The best free VPN

You should really be paying for a VPN, but these free tiers and trials are solid for the short term.

By Haley Henschel

Nov. 17, 2024

Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

CyberGhost VPN

Best VPN free trial

Pros & Cons

TunnelBear

Best free VPN

Pros & Cons

In the realm of cybersecurity, "best VPN" and "paid VPN" are effectively synonyms. Yes, free VPNs (aka virtual private networks) do exist, but most of them are extremely sketchy. That means your data could be logged, sold, or leaked — or even downloading an app intentionally bundled with malware. They need to keep the lights on somehow.

So, here's my general rule of thumb: Paid, premium VPN services are always the safest and most reliable. But there's a small loophole for cash-strapped users, which is that some premium providers do offer free tiers and trials. They're typically more limited than their paid counterparts, with usage restrictions and fewer server options, but they're at least protected by the same privacy practices —?including vetted no-logs policies.

For users searching for the best free VPNs, or those who need a VPN for occasional short-term use, these free tiers are handy tools.

What is the best free VPN?

After testing some of the most popular free VPN services, I think TunnelBear is the best free VPN for most people. Its cute, basic, and ad-free app is super easy to use, it offers some form of split tunneling on all platforms, and its free users get 2GB of browsing data on one simultaneous connection per month. (You can't have it running constantly in the background across all your devices, but life is full of tradeoffs.) TunnelBear abides by sound transparency and privacy practices, and it doesn't make any money off its free users — nor does it require they enter any credit card information.

CyberGhost VPN and ExpressVPN also offer decent trials. CyberGhost is free on desktop or mobile for up to a week, and ExpressVPN is free for a week on mobile. Both apps have large and globally diverse server networks that make them good for traveling or unblocking regional content, like streaming services, and free users get full access to these networks. (They both allowed me to watch Love Island UK from my home in Chicago.) However, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN both restrict split tunneling on certain platforms, have a shared parent company with an iffy past, and require credit card info from trial users.

What I'm testing next

In mid-2024, I tried the free version of Proton VPN on Windows for another one of Mashable's VPN guides. I was extremely impressed by its commitment to user privacy and transparency, and liked the fact that it didn't place data limits on its free users (or ask them for credit card deets). I'm still in the process of fully vetting Proton VPN, but so far it's a really strong contender for the No. 1 spot. Watch your back, TunnelBear.

For now, read on for Mashable's guide to the best free VPNs.

CyberGhost VPN

Best VPN free trial

The good

Issues quarterly transparency reports Split tunneling on Android 24/7 support via email and live chat Clean app design Kill switch Massive, globally diverse server network Kill switch enabled automatically No credit card required for desktop trial Paid plans come with a long money-back guarantee (up to 45 days)

The Bad

Credit card required for mobile trial Only just started conducting regular audits No multi-hop connections No split tunneling on Mac, Windows, or iOS Switching servers prompted reCAPTCHA in testing Parent company has a shady past

The Bottomline

Specs

Free trial on Android: Three days
Free trial on iOS: Seven days
Free trial on Mac: 24 hours
Free trial on Windows: 24 hours

Read Mashable's full review of CyberGhost VPN.

Who it's for:

CyberGhost VPN offers unrestricted trials of varying lengths on both desktop and mobile. It's a solid pick for users who want to try a premium VPN service with a massive server network, and it's especially great for streaming. It won't wow transparency sticklers, though.

Why we picked this:

CyberGhost VPN's key appeal is its large and globally diverse network of servers across 100 countries, which includes dozens of locations that are optimized for downloading and streaming. These servers only allow traffic for their respective activities to prevent slowdowns. CyberGhost has issued transparency reports that anyone can peruse since 2011 — and they went quarterly in 2019, which is commendable —?but it only recently started commissioning third-party audits. It's also owned by Kape Technologies, which has a sketchy history. (CyberGhost and other VPNs under the Kape umbrella operate separately from it, but it's worth noting if you're extra concerned about privacy.)

CyberGhost offers a free trial for 24 hours on Windows and Mac, three days on Android, and a full week on iOS, allowing one simultaneous connection per account. (You can't have concurrent trials going on multiple devices, so pick your platform wisely.) Trial users have unrestricted city-level access to its server network, which is presented in list form on its sleek, uncluttered app. There's no multi-hop, and split tunneling is only available on Android, but at least there's a kill switch that's enabled automatically.

I do want to mention that Google made me complete a reCAPTCHA every time I switched CyberGhost servers on both desktop and mobile. This suggests that the servers I was using were pretty full at the time, but since I didn't have any connection or speed issues, I didn't consider it a major issue (just a minor nuisance).

CyberGhost's desktop trials don't require a credit card to activate, so you're not at risk of paying for a plan you don't necessarily want if you go that route. That's not the case for CyberGhost's mobile trials, though: You have to "subscribe" to a $49.99 per year annual plan before you start using it on Android or iOS, and if you forget to cancel the plan before the trial ends, you'll get charged. On the plus side, CyberGhost has an ext

TunnelBear

Best free VPN

The good

Transparent, easily understandable privacy policy Annual security audits Simple, adorable interface is very beginner-friendly Kill switch ("VigilantBear") Split tunneling ("SplitBear") No credit card required

The Bad

No on-demand support No multi-hop connections Kill switch needs to be manually enabled Small server network compared to its competition Couldn't unblock regional content in testing

The Bottomline

Specs

Data limit: Up to 2GB per month (does not roll over)

Read Mashable's full review of TunnelBear.

Who it's for:

TunnelBear is a charming and uncomplicated VPN with good privacy practices and a free tier geared at casual users who only need a VPN for occasional private browsing (i.e., you don't have it running 24/7). It's decidedly not for those who need a VPN to access geo-restricted content; it couldn't unblock regional streaming libraries in my testing.

Why we picked this:

TunnelBear eschews intricate settings and intimidating jargon for cute and simple apps. Its lack of multi-hop connections and small server network won't impress power users, but VPN newbies will find it refreshingly approachable. Tunnelbear conducts regular annual security audits and occasional transparency reports, and its privacy policy lays out the kind of data it does (and doesn't) collect in plain language.

I asked TunnelBear about their business model over email, and a company rep (under the alias "CubCake Bear") told me flat-out that the company doesn't make money off its free users, nor does it track or sell their data. "Our business is driven solely by our paid subscribers, who help off-set the cost to maintain our servers and operate our infrastructure," they explained, adding that TunnelBear's free tier "serves as a method to try before you buy, or if your need is minimal on a monthly basis." Good stuff.

The free version of TunnelBear caps you at 2GB of data per month, which does not roll over and resets on the monthly anniversary of when you created your account. It includes support for one simultaneous connection for use on Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS. Users can pick from servers in different countries in a list or on a cartoon-y map. (Unlimited simultaneous connections and city-level server options are reserved for paid subscribers.) There's a kill switch called "VigilantBear," which you'll have to enable automatically, and a split tunneling tool called "SplitBear," which varies from platform to platform: You can exempt websites and apps on Windows. but only apps on Android and websites on Mac and iOS.

Finally, and crucially, you don't have to enter any credit card information to use Tu

Topics: Tech, Cybersecurity, VPN (Virtual Private Networks), ExpressVPN, TunnelBear, CyberGhost VPN