Several years ago, the vast majority of people didn’t even know what VPN was. Now it’s essential for Internet browsing. However, a good VPN provider often charges a lot for the services. Let’s find out if there are any free VPN you can use and why you need it.
The main advantages of using VPN
VPN is a Virtual Private Network. This technology was created to protect your online activity and privacy. However, there’s even more to it. The main benefits of using the service include:
- Enhanced security. Before the data is sent, it gets encrypted. Even if it’s leaked, the hacker won’t see it.
- Remote control. This advantage works best for companies as it allows the employees to access the data from another place (e.g. when working from home).
- File sharing can also come in handy with this service.
- Staying anonymous. VPN hides your IP address and allows you to browse the Internet and use apps in complete anonymity.
- Avoiding geo-restriction and other filters. You can easily access a website that is blocked in your country by using VPN servers from other countries. It often concerns torrenting, social media, streaming apps like Netflix, etc.
The best free VPN services you can use
Undoubtedly, the best overall choice is Hotspot Shield. The company offers a paid version with a wider range of tools and the higher number of servers. However, you can get a free version and benefit from using it. The free version can be used on up to 5 devices and accesses servers from 6 countries. Another great and very popular choice is ExpressVPN. It also offers free and paid versions with a different set of features. Usually, a free version is quite enough to unlock some websites.
The danger of using free VPN
You should remember that free services won’t cost you money but the company still makes money on you. It’s good food for thought because nothing in this world is free. When you don’t pay for VPN, the provider still needs to cover the expenses on the servers you use, on maintaining software, etc. This profit might come from the ads you see when connecting to the servers. Moreover, it can be still worse as the company can log your activities and sell the data to the third-party companies. On the one hand, if you don’t do anything illegal, there’s nothing to worry about much. Yet, there’s a chance the VPN provider is hacked and cyber criminals get your personal information including credit card information, passwords, etc.
Your best decision
The best thing you can do is to think about whether you actually need a VPN provider. Sometimes it’s really not necessary for daily activities. However, when you drive to the conclusion you need to get a VPN, it’s important you understand what it is. Think about the benefits you get but don’t forget about the dangers you receive as well. Sometimes, it’s better to pay a couple of dollars to a reliable VPN provider than risking your personal data.