Last updated: September 2026
#AFFILIATE-PLACEHOLDER-* in our code) until we join programs — at which point every affected page gets a clear, conspicuous disclosure. Full disclosure.
Free VPNs are not free lunches — they are shop windows. The reputable ones (Proton VPN, Windscribe, PrivadoVPN, Hide.me) fund the free tier from paid subscriptions and restrict what you get: data caps, fewer servers, one device, no streaming unblocking. The disreputable ones fund it with in-app advertising, data caps that push you to upgrade, or — in the worst cases documented by reviewers — by keeping logs, leaking your real IP, or selling browsing records to data brokers (Gizmodo's September 2026 free-VPN roundup). Know which category you're in.
Compiled from Gizmodo's September 2026 hands-on free-VPN tests (50+ providers evaluated), TechRadar's free-VPN comparison tables, and Cloudwards' hands-on testing. "Tested" figures are their measurements, not ours.
| Provider | Data cap | Server choice | Devices | Streaming unblocking | P2P allowed | Speed notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN Free | Unlimited | No — auto-connects to "best" server | 1 | No (Netflix blocked in tests) | No | ~335 Mbps measured; unlimited data |
| Windscribe Free | 10 GB/month | Yes | Unlimited | Yes — opened all 3 Netflix libraries tested | Yes | 10% speed loss in tests; good speeds |
| PrivadoVPN Free | 10 GB/month | Yes | 1 | Yes — opened 8 of 14 platforms incl. Netflix US | Yes | 9.5% loss in tests — but speeds slow after the 10 GB cap |
| Hide.me Free | Unlimited | Yes | 1 | No | Yes | Capped at ~25 Mbps; slowest of the tested free tiers |
| TunnelBear Free | 2 GB/month | Yes | 1 | No (Netflix blocked in tests) | No | Fine for occasional use; 2 GB is ~a few hours of browsing |
| Hotspot Shield Free | Unlimited (500 MB/day) | Yes (1 US location) | 1 | Partial — opened Netflix US only | Small files only | Shows ads between connections |
Streaming/P2P results: Gizmodo's September 2026 tests. Speed-loss percentages: Gizmodo's free-VPN gaming roundup (measured against a 190.36 Mbps connection). Note PrivadoVPN's free tier also throttles speed once the 10 GB cap is used (Cloudwards).
Yes — the same laws apply as to paid VPNs. A free VPN doesn't make copyright infringement or terms-of-service violations any more legal, though.
The honest ones are funded by paid subscriptions — the free tier is marketing. Others show in-app advertising (Hotspot Shield, Hide.me mobile). The dangerous ones sell user data to brokers. This is why the provider's business model matters more than its marketing.
Sometimes: Windscribe opened all 3 Netflix libraries and Hotspot Shield opened the US one in Gizmodo's September 2026 tests. But unblocking is cat-and-mouse — what works today can stop working next month, and caps mean you can't stream much anyway.