Best Free VPNs of 2025 That Prioritize Your Security (and How to Set Them Up)

We tested each VPN on our list by installing and using it. Our selections were based on several key factors that set them apart. Firstly, the VPNs are not based on free trials that surprise charges or forced upgrades after a certain period, they are completely free for life. Secondly, these VPNs don’t require a credit card to sign up, making them hassle-free to start using.

Lastly, despite being free, these VPNs don’t compromise on functionality. They provide strong encryption and a reasonable data cap to ensure smooth performance. Most importantly, they prioritize your data privacy with strict no-log policies, meaning they don’t collect, store, or monitor your online activity. This way, even if someone requested your data, they wouldn’t have anything to hand over. With that in mind, let’s discuss these tools’ features and how to set them up.

Being the first VPN provider to allow security audits by third parties, Proton VPN has to be at the top. Its third and most recent security audit, conducted in 2024 by independent security experts, confirmed that the platform strictly adheres to its no-logs policy. As such, it does not record anything about your online activities.

What makes Proton VPN’s free tier even more appealing is that it doesn’t have a data cap, a rare feature among free VPNs. This means you can use the VPN daily without limitations. Moreover, it offers fast upload speeds, making it a great choice for general browsing and secure communication. All these perks you get on a clean interface without any ad distractions.

Pros

• Has a strict no-logs policy.
• The user interface has no ads.
• Doesn’t have a data cap.
• Guarantees a fast upload speed.

Cons

• Free users only access servers in three countries—the US, Netherlands, and Japan.
• You can use the free plan on one device at a time.

How to Set it Up

1. Open your browser and search for “protonvpn.com.”
2. Once the page opens, select the dropdown menu besides “Download for Windows.”
3. Choose the Windows you are operating from the drop-down menu. If you’re using another operating system, such as macOS or Linux, navigate to the bottom of the page and select it for compatibility. When you choose your Windows version, the download will begin automatically
4. After the download is complete, open and run the app from your download folder.
5. Follow the on-screen prompts by clicking “Next“ until you install the app.
6. Once installed, select “Create account” in the bottom left corner. You’ll need an email and password.
7. When you create your account, log in with the email and password you just set up.
8. Once logged in, navigate to the top left corner and choose "Quick connect" to connect to the fastest server available.
9. To connect to a specific server, move to the bottom left corner and select the country you want to connect to. For example, if you want to connect to the US, click on the "United States" to expand the drop-down menu and see all the free servers available. Choose your preferred server and select “Connect” to the right.

When you complete the last step, you’ll be able to browse anonymously without revealing your actual IP address. If you connect to a U.S. server, websites will see your location as the U.S.

TunnelBear VPN is another security-centered free VPN you can rely on. Each year, it conducts security audits and publishes the findings online for transparency. It’s no wonder it has received positive reviews from 175,000 people, all averaging a 5-star rating. As such, you can be sure no one can have access to your online data.

Besides security, TunnelBear VPN doesn’t limit the number of free VPN locations its free users can connect to—you can connect to over 40 countries. However, if you want to connect to specific cities, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid plan. Moreover, a 2,000 MB data cap per month can limit you from surfing the internet if you constantly need a VPN for bandwidth-intensive applications such as downloading high-definition files or videos

Pros

• Has a strict privacy policy.
• You can connect more than one device using the same account.
• Each time you log in, you get a new IP address, making it hard for trackers to monitor your online activity.

Cons

• Has a data limitation of 2000 MB per month.
• You can only connect to countries and not cities.

How to Set it Up

1. Open your preferred browser and visit “tunnelbear.com/download.”
2. When the page loads, the download will start automatically. If you are using another operating system other than Windows, select “Or get TunnelBear for another device.”
3. When the download completes, go to your downloads folder and open and run it.
4. Once it opens, navigate to the bottom and choose “Install.”
5. After installation, you’ll need to create an account. Enter your email and a strong password and select “Create a free account.”
6. When you finish creating your account, you’ll be logged in automatically and find an orientation page on how to use the VPN. Click “Next” in the bottom right corner to view all the orientation pages. You can alternatively select “Skip” in the bottom left corner to move to the next step.
7. Leave the TunnelBear app open and go to the email you signed up with. Open TunnelBear’s email, and select “Verify my account.”
8. Return to the TunnelBear app and choose “Verified.”
9. On the next page, move to the top and tap the Drop-down arrow next to the “Off” button to display the countries.
10. Choose the country you want to connect to, and you’ll be done setting up the VPN.

