Earlier we talked about some good VPN, that you could use on different devices. In this post, we are going to discuss the top free VPN for PC that you can use. These VPNs are available for free use and provide limited access. Limited access could mean you get less bandwidth, or you get limited IP options etc. If you can pay some amount, we suggest you go for premium VPN.
What is a VPN?
As we talked earlier, VPN is a virtual private network. It helps you browse the internet anonymously and allow you to access location-specific content. Although, a VPN does not makes you completely anonymous, yet you would be able to secure your privacy a bit.
For more info about VPN and how they work, you can visit here. or find the article on Wikipedia. Let’s focus this article on some of the best free VPN for PC.
TunnelBear – Best Free VPN with several locations
TunnelBear is one of the best VPN that we have tried and tested. The best part about TunnelBear is their interface, it looks good and anyone can use it easily. This free VPN for PC is also available for Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Browser, and Blocker.
This free VPN is recommended especially for new VPN users. Also, you get complete access to all the servers in TunnelBear. Other VPN providers limit the number of servers. But, in TunnelBear you can connect to all of their 22 countries servers. This is one among few free VPN providers that provide decent speed.
TunnelBear provides 500MB data for every month. But you can get an extra 1 GB for a tweet about their product. If you like its performance you can upgrade to a premium version without any data limit starting at $3.33 per month.
Pros
- Access to 22 country servers
- Decent speed
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Guarantee no data logging
- Easy to use interface
- Available for all devices
Cons
- Data bandwidth is limited
- Can not download large files in lesser data
- Not good for streaming Netflix
Hotspot Shield VPN for Free
Hotspot Shield is another award-winning free VPN that allows high-speed web browsing. This free VPN for PC provides 500 MB daily bandwidth. That means you get 15 GB monthly. Hotspot Shield VPN offers secure internet with military-grade encryption.
This free VPN is considered number 1 free VPN of 2020 for its performance. But you would have access to only one server location in the free version. Yes, this is the biggest drawback of this VPN. You get the option to connect only the US virtual server. The free VPN version is supported by ads.
The user interface is quite handy and provided one-click connection. In this VPN you get access to most websites and can unblock government censorship. But, you would see a premium payment wall if you try to access streaming content. It means you would not be able to access Netflix or any other streaming website. But, it works well with YouTube and Spotify. If you like the free VPN features, you can opt to premium features starting at $2.99 per month.
Pros
- Military-grade encryption
- Stable connection
- No-logs policy and P2P support
- Dedicated tech support
- User-friendly interface
- 15 GB monthly bandwidth
- Compatible with most OS including Windows, macOS, Chrome, Android
Cons
- Access to only one server
- Supported by ads
- The free version does not support streaming
- Daily data limit of 500 MB
ProtonVPN – Free VPN without Ads
ProtonVPN is a Switzerland based VPN. Swiss privacy laws are some of the strongest in the world. Also, they promise no-logs and no-ads in their VPN service; even in the free VPN download. ProtonVPN also provides access to 3 countries server (Japan, Netherlands, and the US) out of their 51 countries. It is better than Hotspot Shield if we compare the number of servers.
The free VPN version of ProtonVPN does not provide P2P and BitTorrent support. You would not be able to access geo-based content on Netflix, Amazon Prime. This free VPN comes with the kill switch, that means your IP address would be secure if the connection to the server is lost.
The biggest advantage of this VPN is that it comes with unlimited data. That means you can browse as much content you want.
Due to unlimited bandwidth, there is too much load sometimes on the server and you may face slow speeds.
Pros
- No ads
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Easy to use interface with quick connect feature
- Automatic Kills Switch to keep IP secure
- DNS leak protection and split tunnelling support
- Clear Zero-Logging policy abide by Swiss Privacy Laws
Cons
- May face speed issue sometimes
- Stream and Torrent not available for free VPN version
- P2P not available for the free version
- Connect only one device at a time
WindScribe – Amazing VPN with Ad-Blocker
WindScribe VPN might be at number 4 in this list, but it does not make it lesser than any of above three. The best part about WindScribe is that it provides streaming support in the free VPN version along with 10 country server access. Isn’t it cool?
