Raven Wu
Updated on: October 11, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for Europe in 2024:
-
🥇 ExpressVPN
: There’s no free plan, but you won’t find a better VPN for Europe in 2024. You get a 30-day money-back guarantee to try it out risk-free. ExpressVPN comes with servers in 105 countries (including 45+ European countries and 15+ US states), lightning-fast speeds, and excellent support for both streaming and torrenting from Europe.
After a couple of weeks of researching and testing, I found the best free VPNs for Europe. The ones I recommend have free servers in Europe as well as the US, offer excellent speeds, and provide a good amount of free data.
That said, I’m not a super fan of free VPNs because all of them have drawbacks. While I made sure the VPNs I list here don’t compromise your security and privacy, each free plan either has a limited server location, a strict data cap, or both. Many also don’t support streaming and torrenting, and some restrict your connection speeds.
That’s why I believe it’s best to pick a paid one like ExpressVPN, which gives you access to a large server network, unlimited bandwidth, excellent streaming and torrenting support, and really fast speeds. Editors’ Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
TRY EXPRESSVPN (30-DAYS RISK-FREE)
Quick Summary of the Best Free VPNs for Europe
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Europe
ExpressVPN isn’t free, but it’s the best VPN on the market for Europe — it backs all plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means you can try it risk-free and get a full refund if it doesn’t meet your expectations.
This provider has servers across 105 countries, including 45+ in Europe, 15+ server locations in the US, and 25+ in Asia. Its large server network in Europe means you’ll always be able to find a nearby server for the fastest speeds. The rest of its servers around the world are great at accessing region-specific content, which is especially useful if you travel to Europe and want to access your bank site.
ExpressVPN is the #1 VPN 2024 for streaming and the best for streaming in Europe. It works with 100+ streaming services, including popular services in Europe, like several Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ libraries (including each streaming app’s US library), as well as country-specific ones such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX. Most free VPNs, including several on this list, either don’t support streaming at all or don’t work with many different sites.
It supports P2P file sharing on all its servers, making it a top choice for torrenting in Europe. For comparison, very few free VPNs allow torrenting on their free servers. ExpressVPN also provides full leak protection, so none of your peers will be able to see your real IP address, and third parties, like your European ISP or your government, can’t trace your torrenting activities back to you.
This VPN provides additional value via useful extra features to use in Europe — most free VPNs restrict access to these features. Advanced Protection is a great ad, tracker, and malware blocker, so you can safely browse online, especially if you often rely on public Wi-Fi while in Europe. You also get a password manager (ExpressVPN Keys), which is useful if you need to manage several accounts.
I like that ExpressVPN allows you to connect up to 8 devices — every free VPN on my list except Windscribe limits you to 1 device. This means you’ll have to inconveniently log in and out of your account every time you need to use the VPN on a different device.
ExpressVPN’s plans go for as low as £4.20 / month with our 63% discount, and it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is the best value VPN for Europe in 2024. It has servers in 45+ countries on the continent and accesses tons of streaming platforms in Europe, allows P2P file sharing on all of its servers, and comes with a ton of useful extra features. Its servers in the US and Asia are also great for streaming and easily work with region-locked sites. ExpressVPN doesn’t have a free plan, but it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Proton VPN — Unlimited Data, No Speed Limits & No Ads
Proton VPN is my favorite 100% free VPN for Europe. It has servers in 3 European countries (the Netherlands, Romania, and Poland) for getting the best possible speeds, it has no data cap, it doesn’t restrict your speeds, and it doesn’t bother you with ads.
Proton VPN has 1 free server in the US and 1 in Japan, which can access local content back at home for travelers and expats in Europe. However, the free plan doesn’t let you choose which server to connect to — instead, it just connects you to the fastest server based on your location. You may be able to connect to the US or Japan server location from Europe, though, by connecting and reconnecting to the VPN until you get the server location you want.
Proton VPN’s free plan doesn’t officially support streaming, but it occasionally accesses some streaming services, like Netflix and Amazon Prime US, and some of their European libraries (like UK and Germany) from Europe. It also doesn’t allow P2P file sharing, and it only lets you connect 1 device at a time.
