Are FREE VPNs Safe or Actually Dangerous?
Free VPNs are making you less safe, and this article will show you why. There are many areas in life where cutting costs is prudent, but your privacy online is not one of them. We’ll walk you through the dangers of free VPNs, then recommend some outstanding providers guaranteed to enhance your security without breaking the bank.
You’ve heard by now that you should be using a VPN when you browse the internet in order to protect your privacy and stay safe. But like many people, maybe you feel tempted to try out a free VPN rather than shelling out for a paid VPN. It’s tempting to try to save some money by using a free service instead of a paid one.
But you should reconsider if you were thinking that a free VPN will solve your security problems. In fact, free VPNs can actually cause more problems and greater security risks than not using a VPN at all!
A well publicised study came out last year which had all sorts of worrying findings: from 84% of VPN apps surveyed from the Google Play store that didn’t encrypt properly using the latest encryption methods, to 75% of the apps tracking their users data. This story was covered all over the technology industry press in Wired, on The Verge, and in the International Business Times among others, so you know that this is a serious issue.
Don’t cheap out on your Internet security with unsafe free VPNs, use these affordable providers instead:
- NordVPN – Best Overall VPN – NordVPN isn’t free, but it’s myriad security provisions might just be priceless. For a low price, you get the best encryption, the best network, and outstanding speeds.
- Surfshark – Unlimited connections let you split your subscription with a friend, making top-shelf privacy features available dirt-cheap.
- ExpressVPN – Costs a little more, but you’ll notice the difference in performance and usability.
- PureVPN – Modestly-priced VPN with spoofable access to the greatest number of countries’ virtual IP addresses.
- IPVanish – Like free stuff? Pay for a modest sum for a truly secure VPN to torrent legal content to your heart’s content.
- VyprVPN – An invaluable resource for those living with under the harshest censorship in the world.
Today we’re going to go through the details of how a VPN should work and why you would use one, then talk about the security problems with free VPNs, then recommend some reputable paid VPNs that will be effective at keeping you safe online. We want you to know about the issues with some VPN services so that you can learn why free VPNs are actually making you less safe.
What’s The Problem With Free VPNs?
So you can see why people would want to use a VPN for both security and convenience reasons. But what’s the problem with free VPNs? Why not just use a free VPN service instead of a paid one?
The biggest issue with free VPNs is that if the companies are not making money from user subscriptions, they must be making money elsewhere in order to pay for their server and administration costs. Some of the ways which free VPNs make their money include by injecting extra adverts into web pages that its users browse, which is obviously annoying, and selling off the data about their users’ internet history to third parties, which is exactly the kind of privacy breach that VPNs should be preventing.
One prominent example of this kind of problem with free VPNs was Hola. This was a popular free VPN service until it came to light that they were selling off their user data. And even worse, the way the user network was set up meant that unwitting users’ devices were used for malicious purposes like performing DDoS attacks.
RELATED READING: How Hola made its users part of a botnet
Hola isn’t the only free VPN with problems. In the study that we mentioned by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, findings included that 18% of the mobile VPN apps tested from the Google Play store didn’t actually encrypt traffic at all, and were therefore utterly useless – but were giving users the illusion of security. A further 38% of the apps tested injected malware or malicious advertising software which is designed to gain access to users’ private information. A massive 84% of the apps leaked some amount of data about users’ internet traffic, undermining their claim to security. And finally, over 80% of these apps required access to sensitive data from users’ phones such as text messages, which there is no reason for a VPN to be accessing.
Somehow most worryingly of all, only 1% of users reported any privacy concerns about these apps, suggesting that users believed that their privacy was being protected even while it was in fact being compromised.
Since this report came out, some of the offending apps have been removed from the Google Play store. However, the dangers shown by these free VPNs are true for other platforms and other apps too – this is not just an Android problem. If you’re considering a specific free VPN service, it’s worth reading an Urban VPN review or similar detailed analysis to understand exactly what risks you might be taking with your data and privacy.
You can see that there are big risks posed by free VPNs. In fact, using a free VPN may be even worse for your security than not using a VPN at all. So how do you know which VPNs are trustworthy?
How To Select A Reputable VPN
When it comes to assessing VPNs, there are a few key factors which you should consider. It’s a good idea to do research into any VPN provider that you are planning to try out to learn more about their service and what kind of security and privacy features that they offer. Here are the most important issues to look into when selecting a VPN:
- Excellent security. The most important feature of a VPN is its security. You should look for a VPN that uses strong 256-bit encryption and has features like DNS leak protection for the best possible security.
- Excellent privacy guarantees. The problem of VPNs is that you must trust your VPN provider to protect your personal information like your browsing history and no to sell that information off or hand it over to the government for surveillance purposes. The best way to ensure that your data is not compromised is for it to not be collected in the first place. Look for VPN providers with what is called a no logging policy, meaning that the provider will not keep any records of your internet use. This way, with a no logging policy, you can be sure your data will not be sold off or handed over because there is no permanent data that your provider records.
- Fast connections. For convenience’s sake, you don’t want to deal with slow connections that make web pages take forever to load and lead to endless buffering when you try to watch videos. A good VPN should have connections which are so fast that you barely even notice that you’re using a VPN rather than just browsing normally over your unsecured connection.
