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Free VPN - The 11 best permanent free VPN

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With a free VPN you get Online security and anonymity without the Costs are incurred for it. However, you should know how the business model of free VPN providers works: If the provider tries to cover his costs with the Selling your data If you try to cover up for your computer, your attempt to gain anonymity on the net will backfire. That's why I'll show you what you absolutely have to look out for in a free VPN. Above all, I have tested countless free VPNs myself. The 11 best permanent free VPN from this test, I present to you here.

Content

Permanent free VPN or free premium VPN for limited time?

With free VPN, you have the choice between free trial versions of PremiumVPN and permanently free VPN services. This article is exclusively about VPNs that are permanently free are. Here, you have to be careful with the Best VPNs like NordVPN*, ExpressVPN*, or Surfshark* natural certain Limitations with performance, data volume, locations, as well as China and Netflix decryption accept. If you want a no-compromise VPN, it is recommended to read the guidebook NorthVPN vs ExpressVPN where I compared the two best VPNs in Austria in detail.

The 11 best free VPN, which are permanently free of charge

ProviderRegistration required?Volume limitSpeed limit?Free periodServerQuantity devicesSupported systems24/7 live chat supportMore information
1. HotSpot Shield

Free VPN Logo Hotspot Shield
Registration required?
?yes
Volume Limit: 500MB/daySpeed limit: 2Mbit/sFree period:
? permanently free of charge
Server: 1 location:
Auto Connect with USA Server
(119 locations in 80 countries after upgrade)
Number of devices: 1 device
(5 devices after upgrade)
Supported systems
Windows,
Mac,
iOS,
Android
24/7 live chat support: ?no Try Hotspot Shield VPN for free"
2. windscribe

Free VPN Logo Windscribe
Registration required? ? NoVolume Limit: 10GB/month
15GB/month with tweet



(2GB without mail address)
Speed limit? without limitFree period:
? permanently free of charge
Server: 10 countries (110 sites in 63 countries after upgrade)Number of devices:1 device
(5 devices after upgrade)
Supported systems
Windows,
Mac,
iOS,
Android
24/7 live chat support: ?no Try Windscribe VPN for free"

3. hide me

Free VPN Logo Hideme
Registration required? Volume Limit: 10GB/month Speed limit? without limit Free period:
? permanently free of charge
Serverover 5 locations in 5 countries
(66 locations in 53 countries after upgrade)
Number of devices:1 device
(10 devices after upgrade)
Supported systems
Windows,
Mac,
iOS,
Android
24/7 live chat support: ? Yes Try Hide.me VPN for free"

4. ProtonVPN

Free VPN Logo ProtonVPN
Registration required? ?yesVolume Limit: ? No Speed limit: ? Free servers often overloaded and throttled? permanently free of chargeServer3 countries
(94 locations in 61 countries after upgrade)
Number of devices: 1 device
(10 devices after upgrade)
Supported systems
Windows,
Mac,
iOS,
Android,
Linux
24/7 live chat support: ?no ProtonVPN free download"

5. PrivadoVPN

Free VPN Logo PrivadoVPN
Registration required? ?yesVolume Limit:
10GB/month
Speed limit: slow speed? permanently free of chargeServer12 locations in 8 countries
(57 locations in 44 countries after upgrade)
Number of devices: unlimited, but only one connection
Supported systems
Windows,
Mac,
iOS,
Android
24/7 live chat support: ? Yes Download PrivadoVPN for free"

6. Avira Phantom VPN

Free VPN Logo Avira

Registration required?
?yes
Volume Limit: 1GB/month Speed limit? without limit? permanently free of charge1 location (nearest)
(46 locations in 33 countries after upgrade)
Number of devices: unrestrictedSupported systems
Windows,
Mac,
iOS,
Android
Download Avira VPN for free"

7. tunnel bear

Free VPN Logo Tunnelbear
Registration required?
? Yes
Volume Limit:
500MB/month
Speed limit? without limit? permanently free of chargeServer: 50 sites in 50 countries
(no server restrictions in the Free plan)
Number of devices: 1 device
(5 devices after upgrade)
Supported systems
Windows,
Mac,
iOS,
Android
24/7 live chat support: ? No Try Tunnelbear for free"

8. kaspersky

Free VPN Logo Kaspersky
Registration required? Volume Limit: 200MB/day Speed limit: slow speed ver permanently free of chargeServer: only slow servers from 49 countries
(without restrictions after upgrade)
Number of devices: 1 device
(5 devices after upgrade)
Supported systems
Windows,
Mac,
iOS,
Android
24/7 live chat support: ?no Try Kaspersky for free"

9. zoogVPN

Free VPN Logo ZoogVPN
Registration required?
? Yes
Volume Limit:
10GB/month
Speed limit? without limit? permanently free of chargeServer: 50 sites in 26 countries
(no server restrictions in the Free plan)
Number of devices: 1 device
(unlimited number after upgrade)
Supported systems
Windows,
Mac,
iOS,
Android,
AndroidTV
FireTV
24/7 live chat support: ? Yes Try ZoogVPN for free"

10. speedify

Free VPN Logo Speedify



Registration required?
? Yes
Volume Limit:
2GB/month
Speed limit? without limit? permanently free of chargeServer: 50 sites in 50 countries
(no server restrictions in the Free plan)
Number of devices: 1 device
(5 devices after upgrade)
Supported systems
Windows,
Mac,
iOS,
Android, Linux
24/7 live chat support: ?no Try Speedify for free"

