PrivadoVPN Free review: the best of the no-cost bunch

We don't traditionally recommend free VPNs on TechRadar, but if we do, we recommend PrivadoVPN Free. The service offers 10GB of monthly data, access to high-speed servers in 12 locations, and support for unblocking streams. For a free VPN, this is rather impressive. However, some underlying issues with the provider hamper our rankings of its service.

PrivadoVPN Free has topped our free VPN rankings for a while now, and our latest tests prove this is still the case. Read on to see why our continuous testing has shown PrivadoVPN's free offering to top the costless options currently available across areas such as speed, unblocking, and, of course, security.

Features

PrivadoVPN Free offers less than the paid version in terms of features, but you’ll still get all of the basic security features needed to keep your connection safe. This includes support for OpenVPN with AES-256 encryption, as well as WireGuard and IKEv2. Privado recently upgraded its killswitch for added stability, which is also on the free version.

What you won’t get access to is Control Tower, PrivadoVPN’s DNS blocklist that doubles as a parental control tool. I can understand why it’s not in the free version, but the lack of any malware blocking is a little disconcerting. You also won’t get access to PrivadoVPN’s SOCKS5 proxies or anti-virus features, although both are relatively underwhelming additions to PrivadoVPN’s core functions.

Otherwise, it’s a pretty basic VPN. PrivadoVPN lacks advanced features such as multi-hop servers, a password manager, or Tor over VPN, which are all becoming increasingly common in premium services.

Features score: 5/10

Server network

PrivadoVPN Free offers servers in 12 locations, down from 60 in the paid plan. This is still above average for a free VPN provider, as it’s rare to see more than 5 without paying a subscription. You’ll be able to connect to Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Netherlands, the UK, and the USA. You should note that this doesn’t provide you with any access to the Middle East or Africa and very little access to Asia so be warned if you’re looking to unblock content from those regions.

Server network score: 9/10

Apps

PrivadoVPN Free supports major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, but doesn’t come with a Linux client. Instead, you’re expected to install your own OpenVPN configuration from PrivadoVPN onto a third-party client. Considering that ProtonVPN provides both a GUI client and an unlimited data policy on their free plan, I can’t recommend PrivadoVPN as a free VPN if you’re on Linux.

Apps score: 7/10

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Ease of use

PrivadoVPN Free is about as easy to use as a VPN can be. Installing the software takes only a few minutes, and the interface is intuitive, allowing you to connect to a server with a single click. The layout is clean and uncluttered, presenting both the location manager and killswitch up front alongside the connect button. However, dig down a little bit and you’ll find there’s a real lack of customization options, which isn’t surprising considering it’s a free VPN. Overall, it’s nothing special but that’s not a bad thing.

Ease of use score: 9/10

Speed and performance

Most free VPNs don’t perform very well when it comes to speeds, often dramatically underperforming compared to the paid versions. However, PrivadoVPN is the exception. We were rather surprised during our speed tests as the free version of PrivadoVPN maxed out our 950Mbps testing rig, providing better speeds than the paid version. We test several times a day over multiple locations, so this was pretty surprising to see and we’re fairly sure it’s not just a fluke. However, I don’t expect PrivadoVPN Free’s speeds to stay this consistent forever, but for the moment if you need a high-speed free VPN then PrivadoVPN is ideal.

Speed and performance score: 10/10

Unblocking

PrivadoVPN Free’s unblocking capabilities are the very definition of “better than nothing”. For absolutely no cost, you can access Netflix… in the US and UK. If you want access to Canada, Japan, or Australia, you’re out of luck. You can also get onto Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, and ITV, but not Amazon, 10Now, or 9Play. That’s a mixed bag in terms of unblocking, and it’s likely to be a coin flip as to whether or not the stream you want to view is accessible. That said, it is free, and free VPNs are usually much worse at unblocking streams.

It’s also pretty good for torrenting. However, the high-speed servers combined with a 10GB data cap mean it’s pretty easy to chew through your allotted bandwidth for the month, so be careful you don’t end up downloading too much.

