Latest update: Apple unveils a new iCloud+ service with 3 major security features: Private Relay (To keep all users’ iOS traffic encrypted), Hide My Email (To allow users to hide their emails), and unlimited Home Secure Video cameras. The good thing is, Apple refused to raise its prices while offering these features.
Recently Apple’s head of software, Craig Federighi, testified in the Apple v. Epic Games trial, and said, “Today, we have a level of malware on the Mac that we don’t find acceptable and that is much worse than iOS.” Therefore, you cannot just assume that iPhones are un-hackable.
If you are looking for a VPN for your iPhone or iOS devices, free VPNs sound tempting, but they are not recommended. Considering the history of free security software like proxies and VPNs for violating users’ privacy, it isn’t easy to find a few good ones that actually work well without compromising your security.
To save you from the hassle, we tested over 40+ best free VPNs and shortlisted these 6 best free VPNs for iPhone to fulfill your privacy needs.
| Free VPNs for iPhone | Data limit |
|---|---|
| ProtonVPN | Unlimited |
| Windscribe | 10 GB/ month |
| Speedify | 2 GB/ month |
| TunnelBear | 500 MB/ month |
| SurfEasy | 500 MB/ month |
| Hotspot Shield | 500 MB/ day |
However, if you are searching for something that will not only protect you against cyberattacks but also open the doors for unlimited and unrestricted streaming and torrenting then you may want to think about getting a premium VPN provider like ExpressVPN.
Why we discourage Free VPNs for iPhones?
While they cost nothing, there is usually a good reason for that. Free VPN providers earn profits in different ways, usually with an advertisement or selling your internet activity data to third parties.
Also, they place restrictions on the bandwidth, amount of data, and speed of the network. This makes them pretty much useless for purposes that require high bandwidth and speed like streaming, torrenting, or gaming. On top of this, don’t expect any form of easy access support or a large number of servers that you’d usually get with a premium service.
Before we get into our best free VPN list for iPhone, it is worth knowing that there are premium VPN providers out there which can cost you as low as just $2.49/mo and offer much better security, privacy, and performance than a free VPN can ever offer.
Some benefits of Premium VPNs:
Free VPNs can never be better than premium VPNs. Let’s check out why:
- Unlimited bandwidth and widespread network with servers in almost all of the major countries
- High-speed network connections with server load-balancing
- 100% secure and guaranteed no-log policy for complete internet privacy
- Compatible with all major operating systems and devices
Paid iPhone VPNs are always way better when you’re looking for a long-term solution for your iPhones. So before we list down the free VPNs for iPhones, let’s acknowledge some premium VPN services for what they offer.
- 3,000+ Servers in 94 Countries
- Hard disk free infrastructure (RAM only)
- 256-bit Military-Grade Encryption
- Excellent unblocking capability for Netflix, Hulu & more
- 5 Multi Logins
- Zero-knowledge DNS
The Best Free VPN for iPhone 2021
- ProtonVPN – Best Free Unlimited VPN for iPhone
- Windscribe – Best free VPN for iPhone Netflix
- Speedify – Best Free VPN for iOS devices
- TunnelBear – A Popular Free VPN for iPhone
- SurfEasy – Best Beginners Free iPhone VPN
- Hotspot Shield – Best Secure Free iPhone VPN
Side-by-Side Comparison of the Best Free VPNs for iPhone 2021
Here is a quick comparison of the top 6 best free VPN for iPhone in 2021:
| VPNs |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland | Canada | USA | Canada | USA | USA |
| Security | AES 256 Bit | AES 256 Bit | AES 256 Bit | AES 256 Bit | AES 256-bit | AES 256-bit |
| Data Usage Limit | Unlimited | 10 GB/mo | 2 GB/mo | 500 MB/mo | 500 MB/ mo | 500 MB/day |
| Server Locations | 3 locations (USA, Netherlands, and Japan) | 10 locations | Over 35 locations | Over 20 locations | Over 31 locations | US |
| Simultaneous connections | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Streaming | Netflix, YouTube, HBO and More | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and More | Netflix, YouTube, HBO | Netflix, Youtube, and More | YouTube, HBO and More | Netflix US |
| Compatibility | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS |
| Limitations | Extremely slow speeds | Only unblocks Netflix US and UK | Keeps some user logs | Very less free data | Does not work with Netflix | Free version supported by Ads |
| Trustpilot | 3.5/5 | 4.7/5 | 3.0/5 | 3.0/5 | 2.9/5 | 4.2/5 |
| More Info | ProtonVPN Review | Windscribe Review | Speedify Review | TunnelBear Review | SurfEasy Review | Hotspot Shield Review |
| Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site | Visit Site |
A closer look at the best free VPN for iPhone in 2021
Although, Top-rated premium VPNs have a clear edge over services that cost no money. Nonetheless, some free VPNs offer some great benefits for iPhone users who want better privacy and stay safe from online trackers.
Here’s a list of the top free VPNs for iPhone & other iOS devices in 2021:
1. ProtonVPN – Totally Free VPN for iPhone
ProtonVPN is among the best free iOS VPNs available in the market. The provider has the distinction of offering unlimited data bandwidth for free. It has a dedicated VPN app for iOS that is very simple to use and is satisfyingly responsive.
ProtonVPN, on its free version, lets you access 3 locations and a single login option. Further, this VPN offers one of the best no credit card required 7-day free trials in the industry, where you can utilize all its premium features. It is compatible with a wide range of devices making it one of the best VPN for Macbooks.
For providing secure connections, ProtonVPN works with OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec protocols, advanced encryption of AES-256 bit, doesn’t keep data usage logs, IP leak protection, and best of all, work well for unblocking streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, etc. However, speeds are a bit inconsistent.
| Country | Download Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) | Pings (ms) |
| US (United States) | 54.73 | 11.89 | 114 |
| NE (Netherlands) | 20.98 | 3.49 | 390 |
| JP (Japan) | 19.08 | 5.26 | 29 |
One downside of this free VPN could be that the VPN lacks live chat support. However, if you overlook these drawbacks, ProtonVPN deserves the highest spot in the list of free VPNs for iPhone. This VPN also tops the list as the best free VPN for UK. It is rated 3.9 on App Store, with amazing user reviews.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 ProtonVPN review!
Compatible with: iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux.
Works with: YouTube, Kodi
- Headquartered in Switzerland
- Robust encryption
- Supports torrenting
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Built-in ad blocker
- No security audit
- Only 3 server locations on the free version
- No Live Chat support
2. Windscribe – Absolutely Best VPN App for iOS Free
Windscribe is an excellent free iPhone VPN app. You can access 10 server locations in the free version, which is more than what most providers offer for free. It is a reliable VPN service for both free and paid plans that supports unblocking geo-restricted VODs, torrenting and private browsing over the internet.
Windscribe comes with a considerably good bandwidth limit of 10GB/month compared with the industry norm of providing a much lower bandwidth allowance among free providers. If you carefully use your mobile data on iPhone/iPad, this VPN might actually last you every month without your bandwidth running out.
| Country | Download Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) | Pings (ms) |
| US (United States) | 43.82 | 12.09 | 152 |
| UK (United Kingdom) | 32.56 | 10.8 | 303 |
| CA (Canada) | 23.97 | 9.02 | 259 |
| FR (France) | 30.12 | 8.67 | 330 |
| DE (Germany) | 26.8 | 7.12 | 59 |
Although Windscribe doesn’t save data logs, it keeps a record of the last time you used this VPN to enforce bandwidth limits. This VPN may not be the best choice if your online requirements need more bandwidth than 10GB monthly.
However, Windscribe offers you a free trial for 24-hours if you want to test its paid features without sharing credit card details. Moreover, the service may not be as safe as other VPNs due to its jurisdiction in Canada- part of the 5 Eyes alliance. Although Windscribe’s free version is worth giving a try with its advanced privacy functions. It is rated 4.6 on App Store with happy customers.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 Windscribe Review!
Compatible with: iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, browsers, Linux
Works with: Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, HBO
- Double-hop encryption
- Clean and intuitive interface
- P2P support
- Compatible with multiple devices
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Headquarter in Canada
- Only 10 server locations for free users
- No live chat support and slow response time
3. Speedify – Fastest Free VPN for iPhone
Speedify is another best totally free VPN for iPhone. This VPN focuses on maximizing connection speed for iPhone devices above anything else, and it tends to be somewhat faster than other providers. The VPN offers a 2GB/month bandwidth limit which is pretty good but may not be sufficient for heavy internet usage.
To provide you anonymity online, Speedify works with ChaCha 256-bit Encryption which is supposedly more difficult to crack than traditional advanced AES-256 bit encryption. Moreover, other features include a kill switch, IP leak protection, and good support for torrenting. It is one of the best free VPN for iPhone without any subscription or account required.
The VPN does store logs of IP addresses and timestamps. However, its jurisdiction in the US makes this VPN somewhat risky to trust your critical online activities.
| Country | Download Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) | Pings (ms) |
| US (United States) | 28.88 | 17.80 | 180 |
| UK (United Kingdom) | 24.55 | 22 | 221 |
| CA (Canada) | 27.10 | 5.18 | 256 |
| FR (France) | 39.42 | 8.67 | 330 |
| JP (Japan) | 26.8 | 17.12 | 391 |
With its modern-looking dedicated iPhone app and built-in speed test feature, Speedify is a good free VPN for iPhone users, especially if you are looking forward to unblocking streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more. However, due to its jurisdiction, we recommend avoiding this VPN to accomplish any critical online task. It has a 3.6 rating on App Store.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 Speedify Review!
Compatible with: iOS, macOS, Android, Windows
Works with: YouTube, HBO GO.
- 2 GB free data per month
- Allows torrenting and P2P sharing
- Compatible with multiple devices
- Channel bonding
- Streaming Mode
- US-based
- Logs some user information
- 128 GCM encryption (below industry standard)
4. TunnelBear – Popular Choice for iOS
TunnelBear is rated moderately on this list of top free VPN for iPhone. It has a few pros and some cons as well. The VPN comes with a lightweight dedicated app for iOS devices and has servers in 26 countries. Giving fast speeds, the VPN also provides good support for torrenting.
This best free iPhone VPN has a decent range of 20+ servers that iPhone users can utilize to hide their IP addresses and attain anonymity on the web. The VPN works with AES-256 bit encryption, its own VigilantBear feature that works like a kill switch, Auto Tunnel feature, and provides DNS/IP leaks protection, so you stay secure over the internet.
| Country | Download Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) | Pings (ms) |
| US (United States) | 46.12 | 19.08 | 133 |
| UK (United Kingdom) | 55.81 | 10.8 | 39 |
| CA (Canada) | 46.02 | 10.73 | 251 |
| AU (Australia) | 52.90 | 13.93 | 331 |
| DE (Germany) | 49.33 | 7.35 | 59 |
The drawback with TunnelBear is that your free plan is its 500MB bandwidth limit that can run out pretty fast. Moreover, for unblocking geo-restricted streaming sites, the performance of this VPN varies. Although the bandwidth limit of Tunnelbear is minimal, it is pretty good for privacy and users with minimal VPN usage requirements. However, if you are to go with a paid version any soon, the VPN is not a wise choice with no live chat support and no refund policy. It is rated 4.6 out of 5 on App Store.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 TunnelBear Review!
Compatible with: iOS, macOS, Android, Windows
Works with: YouTube, Netflix, Kodi, HBO GO.
- 500 MB free data per month
- Servers in 26+ locations
- 5 simultaneous connections
- Allows torrenting
- Compatible with multiple devices
- Very less monthly data limit
- Can’t unblock Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, or Hulu
5. SurfEasy – Clean Interface for iPhone
SurfEasy can be used as a free VPN for iPhone 6 and all models beyond that. It features a simple interface for the iPhone that allows you to choose from multiple country servers directly from the home screen. SurfEasy comes with 2000 servers in 31 countries and offers both free and premium versions.
With its free service, you can get 500MBs/month. Its key privacy features include AES256-bit encryption, built-in DNS leak protection, OpenVPN, and IPsec protocol. The latter one works well with iOS devices for providing enough security of your data.
The high-speed availability, along with advanced security features, makes this VPN a good choice for unblocking geo-restricted streaming sites. Further, the VPN shares compatibility with iOS devices, Windows, MacOS, and Android.
Although the free iPhone version of SurfEasy caps your data at 500 MB per month, it may be sufficient for individuals who use VPN services in specific circumstances only, such as when inputting sensitive information on banking-related forms and other such activities.
| Country | Download Speed (Mbps) | Upload Speed (Mbps) | Pings (ms) |
| Denmark | 52.74 | 16.59 | 205 |
| Mexico | 27.92 | 39.84 | 33 |
| Belgium | 45.82 | 30.63 | 211 |
| Sweden | 29.84 | 38.77 | 138 |
If your VPN usage is high, the bandwidth limit of this VPN won’t be enough for you to utilize in the whole month. Moreover, the VPN doesn’t come with an internet kill switch, does not have a clear logging policy, and has the most unsafe jurisdiction- the US.
While SurfEasy isn’t the best available free VPN for iOS, it is effective enough to protect iPhone from the inherent security vulnerabilities in free public Wi-Fi hotspots. It has a 4.4 rating out of 5 on App Store.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 SurfEasy Review!
Compatible with: iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, browsers.
Works with: HBO, YouTube, ABC, Sky Go.
- 500 MB free data per month
- Servers in 31+ locations
- 5 simultaneous connections
- Compatible with multiple devices
- US-based
- Does not allow torrenting
- Does not work with Netflix
6. Hotspot Shield – A Basic VPN for iPhone Devices
Hotspot Shield offers a free VPN for users of iPhone. It offers a dedicated iOS app with strong security features for users looking to secure their iPhones and iOS devices. It offers both free and paid services, the former of which comes with a bandwidth limit of 500MB/day. It is sufficient for browsing only, because if we talk about streaming, you will burn you daily limit in just 30 minutes.
Hotspot Shield comes with free and very affordable premium versions. On both the plans, it comes with no ads and provides 356-bit security and OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec protocols to withstand fraudulent hacking attempts.
The VPN has comparatively slow servers, limited network presence (only in 1 country), and minimal bandwidth of 500MB/day, so if you want to use this VPN for streaming, it may not prove to be a good choice. Similarly, you only get access to US servers, so you can unblock American sites with Hotspot Shield free version. Similarly, its free version is supported by ads, which becomes very annoying at times.
With Hotspot Shield connected to your iPhone device, you can cope with censorship and content restriction issues. You get limited bandwidth with this VPN, and it may not be a good choice for users with high bandwidth requirements. However, it can still come in handy if you use it sparingly, such as when connected to a public wireless network where your privacy could be at risk. It has a 4.5 rating on App Store.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 Hotspot Shield Review!
Compatible with: iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, Chrome and Firefox.
Works with: YouTube TV, Netflix, Kodi
- 500 MB free data per month
- Internet kill switch for extra security
- 5 simultaneous connections
- Compatible with multiple devices
- Supports torrenting
- Only 1 server location (US)
- Free version supported by Ads
- No router support
How We Chose The best free VPNs for iPhone
All the VPN apps that are added in this article were selected based on a few important criteria as follows:
No-logs policy
Many free services have a sole business model to sell your personal data to third parties, and thus, they log your personal data. We made sure that all the VPNs listed above didn’t log the user’s personal data and had bullet-proof logging policies.
Strong Security
Free VPN providers only provide the basic IP hiding mechanisms and neglect the use of strong security protocols and the robustness of tunneling protocols that they implement. Only those VPNs that implement modern encryption and tunneling protocols to establish VPN connections are mentioned in this list.
Unblocking Ability
The next important consideration was to check whether these free VPNs can unblock popular sites and bypass geo-restrictions. For example, not many free VPNs can unblock Netflix and other similar streaming sites. Therefore, we have mentioned the streaming services these free VPNs can unblock respectively.
