Opera VPN Review 2026: Is This Free Service Any Good?

Opera VPN is a built-in free VPN within the Opera browser. It’s a nifty little tool for privacy protection, online security, and sidestepping geo-blocks. In theory, Opera VPN does all that, but since it’s a free service, and a limited one at that, don’t expect miracles. During our Opera VPN review, we noticed a few caveats.

For example, Opera VPN protects only your in-browser traffic and acts more like a proxy. It doesn’t offer many features and servers, either, so it’s only for basic online activities. If we compare it to the best VPN services in 2026, it’s nowhere near. We have to set expectations for this Opera VPN review, after all.

Speaking of that, our review summary is below if you’re in a hurry; in short, we don’t really recommend this free VPN. However, if you want to learn more about our experience with the provider, keep reading to see its advantages and shortcomings. By the way, Opera also has a premium Pro version that we also discussed.

However, as its free version is more popular, we’ll focus our efforts on it today.

Opera VPN Review 2026: A Brief Look

📋 Overall Score	59/100
💸 Starting Price	Free or $4/mo for the Pro plan
🧑‍⚖️ Money-Back Guarantee	30 days
🥷 No-Logging Policy	Yes
⚙️ Protocols	Lightway
🌎 Server Locations	3 in the free version, 48 in the Pro version
🛑 Ad Blocker	Yes
📺 Does it Work With Netflix?	No
♻️ Does it Allow Torrenting?	No (P2P is in the Pro version)
📱 Supported Platforms	Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS
🏚️ Simultaneous Connections	6
☎️ Customer Support	Help center, FAQ

Pros & Cons of Opera VPN

Opera VPN User Experience & Device Support

Regardless of the VPN that you’re using, the first contact is through its application. Opera is no different, offering its web browser with a VPN enabled on several platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. With that in mind, let’s review Opera VPN in terms of its applications and overall user experience.

💻 Desktop and Mobile Experience

Once you visit Opera’s website, you’ll see that it puts focus on desktop and mobile platforms. Opera supports all of the aforementioned platforms. But for the sake of clarity, we’ll mention them again in bullet points:

• Windows, macOS, and Linux computers and laptops
• Android and iOS phones and tablets

Keep in mind that Opera Browser can be installed on every desktop platform, and the Virtual Private Network support can be enabled on all of them, excellent for additional security and privacy wherever you go.

So how’s the user experience? Well, having in mind that the VPN is buried inside the browser settings, it’s most likely not going to be great at first.  Although we must admit that Opera Browser really looks nice and is quick enough in terms of browsing. To find Opera VPN, you need to open Settings and scroll down.

After a while, you’ll find the option called VPN. Simply toggle it on, and you’re set. After you do this, the VPN icon will appear next to the search bar. From here, using Opera VPN is a breeze. You just click on the icon, turn ON the service, and your traffic inside the browser will be routed through a remote server.

Remember that we said inside the browser because this is a proxy, not a full-fledged VPN. If you pick the Opera VPN Pro version, you get a traditional app. On mobile, Opera VPN is pretty much the same. Again, you’ll need to visit Settings, turn it on, and connect to a server to protect your in-browser traffic.

The VPN itself is easy to use, and server switching is quick. Opera VPN did a good job for user experience, despite its limited features and cluttered Settings menu, which makes finding the VPN hard at first.

🎥 Streaming Devices

If you’re into streaming, watching sports, or enjoying Netflix, we have bad news for you in this Opera VPN review for 2026. It doesn’t support streaming devices like your Apple TV or Fire TV Stick, so don’t get your hopes up. However, since it offers a good VPN for Android, you can use it on your Android TV.

This means that Android TV users can go to Google Play on their TV and download it safely. As said earlier in the Opera VPN review, the browser has a native app for Android that also supports the VPN functionality. So, if you download Opera on your TV, you’ll also be able use its VPN as you would on your phone.

Albeit Opera will not work on other TV systems like Tizen or WebOS, so only those who use Philips or Xiaomi, for instance, will be satisfied. These TV devices, as you know, come with Android systems.

🎮 Opera VPN Review on Gaming Devices

Associating Opera with gaming sounds ludicrous, but there are some connections between the company and the gaming world. You’ve heard about Opera GX VPN. Opera GX is a web browser designed for gaming, and its VPN functionality works the same here. However, it’s not a miraculously good solution.

