Considering the history of free security software like proxies and VPNs for violating users’ privacy, it is difficult to find a few good ones that actually work well without compromising on your security. To save you from the hassle, we tested over 40+ best VPN free of charge and shortlisted these 7 best free VPNs for iPhone to fulfill your privacy needs.
7 Best Free VPN Apps for iPhone
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. Surfshark – Best Free VPN for iPhone
Surfshark is one of the most reliable VPNs that comes with many robust security features. Although, it is not exactly a free VPN, but comes with a 7-day free trial offer exclusively for iPhone users. Moreover, you can further test its features for free for more than 7 days by availing of its 30-day money-back guarantee.
Why choose the free version of Surfshark? The advantages!
The biggest advantage of choosing Surfshark’s free version is that just like its paid version, the free trial period of Surfshark also covers all its advanced security features with unlimited logins on a single Surfshark account and that too with unlimited bandwidth.
The VPN provides you complete online safety against security breaches with advanced security features like 256-bit encryption, Kill switch, double-VPN feature (multiHop mode), no-log policy, CleanWeb Adblock feature, DNS, and IPv6 leak protection.
It also supports torrenting for users that want to safely perform p2p-activities under the protection of strong encryption protocols and safety mechanisms like a kill switch.
Further, it offers the IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols, the former of which is particularly efficient at providing good speeds and strong security for iOS devices. It also offers a simple and easy to use app that is easily available on the app store.
Moreover, with its impressive network of 3,200+ servers located in over 65+ countries, you can transcend all geographical limitations constraining your browsing/streaming experience. For instance, unblocking US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and other streaming services.
Disadvantages of the free version of Surfshark
The only disadvantage with Surfshark is that the free version doesn’t last for life. If you want to extend your subscription beyond the free trial period, the 2-year plan will set you back only $2.21/mo, which is extremely affordable for what is probably the best VPN for iPhone in the market today.
Final Thoughts on Surfshark
Surfshark with its dedicated iOS app gives you a perfect combination of robust security and the fastest speed online. Access to its free version for a sufficient time gives you the freedom to test its features. We are confident that this VPN will surely exceed your expectations!
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 Surfshark Review!
2. ProtonVPN – Totally Free Unlimited 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.
Why choose the free VPN service from ProtonVPN?
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.
This includes access to ProtonVPN’s all basic and advanced features including 632 locations in 44 countries, multi-login for 10 simultaneous VPN connections, secure Core, fast speeds, excellent unblocking, and much more.
Moreover, if you want to avail yourself of its premium features for more than a 7-day free trial, they also offer a 30-day money back guarantee so you can test it for 30 days without paying anything.
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.
Disadvantages of the free version of ProtonVPN
Being a free service, ProtonVPN tends to be a little slow with only 3 server locations to work with. However, to unlock more locations and get high speed, you will have to purchase the premium version.
Moreover, another downside could be that the VPN lacks live chat support. However, if you can overlook these drawbacks, then ProtonVPN deserves the highest spot in the list of free VPNs for iPhone.
Final Thoughts on ProtonVPN
Although there are few minor flaws in this VPN on its free versions like limited location access and limited features, ProtonVPN provides extensive security even for its free version, making this VPN worth trying.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 ProtonVPN review!
3. Windscribe – Powerful Free VPN App for iPhone
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 Netflix and other geo-restricted VODs, torrenting and private browsing over the internet.
Why should you choose Windscribe’s free VPN?
Windscribe comes with a considerably good bandwidth limit of 10GB/month if 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.
Further, it works with secure and military-grade encryption protocols like the AES-256 bit encryption and provides IP leak protection, hence giving you robust security online. Although Windscribe doesn’t save data logs, it keeps a record of the last time you used this VPN, to enforce bandwidth limits.
Other than compatibility with iOS, android, windows, Mac, etc, this VPN also comes with dedicated extensions for web browsers including Chrome, Opera, and Firefox.
