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The best free VPN

You should really be paying for a VPN, but these free tiers and trials are solid for the short term.
Haley Henschel
By Haley Henschel 
The best free VPN Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
CyberGhost VPN
Best For Simplicity
CyberGhost makes staying protected on your Android device easy.
Pros & Cons
The Good
Great security features Easy to use with Android Generous money-back guarantee
The Bad
Speeds can drop
The Bottomline
CyberGhost VPN keeps things real simple, and focuses on strong security features.
Tunnelbear
Best For Beginners
This VPN offers a simple and fun user-interface that'll show your connection through cute animations.
Pros & Cons
The Good
Simple Fun animation Friendly user-interface
The Bad
Only get 500MB for free
The Bottomline
TunnelBear makes using a VPN less intimidating through its animated user-interface.
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In the realm of cybersecurity, "best VPN" and "paid VPN" are effectively synonyms. VPNs (aka virtual private networks) that are completely free to use do exist, but it's reasonable to assume that using one means maybe having your data logged and sold (or leaked) or downloading an app bundled with malware. They need to keep the lights on somehow.

A general rule of thumb is that paid, premium VPNs are the safest and most reliable VPN services out there (and we've got our own favorites). But there is a small loophole for cash-strapped users here, which is that some premium providers offer free tiers and trials. They're typically more limited than their paid counterparts, with usage restrictions and fewer server options, but they're at least protected by the same private practices (including no-logs policies). For users who are interested in trying a VPN for the first time or those who need one for infrequent, short-term use, they can be handy tools.

Read on for Mashable's guide to the best free VPNs that we've tried ourselves.

CyberGhost VPN

Best For Simplicity

The good
Great security features Easy to use with Android Generous money-back guarantee
The Bad
Speeds can drop
The Bottomline
CyberGhost VPN keeps things real simple, and focuses on strong security features.
Specs
  • Monthly: £10.89/month
  • Six-month plan: £6.19/month
  • Two-year plan: £1.92/month

Read our full review of CyberGhost VPN.

Cyberghost VPN has a really simple interface with easy-to-understand terminology explaining all of its features. It keeps things easy and focuses on strong security features. It’s very fast to set up and has intuitive apps for a variety of popular devices. 

CyberGhost might be easy to use but that doesn't mean it's not on par with other options on this list. Users have access to 3,600 servers in over 60 locations around the world, with unlimited bandwidth and traffic. This makes for reliable streaming, but some users have said connections can be slower than with other VPN offerings. 

Tunnelbear

Best For Beginners

The good
Simple Fun animation Friendly user-interface
The Bad
Only get 500MB for free
The Bottomline
TunnelBear makes using a VPN less intimidating through its animated user-interface.
Specs
  • Monthly: £7.78/month
  • One-year plan: £3.89/month
  • Three-year plan: £2.59/month

Read our full review of TunnelBear.

TunnelBear's main selling point is simplicity and ease of use, and it delivers. After downloading the app, all you need to do is create an account (only your email address and password is needed), confirm the registration via email, and you're good to go. The animation of a bear actually tunneling from one place to another is pretty great, too. 

The app is free, but it only gets you a monthly 500MB, which will be enough for a little bit of work but definitely won't do for video streaming. If you want more, you can get a paid account with unlimited data.

Topics: Tech, Cybersecurity, VPN (Virtual Private Networks), ExpressVPN, Tunnelbear, CyberGhost VPN

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