kingdom · France · Spain · Netherlands · Poland · Norway · Germany · Finland · Czechia · Latvia · Lithuania · Singapore · Australia

Free server count: 1,000+ automatic free servers (provider claim; distribution unpublished)

Limited free locations · list not published Free country / location count not confirmed
Location choice Automatic; server changes are random and subject to a cooldown Choose a free country / location Choose a free location; cities are not fully listed Choose free locations; listed countries are official examples, not an exhaustive list No free country selection since December 2025 Current server choices not confirmed Routes through the available Riseup network; current selection controls unconfirmed Choose a free location; locations are not physical server counts Choose a free location; confirm platform list in the app Choose available free locations; complete free country list unconfirmed Android allows free location choice, including 10+ US cities; iOS list may differ Exit IP reflects approximate local location; no manual exit-country choice Region selection exists, but Basic entitlements and exact free countries are not listed Free location-selection rules not clearly published Los Angeles, New York, UK, Singapore; Auto is not another location; OS availability varies Choose Americas, Europe or Asia; not a specific server Server chosen automatically Choose an online volunteer relay from the live list Peer availability and free time restrictions apply Android/iOS can choose; desktop/extensions automatic. Claimed city total and published list differ Free location-selection rules need checking per platform Published app country lists mix free / paid access; exact free choices unconfirmed
Platforms Windows / macOS / Linux / Android / iOS Windows / macOS / Linux / Android / iOS / Browser Windows / macOS / Linux / Android / iOS Windows / macOS / Android / iOS Windows / macOS / Android / iOS / Browser Android Windows / macOS / Linux / Android Windows / macOS / Linux / Android / iOS / Browser Android / iOS / Browser Windows / macOS / Linux / Android / iOS / Browser Android / iOS Windows / macOS / Linux / Android / iOS Windows / Android / iOS Windows / macOS / Android / iOS Windows / macOS / Android / iOS / Browser Browser Windows / macOS / Android / iOS Windows / macOS / Linux / Android / iOS Windows / Android / Browser Windows / macOS / Android / iOS / Browser Windows / macOS / Android / iOS / Browser macOS / Android / iOS / TV
Simultaneous connections 1 simultaneous connection Unlimited personal devices 1 simultaneous connection 1 simultaneous connection Free simultaneous-connection cap not clearly stated No account-based cap published; Android app status unconfirmed No account-based device cap published 10 simultaneous devices (official claim) Free simultaneous-connection cap not published 2 simultaneous devices Free simultaneous-connection cap not published; paid 10-device claim excluded Per-device setup; no account-based simultaneous cap published No account-based device cap published Free simultaneous-connection cap not clearly published 1 simultaneous device Runs within each Opera browser; no published connection cap Allowance applies per device; no device cap stated No central device cap; relay restrictions may apply No personal non-commercial device cap stated Free simultaneous-connection cap not published Free simultaneous-connection cap not published Free simultaneous-connection cap not published
Account & payment Free account required; no payment card Account required; email optional (2 GB without, 10 GB with confirmation) No registration required; optional account Free account required Account required No account required No account or payment required; donation-funded No account, email or payment details required No account required for basic use AdGuard account required; no card for free tier No account or payment card required Consumer WARP requires no account or card; organization enrollment is separate No account needed; plan access can vary by region Free account required Basic can be used without a paid subscription; account flow varies by platform No VPN account required Optional account increases the daily allowance No service account required Account / signup rules vary by product No account, email or payment card required Basic free use without an account No account or purchase required
Ads & session limits No ads No ads No ads No ads advertised No ads No commercial ads advertised No ads Free tier contains ads No ads advertised No ad requirement listed in the free plan Free mobile use contains personalized ads No ad-funded free tier Basic contains ads; mobile ads use AdMob identifiers No ad requirement identified in the plan Ad-supported; session extensions can vary by platform No VPN ads; browser promotions are separate No ad requirement identified No subscription ads; relay operators are independent Free access is funded partly through the peer network Desktop/extension: no ads; Android/iOS: ads Free mobile apps contain ads Free apps contain ads
Speed & quota rules No data cap; speed varies with server load 2 / 10 GB monthly; no numeric speed cap advertised Unlimited data; lower priority than Premium 10 GB at full speed, then 1 Mbps; free quota renewal may be required 2 GB/month; no numeric free speed limit confirmed Unlimited data advertised; service status unconfirmed No data cap; donation-funded capacity varies No data, time or bandwidth cap advertised No data cap; free speed limited to 1 Mbps 3 GB/month; up to 20 Mbps in the knowledge base No data / time cap; Premium advertises faster servers No free data cap advertised; WARP+ offers more routing capacity Basic has reduced features; no universal free speed / quota promise confirmed 5 GB/month; free capacity may be lower priority Pricing page says unlimited; other official pages differ; check the app No data cap; no fixed speed promised 200 MB/day per device; 300 MB with an account No central data cap; relay speed and availability vary Daily time limits; not an unlimited free VPN No data or time cap advertised; actual speed varies Unlimited data advertised; numeric free speed rules not confirmed Provider advertises no data or speed cap
Free security features