When should you not use Windscribe? The disadvantages of this free VPN
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 much safe as other VPNs due to its jurisdiction in Canada- part of the 5 Eyes alliance.
Final Thoughts on Windscribe
Although Windscribe’s free version is worth giving a try with its advanced privacy functions, you may not find this VPN the best choice to go with a paid version, due to the small server count of 110 servers in 63 countries, controversial jurisdiction, and no live chat support option.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 Windscribe Review!
4. Speedify – Fast for Mobile Data on iOS Devices
Speedify is a decent free VPN for iPad users as well as iPhone. This VPN focuses on maximizing connection speed for iPhone devices above anything else, and it tends to be somewhat faster than other providers.
Why choose the free VPN service from Speedify?
Speedify deserves to be considered one of the best free VPN on the iPhone in terms of speed and is a good choice for streaming. The VPN offers a 5GB/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.
Disadvantages of the free version of Speedify
The VPN does store logs of IP addresses and timestamps. However, its jurisdiction is the US makes this VPN somewhat risky to trust for your critical online activities. So, if your preference is utmost privacy over the internet, this VPN may not make a wise choice for you.
Final Thoughts on Speedify
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.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 Speedify Review!
5. 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.
What benefits does the free Tunnelbear VPN application provide?
Tunnelbear VPN has a decent range of 20+ servers that iPhone users can utilize to hide their IP address and attain some 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.
The VPN comes with a lightweight dedicated app for iOS devices and has servers in 23 countries. Giving fast speeds, the VPN also provides good support for torrenting.
Downsides of the free version of Tunnelbear
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. Also, the VPN keeps connection logs and is based in Canada; an unsafe jurisdiction
Final Thoughts on Tunnelbear
Although the bandwidth limit of Tunnelbear is very small, it is pretty good for privacy and for users that have 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.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 TunnelBear Review!
6. 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 to use interface for the iPhone that allows you to choose from multiple country servers directly from the home screen. You can download the VPN app easily from the play store.
Why choose the free version of SurfEasy? The advantages!
SurfEasy comes with 1000+ servers in 28 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, Mac OS X, and Android.
Although the free iPhone version of SurfEasy caps your data at 500 MB per month, it may be sufficient for individuals who simply use VPN services in specific circumstances only, such as when inputting sensitive information on banking related forms and other such activities.
Disadvantages of the free version of SurfEasy
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.
Final Thoughts on SurfEasy
While SurfEasy isn’t the best available VPN due to limited bandwidth, unsatisfactory customer support, and few protocols, it is effective enough to protect iPhone from the inherent security vulnerabilities in free public Wi-Fi hotspots.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 SurfEasy Review!
7. SecurityKISS – A Basic VPN for iPhone Devices
SecurityKISS offers a free VPN for users of iPhone. It offers several servers and uses reasonably strong security for users that are looking for stronger security on iPhone. It offers both free and paid services, the former of which comes with a bandwidth limit of 300MB/day.
Why should you choose SecurityKISS and what sets it apart from the competition?
SecurityKiss comes with free and very affordable premium versions. On both the plans it comes with no ads and provides 1024-bit security and OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec protocols to withstand fraudulent hacking attempts. Due to this protocol, this VPN works well for torrenting purposes.
Further, SecurityKiss gives you complete protection against IP/DNS leaks, hence you remain anonymous online while indulging in geo-hopping.
When should you avoid SecurityKISS? Some limitations of this provider
The VPN has comparatively slow servers, limited network presence (only in 8 countries), and a very limited bandwidth of 300MB/day, so if you want to use this VPN for streaming, it may not prove to be a good choice.
Final Thoughts on SecurityKISS
With SecurityKISS connected to your iPhone device, you can cope with censorship and content restriction issues. You get limited bandwidth with this VPN and 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.
For more information, check out this detailed 2021 SecurityKISS Review!
