The Best Free VPN Services for Windows

To avoid these leaks of personal and browsing data, many users use antivirus to protect their computers from threats. However, there is a simple but powerful resource that can make browsing the internet much safer: VPN (acronym for Virtual Private Network or Virtual Private Network). This tool allows the user to browse the internet safely and anonymously. And thinking about increasing your security, we have selected the Best Free VPN Services for Windows!

What is VPN?

A VPN is a secure digital tunnel between two or more devices. VPN providers are nothing more than virtual networks created and used to protect your private web traffic from spying, interference, and even censorship. It’s like you can browse the internet without anyone else knowing about it other than you and your device.

When you connect to the internet, there is a possibility of being identified via IP (acronym for Internet Protocol ou internet protocol. This set of numbers contains your location, and is how your device becomes accessible on the network. When using a VPN, you will receive an address random IPOr this will prevent you from being identified on the Internet and will protect, through encryption, all your browsing data.

Many people use VPNs not only to keep their browsing anonymous, but also to access websites that are blocked in the country where they live. Another option is to access catalogs of audio and video streaming services that are only available abroad.

Is free VPN safe?

While a free VPN service may seem ideal for you, you need to be careful when making your choice. In addition to having limits on the number of servers, devices, and daily or monthly data usage, some VPN services VPNs offered on the web are malicious.

They can flood your device with intrusive advertising and even sell your personal information to profit from its use. In other words, to know if the chosen service is safe, it is important to analyze its privacy policy, among other details that we will mention in the next paragraphs.

How to choose a VPN

Ease in everyday life

Here's a good tip: a free VPN option for Windows shouldn't be a big problem in your day-to-day life, but rather a solution for those who don't want their browsing to be tracked. It's important to understand that you'll just need to press a button and the IP will be changed.

Avoid options that have third-party ads and require a long time to complete the process. If this happens, skip to the next option and choose one that is easy to use on a daily basis. At the end of the day, you don’t need a VPN that also crashes your computer.

Connection speed

This is another detail that is very important to pay attention to. Even if you are using a high-speed broadband connection or even 5G internet, the internet speed can be affected depending on the company that owns the VPN.

Many companies end up offering a free virtual private network option, but the connection is so slow that, in the end, it is not even worth using it. Therefore, analyze all the options and, of course, always opt for the highest connection speed.

Use of your data

Have you ever heard the phrase “if you don’t pay for the product, you are the product” by American journalist Andrew Lewis? The concept is the same.

To use a virtual private network, you need to create an account with an email address (which must be confirmed for use to be authorized) and send more information such as name, age, etc. Therefore, everything accessed by the application can also be sold to other companies.

With that in mind, read all the terms and conditions of use before using a VPN. And remember: anything that is free will also have a benefit for the company that made the tool available to you.

Free plans

And here we come to another important point: when looking for a free VPN option, check that the service is not being offered for a limited time. Since it is advertised as a free option, never enter your credit card details and, most importantly, read all the fine print to avoid surprises after a while of using it.

It’s quite common for some companies to do a lot of marketing to promote themselves as a free VPN, but in reality, this is more of a preview that will sooner or later require a payment. Check all the details.

number of servers

Finally, it’s worth considering the number of international servers that a VPN company offers. Here, we have the basic rule: the more options, the greater your anonymity. You can spend the whole day connected to a server and the next day there’s no need to use the same server.

Of course, your browsing will not be tracked at any time when the VPN is activated, but having a good high server options makes it even better to use. And, by having more options, you also avoid slowdown issues due to many people being connected to the same server.

Choosing the Best VPN

PlanetVPN

Opening our list of options, the PlanetVPN stands out for being one of the best free VPN options available in Brazil. Its biggest advantage is that it does not require any registration (not even an email address) to be used.

Speaking of servers, free plan users have five servers to connect to, but all of them can be used without data limits. The company also guarantees that all browsing and user data will not be sold to third parties.

Because it's a free option, you may be required to view some ads, and each account can only be logged into (and used simultaneously on) one device at a time.

One way to get around this and other limitations is to opt for PlanetVPN's plans, but in our tests, this free VPN option for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and other platforms did the trick.

Benefits

• No registration required
• Servers without connection limit
• Easy to use application
• Simple support

Disadvantages

• Free plan users are forced to view ads
• Only five server options
• Speed ​​priority for paying users
• Online games can be slow

Download Planet VPN:

• Android application
• iOS (iPhone) App
• Windows Application
• Application for Macs
• Linux Application
• Google Chrome Extension
• Extension for Mozilla Firefox
• Extension for Microsoft Edge
• Opera browser extension

ProtonVPN

A free version of ProtonVPN is the great favorite of most users, as it offers a highlight: a unlimited data allowance. It also has a strict data privacy policy known as “no records“, that is, it does not record your browsing activity, only information on the date and time of the user's most recent login, which makes it very secure.

A Proton works on all major computer operating systems — Windows, Mac e Linux — and also for mobile — Android e iOS — however, only one device can be connected at a time.

There are only three servers available for free use, located in the United States, the Netherlands and Japan, but one downside is that paying users have priority in connection speed, so during peak times, the connection may become slow in the free version.

Some other features included in its free version are split tunneling, DNS leak protection and the possibility to activate the automatic connection when starting the device. But if you expect to access exclusive content from Netflix international, or other services of streaming, be aware that this feature is only available in the paid version, in addition to the P2P support and Secure Core.

