Are you seeking a safe way out through the murky waters of the cyberworld? If so, then acquire the best VPN for your Mac system and navigate without the risk of being tracked and losing your data to cyber exploiters easily.
This article is therefore here to guide you through the various options of VPN services available in the software market, so that you can make your best choice for sufficing your needs.
The Best Mac VPNs for 2020. In a world where everyone is watching, VPNs help keep your online activity private. We ran the tests, and these are the best VPNs for your Mac. What's the best VPN for Mac? The number of VPN services can be daunting, which is why we've put them to the test—to help you find the best one for Mac owners. Try Macworld Risk-Free Subscribe. On MAC we use OpenVPN® Protocol which ensures maximum security and speed! Urban VPN for MAC is optimized for privacy, high speed, unlimited bandwidth and a secure connection to hide your IP. On top of that, it's completely free! Download the secure VPN client for ProtonVPN for free. Available as Windows VPN, MAC VPN and Linux VPN clients and also as Android VPN and iOS VPN client.
A VPN app is not only capable of hiding your identity, system IP address from prying eyes of cybercriminals, it can even prevent sites from tracking your exact geo-location, apart from helping you access geo-blocked content.
Another important thing to note before opting to acquire a VPN software is to find out whether the tool itself has no data retention policies, otherwise using a VPN is of no use. Bearing all this in mind, we have prepared a list of the best free VPN tools for Mac that you can use in 2020.
Download the best Mac VPN for free Download now for free and surf the internet securely and anonymously with 500 MB/month of data. Your data is encrypted, you can browse the internet with a virtual IP address, and benefit from DNS leak prevention.
What is the Best Free VPN Software For MacOS?
Below is the list of the exclusive VPN services that can protect your data in multiple ways.
1. Nord VPN
One of the most popular and best free VPN for Mac is the NordVPN. Being a cross-platform VPN service, it is suitable for various products and supports up to 6 devices besides being user friendly.
What you can avail is complete end-to-end security with military-grade encryption facility along with AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) feature to transmit data with 256 bit-encryption.
This VPN tool for PC does not keep user logs or track and record any personal information and is hence completely safe to use. It supports more than 5200 servers and a huge number of server locations.
Read More: 11 Best Antivirus Software For Mac in 2020
2. Express VPN
If you are wondering which is the best VPN in 2020, then go with Express VPN because it's extremely easy to use, has a multilingual interface and is a cross-platform service provider with support for both mobile and desktop devices.
This best free VPN for Mac comes with a best-in-class data encryption facility and split tunneling feature. You can avail 24/7 technical assistance, 30-day money-back guarantee for this government-grade encryption facility provider.
The best part of Express VPN is that it helps you to overcome geo-blocks effectively so that you can freely access any content on the internet.
3. Surf Shark
If you are looking for the best VPN services in the tech market, then Surf Shark can be the right choice for you. Besides encrypting the data and hiding IP address, it can also provide you a clean browsing experience by blocking ads, malware, etc.
With AES 256-GCM encryption, your data is entirely safe and secure from cyber criminals and third-parties.
The most striking feature of this excellent VPN for Mac is that it offers a camouflage mode that masks your identity even from your internet service provider.
4. CyberGhost VPN
A complete VPN service for Mac is CyberGhost VPN that lets you access blocked sites, stream sports and videos from any region, and do a lot more.
This VPN service comes with one tap protection to encrypt data transfer, safeguards your banking transactions and other online activities. High DNS with IP leak protection, automatic kill switch, unlimited bandwidth with high speed internet are some of it's other notable offerings.
You can avail up to 3100 servers from more than 60 locations. Any error with the tool can be resolved quickly with it's round the clock customer service assistance.
5. HotSpot Shield
HotSpot Shield can be the free VPN service provider for PCs with ultra-fast VPN servers, military grade-encryption, supporting various platforms and devices. It provides secure internet access without being hacked or tracked.
With the Kill Switch protection, you can protect your identity even if you lose the internet connection for sometime. Besides hiding your IP address, it also hides the physical location of VPN servers with the help of virtual tunnel technology.
Read More: How To Setup & Use a VPN
6. TunnelBear
Here is the best free VPN for Mac 2020 that can help you browse the web safely without being tracked. TunnelBear can hide your IP address, location from websites, ads, and hackers.
