5 Best Free VPNs for iPhones

iPhones are popular globally for their incredible in-built security that protects you from malware and adware. However, without a Virtual Private Network (VPN), your information and the online activity on sites you visit are still left vulnerable and accessible by interested third parties and hackers. This is why it is necessary to use a VPN.

A VPN is one of the best ways to boost your security and anonymity. A trustworthy VPN saves you from tons of security and privacy threats, even with an iPhone. In addition, the best VPNs are designed with the latest encryption protocols, secure servers, and other helpful features. 

However, it is not easy to search for a trustworthy, free, and safe VPN for your iPhone. This article discusses five great free VPNs excellent for anyone interested in top-quality service at no cost.

Best Risk-Free VPN Services for iPhones

The truth is that free VPNs are not always very reliable or safe. Some steal users’ data or expose you to viruses and malware. Thankfully, a better alternative is risk-free VPNs.

Risk-free VPNs are simply premium services that allow people to use their features for a certain period at no cost at all, thanks to money-back guarantees. Premium VPN services are generally a better idea because they guarantee unlimited bandwidth, faster speeds, have widespread servers, user friendly, and have strict no-log policies. Here are the best risk-free VPNs for iPhone:

Overall Best in Our Tests

ExpressVPN

Overall score: 9.8

• Super-fast servers
• AES 256-bit encryption
• Supports private protocol, Lightway
• Money-back guarantee

Try ExpressVPN

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

ExpressVPN is a top VPN known for its high level of security. It is sleek and easy to use on your iPhone. The VPN has over 3000 servers in 90 countries. These servers are optimized to ensure high-speed browsing and streaming on Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, HBO, Hulu, and Spotify.

Additionally, ExpressVPN is great for streaming in HD with no buffering. With its unlimited bandwidth, you do not have to worry about Internet Service Providers (ISPs) regulating your data traffic. Furthermore, ExpressVPN can bypass the toughest geo-restrictions on most online platforms.

In terms of security, ExpressVPN is also outstanding. The VPN protects your data from unauthorized third parties with military-grade 256-bit encryption. It also has other security features such as DNS/IPv6 leak protection, a kill switch, and perfect forward secrecy. Additionally, ExpressVPN maintains a strict no-log policy.

You can use ExpressVPN risk-free, thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee. There is also 24/7 customer service in case you run into any issue.

Cheapest Option

NordVPN

Overall score: 9.6

• Incredibly fast servers
• Great security features
• Verified no-logs policy
• Unblocks streaming platforms

Try NordVPN

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

NordVPN is another popular risk-free VPN. It is very reliable and secure. NordVPN is packed with security and privacy features that make it outstanding. The provider has over 5200 servers in about 62 locations.

NordVPN servers can help you bypass tough geo-restrictions on popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and BBC iPlayer. The VPN comes with its proprietary Nordlynx protocol, which boosts your browsing speed, so you don’t experience any lags or buffering. This VPN also has unlimited bandwidth.

The VPN also provides top-notch security. It is equipped with a kill switch feature, military-grade 256-bit encryption, DNS leak protection, CyberSec, and Onion over VPN. NordVPN also supports OpenVPN protocols and IKEv3/IPSec.

Its iOS app is beginner-friendly as it is easy to interact with. For example, there’s a map on the app that shows where you can select a country or automatically connect to the fastest server.

Although NordVPN is a premium VPN service, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee you can take advantage of to use the VPN risk-free. In addition, NordVPN is compatible with iPhone and other iOS devices.

Best Free VPNs for iPhones

Let’s take a look at five good free VPNs in the market for iPhones:

VPN with the Best No-Log Policy

Windscribe

Overall score: 8.3

• Available in 60+ countries
• Unblocks geo-restricted platforms
• Offers a free version
• Blocks ads and malware

Visit Windscribe

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

This is a great free VPN that works excellently for the iPhone, provided you are with Vodafone.. Windscribe grants you 2GB of VPN-protected data or even up to 10GB if you create your account with a valid email address and a password. 

Windscribe operates several servers in about 60 countries. However, as a free user, you are allowed access to servers in 11 countries and can use two servers simultaneously, guaranteeing double protection.

