Best Free VPN 2026: Which Ones Are Actually Safe
The best free VPN in September 2026 is Proton VPN. It has no data cap, shows no ads, is based in Switzerland, and has its no-logs policy checked by independent auditors every year. If you want a free VPN for several devices at once, go with Windscribe. For streaming shows and movies from other countries, PrivadoVPN has the best free plan.
But a free VPN isn't automatically a safe one. Servers cost money to run, and if you're not paying for the product, you're often paying with your data. Below you'll find six free VPNs you can trust, plus the ones you should steer clear of.
Quick picks:
- Best free VPN overall: Proton VPN
- Most features and devices for free: Windscribe
- Best free VPN for streaming: PrivadoVPN
- Unlimited data and location choice: hide.me
- Easiest for beginners: TunnelBear
01Free VPN comparison table 2026
Figures are current as of September 2026. Free plans change often, so double-check the limits before you install. On mobile, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| VPN | Free data | Free locations | Devices | Independent audit | Based in | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN | Unlimited | 10 countries (picked by the app) | 1 | Yes, yearly | Switzerland | No |
| Windscribe | 10 GB/month (with verified email) | 10 countries | Unlimited | Yes (servers 2024, apps) | Canada | Partly |
| PrivadoVPN | 10 GB/month | 13 locations | 1 | Not published | Switzerland | Yes |
| hide.me | Unlimited | 8 locations | 1 | Yes (2024) | Malaysia | Limited |
| TunnelBear | 2 GB/month | Picked by the app | Multiple | Yes, yearly (Cure53) | Canada | No |
| ZoogVPN | 10 GB/month | 5 locations | 1 | No | Greece | Limited |
- PrivadoVPN13
- Proton VPN10
- Windscribe10
- hide.me8
- ZoogVPN5
PrivadoVPN has 13 locations in 10 countries, hide.me and ZoogVPN list locations. Proton VPN’s app picks the country for you. TunnelBear’s free plan has had no country choice since January 2026. Checked in September 2026.
- Windscribe10
- PrivadoVPN10
- ZoogVPN10
- TunnelBear2
Proton VPN and hide.me have no data cap on their free plans, so they aren’t in the chart. Windscribe gives 10 GB only with a verified email, 2 GB without. Checked in September 2026.
02How we picked them
A service only made the list if it met three conditions: paying customers fund the free plan, it shows no ads, and it doesn't make money by selling user data. We then compared data limits, locations, device limits, independent audits and where each company is based. Everything was checked in September 2026 against the providers' own sites and recent reviews from established tech publications.
03How free VPNs actually make money
Every VPN needs money to run its servers. Free services usually cover the bill in one of three ways:
- The paid plan funds the free one. The honest model. The free tier is limited (less data, fewer locations or devices) and designed to nudge you toward upgrading eventually. Every VPN we recommend here works this way.
- Ads. The app shows ads and often tracks what you do so it can target them better.
- Selling your data. The worst option. The service collects what you do online and sells it on, or even routes other people's traffic through your device.
If you can't tell how a free VPN makes money, it's very likely the third option.
Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy through links in this article. It doesn't affect our rankings, and it doesn't cost you anything extra.
04Proton VPN Free: best free VPN overall
Proton VPN comes from the Swiss company behind the encrypted email service Proton Mail. The free plan has no data cap, shows no ads, and is covered by the same no-logs policy as the paid version. Its apps are open source, and its no-logs policy has passed an independent audit five years in a row (The High Tech Society).
What you get for free:
- Unlimited data with no time limit
- Servers in 10 countries, picked automatically by the app (IP-Trackers)
- 1 device
- The same encryption as the paid plan
Pros: No data cap, no ads, Swiss jurisdiction, regular audits.
Cons: You can't choose a country, it doesn't support streaming or torrenting, and it can slow down at peak times.
Best for: Anyone who wants a safe free VPN for everyday browsing and public Wi-Fi.
05Windscribe Free: most features and devices for free
Canada-based Windscribe gives away more than most rivals: unlimited devices, its R.O.B.E.R.T. ad blocker and access to 10 countries (Windscribe, Security.org). You get 10 GB a month once you verify your email, or just 2 GB without it (IP-Trackers). Its servers run in RAM only. Packetlabs audited its infrastructure in 2024 and Leviathan Security Group audited its apps (Windscribe), but there is no dedicated audit of its no-logs policy.
