The Best Free VPNs of 2026 (150 Free VPNs Investigated)

We tested 150 VPNs hands-on. Here are the best free vpns for 2026, ranked by privacy, speed, streaming and value.

ECWritten by Editor-in-Chief TRFact-checked by Technical Reviewer Updated October 1, 2026 150 VPNs tested Affiliate disclosure

Summary: Best Free VPNs Rankings

Proton VPN — Best Free VPN Overall. Most secure VPN — Swiss privacy and the best free plan.
Windscribe — Best Free VPN for Streaming. Best free VPN for streaming — 10GB per month.
Hotspot Shield — Fastest Free VPN. Fastest VPN we tested — Hydra protocol.
PrivadoVPN — Best Free VPN for Netflix. Free VPN with 10GB a month and Swiss privacy.
hide.me — Best Free VPN for Privacy. Best all-rounder with a generous free plan.
ZoogVPN — Best Budget Upgrade Path. Budget VPN with a 10GB free plan.
TunnelBear — Easiest Free VPN. Easiest VPN for beginners — 2GB free.

150

VPNs Tested (dummy)

30,000+

Hours of Testing (dummy)

50+

Combined Years of Experience (dummy)

Best Free VPNs Compared & Reviewed

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Proton VPN: Best Free VPN Overall

Ranked #1 out of 150 VPN services · Unlimited data

6.3

/ 10

Pros

Audited no-logs policy
Open-source apps
Secure Core multi-hop servers
Best free plan with unlimited data

Cons

More expensive monthly plan
Free plan limited to 1 device

Why we picked it

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WindowsMaciOSAndroidLinuxFire TVAndroid TVApple TVRouterChrome

Privacy & Logging9.6

Streaming8.9

Speed9.0

Security9.4

Server Locations9.2

User Experience8.6

Torrenting9.0

Devices8.8

Extras7.9

Data Cap	Unlimited
Server Countries (free)	10
Servers (free)	2000
Devices	1
Speed Cap	None
Ads	No
Logging Policy	No Logs
Jurisdiction	Switzerland (Privacy Haven)
Support	Email & Live Chat

Get Proton VPN Full Proton VPN Review Last tested: Sep 2026 (dummy)

Windscribe: Best Free VPN for Streaming

Ranked #2 out of 150 VPN services · 10GB/month

5.5

/ 10

Pros

Generous free plan
Unblocks Netflix even on free servers
Pay-per-location pricing

Cons

Only 3-day refund window
Canada is a 5 Eyes country

Why we picked it

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WindowsMaciOSAndroidLinuxFire TVAndroid TVApple TVRouterChrome

Privacy & Logging8.8

Streaming8.6

Speed8.2

Security8.5

Server Locations8.4

User Experience8.3

Torrenting8.3

Devices8.7

Extras7.8

Data Cap	10GB/month
Server Countries (free)	10
Servers (free)	11
Devices	99
Speed Cap	None
Ads	No
Logging Policy	No Logs
Jurisdiction	Canada (5 Eyes)
Support	Email & Ticket

Get Windscribe Full Windscribe Review Last tested: Sep 2026 (dummy)

Hotspot Shield: Fastest Free VPN

Ranked #3 out of 150 VPN services · Unlimited data, ads

5.5

/ 10

Pros

Fastest speeds in our tests (1% loss)
Free plan with no data cap

Cons

Logs some connection data
Free plan shows ads

Why we picked it

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WindowsMaciOSAndroidLinuxFire TVAndroid TVRouterChrome

Privacy & Logging7.2

Streaming8.4

Speed9.8

Security7.8

Server Locations8.6

User Experience8.5

Torrenting7.4

Devices8.6

Extras6.9

Data Cap	Unlimited (ads)
Server Countries (free)	1
Servers (free)	1
Devices	1
Speed Cap	2 Mbps
Ads	Yes
Logging Policy	Some User Logs
Jurisdiction	United States (5 Eyes)
Support	24/7 Live Chat

Get Hotspot Shield Full Hotspot Shield Review Last tested: Sep 2026 (dummy)

