That said, a lengthy free trial without major limitations can be hard to come by. To help you find the best option for you, we tested 60+ VPN trials, eventually shortening it down to the top 10. I also looked at VPNs with trustworthy money-back guarantees, as these allow you to test without risk for longer periods. Of the VPNs tested, ExpressVPN has the best free trial options. It comes with a 7-day free trial for mobile as well as a money-back guarantee that lets you try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days. You can claim a refund if you’re not satisfied. I tested the policy myself and found that the guarantee was upheld. After 28 days of using it, I asked for my money back and it was hassle-free — it took 4 minutes to approve my refund and only 3 days until the money was returned. Start Your VPN Free Trial Start Your VPN Free Trial
VPN Free Trial vs. Money-Back Guarantee: What’s the Difference?
There are different ways in which you can test a VPN service for free:
Money-back guarantee: You’ll have to pay for the VPN upfront and can get a full refund within a certain period (usually around 30 days). Even though these trials require upfront payment, they’re usually “risk-free”, which means as long as you cancel within the time period, there’s no risk that your refund will be refused. Free Trial: No commitment and no upfront payment. Although some free trials ask for card details, the payment will only be made after the free trial period ends. These trials are usually 1-7 days long, and you may have to cancel through customer service to avoid being charged after the trial. Some free trials have no limitations, while others can throttle bandwidth and limit server selection. Free VPN: This is a VPN service that is completely free to download and use. However, free VPNs always come with restrictions (like data limits, small server networks, and slow speeds) to encourage you to upgrade to a paid plan. They can also be dangerous if you aren’t careful: some have malware embedded in the apps, while others log and sell your information to third-party advertisers without your knowledge.
You’ll find all 3 types of free trials in the following list of VPNs. These free trial VPNs have been tried and tested — they’re safe to use, and it’s easy to cancel them when you’re finished testing. I recommend using a money-back guarantee trial because it lets you really get to know the service. You can test it for 30+ days and access the full VPN and all of its features on all of your devices.
Best VPN Free Trials in March 2023
1. ExpressVPN — Fastest, Most Reliable VPN with a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee & 7-Day Free Trial
I was impressed to see that ExpressVPN offers a 7-day free trial since this is becoming a rarity with top VPNs. However, there are some things to keep in mind: you can only get it if you sign up on your mobile device and it’s only available in countries that allow access to Google Play or the App Store. If you use iOS, you’ll need to provide payment info and sign up for at least a year — if you don’t remember to cancel, you’ll be charged automatically. This also means that you may need to adhere to your app store’s refund policies, which could cause issues if you want to use the money-back guarantee after the trial period. If you sign up directly through ExpressVPN’s site, every plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. With the guarantee, you can use ExpressVPN for a much longer period without the limitations that come with the free trial. I tested the policy myself to make sure it was trustworthy and it really was hassle-free. Either way, you get a VPN with unlimited data and ultra-fast speeds. When I tested its Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, and New York server, my speeds averaged at 50 Mbps. This was a drop of just 6% from my baseline connection. When I tried its German and Belgian servers, which were thousands of kilometers away, I still got an average speed of 47.6 Mbps. This was just a drop of 11%, which is impressive — long-distance connections through VPNs usually slow your speed significantly. Its large server network has more benefits, too — it’s a great option for torrenting since the entire network supports P2P traffic. I liked that I didn’t have to search for a “P2P-friendly” server like with other VPNs I’ve used. In addition, ExpressVPN’s servers are powerful enough to bypass the Great Firewall of China. So, even if you plan to travel to a restrictive country, you’ll still be able to roam the internet freely. Just be sure to inform yourself of the laws surrounding VPN-use in that location first. ExpressVPN also has top-notch security features to keep you secure online. It has military-grade 256-bit encryption, an automatic kill switch (known as Network Lock), and lets you choose between multiple security protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2, and its own unique Lightway. During my tests, Lightway performed better regarding speeds and reliability — I could connect to the VPN in less than a second and didn’t experience any issues while browsing the web. Your online privacy is well protected while using ExpressVPN. Its RAM-based servers ensure your data is deleted automatically upon each reboot. In addition, when I signed up for ExpressVPN after using its free trial, I could pay anonymously with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which further shows its commitment to keeping your personal info private. Moreover, ExpressVPN