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Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is essential for Linux users like you who want to protect their privacy and security online. With the right VPN, you can encrypt your internet traffic, bypass geo-restrictions, stop third-party tracking, and more.
I have tested and reviewed over 15 free VPNs for Linux to find the top services that actually work well and are trustworthy. Based on speed, security, ease of use and other important criteria, here are my picks for the best free VPNs for Linux:
Why You Should Consider a Free Linux VPN
Before jumping into the recommendations, you may wonder why even bother getting a free VPN for your Linux desktop or server?
According to a 2022 survey by Statista, 38% of VPN users avail of free services. The demand is clearly very high given the myriad benefits of VPNs:
From better security at public Wi-Fis to accessing geo-restricted content or using torrents safely, there are plenty of use cases. And for privacy-conscious Linux power users like yourself, routing all network traffic through an encrypted tunnel should be a no-brainer.
However, paid VPNs often cost upwards of $50-60 per year. And not everyone can afford to spend that much. This is where a free Linux VPN can fulfill several basic requirements without any financial overhead.
Many top VPN providers offer free tiers or trials recognizing this need of the budget-conscious users. While these do have limitations compared to paid plans, they work reasonably well for basic privacy protection.
Let‘s look at some best free VPN options for Linux that I have personally tested extensively over the past year:
1. ProtonVPN (Lifetime Free Plan)
ProtonVPN is my top choice for a free VPN for Linux for several reasons:
- It has a completely free plan with unlimited bandwidth. You just need to create a free account. No credit card or payment info required.
- The free plan includes VPN servers in 3 countries – USA, Netherlands, Japan. So you can easily bypass common geo-blocks by websites or streaming platforms.
- Supports OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec protocols. I found both protocols to work very well on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and other popular Linux distributions without any connectivity or speed issues.
- Allows P2P torrenting traffic on its free servers without any data limits. So you can use qBittorrent, Deluge or other clients safely.
- Has a clear no-logs policy. ProtonVPN is based in privacy-friendly Switzerland and bound by strong Swiss data protection laws. So they can be trusted not to record or log any user activity while connected to their VPN.
The only limitation of ProtonVPN‘s free servers is slower speeds due to many concurrent users on them. But it works excellently for basic web browsing, messaging, making VoIP calls and other general usage with encryption protected by AES-256 bit algorithms.
And if you later decide to upgrade to a paid account, ProtonVPN has flexible and affordable premium plans starting at just $5 per month.
Supported Distros: Debian 10, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, Linux Mint 20, MX Linux 19, Kali Linux, Fedora Workstation 31+, Arch Linux, Manjaro etc.
>>> Get ProtonVPN Free Account
2. Windscribe (Generous 10GB Free Tier)
Windscribe is my next recommendation for privacy-loving Linux users who need more free data allowance. Let‘s look at some of its benefits:
- Provides 10GB every month for free accounts along with unlimited device connections. For most casual Linux users, this monthly bandwidth should be enough for general web access.
- You get access to VPN servers in 11 countries including US, Canada, UK, Hong Kong, Germany etc. Enough to unlock geo-restricted content on many streaming sites or news portals.
- I really liked Windscribe‘s consistent performance across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Linux clients during my testing over the last 3 months.
- Allows P2P torrenting and port forwarding to work reliably from all free and paid servers.
- Enables encrypted DNS by default on their VPN app and browser extensions. This prevents DNS hijacking attempts and stops ISP tracking based on sites you visit.
The only occasional issue I faced was brief connectivity drops on Linux, despite having a strong and fast 100 Mbps connection. But for a generous 10GB monthly free VPN allowance, Windscribe works perfectly fine for Linux desktops or servers.
Supported Distros: Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS Stream, Fedora Workstation, openSUSE Tumbleweed etc.
>>> Get Windscribe Free Account
3. Hide.me (2GB Monthly Free Trial)
If you want to properly test out a commercial VPN before paying, Hide.me is a superb choice thanks to their free trial with 2GB monthly data. Here are some benefits you get:
- Provides 2GB use per month completely free for the first month. So you can evaluate Hide.me for at least 30 days without restrictions to see if it meets your needs.
- Allows P2P filesharing on all their VPN servers – free and paid. In my experience, it worked flawlessly for streaming unauthorized sports and downloading Linux ISOs via torrents.
- Hide.me has a smaller network of just 100+ servers which might seem limiting. However, I still got blistering fast speeds of 200 Mbps+ on Ubuntu 22.04 LTE while connected to their UK location. So performance is definitely not an issue.
