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The best VPNs with free trials in 2026You can test-drive these virtual private networks without paying a cent.
Best VPNs with free trials (Proton / Engadget)A free trial to a virtual private network (VPN) can mean a few different things. Several of the best VPNs let you try them out without paying. A rare few, and only one on this list, let you try them without submitting payment information at all. Some VPNs have forever free plans that let you use them indefinitely without paying, as long as you're OK with some limits.For the most part, though, your best chance to test a VPN for free is to pay for a subscription. Then, if you don't like the service, you can get your money back before the refund guarantee expires. This takes a bit more work, and some services have very tight turnarounds. However, it'll get you the most time with the most complete version of the VPN.With that out of the way, let's talk about the best VPN free trials for each definition of "free trial." I'll start with VPNs that actually have free trials, most of which require a payment method and only work on mobile devices. The next section lists the best forever free plans. Finally, I'll share instructions for how to use a VPN money-back guarantee as a free trial.
Quick OverviewBest VPN with a free trial
ExpressVPN$2.44 per month at expressvpn.comFastest VPN with a free trial
Surfshark$1.99 per month at surfshark.com
Best features on a free-trial VPN
NordVPN$2.69 per month at nordvpn.com
Best VPN free trial with no payment method required
CyberGhost$2.03 per month at cyberghostvpn.com
Best cheap VPN with a free trial
Private Internet Access$1.98 per month at privateinternetaccess.comSee 3 moreBest VPNs with free trials
ExpressVPN
85100Expert ScoreBest VPN with a free trial
ExpressVPNPlatforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, Chrome, Android TV, Apple TV, Firestick, routers | Average download speed drop: 6.9 percent | Server locations: 164 in 105 countries | Notable features: Threat Manager tracker and malware blocker, Ad blocker, Parental controls, Aircove router | Best price: $68.40 for 28 months
Read our full ExpressVPN review
Read more: How to cancel ExpressVPN and get a refund
I need to start by making a distinction. ExpressVPN is the best VPN with a free trial, but it doesn't have the best VPN free trial. That honor goes to CyberGhost, the only provider on this list that lets you trial it for free without providing any financial information. However, since my primary goal is to match you with the best VPN possible, I'm ranking these options based on absolute quality — and ExpressVPN is the better VPN of the two.
In fact, it's very close to being the best VPN in general, with only Proton VPN (which doesn't have a free trial due to its free plan) beating it out. Its app design emphasizes convenience and shows a lot of sensitivity to new users; they may not be the most full-featured VPN clients you'll ever use, but they all run with so little friction you'll hardly notice them in the background. It also helps that ExpressVPN is fast, with its large global server network only slowing download speeds by an average of 7 percent.
ExpressVPN only offers its free trial on iOS and Android. Mobile users can access it by simply downloading the app on either platform, opening it up and creating an account. In the process, you'll have to select a plan, which you'll get charged for if you don't cancel by the time three days are up.
Pros- Fast download and upload speeds
- Unblocks Netflix everywhere
- Easy-to-use apps
- Few extra features
- Expensive plans
Surfshark
87100Expert ScoreFastest VPN with a free trial
SurfsharkPlatforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Apple TV, Fire TV, routers | Average download speed drop: 5.4 percent | Server locations: 141 in 100 countries | Notable features: Dynamic MultiHop, Everlink, IP rotator, unlimited simultaneous connections, CleanWeb, NoBorders mode | Best price: $53.73 for 28 months
Read our full Surfshark review
Read more: How to cancel Surfshark VPN
Speed is the best thing about Surfshark. In my most recent tests, it maintained the fastest download speed of any VPN, along with excellent upload speeds (latencies were all right too, but better close to home). It's also got an extensive set of features, including split tunneling on all platforms, the new Everlink technology that restores dropped connections near-instantly and the extremely capable CleanWeb and CleanWeb 2.0 ad blockers.
Surfshark also has plenty of server locations, though not quite as many as ExpressVPN. It has at least one physical server on every continent. When setting up double-hop connections for extra security, you can choose your own pair of servers and optimize for speed.
