Best Free VPNs in 2026 (That Are Actually Safe)
Running VPN servers costs money, so a free VPN is paying for itself somehow. Usually that is with your data, sometimes with ads, occasionally with a data cap that pushes you to upgrade. We tested 18 free VPNs for leaks, logging, speed and honesty about limits. Two passed.
Proton VPN Free is the one we recommend without hesitation: no data cap, no ads, no logs, funded by Proton's paid plans. Windscribe's free tier is honest and useful with a 10 GB monthly cap. Everything else on this page is a paid VPN's refund window, which for a short trip is the better free option.
The 4 best VPNs for vpns, ranked
- 1Best free VPN#4 overall · 8.9/10
Proton VPN
No data cap, no ads, no logs, open-source apps on every platform. Limits: one device, an auto-chosen country, no streaming or P2P.
- Free plan
- no data cap, no ads, 1 device, auto-chosen country
- Speed
- 541 Mbps
- Devices
- 10
- Refund
- 30 days
- 2Best free VPN with location choice#9 overall · 7.8/10
Windscribe
10 GB per month free with a choice of locations and a built-in ad blocker; audited, and honest about what the free tier can't do.
- Free plan
- 10 GB/month, 10+ locations
- Speed
- 445 Mbps
- Devices
- Unlimited
- Refund
- 3 days
- 3Free for 30 days (refund)#2 overall · 9.4/10
Surfshark
Not free — but a 30-day money-back guarantee we claimed in three days, and a 7-day mobile trial. For a holiday it costs nothing.
- Free plan
- No — 30-day refund
- Speed
- 655 Mbps
- Devices
- Unlimited
- Refund
- 30 days
−86% + 3 months freeends soon - 4Free for 30 days (refund)#1 overall · 9.7/10
NordVPN
The top rated VPN with a 30-day refund; our money was back in four days. Try the real thing before settling for a free one.
- Free plan
- No — 30-day refund
- Speed
- 712 Mbps
- Devices
- 10
- Refund
- 30 days
−73% + 3 months freeends soon
We earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes a rating or this order. Disclosure
Side by side
| VPN | Score | Free plan | Speed | Devices | 2-yr price | Refund | Port fwd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN | 8.9 | no data cap, no ads, 1 device, auto-chosen country | 541 Mbps | 10 | $4.49 | 30 days | |
| Windscribe | 7.8 | 10 GB/month, 10+ locations | 445 Mbps | Unlimited | $5.75 | 3 days | |
| Surfshark | 9.4 | No — 30-day refund | 655 Mbps | Unlimited | $2.19 | 30 days | |
| NordVPN | 9.7 | No — 30-day refund | 712 Mbps | 10 | $3.39 | 30 days |
How we picked
Free tiers had to pass DNS, IPv6 and WebRTC leak tests, have an audited or open-source no-logs policy, show no ads inside the app, and describe their limits accurately. Sixteen of eighteen failed at least one of those.
All scores come from the same monthly tests on the same rig — how we test. Rank order on this page is by the category criteria, not by commission.
Questions
What is the best free VPN?
Proton VPN Free: no data cap, no ads, no logs, and it comes from a Swiss company whose paid plans fund it. Windscribe's free tier is the runner-up.
Are free VPNs safe?
Most are not. In our tests free VPNs leaked DNS, logged activity despite claiming not to, or injected ads. Proton VPN Free and Windscribe Free are the exceptions we found.
Can I use a free VPN for Netflix?
No free VPN we tested unblocked Netflix. Proton's free plan doesn't try. Use a paid VPN's 30-day refund instead.
Is there a free VPN with no data limit?
Proton VPN Free has no data cap. The limits are one device, auto-selected country, and no streaming or torrenting.