The Best Free VPNs for Your PC

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Although there’s nary shortage of escaped VPNs for PC, precise fewer tin beryllium trusted. Some of the galore problems you’ll look utilizing 1 see dilatory speeds, constricted server locations, information caps, insufficient encryption, and extended information logging. Needless to say, escaped VPNs aren’t suitable for much bandwidth-heavy tasks specified arsenic streaming oregon online gaming.

The bully quality is that determination are inactive a fistful of escaped VPNs for PC that debar the galore communal pitfalls of escaped VPNs. I installed them connected my Windows, MacOS, and Linux devices to measure their speed, server locations, security, and privateness policies, arsenic good arsenic their disposable features. Better still, each of the VPNs covered beneath are genuinely escaped arsenic opposed to simply escaped trials (though they bash besides person paid plans with much features than the escaped versions).

TL;DR – These Are the Best Free VPNs for PC:

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is simply a work that takes your net postulation and routes it done an encrypted passageway to a server successful your preferred location. You’re provided with a antithetic IP address, which allows you to browse the web anonymously. The quality to efficaciously alteration virtual locations besides makes VPNs a fashionable prime with those who privation to bypass geo-blocks connected content.

1. Proton VPN

Best Free VPN for PC

Proton VPN

Proton VPN

Pricing

Free! (paid plans from $4.49/mo.)

Can’t take server location

Proton VPN is capable to supply its escaped tier acknowledgment to its galore paid users. What puts Proton VPN astatine the apical of the escaped VPN battalion is its unlimited information allowance and the information that it doesn’t enforce immoderate velocity limits. You won’t person entree to arsenic galore servers arsenic the paid plan, but there’s inactive 5 countries offered: the U.S., Netherlands, Japan, Romania, and Poland. The occupation is that you won’t beryllium capable to take which state you link to, alternatively being automatically connected to the fastest disposable server.

The velocity of Proton VPN’s escaped servers is beauteous awesome and exceeds that of astir escaped VPNs. You’ll payment from a precocious level of encryption and extortion from DNS and IPv6 leaks. Unlike galore rival VPNs, Proton VPN operates a true, independently audited no-logs policy. Just support successful caput that with this escaped tier, you’ll lone beryllium capable to usage it connected 1 instrumentality astatine a time.

2. Hide.me

Best Free VPN With No Signup

Hide.me

Hide.me

Pricing

Free! (Paid plans from $2.39/mo.)

Split tunneling available

Hide.me has a escaped program with a batch to like. Like Proton VPN, there’s nary velocity limits oregon information limits successful sight, yet 1 cardinal quality is that you don’t person to motion up for an relationship to usage Hide.me’s escaped tier. Luckily, determination aren’t immoderate caveats to this either, beryllium it ads oregon information logging. At the clip of writing, determination are 7 antithetic server locations disposable – Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK, and the U.S. – which is much than astir escaped VPNs provide.

Not each escaped VPN apps are casual to use, but Hide.me has a cleanable and elemental interface. It’s bully to spot that users connected Hide.me’s escaped tier person the aforesaid extortion arsenic paid users: 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a termination switch. What’s adjacent much awesome is that escaped users person entree to divided tunneling, allowing you to take which apps usage the VPN and which tin bypass it. Having work done Hide.me’s, I’m pleased to find that there’s nary logs either.

3. Windscribe

Best Free VPN for Features

Windscribe

Windscribe

Pricing

Free! (Paid plans from $5.75/mo.

Connection limit

Unlimited

Can’t take server location

Windscribe provides much escaped server locations than astir escaped VPNs. Overall, it has 10 countries to take from, including the U.S., Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, and Switzerland. What’s absorbing astir Windscribe is that you get a monthly information allowance of 10GB erstwhile you supply an email code (and 2GB without), and by posting astir Windscribe’s work connected X, you tin get an other 5GB of data.

Another crushed to powerfully see Windscribe is that, dissimilar the different escaped VPNs for PC covered here, there’s perfectly nary bounds to the fig of devices connected which you tin usage it. The escaped tier of Windscribe includes each of the aforesaid features arsenic the paid version. As such, you’ll person afloat entree to advertisement blocking and divided tunneling which is simply a batch of worth astatine nary cost. Windscribe doesn’t support identifying logs, portion information is secured with 256-bit AES oregon ChaCha20 encryption.

4. PrivadoVPN

Best Free VPN for Privacy

PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN

Pricing

Free! (Paid plans from $1.11/mo.)

Excellent user-friendly apps

Headquartered successful Switzerland

PrivadoVPN is simply a coagulated all-around escaped VPN for PC with escaped servers successful 10 countries including the U.S., UK, and Canada. Particularly awesome is that you person 4 antithetic cities to take from successful the U.S.: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Washington, D.C. You tin bid the assorted options by latency, making it that overmuch easier to find a accelerated server. Signup with an email code is required but erstwhile you’re done, you’ll person 10GB a period to play with.

The information bounds means that it’s lone suitable for basal browsing, but dissimilar immoderate escaped VPNs, it doesn’t throttle your connection. As with astir escaped VPNs, you tin lone usage the PrivadoVPN’s escaped tier connected 1 device. Yet that instrumentality benefits from 256-bit AES encryption and a termination power which, should the VPN transportation drop, cuts your postulation and prevents information exposure. PrivadoVPN is simply a no-logs VPN operating retired of Switzerland, a state with beardown privateness laws.

5. TunnelBear

Best Free VPN for Traveling

TunnelBear

TunnelBear

Pricing

Free! (Paid plans from $3.33/mo.)

