A free VPN service can be a blessing. They offer the basics of a Virtual Private Network at absolutely no cost. Some free VPNs will even offer additional features usually only found in premium tiers. When looking for a free VPN for Windows, there is an assortment of options to choose from.
So long as you’re willing to deal with the restrictions normally found in a free VPN service, our list will provide the best free VPN options available. Each will protect your internet traffic while offering decent speeds, additional security options, and varying server locations.
Best Free VPN for PC
A VPN service that offers a truly free option is a rarity. More often than not, companies offer time-limited trials or money-back guarantees instead. On top of that, not all free VPN apps found in the App Store are actually safe — some are actually malware hidden in nicer packaging.
Below, we’ve shortlisted the top five free VPNs for PC that offer a totally free subscription tier that will safeguard your internet traffic.
Top 5 Best Free VPNs for PC
- ProtonVPN: Best overall privacy protection (with no monthly limit!)
- Hotspot Shield: Fastest connections
- Windscribe: Most unique security features
- Hide.me: Best customer support
- TunnelBear: Most server locations
We have tested 70+ VPNs. To make this list with the best free VPNs for PC, we have selected VPNs which:
- Offer intuitive apps for Windows.
- Are easy to use even for people who have never used a VPN before.
- Provide a secure connection with safe protocols and military grade encryption. Additional security features such as a kill switch, obfuscation and ad blockers are a plus.
- Protect your privacy with a strict and certified no logs policy.
Best Free VPNs for PC – Detailed List
Below we offer detailed information about the best free VPNs for PC. We have tested each VPN on this list extensively on Windows desktops and laptops.
1. ProtonVPN: Free and unlimited data all month long
ProtonVPN is the best free VPN we have found. ProtonVPN’s free VPN plan offers unlimited bandwidth and an easy-to-use Windows app. No other free VPN service that we’ve tested works without data limits while also providing such a high level of security.
As far as security goes, ProtonVPN offers plenty of effective and reliable features. The free VPN includes AES 256-bit encryption, WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols, a kill switch, an ad-blocker, a no-logs policy, and Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS).
On top of that, Proton even offers a free security and privacy package that comes with its own anonymous email service, calendar, and cloud storage, alongside the VPN. Want a free all-in-one solution? Then you’ll want Proton!
Like with all free services, there are still drawbacks. One of those is that ProtonVPN’s free version connects automatically to the best server. This means you can’t select a server location. With Proton Premium you can choose between 90+ server locations.
Pros
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Top-notch security for your PC
- Strict no logs policy to protect your privacy
- Built-in ad blocker in Windows app
- Also offers free email and more
Cons
- You can't select a server location
If you’d like to know more about Proton, its excellent premium VPN solution, and the other services it offers, you can read our full ProtonVPN review or check out our comparison between NordVPN and Proton VPN.
2. Hotspot Shield: High-speed connections within the US
One of the more popular choices among free VPNs for Windows is Hotspot Shield, a free VPN without data limits. Hotspot’s native Windows app (an app made specifically with PC users in mind) has low data usage requirements and forgoes the need for any registration.
Hotspot Shield’s Catapult Hydra protocol allows free users to maintain quite decent speeds on PC. In other words: if you’re looking for a fast, free option, Hotspot Shield might just be the VPN for you. For a free VPN, fast and consistent connections are a rare but welcome feature.
Although Hotspot Shield offers many security features, such as DNS leak protections and obfuscation, its free servers aren’t optimized for streaming nor gaming. As a result, we couldn’t unblock any streaming sites. Adding to this disappointment is the fact that free users are bound to servers in the US, the UK and Singapore.
Even with its restrictions, Hotspot Shield is still one of the best free VPN services available. If you’d like to use more server locations, you might also be interested in Hotspot Shield Premium, this provider’s paid tier.
Pros
- Unlimited bandwith
- Native Windows app
- No registration required
- Fast connection thanks to Catapult Hydra protocol
- Offers free obfuscated servers
Cons
- Free servers aren't optimized for streaming
- Only servers in 3 countries available for free
If you would like to know more, check out our Hotspot Shield review.
