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 you want to take advantage of them on your Android phone or tablet. Now it’s time to pick out the right VPN service for you. You’ve got a number of options to pick from, but here are my picks for the best free VPNs for Android. You might also want to 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 tight budget or you just want to see what using a VPN is like—they’ll typically come with a variety of limitations, but they’re usable. In most cases, you can upgrade to a more fully featured version inside the same app.

Free VPNs vs. paid VPNs

The familiar trade-offs you’ll see for other types of free software apply to VPNs as well: If you’re not paying, you’re typically more limited in terms of the features you get access to, and the levels of service and usage you can expect.

When it comes to free VPNs, those trade-offs often include connection speeds, the number of servers and countries you can connect to, the quality of the customer support you’re offered, and the number of devices you can install the VPN on. For some, it’s worth paying; for others, a free VPN is good enough.

With something as important as a VPN, it’s generally a good idea to pay—it typically means you get a more reliable, more trustworthy experience, as the developers behind the VPN won’t be trying to make money out of you in other ways. Remember that your VPN can see everything you do online, so you have to pick one you trust.

However, it’s 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 jump to a paid plan, then there are free VPNs that will serve you well.

Are free VPNs safe?

Free VPNs aren’t really any different to VPNs you pay a subscription for when it comes to whether they’re safe or not: It depends on the VPN. There are certainly bad actors out there trying to compromise your security, but they can operate through paid VPNs just as easily.

It’s fair to say that cyber criminals are more likely to try and dupe you through a free VPN, because free software attracts more users. But it’s not true that all free VPNs are untrustworthy, or that all paid VPNs are guaranteed to be without any problems when it comes to privacy and security.

Caution is often advised when considering free VPNs, because developing software and maintaining servers costs money—so if users aren’t paying, then the VPN company must be making money in other ways, which are perhaps somewhat shady and disreputable. Some free VPNs have been shown to be spying on users and lacking in proper security protections 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’re covering their costs—if that’s not clear, look elsewhere.

What you should look for in a free Android VPN

The same rules apply here as they do for paid VPNs. Remember your VPN service of choice can theoretically see the places you’re heading to on the web: Though most will promise not to log this information, including all the VPNs listed below, you should check specifically for this.

Still, what a VPN service says and what it actually does might not match up. Look for companies that publish security audits from third parties, which add extra credence to the claims they make about how safe and private your data is. This information, plus general privacy policies, should be prominently displayed on the VPN’s website.

Where a VPN company is based can make a difference, too: The company will be subject to the laws and regulations of that particular country, and we know that governments like the U.S. have fairly comprehensive powers when it comes to data monitoring. Many VPN operations will be based outside of the U.S. for this reason.

Aside from the intricacies of privacy policies and international law, you’re looking for speed and plenty of worldwide connection options when it comes to free VPNs. You can check up on the claims each service makes in these areas, but as they don’t cost you anything, you can also try them out to see if these claims stand up.