Trying out a VPN with a free trial is the best way to check out a service to determine whether or not it meets your expectations and offers all the features that you need. After all, VPNs are a big commitment and generally require up to 12, 24, or even 36 month-long contracts. Providers will do all that they can to advertise their service and frame it as the best, but you’ll only know if a VPN is suitable for you if you test it out yourself.
You’re likely already aware of what a free trial entails, but some VPNs also offer other ways to try their service without any commitment. This can include a money-back guarantee, where you have an agreed time period where your subscription can be fully refunded at no cost. Or, some providers have free plans available that provide limited features and often capped resources, to allow you to have a glimpse of the service without even needing to hand over any payment details.
Whatever your preference is, we highly suggest that you only use a VPN service that offers some form of ‘free’ trial. Since so many providers nowadays do either have a money-back guarantee, free plan, or free trial on offer, it can be tricky to know which to choose. If this is the case for you, then keep reading to find out the best VPNs with free trials in 2022!
Best VPNs with free trials quick guide
- NordVPN – Best overall choice
- Surfshark – Free trial plus a money-back guarantee
- ProtonVPN – Completely free subscription option
Try out NordVPN* for free now!
How can I test out a VPN for free?
There are a few different ways to test out a VPN for free and without any risk or commitment. Take a look –
- Free trial – A free trial allows you to test out a provider’s features and performance without any commitment. Trials typically last between 1 and 7 days and don’t require any upfront payment. Sometimes you may be required to input your card details, but you won’t be charged during the trial. Some VPNs have ‘unlimited’ free trials, where you gain access to all features and servers, whilst others may cap your bandwidth or limit your server selection.
- Free VPN – A free VPN is a service that is 100% free to use. Of course, free VPNs come with several drawbacks and you won’t be provided with the same server selection, security, and performance that you would with a premium service. However, if you’re new to VPNs then this is the perfect way to become accumulated with the various features. Some VPNs also have free subscription plans alongside premium plans, so users can have a limited experience with the service to see if it’s something they want to pay for.
Completely free VPNs can sometimes be risky, as to make a profit, providers will often log and sell user data to advertisers. If you’re interested in trying out a free VPN, then we highly recommend that you take a careful look into the provider’s privacy policy and check out customer reviews. Check out our top recommended free VPNs here!
- Money-back guarantee – With a money-back guarantee, users are required to pay upfront for a full subscription plan but can get their money refunded within a certain time period. Most VPNs offer between a 14 and a 30-day money-back guarantee, which allows plenty of time for you to get to know the service and see its full, unlimited potential. We personally recommend opting for VPNs with money-back guarantees as it demonstrates the provider’s confidence in their own service. Money-back guarantees are also labelled as ‘risk-free’ meaning that as long as you cancel your subscription before the specified time period, you will receive a full refund.
The best VPNs with free trials in 2022
Testing out VPNs is an essential part of the buying process, as you’ll want to see a service’s full functionality and performance before committing to a premium subscription. VPNs that offer either free plans, free trials, or money-back guarantees are generally more trustworthy than those that do not.
However, just because a VPN allows you to test out its features, does not mean it is automatically a perfect service. Therefore, the VPNs we’ve handpicked, although all have free trials, are being judged on other factors such as their connection speeds, security, and server networks. This ensures that the VPNs you choose are secure and reliable, rather than just ‘free’. So, let’s take a look at our top recommended VPNs with free trials –
- NordVPN
NordVPN is our all-around best VPN, not only for its generous money-back guarantee, but for its unbeatable connection speeds, top-notch security, and user-friendly interface. You can test out this VPN for 30 days and have unrestricted access to all the provider’s features with no caps on bandwidth. If you change your mind about the VPN within these 30 days then you can contact their support for a full refund.
So, what does this VPN really have on offer? Well, for starters, your traffic will be secured with military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, which is the same encryption standard used and approved by governments and cybersecurity experts from all around the world. On top of this, you can increase your protection with the double VPN feature (which encrypts and routes your traffic through two VPN servers) and obfuscated servers that conceal your VPN usage from your ISP. Other useful security features include a kill switch, MFA, dedicated IP, split tunnelling support, threat protection, and private DNS.