What you get for free:
- 10 GB a month (with a verified email)
- Servers in 10 countries
- Unlimited devices
- Ad and tracker blocking
Pros: Unlimited devices, lots of features, no ads.
Cons: Canada is a 5 Eyes member, no dedicated no-logs audit, P2P only on paid plans, and 10 GB goes fast if you stream.
Best for: Households that want to protect several devices for free, and power users.
06PrivadoVPN Free: best free VPN for streaming
Swiss-based PrivadoVPN has the most useful free plan for streaming. You get 10 GB of data a month across 13 locations, including the US, the UK and Germany. Once you hit the cap, speeds drop to 1 Mbps (VPN Rating). There's no publicly available independent audit yet, though (Gizmodo).
What you get for free:
- 10 GB a month
- 13 locations you can choose from
- 1 device
- Streaming and P2P support
Pros: Works with streaming services, lets you pick a country, Swiss jurisdiction.
Cons: 10 GB cap, no independent audit, small network.
Best for: Occasionally watching shows and movies from other countries for free.
07hide.me Free: unlimited data and location choice
Malaysia-based hide.me has dropped its old 10 GB cap, so the free plan now comes with unlimited data across 8 locations on one device (hide.me). The free plan also offers the OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols (WhatIsMyLocation). A 2024 security audit backs its no-logs policy (WhatIsMyLocation).
What you get for free:
- Unlimited data
- 8 locations
- 1 device
- The same encryption as the paid plans
Pros: Unlimited data, no ads, no email required.
Cons: Some tests report heavy slowdowns on the free plan, and it doesn't work with Netflix or Disney+ (The High Tech Society).
Best for: People who want an alternative to Proton VPN that lets them pick the location.
08TunnelBear Free: easiest for beginners
Owned by McAfee since 2018, TunnelBear is the friendliest VPN for complete beginners. It has its security checked by the German firm Cure53 every year (WhatIsMyLocation). The free plan only gives you 2 GB a month, though, and since early 2026 it no longer lets you pick a country or use split tunneling.
What you get for free:
- 2 GB a month
- Automatic server selection
- The same encryption as the paid plan
Pros: Very easy to use, regular independent audits.
Cons: 2 GB only lasts a few days of light use, no country choice.
Best for: Trying a VPN for the first time, or occasional use, like at the airport.
09ZoogVPN Free: a European free VPN
Greece-based ZoogVPN falls under EU law and offers a permanent free plan with 10 GB a month and 5 locations (ZoogVPN). The free plan uses weaker AES-128 encryption, and its no-logs policy hasn't been independently verified (WP Room).
What you get for free:
- 10 GB a month
- 5 locations
- 1 device
Pros: EU jurisdiction, no credit card needed.
Cons: No audit, weaker encryption on the free plan, small network.
Best for: Casual users who want a provider based in the EU.
10Free VPNs to avoid
Urban VPN. The most recent and most serious case. Security firm Koi found that the Urban VPN Proxy Chrome extension, which had more than 6 million users and a Google "Featured" badge, was collecting entire conversations with AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini (Infosecurity Magazine). The harvesting ran even when the VPN was switched off (CSO Online), and the data went to a company tied to a data broker. If you've used Urban VPN, assume someone else now has your AI conversations.
Hola VPN. It runs as a peer-to-peer network, which means other users' internet traffic can flow through your device. If someone does something illegal through your IP address, the trail leads back to you.
iTop VPN. It's run by a Hong Kong company, so it falls under China's national security law (CyberTrustLog). It has never been audited, and in Security.org's testing it delivered only about 20% of the original connection speed (Security.org).
Unknown apps with names like "VPN Master" or "Free VPN Proxy." Google Play and the App Store are full of them, often with high ratings and millions of downloads. Testing has repeatedly found malware, and some are owned by companies whose business is collecting data (CyberInsider).