operates under a strict no-logs policy that has been verified by independent auditors. You don’t have to worry about your online activity being collected or shared. Plus, the fact that ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands is another added security — it’s outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance and it’s not subject to data retention laws. ExpressVPN is really easy to use on all major operating systems and has a handy feature that lets you connect devices that don’t normally work with VPNs. Its SmartDNS (MediaStreamer) let me watch US Netflix and Hulu on my PS4. I tested it out and it only took me 3 minutes to set up with an easy-to-follow guide on its website. You can also set it up on Xbox, smart TVs, and Apple TV to watch your favorite shows directly on your big screen. Other features include split tunneling which allows you to choose which traffic passes through the VPN (not available on iOS). I loved that I could optimize my laptop’s performance while torrenting by only sending my P2P client’s traffic through the VPN. I could use my regular connection for everything else, so your files download faster and your device will continue to run smoothly. I definitely prefer ExpressVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee over the free trial. I tested the refund policy myself and found the 24/7 live chat feature made the process extremely fast and simple. The agent approved my refund in less than 5 minutes after asking a couple questions about my satisfaction and I got a full refund 3 days later. While you can use your credentials to sign into desktops with the 7-day mobile trial, I still recommend the money-back guarantee. It comes with all plans (including monthly), so you don’t have to commit to a long-term subscription like with iOS. Plus, if you’re not 100% satisfied, you’re guaranteed a full refund if you sign up through ExpressVPN’s site, rather than having to go through an app store. Start Your ExpressVPN Free Trial
2. CyberGhost – Test Dedicated Streaming, Torrenting, and Gaming Servers for 45 Days Risk-Free
Cyberghost offers a few options for free trials: You can get a 1-day free trial for desktop, a 3-day free trial for Android, and a 7-day free trial for iOS and these might differ depending on where you’re located. However, if you use the money-back guarantee instead, you can test the service for a generous 45 days, which is longer than any other VPN in this list.This gives you access to its entire server network, fast speeds, and military-grade security features on all your devices. CyberGhost specializes a number of its servers for streaming, torrenting, or gaming. For instance, it offers optimized streaming servers for specific streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and more. During my tests, these servers always worked to unblock the associated service. It also offers P2P-optimized servers that offer reliable and fast download speeds, along with gaming-optimized servers which keep your latency low. I played Apex Legends securely with only minimal lag at 40ms ping. This VPN’s speeds are fast too. During my speed tests, I averaged download speeds of 37.4 Mbps across 4 US servers and 3 UK servers. Although CyberGhost’s speeds aren’t as fast as ExpressVPN’s, my streams were still smooth and I didn’t encounter any lag. Since you only need 5 Mbps to watch shows in HD, you won’t face any buffering while watching your favorite content. CyberGhost is incredibly safe to use with military-grade encryption, leak protection, and an automatic kill switch. It also offers multiple security protocols including WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2 so you can choose the one that best suits your online activity. I prefered to use WireGuard because it offers as much protection as the industry standard OpenVPN, but is a bit faster. It adheres to a strict no-logs policy and even offers NoSpy servers that add an extra layer of protection when you use them. NoSpy servers are located in CyberGhost’s headquarters and are only accessible by its own staff members. This is something I haven’t seen with any other VPN, so if you’re worried about privacy, CyberGhost will keep you well protected. Combined with the P2P-optimized servers, CyberGhost is also a secure option for torrenting. CyberGhost’s regular servers are also ideal for secure online browsing. Adding to this are CyberGhost’s built-in ad blocker and automatic WiFi protection. The ad blocker blocks annoying pop-ups and adware, allowing web pages to load faster. As for the automatic WiFi protection, CyberGhost initiated a VPN connection whenever I connected to an unknown network — ensuring my data was never left vulnerable while I was away from home. Unfortunately, you can only use the free trials on 1 device. You’ll also have to provide payment information to use the mobile trials. If you forget to cancel in time, you’ll be charged after the trial period is over. In addition, you’ll have to adhere to Google Play/Apple App store refund policies which means you might not be able to use the money-back guarantee. The way around these limitations is to use the money-back guarantee instead. If you sign up for a year or longer, you can try CyberGhost for free for 45 days on up to 7 devices at once and have access to all its features (you only get 14 days if you sign up for less than a year). I tested the refund policy to make sure it’s legit. Even though I was disappointed I had to pay for a year, it was really easy to get my money back. I used the 24/7 live chat feature on its website and the agent only asked me why I wanted to cancel. They approved my refund without pressuring me to stay and I had my money back after 5 business days. Start Your CyberGhost Free Trial
