Between free VPN trials and money-back guarantees, there are many ways to try the best VPNs without parting with your hard-earned money. If you’re having trouble parsing the many options, you’ve come to the right place. We signed up with dozens of VPN providers to test their free trial offerings and identify the best available.
TL;DR – These are the best free VPN trials
- CyberGhost
- Surfshark
- Proton VPN
- Private Internet Access
- NordVPN
Don't know what a VPN even is? Short for Virtual Private Network, a VPN is a service which encrypts your internet traffic and hides your online activities from prying eyes. While some people use VPNs to browse anonymously, many take advantage of their location spoofing to bypass content restrictions for streaming. Although there are many free and paid VPNs, you can also find a number of quality paid VPNs that offer free trials.
1. CyberGhost
Best free VPN trial
CyberGhost offers the most generous free trial of any VPN. There are very few free VPN trials available for Windows or MacOS, yet CyberGhost has a 24-hour free trial for both and absolutely no credit card is required. CyberGhost’s mobile app trials (for which you will need a credit card) are even longer at three days for Android and seven days for iOS. Where CyberGhost differs from many free VPN trials is that you get full access to all features.
With CyberGhost, there are some 11,000 servers in 100 countries to choose from. It uses the high-speed WireGuard protocol and operates dedicated streaming services as well as gaming-optimized servers. As such, it’s certainly capable of lag-free streaming and low ping online gaming. This is an independently audited, no-logs VPN with 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, a kill switch, and Windows antivirus.
2. Surfshark
Best VPN for the budget
Surfshark is a popular VPN provider with a seven-day free trial on Android, iOS, and MacOS, though you'll need to register a payment method when you download via the Play Store or App Store. Surpassing that period means you’ll be charged for a 12-month subscription, but don’t worry: Even if you forget to cancel after your trial, you're eligible for Surfshark’s 30-day money-back guarantee, which provides a risk-free way to try it even longer.
Your free trial with Surfshark includes unrestricted access to all of its servers, of which there are more than 3,000 across 100 countries. We recently tested Surfshark’s speeds and found them to be fast and consistent. Add to this Surfshark’s ability to bypass geo restrictions of streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer, and you’ve got a great option for streaming. It doesn’t impose a connection limit and is packed with extras, including an ad and tracker blocker.
3. Proton VPN
Best VPN with a free plan
Proton VPN is already the best free VPN around with its free tier, which rivals many VPN trials because it imposes so few restrictions. There are no data or speed limits, no ads, and no credit card required. However, the free plan only includes a handful of server locations, and you won’t be able to select the country to which you connect. It also lacks some of the more advanced features such as its Secure Core servers.
Proton VPN’s free tier is ideal if you’d like to test the VPN for a longer period of time. You won’t have access to quite as many features without paying, but if you do want to try the paid version, know it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. Plus, Proton VPN is one of our favorite VPNs for privacy: Not only does it operate a genuine no-logs policy (it doesn't even keep connection logs), it accepts payment in cash, allowing you to sign up anonymously.
4. Private Internet Access
Best VPN for travel
Private Internet Access can be used for free for a week, provided you sign up via its Android or iPhone VPN app (on Google Play or the App Store). With this seven-day free trial, you’ll have full access to PIA’s many features. This VPN service has an impressive network of servers in 91 countries. By connecting to a server close to your location via the high-speed WireGuard protocol, you can expect speeds that are more than fast enough for streaming and playing online games.
Having tested PIA for leaks and read through its privacy policy, we’re confident this is a highly secure, privacy-respecting provider. It offers an impressive level of security with the option of 256-bit AES encryption and, if that’s not enough, MultiHop servers for an extra layer of protection. You’ll also find an ad blocker while Windows users have the option of adding an antivirus for an extra monthly fee. Better still, PIA operates a genuine no-logs policy.
5. NordVPN
Best VPN for gaming
NordVPN has a seven-day free trial for Android users who download the Android app via the Google Play Store. This free trial is subject to Google Play’s Terms of Service and, to avoid being charged, you’ll need to cancel via Google Play before the seven days is up. If you don’t remember to cancel or simply need more time to fully test NordVPN’s many features, keep in mind it also has a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it without risk.
