There is a particular kind of vulnerability that comes with travelling. You are constantly connecting to networks you know nothing about, searching for things you have never had to search for before, in places you do not yet know well.
I realised how easy it was to land on a dodgy website whilst researching local tour guides in a city I was visiting. I clicked on what looked like a legitimate tour site, and my VPN immediately flagged it as a threat.
Whether you are working from a coffee shop, relying on hotel Wi-Fi, or just browsing on an unfamiliar network, the risks are easy to underestimate. A VPN encrypts your connection and adds a layer of protection that is tough to replicate.
The question, though, is whether you really have to pay for one. The honest answer is sometimes yes, sometimes no. Here is a breakdown of the best free VPNs available in 2026, some with free plans and others with trials and referral programs, based on my own experience and research.
If you want a broader comparison that includes paid options, I have a full guide to the best VPNs that goes into more depth.
My top picks
- NordVPN | Skip to review
- Surfshark | Skip to review
- ProtonVPN | Skip to review
- Windscribe | Skip to review
- Hide.me | Skip to review
- Hotspot Shield | Skip to review
NordVPN
- Free tier type: 30-day money-back guarantee + refer-a-friend
- Data limit: Unlimited
- Servers: 8,800+ across 170+ countries
- Simultaneous devices: 10
NordVPN is not free in the traditional sense, but it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee that effectively gives you a full month to try it at no risk. Cancel within that window, and you get a full refund, no questions asked.
There is also a referral scheme that can get you all the perks of a paid VPN for free. For every friend you refer to NordVPN, you both earn free months of the service. Depending on the plan your friend chooses, that can mean a meaningful chunk of time added to your subscription at no cost.
I have been using NordVPN for years (find out more in my NordVPN review), and it is the one I reach for when I need my connection to work reliably. The moment I land anywhere abroad and want to catch up on a show I have been watching at home, it connects immediately and works without any fuss.
The speeds are the fastest I’ve tried, they have some of the largest quantities of servers, the privacy policy is solid, and the app works across all of my devices without any configuration headaches. The money-back guarantee means you can test it properly before committing to anything.
Get NordVPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee 
Pros
- The fastest and most reliable option on this list, based on personal experience
- Independently audited six times, most recently by Deloitte in 2025, which is more than most paid VPNs can say
- The refer-a-friend scheme gives you a genuine route to extended free use
Cons
- Not technically free; you pay upfront and claim a refund within 30 days if it is not for you (or use the refer-a-friend scheme)
Surfshark
- Free tier type: 7-day mobile trial + 30-day money-back
- Data limit: Unlimited
- Servers: 100 countries
- Simultaneous devices: Unlimited
Surfshark is worth including here because it offers a 7-day free trial on mobile, giving you a proper window to test it before spending anything. It is not a permanent free tier, but it is a meaningful trial if you want to see whether it suits your setup.
I found their free trial to be one of the best, giving me access to a top-tier VPN with high speeds and a good number of server locations for 7 days. Their paid plans are well worth continuing on with afterwards!
Beyond the trial period, Surfshark is one of the most affordable paid VPNs available. It allows unlimited simultaneous connections, which is handy if you travel with several devices.
One thing worth being transparent about: Surfshark is owned by Nord Security, the same parent company as NordVPN. Both services operate independently, but they share the same ownership, and I think that is worth knowing.
Sign up for Surfshark’s free trial here
Pros
- Unlimited devices on all plans, which is genuinely useful if you travel with a laptop, phone and tablet
- One of the most affordable paid VPNs if you decide to continue after the trial
Cons
- No permanent free plan; the trial ends and a subscription kicks in
Proton VPN
- Free tier type: Permanent free plan
- Data limit: Unlimited
- Servers: 10 countries on free plan
- Simultaneous devices: 1
Before using NordVPN, I used Proton VPN’s free plan. It is one of the best truly free plans that I’ve used. You are restricted to a smaller selection of server locations, which can affect speeds depending on where you are. For browsing securely on public Wi-Fi or keeping your connection private while on the road, it can be useful.
Whilst I’d say it is the best ‘truly free’ VPN in this list, it was still limited in terms of speeds and server locations. So I struggled to watch anything online whilst using it, and often couldn’t access the locations I wanted to.
Unlike many other free VPNs, it has no data cap at all, meaning you can use it for as long as you need without watching a limit creep down.
Proton VPN is open-source and has been independently audited, which puts it ahead of many competitors when it comes to transparency. It is also Swiss-based, sitting outside EU and US data retention laws.
Pros
- The only permanently free VPN on this list with no data cap whatsoever
- Open-source, independently audited by Securitum in 2025, and Swiss-based outside EU and US data jurisdiction
Cons
- Free plan is limited to a single device, which is restrictive for most travellers
- Smaller server selection on the free tier can mean slower speeds, depending on where you are
Windscribe
- Free tier type: Permanent free plan
- Data limit: 10GB/month
- Servers: 11 countries
- Simultaneous devices: Unlimited
Windscribe offers 10GB of free data per month, which is more than most free VPNs provide. It also gives you access to servers across ten countries on the free plan, which is a decent spread for something that costs nothing.
The privacy policy is well-regarded, and the desktop client is consistently praised across expert reviews for being clear and easy to navigate. Based on independent testing, it holds up well against comparable free options.
