The best free VPN services in 2023

A free VPN sounds perfect – complete online anonymity without spending a penny. However, as is to be expected, there are actually very few free VPNs that are worth downloading, and even those a significantly restricted in terms of servers, speeds, and general performance.

Free VPNs have to support themselves somehow, so it's important that you understand exactly how the provider can afford to offer its services without taking your money. The best are 'freemium', meaning that you'll get unlimited usage of a restricted version of the full paid product.

It's also worth mentioning that if you're thinking of downloading the first free VPN you find on the App Store, don't. Many are known to sell your data, and often provide no VPN protection at all.

It's a fact of life that you get what you pay for, and no free VPN can match the best VPN. However, if you're just looking for infrequent basic protection, they can be useful tools to have at hand. Just make sure to do your research and choose wisely – and don't expect to be able to unblock streaming sites.

The best providers overall

The three providers below – ExpressVPN(opens in new tab), Surfshark(opens in new tab) and NordVPN(opens in new tab) – are our highest-ranked VPNs overall. While they are paid products, they include 30-day money-back guarantees, which allow you to trial them risk-free for a month. Don't think it's worth your money? Just claim a full refund – no questions asked.

EDITOR'S CHOICE: 5/5: ExpressVPN is our top-rated VPN, and with class-leading streaming performance and privacy features, it's simply the pick of the bunch. If you're on the fence about paying, Express offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test it out with no risk.

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4.5/5: If you want a world-class VPN but can't afford to splash out, Surfshark is a great option. With world-class streaming and privacy performance, it's a quality product, and you'll now get 2 months FREE, working out at just $2.30 a month.

VIEW DEAL 4.5/5: Probably the most famous VPN on the scene, NordVPN provides a seriously secure option. It can unblock just about all streaming sites, including Netflix, and in terms of price it sits between ExpressVPN and Surfshark. Plus, you'll be covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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Are free VPNs safe?

It all boils down to which free VPN you choose. While there are a few decent ones, they're vastly outnumbered by dubious, ad-filled apps with no background and no privacy policies. What's more, these could be harvesting your data – exactly the opposite of what you want from a VPN.

Beyond any risk to your privacy, though, it's important to understand that every free VPN comes with limitations, even the good ones. Almost all impose some sort of data limit, speed caps, and restrict you to a handful of servers at best.

If you want the best experience possible, we'd recommend signing up to a paid provider. Our top-rated VPN is ExpressVPN, but if you're looking to save some money we'd recommend Surfshark. For just $2.30 a month you'll have unlimited data and simultaneous connections, excellent streaming performance, rock-solid security, as well as in-depth features not available with free VPNs – and you'll also have a 30-day money-back guarantee to test it out risk-free.

However, if you're dead-set on testing out a free VPN for PC, Mac, or any other device, below we've rounded up the best five which manage to avoid compromising usability too much. Plus, all offer an upgrade plan should you like the service and want to get all the available features at a later date.