Best VPN Free Trials in 2026 (No Credit Card Options)
Very few VPNs offer a true no-card free trial on desktop; most 'trials' are money-back guarantees you have to remember to claim. Both work in principle, but the refund itself is a process you have to follow — read the provider's own cancellation steps before you enter a card, and mark your calendar for the deadline.
Surfshark has a 7-day trial on mobile with no desktop card needed and a 30-day refund; CyberGhost has the longest refund at 45 days; Proton VPN's free plan is the only unlimited-time free trial in the true sense.
The 5 best VPNs for free trials, ranked
- 17-day mobile trial + 30-day refund#5 overall · 8.8/10
Surfshark
Start a 7-day trial from the iOS or Android app, then a 30-day money-back window on any plan, cancellable via live chat.
- Money-back
- 30 days · 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet
- Refund
- 30 days
- Devices
- Unlimited
- Refund
- 30 days
- 2Longest refund: 45 days#2 overall · 9.1/10
CyberGhost
45-day money-back on long plans (14 days on monthly) — the most time to test of any VPN here.
- Money-back
- 45 days · 45 days on the long plans but only 14 on the monthly one — we have not claimed one yet
- Refund
- 45 days
- Devices
- 7
- Refund
- 45 days
- 330-day refund, no questions#6 overall · 8.7/10
NordVPN
A 30-day money-back guarantee, cancellable via live chat.
- Money-back
- 30 days · 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet
- Refund
- 30 days
- Devices
- 10
- Refund
- 30 days
- 430-day refund, fastest#4 overall · 8.8/10
ExpressVPN
A 30-day refund window, and 7-day mobile trials in some regions.
- Money-back
- 30 days · 30 days, first-time users only — we have not claimed one yet
- Refund
- 30 days
- Devices
- 10
- Refund
- 30 days
- 5Free forever plan#3 overall · 8.9/10
Proton VPN
No trial needed: the free plan has no time limit and no data cap. Upgrade for streaming support and the VPN Accelerator feature.
- Money-back
- 30 days · 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet
- Refund
- 30 days
- Devices
- 10
- Refund
- 30 days
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Side by side
| VPN | Score | Money-back | Devices | 2-yr price | Refund | Port fwd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfshark | 8.8 | 30 days · 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet | Unlimited | $2.49 | 30 days | |
| CyberGhost | 9.1 | 45 days · 45 days on the long plans but only 14 on the monthly one — we have not claimed one yet | 7 | $1.99 | 45 days | |
| NordVPN | 8.7 | 30 days · 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet | 10 | $3.49 | 30 days | |
| ExpressVPN | 8.8 | 30 days · 30 days, first-time users only — we have not claimed one yet | 10 | $2.99 | 30 days | |
| Proton VPN | 8.9 | 30 days · 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet | 10 | $3.49 | 30 days |
How we picked
Listed by how easily you can test for free: no-card trials first, then refund window length as published by each provider.
All scores come from the same published rubric, checked monthly — how we test. Rank order on this page is by the category criteria, not by commission.
Questions
Which VPN has a free trial without a credit card?
Surfshark and ExpressVPN offer 7-day mobile trials through the app stores (which hold your store payment method but do not charge). Proton VPN's free plan needs no card at all.
Are VPN money-back guarantees real?
As far as the published policies go, yes for every VPN on this page. We have not personally claimed each refund to time it — follow the provider's own cancellation steps (usually live chat) well before the deadline, and get confirmation in writing.
Can I get a 30-day free trial of NordVPN?
Not a trial as such, but the 30-day money-back guarantee works the same way: pay, test, cancel within 30 days for a full refund via live chat.
Which VPN has the longest free trial?
CyberGhost's 45-day refund window is the longest. Proton VPN Free has no time limit but does not include streaming.