9 Best Free VPN Services of 2026

This list is for people who want a VPN without paying and need to know exactly where each free plan stops. We compared documented features and published prices on each vendor's own site in November 2026, focusing on monthly data caps, server and device limits, speed limits and what each provider says about logs and ads. Rankozo weights value at 40%, features at 35% and ease of use at 25%. Every service here has a permanent free tier. The price shown is the cheapest paid upgrade in USD per month, usually on a prepaid term. Two vendors did not show a fixed USD upgrade price from our location, so those prices are marked pending.

1. 01Top value

   

   Proton VPN

   9.1/10

   Swiss VPN whose free plan has no data cap, no ads and no activity logs.

   Price

   $3.49per month, billed $83.76 for the first 24 months

   Free plan with no data cap; VPN Plus $3.49 per month on the 2-year plan, billed $83.76, then $83.88 a year

   “VPN Plus $9.99 $3.49 /month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   9.6

   Features (35%)

   8.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.8

   Best forAnyone who wants a free VPN they can leave on all day on one device.

   Proton VPN Free is the plan to beat for people who want a free VPN without a meter running. Proton's free VPN page says the plan has no data or speed limits, shows no advertisements and does not log online activity, and the pricing page lists it at $0.00 a month with no credit card required. The catches are spelled out: one device at a time, medium VPN speed, and servers in 10 countries that Proton selects at random, so you cannot choose a location for a specific site. The kill switch and the Stealth protocol, which helps on networks that block VPNs, are included for free users. Streaming support, P2P, Secure Core and the NetShield ad blocker sit behind VPN Plus, which costs $3.49 a month on the 2-year plan, billed $83.76, and renews at $83.88 every 12 months. Plus covers 10 devices and 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries. Apps are open source and cover desktops, phones, browsers and TVs.

   • ✓No monthly data allowance to run out of
   • ✓Strict no-logs policy and no ads on the free tier
   • ✓30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans

   • ✕Free plan covers only 1 device at a time
   • ✕You cannot pick the free server country yourself
   • ✕Streaming, P2P and the NetShield ad blocker need a paid plan

   Free data:

   No cap

   Free devices:

   1

   Free server countries:

   10, randomly selected

   Cheapest upgrade:

   $3.49 a month on 2 years

   Bottom line: The strongest free plan in this list because nothing caps your data. Pick another service only if you need to choose your server country for free.

   Visit protonvpn.com ↗

2. 02

   

   Windscribe

   8.5/10

   VPN with a 10GB monthly free allowance and a pay-per-location upgrade.

   Price

   $3per month, Build A Plan minimum of 3 locations at $1 each

   Free plan with 10GB a month after you confirm an email; Build A Plan from $3 a month (3 locations at $1 each); Pro $69 a year or $9 a month

   “Each one is $1 per month and adds 10GB on top of your allowed monthly bandwidth. $3 minimum.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.8

   Features (35%)

   8.6

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.0

   Best forUsers who want more control over servers and apps and can live with a monthly data allowance.

   Windscribe gives free users more to work with than any other capped plan here. The homepage says you get 10GB of data every month once you sign up and confirm an email, and the FAQ explains that the allowance is tied to promo email consent. One account works on unlimited devices, and the apps carry features most free tiers leave out: split tunneling, the R.O.B.E.R.T. domain blocker for ads and trackers, a firewall that blocks traffic outside the tunnel, and connection options from WireGuard to Stealth and WStunnel for restricted networks. The limits are the data cap and the locations, since Pro is what opens the full network in over 69 countries. The upgrade path is unusually flexible. Build A Plan charges $1 per location per month, each adding 10GB, with a $3 minimum. Full Pro costs $9 a month or $69 billed every 12 months, which the upgrade page works out to $5.75 a month. Windscribe states it keeps no identifying logs and runs physical servers only.

   • ✓Larger free allowance than most capped free plans
   • ✓Cheapest upgrade path is $3 a month with no annual contract
   • ✓Pro covers servers in over 69 countries

   • ✕Free data stops at 10GB a month
   • ✕The 10GB allowance requires an email address on the account
   • ✕Not every location is open to free users

   Free data:

   10GB a month with a confirmed email

   Devices:

   Unlimited

   Pro yearly:

   $69, about $5.75 a month

   Pro monthly:

   $9

   Bottom line: The best free pick if you want server choice and power-user features and use under 10GB a month. The $3 Build A Plan is a cheap step up before full Pro.

