Say goodbye to blocks, censorship and geographical restrictions! This is the complete guide to the Best VPNs of 2024 starting with the ones that are free.
But first let's make it clear: What is a VPN? It is a tool that allows you to change your IP and encrypt your Internet connection, making it secure and anonymous.
How do Free VPNs make money?
The safest Free VPNs are those with a Freemium model, such as: ProtonVPN, PrivadoVPN, Hideme, Atlas VPN, or TunnelBear that offer a basic free version and charge for advanced features.
While completely Free VPNs can show ads or sell your data to generate income, as is the case with Urban VPN.
Pros and Cons of Free VPNs
Pros: They provide an additional layer of security by allowing you to change your IP to that of another country, so you can browse the Internet anonymously, and that allows you to access geo-blocked content, such as streaming platforms or websites that are not available in your country.
Cons: However, Free VPNs have their limitations. They have slower connection speeds, a very limited list of locations and servers, or a monthly data usage limit. Additionally, some free VPNs are not secure, so it's essential to choose a trustworthy provider.
🎖️️ What is the best Free VPN?
The best Free VPN is Proton VPN because, in addition to being free, it is unlimited, ad-free, and focused on security, so it has a strict NO-logs policy. It offers 249 servers in 5 countries: United States, Netherlands, Japan, Poland and Romania.
It has applications for all devices, modern encryption, a powerful Kill Switch and an obfuscation protocol called "Stealth", ideal if you are in a country with extreme censorship. Without a doubt, the safest Free VPN you can use.
👑 The Free VPN that seems perfect
Tuxler VPN is the only completely free and unlimited VPN with 116 countries to choose from and 300,000 residential IP addresses that go undetected by AntiVPN systems.
It works for Netflix and other streaming platforms, but obviously has all the disadvantages of a Free VPN.
⭕ Opera VPN, the Browser with built-in Free VPN
Another alternative is Opera, which is not exactly a VPN, but it is a browser with a built-in Free and Unlimited VPN with which you can hide your real IP address and bypass geo-restrictions.
Browse faster, thanks to the powerful integrated ad blocker that removes even annoying YouTube ads .
And in the sidebar, you can set shortcut to ChatGPT, messaging services like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, and your favorite music streaming service. It also features the 'My Flow' function, allowing you to sync your mobile device with your PC and easily share files.
Is there a 100% Free VPN that is secure?
VPNs are a technology that requires a big investment, so if they are 100% free, they won't be good, fast, or secure. However, there is a way to get the Best VPNs completely free, and it is through their free trials or the 30-day money back guarantee offered by, for example: NordVPN, SurfShark, and ExpressVPN.
🎖️ The Best VPNs 2024
Why are they the Best VPNs of 2024? Because they have applications for all platforms, offer high speeds, have servers all over the world, and feature obfuscation that allows them to go unnoticed even in China.
They possess multiple security features and work for Streaming, Gaming and Torrenting. They have a strict No Logs policy and their RAM-based servers cannot retain any data.
🥇 NordVPN
Surely you have seen a lot of advertising, heard from YouTubers or read in many forums that NordVPN is the best VPN of 2024, but let's see why it is so popular:
I've been using NordVPN for quite some time, and it's honestly one of the best choices when it comes to privacy and security. The main reason is its audited no-logs policy and RAM-only servers.
But it also offers an extra layer of privacy with its specialized servers: Obfuscated Servers, Double VPN, Onion over VPN, P2P Servers and Dedicated IP.
Beginners won't have any issues because its interface is intuitive, and all the essential VPN elements are there, such as a powerful Kill Switch to prevent data leaks.
One of my favorite features is the Threat Protection, a tool for protection against malware, ad blocker, and real-time tracker blocking. It can perform a full computer scan like an antivirus would, and it can also check files when downloading.
I ran tests, and it caught 9 out of every 10 malicious files, the same effectiveness as the top antivirus programs on the market.
In terms of performance, NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs I've tried. Even when connecting to the farthest servers, I still get good speeds—a significant advantage for accessing foreign libraries of Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, or DAZN. I could access everything I wanted.
Overall, the Windows app has the most features and is the best choice for PC users at the moment. And as a regular Mac user, I have to recommend downloading it from your NordVPN panel and not from the App Store. I don't know why, but the App Store version lacks some features.
🥈 Surfshark
Surfshark deserves the second place for a couple of very good reasons. In addition to being cheaper than NordVPN, it's also an excellent choice for streaming unlock.
Their apps are clean, modern and packed with features. Like Nord, it also has all the essentials, such as the Kill Switch to prevent IP leaks or the Double VPN feature with MultiHop for added security.
There are two things that stand out about Surfshark compared to NordVPN, the first one is that with a subscription you can use an unlimited number of devices at the same time, while NordVPN has a limit of 6.
