10 Best VPN Free Trials in 2020 | Get a free trial VPN with no credit card details

Want to try a VPN without committing to a lengthy subscription plan? In this guide, we explore the best VPNs with free trials on offer and how you can make the most of your VPN trial period.

The best VPN free trials list

Here’s a quick look at the top VPN free trials we recommend.


  1. CyberGhost VPN

    – Offers a 1-day free trial & no credit card details needed. A slick app makes it a perfect pick for iPhone or Android users.

  2. PrivateVPN

    – Offers a 7-day VPN free trial without needing a credit card. It also works great with US Netflix, even on a trial account.

  3. ProtonVPN

    – Offers an unlimited free trial with no data limits at all. Perfect for every day browsing, but expect slow speeds at peak times.

  4. Hotspot Shield

    – Offers a 7-day free trial, but requires card details. This is a solid pick if you want to experience a fast free trial VPN for gaming.

  5. ZenMate VPN

    – Offers a 7-day VPN trial & no card details needed to sign up. Those seeking for global server coverage should look no further.

Try CyberGhost VPN the best VPN with free trial

See full list & in-depth analysis

Virtual Private Networks can seem expensive to those who are unsure about the investment. Discounts are typically only applied when you commit to a longer-term subscription plan (1 or 2 years, for example), and it would be unreasonable to expect you to jump right in without being able to try before you buy.

Nowadays, most reputable VPNs offer a money-back guarantee which tends to average around 30 days, giving you the opportunity to test whether it does what it says on the tin without risking your cash. However, it’s not as common for a VPN to offer a free trial. VPNs with free trials do exist, though, and in this guide, we’ve listed the best ones available today. In order to qualify as a legitimate free trial VPN, the provider must offer users full access to test its premium-tier service for free – without having to pay anything upfront. This is distinctly different from a free VPN that offers a limited-access free-tier to its service.

When recommending a VPN service with a free trial, obviously the main thing that we’re looking for is that the provider offers a legitimate free trial. But, we also check that our recommendations offer:

So, let’s take a closer look at which VPN free trials we recommend.

The best VPN free trials to try in 2020

Here’s an in-depth look at the top VPN free trials on the market today.

CyberGhost is the best VPN free trial VPN available. It offers a 1-day free trial without having to enter credit card details and the service works great on all devices.

  • Pricing

    From 

    $2.81 –
    $13.47

  • Free trial length

  • Credit card required?

  • Available for

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux

CyberGhost is a respected and secure VPN provider from Romania. It offers prospective subscribers a 24-hour free trial via its Windows, macOS, or Android apps. The only thing needed to avail of this free offer is a valid email address. And if you want added privacy, you can always opt to sign up for the trial with a burner email address.  

iOS users can enjoy a 7-day free trial. However, they must cancel via the App Store before the time is up or will be automatically charged for a 1-year subscription. Because there is no Linux app to implement the free trial, Linux users must sign-up for the trial on another device. 

During the trial period, users get full access to all CyberGhost’s servers and all of its features. And if you still need more time to trial the service before fully committing, CyberGhost offers a very generous 45-day money-back guarantee on top of the free trial. 

As previously noted, CyberGhost offers a fully-featured service. It runs servers in more than 90 countries around the world, allows 7 devices to connect at the same time (even when using the free trial account), keeps no logs that can comprise users’ privacy, and unblocks BBC iPlayer and US Netflix flawlessly. 

Features: 1-DAY FREE TRIAL | NO LIMITS | NO CARD REQUIRED | 45-DAY MBG
Platforms: WINDOWS | MACOS | IOS | ANDROID | LINUX (MANUAL CONFIG)

PrivateVPN offers an excellent 7-day free trial with no payment details required upfront. This is a superb VPN if you want test out unblocking and streaming services like US Netflix.

  • Pricing

    From 

    $1.89 –
    $7.12

  • Free trial length

  • Credit card required?

  • Available for

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux

PrivateVPN is one of the best in the business when it comes to VPN free trials. It offers a 7-day free trial with no commitment needed. All that is required is a valid email address (which can be a disposable one), and off you go! And, as if that wasn’t enough, PrivateVPN offers an additional 30-day money-back guarantee on top of its free trial. 