This is a rare VPN that comes with powerful Ad-Blocker and Malware protection. These features are quite rare in VPNs, hence it provides maximum privacy. WindScribe VPN also comes with a strong firewall that blocks connection outside the VPN’s secure tunnel. That means, no chance of leakage. In this free VPN download, you get access to 10 GB monthly bandwidth but you can get an extra 5 GB by tweeting the company and extra 1 GB by referring your friends.
Pros:
- Available for multiple platforms including but not limited to TV, Routers, and browsers
- Torrenting support
- Works with Netflix, Hulu, and HBO
- 10 Countries server location
- Robust AES encryption with powerful Ad-Blocker and Malware protection
- No DNS leak supported by a strong firewall
- Detail privacy policy about data storage and a no-logs policy
- In-built customer support with live-chat feature
Cons:
- 10 GB data may feel less when streaming on Netflix is allowed
- Need premium-version for complete access to 63 countries
- May face speed issues on downloading
Hide.me – Free VPN Download
hide.me is one of the world’s fastest free VPN with privacy protection. This VPN provides 10 GB free bandwidth every month alongside super fast speed. You can use it to unblock content on Amazon Prime, Hulu, iPlayer, HBO in 4 countries server locations.
When talking about security, this free VPN download for PC comes with strong AES encryption, a strict no-logs policy, auto kill-switch, and DNS leak protection. You can access government censored websites and other content. hide.me VPN is supported by P2P for both free and paid user. You can also do torrenting on hide.me free VPN but bandwidth is capped at 10 GB. If you like the free VPN features, you can upgrade to premium version starting $4.99 per month.
Pros:
- Very fast speed
- P2P and torrenting support
- Unblocks streaming content
- Powerful AES encryption with DNS leak protection
- Strict no-logs policy
Cons:
- 10 GB data limit per month in free VPN version
- Server location available in 4 countries only
- Doesn’t unblock geo-blocked content on Netflix and BBC iPlayer
OperaVPN – Free In-Browser VPN
OperaVPN is another free VPN that is in-built in your free Opera web browser. This VPN is supported by powerful ad-blocker already there in Opera browser. The best part about this VPN is that there is no limit on the data transfer. It is unlimited and always will be.
Another good thing about Opera is that you would be able to get a decent speed over VPN connection. I performed a test on fast.com and got good results.
You might not be happy with the number of VPN location you receive on the free OperaVPN. They provide only three country locations. The VPN needs to be activated in the settings when you start a web browser for the first time.
You know what? Streaming on Netflix is also possible with this free VPN offered by the Opera web browser.
Alongside free VPN, Opera also provides ad-blocker and block trackers.
Pros
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Fast speed
- Streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu
- Browser-based – no need to install any separate VPN
- Supported by ad-blocker and tracker
Cons
- Only 3 virtual locations available (Asia, Americas, & Europe)
- May have some privacy issue
- Not a complete VPN, it is a proxy that works on HTTPS (i.e., no special encryption)
- Good for beginners for normal work but not recommended for sensitive browsing
Free or Paid VPN – What should you choose?
Well if you are asking this question that means you have decided to do something with your internet connection. You may want to protect your IP address, or you may want to secure your browsing history, you want to access some censored websites. Whatever be the reason, if you have decided to go with a good VPN. You should think about below points:
- Why do you need a VPN? : This is the most basic question and would clear your confusion at some levels. If you need a VPN to access some private content then you should go with paid VPN. The reason is simpler, you may not want to deal with issues that you could face in free VPNs. You may face slower speed issue or you could even exhaust your bandwidth.
- Can you risk your privacy? : Many free VPN providers provide free VPNs with ads support and this can lead to privacy issues as the information would be passed on to the advertisers. There was a recent ban on some VPNs because of security issues.
If spending around $2-$10 a month is not a bad option then you should go for premium VPN only. You would get complete protection and uninterrupted service. But you could try any of the VPN above to check the performance. That’s how many VPN companies work. They provide free services so that you try their free VPN for PC or any other device and then upgrade to premium features in future.
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