8 Best Free VPNs for iPhone & iPad in 2022

Everyone knows that iOS devices are absolutely secure. But, something extra, like an additional layer of security through a VPN, wouldn’t hurt anybody, right? Except for cybercriminals, of course.

Also, a great VPN wouldn’t just keep you secure. It will also boost your speeds, unblock multiple geo-restricted streaming platforms, and offer various features.

But, a paid VPN is always the most reliable option for security, privacy, and unblocking geo-restricted websites. Unfortunately, while getting the best free VPN for iPhone sounds tempting, it can be subject to just a few servers, limited bandwidth, and poor speeds.

With that said, we tested 60+ free VPNs for iPhone and iPad for users short on cash to find the best free options. We tested these VPNs on security features, multi-logins, unblocking capabilities, refund policies, etc., and shortlisted 8 free VPNs for iPhone. 

Read further to find out the best options for yourself!

The Best Free VPNs for iPhones and iPads – In-Depth Analysis (Updated 2022)

Although the best premium VPNs have a clear edge, we still tested 60+ VPN services that cost no money. Following are 8 free VPNs that offer some great benefits for iPhone users who want better privacy and unblock geo-restricted streaming services:

1. ExpressVPN – Best Free VPN for iPhone with a 30-Day Trial

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for iPhone, which you can use for a month without any cost. This VPN is the best as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, blazing-fast speeds, fantastic unblocking capabilities, top-notch security, and unlimited data.

Free VPNs can never offer the same quality and performance. ExpressVPN offers 3000+ servers in 94 countries, all running on private DNS, that can be used to bypass any geo-restriction in the world you like.

It offers protection against Log4Shell vulnerability – a bug that has caused havoc in the digital privacy world. It is the only VPN provider that managed to offer such protection to its users.

You can also protect your iOS device with its robust security features, including ExpressVPN’s kill switch, which disconnects you from the VPN once its connection becomes unstable. Its Threat Manager blocks all websites from communicating with trackers, and a strict no-logs policy confirms that the VPN does not log your data.

It also has a split tunneling feature that lets you use the VPN-enabled connection and your regular internet traffic.

You get multiple protocols, Threat Manager, and much more on its iOS app.

Thanks to its super-speedy connection, you can browse or stream anything you like without any buffering or lags.

Its speeds are consistently fast and let you bypass geo-restrictions in a blink on your iPhone. You can access blocked websites in your country and multiple streaming services such as BBC iPlayer, NBC, US Netflix, NBC, and Hulu with ExpressVPN.

We conducted an ExpressVPN speed test on one of its US servers and got a download speed of 89.42 Mbps and an upload speed of 84.64 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

ExpressVPN’s speeds were blazing-fast on our internet connection!

We further tested over 30 servers of this VPN, and these 3 offered the best speeds to us:

ExpressVPN lets you connect 5 devices to one account, which is great if you want to encrypt all your Apple devices. It further offers an exclusive MediaStreamer feature if you want to enjoy its connection on devices that do not natively support VPNs.

While it might cost you a bit, it is undoubtedly a great VPN. It comes at a price of only $6.67/mo (Save 49% and get 3 extra months FREE with 12-month plan) for users who love the service and want to commit to a long-term plan. ExpressVPN also offers 24/7 live chat support to users that answers all your queries anytime you have one. It is rated 4.7 out of 5.0 on the Apple App Store.

For more information, check out this detailed ExpressVPN review.

2. Proton VPN – Unlimited Data Bandwidth for Free

Proton VPN is the best totally free VPN for iPhone 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 satisfyingly responsive.

Proton VPN, on its free version, lets you access 3 locations and a single login option. It will let you bypass geo-restrictions and access YouTube, but you cannot unblock any streaming service using Proton VPN.

Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, away from the eyes of the Five Eyes Alliance. For providing secure connections, it works with OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec protocols.

