Need to change your IP or need to unblock geo-censored websites? Either way, you’re going to need a Chrome VPN extension. And if you’re on a budget, you can always use the best free VPN for Chrome!
Short on time? Here is the best free VPN for Chrome…
- Surfshark – premium and free VPN for Chrome, unlimited data with 3200+ servers to choose from.
- CyberGhost – freemium VPN for Chrome extension, the best privacy and unblocks Netflix.
- Windscribe – free Chrome VPN extension, 10GB data, and offers P2P support.
- DotVPN – unlimited bandwidth and military-grade encryption.
- SetupVPN – provides numerous servers in 18 locations and unlimited bandwidth.
A free VPN for Chrome
If a free VPN for Chrome is what you’re looking for, then your search for the best won’t be as easy as you think. Free VPNs are the most difficult to choose from, knowing that you could easily be led by false advertisement.
To make things easier for you, I’ve tested out a couple and settled for only 5 of the best! These were based on personal testing, other user experiences, and overall performance, all of which will be discussed further on.
Do know the history behind free VPNs, right? Even if it’s for something like “simple” browsing, you have to make sure you know the VPN you settle with. There are only a few reliable free VPN choices available.
Many websites are vulnerable to phishing attempts, malware attacks, or viruses. Then there’s your ISP or the government running online surveillance through your daily activities.
How to choose the best free VPN for Chrome in 2021
There are only a couple of premium providers in the industry that top the list on many VPN websites, that sometimes offer both free and premium services. These providers are always chosen based on a couple of solid features and performance results.
So, choosing a free VPN for Chrome is much like that. You have to be clear of what you’re looking for. What the provider offers you, and how effective the privacy tool is, are important factors. When I chose the top 5 free Chrome VPN extensions, I picked them based on:
- User-experience – this is the first thing to look for. Always conduct your own testing as I did, go through many other reviews on other user experiences, and shortlist them. All good VPN apps have to all be easy to navigate, for beginners and professionals alike.
- Compatibility – whichever free Chrome VPN you go for, make sure that the extension proxy or the app itself is compatible with your browser.
- Privacy and security – these two factors go hand in hand, and random free VPN usually comes without safety measures. They compensate for the fact that they provide you with free access and make up for it by stealing your data. The VPNs I’ve selected have good privacy policies that are reliable. They also come with a basic encryption and security features needed for browsing and streaming.
- Functionality – you can’t expect a free VPN to provide you with premium features or supersonic speeds. However, each free provider should be developed to provide you with proper functionality. And, by that, I mean to allow you to access restricted streaming websites or other social platforms with ease.
- Servers – the VPNs I chose, don’t cover a huge server coverage, but a smart one. Only a few providers more than 10 locations to choose from, while the majority provide 3-5 locations. Either way, the servers should be able to unblock foreign services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, or grant access to other streaming services that are blocked within your region.
The best free VPN for Chrome extensions in 2021
A premium Chrome VPN is quite different to choose and only a few of them are the best. In turn, choosing a free Chrome VPN is much more difficult in comparison.
The free Chrome providers picked for my list, are either completely free or come with a free trial period in case you feel like giving its premium version a try. We first start with:
1. Surfshark – Overall the best free VPN for Chrome
Surfshark is my top pick for a free Chrome VPN mainly because of its versatility and performance. Yes, it’s a part of the best premium Chrome VPNs, but also makes a great free choice. Surfshark also holds very strict privacy policies, which is one of the reasons I’ve chosen it.
To test the premium Surfshark app, you can utilize its free trial by signing up for the service. If you’re interested in a regular subscription, Surfshark offers a 30-day refund too. The cheapest package so far is its 2-year plan for $2.49/mo.
There’s no catch to this; making Surfshark a great choice for free Chrome VPN and also because you’ll receive a full money-back guarantee after 30-days usage.
Then you proceed by downloading the Surfshark Chrome extension from the web store. You’ll be accessing at least a month’s worth of free premium services on your browser.