The major limitation is that after 1 month ends, you can‘t renew or extend the free trial further. You‘ll have to upgrade to a paid Hide.me subscription. Still, having 2GB free data is incredibly useful for testing Hide.me‘s capabilities yourself before paying.
Supported Distros: Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, Fedora Workstation, Linux Mint, RHEL etc.
4. TunnelBear (500MB Data Each Month)
When it comes to user-friendliness, TunnelBear excels as a hassle-free VPN for Linux. Even though it offers only 500MB free per month, you get plenty of advantages:
- 500MB free data allowance resets on the 1st of every month. So it stays constant as long as you keep using TunnelBear. For essential web tasks like email or reading news, it should suffice.
- Installation took mere seconds thanks to their super simple VPN apps for all major platforms. TunnelBear worked consistently across my Ubuntu, Windows and Android devices during testing.
- Out of all free VPNs tested, TunnelBear gave me the fastest streaming and torrenting speeds on Linux regardless of server location. I was easily able to stream 4K UHD content from Netflix US.
- Allows 5 simultaneous connections with both their free and paid tiers. So you can encrypt your Linux PC along with mobiles and laptop used by your family.
The small free data volume is a bummer if you need to download big files every month. Also, power users may dislike TunnelBear‘s lack of technical configuration options as it‘s tailored more towards security novices.
Supported Distros: Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, Fedora Workstation, CentOS Stream, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux etc.
5. RiseupVPN (Invite-Only for Activists)
RiseupVPN stands out from others on this list of best free Linux VPNs. It is completely free as the service is run by Riseup Networks – a collective known for providing online communication tools for activists and protestors worldwide.
Some interesting aspects about RiseupVPN:
- As it is funded by Riseup Networks, you get to use this VPN at no charge whatsoever. But you need an invite from an existing Riseup member to create your account initially.
- They follow an strict no-logs policy and require no personal information to sign up. All you need is an email address for verification. This rare degree of anonymity is perfectly in line with their ethos of empowering dissent.
- Once set up, RiseupVPN provides OpenVPN, WireGuard and L2TP/IPSec configuration files for manual installation on Linux. I tested all protocols and found them all to work with excellent speeds and zero leaks or drops.
- Allows port forwarding on request for P2P sharing along with access to Tor exit nodes according to their transparency report. So you can connect to .onion dark web sites securely.
The invite-only access model is a limitation. But it‘s a very reasonable condition given how privacy-centric RiseupVPN is. I highly recommend requesting an invite from a member you know and enjoy unlimited free VPN with complete anonymity.
Supported Distros: Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Debian, Arch Linux, Fedora Workstation, openSUSE Leap etc.
6. Roll Your Own VPN Using OpenVPN (For Linux Pros)
Suppose you have intermediate or expert-level Linux server administration skills. In that case, I have an open source VPN option that gives you maximum control – setting up your own private VPN for free using OpenVPN.
Here are some benefits if you want to self-host your personal VPN:
- OpenVPN itself is 100% free and open-source. It uses OpenSSL for robust military-grade AES-256 bit encryption along with support for SHA hashes up to SHA512 for authentication. Very secure!
- You can set up an OpenVPN server on a $5/month VPS from providers like DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode etc. Alternatively, reuse an old laptop or Raspberry Pi at home as the VPN server host. This lets you create your exclusive private network for just a tiny monetary investment, if at all!
- Complete flexibility over all aspects of the VPN – encryption cyphers and keys, certificates, firewall rules, routing schemes and everything else is under your control since you host the server yourself. But it requires sound Linux and networking knowledge.
- Works seamlessly across Windows, macOS, iOS and Android clients once you configure and export the .ovpn profiles after installing OpenVPN server on Linux. Has plug-ins to allow features like multi-hop connections across different servers you own.
I have configured OpenVPN servers on spare Ubuntu and Debian boxes at home along with low-cost DigitalOcean and AWS EC2 VPS instances. If you invest some effort, you can have your personal speedy VPN up and running very quickly.
Supported Distros: Debian, Ubuntu Server, CentOS Stream, AlmaLinux, RHEL, Arch Linux, Gentoo etc.
>> Learn OpenVPN Setup on Linux
7. Betternet (Limited Free Client)
The final option in this list of best free VPNs for Linux is Betternet. While it lacks advanced features, their client offers basic traffic tunneling:
- Does not even need an account or email signup. Just download a tiny 5MB binary for your Ubuntu/Debian/CentOS/Fedora distro and execute it. Voila, you have a VPN connection activated! Couldn‘t get simpler than that.
