6 Best Free VPNs for PC - 2024 Top List

If you don't know how to choose the best free VPN for PC, then you've come to the right place. This blog will not only show you ways to pick a free VPN, but will also give you direct recommendations on 6 of the best industry-tested free VPNs.

Now, let’s dive in.

How to Pick The Best Free VPN for Your PC?

When choosing a free VPN for Windows or other PCs, it's essential to consider some crucial features. To ensure you make the best choice, here are a few of the most important ones that you should keep in mind.

Privacy and Security

This is the most important thing you have to focus on when picking a free VPN, as one of the core purposes of a VPN is to protect your online activities from prying eyes.

But according to a CSIRO study, while many services claim they encrypt users' traffic, 18% of free VPNs don't. Meanwhile, strong encryption protocols, such as OpenVPN, IKEv2, or WireGuard, are a prerequisite for data security, but many free VPNs use substandard encryption protocols, which leads to IPv6 and DNS leaks.

So, when you're checking whether a free VPN is secure or not, make sure to verify which encryption protocols it uses, whether it can strongly encrypt your data, and whether it employs a no-log policy to ensure that the VPN doesn't log your online activities. You can even investigate whether the provider has had any data breaches reported to make sure it doesn't present any privacy and security risks.

Free VPN Services for PC

After confirming for sure that the free VPN is capable of protecting your privacy and security well, you should confirm what are the free services or user benefits that it can offer you. Here are the features you need to focus on checking:

・Free Servers

VPNs hide your IP address by letting the network redirect it through specially configured remote servers. The number of servers that a VPN provider can offer is often one of the factors that defines whether a VPN service is good or not. For most free VPNs, the number of servers they offer to free users tends to be heavily discounted, and those that are slightly more generous deserve more attention.

・Info Needed

Some VPN providers do a superb job of security and will facilitate free users. They don't ask you for any private information, no account, and even less payment information, just click the download button and you are free to install and use the product on your PC.

・Speed limitation

Unlike paid VPNs, free VPNs only offer a smaller number of servers, which results in these servers usually being overcrowded. So when using a free VPN service, users usually feel limited in speed. However, some good VPNs will likewise maximize optimized speeds for free users.

・Data limitation

Since there is no charge, free VPNs usually limit the amount of traffic you can use, and some providers even only allow users to use 500MB per month. So, when choosing a free VPN, make sure you check the amount of data you can use per month.

・Access to popular streaming services

Again, due to the lack of servers, free VPNs usually assign the same IP address to multiple free users. When streaming platforms notice a lot of traffic from the same IP, they block your access. So, a free VPN proves to be excellent when it can support users accessing platforms like streaming media.

・Simultaneous connection for free service

The simultaneous connection that a free VPN can provide also becomes important when you have multiple devices. Some providers only allow you to connect to one device, but others allow multiple or unlimited devices. This is a factor that you need to consider depending on your situation.

・Compatibility

As opposed to the connected devices, you also have to consider the compatibility of the product. While the aim is to find the best free VPN for your PC, if it can be compatible with iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and even TV, and gaming consoles, then it can provide you with a more comprehensive safeguard for your data and internet activities.

・Extra Features

While free VPNs typically don't perform as well as paid products, some providers also offer additional tools for free users such as ad blocking, malware protection, and automatic kill switches, customer support, which can offer added value.

Updated VPN Services for PC

With the above, you've sure learned what to do to tell if a free VPN is good or not. However, free products are always limited in the features they can bring. If you're after a better VPN service, it's a lot easier to choose a provider that offers both a free service and a premium subscription.

You can get a full picture of the provider, including the full number of VPN servers offered in the paid version, the specific premium features, and whether its pricing is reasonable.

By carefully considering these aspects we listed above, we can choose the best free VPN for PC that will not only protect your online privacy and security, but also provide a fast, reliable and user-friendly experience.

The Top 6 Free VPNs For PCs

According to the standards we set, we have evaluated each VPN we tested on different computers. At last, we have selected the top 6 free VPNs for PCs, and they are: X-VPN, PrivadoVPN, ProtonVPN, Windscribe VPN, Hide.me VPN, and TunnelBear VPN.

We will provide an in-depth review of each VPN, including its features, performance, security, privacy, compatibility, customer support, and pricing. Additionally, we will point out the unique selling points and drawbacks of each VPN to help you make an informed decision.

Now, let’s check out the list and choose which you like most.

No. 1 X-VPN (Our Top Choice)

X-VPN is our top recommendation as one of the best VPNs for Windows PCs and Macbooks. It provides a completely free version for all users with unlimited data and bandwidth, which is extremely rare in other competing VPNs. There are no forced ads and it provides a lot of the most important security and privacy features such as 256-bit encryption and a no-logs policy out of the box.