Yes, Oper GX is a fancy-looking browser with plenty of customization options and quick and easy access to Twitch or Discord. But at the same time, you can’t play many games within the browser, and again, the Opera GX VPN solution only protects your in-browser traffic. Can you install it on your PS or Xbox?

No, you can’t, and it’s a shame because VPNs offer ample benefits for gamers on consoles.

🛜 Does Opera VPN Support Routers?

This segues into the Opera VPN review of router support, and sadly, it’s not there. Top-tier providers, like NordVPN and ExpressVPN, are famous for their broad compatibility. Sadly, Opera VPN lacks router support for now, and to be clear, we talk about both free and Pro versions here. Is that a big downside?

To be honest, no, even though VPNs on routers offer many advantages, primarily protection for all your devices. As a free, built-in VPN in the browser, Opera technically allows you to connect on as many devices as you want. But if you pick the premium version, you’re limited to six simultaneous connections.

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Is Opera VPN Safe & Secure? Security Features Examined

The service is safe and secure, and that much is certain. However, there are some issues we’d like to point out. We’ve already discussed some in this Opera VPN test for 2026, but we’ll cover more in this section of the review. Let’s examine its security features and see what this proxy (the free version isn’t a VPN) offers:

🥷 Protocols & Encryption

During our Opera VPN review, we noticed the sheer lack of features. Even the Pro version is a bit lacking and doesn’t really offer anything more than the basics. As all VPNs do, this one is equipped with 256-bit AES encryption. It’s an industry standard of an unbreakable and impenetrable wall of security.

On its site, Opera claims to use Lightway, a fast and secure protocol used by another highly prominent provider we recently tested: ExpressVPN. However, the Pro version also has IKEv2 and OpenVPN options. As for the free version, it doesn’t use tunneling protocols since it’s a proxy, so there’s no protocol selection.

For us, a major flaw is the lack of a kill switch, which automatically makes this VPN a lot less safe than its free competitors. In comparison, Proton VPN, Hide.me, Hotspot Shield, and hundreds of others have it. If you lose a VPN connection, your data will leak, and you’ll inadvertently expose your privacy.

You never know when you’re going to expose your IP, so you’re kept on the edge. The good news is that you get DNS leak protection. At least you know your DNS isn’t going to leak, and that’s a major pro.

↔️ Split Tunneling (Sort Of)

Before doing this Opera VPN review for 2026, we used the service a few times years back. Looking at it now, it did update some of its features, one of which is split tunneling. It lets you enable default search engines and intranet sites by bypassing a VPN. On top of that, you can manage additional bypass rules.

By doing so, you can make Opera disable the VPN for certain websites if you don’t need protection. Adding rules is simple, although it seems ineffective at first. You just click on Add and start typing in the rule. You can name the rule however you want, and to make it work, type in the website address you want.

🛑 Privacy Protection

Privacy Protection in Opera Browser allows you to block ads and trackers, as well as keep acceptable ads that are usually non-intrusive and don’t interfere with the content you’re trying to access. We actually found this feature unique and handy. Both ad-blocking and tracker-blocking are very useful for obvious reasons.

By blocking ads, you’ll speed up page-loading times, while blocking trackers protects your privacy. We’ve used these features during this Opera VPN review, and both worked fine, blocking most of the ads and trackers we encountered. Still, we found it underwhelming compared to ad blockers from Surfshark or NordVPN.

Some ads slip through the cracks, which is a bit annoying and makes the experience lacking in quality. But this is a free proxy, and considering you’ll spend nothing, Opera, and by extension its VPN, works amazingly.

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Opera VPN IP and DNS Leak Test: No IP/DNS Leaks Found

Having in mind its lackluster security, it’s interesting to see if Opera VPN is prone to specky IP and DNS leaks. While doing this Opera VPN test, we found that it uses an IPv6 connection, which was a bit concerning. That’s because some VPNs don’t offer IPv6 leak protection, resulting in privacy-infringing leaks.

To make sure that’s not the case, we tested it by using two sites, one of which is ipleak.net.

As you can see above, while using Opera VPN, we had no leaks. But that’s only while doing the test inside the browser. Outside the browser, you’ll see that your IP and DNS are leaking, implying that only the in-browser traffic is protected. Nevertheless, we also used the browserleaks.com website next.

Again, we got the same results inside Opera Browser and the same results outside of it. It’s good that it displays no leaks while using it, but beware of the traffic outside of it. Because of the way it works, Opera VPN can represent a serious security liability, so saying it’s 100% secure device-wide would be a lie.

