VPN performance depends on a lot of factors: advances in technology, time of day, and user congestion all affect how it runs day to day. That’s why I don’t like to pay for a VPN before I can fully test it out. Free trials are a good option, but I often find I can only test 1 of my devices (and not for long enough to get a clear picture). For me, a money-back guarantee is better because I can try it on all my devices for a much longer period.

That said, my team and I tested 60 VPN free trials and shortlisted the best ones. All of them give you access to industry-leading security features and reliable server networks that unblock a ton of popular streaming platforms.

Of the VPNs tested, ExpressVPN has the best free trial options. It comes with a 7-day free trial for mobile as well as a money-back guarantee that lets you try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days. You can claim a refund if you’re not satisfied. I tested the policy myself and found that the guarantee was upheld. After 28 days of using it, I asked for my money back and it was hassle-free — it took 4 minutes to approve my refund and only 3 days until the money was returned.

Short on Time? Here Are the 5 Best VPN Free Trials in 2022

1. ExpressVPN — 30-day money-back guarantee, 7-day free trial on mobile devices, the fastest and most reliable VPN for streaming, torrenting, and browsing.
2. CyberGhost — Generous money-back guarantee period of 45 days and fast dedicated servers for streaming, but only a 1-day free trial for desktop.
3. Private Internet Access — 30-day money-back guarantee, 7-day free trial, fast P2P connections, but no money-back guarantees for gift card payments.
4. SurfsharkVPN — 30-day money-back guarantee, easy-to-use app to quickly find the ideal server, but some difficulties unblocking popular streaming platforms.
5. NordVPN — 30-day money-back guarantee, can easily bypass VPN-blocking firewalls, but has a small server network.

VPN Free Trial vs. Money-Back Guarantee: What’s the Difference?

There are different ways in which you can test a VPN service for free:

• Money-back guarantee: You’ll have to pay for the VPN upfront and can get a full refund within a certain period (usually around 30 days). Even though these trials require upfront payment, they’re usually “risk-free”, which means as long as you cancel within the time period, there’s no risk that your refund will be refused.
• Free Trial: No commitment and no upfront payment. Although some free trials ask for card details, the payment will only be made after the free trial period ends. These trials are usually 1-7 days long, and you may have to cancel through customer service to avoid being charged after the trial. Some free trials have no limitations, while others can throttle bandwidth and limit server selection.
• Free VPN: This is a VPN service that is completely free to download and use. However, free VPNs always come with restrictions (like data limits, small server networks, and slow speeds) to encourage you to upgrade to a paid plan. They can also be dangerous if you aren’t careful: some have malware embedded in the apps, while others log and sell your information to third-party advertisers without your knowledge.

You’ll find all 3 types of free trials in the following list of VPNs. These free trial VPNs have been tried and tested — they’re safe to use, and it’s easy to cancel them when you’re finished testing. I recommend using a money-back guarantee trial because it lets you really get to know the service. You can test it for 30+ days and access the full VPN and all of its features on all of your devices.

What About Free VPNs?

Free VPNs let you use their service indefinitely without any payments. They might seem like a good option, but I advise against the majority of them. Not only are most VPN features limited, but they often bombard you with ads and cookies, which are used to collect your data. Also, free VPNs can infect your device with malware and viruses. I’d recommend avoiding CrossVPN, Archie VPN, and BetternetVPN. These free VPNs are known to have embedded malware in their apps.

In short, most free VPNs put your privacy at serious risk and significantly limit your internet capabilities. Some of these include slower speeds, capped data, and unstable connections, so it’s best to avoid them.

However, there are some free VPNs that we do recommend (like Proton VPN and hide.me) since they’re offered alongside a premium service. You can download these VPN services completely free, but they do come with restrictions, such as limited bandwidth and a smaller server network. I’d recommend testing their premium service by using their money-back guarantees. This way, you won’t have to deal with the annoying limitations that the free plan has.

FAQs on the Best VPNs With Free Trials

Do ExpressVPN and CyberGhost have free trials?

Yes, they both have free trials. ExpressVPN offers a 7-day free trial for mobile devices, whereas CyberGhost offers a 1-day free trial for desktop and a 7-day free trial for mobile devices.

However, I’d recommend using their money-back guarantees to get a better picture of the VPN. A 1-day free trial isn’t long enough to test a VPN since its performance varies from day to day. In addition, the free trials on mobile devices come with limitations such as no kill switch and no split tunneling. A money-back guarantee allows you to test all the features of the VPN on your iPhone, iPad, and other devices without restrictions.

Can I Watch Netflix using a free VPN trial?

Yes, it is possible to use VPN free trials to access Netflix libraries worldwide. However, keep in mind that VPN free trials often come with limitations that don’t allow you to test the complete service. Some free trials don’t give you full access to its complete server network. This way, it might be possible that you cannot use the servers that work with Netflix.

All of the VPN free trials in this list work with Netflix, but you might have to use the money-back guarantee to access this feature. In all cases, a money-back guarantee will allow you to test the premium service without limitations. In addition, it gives you a lot more time than a standard free trial (a money-back guarantee is usually 30 days, whereas free trials aren’t usually longer than 7 days).

Can I use a VPN free trial without a credit card?