The Surfshark extension provides unlimited 3200+ server connections in 65 countries, an in-built ad-blocking feature called CleanWeb and access to restricted and blocked streaming services like Netflix and Hotstar. So, even if you’re in Canada or India, you’ll receive easy access.
If the app’s free Chrome extension satisfies you, you can check the VPN’s extended features and test results. You can also use its free trial to access the main VPN app, allowing connections to unlimited devices.
Get Surfshark free VPN for Chrome Now
2. CyberGhost – User-friendly Chrome extension
CyberGhost is another premium VPN known for its privacy features and optimized servers.
The great part about this VPN is the fact that its Chrome extension can be achieved for absolutely free! However, if you’re looking to test both the premium app on multiple devices and the Chrome extension at the same time, there’s a free trial you can use for it.
You can get the CyberGhost VPN extension for Chrome by simply downloading it from the Google web store. It doesn’t require you to sign in to your account nor does it ask for any payments to be made. The only difference between its premium version and the extension is its limited features.
In the CyberGhost extension, you’ll be able to bypass geo-restricted or blocked websites from anywhere in the world.
The extension comes with only 4 server locations, (Romania, the US, Germany, and the Netherlands), but you can connect to the US server if you need to unblock a US-based service, like Disney Plus, HBO Go, or Amazon Prime.
The free CyberGhost Chrome extension operates using premium military-grade encryption and has the option of blocking ads and malicious websites. That’s limited, but it’s best you use a limited free and premium VPN, rather than an unknown app.
If you’re interested in investing in the full CyberGhost app, I’d suggest you go for its 3-year plan of $2.25/mo., or use its 45-day refund.
Get CyberGhost free VPN for Chrome Now
3. Windscribe – Great for beginners
Windscribe is known worldwide as the best free VPN. Its free version is one of the best right now and much safer than many other VPN options. It may be based in Canada, but it operates with a strong grasp of privacy laws.
The Windscribe free VPN proxy extension offers much less in comparison to the VPNs mentioned above, but it still is quite capable to pull through in your daily browsing tasks.
All you need to do is first create your account for free, by providing an email and password. Once your account is created, download the Windscribe VPN extension from the Chrome web store, sign in and start safe-browsing.
This extension is applicable for Chrome versions 39+. The free Windscribe version offers a limit of 10GB data per month, which’s enough for you to stream through a couple of movies or for simple web browsing. You can connect up to 10 server locations which include servers in the US.
Its features are a little limited but still more effective than other free VPN providers. It operates using 256-bit AES encryption and has a Firewall feature; filtering malicious or unwanted ads and websites. The extension also allows you to Geo-spoof your location and time accordingly to the country you want to appear in.
You can find much more on Windscribe’s premium app, with its cheapest price at $4.08/mo.
Get Windscribe free VPN for Chrome Now
4. DotVPN – Premium & free VPN for Chrome
Another absolutely top-tier provider, based in Hong Kong, is DotVPN. This provider is both free and premium, in which its free app for the Chrome extension possesses strong functionality and security features.
It is very rare that you’d find a provider that offers a free version of its app, and that too with sturdy performance. DotVPN among the other providers listed, all fit the category.
You can find the free VPN extension on the Google web store. Once you download and install the Chrome extension, all you’ll be asked to do is to sign in or create an account; providing an email and password, that’s all.
Now, I’ve come across a couple of other reviews regarding the DotVPN free Chrome extension, and most of the providers say that the premium features and much similar to its free plan. However, I’ve mentioned time and time again that to get accurate results, always test the VPN out on your own.
Many reviews have mentioned that the free extension provides around 10 to 12 server locations. However, upon personal testing, I found that the free DotVPN Chrome extension offers unlimited server switches in only 3 locations (Netherlands, France, and the US).
You’ll only be able to access all 30 locations if you plan on subscribing to its premium services.
The free extension comes with unlimited bandwidth, and 4096-bit key encryption, and unblocked a couple of platforms like Netflix, Facebook, and YouTube, which is a huge deal.
Besides great privacy policies, the DotVPN free Chrome extension comes with other features like cloud firewall protection, a bandwidth saver, an Adblocker, Tracking protection, and a Google analytics blocking feature. This is pretty great considering you’ll have access to almost 80% of its features.