It further offers DNS leak protection to protect your IP address, advanced encryption of AES 256-bit, and doesn’t keep user logs. While it offers a built-in ad-blocker, it doesn’t offer a kill switch for iPhones.

Other features include Secure Core, NetShield, and Always-On.

Its speeds are inconsistent. All this VPN offers is slow speeds to you, which can be pretty annoying at times. We connected to its US server location and received a download speed of 52.37 Mbps and an upload speed of 45.19 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

We could browse with these speeds without any issues.

We further conducted a Proton VPN speed test on its other server locations of the free subscription. You can check out all the speeds below:

Furthermore, this VPN offers one of the best no credit card required 7-day free trials in the industry, where you can try out all its premium features.

One downside of this free VPN could be that the VPN lacks live chat support. However, if you overlook these drawbacks, Proton VPN deserves the second spot in the list of free VPNs for iPhones. It is rated 4.3 on the App Store with good reviews.

For more information, check out this detailed Proton VPN review.

3. Atlas VPN – Trustable Free VPN for iPhone

Atlas VPN is yet another totally free VPN for iPhone that can be used on iOS version 13.0 and over. It features a simple interface for the iPhone app that allows you to choose from multiple country servers directly from the home screen.

Atlas VPN comes with 3 servers located in the Netherlands and the US that run on private DNS. And, with its free service, you can get unlimited monthly data. This data cap availability and efficient security features make this VPN a good choice for unblocking geo-restricted streaming sites.

The VPN comes with an internet kill switch on its free plan, so your online activities are always secure. It also equips the latest WireGuard protocol to keep users protected and a no-logging policy that ensures not to collect any user data.

Let’s not forget its split tunneling feature, which enables you to use a VPN connection and regular IP address side by side. However, despite so many privacy features, Atlas VPN has the most unsafe jurisdiction – the US.

You can use these features and unlimited data per month with AtlasVPN.

This VPN can easily unblock BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and Amazon Prime on its free plan. However, if you want to unblock Netflix, then you’d require a paid subscription.

Although the free iPhone version of Atlas VPN has no data cap, its speeds are a complete turndown. The constant buffering and delays can lead to frustration among users easily.

We tested its US server first and received a download speed of 45.24 Mbps and an upload speed of 39.92 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

These speeds weren’t enough for streaming our favorite platforms seamlessly.

We tested its other servers for their speeds as well, and the results are all combined below:

While Atlas VPN isn’t the best available free VPN for iPhone, it is effective enough to protect your device from the inherent security vulnerabilities on free public Wi-Fi hotspots. It has a 4.8 rating out of 5.0 on the App Store.

4. Windscribe – Secure and Speedy Free iPhone VPN

Windscribe is the best fast free VPN for iPhone that supports private browsing and unblocking geo-restricted VODs and over the internet.

You can access 10 server locations in the free version (including countries like the US and UK), which is more than what most free VPN providers offer.

Windscribe comes with a considerably good bandwidth limit of 10GB/month that can allow SD streaming for 10+ hours. Also, if you’re near to running out of data, you can always tweet about the company and receive 5 GB more data.

Although Windscribe doesn’t save data logs, it keeps a record of the last time you used this VPN to enforce bandwidth limits. Its DoubleHop feature encrypts your data twice. It even offers split tunneling, so you can use a VPN server and your normal internet connection together.

Furthermore, it comes with an ad-blocker, which is capable of blocking multiple ads along the way. Its DNS leak protection feature and military-grade encryption offer the ultimate security to users.

We connected to its US server and enjoyed a secure connection on our iOS device easily.

With this VPN, you can unblock multiple geo-restricted streaming services on your iPhone, including BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, and more. However, the VPN couldn’t bypass Netflix’s high-quality VPN detection technology.

If you carefully use your mobile data on your iPhone/iPad, this VPN might actually last you every month without your bandwidth running out.