If what you want to do with a VPN is time sensitive, you can consider Hotspot Shield VPN for two reasons. First, its free version doesn't require sign-up or account creation, saving time and simplifying the setup process. Secondly, unlike VPNs that rely on OpenVPN technology, Hotspot Shield uses its proprietary Hydra protocol, delivering fast, buffer-free browsing.

In addition, Hotspot Shield VPN doesn’t keep a log of your online activities—this is supported by its privacy policy transparency report. It’s no surprise that it boasts over 800 million free downloads, reflecting its widespread use and reliability as a free VPN option.

Pros

• Offers strong security backed by a no-logs policy.
• Straightforward setup process.

Cons

• No customer support for free users.
• Limits you to a single server location.
• Has a data cap of 500 MB daily.

How to Set it Up

1. Open your browser and search for “hotspotshield.com.”
2. Select “Free VPN download” from the page that opens.
3. Monitor the download process and open the application from the downloads folder once it's complete.
4. Navigate to the bottom right corner of the new page and select “Install.”
5. After installation, you’ll find an orientation page on how to use the app. Select the “Arrow” in the bottom right corner to see all the orientation pages or “Skip” in the top left corner to move to the next step.
6. On the page that follows, select “Proceed with basic.”
7. When prompted to try the premium plan for free, choose “Decline offer.”
8. On the next page, choose “Connect to VPN.” The application will connect to the fastest available server only in the US.

When using Windscribe VPN, you might notice the speed is not as impressive as that of other free VPNs. Be that as it may, it’s still reliable for heavy browsing activities such as downloading files and streaming videos. Also, it offers server connections in 10 countries, beating free Proton VPN, which allows server connections only in three countries.

To add a layer of privacy to your streaming, Windscribe VPN makes it optional to log in with your email. However, without an email, your monthly bandwidth is limited to 2 GB, whereas providing one increases it to 10 GB. In addition, the VPN includes a tool called Robert, which features built-in malware protection, tracker blocking, and an ad blocker.

Pros

• Doesn’t keep users’ logs.
• Gives server connection in 10 countries.
• Allows unlimited device connection.

Cons

• Slows your internet speed.
• Its privacy policy hasn’t been audited by a third party.
• Has data limitations.

How to Set it Up

1. Launch your preferred browser and search for “windscribe.com”
2. To create an account, navigate to the top right corner and select “Login.” Besides the question “Don’t have an account?” select “Create one”
3. Enter your user name and password and choose “Create account” at the bottom. Your email isn't required, but adding it boosts your data limit to 10 GB per month instead of the default 2 GB.
4. After successfully creating an account, go to the top of the next page and select “Download.”
5. On the next page, navigate to the icons below “Desktop” and choose your operating system from Windows, macOS, and Linux. In our case, we’ll select Windows.
6. Select the “Download” option below “Windscribe for Windows.”
7. When the download completes, open and run the application from your download folder.
8. On the page that appears, choose “Install” and wait for the installation process to complete.
9. After installation, select “login” on the next page and enter the details you used to create your account.
10. Once logged in, tap the “On” button in the top right corner to connect to the fastest server available.
11. Alternatively, tap the “Locations” option in the bottom right corner to select the server of your choice.

The one place where Hide.me VPN differentiates itself is in customer service. Whether you’re a free or paid user, you’ll get your queries addressed promptly—most VPNs offer this service for premium users only. That’s not all, you access eight VPN locations with no data limitation at an incredible speed.

If streaming is your thing, this VPN should be your go-to option as it unblocks sites such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Disney+. When it comes to security, Hide.me doesn’t keep any logs and publishes annual reports. However, it does not allow third-party audits, which are more trustworthy.

Pros

• Doesn’t have a data cap.
• No need to sign up.
• You can connect more than one device.
• Reliable customer support.

Cons

• Doesn’t have any third-party security audit.
• It takes a little longer to connect to the server.

How to Set it Up

1. Go to your browser and visit “Hide.me VPN.”
2. Choose “Download now” on the page that loads.
3. When the download completes, open the application from your downloads folder and run it.
4. Choose “Install” in the bottom right corner on the next page and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
5. On the page that follows, choose “Get your free plan.”
6. Select “Enable VPN” on the page that follows.
7. After enabling the VPN, move to the bottom and choose "Locations" to display the servers available.
8. Choose Connect and you’ll be done setting up the VPN.

For the record, premium VPNs are the most reliable in terms of security and advanced features. However, when you don’t want to commit to subscriptions, you can always go for free plans from reputable companies that have been in the industry for a while. For such companies, you can find online reviews from people who have tried them and have an idea of what to expect. The above list guides you on where to start looking.