3. Windscribe: Free VPN with adblocker for PC users
Windscribe comes with a Windows app that uses WireGuard, IKEv2 and OpenVPN. It also has a no-logs policy to ensure your online anonymity. The free version of this free VPN service offers a fast and simple internet connection to their servers in ten countries, including the US, the UK and Canada.
This free VPN comes with 2GB of monthly data in its standard package. Providing Windscribe with an email will give users a total of 10GB per month. Windscribe guarantees that your email will never be sold or distributed to any other parties. Even so, if you’re going for absolute anonymity, you might choose not to hand over your email address.
One of the more interesting features that comes with Windscribe’s free version is ROBERT, a configurable adblocker. This should help you avoid targeted ads that may be infected with malware. With ROBERT, you can create customized block lists, block ads and trackers, and increase your browsing speed as a result.
Pros
- No logs policy to protect your privacy
- Fast connection
- Servers in ten countries
- Unique configurable adblocker ROBERT
- Unlimited number of simultaneous connections
Cons
- 2 GB – 10 GB datalimit
If you’d like to know more about this provider or what we thought of its paid package, have a look at our Windscribe review.
4. Hide.me: Free VPN with the best customer support
Adding to our list of the best free VPNs is Hide.me. Though it offers unrestricted bandwidth speeds, its bandwidth data limit is capped at 10 GB a month. This is sufficient for 5 hours of streaming in full HD for example or listening to music for 70 hours.
Hide.me is a good free VPN for PC that offers a single simultaneous connection on one account. The free version has eight server locations available, including the US, the UK and Canada.
The free version offers some additional features typically only found in premium VPN software: an internet kill switch and split tunneling are both available at no cost. Hide.me Free even offers a double VPN and obfuscation with StealthGuard.
Users can also expect almost immediate replies from Hide.me’s 24/7 customer support. The customer service is top-notch regardless of whether you’re using their free VPN services or the paid Hide.me version.
Pros
- Unrestricted bandwidth speed
- Eight server locations available
- Free double VPN available
- Obfuscation with StealthGuard
- Top-notch customer service
Cons
- 10 GB datalimit a month
Take a look at our Hide.me review for more information about this provider.
5. TunnelBear: Free VPN with the most server locations
The last best free VPN on our list is TunnelBear. What makes TunnelBear one of the best free VPNs for beginners is its easy installation and appealing user interface for Windows. This provider offers fast connections for a free VPN and has free additional features such as split tunneling and obfuscation.
TunnelBear’s free VPN account boasts access to 45+ server locations. Users looking to stream Netflix from multiple countries will have an assortment of locations to pull from. These locations include the US, UK, Japan, Brazil, and Canada. If for nothing else, watching the animated bear burrow from server to server as you switch locations is entertaining enough.
The unfortunate thing about TunnelBear’s free tier is that it only offers 2GB of monthly bandwidth, which equals about 2 hours of Netflix. So long as you’re not planning a movie marathon, TunnelBear offers enough from its free tier to earn a spot on our list of the best free VPNs.
Have you fallen in love with TunnelBear’s fun branding, but would you rather not be limited in data? Then you can always check out TunnelBear premium.
Pros
- Easy-to-install and use Windows app
- Fast connections
- Offers 45+ server locations for free
- Offers split tunneling and obfuscation
- 5 simultaneous connections
Cons
- Monthly datalimit of 2GB
Do you want to know more about this provider? Check out our TunnelBear review.
How We Chose the Best Free VPN for PC
To select the best free VPNs for your Windows PC we have used several criteria. We have chosen VPNs which:
- offer PC support. Some VPNs are only available for non-Windows operating systems and mobile devices. Make sure the VPN you choose works for your platform.
- are easy to use. A VPN should be easy to install on Windows and easy to use, preferably with just the click of a button.
- provide adequate security. Making sure your free VPN offers anonymity, good levels of encryption, and some other basic security features is a must.
- protect your privacy. Their logging policy is vital to make sure your online data remain private. Ad-supported VPN services should be avoided as ads will expose you to data tracking by various agencies.