- A large server network with servers in many different countries. A good VPN will have a large number of servers available for your use, so that you can easily find one which works quickly and reliably and which meets your needs. The more servers that are available, the more flexible your VPN can be. Also look for servers in many different countries, so that you can easily get around regional restrictions to access content from all over the world.
Best Paid VPNs You Can Trust To Protect Your Privacy
If you’re interested in getting a VPN but you aren’t sure which providers are the most reliable, then we have recommendations for reputable paid VPNs that meet all of these requirements and which are sure to keep your internet traffic safe. Here are the top paid VPNs:
1. NordVPN
If your primary concern is security, then we recommend NordVPN. This provider is known for their exceptional security, with the essential strong 256-bit encryption and a no logging policy. They also have a special double encryption feature, in which your data is encrypted and sent to a server, where it is then encrypted again and sent to another server before being decrypted and sent on its way. This double encryption is essentially impossible for even the most sophisticated technology to crack, giving you the best protection possible.
The connection speeds are solid and the server network offers more than 5,500 servers in over 60 different countries for you to choose from. You can get the software for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, Chrome OS, Android, and Windows Phone, and there is also a Chrome browser extension which you can use to easily monitor your VPN connection and to connect to a new server of your choosing. If you want to test the service before committing, you can learn more about the NordVPN free trial to explore all features risk-free.
Read our full NordVPN review.
- Highly affordable plans
- GooglePlay users rating: 4.3/5.0
- Zero leaks: IP/DNS/WebRTC
- Extra-secure Double VPN for data encryption
- Money back guarantee policy (30-days).
- Automatic server selection can be unreliable
- Refund processing can take up to 30 days.
2. Surfshark
Look, we understand the appeal of saving a buck. But with dirt-cheap VPN providers like Surfshark, there’s literally no excuse to go with some random “free” service which will just harvest your data and leave you vulnerable. Let’s break it down…
Surfshark is already inexpensive to begin with, but they rather uniquely offer unlimited simultaneous connections. Yes, this means you can protect all your devices, but think big: you can split the cost of a single subscription among friends and get the price down to basically nothing.
What you get in return is the most modern encryption (256-AES-GCM) and tunneling (OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, WireGuard) commercially available. Zero logging, kill switch, anti-malware and adblocking, blanket obfuscation to beat censorship–you name it. Every one of their 800+ servers unblocks Netflix with no hassle.
Seriously, what are you waiting for?
- Bypass government censorship with NoBorders mode
- Torrent safely on any server, no guesswork required
- Zero restrictions on simultaneous connections, apps available on every major device
- Logging policy independently audited and verified
- Responsive customer support available 24/7.
- Overall, not much to complain about
- Young VPN still has plenty of room to grow in terms of advanced functionality.
Read our full Surfshark review.
3. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the most popular VPNs among power users, thanks to its super fast connections and excellent security. It uses strong 256-bit encryption to keep your data safe and has a no logging policy to protect your privacy, and has a huge network of over 3,000 servers in 94 countries around the world.
The ExpressVPN software is particularly easy to use, with simple graphical representations that let you see at a glance if you are connected or not. You can install the ExpressVPN software onto a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, and Android. Using this software will encrypt not only the traffic passing through your web browser, but also other types of traffic like P2P downloads or chat communications.
If you’re looking for an even easier way to use a VPN, you can install ExpressVPN’s browser extension for Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. You just need to connect using the icon in the address bar of your browser and all of your browsing will be private. This is the ideal solution for someone who wants a quick and easy way to protect themselves without a lot of technical knowledge required.
Read our full ExpressVPN review.
- Unblocks American Netflix, iPlayer, Hulu
- Fastest servers we have tested
- Secure encryption & VPN protocols
- Strict no-logging policy
- Great customer service via chat.
- Priced slightly higher.
4. PureVPN
If you’re finding all of this information a bit too technical and you want one of the simplest and easiest to use security packages, then we recommend PureVPN. This VPN uses strong 256-bit encryption and has a no logging policy, and comes with access to a network of 2,000+ servers in 140+ different countries. The software is very easy to use and is available for Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS, and Android TV, plus browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
In addition to the VPN, with PureVPN you also get a package of other security features. There are anti spam measures to prevent your inbox from being clogged up with spam messages, and there is app filtering so you can restrict the use of certain apps over your network. Finally, there is also anti virus and anti malware protection to prevent your device from bein infected with unwanted or potentially dangerous software. This all in one package makes PureVPN a great choice for newer users.
Read our full PureVPN review.
5. IPVanish
IPVanish is a top choice for users who want maximum flexibility and many extra features for added security. As well as lightning fast connections and strong 256-bit encryption, the service includes DNS leak protection and has a extra feature kill switch which you can set to cut of your internet connection if you are disconnected from the server for any reason. This ensures that you won’t accidentally send sensitive information over an unsecured network.
The server network covers 1,300+ servers in 75+ locations worldwide, so you’ll be able to find a server in the country of your choice for getting around regional restrictions. You’ll also find software supports for plenty of platforms, including Windows 7, 8, and 10, plus Mac OS, Linux, and Android. Of course, there is also a no logging policy to ensure that your data never gets into the wrong hands.
Read our full IPVanish review.
If you need a VPN for a short while when traveling for example, you can get our top ranked VPN free of charge. NordVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. You will need to pay for the subscription, that’s a fact, but it allows full access for 30 days and then you cancel for a full refund. Their no-questions-asked cancellation policy lives up to its name.