This VPN software for Mac restricts advertisers from tracking your online activities. It is enabled with AES 256-bit encryption to safeguard your confidential data.
Additionally, TunnelBear can be used with the Ghostbear feature to protect your data from ISPs, governments, etc.
7. Windscribe
This is a competent VPN service provider that unlocks all locations and hides your IP address and timestamp. It comes with a config generator and has an AES-256 cipher with SHA512 auth and a 4096-bit RSA key.
You can generate OpenVPN, SOCKS, and IKEv2 config for all types of devices you own. This VPN service for Mac is capable of blocking ads, trackers and can also change your timezone. You can easily access websites having geographical restrictions.
8. VyprVPN
With this VPN service provider for Mac you can access 700 plus servers across 32 locations worldwide. This tool is enabled with numerous encryption protocols and chameleon technology to overcome VPN blocking.
There is no reduction in internet speed due to the simultaneous operation of the VPN service. Zero-knowledge DNS, NAT firewall are among its other notable offerings.
9. Speedify VPN
Another best VPN service for Mac is Speedify VPN that comes with superior features and supports
More than 1000 servers in 28 locations, this VPN uses CHa-Cha encryption algorithm that can keep even pro hackers away from tracking and stealing your data.
This VPN software for Mac is based on channel bonding which utilizes multiple internet connections like WiFi, cellular, Ethernet, etc. to provide enhanced bandwidth of internet.
10. IPVanish VPN
Our next pick in the list of best free VPN for Mac is IPVanish VPN. Having more than 1100 servers in more than 60 prime locations worldwide, this exclusive VPN service is capable of supporting up to 10 devices.
Users can uninterruptedly surf the internet owing to its unlimited bandwidth and high-speed connectivity for downloads as well as uploads.
You can avail 256-bits of AES encryption, and also access free torrenting, geo-locked content, and download SOCKS5 web proxy with this amazing VPN service.
Read More: 7 Best Encryption Software For Mac in 2020
11. ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is a powerful VPN software for Mac and is highly effective in safeguarding your data privacy and identity online. It strictly follows a no-log policy and does not retain any activity logs of users.
The prime feature of this VPN service includes DNS leak protection. The UI is simple yet effective. ProtonMail is an additional benefit for users of this swiss-based VPN provider. Users can connect up to 10 devices and enjoy it's services.
12. Hide me
Maintain absolute anonymity and encrypt your data with this splendid free VPN for Mac. Hide me has up to 150 dedicated gigabit servers throughout the US, Asia, and Europe.
This VPN provider uses VPN protocols like PPTP, SSTP, OpenVPN, IKEv2, SoftEther, etc. Additionally, it comes with AES 256-bit encryption with 8192-bit keys.
Your data and online activity remains safe because Hide me does not retain any user data. Users can even be safe while they are connected to public Wi-Fi.
Concluding Words
With the description and offerings of the above 12 VPN service providers for Mac, we arrive at the concluding point of this article. Now that you have a fair idea about each of the 12 tools in the category of excellent VPN software for Mac, you can thus take your best pick to encrypt your data and protect your online identity.
Though Mac computers are generally considered the most protected in the world, they are not 100% invulnerable. You can never be sure that you are not tracked by someone – hackers, scammers, intelligent services, or your own ISP. If this seems a bit annoying to you and you experience quite a natural desire to disappear for a while, a good free VPN is exactly what you need.
Moreover, a vpn service can help you resolve some other issues, for example, get access to geo-restricted web content or securely connect to a public Wi-Fi. In our review, we are going to present you a list of best free VPN solutions for Mac of the year 2019.
Before we move on to reviewing best free VPNs for Mac available in the market, let us say that all of them are limited in capabilities in one way or another. Chances are that after using a free VPN for a while, you may start to get annoyed with these limitations. This is why we cannot but talk about the alternative approach.
You can actually use premium VPN software without spending a single dollar on it. Keep on reading to know how to use the best VPNs for free and enjoy unlimited opportunities.
All of the VPNs listed above are top providers that ensure 100% safe web-browsing and suit for streaming and torrenting thanks to high speed. The good news is there is a smart way to use high-quality paid services as free products. The point is that most providers offer a free trial period and/or guaranteed money back period.