3. Private Internet Access — Reliable P2P Connections With a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee and 7-day Free Trial
The great thing about Private Internet Access (PIA) is its 7-day free trial doesn’t have any limitations. However, since the performance of a VPN differs from day to day, you need more than 7 days to really test the service. A better option is to take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee. This gives you more time to test all its premium features, like its fast speeds for streaming and torrenting. In fact, PIA’s lightning fast speeds combined with its P2P-optimized network make it a great VPN for torrenting. During my tests, I used its US Atlanta server to download The Great Flamarion on BitTorrent — my speeds averaged 34.5 Mbps, which allowed me to download the file (850 MB) in less than 4 minutes. I could also boost my speeds by configuring my torrent client with PIA’s port forwarding feature. After following the instructions on PIA’s website on how to set it up, my download rate increased by 10%. You can customize PIA’s security settings for torrenting even further. The VPN offers AES-128 (can help to get faster speeds) as well as 256-bit encryption (optimizes your security), as well as WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols. If you’d like maximum security, you can use PIA’s Multi-hop feature to route your connection through a SOCKS5 or Shadowsocks proxy before the VPN server. This replaces your IP address twice, making your connection near untraceable. In addition to this, PIA offers IP/DNS leak protection, an automatic killswitch, and an ad and malware blocker called PIA MACE. Getting around geoblocks is also possible because its server network is massive, with 29,650 servers in 84 countries. When I connected to its US servers, I accessed Disney+ in under a minute. I also managed to access more than 10 Netflix libraries using the UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan servers. Although PIA doesn’t have as many server locations as ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, the number of servers in each one means you’ll have no problem unblocking different streaming sites worldwide. A minor con is that PIA gift card purchases are non-refundable. Meaning that you cannot use the money-back guarantee if you’ve used a gift card to sign up. However, I could use many other ways to pay for my subscription (like PayPal and cryptocurrency), so it was no issue at all. While PIA offers a 7-day free trial on mobile devices, I recommend testing PIA for 30 days free with its money-back guarantee by signing up directly through its site. With the mobile trial, you will be automatically charged if you forget to cancel before the free week is over — and it can be difficult to pursue a refund. This is because you have to adhere to the App/Play Store’s refund policies. To be sure PIA stands by their word, I tested the money-back guarantee for myself. I signed up for a subscription on the PIA website, and after 24 days of testing, I emailed customer service to cancel (you cannot ask for a refund through its live chat). I received a response in 4 hours confirming my refund and my money was refunded after 5 business days. Start Your PIA Free Trial
4. NordVPN — Online Threat Protection With a 7-Day Free Trial & 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
NordVPN offers a 7-day free trial if you sign up using an Android device. But once you avail it, you can use the VPN on any supported device. The free trial gives you unrestricted access to all its servers and features. Keep in mind that if you don’t cancel the trial within 7 days, you’ll be charged automatically. You’re also eligible for its money-back guarantee, which means you still have up to 30 days to test it out even after your free trial has expired. Its Threat Protection feature blocks ads and malware, so you can have a safe and smooth browsing experience. To put this to the test, I visited techradar.com, and it removed all the ads from the page. Plus, it blocks malicious sites from loading. What sets it apart from other VPN ad blockers is that it actually works to block in-stream ads on YouTube and Hulu and it scans downloaded files for malware, which enhances your security. Speaking of which, it comes with strong security features to safeguard your online identity. Your data is protected with AES 256-bit encryption, leak protection, and a kill switch. Plus, it offers obfuscated servers, which scramble your metadata and disguise your VPN traffic as normal traffic. This hides VPN use and protects your privacy even on restrictive networks. And it has a strict no-logs policy, so your online activity can’t be traced back to your account. NordVPN’s speeds are also pretty impressive. On its Dallas and New York servers, I recorded an average download speed of 48.5 Mbps (only a 9% drop). On far-away Australian servers, the speed drop averaged 15%, which is a really impressive result. Since you only need 5 Mbps for HD streaming, I could watch Family Guy in top quality on Hulu without any lag (and with no ads). My only complaint is that the free trial isn’t available in every country. So depending on where you sign up from, you may only be able to use NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee to try it out. I actually prefer the money-back guarantee to the free trial anyway. You can get it on any device no matter where you live. To test this guarantee, I contacted support through 24/7 live chat and asked for a refund. After answering a few customer satisfaction-related questions, the chat agent approved my request. I saw the money in my account in 5 days. Start Your NordVPN Free Trial