Kill switch and leak protection in supported native apps; features vary by OS

Firewall / kill switch, split tunnelling and limited ROBERT filtering; OS-dependent

Kill switch and leak protection; other features vary by OS

Kill switch and supported app / site exclusions; OS-dependent

VigilantBear / GhostBear availability depends on platform

Open-source Bitmask-based app; current service availability unconfirmed

Open-source client with obfs4; OS-specific leak controls require checking

Encrypted tunnel; free kill-switch / split-tunnel availability requires OS-specific checking

Browser extension protects browser only; mobile apps use device VPN; desktop native apps are paid

App/site exclusions and custom DNS; feature availability varies by platform

Android: OpenVPN, IKEv2, V2Ray and auto-reconnect; availability depends on location

Use Traffic and DNS mode; DNS-only does not protect other app traffic; WebRTC may bypass WARP

Obfuscated SSH; no built-in kill switch (use OS controls); legacy Windows has narrower protection

Channel bonding; additional free safety controls vary by platform

Free kill-switch / split-tunnel availability varies by platform

Opera browser traffic only; other apps are not tunnelled

Free security features vary by platform; unavailable to US customers

Protection depends on the chosen client/protocol; no uniform kill switch

Free devices can become network peers; not recommended for privacy-sensitive use

Kill switch on supported native apps; unavailable in browser extension

Encrypted tunnel; free kill-switch / split-tunnel entitlement not confirmed

Encrypted tunnel; free kill-switch / leak-control availability unconfirmed

Plan sources Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 Checked 2026-10-20 Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 Checked 2026-10-20 Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20 —Checked 2026-10-20
Privacy and evidence
Privacy check
No Logs Verified Switzerland
Data practices

Swiss jurisdiction, open-source apps, annual Securitum no-logs audits (latest 2026)

Audited No Logs Canada
Data practices

2024 Packetlabs audit (one test node) found logging that was fixed by the June 2024 retest; Greek case against the CEO dismissed for lack of evidence in April 2025

Audited No Logs Malaysia
Data practices

Securitum no-logs audit (2024), report published on hide.me's own site

Claims No Logs Switzerland
Data practices

Swiss-based, no independent audit yet

Claims No Logs Canada
Data practices

Annual Cure53 security audits (not no-logs audits); privacy policy keeps monthly data used and connection country/city

No Logs (nonprofit) USA (nonprofit)
Data practices

Operated by Calyx Institute nonprofit

No Logs (activist) USA (collective)
Data practices

Run by Riseup Networks, a donation-funded nonprofit collective in Seattle; says it does not log VPN users' IP addresses

Claims No Logs Romania
Data practices

Romanian provider claims no activity logs; no public independent no-logs audit confirmed

Collects metadataNot independently confirmed
Data practices

Policy discloses anonymous account IDs and aggregate operational data; no public independent no-logs audit confirmed

Claims No Logs Cyprus
Data practices

Policy says browsing activity is not recorded; account traffic totals are retained for 90 days; no public no-logs audit confirmed

Claims No Logs USA
Data practices

Policy claims no activity logs but discloses personalized ads using advertising identifiers; no public independent no-logs report confirmed

Collects metadata USA
Data practices

WARP policy discloses limited DNS/traffic metadata, installation ID, transfer totals and speed; 1.1.1.1 resolver audits do not establish a WARP no-logs audit

