From exceptional security to improved web surfing experience, a free VPN gives you a much richer experience in terms of using the internet to its fullest extent. Though many VPN providers furiously compete for the top spot in the food chain, it is undoubtedly hard to find the best free VPNs out there. If you are looking for a solid service capable of making the world wide web safer, get ready to read about best free VPN services in 2019.
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Free VPN Software Ranking criteria
We do not have a particular order or rating, but sometimes a good free VPN provider does stand out. We certainly recommend them over others. There are several important aspects we are looking for in a provider worth mentioning.
Here they are:
- Stable architecture of the best free VPNs plus servers firmly refusing to go down for indefinite time lengths — these are things vividly defining reliable businesses. Most users choose VPN for reasons which are often summarized like this: the inability to access specific websites or whole internet communities plus deliberately hidden zones (banned sites). This means they want a top free VPN with persistently available servers alongside inexistent bugs.
- Trial conditions. Absolutely free VPN doesn’t exist. Any business wants to make its investors happy; focuses on monetizing as many product aspects as possible. However, this doesn’t mean that great tools must be purchased every time. In fact, some brands give away coupons, bandwidth or limited yet usable product versions allowing active customers to enjoy partially free VPN software. If a VPN free trial provides enough incentives to keep its executable files on the hard drive, we give it a pass.
- The number of stable servers. An issue troubling many VPN users is that the variety of server locations is just not up to a deceptively uncomplicated task of giving you the true freedom. The geographical allocation of machines hosting free VPN services is just as important as other technical nuances dramatically affecting the overall experience. Purchasing from firms owning incalculable servers sprinkled around the globe is usually a much more satisfying choice.
- We decided on excluding companies which still utilize the PPTP protocol which is a very outdated tech vulnerable to an astounding amount of cyber-attack types. The market accommodates upgraded staple protocols: OpenVPN, SSTP, etc.
Remember, the final word will be yours. Dozens of nuances exist decisively separating various brands offering VPN service free of charge. Selecting the best free VPN service is far from a tall task. Nevertheless, to make sound choices, consider personal preferences, needs, goals, plans, online routines, etc. Proper planning dramatically reduces the selection process difficulty.
There is an obvious option: just install every single package of software and use the good old “experimental approach” method. However, most useful features are usually listed on landing pages as certain program advantages you might be interested in signing up for meaning that choosing before using is a wise deed.
Why Do We Need a Free VPN?
Naturally, the best free VPN options must be considered lifesaving since they help explore areas of the web that may be prohibited by state decisions or corporate policies enforced despite public protests. Most TV channels/studios have dedicated official websites equipped with HTML5 or Flash players. Culture geeks may use such websites to catch up with latest episodes of favorite shows or watch sneak peeks. Sadly, channels protect their content from foreign viewers.
Such limitations can be easily dodged by geo-shifting your location. Just choose a good free VPN operating multiple servers in various corners of the planet. Watch American shows whether you live in the States, Asia, Europe (virtually, any place on Earth).
Another reason is that authoritarian (democratic too) governments block content deliberately. Frequently, they want to keep specific information from spreading. Sometimes, massive international witch hunts occur like the one announced against infamous ThePirateBay that jumps from one mirror to another all the time. Most quality free VPN services allow you to bypass such prohibitions granting full access to forbidden websites. The best free VPN provider will readily dish out unlimited data for your enjoyment! Detectives, sitcoms, reality shows, standup shorts — limitless content!
The third important prospect worth considering is anonymity. Safe browsing, total invisibility, and security are reasons sound enough to start using free VPNs. Undoubtedly, the overwhelming majority of users would prefer staying confidential when conducting business online (communicating, exchanging credentials, files, documents). Even not the best free VPNs offers complete anonymity if required.
Hopefully, believers are convinced in the need for a free VPN for PC so let’s get acquainted with top alternatives currently showcased in the market.