At the same time, its paid version is a highly competitive VPN service on the market today. Whether it's the independent and innovative protocols, ultra-fast connection speeds, or a wide number of servers, advanced VPN features, or powerful compatibility and comforting service guarantees, X-VPN has it all.

Although X-VPN free users cannot select server locations, which is a pity, the number of free servers X-VPN offers is over 1000+.

🔑Key Features

・User-Friendly Interface: Simple setup process for immediate protection and content access.

・8000+ Servers Worldwide: Ensures quick and reliable connections for seamless online experiences.

・11 Customizable Protocols: Engineered for optimal balance between speed, stability, and access.

・Private Protocol: Everest Protocol uses AES-256 encryption and a mix of transport protocols. X-VPN obfuscates and disguises the entire protocol, making it more difficult to detect and identify user data.

・Powerful Capability: Has super-fast connection speeds and excellent and comprehensive VPN features.

・Strict No-Log Policy: Upholds privacy and security, keeping online activities confidential.

・24/7 Support & 30-Day Guarantee: Offers continuous assistance and a commitment to satisfaction.

✅Compatibility

・Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, TV, Gaming consoles, Routers, Browsers

💰Pricing

・A version for free

・$11.99/month for basic, $9.99/month for a 6-month plan and $4.79/month for a 1-year plan.

In conclusion, X-VPN offers a wide range of features, unlimited bandwidth, and top-notch privacy and security features, making it one of the best truly free VPNs for PCs.

No. 2 PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN is one of the most popular free VPN for PC. Its standout qualities go beyond its zero cost, focusing on privacy, security, and ease of use. Hailing from Switzerland, known for its strict privacy regulations, PrivadoVPN uses this to its advantage, providing a service that's both dependable and secure, perfect for anyone aiming to safeguard their online presence affordably.

But compared to X-VPN, PrivadoVPN only offers 10GB of free VPN traffic per month. However, you can access 12 global servers and the most powerful VPN protocols.

🔑Key Features

・256-bit AES Encryption: Provides top-tier data protection, meeting the highest security standards.

・No-Logs Policy: Ensures your online activities remain private, with no tracking or storage.

・Kill Switch: Automatically disconnects you from the internet if the VPN fails, for added security.

・SOCKS5 Proxy & Split Tunneling: Offers advanced control over VPN traffic for customized use.

・Global Server Access: Connects you to 12 countries at no cost, broadening your internet reach without cost.

✅Compatibility

・Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux

💰Pricing

・A version for free

・$10.99/month for 1-month plan and $35.88 for the yearly plan.

In summary, PrivadoVPN comes with comprehensive features. Though its premium subscription is comparatively less cost-effective, its free plan is worth the attention of users. If you need less than 10GB of VPN data per month and don't intend to use the premium features, then PrivadoVPN would be the right choice.

No. 3 ProtonVPN

Proton VPN shines as a good pick for those needing a free VPN for Windows. Hailing from Switzerland, a country known for its privacy laws, Proton VPN goes beyond the average VPN service. It pledges to deliver secure, private, and free internet access and keeps your online actions private, and digital hidden. It employs advanced VPN protocols like OpenVPN, securing your data with great encryption.

But, even though the free version of Proton VPN has no ads, no logs, and is data unlimited, it also does not offer more advanced VPN features and has some speed restrictions.

🔑Key Features

・Advanced Protocols: Employs OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard for robust data encryption.

・No-Logs Policy: Maintains user privacy by not tracking or storing online activities.

・Secure Core Design: Routes traffic through multiple servers to significantly enhance anonymity.

・High-Speed Connections: Offers up to 10Gbps for a swift internet experience.

・Stealth Protocol: Enables bypassing of censorship and VPN blocks in restricted regions.

・NetShield Ad-Blocker: Blocks ads and protects against malware and trackers.

・Specialized Servers: Provides servers optimized for streaming and torrenting with P2P support.

✅Compatibility

・Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, TV, Browsers

💰Pricing

・A version for free

・$10.86/month for the monthly plan and $130.13 for the yearly plan.

Proton VPN's free plan doesn't limit data, but it lacks good performance. If you want faster internet speeds, you can choose to subscribe to the product's premium plan or opt for one of the other free VPNs we recommend to you.

No. 4 Windscribe VPN

Windscribe stands out in the competitive VPN market by offering a free VPN for PCs that combines strong privacy features, ample data allowances, and an easy-to-use interface.

Unlike many competitors, Windscribe doesn't provide a watered-down version for free users but provides a comprehensive suite of tools designed to enhance online privacy and security without costing a dime.