5. Surfshark — Unlimited Connections With a 7-Day Free Trial
Surfshark comes with a 7-day free trial on Android, iOS, and macOS. This means that, unlike NordVPN, you can subscribe to the free trial even if you don’t have an Android device. And once set up, you can use it on Windows and Linux as well. It’s also backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can test the VPN risk-free for up to 37 days in total. One of Surfshark’s top features is that you can use it on as many devices as you want simultaneously. Not many VPNs offer this — and it makes it a solid choice for large households. While testing, I connected my iPad, Android, and 4 other devices to its Miami server and could stream YouTube videos on all of them. The connection remained stable, and it never took more than 5 seconds for a video to load. It comes with the standard security and privacy features, but I’m particularly a fan of Surfshark’s NoBorders Mode. It’s designed to bypass strict firewalls and VPN blocks, meaning you can use the VPN in countries like China and Iran. The best part is that it activates automatically when the app detects any restrictions, so no complicated setup is required. The downside I found is that Surfshark’s headquarters are in the Netherlands, which is not a privacy-friendly country. However, Surfshark adheres to a strict no-logs policy that passed an independent audit by Deloitte in 2022, a reputable and trusted auditing firm. Surfshark also uses RAM-based servers which ensures all user data is inaccessible and regularly wiped from the servers with every reboot. Since each plan is backed by a money-back guarantee, you can try Surfshark for free for 30 days. I made sure this guarantee is legitimate by contacting live support and asking for a refund. The agent asked why I wanted to cancel, but approved my request within 5 minutes. I got my money back after 6 days. Start Your Surfshark Free Trial
6. IPVanish — Security-Focused VPN With a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Although IPVanish VPN doesn’t offer an actual free trial, you can try it out for free with its 30-day money-back guarantee, which is really easy to use. Not only will you have access to its full features, but you can cancel your money-back guarantee without speaking to a customer service representative. When I wanted to cancel my trial after 28 days, I just had to log into my account and click a couple of times to confirm my cancellation. (I didn’t even need to provide a reason for canceling!) From there, I received my refund after 4 business days. IPVanish takes your security particularly seriously — it even owns and operates its entire server infrastructure first hand. Most VPNs host their servers in third-party data centers, which leaves your sensitive information open to monitoring by unaffiliated data center employees. IPVanish ensures that only its staff, and no-one else, will ever have access to the physical VPN servers. Your online data is also kept safe with its military-grade security features (like 256-bit encryption and an automatic kill switch). IPVanish also supports the open source OpenVPN protocol, which is widely regarded to be the most trustworthy and secure option. This is because it has passed several years of security audits without major incident. IPVanish supports WireGuard too, which is a faster protocol than OpenVPN that has also passed independent security audits. That said, as a newer protocol, it still has a lot to prove. Your privacy will also be well-protected with IPVanish. Because of its IP leak protection and no logs policy, your online data and activity won’t ever be visible to your ISP or other third parties. When I ran 3 leak tests on ipleak.net on servers in the US, UK, and Australia, no IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks were detected. Thanks to the fact it offers unlimited device connections, you’ll also be able to protect the data of all your devices on a single subscription. Finding a server from its 2,200 servers is easy, thanks to IPVanish’s stylish interface. When you open it up, it displays all the servers in the region you want to connect to. Not only can you see the number of servers, but it’ll tell you how full they are, which will prevent you from connecting to a slow and overcrowded server. During my tests, I got an impressive average download speed of 42.3 Mbps. A minor con is that with IPVanish, you cannot always find a reliable server to unblock popular streaming sites, like HBO Max. You sometimes have to try multiple servers before finding one that will work. However, I managed to access more than 15 popular Netflix libraries, such as the US, the UK, and Australia. Even though it doesn’t come with a free trial, you can test all of IPVanish’s premium features for free for 30 days. Simply log in to your account and cancel your subscription within the time frame to get your money back. Keep in mind that if you sign up through the App Store or Google Play store, the money-back guarantee period is only 7 days long. This means it’s better to sign up on the IPVanish website and use these credentials to log in on your mobile devices. Start Your IPVanish Free Trial
