Finding a free VPN is really not that difficult, however, when it comes to finding a reputable service that would unlock Netflix and Torrents as well as provide capable security, it gets way more complicated.
Free VPNs are good-to-have in some cases. For example, if you haven't tried VPN before, you can try it out to see how it works. Also, if you're traveling abroad and want to access local content while you're away, or just want to add an additional layer of security, that might be a good idea. However, there are some downsides regarding free VPNs that every person who cares about security should know.
It's known that about 86% of free VPNs have unacceptable privacy policies, meaning that there's a lack of transparency and your data could be shared with third-party advertisers. What is more, free VPNs tend to contain annoying adds and slow you down. On top of that, there's usually a very limited data bandwidth...
After knowing what you know, if you still decide that free VPN is what you need, you should continue reading this article.
However, if you put your security first and changed your mind about completely free VPN providers, you should check the list of almost free VPN providers that will provide you with the strongest security, ability to use Netflix and Torrents, fast speeds, and so much more.
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The Full List of the Free VPN Service Providers
Since getting into details of every free VPN service provider can be really time-consuming and overwhelming, we wanted to make things easier for you. Below you can find a table that provides you with free VPNs together with additional details that will help you decide.
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1. ProtonVPN - Unlimited Bandwidth
Ranks #1 out of 6 VPNs
- + Exceptional Security & Privacy Standards
- + No-logging Policy
- + Good Customer Support
- + Works with Netflix
- + Free Version Available
- - Very Slow
- - Limited Torrenting
ProtonVPN is managed by a Swiss company, it was created in 2014. The company offers four plans to choose from: Free, Basic, Plus, Visionary. Unfortunately, its free plan is very restrictive, proving you only 3 countries, 1 device connectivity and slow speed. As always free users are at the bottom list and get limited features.
Let’s move to better news. one of the reasons why ProtonVPN is in the “best free VPN” list, is its zero-logging policy. The only data that ProtonVPN logs are a single timestamp of your account’s most recent login just to make sure that you’re who you say you are.
What is more, it uses the best encryption on the market AES-256, which is similar to other VPNs in the “best free VPN” list. So, even if it’s a common feature, I still identify it as a major advantage. The most surprising point is that ProtonVPN offers unlimited data bandwidth, making it one of the best free unlimited VPN providers.
The reason why I cannot give the best free VPN name to ProtonVPN is that it doesn’t work with Netflix and doesn’t provide you with P2P support. Moreover, it’s quite slow, when testing average download speed, results showed only about 20Mbps.
2. Hostspot Shield - An Industry Veteran
Ranks #2 out of 6 VPNs
- + Great speed
- + Torrenting and Netflix unlocked
- + Decent pricing
- - DNS leaks
- - Logs some information
Let’s begin with the best free VPN - Hotspot Shield. It was first released as a free VPN service in 2008 in California, the US. A little bit later it was split into free and paid (Hotspot Shield Elite) versions.
Since it’s the free version, you do not need to register or transfer money, so you stay completely anonymous. However, if you want to connect multiple devices to this VPN, the registration is required.
Another reason why Hotspot Shield is the best free VPN is that it allows torrenting. Since it uses AES-256 encryption, which is the best on the market (so far), it gives you full protection. Moreover, Hotspot Shield seems to have a solid zero logs policy, it replaces your real IP address with anonymous proxy IP address making it impossible to identify you.
What is more, even if you do not get unlimited data, it gives you more than most of the free VPN providers - 500MB per day, making it the best free VPN. Also, it’s quite fast. The average download speed, when I connected through Hotspot Shield to the US server, was 56.90Mbps.
One more thing, Hotspot Shield is not only the best free alternative, but it’s also the best free unlimited VPN since it’s the only one that gives you an infinite number of devices that you can connect to.
However, there’s another side to it. While using the free version you won’t be able to unblock Netflix. The thing is that none of the free VPNs manage to unblock Netflix US, that's why it's recommended to choose almost free alternatives.
Therefore, even if Hotspot Shield free VPN has limitations, each of the free providers has them, yet it’s the best out of charge alternative you can get at the moment.