- ExpressVPN is without exaggeration it is the best VPN provider for any platform including Mac. The fact you may not be aware of is that it offers an impressive 30-day money back guarantee period. It means that if you are going on a business trip abroad, you may simply download ExpressVPN and use it for over 4 weeks without spending a cent! Just get a full refund no questions asked. ExpressVPN copes well with tough governmental censorship and is, therefore, a perfect choice for people going to countries like China.
- NordVPN is known for its double-security solutions and a huge number of available servers – over 4800 units located in 62 countries of the world. NordVPN offers a free trial, but it only lasts for 3 days, which will suit you in case you need one-time access to a particular web-resource. On the bright side, there is a 30-day period when you can take your money back. That is, you can buy its basic plan, use it as intensively as you like, and simply take your money back in a month!
- CyberGhost VPN– one of the industry's leaders – offers plenty of cool features to Mac users. It has a generous 7-days free trial and 30 days of the guaranteed money back period. It's a good chance for getting VPN software from the globally recognized provider for free.
What is the best free VPN for Mac?
Naturally, free trials and MBG cannot last forever. While most VPN offer significant discounts for 1-year or 2-year packages, you may still have your reasons to look for an absolutely free service.
It's hard to believe, but there are some totally free VPN services that work really well for Mac and can be used for various purposes just as popular paid VPNs.
However, let us once again remind you that all of them have certain limitations. It's for you to decide whether you can do with these restrictions or not, as it largely depends on the goals you pursue. Read all the reviews carefully to find your best VPN for Mac.
TunnelBear
- access to remote servers in 20+ countries
- truly user-friendly interface
- no-logging policy
- no annoying popups
- only 1.5 Gb per month for free
TunnelBear is one of the best VPN services for Mac that has both a free and a paid version. But its free iteration is even more popular, as it has few true competitors. Its performance is pretty good: TunnelBear will let you modify your IP address, access censored and restricted sites, and even unlock streaming services (except for, maybe, Netflix).
TunnelBear is a service that won't make you compromise your privacy. It boasts a 100% zero-logging approach, so you may stop worrying about the probability of your data being traded or stolen. When it comes to security, advanced AES 256-bit encryption and OpenVPN protocol are used by default.
TunnelBear doesn't cut down speed in its free version but you'll hardly be able to stream something with it, as the monthly free traffic is just 500 Mb. Twitting about them will give you extra 1GB monthly, but 1,5 GB is still not quite impressive. This is the biggest disappointment about TunnelBear free package.
A great thing about TunnelBear is that all its servers are available to the users of the free edition. As of now, the provider has servers in 22 countries, which is not bad. Add the fact that the provider doesn't force you to watch pop-up ads, and you'll fall in love with it.
TunnelBear gives its users an opportunity to upgrade to the paid tier at any moment. It offers a single all-in-one pricing plan that allows up to five simultaneous connections and unlimited bandwidth. As for the paid version, the plans are as follows:
- Giant (billed monthly) – $9.99
- Grizzly (billed annually –$59.99 ($5.00 per month, save 58%)
Windscribe
- 10 Gb per month for free
- torrenting allowed
- zero-logging
- strong encryption and data protection
- the speed is average due to a high load on free servers
Windscribe adheres to high security standards in its work. For data encryption, it uses AES-256 cipher with SHA512 auth and a 4096-bit RSA key. As for security protocols, the default option is OpenVPN but SOCKS, and IKEv2 are also available.
A strong advantage of Windscribe over TunnelBear is 10 Gb of free bandwidth per month. However, the number of server locations available to the users of the free version is limited to 10. For this reason, the load on these servers is pretty large, which causes noticeable speed drops. Thanks to the availability of P2P servers, torrenting is possible: with Windscribe one can download up to 10 Gb of free content every month.
Like other free VPNs, Windscribe offers its premium version with expanded possibilities. Apart from unlimited bandwidth, after upgrading you will get an access to 55 server locations instead of 10, ad- and malware blockers, and a config generator. The monthly fee for this option set is $9 but you can buy an annual pack and get a generous discount.
- Monthly price – $9
- Annual price–$48.99 ($4.08 per month, save 55%)
ProtonVPN
- high security standards
- no bandwidth limits
- minimal logs are collected
- only 3 server locations
- no P2P support
- low speed
In terms of security, ProtonVPN has nothing to complain about. It uses an AES-256-CBC cipher with HMAC SHA-512 hash authentication and OpenVPN protocol as a default option. The provider collects minimal logs, such as the time of connection and the duration of a session, nothing more.
