The best VPN free trials in 2025

VPN design on MacBook screen
Trial the best VPNs without risking a penny

There are a lot of VPN free trials on the market today, and picking out the perfect provider can be a daunting task – especially if you want to get hands-on with each service to check out its features and unblocking power for yourself.

Luckily, we’ve done the research for you. A handful of today’s best VPNs offer true free trials that don’t require you to fork over any credit card details upfront. The majority of services, however, offer risk-free money-back guarantees instead. This means you’ll need to select and pay for a subscription, but the guarantee allows you to cancel it within a set timeframe (usually around 30 days) and receive a full refund. No quibble. No questions. In our rankings, we’ve included a selection of both free trial types.

Keep reading, and we’ll walk through the best free trial VPNs available, comparing the length of the trial, which platforms are eligible for the trial, and any major drawbacks to keep in mind.

5 best VPN free trials: quick overview

1. SurfsharkThe best cheap VPN

1. Surfshark – from $2.19 per month
The best cheap VPN
Surfshark’s prices are unbelievably low, but that doesn’t mean that the overall quality of the service follows suit. It’s one of our top-rated services, and the quickest provider available today. In terms of free trials, Surfshark offers a true 7-day free trial right now when you sign up, making it the first of the very best VPNs to offer such an opportunity.

2. NordVPNThe best VPN overall

2. NordVPN – from $3.09 per month
The best VPN overall
NordVPN leads the pack in our overall VPN rankings, boasting a full security suite, tons of privacy-boosting tools, and top-notch speeds that make HD streaming a breeze. It’s the full package. In addition to a standard 30-day money-back guarantee that gives you a month to trial the service across your own devices, NordVPN also offers a 7-day free trial for Android – though there’s no equivalent for iOS, which is a little disappointing.

3. CyberGhostSimple and speedy

3. CyberGhost - from $2.19 per month
Simple and speedy
CyberGhost is a longstanding veteran of the VPN world that gets the basics right and, most impressively, boasts a selection of free trials. Windows and Mac users can enjoy a 24-hour trial, Android users get 3 days, iOS gets the lion’s share with 7 days and, to cap it all off, CyberGhost also offers a longer-than-usual 45-day money-back guarantee. All of these trials are true free trials, too, and don’t require you to put down any payment details – which is pretty hard to beat.

4. Private Internet Access (PIA)Budget-friendly and security-focused

4. Private Internet Access (PIA) - from $2.03 per month
Budget-friendly and security-focused
Private Internet Access (PIA) is the privacy advocate’s favorite. It’s jam-packed with customizable features that power users will appreciate, whilst also nailing all the core tools. PIA offers Android and iOS users a nifty 7-day free trial, though you’ll need to activate the trial from the App Store or Play store, and an industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.

5. Norton VPNSurprisingly speedy

5. Norton VPN - from $4.99 per month
Surprisingly speedy
Norton VPN might not be one of the industry’s top dogs, but it offers a handy 7-day free trial in addition to an extremely generous 60-day money-back guarantee. The only caveat here is that these trials do require payment information – so you’ll need to remember to cancel before you’re charged. Norton VPN impressed us when it came to speed and unblocking, however, so it’s well worth checking out.

Recent updates

We’ve given our free trial VPN page a top-to-bottom rewrite, introducing Private Internet Access and Norton VPN into the rankings, and ensuring that all speed, security, and unblocking statistics reflect our most recent round of test results.

The 5 best VPN free trials in 2025

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The best VPN free trial

Surfshark VPN working across a range of devices

1. Surfshark

Budget-friendly prices and a risk-free 7-day trial

Maximum testing speed: 950+ Mbps | Maximum devices supported: Unlimited | Free trial: 7-day free trial | Money-back guarantee: 30 days

Offers a true 7-day free trial
Unlimited simultaneous connections
The quickest VPN on our books
Lacks port forwarding
Price hike upon renewal

Surfshark proves that a cheap VPN service can go toe-to-toe with big dogs and not miss a step. In addition to its rock-bottom prices, Surfshark serves up a whopping 7-day free trial on all devices, the first of the best VPNs to offer such a period. Often, services only offer 30-day money-back guarantees instead.

The best VPN for most people

TechRadar Editor's Choice award logo

2. NordVPN

The best blend of free trial and money-back guarantee

Maximum testing speed: 950+ Mbps | Maximum devices supported: 10 | Free trial: 7 days | Money-back guarantee: 30 days

Stuffed with easy-to-use security tools
Available for all platforms
Free trial for Android users
Price hike upon renewal
Free trial requires payment information

NordVPN often claims the top spot in our overall rankings because, quite frankly, it ticks all the boxes – and it also offers an industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee. A lot of today’s best services throw this same risk-free safety net into their offering, but NordVPN’s overall value and full roster of security tools mean that you’re getting a more fleshed-out trial of a premium product, even if it's not a true trial.

