If you search for free VPNs on Google ir other search engines, you’ll see tons of results directing you to several options to choose from. While there may be circumstances under which you may opt-in for a free VPN, you should know that it doesn’t entirely protect your online privacy.
Thus, you may want to weigh your options thoroughly to know if free VPN or paid VPN will is the ideal choice for you. Here, we will break down the pros and cons of using one over another.
What is a free VPN?
A free VPN does not require any payment to be made before you can use its services. This means you can download, install, and even connect it to your device for free. No charges whatsoever.
So, how does a free VPN make money?
The first thing to know is that VPN providers are set up for business purposes and not as charity organizations. Running a reliable service costs some money. A VPN company will need to develop various apps for users and offer customer support for a start. Consider three ways a VPN service can practice to generate revenue.
Collecting and selling your browsing data
Your browsing history and online habits could be a high-demand commodity for data brokerage companies. To make money in exchange for the free VPN services you’re given, a VPN provider may need to sell your browsing information to third parties such as marketers and e-commerce.
These third-party companies can use the information collected to create a custom-made advertisement to target you and people with similar browsing habits like yours. Every junk of information they collect from VPN providers attracts some monetary value.
Through display ads
Ads display is widespread on many apps and is a trendy means for free VPNs to monetize their free services. Every time you click on an ad, the VPN provider gets a share. The more the number of users that click on these ads, the more money the service provider makes to sustain its business.
When you pay for the premium version
Paying for a premium plan is the safest way to stay online. VPN providers know this and often encourage their users to subscribe to it. Free plans vary from one provider to the other. Some would pressure their customers to buy paid services by restricting them to data caps or limiting the number of servers they can connect to.
Since you need a VPN to stay completely anonymous when using the internet, you may have to subscribe to the premium version to lift any restrictions.
Pros and cons of a free VPN
Pros
- Free to use
- Hide IP address
- Can unblock websites and apps
Cons
- Several ads display and spammy messages
- Limited bandwidth
- Limited server connections
- Slow and unstable connection
- Collects data and browsing history
- Weak security network
How VPNify’s free version works
After weighing the options and choosing to use our free version, we encourage you to go through our privacy policy and terms of service.
Like every other VPN outlet, running a VPN service costs us money. Because we are running our business on transparency, we have carefully prepared our terms of service and privacy policy to inform you about what type of data we collect and what we do with them.
Unlike many other free VPNs, when you download VPNIFY, you are not restricted to data or time limits. You do not need to create an account either, meaning we do not have your personal data, such as your name or login password.
VPNify’s premium version is the best
At VPNIFY, we believe in absolute privacy and strong online security. Once you subscribe to our premium plan, it does not matter anymore what you do online. VPNify will not sell your data to any third parties either for targeted advertisement or collect it for other purposes.
With our paid plan, you also enjoy additional perks that work altogether to enhance your mobile security with our top-notch encryption protocols. VPNify will scramble everything you do online, making it impossible for anyone to spy on you to steal your sensitive data.
Additionally, our service is built to boost your internet speed, allowing you to enjoy live streaming with ultra-fast connection whether you’re on Wi-Fi or cellular data. You can as well bypass heavily restricted content in your country or elsewhere while staying completely anonymous.
Final thoughts
There are certain instances whereby using a free VPN version might be worth it, such as for light or occasional use or simply to access a geo-blocked site. However, how free VPNs handle their customers’ personal information and online privacy varies from one provider to another.
Cybersecurity is a serious matter you should pay attention to, especially if you’re dealing with highly sensitive information. It would be best to take all the necessary measures to protect your online activity and enjoy peace of mind. That would come at a cost, but it’ll be worth it at the end of the day.
Our mission at VPNIFY is to ensure that everyone can enjoy online privacy freely and openly without borders, throttling, firewalls, blocks or restrictions.
