What’s the Best Free VPN for Android
The best free VPN for Android is Windscribe Free, and it has been for some time. It’s fast, secure and it unblocks geo-restricted streaming platforms like US Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
If you’re determined to use a VPN without spending a dime, then Windscribe is the best choice available right now. However, keep in mind that it enforces a monthly 10GB usage limit.
There’s only one free Android VPN that doesn’t come with usage restrictions: ProtonVPN Free. It’s a good free VPN, but it doesn’t unblock streaming services nor does it allow P2P traffic on its free servers.
Can I Use a Paid Android VPN for Free?
If you want to use a premium paid VPN on your Android device for free, there are a few ways you can do this without spending a cent.
For example, ExpressVPN is the overall best VPN for Android and it offers a seven-day completely free trial to new Android subscribers. You can also take advantage of its risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. This means you can use the VPN service without restrictions for up to 30 days, then get your money back.
![Screenshot of the money back guarantee on ExpressVPN's website]()
You will have to subscribe and provide payment details, but you will receive your refund within a few days, as long as you cancel before the 30 days are up.
We’ve published a series of guides on how you can use some of the very best Android VPNs for free:
What’s the Fastest Free Android VPN?
We run regular speed tests on all the VPNs we review, and at the moment Hide.me is the fastest free VPN for Android.
When using Hide.me VPN, our broadband speed dropped by only 11% in our most recent tests. That’s a surprising speed for a free VPN and it competes with the very best paid-for VPN services.
In case you’re wondering, all the free VPNs in this guide will be fast enough for anonymous web browsing. Obviously, keep in mind their limitations, which can make even fast download speeds less impressive depending on your need for a VPN.
How Do Free VPNs Work on Android?
A VPN works exactly the same on Android as it does on any other operating system. As we mentioned above, instead of your internet traffic being routed to a website via your ISP, it will instead be routed through a secure server first, and then onto your destination website.
Using a top Android VPN will mask your true IP address (the unique identifier of your internet connection), replacing it with the IP address of the VPN server you’re connected to.
![Screenshot from Hide.me's website showing how a VPN works]()
This means that as long as your Android VPN is running, and it doesn’t leak your real IP address, your web activity is hidden from your ISP and many other snoopers. If you want to understand more about this, our ‘What is a VPN?’ guide details how VPNs work in a lot more detail.