There are several virtual private networks on the market, commonly known as VPNs, which can be downloaded from their website completely free of charge.
As usual, All of them will allow you to use the Internet anonymously and change the location of your IP so that you can access content that is blocked in your country and only available in another or others.
But before you drown in the sea of ​​options that you have at your disposal, at PCWorld Spain we have done the legwork for you and today we bring you the best free VPNs of this year.
You also have payment options at your fingertipswith which, on the other hand, you will not have to worry about the restrictions that you will find to a greater or lesser extent in services at zero cost.
Alternatively, you can also check out the best VPNs with apps available for iPhone and iPad.
What is the best free VPN?
Determining which VPN service is the best of all is not an easy task, especially since they all have some drawbacks. While some can only be used from a single device, others will stop working after the limit of contracted megabytes.
- pros
- Unblock streaming services
- 10 GB of data per month
- Cons
- Only 1 connection allowed
- Unremarkable speeds
Private is a relatively new VPN service, although only the brand is new: the company behind it has a great deal of experience, not only in VPNs but also in network management for VPN services. streaming.
Being the owner of the server and the hardware of the network, Private is a good choice if you want a VPN for privacy, and it’s based in Switzerland, a country with favorable privacy laws.
The big advantage, however, is that it will unblock Netflix and other streaming services. streamingincluding iPlayer and Amazon Prime, and offers the use of hundreds of servers in 45 countries (including Spain, Argentina and Mexico).
In addition to its macOS app, it also supports iPhone, but only one free account can be used on one device at a time. (You can install it on multiple devices, but you can’t use the service on more than one device at a time.)
It even allows you to download files via P2P and the only catch, if you want to, is that you can only download or stream 10 GB per month.
- pros
- Unlimited data usage
- “Zero log” policy
- Cons
- 1 connection
- Does not unblock streaming video services
Compared to the others, ProtonVPN is in another league. It is a pleasant surprise to see a VPN that works so well being free, as they do not have any of the restrictions of free networks.
There are no ads or data limits. In addition, it has many servers, which can be accessed by anyone who pays for its most basic plan. Free users, on the other hand, will have to settle for accessing the server in Japan, the Netherlands or the United States.
The truth is that having a server in the United States is also a pleasant surprise, since it means that you will be able to access blocked websites outside the country. Now, the truth is that it does not work with Netflix or other platforms of streaming (for this you will need to contract a plan).
Also, ProtonVPN does not work with logins, ideal for those who want to protect their privacy. Also, it can be used on both macOS and iOS (in addition to Windows and Android), although you can only use one device at a time.
- pros
- unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited connections
- Cons
- only 3 servers
- Not streaming compatible
Atlas VPN is another new VPN service. It offers a completely free plan, but will insist that you upgrade to the paid version (as well as other services on this list that also offer it).
The three servers offered to free users are in the US and Europe, but the speeds you’ll get won’t be as fast as paying customers get.
It’s hard to complain, of course, when you get free use of the service that supports P2P downloads and, theoretically at least, unblocking of streaming services. streaming. However, when testing it, we discovered that Atlas does not unblock Netflix, Amazon Prime, or BBC iPlayer. You may have more luck.
There is also good and bad news in terms of privacy. The good news is that you can download Atlas VPN on your Mac (and iPhone) and use the service without even having to enter an email address. But being based in the United States is not ideal due to its unfavorable privacy laws.
Unsurprisingly, Atlas VPN’s privacy policy says that it does not log any data. But it does collect “anonymous” data, such as an approximate location based on your IP address. Combined with the US jurisdiction, it may not be the best option if you want a VPN specifically for privacy.
- pros
- Compatible with many devices
- 10 GB of data per month
- Cons
- Doesn’t unblock Netflix
- Slower than average speeds
Although not as good as its paid version, the free Windscribe VPN connection also offers very useful features that will help you keep your identity private and trick your browser into thinking you are in a different city.
Among the benefits that you will get when you download Windscribe, we highlight the possibility of using it on an unlimited number of devices, so that you can use the same account on all your computers and laptops.
In addition, you can protect your device from viruses and content malware with the built-in firewall, and say goodbye to annoying and tiresome ads with an excellent ad blocker.
Of course, among its limitations is the fact that you can only choose between 11 servers, which means that you can only change your IP for another from 11 different locations. In the paid version, you can choose between 50 countries.
On the other hand, if you download Windscribe on your device for free, you can only use a maximum of 10 gigabytes per month. This means that once used, your computer or laptop will no longer be protected.
We therefore recommend that you take a look at all the features of the payment service first. You can choose between the monthly plan of 9 dollars -about 8.17 €-, the annual plan of 4.08 dollars -about 3.71 €-, or the biannual plan of 3.70 dollars -about 3.36 €-.
- pros
- 24/7 technical support
- No advertising
- “Unlimited” Bandwidth
- Cons
- No video unlock
- 1 connection at a time
Just like TunnelBear, the Hide.me VPN has a data transfer limit, in this case 2GB. Who wants to have more, can opt for the Plus quota -with 75 GB at your disposal- or, better yet, with the Premium quota with unlimited data.
This means that customers who choose to use the network for free will probably not be able to enjoy high-quality videos, even though the broadband it offers may be enough to surf the Internet.
The free registration also allows you to simultaneously connect only one device, be it Windows, macOS, Android, iOS or Linux. On the other hand, with the Premium account, you can enjoy your private connection on five devices at the same time.
It is true that the subscription has more advantages than going for free, but it is no less true that the free option is one of the best of all the ones we have tried. It will also help you to know if it is worth paying for it or not.
If in the end you decide to subscribe, the monthly cost is 4.99 dollars (about 4 €) or 9.99 (about 8), depending on whether you choose the Plus or the Premium respectively. There is a discount of up to 45% if you decide to pay for a year in advance.
With any of the three options, you will enjoy maximum privacy and freedom of expression, since it will also unblock the most popular restricted sites of the country in which you are located.
More information: Hide.me VPN Review
- pros
- 23 locations available
- Cons
- Only 500 MB of data per month
The first drawback of the TunnelBear VPN is that it does not operate from Spain, so users residing in Spain can only use it to consult pages only available in their country when they are abroad.
Specifically, this service only has servers operating from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France and Japan. It can also be used from Australia but only if a paid subscription plan is contracted.
One of the most attractive features of this VPN is undoubtedly the high speed it can reach: about 12 MB per second, and also both the installation process and the use of the interface are very intuitive.
TunnelBear seems very suitable for protecting your browsing data when connected to a public Wi-Fi network, especially thanks to the ‘Vigilant Mode’ function, which blocks any suspicious content when you lose connection to the private network.
If you hesitate between opting for the free service or choosing one of the two premium installments, keep in mind that the zero cost option has a limit of 500 MB per month, which you can increase up to one GB if you write a tweet talking about TunnelBear.
Instead, by paying $9.99 a month (about €9), you’ll get unlimited megabytes to browse the Internet without worrying about snoopers, the number of countries you can access, or the number of devices you can connect to.
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