7. PrivateVPN — Bypass the Strongest Firewalls Using the 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
PrivateVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee that allows you to test its fast speeds and top-notch security features, including its StealthVPN protocol. This is a proprietary protocol that’s not as detectable as other VPN protocols and enables you to bypass some of the toughest censorship restrictions globally, such as the Great Firewall of China. I tested StealthVPN in a public library where torrent sites are blocked. When I connected to PrivateVPN’s Chicago and Sydney servers, I could easily access all the sites that are normally restricted. Its privacy features will keep you safe and anonymous online. For example, it comes with 256-bit encryption, an automatic kill switch, and IPv6 and DNS leak protection. The last one protects you from any DNS leaks occurring, which can expose your online data to your ISP even if your IP is masked. Since the VPN has private DNS and a strict no-logs policy, it is also an excellent option for torrenting. During my tests, I could safely download a 500 MB file in 2 minutes using its US Miami server. Although it doesn’t offer a free trial anymore, you can use its 30-day money-back guarantee to test all its premium features for free. After 23 days of using the service, I contacted live customer service to ask for a refund. The chat agent told me that refunds could only be processed through email, so I emailed asking for a refund. I received an email back after 2 days and had my money back in my account after 5 days. Start Your PrivateVPN Free Trial
8. Proton VPN — Secure Free VPN With a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee Option
Proton VPN offers a completely free version to test the VPN. However, it comes with a lot of limitations to encourage you to sign up for a paid plan. Some of those include capped speeds, access to servers in only 3 countries, and 1 device connection. I recommend using its 30-day money-back guarantee to avoid the free version’s limitations. With the money-back guarantee, you get a better idea of how Proton VPN really works. It’s incredibly safe to use and comes with AES 256-bit encryption, an automatic kill switch, and uses the safest protocol in the industry: OpenVPN. It also offers IP/DNS leak protection. I tested 3 server locations and didn’t encounter any IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks. Your online privacy will be protected since Proton VPN has a verified no-logs policy. While reading through it, I was impressed with how straightforward it is. I found that all the apps are open-source and have undergone security audits. This means that Proton VPN adds an extra layer of safety and transparency to its service. Its 2,593 servers (across 67 locations) offer good speeds. During my speed tests, I tested its Netherlands, US, and Japan servers and never experienced slower speeds than 20 Mbps. This means you won’t experience any annoying lag or interruptions while browsing the web or streaming your favorite shows. A minor con is its slow customer service. It doesn’t offer 24/7 live chat, so don’t count on a speedy response from customer support. However, even though it took 2 days to receive a response, they were informative and helpful with my questions about the free version. Although Proton VPN’s free version comes with unlimited data, you only get access to its servers in Japan, the Netherlands, and the US. I found them all to be quite slow because there was a lot of overcrowding. I could access Netflix Originals with the US servers and region-locked shows with the Netherlands and Japan ones, but I had slow loading times and a bit of buffering while watching. I recommend avoiding these limitations altogether — test out the premium version with its 30-day money-back guarantee instead. To get a refund, I had to contact Proton VPN using their support form. After 2 days, I received a response via email where they accepted my request. I had my money back in 10 days. Start Your Proton VPN Free Trial
9. ZenMate — Enjoy a Free Trial Without Entering Your Credit Card Details
You can use Zenmate’s 7-day free trial for desktop without entering any payment info. This is a great way to test out the service without having to worry about getting charged if you forget to cancel. However, there is no free trial available for Android and you do need to give your credit card info for the iOS free trial. While it also has a free browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, your speeds are capped at 2 Mbps and you only have access to 4 server locations. A better option is to use ZenMate’s 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test the service for a longer period. When using ZenMate’s free trial, your privacy will be protected with its AES 256-bit encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and DNS leak protection. In other words, there’s no way for anyone to know what you are up to online. I even tested its IP/DNS leak protection by going to ipleak.net, and it didn’t reveal any IP/DNS leaks on 6 different servers. It also has an impressive network of 4,700 servers in 81 countries. Moreover, I liked that ZenMate offers servers specifically for streaming and downloading. This way, I didn’t have to spend time searching which ones worked best with Netflix US. You can always find a reliable server for streaming, torrenting, or browsing the web. In addition to the 7-day free trial, you can take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee, which lets you test it out for longer. Keep in mind that you’ll need to cancel it within 14 days of signing up to qualify for the refund. It took 24 hours to get a response, and my refund was approved without any hassle. I had my money back in 9 days. Start Your ZenMate Free Trial
