5 Best Free VPNs for Android in February 2024

With people spending more time online than ever before, privacy and security have become serious concerns. When browsing on public WiFi networks or using mobile data, it’s easy for hackers to spy on your internet activity and steal sensitive information like passwords and banking details. Thankfully, virtual private networks (VPNs) offer a simple way to surf securely.

In this article, we’ll explore the top 5 free VPNs for Android that are great options to keep you safe online in 2024. But before jumping into the rankings, let’s first understand some of the key things to consider when choosing a free VPN for your phone.

Things to consider when choosing a free VPN

Server Locations & Top Countries – Good free VPNs provide servers in multiple countries, allowing you to mask your physical location and access internationally restricted content. Consider which regions are supported.

• Data limits – Most free tiers come with monthly data caps, often just 1-2GB. Make sure the limit works for your planned usage before committing long-term.
• Supported protocols – Look for OpenVPN, WireGuard, or IKEv2/IPSec protocols which provide strong encryption standards for security and privacy. Avoid PPTP or L2TP/IPSec, which are not as robust.
• Features – Consider if a kill switch, DNS leak protection, ad blocking, and bandwidth throttling are supported on the free tier. These enhance your security and experience.
• Speed & performance – Free plans may be slower due to server load or other factors. Check recent speed test results before signing up if speeds are important for your use case.
• Compatibility – Ensure the VPN works on your specific Android device model and also supports split tunneling if required.
• Privacy – Review the company’s no-logging and jurisdiction (US, UK, etc.) privacy policies to gain trust in their handling of your data.

Now that the basics are out of the way let’s jump into our carefully reviewed picks for the top free Android VPNs in 2024.

The 5 best free VPNs for Android in February 2024

In the sections below, we are going to examine the best VPN services for Android devices in the market today.

1. Proton VPN – Best overall free VPN

Proton VPN is our top recommendation for a free VPN on Android due to its abundance of high-quality servers, superior privacy features, and overall great experience across both free and paid tiers.

ProtonVPN stands out for providing 180 servers across 3 countries, including Japan, Netherlands, and the US, on its free plan – more locations than most competitors offer. I’ve found connection speeds to be consistently fast even during peak usage times, making it ideal for daily downloads, streaming, and general online use within the generous unlimited data cap.

Privacy is also a key strength as Proton is based in privacy-focused Switzerland with a verified no-logging policy. The free version has all the features you need, like a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and support for OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard protocols. Plus, the intuitive Android app is a breeze to configure and use.

While the free plan limits you to just one simultaneous device connection, it’s still an insanely good deal for all you’re getting. And if you do eventually need multiple devices or have more demanding privacy needs, upgrading to the premium tier at $5-10 per month provides excellent value as well. Proton VPN is simply the best free VPN available for Android.

Visit ProtonVPN

2. Windscribe – Best free VPN for anonymity

Coming in a close second is Windscribe, which also sets the bar high for free functionality and reliability.

Where Windscribe differs from Proton is that it offers 10GB of data per month on signup, which far surpasses most competitors. After that initial boost, the rolling monthly allowance settles at a still decent 2GB. That generous data combined with server locations in 11 countries, including the US, Canada, Germany, and the UK, make for a versatile free plan.

Like Proton, Windscribe implements strong privacy with a verified no-logging policy and is based in privacy-focused Canada. It also supports secure OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2 protocols. Unique features you don’t often see on free tiers include a connection “kill switch”, bandwidth throttling to prevent slowdowns, and even ad/malware blocking.

The simple yet powerful Android app performed very well in my tests with fast speeds, even on less popular server locations. And as with Proton, an affordable $60-100 yearly subscription unlocks great extra perks if needed. Windscribe is a top-notch free VPN well worth your time.

Visit Windscribe

3. Hide.me VPN – Simple and no-nonsense free VPN app

Hide.me VPN offers a unique free trial that lasts a full 30 days, exponentially longer than most free trials lasting only 3-7 days. During that generous one-month period, you can enjoy unlimited data and all core features with no restrictions or catches.

