There are few things in life that are certain. But something that is certain is that the internet is no longer a safe place. There are scammers, hackers, catfish, and more. The most common problem is the risk of identity theft. Because we use the internet all the time and for our most personal and sensitive matters, hackers have easy access to our identities. This is the reason you’ve seen so many articles speaking about how important it is to use a VPN.
A virtual private network (VPN) is software that routes your connection through an external server, hiding your location and encrypting your data. Click To TweetThis secures you against intruders, keeps your browsing private, and even allows you to access content that is not available in your country, whether due to geo-restrictions or government censorship.
Still not sure whether you should get a VPN? The good news is that you can choose a free VPN. Here’s how to make that decision.
Find their real cost
Free VPN providers have to make money somehow, and therefore with a free version, there is going to be some cost. In certain cases, that cost is targeted advertising, which is what most websites do anyway. However, with a VPN, targeted advertising means the service is allowing others access to your data, so you should definitely not browse through one of these.
Other VPNs restrict your speed or the amount of bandwidth you’re allowed to use. They let you get a VPN experience, but it’s not going to serve all your needs. Ultimately, the plan is for you to pay for their premium version after trying the free version.
In other words, no VPN is truly free. However, there are some good options that might just be good enough. Windscribe, for example, offers a generous 10GB per month. This is a lot of bandwidth compared to what most free versions offer (500MB).
The best option, however, is for you to try to use a VPN with the intention of committing to paying for it eventually.
Trial options
Most VPN providers offer free trials or money back guarantees. Some offer as long a period as 60 days for you to change your mind. This may well be the best choice, as you will gradually come to see the value of using your VPN. You have to pay first, but when you do ask for your money back, they give it to you no questions asked.
If you’re savvy, you could go about using the same money to pay for various VPNs and get your money back, and could get through a good few months this way! But ultimately you’re going to have to pay eventually.
There are a couple of options for paying for a VPN. One option is to pay monthly, and that costs about $10 per month. If you pay for a year or two at a time, you pay a rate of about $5 per month or less. Regardless of how you pay, you can still get your money back after 30 or 60 days if you’re unhappy.