11. opera

Free VPN Logo Opera
Free VPN Logo Opera
Registration required?
? No
Volume Limit: Without limit Speed limit? without limit? permanently free of chargeServer: 3 sites in 3 countriesNumber of devices: works only in Opera browserSupported systems
browser-based
24/7 live chat support: ?no Try Opera for free"

1. HotSpot Shield

Free VPN Logo Hotspot Shield

The Free VPN Hotspot Shield provides you with a US location without registration. After you have downloaded and installed the software, you can log in with ?Car Connect? connect directly free of charge. Thereby the free VPN offers a data traffic of up to 500 MB per day on. That is not enough for gaming or streaming, but it is much more than Avira, Kaspersky or TunnelBear offer in the free version. Hotspot Shield comes with a few more limitations. These include the Financing via advertising and the Limitation to one device. Unfortunately also Streaming and P2P are not possible. Also a Kill Switch missing in the free version, which opens up a security hole when the connection is interrupted.

Hotspot Shield servers have high security standards including AES 256 bit encryption. This corresponds to the industry standard for encryption. The service does not store any user data, but the company is headquartered in the USA, which facilitates access to data for US authorities in principle.

On the other hand, the speed of the free VPN Hotspot Shield should be emphasized positively. In the test, there was no speed limit at all with a 20 Mbit line. The measurement with VPN even showed a minimally better speed than without VPN. Only the ping increased significantly from 20 ms to 183 ms. But that's not surprising, because the free version of Hotspot Shield only provides a US server, which is located 7,900 km (4,900 miles) away from my test computer.

Speedtest Free VPN Hotspot Shield
Speedtest Speed test free VPN Hotspot Shield: no speed limit detectable at a 20 Mbps line.

Is Hotspot Shield a recommended free VPN?

Nevertheless, Hotspot Shield is due to the Advertising finance and missing safety features like kill switch and the 500 MB limit can only be recommended to a limited extent and is no substitute for the Top VPN services in Austria like NordVPN*or ExpressVPN*.

The service has sufficient resources to ORF lock or from Servus TV to bypass, and thus enables Formula 1 race without Sky look. This is due to the VPN tunnel possible from all over the world, but many Germans might be particularly interested in a possibility the Watch Formula 1 in Germany for free, after no longer being broadcast on RTL since 2021. Suitable for this purpose is the Hotspot Shield VPN but less well due to the 500 MB limit.

Here is an overview of the data of the Hotspot Shield VPN in the free version:

Advantages

  • 500 MB data volume per day
  • Good speed in the free version in the Speed Test
  • Only one device and 1 US server
  • Windows, mac, Android, iOS, Linux, browser plugins, smart TV, router

Disadvantages

  • Financing via advertising
  • Kill Switch only in Premium version
  • Streaming or P2P is not possible
Try Hotspot Shield VPN for free"

2. windscribe

Free VPN Logo Windscribe

At the provider Windscribe you can without specifying an e-mail address surf via the VPN. It is one of the few free VPNs that do not require a real login with your mail. However, your monthly data budget will be reduced to a minimum without providing a mail address. 2GB reduced. On the other hand, if you leave an email address with Windscribe, you will receive 10GB of data.

Windscribe: Sign up without email possible if 2GB per month is enough for you
Windscribe: Sign up without email possible if 2GB per month is enough for you

The Windscribe VPN is permanently free and can be used with one device in the free version. The provider supports all major operating systems with Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Like most VPNs, Windscribe does not offer 24/7 live support.

Moreover, you can increase your data volume to 15 GB by sending a tweet via Windscribe.

Write a tweet and mention Windscribe or @WindscribeCom for 5GB Free
Write a tweet and mention Windscribe or @WindscribeCom for 5GB Free

When I tried Windscribe, establishing a connection caused problems. When "Best Location" was selected, there were repeated hangs. I then selected a German server, which significantly improved the connection quality. Next, I tested the speed of Windscribe VPN with a 20 Mbps line. My speed was down about 50 % at 11.26 Mbps, which is just acceptable.

Speed Test Free VPN Windscribe
Speed Test Free VPN Windscribe

In summary, Windscribe convinces not with the best speeds. Also the support is not constantly accessibler. However, this will not be a problem for everyone. Because Windscribe it is a great VPN with many features that are otherwise reserved for more expensive subscription models. In addition, Windscribe has a generous data limit of 15GB per month. By the fact that you still not even a registration with the mail address you need, it is especially easy to try out the service yourself.

Advantages Free VPN Windscribe

  • Many advanced features like split tunneling and malware filtering
  • 10 GB free data volume (+ 5GB extra for a tweet mentioning Windscribe )
  • Unlocked ORF, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus
  • Good value for money with very flexible plans

Disadvantages Free VPN Windscribe

  • Slow speeds and lengthy connection establishment
  • Problems with Netflix USA
  • No security audit has been performed so far to confirm the no-log policy
  • Support is not available around the clock
Try Windscribe VPN for free"

3. hide me

Free VPN Logo Hideme

Hide.me is a secure, fast and P2P-friendly VPN in the freemium model. Even in the free version it creates almost No protocols and equips you with extensive security features. In addition, Hide.me offers a fast customer support with 24/7 Live Chat. You can download the paid version of Hide.me including all features for Test 5 days without specifying email. The connection to the 5 free sites was established quickly. The VPN ran stably under Windows 10 and without crashes in the test. I missed an ad- and malware blocker.

Free VPN Speedtest Hide.me
In the speed test, the free VPN Hide.me showed good speeds with a 20 Mbps line and a fast ping.