Although you have to provide your email address, which most users are scared about, your online safety is guaranteed. Windscribe uses AES-256 encryption and a strict no-log policy. This means that you don’t have to worry about your data being leaked because you’ve provided an email address. Additional security features of Winscribe include an ad blocker, a kill switch, a no-log policy, as well as a secure hotspot. These security features are quite hard to find in free VPNs.

Windscribe works on iPhones and iPad. It is one of the only iOS VPNs that work perfectly with US Netflix. It also unblocks Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, and several other streaming services.

To extend the 10GB monthly data cap to 15GB, you can make a promotional tweet for Windscribe on Twitter. You can make the tweet by clicking on the “Tweet 4 data” option on the app.

Windscribe is also available on Linux, Windows, Android, and other devices. You can connect as many devices as you want, even with your free account.

Best VPN with a Free Version

ProtonVPN

Overall score: 9.0

• Free version available
• Strong security features
• Reliable no-logs policy
• Allows Perfect Forward Secrecy

Visit ProtonVPN

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

This Swiss-based VPN is another top free VPN choice for iPhones. ProtonVPN offers free unlimited data in only three server countries (the US, Japan, and the Netherlands) for free users. Although they are in just three countries, the servers are very well distributed to provide reliable and fast speeds.

ProtonVPN is one of the fastest free VPNs. A ‘Quick Connect’ feature can automatically connect you to the fastest server available. Moreso, there are no bandwidth limits or speed caps. This speed is typically good enough for shopping, banking, browsing, and much more. Sadly, you cannot stream or torrent with a free ProtonVPN package.

ProtonVPN is one of the most secure free VPNs for iPhones with its AES 256-bit encryption, a 4096-bit RSA, a kill switch, an ad blocker, DNS leak prevention, and SHA384 for authenticating messages. Additionally, it operates a strict no-log policy. 

Free users are allowed only one device connection, but they can enjoy almost the same benefits as paid users.

VPN with Easy User Interface

Hotspot Shield

Overall score:

• Super-fast server speed
• Remarkable unblocking ability
• Intuitive user interface

Visit Hotspot Shield

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

This is another good free VPN service that offers a generous 500Mb daily data allowance for free with fast internet speeds. It has a server count of more than 1800 servers in about 80 countries. However, free users only have access to the US.

With Hotspot Shield, You can comfortably browse on Safari, download documents and music without any noticeable lag. It is, however, pretty slow for streaming. Nonetheless, Hotspot Shield can bypass tough geo-restrictions.

In terms of security, this VPN is reliable. Hotspot Shield is equipped with military-grade encryption, malware, and adware blocking technology. It also offers perfect forward secrecy, a kill switch, and maintains a strict no-log policy.

Hotspot Shield’s iOS app is a solid choice if you want a trustworthy, secure connection and unrestricted access. You can connect just one device with your free plan and up to 5 devices with a premium account.

One of The Cheapest VPNs

Hide.me

Overall score: 9.1

• Advanced IP Leak protection available
• 1,800+ servers in 72 countries
• AES 256-bit encryption
• Offers a completely free version

Visit Hide.me

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

This VPN provider is located in Malaysia and has over 1900 servers in 75 countries. However, a free user has access to Germany, Canada, Netherlands, US west, and US-East servers. This means that there is a possibility that you will experience slower speeds when connecting to free servers outside North America or Europe.

Hide.me is equipped with advanced iOS privacy features and top-tier security, including IP leak protection and an automatic kill switch that protects your data if your VPN connection is interrupted. It also has a military-grade AES 256-bit encryption that ensures no third party is allowed access to monitor your online activities. Furthermore, Hide.me maintains a strict no-log policy.

Although you cannot stream on Netflix, you can use Hide.me to watch HD YouTube videos, browse Safari, shop, and conveniently bank online. There are no speed restrictions for free accounts, but a 10GB free monthly data allowance is available.

Apart from iPhones, Hide.me is also compatible with Android, Windows, macOS, and other devices. Additionally, 24/7 online customer service is available for users. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee if you opt for a paid plan.

