Best Fast Free VPN: Which Service Is The Fastest?

When talking about the best free VPNs, people often have too high of expectations. They expect rock-solid security, exceptional streaming capabilities, many simultaneous connections, and blazing-fast speeds. To an extent, you can get some of these features. Some free providers like ProtonVPN are very secure, while all the other features are typical for premium providers. But what if you need a fast free VPN? Does such a thing exist?

The answer is yes, but you need to be aware that free providers still aren’t faster than paid ones.

That’s not to say that some of them don’t provide decent performance because there are a few of them that do. In today’s article, we’re going to discuss the best fast free VPN service for 2024 and provide you with a few choices that will perform well for general browsing, downloading, and light streaming.

Also, I’ll discuss both free and so-called “risk-free” providers. The latter providers are premium and they can be used for free for a limited time, while the first ones can be used forever without paying a dime. Sounds interesting? In that case, stay with me and keep reading.

Best Fast Free VPN: Two Premium Services Usable for FREE

Okay, so if you want REALLY fast providers and you won’t settle for anything less than 10 Gbps servers and modern protocols, your only choice is to get a premium provider. Don’t worry. As said, these providers can be used for free thanks to a money-back guarantee.

Keep in mind that this solution is temporary, however, I assure you it’s much better than using a really free VPN. First, let me present to you the two fastest risk-free VPNs, which include ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, both with a 30 and a 45-day money-back guarantee respectively.

1. ExpressVPN (Usable for Free for 30 Days)

ExpressVPN is the speediest VPN you can get in 2024. This provider is known for cutting-edge 10 Gbps RAM-based servers that provide exceptional performance along with unlimited bandwidth. This means you can use this provider limitlessly and enjoy its blazing-fast speeds effortlessly.

What also makes ExpressVPN special is its server network. The provider has 3,000+ servers in 160+ locations, making sure you can always pick a server that works well. In addition, it offers something called Lightway, which is a propriety protocol that ensures both fast speeds and rock-solid security.

Lightway is the best protocol available, yet, it’s an in-house protocol, meaning you can find it only in ExpressVPN. Another important point for this provider is that it’s excellent for torrenting, streaming, and even low-ping gaming thanks to extreme performance.

Unlike many fast free VPNs, ExpressVPN comes with no monthly bandwidth limits, which is crucial for limitless use. Plus, there are other awesome features, such as above-average streaming capabilities and the ability to unblock Netflix libraries and other streaming services.

Torrent-friendliness is one of ExpressVPN’s main selling points, as this provider is fully usable for P2P purposes. Due to many security features like a kill switch and 256-bit encryption plus a certified no-logging policy, you can download torrents in complete anonymity as well.

ExpressVPN has 8 simultaneous connections and offers applications for all platforms. You can, thus, install it on Windows, iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, Fire TV, and other popular systems. However, this isn’t a free VPN, as said, but there’s an enticing 30-day money-back guarantee.

Thanks to this commodity, ExpressVPN can be the best fast free VPN, as you can get its subscription, enjoy the provider for 30 days, and get a refund afterward. In addition, there’s a special 49% discount on the annual plan that comes with 3 free months on top of that.

You can get this deal through our site if you’re interested in savings. And if you don’t want to pay for it anymore, simply open the live chat widget on its website, say that you want your money back, and get a refund. This is the best way to get a fast and free VPN service in 2024.

Try ExpressVPN Risk-Free Now

---

2. CyberGhost (Usable for Free for 45 Days)

If you want a fast free provider that you can use for 45 days, you might want to check out CyberGhost VPN. We recently tested CyberGhost and concluded that it’s THE best provider you can get for a cheap price of just around $2 a month.

But can you use it for free? Of course. Unlike ExpressVPN, this provider has a 45-day money-back guarantee for its cheapest plan, allowing you to enjoy it limitlessly for a month and a half before getting a refund. Despite being so affordable, you won’t notice a big reduction in quality compared to ExpressVPN.

This provider packs 11,500+ servers in 100 countries with many servers optimized for streaming and torrenting. Moreover, we’re talking about RAM-based servers which are crucial for privacy but these very servers also boast 10 Gbps speeds, which is essential for general performance.

