And why free doesn’t always mean free.
What is a VPN, and why do I need one on my android device?
A VPN is a Virtual Private Network, a service that allows you to connect to the internet via privately hosted servers rather than through your regular ISP. VPNs provide an extra layer of security by encrypting your data, meaning nobody can see what you are doing.
While that may slightly sketchy, there are plenty of legitimate reasons it may be necessary. Some ISPs will log and sell your browsing data to marketing firms or throttle your internet speed if you are gaming.
Encrypting your data through a VPN also protects your valuable data from any potential hackers. If you ever use public wifi in coffee shops or airports, you may be at risk from Man in the Middle attacks.
In this technique, a hacker will use a laptop or mobile phone to create a legitimate-looking Wifi hotspot and capture any unencrypted data of devices that connect—ever seen a network called Free Public Wifi? Yeah, don’t connect to it without a VPN.
Security isn’t the only reason to use VPN, although let’s face it, it’s a great one. Some websites use your IP address to determine your location and deny you access to their site or some of their content, doesn’t seem fair, right? VPNs have servers located across the globe that will allow you to connect and use their IP address, giving you the online appearance of being in that location; pretty neat, huh? Perfect for accessing extra content on streaming services like Netflix or Youtube.
Too good to be true?
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. VPNs, particularly free VPNs, do have some downsides that you should be aware of. By its very nature, a VPN connection will almost always be slower than connecting via your ISP; this can be an issue if gaming or trying to stream HD television. This delay can vary between VPNs, but running servers costs money, so the larger companies will often have faster servers.
Another issue is that streaming companies haven’t been standing still. Netflix, for example, keeps a list of known VPN IP addresses and blocks access to the service from them. Most VPNs will have numerous servers you can connect from, but free VPNs may only have 1-5 servers available to you, and there’s a good chance those IPs will have been recycled and blocked. Sometimes you get what you pay for.
The biggest concern while using a free VPN is data logging. When choosing a VPN, make sure to read their logging policy and check where their headquarters are based, as local laws will apply. Several VPNs have been caught selling user data, such as Hola and Betternet, probably best to give those guys a miss.
Click HERE to see a list of 140 VPN logging policies.
Free isn’t always free
There are many free VPN apps on the Google Play store; some even have excellent reviews. Our advice is to head to the 1-star review section and look for recurring issues. Many have constant drop-outs, meaning your data is no longer protected, or have endless ads that have to be watched to continue using. VPN servers can be expensive, and even free servers have to be paid for somehow. If you don’t mind watching revenue-generating ads, or constant messages to ‘upgrade to premium,’ then great, but be aware that some unscrupulous companies will log and sell your data. If you can’t find a logging policy, run!
Most of the larger VPN companies will offer a cut-down version of their premium product. This can mean limited and recycled IP addresses and locations, with typically less than 5 locations available. It can also mean data caps and throttling, making them unsuitable for torrenting or watching movies.
Although rarer, some VPNs remain free by harnessing your computer’s free processing power. Hola are one of the companies that do this, and their network has been used at least once for illegal botnet attacks. What is it with these guys?
The takeaway here is that it’s essential to check exactly what your VPN offers and what they expect in return. Read reviews and check out their privacy policies.
Just one more thing
Did you read that in a Columbo voice? No? Us neither. Anyway, it’s worth mentioning that Andriod has a built-in VPN feature that will let you connect to pretty much any VPN, not just the apps available on the Play store. Many governments and companies use this feature to connect to their own VPNs to protect sensitive information.
Follow these steps to add a VPN to your device manually:
(may require at least Android 9)
- Gather the VPN settings. (Could be from an app or website)
- On your device, click settings
- Navigate to connections, and from there, more connection settings
- If your menus are different, click the search icon and type VPN
- Tap the three dots in the top right corner and click Add VPN Profile
- Enter the details of the VPN
- Click Save
The VPN should now be visible in your VPN list. Click the toggle button to turn it on and off.
The Best FREE VPNs for Android
So, with all that said, let’s get to it. Below are our recommendations for the best free VPNs available on Android. We’ve weighed up the pros and cons of each, which privacy and protection foremost in our minds. As we’ve already discussed, there isn’t really any such thing as a completely free VPN. The best options are limited versions of paid VPNs.
You can be sure that your data is safe with all the VPNs on our list and that they really are free. (Mostly)
| Brand | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. ProtonVPN | Free – €24/month | Unlimited free data |
| 2. OperaVPN | Free – $5.99/month | Opera browser |
| 3. Hotspot Shield | Free – $2.99/month | Reliable speeds |
| 4. Kaspersky VPN | Free – $4.99/month | Secure connection |
| 5. Tunnel bear | Free – $3.33/month | Beginner-friendly |
| 6. Speedify | Free – $2.99/month | Unlimited bandwidth |
| 7. Windscribe | Free | Free plan |
#1: ProtonVPN
- Unlimited data
- Excellent privacy
- Speed throttling
- 3 server locations
- No support
The standout feature here is of course the unlimited data. Very few if any free VPNs are so generous with their data. Speed is throttled and significantly lower than the paid version, but you can’t really blame a company for putting the needs of its paying customers first. It’s still more than adequate for streaming video, apart from a few hours at peak times when user numbers may spike.
