4 Reasons Why Most Free VPNs Are Scams

Whether you want to surf the internet anonymously, stream geo-restricted content, or protect your data while using public Wi-Fi, there are many reasons why you might want to use a VPN.

If you are looking for a VPN, you may be tempted by free VPNs that promise all the features of VPN the best VPNs, without the (sometimes) high prices. However, these offers are almost always too good to be true – there is no such thing as a free lunch and there are no truly free VPNs either.

“Free” VPNs usually come with hidden drawbacks, from paid services that offer extremely limited free versions to trick you into paying for the “premium” version, to invasive advertising, to “free VPN” Apps” that are actually malware waiting to infect your device.

This article will explore all the problems with free VPNs and explain why if something is free, you should choose the product.

Why are there free VPN scams?

1. Throttling, low speeds and download caps

A popular use of VPNs is to stream content online. When you connect to a VPN server in another country, you get access to the content available in that country, allowing you to watch movies and TV shows from other regions or even catch up on your favorite shows while traveling abroad.

This feature can also be used to bypass content blocks in your own country, as long as your VPN provider has a server nearby.

This all sounds tempting, and doing it for free sounds very attractive indeed. Unfortunately, if you sign up for a free VPN, your streaming dreams may not come true.

Free VPNs often have download limits on videos and can even throttle users' connections when they try to stream videos, resulting in slow loading times and video buffering. Additionally, if you use a free VPN, you may face slow speed issues overall, no matter what content you want to access. This is due to a smaller number of servers, which means you are actively competing with other users. This limited server count means that, unlike paid VPN services, you can't simply switch to a less busy server if performance slows down. This all results in limited bandwidth and slower speeds.

Finally, if you want to bypass content blocks (such as access to blocked platforms or annoying licensing agreements that make hot new shows unavailable in your country), free VPNs often have fewer servers in a very limited number of countries in comparison to paid VPNs.

2. Selling your browsing data

VPNs mask your browsing data and IP address so you can surf the Internet without being tracked by anyone. They do this by encrypting your connection and protecting you and your browsing data from prying eyes, such as your ISP or government.

However, with free VPNs this encrypted, secure connection is not necessarily guaranteed. Many “free” VPNs are actually paid for with your data. That's right – “free” VPNs finance themselves by selling data about your browsing habits to third-party companies, which completely defeats the purpose of getting a VPN in the first place.

These free VPN companies can go even further with the data they sell – meaning your location, email address, home address, and any information in your account profile may be up for sale in exchange for a “free” service to offer.

3. Non-stop advertising

We've all been there: We saw an ad for a cool, supposedly free game and decided to download it to waste time. However, once you start the game, you will be bombarded with advertisements left, right and center.

This also happens with free VPNs, especially those that offer both free and premium service. If you choose the free service over the premium service, it is in the company's best interest to encourage you to sign up for the ad-free, paid service – even if it means upsetting you to do so.

All of these advertisements can make using a free VPN a very frustrating experience. However, it's important to note that not all ad-supported free VPNs are like this – some only have ads on their main page, for example, while others may have more subtle ads like banners that are far less intrusive.

4. Malware infections

When you search for free VPN apps, you'll come across some that claim to have features that are usually only offered by the best paid VPNs. While this may prompt you to download them, they should be viewed with caution.

This is because these VPNs are not actually VPNs at all, but malware masquerading as free services. This is what researchers found out in a study of Android VPN apps 38% of VPN apps examined contained code related to some form of malware or adware. In addition, Meta has found over 400 apps (including VPN apps) on both Android and iOS that were infected with malware aimed at stealing Facebook credentials.

How to choose a secure free VPN

While there are a lot of shady free VPNs out there, there are actually some decent ones too. To choose one that suits your needs, you need to consider what your needs are.

First of all, your free VPN must have reliable and proven privacy features that ensure your security in everyday life. This means you need to choose a VPN provider that has undergone privacy audits. It also helps if your free VPN has a simple, easy-to-use interface so you can connect quickly and securely.

Second, if you want to use your free VPN on multiple devices, look for a VPN that offers multiple simultaneous connections. This is easier said than done, but there are many great cheap VPNs that offer multiple or even unlimited connections at a price that won't break the bank.

Finally, if you want to use your VPN to stream TV and movies, it requires a large number of servers around the world to allow you to watch several different streaming libraries. You also want to make sure that it can actually unblock several different streaming services. Additionally, if you want to watch content from a specific country, you also need to make sure that your VPN has a server in that country.

Of course, you can also take a look at our practical guide at any time best free VPNs for our top recommendations, safety guaranteed.

VPN FAQs

Are free VPNs safe?

Although I've covered some of the security issues with free VPNs, the vast majority of VPNs are safe. I would also recommend taking a look at ours The best free VPNs On this page you will find our recommendations for the best (and safest) free VPNs.

Is using a VPN legal?

Whether using a VPN is legal depends on where you are. There are some countries such as China, Russia and Iran that severely restrict or even ban the use of VPNs. This means that using a VPN is illegal in these countries. However, in most countries, using a VPN is completely legal. However, it should be noted that any illegal activity you engage in while using a VPN is still illegal.

Are VPNs easy to use?

While there are some VPNs that are less suitable for beginners, there are many great VPNs that will get you set up in no time, even if you're a complete VPN newbie. As part of our VPN testing, we check whether they are easy to use. So you can check out our VPN tests best VPN recommendations for a practical review.

4 Reasons Why Most Free VPNs Are Scams

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