3. Windscribe - A 10GB Data Bandwidth Cap
Ranks #3 out of 6 VPNs
- + Strong Security
- + No Logs
- + Free Version Available
- + Netflix and Torrenting Allowed
- + Cool Privacy Options
- - No Live Chat Support
- - Pricey, Unless Choosing Yearly Plan
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Windscribe is a Canadian VPN provider, established in 2015 which offers both free and paid plans. It comes with a reasonable 10GB bandwidth cap.
Windscribe gives you 2GB per month, but you can easily get 10GB by providing your email address (less than the best free VPN - Hotspot Shield, which offers about 15 GB). The main problem with free VPNs is that they won’t give you enough data to use day-by-day.
Furthermore, when testing the speed, it came out with the download speed of 63.52Mbps when connected to the EU server, which you probably know are amazing results! So, if it was the fastest free VPN listing, the numbering would be different.
Moving to security, Windscribe uses AES-256 encryption standard and IPsec/IKEv2, OpenVPN protocols. Since logging policy is also very important, you should know that Windscribe megabyte bandwidth and timestamp of your last activity using Windscribe. What is more, even though many free VPN providers leak your IP and DNS, Windscribe is not one of them.
Unlike other free VPNs, it has a firewall that blocks any activity happening outside the connection of their servers. But, unfortunately, it doesn’t unblock Netflix, just like the majority of good free VPN providers.
Did you know?
Compare VPNs Side by Side With Others
All VPNs may look similar to you but they're NOT all the same!
Yes! Show me the Comparison Chart4. Speedify - Very Fast
Ranks #4 out of 6 VPNs
- + Good data encryption
- + Kill switch
- + Supports Tor
- - Minor torrenting / No Netflix
- - Logs (some) data
- - Located in the US
- - Leaks DNS
Speedify is Philadelphia-based VPN service provider, established only in 2014. Considering the fact that they’re a young company, Speedify's number of servers grows rapidly. At the moment it offers more than 200 servers in 50 locations. Since free plans usually have restrictions, I was surprised to see that Speedify allows both free and paid users to access any of the servers.
The only and largely noticeable difference is that the free version gives you data limit of 5GB per month, which is not enough for active users, or any users, I would say...
Let’s move to the most important aspect of every top free VPN provider - security measurements. Speedify protects users’ data with 256-bit ChaCha encryption, however, if a device you’re using has integrated AES hardware encryption, then it uses AES 256-bit encryption instead.
However, even though you get strong security, Speedify collects a bunch of your personal information... Even though they claim to have a zero-logging policy.
One of the strongest Speedify's sides is their app, which is one of the best you get to see, there’s even your current speed and data flow graph included.
Another exceptional feature, which was the reason I added Speedify to “the best free VPN list” is that it combines two Internet connections, boosting your speed! That’s where their name came from, it all makes sense now, don’t you think? Therefore, even though every VPN provider that I analyzed before slows down your Internet experience, Speedify works the other way around. My average download speed went all the way up to 77.88Mbps!
As I tested Netflix and torrenting, I was quite disappointed with the results. Sadly, but you won’t unblock Netflix using Speedify (no surprise since none of the top free VPN providers do). Now, torrenting is allowed, but it's limited and you don’t get to choose which server to use, you’re simply assigned to one.
What is more, when testing IP and DNS, I detected DNS leaks, which is one of the biggest concerns that not only free but also some paid VPNs have.
5. Hide.me - Good Speed
Ranks #5 out of 6 VPNs
- + Zero Logging
- + Great UX
- + Torrenting and P2P
- - No Netflix
- - Tricky Refund Policy
- - Slow Speed
I’m getting to the end of the best free VPN services reviews. The time has come to look into the Hide.me. To no one's surprise, it’s another VPN provider that offers both free and paid plans. It was established in 2012 in Malaysia.
One of the strongest features that got the Hide.me into “the best free VPN service” list is their reputable logging policy. None of the information collected by the Hide.me can threaten to reveal your identity. Even your email address is encrypted.
Hide.me uses the strongest security on the market AES-256 (and so does every provider on the best free VPN service list).
The company offers more than 55 servers to choose from for a free user, which is much more than the majority of free services provide you with. It works with torrenting but, unfortunately, does not unblock Netflix. When testing download speed, it came out delivering pretty solid results - 61.22 Mbps.
