Best Free VPNs for Android in 2022
Opting for a free VPN on Android (or any other device) is not necessarily a good idea. Indeed, many services have bad intentions and do not hesitate to resell your personal information as well as your navigation data. For all these reasons, if you have the possibility, we always recommend opting for a paid and serious VPN solution.
That being said, there are still some free VPN solutions compatible with the Android operating system and trustworthy. However, they will come with a number of limitations as you will see in the rest of our comparison.
If you have very little time to devote to reading our article, we offer you a summary.
Ranking of the best free VPNs for Android in 2022:
- ExpressVPN (30 days free)
- CyberGhost VPN (45 days free)
- NordVPN (30 days free)
- Proton-VPN
- Hide.me
- TunnelBear
- Windscribe
Below, we will go into detail on each of them.
Summary
Tip to enjoy the best Android VPN for free (30 days)
Before introducing you to the best totally free VPNs on Android, we wanted to share with you a tip that will give you the opportunity to use the best paid VPN currently offered on the Android OS for free.
To start, how to enjoy ExpressVPN for free? The provider offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with all of its subscriptions. Therefore, by opting for a 1 month subscription, and after 29 days (to make the most of it), you will be able to request a full refund via this guarantee. It is absolutely unconditional. The only thing you will have to do is make your request to ExpressVPN customer support. The latter being available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week thanks to an online chat function, you will have no trouble getting your money back.
By using this trick, you will have access to the best Android VPN of 2022… free for 30 days. With ExpressVPN, say goodbye to restrictions and hello to completely unrestrained Internet use:
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Flows more than satisfactory
- Compatibility with the main catalogs of Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video…
- Application available on many platforms (Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, router, etc.)
- High level security (no leaks, kill switch function, AES-256 bit encryption)
- Respect for your privacy (ExpressVPN does not keep logs of your online activities – this has been audited by an
- independent firm)
- Ability to protect up to 5 devices at the same time
- More than 3000 servers in 94 countries (all servers are also compatible with the practice of P2P
What to do once the period of 30 free days has passed? Well, you can turn to another premium VPN offering a money-back guarantee… or simply commit to the longer term with ExpressVPN (but paying this time).
CyberGhost VPN: 45 days free trial
ExpressVPN isn’t the only great Android VPN to offer a free trial. This is also the case of the Romanian provider CyberGhost. This VPN, renowned for the advanced confidentiality it offers Internet users and for its very competitive prices, offers a free trial of up to 45 days. Currently, we do not find such a long duration among other competitors.
Thanks to this VPN, you will be able to protect your Android media in a few clicks. Indeed, upon activation, CyberGhost encrypts your web traffic end-to-end and hides your source IP address. Instead, one of the provider’s many IP addresses is visible. And as much to say that there are many since CyberGhost has 8000 servers.
CyberGhost servers are located in 90 different countries. That means you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to changing your online location and breaking through geo-blocks.
Of course, the bandwidth is unlimited. Thus, you will be able to stream content and even download large files with CyberGhost, which is not possible with a 100% free VPN on Android. Besides, be aware that CyberGhost offers dedicated servers for P2P and streaming to make it easier for you to use.
Here is a brief summary of what an account with CyberGhost offers:
- unlimited access to more than 8000 servers
- a secure and anonymous connection on their Android devices
- virtual locations in 90 territories around the world to unlock various content
- 7 simultaneous connections to use the VPN on devices other than Android
- Kill Switch emergency stop function for protection at all times
- unlimited bandwidth
NordVPN: 30-day free trial
Before attacking with the list of the best truly free VPNs for Android, let us share an additional tip with you. Everything we just saw with ExpressVPN and CyberGhost can be replicated with another VPN: NordVPN.
NordVPN is one of the best premium Android VPNs of the moment and also allows you to test its service for free for 30 days thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee period.
This will allow you to enjoy all its benefits, without any limits, for 30 days. Then, request (if you wish) your full refund and, in the end, it will have cost you nothing. You should also know that NordVPN is currently displaying a very strong promotion lowering the price of the VPN to less than 3€ per month. It’s not free, but almost!
Thanks to this trick, you will not only have a free VPN for Android for more than three months if we combine the free trials of the three providers. And this, without any bandwidth limit, connection to countries or simply security and functionality.
NordVPN in a few key facts:
- No bandwidth limit
- Excellent speeds
- 5400+ servers
- 53 countries available
- Customer support available 24/7/365 via online chat
- Excellent apps iOS, Android, Mac, Windows,…
- 6 simultaneous connections
To enjoy one of the best VPNs for Android free for 30 days, visit the NordVPN site here:
Best Free VPNs for Android (2022 Ranking)
Come on, it’s time to introduce you to the totally free and compatible VPN services for Android devices. You came for that after all, didn’t you?
1) ProtonVPN
Our favorite for best free VPN for Android is Proton VPN. Renowned for its commitment to the security and privacy of its users, it offers an attractive no-cost plan.
