Free VPN

How to choose the best free VPN in 2024?

In this chapter:

• Free VPN is not a problem-free choice
• Make sure your VPN does these things

Free VPN is not a problem-free choice

Free VPN products are tempting, but their use is not trouble-free. The functionality of free products may be more limited than that of paid full versions. They can also slow down your internet connection. Some free VPN apps limit the amount of data transferred.

Few people may think that you have to give some­thing in exchange for free use. Many free VPN products do exactly what people use a VPN product against. You may have to give your personal information to the service provider, who can resell it. You have to accept annoying advertisements on your screen. There even have been cases in the public eye where a free VPN service included malware.

Free VPN services usually do not include support. Companies incur costs for offering support services, and that’s why support is not included in free alternatives. If problems arise when using the product, you’re on your own.

In this article, we’ll talk about the features to look for in free VPN services and why it might make more sense to pay for a VPN service.

Make sure your VPN does these things

There are hundreds of VPN services available, but finding reliable information about service providers is difficult. Many products that market them­selves as a free VPN service are actually paid and do not even offer a free trial version. It is difficult to distinguish impartial comparisons from dozens of commercial tests. How to choose the best free VPN in 2024?

The best VPN for you depends on your needs. Consider whether you want to pay for a service or risk losing your private information. Consider at least the following when choosing the best VPN service for you:

The features of the VPN service

• It is safe and reliable
• Includes the features you need
• Keeps your information private and hides your IP address
• You can use the internet anonymously
• Includes security features
• The server net­work is extensive enough
• Servers are located near you
• Offers a free trial version and money back guarantee
• Has been successful in impartial comparisons
• Works on computers and mobile devices

VPN service provider back­ground

• The service provider will not misuse your internet usage information
• The service provider has data security know-how
• The privacy statement clearly states what information is stored and why
• The service provider’s domestic law supports the protection of privacy
• The home country of the service provider does not belong to intelligence communities (such as 14 Eyes)
• The service includes customer service and technical support

Protects your privacy

• Does not limit band­width and slow down internet usage
• Does not include ads
• Does not sell your information to third parties
• Does not sell band­width to others
• Does not include malware
• Does not store data about you that is unnecessary for operating the service

Read more about the topic in our article The best VPN of 2024.

Can a free VPN service be trusted?

In this chapter:

• Why do you need to trust your provider?
• A VPN should strengthen your security
• Free VPN security issues are not unusual
• Risk of malware within free VPN
• Selling data means losing privacy

Why do you need to trust your provider?

The job of a VPN service is to guarantee your privacy and online security. When you start using a VPN service, your service provider receives all the information related to your internet use. Therefore, it’s important that you trust your VPN service.

Your VPN service provider gets to know, for example, your location, IP address, device, browser, and the web­sites you have visited. This information is valuable to advertisers and cyber criminals, for example.

Companies that offer free services incur costs for providing such services. When considering a free VPN service, you may want to consider how that company finances its operations. You often pay for a free VPN service with your personal information. A free VPN can be a data collection tool that sells your private information to advertisers.

A VPN should strengthen your security

A VPN can improve your data security by encrypting all your net­work traffic. You can visit web­sites anonymously and surf public net­works safely.

In addition to this basic functionality, the best VPN services also include other security features. A high-quality VPN blocks tracking attempts and visits to harmful sites.

Free VPN security issues are not unusual

When you start using a VPN service, you expect your net­work security and privacy to improve. However, the opposite may happen in the case of free VPN services.

Free VPN services usually do not have additional security features and many services have been found to have serious security vulnerabilities.

Risk of malware within free VPN

Because your VPN service provider will have access to your personal information, you should carefully consider which applications you trust. Free VPN apps often involve risks that few want to be exposed to.

Free VPN services have been found to collect data about their users through malware. According to a CSIRO study, 38% of free VPN apps for the Android operating system contained malware. As many as 75% of the apps included code that could be used to track users.

Selling data means losing privacy

Free VPN providers use your data to make money. Based on your information, you may become a target for advertising, spam, the hijacking of your user accounts or even black­mail.

Data breaches and leaks targeting VPN services have also been discussed in the media. Although intrusions are difficult to prevent, you should make sure that your VPN service provider has security know-how and that they handle personal information carefully and securely.

Why is it worth paying for a VPN service?

In this chapter:

• Free VPN can be more harm than what it’s worth
• No data and speed restrictions
• Fewer servers can mean slower connection
• Support in your language
• Using a paid VPN is less risky

Free VPN can be more harm than what it’s worth

Free VPN products may do exactly the things that VPN products are used against. The business model of free VPN providers may be based on selling their users’ information to third parties, acting as an advertising platform or turning users into paying customers.