   Visit windscribe.com ↗

3. 03

   

   PrivadoVPN

   8.3/10

   Switzerland-based VPN with 10GB of free data every 30 days and very low long-term prices.

   Price

   $1.11per month on the 24-month plan

   Free plan with 10GB every 30 days; Unlimited VPN $1.11 per month on the 24-month plan, $1.33 on 12 months, $10.99 month to month

   “24 Month Unlimited VPN + 3 FREE Save 90 % 1.11 /mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.8

   Features (35%)

   7.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.2

   Best forFree users who expect to upgrade and want the lowest monthly price on a long plan.

   PrivadoVPN is a good fit for people who want a capped free plan now and a very cheap paid plan later. Its pricing FAQ says free accounts get 10GB of data every 30 days on one device, with access to a handful of server locations. If you run out before the period resets, you can upgrade or connect to one of the free emergency servers, a fallback most capped plans do not offer. Paid plans remove the cap, extend coverage to 10 devices and add streaming support, an ad blocker, threat prevention, parental controls and a SOCKS5 proxy. The pricing page shows $1.11 a month on the 24-month plan and $1.33 on the 12-month plan, both with three extra months, against $10.99 month to month. An antivirus add-on costs $1.99 a month. The company stresses that it is based in Switzerland and keeps a zero-log policy. There is no free trial of the paid tier, but paid plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee.

   • ✓Lowest long-term paid price in this list at $1.11 a month
   • ✓Switzerland-based with a zero-log policy
   • ✓30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans

   • ✕Free plan offers only a handful of server locations
   • ✕No SOCKS5 proxy on the free plan
   • ✕Month to month costs $10.99

   Free data:

   10GB every 30 days

   Free devices:

   1

   Paid devices:

   10

   Free trial:

   None, free plan instead

   Bottom line: A solid capped free plan with the cheapest long-term upgrade we found. Check that 10GB covers your month before relying on it.

   Visit privadovpn.com ↗

4. 04

   

   Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 with WARP

   8.2/10

   Free app from Cloudflare that encrypts device traffic to its network without letting you pick a country.

   Price

   Free plan

   Free; WARP+ Unlimited is a paid upgrade (USD check pending)

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.6

   Features (35%)

   6.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.4

   Best forPeople who want encrypted traffic on public Wi-Fi and do not need to change their visible country.

   1.1.1.1 with WARP is free, fast to set up and honest about what it is. Cloudflare's app page says it encrypts more of the traffic leaving your device so your internet provider cannot snoop, and that Cloudflare will not sell your data. Its developer docs describe the Traffic and DNS mode, which sends traffic over MASQUE to Cloudflare's network, and a DNS only mode that only encrypts lookups. The important limit for VPN shoppers is in the FAQ: WARP replaces your IP with a Cloudflare IP that represents your approximate location, and you do not pick a server. That makes it a privacy layer for public Wi-Fi, not a tool for changing your apparent country. The privacy policy says Cloudflare does not keep a link between the IP you connect from and the sites you visit. Cloudflare does not publish a data cap for free WARP. WARP+ Unlimited gives access to more cities; its price appears in the app rather than on the site, so we list it as pending.

   • ✓One-tap setup with no server list to manage
   • ✓Cloudflare says it will never sell your data
   • ✓Cloudflare publishes no data cap for the free tier

   • ✕You cannot choose a server country
   • ✕Not suited to reaching sites from another region
   • ✕WARP+ pricing is shown in the app, not on the website

   Free data:

   No cap published

   Server choice:

   None, automatic

   Visible IP:

   Cloudflare IP near your real location

   Paid tier:

   WARP+ Unlimited

   Bottom line: The simplest free option for encrypting traffic on untrusted networks. Skip it if you need to choose a location.

   Visit one.one.one.one ↗

5. 05

   

   hide.me

   8.2/10

   VPN with an unlimited-data free plan that needs no sign-up.

