When looking for a VPN you’ll want to make sure it’s high-speed. That way you can browse the web and stream without any frustrating buffering or lag. In this article, I’ll go over 5 of the very best free VPNs for Android that you need to give a go. All of the providers I’ve picked are high-quality trustworthy providers that are used globally.
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Free & fast – What’s the catch?
Most free VPNs either curb the amount of bandwidth you can use, or they have a rubbish network that is hardly worth using as they are slow and full of adverts. While there are a few 100% forever free VPNs, it is normally best to opt for a premium VPN that has invested in the hardware and software to make the VPN work the way you want.
In saying that, I’ve listed 5 100% free Android VPNs that you can get started with. They do have some bandwidth limits, so they are fast for normal use but not necessarily for streaming due to the limit on the amount of data you can transfer. Movies use a lot of data and as such, for streaming movies, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid VPN service if that is what you want to use your VPN for.
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1. Hotspot Shield
BEST FOR – Everyday lightweight VPN use – Ad-supported
Hotspot Shield will give you 500MB per day for FREE and they don’t require your card details. That equates to 15GB per month, which is one of the more generous plans. That will let you stream 30 mins of content per day, or allow you to use your VPN for securing bank transfers and protecting your emails.
Hotspot Shield has a strict no-logs policy and the fact that you don’t need to provide your card details means that you can surf anonymously -giving you peace of mind. The only thing about the free service from Hotspot Shield is that they do show adverts, that’s the catch. But if you don’t mind ads – Hotspot Shield is a great solution. they are a massive player in the VPN space with high-speed servers and military-grade 256-bit encryption.
Does Hotspot Shield Sound Right For You?
Hotspot Shield Pros:
- User-friendly
- Forever free
- Good speeds
- Unblocks Netflix
Hotspot Shield Cons:
- Ad-supported
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2. Opera VPN
BEST FOR – Surfing the web safely via a browser-based VPN
Opera isn’t really an app as such. It’s more of a browser extension, but it works perfectly with Android. The reason that I put it high up on this list is the fact that they offer unlimited data and unlimited bandwidth. That is way more than any of the others on this list. Normally free plugins limit the amount of data you can use. The only real downside to using Opera is that it isn’t really suited for streaming or P2P/ Torrenting. Opera is a browser that you can use to surf the web safely via your Android device.
Opera has servers in three international locations: the US, Asia, and Europe. This is way less than a lot of premium VPNs. If you are looking to use your Android VPN for surfing the web, then Opera is a great 100% free tool as the VPN is bundled with the browser. You don’t need to add your credit card details or create an account to get going with Opera, which is a bonus.
Does Opera VPN Sound Right For You?
Opera VPN Pros:
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Unlimited Data
- Works with Android
- No account needed
Opera VPN Cons:
- Not for Streaming
- Slow
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3. Windscribe
BEST FOR – Strong security and encryption
If you’re looking for an all-in-one Android app then checkout Windscribe. You get 10GB of free data every month, which is enough for general surfing but not streaming movies. You could probably get away with watching one movie per month with this limit if you didn’t do much else with your VPN.
Windscribe offers free user-friendly Android apps. These come with a handy built-in ad and malware blocker. Windscribe has two protocols that you can choose from – IKEv2 or OpenVPN. OpenVPN is the more secure option, but the downside is it can be slower. Their app is easy to use, but not really for beginners as there are a few settings that are fiddley and need to be configured.
Does Windscribe Sound Right For You?
Windscribe Pros:
- No logging
- Unlimited device connections
- Free plan available
- Guaranteed U.S. and U.K. Netflix connection
Windscribe Cons:
- Tricky to set up
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4. Hide.Me
BEST FOR – Secure P2P and Torrenting
If you choose to go with hide.me you’ll get just 2GB of free data per month. That would be enough to use your VPN for essential situations or to watch one 30 minute episode. hide.me offers high-speed connections and military-grade security. The good thing about hide.me is that they allow P2P and torrenting. However, you’ll need to upgrade to be able to do a decent amount of torrenting. Their Android app is also really easy to set up and use, which is a bonus.
hide.me also keeps no logs and provides an automatic kill switch to prevent data leaks. Other than the low amount of data the downsides of hide.me are that they can’t unblock Netflix and you only get access to a limited 5 of their 57 servers with the free plan.
Does Hide.Me Sound Right For You?
Hide.Me Pros:
- Excellent customer support
- Works with Netflix
- Strong security features
- Near enough to zero logs
Hide.Me Cons:
- Expensive pricing plans
- Streaming outside of the US is unreliable
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5. TunnelBear
BEST FOR – Beginners looking to test a VPN/ light use
If you are looking for a quick fix, for example, to secure a one-off transaction or access some Geo-restricted content, then Tunnel Bear could be a good option. You are severely restricted with just 500MB per month. That will allow you to use your VPN for very light use or to stream one episode. TunnelBear doesn’t unblock Netflix – so that’s something to look out for. They have good 256-bit encryption and keep no logs, which is great for privacy and security.
TunnelBear’s forever free plan is great to test their Android app and see if it works well for your needs. Their app is great for beginners as it is super simple and easy to use. Bear in mind (pardon the pun) that they don’t offer a money-back guarantee – so their free plan is perfect for giving their service a test drive. Tunnelbear has a feature called “GhostBear” that allows you to get around geo-restrictions with ease.
Does TunnelBear Sound Right For You?
TunnelBear Pros:
- GhostBear and Internet Kill Switch mode
- Free service for up to 500MB of data each month
- Blocks ads
TunnelBear Cons:
- Slow speed
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6. Speedify
BEST FOR – Blazingly fast VPN, great for Netflix
Speedify is a VPN that is focused on providing high-speed connections. This is particularly useful as some VPNs can slow down your online activity. Speedify says that they are “The only VPN with Channel Bonding”. What does this mean? it means that you can use multiple internet connections at the same time, all while optimizing speed.
Speedify offers an easy to use Android app that gets you just 5GB of data per month. Not much, but good for light use, or to stream the occasional episode. One great thing is that Speedify allows you to Unblock US Netflix. On the flip side, they provide just 128 GCM encryption – so you need to weigh up if you are more fussed about speed or security.
Does Speedify Sound Right For You?
Speedify Pros:
- Unblock Netflix
- Speed is optimized
- Easy to use Android app
Speedify Cons:
- Keeps logs
- Weak encryption