However, if you’re planning on unlocking 100% of the premium DotVPN extension or app, you should try testing it out during its 30-day refund, which of course also comes with a set of rules.
You’ll only be allowed to use less than or up-to 10GB data. If you exceed it, you’ll be charged extra or considered as subscribed to the regular premium plan. You should go through their policies before investing.
5. SetupVPN – free Chrome VPN for basic usage
Last on the list we have SetupVPN. This is a US-based provider, whose privacy policies and terms of service are panned out pretty clearly.
Even though this provider is listed as one of the more efficient free Chrome extension VPNs, I urge you to go through their policies very thoroughly before investing in premium.
However, since this isn’t about SetupVPN’s premium journey, you can find the free Chrome extension on the Google web store.
When you click to download and install the extension, you’re asked to either enter a code or create an account. When you create a free account, you won’t be asked for any signup details but rather will be provided with a code. Enter in that code and you have your free extension activated, with no VPN configuration required to get started.
SetupVPN provides a very basic platform of features with unlimited bandwidth; completely free! You’ll be provided with a wide number of servers spread across 18 locations.
Some of these locations include servers in Japan, India, the US, Canada, and the Netherlands. This is enough coverage to let you bypass geo-blocked international websites.
The free extension that’s you’ll find on the Chrome Store operates on a 4096-bit encryption key; encrypting the entire passageway of your online browsing traffic. However, even though it can be reliable, I still think you should utilize this free product for only a limited amount of legal surfing.
FAQs
Is it safe or legal to use a free Chrome VPN extension?
It honestly depends on the provider you choose, and how you plan to use it. With personal thought and experience, I don’t believe in a free VPN, let alone one for simple browsing. Most people assume that nothing could go wrong from using a free VPN extension for your browser, but that’s not true.
Securing your browser and all the activities you run through it, is of vital importance. An ISP, the government, or other sources are definitely keeping a deep interest in every activity you carry out online. Choosing the right free VPN extension is extremely important in every circumstance, to ensure the ultimate safety online.
Do I need a free VPN for Chrome?
Regardless of an extension being free or premium, you definitely need one for even the least amount of online browsing you carry out. Some websites; known or unknown, could easily steal or hack into the accounts you enter, using personal information.
Sometimes the links that often pop-up when you’re browsing, could spread malware through your device, steal your data. And, then there are also phishing attempts, which are very common. That’s why cybersecurity helps protect you against these online threats. A VPN is one way to get rid of them.
This all could be avoided with the aid of a VPN extension, securing your traffic through an encrypted tunnel. Plus, you can easily use a good free Chrome VPN extension to bypass geo-blocked websites. Some of these websites include Facebook, Netflix, Amazon Video, etc.
Are there any budgeted premium VPN extensions for Chrome?
Yes, there are a couple of tried, tested and top-voted paid VPN extensions that fulfill much more than just basic security for your browsing. These include:
Are there any browsers that come with a free VPN?
Chrome is by far the most efficient and popularly used browser in the world that also comes with VPN support. However, if you’re looking for browsers that already offer free VPNs with it, these include Opera, Epic Privacy Browser, Tor Browser, and UR browser. Even though these browsers come with built-in ad-blockers, it’s still advisable to go for Chrome.
To conclude
In a pool of the best security tools for multiple online purposes, there’ll always be free VPN sharks waiting to attack. With that being said, choosing a free VPN for Chrome is still as difficult a task compared to choosing a premium one. In fact, the attention to pick one needs to be much higher, since you’re looking out more for reliability rather than top-grade performance.
The thing is, the performance of a free VPN extension will always be limited and restricted, so your main goal is to go for one with the best privacy policies. All the 5 free Chrome extensions VPNs picked, (Surfshark, CyberGhost, Windscribe, DotVPN, and SetupVPN) are some of the industry’s finest. They may be flawed, but at least at the end of the day, you know your data is in good hands.
However, just in case you decide that a premium provider is the best direction to head, you should give this VPN deals page a look, for big discounts and coupons.
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