Therefore, it’s a good free VPN but not the best on the market.
6. TunnelBear - Stable and Secure
Ranks #6 out of 6 VPNs
- + Supports torrents
- + No logs, no leaks
- + Has a free version
- - Slow speed
- - Based in Canada
- - No Netflix
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TunnelBear is based in Toronto, Canada, it was established in 2011. In 2018, the company was acquired by McAfee, the software security company.
If you were searching for “the best VPN free”, TunnelBear is not the best option but it does have some great qualities.
First of all, it does have a strict zero-logging policy. It won’t collect any of the data related to your IP address, DNS Queries or anything that you’re using while connected to TunnelBear.
Another point that matters is IP and DNS leaks. TunnelBear came out delivering squeaky-clean results.
What is more, TunnelBear uses the IKEv2/IPsec and OpenVPN protocols. You will be able to choose from 1,700 servers in 20 different countries, which is a significant number compared to other free providers. And it uses the AES 256-bit data encryption standard - the best on the market.
The last thing that I would like to add is that TunnelBear, similar to other free providers, won’t work with Netflix, however, it supports torrenting.
Therefore, that was the last free VPN that I wanted to introduce you to. If you're worried about your security, let's take a look at better options you can choose from.
BEST Almost Free VPNs
As you've seen, some free VPN providers can be pretty decent, however, when it comes to qualities and capabilities, they will never be as good as paid services. That's why I want to provide you with inexpensive providers that do a way better job.
| EXPRESSVPN | CYBERGHOST | SURFSHARK | |
 |  |  | |
| All-round security | Speed & convenience | Unlimited devices | |
| All ExpressVPN Coupons | All CyberGhost Coupons | All Surfshark Coupons | |
| One of the fastest VPNs in the industry. Trustworthy and safe. | Secure and Fast VPN with Great UX | Unlimited device support. The best price in the industry. | |
| Visit site Read review | Visit site Read review | Visit site Read review |
|---|
Table: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and SurfShark features.
Below you'll be able to find the list of almost free VPN providers that have capable security, speed, manage to unblock Netflix and have no limitations. Check them out!
1. ExpressVPN - 30-Day Free Trial
Ranks #1 out of 4 VPNs
- + Great security
- + Super-high speed
- + No logging
- + OpenVPN protocol support
- - Small number of devices available to be connected simultaneously
ExpressVPN is #1 VPN on this list for a reason. The company is based in the British Virgin Islands and was launched in 2009. It's one of the best, extra secure alternatives to free VPN as you can take advantage of a 30-day free trial.
Furthermore, ExpressVPN comes with AES 256-bit military-grade encryption, has more than 2,000 servers in 148 locations across 94 countries. It’s one of the most widely used VPN providers you can find.
What is more, after testing IP and DNS leaks, it came out perfectly clean. The company also offers a strict no-logging policy, which is one of the best considering its location - the British Virgin Islands that has no data retention laws.
Since many of you are looking for a free VPN for Netflix and Torrenting, it's your chance! ExpressVPN allows torrenting and has P2P support as well as manage to unblock Netflix. I've tried multiple servers and all of them worked, including Canada, Netherlands, US, and UK. Feel free to watch your favorite shows without restrictions!
ExpressVPN pricing starts from $8.32 per month. It may not be the most inexpensive option, however, it's worth every cent.
2. Cyberghost - 45-Day Free Trial
Ranks #2 out of 4 VPNs
- + Strict No Logs Policy
- + Lots of Features & Add-Ons
- + Allows Torrenting
- + Amazing Customer Support
- + Compatibility with TOR
- + Fast
- - A Little Bit Pricey
CyberGhost was founded in 2011 in Bucharest, Romania. It's currently being used by more than 30 million users worldwide. The company has more than 3550 free VPN servers in more than 60 countries to offer.
Furthermore, it provides you with the longest free VPN trial you can ever get - 45 days. It’s great for long trips when you want to manage local content being in another country.
CyberGhost has all the crucial features every good VPN must have. It uses the strongest security on the market - AES 256-bit encryption. This security measure is used by banks, NSA and other Government agencies.
Moreover, the company has a strict zero-logging policy, meaning that none of your personal data, such as IP address, assigned servers, login and logout time, and other information, won't be tracked.
