With so many free VPNs available, why would you consider paying for one? The simple answer is that free VPNs are quite ineffective at unblocking the websites you need. Additionally, they can expose data or steal user information, posing significant privacy and security risks. Let's explore all the main reasons why free VPNs can't be trusted!
1. They cannot unblock important websites
With free VPNs, you may enjoy good performance at first, but you will eventually notice that they cannot unblock websites. This can become increasingly uncomfortable over time, causing you to give up altogether.
Streaming sites like Netflix have their own methods for detecting VPN usage, which often causes websites to crash.
Issues with streaming sites are also visible on gaming platforms, Zoom calls and some social networking sites. Most modern websites are very easy to detect VPN usage if there is a participating free VPN provider. But that's not the case with top-rated VPNs like ExpressVPN, Surfshark, or NordVPN.
2. They reveal your real DNS and IP address
Every time you visit a website, the device sends a DNS request through your ISP or router to resolve the domain name to an IP address. In return, the website will receive your real IP address. The website may use cookies and referrer headers to access your browsing history and online activity.
The main purpose of using a virtual private network (VPN) is to prevent IP address disclosure. However, if your DNS information keeps leaking to random websites, you can't trust your free VPN. It's only a matter of time before your real IP address is revealed.
3. Free VPNs are a gold mine for data collectors
The adage “if you don't pay, you become the product” couldn't be more true when it comes to free VPNs and proxies. While you can access region-restricted videos through a free VPN, data collectors benefit even more. They gain extensive insights into your preferences and browsing habits.
Because free VPNs need to be funded, they often sell user data to third parties. While these brokers only sell you targeted advertising, the biggest threat comes from cybercriminals on the dark web.
4. Lack of no-logs policy
The main difference between a reputable commercial VPN provider and a regular free VPN is that they actively adhere to a no-logs policy. Notably, there have been significant advances in this area in recent years. For example, both ExpressVPN and NordVPN have moved to RAM-only servers, ensuring that all user data is wiped with every reboot.
Since these VPN providers are based in the British Virgin Islands and Panama, which are outside of Fourteen Eyes' jurisdiction, users can rest assured. Even if the VPN provider is based in the US, such as Hotspot Shield, they still have an explicit no-logs policy in the app.
5. They can spy on you
Even if you're indifferent about your data being sold to third parties, you can't ignore the issue of network monitoring. You might think you're not important enough to be a target for spying, but many ISPs monitor online activities. Government agencies, not necessarily from your country, may monitor Internet traffic to gather intelligence, even if you are not a high-status individual.
6. Slow speed – Bandwidth is stolen
Everyone likes free things. And when everyone is connected to the same free VPN service, it's inevitable that speeds will suffer. Most free VPN services aren't allocated a lot of resources, and when there are too many users, you'll start to experience throttled speeds or even dropped connections.
Since free VPNs need to get money from somewhere, it's not uncommon for them to sell your bandwidth to third parties. There is no way to know whether the person using your bandwidth is aware that they are using stolen bandwidth. Also, if the person using it does something illegal (because it's your bandwidth), you'll be the one in trouble with the authorities.
Other reasons why you can't trust free VPNs
We've discussed the biggest drawbacks of free VPN products, which should give you pause before using them again. The real question isn't whether a free VPN is trustworthy, but whether the VPN you choose offers real value.
From a user experience standpoint, annoying ads, especially on mobile apps, are one of the worst aspects of using a free VPN. They always affect your Internet speed. In some cases, they have links to malicious websites. Furthermore, free VPNs also limit your ability to choose which country to connect to. They only have a handful of servers to start with.
If a free VPN also offers a paid service, they will limit it to force you to upgrade to the paid service. For example, Hotspot Shield's free plan offers 500MB/day. It's almost impossible to watch movies online on Netflix.
Not all paid VPNs are created equal; Some can be just as annoying as free VPNs. This is why we should rely on a handful of top VPNs that offer the most superior service. The top two recommendations right now are ExpressVPN and NordVPN, although Surfshark, CyberghostVPN, and PrivateInternetAccess are also some other top commercial VPNs that are quite highly rated.