   Price

   $2.33per month, billed $69.99 every 30 months

   Free plan with unlimited data; Premium $2.33 per month, billed $69.99 every 30 months and renewing at the same price; $11.99 month to month

   “24 Months + 6 Months EXTRA $2.33 per month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.6

   Features (35%)

   8.0

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.0

   Best forUsers who want unlimited free data with a choice of locations and no account.

   hide.me pairs unlimited free data with something Proton's free plan lacks: you choose from 8 server locations. Its free VPN page promises no data caps, no ads or trackers, no logs and no sign-up, and says free users get the same encryption as paying customers plus 24/7 support. The trade-offs are listed plainly in its FAQ: speeds are not unlimited, you get 8 locations, and only one device can connect at a time. Streaming-optimized servers are reserved for Premium. The upgrade is easy to budget for. The USD pricing page shows Premium at $2.33 a month on the 24-month plan with 6 extra months, billed $69.99 every 30 months, and a pricing guarantee that the plan renews at the same price and duration. Month to month costs $11.99, and the 16-month plan works out to $3.44. Premium covers 10 simultaneous connections and 92+ locations with 2,600+ servers, port forwarding and a fixed IP option. All plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee.

   • ✓Unlimited free data plus a choice of locations
   • ✓Paid plans renew at the same price and duration
   • ✓30-day money-back guarantee

   • ✕Free plan allows 1 connection at a time
   • ✕Free speeds are not unlimited
   • ✕Streaming-optimized servers are Premium only

   Free data:

   Unlimited

   Free locations:

   8

   Free devices:

   1

   Premium devices:

   10

   Bottom line: The best free plan for location choice without a data cap. Expect slower speeds than Premium and one device at a time.

   Visit hide.me ↗

6. 06

   

   Opera Free VPN

   8.1/10

   Unlimited, account-free VPN built into the Opera browser on desktop and mobile.

   Price

   $3.33per month, billed $39.99 a year

   Free VPN inside the Opera browser; VPN Pro $3.33 per month billed $39.99 a year, $7.99 month to month

   “one year VPN Pro $ 3.33 Per month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   8.6

   Features (35%)

   6.6

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.2

   Best forPeople who mainly need privacy while browsing and do not want to install a separate app.

   Opera's Free VPN is the lowest-effort option here because it is already part of the browser. Opera says it needs no account, no extension and no setup: you click the VPN badge beside the address bar or enable it in mobile settings. The page states there is no data cap and no bandwidth limit, that encryption is AES-256, and that the no-log policy has been audited by Deloitte with security testing by Cure53. You pick from three real locations, the U.S., Singapore and the Netherlands, or let Opera choose the fastest. The main limit is scope. Free VPN protects activity inside the Opera browser only, so other apps on your device go out unprotected. Opera funds the free tier through search partnerships and paid VPN Pro subscriptions. VPN Pro costs $3.33 a month on the yearly plan, billed $39.99, or $7.99 month to month, covers up to six Android and desktop devices, and opens 48 locations and 3,000+ servers system-wide.

   • ✓Nothing to install beyond the browser
   • ✓Unlimited data with no ads
   • ✓Independent audit of the no-log policy

   • ✕Free VPN covers only traffic inside the Opera browser
   • ✕Only 3 locations on the free tier
   • ✕System-wide protection requires VPN Pro

   Free data:

   Unlimited

   Free locations:

   3

   Coverage:

   Opera browser only

   VPN Pro devices:

   6

   Bottom line: A good free choice for private browsing with zero setup. It is not a full-device VPN unless you pay for VPN Pro.

   Visit opera.com ↗

7. 07

   

   TunnelBear

   7.6/10

   Canadian VPN known for simple apps, a 2GB free tier and published annual security audits.

   Price

   $3.33per month, as listed

   Free plan with 2GB of secure browsing; Unlimited from $3.33 per month

   “from $3.33 /mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   7.2

   Features (35%)

   7.0

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.0

   Best forBeginners who want to test a VPN before paying and value audited apps.

   TunnelBear is easy to like and easy to outgrow on the free plan. Its pricing page describes the free tier as testing and limited usage with 2GB of secure browsing, which is enough to check that the apps work and to cover a few sessions on public Wi-Fi, but not daily use. Country selection, split tunneling, premium servers and city-level selection are listed under the paid Unlimited plan, which starts from $3.33 a month and covers unlimited devices. The page notes that all pricing is shown in USD. TunnelBear's network spans over 8,000 servers in 46+ countries, with servers physically located in the country you choose. Its strongest argument is transparency: TunnelBear says it is the only consumer VPN provider that performs annual security audits and publishes the results, and its privacy policy is written in plain language. For a free VPN shopper, the small allowance is the deciding factor, and Windscribe or PrivadoVPN give five times more data.

