Updated on: March 26, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best free Mac VPN in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN. While it’s not 100% free, it’s hands-down my favorite Mac VPN in 2024, and it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so there’s no risk in trying it out. It also has top-notch security, unbeatable speeds, and it consistently works with streaming sites like Netflix, Max, BBC iPlayer, and many others.
Mac computers come with pretty good built-in security features, but many of these features protect you from downloading malware — they don’t secure your data when you’re online. This is why I always use a VPN, which encrypts all of your web traffic and masks your IP address (your location). If you don’t want to pay for a VPN, there are a few decent free ones out there.
Most free VPN apps are really risky to use. They might have malware, sell your personal data like your browsing history and IP address to dodgy buyers, or have had their data stolen. Even the safer free VPNs often are missing key security tools, limit how much data you can use so much that the VPN is almost useless, are slow, have old or glitchy apps, or don’t work at all.
Even free options from the best VPNs have a lot of limitations. While they typically include excellent security features, they usually let you connect to only a few server locations, don’t support streaming or torrenting, hide extra features like an ad blocker and double VPN behind the paywall, deny you access to customer support platforms like 24/7 live chat, and only let you use one device at a time.
You get much better value by getting an affordable paid VPN like ExpressVPN, which is my top choice in 2024 — top paid VPNs come with strong security, fast speeds, easy-to-use apps that work well, and great streaming and P2P support.
Still, if you only want a free VPN for your Mac, there are some decent options out there — all the providers I mention in this article have free plans that are secure, come with user-friendly apps, and some even provide access to extra features.
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Quick summary of the best free VPNs for Mac in 2024:
- 🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for Mac in 2024 + backs all plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- 🥈2. CyberGhost VPN — Comes with a 24-hour free trial and 45-day money-back guarantee on long-term plans.
- 🥉3. Proton VPN — Good 100% free macOS VPN with unlimited data + secure apps but only allows 1 connection.
- 4. hide.me — Decent free Mac VPN for torrenting (fast & secure) but doesn’t support streaming.
- 5. Hotspot Shield — Easy-to-use Mac VPN with no data cap, but includes ads and lacks P2P support.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Mac in 2024
ExpressVPN is the best macOS VPN on the market, and it has a 30-day money-back guarantee — so you can test it out risk-free and receive a refund if you’re not happy with it. I don’t think that’s likely to happen, though, as this is the best VPN for streaming (it works with 100+ streaming apps, including Netflix and Disney+), torrenting, and gaming, and it also provides the fastest speeds on the market.
I’m really impressed with ExpressVPN’s focus on security and privacy. It uses TrustedServer technology, which means user data is deleted every time ExpressVPN’s servers are restarted, and it has perfect forward secrecy, which prevents anyone from compromising your past or future VPN sessions. What’s more, its no-logs policy has been independently audited on several occasions, and it’s also been proven true in a server seizure.
This is also one of the only VPNs that comes with split-tunneling on macOS. Split-tunneling lets you choose which traffic goes through the VPN, and which apps use your local network. You could use this feature to get faster speeds while gaming or streaming, for example. This feature is available for macOS 10.15 or below, and ExpressVPN is currently developing support for macOS 11. There’s also a dedicated router app — this way, all of the devices connected to your router are connected to the VPN.
Advanced Protection and ExpressVPN Keys are a couple of other excellent features offered by ExpressVPN. Advanced Protection includes an ad, tracker, and malware blocker, as well as an adult site blocker while browsing on your Mac devices (Proton VPN has a really good ad blocker but doesn’t include it in its free plan). ExpressVPN Keys is a password manager that lets you generate strong passwords for extra security. You can log into any Safari website with just one click using ExpressVPN Keys, which is super handy. Just like the VPN, it uses 256-bit AES encryption, securing your passwords with an unbreakable algorithm.
ExpressVPN’s speeds are the fastest I’ve seen in a Mac VPN. In my speed tests, I had upload and download speeds very close to my non-VPN speeds, even when torrenting with uTorrent. I also didn’t notice any lag while gaming or streaming HD Netflix in Safari.
Part of the reason this VPN is faster than all of the free VPNs listed here because of its large server network in 105 countries. Most free VPNs, including hide.me and Hotspot Shield, only have a very limited number of server locations to choose from (usually less than 10). So, there’s server overcrowding, which impacts your speeds, and most users are forced to choose server locations that are very far from them. This also slows down your speeds since your data has to travel further.
In addition, I love how user-friendly the provider’s macOS app is. It has a quick-connect feature that automatically connects you to the fastest server, and its interface is very simple to navigate. Plus, there’s a Shortcuts feature, which lets you create 1-click shortcuts for specific apps and sites that show up on your screen after you connect to a server — this way, you can instantly access your favorite content immediately after securing your connection.
ExpressVPN also supports Apple’s newest M1 and M2 chips. This means the VPN app is even more compatible with the newest Mac devices. Mac users can experience top-notch speed, reliability, and better battery life while using ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN has several plans to choose from, and with our special 49% discount, you can get it for only $6.67 / month, which is very affordable — plus, I’ve often seen ExpressVPN give away 3 months completely free of charge!
Bottom line:
ExpressVPN is the best Mac VPN in 2024 — while not 100% free, it has affordable plans that come with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, which gives you tons of time to test all of its features. Plus, it has great security, the fastest speeds I’ve seen in a VPN for Mac, and excellent streaming, torrenting, and gaming capabilities.
Read our full ExpressVPN review here
🥈2. CyberGhost VPN — Great for Streaming & Good for Beginners
CyberGhost VPN is not totally free, but it has a free 24-hour trial. The free trial gives you access to all features without you having to provide credit card details. CyberGhost also has a 45-day money-back guarantee for all its long-term plans, allowing more than enough time to test the VPN and ensure it meets all of your needs.
This provider is great for streaming, as it has 100+ streaming-optimized servers. Plus, CyberGhost works with 50+ streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Max, and more. In my tests, CyberGhost worked as expected, and I was always able to watch both popular and less-popular streaming sites available in my location — and in HD quality! This is great as most free plans don’t include (good) streaming support.
The VPN’s macOS app is super user-friendly. Installing and configuring CyberGhost takes only a few minutes, and all security features are enabled by default, which is very convenient. And if you want to make changes to the default settings, each setting comes with a short explanation, which I find really helpful. I also like that you can easily search and connect to any server you want, unlike with Proton VPN — it chooses the location for you.
Plus, it’s natively compatible with the new M1/M2 chips for optimal performance, and you can manually configure it on your router. It’s not as easy to set up on your router as ExpressVPN, but CyberGhost provides really good step-by-step instructions on how to complete the process.
CyberGhost VPN was fast in my tests but still slower than ExpressVPN. I was able to browse web pages with zero delays. HD and 4K videos loaded instantly, and I only experienced minor buffering at the start of some 4K videos. It’s much faster than hide.me, Proton VPN, and Hotspot Shield.
The provider also has great security features like RAM-only servers, strong leak protection, and perfect forward secrecy. It also comes with Content Blocker, which protects you from malicious sites (and it’s included with the free trial — Proton VPN doesn’t allow free users to access its ad blocker). Unfortunately, it’s missing split-tunneling on macOS.
I really like CyberGhost VPN’s Smart Rules feature. It allows you to customize VPN connection preferences, such as setting up an automatic connection to a specific server and launching a particular app on startup.
CyberGhost VPN has affordable plans that start at $2.03 / month.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN is great for streaming. I really liked how easy its Mac app is to navigate. It has fast speeds and great security features, and even though it doesn’t offer a free plan, I like that it has a free 24-hour trial, affordable prices, and a 45-day refund for all long-term purchases.
Read our full CyberGhost VPN review
🥉3. Proton VPN — Unlimited Data & Good Speeds on macOS
Proton VPN is one of the rare VPNs that doesn’t have data caps for free users — most competing brands offer a limited data allowance per month and cut you off when you reach the data limit, but you can use Proton VPN to surf the web as much as you want.
In my speed tests, I got fast speeds browsing in Safari. I didn’t experience any buffering while streaming HD content on YouTube, and all sites loaded instantly. Even so, it’s not nearly as fast as ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN.
Proton VPN’s free plan gives you access to servers in 5 countries, including the US, Japan, the Netherlands, Romania, and Poland, which is great for a free version (though ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries). The only thing I didn’t like is that Proton automatically connects you to a server in any of these free locations, so you don’t get to choose the server location you’re connected to on the free plan. However, it connects you to the best possible server for your location, so you’ll get the fastest speeds automatically.
Proton VPN’s free plan provides excellent privacy, as its macOS app is open-source, meaning anyone can inspect its source code for any security holes — even better, the app has been audited and confirmed to be secure. Plus, the provider’s no-logs policy has also passed an independent security audit.
The free plan also comes with strong security features, including advanced features like full leak protection, perfect forward secrecy, and full-disk encryption, which ensures your data stays safe even if a server is compromised.
I also like how user-friendly the provider’s macOS app is — all settings and features come with helpful explanations, and it natively works with Apple Silicon M1 and M2 chips. Like most VPNs, however, Proton VPN’s macOS app doesn’t have split-tunneling.
Unfortunately, the free plan doesn’t support streaming or torrenting — if you want to watch Netflix and other streaming shows and download P2P files, you’ll need to upgrade to one of Proton VPN’s paid plans. Also, you can use Proton VPN’s free VPN on 1 device only. However, you could get around this by setting up the VPN on your router, allowing all of the devices connected to your router to connect to the VPN with 1 VPN connection — hide.me and Hotspot Shield don’t offer router support on their free plans.
Proton VPN has monthly and yearly plans that start at $4.99 / month. They add P2P and streaming support, access to more servers, an ad blocker, Tor over VPN, and up to 10 connections. All Proton VPN premium plans come with a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Proton VPN’s free plan provides unlimited data, good speeds for browsing and streaming, and a good range of security features for Macs. I really like that its macOS app is open-source, which makes it easy to trust this VPN provider. However, Proton VPN’s free plan doesn’t support streaming or torrenting. To get access to streaming and torrenting servers, a wide range of extra features, and up to 10 simultaneous connections, you need to upgrade to one of Proton VPN’s paid plans.
Read our full Proton VPN review
4. hide.me — Unlimited Data With Zero Ads
hide.me has unlimited data on its free plan, and it doesn’t require you to watch ads. You also get access to servers in 5+ countries, including the US, the UK, and the Netherlands, great torrenting support, and split-tunneling. However, without upgrading to a premium plan, you can use hide.me on just 1 device.
In my speed tests, I was able to get good speeds when I downloaded torrents using uTorrent. That being said, hide.me limits speeds on the free plan — it doesn’t say by how much but hide.me posts on its website that the VPN never restricts the speed of premium users. I maintained pretty fast browsing, as sites loaded in a few seconds and HD videos took only couple of seconds to load and didn’t buffer. Still, it’s significantly slower than ExpressVPN and a bit slower than Proton VPN.
The provider’s free plan also comes with great advanced security features, including full leak protection, RAM-only servers, and perfect forward secrecy. And in addition to a standard kill switch, there’s also Stealth Guard, which lets you pick which apps (like torrent clients) are shut down if the VPN disconnects.
You also get access to a user-friendly macOS app that comes with an easy-to-navigate interface and works with new Macs using M1/M2 chips — that said, I don’t like how the app doesn’t work on macOS 11, so you need to perform a manual setup to use the VPN on that operating system version, which is inconvenient.
hide.me has several premium plans that start at $2.22 / month. The paid plans include access to all servers, streaming support, and 10 simultaneous devices. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom line:
hide.me provides good torrenting support and allows unlimited data. It has servers in 5+ countries and comes with strong security features. However, it lacks streaming support, has limited speeds, and only allows 1 device. Upgrading to one of hide.me’s premium plans gives you unlimited data, the fastest speeds, access to all of its servers, streaming support, and up to 10 connections.
5. Hotspot Shield — Intuitive Mac VPN With Fast Speeds & Unlimited Data
Hotspot Shield is very simple to use — the Mac app’s interface is clean and well-designed, so you won’t have problems even if you’ve never used a VPN before. This makes it a decent choice for new users. Also, like Proton VPN, it allows unlimited data (but displays ads).
Hotspot Shield provides pretty good speeds on its free plan — when I visited sites in Safari, they loaded instantly, and HD videos on YouTube took just 2 seconds to load and didn’t buffer when I skipped through them. I even experienced good speeds on long-distance servers. That said, I had faster speeds with Proton VPN’s free plan and even faster speeds using ExpressVPN.