Red flags that a free VPN isn't safe:
- There's no paid plan and no clear way it makes money
- It promises "unlimited data, full speed and every server, all for free"
- It has no independent audit and no clear privacy policy
- The company behind it is unknown or based in a country with heavy surveillance
- It asks for access to your contacts, messages or anything else a VPN doesn't need
- It's a browser extension that calls itself a VPN but only covers browser traffic
11Free or paid? When it's worth upgrading
A safe free VPN is fine for occasional browsing, logging into your bank on hotel Wi-Fi, or a short trip. You'll want a paid plan if you:
- Stream shows and movies. An hour of HD video uses up to 3 GB (Netflix), so a 10 GB cap lasts a few evenings at most. Proton VPN's free plan doesn't support streaming at all.
- Need a specific country. Say, a home IP address to watch your local TV while abroad. Free plans only offer a handful of locations, and often not the one you need.
- Use a VPN on several devices. Apart from Windscribe and TunnelBear, free plans cover just one device.
- Torrent. Most free plans block or limit P2P.
- Need speed. Free servers get crowded at peak times.
The good news is that a quality paid VPN now costs around $2 to $3.50 a month on the longest plan. The cheapest audited options are Surfshark, CyberGhost and Private Internet Access, all with a 30 to 45-day money-back guarantee. For a full comparison, see our guide Best VPN 2026: 14 Services Compared.
| Paid VPN | From (per month) | Why upgrade to it |
|---|---|---|
| Surfshark | $2.49 | Unlimited devices, reliable streaming |
| NordVPN | $3.49 | Most audits, fastest speeds |
| Proton VPN Plus | $2.99 | Upgrade from the free plan without switching apps |
| CyberGhost | $2.19 | Easiest to use, 45-day guarantee |
- CyberGhost$2.19
- Surfshark$2.49
- Proton VPN Plus$2.99
- NordVPN$3.49
Lowest monthly price on the longest plan, checked in September 2026. Prices usually go up after the first term.
12Free VPN FAQ
What is the best free VPN?
Proton VPN. It's one of the few with no data cap, it shows no ads, and independent auditors check its no-logs policy regularly. For streaming, PrivadoVPN is the better pick, and for multiple devices, Windscribe.
Are free VPNs safe?
It depends on who runs them. Free tiers of paid services, like Proton VPN, Windscribe or PrivadoVPN, are safe. Unknown apps with no paid plan, on the other hand, often collect and sell their users' data.
Is there a free VPN with unlimited data?
Yes. Proton VPN and hide.me both offer unlimited data on their free plans, though each is limited to one device and a handful of locations.
Do free VPNs work with Netflix?
Mostly not. PrivadoVPN does best, but its 10 GB cap only covers a few movies. For regular streaming, you'll need a paid VPN.
Are free VPNs legal?
In most countries, yes. Using a VPN, free or paid, is legal in the US, the UK and across the EU. Anything illegal without a VPN is still illegal with one, and a few countries, such as China, Russia and the UAE, restrict VPN use.
Is a VPN browser extension enough?
Usually not. Extensions typically only protect your browser traffic, not your whole device. And the Urban VPN case showed that free extensions in particular can harvest sensitive data.
13The verdict
If you want a free VPN without taking risks, install Proton VPN. For multiple devices, choose Windscribe, and for occasional streaming, PrivadoVPN. Stay away from unknown apps and extensions that promise "everything free, no limits." And if you end up using a VPN every day, it's worth switching to a paid plan, which costs about as much as one coffee a month.
14Sources
We checked limits, audits and features in September 2026. Main sources:
- Security.org: Windscribe VPN Review 2026
- IP-Trackers: Windscribe Free Plan 2026
- IP-Trackers: Proton VPN Free Plan 2026
- The High Tech Society: Proton VPN Review 2026
- VPN Rating: PrivadoVPN 2026 review
- hide.me: Pricing
- WhatIsMyLocation: Best Free VPNs in 2026
- ZoogVPN: Free VPN
- Infosecurity Magazine: Urban VPN Proxy Accused of Harvesting AI Chat Conversations
- CyberInsider: VPN Warning List
- Security.org: iTop VPN Review
- Windscribe: Audits
- Netflix: Data usage
- CSO Online: Urban VPN caught stealing private AI chats