The free trial is available via the website when you first sign-up for the service, with mobile users being sent to the website for sign-up. This means the trial is available to everyone, no matter which device you use. 

Free trial users gain full access to all Private VPN’s features and its servers in 60 countries around the world. You can connect up to 6 devices at once, torrent to your heart’s content, or watch Netflix localized to 15 regions worldwide (not just the US). 

PrivateVPN offers excellent 24/7 live chat support, which is fully available for free trial users. 

Features: 7-DAY FREE TRIAL | NO LIMITS | NO CARD REQUIRED | 30-DAY MBG
Platforms: WINDOWS | MACOS | IOS | ANDROID | LINUX (OpenVPN script)

ProtonVPN offers an unlimited free VPN trial with no usage limits – perfect for everyday browsing. But, you may find speeds are slower than the other free trial VPNs at peak times.

  • Free option

    Yes

    Pricing

    From 

    $3.29 –
    $5.00

  • Free trial length

  • Credit card required?

  • Available for

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux

ProtonVPN is a superb free trial VPN provided by the developers of the incredibly popular secure email service, Proton Mail. ProtonVPN is a secure VPN provider that will allow you to use the service on an unlimited basis. This makes it perfect for your day-to-day private web surfing.

As is always the case with reliable VPNs, ProtonVPN wants to sell subscriptions to its full premium service. For this reason, it throttles free-users’ bandwidth. This means that the free tier of the ProtonVPN service will not provide the speeds necessary for engaging in more data-intensive tasks such as streaming in HD.

Hotspot Shield offers a 7-day VPN trial of its speedy service, but you’ll need to provide credit card details upfront. We recommend this trial if gaming or streaming is a top priority.

  • Pricing

    From 

    $3.88 –
    $16.84

  • Free trial length

  • Credit card required?

  • Available for

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux

Hotspot Shield VPN is a service from the US that is well known for its excellent free plan. That free VPN provides a single server in the USA that many people use in times of crisis (during protests, political upheaval, etc). Those who enjoy the free plan – but require a bit more – can test the rest of its servers thanks to the 7-day free trial of the ‘Elite’ version. Those who upgrade to the paid service get access to servers in more than 73 countries around the world – with access to popular streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

We think Hotspot Shield is a good VPN that suits people who like to stream. For this reason, we recommend giving the free trial a go. It is also good for gaining privacy and security both at home and on public WiFi.

ZenMate offers a generous 7-day free trial of its VPN with no credit card needed. This should be more than enough time to test it with your favorite streaming services.

  • Pricing

    From 

    $2.22 –
    $10.99

  • Free trial length

  • Credit card required?

  • Available for

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux

ZenMate is a VPN provider that has been around for many years. It is a great all-around VPN based in Germany. It has servers in over 74 countries worldwide, which means that it is good for unblocking content from across the globe. And the VPN has placed those servers in all the most useful places, so you’re getting excellent global coverage when you trial ZenMate. With ZenMate all users get to try the VPN for free. Not only does it have a free trial, it actually has a permanently free option – so you can test it for as long as you like.

The free version has some limitations, though (download cap and server locations). Overall, we like ZenMate because it is a VPN that provides both privacy and reliability that can be thoroughly tested without splashing out.

SurfShark allows for a 7-day VPN free trial, but it does require a credit card upfront. If this isn’t a problem, then you can enjoy a 7-day trial of this excellent torrenting VPN.

  • Pricing

    From 

    $2.21 –
    $12.95

  • Free trial length

  • Credit card required?

  • Available for

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux

Surfshark is a VPN provider that burst onto the scene a couple of years ago. The service is a fantastic all-rounder that is great for both privacy and unblocking content. Surfshark has servers in 63 countries, which is great for accessing blocked or censored content from around the world. And it is able to unblock multiple Netflix libraries (including Netflix US), BBC iPlayer, and many other popular streaming services.

This VPN has apps for all platforms, and it is very easy to use. It also has a zero-logs policy, which means that it can be trusted to keep your data private. Plus, it has strong encryption to ensure your data is secure both at home and on public WiFi. All users can test the service thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee. And mobile users get a 7-day free trial.