   • ✓Very simple apps
   • ✓Annual audits are published
   • ✓No device limit on paid plans

   • ✕2GB free allowance is the smallest of the general-purpose VPNs here
   • ✕TunnelBear describes the free plan as for testing and limited usage
   • ✕Country selection is listed as a paid feature

   Free data:

   2GB

   Paid devices:

   Unlimited

   Network:

   8,000+ servers, 46+ countries

   Cheapest upgrade:

   From $3.33 a month

   Bottom line: A friendly way to try a VPN with audited apps, but 2GB runs out fast. Plan to upgrade if you like it.

   Visit tunnelbear.com ↗

8. 08

   

   Hotspot Shield

   7.2/10

   Long-running VPN with a speed-capped Basic free plan and paid Plus, Premium and Family tiers.

   Price

   $6.99per month on the yearly plan

   Basic free with 500 MB a day; Plus $6.99 per month and Premium $7.99 per month on yearly plans

   “Plus $6.99/mo save 30%” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   6.6

   Features (35%)

   7.0

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.4

   Best forLight users who mainly need a quick encrypted connection on public Wi-Fi.

   Hotspot Shield's Basic plan is free but tightly limited. The plan selection page lists Basic at $0 a month with an up to 2 Mbps speed limit, limited SD streaming and a 500 MB daily data limit, alongside no browsing activity logs. The daily reset is friendlier than a monthly cap if you use a little every day, but 2 Mbps is slow for anything beyond email, messaging and light browsing, and the free plan connects a single device. Paid tiers are where the product is built out. On yearly billing, Plus costs $6.99 a month and Premium $7.99 a month, with Premium adding antivirus, a password manager and a spam-call blocker and covering 10 devices. Premium Family costs $11.99 a month and covers up to 5 member accounts. The monthly Premium plan renews at $12.99. Every paid plan has a 45-day money-back guarantee, the longest in this list, but the entry price is higher than Proton, hide.me or PrivadoVPN.

   • ✓Daily allowance resets every day instead of monthly
   • ✓Longest refund window in this list at 45 days
   • ✓Family plan covers up to 5 member accounts

   • ✕2 Mbps cap makes the free plan slow
   • ✕Free plan connects 1 device
   • ✕Cheapest paid plan costs more than most rivals here

   Free data:

   500 MB a day

   Free speed:

   Up to 2 Mbps

   Free devices:

   1

   Refunds:

   45 days

   Bottom line: Usable for short sessions on public Wi-Fi, but the 2 Mbps cap rules out most other uses. Paid plans cost more than the competition here.

   Visit hotspotshield.com ↗

9. 09

   

   Avira Phantom VPN

   6.8/10

   VPN from the antivirus maker Avira with a 500 MB monthly free tier.

   Price

   Free plan

   Free plan with 500 MB a month; Pro with unlimited data (USD check pending)

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   Yes

   Value (40%)

   6.4

   Features (35%)

   6.2

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.4

   Best forExisting Avira users who want an occasional VPN alongside their security suite.

   Avira Phantom VPN is the weakest free plan we compared, mainly because of its allowance. The product page lists Phantom VPN Free at 500 MB a month with data encryption and a virtual IP address, against Phantom VPN Pro with unlimited data and customer support. Half a gigabyte covers a handful of short sessions, such as a banking login on hotel Wi-Fi, but little else. Avira describes the service as private by design, says it does not track browsing activity or sell it to third parties, and points to a strict no-logs policy. Apps cover Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. One regional note: Avira says Phantom VPN is no longer available for use within India because of rules requiring logging of user data. The Pro price is filled in by a script and did not appear as a fixed USD figure when we checked, so it is marked pending. If you already pay for Avira Prime Mobile, its VPN has no data limits.

   • ✓Simple apps from an established security vendor
   • ✓Avira says it does not sell browsing data
   • ✓Bundled in Avira Prime packages

   • ✕500 MB a month is the smallest allowance in this list
   • ✕No longer available for use within India
   • ✕Pro price did not load as a fixed USD figure from our location

   Free data:

   500 MB a month

   Platforms:

   Windows, Mac, Android, iOS

   Pro data:

   Unlimited

   India:

   Not available

   Bottom line: Fine as a backup for Avira users, but 500 MB a month is too small for regular use. Proton, hide.me or Opera give far more for free.

   Visit avira.com ↗

Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.comSee our disclosure. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before buying.