We tested its US server and did not face any lags. In our Windscribe speed test, we received a download speed of 50.67 Mbps and an upload speed of 43.92 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

However, the speeds would get slower from time to time.

Along with that, here are the top 3 Windscribe servers that offered better speeds than the rest during our testing:

Windscribe also has a user-friendly app for iOS, which makes the setup pretty easy and unlimited simultaneous connections. 

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, but it is worth trying with its advanced privacy functions. In case of any technical support, you can always contact its automatic chatbot or ticketing system.

Also, if you love torrenting, you get port forwarding support with this VPN. Windscribe is rated 4.5 out of 5.0 on the App Store with many positive reviews.

For more information, check out our detailed Windscribe Review.

5. TunnelBear – Solid Free iOS VPN

TunnelBear is a solid free VPN for iOS devices: iPhone and iPad. The VPN comes with a lightweight dedicated app for iOS devices and has servers in 49 countries.

It offers 500MB/mo, but you can get another GB free if you tweet about this VPN. It 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 offers AES-256 bit encryption and a VigilantBear feature that works like a kill switch, Auto Tunnel feature, and a no-logging policy, so your data is secure while using this VPN service. It also has a safe Wi-Fi protection feature that ensures your privacy on public networks.

TunnelBear’s kill switch is called VigilantBear, and split tunneling is called Split Bear.

While streaming on iPhone, the VPN caused a lot of buffering and delays, but it still managed to offer reliable speeds. It could unblock YouTube and HBO Max but didn’t work with any other streaming site.

As for speeds, since the VPN offers multiple servers across 49 countries, its server park is quite fast. While conducting a TunnelBear speed test on its US server, we got a download speed of 55.27 Mbps and an upload speed of 40.21 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

TunnelBear’s speeds were better than most VPNs on our list.

We tested multiple servers from its locations, and here are the top 3 with their speed results:

The drawback with TunnelBear is that, along with limited data, the performance of this VPN varies. Although the bandwidth limit of Tunnelbear is minimal, it is pretty good for privacy and for users with minimal VPN usage requirements.

This VPN is not a wise choice with no live chat support and no refund policy. However, it does offer a form on its website in case you need to contact its support team. The team then responds to you via email, usually within 24 hours.

TunnelBear is rated 4.7 out of 5.0 on the App Store. For more information, check out our detailed TunnelBear review.

6. Hotspot Shield – 500 MB Data Cap for Each Day

Hotspot Shield is another free VPN for iOS, great for all iPhone users. It offers a dedicated iOS app with strong security features for users looking to secure their iPhones and iOS devices.

It offers free and paid services, the former with a bandwidth limit of 500MB/day. It is sufficient for browsing only because if we talk about streaming, you will burn your daily limit in just 30 minutes.

While it offers 3200+ servers in 80 countries, you get only a single US server on its free version, meaning you cannot unblock geo-restricted services.

Hotspot Shield offers 256-bit security and OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec protocols to avoid hacking attempts. It further equips the proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol, which offers fast download and upload speeds with a super-secure connection.

Hotspot Shield’s free version is supported by ads, which sometimes become very annoying. With this VPN connection to your iPhone device, you can cope with censorship and content restriction issues.

Just tap on the Connect button and be secure on your iPhone immediately!

However, if your purpose is to get a VPN solely for streaming, then Hotspot Shield is not the option you should go for as it would only unblock YouTube for you.

The speeds of this VPN were super-reliable when tested. Due to a single server, there was a significant load on it, making it difficult to even browse without any delays.

As per our testing of its only US server, the VPN delivered a download speed of 39.56 Mbps and an upload speed of 40.21 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

Needless to say, you can barely use this VPN for streaming purposes.

You get limited bandwidth with this VPN, which 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.

Lastly, if you need any help, then you can go through this VPN’s extensive FAQ section on their website. You can also contact their 24/7 customer support team, but they usually do not prioritize responding to their free users.

Hotspot Shield has a 4.5 out of 5.0 rating on the App Store. For more information, check out our detailed Hotspot Shield review.

