Best Free VPNs of 2026

The trial gives you the full NordVPN experience, so you can judge it on the features you would actually pay for. That includes the WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol and the NordWhisper protocol behind its Obfuscated Servers. It also covers up to 10 simultaneous connections, a big step up from the single device most free plans allow.

Privacy is where NordVPN separates itself from most free options. Its no-logs policy is independently audited. The kill switch — a security measure we rarely see in free VPNs — adds a second layer. It stops all your online traffic if your VPN connection drops, so we recommend turning it on as soon as you’ve finished installing NordVPN.

Those features are why we recommend NordVPN. Free plans force you to trade off data, devices, and privacy, and the trial removes all three limits for a week. That said, you should plan ahead, because the trial rolls into a paid subscription if you do nothing. Set a reminder before it ends. But don’t worry; the 30-day money-back guarantee that will then cover your purchase. Cancel before that 30-day window ends, and you can get a refund.

NordVPN’s Chrome browser extension

Proton VPN’s free plan has no data limit and no time limit, which is rare. Most free VPNs cap your data within days, and many push ads to cover costs. Proton does neither of those. The company also says its free plan will stay free, so you never face a trial ending.

We know that sounds too good to be true, but Proton backs its offers up with a no-logs policy that has been independently audited by the security firm Securitum, and Proton publishes the reports.1 That gives us evidence that they don’t sell user data just to cover costs — something most free VPNs can’t provide.

That combination is why we recommend Proton VPN Free for everyday browsing on one phone or laptop. You’re still limited, though. You get one device and a smaller server network than paid plans offer. If you need more devices or more locations, we recommend upgrading or trialing a premium VPN.

Proton VPN Windows app

We started with the 2 GB per month data allowance, but as soon as we added and confirmed our email address, Windscribe raised our data limit to 10 GB. Confirming your email is the first step we’d recommend. Even with the higher data limit, though, we still found Windscribe not enough for everyday heavy browsing. With just one test device, we ran out of data before the first week ended, and all we did was do some light researching and browsing.

Where we think Windscribe really stands out is the device policy. Unlimited connections on a free plan are unusual, which makes Windscribe Free easier to use if you’re constantly switching devices. Just note that the 10 GB limit is a shared pool. A household that browses, banks, and checks email on several devices can stay within it. A household that streams video will not.

Windscribe works best as a light-use tool for web browsing or checking emails. If you find yourself regularly hitting the cap, we think Proton VPN Free or a NordVPN trial will serve you better.

Windscribe App

PrivadoVPN’s free plan includes 10 GB of full-speed data each month, which again, is only good for some light browsing. To our surprise, though, we retained access even after we reached the limit. Our account switched to Lite Mode, which kept our connection alive but reduced our speeds. Still good for browsing, but not for playing videos (or even loading high-resolution images).

The bigger tradeoff is privacy assurance. PrivadoVPN has not published an independent audit of its no-logs policy. The company states that it keeps no logs, but you are taking it at its word. Proton VPN and NordVPN can point to audits, which is why they rank higher.

Even so, we recommend PrivadoVPN Free for people who worry most about losing their connection mid-session. It suits casual browsing well. For anything sensitive, we would pick an audited provider.

PrivadoVPN app