As a result, CyberGhost is extremely fast whether you want to browse the web, play games with low ping, change location on YouTube TV, or download torrents. We also want to point out its full WireGuard support, as this protocol, next to Lightway, is the most reliable and secure protocol.

CyberGhost comes with AES-256 encryption as well, and its ad blocker is going to speed up the page-loading process by eliminating excess ads. Furthermore, the Romania-based provider has a zero-log policy with transparency reports, boosting its privacy and credibility even further.

In our tests, CyberGhost proved to be stable in any condition, even when using its mobile apps for iOS and Android where WireGuard is also supported. The provider’s NoSpy servers are here for those looking for additional security and you even get the possibility to get a dedicated IP address.

Being the best fast free VPN for 45 days, this provider has native apps for all major platforms. It supports routers as well and there are 7 simultaneous connections per subscription, as opposed to 8 in ExpressVPN. What about the downsides? Well, there aren’t many of them.

The service won’t work in China because it doesn’t have obfuscation – ExpressVPN will. And its desktop client could use a small overhaul but it’s nothing to worry about because you’ll get used to it quickly. Besides, when you see how fast it is, you’ll surely want to keep using it more!

Try CyberGhost Risk-Free Now

---

The Fastest Free VPN Providers: 3 Really FREE Services

If you don’t want to use ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, or any similar provider, that’s okay.

You may not want to spend money on this service, even though it’s risk-free. Instead, you want something that is downloadable right away without the need to pay even a single cent.

As promised, this is an option as well, but beware that, compared to CyberGhost and ExpressVPN, these providers will display quite a bit of downside and limits. Without further ado, let’s discuss the best fast free VPN services in 2024.

1. Atlas VPN

Starting off this list, there’s Atlas VPN. This provider is, by default, a paid service, but it also has an awesome free plan that thousands of people use. As some of you know, Atlas VPN is under the ownership of NordVPN and this gives us a happy image of things to come.

In 2024, the provider is known for rock-solid security thanks to features like 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and IP/DNS leak protection. Its free version is limited in features, so you don’t get Double VPN and other fancy functionalities to boost your security.

However, there’s a no-logging policy with an external audit, making Atlas VPN extremely trustworthy despite its US jurisdiction. As expected, this provider is pretty fast and for a free VPN, I’m always pleasantly surprised with the level of performance you get.

It has 1 Gbps servers, though, which is by no means faster than the 10 Gbps servers offered by CyberGhost and ExpressVPN. Still, my Atlas VPN test showed that its performance is quite good, and it offers stable connections produced by WireGuard – a protocol supported even in the free version.

Atlas VPN is a free provider, so it has a fair share of limitations. The most annoying one is a 5 GB monthly bandwidth cap, which prevents you from enjoying this provider fully. With 5 GB a month, you won’t get away with a few days of heavy use and I’m being generous – it’s most likely a few hours.

This is further exacerbated by the fact that you get only one connection per account in the free version, whereas, its paid version has no connection limit. Still, Atlas VPN works on Windows, iOS, Android (it’s the best free VPN for Android), macOS, and other popular systems, even including the Fire TV Stick.

Alas, its limited bandwidth prevents it from being on the level of ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, so it’s more for those who go online rarely… if those people still exist. Finally, the provider has a very limited server network in the free version, so you get servers in the US and the Netherlands only.

On top of that, Atlas isn’t streaming-friendly and can’t unblock any geo-restricted streaming platforms. But hey, it’s still reasonably fast and works well for what it is. If you want more, you’ll have to pay – nothing amazing is free, unfortunately.

Visit Atlas VPN

---

2. ProtonVPN

Do you want a great fast free VPN with unlimited bandwidth? In that case, I think you’ll be interested in trying out ProtonVPN. ProtonVPN is a provider from Switzerland known for extremely tight security and lots of features in the free version.

Much like Atlas VPN, it’s a paid service but it offers one of the best free variants I’ve ever seen. For the start, you get unlimited bandwidth akin to ExpressVPN and CyberGhost. On top of that, WireGuard is supported in the free version, which promises solid and stable performance.

