Best VPN Trial: Try a VPN for Free

Some Internet users couldn't imagine their digital lives without a VPN. They don't only make sure you surf anonymously and safely, even on public WiFi, but they also let anyone circumvent geographic content restrictions. One of their few disadvantages is that access to the most useful VPN services requires a paid subscription.

But don't worry, a number of options are available for trying out the best services.

In our guide to the best free VPNs, we already introduced you to our favorite options for those on a budget. These are "freemium" software: You'll have access to basic features but with some limitations. These include how many servers you can connect to, the number of devices that the connection can be shared over, or how much data you're allotted per month.

For anyone that wants to take advantage of everything a VPN has to offer, there really is no way around booking a subscription. However, before committing to a service, keep in mind that some offer free trials of their full versions. Below, we'll introduce you to the best of these, sub-divided into three groups:

Trial duration: 7 days
Payment method input required: Yes
Operating systems: macOS, Android, iOS

In EXPERTE.com's comprehensive assessment of VPN providers, Surfshark staked out a strong third place, owing to its variety of features, impressive speeds, and user-friendly apps. In fact, so far as speed is concerned, Surfshark was second only to the best service overall from our sample, NordVPN.

A free trial version of the provider's software is available for macOS, Android, and iOS, but not for Windows users. All subscribers can take advantage of a 30-day, money-back guarantee.

1. Download the Surfshark app in your Android, iOS, or macOS device's app store and click or tap on the "START FREE TRIAL" button.

2. Create a Surfshark account with an email address and password.

3. Input a payment method and sign up for a subscription.

You'll only be charged after the 7-day trial period finishes. We recommend canceling the subscription as soon as possible so that you won't be charged.

Duration: 7 days
Payment method input required: Yes
Operating systems: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS

HideMyAss impressed us with its unparalleled server infrastructure. The provider cut a very fine figure in our speed test and offers a number of interesting features like automatic IP changing.

We did deduct some points for its dated user interface and video streaming shortcomings (we couldn't access foreign Netflix or Amazon Prime Video content).

Starting a free trial of HideMyAss is fairly simple since you'll find "Free Trial" buttons almost everywhere on its website*.

1. Click on a "Free Trial" button on HMA's website.

2. Input your payment details in the form.

3. Download HideMyAss and make a mental note to cancel your subscription before the seven-day period has elapsed, otherwise, your account will be charged.

Duration: 24 hours
Payment method input required: No
Operating systems: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS

When it comes to trial length, CyberGhost isn't as generous as the two other services we've outlined above, as you'll only get 24 hours with it. Still, CyberGhost doesn't require you to supply any payment information to start the trial, so there's no risk of inadvertently being charged.

Beyond that, we also liked CyberGhost for its top-of-the-line server network, user-friendly applications, and solid support. CyberGhost's parent company (Kape Technologies) does cause a bit of concern though. In the past, it had a bad reputation as a malware smuggler, and now, as the owner of several VPN services, it also operates a few 'objective' VPN reviewing websites.

Since starting CyberGhost's free trial doesn't require any payment details, it's even easier to set up than the other two services above.

1. Click on the "Start your free trial" button on CyberGhost's website* and download the installation file.

2. Install CyberGhost on your device.

3. The trial ends automatically after 24 hours. Since you aren't asked for any payment information, you don't have to worry about cancelling before the trial expires.

Validity: 30 days

NordVPN secured the coveted top spot in our comprehensive VPN assessment, combining performance, user-friendliness, features, and price in an unbeatable package. One of the few problems with the service is that you'll need to purchase a subscription to use it. All the same, you'll have 30 days to request a full refund, giving everyone a month-long free trial.

1. Start a NordVPN subscription through its website*.

2. Pay attention that your contract isn't automatically extended. To do this, log in to your NordVPN dashboard and click on the "Billing" area. Then, go to the "Subscriptions" tab, and click on "Disable Auto-Renewal". Your subscription status should then show "Cancelled".

3. To request a refund, you'll need to contact NordVPN's customer service within 30 days of starting your subscription. You can get in touch with them either via live chat or the contact form in NordVPN's support area. If using live chat, say that you'd like to cancel your subscription and claim your refund.