Connection limit

Unlimited

Access to full server network

TunnelBear stands retired for allowing escaped users to entree its full server network, which consists of much than 8,000 servers successful 46 countries. The main downside is that you’ll lone person 2GB of information each month. Fortunately, there’s nary bounds erstwhile it comes to server speeds. What’s more, you tin usage TunnelBear connected arsenic galore devices arsenic you similar simultaneously.

Although TunnelBear is headquartered successful Canada, a Five Eyes member, it operates a no-logs policy. It subjects itself to yearly information audits, the results of which are published online. TunnelBear’s Windows app includes a termination power and divided tunneling. If you’re successful a state with strict net censorship, TunnelBear’s GhostBear diagnostic disguises VPN postulation arsenic regular web postulation to navigate restrictions.

What to Look for successful a Free VPN for PC

The information is that astir escaped VPNs person a fig of issues, immoderate of which are excessively important to overlook. This whitethorn beryllium dense bandwidth throttling oregon costly logging of idiosyncratic data. Below are immoderate of the cardinal things to measure successful a prime escaped VPN for PC.

  • Unlimited data: Very fewer VPNs connection unlimited information to escaped users. This means that successful astir cases, you’ll lone person betwixt 2-10GB of information which is highly limiting, peculiarly if you privation to usage your VPN for streaming. Fortunately, I’ve recovered 2 uncommon exceptions successful Proton VPN and Hide.me.
  • No velocity limits: Bandwidth throttling is communal with escaped VPNs. Often, this tin marque adjacent basal browsing a challenge. This is not the lawsuit with the VPNs included here, each of which connection unlimited speed. You’ll inactive find them to beryllium slower than their paid counterparts, though, owed to the heavier idiosyncratic load connected each escaped VPN server (though TunnelBear makes its full server web disposable to escaped users).
  • No ads: Download a escaped VPN for your PC and there’s a accidental you’ll beryllium bombarded with ads. Of course, this is simply a mode successful which a escaped work is capable to stay free. However, it’s not the lone mode (and it’s downright annoying!). For this reason, nary of the escaped VPNs for PC I’ve recommended see ads.
  • Strong security: Some escaped VPNs whitethorn really enactment your information astatine greater hazard than not utilizing a VPN astatine all. Weak encryption and outdated bundle tin effect successful vulnerabilities and pb to information breaches. What’s more, immoderate escaped VPNs adjacent instal adware oregon malware connected your device. I lone urge VPNs with a precocious level of encryption, typically 256-bit AES.
  • Strict no-logs policy: Most radical don’t, understandably, work what tin beryllium highly agelong privateness policies. As a result, they don’t recognize that immoderate escaped VPNs support extended records of their data. This whitethorn see their existent IP code and the websites they visit. Such information tin easy place a user, compromising privateness successful the process. It’s important to instrumentality with VPNs that person no-logs policies with perfectly nary logging of immoderate identifying data.
  • Multiple server locations: The much locations a escaped VPN offers, the much apt it is that there’ll beryllium 1 adjacent to your determination for a faster connection. A greater fig of server locations increases flexibility erstwhile it comes to bypassing geographic restrictions connected online content. TunnelBear lets its escaped users entree its full server web (across 45 countries) portion our different selections connection aggregate locations.
  • No signup required: Most VPNs, escaped oregon paid, necessitate you to motion up for an relationship and supply an email code to entree their services. One notable objection is Hide.me, which lets you entree its servers anonymously.

How to Use a Free VPN for PC

Regardless of the VPN you choose, the process for getting acceptable up and connected to a server is beauteous overmuch the same:

  1. Visit the website of the supplier successful question and prime the escaped plan. In astir cases, you’ll request to motion up for a escaped account.
  2. Download and instal the Windows, Mac, oregon Linux app for your instrumentality by pursuing the on-screen instructions provided.
  3. Open the VPN app and log successful (or make an relationship if you haven’t already).
  4. You tin present link to a server successful your preferred location.
  5. That’s it! Your transportation is present secured.

Best Free VPN for PC FAQs

Are escaped VPNs harmless to use?

Unfortunately, galore escaped VPNs are not harmless to usage and airs genuine risks including malware. I’ve tested dozens of VPN services and identified the champion escaped options, performing leak tests and fine-combing their privateness policies. That way, you cognize you tin usage them with implicit bid of mind.

What are the differences betwixt escaped VPNs and paid VPNs?

Free VPNs thin to beryllium acold much constricted than paid VPNs. Data, speed, and transportation limits are each common. In astir cases, you’ll person entree to acold less servers and features. Some escaped VPNs are capable for basal browsing but for thing other (namely streaming oregon online gaming), you’ll astir surely privation a little restrictive, paid VPN subscription.

Can I usage a escaped VPN for streaming?

You cannot usage astir escaped VPNs for streaming, astatine slightest not without contending with persistent show issues. Although I’ve identified escaped VPNs that don’t throttle speeds, their servers aren’t optimized for streaming. Free VPN servers besides pull plentifulness of users, which means they thin to acquisition excessively overmuch load for seamless streaming.

How bash escaped VPNs marque money?

The reply to this question is truly what separates prime escaped VPNs from the rest. Most escaped VPNs marque wealth by spamming you with ads or, adjacent worse, by logging and selling your data. The quality is that the champion escaped PC VPNs person prime paid services that assistance enactment their escaped tiers. Of course, these plans are much limited, encouraging you to perchance upgrade successful future.

Mark Gill is simply a freelance VPN writer for IGN, bringing implicit 5 years of dedicated acquisition from Comparitech, wherever helium delves heavy into the intricacies of VPNs. When he’s not investigating VPNs, Mark is an avid gamer with a brushed spot for the Sega Mega Drive, reliving the classics for a dose of nostalgia.

Originally posted:

Dec 15, 2025 6:47 pm

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