The Best VPN Free Trials of 2024

CyberGhost doesn’t disappoint for server count or network performance. The VPN delivers good speeds on 12,000 servers in 100 countries.

On local connections, we registered an average speed loss of 6%. While it can’t match Hotspot Shield’s 2% speed loss, it’s closer to ExpressVPN’s 3% speed slowdown.

Our streaming tests confirmed that CyberGhost can easily stream in HD and Ultra HD.

The VPN’s premium subscription gives access to servers optimized for streaming and torrenting. Currently, CyberGhost works particularly well with 10 Netflix libraries, Disney+, and Hulu.

Streaming-optimized servers are even available for free trial customers. There’s also a free browser extension that unblocks US Netflix.

It’s this combination of factors that makes CyberGhost a top-rated streaming VPN.

CyberGhost’s free trial lets you test CyberGhost’s full suite of features. You’ll benefit from the software’s usability and overall performance.

The VPN uses a wide array of security and privacy settings that provide solid protection to all users.

These features include the unbreakable AES-256 encryption cipher, WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols, a working VPN kill switch, and IPv6 and DNS leak blocking.

In all of our tests throughout the years, we’ve never detected and IP or DNS leak using CyberGhost VPN.

CyberGhost’s 1-day free trial doesn’t require personal information or payment details at sign-up.

Simply download the software from the website and trial it.

There used to be restrictions on streaming services, but thankfully CyberGhost has since granted full access to its features.

While the one-day free trial is limited to desktop, you can get a 7-day free trial on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. To do this, download the app from the Google Play Store or App Store.

Similarly to NordVPN, you must select a subscription plan to start the trial, and you will be charged after the 7-day period unless you cancel before.

If you need a longer free trial period, sign up to CyberGhost and get a refund within the 45-day money-back period.

This risk-free 45-day refund period is uniquely generous, as most VPN services typically offer 30 days or less.

CyberGhost’s one-month subscription plan is limited to a 14-day money-back guarantee, so choose a longer plan to get the most out of your free trial period.

For full walkthroughs on every platform, plus all the information you need on costs and cancellation, see our guide on how to get a CyberGhost free trial.

Surfshark VPN comes packaged with many additional security features like CleanWeb ad blocking and WhiteLister split tunneling.

You’ll also be able to use its multi-hop feature, which routes your traffic through two different VPN servers for extra security.

Android users can even spoof their GPS location using Surfshark’s GPS Override function.

Most importantly, Surfshark puts privacy first. It enforces a privacy-first logging policy that only collects minimal anonymous usage data, and publishes a warrant canary to warn about government requests.

Not only is Surfshark private and secure, it’s also user-friendly and popular with streamers and torrenters.

Surfshark supports torrenting through a selection of P2P-optimized servers, and the VPN unblocks multiple streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max.

Also, the service’s Smart DNS tool makes the VPN compatible with games consoles and Smart TVs.

Surfshark is a fast VPN. Although not as fast as NordVPN or Private Internet Access, we’re still seeing very competitive and promising results in our VPN speed test tool.

Speed performance is fairly consistent across the VPN’s 3,200 servers, spread over 100 countries.

Furthermore, Surfshark has recently upgraded its network to RAM-only servers. A completely diskless server network is another big privacy plus.

Despite all its features and benefits, Surfshark remains very affordable at $2.29 per month.

Equally, the service appeals to newcomers and more advanced VPN users alike, thanks to its balance of usability, friendly UI, and abundance of capabilities.

To trial Surfshark for free for 7 days on mobile, you need to download the iOS or Android app from the App Store or Google Play Store.

Alternatively, purchase the service as normal via the official website and ask for a refund within the 30-day money-back window.

On mobile devices, once you’ve downloaded the iOS or Android app it’s as simple as creating an account and selecting Start Free Trial.

These login details allow you to sign in to any of the Surfshark apps, including the Windows and macOS clients. Moreover, Surfshark allows unlimited VPN connections with one single subscription.

Surfshark doesn’t charge you at checkout, but it will charge you after the 7-day trial is over.

To avoid being charged, cancel auto-renewal in your app store account right away. You’ll still have access to Surfshark for the entire 7 days.

If you forget, and your free trial upgrades to a full subscription, you’ll still have 30 days to get a refund, in accordance with its 30-day money-back guarantee.

ExpressVPN’s money-back guarantee lets you use the VPN service without limitations or restrictions, including access to 3,000 fast servers across 106 countries.

ExpressVPN also registers very good speed test results, both locally and internationally. We measured a short-distance speed loss of only 3% while the VPN was running.

You can also test the VPN on multiple devices at once, thanks to its 8 simultaneous device allowance.

