A free U.K. VPN can help you access geoblocked content and secure your internet connection, but make sure you don’t pay with your privacy and security. We discuss five of the best free VPNs in this guide that you can trust.

Brits are no strangers to Big Brother, so it’s not surprising that more than 40% of the population use a VPN. However, if you’re on a budget, then you’re probably looking for the best free VPN provider. Stick with us as we list the best free U.K. VPN options that protect your online activity and offer strong security.

If you’re looking for a free VPN service, we’ll help you select the best free U.K. VPN, but let’s talk about why you need one in the first place. While Freedom House categorizes the internet in the U.K. as “free,” there are still many reasons to use a VPN. 

The U.K. is a member of the Five Eyes alliance, with five countries (the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand) as member countries. The countries share intelligence information collected via their surveillance technology to cooperate on security. 

Regardless of these laws, your information is still prone to theft when you’re connected to a public WiFi network. You need to protect your information, especially during sensitive tasks like online banking, and that’s where a free British VPN can help.

Windscribe, Hide.me and TunnelBear have a U.K. server on their free versions. All of them are excellent choices with their own strengths and weaknesses. However, if you don’t want to spend time on research, we recommend Windscribe — it’s the best free VPN for the U.K.

You can get a U.K. IP address for free with a VPN that has a free U.K.-based server. Windscribe and TunnelBear are great VPNs that have a free server in the U.K. Just download the VPN app, launch it on your computer and connect to a U.K. server to acquire a U.K. IP address.

Yes, but most reputable free VPNs reserve at least something for premium users to incentivize them to upgrade. For example, Windscribe offers limited data. ProtonVPN offers unlimited data, but limits the number of accessible server locations.

A VPN that offers a good combination of features and performance typically makes the best free U.K. VPN. However, free VPNs aren’t always as secure or fast as their paid counterparts. Fortunately, the following few are exceptions to this rule and are your best bet for a free U.K. VPN:

We dive deeper into each of these free VPN services below. Before we do that, here are things you should be looking for when selecting from the list of free VPNs.

The most common reasons for using VPNs are security and privacy. A VPN connection is encrypted, ensuring that no one can intercept your internet traffic. However, a free VPN typically lacks in terms of security compared to a premium VPN — see our list of the most secure VPNs to find the best one.

The best free VPNs offer secure encryption protocols like OpenVPN or the new WireGuard. You should also ensure the free VPN isn’t headquartered in a country that’s a member of the Five, Nine or 14 Eyes alliances.

Another common use case for a VPN is to access geoblocked streaming websites. When you access Netflix in the U.K., you’ll automatically get access to the U.K. Netflix library. However, if you want to access Netflix U.S., you’ll need to use a VPN service and connect to a U.S. server to acquire a U.S. IP address.

However, not all VPNs can get past the Netflix VPN ban. Other popular streaming sites like Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and Hulu also proactively ban VPNs.

That’s why you need a free VPN that can effectively get past geoblocks. Plus, if you’re traveling, you’ll need a VPN with U.K. servers, so you can access BBC iPlayer and other U.K. streaming platforms.

Even when you have another country’s IP address and access to geoblocked content, you won’t enjoy viewing the content if it keeps buffering. A VPN connection is typically slower, except in cases where the ISP was throttling your bandwidth. 

However, the best VPNs ensure that the reduction in speed is minimal, allowing you to enjoy a buffer-free streaming experience.

Not all VPN providers offer a U.K. server on the free plan. While you won’t need to connect to a server in the U.K. for streaming geoblocked content since you’re physically located there, you might still need it to secure your connection when using services available only in the U.K.

For example, your bank may not allow a foreign IP address to access the online banking website. If you want to use your bank account online with a secure VPN connection, you’ll need to use a VPN server based in the U.K.

We found five free U.K. VPN services that fit the bill as per the points mentioned in the previous section.

Windscribe is the best free VPN service for the U.K. because it offers service similar to paid VPNs on its generous free plan. For example, Windscribe gets into most streaming websites like Netflix easily. It’s also one of the fastest VPNs — beating some premium VPNs like CyberGhost.

Unlike many other free VPNs, Windscribe doesn’t go easy on security and privacy. You get top-notch security with encryption protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard. The privacy policy is transparent and pledges not to log any user data.