Our Top Choice: NordVPN
This is one of the cheapest yet most professional services in the whole global network. The service is offered at an average price of $11.95 for a one-month plan and you can drop it to $6.99 by purchasing a 1-year plan. Still, you can find coupons with special 3 years-offers. The price tag is quite appealing in this case, as you can purchase 3 years of security for less than 1 hundred bucks ($99). Since membership costing only $2.75 per month, the brand effortlessly attracted an enormous amount of customers. Nord VPN free offering apparently affects the popularity. It seems like the best free VPN solution.
Affordable yet robust applications frequently occupy trending positions confidently grabbing large market shares. Democratic pricing coupled with the impressive richness of features ensured high ratings of NORD.
Several company advantages must be noticed:
- Nordvpn free trial offers an opportunity to try it on all devices including smartphones, MACs, Windows, etc. The company developed specialized OS-specific apps adapted/optimized quite well.
- Notable upsides: 4855 servers all over the world, no logs stored on servers, supports 6 devices connected simultaneously. The best thing is: you can demand a refund within 30 days after installing the software. The first month will be refunded, no questions asked. This means, during the first 30 days you will be given a Nordvpn free trial.
- An expansive affiliate network. NORD is a brand embracing diverse partners: businesses, individuals, non-profits. The brand was mentioned by numerous media outlets including The Guardian, Forbes, BBC, CNN.
When contemplating about using Nordvpn free services, just sign up for a free VPN download. Get the application. Pay for the first thirty days. After initial 29 days expire, politely ask for a refund via e-mail or any other channel. Do Nordvpn free services worth your cash and attention? Most certainly they do. Nearly 5000 geo-shifting options coupled with incredible network stability put the brand in the vanguard of the whole industry.
The Best Customer Support: IPVanish
PR-heavy businesses charm clients with otherworldly degree of assistance slowly surrounding each customer with exceptional care. The extent of transparency is also very appealing. Each aspect of their service is described in details as it should be in the best VPN free options. Managers are readily available 24/7. They will gladly inform you about pricing, technical innuendos, and any other topics that may feel concerning when committing to a free VPN download.
While Ipvanish free trial is not an option offered by the company, ways to try the service without paying a dime exist. Buy initial thirty days. IP Vanish has the 7-day money-back guarantee. Use it throughout a week. Then, apply for the money-back procedure.
Here are the firm’s advantages:
- Ipvanish free protocol selection. The company showcases 3 state-of-the-art protocols (OpenVPN, TCP, UPD). Depending on what connection types and security degree seem preferable, make choices suiting your demands ideally. Notice also 2 uniquely enhanced protocols: Internet Key Exchange (IKE) or IPsec.
- Over a thousand international servers, no logs, completely anonymous torrenting, seamless server switching, and utilizing 10 devices simultaneously. Intrigued websurfers pay for the initially free VPN $6.49 when buying the yearly plan priced at $77.99.
- Outstanding technical support. While most companies have support services available only during business hours, Ipvanish free technical support works 24/7. If you have issues requiring assistance from specialists, just call the hotline. Employees politely answer giving informative constructive feedback.
The only mild annoyance is the 7-day complimentary trial period. While nordvpn free version is available for 30 whole days, the product by IPVANISH can be used for only a week without charge.
Most Secure: VyprVPN Free Trial
Undeniably, each service provider cares about protecting clients, but VYPRVPN puts extra emphasis on digital immunity. Praised by respected professionals as an example of the best free VPN services, VYPRVPN free version offers impeccable service alongside unmatched cyber immunity to its users. It is a relatively expensive solution costing $6.67 monthly (when billed annually) for a package containing 5 simultaneous connections accompanied by their famous chameleon connection protocol.
As mentioned previously, the company emphasizes the importance of security by investing heavily in creating unique instruments capable of defending the clientele from those who try to spy on them. Exceptional defense against hackers, spyware, and shady internet service providers such as AT&T infamously gathering info on clients’ online activities.
Anyone can get Vyprvpn free trial offer. It is a 3-day period during which the whole spectrum of functionality is unlocked for meticulous examination.
