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It is vital to try out a VPN with a free trial to ensure you love the interface. A free VPN trial provides you access to all the features that make a VPN a helpful tool for helping with privacy, accessing streaming services, protecting you from hackers on public Wi-fi networks, and ensuring confidential internet access. 

With so many VPN providers in the market, it can be easy to get caught up in free trials that only provide you with a handful of options or offer limited speed. In this article, we cover the best ones available. 

A free VPN trial provides you the chance to get a feel for the VPN’s specs and decide if you want to use that VPN’s services or not. Free trials can be frustrating to navigate through sometimes, especially since the VPN you might have your eye on may not offer a free trial in the first place.

While some VPNs provide a 30-day money-back guarantee that can be substituted for a trial, others come with a free subscription option. There are also VPNs that offer a combination of both.

VPN free trial vs. money-back guarantee

It is commonplace for a VPN provider to provide a 30-day money-back guarantee, which may be marketed as a free trial. However, you should know that this is not technically a ‘real’ free trial.

While a free trial means you would not pay for that period of use, a 30-day money-back promise simply provides you the security that if you decide not to proceed with the VPN within that time frame, you will be completely refunded.  Hence, money does leave your account and will only be refunded to you if you cancel the service within that primary month.

Are you looking for the best VPN with a free trial? Some people don’t want to pay for a VPN unless they have tried it fully and tested its functionality. With a free VPN trial and IP address, you have the chance to test the service first. However, here are some important factors to consider first. 

1. The duration of the free trial

Overall, VPNs don’t tend to provide free trials except for very limited periods of time, like a 7-day trial or on specific devices such as Android. However, VPN providers use the enticement of a free trial to draw in users. Occasionally, a free trial might appear on offer, but in most cases, you will need to go looking.

2. Access to all features

There are different limitations you have while using a VPN free trial. It could be that you are having slow speeds since you are limited to a smaller pool of the server network with limited server locations.  You may also face data caps that could lead to your free trial ending after a few hours because you reached the limit fast. Further, specific features such as ad blockers and split tunneling could be limited.

It is vital to check the terms & conditions before committing to a risk-free VPN free trial. For example, you should check if the VPN offers a no-logs policy, DNS leak protection, and prevention from ISPs who are trying to sneak a peek at your online activity.

There’s no use joining a free trial that limits all the essential features, after all. Instead, you could opt for the 30-day money-back guarantee instead. This way, you can test the complete service with all features for a longer period, which permits you to really get to know the VPN.

3. Convenience of canceling

Some VPNs let you use a free trial with no credit card, while some do not give you this service. The best free trials will ask for an email address and no credit card details. Anyway, most VPNs need payment information for you to test them. 

Make sure to read the fine print before starting and canceling a free trial. In some cases where credit card details are required, it is likely you will be charged quickly when your trial period expires.

Best VPNs with free trials

Below, we have rounded up a list of the top VPNs with free trials in 2022. They are all reputable, trusted VPN providers, so their trials are worth considering if you are looking for a long-term subscription.

Best VPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Our top pick!
  • Always evades internet control in the PRC
  • Keeps ahead of the Netflix VPN detection algorithm
  • Benchmark tests show excellent speed
Check best price ExpressVPN Review

ExpressVPN is built for speed. Not only are its speeds quick, but they are also pretty consistent. It is one of the fastest VPNs in our speed tests and makes it optimal for activities like gaming, streaming services, torrenting, and kill switch. The 24/7 live chat support the VPN offers is also great if you’re just getting started or have questions.

Pros

  • Installs on routers
  • Simultaneous connection allowance of five devices
  • Split tunneling
  • Large choice of server location
  • Very strong connection encryption

Cons

  • One of the most expensive VPN services
  • China blocks its main website (but not functionality)
  • Live chat support is not always responsive

Its streaming performance is just as good. ExpressVPN unblocks all the famous streaming sites, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and more.

There is a 30-day free trial, but there are some hidden catches. It is just accessible on Google Play and iOS app store, and windows, and you are not eligible for the 30-day money-back promise if you decide to keep it. The iOS app also needs credit card info, which automatically charges if you forget to cancel at least 24 hours prior to the trial expiration.

Affordable pricing with a 30-day money-back guarantee

  • Smart DNS service, understands the technology
  • Comprehensive security add-on package.
  • No data throughput limits and has a no-logs policy
Check best price Surfshark Review

Surfshark is another amazing free trial VPN service that permits you to test all of its specs free of charge for seven days. You can get a complete sense of how this VPN works, as it does not restrict access to any of its attributes.

Pros

  • A long list of locations in the USA
  • Dodges the Great Firewall of China
  • Virtual servers to access India
  • Add-on cybersecurity protection package
  • Smart DNS option for fast streaming
  • Unlimited devices can be connected simultaneously per account

Cons

  • 7-day free trial only available on mobile apps
  • Not as many VPN servers as NordVPN
  • Runs static IP servers but doesn’t sell dedicated IP addresses
  • Can’t get into BBC iPlayer or Hulu

It provides a free trial for macOS, as well as mobile devices – iOS and Android. Alternatively, you can use the 30-day money-back guarantee on all devices, including Linux, Windows, and apple.