Instead, NordVPN and ExpressVPN are much better options with guaranteed 100% security. As you already know, these are real VPNs, so they’ll protect you device-wide. They’ll conceal your real IP/DNS addresses even when gaming, torrenting, streaming, or doing anything else, regardless of the browser you’re using.

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Does It Have a No-Logging Policy?

A typical free VPN doesn’t always emphasize your privacy. Whenever something is free, you’re the product, and you’re paying through other means (not your money). We approach some providers with prejudice, and while this was the case with this one, our prejudices were quickly shot down by this tenacious VPN.

Opera, and by extension, the VPN is from Norway, which, at first, means nothing. However, Norway is a member of the EEA, whose recent adoption of GDPR made it that much more privacy-friendly. Opera abides by Norwegian and European regulations on personal data protection, crucial for robust privacy.

All of this means you’ll not get a treatment akin to 5/9/14 Eyes countries with surveillance, data collection, and privacy-infringing practices. Neither will Opera, as a company, give up its meticulous personal data management and respect for privacy. But let’s carefully examine its privacy policy for more details.

📋 Opera VPN Privacy Policy Analysis

One thing we like about Opera VPN is its short privacy policy, which explains everything you need to know without fluff. We’ll try to do the same. Opera VPN does not store any logs of your private information.

By private information, we refer to:

• Your originating IP address
• Browsing history
• DNS requests
• Geolocation

How can we confirm the claim? We don’t have to. Deloitte, a Big Four auditor, which also audited Surfshark, NordVPN, Private Internet Access, and other large and popular VPN services, did that for us. Opera completed a large audit on August 10th, 2024, which consisted of these crucial phases:

• Inspection of its IT systems and infrastructure
• Server configuration and deployment process review
• Privacy Statement examination
• Review of Opera policies, system descriptions, and documentation
• Inquiries with Opera employees

Deloitte was pretty clear and confirmed that the assertion confirmed Opera’s claims, leaving no reason for not trusting the company. Besides, Opera has a regular transparency report for data requests from authorities, none of which resulted in data provision to them. We also mentioned Opera VPN Pro in this review.

This is a paid version of Opera VPN, also equipped with a no-log policy. Interestingly, Opera Pro’s servers are provided in collaboration with NordVPN, which, as you know, is already a renowned no-log VPN service and our #1 provider. All in all, Opera VPN’s free and paid versions are without a trace of logging.

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Opera VPN for Streaming: Netflix & Others Tested

Our Opera free VPN review was mostly about privacy and security now. However, let’s see if the free provider unblocks streaming services, and if it does, how it performs for HD, Full HD, and high-res streaming.

🔴 Does Opera VPN Work on Netflix?

Opera VPN does NOT work with Netflix. A free provider is never going to work on Netflix, and that’s always the case, with Opera VPN and many others proving this repeatedly. We knew this would be the case, but tested it anyway. However, we had to test random regions since there are no clear-cut VPN locations.

All you can choose is Europe, the Americas, and Asia. You click on one, and the Opera Browser VPN connects you to a country from that continent. When using the Americas, you get a US IP address, but it doesn’t unblock Netflix US. Similarly, when using a Dutch IP from Europe, the associated catalog doesn’t work.

When we tested Asia, for some reason, the provider assigned us a Swedish IP address. But even the Swedish IP couldn’t unblock Netflix Sweden. That said, the performance is poor, and you won’t get very far with it. If you’re after a free VPN that works with Netflix, maybe choose PrivadoVPN or Windscribe in 2026.

🔵 What About Other Streaming Platforms?

Our Opera VPN test on other streaming services yielded poor results. We tested primarily American options since we could only get our hands on a US IP address. However, this IP address won’t unblock Disney+, Hulu, and other famous streamers. We’ve seen much better VPNs for Disney+ than this one.

But really, that applies to all other sites, including BBC iPlayer, Pluto TV, ESPN+, etc. So, it’s safe to say that Opera VPN isn’t built for streaming and unblocking content. Interestingly, it’s also the case with the Pro version, which offers more servers, but still won’t work well with popular streamers worldwide.

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Opera VPN Speed Tests: Here’s How Fast it is

After streaming, our Opera VPN review moves to speed tests, and there’s already a problem. Before we display our results, here are our testing parameters. We tested it three times per day, three days in a row, using three server locations within the app. We were in Belgrade with these native internet speeds:

Here are the best results from our Opera VPN speed tests:

Europe:

Americas:

Asia:

Opera VPN’s performance is inconsistent and lacks logic. European servers were very slow for us, and we were in Belgrade. However, when we tested Asia, Opera again connected to a server in Europe, this time, Luzern, and speeds were much better (but still subpar). The worst results were in the United States.