Keep in mind that Proton is slower than Atlas VPN, although it offers 1 Gbps free servers as well. Still, for a free VPN, ProtonVPN is performing well and you’ll have no issues browsing the web. The provider has a verified no-logs policy too, so despite being free, it won’t store and sell your data.

This is verified by SEC Consult and proven over the years. ProtonVPN has features like VPN Accelerator for boosting your speeds additionally but there’s also a split tunneling feature and an automatic kill switch in the exact same version. Sounds great, huh?

Well, ProtonVPN, much like the previous provider, balances things out by adding some limits. For instance, the 3 server locations in the Netherlands, the US, and Japan will not allow you to unblock streaming services and they forbid P2P traffic, so it can’t be used for torrenting.

Plus, the provider has a single connection per free account, forcing you to use it only on one device at a time. We should also point out that it lacks additional security features such as NetShield – an ad-blocker – plus Secure Core servers that function similarly to MultiHop from Surfshark.

Our ProtonVPN review and test showed that this provider is much better in the paid version. Albeit, the paid version turns out to be quite expensive, so it’s not worth your money compared to CyberGhost and ExpressVPN, as these providers offer much more.

For people who want one of the best fast free VPNs in 2024 that they can use forever, ProtonVPN is awesome with its unlimited bandwidth and top-grade security.

Visit ProtonVPN

---

3. PrivadoVPN

The third fastest free VPN on this list is PrivadoVPN. This provider is very interesting, offering a free plan with solid speeds, great stability, and support for protocols like IKEv2, OpenVPN, and WireGuard.

PrivadoVPN boasts easy-to-use apps for many platforms along with solid security features to make things much more compelling. For example, the free version has a reliable kill switch, split tunneling, and even the Scramble functionality for bypassing Firewall restrictions.

Furthermore, this provider is based in Switzerland, just like ProtonVPN, and thus, promises not to store logs of your browsing history, DNS request, IP address, and other vital information. Yes, free users get 1 Gbps servers but it’s great that PrivadoVPN offers significantly more locations than its two rivals.

Here, you get servers in France, the US, Germany, Brazil, Switzerland, the UK, and a few other countries, resulting in 10 countries in total. While the provider is more than fast for a free service, I found it disappointing that you get a measly 10 GB of monthly data.

It would be too good to be true if we got unlimited bandwidth and would definitely raise many suspicions. However, PrivadoVPN, despite its limits, is still a formidable choice for a reliable, stable, and fast connection for browsing and torrenting if you can get over its limits.

While P2P traffic will be allowed, its servers aren’t very optimized for streaming, so expect to be blocked when trying to access geo-restricted services. PrivadoVPN offers a few paid plans as well which boost your bandwidth to limitless and give you more features and server locations.

But if you ask me, when paying for a VPN, it’s always better to get the best possible option. CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are, therefore, more viable choices if you want to go down the “premium” route.

To learn more, check out our PrivadoVPN review.

---

4. Windscribe

Windscribe isn’t our favorite choice overall. However, the VPN has immense qualities that make it stand out from the crowd. For one, it’s fast for a free service and even unblocks a few Netflix catalogs in its free version. We tested Netflix FR with great success.

Another thing to mention about Windscribe is its wealth of features. It includes WireGuard, bank-grade encryption, and a kill switch. This is even better if you consider advanced functions such as the option to select a port or use some of the proxies.

Windscribe is a no-logging VPN, albeit, it’s based in Canada, which some will dislike. However, it doesn’t keep any sensitive logs and its free version isn’t riddled with ads. On the flip side, the VPN limits you to 10 GB of monthly bandwidth – a big annoyance.

Its free version is P2P-friendly but again, you won’t get very far with the said limit. We don’t like its lackluster support, as Windscribe heavily relies on its chatbot Gary to help you out. Windscribe’s premium plan isn’t the cheapest, so it’s not the best option either.

While it offers a heap of servers in the premium plan, the free plan is limited to a few locations. With a bit clunky and an unintuitive desktop app, we don’t think Windscribe is the best-looking fast free VPN in 2024 either. But that’s not very important, is it?

---

5. Hide.me

The trend of fast free VPNs continues with Hide.me. The Malaysian provider is a champ of privacy and security. It offers a no-logs policy with an external audit, plus features like RAM servers, Private DNS, AES encryption, and a kill switch.

