Free VPNs and what they offer
What's coming up?
This activity will show you the features and capabilities you should expect from a free VPN, or Virtual Private Network service.
All VPN services are slightly different, but they have certain features in common.
Start activity
Free VPN services
Some VPNs are free to use, but have limited features. VPNs that have a full set of features usually offer a short free trial period, and then require you to take up a paid subscription if you want to keep using them.
Free trial VPNs ask for a credit card
If a VPN offers a free trial (instead of being free all the time), you will be asked to provide your credit card details before you can use the free trial.
The trial usually ends after 7 to 30 days, depending on the VPN, and then you will be charged a paid subscription automatically.
You can cancel the free trial of your VPN before it ends, to avoid being charged for a paid subscription.
Free VPNs might have ads
Some VPNs don’t charge a subscription and offer a fully free service. The downside is that they may put annoying ads in your web browser.
Some free VPNs even sell your browsing data to advertisers, which is one of the main things you are trying to avoid by using a VPN in the first place!
eSafety tip
If you choose a free VPN, check the small print when creating your account. You should only get the VPN app from your device’s official app store, and check user reviews on the app download page.
Free trial VPNs offer most features
A free trial VPN from a major VPN provider will offer most of the features of a paid VPN service, including services that make your internet browsing more private, and which block websites from seeing your real location.
Free VPNs only have basic features
A free VPN service that isn’t part of a trial edition, but stays free forever, will have only limited features.
It will hide your browsing behaviour from some others (such as advertisers, but not your ISP) and will let you visit websites that are normally blocked in your country.
Well done!
This is the end of the Free VPNs and what they offer activity. You’ve learned the basic features you can expect to get from a free VPN, and the difference between a VPN service that’s free forever, and one that is a free trial of a paid VPN.
In the next activity you can find out about Paid VPNs and what they offer, including extra features and useful tools.
