Best free VPN Chrome extensions: Browse Safely

Have you ever questioned the efficiency of your VPN browser extension? In the vast digital ocean, some VPN extensions can be more of an anchor, dragging down your browsing speed or leaving gaps in your security. Yet, amidst these pitfalls, there are gems that promise robust protection without a price tag. After rigorous research and testing, we’ve pinpointed the top-performing free VPN Chrome extensions, ensuring you get great value without compromise!

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, serves as your digital armor, encrypting your online activities and disguising your IP address. This dual function fortifies your defense against cyber threats and empowers you to bypass geographical restrictions. However, while VPN apps cast a wider protective net, browser extensions specifically safeguard your browsing activity.

Below, we review each of the best free VPN Chrome extensions in detail, but we’ll start with a quick summary in case you need to make a fast decision:

1. CyberGhost: The best free VPN Chrome extension. No signup necessary. Unthrottled servers in multiple countries. Secure with encryption and a strict no-logs policy.
2. Proton VPN: Absolutely no data or bandwidth limits. Multiple server locations. Respectable speeds, strong encryption, and an uncompromising no-logs policy.
3. Hotspot Shield: Optional signup, but doing so increases data from 250 MB to 500 MB a day. US server location and provides ad and tracker blocking.
4. Windscribe: Free Chrome extension with up to 10 GB a month if you sign up. Servers in 10 locations (more available with paid plans). Includes an ad blocker.
5. TunnelBear: Hundreds of servers in 40+ countries. Keeps you safe online with high-end encryption. Audited to prove it operates a strict no-logs policy.
6. Hide.me: Unlimited bandwidth with 99.9% uptime. 10GB of data monthly and servers in 75 locations. Strong security and even offers 24/7 live chat support.

Note: NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN also offer Chrome extensions. While these providers are not free, they are all top-quality providers, and all include 30-day money-back guarantees, so you can try them risk-free and claim a full refund if you’re not 100% happy.

Finding the best free VPN Chrome extensions

You may be wondering how we came up with our list of the best free VPN Chrome extensions. In order to be selected, all of them had to meet the following requirements:

• Free of charge (not a trial period)
• Secure, encrypted servers
• Respectable speeds for browsing
• Live chat and email support
• Easy to use for beginners

This is just a summary. The methodology section below explains our VPN testing and ranking procedures in more detail. First, let’s examine the providers that impressed us.

Best free VPN Chrome extensions: Our hands-on review

We’ve compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with CyberGhost – our #1 choice for free VPN Chrome extensions.

Best free VPN Chrome extensions

Here’s our list of the best free VPN Chrome extensions:

1. CyberGhost

Nov 2024

CyberGhost is our top choice VPN with a free Chrome extension. Notably, this VPN offers strong privacy protection, and you don’t even need to sign up for an account to use the free VPN Chrome extension. In total, you’ll have access to eight servers in four countries, although if you choose to subscribe to CyberGhost’s paid plan, this goes up to a whopping 10,000+ servers in 100+ countries.

Browsing with CyberGhost’s Chrome extension is consistent, thanks to the fact that it offers unlimited bandwidth. Furthermore, there’s a high level of security because it routes your browser traffic through a 256-bit AES-encrypted tunnel. Add to this CyberGhost’s strict no-logs policy, and you’ll be able to browse anonymously with your identity intact.

If you sign up for CyberGhost’s paid VPN service, you’ll have full access to its apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV (as well as its Chrome and Firefox browser extensions). Manual setup is required to use it with wireless routers.

BEST FREE VPN CHROME EXTENSION:CyberGhost is our top choice. No signup necessary. Servers in multiple countries and absolutely no bandwidth throttling. Security includes a strict no-logs policy and encryption. You can even try a CyberGhost paid plan risk-free thanks to its 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

2. Proton VPN

Proton VPN offers Chrome and Firefox browser extensions, both of which are available to free and paid users alike. As with other browser extensions, these only secure your browser traffic. However, the main advantage of Proton VPN’s Chrome browser over most rivals is that there are no data limits, so you can use it as much as you like. Unlike most free VPNs, you won’t have your bandwidth capped either.

You’ll only have a few server locations to choose from with Proton VPN’s free Chrome extension but this does include a server in the US. This is a VPN that uses very strong encryption. It passed our DNS and IP leak tests and its no-logs policy certainly stands up to scrutiny. Indeed, it doesn’t keep any logs whatsoever. Proton VPN is headquartered in Switzerland which is a country known for its privacy laws.

Aside from free Chrome and Firefox browser extensions, Proton VPN offers apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux.

UNLIMITED DATA:Proton VPN won't cap your data or your bandwidth. It provides a handful of server locations, the US included. Good speeds for a free VPN and very strong encryption coupled with a comprehensive no-logs policy.

Read our full Proton VPN review.

3. Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield has a free Chrome extension that’s lightweight and easy to use. With it, you’ll get 500 MB of data a day, which is fine for basic browsing. Streaming, video calling and the like will require a paid plan, however. The VPN proxy encrypts your browser traffic to secure you from hackers and snoopers. If you don’t want to sign up for a free account, you can still use Hotspot Shield, but it will be limited to 250 MB daily.

Hotspot Shield’s Chrome extension limits you to just one location (a server in the US) but it’s good to see that it includes extras such as ad, tracker, and malicious website blocking. Hotspot Shield doesn’t keep any logs by which you can be identified as a user and security features include 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch.

Aside from Chrome, you can use Hotspot Shield free on Windows, Android, Mac, and iOS.

NO SIGNUP NECESSARY:Hotspot Shield provides 250 MB a day (no signup) or 500 MB daily with a free account. It lets you get a US IP address and benefit from encryption and even ad and tracker blocking.

