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Virtual private networks (VPNs) help to protect you online, disguise your identity and access content not normally available in your country. The best VPNs offer a wide range of advanced privacy features – but they can be quite expensive.
Thankfully, lots of providers offer VPN free trials, which gives you access to a wealth of privacy features before needing to commit financially. Since there are so many providers available, it’s a good idea to compare them and test out the products for free before choosing the one that best meets your requirements.
Free VPN trials come in all shapes and sizes, with some only offering seven days while others are more generous and allow for 60 days of free use. Not all trials are actually free – some providers offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you’ll need to pay for the subscription initially, but you can cancel and claim this back within the 30-day window.
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a free trial, so we’ve created a list of the best free trials and what to look for.
Our experts have extensively tested and analysed different VPN providers and these are the best VPNs we’ve reviewed. They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, which gives you a chance to trial them, as long as you remember to cancel before the end of the 30-day period.
When choosing the best VPN trial, there are various things to consider, just like there are when choosing a paid service. You’ll want to ensure you’re choosing a free VPN from a company with good security credentials and a clean reputation. Customers should also be vigilant and read the small print, as sometimes free trials are not truly free.
What to consider:
Surfshark is undoubtedly one of the best VPNs we’ve tested in terms of speed and usability and offers a wealth of privacy features; it also offers a seven-day free trial. This allows customers to have access to all of Surfshark’s VPN features free of charge for a full seven days, but there’s a catch: the trial is only available for iOS, Android and MacOS devices. If you want to try it on other platforms, you’ll have to sign up for a subscription and take advantage of the provider’s 30-day money-back guarantee.
To sign up for Surfshark’s free trial, customers will need to provide their credit card details, but this is the case with most VPN free trials.You don’t need to pay anything upfront, but if you don’t remember to cancel before it ends you’ll be charged for a monthly or yearly plan – but luckily Surfshark is one of the cheapest VPNs on the market. Surfshark will notify you before your seven days are up, giving you enough time to cancel, but if you do miss the cancel date and are charged, you can still benefit from the money-back guarantee.
With Surfshark’s free trial, customers can test out all of the provider’s best features with an unlimited amount of data and use the service on an unlimited number of devices. Just like its paid plans, you’ll have access to more than 3,200 servers in more than 65 server locations, AES-256 encryption, an audited no-logs policy and a kill switch.
Check out our full Surfshark VPN review.
Norton Secure is one of the most well-known cybersecurity companies, so it makes sense that it also offers a high-quality VPN service. Norton Secure VPN is affordable and covers various price points, with plans available to connect one, five, or 10 devices simultaneously. With any of its plans, customers can trial the service for 30 days for free.
The free trial gives customers access to Norton’s wide range of privacy and security features, unlike some free VPN trials where customers are only offered a watered-down version. Norton VPN’s paid plans have a split tunnelling feature, which allows customers to choose which internet or app traffic to route through the VPN, and its kill switch feature protects the user’s IP address and online activity even when the connection is lost. Both of these features are available with any of its 30-day free trials.
The provider also says it doesn’t log or store any of its users’ data or online activities, but beware: this claim has not been backed up by an independent VPN audit, as other providers have undertaken. Furthermore, the service’s privacy policy vaguely states that some user information is collected for diagnostic purposes, including IP addresses (though it’s not clear if this is the user’s real IP or the server they’re connected to) and device type. Norton is also based in the US, which is a member of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes and 14 Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances. This is something to consider if you’re concerned about privacy.
Although Norton Secure VPN’s free trial is free, customers will need to provide their credit card details when signing up. However, they will not be charged until the free trial has ended. Customers can also cancel at any time within the 30-day trial period if they decide not to continue with a paid plan.
Designed by Czech cybersecurity software company Avast (which was acquired by NortonLifeLock, now known as Gen Digital, in late 2022), SecureLine is available for MacOS, iOS, Windows and Android devices. Avast SecureLine is designed by the makers of the most trusted antivirus software in the world, and its VPN service echoes the same high standard of privacy and security.
SecureLine can be trialled for free for 60 days, which is more than most other VPN providers. The free VPN trial allows for 10 simultaneous device connections, claims to follow a no-logs policy (though this hasn’t undergone a third-party audit) and gives you access to 700 servers located in 34 different countries.
Although the trial is completely free, you’ll need to provide payment details when signing up. The paid plans offer multi-device connections and are billed yearly at the end of your free trial period. You will be reminded seven days before your free trial ends, but if you do miss the cancellation date you can still benefit from a 30-day money-back guarantee after payment is taken.
