The Best Free VPNs of 2024 | Our Top Picks
Have you been looking for a way to secure yourself from potential cyber threats or always wanted to watch your favorite show that may be restricted in your region?
Well, look no further because today, we have lined up some of the best VPNs for you to use. Whether you want to protect your online privacy or access restricted content, we got you.
WHAT IS A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK(VPN)?
A VPN is a service that encrypts your internet traffic and protects your online identity.
It enables you to establish a protected network connection when using public networks.
WHAT DOES A VPN DO?
- Secures your network. If you use a VPN, it prevents people, software or web browsers from accessing your connection. This keeps your information secure and anonymous.
- Protects your online privacy. Whenever you browse online, you leave traces that can tell a lot about your online habits. International Service Providers (ISP’s) may steal your data and even sell it to third parties which may use you as a target. A VPN hides your privacy from your ISP therefore mitigating this issue.
- Provides access to restricted services. With a VPN you can easily connect to other countries and access some services which are restricted in your country.
Now, which are some of the best VPNs to use?
TOP VPNs TO USE IN 2024
1.) NORD VPN
Nord VPN is the most advanced VPN in the world to secure your online presence and With Nord VPN, even the world’s most powerful computer would take years to unencrypt your data. It’s that safe!
Its Dark Web Monitor offers additional protection for your accounts, giving you instant alerts if any have been leaked online.
It also has a strict no-logs policy ensuring whatever you do online remains private.
Its 24/7 Customer Service ensures that you get help all day, every day. Articles have also been uploaded to help users gain all the information they need about their services.
Additionally, it can unblock streaming giants like Netflix, DISNEY+ and Prime enabling you to watch your favorite movies and shows.
And if that’s not enough, Nord VPN allows you to connect up to 10 devices simultaneously. Isn’t that awesome?
Other features of this VPN include:
- DNS leak prevention
- Threat Protection
- Automatic Kill Switch
- Meshnet
Get your Nord VPN plan today and enjoy your online experience without getting your data stolen or downloading malware on your devices.
2.) Hotspot Shield
Initially released in 2008, this has grown to become one of the leading VPNs for online security. It is home to many individuals and companies who rely on it for online security.
With more than 3200 servers in over 115 virtual locations, Hotspot Shield is sure to transform your online experience completely.
Moreover, it enables you to stream movies and shows worldwide on streaming giants like Netflix, Prime, Disney+ and more at shockingly fast speeds, up to 2.2x faster than other VPNs.
Additionally, it has a free version which is good for basic protection but with ads and only supports one device. It also has a 45-day money-back guarantee on paid plans enabling customers to use it risk-free.
Other amazing features include:
- 24/7 Customer Support with live chat and email
- Unlimited connection of up to 10 devices
- Kill Switch
- Malware Protection
- No logs policy
- Hydra Protocol for enhanced speed and security
3.) Express VPN
Express VPN comes with up to par technology that safeguards your online presence.
It also offers state of the art technology that enables you to access services like Netflix with the most robust geo-blocking systems worldwide.
Additionally, it offers affordable pricing plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Express VPN also allows you to connect up to 8 devices simultaneously.
Their 24/7 live chat support helps users with setup and troubleshooting making sure they have the best experience.
Another amazing feature is that it offers a DNS blocker which blocks sites from using trackers on you and prevents harmful ads from popping up on your social media feeds. How amazing is that?
Moreover, their porn blocker keeps all kinds of adult content away from your devices whenever you are browsing online.
It also has common VPN features such as kill switch and split tunnelling.
With Express VPN, you simply can’t go wrong.
4.)Surfshark VPN
Surfshark VPN is a highly rated VPN that offers unlimited device connections.
It works well with the popular streaming services like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video among others.
It also offers a camouflage mode feature which ensures that even your internet provider cannot tell that you are using a VPN.
Surfshark VPN guards your personal data by using industry-leading AES-256-GCM encryption.
Additionally, it has 24/7 customer support which is very supportive whenever you encounter an issue while using the VPN.
Another amazing feature of this VPN is split tunneling. This feature allows you to choose which data to protect with VPN encryption and which will be transmitted without it. It also allows you to:
- Use two different IP addresses at the same time.
- Keep 100% of your speed on unencrypted traffic.
Finally, they offer low pricing with long-term plans such as the 1-year and 2-year plans. The 1-year plan goes for$3.49 per month and the 2-year plan for $2.29 per month.
5.) Proton VPN
Proton VPN boasts over 4500 servers in over 90 countries which ensure that you can access blocked apps and websites no matter your location.
It offers a built-in kill switch and always-on VPN features.
- If you lose connection with the VPN server, the kill switch blocks all network traffic.
- The always-on VPN automatically re-establishes your connection to a VPN server.
It also provides a risk-free trial with a 30-day money-back guarantee, no strings attached.
What’s more is that it has an ad blocking feature called Netshield. This is a DNS filtering feature that:
- Protects against malware.
