Looking for a free VPN for your iPhone? Here are four of the best VPNs for iPhones.
Most free VPNs for iOS fall short of their promises once you install and start using them. They’re slow, full of ads, and more of a threat than protection. After testing various providers, we’ve rounded up four top VPNs for iPhone users that are easy and safe to use.
If none of the below options work for you, feel free to explore the market and look for alternatives to suit your individual case. In which case, we’ve also listed some deciding factors you can use to choose the right VPN for your iPhone.
1. ProtonVPN: Best Overall with Free Unlimited Data
ProtonVPN is the best free VPN service you can get on iOS, because of its unlimited bandwidth and user-friendly interface. It has a friendly privacy policy that promises zero usage logs of what you do online, and an effective Kill Switch to ensure all-time anonymity in case a server goes down.
Using the secure AES-256 cipher, ProtonVPN’s encryption protects you from cyberattacks and threats. Once opened, tap the Quick Connect button, and it will connect to the fastest available server. In its free version, only servers based in Japan, Netherlands, and the United States are available.
Though overall impressive, ProtonVPN lacks high-speed operation. Since it’s the best free VPN for iPhone users in the market, a lot of people use it, increasing traffic on its servers and slowing it down. This does not, however, mean that it’s slow—it’s still great for everyday users.
2. Windscribe: Best for Multiple Simultaneous Connections
Allowing unlimited devices a safe way to connect to the internet, Windscribe is one of the most user-friendly free VPNs for iOS. With servers in more than 60 countries and supporting six different protocols, you get a 2GB bandwidth every month by default. And, by signing up, you can upgrade to the 10GB/month free plan.
This bandwidth is enough for lightweight web surfing, but not for anything heavy like gaming or streaming. That said, the HD streaming and gaming performance is still excellent. This is because Windscribe has strong SpeedTest scores of 17.21Mbps down, 7.49Mbps up, and 139ms ping.
As for privacy, Windscribe offers the AES 256-bit encryption—the gold standard encryption algorithm—for both its free and paid tiers. There’s a leak protection system too, which prevents sensitive user information leak. Overall, Windscribe is one of the best free VPN for iPhone users, limited only by its 10GB bandwidth.
3. Avira Phantom VPN: Best User-Friendly Interface
Featuring a user-friendly interface and 256-bit encryption, Avira Phantom VPN lets users connect as many devices as they want. Unlike ProtonVPN, Avira Phantom doesn’t offer unlimited bandwidth or data in its free version. It has a data cap of only 500MB per month. However, if you sign up with your email address, you can get 500MB more.
This VPN scored a 9.84Mbps download speed and 191ms ping on SpeedTest. Though it’s good enough to stream in HD, the bandwidth is not enough by a long stretch. Avira Phantom is thus only good for light browsing. The free app only lets you connect to one server, but it does allow torrenting.
Overall, Avira Phantom VPN is a great option to stay safe on your iPhone for free.
4. NordVPN: Best Trial VPN
NordVPN is one of the most widely used VPNs on the market. It has more than 5,300 servers worldwide across 60 countries, and operates on a strict no-log policy. Though it’s paid, you can benefit from the 30-day money-back guarantee as a trial version.
Nord offers AES 256-bit encryption—the strongest of its kind—along with other interesting features like split tunneling, the Kill Switch, DNS leak protection, and DoubleVPN, plus Nord’s 24/7 customer support.
NordVPN’s SpeedTest scores justify its price: 22.34Mbps download, 8.33Mbps up, and 135ms ping. You can use a single subscription across six devices, and can cancel the plan anytime.
The only reason why Nord is our fourth choice is the fact that it’s not entirely free—you have to get a subscription (monthly or annually) to acquire 30-day money-back offer. Fortunately, there are always great discounts on offer, including 67 percent off a two-year plan!
How to Choose the Best VPN for iOS
Here are a few factors that you should take into consideration when looking for a good free VPN for iOS. We came up with the four VPNs above using this criterion.
- Speed and bandwidth: Most free VPNs for iOS are slow and have limited data. Look out for speed and bandwidth for smoother surfing over a long period.
- Transparent privacy policy: Free VPNs for iOS operate by selling user data. However, some have clear and transparent no-log policies that ensure some protection—go with them.
- Servers: VPNs with one or two free servers will be slow. Make sure your pick has at least three to five free servers.
- User-friendliness: There are free VPNs for iOS which have outdated UI (which makes them hard to set up), and are flooded with ads. Avoid them.
Free VPNs for iPhone Are Limited
Though they get the job done usually, free VPNs for iPhone aren’t great for regular use. They either slow down your internet connection too much, or their bandwidth reaches its limit. For uninterrupted, high-speed daily usage, it’s important to invest in a proper subscription. The idea that free VPNs for iOS are enough is but a myth—like many other VPN myths out there.