Free VPN vs. Paid VPN: Making the Right Choice for Your Security

Free VPNs, as the name suggests, offer VPN services at no cost. However, these free services often come with a catch. They tend to offer lower levels of privacy protection and security, often hindered by ad displays. Furthermore, they usually have limitations on communication speed and capacity, and the servers available are often limited. The reliability and transparency of the operator can also be problematic.

On the other hand, paid VPNs, which come with a nominal monthly cost, offer robust security features, high-speed connections, and a wider range of server locations. They also tend to be more reliable and transparent in their operations.

In this guide, we will delve deeper into the disadvantages and dangers of free VPNs, comparing them with the advantages and security offered by paid VPNs.

Understanding the Differences: Free VPNs vs. Paid VPNs

When it comes to understanding the difference between a free VPN and a paid VPN, two key areas set them apart: their revenue generation models and the features and services they offer.

Revenue Generation Models

Paid VPNs generate revenue directly from user subscription fees. On the other hand, free VPNs employ a variety of revenue models, including:

1. Advertising Revenue: Free VPNs often display advertisements within their apps. Each time a user clicks on or views these ads, the VPN provider earns revenue.
2. Paid Upgrades: Some free VPNs offer limited features and encourage users to upgrade to a paid version for enhanced functionality. The free version typically has restrictions on features, server availability, speed, and customer support to incentivize users to upgrade.
3. Data Collection and Sales: Some free VPNs collect user data during VPN connections and sell this information to marketing companies for revenue generation.

Features and Services Offered

The features and services offered by free and paid VPNs also differ significantly. Here’s a quick comparison:

Feature	Free VPN	Paid VPN
Communication Speed	Slow	Fast
Communication Capacity	May have a limit	Unlimited
Server Countries	Mostly a few countries	Dozens of countries
Number of Servers	Limited	Over 1,000 available
Security and Privacy	Some services have unclear policies	High level of security and anonymity
Customer Support	Often not available	Many offer 24-hour chat support

The Risks and Disadvantages of Free VPNs

Free VPNs come with a variety of downsides, including potential dangers and risks.

Lower Levels of Privacy Protection and Security

Some free VPNs lack clear privacy protection policies, and there’s a risk that personal information could be leaked to third parties through VPN connections. Worse yet, there’s a real possibility that the operators themselves are selling the collected data, raising serious concerns about information leakage. In one instance, a free VPN application made headlines when it was discovered to be designed to involve users in cyber-attacks. With a free VPN, such concerns about privacy protection and security are ever-present. (See the news article here.)

Intrusive Advertisements

Another downside of free VPNs that generate revenue through advertisements is that these ads can be intrusive and disrupt your online experience.

Limitations on Connection Speed and Capacity

To provide a level of connection speed and capacity that satisfies users, there are limits to what can be offered for free. Many free VPNs, regardless of their revenue model, impose restrictions on connection speed and capacity. This makes them unsuitable for applications where speed and capacity are important, such as video streaming.

Limited Number of Available Servers

Just like with connection speed and capacity, there are limits to how many servers can be maintained for free. For bypassing geo-restrictions, one of the purposes of using a VPN, it’s advantageous to have a large number of servers and countries where servers are located. However, a free VPN can only be used for limited purposes in terms of geo-blocking.

Questionable Reliability and Transparency of Operators

In some cases, the reliability and transparency of free VPN operators are questionable. For example, one free VPN, VPN Cat Master, has an unknown operator, and Japan’s VPN Gate, which is operated by volunteers from around the world, provides no information on the actual status of individual operators. If the actual operation is unclear, support in case of trouble may be insecure, and it may also be impossible to pursue responsibility in case access information is misused.

The Superiority of Paid VPNs: What Makes Them Stand Out?

Paid VPNs offer a multitude of advantages, with the following five being the most significant when compared to free VPNs.

Enhanced Privacy Protection and Security

Major paid VPNs typically adopt a no-log policy, ensuring they don’t retain any communication logs during VPN connections. This eliminates concerns about privacy-related information leaks. Communication content is also highly encrypted, making it challenging for third parties to intercept and decipher.

High Speed and Unlimited Capacity

Paid VPNs offer fast communication speeds and unlimited data capacity. While VPN communication speeds can often be slow due to server performance and congestion, major paid VPNs limit these issues, providing sufficient speed for enjoyable video streaming and online gaming. Most also offer unlimited data capacity, allowing for unrestricted use.

High-Quality Support and Service

Major paid VPNs offer superior support and service. For instance, ExpressVPN provides a 24-hour chat service to address questions and issues promptly. They can communicate in many languages apart from English, facilitating communication with users worldwide. Similarly, NordVPN offers a 24/7 chat service, available in English and other languages.