Unblocking score: 8/10

Privacy and security

Let’s address the elephant in the room: While PrivadoVPN has a strong no-logs policy and is based in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, they have yet to carry out a third-party audit. So, while I would like to believe that PrivadoVPN has your best interests at heart, there’s no way to prove it in the meantime.

On the plus side, you’re covered under the same no-logs policy under the free version as you get with the paid. There are a lot of “free” VPNs out there that monetize your data to cover the cost of the service, so it’s good to see PrivadoVPN taking a stance against this. If you want to learn more about PrivadoVPN’s overall stance on security, you can check out our PrivadoVPN review here.

Privacy and security score: 8/10

Track record

PrivadoVPN is a relatively new player in the VPN space, having only set up shop in 2019. As such, there isn’t a huge amount to talk about. That’s essentially a good thing, as PrivadoVPN hasn’t had any major security breaches. We’d like to see more focus on auditing from PrivadoVPN, as well as a transparency report to show how many requests for user data they’re receiving on a regular basis.

Track record score: 9/10

Customer Support

Customer support for PrivadoVPN Free is limited to email inquiries and an FAQ knowledgebase. There is a live chat system, but it’s not staffed at all hours of the day so you’re better off just accepting you’ll need to send an email ticket.

The knowledge base is a little more impressive, as it covers the install process for all of the supported apps plus guides for third-party routers and torrenting clients.

Customer support score: 6/10

Pricing and plans

PrivadoVPN Free is completely free, but it caps users at 10GB of data per month. After you’ve used up 10GB, you can continue using the service but your bandwidth is limited to 1Mbps. This might be alright for basic internet browsing, but you won’t be able to effectively stream with it. You’re also limited to a single VPN connection instead of the unlimited devices you’ll be able to connect on the paid version.

Need unlimited data? The paid plan starts at $10.99 per month, which is about average for a VPN provider but drops massively to $1.11 if you buy into a two-year plan. That said, PrivadoVPN still falls short of the value provided by other cheap VPNs like Surfshark.

Pricing and plans score: 8/10

Should you use Privado VPN Free?

You could do much worse than PrivadoVPN Free when looking for a free VPN. It doesn’t sell your data, it’s very fast, and there’s a relatively generous monthly data allowance. It’s also one of the rare free VPNs we’ve seen that can effectively unblock a multitude of streams.

That said, you’re likely to go through 10GB of data relatively quickly if you use PrivadoVPN daily. It’s just not feasible to keep all of your activity protected by the VPN, so you’ll have to choose which apps you want to cover (which is made easier thanks to split tunneling) or only use it when it’s necessary, somewhat defeating the point of a VPN. If you’re looking for a free VPN with truly unlimited data and you’re not concerned about getting access to fewer VPN locations, you might be better off looking at ProtonVPN Free instead.

Total score: 79/100

PrivadoVPN Free alternatives

NordVPN – from $3.09 per month
The best VPN overall
NordVPN is one of the most well-rounded VPN services on the market, offering a combination of top-tier security, blazing-fast speeds, and advanced features. They’ve been fully audited multiple times to confirm both their no-logs policy and the safety of their apps, and alongside a suite of extra security features it makes NordVPN one of the best choices for keeping your data safe. You can give it a shot yourself with a 30-day money back guarantee.

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Surfshark – from $2.19 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
Surfshark is a budget-friendly VPN that doesn’t skimp on quality, offering unlimited simultaneous connections on a single subscription. It also comes with advanced privacy tools like Alternative ID, which allows you to generate new identities on the fly. While it doesn’t have a free VPN tier, it’s priced on par with PrivadoVPN at $2.49 a month when you buy in for two years. You can try it out now with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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ExpressVPN - from $4.99 per month
A beginner-friendly VPN package
ExpressVPN has built a reputation as one of the most reliable and secure VPN providers which is well deserved. It’s a slightly more expensive VPN than most of the other top-tier providers at $8.33 a month for a year, but in return, you’re getting access to a high-speed server network that spans 148 locations in 106 countries. It’s particularly effective at unblocking streaming platforms, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max, and works in countries with restrictive internet policies.

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