How We Review Free VPNs
Our reviews are document reviews for now: we read what each provider publishes and check it against other records. Here is what we read, how much we trust each source, and what we have not tested.
Primary sources only
For each VPN we start with the provider itself, not other review sites. We read:
- The provider’s website and pricing page — for data limits, server locations, device limits and prices.
- The published privacy policy — for who operates the service, which country’s law applies, and what the logging policy actually commits to.
- The App Store and Google Play listings — including Apple’s privacy label, which records what data an app collects. This is often more revealing than the provider’s own marketing.
- Published audit reports — the report itself where we can open it, including its scope, who paid for it and what it left out.
- Public records — domain registration data and archived versions of provider pages, to test claims about history and ownership.
How much weight each source gets
Not every source proves the same thing, so reviews say where a fact comes from:
- “The provider states” means only that the company says so. We have not confirmed it.
- Store labels are declared by the developer. Apple and Google do not verify them.
- Audits count as independent only when we can identify the auditor and find no undisclosed link to the company audited. Even then, an audit covers one point in time and a stated scope.
- User reviews are anecdotes. We report them as themes and never as established fact.
If we looked for something and did not find it, we say “we did not find”. That is not proof it does not exist.
What we check for every free VPN
- How much data the free tier allows, and whether it resets daily or monthly
- How many locations free users can reach, and whether they can choose one
- Whether the free tier needs an account or a payment card
- Whether the free tier shows ads
- Who operates the service and in which jurisdiction
- Whether any no-logs claim is backed by a named, independent audit
- What the app’s store privacy label says it collects
Free plan versus free trial
We treat these as different things and label them differently. A free plan can be used indefinitely within its limits. A free trial stops after a set time and then requires payment. A service with only a trial is never presented as having a free plan.
When a claim doesn’t hold up
If a provider says something it doesn’t support, or its policy contradicts its app-store label, we report the conflict and link both sources. We don’t repeat marketing figures as facts.
How the ranking order is set
The order on our rankings is an editorial judgement, not a calculated score, so a lower-placed service can have a higher score. Each ranking page explains the reason for every position.
How we score
Scores out of 10 come from a fixed checklist applied to published documents. They measure what a provider offers and what it can back up, not how fast or reliable it is in use. Speed and streaming are not scored until we have tested them. The overall score is a weighted average, rounded to one decimal place.
| Category | Weight | Points out of 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan and price | 30% | Free data 3, no time limit 2, no ads 1.5, no card 1, free devices 1, paid price 1, refund 0.5 |
| Privacy | 25% | No-logs policy that matches other records 3, audit 3, named operator 2, no ad tracking 1, transparency reporting 1 |
| Security | 15% | Documented protocols and ciphers 3, open-source apps 2, kill switch 1, threat blocking 1, traffic disguise 1, extra routing 1, current code review 1 |
| Ease of use | 15% | Desktop apps 2, mobile apps 2, TV app 1, store listing 1, split tunnelling 1, auto-connect 1, no account 1, browser extension 1 |
| Server network | 10% | Countries offered 3, consistent published figures 3, free locations 2, free country choice 1, dedicated IP 1 |
| Support | 5% | Live chat 4, email or forms 2, help centre 2, community 1, status page 1 |
A partial match earns partial points. For example, an audit earns less when a provider paid for it or when we could not confirm the auditor’s independence. Each review gives the reason for every category score.
What we have not tested yet
We have not yet published hands-on tests. As results come in, each review will gain dated tables for:
- Download and upload speed, reported as a share of our unprotected baseline connection
- Access to major streaming services
- DNS, IPv6 and WebRTC leak tests
Until a result has been measured, we show it as not yet tested rather than estimate it. Once we have test data, it will become part of each score.
Dates
Every review shows when its facts were last checked and keeps a log of what changed. Free VPN terms change often — data limits shrink, free locations get cut — so the date tells you how current the information is.
Independence
We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. How that works, and what it does and doesn’t affect, is set out on how we make money.
Corrections
If something on this site is wrong or out of date, email contact@freevpn2026.com. We check the primary source again and correct the page, with an updated date.