Free VPN for Windows in 2026

Everyone likes free stuff, right? Who wouldn’t accept a free massage or use free software? However, when it comes to Virtual Private Networking (VPN) services, we advise you to tread carefully because it is a dangerous field full of landmines. Nevertheless, here we present our Free VPN for Windows list.

But that’s exactly why we are here: to help you find your way out of this maze of VPN protocols and features so that you can go with the best free Windows VPN for your privacy or geo-unblocking needs. “The best is good enough” could be our slogan, because we would never settle for less.

Best free VPN for Windows: shortlist

1. NordVPN

   The best free VPN for Windows
   9.8
2. Surfshark VPN

   Free Windows VPN with top-notch privacy
   9.5
3. Proton VPN

   The best free version Windows VPN
   8.6

Top 5 Free VPNs for Windows

It’s not that easy to rank free VPNs. If we were to change criteria a bit, we could end up with a different ranking. Even services not mentioned before may show up in the Top 3 list. As for now, we are quite certain about the first two positions, though.

However, the bronze medalist free VPN for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 could be replaced by a few other choices. So, here’s what you can protect yourself with on the virtual highway if you don’t want to spend money on a premium VPN just yet.

1. NordVPN – the best free VPN for Windows

When it comes to Windows, NordVPN is the best VPN for this OS. You can use it for free for well over a month by combining the 7-day free trial and the 30-day money-back guarantee. And if you want to continue with the service, the lowest plan starts at $3.49/month.

The provider operates from privacy-friendly Panama, so there’s no incentive for it to log user data. And the fact they don’t was proven twice by PwC, which audited NordVPN’s zero-logs policy. As for keeping subscribers safe under wraps, it’s achieved with AES-256 encryption, IP & DNS leak protection, and two kill switches.

In terms of performance, you can expect great things from the extensive network of 9,300+ servers in 137+ countries. And because the proprietary NordLynx tunneling protocol powers connections, this VPN for Windows guarantees extra fast loading times. Surveillance-wary folk should rest easier knowing all standard servers are RAM-only.

Versatility is NordVPN’s strong point. You’ll browse safely on Windows desktops and laptops, stream anything you want on foreign Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Disney+ libraries, and even torrent without issue. SOCKS5 proxies and split tunneling are helpful for the latter.

For a deeper investigation of NordVPN, read our NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark VPN – free Windows VPN with top-notch privacy

Those wanting to secure multiple devices besides their Windows PC will find Surfshark VPN an excellent choice. It’s not exactly free, per se, but you can enjoy the service at no cost for a considerable period. Just put the 30-day money-back guarantee and the 7-day free trial to good use. And when the time is up, subscribe for only $2.49/month.

Surfshark is based in the Netherlands, a country with no data retention laws. It adheres to a strict no-logs policy and provides the necessary features to shield yourself from snooping eyes. The client also includes an abundance of other perks like Camouflage and NoBorders modes, CleanWeb, MultiHop, Whitelister, etc.

Subscribers get to utilize the largest network country-wise for all their Windows needs – 4,500+ servers in 100+ countries. The speeds are nothing to scoff at either because of the combination of WireGuard and Software Defined Networking (SDN). Introduced with the Nexus update, the latter improves VPN traffic routing, resulting in better latency.

Expanding your entertainment horizons is quite easy with Surfshark VPN. You’ll access such streaming platforms as HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, and Amazon Prime Video in mere seconds. Torrenting isn’t off the table either – P2P is enabled on all servers, and you can secure the torrent client further with split tunneling (Whitelister).

For a deeper investigation of Surfshark VPN, read our Surfshark VPN review.

3. Proton VPN – the best freemium VPN for Windows

One of the best free Windows VPNs is Switzerland-based and well-known Proton VPN. This service is famous for its great level of protection, thanks to its security and privacy features. These include military-grade encryption, modern tunneling protocols, a kill switch, and an independently-audited zero-logs policy.

Of course, it’s not all a bed of roses. You can only connect to five countries (the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland, and the United States) for free, and torrenting is not possible unless you switch to premium. As mentioned before, such limitations are the price you pay for a free VPN service. Still, we genuinely believe that Proton VPN is one of the best totally free options out there and is definitely worth a try.

For a deeper investigation of Proton VPN, read our Proton VPN review.

4. Ivacy VPN – solid Windows VPN with a free version

Ivacy is an excellent pick if you're looking for a free Windows VPN option. It has reliable security features, solid privacy, and has particularly good speeds for a free VPN.

