You can also check out my guide to the best VPNs covering multiple devices.
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Proton VPN – Best free VPN for Android
Pros
- Excellent privacy and transparency
- Strong catalog of security features
- Unrivaled free plan
- Good connection speeds
Cons
- Premium plans aren’t the cheapest
- Not all features available across apps
Price When Reviewed:
From $3.59 per month
Who should use Proton VPN?
Proton VPN’s free version offers speed and excellent privacy, making it an easy choice for anyone who is looking to safeguard a single device. Other than the one-device limit, the free version of Proton VPN is practically a premium service.
It comes from a trustworthy, privacy-focused company that has undergone multiple successful audits of its no-logs policy. It serves no ads and you’ll be able to choose from 10 servers located all over the world. Plus, the best part is that there are no data limits, meaning you can surf and stream to your heart’s content without worrying about hitting a paywall. No data limits is reason enough to use Proton VPN; add in everything else and the competition for top spot isn’t even close.
Proton VPN’s free version even showed decent speeds in my tests, just going to show that this is the free VPN to use right now.
Proton VPN: Further considerations
The VPN is from the same company behind Proton Mail, a privacy-focused email service, and a whole suite of other services so it’s very easy to integrate the VPN into the whole Proton ecosystem if that’s your thing — just be aware that not every other service is offered for free. The company has made all of its apps open-source including the free VPN, as well.
It’s worth noting that the free VPN version does not support P2P meaning you won’t be able to torrent unless you upgrade. If you decide to upgrade to the premium version the monthly price is a bit expensive, so I recommend trying out the free version first before upgrading.
Read our full Proton VPN review
PrivadoVPN – Best free VPN for Android runner-up
Pros
- Excellent free version
- Unblocks streaming services
- Based in privacy-friendly Switzerland
Cons
- No independent audit
- Smaller server network
- Feature set not as robust as some competitors
Price When Reviewed:
$10.99
Who should use PrivadoVPN?
PrivadoVPN is a good option for just about any free VPN user. While I recommend either the paid or free plan, it’s the free version of the VPN that really stands out. With 13 global servers to choose from, a generous 10 simultaneous device-connection limit, and up to 10GB per month of high-speed data, you can’t really go wrong. In my testing I found that even the free servers were able to unblock streaming services — something that’s virtually unheard of with other free VPNs.
The decent amount of global servers to choose from and ability to unblock streaming services means you can use it to stream while traveling for free — just be careful as you’ll run up against the 10GB-per-month data limit quickly while streaming in HD.
The only reason I rated Proton VPN slightly higher is because it offers a truly unlimited free version. Not to take away too much from PrivadoVPN, though, as it is about as close as you’re going to get otherwise. The 10GB-per-month data cap only applies to high-speeds, after you reach the cap you’ll still be able to use the free VPN but with throttled speeds.
PrivadoVPN: Further considerations
Privacy-conscious users should also be aware that the company hasn’t yet completed an independent audit, but it does promise to abide by its no-logs policy for both the paid and free versions — you’ll just need to take its word for it.
Read our full
PrivadoVPN review
Windscribe Pro – Best for multiple devices
Pros
- Good free plan
- Fast speeds
- Unlimited device connections
Cons
- Streaming unblocking is inconsistent
- Smaller server network than some competitors
Who should use Windscribe VPN?
Another solid choice for Android users is Windscribe VPN. You won’t get the unlimited data like you do with Proton VPN, but it makes up for that with unlimited simultaneous device connections and solid overall speeds. Data is capped at up to 10GB per month, which means you can browse to your heart’s content, but likely won’t be able to use it for any streaming services.
The free service offers 10 regional connections including the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, and Romania. It also has a ton of privacy features such as blockers for site notifications and “we use cookies” banners, WebRTC leak protection, location spoofing, user agent rotation, and more.
Windscribe VPN: Further considerations
Windscribe Pro’s free Android VPN is best suited for those who need access across multiple devices. Watch out for the data limit though, as you can hit it pretty fast while using multiple devices.
The service is also extremely easy to use with a simple setup and solid performance for a free VPN. I not only recommend the Windscribe free service on its own, but also as an easy way to get to know the service before committing to a paid tier with premium features.
Read our full Windscribe Pro review
Hide.me – Best for no sign-up requirement
Pros
- Good download speeds
- Easy-to-use Windows app
- No-logs promise
Cons
- Speeds were inconsistent in our tests
- Expensive single year subscription
Who should use Hide.me?
Since Hide.me’s free version does not require a sign-up in order to use, it’s good for those who just need a VPN for simple, one-off tasks. Alternatively, if you’re concerned about privacy, not having to enter in any personal information is a huge plus as well.