HMA offers customers a 7-day free trial of its VPN, but requires a credit card upfront. This service works with both iPlayer & Netflix US and keeps no logs.

  • Pricing

    From 

    $3.99 –
    $10.99

  • Free trial length

  • Credit card required?

  • Available for

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux

HMA is a solid VPN provider that has servers in a whopping 190+ countries. That makes HMA particularly good for people in need of a VPN server in a rarer location (most VPNs have servers in about half as many counties). HMA has apps for all platforms, and it is very easy to use, which makes it great for VPN noobs as well. We also like that this VPN provides strong encryption and keeps no usage logs.

When it comes to unblocking content, HMA will let you access many sought-after streaming services like Netflix US and BBC iPlayer, which puts HMA in the most elite circle of VPNs. To top it all off, HMA will let you test its service for free for 7 days, and also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Windscribe will let you test its service for free for a day and doesn’t require a credit card. It’s a secure, fast, and incredibly well-rounded service.

  • Pricing

    From 

    $4.08 –
    $9.00

  • Free trial length

  • Credit card required?

  • Available for

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux

Windscribe VPN is a Canadian provider that many people enjoy using for free. However, it is worth noting that the free subscription plan is rather limited in terms of download caps and server locations. The free plan also blocks Netflix US, so if this is a concern you will need to trial the full premium version.

The good news is that Windscribe gives potential subscribers a 24 hour free trial of its premium offering – which will allow you to test its entire server network. We like this VPN because it is easy to use, has strong OpenVPN encryption, and provides great customer care. It also has a zero-logs policy (which makes up for it being based in a Five Eyes country).

AirVPN offers a no-strings-attached 3-day free VPN trial on request and doesn’t require a credit card. Alternatively you can get a 3-day access pass to the full service for just $2.25.

  • Pricing

    From 

    $3.23 –
    $8.05

  • Free trial length

  • Credit card required?

  • Available for

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux

AirVPN is an Italian provider with a strong privacy focus is often viewed as providing a techie VPN service for techies by techies. While there is some truth in this, we don’t actually think it is any more difficult to use than any other VPN service, and it does offer lots of bells and whistles not available elsewhere. 

A three-day no-strings free trial is therefore a great opportunity to find out if AirVPN works for you. To get a free trial, you must request it via the website’s Contact Form. You may have to wait a few hours for an email confirmation (especially if posting outside Italian office hours), but once you have it, then you can access all features of the service during the trial period.

If you can’t be bothered to submit a request and/or are impatient to try out AirVPN, you can instead simply purchase an instant-access three-day trial for 2 euros (approx. $2.25USD) using the website’s automated payment system.

AirVPN has been the winner of our annual Privacy Award for two years running due to its position as the clear market leader when it comes to privacy technology. This includes the use of very strong encryption, VPN obfuscation using SSH and SSL tunneling, and anonymous VPN use via VPN through Tor. AirVPN is also one of the very few providers to offer a fully-featured GUI Linux client.

Features: 3-DAY FREE TRIAL | NO CARD REQUIRED | NO LIMITS | ON REQUEST ONLY
Platforms: WINDOWS | MACOS | IOS | ANDROID | LINUX (FULL GUI CLIENT)

CactusVPN offers an easy 3-day free VPN trial without requiring you to enter credit card details. Some of its apps are a little limited, but it does come with Smart DNS thrown in for free.

  • Pricing

    From 

    $3.95 –
    $9.99

  • Free trial length

  • Credit card required?

  • Available for

    • Windows
    • macOS
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Linux

CactusVPN is a Moldovan VPN provider that offers a free 3-day trial. All you’ll need to do is sign up with a valid email address (a disposable one is fine) to get unlimited free access to the service for three days.

It really doesn’t get much simpler than that. CactusVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you need more time to think about things. 

CactusVPN uses strong OpenVPN encryption and performs the core functions of a VPN service with aplomb. This includes effective DNS and WebRTC leak protection, a kill-switch (Windows only), dedicated P2P servers, 24/7 live chat support, and decent speed performance.

We particularly like that a Smart DNS service is thrown in for free on all accounts, but are a little worried by some aspects of the privacy policy which appear to undermine CactusVPN’s no-logs claim. 