5 hours of Netflix in FullHD

Hide.me offers you in the free version 10 GB of data per month. This corresponds to about 11 hours of HD streaming or 5 hours of Netflix in Full HD. For a free VPN, that's pretty decent. However, in the free version, you can use the Hide.Me VPN for only on one device use: Of course, you have to cut back somewhere if it can't cost anything.

Good data protection, but there are drawbacks in terms of location

Hide.Me was evaluated in 2015 with regard to its No-Log Policy audited. Hereby, the service does not go quite as far as the top VPNs North or ExpressVPN which are regularly audited by PwC, but the audit itself underlines the seriousness of data protection at Hide.me.

To test the VPN you need to No email address to log in. Moreover, the service commits to deleting the small amount of information stored several times a day. At the same time, Hide.me does not store any sensitive data that could be used to identify users. Only the data collected during the VPN session amount of data used. is stored for administrative reasons.

Hide.Me is headquartered in Malaysia, which I don't think is a good thing. Because leaked documents from Edward Snowden suggested that Malaysia part of the 14-Eyes network is. Therefore, it would be possible that data is exchanged with the US NSA. VPNs that are not located in 14-Eyes countries are for example NorthVPN* in Panama or ExpressVPN* in the British Virgin Islands. If you want to be on the safe side, it's best to use one of these providers.

Advantages Free VPN Hide.me

  • Many advanced features like split tunneling or kill switch
  • 10 GB free data volume
  • Unlocks Servus TV, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus
  • Good value for money with very flexible plans
  • Strict data protection including audit proof
  • Many protocols and fast speed
  • 24/7 live chat support for problems

Disadvantages Free VPN Hide.me

  • No integrated malware filter
  • Location in Malaysia, which is part of the 14 Eyes network
Try Hide.me VPN for free"

4. ProtonVPN

Free VPN Logo ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN offers very Powerful server. These have streaming support, an adblocker, P2P/BitTorrent support, Tor over VPN and high speeds of up to 10Gbps. Much more than my internet connection can handle. The ProtonVPN Plus servers easily bypass the Netflix USA block, but are only available with a paid subscription. In the Free version, ProtonVPN unfortunately could not unlock Netflix USA. Netflix recognized the configuration of the base server as a VPN.

Netflix Error M7037-1111 Looks like you're connecting through a VPN, proxy or "unblocker" service. To start watching, please turn off any of these services and try again.
The Proton free VPN could not unlock Netflix

ProtonVPN offers only 3 sites in the free plan, which are hosted by servers in Japan, the Netherlands or the USA can be operated. You can't torrent or watch Netflix USA with it, but ProtonVPN is still great for general browsing. Some smaller streaming services like Tubitv or Crunchyroll could also be unlocked with ProtonVPN's free servers.

ProtonVPN: No volume limit in the Free Plan, but slow speed.

ProtonVPN is one of the few VPNs that provide unlimited data volume in the free version of the service. With this, you can keep the VPN running all the time.

However, ProtonVPN could not convince with an outstanding speed of its servers. Buffering occurred constantly during streaming and I had to lower the resolution a lot. ProtonVPN's free servers are often loaded to over 90 % and speed throttling occurs. That's when streaming wasn't really enjoyable. I connected to different servers and my downstream fluctuated between 3.2 to 16.88 Mbps, depending on server load. This corresponds to throttling by the VPN of over 50 %. A bad value for the otherwise quite usable ProtonVPN.

Speedtest Proton VPN: If the server is not overloaded, acceptable speeds are achieved (measured with 20Mbps line).
Speedtest Proton VPN: If the server is not overloaded, acceptable speeds are achieved (measured with 20Mbps line). However, the speed at Proton is often too slow (> 50 % throttling).
ProtonVPN: Free servers are often totally utilized
ProtonVPN: Free servers are often totally utilized

ProtonVPN: Strict no-logs policy

The provider has a trusted no-logs policy. The source code of the VPN is open source. In addition, the VPN service is based in Switzerland, a country that has a very long tradition of data protection. ProtonVPN first proved the functionality of the no-logs policy in an audit back in 2017. Long before other providers offered comparable services.

Clear client at ProtonVPN

The client is clearly designed and easy to use. With the map of the server locations displayed, Proton is reminiscent of NordVPN. It also shows you your upstream and downstream speed in real time.

ProtonVPN's client strongly reminds of NordVPN: but additionally shows speed and server load
ProtonVPN's client strongly reminds of NordVPN: but additionally shows speed and server load

Another special feature of Proton is that it is one of the few free Linux VPNs with a full GUI.
During the test, I was able to navigate the app and activate different functions without any problems. Connecting to a server is a breeze with the ProtonVPN app.

ProtonVPN: Paid subscriptions are slightly more expensive than with other providers

ProtonVPN's prices range from 0 euros to 8 euros per month. In addition, there is a Visionary Account for people who want to support the company for 24 Euros per month. In order to use the VPN to its full potential and also to be able to torrent or watch Netflix USA, a Plus plan is required for 8 Euros. You can get comparable performance with ExpressVPN* significantly cheaper.

Advantages Free VPN ProtonVPN

  • Many advanced features with a rock-solid app
    • Netflix USA Support
    • Adblocker
    • P2P/ Torrenting Support
    • Onion over IP Server
  • No logs policy trusted
  • No volume limit in the Free Plan
  • Swiss provider with strict data protection including audit proof

Disadvantages Free VPN ProtonVPN

  • Slow speeds in the free version, as servers are often overloaded
  • many functions are only available from the Plus plan onwards
  • No port forwarding
  • Paid subscriptions expensive
ProtonVPN free download"

5. PrivadoVPN

Logo PrivadoVPN

The Swiss service PrivadoVPN was founded in 2019. How the Best VPNs Austria this relatively new player uses the strongest encryption methods and has a strict no-log policy. The Privado free VPN offers 10 GB per month for one device. In addition, Privado provides you with 24/7 live chat. This is always very helpful in case of any problems. But also the Streaming support liked in the free version of the VPN.