For the contact form, send something like: "Hi there, I would like to request a refund for my NordVPN subscription, made on the Xth of X, 2023 via the following email address "johnsmith@website.com."

4. You should receive the refund to the account you paid from within a few business days.

Validity: 30 days

ExpressVPN, which came in second in our VPN assessment, also offers a 30-day, money-back guarantee. This means that you can take the popular VPN service, which offers high speeds, a huge server network, and user-friendly apps, for a free month-long tour. This is good because ExpressVPN is considerably pricier than most of the other services from our sample.

1. Book an ExpressVPN subscription through their website*.

2. Log in to your ExpressVPN account and deactivate automatic subscription renewal. To do this, click on "Dashboard", then "Automatic Renewal Settings", and finally "Turn off automatic renewal".

3. Make sure that you contact ExpressVPN's support team within 30 days to claim= your refund. As with NordVPN, you can cancel via live chat or email. For the latter, we suggest a message like this: "Hello, I would like to request a refund for my ExpressVPN subscription, made on the Xth of X, 2023 via the following email address, johnsmith@website.com."

4. You should receive the refund within a few working days to the account you purchased the subscription from.

Validity: 30 days

What we liked most about Private Internet Access was its unique VPN app, which combines plenty of features and user-friendliness, with the ability to customize the modules displayed in the dashboard. Unfortunately, the platform's performance wasn't up to the same level as that of the leading providers in our sample. Like CyberGhost, Private Internet Access is also owned by the dubious Kape Technologies.

1. Start a Private Internet Access subscription through their website*.

2. Log in to your Private Internet Access account and deactivate automatic subscription renewal. To do this, click on Subscription Overview and then on the three dots next to the "Subscription" heading.

3. In the next step, provide a reason for your cancellation and click on "Continue" (to the left).

4. Reach out to Private Internet Access support to request a refund. The provider doesn't have a live chat, so you'll need to make your intentions known using the contact form. Simply send a message like this: "Hello, I would like to request a refund for my Private Internet Access subscription, made on the Xth of X, 2022 via the following email address, johnsmith@website.com."

5. You should receive the refund within a few working days to the account you purchased the subscription with.

Data limit: No
Speed limit: No
Server locations: 3
Video streaming: No
Devices: 1

ProtonVPN offers the best free VPN from our sample since it doesn't have any data or speed limits, which are usually two of the biggest issues with free versions. You'll only be able to connect to servers in three countries with one device, and you'll have to make do without video streaming from platforms like Netflix. Still, at the end of the day, you get a lot for a free VPN.

Data limit: 10 GB/month
Speed limit: No
Server locations: 5
Video streaming: No
Devices: 1

You won't be able to enjoy unlimited surfing with the free version of hide.me, however, 10 GB per month is still quite a bit, and your speed isn't throttled. With five different server locations, you'll have two more than with ProtonVPN, but won't be able to establish multiple, parallel connections.

Data limit: 10 GB/month
Speed limit: No
Server locations: 10
Video streaming: No
Devices: Unlimited

Windscribe also gives users of its free version 10 GB of data per month so long as they supply their email address when registering. If you don't want to do this, you'll only get 2 GB. The outstanding feature of the VPN is that you can use it on multiple devices simultaneously. Like the other two free services we picked above, there are no speed caps.

If you want to try out a VPN for free, you have three options: Some VPN providers offer free trial versions of their premium solutions. For most (Surfshark and HideMyAss), but not all of these (CyberGhost), you'll need to supply payment information. The good news is that your account will only be charged after the free trial expires (usually, this is seven days).

Other platforms (NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access) offer a money-back guarantee for a specific period of time (usually 30 days) following the start of a premium subscription.

The third option is free versions of premium software (ProtonVPN, hide.me, Windscribe), that come with certain limitations, like the monthly amount of data, number of server locations, or ability to stream video content. It's also common for these to have reduced features compared to their 'full' versions.

Should you be interested in learning more about any of the providers we've referred to here, you can consult our extensive reviews of 27 VPN services.