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Ranked honestly · Real shortlist · No number-one-everywhere spam

The best free VPNs, honestly ranked

Most "free" VPNs are a trap: tiny data caps, ads, or worse, they sell your bandwidth. A short list actually give you a usable, private, free connection. These are the ones worth trusting, ranked on data limits, privacy and how honest the free model is.

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The ranking

A real shortlist. ROOT is placed where it genuinely earns its spot, not bumped to the top.

  1. Proton VPN

    From £3.59 · Free tier · 10 devices · No-logs

    The gold standard for free. Proton's free tier gives unlimited data, is fully open-source and audited, and sits under Swiss privacy law. The catch is it is limited to a few countries and one device, and speeds are slower than paid.

    Proton VPN alternative

  2. ROOT VPNOur pick to start free

    Free, then £3.99 · 10 devices · No-logs

    ROOT's free tier is unusually generous: unlimited data and time, more locations than most free plans, and modern stealth protocols. It is funded by an optional, opt-in community program you can switch off, and keeps no activity logs. Newer and not yet third-party audited, which is why it sits just behind Proton.

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  3. Windscribe

    Free tier · Free tier · Unlimited devices · No-logs

    10GB a month free once you confirm an email, across many locations, with strong R.O.B.E.R.T. ad blocking. Plenty for light use, though heavy streamers will hit the cap, and it sits in Canada.

    Windscribe alternative

  4. TunnelBear

    Free tier · Free tier · Unlimited devices · No-logs

    The friendliest free app and audited every year, but the roughly 2GB monthly cap is tiny. Good for occasional public Wi-Fi protection, not for streaming.

    TunnelBear alternative

  5. Hotspot Shield

    Free tier · Free tier · 10 devices · No-logs

    Fast on its proprietary Hydra protocol, but the free tier is about 500MB a day with ads and one location. Fine for a quick check-in, limiting for anything more.

    Hotspot Shield alternative

One to avoid: any free VPN that routes your traffic through other users or sells idle bandwidth. Hola VPN's free version works this way, which is why it does not appear on this list.

How we ranked them

The criteria that decided the order.

Best free VPN, answered

What is the best free VPN?
Our top pick is Proton VPN, for the reasons in the ranking above. ROOT VPN comes in at number 2 on this list and is the pick if you want a genuinely free way in and modern stealth protocols. The right choice depends on what matters most to you.
Is ROOT VPN a good free VPN?
Yes, and we have placed it honestly at number 2 here rather than pretending it wins every category. ROOT gives you a free tier with unlimited data, four modern protocols and no activity logs, which makes it a strong, low-risk one to try first.
Do I have to pay for a good free VPN?
Not to start. ROOT VPN has a free forever plan with no card required, and a couple of others on this list offer real free tiers too. Paid plans add more locations and faster servers when you need them.

More ranked shortlists

Browse more, or see the full list of best-VPN guides.

Start with the free pick on this list.

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