If 10GB is not enough for your needs, paid plans are reasonably priced. For light use on the road, such as securing connections without heavy streaming, the free tier is worth knowing about.
However, I personally found myself getting through the 10GB very quickly and didn’t find the speeds to be good enough for anything past browsing.
Pros
- Unlimited simultaneous connections even on the free plan
- The desktop app is clean and easy to navigate
Cons
- 10GB runs out quickly if you do anything beyond light browsing
- No recent independent audit found to back up its no-logs claim
Hide.me
- Free tier type: Permanent free plan
- Data limit: Unlimited
- Servers: 7-8 locations
- Simultaneous devices: 1
Hide.me has a strong reputation for privacy, and it publishes regular transparency reports confirming what data it does and does not hold. For a free VPN, that level of openness is relatively uncommon.
The free plan includes 10GB per month and access to a small number of server locations. Speeds are well regarded across independent review sites, and the no-logs policy has been independently verified.
It may not have the name recognition of some others on this list, but for travellers who put privacy above everything else, it is a solid and trustworthy option based on the evidence available.
That being said, like the other truly free VPNs on this list, the server locations are limited, and I also found the speeds to be quite slow when doing anything slightly intensive online.
Pros
- Recently upgraded to unlimited data on the free plan, which puts it ahead of most comparable options
- Independently audited by Securitum and publishes regular transparency reports
Cons
- Speeds are noticeably throttled on the free tier
- Only one device and eight server locations, which limits flexibility on the road
Hotspot Shield
- Free tier type: Permanent free plan (ad-supported)
- Data limit: Unlimited
- Servers: US only on the free plan
- Simultaneous devices: 1
Hotspot Shield is one of the few free VPNs that places no cap on your data at all. The trade-off is that the free version locks you to a single US-based server, so it is not the most versatile option if you need to connect from different regions.
For what it is, though, it has its uses. If you need to encrypt your connection on a public network and are not fussed about server location, unlimited free data is a meaningful advantage over most of the competition.
I personally found the speeds to be inconsistent and the server location pretty restrictive. I often need to access servers across all continents, so really, this free VPN is only useful for you if you are happy with just the US.
Pros
- Unlimited data with no monthly cap
- Straightforward interface with very little setup required
Cons
- Locked to a single US server on the free plan, which makes it largely useless if you need to connect from or to a specific region
- Ad-supported, speed-throttled, and a historical FTC complaint around data practices means it sits at the bottom of the list for privacy confidence
Comparison table
| VPN | Tier type | Data limit | Server locations | Devices | No-logs policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN ★ | 30-day money-back + referral | Unlimited | 209+ locations | 10 | Yes |
| Surfshark | 7-day trial + 30-day money-back | Unlimited | 100 countries | Unlimited | Yes |
| Proton VPN | Permanent free plan | Unlimited | 10 countries | 1 | Yes |
| Windscribe | Permanent free plan | 10GB/month | 10 countries | Unlimited | Yes |
| Hide.me | Permanent free plan | 10GB/month | 7-8 locations | 1 | Yes |
| Hotspot Shield | Permanent free plan (ad-supported) | Unlimited | US only | 1 | Partial |
Best free VPN verdict
If you are looking for a straight answer, NordVPN is the best VPN on this list, free tier or not. The 30-day money-back guarantee gives you a full month to use it properly, the refer-a-friend scheme means you can extend that for free, and in my experience, it is simply the most reliable option when you actually need it to work.
The truth is that free VPNs are best treated as a starting point. They will protect you on public Wi-Fi and cover the basics, but if you travel regularly, a paid plan tends to be worth it. NordVPN’s money-back guarantee is the lowest-risk way to find out whether that is true for you.
Free VPN FAQs
Is there any 100% free VPN?
Yes, several. Most come with limitations, though, typically a monthly data cap, a restricted choice of servers, or throttled speeds. They are fine for light use, but can become frustrating if you rely on them heavily.
Are free VPNs any good?
It depends on what you need them for. The best free VPNs are perfectly capable of encrypting your connection and keeping you safe on public Wi-Fi, which is enough for many people. The drawbacks tend to show up when you push them harder. Data caps run out quickly, speeds are often throttled compared to paid plans, and server choice is usually limited. For occasional use, they do the job. For anything more regular, a paid plan or a money-back trial like NordVPN’s tends to serve you better.
Are free VPNs illegal?
VPNs are not illegal in the UK, and the same is true across most of Europe, the US, Canada, and Latin America. There has been some political noise in the UK recently around VPN usage following the Online Safety Act, but the government has confirmed there are no plans to make them illegal. The one thing worth knowing if you travel widely is that a handful of countries including Belarus, Iran, Iraq, and Turkmenistan, do ban VPN use entirely, so it is worth checking the rules of any destination before you connect.
Are free VPNs dodgy?
Some of them, yes. Cybersecurity experts warn that unvetted free VPNs can pose serious risks, with some known to sell user data or contain malware. The issue is that running a VPN service costs money, and if you are not paying for it, something else often is. The free VPNs on this list have been chosen specifically because they have transparent privacy policies and credible track records. Stick to those, and you should be fine. Avoid grabbing whichever free VPN appears first in an app store without checking who is behind it.
My go-to travel health insurance:
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