Hide.me has pretty good speeds, and like Windscribe you’re limited to 10GB per month. Hide.me offers eight connection choices including locations in the U.S. locations, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands. The big draw for most users though will that it doesn’t require an account for signing up, making it seamless and easy to use for just about anyone.
Hide.me: Further considerations
Hide.me’s free version should mainly be used for one-off tasks that you want to do privately. The data cap and inconsistent speeds means it won’t be a viable option for streaming.
If you do decide to upgrade, Hide.me’s paid version comes with a tremendous number of customizable features and settings. It also becomes quite affordable when you opt for a long-term plan.
Read our full Hide.me review
AVG Secure – Best free trial
Pros
- 10 simultaneous device connections
Unblocks streaming services
Free 60-day trial
Cons
- Logs some user activity data
Not a lot of extra features
Long-term only subscription options
Price When Reviewed:
$53.88 per year
Best Prices Today:
Who should use AVG Secure VPN?
It might sound odd to include a free-trial option here, but AVG Secure VPN is a fine VPN service on its own and it provides a 60-day free trial for new users. That’s incredibly generous for a premium service — most other VPNs only offer one-week free trials at best. The free trial extends to all devices as well so you can use it on both your Windows machine as well as your Android device.
Most people looking for a free VPN for shorter-term use will stand to gain a lot from AVG Secure VPN’s free trial. But I think it’s an exceptional choice in particular for those who are traveling for awhile and need a VPN while abroad. By taking advantage of a premium service’s speeds and broad server network you can access all of your streaming content no matter what country you find yourself in and you shouldn’t have to worry about frustrating data caps from other free services. Stream and browse to your heart’s content for no cost — well, at least for 60 days.
AVG Secure VPN: Further considerations
AVG is a household name in security software and its VPN lives up to its high-standards. The free-trial gives you complete access to all of the paid features such as 10 simultaneous device connections, over 700 servers across more than 50 countries, and guaranteed streaming service unblocking with specific servers. While the speeds aren’t the fastest I’ve ever seen, they’re good enough for most general online activities. All-in-all, two months for free of AVG Secure VPN is a fantastic deal, just don’t forget to cancel the subscription before the free trial runs out.
Read our full
AVG Secure review
Other free VPNs for Android we liked
- Hide.me: A well-rounded service that ticks almost every box, and the fantastic array of configurable settings make it a power-user’s dream. The speeds are a bit inconsistent though and free users are limited to 10GB per month of data.
- Hotspot Shield: Another decent free option if you’re fine with only U.S.-based servers and a few ads. A daily limit of 500MB and 2Mbps capped speeds hold it back in many uses other than private browsing.
- IPVanish: It doesn’t have a dedicated free VPN, but it does offer a handy 7-day unrestricted free trial for Android users to try out. The service nails all of the basics: good speeds, a large server network, and privacy promises backed up with independent audits.
I’m continuously evaluating new VPNs and reevaluating services I’ve already tested on a regular basis, so be sure to come back for more recommendations and to see what else we’ve put through their paces.
Can I get a better VPN deal?
Here at PCWorld, we are regularly hunting down the best VPN deals to help you get the most bang for your buck. VPN services frequently run deals throughout the year, so if you decide to upgrade from a free to premium tier, you should have a few chances to snag your favorite VPN on a steep discount if you can time it right.
While the prices for all VPNs on this list are updated daily, they do not account for special deals or offers. It’s best to keep checking our deals article to see what new limited-time discounts are on offer each week. Additionally, sales events such as Amazon Prime Day in mid-July and Black Friday at the end of November provide excellent opportunities to find even cheaper VPN deals.
How we test VPNs
We judge VPNs on a variety of criteria including server network, connection speeds, privacy protections, ease-of-use, additional features, and cost. For a more detailed guide on our evaluation process, check out PCWorld’s comprehensive guide on how we test VPN services.
Speed tests are kept as simple as possible. We average the connections between different global locations for any given VPN and then compare them to our baseline internet speed to get a good picture of the overall connection speeds.
We thoroughly research and analyze the privacy policies and histories of each VPN and note any outstanding discrepancies or data collection issues. Experience and ease-of-use are subjective, but we try our best to give an accurate representation of how it feels to work with the VPN. And finally, we compare the value of the service based upon its price and additional features to the industry average to help you gain an accurate picture of what you’ll get for your money.
Who curated this article?
Sam Singleton is PCWorld’s VPN beat reporter and jack of all trades. When he’s not on the hunt for the best computer deals he’s covering VPNs, productivity software, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade hardware and software.
How to choose the best free VPN for Android
Choosing a free VPN is a question of weighing the trade-offs with each service. Do you want unlimited bandwidth, but a restriction on devices? Or is it preferable to have more devices but deal with a bandwidth limit? This applies not only to Android VPNs, but all free services in general. Here’s what to look for to help you make a confident choice:
