The best VPN trials of 2024

Our top pick is ProtonVPN, as it is one of the few VPN providers that still provides a free option. While it is limited, the VPN is still user-friendly and has an attractive user interface, giving you all the time you need to work out how VPNs work and whether one suits your needs. Once you’ve gained more experience, you can then choose to adopt a paid plan or try out other providers. 

Not every VPN provider offers a free trial, but the best VPN providers offer an alternative: sign up, provide your credit card details, and if you aren’t satisfied, you can request your money back. Plus, most offer you 30 days to test the software. 

Money-back guarantees are becoming an industry standard, so it really depends if you’re willing to go through the sign-up process. Some VPN providers offer limited plans for free instead.

While deciding on the best use cases for each VPN, we considered trial features, levels of security, and affordability. We recommend testing different VPNs to find the right fit for your budget and needs. However, the recommendations below can make the decision easier if you already know your priorities.

These recommendations are updated as the VPN market shifts. 

While you are considering trying out a new VPN or two, there are numerous factors and conditions to think about, the most important of which are outlined below:

• Trial length: VPN trials vary in length. For example, you may have 30 days on your PC, whereas iOS or Android-based trials may only last seven days. The latter can be useful but may not be enough time to properly test out a VPN before purchase.
• Limits: VPN trials are often limited, and this may impact the devices you can use your VPN on, the number of devices, speed, or server access. Furthermore, there may be speed caps imposed on free VPN plans or during trial periods, so they may not reflect the true capabilities of the VPN service. 
• Payment details: Some VPNs will require payment card details before you can test out their service. If this is the case, remember to remove your details before your time runs out, as you may then be automatically charged for a paid subscription. 
• Paid plans: If you find a VPN that you like, you may then decide to sign up for a paid plan. Consider the monthly cost of your new plan ahead of time and decide whether or not it is within your preferred price range. 

When looking for the best VPN trials of 2024, we wanted to see just how user-friendly they are, whether you’ll be asked to hand over payment card details, and whether or not the trials themselves have value.

• Hands-on research: We conduct extensive hands-on research, including speed tests and DNS leak tests, on many VPN offerings in the market. If a VPN doesn’t perform as it should, they don’t make the cut. 
• Usability: We kept usability and user-friendliness in mind when we tried out different VPN trials. The point of a trial is to learn how VPNs work and to ensure a VPN is the right product for you. 
• Limitations: Some VPN trials will be limited; for example, users will only be able to connect to a handful of servers. We prefer it when trials are for the full VPN service, but there are some exceptions.
• Customer reviews: We examined customer reviews, including both positive and negative experiences. We also kept in mind the longevity of VPN providers, considering their track records for user and data privacy, popularity, and the variety and accessibility of services. 
• Money-back guarantee: You often have to rely on a 30-day money-back guarantee to test the most popular VPNs. However, with the exception of services like ProtonVPN, a subscription model is still preferable to free VPNs, unless they utilize the revenue generated from paid plans to support free options.

A virtual private network (VPN) is a network of nodes — or servers — which reroute internet traffic to mask its original IP address. VPNs also add a layer of encryption to protect data packets and online communication. As the internet was not designed to be inherently secure, VPNs were developed to bridge part of the security gap. While they are not a foolproof solution, a reliable and trustworthy VPN can help protect your online privacy.

If you want to understand how VPNs work in more detail, check out our guide on everything you need to know about VPNs.

A VPN trial is a way to test a VPN service before purchasing it. 

Typically, VPN trials last for a specific period or have limited functionality. Once the trial period ends, you must subscribe to continue using the service. VPN trials work by providing you with a temporary account, allowing you to test the VPN’s features and functionality. 

Some VPNs offer free trials. You can cancel your subscription within the trial period to avoid being charged, but you will likely have to provide your payment card details at the time of sign-up. VPN trials can range from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the VPN provider. During the trial period, you may have limited access to certain features, reduced connection speeds, or a limited number of servers to choose from. However, most VPNs offer a full range of features during the trial period.

Not all VPN trials are secure and trustworthy, so it’s essential to choose a reputable VPN provider that has a history of protecting user privacy and security.

Using a VPN is generally recommended day-to-day. However, there are some circumstances where you may decide not to enable your VPN. You should always check if using a VPN is legal in your country, for example. 

VPNs can slow down your connection, so if you’re not dealing with sensitive information, you may want to trade speed for security temporarily, like when gaming. 

VPNs protect your privacy by masking your IP address and encrypting your traffic. However, unless there are specific, integrated features, they do not offer protection against online threats such as phishing, drive-by malicious downloads, malware, ransomware, or third-party data breaches. 

To protect yourself against these attack vectors, you should ensure you have a firewall and antivirus software. It’s also recommended that you stay suspicious of untrusted messages and emails. 

There is a huge selection of VPN offerings on the market today. While we’ve showcased what we consider the best VPN providers that offer decent trials, there are other options available you may want to consider in 2024, as shown below: