Best free MacBook VPN

If you’ve taken the decision to buy a new MacBook, easily one of the best laptops available, you now need to make sure you look after it (and yourself). Traversing the landscape of the internet has become an essential part of modern life, but with your data at risk and ready to be sold for advertising purposes, your privacy has never been more important, so finding the best free MacBook VPN is a must.

Using the best laptop VPN or Virtual Private Network can protect you, your device, and your data from potential danger, keeping your dalliances as an internet explorer safe and streamlined. While the world of VPNs can be a confusing one, here at Gear Nuke, we’ve found the best free MacBook VPN options around so you can suit up in some endgame digital armor as you browse.

What is a VPN?

As we mentioned earlier, a VPN is a Virtual Private Network, a shield for your internet connection that users can enable to protect their data and obscure their digital identity from sites looking to make a profit from your browsing. By using a VPN, you can disguise who you are and where you’re browsing, adding some much-needed security to your time online. 

Safety and data protection aren’t the only benefits of using a VPN however, as in the process of masking your IP, you can unlock geo-restricted content that would otherwise be unavailable to you.

The best free MacBook VPNs:

• PrivadoVPN – best free MacBook VPN
• Windscribe – best for streaming
• Proton VPN – best Swiss VPN
• Hide.Me – best with an adblocker
• Surfshark (free trial) – best VPN free trial
• ExpressVPN (30-day money-back guarantee) – best VPN overall

1. PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN is the best free MacBook VPN for those after a high-quality virtual private network at no cost.

PrivadoVPN specs:

Pros:

• No-logs policy intact
• Decent server selection

Cons:

• Limited data use
• Only one connection at a time

With a free 10 GB of data per month, you’ll have access to 12 global servers to connect to on ten individual devices, making it ideal if you’re working across a range of technology. Though keep in mind that these connections can’t be running at the same time.

Importantly for a free VPN, it keeps its no-logs policy in place, which is an important consideration for free VPNs. Often you’ll find that there are free VPNs where what you’ll be paying with, ironically, is your privacy, but a no-logs policy ensures that they are not keeping logs on your activities.

PrivadoVPN also gives you the option to toggle a ‘kill switch’ that terminates all web connections if you disconnect from the VPN, so if you find yourself on some public WiFi and want to protect yourself completely, you can make yourself fully secure.

2. Windscribe 

Windscribe is the best free VPN for streaming on your MacBook.

Windscribe specs:

Pros:

• Can get you onto Netflix
• No-logs intact

Cons:

• Limited to 10GB a month
• Only one connection at a time

This reliable private network uses a series of location and time tricks to keep where you are hidden, with a built-in cookie monster that tracks and deletes your browsing data once you leave the site. Windscribe also features a domain and IP blocking tool called R.O.B.E.R.T, a friendly fellow who keeps you clear of unnecessary ads and malware, ensuring your online experience is simple and clean.

What makes this one stand out among free VPNs in particular is the fact that it works with Netflix. While it’s not difficult to find paid VPN plans that can access it and other streaming services, most free VPNs don’t have this functionality (mostly due to their smaller server selections).

While this brand offers a variety of paid plans, the free version of Windscribe still has plenty of features, with the only caveat being how it limits your data usage. However, there are ways to earn a little more data, such as sharing the brand on social media.

3. Proton VPN

Proton VPN is the best free Swiss VPN to use on MacBook.

ProtonVPN specs:

Pros:

• Based in Switzerland
• No data cap on free plan

Cons:

• Only one connection at a time
• No streaming compatibility

Leveraging the no-log VPN experience available in Switzerland,  the program itself doesn’t follow up on what you’re doing. This ensures a completely secure experience, which is great for those wanting holistic protection.

The fact that this provider is located in Switzerland is quite a significant benefit. Not all privacy laws are created equal, and Swiss laws are among the best, so if privacy is your highest priority, choosing a provider based in this region makes the most sense.

Where other VPNs apply a browsing limit to their free options, Proton will give you access to all the tools, just with some slight limits, such as fewer options when changing your server location.

4. Hide.Me

Hide.Me is the best ad-free free VPN (pardon the mouthful).

Hide.Me specs:

Pros:

• Completely ad-free
• No-logs policy intact

Cons:

• Limited data usage
• Tiny free server selection

For round-the-clock online support and over 2000 servers in 78 different countries (though admittedly, only five, look no further than Hide.Me, another of the best free MacBook VPN services. This one will provide you with the bliss of ad-free private internet browsing.

Like other free virtual private networks on the market, Hide.Me will give you access to almost all of its premium features but limits your data usage to 10GB per month. This means if you’re a casual user looking for some extra security when out and about on your mobile network or using public WiFi, Hide.Me could be a great option. 

Offering extremely fast speeds and impressive consistency thanks to a high server uptime, Hide.Me is a boon for those who spend time streaming content and surfing the web while using a VPN.

5. SurfShark

While not strictly free, SurfShark offers the best VPN free trial.

Surfshark specs:

Pros:

• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• Free trial of premium service

Cons:

• Small server selection for a premium service
• Covers fewer countries than other VPNs

This sleek and easy-to-use VPN is an approachable entrance into the world of virtual private networks, especially considering it offers 24/7 customer support. It’s also one of the more affordable VPN services as well, so there are a lot of reasons to try it.

One notable benefit of Surfshark is that you can connect as many devices as you’d like to its service, with no upper limit. No matter how many smartphones, laptops, or tablets you have, you’re covered. Once connected, you’ll find incredibly secure browsing courtesy of its AES 256 GCM encryption, allowing you to scroll, swipe, and click with confidence.

If 7 days of free use doesn’t fit the bill and you want some more time with Surfshark, the company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning you can put it through its paces and still get a refund for the money spent if you’re not convinced. The free trial is definitely something to be praised though, because such things are very rare in the VPN world.

6. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is not a free VPN (though it does have a 30-day money-back guarantee), but it is the best VPN overall.

ExpressVPN overview:

Pros:

• Covers many regions
• Uses the speedy Lightway protocol

Cons:

• Expensive
• Smaller server total than others

Boasting servers in 94 countries, ExpressVPN will give you a speedy and safe connection that keeps your data and location safe. With the super-fast Lightway protocol, it is capable of encrypting your data at a much greater speed than many of its competitors.

With no bandwidth limit and the use of its Smart Location technology, ExpressVPN can get you connected to the best server available, avoiding any faff and switching when you’re busy trying to browse. This Smart Location tool will constantly be working in the background, testing servers on their latency, download speed, and more to ensure you reap all of the benefits without having to do the manual work yourself.

With its simple set-up process and 24/7 live chat service, ExpressVPN is a compelling option, no matter whether you’re a VPN regular or a first-time user.

How we chose the best free MacBook VPN

How did we put this list together? Well, we thought carefully about the many free options out there and weighed them up against one another. Our key considerations were:

• No-logs policy: if a VPN doesn’t have a no-logs policy, it isn’t going to effectively protect your privacy and so doesn’t deserve a spot on this list
• Data limitations: it is rare for VPNs to give you unlimited data use for free, but it’s important to keep an eye on their allowances, some free VPNs offer such small data limits that they are barely usable
• Simultaneous connections: very few free VPNs let you connect to multiple devices at once, so those that do really stand out
• Compatible services: if you plan on using your VPN for streaming, it will be important to consider which services are compatible
• Regional servers: free VPNs don’t usually cover many countries, we tried to prioritize those services with more than one region to connect through. We recommend checking individual server locations if you have a specific region you want/need to connect through

Keeping all of these things in mind, we came to the conclusion that PrivadoVPN was the best free MacBook VPN, though we recognize that some of these other services will be more appropriate for certain readers, based on your needs. For more free VPN recommendations, read the guide on our sister site, PCGamesN.