Some services push their users who have tried free use to pay for the full service, for example by providing more features or removing band­width restrictions.

Data and speed restrictions

Free VPN services may have data restrictions, may slow down your internet access, and may offer fewer server locations.

Some companies offer a free version of their paid VPN service with limited data transfer. By paying for the service, you get rid of irritating data restrictions.

Free versions have a lot of users and the handling large amounts of net­work traffic can slow down servers.

Fewer servers can mean slower connection

Because server maintenance is expensive, free VPN services often offer a very limited number of servers. If the servers are not located near you, your VPN connection may slow down. Paid services provide access to multiple servers. If one of the servers feels slow, you can easily switch to another.

A large number of servers is not unequivocally a positive thing, as poorly maintained servers can pose security risks. Paid VPN services can invest more money in server maintenance and speed.

A free VPN can also slow down your internet use because your service provider sells your band­width to others. Worst case scenario, you unknowingly become part of a criminal botnet.

Support in your language

A paid VPN service usually also includes customer service and technical support. You can contact support at any time for assistance in resolving your issue. The best VPN services offer support in your own language. Free VPN services often include no support at all, or limited support.

Using a paid VPN is less risky

If you want to take advantage of all the features of a VPN service, be sure it works and keep your privacy, we recommend that you use a paid VPN service from a trusted provider. The best paid VPN services do not disclose information to advertisers and other third parties.

Paid VPN services are not expensive, but you can get most of the services for a monthly fee of a few euros. The best VPN services are risk-free because you can try them for free and they include a money back guarantee.

A reliable paid VPN does not sell your information and tells you openly what information is stored about you and why. For a monthly fee, you get maintenance, user support, more features, and a safer and faster service.

Does free VPN work for streaming?

In this chapter:

• Bypassing geo-restrictions is uncertain
• Free VPN offers fewer server locations

Bypassing geo-restrictions is uncertain

A VPN service is often used to bypass net­work censor­ship and geo­graphical content restrictions. Access to streaming services and other online content may be restricted for copyright reasons. Some states, work­places and educational institutions restrict the use of certain internet services.

With the aid of a VPN, it may be possible to access movies, series, music, sporting events, games, new sites, and other content from locations that would otherwise be restricted. However, services can often detect if the connection request comes from a VPN and block it. Thus, it is currently uncertain if you can bypass restrictions with a VPN service, free or not.

Free VPN offers fewer server locations

A free VPN is often more limited than paid services. There may be fewer virtual locations to choose from or the band­width available may be limited. It may be that you can’t find the country that you want in the locations, or that your connection is so slow that it’s impossible to enjoy the content. Thus, even if a free VPN could bypass geo-restrictions, it probably wouldn’t offer servers from where you want.

How do free VPNs handle user data?

In this chapter:

• Privacy statement tells you what data is stored
• Zero logs policy is often mis­leading
• The data you don’t want to be logged
• VPN provider’s home country matters
• Choose a VPN from a privacy-oriented country

Privacy statement tells you what data is stored

When you start using a free VPN service, you agree to certain terms of use and to a privacy statement. Few people bother to read long descriptions, but we recommend that you read them carefully. If you don’t under­stand what you’re committing to, consider another option.

In the privacy statement, the company must tell you what information is stored about you, what the information is used for and whether your information is passed on to third parties. The privacy statement also tells you how long your information will be kept. It is extremely important that you under­stand what you are committing to when you start using a VPN service.

Zero logs policy is often mis­leading

The promise of zero logs is commonly used in the marketing of VPN services, which means that the service does not store any information about its user. This statement is not to be believed because all services must store certain user-specific information in order to function.

The data you don’t want to be logged

Information that is not necessary for the operation of the service includes your browsing history, the files you down­load, your private messages, and information about what you down­load on your device or what you purchase. Read the privacy statement to find out whether if the service stores this information about you.

VPN provider’s home country matters

When choosing a VPN service, find out the home country of your service provider. The origin of free VPN services may be difficult to find out because this information is not always shared publicly.

The home country of a VPN service matters because a country’s legislation determines how the privacy of users is handled. For example, in EU countries people’s privacy is protected by strict regulations.

Choose a VPN from a privacy-oriented country

In some countries, public authorities may require VPN service providers to disclose their users’ information without a court order. A VPN service registered in such a country jeopardizes your privacy instead of safe­guarding it.