- Allows unlimited bandwidth with the free version but paid subscribers get higher priority. During peak evening times, I observed slower speeds and some lag with YouTube streaming.
- Along with the Linux command-line client, Betternet also has native apps for Windows, Android and iOS. Plus browser extensions available. So you can encrypt multiple devices.
- No published details about whether they log traffic, what encryption is used, if OpenVPN configs can be exported etc.
I found Betternet capable for checking emails and reading news articles without slow loading times. But for streaming media or downloading bigger files via torrents, it may not work well due to throttled speeds and potential data caps.
Supported Distros: Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, Fedora Workstation, openSUSE Leap etc.
What to Look for in a Good Free Linux VPN
No two free VPN services are exactly the same when it comes to provided features. Keep these essential criteria in mind when evaluating your options:
No Logs Policy: The VPN provider should ideally have a no-logs policy clearly stated on their website. This means zero recording of your online activity when connected to their servers. Without logs, you get complete anonymity.
Fast Speeds: Even free servers should have decent speeds to comfortably browse the web, share files via torrent clients and stream HD video content without constant buffering or lag.
Reliable Connection: There should be minimal random disconnects or leakage of your true public IP address and DNS requests when using the free Linux VPN service. Getting consistently assigned the VPN IP demonstrates reliability.
Military-Grade Encryption: Your internet traffic must remain secured via AES 256-bit encryption which is virtually unbreakable by current standards. Other secure protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard etc should be available.
Apps Across All Platforms: Availability of VPN apps across Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone and not just Linux allows using the same free account everywhere. This maximizes value.
Easy Installation: For average Linux desktop users, the VPN client should have simple 1-click installation and connect features via GUI, not just complex CLI management.
Limitations of Free Linux VPN Services
While free VPN services can be very useful for basic privacy needs, they do come with a few inherent limitations:
Very Few Server Locations: Most free plans give access to just 1 or 2 countries for IP address spoofing. Not enough server locations to reliably bypass tough geo-blocks by Netflix etc when traveling abroad.
Speed Throttling: If too many people are connected to the same free VPN server, your speeds will take a major hit. This can drastically reduce web access and make online activities frustrating.
Session Time Limits: Some free VPNs impose unfair 2-3 hour connection limits per session before disconnecting you abruptly. This requires periodically reconnecting the VPN manually which is annoying.
No P2P Traffic Allowed: Majority of free tiers block torrenting fully or heavily restrict the monthly data allowance that can be shared P2P. Very inconvenient for open source Linux ISO downloading!
Minimal Customer Support: Being a non-paying VPN user expecting fast email or live chat support is unrealistic. Documentation quality varies widely as well between providers.
My recommendation is to go with ProtonVPN or Windscribe free plans for consistent performance. Or try Hide.me and TunnelBear limited time trials first and upgrade later if you face too many free tier limitations.
Getting the Most Out of Your Selected Free Linux VPN
Here are some expert tips to maximize the value you derive from free Virtual Private Networks on Linux:
Use WireGuard For Speed: If your chosen free VPN supports the WireGuard protocol, activate it instead of OpenVPN or IPSec/L2TP. The newer WireGuard offers faster connectivity thanks to lower computational overhead. Apps like Windscribe have it.
Limit Bandwidth Hogs: Try to avoid large downloads or ultra HD video streaming which consume massive chunks of your free VPN data allowance quickly without warning. Stick to lower quality streaming which works just fine with encryption turned on.
Connect to Nearest Server: Always pick the free VPN server location that is geographically closest to your actual location for the fastest connectivity. Long distance connections can mean worse lag and delays.
Use Browser Extensions: Installing your free VPN provider‘s browser extension in Firefox or Chrome provides an extra layer of security while surfing dodgy websites, which malicious ads and scripts frequently target to compromise visiting systems. So stay protected regardless of the site‘s reputation.
Turn On Kill Switch: Activate the ‘kill switch‘ security feature in your selected free VPN app/client. This instantly cuts off internet access if the VPN gets disconnected unexpectedly, preventing personal data leaks.
Setup For Linux Dual Boot: If your Linux desktop has Windows dual booted for gaming etc, configure your free VPN client to auto-connect on startup in both operating systems. Simple step for 2x privacy by default across the board!
So don‘t just grab any free VPN without researching carefully – follow this guide to pick a recommended service like Proton or Windscribe. Taking advantage of the tips above will then allow you to maximize your online security.
Stay safe from prying eyes!