There is a saying in tech: if the product is free, you are the product. Nowhere is this more true than in the VPN industry. Running a VPN service is expensive -- servers in dozens of countries, bandwidth, development, security audits, legal compliance. If a VPN company is not charging you money, it is making money from you some other way.
The Business Model Problem
A VPN with 10,000 servers across 60 countries costs millions of dollars per year to operate. Server rental, bandwidth, development team salaries, security audits, and legal fees all add up. Paid VPNs cover these costs through subscriptions. Free VPNs need an alternative revenue source, and that source is almost always your data.
Our investigation into 20 popular free VPN apps found alarming results: 16 out of 20 shared data with third-party advertisers. 12 embedded tracking libraries from Google, Facebook, and data brokers. 8 logged browsing activity despite claiming no-logs policies. 4 injected ads directly into HTTP web pages. 2 had Chinese government-linked ownership structures.
The Worst Offenders
Hola VPN
Hola VPN is not actually a VPN at all -- it is a peer-to-peer network that routes other users' traffic through your device. When you use Hola, your home IP address becomes an exit node for other users. In 2015, Hola's bandwidth was sold to the Luminati botnet service, which was used to launch DDoS attacks. Using Hola puts your IP address at risk of being associated with criminal activity.
Betternet
A 2016 CSIRO study found that Betternet contained 14 tracking libraries -- more than any other VPN tested. The app requested excessive permissions including camera access, call logs, and contacts. Betternet makes money by showing targeted ads based on the browsing data it collects through the VPN.
SuperVPN
SuperVPN was found to log every website visited and every DNS query made. In 2020, over 360 million SuperVPN user records were found in an exposed database, including email addresses, IP addresses, and geolocation data. The app has been removed from the Google Play Store multiple times but keeps reappearing under different developer names.
If you have Hola VPN, SuperVPN, or Betternet installed on your device, delete them immediately. These services actively harm your privacy.
What Free VPNs Sacrifice
Speed
Free VPNs typically limit your bandwidth and throttle speeds to push you toward paid plans. Expect 5-20 Mbps on most free VPNs compared to 400-500+ Mbps on top paid VPNs. Streaming in HD is usually impossible.
Data Caps
Most free VPNs impose strict data limits: 500MB-10GB per month. For reference, one hour of Netflix streaming uses about 3GB. You would burn through most free VPN data allowances in a single evening.
Server Access
Free tiers typically offer 3-10 server locations compared to 60-100+ countries on paid plans. This means fewer options for geo-unblocking and more congested servers.
Streaming and Torrenting
Nearly all free VPNs block P2P traffic and fail to unblock streaming services. Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ maintain extensive blacklists of VPN IP addresses. Free VPNs do not have the resources to rotate IPs fast enough to stay ahead.
Security
Many free VPNs use outdated encryption, lack kill switches, and have DNS leak vulnerabilities. Some do not encrypt traffic at all, functioning as simple proxies while marketing themselves as VPNs.
Free VPNs That Are Actually Safe
Not all free VPNs are dangerous. A small number of reputable paid VPN providers offer genuinely safe free tiers as a way to attract customers to their paid plans. These are the only free VPNs we recommend:
Proton VPN Free
The best free VPN, period. Unlimited data with no caps, no ads, no data selling. Available on all platforms. The catch: free users get access to servers in 5 countries (US, Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland) and speeds are limited compared to paid plans. But the privacy and security are identical to the paid version -- same no-logs policy, same Swiss jurisdiction, same open-source apps.
Windscribe Free
10GB per month across 11 countries. Includes the R.O.B.E.R.T. ad and tracker blocker. Windscribe's free tier uses the same infrastructure as its paid service. 10GB is enough for moderate browsing and occasional streaming, but not for heavy daily use.
Hide.me Free
10GB per month across 8 countries. Audited by DefenseCode. One simultaneous connection on the free tier. The privacy protections are the same as the paid version -- same no-logs policy, same Malaysian jurisdiction.
Free vs Paid: The Full Comparison
- Speed: Free (5-20 Mbps) vs Paid (400-500+ Mbps)
- Data: Free (500MB-10GB/month, Proton unlimited) vs Paid (Unlimited)
- Servers: Free (3-10 countries) vs Paid (60-100+ countries)
- Streaming: Free (Does not work) vs Paid (Unblocks Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc.)
- Torrenting: Free (Blocked) vs Paid (Full P2P support with kill switch)
- Privacy: Free (Often logs and sells data) vs Paid (Audited no-logs policies)
- Kill Switch: Free (Usually missing) vs Paid (Always included)
- Devices: Free (1-3) vs Paid (5-Unlimited)
- Support: Free (None or email only) vs Paid (24/7 live chat)
Our Recommendation
If you genuinely cannot afford a paid VPN, use Proton VPN Free. It is the only free VPN with unlimited data, no ads, and no data monetization. For everyone else, paid VPNs start at just $1.99/month (Surfshark) or $2.03/month (PIA). For less than the price of a coffee per month, you get full privacy, unlimited speed, and access to content worldwide.
Every paid VPN in our top 10 offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can use the full service risk-free for a month and cancel for a complete refund if you decide it is not worth it.