The feature set includes everything you get with a premium VPN. For example, you get a kill switch (called “firewall”) to avoid transmitting unencrypted internet traffic when the VPN connection drops abruptly. 

You can also use Windscribe’s split tunneling to route internet traffic for different apps via different tunnels — where one is encrypted and the other is unencrypted for better speed.

The free plan offers up to 15GB of data per month once you confirm your email address and tweet about Windscribe. You can access servers across 10 countries — including a few in the U.K. — using the free plan. 

Additionally, you get limited access to R.O.B.E.R.T., which is a powerful ad blocker from Windscribe. Learn more about R.O.B.E.R.T. and Windscribe in our Windscribe review.

Should you want access to more servers or more data, you can use the build-a-plan option. The flexible pricing plan has a minimum $3 per month checkout value. You can get three server locations for $1 each per month, or combine two server locations with access to R.O.B.E.R.T. and unlimited data for another $1.

To get access to all servers, you’d be better off with one of Windscribe’s pre-built plans. The best value plan costs $5.75 per month annually, but you get unlimited simultaneous connections. Also, you can try out Windscribe before you commit, using its three-day money-back guarantee or the free service.

More details about Hide.me:

Hide.me offers 10GB of free data, though the free version only offers servers in eight countries — Germany, Canada, France, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, U.K. and the U.S.

What Hide.me does differently than Windscribe is that it doesn’t cut off your connection after you’ve used up the free quota. You can continue using the service, but you don’t get to choose a server location.

Hide.me also offers access to more premium features on the free plan. For example, you can use the Hide.me browser extension to avoid WebRTC leaks and more encryption protocols, including SoftEtherVPN — Hide.me’s proprietary protocol. However, you don’t get WireGuard on the free version. Learn more about the VPN in our Hide.me review.

Although Hide.me could unblock UK streaming platforms, including the BBC iPlayer, it is not a good option for Netflix, Hulu or Disney Plus. However, with the British IP address via the U.K. server, you will likely be able to stream British TV with British streaming services.

Keep in mind the data limit, though, as 10GB will go fast.

Hide.me also offers inexpensive paid plans in addition to the free plan.

The best value plan is its two-year plan, costing $3.75 per month. However, if you’re looking for a paid VPN in the same or lower price range, Surfshark and CyberGhost might offer superior performance. If you want to test Hide.me’s paid version, you can use its 30-day money-back guarantee.

TunnelBear is a beginner-friendly VPN that offers access to more free servers than almost any other VPN service. The interface is fairly straightforward, with little to no learning curve. Launch the app, select a server from the dropdown menu and that’s pretty much it.

The minimalist interface houses all the essential features like a kill switch (which goes by VigilantBear on the app) and GhostBear — a feature that hides the fact that you’re using a VPN, allowing you to access blocked content in censorship-heavy countries. You also get split tunneling (or SplitBear), though SplitBear is only available on Android and iOS devices.

The free VPN service uses OpenVPN and commits to a no-logs policy. However, free users get a meager data allowance of 500MB per month — though you can raise the cap to 1GB by tweeting about TunnelBear.

Learn more about TunnelBear’s feature set and performance in our TunnelBear review.

All of TunnelBear’sservers are available on the free plan. If you want to be able to acquire IP addresses of more countries (including the U.K.), perhaps to access geoblocked content in those countries, TunnelBear might be worth considering. Few free VPNs other than TunnelBear offer servers in countries like Latvia and Moldova.

TunnelBear’s best value plan is its three-year plan, which costs $3.33 per month. The likes of Surfshark offer more features for less money, but TunnelBear makes more sense if you like keeping things simple.

Our speed tests reveal that Speedify lives up to its name. It’s the fastest free VPN and beats many premium services too. Speedify also beats NordVPN — our best fast VPN — in the U.S.

Another great thing about Speedify is that it offers access to most of its premium features (including access to all of its servers, some of which are in the U.K.), except for unlimited data. The free plan offers 2GB per month of free data, which isn’t bad, but not enough if you’re hoping to access Netflix libraries to watch movies in 4K.