From the feature standpoint, every free user gets AES-256 encryption, a zero-logs policy, and commendable IP and DNS leak protection. Even better, free Ivacy VPN offers the modern WireGuard protocol for fantastic connection speeds and safety. A very welcome addition is unlimited data usage, which tramples most free VPNs with annoying data caps.

A minor downside of the Ivacy free version is the only available free location – the Netherlands. While the connections should be more than fast enough for any daily needs, users from the US may get slightly slower speeds than their European counterparts.

Finally, Ivacy free VPN doesn’t do much for unblocking global libraries for Netflix and other streaming services, but it’s usually expected from all free VPN providers. Furthermore, it also lacks a kill switch, split tunneling, and specialized servers, which could prove cumbersome. However, the premium Ivacy version removes all of these hindrances.

For a deeper investigation of Ivacy VPN, read our Ivacy VPN review.

5. Windscribe – free Windows VPN for torrenting & streaming

Windscribe comes with good security and privacy features. These are actually the same you'll find in the full version. Its only drawback is that's based in a Five Eyes country, Canada.

However, you need to know that Windscribe takes its no logs policy seriously. You always need to read the Privacy Policy carefully to see what exactly is logged about you and your traffic, and how such logs are handled.

Windscribe VPN limits your monthly data, so you can only use 10 GB/month. It certainly cannot be compared to Proton VPN's or Atlas VPN's unlimited bandwidth, but is still enough for everyday needs like IP spoofing and browsing.

For a deeper investigation of Windscribe VPN, read our Windscribe VPN review.

How we selected these free VPNs for Windows

Having in mind that there are plenty of low-quality free Windows VPNs, it took us quite some time to filter those that aren't worth your time. What we have is a short but solid list of best free VPNs for Windows. And here are the criteria we used to determine which services qualify:

1. Free version for Windows. While this one is obvious, there are VPNs that offer a free version but only for mobile devices. If you're not paying enough attention, you may end up providing your payment details and getting a free trial instead.
2. Compatibility. While most users have Windows 10 installed, some still use Windows 8.1 and even Windows 7. Therefore we checked if best free Windows VPNs are compatible with all versions.
3. Security and privacy. These two are the most important features of any VPN for PC. It simply must have military-grade encryption, safest tunneling protocols, no-logs, and a kill switch. The company behind should also have a solid reputation, avoiding hacks, leaks, and cooperation with law enforcement.
4. Speed. Your connection will be slower with a VPN because the encryption takes its toll on speed no matter what you do. Still, some free VPNs offer better speed even if it's limited to make you want to buy the premium version. While speed highly depends on your ISP, location, and device, streaming in HD should be possible with all three recommended VPNs.
5. Traffic. Only a couple of reputable free VPNs for Windows provide you with no bandwidth limit. Most will let you download from 500 MB to 10 GB per month. That means you probably won't spend much time streaming Netflix or downloading torrents, but you can't have it all and pay nothing at the same time.
6. Streaming and torrenting. While streaming with a free Windows VPN is extremely rare, most likely you will be able to download torrents. Of course, expect to have a data cap. All three recommended VPNs are capable of protecting you while your torrenting, but the speeds will depend mostly on your baseline internet connection.

Completely free VPN for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10

Let us remind you that a free service always comes with compromises. The level of security, features, number of servers, speed, or versatility will probably be affected. In general, it is quite unlikely that you can use a free Windows VPN for torrenting, Netflix, Hulu as well as any activity that would require maximum anonymity.

It costs a lot of money to maintain a VPN network. So, how on earth could it be free? Well, the provider has to make just enough bucks somehow to keep the service running, right? Or, did you think that VPNs and charity walk hand in hand? Let us burst this pink bubble right here, right now.

Explore best paid options on our Best VPN for Windows list.

Whether it’s a completely free VPN for Windows or a paid one, “it’s all about the money”. Sorry, Jessie J, your Price Tag ain’t gonna resonate with the VPN market.

This is exactly why you should never use a completely free VPN because it will either show you annoying third-party ads (tracking cookie alert!) and videos or sell the personal data it logs about you and your online traffic, not to mention the lower quality of service you may get.

What’s even worse, hackers, cybercriminals, and governments can create their own free VPN services to lure unsuspecting computer users into a trap of full surveillance. You’d better avoid all the shady ones if you plan to protect your privacy.