PrivadoVPN: Best Free VPN for Netflix

Ranked #4 out of 150 VPN services · 10GB/month

5.2

/ 10

Pros

10GB free per month
Swiss jurisdiction
Unblocks Netflix on free plan

Cons

Small server network
Free speeds are throttled after the data cap

Why we picked it

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WindowsMaciOSAndroidFire TVAndroid TVRouter

Privacy & Logging8.2

Streaming7.8

Speed7.6

Security7.9

Server Locations7.0

User Experience8.0

Torrenting7.6

Devices7.7

Extras6.1

Data Cap	10GB/month
Server Countries (free)	12
Servers (free)	13
Devices	1
Speed Cap	None
Ads	No
Logging Policy	No Logs
Jurisdiction	Switzerland (Privacy Haven)
Support	Email & Live Chat

Get PrivadoVPN Full PrivadoVPN Review Last tested: Sep 2026 (dummy)

hide.me: Best Free VPN for Privacy

Ranked #5 out of 150 VPN services · 10GB/month

4.9

/ 10

Pros

Fast speeds
Free plan with no ads
Strong privacy jurisdiction

Cons

Weaker for streaming
Smaller server network

Why we picked it

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WindowsMaciOSAndroidLinuxFire TVAndroid TVApple TVRouterChrome

Privacy & Logging8.9

Streaming7.9

Speed9.1

Security8.6

Server Locations8.0

User Experience8.4

Torrenting8.6

Devices8.3

Extras7.0

Data Cap	10GB/month
Server Countries (free)	8
Servers (free)	8
Devices	1
Speed Cap	None
Ads	No
Logging Policy	No Logs
Jurisdiction	Malaysia (Privacy Haven)
Support	24/7 Live Chat

Get hide.me Full hide.me Review Last tested: Sep 2026 (dummy)

ZoogVPN: Best Budget Upgrade Path

Ranked #6 out of 150 VPN services · 10GB/month

4.2

/ 10

Pros

Cheap long-term plans
10GB free per month

Cons

Small network
Slower speeds

Why we picked it

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WindowsMaciOSAndroidLinuxFire TVRouter

Privacy & Logging7.8

Streaming7.0

Speed7.0

Security7.4

Server Locations6.5

User Experience7.6

Torrenting7.2

Devices7.4

Extras5.8

Data Cap	10GB/month
Server Countries (free)	5
Servers (free)	5
Devices	1
Speed Cap	None
Ads	No
Logging Policy	No Logs
Jurisdiction	Greece (EU Member)
Support	Email & Live Chat

Get ZoogVPN Full ZoogVPN Review Last tested: Sep 2026 (dummy)

TunnelBear: Easiest Free VPN

Ranked #7 out of 150 VPN services · 2GB/month

4.0

/ 10

Pros

Very easy to use
Annual independent audits

Cons

Only 2GB free per month
No streaming unblocking
No refunds

Why we picked it

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WindowsMaciOSAndroidChrome

Privacy & Logging8.4

Streaming6.2

Speed7.4

Security8.2

Server Locations6.8

User Experience9.0

Torrenting5.8

Devices7.6

Extras5.9

Data Cap	2GB/month
Server Countries (free)	47
Servers (free)	5000
Devices	1
Speed Cap	None
Ads	No
Logging Policy	No Logs
Jurisdiction	Canada (5 Eyes)
Support	Email & Ticket

Get TunnelBear Full TunnelBear Review Last tested: Sep 2026 (dummy)

Free VPNs by Purpose & Device

Free vs Paid VPNs: The Limitations

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Why Many Free VPNs Are Dangerous

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How Do Free VPNs Make Money?

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Free VPNs to Avoid

Hola VPN

Peer-to-peer network sells your bandwidth to other users.

Betternet

History of embedded tracking libraries.

VPN Proxy Master

Opaque ownership and invasive permissions.

Thunder VPN

Weak encryption and aggressive ads.

SuperVPN

Exposed user data in a past breach.

Turbo VPN

Logs and shares usage data with advertisers.

How We Ranked the Best Free VPNs

Every VPN is scored against the same weighted criteria. Full details: How we review VPNs.

Data Cap Penalty30%

Privacy & Logging25%

Speed15%

Streaming10%

Server Locations10%

Ads & Upsells10%