However, Speedify does have a few shortcomings. Its speed often comes at the cost of security. Speedify goes to great lengths, like allowing users to disable encryption, to improve connection speed. In Speedify’s defense, though, you can choose an encryption protocol like OpenVPN, WireGuard and Speedify’s proprietary protocol.

Speedify promises to keep no logs; however, the policy mentions that the service logs many things, including your IP, device ID and the duration of your connection. Learn more about this free, fast VPN service in our Speedify review.

Speedify offers a nifty feature called channel-bonding technology. The feature allows you to access the internet connection from multiple sources — Ethernet, mobile data and WiFi. Speedify simultaneously accesses the internet from these sources to minimize latency and improve redundancy.

You also get features like header compression, which helps you use data judiciously, and jumbo MTU, to minimize CPU load.

Speedify’s paid plans are more expensive than many premium VPNs, like NordVPN and Surfshark. The best value, the three-year plan, costs $4.50 per month. However, if you’re looking for top-notch speeds and don’t mind the lack of focus on security and privacy, Speedify is an excellent choice. 

PrivadoVPN offers 10GB of free data every month, and you get access to secure protocols like OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard. The free version offers servers in nine countries, including the U.K. PrivadoVPN promises not to log user data, but the privacy policy does have a concerning mention about personal data, as we discuss in our PrivadoVPN review.

PrivadoVPN performs surprisingly well when streaming.

It unblocks all major streaming services, including Netflix, Disney Plus and BBC iPlayer (for when you’re traveling). However, PrivadoVPN’s speeds are average at best. While it easily bypasses geoblocks, you might need to stream in standard definition for a buffer-free experience.

The interface is another thing we like about PrivadoVPN. The detailed, easy-to-use desktop UI is reminiscent of CyberGhost’s desktop app. PrivadoVPN’s desktop app lets you sort servers in alphabetical order or by latency. PrivadoVPN’s app design, on the other hand, is similar to PIA.

It’s a docked window that closes when you click elsewhere.

PrivadoVPN isn’t the cheapest service around. The one-year plan — its best value — costs $4.99 per month. However, it does come with 10 simultaneous connections. You can also try it out using the 30-day money-back guarantee.

You can get a U.K. IP address for free using a free VPN (virtual private network) that offers a free U.K. server. You can choose one of the best free VPNs listed in this guide to acquire a U.K. IP address. 

For example, say you select Windscribe. You download the app, install and launch it on your computer, connect to a U.K. server and that’s it — you’ll have a U.K. IP address.

Proxies and VPNs are different things. A proxy can spoof your location by hiding your real IP address, but it doesn’t encrypt your connection. Proxies are insecure, and that’s why you should use a VPN.

You can choose a free or paid VPN. Most free VPNs aren’t reliable and have a shady privacy policy. A few free VPNs like Windscribe and TunnelBear are an exception, and they’re safe to use. However, if you want top-notch security and performance, paid VPNs like ExpressVPN are your best bet.

While the U.K.’s internet isn’t nearly as restricted as countries like China, online privacy is still a concern for U.K. internet users. For example, FreedomHouse cites a March 2021 report that reveals that the Scottish government ordered two internet service providers (ISPs) to install surveillance technology for recording users’ web history in 2019.

VPNs can help you regardless of other factors, though. For example, you can secure your connection with a VPN when you’re using online banking services or downloading content via a torrent. They’re also helpful when you want to access content that’s geoblocked in the U.K., such as Netflix U.S.

Most free VPNs are insecure, unreliable and slow. In most cases, they do more harm than good (read our worst VPNs list to learn more about how free VPNs can be bad news).

However, a few services like Windscribe and TunnelBear are exceptions to the rule. These services also offer paid plans, and the free version is typically aimed at encouraging users to upgrade to take advantage of premium features. If you’re looking for a free VPN, stick to the reliable ones instead of a random service you find on Google.

Windscribe is your best bet when looking for a free VPN for the U.K.. It offers a broad feature set and a flexible pricing option if you decide to upgrade later. TunnelBear is great if you want something no-fuss or access to more server locations.

Have you used any of the services in this list in the U.K.? How was your experience? Do you use a VPN when on U.K. public WiFi? Let us know in the comments, and as always, thank you for reading.

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