It’s much safer to use a free premium, or as it's also known, a freemium service, which is a limited version of a paid VPN. Of course, it will have a slower speed or data cap, but you'll get the best possible level of online privacy.

We kept two main criteria in our mind while making this Free VPN for Windows list. Those are your online security and VPN's usability.

There’s no difference between the VPNs for Windows 10 down to Windows 7. Therefore, you can use the Windows client you download for any OS version. Well, definitely not Windows XP, though, which is not even supported by Microsoft anymore. If you want to be safe in your virtual world, you’d better keep all your programs, including your OS, up-to-date anyway.

6 ways to use a free VPN

We aren't big fans of "free" when it’s in one sentence with "VPNs." That's because online security and privacy are of utmost importance to us. The same goes for good download and upload speeds without any interruptions, such as connection drops.

There are 6 ways to use a free VPN. If you’re lucky, our Top 3 picks for Windows will qualify for them all.

You can successfully use a decent, high-quality free service to:

1. Fake your IP address, i.e., location
2. Avoid the spying of your ISP, cybercriminals, and governments
3. Protect your personal data
4. Make using a public wifi hotspot safe
5. Stay anonymous on the virtual highway
6. Access geo-blocked web content

But before you rush to install and use a free app for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, or 7, you may want to consider why it may not be a good idea in the long run.

Why Free VPNs aren't such a good idea

There’s nothing wrong or shameful about trying a paid VPN service for free. This way, you get to experience its true speeds, connection times, level of security and privacy, general usability, and versatility. By all means, try a premium service for free or use a money-back guarantee that most top-notch VPNs offer. This way, you'll make sure you choose the best and most cost-effective service for your needs.

Nonetheless, there are obvious drawbacks to using an average free VPN. Those include:

• Slow or useless speeds
• Third-party advertisements
• Possible malware included
• Logging and selling data to third parties
• Lack of features and customizability
• Possible IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks
• No support for P2P file sharing (torrenting)
• No support for streaming Netflix and other platforms

With that said, we also cannot claim that the hundreds of millions of free users are making a huge mistake by exposing themselves to cybercriminals, hackers, ISPs, and government while believing they’re protected. It all boils down to why you want a free Windows VPN. When you have the answer, make sure your needs match your choice.

Best Windows PC VPNs with free trial: video review

The benefits of the best Windows VPNs are countless, allowing you to tap into the full potential of liberated browsing. Check out the top 3 best VPNs for PC with free trials.

Alternatives to free Windows VPNs

When seeking alternatives to completely free VPNs for PC, it’s wise to consider free trial VPNs and available money-back guarantees. Free trials allow you to test premium VPN versions with all their features, while money-back guarantees offer risk-free trials for 30 or more days without losing a dime. These alternatives provide the best security, more features, and next-level performance compared to completely free VPNs.

While there are numerous great options to choose from, these are the Top 3 costless VPN alternatives you don’t want to miss:

1. NordVPN – An industry leader with the fastest connection speeds, tightest security, and four-time verified no logs policy. You can try it free for 7 days and continue onward with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark – Best price-to-performance VPN with enormous global coverage, powerful security package, and nifty streaming features. You can get a free 7-day trial through either Google Play or Apple App Store to continue on any platform on top of an already generous 30-day cash-back warranty.
3. Proton VPN – Based in Switzerland, independently audited, and one of the most trusted VPNs for privacy seekers. While it has a restrictive free plan, you can easily test out the full premium experience with all features and best performance using 30-day money-back insurance.

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Free Windows VPN FAQ

What is the best free VPN for Windows?

The best free VPN for PC and Windows is Proton VPN. You can read about it above.

Is there a completely free VPN?

This question is almost philosophical, inviting us to ask if there's such thing, in general, that's completely free? Hard-pressed to answer, we would say that there's no such thing as a completely free VPN. If you're not paying with money, you're paying with your personal data or ability to click on ads. Finally, the ultimate price for using a free VPN is its limitations, which may include speed, traffic, streaming, and torrenting.

How do I get a free VPN on Windows 10?

You can get a free VPN for PC and Windows 10 by following these three super-easy steps: Choose a VPN that you like from our list aboveClick the red button to visit its website and download the appInstall the client and start using your free Windows VPN If you have trouble installing your free Windows VPN, I suggest reading the FAQ on the provider's website or contacting customer support. Most likely they will be able to solve the issue in a timely manner.