There’s plenty to like about NordVPN. In our recent full review, we appreciated its consistent connections and vast server network (6,000+ servers in 111 countries). This is a VPN that works very well with streaming services — great if you regularly travel abroad and want to access your usual content from home. NordVPN has a high level of security with military-grade encryption and you can access many extras including malware protection and a password manager.
Free trial vs. money-back guarantee: What’s the difference?
There are both free and paid VPNs, including paid VPNs with free trials or money-back guarantees. Needless to say, this can get a little confusing. Here’s a quick breakdown of each:
- Free VPN: This is a VPN that’s entirely free to use. Most free VPNs are likely to limit your speed and data. You’ll also have access to fewer locations and features. However, you’re free to use a free VPN for as long as you like.
- Paid VPN: With a paid VPN subscription, you won’t have restrictions placed on your data, speed, or the server locations you can access. However, some VPNs have multiple paid tiers with varying features.
- Money-back guarantee: If you sign up with a VPN that offers a money-back guarantee, you’ll be paying upfront for a subscription. As long as you cancel before the conclusion of the money-back guarantee (usually 30 days), you’ll receive a full refund.
- Free trial: A free trial doesn’t require you to pay in advance. However, you’ll still need to have a payment method registered in most cases so that you can be charged following the free trial period. You can choose to cancel before the free trial period ends. If you forget to cancel, you’ll be charged for a subscription but, in some cases, like Surfshark, you’ll still be eligible for the VPN’s money-back guarantee.
How to choose the best free VPN trial
Choosing a free VPN trial isn’t that different to choosing a paid VPN. You'll still want to look for a VPN that uses a high level of encryption, provides servers in countries worldwide, doesn’t keep identifying logs, and offers user-friendly apps.
Regardless, it’s important to be aware of the pitfalls that come with some free VPN trials. If you’d like to avoid these issues, you’re better off sticking with the free VPN trials we’ve covered, all of which meet the below requirements:
- No upfront payment required
- Access to premium features
- Simple cancellation process
- Strong encryption and no logs
- Live chat and email support
How to use the best free trial VPN
Not sure how to go about getting a VPN free trial? Here’s how:
- Go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and search for one of the free trial VPNs listed.
- Download and install the VPN app on your device.
- Click to sign up for the VPN and select the free trial offer.
- Enjoy the VPN subscription for the duration of the free trial.
- Remember to cancel if you don’t want to continue to a paid subscription.
How to cancel the best free trial VPN
With the exception of CyberGhost on Windows and MacOS, the vast majority of free trial VPNs require a credit card, which will be charged upon the conclusion of the free trial. The good news is that you can cancel beforehand to avoid paying. Here’s how to go about this:
iOS
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on your name.
- Select Subscriptions.
- Click on your VPN subscription.
- Press Cancel.
MacOS
- Open the App Store.
- Select your name (you may need to sign in).
- Click on Account Settings.
- Scroll to Subscriptions and click Manage.
- Select the VPN subscription.
- Click Cancel subscription.
Android
- Go to the Google Play Store and sign in.
- Click on Menu and Subscriptions.
- Select your VPN subscription.
- Press Cancel.
Best VPN free trial FAQs
Which is the best free VPN?
If you’d rather use a free VPN instead of a free trial, Proton VPN is your best bet. Unlike most free VPN plans, it doesn’t limit your data or speed. Furthermore, the free tier is supported by its paid plans so you won’t have to put up with any annoying ads either. Proton VPN’s free plan includes access to five server locations (the US, Netherlands, Japan, Romania, and Poland). It also operates a genuine no-logs policy and uses the highest level of encryption.
Which VPN has a completely free trial?
All of the VPNs we’ve covered offer completely free trials. The caveat is that you’ll be charged if you don’t cancel before the end of the free trial. CyberGhost stands out as being the only VPN with a free trial that doesn’t require you to provide a payment method to access. This is a 24-hour trial on its Windows and MacOS apps. It also has a more generous money-back guarantee than most VPN providers (45 days instead of the standard 30 days).
Mark Gill is a freelance VPN writer for IGN, bringing over five years of dedicated experience from Comparitech, where he delves deep into the intricacies of VPNs.