As we had mentioned, the free version of ProtonVPN is rather restricted. Users get access to 3 server locations and can connect only one device under one free license. P2P servers are unavailable for free, which means you won't be able to use the VPN for torrenting. Moreover, the connection speed is quite low, partly, because of the load on the free servers.
Unlike the previously described providers, ProtonVPN offers three different premium plans – Basic, Plus, and Visionary. Their monthly price is $4, $8, and $24 respectively. All of them open access to all server location, support P2P and can be used for torrenting and streaming, as there is no speed limit. More expensive plans come with a range of useful extras and allow more simultaneous connections.
- Basic monthly price – $5;
- Basic annual price – $48 ($4 per month, save 20%)
- Plus monthly price – $10;
- Plus annual price – $96 ($8 per month, save 20%)
- Visionary annual plan – $ 288($24 per month).
Best Free Vpn For Mac 2019
Hotspot Shield
Best Free Vpn For Mac 2020
- access to US servers
- strong encryption
- blazing speed
- malware protection as a bonus
- only 500 Mb of bandwidth per month
- no streaming and torrenting
Like other top-rated free VPN providers, Hotspot Shield uses top-notch AES-256 encryption and supports OpenVPN protocol. The company claims to collect zero user logs, which is a strong advantage, as well as the availability of the kill-switch feature. That said, it forces users to watch pop-up ads, which is rather annoying.
Those looking for high download speed will like the Hotspot Shield VPN. It is one of the fastest free VPNs compatible with several platforms, including Mac. That said, its speed is a sort of unstable and largely depends on the server location. In the free version, users are granted 500 Mb of traffic daily, which is not bad for hassle-free and secure browsing.
If you decide to upgrade to the premium version of Hotspot Shield, you'll get numerous perks, such as unlimited bandwidth, access to 2500 servers in 25 locations, including P2P servers, and will get rid of the annoying advertisements. While a basic monthly plan is quite expensive – $12.99, you can save up to 76% and get a bi-annual plan at the price of $3.49 per month. All the packages available are as follows:
Best Free Vpn For Macbook
- Monthly price – $12.99;
- 6 Months price – $53,94 ($8.99, save 31%);
- Annual price – $71.88 ($5.99, save 53%);
- Bi-annual price – $125.64 ($3.49, save 60%).
Betternet
- access to servers in 10 countries
- an easy-to-use app
- unlimited bandwidth
- customer service to help you
- little information about the product's specifications
- a lot of ads
Betternet doesn't provide much information about its security protocols and encryption methods used. According to the claims found in its blog, this is OpenVPN with AES 256-bit encryption and 128-bit AES-CBC for IPSec but there are no official specs on their site. It is known that Betternet keeps some connection logs but no activity logs.
Betternet makes money on advertisement, which is officially stated on its website. You'll be regularly offered to watch an ad or install an app. In exchange for this, it provides unlimited bandwidth to all its users. Connection and download speed is not bad too, so torrenting and streaming via Betternet is possible.
Like most free VPNs, Betternet offers a premium version of its software. As it is stated on their site, the biggest advantages of the paid edition are the absence of advertisement and a possibility to choose which server you want to connect to. At the same time, the number of servers is not specified. The basic price of its paid version is $11.99, which is a sort of pricey. But you can save up to 66% going long-term.
- Monthly price – $11.99;
- 6 Months price – $23.99 ($3.99 per month – save 50%)
- Annual price – $35.99 ($2.99 per month – save 66%)
Free Vpn For Mac In China
Things You Should Know Before Getting a Free VPN
The above-mentioned products are absolutely free, and all of them are available for Mac users. Just visit the site of the chosen free VPN, download Mac version and enjoy complete online privacy for no money.
As a rule, a genuine purpose of any free program is to make its users purchase the full premium version. Free VPN for Mac is not an exception. You can use it, but you will constantly think of upgrading. They will provide you the bare minimum of features, suitable just for basic tasks resolving.
What is the Best Free VPN Software For MacOS?
Below is the list of the exclusive VPN services that can protect your data in multiple ways.
1. Nord VPN
One of the most popular and best free VPN for Mac is the NordVPN. Being a cross-platform VPN service, it is suitable for various products and supports up to 6 devices besides being user friendly.