Upgrading to Proton VPN Plus (it starts at £2.75 / month) gives you access to servers in 112 countries, including 35+ in Europe, support for 50+ streaming apps, access to its dedicated P2P servers and its VPN Accelerator tool (increases your speeds on distant servers), and allows you to connect up to 10 devices. Proton VPN’s paid plans all come with a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Proton VPN has a very good 100% free plan for Europe. It has servers in 3 European countries, plus the US and Japan. It includes unlimited data, has good speeds, is ad-free, and works with streaming services half of the time. The premium plan gets you 112 servers and really good support for streaming and torrenting. Proton VPN’s paid plans are backed by a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Proton VPN review
🥉3. hide.me — Free VPN With Many Servers in Europe
hide.me has 6+ free server locations in Europe, which is really good for a free VPN. It covers some countries that Proton VPN’s free plan doesn’t (most notably, the UK), so there’s a better chance of finding a nearby server in Europe for getting the fastest speeds. hide.me also has 1 free server location in the US.
This VPN offers unlimited data on the free plan, so you can safely browse online with the VPN in Europe, regardless whether you’re using public Wi-Fi or mobile data. Plus, the free plan is ad-free, meaning you won’t have to watch ads to get bandwidth.
A downside is that hide.me’s free plan restricts your speeds. That said, you can use its split-tunneling feature to use the VPN on apps you need it for in Europe, like specific apps you have to access on public Wi-Fi, without having to affect the rest of your traffic. Like Proton VPN, the free plan doesn’t support streaming or torrenting, and it only allows 1 device connection.
hide.me’s premium plans start at an affordable £1.90 / month and get you servers in 58 countries, including 35+ in Europe, streaming and torrenting support, and allows you to connect 10 devices simultaneously. It backs every subscription with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
hide.me’s free server coverage in Europe is really good. It also has servers in the US, offers unlimited data, and is ad-free. Additionally, it allows free users to use its split-tunneling feature to slightly boost your speeds. Upgrading to hide.me’s paid plans gets you access to all of its European servers, US servers in 15+ states, and streaming and P2P support. All subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
4. Hotspot Shield — Decent Free VPN for Browsing in Europe
Hotspot Shield’s free plan provides unlimited data. It also has a free server location in the UK and 2 free server locations in the US — in Los Angeles and New York, so you can connect to the East or West Coast. This is great for accessing a local site you need from Europe.
This VPN is great for desktop use in Europe as there are no ads and you get access to most of its features, including split-tunneling apps and sites, and all of the auto-connect options — for example, launching the VPN automatically when you connect to a public Wi-Fi network while in Europe.
I’m less enthused about its free mobile app, which collects your IP address and makes you watch ads for every 15 minutes of VPN usage. If you need a VPN for your phone or tablet, I recommend checking out Proton VPN instead.
Hotspot Shield’s premium plan starts at £2.29 / month and gets you better privacy (no IP logging), access to its full server network in 85 countries, streaming and torrenting support, and 10 connections. Hotspot Shield offers a 7-day free trial and a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Hotspot Shield is a decent VPN for Europe with unlimited data, a server location in the UK, and 2 server locations in the US. It’s great for desktop use, but it logs your IP address and serves you ads on its mobile app. Its paid plan removes the IP logging and ads, gives you access to more servers in Europe and other continents, and lets you stream and torrent. Hotspot Shield offers a 7-day free trial and backs subscriptions with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Hotspot Shield review
5. Windscribe — Great Free VPN for Streaming & Torrenting in Europe
Windscribe is great for streaming and torrenting from Europe for free. It also has 7 server locations in Europe and multiple server locations across the US (US Central, East, and West), which can access several Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Max libraries, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. All of these free server locations support P2P traffic, too.
My main issue with Windscribe’s free plan is that it caps how much data you can use per month (up to 10 GB if you provide it with your email address). Proton VPN, hide.me, and Hotspot Shield all offer unlimited data.
Its free plan includes extras, too, including limited access to an ad blocker (R.O.B.E.R.T.), split-tunneling for apps, and even allows unlimited simultaneous connections.