10. Hotspot Shield — Reliable & Secure Hydra Protocol With a 7-Day Free Trial and 45-Day Money-Back Guarantee
You can use Hotspot Shield without limitations with its 7-day free trial. This gives you access to all 80 server locations and lets you unblock most major streaming platforms. During my tests, I was able to access US and UK Netflix, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer easily. You can also opt to test it out for 45 days using its money-back guarantee. Hotspot Shield offers a highly secure proprietary VPN protocol named Catapult Hydra. This uses military-grade encryption in combination with perfect forward secrecy. Perfect forward secrecy just means a new encryption key is generated with each user session, making it even more difficult for hackers to steal your data). In addition to this, Hotspot Shield has a strict no-logs policy. Your personal information is further protected by an automatic kill switch and IP leak protection. Even if your connection to the VPN is interrupted, your data will never be revealed. Despite the high-level of security offered by the Catapult Hydra protocol, it offers reliable performance — especially across long distances. In my tests, my average download speed was 22 Mbps, despite this location being thousands of kilometers away from me. Hotspot Shield consistently offered me this speed without sudden slowdowns, so I was able to stream content in high-quality without issue. Only CyberGhost matches Hotspot Shield with a generous refund guarantee period. After the 7-day trial ends, you can continue with your subscription and test Hotspot Shield’s full features for a further 45 days (most VPNs only offer 30 days). I made sure the guarantee was honored and requested my refund over 24/7 live chat. The agent just wanted to know why I wasn’t happy with the service. After explaining, my refund was approved and I had my money back a week later. Start Your Hotspot Shield Free Trial
Quick Comparison Table: Best VPN Free Trials
The following table gives a quick overview of all the VPN free trials, their duration, and their restrictions. Keep in mind that you won’t have any limitations if you use a money-back guarantee, and you can test the service for a longer time period. Start Your VPN Free Trial
Tips on How to Choose the Best VPN Free Trial
VPN free trials and money-back guarantees aren’t all the same. Some VPNs are better than others in this regard. Below are the most important factors you should look into when choosing the best VPN free trial.
No limitations. You should be able to get a good picture of what the premium version has to offer. It’s pretty common for VPNs to limit their features on a free trial, so be sure to check beforehand since there’s not much point in testing something that’s not the full experience. No payment info required. The best free trials don’t require any payment information. If you choose a free trial where you need to give your payment details, you could be automatically charged if you forget to cancel after your trial period. A long trial period. Look for a free trial of at least 7 days. The longer a free trial, the better you can test it. VPN performance differs from day to day, so a longer free trial is essential to get a good picture. Easy cancellation. A VPN free trial should be canceled automatically. Although this doesn’t happen most of the time, try to look for a free trial where the cancellation process is hassle-free or no-questions-asked. No fine print. Be sure to check the terms & conditions to avoid any unpleasant surprises. For example, you could be charged extra because you went well beyond your download limits, or you might have to cancel within a certain window to qualify for the money-back guarantee. Excellent customer support. Look for VPN free trials that come with 24/7 live chat support. This way, you don’t have to waste time waiting for a response during a limited trial period. Fast speeds. Choose a VPN that already has a reputation for fast speeds. That way, you don’t have to waste time trying a VPN that struggles to keep your connection fast enough for streaming, torrenting, or online browsing. Robust security & privacy protection. Even on a free trial, you’ll still be risking personal data such as your location and browsing habits. It’s critical that you choose a VPN that offers military-grade encryption, IP/DNS leak protection, and a trustworthy no-logs policy. Extensive server network. If you’re testing whether a VPN can unblock certain regional libraries or geo-restricted sites, you should confirm that the VPN has reliable servers in your desired region. The more servers available the better — then you have plenty of alternatives to choose from if any one server experiences problems. Device compatibility. A good VPN free trial will allow you to try it on all your devices and should be available at the very least for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. Router support is an added bonus, as this allows you to secure every device connected to your home network.
