VPNs & privacy

Free VPN vs paid: is a free VPN safe?

By Iulian · Published 26 May 2026

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A VPN you pay nothing for sounds like a bargain. Sometimes it is fine. Often it is the opposite of what you wanted. The key question to ask about any free VPN is simple: if you are not paying, how do they make their money?

Why many free VPNs are a bad idea

Running a VPN costs real money in servers and bandwidth. A free provider has to cover that somehow, and too often the answer is:

  • Logging and selling your browsing data — the exact thing a VPN is supposed to prevent.
  • Injecting ads or trackers into your connection.
  • Weak security, tight data caps, slow speeds, or a tiny choice of servers.

A handful of free VPNs have even been caught shipping malware or leaking data. So “free” can cost you more than a subscription would.

When a free VPN is genuinely fine

If you just want to protect a quick session on café or airport wifi now and then, a reputable free tier is fine. The standout is Proton VPN’s free tier: it is run by a privacy-focused company, has a clear no-logs policy, shows no ads, and unusually does not cap your data. That makes it the one free option I would actually recommend.

When it is worth paying

If you use a VPN regularly, want fast speeds for streaming, need lots of server locations, or want to cover several devices, a paid VPN is worth the few pounds a month. You are paying so that you are the customer, not the product. We will compare specific paid options honestly in our reviews; the names worth knowing are Proton VPN, NordVPN and Surfshark.

Rule of thumb: avoid unknown free VPNs from the app store with millions of installs and vague ownership. If you want free, stick to a name with a real reputation to protect.

What I use

I’ll be straight about my own setup: I use Surfshark, and it has been an easy one to live with. It is quick enough for everyday browsing and handles streaming without fuss, the choice of server locations is huge, and I have honestly never had a problem with it. The feature I did not expect to rely on as much as I do is its Alternative ID, which creates an alias email you can give to websites instead of your real address. I have used it on a few sign-ups and it worked well. It is the paid VPN I would point a friend to.

The Surfshark app connected to a UK VPN server, showing recently used locations and the Alternative ID feature
Surfshark on my phone, connected to a UK server. The Alternative ID section lower down generates alias emails to use instead of your real one.
Surfshark's location picker showing a long list of countries and server types
The location list is long, with virtual and static-IP options. I have never struggled to find a server that works.

Not sure you even need one? Start with what a VPN is and isn’t, which explains exactly what a VPN does and does not do. More in our VPNs and privacy section.