The free version of VPN Privado already has many options on board compared to other VPNs. In addition, you can download the app on Any number of devices load at the same time, but Privado only ever lets One connection at the same time. With the free data from 10 GB a month, you can download about 3 movies with 2 hours length monthly from the US Netflix library. This is because the service decodes them. A strong performance of Privado is also that it itself offers customers of the Free Plan... Streaming support offers. A service that is otherwise more in the price range of Express. fallen out of the free version of PrivadoVPN.

In the speed test, the free provider PrivadoVPN achieved just under 60 % of the performance of my base speed with 10.91 Mbps: A top value
In the speed test, the free provider PrivadoVPN achieved just under 60 % of the performance of my base speed with 10.91 Mbps: A top value

Users of the free VPN get access to the same servers that are used for paying customers. Thus, all Privado customers receive the same level of security and the same speed.

The disadvantage of the free VPN Privado is that it does not accept anonymous payments with cryptocurrency. Unfortunately, the service does not support the slim Wireguard protocol. Instead, only OpenVPN is used, which is also slim, but contains significantly more code compared to Wireguard, which slows down speeds. Despite these shortcomings, PrivadoVPN is an excellent free VPN that is particularly suitable for streaming Netflix.

Advantages Free VPN Privado

  • High speed without throttling in the Free plan
  • Streaming Support in Free Plan
  • Works with US Netflix
  • Already 12 locations in the free version
  • Many features like kill switch
  • Torrenting is possible
  • 30 days money back guarantee
  • No protocols
  • Strong encryption

Disadvantages Free VPN Privado

  • Data limit of 10 GB/month in the Free plan
  • Payment with cryptocurrency not possible
  • No WireGuard protocol
  • No fixed IP possible
Download PrivadoVPN for free"

6. Avira Phantom VPN

Logo Avira

Avira is a German VPN provider from the IT security industry, which became known with a free virus scanner.

High speed with Avira Phantom VPN

My verdict on the Avira Phantom VPN is mixed. On the one hand, the VPN performed really well in my local speed tests. I connected to the nearest server and achieved speeds of 60 % of my base speed. In my case, that was 12 Mbps with 20 Mbps without VPN.

Speedtest Free VPN Avira Phantom
The speed test of the Avira Phantom VPN delivered good results: Less than 40 % speed reduction with VPN

Top VPNs like Nord or Express achieved in my comparison NorthVPN vs ExpressVPN up to 80 % of unthrottled speed at individual sites, which is slightly more than Avira. However, Nord and Express also only achieved 60 % of basic speed at many sites.

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN Speed Comparison
Avira VPN achieved 60 % of base speed, almost as much as the top VPNs North and Express

Gap in data protection with Avira Phantom VPN

However, my opinion of Avira Phantom is also mixed when it comes to security and data protection. The service does not store any information about which websites you visit.

Less good liked, however, that your Avira account, which you have to create to use the service, is included in the USA analyzed is used. For this purpose, the service transfers data stored in the Avira account to external companies, which can use it for marketing purposes. In addition to your personal data, the Avira account also stores data about your end devices, such as memory, operating system and hardware configuration.

Even if this data can't reveal your online activities, I still don't like the fact that a data protection company processes so much data in the US.

Free VPN Avira Phantom Privacy Third Country Transfer USA
What I like about the Phantom VPN's privacy policy is that Avira does not log your online traffic. However, the third-country transfer of information stored in the Avira account to the USA is negative.

Easy to use app, but hardly any setting options

It should be mentioned positively that the Avira app is very easy to use and user-friendly to the maximum. However, the Phantom VPN app hardly offers any setting options. Features like kill switch or protocol selection are only possible in the Pro version or not at all. Even servers in other countries are only available in the Pro version. Therefore, the free version is good for not to unlock Netflix movies of other countries. But also the ORF lock cannot bypass PhantomVPN outside of Austria, because you cannot connect to an Austrian server.

Avira's Phantom VPN offers less variability than other free VPNs in the free version with only one location. Furthermore, Phantom offers a volume of only 1 GB monthly, which is still too little (previously, Avira only has 500 MB, so the service has already increased the data volume). Those who would like to pay anonymously cannot do so with Avira: The service does not support cryptocurrencies.

Advantages Free Avira PhantomVPN

  • Easy to use app
  • Speed comparable to the best VPNs in the industry (~ 60% base speed)
  • No logs
  • Strong encryption ("Military Grade")
  • Well-known company from IT security in Germany
  • Pro version is comparatively cheap (3 ? per month) and unlocks Netflix US
  • 30 days money back guarantee

Disadvantages Free Avira PhantomVPN

  • Data limit of 1 GB/month in the Free plan
  • No choice of servers possible in Free Plan
  • In the Free Plan geo-blocking blocks of the ORF or BBC can not be circumvented
  • If the connection is interrupted, leaks may occur in the free plan, since there is no kill switch.
  • Payment with cryptocurrency not possible
Download Avira VPN for free"


Can Avira Phantom VPN unlock Netflix?