- Blocks ads.
- Prevents website trackers from following you.
- Reduces unnecessary content loading, improving browsing speed.
Proton VPN uses AES-256 encryption for network traffic which gives strong encryption and forward secrecy.
Moreover, it has a VPN Accelerator which can increase your VPN connection speeds by up to 400%. This VPN Accelerator dramatically increases performance by overcoming CPU limitations that affect how VPN protocols are processed.
It’s built-in Tor support enables you to route all your traffic through the Tor anonymity network therefore providing a convenient way to access Onion sites with just a single click.
6.) Windscribe VPN
Windscribe is a great VPN for beginners and pros alike. It’s easy to use with the best protections set by default, but also has a lot of features and protocols.
The most amazing thing about its free plan which does not require you to provide your email address to use it. However, this plan limits you to 2GB of monthly data. When you provide your email address, this is pushed up to 10GB. How amazing!
And do you know what’s more interesting? With Windscribe, you can unblock popular streaming giants like US Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
Moreover, it comes with a malware-blocking tool, R.O.B.E.R.T. This advanced domain- and IP-blocking tool protects you from malware and trackers, but also enables you to browse faster.
It also has features like split tunneling and kill switch which are common with other VPNs.
To sum it up, these are some of the reasons why you should choose windscribe:
- You are a beginner and don’t want an overly complicated solution
- You are a VPN pro and want more control over protocol configurations
- You have a lot of devices to connect and shield with a VPN
- You only need access to a single VPN server
- You need a VPN browser extension
7.) IP VANISH
It is one of the best VPNs for basic online protection especially if you are new to VPNs or just want basic online privacy. It boats over 2400 servers in over 90 locations.
However, IP Vanish still has a lot of improvements to make including adding more features for the users to get the best online experience.
Nonetheless, IP Vanish also has amazing features which include:
- Split tunnelling.
This feature allows you to choose which apps and programs will connect through the VPN and which will connect directly through the internet giving you more control over what internet traffic is getting protection of the VPN.
- Kill switch.
A kill switch disconnects your internet connection if your IP Vanish connection stops working for whatever reason allowing you to retain your privacy and keep your online presence anonymous.
- Unlimited devices.
Unlike some VPNs, IP Vanish does not meter their connection. Instead, they allow you to protect all your devices at the same time and only from one account. How amazing is that?
- 24/7 Customer Support.
IP Vanish has 24/7 live chat and email support with phone support during business hours (9 am-5 pm CT, Monday-Friday). Their customer support team is very convenient and always strives to address all problems faced by their customers.
8.) Cyberghost VPN
Cyberghost is rising in the ranks among some of the most popular VPNs with 30 million users currently. It possesses over 5900 servers in more than 90 countries.
It allows multiple device connections of up to seven devices.
It also has a strict no logs policy ensuring that users logs are never kept. Unlike some VPNs, they have never breached their users’ trust or anonymity.
Furthermore, it offers an automatic kill switch just like other VPNs. However, the downside of this is that you cannot turn it off if you want to.
Other features of this VPN that are common to others are:
- Split tunnelling
- Torrenting
- IP addresses-Anonymous, Static, Shared
- Netflix streaming
9.) Norton Secure VPN
This VPN is a contender for one of the cheapest VPNs. Monthly plans start at $4.99 for 1 device, $7.99 for 5 devices and $9.99 for 10 devices.
It also adds bank-grade encryption to protect you on public Wi-Fi hotspots. By masking all your personal information including your location, it secures you from cyber criminals when you browse using public Wi-Fi.
With Norton VPN, you can browse online without annoying targeted ads which may ruin your online experience.
What’s more, that have high speed servers which ensure faster upload and download speeds. Their data transfer rate is almost 2.5x as fast as the normal VPN.
They also have the common features such as kill switch, split tunnelling, no-log policy and P2P Optimization.
10.) Mullvad VPN
Mullvad VPN has a reputation for being one of the best privacy-focused VPNs. With its third-party audits, a reliable kill switch and a DNS leak prevention, Mullvad has proved its commitment to digital privacy.
Among its most recent updates is content blockers for mobile apps which filter gambling and adult content.
Its ease of use allows beginners and VPN veterans to use it with no trouble.
It is also able to block malicious domains and ads offer super speedy WireGuard and OpenVPN.
Interestingly, you don’t have to provide a name, email or other personal details to use their services. All it takes is a click of a button to create an account.
While all this might sound so good, Mullvad also has its downsides. It can’t unblock streaming sites like Netflix, Prime and BBC iPlayer. Additionally, it lacks a live chat support team giving customers a hard time trying to resolve issues with the VPN.
FINAL THOUGHTS
While a VPN may be the solution to your online dilemmas, you must also be very careful when choosing the best VPN that fit your needs.
As there are very many VPN companies on the market, some with horrible services, we have narrowed it down to 10 for you.
We hope you can put an end to your online security issues with one of the above VPNs.
Safe browsing !!
