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Best free VPN

Free VPN

A free VPN is a service that is provided to users at no cost. Unlike a paid VPN service, which requires users to pay a monthly or annual fee, This service is typically financed by ads or sponsored content. They often have fewer features and less bandwidth than paid VPNs but they can still provide basic privacy and security benefits.

The benefits of using a free VPN for New Zealand include enhanced privacy, security, and access. A VPN can hide a user’s IP address, making it difficult for third parties to track their online activity. A VPN can also encrypt a user’s data, preventing hackers and malicious actors from intercepting their traffic. Additionally, a VPN can provide access to content that may be restricted in the user’s location, such as streaming services or social media sites.

Best Free VPN Services You Need to Try in 2023

As technology advances, so do cyber threats, and they are threatening business and individuals alike. VPN services offer an effective solution by encrypting your data and hiding your IP address from prying eyes. The VPN market is highly saturated, and choosing a VPN service can be overwhelming with so many options available.

To help you, we’ve compiled this page outlining 4 of the best free VPN services on the market today. So whether you’re looking for solid encryption or fast connection speeds, our recommendations have covered everything. And best of all, they won’t cost you a thing to use!

Are Free VPNs Safe to Use?

Free VPNs are – generally speaking – just as safe as paid versions. Often, the free version is based on the same software and encryption as its paid counterpart, but you’re likely to have access to fewer features when using a free VPN.

Whether paid or free, a VPN protects your privacy by encrypting all of a user’s internet traffic and routing it through a server in another location, making it appear that the user is browsing from that other location.

Additionally, it can be utilised to circumvent geo-restrictions and censorship.

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Top 4 Most Reliable Gratis VPN Service Providers in 2023

1. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a free VPN service that offers secure and quick web browsing. It is an excellent option for anyone seeking fundamental online security due to its straightforward and user-friendly design.

ProtonVPN is one of the few free VPN services which offers the following capabilities:

  • ProtonVPN does not record your online activities, preserving your privacy.
  • ProtonVPN employs AES-256 encryption to ensure that hackers and government agencies cannot intercept your data.
  • No speed or bandwidth restrictions: ProtonVPN does not impose any speed or bandwidth restrictions on its users.
  • Protect central servers: To ensure the security and privacy of your data, the Secure Core network of ProtonVPN routes your internet traffic through multiple servers.
  • Clean and uncluttered browsing experience because ProtonVPN does not display advertisements. ProtonVPN is compatible with all of your devices, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS.
  • P2P file sharing is supported on certain servers, making ProtonVPN an excellent choice for torrenting.
  • ProtonVPN protects against DNS leaks, which can reveal your actual IP address and location.
  • Kill switch: If the VPN connection is lost, the kill switch feature blocks all internet traffic, ensuring your data remains private.

1.     Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is one of the most popular free VPN services available. It has over 650 million users and is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Here are some reasons why Hotspot Shield takes our number two spot on our list of the best free VPNs.

First, Hotspot Shield provides military-grade encryption to protect your data from hackers and identity thieves. Secondly, Hotspot Shield offers a kill switch feature that will disable your internet connection if the VPN connection is lost. This ensures that your data is never exposed if the VPN connection is interrupted. Not many free VPNs offer a kill switch feature, but it’s an important feature if you want to guarantee your anonymity online.

Finally, Hotspot Shield is – along with ProtonVPN – one of the few free VPN services that don’t have any data limits, so you can use it as much as you want without worrying about exceeding your data limit.

2.     TunnelBear

Coming in on 3rd place, we have TunnelBear. It’s also a super simple, easy-to-use VPN with servers in more than 20 countries. You can connect to any of these servers and browse the internet without restrictions.

TunnelBear uses strong AES-256-bit encryption to keep your data safe and secure. And since it’s a free VPN, no ads or data limits exist.

One thing we didn’t like that much about TunnelBear is that it only allows you to connect to one device at a time. So, if you have multiple devices, you’ll need to disconnect from the first device before connecting to your other device.

3.     Hide.me

Hide.me is another free VPN service that offers a great way to surf the web anonymously. With Hide.me, you’ll have access to a variety of servers located in different countries around the world.

This means you can select the location that best suits you and your requirements. Hide.me is also very secure, with AES-256-bit encryption and a no-log policy. You can rest assured that the service will never monitor or log your activities.

In addition to the features listed above, Hide.me includes a kill switch and DNS leak protection to make it even more secure and reliable.

Hide.me’s free version does have a monthly data limit of 10 GB, which is why it ranks last in our review. In addition, we noticed a slight decrease in download speed compared to the top three best free VPNs.

The Quest to Choose a Free VPN

When choosing a free VPN, there are several factors to consider, such as reliability, performance, compatibility, encryption, and logging policy. Users should look for VPNs with a strong reputation, many server locations, and good user reviews. 

It is also essential to consider the encryption protocols used by the VPN, as well as the VPN’s logging policy, which determines what data the VPN collects and stores about the user.

Drawbacks To Using a Free VPN

There are also drawbacks to using a free VPN. They often have bandwidth and data usage limitations, which can make them unsuitable for activities requiring high amounts of data, such as streaming or downloading large files.

Also, they may pose risks to New Zealand users, such as injecting malware or ads into their traffic or selling their data to third parties. Finally, they may come with trade-offs, such as slower speeds or fewer server locations, which can impact the user’s experience.

Effective Free VPN Usage

To use a free VPN effectively and safely, users should choose a suitable server location, avoid bandwidth and data caps, beware of malware and ads, and upgrade to a paid VPN service if necessary. Users should also be aware that a VPN does not provide complete anonymity and that their online activity may still be tracked in other ways.

The demand for free VPNs is increasing due to the rise of online threats and censorship, but the supply is decreasing due to the costs and regulations involved in providing them. As a result, the market for is likely to become more competitive, with VPN providers focusing on improving their quality, quantity, and features.

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Commonly Asked Questions About Free VPNs

Should I pick a free or a paid VPN service?

Ads usually support free VPN services, which may not be as reliable as paid services. They also tend to include fewer features, server locations and slower download speeds. However, they can be a good option if you just need basic anonymity and security.

Paid VPN services usually offer better security and privacy than free ones. They also typically have more features, such as faster speeds and more server locations. However, they are – obviously – more expensive than free options.

Ultimately, deciding whether to use a free or paid VPN service is up to you. If cost is a major concern, a free service may be the best option. But if you need the best possible security and privacy, then a paid service is worth the investment.

Is it legal to use free VPNs?

Free VPNs are legal in most countries, but there are some exceptions. In China, for example, using a VPN is considered illegal. So if you’re planning on travelling to China, it’s important to research the local laws before using a VPN. However, generally speaking, free VPNs are perfectly safe to use and will not get you in trouble with the law in most countries.