I understand the appeal of a free VPN.
Thats why I created a list of thetop 10 VPNs for school.
But,No free VPN is ever really free.
Most leave out important security features and place limits on data and bandwidth.
Security like military-grade encryption, no-logs policies, and advanced obfuscation features are standard with premium vendors.
You canbuy it with confidenceand claim a refund within 30 days if you don’t like it.
Start Using ExpressVPN Risk-Free!
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Security
To save money,most free VPNs cut corners on important security features.
A secure VPN is expensive to build, and costs only increase with updates and security patches.
Free VPNs cant keep up with premium vendors when it comes to advanced security.
Some free VPNs have also been caught knowingly collecting and distributing user data to third parties for marketing purposes.
Premium services offer DNS and IPv6 leak protection, firewalls, and malware blockers as standard services.
If there is a free VPN that can bypass geoblocking and censorship,server access is often extremely limited.
Another issue you might face while streaming or torrenting islimitations on data, speed, and bandwidth.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN impressed me with its all-round performancein my tests.
To check this promise I asked for a refund on day 30.
Windscribe
My top free vendor for school is Windscribe.
It offers a substantial10GB data allowance per month.
you’re free to alsoearn 5 GB more each month by tweeting about the service.
Dont worry if you dont have Twitter.
These changes can be as often as every time you refresh a page, or send a message.
That way, if a key is compromised, only a tiny piece of your data is also compromised.
In the rare case the VPN should fail, Windscribe protects you with features likeDNS/IPv6/WebRTC leak protectionand akill switch.
The free version of Windscribe isnt capable of securely streaming Netflix from anywhere in HD.
Windscribe recommends purchasing the WindFlix add-on to utilize its streaming servers.
No worries video fans!
Windscribeschatbot Garryis pretty cool.
Windscribe also has useful installation guides and an extensive FAQ section.
Find out how Windscribe stood up to extensive testing by reading my teammates fullvendor review.
On the downside, you only haveaccess to servers in the Netherlands, US, and Japan.
Since Proton VPN already offersAES 256-bit military-grade encryption, your data becomes virtually impenetrable.
It streams YouTube and Netflix seamlessly because you have unlimited data, bandwidth, and speeds.
Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of using Proton VPN in ourin-depth vendor review.
On the downside, you only haveaccess to five servers that are split between Canada and the Netherlands.
Split tunneling lets you choose which apps can bypass the VPN.
Usingport forwardinglets you set preferences for your devices and servers, giving youmore control over your tweaks.
hide.me doesnt throttle connection speeds either, so it works well for torrenting.
The FAQ section provides answers to basic questions about features and plans.
That said,setting up hide.me isnt difficult, and the interface is extremely intuitive.
Want to learn more about what hide.me has to offer?
Check out ourin-depth vendor reviewfor more information.
Hotspot Shield uses256-bit AES encryption and perfect forward secrecy.
Hotspot Shield also offers a kill switch for Windows devices.
This isnt an issue for studies, but its something to be aware of if you enjoy streaming.
Still, thefast upload and download speedsmade it easy to view YouTube videos seamlessly.
Thefree version is ad-supported,but it doesn’t affect speed or usability.
It also offers a search feature, several help categories, and email or live chat support.
Want to learn more about how Hotspot Shield’s security features can keep you protected at school?
Discover more of the pros and cons we found during testing in ourextensive vendor review.
Opera and OperaGX browsers both support the use of OperaVPN.
OperaVPN has an Automatic Update feature thatinstalls the newest security patches and settingsfor Opera.
It also usesAES 256-bit encryptionto protect your data as it travels through public networks.
I found the privacy policy very understandable and straightforward.
OperaVPN isnt able to securely access Netflix and other popular streaming services from anywhere.
That doesnt mean you cant relax with some entertainment after a long day of school.
You canstream music through Spotify and Pandora, and watch YouTube videos and movies.
Discover more of OperaVPNs features in ourin-depth vendor review.
You get500MB of free data per month.
Thats enough to communicate with teammates, send important emails, and modernize your social media pages regularly.
Always-On mode thatstarts the VPN the moment your gear turns on.
The VPN cant stream Netflix and Hulu in HD,but it works well with HBO GO.
While Ive covered the basics, TunnelBear has too many great features to fit into this summary.
To discover all of its pros and conscheck out our vendor review.
Speedify also offersDNS leak protection and strict no-logs policy.
While Speedify does have dedicated P2P specialty servers,it doesnt support torrenting.
Betternet
Betternet’s free plan provides500MB of datadaily and allowsaccess to a single US server.
Even with this limited server access, it remains a reputable VPN choice for students in the US.
It also usesCatapult Hydra secure protocol, the same protocol Hotspot Shield uses.
Betternet doesnt work well with Netflix,but it can stream YouTube from anywhere in HD.
The next day, youll be able to download documents and recheck emails.
PrivateVPN
PrivateVPN secures the second spot among premium providers in my list.
Plus, you’re free to binge-watch movies for hours because youll haveunlimited datato work with.
FAQs
Are VPNs Illegal?
Do I Need A VPN for School?
How Do I Choose The Right VPN?
Whats the best free Windows VPN for school?
That said,these recommended VPNs work well with Windows too.
Want more options?Here are some other great free VPNs for Windows.
Your data is exposed to the websites you visit!
Visit ExpressVPN
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