Footing the bill for a premium VPN service might not seem worth it at first glance. Still, once you realize what you’re giving up by using a free option, you will discover why a paid subscription to SurfShark, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN is worth their asking price.
Free VPNs are split into two categories: reliable VPNs from trustworthy brands that have severely limited features, and less restrictive VPNs that function normally but harvest your data for profit. The free options from big providers end up being a bit one-dimensional for some uses, while the unrestricted options may not be private enough. Free VPNs like VPN by Google and Proton VPN’s free plan are great examples for the first category, while Betternet and Hola VPN have data-harvesting practices that may make them unsafe to use. As with any free service, before you jump on board, read the fine print, check their Privacy Policy, and seek out independent reviews.
Paid VPN options provide more than masking your IP
One of the primary uses of connecting to a VPN is to mask your IP address and use that to hide your activity from your internet service provider, along with protecting your connection from unauthorized interceptors on public networks, such as in dangerous airport Wi-Fi. Others use VPNs to bypass geo-restrictions on streaming sites and subscription services. Outside of those use cases, premium VPNs have a lot more to offer regarding user privacy. For example, a paid service like NordVPN offers a kill switch in its subscription, which prevents data exposure by cutting off network connectivity if the VPN service is lost or interrupted. There’s no worry about data caps or speed limits, and paid options offer a wide selection of servers to help optimize your connection. Other nice-to-have features may include split-tunneling, multi-hop, and ad-blocking.
Paid VPNs also have privacy practices that guarantee most of your data is protected and not misused. Instead of mishandling data and selling it to third-party ad services and data brokers, premium options will denote a strict no-logs policy, meaning the service won’t try to track or sell your online activity. They can also offer strong security protocols, such as WireGuard, and robust encryption like ChaCha20-Poly1305. It all pretty much guarantees no hacker can remotely intercept your data while it is in the VPN tunnel. Free VPNs may still use easy, more exploitable old security protocols and encryption methods (if they even offer proper encryption, since peer-to-peer services like Hola VPN don’t always).
Freemium VPNs can be worth it if you really need to budget
Some people have never used a VPN before. People can go years without one and not realize the benefits VPNs have for their privacy. As mentioned, VPNs can optimize your connection, encrypt your data while in transit, and even provide access to geo-restricted content.
Google’s free VPN on newer Pixel 7 smartphones and later doesn’t even let you pick your VPN server and doesn’t specify the one you’re connected to. Proton VPN’s free tier restricts VPN usage during streaming and only has a few countries to pick from, which are often overcrowded. The free, safe experiences are limited, which is why you should opt for a freemium plan to truly get a taste of what VPNs can offer. Keep an eye out for free trial promotions from trusted paid brands like SurfShark and ExpressVPN so you can get a taste of the whole experience before paying upfront. The trusted options tend to offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for first-time users. While payment info is usually required to take advantage of these offers, you should always be cautious and turn off auto-renewal on your account if you don’t want to stay subscribed.