The free version is equipped with 10 Gbps servers in a few locations that offer solid performance. Granted, you’re limited to 10 GB of monthly bandwidth but Hide.me makes up for it by allowing you to use the VPN after you go over the limit.

In this case, you can use the VPN at a slower speed. Hide.me isn’t suitable for streaming in its free version but you can still download torrents. A bad thing is that the free version lacks simultaneous connections, so you’re limited to one.

Hide.me is a state-of-the-art provider with fast speeds and rock-solid security, all in all. But again, you can see that the trend of limits and compromises continues. Hide.me is better as a paid provider but it’s not the cheapest.

If you’re looking to upgrade, you’ll be better off with 2 risk-free VPNs like CyberGhost or ExpressVPN. Regardless, feel free to read our Hide.me review and see what it has to offer. It’s an underrated VPN with a load of exciting features.

---

Conclusion

With the best fast free VPN services in 2024 fully presented, I think we can conclude this discussion.

As you can see, using a paid VPN is better than going for a free VPN for many reasons. Paid providers are inherently faster, offering 10 Gbps servers and better security protocols.

On top of that, they come with unlimited bandwidth, streaming capabilities, and better connection stability thanks to more servers. Thus, we strongly recommend using paid providers for free using a money-back guarantee trick which you can apply to CyberGhost and ExpressVPN. If you don’t know which one to choose, we’ve made a comparison between ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.

Try ExpressVPN Risk-Free Now

But if you’re not willing to go that route and you want a provider that’s fast, free, and requires no payment, on top of which, it can be used forever, there are choices as well. Atlas VPN, ProtonVPN, PrivadoVPN, Windscribe, and Hide.me are solid providers if you go for their free plans.

As you learned, they do come with some limits in terms of bandwidth, streaming, P2P traffic, and even security, which you’ll need to get over. They’re reasonably fast and provide decent performance too, so if you’re not too demanding, they might come in handy.

Visit Atlas VPN

In the end, it’s up to you to decide. If you want a 100% fast free VPN, you have the 5 aforementioned options, and if you’d rather use a premium VPN for free for 30 or 45 days, you also have 2 great solutions. Now go ahead, pick the one you like, and enjoy great speeds and stability!

FAQ

To top it all up, let’s answer a few more important questions related to the subject.

Can free VPNs be faster than paid VPNs?

Unfortunately, no. Free VPN providers tend to offer slower servers – intentionally or due to the restricted budget – so you’re looking at an older 1 Gbps infrastructure. Paid providers, on the other hand, give you 10 Gbps speeds, which is significantly faster.

On top of that, premium providers have larger server networks, so it’s less likely they’ll be overcrowded, in which case, you can achieve better performance. Overcrowded servers suffer from a higher load, which produces worse performance and decreases stability.

This is common with free providers that have many users who have only a few server locations and servers to choose from.

Are there good fast free VPNs with unlimited bandwidth?

Yes, ProtonVPN is one of them. However, this provider is pretty “narrow” in terms of usability. Since it’s not capable of streaming and it forbids P2P traffic, you can use this provider only for general browsing and watching YouTube videos.

Even then, ProtonVPN isn’t faster than Atlas VPN or PrivadoVPN, for example. Due to unlimited bandwidth, it intentionally slows down its connection speed to “force” you to go for its paid plans. That’s a tradeoff when using free services, so it’s nothing to be angry or upset about.

If you want a fast, unlimited, and more versatile service, paying for it is the only way.

Are fast free VPNs safe to use?

Yes, the top 5 fastest free VPNs we mentioned are indeed safe. As for other free providers, we can’t guarantee, especially when talking about choices like Hotspot Shield, Betternet, and Hola VPN. These providers are known for malicious logging and business practices that make these providers unsafe.

Hola VPN, in particular, is dangerous due to the way it works. Additionally, it stores tons of user logs and sells your private data to third parties, which is why I often say it’s the worst provider you can get.

As long as you use Atlas VPN, ProtonVPN, or PrivadoVPN, all of which have certified no-logs policies, you’re safe and secure with no privacy-infringing practices.