Features: 3-DAY FREE TRIAL | NO CARD REQUIRED | NO LIMITS | ON REQUEST
Platforms: WINDOWS | MACOS | IOS | ANDROID | UBUNTU (MANUAL CONFIG)

The ExpressVPN Free Trial Hack!

Did you know you can experience ExpressVPN’s fully featured service without limitation… for free!

If you’re finding free VPNs too restrictive, why not test ExpressVPN premium service? Simply purchase a subscription using the button below and take advantage of the no-nonsense money-back-guarantee. Enjoy the free VPN trial for 30 days, and when you cancel, you will receive a complete refund!

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Why are free trial VPNs useful?

If you haven’t used a VPN before, it may be difficult to understand exactly what it can do for you. That is why most VPNs offer either a free trial or money-back guarantee (and sometimes both). Providers understand that by letting you test their services to unblock US Netflix, or to bypass local area network restrictions at work, it will be easier for you to decide if you want to purchase a subscription.

Having to input your credit card details to check that a VPN service actually works to unblock the streaming service you want to watch isn’t ideal. The same goes if you need to bypass local government-imposed internet censorship efforts. Free trials are the ideal solution because they allow you to get a few days of use out of the VPN to get a sense of what the service offers and how it performs.

These days, free trials are becoming even more important, because an increasing number of VPNs are being blocked by sought-after video-on-demand services like Netflix, iPlayer, Hulu, and Prime Video. Free trials and money-back guarantees allow consumers to check that the VPN is working with those services, before fully committing to the service for the long term.

If the service you’re considering doesn’t offer a free trial, or if it comes with heavy restrictions, consider taking advantage of its money-back guarantee (if one is offered). Just make sure you read the terms and conditions carefully because sometimes VPN providers will impose certain usage thresholds that, if exceeded, can void your eligibility for a refund.

What to look out for when choosing a VPN free trial

When it comes to free trials, not every VPN is the same. That is why we recommend that you keep your eye on some important factors that could make all the difference:

Length of the trial

It is important to be fully aware of the length of the free trial before you install and use the VPN for free. Some free trials may only last a day, while others can stretch on for a few days and even up to a week.

While the best free trials don’t ask you to provide any payment details, some services might. These may automatically roll on to a paid subscription after the free trial ends, which is why it is important to understand how long the trial is and when it will run out.

Even if the free trial doesn’t require you to enter a valid payment method, it is still worth understanding the length of the free trial. And it is a good idea only to start your trial when you have a few days to spare to test the VPN properly.

Number and quality of the servers

VPN free trials don’t always give you unlimited access to the full premium VPN. Some may have fewer server choices. This is because the free trial is only really there to advertise the paid service, and the VPN provider wants you to graduate to a paid plan as soon as possible. 

The problem with this is that a free trial may not give you all the functionality you get with a paid plan. If, for example, you want to access Netflix US, you may want to check that the free trial comes with a server in the USA (and that the server is allowing connections to Netflix – which not all free plans do). 

Sometimes, VPN free trials may impose certain limitations, but they are still a good way to try out a VPN. Just be sure to understand exactly what you are getting before diving in headfirst. It is also worth remembering that not every VPN provider works with Netflix. If the VPN doesn’t work with Netflix on its paid plans, it definitely won’t work with the free trial!  

Does it allow torrenting?

Another thing to look out for when choosing a service is whether the VPN free trial permits torrenting. If it does, then it should also provide a kill-switch feature and collect no logs. 

If torrenting is important to you, check out our guide outlining the best VPNs to use when torrenting.

Depending on your personal use case, it is important to consider whether the VPN provider’s features and capabilities will allow you to accomplish what you want it to do before signing up for a VPN free trial


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Choosing a Free Trial VPN

Using a free trial to test a VPN can be a great experience. However, if you are a total neophyte, then you may not know how to get the most out of the free trial – or know how to ensure the service is up to par. To help you out, we have included a few basic but important things to check during your VPN free trial below.