ExpressVPN has some of the most user-friendly native applications for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Fire TV. It also has an app for routers, which is a rarity.

ExpressVPN is a great VPN for unblocking streaming platforms like Netflix, HBO Max and BBC iPlayer.

The VPN unblocked 18 Netflix regions in our tests, and easily streamed the American library on all its US servers.

ExpressVPN performed just as well with Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and HBO Max.

We also used the VPN to get around MLB.TV blackouts and to bypass Hulu VPN blocks.

You can also stream using ExpressVPN’s excellent browser extensions, Fire TV Stick and Apple TV apps, or its Smart DNS (MediaStreamer) service on games consoles.

In our opinion, MediaStreamer is the best Smart DNS tool provided by a VPN service. In our tests it worked with most American and British streaming apps.

You can get ExpressVPN’s 7-day free trial for iOS and Android by downloading the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Once installed, launch the app and you’ll see two options: Start Free Trial and Sign In.

On Android devices, you won’t need to provide any credit card or payment details to access the trial. Simply select the free trial option and insert your email address.

You can see how many days are left on your trial period via the ‘Account’ menu. Once the trial period is over, you’ll be asked by email if you’d like to upgrade to a premium account.

On iOS devices, you will have to insert payment details and you will be automatically upgraded to a paid subscription unless you cancel within seven days.

Watch out as installing ExpressVPN through the iOS App Store makes you subject to Apple’s refund policy. To avoid this, cancel your free trial within seven days.

Once you’ve signed up to the free trial, you can also use your new account credentials on other devices, such as your PC or Mac.

If you want to use ExpressVPN risk-free for longer than seven days, we recommend taking advantage of its no-questions-asked 30-day refund guarantee.

NordVPN’s apps are easy to use and come with robust security features, including a VPN kill switch, AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption and the WireGuard protocol, branded as NordLynx.

NordVPN’s kill switch works on Android and iOS, too. Currently, only a few top-tier VPNs offer this across both mobile platforms.

The VPN software also includes DNS leak protection, Double VPN (multi-hop) for an added layer of security, and an almost log-free privacy policy.

NordVPN is also one of the fastest VPNs we’ve tested, with a local download speed loss of just 5%.

The VPN produced exceptional speeds connecting to distant servers, too. On average, international speed drop by only 14%.

These fast global speeds allow for steady HD/4K streaming. NordVPN works with 17 Netflix regions, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max. The VPN works extremely well with Hulu, too.

All the applications are user-friendly and simple to use from the outset. They’re not as eye-pleasing as ExpressVPN’s, though. Especially the PC and Mac clients, which are rather big and can’t be resized.

If you do happen to need help, NordVPN’s 24/7 live chat support is on hand for prompt assistance. Or, you can always send an email.

NordVPN offers a 7-day free trial via the Google Play Store, which you can then use on the service’s other apps.

To use this, download and install NordVPN directly from the Play Store.

Once installed, you’ll be asked to create an account and insert your payment details. NordVPN will charge a subscription fee after 7 days unless you cancel.

If you forget to cancel, or want to continue with a premium subscription, you’re still eligible to claim NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee.

Private Internet Access is one of the safest and most private VPNs on the market.

The VPN’s no-logs policy has been verified by court cases, server seizures and regular transparency reports.

PIA VPN uses the best VPN security protocols, including WireGuard and OpenVPN, which secure connections via AES-256 and ChaCha encryption, respectively.

Combined with fast speeds and the fact P2P activity is allowed on all servers, PIA is an exceptional choice for anonymous torrenting and file-sharing.

Private Internet Access has the largest server network of any VPN, with 18,651 individual servers available.

PIA comes with a number of streaming-optimized servers that work reliably to access all major streaming sites, including BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hotstar, Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video.

Sadly, the Smart DNS feature still doesn’t work with streaming apps and the Fire TV Stick app doesn’t have a high success rate accessing streaming sites.

To get PIA for free you need to download the app via Google Play or Apple App Store and search for Private Internet Access.

You won’t see an ad or option for free trial at first, but you will see mention of it once you download and install the PIA on your Android or iOS device.

When asked to choose a payment plan, select the yearly option. This is the only way to get the 7-day free trial. The free trial is not available if you select the monthly plan – although the 30-day money-back refund offer is.

To activate the free trial, you need to insert your payment details. However, don’t worry: you can cancel payment auto-renew as soon as your subscription is registered. We recommend doing this as soon as possible so you don’t forget later.

With auto-renewal cancelled, your PIA account will deactivate automatically with no payment incurred. You can then also take advantage of PIA’s refund period by subscribing to the service and canceling within 30-days.