Collects metadata Canada
Data practices

Collects region/ISP/session statistics; raw operational data normally deleted after 90 days; public Cure53 reviews are security tests, not no-logs audits

Known Issues USA
Data practices

Privacy policy records IP, device ID, connection start time, duration and data used (deleted after 6 months); no independent privacy audit

Known Issues USA
Data practices

2017 CDT complaint to the FTC (no public FTC action found); a 2016 study found ad injection and traffic redirection in the free Android app

Audited No Logs Norway / China
Data practices

Browser-only proxy, not a device-wide VPN; Opera Ltd is about 68% owned by China-listed Kunlun Tech; Deloitte no-log assurance (Aug 2024), report not public

Known Issues Russia
Data practices

Russian jurisdiction; ordered off US federal systems (2017) and barred from sale to US users (2024)

Known Issues Japan (academic)
Data practices

Academic project run with SoftEther Corporation; central logs (source IP, server, bytes, destination hosts and ports) kept 3+ months; relays keep packet-header logs 2+ weeks

Known Issues Israel
Data practices

Free tier uses your device as a network peer (Windows/Android, when idle); the network was misused in a 2015 attack on 8chan

Claims No Logs Not independently confirmed
Data practices

Provider announced a 2026 independent no-logs assessment; full report requires an account and was not reviewed here

Claims No Logs Singapore
Data practices

Provider makes a no-logs claim; advertising and diagnostic data are covered by its policy; no public independent no-logs report confirmed

Claims No Logs Not independently confirmed
Data practices

Provider claims no activity logs; DEKRA security assessment covered a specific 2022 Android version, not no-logs practices

Independent audit None published None published None published None published None published None published None published None published None published None published None published
Open source Source code Source code No No No Source code Source code No No No No No Source code No No No No Source code No No No No
Bug bounty Public program, up to $100,000 per report (by email) Disclosure program; past payouts $100–$5,000 No public bug bounty found No VRP No VRP No VRP No VRP (donation-funded collective) No public bug bounty confirmed No public bug bounty confirmed No public bug bounty confirmed No public bug bounty confirmed Public HackerOne program; current scope rules apply No public bug bounty confirmed No VRP (unpaid disclosure program) No VRP Public program on Bugcrowd Public program on Yogosha; VPN in scope No VRP (academic project) $50 per qualifying report; no formal program No public bug bounty confirmed No public bug bounty confirmed No public bug bounty confirmed
Protocols WireGuard / OpenVPN / Stealth WireGuard / OpenVPN / IKEv2 / Stealth WireGuard / OpenVPN / IKEv2 / SoftEther WireGuard / OpenVPN / IKEv2 WireGuard / OpenVPN / IKEv2 OpenVPN / obfs4 OpenVPN / obfs4 StarGuard (proprietary) HTTPS proxy / IKEv2/IPsec AdGuard VPN protocol (proprietary) OpenVPN / IKEv2 / V2Ray MASQUE SSH with obfuscation Channel bonding (proprietary) Hydra (proprietary) / IPsec / OpenVPN HTTPS proxy Catapult Hydra / WireGuard SoftEther / L2TP/IPsec / OpenVPN / MS-SSTP HTTPS proxy / IKEv2/IPsec / PPTP/L2TP Everest (proprietary) Not fully disclosed for free tier Not fully disclosed for free tier
Other records — — — —
Fit
Best for Private everyday browsing without data anxiety Users who need a usable free country list Unlimited browsing with manual free location choice Occasional streaming tests or travel backup Testing a VPN before paying Users who prefer a digital-rights nonprofit Activists and journalists who know the trade-offs Unlimited browsing without creating an account Browser extensions and light mobile browsing Occasional use with app exclusions and custom DNS Popular mobile VPN with selectable free locations Encrypting the connection on untrusted networks Reaching sites on networks that block VPNs Testing channel bonding on unstable networks Speed testing when privacy is not the priority Casual browser-only location masking Existing Kaspersky users with low-risk needs Emergency access testing, not privacy Not recommended Unlimited mobile use with free location choice A widely used no-account fallback No-account use on mobile, Mac and supported TVs
Main risk