Of course, you’ll need to hand over your payment details and pick a plan to enjoy the money-back guarantee. If you’d rather not commit to a subscription right off the bat, you’ll be glad to know that NordVPN also has a 7-day free trial for Android users. This trial needs to be downloaded from the Google Play Store and, as a result, is bound by the Google Play terms of service, which limits the trial to one per customer and means that you’ll need to cancel the trial via the Google Play Store, too.

The best VPN money-back guarantee

CyberGhost VPN app running on multiple devices and operating systems

3. CyberGhost

A long list of free trials that don’t demand your details

Maximum testing speed: 950+ Mbps | Maximum devices supported: 7 | Free trial: 4-hour free trial for Windows, a 3-day free trial for Android, 7-day free trial for iOS | Money-back guarantee: 45 days

Wide selection of true free trials
Selection of dedicated servers
Works with most streaming platforms
Customer support could be improved
Some streaming hiccups with 10Play

CyberGhost is another major player in the VPN sphere and a decorated veteran. In fact, the service has more than 20 years under its belt, which is pretty impressive. While CyberGhost isn't in our shortlist of the best VPNs overall, it's still a solid pick with a whole heap of free trials on offer, and well worth investigating. A 24-hour free trial is available for Windows, a 3-day free trial is available for Android, and a 7-day free trial is available for iOS.

As a cherry on top, CyberGhost’s money-back guarantee is longer than most, at 45 days, giving you well over a month to put the provider through its paces on your devices. There’s even a nifty 14-day free trial for anyone who invests in the monthly CyberGhost subscription (though this isn’t the most cost-effective option).

The best privacy-focused VPN free trial

A cartoon of a number of devices, including a laptop, monitor, smartphones and games consoles, displaying the Private Internet Access app on-screen underneath the Private Internet Access Logo

(Image credit: Private Internet Access)

4. Private Internet Access

Free trials for Android and iOS that put your security first

Maximum testing speed: 436 Mbps | Maximum devices supported: Unlimited | Free trial: 7 days for iOS and Android | Money-back guarantee: 30 days

Full suite of security tools
Apps are massively customizable
Budget-friendly prices
May be too complicated for total newbies
Free trials require payment details

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a power user's dream, boasting levels of customization that you just won't find elsewhere. So, if you like digging into those settings and tailoring every inch of your VPN service, you'll want to give PIA a try. However, PIA’s VPN basics are all in order, too, so you don’t have to be a veteran to enjoy it or make the most of its standard 30-day money-back guarantee.

More impressive, however, is the 7-day free trial PIA makes available for Android and iOS via the Google Play Store and App Store. There’s no way to access the trial via your desktop, however, so you’ll need to activate and cancel the trial through the respective store. It’s also worth noting that you will need to input your payment details during the process.

The best basic VPN free trial

Norton logo header

(Image credit: Norton)

5. Norton VPN

A generous money-back guarantee and week-long trial

Maximum testing speed: 950+ Mbps | Maximum devices supported: 1 | Free trial: 7 days | Money-back guarantee: 60 days

Impressively quick
Ideal for VPN newbies
Good value when bundled with other Norton tools
Free trials require payment details
Struggled to unblock some Netflix libraries

You may not be familiar with Norton VPN, but it’s a solid choice for folks who have already invested in Norton’s other cybersecurity products. It earns a place in our free trial rankings thanks to its 7-day trial, available via the provider site, that gives you a week to put it to the test on your raft of devices.

The biggest downside here is that, like NordVPN and PIA, you'll need to hand over payment details before accessing the trial. That's not ideal – even though you won't be charged up front – as you'll need to remember to cancel the trial before it expires and you're charged.

FAQs

Does NordVPN have a free trial?

Yes, NordVPN offers a 7-day free trial for Android, accessible via the Google Play Store. This trial is limited to one per customer and can be cancelled through the Google Play Store – though you’ll still be eligible for NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee.

Which VPNs have free trials?

Most of today’s top VPNs offer risk-free money-back guarantees that last around 30 days. While you’ll need to provide payment details and purchase a plan to enjoy the guarantee, you’ll be able to request a refund at any time within 30 days to claim your money back, no questions asked.

Currently, Surfshark and CyberGhost are the only top-rated VPN that offers a free trial that does not require any financial details upfront.

How to cancel a VPN free trial

Ultimately, it depends on where you acquired your free trial. Any trials picked up from the App Store or Google Play Store will need to be cancelled through their respective stores, whereas trials acquired through provider sites will need to be cancelled via that same site.

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

River Hart
Tech Software Editor

River is a Tech Software Editor and VPN expert, helping take care of cybersecurity content on TechRadar, ranging from reviews, buying guides, and must-have VPN deals. River's expertise in the cybersecurity field opened their eyes to the startling amount of online snooping we accept into our daily lives. Now, River is committed to fighting for your right to digital privacy by shining a light on its biggest threats – and helping readers safeguard their data with the help of a VPN. Surfshark is River's favorite VPN, and they use it every day to keep their most sensitive details out of the hands of third-party trackers.

With contributions from