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VPN Free Trials You Should Avoid
You always have to be careful choosing a VPN free trial. I discovered numerous untrustworthy VPNs with security issues. Unlike the ones on my list, these are risky to use since they can log and sell your online information to advertisers and other third parties. I also came across some VPNs that pretend to offer a free trial but then charge you anyway. The following VPN free trials should be avoided:
Ivacy — Has a 7-day “free” trial, but you have to pay a small fee to use it. On top of that, after the trial period has ended, the VPN automatically charges expensive subscription prices. PureVPN — While using its free trial, I found that it has slow speeds and leaks IP/DNS requests. Moreover, the VPN claims to keep no logs, but in a recent case, the FBI requested data and got records of a user’s data from PureVPN. SiteLock — There’s no free trial, and the money-back guarantee only works if you can prove that the VPN failed to perform within the first 30 days. You need to send a request for a refund in writing, and SiteLock will determine if you get your money back, so there’s really no guarantee.
What About Free VPNs?
Free VPNs let you use their service indefinitely without any payments. They might seem like a good option, but I advise against the majority of them. Not only are most VPN features limited, but they often bombard you with ads and cookies, which are used to collect your data. Also, free VPNs can infect your device with malware and viruses. I’d recommend avoiding CrossVPN, Archie VPN, and BetternetVPN. These free VPNs are known to have embedded malware in their apps. In short, most free VPNs put your privacy at serious risk and significantly limit your internet capabilities. Some of these include slower speeds, capped data, and unstable connections, so it’s best to avoid them. However, there are some free VPNs that we do recommend since they’re offered alongside a premium service. You can download these VPN services completely free, but they do come with restrictions, such as limited bandwidth and a smaller server network. I’d recommend testing their premium service by using their money-back guarantees. This way, you won’t have to deal with the annoying limitations that the free plan has.
Do ExpressVPN and CyberGhost have free trials?
Yes, they both have free trials. ExpressVPN offers a 7-day free trial for mobile devices, whereas CyberGhost offers a 1-day free trial for desktop and a 7-day free trial for mobile devices. However, I’d recommend using their money-back guarantees to get a better picture of the VPN. A 1-day free trial isn’t long enough to test a VPN since its performance varies from day to day. In addition, the free trials on mobile devices come with limitations such as no kill switch and no split tunneling. A money-back guarantee allows you to test all the features of the VPN on your iPhone, iPad, and other devices without restrictions.
Can I Watch Netflix using a free VPN trial?
Yes, it is possible to use VPN free trials to access Netflix libraries worldwide. However, keep in mind that VPN free trials often come with limitations that don’t allow you to test the complete service. Some free trials don’t give you full access to its complete server network. This way, it might be possible that you cannot use the servers that work with Netflix. All of the VPN free trials in this list work with Netflix, but you might have to use the money-back guarantee to access this feature. In all cases, a money-back guarantee will allow you to test the premium service without limitations. In addition, it gives you a lot more time than a standard free trial (a money-back guarantee is usually 30 days, whereas free trials aren’t usually longer than 7 days).
Can I use a VPN free trial without a credit card?
Some VPNs let you use a free trial without a credit card, while some do not. The best free trials will only ask for an email address and no credit card information. However, most VPNs require credit card information for you to test it. You should always read the fine print before starting a free trial. If credit card details are required, then it’s likely you’ll be charged immediately when your trial period expires. Some of the VPN free trials in this list that don’t ask for credit card details are ExpressVPN’s 7-day free trial (on Android only), CyberGhost’s 24-hour free trial (on desktop only), and Zenmate’s 7-day free trial (on desktop only).
Which VPN has the longest free trial?
You won’t find many VPNs that offer free trials for longer than 7 days. If you’re looking for an extended trial, then the best option is to opt for a money-back guarantee instead. Many VPNs offer refund guarantees of at least 30 days. While you have to put money down, you won’t face the limitations that some free trials come with. For example, ExpressVPN’s 7-day free trial is only available on mobile devices, and there’s a risk of being charged if you forget to cancel before the trial period is up. For this reason, I’d recommend making use of ExpressVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee instead, which gives you much more time to comfortably test the service. Another tip is to combine a free trial with a money-back guarantee to extend the amount of time you have to test the VPN. In most cases, you still qualify for a money-back guarantee if you continue with the service after your free trial.