It's worth noting that Windscribe VPN's free plan doesn't offer unlimited traffic either, and each user can only get 10GB of traffic per month. If the free traffic is depleted, users will then need to spend $3/month to upgrade to wireless data. This is something you need to focus on before choosing it.

🔑Key Features

・Data Allowance: Offers free 10GB monthly

・Strong Encryption & Protocols: Utilizes AES-256 encryption and protocols like IKEv2, OpenVPN, and WireGuard for robust security.

・No-Logging Policy: Enhances privacy by not recording your online behavior.

・R.O.B.E.R.T. Blocker: A customizable tool that filters out ads, trackers, and malware for a cleaner browsing experience.

・Unlimited Device Connections: Allows securing an unlimited number of devices simultaneously.

・Emails Optional: Users can sign up without any email, and still can get 2 GB of data every month.

✅Compatibility

・Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, TV, Browsers

💰Pricing

・Free plan offered.

・$9.00/month for the monthly plan, and $69 for the yearly plan.

In conclusion, although Windscribe's free plan provides only a limited amount of traffic per month, its other sound features and reliable security measures still provide users with an effective solution to help them with their online activities.

No. 5 Hide.me

Hide.me is a robust virtual private network service designed to keep online activities secure and confidential. Notably, Hide.me has a strong commitment to privacy, offering a zero-logs policy so user data and browsing history remain confidential. With Hide.me, users can access the internet freely, bypassing geo-restrictions and censorship with ease.

Its free version has more limitations compared to other competitors. Although it offers unlimited data, users are limited to a certain speed and can only have one connection.

🔑Key Features

・Robust Encryption: Protects data with AES-256 bit encryption, preventing unauthorized access.

・IP Leak Protection & Kill Switch: Shields real IP addresses, ensuring privacy even if the VPN disconnects.

・Stealth Guard: Allows only selected apps to operate via VPN, enhancing security.

・Windows Split Tunneling: Grants control over which apps use the VPN for tailored security.

・Stealth Mode: Disguises VPN traffic as regular HTTPS, aiding in circumventing censorship.

・Bolt Technology: Boosts connection speeds, ideal for streaming and gaming without lag.

✅Compatibility

・Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, TV, Browsers

💰Pricing

・Free plan offered

・$9.95/month for the monthly plan and $54.95 for the yearly plan.

Although the features of Hide.me VPN are not that outstanding, if you care a lot about protecting your privacy and want an extremely high level of internet security, then the Hide.me VPN free version can help you.

No. 6. TunnelBear

TunnelBear stands out with its user-friendly interface and strong protection to privacy and security. What makes TunnelBear special is its approach to making complex technology accessible. With a focus on simplicity and ease of use, TunnelBear utilizes industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption to secure data. For restrictive regions, GhostBear technology obscures the VPN traffic, making it less detectable to governments and ISPs.

TunnelBear's free plan is different from several of the offerings above. It doesn't limit any features or devices but only allows users to use 2GB of VPN bandwidth per month. If you want to continue using it after that, you need to purchase a paid plan.

🔑Key Features

・Multiple Protocol Support: Enhances speed and security for a seamless online experience.

・Unlimited Device Connections: Offers flexibility for individuals with numerous devices.

・AES 256-bit Encryption: Ensures data remains secure with industry-standard protection.

・P2P File Sharing: Facilitates the sharing of files directly between devices.

・GhostBear Technology: Masks VPN traffic to evade detection in restrictive environments.

・VigilantBear: Acts as a kill switch to maintain privacy during unexpected disconnections.

・No-Logging Policy: Upholds a strong privacy stance by not recording online activities.

✅Compatibility

・Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux

💰Pricing

・Free plan offered.

・$3.33/month for unlimited data and $5.75/per user for the teams plan.

The TunnelBear's free VPN plan for PCs suits casual users or those occasionally needing a VPN for specific tasks, providing a TunnelBear trial without investing in a subscription. But if you need to use a VPN for a long time, then you can look at other free products that can offer unlimited data, like X-VPN, ProtonVPN, and Hide.me VPN.

Comparative Analysis of the VPNs Free Plan

Based on the above comparison, we can easily recommend X-VPN as the best free VPN for PC in terms of privacy and security, speed, data limit, server locations, and other features. However, if you want a VPN that has more advanced features, such as Netflix or YouTube support, dedicated IP, port forwarding, or obfuscated servers, you may need to look at the paid VPN plan.

Conclusion

While a free VPN can enhance the security and privacy of your computer, it's important to choose a service that meets your needs without compromising on reliability. The 6 best free VPNs for PC we explored offer different levels of encryption, speeds, and data allowances, and additional features.

Of these, X-VPN stood out for its extraordinary features, making it the best choice for those looking for a free solution. Sure, you can also choose your preferred product by going through the detailed information we have provided for you.