While Hide.meVPN limits you to just a single server, that one server location changes daily, so you can try various host regions during your trial. It supports IKEv2/IPSec and OpenVPN protocols along with a kill switch, connection blocking, and DNS leak protection like the top VPNs.

Speeds were quite dependable in testing and they have a solid reputation for security with a proven no-logging policy based out of privacy-centric Cyprus. For their premium plans after the trial, prices are affordable at $5-10 per month as well.

Hide.me is an excellent way to truly experience everything a VPN has to offer over an extended period before committing to a premium subscription if needed. The long free trial makes it a great third choice on this list despite the single server limitation.

Visit Hide.me VPN

4. Hotspot Shield – Best free VPN for streaming

Next up is Hotspot Shield which provides 10 easy-to-use free servers primarily located in the US, Netherlands, and Germany, along with some Latin American options too.

Connection speeds were quite stable in my experience, and they support OpenVPN and IKEv2/ IPSec protocols with aes-256-cbc encryption for strong privacy. A unique perk of their free tier is the inclusion of a dedicated protocol just for gaming to minimize lag disruption.

Hotspot Shield’s kill switch, split tunneling, and DNS leak protection effectively enhances the security of free users. And as a bonus, they don’t implement any data caps or throttling whatsoever on their free plan.

However, the one limitation is just one device connection allowed simultaneously, versus multi-device support on premium plans starting at $8 per month. Hotspot Shield offers a reliable free VPN foundation to get started or test before upgrading.

Visit Hotspot Shield

5. ZoogVPN – Best free VPN for generous data

Rounding out our top recommendations is ZoogVPN, which is another reputable free option providing decent value and strong privacy fundamentals.

ZoogVPN supports a good selection of 5 countries with fast server speeds and protects your activity with a proven no-logging privacy policy based in no-logs Sweden. They also utilize OpenVPN and Shadow encryption protocols to keep you secure online.

Impressively, they are one of few VPN providers that generously offer 10GB of monthly data traffic on the free tier, which is plenty for basic usage cases. A kill switch stops all internet traffic if your VPN accidentally drops to maintain privacy.

However, Zoog does limit you to just one device connection at once and offers no 24/7 live support like most competitors. But overall, it’s a reliable free starting point for average VPN users, not heavily demanding advanced features or unlimited simultaneous usage.

Visit ZoogVPN

Comparing the top free VPNs

To quickly summarize the key differences between our top recommendations:

ProtonVPN stands out as the best all-around free VPN service for its tremendous number of server locations, unlimited data, and top-tier security/privacy features.

Windscribe provides excellent value with its 10GB initial data bonus and unique network management tools for more advanced users.

Hide.me VPN takes the cake for usability with an unprecedented 30-day full-access free trial instead of just a limited speed/server demo.

Hotspot Shield is optimal for gaming and media streaming with high speeds across all its dedicated servers worldwide.

ZoogVPN delivers very generous 10GB data usage but with the most basic feature set of the bunch.

To summarize the key details of each recommended free VPN, here is a comparison table:

As you can see, each VPN has something unique to offer Android users within the limitations of their free plans. Choosing the right one depends highly on your intended use cases and connection locations.

Additional factors to consider

Before fully committing to any free VPN long-term, some other factors worth double-checking include:

• Device compatibility– Many support Android/iOS, but some are limited just to desktops.
• Upload speed quality– Download speeds are commonly promoted, but uploads impact media sharing
• Jurisdiction location– US/UK raise privacy concerns vs. no-logs countries like Switzerland
• Social media/gaming unblocking – Not all VPNs optimize for accessing GEO-fenced content
• 24/7 live support availability – Contacting staff helps resolve account/technical problems
• Annual price after free trial ends– Weigh full-feature subscription value if upgrading

Final words: Android users’ favorite free VPNs for worry-free browsing in 2024

While paid VPN subscriptions provide more advanced features, using a reputable free VPN on your Android device is still better than no VPN at all when needing occasional basic protection on public networks. ProtonVPN stands out as the top choice but others like Windscribe, Hotspot Shield, and Hide. me VPN are also solid free options to consider depending on your location needs and data constraints.

If you want to trade crypto using a secure internet connection, check our list of the best VPNs for crypto trading.