5 Best Free VPN for iPhone
Juhil Mendpara
Content Manager
So...you want to access a blocked website, came to know a VPN can help you achieve that goal, and are now looking for free options? Well, you are at the right place. We have tested dozens of free, freemium, and paid VPN services — so, you can say we have a fair bit of idea about what’s good and what’s not.
Is free VPN a good idea?
Let’s start with a broader overview. You want a free VPN for iPhone because it is, well, free. However, as they say, “If something online is free, you are the product.” To what extent is this saying applicable to free VPNs? Short answer: To every extent possible.
VPN providers aren’t doing charity. If they are giving it for free, they are gaining something.
- Either it’s their marketing plan. Free VPNs often come with minimal bandwidth, reduced speeds, limited server options, ads, absence of features like unblocking geo-blocked content, etc. All these limitations are included in the hope that you’ll use it because it’s ”free,” and someday, opt for a paid plan due to the restrictions.
- Or, they are profiting directly. Studies show that 75% of free VPNs embed third-party trackers in their software. This means a VPN that’s supposed to provide privacy is the one compromising it. Similarly, a VPN is supposed to keep you secure, but 38% of free VPNs contain malware.
In short, it’s not advised to use a free VPN. We would instead suggest using NordVPN (~$3.5/month, our #1 VPN recommendation), HideMyAss (~$1.07/month, 7-day free trial / cheapest on our recommended list), or CyberGhost (~$2.5/month).
However, if you really can’t afford to pay a couple of bucks per month, there are a few decent options for your iPhone.
5 best free VPNs for iPhone
- 1TunnelBear
- 2Windscribe
- 3ProtonVPN
- 4Hide.me
- 5Hotspot Shield
The following VPNs are free VPN for iphone but come with their own set of limitations. However, we have done our research & testing to ensure your security or privacy isn’t compromised.
1. TunnelBear
TunnelBear is a known VPN in the market. We recently compared it to NordVPN, our favorite VPN. It turned out to be mediocre, and you won’t get anything less than that with the free version. Just one thing: You can browse up to 500 MB only.
It has excellent security & privacy policy, needed features, and is easy to use.
Server options are also plenty. The speed you get after connecting is terrible, though, but what would you do with high speed when all you can use is 500 MB?!
Overall, as far as free VPNs go, it’s a great option.
2. Windscribe
Windscribe is another usable free VPN for iOS. Unlike TunnelBear, the monthly data allowance here is generous. You can browse up to 10 GB! The main limitation here is in the servers you can use. You can connect to only ten of their servers, including the US, Canada, UK, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, and Romania.
Apart from it, you get the same encryption, privacy policy, and basic features as you do with the paid version.
3. ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is another of the VPNs we compared with NordVPN. It has best-in-class security & privacy policy, is user friendly, and has adequate features.
However, the free plan is limited to servers in three nations. Plus, the maximum speed you can achieve on it is very low; combined with the already 40% reduction & crowded servers, lag-free streaming at high quality will be an impossible task.
Still, the fact that your security & privacy is intact with ProtonVPN makes it a recommendable free VPN for iPhone.
4. Hide.me
Hide.me has a strict no-log & no ads policy. Plus, signing up on the free plan doesn’t require a credit card. Hence, it’s worth a try.
Obviously, the features are limited. You can choose from five locations only, the data allowance is 10 GB per month, there’s no streaming support, and neither can you connect more than one device. Moreover, the speed you get isn’t great either. However, that’s all expected with a free VPN. Thus, recommended.
5. Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield is a huge name in the free VPN market. Millions of people use it. But it’s the last one on this list because of the comparatively more limitations. For starters, you can use only one virtual location (US).
Apart from that, the speed is capped at 2Mbps, streaming support is limited, the daily data limit is set at 500 MB, and most of the security features aren’t enabled for the free plan.
Final Words
Though we don’t recommend using a free VPN for Iphone, we understand you might not see value in a paid VPN plan, or you can’t afford it. For any such case, the mentioned free VPNs are among the rare bunch that can be trusted.
To end this, word of advice: Do not, and we repeat DO NOT, download any random free VPN. You can see our list of most recommended and secured VPN here.
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