These Are the Best Free VPNs for Android
So, you’ve heard about the security and privacy benefits of a VPN (virtual private network) app and want to take advantage of them on your Android phone or tablet. Now it’s time to choose the right VPN service for you. You have several options to choose from, but here are my picks for the best free VPNs for Android. You can also check out our guides to the best free VPNs and the best paid VPNs for any device.
As you can see from the list below, there are some impressive free VPNs that are worth checking out if you’re on a budget or just want to see what it’s like – they tend to have some limitations, but they’re usable. In most cases, you can upgrade to a more fully featured version within the same app.
Free VPN vs Paid VPN
The familiar trade-offs you’ll see with other types of free software apply to VPNs, too: if you don’t pay, you’re generally more limited in terms of the features you get access to, as well as the levels of service and usage you can expect.
When it comes to free VPNs, these trade-offs often include connection speed, the number of servers and countries you can connect to, the quality of customer support you offer, and the number of devices you can install the VPN on. For some, it’s worth the price; for others, a free VPN is good enough.
With something as important as a VPN, it’s usually better to pay – this usually means you’ll get a more reliable, more trustworthy experience, as the VPN developers won’t be trying to make money off you in other ways. Remember, your VPN can see everything you do online, so you’ll want to choose one you trust.
However, it is also true that there are reliable, honest free VPNs from reputable companies. If you only need this level of protection occasionally and don’t have the budget to upgrade to a paid plan, there are free VPNs that will serve you well.
Are free VPNs safe?
Free VPNs are no different from VPNs you pay a subscription for when it comes to whether they are safe or not: it depends on the VPN. Sure, there are bad actors out there trying to compromise your security, but they can do so just as easily through paid VPNs.
It’s fair to say that cybercriminals are more likely to try to scam you through a free VPN, since free software attracts more users. But it’s not true that all free VPNs are unreliable, or that all paid VPNs are guaranteed to be free of privacy and security issues.
It is often recommended to exercise caution when considering free VPNs as it costs money to develop software and maintain servers, so if users are not paying, then the VPN company must be making money in other ways that are perhaps a bit shady and untrustworthy. Some free VPNs have been shown to spy on users and lack adequate security protection in the past.
But that doesn’t mean all free VPNs are unsafe. Be sure to consider the brand behind the product and how they cover their costs – if it’s not clear, look elsewhere.
What to Look for When Choosing a Free VPN for Android
The same rules apply here as for paid VPNs. Remember that your VPN of choice can theoretically see where you go online: while most promise not to log this information, including all the VPNs listed below, you should specifically check this.
However, what a VPN service says and what it actually does may not match up. Look for companies that publish third-party security audits, which add credibility to their claims about how secure and private your data is. This information, as well as general privacy policies, should be prominently displayed on the VPN’s website.
The location of the VPN company can also matter: the company will be subject to the laws and regulations of that particular country, and we know that governments like the US have quite extensive powers when it comes to monitoring data. For this reason, many VPN operations will be based outside of the US.
Beyond the intricacies of privacy policy and international law, you’re looking for speed and a variety of connectivity options around the world when it comes to free VPNs. You can check the claims each service makes in these areas, but since they don’t cost you anything, you can also try them out to see if those claims are true.