Once you get a free Surfshark trial, you can use it for free on as many devices as you want since it provides unlimited simultaneous connections. You will be capable of accessing 3200+ servers in ninety-five countries and unblock Peacock, Netflix, Amazon price, and other streaming platforms.

Further, it has professional 24/7 customer support to answer any questions regarding the free trial terms or setup. They also take care of full refunds immediately in case you want to use the money-back guarantee.

Value provider with a 7-day free trial on Android

  • More US city locations than its rivals
  • Includes malware protection
  • No-logs policy
Check best price NordVPN Review

NordVPN is another high-standard and fast VPN that offers services free of charge. You can test its connection speed, accessible network of VPN servers, and encryption protocols without spending a single penny.

Pros

  • A large number of servers
  • Threat protection with a proprietary security system called CyberSec
  • Split tunneling
  • Obfuscated servers for China and other locations where VPNs are discouraged
  • No-logs policy
  • Automatic wi-fi protection

Cons

  • Parts of the server network have poor download speeds
  • No servers in India
  • Onion over VPN can be slow

Getting the free trial period would not take more than a few minutes, as it provides a very easy setup process. Even though it needs you to enter the credit card details, you would not be charged for up to seven days.

NordVPN also provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can extend your trial period. Bear in mind that it supports Google Pay, PayPal, Amazon Pay, and cryptocurrency payment methods in case you don’t want to use a credit card.

You can obtain a free NordVPN trial on Android devices and full access to all of the VPN’s features: enjoy 5500 + ultra-quick servers in 59 different countries and unblock the most popular streaming sites like Hulu, Disney+, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and others.

Further, it supports the speedy NordLynx tunneling protocol and has unlimited bandwidth that does not slow you down. So, even with the free NordVPN trial, you will be able to enjoy remarkable speeds and streaming.

The longest money-back guarantee of 45-days

  • Precise locations
  • Very large VPN server network
  • Offers a 45-day money-back guarantee
Check best price CyberGhost Review

CyberGhost‘s free offerings are pretty special, including a 1-day free trial on desktop – something that NordVPN, Express VPN, and Surfshark do not offer – and a 7-day free trial on mobile.

Pros

  • The cool VPN app design
  • A larger number of servers than most of its rivals
  • Split tunneling options
  • Proprietary nospy server technology that can avoid detection in places like China
  • A strict no-logs policy
  • A 45-day money-back guarantee

Cons

  • Some server locations are spoofed – the CyberGhost servers aren’t really where they say they are
  • The VPN has to be manually set up on routers
  • Not as fast as advertised

If you would love to go further, CyberGhost offers a 14-day money-back promise with its one-month package and a 45-day money-back guarantee with its extended plans.

CyberGhost has a remarkable user interface with various plans, designed with both advanced and beginner VPN users in mind. It also covers the basics, including a mechanical kill switch and split tunneling feature, which is accessible for iOS and Android only. There are also the latest features like the ad blocker, which blocks trackers, suspicious ads, DNS, malware, and URLs.

Free trial and generous free plan available

  • The Windscribe browser extension contains more than just a VPN implementation
  • You can get up to 10 GB of data throughput per month with the free version of Windscribe
  • Combine the desktop app and the browser extension to create your own double-hop VPN
Check best price Windscribe VPN Review

Windscribe’s free plan offers 10GB of data per month. It also limits you to VPN servers in 10 countries, however, is a solid option for those on a budget. You can use R.O.B.E.R.T., Windscribe’s customizable server-side domain, and IP blocking tool, with just 3 access rules on the free plan.

Pros

  • Lots of free cybersecurity tools
  • Extensive privacy controls
  • Split tunneling options
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
  • Easy port forwarding

Cons

  • More expensive than some of its big rivals
  • The autopilot option doesn’t change the IP address
  • Slows connection speeds

Other than those limitations, free Windscribe users can access the full service. Windscribe’s money-back guarantee on paid packages runs for only 3 days, so testing it out with the free plan is your top bet.

Beyond that, Windscribe’s paid plan provides the same security features that are found on the free version, including an AES 256-bit encryption, automatic kill switch, OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols, and WireGuard.

To sum it up

If you’re looking for the best VPN with a free trial, ExpressVPN is your best bet. But if you are looking for a free VPN to use long-term with an accommodating free plan, Windscribe performs best.

Make sure to choose an honest and reliable provider – especially since many free VPN apps in the App and Google Play Store don’t work correctly or are a threat to your security and privacy. Internet safety starts with the best VPN, and sometimes, that means starting with the best trial.

What is a free trial for VPN?

A VPN free trial allows you to test a VPN’s features without committing to a year plan or monthly subscription. It also means you can cancel your services at any time with no cost or upfront payment.

Which VPN has a 30-day free trial?

Most VPNs offer very limited free trials. However, almost all popular VPN providers do offer a 30-day money-back guarantee in place of a free trial.

Which VPN has the longest free trial?

The VPN with the longest money-back guarantee in place is CyberGhost which offers a 45-day term.

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