Dedicated app for iPhone
The availability of a dedicated, easy-to-use GUI-based app for iPhone makes it extremely convenient to form a VPN connection with a single click and switch servers at will. All the VPNs above offer well-designed VPN apps for various versions of iOS.
How do I download a free VPN on my iPhone?
Follow these steps to download a free VPN on your iPhone:
- Go to App Store > search for a free VPN provider (we recommend ExpressVPN)
- Click Get icon
- Once the app is downloaded, click Open and select Login
- Click Allow if this notification pops up “ExpressVPN would like to add VPN configurations”
- Connect to a server location of your choice
- It will now ask you to enter your iPhone’s password to proceed
- That’s it, you can now start using a free VPN on your iPhone.
Cloudflare DNS
Cloudflare is offering a free DNS service. While it is completely free for anyone who wishes to use it, it is not a VPN service. Their DNS application which is available on iOS and Android uses VPN to route your search traffic to Cloudflare’s free 1.1.1.1 DNS.
There is no mandatory registration required to use their free DNS service, and unlike many free VPN providers, they offer unlimited free DNS service. They also guarantee that your data will not be stored on their servers and will never be compromised.
While the idea of free and unlimited DNS service is very tempting, one should not forget that it is nowhere as safe, secure, and encrypted as a VPN provider. Yes, you may be able to change your DNS and access a few of the blocked websites, but whatever you will be doing online will still be available to view as there is no military-grade encryption involved to hide your digital footprints.
Free VPNs for Other Devices and Apps
If you’re looking for better privacy solutions for free for platforms other than iPhone, you can see the following articles:
FAQs
Let’s take a look at some of the frequently asked questions about the best free VPNs for iPhones and iPad.
iPhones have a high-security standard. Nonetheless, they do have a fair share of their own problems in terms of privacy violations of users. The facetime bug, for instance, is a glaring example of the flimsy privacy inherent in the iPhone. It would help if you had additional privacy measures, a requirement that is best fulfilled by VPN services.
Free VPNs are risky for iPhones because they have a bad history of keeping a log of users, displaying dozens of ads on your phone, and even selling your information to any advertising agency looking for it.
What’s more, free providers don’t really bother about coming off as transparent in their operations. The vaguely written privacy policies raise even greater red flags. This is why you must pick a VPN service that you can actually trust. And if that means spending a few bucks for it, then so be it.
No, the iPhone free VPNs that I recommended above do no store any personally identifiable information. Some only keep minimal logs like session time, and server location connected to. This information is only used to monitor performance of the VPN.
Yes, a VPN may decrease your connection speed due to extra processing involved in making your data secure. However, the VPNs sometimes increase internet speed and, in some cases, like saving you from bandwidth throttling done by ISPs.
Free VPN for iPhone might be useful for many things, but not for streaming, because these services offer very less bandwidth like 500 MB per day which is not optimal for streaming. Similarly, they have limited servers with poor unblocking. Therefore, if you want a streaming VPN, consider using ExpressVPN with iPhone as it also offers 30-day money back guarantee so you can use it free of cost for 30 days.
Yes, most free VPNs for iOS also offer dedicated apps for Windows, Android, macOS, Linux, and more. Therefore, you can use them on your iPhones and other devices at the same time, because most of them also allow simultaneous connections.
Wrapping Up
There is no question that you must secure yourself and your online activities from every online threat. Although a free VPN for iPhone won’t offer the same security and performance level you can expect from premium VPNs, and some free ones are still quite reliable (with a few caveats in performance).
So, if your primary need while searching for the best free VPN for iPhones is having better privacy while connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi Hotspots or other low bandwidth requirements, the free options mentioned above are excellent to get the job done!
Out of all the best free VPNs for iOS mentioned above, our recommendation to you will be ExpressVPN. It is the best in the business with its unlimited bandwidth and data, military-grade encryption, 3000+ servers worldwide, and multiple other advanced security features to give you the best VPN experience as the best iOS free VPN.
