Free VPNs: The Product Is You (And Your Data)
How free VPNs actually make money
The most common model. Free VPNs collect your browsing activity, bundle it into anonymised (often poorly anonymised) datasets, and sell it to advertisers, data brokers, and analytics companies. You installed a VPN to stop being tracked. The VPN tracks you instead.
Some free VPNs insert their own advertisements into the web pages you visit — replacing existing ads or adding new ones. You’re not just the product. You’re the billboard.
Some free VPNs use your device as an exit node for other users’ traffic. Your home IP address gets used by strangers — which means their activity gets traced back to you. Hola VPN was caught doing exactly this.
The “free” version exists only to frustrate you into paying. Throttled speeds, limited servers, constant popups. The free product isn’t a product — it’s a psychological funnel.
The one exception
Proton VPN offers a genuinely free tier funded by paid subscribers (freemium model, like Spotify). No ads, no data selling, no bandwidth theft. It’s slow and limited to a few server locations, but it’s legitimate. If you absolutely cannot pay for a VPN, it’s the only free option worth using.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you can afford a Netflix subscription, you can afford a VPN. NordVPN costs less than £3/month on a 2-year plan. That’s the price of a coffee. Your privacy is worth more than a coffee.
The bottom line
Free VPNs are the junk food of internet privacy. They look convenient, they feel harmless, and they make the problem worse. If you need a VPN, pay for one. The cost of a decent VPN is a fraction of the cost of the privacy you’re giving up by using a free one. Read our NordVPN review for the best value paid option.