Can I use a VPN free trial on a FireStick?
You can use a VPN free trial on a FireStick if your VPN is compatible with one. Most of the VPNs in this list have native apps for FireStick. Since free trials are usually restricted to a certain device, you may need to use the money-back guarantee for this to work. However, you can always try to download the VPN app to your FireStick and sign in with your free trial credentials if you’re given them.
How do I cancel my VPN free trial?
You can cancel your free trial in a few ways. First of all, if you haven’t provided any payment details, then your free trial will be canceled automatically. You won’t need to worry about being charged. If the free trial you’ve chosen requires payment information, then there are a couple of ways you may need to cancel. Some VPNs allow you to cancel without contacting customer support. You’ll usually find a link to cancel when logged in to your VPN account in your browser. Most of the time, you just fill in a form and receive an email confirming the refund. You might also need to contact customer support. If your VPN has a 24/7 live chat service, it is usually easier to do it that way. Simply tell them that you want to cancel your free trial, and they’ll proceed with your request. Some VPNs may ask your reason for quitting, which is usually requested for feedback purposes. If you’re entitled to a refund, then ask how long it’ll take to be processed for confirmation. Also, keep in mind that the cancellation process for mobile devices can be different. If you subscribed to a VPN service through the Apple App Store or Google Play, you’d most likely have to cancel your subscription through them. That means you’ll have to abide by their refund policy, and your money-back guarantee might not be honored. I recommend signing up for a free trial through the provider’s website whenever possible to avoid any difficulties.
Can I use a VPN free trial multiple times?
Technically, it is possible. By signing up with a new email address and deleting your cookies each time, you could use a VPN free trial more than once. However, you could end up getting banned from the VPN service if they catch you trying to sign up for a free trial multiple times, so I don’t recommend it. In addition, several VPN services ask for credit card information, so you would need to have numerous credit cards to sign up multiple times. Besides, many VPNs have stopped their free trials because of people abusing the system in this way. What you could do is test different VPN services using their free trials to see which one works best for you.
Are there VPN free trials for India and China?
Yes, most VPNs have either a free trial or a money-back guarantee for people in India and China. A free trial in India and China is no different from a free trial in another country because the trials differ based on the VPNs, not the user’s country. However, keep in mind that VPNs are banned in China if the government does not approve them, so you need to be careful. Luckily, ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN offer free trials or money-back guarantees and work well in restrictive countries like China. India doesn’t ban any VPNs, but the government also doesn’t encourage using them. You should still check the laws and regulations if you plan to use a VPN there. In case you need to use a VPN there, ExpressVPN, IPVanish, and CyberGhost all come with money-back guarantees and work well in India.
What are the limitations of a VPN free trial?
There are different limitations you can have while using a VPN free trial. It could be that you’re having slow speeds since you’re restricted to a smaller pool of (overcrowded) servers. Besides, you could have data caps that could result in your free trial ending after a few hours because you reached the limit. In addition, it could be that you cannot make use of specific features such as split tunneling and ad blockers. It’s important to always check the terms & conditions before committing to a VPN free trial to avoid any unwanted surprises. To avoid limitations, use a money-back guarantee instead. This way you can test the full service for a longer period, which allows you to really get to know the VPN. I tested the refund policies of each VPN in this list and it was easy to get my money back every time.
Get the Best VPN Free Trial Today
Every free trial is different and some of them come with a lot of restrictions. You’ll have to read the fine print, remember to cancel in time to avoid being charged, or won’t have full access to the VPN features. While the VPN free trials in this list are good options, testing a VPN using its money-back guarantee is the best way to get the full experience without paying anything. You can use it for much longer than a free trial and aren’t restricted in any way. Out of the 50 VPNs my team and I tested, I recommend ExpressVPN. It offers world-class security features and has a huge server network with fast speeds for every kind of online activity. And most importantly, it has a 7-day free trial and a trustworthy money-back guarantee. You can test it completely risk-free. If you’re not satisfied, you have 30 days to claim a full refund. Start Your VPN Free Trial
To summarize, the best VPN free trials in 2023 are…
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