What is more, I tested if it has any leaks to see if there’s anything you should be worried about. And results came out to be negative, meaning that there were neither IP nor DNS leaks detected.
Now let’s move to Netflix and torrenting. Is it allowed? Does it work? I checked what CyberGhost says and then tested both of them myself. According to CyberGhost “Hundreds of servers dedicated to torrenting with no bandwidth limit.”
Talking about Netflix, I checked 4 random servers and all of them were working. This means that you can get full support for torrenting and unblock Netflix. You can get all of these features starting at only $2.75 per month!
3. Surfshark - 30-Day Free Trial
Ranks #3 out of 4 VPNs
- + Extremely affordable
- + Doesn't log your information
- + Allows torrenting
- + Supports an unlimited number of devices
- - Speed tends to fluctuate
- - Not too many servers
SurfShark is a British Virgin Islands-based provider. It was launched only recently, in the spring of 2018 but keeps growing and improving rapidly.
If you choose Surfshark VPN, you get 30 days free VPN service, which is enough to get the feeling of it. What is more, if you’re planning a trip and want to be in control of the content while you're away, it's a great choice.
Secure-wise Surfshark is more than recommended. It offers IKEv2 and OpenVPN tunneling protocols, which are the most popular amongst VPN providers, together with AES 256-bit encryption that's an industry standard.
Furthermore, it has more than 800+ servers in over 50 countries. Needless to say, since you have such a variety of servers to choose from, you'll be able to access Netflix content from different locations! P2P is also supported, meaning that Torrents are available.
Moreover, I tested to see if Surfshark has IP or DNS leaks and results came out squeaky-clean. Also, don't forget about logging policy, it's crucially important! Surfshark tracks only email address, none of the data that could identify you as a person is collected.
Surfshark offers the lowest prices in the market, it's almost free - $1.99 per month!
4. NordVPN - 30-Day Free Trial
Ranks #4 out of 4 VPNs
- + Amazing prices
- + Easy to use
- + Safe jurisdiction
- + Great security
- - Some plans could have higher discounts
NordVPN was established in 2012, in Panama - a country that has no mandatory data laws. It has an extremely large server network - more than 5,200 servers in over 60 countries.
NordVPN claims to be the world’s most secure VPN for a reason. It offers OpenVPN security protocol together with AES-256 data encryption. Sounds like a regular VPN provider? It's not. NordVPN offers double data protection, meaning that your data will travel not via one but two VPN servers.
There were also no holes in the security detected. I made sure to test both DNS and IP leaks and none of them were found.
What is more, NordVPN doesn’t log any of your personal data, only some minor information:
- Your service performance data
- Email address
- Payment information, but you can use bitcoins for complete anonymity.
Talking about torrenting and Netflix, it does allow both of those services. I tried to use the US, UK, Netherlands and Canada servers - all of them worked. To keep any torrenting activity safe, NordVPN has created “special P2P servers”.
Therefore, it’s safe to say that NordVPN is the most secure VPN software that you can use for 30 days completely out of charge. If you decide to continue using it after the trial is over, it will cost you as little as $2.99 per month.
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Conclusions
Free and almost free VPNs, you have so many options to choose from that it might get confusing.
Free VPNs might be a good option if you want to see how the VPN works or simply want to add an additional layer of security. However, there are many reasons why people who respect their privacy wouldn't choose such options.
That's why you should take into consideration almost free VPN providers that offer robust protection as well as additional features, such as the ability to unblock Netflix and use Torrents safely. The most recommended options are CyberGhost and ExpressVPN. Hence, consider them before making a final decision.
Take a look at how CyberGhost and ExpressVPN compare to the free option for Netflix - Hotspot Shield:
EXPRESSVPN CYBERGHOST HOTSPOT SHIELD 
All-round security Speed & convenience Good speed All ExpressVPN Coupons All CyberGhost Coupons See All Coupons of Top VPNs One of the fastest VPNs in the industry. Trustworthy and safe. Secure and Fast VPN with Great UX Good speed and decent pricing, but leaks DNS and logs information. Visit site
Read review Visit site
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Table: CyberGhost, ExpressVPN and Hotspot Shield comparison.
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