Follow these tips to properly test a VPN:

  • IP and DNS Leaks – The best thing about a VPN is that it lets you use the internet with complete privacy. However, for a VPN to protect your browsing habits from your ISP and the government, it must work properly to keep your data secure. The presence of any critical data leaks – known as IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks – could mean that the VPN isn’t working correctly. This is a big problem because these leaks could cause you to have a completely false sense of security. To ensure the VPN is providing proper levels of privacy, test the connection using our VPN leak test tool. Read more in our guide on IP and DNS leaks!
  • VPN Speed – While connected to the VPN, run a quick speed test through a service such as Speedof.me or Speedtest.net. Keep in mind there are a number of factors that may affect the connection speed of a VPN, including the speed of your own connection, VPN server load, and the physical distance between you and the VPN server you are connecting through. Check out our VPN speed tests to see which providers offer the fastest servers!
  • VPN Features – There are tons of useful features with a VPN service that should be considered during a free trial period. These features can be as simple as allowing torrenting on servers, or more technically advanced like double VPN encryption or network kill-switches.
  • Customer Support – If you are having issues with any of the points above, submit a support ticket or jump on live chat (if available) to see what level of assistance the VPN service provides for customers.

Additionally, if you are looking for a VPN for Netflix or want to unblock BBC iPlayer abroad, try accessing the stream using a couple of different VPN server locations to ensure proper coverage and the ability to watch in HD quality.

Alternatively, if you want a low-cost service, take a look at our cheap VPN or VPN deals pages.

VPN Free trials vs VPN money-back guarantees (MBGs)

As mentioned above, a decent VPN free trial will allow you to use the VPN for free for a set amount of time – anywhere from a day to a full week. These types of free trials can be extremely useful, but unfortunately, they’re just as rare.

You’re far more likely to come across a VPN that offers a money-back guarantee. This allows you to trial the VPN and its features, but you’ll need to initially pay for the service to get access. Money-back guarantees may last for anything between one week and a month, with some rare providers, like CyberGhost
, even offering a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Do VPN services with money-back guarantees always honor their guarantee?

Sadly, this isn’t always the case. If you’re thinking of subscribing to a VPN that isn’t on our list, it’s worth checking out whether we’ve reviewed it on ProPrivacy.com. Check out our VPN reviews.

The price section of our reviews will let you know if there are any limitations or clauses in the VPN’s money-back guarantee that might catch you out. 

Please note: The most common limitation placed on money-back guarantees is a data limit that, if exceeded, voids the guarantee.

How do I cancel a VPN free trial?

It’s as simple as getting in touch with your VPN provider via email or live chat. Just let the provider know that you’d like to cancel your trial, but remember most free trials are so short that you’ll barely have time to cancel them! There’s also no real financial benefit to canceling early, seeing as most VPN free trials don’t require an upfront payment.

If the VPN provider requires payment details prior to signing up for a free trial, then it is important to contact the provider to cancel before your credit card is automatically charged for a full subscription.

Free trial VPN restrictions

When it comes to VPN free trials, there are a couple of variations that VPN providers commonly offer. The most common is a money-back guarantee and although it does involve initially paying for a subscription. The VPNs that we recommend are known to always honor their money-back guarantees. This is great because it will let you trial a premium VPN with all the trimmings without actually having to risk your hard-earned cash.

Less common than the traditional money-back guarantee is a limited-time free trial. With this kind of free trial, you’ll typically get a full premium account and the trial will usually last for anything between one day and seven days.

Finally, some VPN providers do offer a fully free service. This kind of free VPN is not a trial but rather a free service that has a number of restrictions designed to make people want to upgrade to the full service. Check out our guide to find out more about free VPNs.

Are free trial VPNs secure?

Free trials for VPNs are always for the full premium VPN service. That means that you are getting all the same privacy and security features that you can expect to get if you pay. The free trial is specifically designed to let potential subscribers try the full service, with all its bells and whistles. All of the free VPNs in this article are secure and provide watertight digital privacy.

Do VPN Free trials keep logs?

Whether you are using a full premium VPN service or a free trial, the logging policy remains the same. The providers we have recommended are all known to have either a no-logs policy or a policy that involves only minimal non-invasive connection logs. That means you can trust these free trial VPNs to provide you with solid digital privacy. To find out more, check out our no-logs VPN page.


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FAQs

Below you will find the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about free trial VPNs. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to drop us a message in the form below the article.