Abundance of Servers and Diverse Locations

Major paid VPN services maintain a large number of servers in diverse locations. Both our recommended companies, ExpressVPN and NordVPN, have more than 1,000 servers, located in various countries worldwide.

Availability of Advanced Features

Paid VPNs offer a wide range of advanced features. These include a “kill switch” that disconnects the Internet connection as soon as the VPN disconnects, configurable VPN protocol selection for optimal VPN protocols when communication speeds are slow, “Split Tunneling” to use VPN only when opening specific applications, simultaneous use for multiple devices, support for multiple operating systems, and router support. These features allow for a more personalized VPN experience.

The Superior Choice: Paid VPNs

When weighing the risks associated with free VPNs against the comprehensive benefits of paid VPNs, the choice becomes clear: paid VPNs are the superior option.

Affordable Peace of Mind with Paid VPNs: The primary drawback of a paid VPN is the associated cost. However, when considering the enhanced security and peace of mind it provides, the expense is minimal. Major VPN services can be utilized for as little as $3 to $7 per month. If you can secure a safe, private, and efficient online environment for as little as 10 to 30 cents per day, the cost is justifiable.

Prompt Problem Resolution: Issues are inevitable with VPN connections. If you encounter an urgent problem such as an inability to connect to the server or watch videos, the support team of a paid VPN will promptly assist you.

Money-Back Guarantee for Peace of Mind: Paid VPNs typically offer a money-back guarantee and a trial period. If you are dissatisfied with the service after using it, you can request a refund within the money-back guarantee period at no cost. All major VPN services offer a straightforward process to request a refund.

The Best Paid VPN Services

Here are some excellent VPN services we recommend.

ExpressVPN: Ultra-fast Internet Speeds

Prices	1-Month: $12.95 6-Months: $9.99/month 12-Months: $6.67/month
No-log-policy and kill switch	Yes
Countries and servers	94/3,000+
Money-back Guarantee	30 days
24/7 customer support	Yes
Maximum devices supported	8

ExpressVPN has some of the fastest internet speeds of the VPNs we have used. ExpressVPN is consistently found by review sites to be one of the fastest VPNs. Therefore ExpressVPN receives great reviews and popularity. With a network of over 3,000 servers in 94 countries, users have a wide range of options for changing their IP address to different locations. ExpressVPN prioritizes user privacy with a secure no-logs policy and offers additional features such as a kill switch and 24/7 customer support.

After you’ve registered with ExpressVPN, you can use it to easily browse the internet just by downloading their app.

\30-day Money-Back Guarantee/

NordVPN: The Ultimate Balance of Price and Internet Speed

Prices (standard plan)	1-Month: $11.99 12-Months: $4.99/month 24-Months: $3.99/month
No-log-policy and kill switch	Yes
Countries and servers	60/5,500+
Money-back Guarantee	30 days
24/7 customer support	Yes
Maximum devices supported	6

NordVPN has established itself as a leading VPN service, offering an excellent balance of price, internet speed, server coverage, and global reach. As a result, NordVPN has gained the largest market share worldwide. It consistently receives positive reviews from top experts in the industry. With a vast network of over 5,500 servers across 60 countries, NordVPN provides a wide range of options for changing your IP address to various locations. NordVPN prioritizes user privacy with a secure no-logs policy, along with additional features such as a kill switch and 24/7 customer support.

After you’ve registered, you can easily browse the internet using NordVPN just by downloading their app.

\30-day Money-Back Guarantee/

Surfshark: Impressive Experience with Fast-growing Emerging VPN

Prices (standard plan)	1-Month: $12.95 12-Months: $3.99/month 24-Months: $2.39/month
No-log-policy and kill switch	Yes
Countries and servers	100/3,200+
Money-back Guarantee	30 days
24/7 customer support	Yes
Maximum devices supported	Unlimited

Surfshark, established in 2018, has quickly gained a strong reputation and popularity worldwide despite being a relatively new service. While it may have some occasional delays in connecting and slightly weaker region-blocking capabilities compared to ExpressVPN and NordVPN, it offers significant advantages. By opting for the 24-month plan, you can obtain Surfshark at a much lower price than ExpressVPN and NordVPN. Additionally, Surfshark provides unlimited simultaneous connections, allowing you and your family to connect and use all your devices simultaneously. With over 3,200 servers in 99 countries, Surfshark offers a wide range of options. It also boasts a private and secure no-logs policy, a kill switch, and 24/7 customer support.

After you’ve registered, you can easily browse the internet using Surfshark by downloading their app.

\30-day Money-Back Guarantee/

Conclusion