Proton VPN will not impose any limits or quotas on your data usage. So you can watch streaming content without worrying about it, or even download large files. This is really what sets it apart from the competition.
You will also be able to count on a no-log policy. This is in line with what we have said previously about security and anonymity. Proton VPN undertakes not to record any browsing data concerning you on its servers. By opting for the Proton VPN Android VPN application, you will also be able to enjoy an interface without any advertising.
Now, even though according to our tests it is the best, its free solution comes with quite a few drawbacks. You will not be able to count on P2P support, the speeds offered will be relatively low compared to its paid offer, you will only be able to protect one device at a time, and above all, you will not be able to rely on only on servers in three countries.
What is our opinion on the Proton VPN Android app? It is successful, but we regret the lack of features, servers, and countries covered. This is unfortunately the sad reality of free VPNs. Still, you won’t find a better free Android-compatible VPN than Proton VPN. That’s a fact.
2) Hide.me
Hide.me also offers a relatively decent free Android VPN. Now just like with Proton VPN, don’t expect to find the same number of features, servers, or speeds as impressive as with ExpressVPN.
We did not specify it before, but just like Proton VPN, no credit card will be necessary in order to have access to the free (lifetime) offer of Hide.me. You also won’t need to create an account on the provider’s site in order to take advantage of its free VPN service.
By opting for Hide.me to equip your Android device, you will have access to 10 GB of data usage per month, no speed limit (even if the speeds are not very good), no advertising, and insurance Hide.me will not keep logs of your online activities through its service.
Otherwise, Hide.me will offer you 5 locations via its free and Android-compatible VPN application. Unlike Proton VPN, you can also use all of them to download files in P2P.
Hide.me also comes with its limitations… Besides the quota of 10 GB of data consumed each month, you will have to live with the fact that its service is not compatible with streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, or even those of French TV channels. You will be very limited at this level.
3) TunnelBear
The last VPN for Android that we wanted to introduce to you comes from Canada and is called TunnelBear. Are you looking for an application that is easy to use and with an interface that is a little different from what we are used to seeing? Well in that case, TunnelBear will definitely catch your eye.
Its application (whether you are on Android or another platform) will allow you to select one of the countries covered very easily. How ? Through a world map.
Speaking of countries covered, it is good that you know that TunnelBear is certainly the most generous free VPN on Android. In total, you will be able to obtain an IP address in 23 different countries. Just like Proton VPN and Hide.me, you also won’t have to fill in your bank details in order to take advantage of the free plan.
The quota imposed on your data consumption is ridiculous (500 MB per month), speeds are really slow, P2P is not supported, TunnelBear is not able to assist you in accessing a catalog stranger from Netflix, and you are going to have to be patient every time you have to contact their customer support.
If that doesn’t bother you, then TunnelBear is a good free VPN for Android. For us, it’s really limited and you will quickly come out frustrated from its use. That said, do not hesitate to test it because it is after all free and without obligation.
List of limitations of a free VPN on Android
Are free VPNs that can be downloaded and used on Android safe? It all depends on the provider you choose. By opting for one of the three services listed above, you will not have a priori to worry about your security.
On the other hand, and unlike ExpressVPN (the best paid VPN on Android), you will have to face a lot of limitations and disadvantages.
In order to best illustrate what we say, we offer you a list of the main points which prove the limits of such a free service:
- Security often poorly assured
- Respect for your privacy sometimes violated (Hola VPN is the best example – it has since been completely removed from the Google Play Store)
- The number of servers and countries covered are low (which leaves you little choice regarding the country in which you will be able to simulate your presence)
- Inability to unblock streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+… (even with the best free VPN for Android of 2022). All free VPNs are detected and blocked by today’s major streaming platforms. In addition, the fact that few servers and countries are covered will greatly complicate your task.
- Extremely slow speeds. It is common to see your speeds (up and down) being divided by 2, 3 or even 4.
- Limitation of your data consumption to the month or week (once the quota is reached, you no longer have the possibility of connecting to a server).
As you can see, you will have to face a lot of restrictions with a free VPN installed on your Android tablet or smartphone. It’s up to you to see if it’s disturbing or not, and what use you’ll have of it.
It is clear that if you need a VPN on your Android device for only a few hours, there is no need to invest in a paid solution.
Now if you plan to use such a service on a regular basis (or even for a few days while traveling abroad, for example), then it may be worth opting for the 30-day risk-free trial. available through the excellent ExpressVPN. The use of its service can remain totally free… or if you have been convinced, you can pay in order to benefit from it durably.
Conclusion
It is already time for us to conclude this comparison of the best free Android VPNs of 2022. If you have read our article in its entirety, you may have noticed that such a solution (even if it is the best) requires many constraints: limited bandwidth, limited number of locations, low speeds, etc.
Before opting for a service, it will therefore be necessary to determine your expectations and your needs. If you need a Virtual Private Network on an occasional basis, only once a week, it may be worth choosing the free service option.
Conversely, if you intend to use it on a regular basis, there is no doubt that it is better to prioritize obtaining a paid VPN on Android.