What you can avail is complete end-to-end security with military-grade encryption facility along with AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) feature to transmit data with 256 bit-encryption.
This VPN tool for PC does not keep user logs or track and record any personal information and is hence completely safe to use. It supports more than 5200 servers and a huge number of server locations.
Read More: 11 Best Antivirus Software For Mac in 2020
2. Express VPN
If you are wondering which is the best VPN in 2020, then go with Express VPN because it's extremely easy to use, has a multilingual interface and is a cross-platform service provider with support for both mobile and desktop devices.
This best free VPN for Mac comes with a best-in-class data encryption facility and split tunneling feature. You can avail 24/7 technical assistance, 30-day money-back guarantee for this government-grade encryption facility provider.
The best part of Express VPN is that it helps you to overcome geo-blocks effectively so that you can freely access any content on the internet.
3. Surf Shark
If you are looking for the best VPN services in the tech market, then Surf Shark can be the right choice for you. Besides encrypting the data and hiding IP address, it can also provide you a clean browsing experience by blocking ads, malware, etc.
With AES 256-GCM encryption, your data is entirely safe and secure from cyber criminals and third-parties.
The most striking feature of this excellent VPN for Mac is that it offers a camouflage mode that masks your identity even from your internet service provider.
4. CyberGhost VPN
A complete VPN service for Mac is CyberGhost VPN that lets you access blocked sites, stream sports and videos from any region, and do a lot more.
This VPN service comes with one tap protection to encrypt data transfer, safeguards your banking transactions and other online activities. High DNS with IP leak protection, automatic kill switch, unlimited bandwidth with high speed internet are some of it's other notable offerings.
You can avail up to 3100 servers from more than 60 locations. Any error with the tool can be resolved quickly with it's round the clock customer service assistance.
5. HotSpot Shield
HotSpot Shield can be the free VPN service provider for PCs with ultra-fast VPN servers, military grade-encryption, supporting various platforms and devices. It provides secure internet access without being hacked or tracked.
With the Kill Switch protection, you can protect your identity even if you lose the internet connection for sometime. Besides hiding your IP address, it also hides the physical location of VPN servers with the help of virtual tunnel technology.
Read More: How To Setup & Use a VPN
6. TunnelBear
Here is the best free VPN for Mac 2020 that can help you browse the web safely without being tracked. TunnelBear can hide your IP address, location from websites, ads, and hackers.
This VPN software for Mac restricts advertisers from tracking your online activities. It is enabled with AES 256-bit encryption to safeguard your confidential data.
Additionally, TunnelBear can be used with the Ghostbear feature to protect your data from ISPs, governments, etc.
7. Windscribe
This is a competent VPN service provider that unlocks all locations and hides your IP address and timestamp. It comes with a config generator and has an AES-256 cipher with SHA512 auth and a 4096-bit RSA key.
You can generate OpenVPN, SOCKS, and IKEv2 config for all types of devices you own. This VPN service for Mac is capable of blocking ads, trackers and can also change your timezone. You can easily access websites having geographical restrictions.
8. VyprVPN
With this VPN service provider for Mac you can access 700 plus servers across 32 locations worldwide. This tool is enabled with numerous encryption protocols and chameleon technology to overcome VPN blocking.
There is no reduction in internet speed due to the simultaneous operation of the VPN service. Zero-knowledge DNS, NAT firewall are among its other notable offerings.
9. Speedify VPN
Another best VPN service for Mac is Speedify VPN that comes with superior features and supports
More than 1000 servers in 28 locations, this VPN uses CHa-Cha encryption algorithm that can keep even pro hackers away from tracking and stealing your data.
This VPN software for Mac is based on channel bonding which utilizes multiple internet connections like WiFi, cellular, Ethernet, etc. to provide enhanced bandwidth of internet.
10. IPVanish VPN
Our next pick in the list of best free VPN for Mac is IPVanish VPN. Having more than 1100 servers in more than 60 prime locations worldwide, this exclusive VPN service is capable of supporting up to 10 devices.
Users can uninterruptedly surf the internet owing to its unlimited bandwidth and high-speed connectivity for downloads as well as uploads.
You can avail 256-bits of AES encryption, and also access free torrenting, geo-locked content, and download SOCKS5 web proxy with this amazing VPN service.