Windscribe’s premium plan starts at £2.29 / month. Upgrading removes the data cap and gets you access to its servers in 68 countries, including 35+ servers in Europe and servers in 25+ US cities. All subscriptions come with a short 3-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Windscribe is one of the only free VPNs you can stream and torrent with in Europe. It also has 7 server locations on the continent and multiple server locations in the US. It allows unlimited simultaneous connections, but it limits how much data you can use per month. Its paid version gets you access to more servers and unlimited data. It’s also backed by a 3-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Windscribe review
Quick Comparison Table
Editors’ Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
To find the best free VPNs for Europe, I followed our proven testing methodology. Every VPN was extensively researched and tested under real-life scenarios to determine their security, speeds, ease of use, and more. The VPNs on my list offer more value than other free plans on the market. You can learn more about the criteria I used to decide which VPNs to include on my list below:
- I checked what each VPN’s free plan offers. Free VPNs tend to have very limited features, but the VPNs I recommend all have good data allowances, provide decent speeds, and include at least 1 server location in Europe.
- I tested each VPN’s speeds. Using any VPN will decrease your connection speeds slightly due to the time it takes to encrypt your data. And free VPNs often suffer slow speeds due to limited server selection and/or speed throttling. So I tested each free VPN to ensure that it provides decent speeds on its European servers as well as more distant servers (like in the US).
- I made sure the VPN is safe to use. Some free VPNs lack essential security features and others collect and sell user data. But all of the VPN on my list come with industry-standard security features, such as bank-grade 256-bit AES encryption, a no-logs policy (meaning the provider doesn’t store personal information or log your online activities), and a kill switch to prevent accidental data leaks.
- I looked for VPNs that are easy to install and use. The VPNs I recommend have bug-free apps, are compatible with all major operating systems, and you can get any one of them up and running in just 2–3 minutes.
- I chose VPNs with affordable plans. In case you ever decide to upgrade, all of the VPNs on my list have budget-friendly premium plans and come with a money-back guarantee, so you can test out all of their paid features risk-free.
Risks & Disadvantages of Using a Free VPN for Europe
- Limited server selection. Free users are typically restricted to a small number of server locations. Some free VPNs may not have servers in Europe at all or your home country, like the US. Others may have servers in Europe but not in your specific country, or their servers in Europe may be overcrowded due to high demand, both of which will have a negative impact on your connection speeds.
- Bad for privacy and security. Many free VPNs lack essential security features, such as full leak protection or a kill switch. As a result, your personal information may be exposed as you browse, stream, torrent, or game in Europe, and your online anonymity may be compromised. Even worse, some free VPNs collect user data themselves and sell it to 3rd parties, like advertisers. This is why it’s important to choose a reputable VPN provider, like the ones on my list.
- IP blacklisting. Sometimes VPN IP addresses get flagged for suspicious activity and are blocked by various websites and online services across Europe and other places in the world (including streaming platforms). Premium VPNs, like ExpressVPN, refresh their IP addresses frequently to deal with this problem. But free VPN IP addresses are rarely refreshed.
- Data usage limits. Free VPNs often impose daily or monthly data caps. Depending on the limit, you may only get just a couple of hours of browsing a month. This can be very restrictive if you’re a heavy internet user.
- No support for streaming & torrenting. Very few VPNs support streaming or torrenting on their free servers. Even if they do, harsh data caps and slow speeds usually make them unsuitable for these purposes.
- Intrusive advertisements. Some free VPNs have ads in their app or force you to watch ads every so often to continue using them.
- Limited device connections. Most free VPNs limit you to a single device connection, so you won’t be able to protect all of your devices, or you’ll have to log out of your account from one device to use it on another, which is pretty inconvenient. The best VPNs in 2024 allow a minimum of 7 simultaneous connections.
- Poor customer support. Many paid VPNs offer 24/7 live chat, so if you run into any issues, you’ll be able to get it resolved very quickly. In contrast, free users are often forced to speak with buggy chatbots or to use the provider’s slower ticketing system instead.
Free vs. Paid VPNs for Europe
While many free VPNs lack important privacy and security features, all of the free VPNs on my list come with industry-standard VPN security features, such as 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and a strict no-logs policy.
