Best VPN Extensions for Chrome

Windscribe – #5 on our list of paid Chrome extensions – also has a free version of its VPN app, which is our #1 free VPN for Chrome.

The free VPN app requires no payment information on signup, however there are limited in terms of they can do.

Other good free VPN extensions to consider are TunnelBear and Hide.me. You can read more about these free VPN plug-ins in our guide of the best free VPNs.

Remember that free Chrome VPN extensions are mostly proxies that won’t encrypt your web browser traffic. Proxies simply spoof your IP address to unlock blocked content.

Once you decide which VPN is right for you and signed up to the service, you can add its extension to Chrome in no time at all.  

The best way to install the VPN Chrome extension is to log into your account on your VPN service’s website.

Using ExpressVPN as example, once you’ve logged in you’ll see the option to ‘Set Up on More Devices’.

Select this option and you’ll be presented with a series of device options.

Select the ‘Google Chrome’ option and then ‘Get Extension’.

This will automatically take you to the Google Play store where you can add the browser extension to your browser with a click of the button, ‘Add to Chrome’.

Alternatively, perhaps more simply, you can head straight to the Google Play store via Google and add the extension to Chrome this way. 

You’ll be asked to sign in once its added to your browser via the indicator at the top and you can start using it from there. 

For a more detailed explanation, read our dedicated Chrome VPN setup guide.

To actually be private and safe while browsing on Chrome, it’s best to go in incognito mode and have a VPN browser extension running simultaneously. 

The problem is: Chrome blocks extensions while in incognito mode. This is because it doesn’t know whether the extension can be trusted and aren’t tracking your information. 

However, if you have a VPN that you can trust, you can still add the extension to incognito Chrome. 

To do this, go to the Chrome menu (the three dots in the top right) > More Tools > Extensions.

In a list you’ll find the option to ‘Allow in incognito’. Click the swipe and you can now use a VPN extension while in private mode. With this, you’ll be extra safe.

No, Google Chrome incognito mode is not private. Incognito mode is a way to browse the web without it storing browsing data. That means it doesn’t remember logins or searches or store cookies. It’s useful at stopping people tracking your online activities. 

However, it does not keep your activity private from your ISP, or the government, or any network admin you are a part of (say, an employer or university).

Google even say as much: “Your activity isn’t hidden from websites you visit, your employer or school, or your internet service provider.”

If you’ve ever taken the time to read the text when you go incognito, it reiterates the point there too.

More than that, remember that if you are logged into an account (Google, Amazon, and so on), incognito mode will make no difference. 

Chrome comes with some pre-enabled settings that, if left unchanged, can send detailed information about your browsing activity directly to Google, which is at the mercy of any and all government requests for information.

And, as you can see in Google’s transparency report, it surrenders information to government requests the majority of times. For example: in a period of six months, governments from around the world requested information on 135,302 Google accounts. 

Using a VPN won’t keep this information from Google, and Google knows what you’re doing as long as you’re signed into your account. 

Only when signing out of your account and using a VPN is your browsing made private.

Using a trustworthy VPN on Chrome is safe. The real question you need to ask yourself is: how safe is Google Chrome without a VPN?

In our opinion, Google Chrome is a safe browser, but it’s not very private. As we discussed above, Google collects a lot of data on its users, including personal information stored in Google (Gmail) accounts.

In terms of which Chrome VPNs are the safest, all the VPNs we recommend in this guide are very secure. But remember, VPN browser extensions for Chrome simply spoof your IP address so we strongly recommend that you use a VPN extension with the full VPN software running on your device.

Watch out for free VPNs, though. There are many free VPN addons that are dangerous and you should avoid, especially Hola VPN (see below).

Much to our dismay, Hola VPN is a very popular free VPN extension for Chrome users, with millions of installs.

Unfortunately, Hola VPN is actually an extremely insecure peer-to-peer proxy network, that’s being incorrectly marketed as a full VPN.

Hola VPN doesn’t actually provide any encryption, and it forces its users to share their idle device bandwidth with other users. That means that your internet connection can be used by other people, and your IP address will be associated with those activities.

To make matters worse, Hola VPN also monitors your online activity, including the websites you visit, and has been known to sell user bandwidth without consent. 

Other free VPN extensions to avoid are: Hoxx VPN Proxy, Super VPN, Touch VPN and VPN Proxy Master.

On the whole, we suggest staying clear of most free VPN add-ons available in the Google Web Store due to alarming security risks. Instead, play it safe and opt for our top recommendation Windscribe.

Chromecast allows you to stream video content online, however the content accessible is determined by your geographical region. 

While you can’t install a VPN on a Chromecast, you can launch a VPN on your computer or smartphone and then cast your browser window or screen to your Chromecast. More tech savvy users may also want to setup the VPN on their home router.

You can also read this helpful Chromecast setup guide on ExpressVPN’s website. 

Chromebooks are designed for fast, lightweight browsing of the internet. With this speed and efficiency, however, come security risks, including hacking, malware and even spying. 

With that in mind, you should use a VPN on your Chromebook. You can do this easily by adding a VPN browser extension to a Chromebook just like you would do on a computer. Google has created a helpful guide on how to set up a VPN on Chromebook.