ProtonVPN has an excellent record for privacy, based in Geneva, they have a strict no-logging policy. We can highly recommend ProtonVPN as a great choice for a free VPN and a worthwhile upgrade if you need more features.
#2: OperaVPN
- Unlimited data
- Build directly into the android Opera browser
- Only browser data is secure. Any other apps on the device not covered.
- 4 servers
- No logs
We’ve got to be honest here. While Opera’s VPN may be okay for checking private details such as emails or doing your online banking, that’s about it. On a good day, it will connect you to Netflix but the slow speeds will make it unusable. Not being able to secure your entire device is a massive minus and puts this one firmly to the bottom of our list. It is completely free though, so there’s that.
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#3: Hotspot Shield VPN
- Fastest free VPN on android
- User Friendly
- Only one server available
- Torrenting supported
- Strong Encryption
- 500MB of data daily
- No Logs
- Limited support
- Up to 2Mbps
This is a really strong showing from Hotspot. Their high-level encryption and generous data caps were used heavily in the Arab Spring protests against government censorship in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. Anyone planning to use a VPN for work should strongly consider using Hotspot shield as their first choice; nobody short of the NSA is intercepting your data.
The downside is that for streaming video or gaming, the 2mbps speed is unlikely to be good enough. Hotspot only has one location available on its free version which is long since blocked by Netflix etc. While Hotspot does support P2P and torrenting, the download speeds make it unlikely to be practical. Overall, if security is your biggest concern and you won’t be watching movies, this is the one for you.
#4: Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection
- 200MB per day data limit
- Auto connection to the closest server
- High Speed
- Unlikely to connect to streaming services
- Knowledge base support only
- Keeps logs
We’ve included Kaspersky in this list as it’s one of the biggest names in the industry and of the more popular free VPNs. The website promises no logs, however the privacy policy tells us that they do indeed log some data like your mac address, traffic information, and session ID., Kaspersky is based in the Russian Federation, so we would be extremely concerned about them handing over any data should the government ask.
If being logged isn’t an issue for you, then the VPN is actually a breeze to use, and one of the faster VPNs on the list. The 200MB data cap does somewhat limit its usefulness. Overall we’d have to recommend you steer well clear.
#5: Tunnelbear
- 500MB monthly data
- User friendly
- Torrents and P2P supported
- Ghostbear mode, bypass VPN blockers
- Too slow for streaming
- No logs
If your struggling to find a VPN that will connect to streaming services, or live in a country that likes to block VPNs, Tunnelbear may well be your best option. Tunnelbears Ghostbear mode can bypass VPN blockers and will pass a deep packet inspection, meaning it can connect where other VPNs might fail.
The downside here is that the small data cap and slow speeds mean streaming may be pointless. Once activated Ghostbear mode, slows the connection down to a crawl. If there’s an episode of a TV program that you just need to see, then downloading it with Tunnelbear is a good option.
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#6: Speedify
- 5GB monthly data
- Torrents and P2P supported
- Weak Encryption.
- Works with streaming sites, sometimes
- Uses channel bonding for high speeds
- No logs
Speedify is one of the more interesting VPNs on our list. It uses channel bonding technology to combine wifi and cell data to, theoretically, give your higher speeds. In practice, this can translate into using double the amount of data to gain a small speed boost. This is certainly a factor to consider if your cell package comes with limited data.
Speedify uses 128bit encryption, which is somewhat weaker than most VPNs, although it’s probably fine for casual web browsing. Just don’t do your online banking with it. We found that connecting to sites like Netflix could be a bit hit and miss, but usually, a bit of playing around would find you a decent connection.
There are better options than Speedify available, but it’s still a solid offering and you can’t go far wrong using it.
#7: Windscribe
- 10GB monthly data
- 10 server locations
- Only need to confirm your email address
- Ad Blocker
- Strong Encryption
- Connects to streaming sites
- Good speeds
- No logs
Windscribe’s free VPN offering really is a delight. 10GB of free data each month is nothing to sniff at and its high speeds and multiple servers mean connecting to your favorite streaming service usually works first time.
They have a good privacy policy and don’t collect data. The free package includes their R.O.B.E.R.T. software, which blocks unwanted ads and malware. This is especially useful if you frequent torrent sites.
We’d definitely recommend Windscribe, and their paid package is even better.
Honorable mention: OpenVPN
OpenVPN is an open-source VPN that’s free to use for anyone. It does take a bit of technical know-how, but if you aren’t afraid of getting your hands dirty and manually adding it you your Android device as we described earlier, this is one of the most secure VPNs available anywhere.
And the winner is…
Our recommendation for the best free VPN on Android is ProtonVPN. Their unlimited data makes them the best choice for streaming, gaming, and pretty much anything else you may be getting up to. Windscribe and Hotspot Shield both have plenty going for them, and in certain circumstances may be more useful for you. Our advice is still to get the best-paid VPN your circumstances will allow. Until then, there’s ProtonVPN!