Here are some remarkable advantages:
- Exclusive in-house software. While other providers often use third-party solutions and components in lego-like systems, Golden Frog (the developer) uses only own technology making it a confident representative of top free VPNs actually investing heavily in the technologically sophisticated development process often creating an additional burden on the budget.
- Unique messenger. The side product shipped alongside chargeless trials is a fully protected messenger CYPHR incorporating 256-bit encryption to make conversations secure. The chat program is equipped with varying additional advantageous functions: file exchanging, video chatting, stickers.
- Lots of positive free VPN reviews regarding this particular brand, unlimited bandwidth, one-click server switching, over 200 thousand available IP addresses, and a dedicated team of support crew members happy to serve you 24/7.
Once again, it is noteworthy to accentuate on the priorities selected by Golden Frog: free VPN software fixated on security above all else. Advanced encryption methods, time-tested protocols, innovative technology, and other assorted merits are created only to make the system’s defense impenetrable.
People’s Choice: ExpressVPN
One of those overly popular services seems slightly overpriced but still deliver great customer experience. Express is a brand adamantly focused on proper marketing. It created a decently solid product that works well. The vast majority of people enjoy it thoroughly. The key corporate word seems to be convenience. Their software has incredibly simple intuitive interface, managers are friendly, everything is simplified (much like GooseVPN or TunnelBear).
On the other hand, they developed multiple apps. Express VPN free download options include applications for Android, iOS, MAC, Windows, and Linux. Moreover, tech geeks can protect home/office routers. This versatility comes at a relatively high price. Numerous apps counting small scale browser extensions cost money to develop. Ballooned budgets form frightening price tags.
Consumers pay about $8.32 per month with the cheapest annual plan possible. This is definitely above the market average. Nonetheless, Express VPN free trial is still a thing. There’s a whole long month to test all functions. Use it to its fullest extent and decide whether purchasing it rationalizes paying 20% over the industrial median.
Here are some Express merits:
- Stellar security. 256-bit AES encryption; multiple protocols including OpenVPN, L2TP, SSTP, TCP/UDP, PPTP; IP-masking; fully anonymous DNS. All staple protective measures are in place further improving the safety during web surfing.
- 148 servers situated on all continents, speed testing on demand, and dozens of applications fitting all popular devices. If you want more flexibility than ever, choosing this free VPN could be a wonderful idea. Top free VPNs fail at featuring the same utility versatility/convenience.
How to Choose the Best Free VPN
One should realize that best free VPNs come at a certain cost. “Free” does not mean absolutely free. The best option usually arrives from companies concentrated on ensuring the highest possible product quality to make sure that users stay “hooked” after the complimentary trial period. Nobody gives away stuff altruistically.
When starting to utilize the latter feeling of helplessness becomes apparent. Dependable protection, anonymity, usability, additional complementary features, and other little neat details quickly become very handy and useful. Paying for exceptional products never feels bad. However, you should absolutely try out multiple variants before deciding which product justifies additional expenses.
VPN free of charge is a dream. A wonderful whimsical fantasy. Contemporary digital environment demands carefulness when engaging in online activities. Trusting freebies looking suspiciously too awesome to be true ends up badly. If you need VPN free of charge, go a simple route: use one trial after another. There are plentiful companies out there eager to bombard consumers with seductive offers. Use this to your advantage. A free VPN download is something that every single developer will gladly concede to potential buyers for a ghostly chance of turning them into subscribers.
The best free VPNs work on completely different levels too. Exploring multiple products over a long period allows you to get personal with each service deciding independently whether the package of features is enough of an attraction to force wallet opening sessions. All brands discussed above provide full access to all features for specific time periods. Each allows you to familiarize with inherent functionality and exclusive facets of the product.