Best Completely Free Version

TunnelBear

Overall score: 8.4

• Offers a totally free version
• Available in 26 countries
• AES 256-bit encryption available
• Relatively reliable speed

Visit TunnelBear

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Canadian-based TunnelBear is another great free VPN provider with features that don’t differ so much from the premium version. But, more importantly, the VPN works excellently on all the latest iPhones.

Tunnelbear operates more than 3000 servers in 49 countries. Luckily, you can access all the servers with a free account. However, one of the major drawbacks of a free account is that you have limited browsing data.

Although TunnelBear’s data caps are low, the speed is superb. With this, you can browse, shop, and much more on your iPhone without experiencing any lag. Additionally, you have access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. However, streaming will be tough because of its limited data cap. The 500Mb is not exactly enough but lets you stream high-quality videos for about 30 mins.

However, you can earn more data by making a tweet about TunnelBear to increase your data limit to 1.5GB. You can do this monthly to get the bonus. 

TunnelBear uses AES 256-bit encryption to secure your data. This protects your data from third-party interference. In addition, Its GhostBear feature cloaks your VPN traffic as regular traffic,  and VigilantBear acts as a kill switch.

With your free TunnelBear account, you can connect up to 5 devices. This is excellent because it allows you to protect other devices at no cost.

Factors to Consider In a Free VPN for iPhone

Before you choose a free VPN to use for your iPhone, here are some features you should consider:

Compatibility

First off, the most important thing you need to consider before choosing any free VPN is its compatibility with iOS devices. If the VPN doesn’t offer dedicated apps that work excellently for iPhones, you shouldn’t use it.

Security and Privacy Features

Another important thing to consider is the free VPN’s level of security and privacy. The best options in the market have the latest encryption protocols, security, and privacy features, including AES 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, data leak protection, and so on.

Additionally, you must use a VPN that maintains a no-log policy. This guarantees that the VPN won’t record all your activities on your iPhone while you’re connected.

Speed and Bandwidth

Although free VPNs are not as fast as premium versions, there are a couple of them that can improve your connection speeds. You won’t notice any speed drops, lags, or buffering with the best options. 

Furthermore, free VPNs typically have data caps that can limit your internet activities. So, if you’re considering a free VPN, ensure that it provides enough data for free users. That way, you won’t run out of data while in the middle of something.

How To Set Up a Free VPN for iPhones

Setting up your VPN on your iOS device is easy and quick to do.

Choose a Free VPN Provider and Sign Up

First off, choose a free VPN that meets all your requirements. Afterward, head to the VPNs website to create an account and fill in all the necessary details for the sign-up process.

Install the VPN

Once you complete your registration, head to the Apple App Store and install the VPN app.

Connect to a Server

After installing the VPN on your iPhone, connect to a VPN server. There should be a variety for you to choose from. Alternatively, the VPN app can automatically choose for you.

Check your VPN Connection

You can do this by checking your IP address to make sure it has changed before browsing. This is to avoid data or IP leaks. A simple way to check your IP address is to type “what is my IP address?” on Safari’s search bar.

That’s all. You can now enjoy your secure browsing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Free VPNs of iPhones

Can I use a free VPN on my iPhone?

Yes, you can. However, free VPNs are rarely safe to use because the providers have to find a way to generate profit, and they do this by selling users’ data to third parties (this is the case for most free VPNs). Additionally, a few VPN service providers install malware and trackers on users’ devices. Also, free VPNs heavily restrict data and speed. Nevertheless, they are a good option if you need them just for non-sensitive browsing or a few days.

Will a VPN drain my iPhone battery?

No, it won’t drain your phone’s battery more than usual. All the VPNs listed above offer optimized and dedicated iOS apps. This means that they should only use as much battery as any other app on your phone.

Do free VPN providers keep log files?

Yes, they do. However, the providers recommended in our list do not store any personal information. Some free VPN providers keep logs related to your online session and location. In most cases, this is to monitor server performances or deliver ads.

Conclusion

Although free VPNs offer a lot and may seem eye-catching, you should never take your online security lightly; make sure you check out all the necessary features to keep your information private and secure. Of course, paid VPN services should always be your first option, but we have discussed the best free VPNs for your iPhone if you still want to use one.