That said, even the best free VPNs are pretty limited compared to good premium VPNs. They usually offer fewer server locations in Europe and in other places like the US, cap how much data you can use per day/month, aren’t great for streaming and torrenting, allow only a single connection, and may even throttle your speeds.
Proton VPN is a good example — it’s our #1 free VPN in 2024 and is one of the only free VPNs out there that offers both unlimited data and no speed limits. Its free plan only has 3 server locations in Europe (the Netherlands, Romania, and Poland), doesn’t support torrenting, is inconsistent at accessing popular streaming platforms, and only covers 1 device. Windscribe, on the other hand, allows streaming and torrenting, but there’s a 10 GB monthly data cap.
In comparison, a top paid VPN for Europe, like ExpressVPN, has servers in over 45 countries across the continent, servers in 15+ US states, supports torrenting on all of its servers, works with 100+ streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+, and allows up to 8 simultaneous connections. Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out risk-free.
Overall, free VPNs may be good enough for light use, but paid VPNs provide more comprehensive online protection and superior value.
Free VPNs for Europe to Avoid
- Betternet VPN. This VPN has a free plan with servers in the UK. But its no-logs policy is uncomfortably vague, and it collects user IP addresses. Additionally, its free plan has a very restrictive data cap (500 MB per month), and you have to watch an ad for every 30 minutes of VPN use on mobile.
- SuperVPN. Its free plan has servers in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and France. But it isn’t safe to use — it’s missing essential VPN security features, such as 256-bit AES encryption and a kill switch. It collects a lot of user information, including your IP address and possibly even your online activity. And it’s leaked sensitive user data in the past.
- Hola VPN. Hola VPN’s free plan lets you access all of its servers in 42 countries, including multiple locations in Europe. But this VPN logs both your IP address and browsing activity. Additionally, it’s a P2P VPN, which means that when you use the VPN, you’re assigned another Hola VPN user’s IP address and someone else may be assigned yours. This is very dangerous because a bad actor could engage in illegal activities with your IP address.
- Phone Guardian. It lacks many of the privacy and security features you’d expect from a VPN. It encrypts only some of your data, and it doesn’t change or hide your IP address. Additionally, the provider collects data about your app usage and online activities.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- Private Internet Access. While Private Internet Access is one of the best VPNs on the market, has servers in 91 countries, including 40+ servers in Europe, and is highly affordable, it doesn’t offer a free plan. That said, you can try it out for free by taking advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee.
- TunnelBear. TunnelBear’s free plan lets you access all of the VPN’s paid features, including all of its servers in 47 countries. However, you’re limited to 2 GB of data per month, which is around 10 hours of browning and under 2 hours of streaming.
- PrivadoVPN. This free VPN has servers in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK, and supports both streaming and torrenting. However, actually getting its free plan is a hassle, and it lacks useful extra features, like an ad blocker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a 100% free VPN for Europe?
Yes, the VPNs on my list are great picks for Europe, and all but one of them is completely free. The best free plan for Europe is Proton VPN’s free plan — it has 3 server locations in Europe (the Netherlands, Romania, and Poland) and 1 in the US and Japan in case you need accessing local sites like your bank site, and it offers unlimited data and no speed limits with no strings attached.
What’s the safest free VPN to use in Europe?
While many free VPNs are unsafe due to a lack of essential security features and unscrupulous data logging practices, all of the VPNs on my list come with industry-standard security features, like 256-bit AES encryption, a no-logs policy, and a kill switch to keep you safe and anonymous on the internet.
Do free VPNs for Europe really work?
There are definitely a lot of shady free VPNs out there that don’t really work or that put your personal information at risk due to weak security features and questionable logging policies. However, all of the free VPNs I recommend work. They provide you with enhanced privacy and security when engaged in online activities, allow you to change your IP address to make it appear as if you’re located in a different country, and more.
What’s the best VPN to use when traveling to Europe?
ExpressVPN is my top recommendation. It has servers in 105 countries (including 45+ European countries and 15 US states), blazing-fast speeds, strong privacy and security features, and is really easy to use. It also comes with a money-back guarantee, so you can try it out for an entire month and get a full refund if you feel like it doesn’t suit your particular needs.