7. Hide.Me – 10 GB Bandwidth Every Month

Hide.Me is one user-friendly app for iPhone with 5 server locations worldwide, including the US East and West, Germany, Netherlands, and Canada.

This VPN offers 10 GB per month bandwidth, which is not too bad if you think about it. While the app is quite simple, and you can switch servers anytime, its speeds were pretty impressive too.

Hide.Me offers multiple security features and protocols for backup security to users even on its free plan. These include a kill switch that keeps your activities secure when the connection becomes unstable.

Its DNS leak protection secures your IP address, and split tunneling lets you simultaneously enjoy a VPN connection and your regular IP. It further ensures not to collect any user data in its privacy policy.

Hide.Me’s iPhone app is available in 19 different languages!

With Hide.Me, you’ll be able to catch up on a few episodes of your favorite TV show throughout the month. When it comes to unblocking, then this VPN easily unblocks Netflix CA, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max.

We could stream all the streaming services mentioned above with just a few lags, thank to its speeds. When we conducted a speed test of this VPN on its US server, we got a download speed of 40.21 Mbps and an upload speed of 29.89 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

These speeds were enough for unblocking, but streaming was difficult with them.

We further tested all its servers, and here are the top ones we recommend:

If you face any inconveniences while using this VPN, then its 24/7 live chat support is always a good option.

For more information, check out our detailed Hide.Me review.

8. Speedify – 2 GB Data Allowance Each Month

Speedify is the final best free VPN for iPhone on our list. This VPN focuses on maximizing connection speed for iPhone devices above anything else, and it tends to be somewhat faster than other providers.

With its modern-looking dedicated iPhone app and built-in speed test feature, Speedify is a decent VPN option for iPhone users. It offers servers in 36 countries and a 2 GB/month bandwidth limit which is pretty good but may not be sufficient for heavy internet usage.

To provide anonymity online, Speedify uses ChaCha 256-bit Encryption which is supposedly more difficult to crack than traditional advanced AES-256-bit encryption. Moreover, other features include Multiple TCP protocol to improve Speedify’s performance, and a no-logging policy, ensuring that it won’t log your data.

Just download the app and start using it. You don’t need to sign up for this VPN!

If you’re looking forward to streaming, then you need to know that Speedify has a dedicated Streaming Mode. However, it still cannot unblock any streaming service including US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu.

This VPN usually offers average speeds and uses your mobile and Wi-Fi connections to increase your speed. However, this might end up with you running out of mobile data so be careful with that.

When tested the VPN on its US server, it delivered a download speed of 50.28 Mbps and an upload speed of 38.27 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

These speeds were enough for browsing at a limit.

We tested this VPN’s other servers as well, and the results of these top 3 were the best:

When it comes to Speedify, you don’t need to register to the service to use it. This means that your email address and personal information are absolutely safe with you. This makes it the best free VPN for iPhone with no subscription required.

This free VPN for iOS has a 3.4 out of 5.0 rating on the App Store. For more information, check out our detailed Speedify review.