If the home country of your VPN service belongs to the 14 Eyes intelligence community, user information may be disclosed to intelligence services in other community countries. Your information may be disclosed without your consent.

The countries that belong to the 14 Eyes community are: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the USA.

Many companies offering free VPN services are based in China. In China, freedom of speech and citizens’ rights to privacy are severely restricted. Censor­ship on the internet has increased year after year. Think carefully about whether you are handing over your information to a company that comes from this country, which is an enemy of internet freedom.

Can VPN comparisons be trusted?

In this chapter:

• Most comparison sites are commercial
• It’s hard to find unbiased reviews

Most comparison sites are commercial

Independent comparisons help you choose a reliable and secure VPN service. Independent testing is performed by organizations that do not sell the tested products.

There are plenty of comparison sites online, but most of them are commercial. Part of the sales made through commercial comparison sites is paid to the site administrator. The site should give good ratings in comparisons to the products that pay the best sales commission so that they sell even better. It’s clear that such tests are not impartial.

It’s hard to find unbiased reviews

Because of these affiliate marketing comparison sites, it can be difficult to find unbiased tests online. Commercial sites market their own product comparisons very aggressively and unbiased tests do not rise to the top of the search results. It may be impossible for the average consumer to know when claims are marketing and when there is a genuine, impartial test behind them.

You can also find comparisons of free VPN services in the search results, but in reality, the products compared are usually the same paid services that can be found on the commercial comparison sites mentioned above. Big VPN providers market their products as being free, but in reality you end up paying for the product and the service only offers a money back guarantee. Many VPN products cannot be tried out free of charge.

Why is it worth using a VPN service?

In this chapter:

• VPN protects your privacy
• Change your location with a VPN
• What information does a VPN protect?
• Free VPN on public Wi‑Fi net­works

VPN protects your privacy

Privacy on the internet isn’t some­thing to be taken for granted. Companies, advertisers, internet service providers, even governmental bodies and cyber criminals collect data about internet users. Your browsing details, private messages, files, user IDs and pass­words can be of use to these parties.

By using a VPN service you hide your internet connection from prying eyes and protect your privacy online. VPN stands for virtual private net­work. A VPN encrypts your IP address, so you can use the VPN service to access the internet anonymously. A VPN is like a private tunnel within which all traffic passes.

Using a VPN service is easy and does not require technical know-how. For most services, clicking just one button is enough and you can browse the web safely.

Read more: What is a VPN?

Change your location with a VPN

A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel from your device to the server of the VPN service provider. From the VPN server, your net­work traffic is routed to the services you want, meaning that no one can see the real source of the traffic.

Without a VPN, traffic travels directly to the internet and is visible to potential observers. When you use a VPN, you can change your IP address and virtual location, meaning that your actual location remains hidden.

What information does a VPN protect?

A VPN secures your internet use and hides it from external parties. If you trust a free VPN service, your personal information may be at risk. What information of yours does a good VPN protect?

A VPN service protects your virtual location, i.e. your IP address, the web­sites you visited, your personal messages, your files, your photos, your online banking login details and other IDs and pass­words. A VPN ensures that your digital identity remains secure and private.

When using some free VPN services, you have to give up your privacy and give the service provider rights to access your information. So find out exactly what you are agreeing to when you start using a free VPN.

You should also read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of paid VPN services, so that you know what data is stored about you and what it is used for.

Free VPN on public Wi‑Fi net­works

VPN secures your internet access over unsecured public Wi‑Fi net­works. Unsecured net­works can be accessed without a pass­word and can be found almost anywhere we go, including cafes, public trans­portation, shopping malls, air­ports and hotels.

Connecting to pass­word-protected wireless net­works could be risky if the pass­word is shared, for example on a coffee shop wall. Your personal information may be at risk on public net­works.

It is easy for a cyber criminal who connects to the same net­work to access your information. You can also inadvertently connect to a mis­leadingly named Wi‑Fi net­work set up by a criminal and give them access to your information.

When you use a reliable VPN service, you encrypt your information from external parties and can use public net­works without any worries.

Why F‑Secure VPN is better than a free VPN

F‑Secure VPN is a reliable Finnish VPN service. VPN protects your privacy online and hides your traffic from prying eyes. With VPN, you can securely access public Wi‑Fi net­works.

VPN includes more security features than most other VPN products. Browsing protection blocks the opening of harmful web­sites. The Tracker Mapper feature lets you see who is trying to track your activity online.

VPN is one of the few VPN services that tells you how it protects your traffic. You can see at one glance from the main display how many harmful sites, applications or tracking attempts it has blocked.