Read our full Hotspot Shield review.

4. Windscribe

Windscribe is a VPN service that offers a free plan that, aside from Chrome, you can use on a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. However, there are some limitations to be aware of. First, you’ll have access to just 10 server locations (although this is still more than many other free VPN extensions). Second, you’ll be limited to 10GB per month, and you’ll need to sign up to get this. Otherwise, the limit is just 2GB a month.

If you’re seeking online security, know that Windscribe’s free Chrome extension secures browser traffic with 256-bit AES encryption. Furthermore, it doesn’t keep any logs by which you can be identified as a user. One way in which it stands out from most other free VPN Chrome extensions is that it includes an ad-blocker so you can avoid ads, trackers, and malware.

Windscribe offers a browser extension not only for Chrome but for Firefox. Apps can be downloaded for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Amazon Fire TV. It also provides manual setup instructions in case you’d like to use it with Linux or your home router.

AD BLOCKER INCLUDED:Windscribe has a free Chrome extension with 10 server locations. 10GB of data per month if you sign up for a free account. Security includes encryption and even an ad and malware blocker.

Read our full Windscribe review.

5. TunnelBear

TunnelBear is well known for its free plan which includes a Chrome extension. With this free plan, you’ll have 500 MB of data each month. While not enough for streaming, you may find it goes some way if you’re only doing very basic browsing (no streaming!). It’s worth knowing that you can get 1GB of free data by Tweeting about TunnelBear (make sure your account is set to public — the bonus should be applied within an hour).

One advantage of TunnelBear over some of the other VPNs listed is that the free version includes access to all servers (of which there are hundreds across over 40 countries). Not only does TunnelBear have a no-logs policy, but it even submits itself to an independent annual audit to prove it. Of course, regardless of whether you use its free or paid plan, you can expect data to be secured with 256-bit AES encryption.

You can use TunnelBear’s free plan on Chrome as well as Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Firefox. TunnelBear does not yet offer Linux support while there’s only limited support for routers.

SERVERS WORLDWIDE:TunnelBear lets you connect to servers in dozens of countries with its free extension for Chrome. Operates a no-logs policy (and has been independently audited to verify this). Secure with encryption.

Read our full TunnelBear review.

6. Hide.me

Hide.me offers unlimited bandwidth even if you’re using its free VPN Chrome extension. In fact, it promises 99.9% uptime, so you can browse without encountering annoying interruptions. You’ll have 10GB of data usage each month and even have a choice of five server locations (you’ll need a paid subscription if you want to access all 75+ server locations).

One way in which Hide.me is unique is that, regardless of whether you are a free or paid user, you’ll have access to its 24/7 live chat and email support service. Security-wise, Hide.me ticks all the boxes with its use of 256-bit AES encryption because it operates a no-logs policy. However, it’s important to remember that only browser traffic is secured when using a Chrome extension. To secure apps, you’ll need to use a VPN app.

24/7 SUPPORT:Hide.me won’t throttle your connection and offers 10GB of data monthly with its free Chrome extension. Servers in 75+ locations. Includes access to 24/7 support and safeguard data with encryption and no-logs policy.

Read our full Hide.me review.

How to use a free VPN Chrome extension

Browser extensions make it quick and easy to secure your browsing experience and bypass restrictions, be they due to copyright or censorship. To make things even simpler, we’ve included some step-by-step instructions to get you started.

Here’s how you can use a free VPN browser extension for Chrome:

1. Go to the VPN provider in question. We recommend CyberGhost. Depending on which VPN you choose, you may need to sign up for a free account.
2. You should now be able to download and install the Chrome browser extension on your browsing device (you’ll be directed to the Chrome web store to do this).
3. Open the VPN Chrome browser extension and connect to a server in your preferred location. You’ll be assigned a new, temporary IP address in the process.
4. You’re all set! Your browser traffic should now be encrypted, and you may also be able to unblock some geo-restricted websites and services.

Finding the best free VPN Chrome extensions: our methodology

There isn’t a wealth of choice when it comes to free VPN extensions for Chrome. Unfortunately, some prove to be too limiting, be it due to slow speeds or poor security. We’ll now go into a little more detail regarding our methodology and how it helped us find the best free VPN Chrome extensions.

• Free of charge: It was particularly important that we found VPN Chrome extensions that are genuinely free as opposed to simply having free trial periods. With all of the options listed, you won’t have to pay a single cent unless you decide to upgrade to a paid plan.
• Servers in multiple countries: While not always possible, we looked for free Chrome extensions that give you some choice as to which location you connect to. This allows you to potentially connect to a server closer to your physical location for faster browsing speeds.
• Speed: Speaking of speed, few free VPN Chrome extensions are suitable for streaming due to heavy user load and data limits. However, we found those that will give you the best chance because they all offer unlimited bandwidth.
• Security: Regardless of whether you’re using a free or paid plan, you should be able to browse securely and enjoy online anonymity. All of the VPNs we’ve listed in this post use 256-bit AES encryption to secure your browser traffic and keep you safe.
• Privacy: Much like security, privacy is your right, which is why it’s important to use a no-logs VPN service. Some free VPNs log and sell your browsing data, but that isn’t the case here. We should know — we’ve looked at over 140 VPN logging policies to find the best.
• Ease of use: A Chrome browser extension should make things easier, not more complicated. Where possible, we searched for free VPN providers that don’t require signup. In some cases, 24/7 support is available should you have any questions.

To determine whether a VPN service offers the above, we subject it to rigorous real-world testing. If you want to know more, check out our detailed VPN testing methodology.

Best free VPN Chrome extensions: FAQs