How We Chose The best free VPNs for Mac
All the VPN apps that are added in this article were selected on the basis of a few important criteria as follows:
- No-logs policy: A lot of free services have a sole business model to sell your personal data to third parties and thus, they log your personal data. So we made sure that all the VPNs listed above didn’t log user’s personal data and had bullet-proof logging policies.
- Strong Security protocols: 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.
- 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 macOS.
How We Chose The best free VPNs for Mac
All the free VPN apps for Mac that are added in this article were selected on the basis of a few important criteria as follows:
- No-logs policy: A lot of free services have a sole business model to sell your personal data to third parties and thus, they log your personal data. So we made sure that all the VPNs listed above didn’t log user’s personal data and had bullet-proof logging policies.
- Strong Security protocols: 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 use VPNs that implement modern encryption and tunneling protocols to establish VPN connections.
- 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 macOS.
Do I Need Free VPN Services for iPhone?
Many of you might be wondering why the iPhone needs a VPN to strengthen its security. Those who are satisfied iPhone customers know that iPhone’s security standards are better than its alternatives like Android.
Nonetheless, iPhones have a fair share of problems of their own in terms of privacy violations of users. The facetime bug, for instance, is a glaring example of the flimsy privacy inherent in the iPhone.
In these turbulent times, you can’t rely on factory settings and default security levels to meet our security standards. You need additional privacy measures, a requirement that is best fulfilled by VPN services. But there is a catch when it comes to free VPN for iPhones.
These services usually have a small bandwidth allowance, making them unsuitable for some tasks like streaming. Moreover, free services usually have only a few server locations available, limiting your ability to bypass geo-restrictions.
But the worst of all? You can’t rely on a free VPN to keep you protected on the web. That’s why your best bet is to test the full potential of a VPN with Surfshark’s free trial.
Why Free VPNs Are Risky for iPhone/iOS Devices
Since products selling for free have no direct way of generating revenue, companies employ underhand means to make money. VPNs with the “free” tag 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.
It is hard to ascertain the jurisdiction that a free VPN listed in the App Store falls under. For all you know, you might get your hands on a VPN app that is under the surveillance of the Five Eyes, which seriously puts you at the risk of getting your privacy compromised by agencies.
This is why it is extremely important that you pick a VPN service that you can actually trust. And if that means spending a few bucks for it, then so be it.
The risks of free VPNs for iOS notwithstanding, there are some providers that you can rely on to value your privacy, albeit there are restrictions to the features that they will allow you to enjoy on their free plans.
However, VPNs like Surfshark let you access it’s 7-days free trial exclusively for iPhone users.
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
Is a free VPN worth it?
Free VPNs are good when you are occasionally using them while connected to public Wi-Fi and surfing the internet for not-so-critical requirements. Although, with good free VPNs, you can perform torrenting, indulge in geo-hopping, and access streaming sites, it is better to opt for reliable premium VPNs that guarantee you complete security online with consistent performance.
Is setting up a free VPN on an iPhone difficult?
No. Setting up a free VPN on your iPhone devices is very easy since most of the VPN services offer a dedicated free VPN app for IOS. Moreover, the providers also offer guides and tutorials that are very easy and simple to follow.
How do free VPNs earn money?
Most free VPN companies earn by selling user data to third parties for money. But most of the VPNs I have listed above also have a paid plan so they don’t really have to make money from the free plan. They also have tight no-logs policies so your data will stay secure.
Does a VPN impact speed?
Yes, the VPN may decrease the speed of your connection slightly due to extra-processing involved in making your data secure. However, the VPNs sometimes increase internet speed as well in some cases like by saving you from bandwidth throttling done by ISPs.
Wrapping Up
There is no second thought that you must secure yourself while being on the web from all sorts of threats crawling around. Although a free VPN for iPhone won’t offer the same level of security and performance you can expect from premium VPNs, 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 remarkably good to get the job done!