Read More: 7 Best Encryption Software For Mac in 2020
11. ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is a powerful VPN software for Mac and is highly effective in safeguarding your data privacy and identity online. It strictly follows a no-log policy and does not retain any activity logs of users.
The prime feature of this VPN service includes DNS leak protection. The UI is simple yet effective. ProtonMail is an additional benefit for users of this swiss-based VPN provider. Users can connect up to 10 devices and enjoy it's services.
12. Hide me
Maintain absolute anonymity and encrypt your data with this splendid free VPN for Mac. Hide me has up to 150 dedicated gigabit servers throughout the US, Asia, and Europe.
This VPN provider uses VPN protocols like PPTP, SSTP, OpenVPN, IKEv2, SoftEther, etc. Additionally, it comes with AES 256-bit encryption with 8192-bit keys.
Your data and online activity remains safe because Hide me does not retain any user data. Users can even be safe while they are connected to public Wi-Fi.
Concluding Words
With the description and offerings of the above 12 VPN service providers for Mac, we arrive at the concluding point of this article. Now that you have a fair idea about each of the 12 tools in the category of excellent VPN software for Mac, you can thus take your best pick to encrypt your data and protect your online identity.
Though Mac computers are generally considered the most protected in the world, they are not 100% invulnerable. You can never be sure that you are not tracked by someone – hackers, scammers, intelligent services, or your own ISP. If this seems a bit annoying to you and you experience quite a natural desire to disappear for a while, a good free VPN is exactly what you need.
Moreover, a vpn service can help you resolve some other issues, for example, get access to geo-restricted web content or securely connect to a public Wi-Fi. In our review, we are going to present you a list of best free VPN solutions for Mac of the year 2019.
Before we move on to reviewing best free VPNs for Mac available in the market, let us say that all of them are limited in capabilities in one way or another. Chances are that after using a free VPN for a while, you may start to get annoyed with these limitations. This is why we cannot but talk about the alternative approach.
You can actually use premium VPN software without spending a single dollar on it. Keep on reading to know how to use the best VPNs for free and enjoy unlimited opportunities.
All of the VPNs listed above are top providers that ensure 100% safe web-browsing and suit for streaming and torrenting thanks to high speed. The good news is there is a smart way to use high-quality paid services as free products. The point is that most providers offer a free trial period and/or guaranteed money back period.
- ExpressVPN is without exaggeration it is the best VPN provider for any platform including Mac. The fact you may not be aware of is that it offers an impressive 30-day money back guarantee period. It means that if you are going on a business trip abroad, you may simply download ExpressVPN and use it for over 4 weeks without spending a cent! Just get a full refund no questions asked. ExpressVPN copes well with tough governmental censorship and is, therefore, a perfect choice for people going to countries like China.
- NordVPN is known for its double-security solutions and a huge number of available servers – over 4800 units located in 62 countries of the world. NordVPN offers a free trial, but it only lasts for 3 days, which will suit you in case you need one-time access to a particular web-resource. On the bright side, there is a 30-day period when you can take your money back. That is, you can buy its basic plan, use it as intensively as you like, and simply take your money back in a month!
- CyberGhost VPN– one of the industry's leaders – offers plenty of cool features to Mac users. It has a generous 7-days free trial and 30 days of the guaranteed money back period. It's a good chance for getting VPN software from the globally recognized provider for free.
What is the best free VPN for Mac?
Naturally, free trials and MBG cannot last forever. While most VPN offer significant discounts for 1-year or 2-year packages, you may still have your reasons to look for an absolutely free service.
It's hard to believe, but there are some totally free VPN services that work really well for Mac and can be used for various purposes just as popular paid VPNs.
However, let us once again remind you that all of them have certain limitations. It's for you to decide whether you can do with these restrictions or not, as it largely depends on the goals you pursue. Read all the reviews carefully to find your best VPN for Mac.
TunnelBear
- access to remote servers in 20+ countries
- truly user-friendly interface
- no-logging policy
- no annoying popups
- only 1.5 Gb per month for free
TunnelBear is one of the best VPN services for Mac that has both a free and a paid version. But its free iteration is even more popular, as it has few true competitors. Its performance is pretty good: TunnelBear will let you modify your IP address, access censored and restricted sites, and even unlock streaming services (except for, maybe, Netflix).