In the free version, Avira Phantom VPN cannot unblock Netflix. This is because you cannot select servers in the Free plan. Instead, you are always connected to the nearest server. Therefore, even simple geoblogging locks cannot be bypassed with Avira Phantom VPN. In the Pro version for 36 ?/year, Avira Phantom VPN can unlock Netflix. However, you have to be a bit patient to find a server that is not detected as a VPN by Netflix. For me, it worked after a few attempts.

How much does Avira Phantom VPN slow down my speed?

With Avira Phantom VPN, about 60 % of my base speed could be achieved without VPN in the test, This is a quite good value, which is exceeded by the Best VPN can be further reduced using the Wireguard protocol or special servers.

How secure is Avira Phantom VPN in the free version?

Unclear. On the one hand, PhantomVPN uses 256-bit encryption, which is used by the military. But in the free version lacks a kill switchwhich can compromise data. The company has a strict no-logs policy, so your online activities are not shared. However, Avira transmits your master data and presumably your PC configuration to the USA to external companies in order to place target group-specific advertising.

When you anonymous on the internet on the road, you'd better turn to another VPN. A secure VPN that costs little is Surfshark. Because with this provider you get through independent audit audited VPN with Ad blocker for Unlimited number of devices. With the 30-day money back guarantee, you can test it without any financial risk.

7. tunnel bear

Logo Tunnelbear

TunnelBear is a VPN service with solid security features and military-grade AES-256 encryption. However, the service unlocks Netflix only sporadically and it can cause problems more often.

Unfortunately, the free version of Tunnelbear is hardly usable for another reason: With the current limit of 500 MB per month, you can probably hardly do anything.

What I like about Tunnelbear is that the provider offers obfuscated servers. This is a great help for those looking for a viable China VPN, as the VPN is harder for censors to detect.

Is the free version of TunnelBear worth it?

In the free version, the VPN Tunnelbear did not convince me. The bear as a brand carrier may seem cuddly, but 500 MB are simply too little. With other free providers like ProtonVPN you can surf the Internet protected without data caps. A worthwhile VPN that costs little is Surfshark. Because with this provider you get through independent audit audited VPN with Ad blocker for Unlimited number of devices. With the 30-day money back guarantee, you can test it without any financial risk.

Advantages Free VPN Tunnelbear

  • Original idea with the bear
  • Easy setup and intuitive user interface
  • No logs
  • Obfuscated server
  • Strong encryption ("Military Grade")

Disadvantages Free VPN Tunnelbear

  • Data limit of 500MB/month in the Free Plan
  • No choice of servers possible in Free Plan
  • Geo-blocking locks from Netflix can only be circumvented with partially multiple server changes
  • Payment with cryptocurrency not possible
  • No money back guarantee
  • Upgrade to TunnelBear unlimited expensive
  • no live chat
Try Tunnelbear for free"

8. kaspersky

Logo Kaspersky

Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection uses the OpenVPN protocol which establishes a secure and fast connection via SSL/TLS. The service uses 256-bit encryption according to the AES standard. This is the highest encryption available. The 256-bit encryption is approved by the US American security authority NSA for top-secret information. Therefore, Kaspersky VPN is definitely secure in terms of encryption. However, the service only has a kill switch in the Pro version, so data leaks can occur if the VPN connection is interrupted. The PrivadoVPN service already offers the kill switch in the free version, and therefore has an even higher security when the connection breaks down.

Mediocre No Logs Policy

Kaspersky has a no-logs policy: the provider does not create activity logs.

Kaspersky Free VPN No Logs
Kaspersky Free VPN No Logs

However, certain data about your connection will still be stored. You can even retrieve them in the dashboard. This includes:

  • Start and end of VPN use with date and time
  • Information about the connection time and location of the protected server.
  • Virtual connection country
  • Transferred data volume in MB
Kaspersky free VPN user statistics
Kaspersky free VPN user statistics

These user statistics usually don't compromise your anonymity, but it's still a snippet of information that fully anonymous VPNs such as NorthVPN* do not create.

Free version not suitable for streaming and Netflix

In the free version Kaspersky offers 200 MB daily. This is too little for streaming, which is why Kaspersky is not recommended as a free VPN for Netflix. The servers in the free version are also extremely limited: You can only connect to the nearest server. Bypassing geo-locks is thus not possible. Further weaknesses become apparent when unlocking Netflix. Interruptions occur again and again. Nevertheless, Kaspersky is quite suitable for casual users who are looking for solid protection. The Pro version is also quite cheap compared to other VPNs: Only 30 ? is charged for one year of VPN protection on 5 devices. Kaspersky also offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Advantages Free VPN Kaspersky

  • Easy setup and intuitive user interface
  • Well known brand
  • No logs
  • Reliable connection via OpenVPN protocol
  • Obfuscated server
  • Strong encryption (?NSA Military Grade?)
  • 14 days money back guarantee

Disadvantages Free VPN Kaspersky

  • Data limit of 200MB/month in the Free Plan
  • No choice of servers possible in Free Plan
  • Geo-blocking locks from Netflix can only be circumvented with partially multiple server changes
  • Payment with cryptocurrency not possible
  • no live chat
Try Kaspersky for free"

9. zoogVPN

Logo ZoogVPN

ZoogVPN is promising in a few areas. In the free version of the VPN you can choose from 3 locations and get 10 GB monthly Volume. The 128-bit encryption is somewhat weaker than that of other free VPN providers. However, a 128-bit encrypted password is by no means easy to crack: Today's computers need over 1,000 years for this. ZoogVPN is therefore sufficiently secure, even in the free version. Furthermore, the provider does not store any logs of visited websites. Streaming support for Netflix is available from the premium version, which is also surprisingly cheap at 3 Euros per month in a 1-year plan. However, there is no ad blocker, which is not available in the cheap version. Surfshark is included.

