If you’re running an Android phone or tablet and want the anonymity, security, and geo-restriction freedom that a VPN can offer, you’ve come to the right place to find the best free Android VPN app for you.
A virtual private network will allow you to keep your digital life more secure meaning your personal details are kept just that, private. This is great if you use open Wi-Fi like at coffee shops, airports, or hotels where you’re potentially open to threats. It’s also ideal for watching geo-restricted shows on Netflix when abroad.
We recommend ProtonVPN for those looking at free VPN options, but you may also want to consider stepping up to a paid option like ExpressVPN. We’ve highlighted all the best VPN for Android options previously, but ExpressVPN gives you reliable service, fast speeds, and removes all the compromises you may have to make for a free option.
Is a free Android VPN app right for me?
A free Android VPN app is appealing because it means that you have to pay nothing to use the service, and who doesn’t love something for free, right? Well, when you aren’t paying the service provider for its services, that means that the company is usually seeking that money from somewhere else, because it needs it to stay in business. Often that means taking your data (even the limited amount it may have) and running off to a third-party with it, which defeats the whole purpose of using a VPN to stay anonymous.
Beyond this, free services also usually limit the number of devices you can connect, have really low data allowances each month, offer fewer server choices, among other limitations. It’s often a good way to test out whether or not a VPN is right for you, but it may not be a great long-term option for everyone.
Best Free Android VPN Apps 2021
- 1. ProtonVPN
- 2. Hotspot Shield
- 3. Windscribe
- 4. TunnelBear
A note about free VPN options
There are some great free VPN options (which we’ve highlighted lower on this page), but it’s worth noting that these aren’t always the best picks for everyone. With free VPNs you will make some sacrifices in the overall user experience, but if you want to avoid that we’ve also highlighted the best paid options below as well.
1. ExpressVPN: The absolute best VPN option for most people
This is our top pick for anyone looking to get started with a VPN. It offers a great mix of speed, reliability, outstanding customer service, and affordability. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so give it a shot today.
From $6.67/mo at ExpressVPN
2. NordVPN: The most well-known VPN for security
From $3.67/mo at NordVPN
NordVPN offers an insane amount of server locations that you can pick from and is one of the best services for unblocking streaming services. It’s definitely the most well-known brand in the VPN space right now.
3. Surfshark VPN: The best cheap VPN out there
From $2.49/mo at Surfshark
With plans starting out at about 8 cents per day, it’s really hard to skip over Surfshark because it’s a paid service. It offers a ton of great features that you’d expect from a VPN provider, and is super simple to use.
Further down we have a full list of our favorite free Android VPN app picks, but it may be worth considering one of our favorite paid options listed above instead as well. These will allow you the full VPN experience without any compromise, and these top picks aren’t overly expensive either.
Still want to go with a free Android VPN app? There’s a lot to like about each of the options we’ve included below, so let’s break down what the differences are and help you pick the best free Android VPN app for you.
1. ProtonVPN
The best free VPN for security-focused people
Bottom line: ProtonVPN is our top pick for free Android VPN services, and one that you’ll want to download now. It offers unlimited bandwidth and great security within an easy-to-use app.
Data limit: Unlimited | Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon, YouTube | Servers available: 3 | 24/7 live chat support: No
Pros:
- Based in Switzerland
- No data limit
- Only need an email address to get started
Cons:
- Free customers are deprioritized during busy times
It’s quite possible that you’ve heard of the ultra-secure ProtonMail before, right? Well, the same folks that are behind making it work the way it does also have a VPN app, and it happens to be that ProtonVPN is our pick for the best free Android VPN service right now. The company offers up a free and paid plan, but in all honesty, the free version is more than enough for most users, especially for anyone looking to get started.
There are a few limitations on the free plan, as you’d imagine. ProtonVPN offers an unlimited amount of bandwidth to free users each month, but it does note that during peak times the company may throttle the speeds of free users. Odds are you won’t notice much of the difference with that, but it’s worth noting.
Proton is a Swiss-based company, which means you don’t have to worry about any type of data logging or laws that could have them spying on your activities.
A smart pick
ProtonVPN
- From $0 per month at ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN offers a free VPN connection for a single device with no data limits, but the company does offer lower speeds to free customers during peak times.
2. Hotspot Shield VPN
A fully-featured free VPN app for Android
Bottom line: This is one of our absolute favorite free VPN providers overall, and the experience for those using an Android device is a great one.
Data limit: 500MB per day | Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, YouTube | Servers available: 1 | 24/7 live chat support: No
Pros:
- Generous data allotment
- App is very easy to use
- Works with streaming services
Cons:
- Still need to enter credit card data for free plan
- No direct app protection
- Reps hard to connect with
Hotspot Shield is a great VPN provider and tops our list of best free VPN options. The company, like Proton mentioned above, offers both a free and paid plan option for people. The free plan is a bit more reserved than the one Proton offers, though, in that Hotspot Shield only offers free users 500MB of data each day, which ends up being about 15GB of data each month. This may not seem like a lot, but it’s pretty significant and more than enough for most people.