	Europe	Americas	Asia
⬇️ DL Speed Loss	78%	99%	58%
⬆️ UL Speed Loss	6.1%	+6.9% (increase)	92%

This is where you see how slow it is on distant servers. With the speed of 1.10 Mbps, you can barely browse, let alone play games or stream in HD. For a free VPN, this is nothing strange, so we always recommend premium choices. In this case, we’d say NordVPN is your best bet because it’s the fastest service.

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Does Opera GX VPN Work Well for Gaming?

We touched on gaming a few minutes ago in the Opera VPN review for 2026. Whether it’s standard Opera or the GX version, it offers a built-in VPN, but since it protects only browser traffic, it’s not suitable for gaming. One exception is cloud gaming, which actually works in the browser for the most part.

When we tested Opera VPN in this scenario, the results were terrible. First, the VPN is slow, so loading times are extremely long. Second, it has high latency, so the input lag is terrible. All in all, Opera VPN and gaming won’t exactly pair well. If you need a better and safer VPN for gaming, pick NordVPN or ExpressVPN.

Or, you can also examine our list of free gaming VPNs that still offer a superior experience.

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Can I Use Opera VPN for Torrenting?

When talking about VPNs, one of their main purposes is to protect your P2P and torrenting traffic. However, torrent files can be downloaded to your PC and opened by a torrent client that does all the heavy lifting with downloading files. This means that the browser has nothing to do with downloading torrents.

This means that Opera VPN can’t protect your torrenting activities because it doesn’t influence your torrent client. As such, Opera VPN isn’t torrent-friendly, and if you want safe P2P activities, this is the last VPN we’d recommend. Instead, look for full-fledged apps that protect your entire connection,

NordVPN is a good choice for torrenting, but so is ExpressVPN or CyberGhost; these even offer excellent P2P servers. Plus, you’ll get at least 10 Gbps speeds with unlimited data, so you can download torrents as much as you want and do it anonymously thanks to modern protocols and security features.

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Is It Working in China & Other Censored Countries?

The Great Firewall of China, used in the country, already blocks thousands of websites, which applies to VPN providers as well. That’s not to say that a good VPN for China doesn’t exist. In fact, NordVPN and ExpressVPN are two great providers that you can use in China to bypass censorship and enjoy online freedom.

Is Opera VPN going to suffice, though? To find that out, we told our editors in China and several other countries to download and test Opera VPN. After numerous tests in China, the service always ended up blocked by the Great Firewall. With no ability to change protocols or do anything, it renders Opera VPN unusable.

Other countries like the UAE, Turkey, or Russia won’t have any problems. In these countries, the VPN is perfectly usable if you’re keen on getting it. But again, we advise not using Opera VPN in censored countries. It’s not very secure, and on top of that, it won’t work in most cases, so you’ll end up disappointed.

Our suggestion is to get NordVPN as the most affordable pick for this purpose. Also, NordVPN’s obfuscated servers do a great job in China and Turkey, making it another viable option.  We’d also mention Surfshark, a very affordable service with obfuscation that swiftly sidesteps all kinds of censorship.

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Servers and Server Locations

Earlier in our Opera VPN review, we touched a bit on its server list. Undoubtedly, its server fleet is all but impressive and consists of only a few server locations and 100+ servers. But these aren’t real servers. As Opera VPN is a proxy, these are virtual locations that make your traffic appear as if it originates from elsewhere.

The server list consists of these 4 choices:

• Optimized
• Europe
• Americas
• Asia

You can see that none of these options gives you a specific location like the United States, Germany, Japan, or other countries. Instead, you get only approximate locations in the form of continents, and this Optimized option. The latter will connect you to the closest and fastest server based on your location.

For us, it was Europe, but if you live in the US, the app will choose the Americas instead. As for the server number, as said, there are around 100+ of them. The paid version has 3,000+. However, we managed to use only a few, which we found out by checking our IP address each time we connected to the VPN.

For Europe, you get the Netherlands or Switzerland, for the Americas, you get the US, and for Asia, it’s Singapore. Except for the US, these server locations are irrelevant if you’re looking to unblock the most prominent streaming platforms.  Not only that, but the server list is small, cluttered, and overloaded.

