Whether you're looking for a more secure and private browsing experience or want to bypass geo-restrictions on content and pricing, a VPN is key.
But what if you don't have enough monthly budget to invest in a reliable VPN service? Don't worry, many reliable VPN providers offer free options that, while limited in features, are effective at keeping you safe online and hiding your physical location.
These are the best free VPNs for PC depending on your needs.
1. Windscribe VPN
Windscribe is a Canadian VPN that is free to use on Windows, macOS, and Linux devices as a desktop app. As a browser extension, you can get Windscribe VPN on Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera and Microsoft Edge.
The free version comes with 10GB of data renewed every 30 days, with access to 10 server locations. However, for content streaming on Hulu and Netflix, only UK and US servers work on the free version.
Testing servers in Germany on SpeedTest, Windscribe VPN averaged 10Mbps, which is good enough for comfortable browsing.
However, the US server - which is one of only two with access to Netflix and Hulu - has a speed of 3.2Mbps, higher than the 3Mbps Netflix recommends for standard quality streaming.
2. ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is a Swiss VPN that is offered for free on Windows, macOS, and Linux devices. With unlimited data and military-grade encryption, you can access geo-restricted content on YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, and Kodi.
However, you will only have access to 3 server locations in Japan, the Netherlands, and the US.
With the Japanese server test on SpeedTest, ProtonVPN hit 15Mbps. But note that results may vary depending on server traffic.
3. Betternet VPN
Betternet is an American VPN that is available for free on Windows and macOS PCs. You'll get 500MB of browsing data per day, which equates to 15GB per month.
With a privacy-friendly model that doesn't require a login, you can use the free version of Betternet VPN to access geo-restricted content in Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube on up to 5 devices. The biggest downside is the lack of server variety as only US servers are free.
With an average speed of 1.1Mbps, Betternet VPN is still a great choice for casual safe browsing online, but streaming high definition content won't be so smooth.
4. ZenMate
ZenMate is a German VPN offered for free on Windows, macOS, and Linux devices. It also has browser extensions for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera.
Using the free version of ZenMate VPN, you get unlimited data and the ability to access geo-restricted content on YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, and Amazon Prime. You will also have access to 4 server locations in the US, Hong Kong, Germany and Romania.
In speed testing on a US server, ZenMate clocked in at 2.4Mbps, just below the recommended speed for Netflix's standard quality streaming. However, ZenMate is still suitable for streaming music that is not available on Spotify in your region.
So which is the best free VPN for PC?
All of the VPNs tested above are free to use indefinitely. There is no free trial that you have to renew.
If your main goal when using a VPN is to stream content and videos that are not available in your country, then Windscribe is the best choice with server locations available in 10 countries.
However, for general browsing, Betternet VPN is the winning option, despite the limited choice of server locations in the free version. 15GB will also last you a long time if you avoid video content and only browse text or image based content.
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