ZoogVPN is based in Greece, which is not a member of the 14-Eyes. These are 14 countries that, among other things, log and share information about activities on the Internet. A VPN in a 14-Eyes country is generally a bit less secure, and the fact that this does not apply to ZoogVPN is a plus.

The affordable price of ZoogVPN Premium is undoubtedly attractive, and the free version with 10 GB of data is good to use. However, the quality of the service leaves a lot to be desired. The service only has a small server network, does not offer a wireguard protocol, and a kill switch is not available in the free version. Surfshark offers more for the same price.

Advantages Free ZoogVPN

  • Upgrade to Premium version affordable
  • Privacy-friendly location (Greece)
  • No logs
  • 10 GB volume without cost
  • Payment via Bitcoin possible
  • 24/7 Live Chat
  • 7days money back guarantee

Disadvantages Free ZoogVPN

  • Small server network
  • No access to Netflix
Try ZoogVPN for free"

10. speedify

Logo Speedify

Speedify is not really a VPN. However, we have included it in this list of the best free VPNs because it works in a similar way. The service uses all available connections and bundles them to increase your speed. For example, on your cell phone you can use the mobile connection and your wi-fi connection at the same time, which makes you much faster and also more stable on the net. Because there is always a second connection as a backup. This technique is called Channel Bonding called. You can also compare it with driving on a multi-lane highway.

Does Speedify unlock Netflix?

Speedify does not unlock Netflix. I tried several Speedify servers and could not access Netflix on any of them.

Netflix Error M7037-1111 Looks like you're connecting through a VPN, proxy or "unblocker" service. To start watching, please turn off any of these services and try again.
Speedify could not unlock Netflix

If you need a VPN to watch Netflix you should go to one of the best VPN Austria like ExpressVPN grab. The service is guaranteed to work with Netflix!

No logs at Speedify

Speedify is a No-Log VPN. IP addresses and visited pages are not stored. Speedify's privacy policy is accordingly short and sweet. The service does not store any information that is somehow related to the DNS requests, and therefore cannot provide it upon request. However, metadata such as the start and end of the connection and the amount of data transferred are stored. To use Speedify's free service, you remain incognito with all your data. This is because the download also works without registration.

Another small shortcoming of data protection is the location of the service: Speedify is a US company. If the service is forced by law to hand over data to authorities, it must comply.

Speedify prices

Speedify offers a free option for 10 GB of data per month. The paid subscriptions are more expensive than other services such as Surfshark. Speedify is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. However, the free version of the service is only available for Windows and Mac. I liked that Speedify offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test the service without risk.

Advantages Speedify

  • Free VPN with Channel Bonding for highest performance
  • Fast and reliable connectivity
  • Easy setup on Windows, Mac and Linux
  • No logs
  • 10 GB volume without cost
  • 24/7 Live Chat
  • 30 days money back guarantee

Disadvantages Speedify

  • Small server network
  • No access to Netflix
  • Not a privacy-friendly location (USA)
Try Speedify for free"

11. opera

Free VPN Logo Opera

The latest version of the Norwegian web browser Opera has an integrated VPN function. Currently, this is the only browser that has a VPN integrated by default. But Opera also created many innovations in the browser in the past, such as tabs or ad -and malware blockers.

Opera VPN is permanently free on all devices without setup

The Opera VPN does not require any setup at all. Because the Opera VPN is already in your browser and you only need to activate it in the settings.

Enable Opera VPN in the settings
Enable Opera VPN in the settings

Once the VPN is enabled, the status is indicated by a blue VPN icon next to the address bar:

Opera's VPN is free for permanent and without any restrictions. Opera also has no device restrictions like other free VPNs in this review: You can install Opera on as many devices as you want and use the free VPN. In addition, Opera offers a free VPN app for iPhone and Android. With it, you can also surf on the go via a VPN connection.

High speed

The browsing speed with VPN enabled was only noticeably slower with Opeara. To quantify the effect, I did a speed test with the VPN on: I reached my base speed of 20 Mbps. Excellent!

No throttling of my 20Mbps Internet speed detectable in the speed test of the Opera VPN

Servers are limited

However, the servers of the free Opera VPN are limited. You can only choose from 4 locations. These include servers in Europe, Asia, and North and South America.

Not all traffic is protected

Since Opera is only a web browser, only the web browser traffic is routed through the VPN. When other apps access the Internet, no redirection is made through the Opera VPN. Therefore, when using Opera VPN, you should make sure that there are no data leaks. Therefore, Opera VPN is definitely not suitable for torrenting or gaming. For this, you have to switch to a powerful VPN. You can find some recommendations in the Best VPNs Austria. Nevertheless, Opera also uses high encryption. The service uses AES-256-bit encryption and the open-source OpenVPN protocol.

Conclusion Opera VPN

The integrated Opera VPN is not the most powerful VPN. It also has to make clear compromises in terms of features or server selection. However, the VPN is very easy to use and Opera, as a small niche browser, once again sets standards in terms of the range of functions of modern browsers.

Advantages Free VPN Opera

  • Easy setup and intuitive user interface
  • No restrictions on devices or data
  • Integrated directly in the browser
  • Reliable connection via OpenVPN protocol
  • Strong encryption (?NSA Military Grade?)

Disadvantages Free VPN Kaspersky

  • Only a few servers available
  • Traffic outside Opera not protected
  • Not suitable for gaming or torrenting
  • Geo-blocking locks from Netflix can not be circumvented
Try Opera for free"

Best free VPN for mobile devices

If you've gotten this far, you probably already suspect it: using public Wi-Fi on your Android device without a VPN is a really bad idea. You can easily fall victim to Man-in-the-Middle, Evil Twin or other attacks, where operators or other users of the hotspot can easily spy on your data. But even if you have outdated software, it may contain data leaks.

With a VPN you are on the safe side, if you like to use your smartphone in cafes and public places or sometimes forget to update your software. The service allows you to use public Wi-Fi to send confidential emails, check bank account balances or book airline tickets. To the best free VPN for mobile devices count Hide.Me and ProtonVPN. You can use this service completely free of charge with some restrictions. Do you look often Netflix or even want torrenting you should better operate to NordVPN, ExpressVPN or Surfshark, which all have free trial periods.

It should be clear that the performance of free VPNs does not match that of the top VPNs. If you want to stream Netflix on your Android or play mobile games, you should use the favorable Surfshark just give it a try. The VPN is the perfect Alternative to free Android VPN.

The cheap VPN Surfshark convinces with a independent auditing, Ad blocker and Access for unlimited devices. Students get another 15 % student discount. Who wants to deal with data breaches and security leaks of the free VPN?

Best free VPN for Android

If you want to have a permanently free VPN, the best free VPN for Android Hide.Me. You also get 10 Gb of data and 24/7 live support for one device. This means that the free VPN compares favorably with others. One drawback of Hide.Me is the Netflix problems. For this you should better go to ProtonVPN which can decrypt the US library quite reliably even in the free version.

Best free VPN for iOS

Among the best free VPN for iOS are NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark, which all have free trial periods and have an easy to understand iOS app. If you want to have a permanently free VPN, the best free VPN for iOS Hide.Me. With this service, you get 10 GB of data to surf via VPN on your iOS device in 5 locations for free. In case of any problems with Hide.Me, 24/7 live support is available. If you're looking for a free VPN for Netflix, you've come to the right place. ProtonVPN best kept.

Best free VPN for Windows 10

If you want to have a permanently free VPN, the best free VPN for Windows Hide.Mewhich provides 10 GB per month at an acceptable speed. However, if you are looking for a free VPN for Netflix, you are at the right place. ProtonVPN best kept.

The best free VPN for Windows 10 include the already mentioned providers NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark. which next to free trial periods also have an excellent desktop client.

Based on my tests in comparison NorthVPN vs ExpressVPN was ExpressVPN ExpressVPN was the better service. Because there were 4 wins for NordVPN and 6 wins for ExpressVPN. Moreover, both services were tied in 3 categories. Here are the results in detail:

  • Costs and discount promotions ? Best provider: NordVPN
  • Speed ? Best provider: ExpressVPN
  • The interface of the two VPNs in comparison? Best provider: ExpressVPN
  • Functionality and features ? Best provider: NordVPN
  • Which is the better service for streaming Netflix and other platforms? ? Best provider: ExpressVPN
  • Which is the better gaming VPN? ? Best provider: ExpressVPN
  • Which is the better service for torrenting over P2P networks? ? Best provider: NordVPN
  • Which service is the better China VPN and can bypass Chinese censorship? ? Best provider: ExpressVPN
  • The device compatibility of NordVPN and ExpressVPN ? Best provider: ExpressVPN/NordVPN
  • Security ? Best provider: NordVPN
  • Anonymity ? Best provider: ExpressVPN/NordVPN
  • 30 days money back guarantee ? Best provider: ExpressVPN/NordVPN
  • Which service has better customer support? ? Best provider: ExpressVPN

Free VPN for Netflix

The best is still ProtonVPN as free VPN for Netflix. The service only offers real Netflix support and obfuscated servers in its Premium version - however, also decrypt the base server Netflix. Although ProtonVPN is the best free VPN for Netflix in my opinion, there can be sporadic problems with the basic servers. Most of the time, however, these can be circumvented by switching servers. However, the free servers at Proton are usually already quite busy, so that the server change is usually accompanied by a small loss of speed.

Why the Netflix lock is so hard to get around for VPN

VPN services route many users over the same IP address to services like Netflix. Netflix can use a script to detect that an unusually large number of accesses are coming from the same IP address. When this happens, the streaming service blocks this IP address, because Netflix is not allowed to unlock the content for users from other countries due to licenses. The VPNs can counteract this by constantly changing the IP addresses. However, since the Netflix algorithm is getting better and better at detecting VPNs, it is very costly for VPNs to circumvent the Netflix block. Most free VPNs therefore do not manage to reliably unblock Netflix. Especially financially strong VPNs like ExpressVPN however, also see this development as an opportunity. Unlike the free VPNs, Express has the necessary financial resources to circumvent the geoblocking barrier.

Free VPN Netflix. Olivia Colman in The Lost Daughter. Credit: Netflix
With the free VPN ProtonVPN I was able to decode the Netflix library. Pictured: Olivia Colman in The Lost Daughter. Credit: Netflix

Reliable VPN for Netflix

If you regularly want to watch Netflix via VPN, you should therefore use a paid VPN. These are the only services that can reliably decrypt Netflix USA.

The service ExpressVPN offers 24/7 Netflix support and has so far always been able to tell me a working server to unlock Netflix. In 2022, Netflix has made it much harder for VPNs to decrypt Netflix due to demands from rights holders. Even top services like Nord or Surfshark have trouble decrypting Netflix's US library on the first connection attempt. ExpressVPN is a bit more expensive, but it is still the best at bypassing Netflix locks.

Free VPN for torrenting

For torrenting are free VPNs too dangerous, to recommend them. If you use a service with weak security, you could get into legal trouble by torrenting. This is because free VPNs don't disguise your user activity as well as premium VPNs. Moreover, they often log other data, so you won't remain anonymous while torrenting. If you accidentally download a file via a free VPN that is subject to a DMCA copyright, you can quickly be warned.

For torrenting, you should use powerful VPNs with dedicated P2P servers. Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer a comparable service for torrenting, whereby NordVPN works even a tad better.

How to choose a free VPN: 5 important questions

As you have seen in this article, there is a whole range of free VPN services. The providers range from the well-known Hide.me to the more traditional Kaspersky. However, there are some points that you should definitely consider with free VPN:

  1. Many free VPNs restrict the Bandwidth to persuade users to pay for a subscription
  2. The same applies to the available Data volume
  3. Likewise, with free VPN there are only a few Server locations available, which are usually more highly utilized
  4. Better protected obfuscated servers or Onion VPN are usually not available with free VPN. Therefore, free VPN are often not for torrenting or Netflix suitable, since your identity can be revealed.
  5. As a rule you can Fewer devices operate with a free VPN at the same time
  6. Whether your Data secure are, can be questionable with free VPN
  7. The Quality of the service may be questionable
  8. As a rule, free VPNs have other restrictions and feature Less features.

The problems with free VPNs

Free VPNs have to earn money to keep the expensive server infrastructure running. In doing so, these companies could (theoretically) store sensitive data such as your surfing behavior or your IP address without you noticing.
Reputable free VPNs have no interest in selling your data, because they can use their service to gain you as a paying customer.

Free VPN without these problems

If you are looking for a free VPN but want to rely on a reputable provider due to sensitive data, you can use the Best VPNs Austria 30 or 45 days free trial. I have done this for ExpressVPN and NordVPN, and can testify that the Money-back guarantee worked without any problems. To try out a VPN for free, download it from the site of North or Express and take out a short subscription to limit your risk.

If you don't like the VPN or want your money back, contact support no later than the 29th day of your subscription and write them that you want your money back. Neither NordVPN nor ExpressVPN asked me many questions when I did this and I had my money back in my account within a few days. Since the Customer support from North and Express 24h a day and 7 days a week is available, you can still claim the 30-day money back guarantee even at 3 in the morning.

If you want to try a free premium VPN for free for even longer, you can reach for Cyberghost. You can even use this service for 45 days test it risk-free. Some core features of Cyberghost:

  • More than 7600 servers in 91 countries
  • Special servers for Streaming and Torrenting
  • Your data is safe thanks to Kill Switch and the No-Logs Policy of the provider well protected
  • Very secure encryption according to military standard
  • Always available customer service with 24/7 live chat.
  • Cyberghost is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire Stick and more
  • Customer service and live chat are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

?freemium? vs. free VPNs: hidden costs you should know about

Premium VPN apps usually don't have trackers to serve optimized ads to your users. This is because, unlike free VPNs, they can use your subscription revenue to cover their costs.

There are even scientific studies [1] that have proven this effect. While 28 % of all free VPNs are tracker-free, this value increases to 65 % for premium VPNs. In fact, there are also some black sheep among the premium VPNs, such as OKVPN or EasyVPN.

Premium VPNFree VPN
Without tracker65 %28 %
With tracker35 %72 %
more than 5 trackers5 %18 %
Free VPNs have trackers more often than premium VPNs


While trackers are still comparatively harmless, there are some free VPNs that have further hidden costs that often make them more expensive than premium VPNs. Among them is Malware which spies out data and can even send it to third parties via the requested SMS send authorization, as in the case of EasyVPN and OKVPN.

The following VPN services are not reputable and use dangerous malware:

  1. OkVpn
  2. EasyVpn
  3. SuperVPN
  4. Betternet
  5. CrossVpn
  6. Archie VPN
  7. HatVPN
  8. sFly Network Booster
  9. One Click VPN
  10. Fast Secure Payment
  11. Free and Unlimited VPN
  12. Hotspot VPN - Free, Secure & Fast Internet
  13. Hotspot VPN - Best free, unlimited, secure & fast internet
  14. Luna: Best VPN for Android
  15. Luna: Best VPN for iPhone/iPad
  16. 5 EuroVPN

Some of these have already been removed from the App stores removed from Google and Apple. If you can't download a free VPN through the official app stores, this is a red flag and a Malware indication,

Is a free VPN worth it?

Due to the frequent security vulnerabilities or even active spying on its users, free VPNs are not a good idea to save money and are not worth it. If you want to save money, you should instead take advantage of the large price differences in paid VPNs. While some providers charge more than 10 ? a month for the VPN, there are several VPN providers that offer high quality at low prices.

If you get a VPN for 2 ? a month, it makes no sense to take unnecessary risks. After all, a VPN is supposed to secure you on the Internet and you often entrust a lot of sensitive data to the connection.

A perfect example for a good VPN that costs little is Surfshark. Because with this provider you get through independent audit audited VPN with Ad blocker for Unlimited number of devices. In addition, students receive another 15 % student discount and thus pay less than 2 ? for the VPN. Another alternative for a cheap VPN is also the proven NordVPNwhich we here compared with the main rival Express.

With less than 2 euros per month, do you still think a free VPN would be worth it in light of the risks described?

[1] An Analysis of the Privacy and Security Risks of Android VPN Permission-enabled Apps

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