Surfshark's excellent free trial is activated from its website, not its mobile app. When you view the 12-month or 24-month plans on surfshark.com, you'll see that each plan has a button labeled Start free trial. Click that button and provide a payment method. For seven days, you'll be able to use Surfshark on three devices simultaneously, including mobile devices and smart TVs. Just be sure to cancel if you don't want to pay, or you'll get charged for at least a year.
Pros- Very fast speeds
- Split tunneling on all apps
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Single-month pricing is excessive
- Lots of popups on desktop
- NoBorders Mode useful but can turn on needlessly
NordVPN
86100Expert ScoreBest features on a free-trial VPN
NordVPNPlatforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, AndroidTV, tvOS routers | Average download speed drop: 6.4 percent | Server locations: 153 in 117 countries | Notable features: Double VPN, Onion over VPN, obfuscated servers, P2P servers, Threat Protection, Dark Web Monitor | Best price: $83.43 for 27 months
Read our full NordVPN review
Read more: How to cancel NordVPN and get a refund
NordVPN is a great VPN service with a slightly less-than-great free trial. It's only available on Android and only for three days. To get it, download NordVPN's Android app, open it and create your free account. Once your three-day trial elapses, you won't be able to get it again on that phone.
To be honest, it's a lot less work to just use NordVPN's money-back guarantee, which lasts for 30 days on every platform. All you need to do to get your money is contact customer service. For those thirty days, you'll have full access to all the advanced features of a NordVPN subscription, like Onion over VPN servers that auto-connect to Tor and the Threat Protection blocker that keeps you off dangerous domains.
As long as you're getting a refund anyway, you might as well try a Plus plan and test out the full ad-blocking capabilities of Threat Protection Pro. Plus also gets you a trial subscription to the NordPass password manager, covering another of the 12 most important cybersecurity steps.
Pros- Excellent download speeds
- Useful exclusive features
- Extensive server network
- Clunky interface choices
- Collects device info by default
CyberGhost
83100Expert ScoreBest VPN free trial with no payment method required
CyberGhostPlatforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Amazon Fire Stick, Android TV, routers | Average download speed drop: 24.7 percent | Server locations: 125 in 100 countries | Notable features: Smart Rules automation, streaming-optimized servers, NoSpy servers, ad blocker | Best price: $56.94 for 26 months
Read our full CyberGhost review
Read more: How to cancel CyberGhost VPN and get a refund
If I were judging solely by the quality of the free trial, CyberGhost would top this list. Not only is it the only leading VPN that gives you a free trial without requiring any payment information, but that trial is available on all four major operating systems. To unlock it, visit the CyberGhost free trial page and click Download Free Trial.
The trial lasts for 24 hours on Mac and Windows, three days on Android and seven days on iOS. During that time, you'll have complete access to all CyberGhost's features, including streaming-optimized servers, Smart Rules automation, the content blocker and the high-security suite of NoSpy server locations locked down at CyberGhost's Romanian headquarters.
Since you don't have to put in a payment method, you won't have to worry about getting charged for a subscription you don't want. Although 24 hours on desktop may not seem like a lot of time, it's enough to test security, streaming and general browsing performance.
Pros- Deep automation features
- Large server network
- Highly affordable
- May share data with parent company
- Sometimes lags on connection
Private Internet Access
80100Expert ScoreBest cheap VPN with a free trial
Private Internet AccessPlatforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Apple TV, Android TV, routers | Average download speed drop: 33.9 percent | Server locations: 155 in 91 countries | Notable features: PIA MACE ad blocker, automation, built-in DNS resolver, MTU limiter | Best price: $79 for 36 months
Read our full Private Internet Access review
Read more: How to cancel Private Internet Access and get a refund
I found Private Internet Access to be a mixed bag overall when I reviewed it, but one thing I can't complain about is its mobile free trial. Yes, it's iOS and Android only, but it lasts for seven days and grants total access to the app during that time. Just download the app and get started. You will have to enter a payment method, so take care to cancel before seven days are up.
