If you’re searching for a VPN for Windows 10 then you might be tempted to search the Microsoft Store to see what’s popular. The screenshot below shows what comes up when you do just that.
With a few trustworthy exceptions, you should avoid almost all of those VPNs. We constantly talk about how few good free VPNs there are, and it’s the same for Windows as any other OS.
Some of those free VPNs will be harmless but a nightmare to use – slow speeds, lack of server choice, daily data caps, and things like that. But at worst, some of them will log everything you do online. They might not have a published logging policy at all, nor any transparent information on who runs them.
Instead, take a look at the best free VPNs here. In addition to ProtonVPN, there are a small number of other free VPNs that we think you’ll like. They’re all 100% safe, trustworthy, and performed well in our testing.
Free VPNs to Avoid On Windows
It’s not just no-name VPNs that can be unsafe. There’s a number of popular, well-known VPNs available for your Windows computer that you should stay away from. Here’s two of the biggest names that you should not trust:
Hola Free VPN
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Hola regularly appears at the top of the app store, no matter what device you’re using. It’s been downloaded by millions of users around the world, but the fact is that you should never download Hola Free VPN.
Hola isn’t a proper VPN at all. Rather than providing its users with a network of secure, anonymous servers to connect to, Hola instead treats its users like servers. Whenever you connect to an IP address using Hola, you’re actually using the IP address of another user.
This goes both ways of course, meaning that thousands of Hola users could potentially be carrying out illegal online activity using your IP address. What’s more, Hola’s parent company can also sell any ‘spare’ bandwidth from your connection to anyone willing to pay for it.
Hola is not a real VPN, and it is not safe – avoid it at all costs.
Turbo VPN
![Turbo VPN for Windows 10]()
One of the most downloaded apps on the Google Play Store, Turbo VPN is also available on Windows. You should not download it.
Our independent investigation into free VPN ownership revealed some troubling information about the ownership of Turbo VPN and its siblings. While it tries to remain suspiciously anonymous on its own website, Turbo VPN is actually linked to a family of massive corporations with no background in privacy and ties to mainland China.
You shouldn’t trust Turbo VPN with your personal data, as there are no guarantees as to what is being done with it. The free version of Turbo VPN also has intrusive advertising and invasive trackers. Use a proven free VPN instead.