The second one is the advantage it has in its Android application, it is an exclusive GPS spoofing feature, ideal for changing your location in APPs such as Tinder, TikTok, Instagram, etc. It is a unique feature, which makes it the best option for Android.
Performance-wise, it offers high speeds, almost similar to NordVPN, and is capable of unblocking content from all major streaming services, including 29 different Netflix libraries, compared to NordVPN's 14, which are still more than you'll ever need.
🥉 ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN was acquired by Kape Technologies, a company accused of injecting malware in the past, which led to many criticisms. However, it has a jurisdiction that respects privacy, the British Virgin Islands, and has a court-proven no-logs policy.
ExpressVPN was the first VPN service to implement privacy-focused features, such as RAM-only servers. However, in terms of features, it only has two that stand out: 'Threat Manager,' and the tracker blocker, which finally received a much-needed update and can now block ads.
And a password manager, which is a bit unstable, but as it performs the basic functions of a password manager and is very new, I can overlook some glitches.
On the other hand, its performance is quite good, its own “Lightway” protocol works very well. Honestly, I got speed results close to NordVPN and Surfshark when I connected to the nearest recommended server.
This is not too surprising, as ExpressVPN's server network used to be quite extensive, covering 105 countries. However, it no longer displays the number of servers it currently has. The reason? I really don't know; the limited information suggests it might be because they are replacing their 1 Gbps servers with new 10 Gbps servers.
Regarding streaming unblocking, it is still one of the best VPN for Streaming. I managed to access all the libraries of popular platforms without any problems. I was even able to access Indian content and not many VPNs can do that right now.
It is also an excellent option for downloading torrents; all its servers support P2P. Additionally, remember that it has 105 country locations to choose from, and as long as you choose one nearby, the speed will be good.
▶ NordVPN vs Surfshark vs ExpressVPN: Which is better?
| NordVPN | Surfshark | ExpressVPN |
| ✓ 6060 servers in 61 countries. | ✓ 3200 servers in 100 countries. | ✓ Servers in 105 countries. |
| ✅ Streaming ✅ Torrenting ✅ Works in China. | ✅ Streaming ✅ Torrenting ✅ Works in China. | ✅ Streaming ✅ Torrenting ✅ Works in China. |
| ✓ Limit of 6 simultaneous devices. | ♾️ Unlimited simultaneous devices. | ✓ Limit of 8 simultaneous devices. |
| 💵 Price: $12.99 per month. For 2-year subscriptions: $3.39 | 💵 Price: $10.99 per month. For 2-year subscriptions: $2.29 | 💵 Price: $12.95 per month. In 1 year subscription: $6.67 |
The competition between NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN vs. Surfshark is fierce, these VPN providers are quite popular, making it challenging to decide on one. That's why I decided to compare them and analyze in detail: Which one is better for what purposes?
🕵️ Privacy:
Let's analyze the privacy aspects promised by each of these contenders for the best VPN of 2024.
Remember that ExpressVPN was acquired by Kape Technologies, a company accused of producing malware and adware. However, since its acquisition, they have done everything possible to demonstrate that their privacy and security standards remain intact.
But regardless of who owns it now, it must also be said that its audited no-logging policy remains strong and the RAM-only servers, coupled with jurisdiction in the British Virgin Islands, leaves no room for data sharing.
It even has a bug bounty program for those who discover vulnerabilities.
As for NordVPN, the VPN provider that dominates the market, it is also known that it bought Atlas VPN and announced a merger with Surfshark, who until then was its closest rival.
On the other hand, NordVPN, with jurisdiction in Panama, a country that, like the British Virgin Islands, respects privacy, ensures that your browsing activity, login data, and other sensitive information remain private.
However, comparing NordVPN with Surfshark, the Dutch jurisdiction of the latter raises concerns for some because the Netherlands is part of an international information-sharing alliance.
But this shouldn't bother you because their architecture ensures no user data is stored, and the no-logs policy is a nice final touch. Additionally, all three VPNs have RAM-only servers designed not to retain user details.
🛡️ Security:
Now that we've covered privacy aspects, let's see how ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN vs. Surfshark compare in terms of security:
VPNs encrypt your connection by default, but the method they use to do this is different. Surfshark's WireGuard, NordVPN's NordLynx, and ExpressVPN's Lightway all use the same encryption algorithm.
Coincidentally, this is currently the most secure encryption available. But, if you're looking for specific security features, that's a different story. For example, comparing NordVPN with ExpressVPN, the latter has minimal additional features apart from split tunneling and a threat manager.
Of the three providers, NordVPN has the most security additions, including a malware and ad blocker, along with a wide variety of servers for different situations, from enhancing your security to bypassing censorship.
Surfshark also offers a malware and ad blocker, along with some features similar to NordVPN. But if you don't mind paying a little more, you can also get a built-in antivirus.