Some VPNs let you use a free trial without a credit card, while some do not. The best free trials will only ask for an email address and no credit card information. However, most VPNs require credit card information for you to test it. You should always read the fine print before starting a free trial. If credit card details are required, then it’s likely you’ll be charged immediately when your trial period expires.

Some of the VPN free trials in this list that don’t ask for credit card details are ExpressVPN’s 7-day free trial (on Android only), CyberGhost’s 24-hour free trial (on desktop only), and Zenmate’s 7-day free trial (on desktop only).

Which VPN has the longest free trial?

You won’t find many VPNs that offer free trials for longer than 7 days. If you’re looking for an extended trial, then the best option is to opt for a money-back guarantee instead. Many VPNs offer refund guarantees of at least 30 days. While you have to put money down, you won’t face the limitations that some free trials come with.

For example, ExpressVPN’s 7-day free trial is only available on mobile devices, and there’s a risk of being charged if you forget to cancel before the trial period is up. For this reason, I’d recommend making use of ExpressVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee instead, which gives you much more time to comfortably test the service.

Another tip is to combine a free trial with a money-back guarantee to extend the amount of time you have to test the VPN. In most cases, you still qualify for a money-back guarantee if you continue with the service after your free trial.

Can I use a VPN free trial on a FireStick?

You can use a VPN free trial on a FireStick if your VPN is compatible with one. Most of the VPNs in this list have native apps for FireStick. Since free trials are usually restricted to a certain device, you may need to use the money-back guarantee for this to work. However, you can always try to download the VPN app to your FireStick and sign in with your free trial credentials if you’re given them.

How do I cancel my VPN free trial?

You can cancel your free trial in a few ways. First of all, if you haven’t provided any payment details, then your free trial will be canceled automatically. You won’t need to worry about being charged.

If the free trial you’ve chosen requires payment information, then there are a couple of ways you may need to cancel. Some VPNs allow you to cancel without contacting customer support. You’ll usually find a link to cancel when logged in to your VPN account in your browser. Most of the time, you just fill in a form and receive an email confirming the refund.

You might also need to contact customer support. If your VPN has a 24/7 live chat service, it is usually easier to do it that way. Simply tell them that you want to cancel your free trial, and they’ll proceed with your request. Some VPNs may ask your reason for quitting, which is usually requested for feedback purposes. If you’re entitled to a refund, then ask how long it’ll take to be processed for confirmation.

Also, keep in mind that the cancellation process for mobile devices can be different. If you subscribed to a VPN service through the Apple App Store or Google Play, you’d most likely have to cancel your subscription through them. That means you’ll have to abide by their refund policy, and your money-back guarantee might not be honored. I recommend signing up for a free trial through the provider’s website whenever possible to avoid any difficulties.

Can I use a VPN free trial multiple times?

Technically, it is possible. By signing up with a new email address and deleting your cookies each time, you could use a VPN free trial more than once. However, you could end up getting banned from the VPN service if they catch you trying to sign up for a free trial multiple times, so I don’t recommend it.

In addition, several VPN services ask for credit card information, so you would need to have numerous credit cards to sign up multiple times. Besides, many VPNs have stopped their free trials because of people abusing the system in this way. What you could do is test different VPN services using their free trials to see which one works best for you.

Are there VPN free trials for India and China?

Yes, most VPNs have either a free trial or a money-back guarantee for people in India and China. A free trial in India and China is no different from a free trial in another country because the trials differ based on the VPNs, not the user’s country.

However, keep in mind that VPNs are banned in China if the government does not approve them, so you need to be careful. Luckily, ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN offer free trials or money-back guarantees and work well in restrictive countries like China.

India doesn’t ban any VPNs, but the government also doesn’t encourage using them. You should still check the laws and regulations if you plan to use a VPN there. In case you need to use a VPN there, ExpressVPN, IPVanish, and CyberGhost all come with money-back guarantees and work well in India.

What are the limitations of a VPN free trial?

There are different limitations you can have while using a VPN free trial. It could be that you’re having slow speeds since you’re restricted to a smaller pool of (overcrowded) servers. Besides, you could have data caps that could result in your free trial ending after a few hours because you reached the limit. In addition, it could be that you cannot make use of specific features such as split tunneling and ad blockers.

It’s important to always check the terms & conditions before committing to a VPN free trial to avoid any unwanted surprises. To avoid limitations, use a money-back guarantee instead. This way you can test the full service for a longer period, which allows you to really get to know the VPN. I tested the refund policies of each VPN in this list and it was easy to get my money back every time.

Get the Best VPN Free Trial Today

Every free trial is different and some of them come with a lot of restrictions. You’ll have to read the fine print, remember to cancel in time to avoid being charged, or won’t have full access to the VPN features.

While the VPN free trials in this list are good options, testing a VPN using its money-back guarantee is the best way to get the full experience without paying anything. You can use it for much longer than a free trial and aren’t restricted in any way.

Out of the 50 VPNs my team and I tested, I recommend ExpressVPN. It offers world-class security features and has a huge server network with fast speeds for every kind of online activity. And most importantly, it has a 7-day free trial and a trustworthy money-back guarantee. You can test it completely risk-free. If you’re not satisfied, you have 30 days to claim a full refund.