SecureLine is reasonably priced, and all of its VPN servers are encrypted with AES-256.The service conceals your IP address, protects users against DNS leaks and bypasses geo-blocked content.
F-Secure, formerly known as Freedome, offers antivirus software, password management, and a VPN, as well as other cybersecurity consumer products for PCs and mobile devices. F-Secure’s VPN is available for MacOS, iOS, Android and Windows devices, and its plans cover one, five, or 10 devices simultaneously.
The VPN offers its service for free for 30 days. The free VPN trial covers five devices and gives you access to all of F-Secure’s privacy features and secure servers. While it’s unclear how many servers the provider has (since the number of the server base is ever-changing), it does have servers located in 29 different countries worldwide. F-Secure’s free trial not only includes the VPN service, but you’ll also have full access to antivirus software and password protection.
To sign up for F-Secure’s free VPN trial, unlike some other providers, you’re not required to provide any credit card information. You’ll also be reminded before your free trial ends to ensure you won’t be without protection.
F-Secure doesn’t offer the most comprehensive list of privacy features, but the provider states it does not share or sell any of its customer’s data. However, some information such as device IDs and public IP addresses are collected and stored for 90 days. This should be a serious concern for the privacy-conscious.
Antivirus software developer Malwarebytes also offers a high-speed VPN service, with three plans available – one, three, or five devices. Malwarebytes Privacy VPN offers more than 500 servers located in more than 40 countries.
Malwarebytes Privacy VPN’s seven-day free trial is available for any of its plans and gives access to the same privacy features offered to paid subscribers. However, seven days isn’t a long time to test out the service and is relatively short compared to Norton Secure and Avast SecureLine.
The service has downloadable apps for Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android, and the service claims to follow a no-logs policy, but this has yet to be verified in an independent audit. Be aware also that Malwarebytes is headquartered in the US, which is a member of all three Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances. All servers are encrypted with AES-256 and the provider conceals your IP address as well as disguises your web activities.
With any company that handles your sensitive data, it’s best to err on the side of caution. This includes free VPN trials. Most providers claim to follow strict privacy policies and include features such as a no-logs policy (meaning the company promises it won’t log or store your data), but just because this is included in a VPN’s paid plan doesn’t mean that its free trial offers the same level of privacy. Many free VPNs haven’t had their security claims scrutinised by independent auditors, either, and some could even contain harmful or annoying malware.
However, the free VPN trials we’ve covered in this guide are trustworthy and claim to be covered by no-logs policies. As well as this, the services offered by cybersecurity companies tend to take customers’ privacy seriously and have all the necessary measures in place to protect those who opt for a free trial.
Like with most online services, the requirement to input personal information is typically the norm – there are limited options available for those who do not wish to provide personal information for a VPN trial. Most providers will ask for a name, email address and credit card details at the very least.
However, with F-Secure VPN, you won’t be asked to provide your credit card information for its free trial, but you would still need to provide a name and email address.
Free VPN trials can be a great way to test service before committing financially, but not all providers offer trials, and even fewer offer good free trials.
The best free VPN trial for privacy features, based on our research, is Norton Secure VPN. The free trial is only for seven days, but it does give customers access to all of the service’s premium privacy features, such as split tunnelling and a kill switch.
The best free VPN trial for the amount of time given is Avast SecureLine VPN. The provider offers an outstanding 60 days and the option to connect up to 10 devices simultaneously. SecureLine’s VPN trial also includes a no-logs policy and access to 700 servers.
No, not all VPNs offer free trials; in fact, most providers don’t offer a true free trial – instead, a money-back guarantee is usually offered, typically lasting 30 days. However, just because a VPN doesn’t offer a free trial doesn’t mean it’s not a good provider. It’s worth using the guarantee window as a trial period if you want to test some of the best free VPNs on the market.
Yes, you can get a free VPN trial outside the UK. When downloading a VPN, your geographical location doesn’t matter to the provider, unless there are certain data laws in your jurisdiction that prevent you from using such a service.
A VPN is one of the best ways to protect yourself online while concealing your IP address and masking your online activity. It’s always best to try a product before committing financially, so a VPN free trial is a great way to do this.
No, free VPN trials are not illegal. Just like with paid subscriptions, trial periods are legal and are a great way to test the service before purchasing a plan. So long as VPNs are legal in your country of residence, then a free trial is also completely legal.
There may be hidden costs with any free VPN trials, which is why you should read all the terms and conditions before signing up for anything. Some providers require payment upfront and then offer a 30-day money-back guarantee; while you should get a full refund if you cancel within this period, there is still an initial monetary requirement, unlike a true free trial, where you pay nothing up front to use the service.