Side-by-Side Comparison of the Best Free VPNs for iPhone 2022

Here is a quick comparison of the top best free VPNs for iPhone in 2022:​

VPNs
Jurisdiction	The British Virgin Islands	Switzerland	USA	Canada	Canada	USA	Malaysia	USA
Security	AES 256 Bit	AES 256 Bit	AES 256 Bit	AES 256 Bit	AES 256-bit	AES 256-bit	AES 256-bit	AES 256-bit
Data Usage Limit	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	10 GB/mo	500 MB/mo	500 MB/ day	10 GB/mo	2 GB/mo
Server Locations	3000+ servers in 94 countries	3 locations (USA, Netherlands, and Japan)	3 (USA – NY, USA – Los Angeles, Netherlands)	10 locations	49 locations	US	5 countries	36 locations
Simultaneous connections	5	1	1	5	5	1	1	5
Streaming	Netflix, YouTube, HBO, CBC, and More	YouTube	Hulu, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer.	Netflix, and More	Youtube and HBO	YouTube	Netflix CA, Sky GO, Amazon Prime, and more	YouTube, HBO GO
Compatibility	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Fire Stick, Kodi, etc.	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS	Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Apple App Store Availability	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Trustpilot	4.7/5	2.4/5	4.4/5	4.8/5	2.9/5	4.8/5	4.9/5	3.0/5
Read More	ExpressVPN Review	ProtonVPN Review	N/A	Windscribe Review	TunnelBear Review	Hotspot Shield Review	Hide.Me Review	Speedify Review
More Info	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site

How We Tested these VPNs for iOS 2022

All the VPN apps that are added in this article were selected based on a few important criteria as follows:

1. 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 ensured all the VPNs listed above didn’t log the user’s personal data and had bullet-proof logging policies.

2. 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 guide.

3. 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.

4. Dedicated app for iPhone:

You can’t just look for a free VPN for iPhone without app. 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.

Risk of Free VPNs

Various free VPNs come with multiple privacy risks. Following are a few risks that you need to be aware of when getting a free VPN:

• Data selling: Free VPN services often sell your details to advertisers for profit-making purposes. To protect your online privacy, you should use a VPN with a robust no-logging policy.
• Data leaking: Since free VPNs do not have updated security features, there are chances of your data getting leaked. Ensure using a VPN with DNS/IP leak protection and AES 256-bit encryption to protect your information.
• Viruses and malware: Even though Apple is strict about not having unsecured apps on the App Store, several instances have already happened in the past that portray otherwise. Since free VPNs use ads to generate revenue, these advertisements can increase chances of your device getting infected with malware.

Some benefits of premium VPNs:

Free VPNs can never be better than premium VPNs. Let’s check out why:

Paid iPhone VPNs are always way better when you’re looking for a long-term solution for your iPhones. This is why we highly recommend using ExpressVPN, all thanks to its amazing all-rounder service for iOS devices.

If you’re hesitant, then you can test the VPN for a month for ABSOLUTELY FREE using its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Free VPNs for iOS to Avoid

You can opt for free VPN services, but it’s better not to opt for the ones mentioned below as they’re quite risky to use. These free VPNs may steal your data and sell it to third parties or leak your IP address. This means that they cannot be trusted with your digital privacy.

1. HolaVPN: Hola is more of a P2P network than a VPN. This means that it makes you share your actual IP with everyone across the network. If someone uses your IP address and performs illegal activities, you can easily get in trouble. Moreover, it collects and stores timestamps every time you connect to the VPN and logs IP addresses and the websites you have visited.
2. TurboVPN: This VPN equips a lot of trackers and advertisements. It also records your data and sells it to advertisers to make a profit.
3. Yoga VPN: This VPN does not conceal user DNS and IP addresses at all.
4. Betternet: Previously, it had a malware-infused app. It also has an intrusive logging policy and stores details, like your location, URLs you’ve accessed, and the device you’re using.

FAQs – Best Free VPN for iPhone

Let’s take a look at some of the frequently asked questions about the best free VPNs for iPhones and iPad.

Wrapping Up!

There is no question that you must secure yourself and your online activities from every online threat. Although any free VPN for iPhone won’t offer the same security and performance level you can expect from premium VPNs, some free ones are still quite reliable (with a few caveats in performance).

Out of all the VPNs mentioned above, our best free VPN for iPhone is Proton VPN. However, unblocking geo-restricted services and super-fast speeds with this VPN may remain only a dream for you.

Therefore, if you want to prioritize security, speeds, and unblocking, then it’s better to go for ExpressVPN. It is the best in the business with its unlimited bandwidth, military-grade encryption, 3000+ servers, and multiple other advanced security features to give you the best experience as the best free VPN for iPhone 2022.