Benefits

• No limit on data usage;
• Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android ou iOS;
• “No logs” data privacy policy;
• Intuitive interface.

Disadvantages

• Limit one connection at a time;
• Limit of three servers;
• Speed ​​priority for paying users;
• without the resources Secure Core ou P2P;
• no support for international netflix;
• Limited support.

Download Proton VPN:

• Proton VPN for Windows
• Proton VPN for macOS
• Proton VPN for Linux
• Proton VPN for Chromebook
• Proton VPN for Android
• Proton VPN for iOS (iPhone)

tunnel Bear

A Tunnel bear is another good option for those who need a VPN, but it is worth remembering that it should be used for more specific situations, such as accessing a website from abroad or any other quicker check. This is because free accounts only have 12 MB for monthly use, through 20 international servers from the USA, Mexico, Spain, Portugal and more.

This option is not recommended for those who want to watch streaming audio or video content, as you will be automatically disconnected when you reach the limit. The PC application is very intuitive: just download and install it, then create an account using your email and password. After confirmation via email, you can use the app. VPN Tunnel Bear.

It also allows up to five simultaneous connections and can be used on the main operating systems for desktop and mobile devices — Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS — and also in extensions for the Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera browsers.

Benefits

• More than 20 servers available;
• Up to five simultaneous connections;
• Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android ou iOS;
• With browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox e Opera;
• Intuitive interface.

Disadvantages

• Limit up to 12 MB of data per month;
• Limited support.

Download Tunnel Bear VPN:

• Tunnel Bear for Windows
• Tunnel Bear for macOS
• Tunnel Bear for Android
• Tunnel Bear for iOS (iPhone/iPad)
• Google Chrome Extension
• Extension for Mozilla Firefox
• Extension for Microsoft Edge

Hotspot Shield

A Hotspot Shield is another free VPN option that doesn't require you to create an account and also doesn't have a data limit, giving you the opportunity to use it on audio and video streaming services. However, free account users can only connect one device at a time.

The application has a clean interface and after installing it on your computer, you just need to connect to a server abroad. The official website states that free account users have access to more than 800 international servers.

Despite not having a data limit, free accounts may experience some slowness in streaming services and games, as the boost for these activities is only valid for subscribers of paid plans, with the same being true for priority customer support.

By default, you can subscribe to one of the plans to have better speed in games and streaming services, but the free option is quite assertive and it is worth testing it for a month to see if it is worth spending for it.

Benefits

• Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android ou iOS;
• Up to five different devices on the paid plan;
• Intuitive interface.

Disadvantages

• Limit one connection at a time;
• Ads in versions for Android e iOS;
• Limited support.

Download Hotspot Shield:

• Hotspot Shield for Android
• Hotspot Shield for iOS (iPhone/iPad)
• Hotspot Shield for Windows
• Hotspot Shield for macOS
• Hotspot Shielded for Linux
• Hotspot Shield for Google Chrome

Urban VPN

Another complete option that makes it to our list is the Urban VPN, which does not require the creation of an account, but has one detail: it requires authorization to sell data in order to be used free of charge. The official page states that the development of the application is carried out by an entire community, but this also means that it will be necessary to authorize the sale of your data.

Despite this “small detail”, using the app and/or browser extension is very simple: after installing it on your device, simply choose the country you want to connect to from the more than 80 options available on the list. The developers also mention that browsing can be done without limits and there are also no restrictions on connecting the same account on different devices.

It’s an interesting option to use if data sales aren’t a big problem, but it’s worth remembering that they will be sold if you don’t disable it. At the same time… data such as email address, country of residence and more are also publicly available on our social networks.

Benefits

• No data limit;
• Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS e Xbox;
• With browser extensions for Chrome e Firefox;
• Unlimited simultaneous connections;
• Release geo-blocked content such as Netflix International;

Disadvantages

• You must agree to the sale of data in order to use it.
• Smartphone app has ads
• No support.

Download UrbanVPN

• Urban VPN for Windows
• Urban VPN for MacOS
• Urban VPN for Android
• Urban VPN for iOS (iPad/iPhone)
• Urban VPN for Google Chrome
• Urban VPN for Mozilla Firefox
• Urban VPN for Edge

Opera VPN

Closing our list of free VPNs that you can use, it is worth mentioning the tool included in the Opera browser. It's as if an extension that allows you to change your IP is automatically installed in the browser you will use.

Installation is free and once completed, the VPN will be activated in a few seconds. The same applies to the app for smartphones and tablets: no installation is required, but free plan users have access to only 3 international servers.

If you need more options for external servers, you can opt for the VPN Pro plan, which costs from R$21 per month and gives you access to more than 3 servers around the world on up to six devices and support for two-factor authentication.

Benefits

• Browser integrated
• Available to Android, iOS, macOS e Linux
• Does not require secondary installations
• No ads displayed
• Data Encryption

Disadvantages

• Free plan has only 3 international servers
• Requires use of secondary browser
• Simple support for free accounts

Download Opera browser with built-in VPN:

• Opera for Windows
• Opera for macOS
• Opera for Android
• Opera for iOS (iPhone/iPad)
• Opera for Chromebook
• Opera for Linux

and tell us Comment: Which VPN option did you choose to use in your daily life?

See also other features

Learn how to clear your PC browser cache