With many users connected to a small network, slow speeds, connection instability, and high ping are expected. To avoid these problems, we recommend trying NordVPN instead. It has 9,000+ servers in 130 countries.

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Opera VPN Pricing: Is It Affordable?

In this Opera VPN review, we clearly stated that this is a FREE Virtual Private Network. But you don’t have to have eagle-like eyesight to notice that Opera VPN has the Pro version with clear distinctions:

VPN Pro offers dedicated VPN apps, plus, you get 6 simultaneous connections. The VPN also offers 30+ unique locations and 3,000+ servers, as opposed to just 3 general locations and 100+ servers. There’s more to the paid version. It has live chat support, 2FA, a 7-day free trial, and a 30-day refund policy.

But how much does it cost? This much:

There’s a phenomenal 1-year plan at 50% off, at only $ 4/month or $48 every year. Notice how there’s no renewal price increase, so every year down the line, you’re charged $48. The six-month plan at $5/month is also a great deal at 38% off. The monthly planat $8/mo, it costs less than its competitors’ equivalents.

For example, CyberGhost’s monthly plan is about $12/month, and Surfshark’s monthly plan price goes above $15.45/month. Each plan honors you with a VPN free trial; it’s a 7-day one. This means you’re not charged right away. Once you’re charged, you have 30 days to get a refund if you don’t like it. Everything is simple.

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Customer Support: How to Contact Opera VPN for Help?

In this review of Opera VPN, customer support is one of the weakest pillars. We expected no live chat support, and that’s what we got. Instead, Opera VPN relies on its FAQ section of the website, where you’ll find some answers. Here, you’ll find Opera Browser help guides for all of the supported platforms.

Click on, say, Opera Browser for Android, and you’ll get guides and help articles. Another method of help is by reporting a bug directly to Opera. It’s useful if there’s a persistent error that prevents you from enjoying the browser or a VPN daily. Finally, if you scroll down, you’ll find Opera Forums for more help.

However, the forum is more of a general help section for all Opera products. The forum is very active, and whenever we visit it, the activity log on the right-hand side signifies people responding every hour or so, making this support method superior. We can’t say Opera’s support is out of this world in 2026.

It’s okay. But given our experience with it in this Opera VPN review, we can’t say we had app-breaking issues. Thus, we had virtually no need to ping the support team or ask other forum users questions.

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What We Don’t Like About Opera VPN

To be honest, we already talked about it all in this Opera VPN review. We like how good Opera Browser looks, but everything else is a bit underwhelming, at least when compared to real VPN services. It’s a proxy service, with just a few server locations, basic security features, and in-browser protection.

This isn’t necessarily something to be sad about because you can turn it into a real VPN by buying the Pro version. It grants you access to Opera’s VPN apps for all devices, unlimited bandwidth, 3,000+ servers, faster speeds, etc. But even the Pro version isn’t very impressive and won’t blow you away.

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Conclusion: Safe & Secure But Not Great Overall

With everything said and done in this Opera VPN 2026 review, let’s conclude everything. If you read our test carefully, you know that Opera VPN is a safe and secure service, but one we don’t necessarily recommend using. Since it works only inside the browser, it isn’t safe and secure for outside (device-wide) traffic.

While Opera VPN Pro offers complete device protection, it’s still not the most affordable, and for a similar price, you can get a better and more compelling VPN. The conclusion is that Opera VPN is secure, easy to use, and great for privacy, with unlimited data and simultaneous connections.

Other aspects are, unfortunately, lacking in comparison to our favorite VPNs. We can say that every free provider will follow the same trend as Opera VPN, which is why premium solutions are superior.  Feel free to try NordVPN or even ExpressVPN as the absolute alternatives with the same 30-day refund policy for risk-free testing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Opera VPN safe?

Yes, Opera VPN is safe and uses bank-grade encryption to protect your traffic. It also has security audits and a no-log policy, making it good for privacy. However, the free version is only in-browser protection, and to protect all traffic, you have to get the Pro version, which is, by extension, far safer.

Does Opera GX have VPN?

Yes, it has, but it’s the same Opera VPN experience you’ll get from its regular browser. That means it’s a proxy rather than a full VPN, which protects browser traffic and leaves the other bits unencrypted.

How to use Opera VPN?

To use Opera VPN, go to your browser settings and enable it. After that, click the VPN icon next to the search bar and select the location. To use Opera VPN Pro, you have to subscribe, install the VPN, and connect to a server within the app. The Pro version is a regular VPN that protects you across all devices.