This VPN has a no-logs policy that has been independently audited, meaning that your sensitive information (including timestamps, bandwidth usage, IP addresses, and browsing history) will not be monitored, collected, or shared by the provider. Since NordVPN is based in Panama, the VPN is outside of US and EU jurisdiction and will never be required by law to hand over user data. This dedication to user privacy is admirable and means that you can stay truly anonymous when using NordVPN to surf the web.
NordVPN allows for up to 6 simultaneous connections and can be downloaded on any Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux devices. The app is also compatible with most home routers, Smart TVs, and gaming consoles. Additionally, there are no bandwidth caps, so you can safely download, torrent, and stream as much content as you want without any restrictions or throttled bandwidth. Overall, NordVPN offers everything you could possibly need from a VPN at a reasonable price. If you’re still not convinced, then try out the VPN for 30 days completely risk-free!
Try out NordVPN* for free with their 30-day money-back guarantee!
- Surfshark
Surfshark is a cost-effective option for those who want to benefit from a VPN but are also on a tight budget. Although this VPN is well-known for its low cost, you can still expect fantastic speeds and security. Surfshark offers both a risk-free 7-day free trial (for Android, iOS, and macOS) and a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have two options on how you want to test out this VPN.
As with NordVPN, Surfshark uses military-grade AES 256-bit encryption to secure user traffic and combines this with additional security features such as a kill switch, private DNS with leak protection, and a NoBorders mode (for those in restrictive countries). This provider also has a camouflage mode which uses obfuscation to prevent your ISP from identifying that you’re using a VPN, which will further protect your privacy. Surfshark even has a built-in adblock feature, CleanWeb, which blocks ads, trackers, and malware in addition to preventing you from accessing infected or compromised websites.
Surfshark takes its user’s privacy incredibly seriously and has a strict no-logs policy that has been independently audited to prove its legitimacy. Additionally, this VPN uses 100% RAM-only servers that are fully wiped when turned off, and the provider will not be required by any laws to hand over user data.
You can download the Surfhsark app on any Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, or Linux device as well as most routers, consoles (Xbox, Playstation), and smart TVs (Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung TV). Surfshark users are allowed unlimited simultaneous connections and unlimited bandwidth, so you are free to stream and browse to your heart’s content without needing to worry about any limitations.
Try out Surfshark* for free with their 30-day money-back guarantee or free 7-day trial!
- ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is a reputable and privacy-conscious VPN that offers both terrific performance and outstanding security for all its users. This provider does not offer a free trial per se, but instead provides 4 tiers of subscription plans, with the most basic plan being completely free. In this plan, you’ll have access to over 100 servers in 3 countries with a single device connection. This plan allows you to test out ProtonVPN with zero risk to see if you want to upgrade to one of their premium options
This VPN uses AES 256-bit encryption along with the most secure VPN protocols – OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard. ProtonVPN also provides extra protection for its uses with a kill switch, full disk encryption, and DNS leak prevention. There’s also a built-in ad blocker known as NetShield which uses DNS filtering to block ads, trackers, and malware from targeting users as they navigate the web.
ProtonVPN is based in Switzerland, so the provider benefits from some of the world’s strongest legal protection and will not ever be required to hand over user data to authorities. This VPN also has a no-logs policy that has been independently audited and since the app is open source, anyone can inspect the code for any vulnerabilities. All in all, if privacy is your main concern, then this VPN is likely your best bet, as they pride themselves on being completely secure, reliable, and transparent.
Users are allowed up to 10 simultaneous connections with the Plus subscription plan, or just one with the basic plan. There are absolutely no caps on bandwidth, so you can stream in high quality, game without lag, and endlessly browse the web all you want. The ProtonVPN app is available on any Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, Linux device as well as popular smart TVs. If you want to put your privacy first, but are cautious to open your wallet, then grab ProtonVPN’s basic plan for free to see if this provider is best suited to you.
Try out ProtonVPN* for free with their basic subscription plan!