5 reasons you should avoid using free VPNs

Getting something for nothing is the best, right? It’s got to be something special if the company is sharing it for free. You may think this way when you’re walking around the grocery store and getting free samples, but the point of that is to get you to pay for the actual food if you like it. Typically, the underlying idea is to sell you something by just giving you a little taste.

Think of how many free apps you have on your phone. There are usually ads on those free apps, which try and get you to purchase other items. It’s either that or the free version of the app has limitations, and you have to pay to get access to the real features you want. Just because something is free doesn’t mean you need to use it, and this is especially true for keeping your computer safe.

Using a virtual private network (VPN) can not only can it protect your computer, but also give you faster speeds for gaming, surfing the web, and more. But, you should be leery of free VPNs. While they may seem enticing, there is a lot that can go wrong by using one.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a VPN service that offers both a paid and a free version.

1 They may not be as secure

Security usually comes with a price

Pocket-lint / Apple / NordVPN

If you’re using a VPN, it’s likely because you want to encrypt your data. VPNs hide your IP address and encrypt the traffic from your computer, which allows you to surf and search without having your information hacked or tracked. It keeps your information private and funnels the traffic into its own area, making it harder to trace and find if someone is trying to hack you.

When you use a free VPN, it’s not to say that your VPN is not secure. I’ve used free VPNs before and have enjoyed the safety features. But they aren’t as secure as paid ones. The encryption protocols may not be as up-to-date as the ones that you pay for. It’s not your fault that these free versions don’t have the capabilities to keep up with safety protocols — the manufacturers are likely putting more resources into their versions that make them money, so the free options fall a bit by the wayside. You’re more vulnerable to threats with weak encryption.

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2 Your data is likely to be capped

You don’t get to use this for an unlimited amount of time

You aren’t going to be able to do everything that you want with a free VPN. Most of them put limits on the amount of data you can transfer. These data caps suppress transfers and make it so they don’t go through if they are above the limit. This has a direct impact on people who want to do a lot with their VPN, including gaming, streaming, torrenting, and more.

The quality of the videos you can stream will also be affected. With lower-quality videos, data consumption might not be as significant, but for higher-quality videos, you might not even be able to watch them at all or may be restricted to watching shorter clips. The annoying thing is that the data cap usually resets monthly, meaning you’re going to have to watch your data usage like a hawk and try not to use it up before the end of 30 days.

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3 The server options are limited

This is a huge issue for many users

People like to use VPNs because they can get access to servers around the world. This makes it easier not only to stream content from different countries if you’re at home, but also to stream content from your own country if you are elsewhere. Imagine being away for March Madness — you’d need to use a VPN to stream basketball games while abroad.

Using a free VPN often means you’ll have access to fewer servers, which can be a pretty big limitation if you’re trying to bypass geo-restrictions. For example, you might not be able to stream a Netflix show exclusive to Spain while you’re in the states, or access a Prime Video show from the US while you’re in Spain. This is also a huge issue for gamers who want to switch to a less congested server to avoid lag caused by heavy traffic.Your connections may be limited and, even when you do connect, they may be slower.

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4 The speeds are slower

Even when you get on, you’re not going as fast

Amazon / Stefan Coders / Pexels

Whether you’re using your VPN on your smart TV, streaming device, laptop, or phone, you want the speeds to be fast enough to handle whatever you’re throwing at it. With free VPNs, they are inherently throttled by the number of people using them at the same time. As I said before, there aren’t as many servers to connect to, so more people are going to be spread out across different servers. This means that they’re going to start to drag.

Using a VPN often means accepting some level of slowdown, but the extent can range pretty widely. I’ve dealt with slow VPNs before, and it made me quickly turn to a paid one. I realized it wasn’t even going faster than my regular Wi-Fi. While that’s expected any time you’re using a VPN, how much slower it got was incredibly noticeable. You’re going to be sitting around and waiting for your content to buffer more often than not with a free VPN, especially at night when more people may be using VPNs for higher data purposes, like streaming video.

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5 The VPN might be taking note of your data

As we said, free things might not be free

Because you aren’t paying for the service, a free VPN must be supported somehow. They often do this by collecting your data and selling it to third-party distributors and advertisers. If you use a free VPN, you may notice more spam emails or calls start to come your way. I’m sick enough of all the spam calls I receive, so knowingly adding more of them to my life seems insane. You’ll also notice more targeted ads for the things that you’re searching for within your VPN, which is so frustrating — and eerie.

Despite the reasons for using a secure network, the network itself is what sells your data in some cases. If you’re going to have your data sold, you might as well not use the VPN at all. This was a sticking point for me when I decided to use a trusted VPN that I paid for. If you’re considering using a free VPN, your data may be at risk.