No manual free server choice; speeds can be lower than paid tier

The 10 GB cap is easy to exhaust with video or large downloads

One-device limit and fewer locations than paid plans

No published independent no-logs audit

2 GB is too small for regular use; no country choice

Could not confirm the service is still running

Donation-funded network with variable capacity

No public independent no-logs audit confirmed; free apps contain ads

Free desktop use is browser-only; no public independent no-logs audit confirmed

3 GB cap; official free location counts differ by platform

Android free list is incomplete; desktop and TV apps require Premium

Keeps an approximate local IP location; cannot choose another country

Free network/features differ by region; operational statistics and ad identifiers

Logs connection metadata for 6 months; small data cap

Privacy complaint and ad-injection findings from 2016–17

Not a system-wide VPN

Russian jurisdiction; barred from sale to US users since 2024

Logs include destinations, kept 3+ months; volunteer relay trust

Peer-to-peer exit-node model; network misused in a 2015 attack

No-logs assessment report requires login; desktop cannot pick a free location

Ad-supported free tier; full free country list and audit evidence unconfirmed

Country lists mix free and paid access; 2022 Android test is not a no-logs audit

Note

Proton's free plan keeps unlimited data and an audited no-logs policy, but free users cannot pick a server and get lower priority than paid plans.

A reasonable free option when location choice matters. Windscribe keeps 10 free countries and ROBERT filtering on the free plan, but the data cap makes it a browsing and travel backup rather than a full-time streaming VPN. Its 2024 Packetlabs audit found some logging enabled on the test server; the retest a month later found it fixed.

Hide.me's free tier is now more competitive because it offers unlimited data and 8 free locations. The trade-off is a one-device limit and a narrower feature set than the paid plan.

PrivadoVPN remains a practical capped free plan: 10 GB of full-speed traffic, then a throttled fallback. The missing independent audit keeps it below Proton, Windscribe, and hide.me for privacy-sensitive users.

TunnelBear is still useful as a low-risk trial product because of its yearly security audits and simple apps. The 2 GB cap means it is not realistic for daily browsing, streaming, or downloads, and since December 2025 free users can no longer choose a country.

Calyx VPN has a clear nonprofit mission and needs no account, but we could not confirm it is still running: Calyx's website no longer lists it, the app has left Google Play, and the last Android build is from April 2025.

Riseup VPN is built around activist infrastructure rather than consumer convenience. It can be valuable in the right context, but speed, capacity, and availability are not comparable to commercial VPNs.

The official free plan lists six locations across five countries, unlimited traffic and no registration. The provider states that ten devices can connect simultaneously; these are provider claims, not independent performance or privacy tests.

Browsec lists the Netherlands, Singapore, the UK and the US on its free plan. The free product covers browser extensions and mobile apps; standalone desktop applications require Premium. Browser extensions protect browser traffic only.

AdGuard VPN provides a capped free tier with two simultaneous connections and a documented 20 Mbps limit. The main free page advertises ten locations while Linux help lists four; no complete cross-platform free country list was confirmed.

The current Android listing distinguishes 25+ free locations from the larger Premium country list. It includes all three advertised protocols, unlimited data and ads. Desktop and TV applications are Premium features; iOS free locations may differ.

WARP encrypts traffic between your device and Cloudflare when Traffic and DNS mode is enabled. It assigns an IP representing your approximate location, so it is not a country-switching service. DNS-only mode does not tunnel other device traffic.

Psiphon is designed to bypass censorship and requires no account. Basic is ad-supported with reduced features; the advertised 33-country, 50,000-server network is not a confirmed free pool. The policy discloses operational statistics and mobile advertising identifiers.

Speedify is more of a connectivity tool than a privacy-first VPN. Its privacy policy says it records IP address, device ID, connection times and data used, and keeps them for six months. The free 5 GB a month is enough to test channel bonding on unstable Wi-Fi or cellular links.

Hotspot Shield's pricing and free-VPN pages disagree on the data allowance. The support page lists Los Angeles, New York, the UK and Singapore as free locations, with platform differences. Basic supports one device and includes ads; its privacy history remains relevant.

Opera's free VPN works only inside the Opera browser. It does not protect other apps, system traffic, torrents, or router-level traffic, so it should not be compared with full VPN services. A 2024 Deloitte no-log assurance covers the browser VPN, but the report itself is not public.

The free allowance is too small for regular use. Russian jurisdiction and government restrictions make it a poor fit for users who mainly care about privacy or geopolitical risk. It has not been sold to US users since July 2024, and updates for US users ended in September 2024.