🚀 What is the Fastest VPN?
Any VPN will slow down your internet speed, so the question is: How much? To find out, I compared the speed of NordVPN vs. Surfshark vs ExpressVPN.
To be honest, all of them are fast because to be the best VPNs, they need to be. However, it's common for VPNs to have slower speeds with servers that are farther away. Despite this, NordVPN's performance results were stable, Surfshark was slightly faster in some cases, but they are more or less at a similar level.
ExpressVPN ended up in third place in this test, not because it's bad, but in any competition, there's always a loser. Nevertheless, it still remains a VPN with high speeds when compared to other VPN services.
🍿 What is the best VPN for Streaming?
The decision becomes a bit more complicated when you're looking for the best VPN for streaming. However, keep in mind that we're talking about the top 3 VPN services, so all three are equally good for accessing Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and even YouTube content with geographic restrictions.
I didn't have any problems accessing this type of content until I tried Disney Plus, Hulu, and DAZN, as those platforms are harder to access. Here ExpressVPN and Surfshark did not provide me with a reliable connection.
However, NordVPN was able to access geo-restricted content on these platforms without any problems. On the other hand, Surfshark is much better for Disney+ Hotstar as it has servers in India.
⚡ What is the best VPN for Torrenting?
We're done with streaming, so at first glance these VPNs look identical, they all have good torrenting speeds and split tunneling to redirect only certain apps through your VPN.
Which is very useful if you need to torrent and work at the same time. The only difference is the servers, while ExpressVPN and SurfShark allow P2P on all servers, NordVPN has optimized servers, and P2P and torrenting is only available with them.
Lastly, I have to say that all three have applications for all major platforms, browser extensions and even support for Smart TV. In fact, they are among the best for Android Smart TV because of the specialized applications.
💵 Prices:
Surfshark definitely offers the best value for money, and one subscription is enough for the whole family.
NordVPN follows with a higher price, but if you take into account that it also has more features, the value for money is adequate.
Now ExpressVPN is the most expensive option. The monthly plan is similar, but the long-term plan is where the value for money does not match, and it is for one year, which means that you would end up paying more than double compared to the other 2.
What about Proton VPN Plus?
I already told you before that Proton VPN is the best Free VPN, but during the last year it has innovated and grown so much in all aspects, that there are already many articles on the internet and YouTube videos about the best VPN for 2024, comparing NordVPN vs. Proton VPN.
It is a VPN focused on privacy and security. To start with, it is based in Switzerland, the country with the strictest data privacy laws in the world. While the Free version has all the basic security features, the Plus plan (which is what they call their paid version) comes with a bunch of advanced features.
Such as split tunneling, Tor over VPN, Double VPN or MultiHop, Port Forwarding etc. The Premium version also boasts over 3100 high-speed servers in 71 countries, unlocking all streaming platforms (29 Netflix libraries). It has specialized servers for torrenting and includes an ad, tracker, and malware blocker.
The Best VPN for Torrents
As we're talking about a security-focused VPN, if you are looking for the best VPN for torrenting, Proton VPN is the ultimate choice. Firstly, it has dedicated P2P servers that will hide your IP and keep your torrent downloads private.
Additionally, it features a port forwarding function, which is somewhat rare these days. Most VPNs, like Mullvad, for example, decided that port forwarding is not safe and removed it, while Proton accepted the challenge and created its secure version.
Like regular port forwarding, it will speed up your torrent downloads, but it will also keep them more secure, as Proton has implemented its own firewall on the P2P servers, which blocks suspicious incoming connections.
Torrent downloads aside, ProtonVPN is a worthy contender for best VPN in 2024. Its privacy and security infrastructure is solid, with a proper no-logs policy. Additionally, ProtonVPN apps are completely open source, meaning anyone can review them for vulnerabilities at any time and suggest patches.
CyberGhost VPN: Largest fleet of servers
Last but not least is CyberGhost, one of the best VPN options for 2024. It has a unique card up its sleeve: More than 11,600 servers in 100 countries.
You can use them as regular servers, but the good thing is that CyberGhost has separated its servers into various categories. You can choose from servers for Streaming, Torrent downloads, and even gaming.
The first two work very well, but to be fair, the gaming servers were a bit disappointing. I experienced inconsistent latency, resulting in lag. However, with the regular servers, I didn't encounter any issues, and the speed test results showed good performance.
As for additional features, this VPN is not very loaded. I only found one decent ad blocker, but all the essential VPN features are here, from a Kill Switch to a solid overall privacy infrastructure, although also like ExpressVPN, owned by Kape Technologies , I found an audited no-logs policy and even quarterly transparency reports.
Additionally, CyberGhost also has RAM-based servers. So yes, it's a solid VPN overall, and it's not too expensive either. It's definitely a worthy candidate for best VPN.