The VPN itself is definitely private, with a clean bill of health from my security tests. I found its speeds to be too swingy for convenient use, but you might feel differently once you try it out. That's what the free trial is for!
Pros- Airtight security
- Extremely affordable
- Uneven download speeds
Best VPN forever free plans
hide.me VPN
Best free VPN
hide.mePlatforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, routers | Server locations: 81 in 58 countries | Notable features: Customizable split tunneling, Stealth Guard strong kill switch, dynamic port forwarding, IPv6 support | Best price: $69.95 for 27 months
I named hide.me as the best free VPN because all the other contenders lack something in comparison. Proton VPN is the better service overall, but you can't choose your server on its free plan. Windscribe has a better roster of features, but it caps your monthly data allowance. Although it's not the flashiest VPN, hide.me is dependable, user-friendly and comes with verified security.
Users on hide.me's free plan can choose from seven server locations in the United States and Europe. It's also one of the few VPNs that can encrypt IPv6 traffic rather than blocking it. To get the free plan, just make an account and download the hide.me client without entering payment information.
Pros- Fully free with no data limits
- Fast apps with great interfaces
- Free IPv6 support
- Free plan has limited locations
- Claims to cap speeds after you use 10GB in a month
Windscribe
84100Expert ScoreBest free VPN - runner up
WindscribePlatforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Fire TV | Average download speed drop: 24.1 | Server locations: 134 in 71 countries | Notable features: R.O.B.E.R.T., pay-as-you-go plan, port forwarding, split tunneling, packet size controls, static IPs | Best price: $69 for 12 months
Read our full Windscribe review
Read more: How to cancel Windscribe VPN and get a refund
Windscribe is a VPN aimed at specific tastes. Its tightly compact, jargon-heavy apps aren't for everybody, nor is the sarcastic chatbot that seems to handle all its customer support. But underneath all that, there's an extremely solid service, including my second-favorite free plan.
The free service comes with 10 server locations and 10GB of data per month (15GB if you tweet about Windscribe). As with hide.me, all you have to do is create an account and download the VPN on the device you want to protect.
Pros- Fast and private
- All features at least partly available for free
- Build your own paid plan
- Awkward app design
- Limited ability to use some features
- Monthly data caps
Proton VPN
90100Expert ScoreFree VPN with the best paid plan
Proton VPNPlatforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chromebook, Chrome, Firefox, Android TV, Apple TV, Firestick, routers | Average download speed drop: 12.5 percent | Server locations: 154 in 62 countries | Notable features: NetShield ad blocker, Secure Core servers, Tor over VPN | Best price: $107.76 for 24 months
Read our full Proton VPN review
Read more: How to cancel Proton VPN and get a refund
Proton VPN, my favorite VPN overall, has a permanent free plan instead of a free trial. You can use it indefinitely without hitting data caps, but there's a catch — you can't choose your own server location. Instead, you'll be assigned to the fastest of eight server locations.
This means it's not great for streaming, and unfortunately, you can't use all the features. On the plus side, you are at least getting the core VPN service, so it's a great way to test whether you like Proton before committing to a paid plan.
Pros- Very fast with no data caps
- Free kill switch and obfuscation
- Eight free servers
- Can't choose server on free plan
- Best features are paywalled
Using VPN money-back guarantees as free trials
Although VPN free trials are great when you can get them, you'll enjoy a lot more flexibility by taking advantage of refund guarantees. Almost every provider has a money-back guarantee that doesn't require you to prove a specific problem. You'll probably have to deflect some upselling attempts before you actually get the refund, but most policies do promise you all your money back, with no pro-rating.
I like to download VPNs on their one-month plans so I can put the full service through my usual battery of tests. A 30-day money-back guarantee grants you enough time to learn whether you can use the VPN long-term. If you don't like the service, the standard method for getting a refund is to get in touch with customer support on the VPN provider's help page.
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