VPN Gate is open about being an academic volunteer relay network. Its central logs record connection details, including destination addresses, for at least three months and can be disclosed to police or courts, so it is not suitable for privacy-sensitive browsing.

Hola is listed as a cautionary example. Its free tier uses a peer-to-peer model: users' devices can become exit nodes for other users' traffic and for Bright Data's business customers.

X-VPN combines unlimited data and no registration. Mobile users can pick free locations; desktop and browser users connect automatically. The 2026 no-logs assessment is an announced, login-gated report, not a publicly reviewed report.

Turbo VPN advertises unlimited free use without registration. Its global paid network is not the free server pool. Exact free countries, speed rules and platform feature parity need client verification.

vpnify advertises unlimited data without registration or a speed cap. Its app-store country lists do not clearly separate free and paid access. A public 2022 DEKRA Android security assessment has a limited version-specific scope and is not a no-logs audit.

Key facts

VPNs with unlimited free data
ProtonVPN Free, Hide.me Free, Riseup VPN, Planet VPN Free, Browsec Free, VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy, Cloudflare WARP, Opera VPN, VPN Gate, X-VPN Free, Turbo VPN Free, and vpnify Free
VPNs with a published no-logs audit
ProtonVPN Free, Windscribe Free, Hide.me Free, and Hotspot Shield

When a free VPN makes sense

  • Short sessions on public Wi-Fi where you only need basic tunnel protection.
  • Testing app quality, latency, and account setup before paying.
  • Low-bandwidth browsing when a data cap is acceptable.

When free VPNs are the wrong tool

  • Always-on privacy across every device.
  • Streaming, torrenting, large downloads, or remote work traffic.
  • High-risk political, legal, or personal safety use cases.

What are the risks of free VPNs?

A VPN provider still pays for bandwidth, support, app development, audits, abuse handling, and server capacity. If a plan is free, the trade-off usually appears as a data cap, fewer locations, slower speeds, one-device limits, ads, reduced support, or weaker accountability.

Methodology

How grades are assigned

Grade A: an independent no-logs audit has been published, the free plan is usable day to day, and we found no unresolved privacy incident. Grade B: usable, but with a small data cap, few locations, limited platforms, or no published audit. Grade C: a documented privacy concern or jurisdiction risk, or the product does not protect the whole device. Grade D: the service has shut down. Within a grade, entries are ordered by how practical the free plan is and how much public evidence backs it.

What this page does not test

We do not run speed tests or inspect app traffic ourselves. Grades rest on published audits, provider disclosures, regulator and court records, and public reporting. A provider can change its free plan at any time, so check the plan in the app before relying on it.

Where the evidence comes from

Sources include third-party audit reports, provider websites and public disclosures, app documentation, and community feedback from Reddit, GitHub issues, and other public user reports.

Independence

No provider pays to appear on this page or to change its grade. The table links to plan documentation, audit reports and public records so you can check the evidence. It has no purchase or sign-up buttons. How the site is funded is set out on the About page.

What changed

  • Added nine products, including WARP and Psiphon, official app icons, free-country details, plan sources and filters.
  • Merged the two tables into one, replaced numeric scores with grades, added links to audits and public records, and re-checked every free plan.
  • Corrected two privacy labels. Speedify's privacy policy discloses connection logging, and TunnelBear's audits are security audits rather than no-logs audits.

Free VPN FAQ

Are free VPNs safe?

Some are reasonable for low-risk use, especially when the provider has audits and a clear business model. Many are not suitable for sensitive privacy because free traffic still has to be paid for somehow.

Which free VPN has no data limit?

Use the unlimited-data filter to see free plans without a data cap, then check their platform, location choice, ads and speed rules. Unlimited data does not mean unlimited speed or access to every location. WARP does not let you choose an exit country, and browser extensions protect only browser traffic.

Can I use a free VPN for streaming?

Usually not reliably. Data caps, slower speeds, limited locations, and blocked IP ranges make free plans poor choices for regular streaming.

Why include VPNs with privacy concerns?

People still search for these products. Linking their public records helps readers understand the free-plan limits and known privacy concerns.
Best Private VPNs Audited, transparent, and anonymous by design