Best Free VPN for PC – Comparison
Let’s sum up the features of the top 5 best free VPNs for Windows PCs:
| Editor’s Pick | |||||
| VPN |  | |  | ||
| Score | 7.0 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 7 |
| Logs | Zero logs | Connection Logs | Connection Logs | Zero logs | Zero logs |
| Connections | 1 | 10 | Unlimited | 1 | 1 |
| Protocols | OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, Proprietary | OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, Catapult Hydra | OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard | OpenVPN, IKEv2, SSTP, WireGuard | OpenVPN, WireGuard, L2TP/IPsec |
| Torrent options | |||||
| Netflix | |||||
| Compatibilities |       | | | | |
| Visit Proton VPN Free | Visit Hotspot Shield | Visit Windscribe VPN Free | Visit Hide.me VPN Free | Visit TunnelBear VPN Free |
Limitations of Free VPNs
Most free VPNs tend to restrict certain features that are found in premium versions. This includes even the best free VPNs on this list. Free VPN users should keep these possible limitations in mind:
- Limited bandwidth
- Average or low connection speeds due to server congestion
- Minimal amount of server locations
- Possible ads
As you can tell, a free VPN may not provide all that you require a free VPN for. A data limit can be a problem for avid viewers of streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. A free VPN might not even allow access to these services. If you’d like to unlock all of the features of a VPN for Windows, you’ll likely need a paid subscription.
Best Premium VPN for PC: NordVPN
Our pick for the best VPN service out there is NordVPN. Though not a free VPN, NordVPN does allow you a trial run with its 30-day money-back-guarantee. Nord never puts a cap on your monthly bandwidth, has 6441 servers all over the world, and works to unblock streaming services like Netflix.
NordVPN is easy to install on any Windows PC. NordVPN’s Windows app is very straightforward. You can connect easily with any server by clicking on the preferred location on the map.
Besides NordVPN’s own lightning-fast protocol NordLynx and military grade encryption, NordVPN offers many additional security features, such as an advanced kill switch, split tunneling, obfuscation and double VPN connection. Threat Protection even protects you from ad, trackers and malware.
For privacy, NordVPN is the best choice. It has a strict no logs policy which gets audited yearly by an independent company. NordVPN uses RAM-only servers to make sure no customer data are ever stored!
Pros
- Easy to install on Windows
- Lightning-fast speeds with Nordlynx
- Offers many additional security features
- Threat Protection to keep your PC safe
- No logs policy and RAM-only server to protect your privacy
- 30-day money-back-guarantee
Cons
- No free version available
Are you interested in knowing more about NordVPN? Check out our NordVPN review.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of free VPN options for PC. Users will have to be mindful of the restrictions imposed by the free version of a VPN service when deciding which one is right for them.
To keep your PC safe we recommend ProtonVPN. This no-logs VPN offers military grade encryption and top-notch security. Since ProtonVPN does not have any data limits, you can encrypt all your internet traffic and you never have to compromise your privacy.
Try out Proton VPN with this unlimited free version!
- Free servers in the Netherlands, Japan and the US
- No data limit
- Servers often slow and crowded
So long as the restrictions aren’t too limiting for you, each free VPN on this list is the best no-cost option. However, we still recommend a paid premium VPN service to enjoy all of the possible features. If interested, you can check out our list of the best VPNs for Windows or the best free VPNs for Mac.
Have questions about the best free VPNs for PC? Check out our FAQ section below. Just click a question to view the answer.
The best free VPN for PC according to our testing is ProtonVPN. Those looking for a reliable connection at decent speeds all month long will be more than happy with this service. Its unlimited monthly data and exemplary security make it our most recommended free VPN.
Windscribe is an excellent choice. Especially its free VPN is a great solution for PC. Though the monthly bandwidth allowance is low (10GB), its connection speeds are of decent quality. What sets it apart is ROBERT, a unique security feature that allows users to customize block lists, block ads and trackers, and increase browsing speed.
Sometimes you can unblock Netflix with a free VPN, but it’s very rare and usually requires jumping between multiple servers to find one that works. When choosing a free VPN, the unblocking of streaming services is not a guaranteed feature. Even so, there are a few free Netflix VPNs out there that will give you the very best odds.