In addition, you can get up to 2 Mbps speeds while connecting, and you are limited to SD streaming only (which helps keep you under the limits!). There are no logs and Hotspot Shield offers military-grade encryption. You can connect one device at a time, and there is only one virtual option available to free users, compared to the hundreds for those who pay.
Test the waters with the free version, and if it doesn’t quite meet your needs you could always upgrade after.
Public WiFi Protection
Hotspot Shield
From $0 per month at Hotspot Shield
It doesn’t take much for Hotspot Shield to automatically enable its VPN protections and secure all your data with military-grade encryption.
3. Windscribe VPN
Best free VPN for earning extra bandwidth
Bottom line: Another one of our favorite free VPNs is also a great paid option. There are a lot of key features available here and the pricing is pretty affordable each month.
Data limit: 10GB per month | Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon, YouTube | Servers available: 10 | 24/7 live chat support: No
Pros:
- Free plan offers generous data bucket
- Can earn more data from completing simple tasks
- Supports unlimited simultaneous connections
- Apps for all major platforms
Cons:
- Speeds can be a little slow
- App is not as simple as some others
- No 24/7 support
There are a lot of things to like about Windscribe VPN, and that’s why when we write about any type of best VPN style post we include it, but one of the standout features is that you can actually earn even more data on the free plan by doing simple things like sending a tweet. Seriously, it’s that easy, and that’s pretty darn cool.
It’s not the fastest of all the options, but it does offer clients for all major platforms, and there are a bunch of different server locations that are spread across the globe. This is useful for those looking to be able to spoof locations so you can access media that may otherwise be geo-restricted. It’s great for using with Kodi or on your router as well.
Try out the free plan with its generous data buckets to start, and then upgrade to the paid plan if you find yourself wanting more from it.
Windscribe VPN
From $0 per month at Windscribe
You can add to the healthy 10GB data allotment by tweeting your love for the Windscribe service and inviting friends. It’s a great way to bring even more data to your free pool.
4. TunnelBear VPN
Best easy-to-use free VPN
Bottom line: This Canadian-based company injects a little bit of bear-related humor in its VPN, but focuses on simplicity and privacy (both of which it nails).
Data limit: 500MB per month | Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Streaming services unblocked: Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon, YouTube | Servers available: 20+ | 24/7 live chat support: Yes
Pros:
- Apps are user friendly
- Uses independent specialists to conduct audits
- Apps available for major platforms
Cons:
- Limited server locations
- Only 500MB of data per month for free
Where TunnelBear stands out against the competition for best free Android VPNs is in the app experience, and just how easy the service is to use. The company has removed all the extra options from the apps and made it super easy to get started with and to use on a daily basis, which is important. If you are confused about setting it up, or find it complicated to connect, odds are you won’t end up using it regularly. There are also apps for other platforms like Windows, Mac, iOS, and more.
There are more than 20 server locations you can connect to, which is great for accessing geo-restricted content while traveling and on the go. TunnelBear goes above and beyond when it comes to security as well. The company hires independent specialists to run security audits of its servers, which is something you won’t see others doing. This ensures that your data is being handled safely, and exactly how TunnelBear says that it is.
TunnelBear VPN
From $0 per month at TunnelBear
The data limit is low, but if you are just looking to test the water or use it infrequently, TunnelBear is a great choice to consider.
What is your VPN for?
You need to consider why you’re getting a VPN before you pick a specific service. The three main reasons are to keep you anonymous online, to offer security and to unblock geo-restricted video streaming services and more.
You might need all those things or just one. Not all VPNs are able to unblock all video content, with some struggling to unblock Netflix for example.
Some VPNs offer a double-hop encryption meaning you get double the depth of security, so if that’s what you’re after it’s worth looking out for this feature.
How much is an Android VPN and can I get a full version for free?
While the pricing for VPNs varies what remains fairly constant is that the longer you commit to the cheaper it gets. Pay month to month and it’ll end up costing you more than if you pay for that year upfront, as many services offer. But you’re here for a free version.
There are free trials on most services, or at least money-back guarantees, so you can try before you buy. So perhaps you’ll want to try a full service before going for a free option as you may find it’s that much better you want to pay.
There are plenty of free VPN services, although you’ll be limited by the number of servers you can use and the amount of data you get each month, in most cases.
Which is the best free Android VPN app?
In our extensive reviewing we have found ExpressVPN to be the overall stand-out service for everything you could want. But it’s not free. That said you do get a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try for free, which we recommend. That means unblocking of geo-restricted content like Netflix, enterprise-level encryption security and anonymity, lots of server choices, an easy to use app that’s on lots of platforms and a super 24/7 live chat customer service.
As stated above, we believe that ProtonVPN and Hotspot Shield are your best options when it comes to free Android VPN providers. Give them both a shot now and see which one you like.