TunnelBear is a service that won't make you compromise your privacy. It boasts a 100% zero-logging approach, so you may stop worrying about the probability of your data being traded or stolen. When it comes to security, advanced AES 256-bit encryption and OpenVPN protocol are used by default.
TunnelBear doesn't cut down speed in its free version but you'll hardly be able to stream something with it, as the monthly free traffic is just 500 Mb. Twitting about them will give you extra 1GB monthly, but 1,5 GB is still not quite impressive. This is the biggest disappointment about TunnelBear free package.
A great thing about TunnelBear is that all its servers are available to the users of the free edition. As of now, the provider has servers in 22 countries, which is not bad. Add the fact that the provider doesn't force you to watch pop-up ads, and you'll fall in love with it.
TunnelBear gives its users an opportunity to upgrade to the paid tier at any moment. It offers a single all-in-one pricing plan that allows up to five simultaneous connections and unlimited bandwidth. As for the paid version, the plans are as follows:
- Giant (billed monthly) – $9.99
- Grizzly (billed annually –$59.99 ($5.00 per month, save 58%)
Windscribe
- 10 Gb per month for free
- torrenting allowed
- zero-logging
- strong encryption and data protection
- the speed is average due to a high load on free servers
Windscribe adheres to high security standards in its work. For data encryption, it uses AES-256 cipher with SHA512 auth and a 4096-bit RSA key. As for security protocols, the default option is OpenVPN but SOCKS, and IKEv2 are also available.
A strong advantage of Windscribe over TunnelBear is 10 Gb of free bandwidth per month. However, the number of server locations available to the users of the free version is limited to 10. For this reason, the load on these servers is pretty large, which causes noticeable speed drops. Thanks to the availability of P2P servers, torrenting is possible: with Windscribe one can download up to 10 Gb of free content every month.
Like other free VPNs, Windscribe offers its premium version with expanded possibilities. Apart from unlimited bandwidth, after upgrading you will get an access to 55 server locations instead of 10, ad- and malware blockers, and a config generator. The monthly fee for this option set is $9 but you can buy an annual pack and get a generous discount.
- Monthly price – $9
- Annual price–$48.99 ($4.08 per month, save 55%)
ProtonVPN
- high security standards
- no bandwidth limits
- minimal logs are collected
- only 3 server locations
- no P2P support
- low speed
In terms of security, ProtonVPN has nothing to complain about. It uses an AES-256-CBC cipher with HMAC SHA-512 hash authentication and OpenVPN protocol as a default option. The provider collects minimal logs, such as the time of connection and the duration of a session, nothing more.
As we had mentioned, the free version of ProtonVPN is rather restricted. Users get access to 3 server locations and can connect only one device under one free license. P2P servers are unavailable for free, which means you won't be able to use the VPN for torrenting. Moreover, the connection speed is quite low, partly, because of the load on the free servers.
Unlike the previously described providers, ProtonVPN offers three different premium plans – Basic, Plus, and Visionary. Their monthly price is $4, $8, and $24 respectively. All of them open access to all server location, support P2P and can be used for torrenting and streaming, as there is no speed limit. More expensive plans come with a range of useful extras and allow more simultaneous connections.
- Basic monthly price – $5;
- Basic annual price – $48 ($4 per month, save 20%)
- Plus monthly price – $10;
- Plus annual price – $96 ($8 per month, save 20%)
- Visionary annual plan – $ 288($24 per month).
Best Free Vpn For Mac 2019
Hotspot Shield
Best Free Vpn For Mac 2020
- access to US servers
- strong encryption
- blazing speed
- malware protection as a bonus
- only 500 Mb of bandwidth per month
- no streaming and torrenting
Like other top-rated free VPN providers, Hotspot Shield uses top-notch AES-256 encryption and supports OpenVPN protocol. The company claims to collect zero user logs, which is a strong advantage, as well as the availability of the kill-switch feature. That said, it forces users to watch pop-up ads, which is rather annoying.
Those looking for high download speed will like the Hotspot Shield VPN. It is one of the fastest free VPNs compatible with several platforms, including Mac. That said, its speed is a sort of unstable and largely depends on the server location. In the free version, users are granted 500 Mb of traffic daily, which is not bad for hassle-free and secure browsing.
