Proton VPN has been around since 2017, which isn't nearly as long as some of its peers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, but in a few short years, it has earned a sturdy reputation for security and transparency.

Network: 1,900-plus servers in 67 countries.

Latest tests: Zero data leaks and 17% internet speed loss in winter 2022 tests.

Here are the best contenders we've found. With that in mind, all our top recommended VPN services offer either a 30-day assessment trial or a free version of the paid service.

When choosing a VPN service, quality and your online safety should always come before cost. It's not worth it to settle for an unsafe free VPN just to save a few bucks each month. Yes, you read that right: If you absolutely must use a free VPN, your safest bet is to test-drive a free trial or make use of a money-back guarantee on a trusted paid VPN service. That's why it's safer to take advantage of the free trials or introductory versions available from our list of trusted VPN providers. But using even the best free VPN comes with risks, as frequent security issues prove. If you're on a budget and don't want to cough up the cash for a monthly or yearly subscription fee, the idea of using a 100% free VPN can be alluring. But if you're looking to save money and want to avoid shady free services that could be loaded with malware, there are several reliable VPN service providers that stand up to our rigorous testing. Even the best free VPN probably won't be as fast as a paid premium service and will limit the amount of data you can use. It's practically impossible to find a free VPN service that doesn't compromise on performance.

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