Honorable Mentions: More Free VPNs
Smaller businesses and less marketed developers also deserve some user attention. There are several interesting very simple free VPN for PC. Amongst the most notable examples are products such as:
- A very simple application that gives 500mb chargeless traffic per month. This is hardly adequate for extensive surfing and media consumption, but just enough for shopping, accessing social media, and communicating via the net. Single click connections plus 10 servers in various corners of the planet make it quite versatile. The full version is very expensive. The feature list barely justifies the price tag, but the test version packs a surprisingly appealing feature set.
- Another very simple service employing an unbelievably simplistic, strictly functional application. Is it a cool free VPN? Goose fans will have some limited bandwidth while server connections may be glitched irregularly, but for an accepting user this is an adequate all-around choice.
Other Free VPN Variants
VPN free online extensions that can be implemented into browsers also work quite well. Most extensions are unstable. They barely connect to servers reliably as general audiences would desire. However, installing one is a reasonable decision if you ran out of options. Do not expect any tech support or something resembling positive memorable user experience when using something truly free, but when there’s no more spare change in the wallet and need anonymity, installing such extensions may be the only resultative idea.
There are outdated types of free VPN software that use PPTP protocols exclusively allowing you to connect to any suitable server. Obviously, going through countless servers is annoyingly time-consuming, but it works for those who do not want to use free VPN download options from trusted providers or make deposit payments for trials. Interestingly, such free VPNs may be dangerous and completely unprotected.
How Free VPNs Save Money
Top free VPNs are cheap (most can be used without spending a single cent just as the name suggests), but also help you save money in ways many cannot even fathom due to being uninformed about modern internet realities. Shockingly small portions of the consumer base know that most e-Commerce projects monitor and track your daily activities/spending habits? This allows them to estimate whether you will be able to pay more than an average spender.
Marketing researchers devote incalculable hours to analyzing seemingly irrational chaotic behaviors from websurfers. Inevitably iterating patterns begin appearing. Systematized, these patterns are bought by huge e-Commerce sites.
Multiple studies demonstrated vividly: contemporary businesses happily abuse this by utilizing all possible data behavioral information to show prices that will seem fair. When activating free VPNs, you are essentially protected from commercial espionage. Search engines and social media outlets cannot collect any information about your habits and preferences. Meanwhile, top free VPNs hide your identity making it impossible for online stores to find out about anything useful. This is why you will see normal prices that are not artificially inflated.
The best free VPNs also saves you from those annoying adds vigorously popping up constantly on various websites. Mercilessly aggravating ads are targeted suggesting things that were searched days prior. If you are using a VPN service free of charge, you spend less on the service itself avoiding ads that significantly reduce the very enjoyment from browsing the global network in general.
Such ads generally lead to more spending. In some cases, people are bombarded with commercials praising stuff that actually interests them. Largely, those products are just overpriced garbage. Nonetheless, seeing the same advertisement endlessly irresistibly compels you to make purchases creating unnecessary holes in the family budget. This is another subtle benefit of abusing free VPNs. Obscured financial benefits become apparent to struggling spenders regularly breaking pre-planned shopping limits.
The Main Takeaway
As some free VPN reviews suggest, only a handful of great products exist in the market. All other brands are unnecessarily saturating the industry with worse offerings. When contemplating about getting a top free VPN, look at the finest propositions out there. Accept the concept of paying for some robust protection. Choosing suitable top free VPNs is a necessity in modern days.
The internet is a scary place where you are being spied on and regularly loaded by information absolutely irrelevant to way more important priorities. Everyone needs a VPN free of charge or commercial products to stay safe. Uncountable cyber threats accompany persistent spying.
What we want to suggest in the very end of the review is that ignoring seemingly overpriced prospects rarely manifests efficient decision making. Try out every VPN service free of charge and only then decide whether you want to spend the rest of your time on WWW rotating freebies endlessly. While it is by no means a poor strategy, it will not bring more comfort or satisfaction. The ideal balance exists somewhere between overpriced enthusiastically advertised soft and our inexcusably small pockets. Explore every affordable alternative to escape disappointment.
Focus on features determining usability. Ignore abundant niche functions that will unlikely affect your individual experience.