If you decide to upgrade to the premium version of Hotspot Shield, you'll get numerous perks, such as unlimited bandwidth, access to 2500 servers in 25 locations, including P2P servers, and will get rid of the annoying advertisements. While a basic monthly plan is quite expensive – $12.99, you can save up to 76% and get a bi-annual plan at the price of $3.49 per month. All the packages available are as follows:
Best Free Vpn For Macbook
- Monthly price – $12.99;
- 6 Months price – $53,94 ($8.99, save 31%);
- Annual price – $71.88 ($5.99, save 53%);
- Bi-annual price – $125.64 ($3.49, save 60%).
Betternet
- access to servers in 10 countries
- an easy-to-use app
- unlimited bandwidth
- customer service to help you
- little information about the product's specifications
- a lot of ads
Betternet doesn't provide much information about its security protocols and encryption methods used. According to the claims found in its blog, this is OpenVPN with AES 256-bit encryption and 128-bit AES-CBC for IPSec but there are no official specs on their site. It is known that Betternet keeps some connection logs but no activity logs.
Betternet makes money on advertisement, which is officially stated on its website. You'll be regularly offered to watch an ad or install an app. In exchange for this, it provides unlimited bandwidth to all its users. Connection and download speed is not bad too, so torrenting and streaming via Betternet is possible.
Like most free VPNs, Betternet offers a premium version of its software. As it is stated on their site, the biggest advantages of the paid edition are the absence of advertisement and a possibility to choose which server you want to connect to. At the same time, the number of servers is not specified. The basic price of its paid version is $11.99, which is a sort of pricey. But you can save up to 66% going long-term.
- Monthly price – $11.99;
- 6 Months price – $23.99 ($3.99 per month – save 50%)
- Annual price – $35.99 ($2.99 per month – save 66%)
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Things You Should Know Before Getting a Free VPN
The above-mentioned products are absolutely free, and all of them are available for Mac users. Just visit the site of the chosen free VPN, download Mac version and enjoy complete online privacy for no money.
As a rule, a genuine purpose of any free program is to make its users purchase the full premium version. Free VPN for Mac is not an exception. You can use it, but you will constantly think of upgrading. They will provide you the bare minimum of features, suitable just for basic tasks resolving.
Free VPN providers want to make money like any other commercial organizations. They can do it in several ways. Most frequently, one of the following methods are used:
- They force you to watch paid ads every time you set a VPN connection. Though this approach doesn't cause any real harm to you, it is rather annoying, plus it takes up your time.
- They set severe speed limitations. You still can access any sites you wish but the connection speed is twice or thrice as low as usual.
- Some dishonest providers use 'black' methods. They simply collect your logs and personal information and sell the data to third parties, for example, to advertisers.
Ads and various limitations that would not allow you to enjoy streaming and torrenting are quite annoying, but the truly worrisome fact is that some free VPNs would sell your personal data to third parties to make money. Therefore, we highly recommend you to stick to one of the free VPNs listed above to be on the safe side.
When Does It Maker Sense to Use a Premium VPN?
It's logical enough that all the top VPN providers want some money for their services. However, as a rule, the fee is not large – in some cases, it is possible to acquire full-featured software at a price of $2 monthly. Consider getting a premium VPN if you need one to access Netflix – free VPNs won't help you with this one. Streaming and torrenting fans should also consider getting a paid plan to have decent speeds and truly enjoy watching their favorite shows instead of dealing with annoying buffering. In the following cases a free trial or MBG will let you solve your problem using a top VPN without spending a dollar:
- You are going to a country with severe censorship for 2-3 weeks (for example, on a business trip).
- You need one-time access to torrents (to download a particular file) or a streaming site.
The Bottom Line
VPN services have become an integral part of our life. With a good VPN software, Mac users can feel protected wherever they are, e.g use a public wi-fi with no worries that someone will snoop their private information. If this is your reason for getting a VPN, one of the reliable free providers listed above will probably work for you. Just be careful and remember that some free VPNs cannot be trusted.
Would you like to use your VPN for torrenting or streaming? If so, and in addition, annoying ads are not something you are ready to tolerate, you would better take a closer look at the top VPN providers. Get use of the trial period and money back guarantee they offer to test the services and choose the one that will fully satisfy your needs. Once you are ready to commit, a premium VPN service can cost you just a couple of dollars per month.
