Top 5 Free VPNs For Android
The top 5 free VPNs for Android in 2024. Get the best VPNs for security, speed, and usability without spending a dime.
VPN stands for “Virtual Private Network,” and it provides a secure network connection when using public networks. VPNs encrypt your internet traffic and hide your online identity. This makes it harder for third parties to monitor your online activities and steal your data. The encryption happens in real time.
Free VPNs generally have their downsides. They often lack comprehensive security features, can throttle your connection speeds, and most of them limit how much data you can use.
That’s why we always recommend opting for a premium VPN over a free one. Most top providers offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test them out and get a full refund if they don’t meet your needs. My top pick for 2024 is ExpressVPN.
However, if you prefer using a free VPN, you can try one from this list. Although they come with some limitations, they provide good security, decent speeds, and easy-to-use Android apps. Many even offer additional features like split-tunneling. Note: ExpressVPN and this site are owned by the same group.
1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Android
ExpressVPN doesn’t have a free plan for Android, but it’s the top VPN on the market. It backs every purchase with a 30-day money-back guarantee, letting you try the Android app risk-free and get a full refund if it doesn’t suit you. ExpressVPN leads in streaming, torrenting, and gaming.
ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN I’ve tested. Whether connected to a local or distant server, web pages and videos loaded instantly, HD and 4K videos played without buffering, and online games had no lag. we downloaded a 25 GB torrent in just 18 minutes, which is impressively fast.
For streaming and torrenting, ExpressVPN is excellent. It works with over 10 Netflix libraries and 100+ streaming services, including Amazon Prime, Disney+, Max, and BBC iPlayer. It supports P2P file sharing on all its servers, unlike many VPNs that restrict torrenting to dedicated servers.
The ExpressVPN Android app comes with advanced security features like RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, full leak protection, and an independently audited no-logs policy. It also includes ExpressVPN Keys, a free password manager that secures your passwords, auto-fills login details, and helps generate strong passwords. The app’s split-tunnelling feature allows you to exclude certain apps from the VPN connection, which is useful for browsing privately without affecting streaming speeds.
ExpressVPN’s Android app is very user-friendly. The Smart Location tool suggests the fastest server locations, the Recent Location feature reconnects to a recently used server with a single tap, and the Shortcuts feature allows you to launch frequently used apps or websites directly from ExpressVPN’s home screen.
2. hide.me — Fast and Secure Free VPN for Android
hide.me is a solid free VPN for Android, offering 8 server locations, including the US, Canada, France, and Germany. It includes unlimited bandwidth, which is more than most free VPNs.
hide.me has fast speeds, with web pages and YouTube videos loading instantly on local servers and just a couple of seconds on distant ones. HD YouTube videos played without buffering.
In terms of security, hide.me excels. It uses RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and full leak protection, with no DNS, IPv6, or WebRTC data leaks detected in my tests. Its no-logs policy has been independently audited.
The hide.me Android app includes split-tunnelling and Stealth Guard, an advanced kill switch that blocks specific apps or your entire internet connection if the VPN disconnects to prevent accidental data leaks.
The app is easy to navigate, allowing you to sort server locations by ping and displaying latency clearly. However, brief explanations for some settings would help new users.
The paid version offers servers in 54 countries, 10 connections, and streaming and P2P support. If you need a larger server network, ExpressVPN is a good alternative with servers in 105 countries.
3. Proton VPN — User-Friendly Free VPN With Unlimited Data
Proton VPN is a beginner-friendly VPN for Android with unlimited data. It provides access to 5 server locations in the Netherlands, Japan, the US, Romania, and Poland, and allows 1 device connection.
Proton VPN offers high-end privacy and security features like perfect forward secrecy, full leak protection, and being completely open-source. Its no-logs policy and apps have been independently audited.
The free plan is fast, with web pages loading quickly and YouTube videos playing in HD without buffering.
The Android app includes split-tunneling, allowing you to choose which apps use the VPN tunnel. You can include or exclude apps, browsers, and IP addresses, which is very convenient.
However, the free plan doesn’t support torrenting or streaming and lacks additional security features like NetShield, a good ad blocker.
The Proton VPN Android app is easy to use, with color-coded load percentages next to each server to avoid overcrowded locations. The settings menu includes short explanations for each feature.
4. Hotspot Shield — Great Free Android VPN for Web Surfing
Hotspot Shield offers a good free Android VPN app for web surfing, with unlimited data. It provides decent speeds despite limiting connections to 2 Mbps. In my tests, websites loaded in about 2 seconds, and HD videos took around 3 seconds.
The Android app is very user-friendly, with easy-to-find servers and helpful explanations for most settings and features.
However, the free plan has limitations. It only offers servers in the US, the UK, and Singapore. If you need more server locations, ExpressVPN is a good alternative with servers in 105 countries. The free plan also lacks streaming support and only allows 1 device connection.
5. Windscribe — Good Free Android VPN for Streaming
Windscribe is the best free Android VPN for streaming. It offers servers in over 10 countries, up to 12 GB of data per month (2 GB by default and 10 GB if you verify your email address), and works with major streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. Windscribe also allows unlimited simultaneous connections.
In my speed tests, Windscribe maintained fast speeds on local and distant servers. Websites and videos loaded instantly on local servers and only took 2–3 seconds longer on distant ones.
Windscribe’s Android app has a clean design, well-organized menus, and short explanations for settings. However, the location load display is not very intuitive.
Windscribe is the only VPN with an ad blocker called R.O.B.E.R.T., which blocks ads and malicious websites.