Security-wise, the free plan comes with Hydra, the provider’s proprietary protocol that provides perfect forward secrecy. In addition, the free plan also includes DNS leak protection on the macOS app. Unfortunately, Hotspot Shield’s free plan logs your IP address, which is bad for your privacy.
Plus, I really don’t like the ads Hotspot Shield forces you to watch. To use the free VPN, you have to watch a 30-second ad every 15 minutes. You can watch multiple ads in a row to extend your time, but it’s still annoying. Also, you’ll see pop-up ads when connecting and disconnecting from the VPN — which is quite intrusive. I prefer Proton VPN since it has unlimited data on its free plan but doesn’t have any ads.
That said, I really like Hotspot Shield’s Notify on public WiFi feature, which sends you an alert every time your Mac gets connected to an unsecured network.
But there are some noticeable limitations — Hotspot Shield’s support reps couldn’t confirm if it has native support for Macs running Apple Silicon chips. Furthermore, you can only use servers in 3 countries (the US, the UK, and Singapore), your speeds are limited to 2 Mbps, you don’t get streaming or torrenting support, and you can only connect 1 device. Plus, there’s no router support, unlike with ExpressVPN and Proton VPN.
The good news is Hotspot Shield offers a split-tunneling feature on Mac, which allows you to choose which apps go through the VPN tunnel and which sites (but not apps) to exclude from the VPN connection. This feature is only available on the Hydra protocol, which I’d recommend using anyway.
Hotspot Shield offers monthly and yearly subscriptions starting at $2.99 / month. All premium plans remove IP logging, add access to all servers, allow streaming, provide 10 simultaneous devices, and are also backed by a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Hotspot Shield is a good free choice for beginners. Apart from having an intuitive macOS interface, it also provides unlimited data, pretty good speeds, and a decent split-tunneling feature — however, it limits access to servers in 3 countries, and it logs your IP address. To get access to better privacy, all servers, and more, you’ll need to upgrade to one of its premium plans.
Read the full Hotspot Shield review
Comparison of the Best Free VPNs for Mac in 2024
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
To find the best free VPNs for Mac, I followed our rigorous VPN testing methodology and conducted dozens of real-world tests. I tested things like speeds on distant and nearby servers, user-friendliness of the Mac app, security, and more. Every free VPN on my list passed all my tests. Here are the standards I used to determine the VPNs that I included in this list:
- I looked for VPNs with a good free plan. Free VPN plans are usually very limited, so I looked for free VPN plans that come with no ads, a decent selection of server locations, streaming or torrenting support, or decent data caps or unlimited data (Proton VPN’s free plan has unlimited data).
- I checked that the provider has a macOS app. The provider should have a dedicated macOS app that is compatible with popular macOS versions — most of the free macOS VPNs on my list work on macOS 11. Also, most of the VPNs I recommend support Apple’s M1/M2 chips.
- I picked VPNs with good security. To make sure your data is protected at all times, I only selected VPNs that have 256-bit AES encryption, a no-log policy to prevent the VPN from logging your data, a kill switch to prevent data leaks if the VPN disconnects, or protection against IPv6, DNS, or WebRTC leaks.
- I tested each VPN’s speeds. A VPN will always slow down your internet connection because of the encryption process. Free VPNs are slower than premium VPNs because they provide access to a small number of servers, which causes overcrowding. However, all of the free Mac VPNs on this list maintained decent speeds for most online activities during my tests.
- I made sure the VPN is user-friendly. The provider’s macOS app needs to be easy to download and install — the process should only take 1–2 minutes, and you shouldn’t have to perform inconvenient manual setups. What’s more, the macOS app needs to be intuitive and simple to navigate.
Risks & Disadvantages of Using a Free VPN on Your Mac
- Poor security — MacOS has great built-in security, but you can still be at risk if you use a free VPN. Your data could be leaked and you would be worse off than not using a VPN at all. It’s impossible to be sure where your data is going unless you’re using a trusted VPN with good security protocols and privacy features.
- Selling your data — Some free VPNs will track your activity (like your shopping habits and the websites you visit) and sell it to third parties. Using premium VPNs with strict no-logs policies and clear privacy policies is the only way to be sure your data isn’t being sold.
- Slow speeds — Many free VPNs have a small selection of servers, which means they get crowded and end up giving you slow speeds. Premium Mac VPNs have much larger networks of servers, which means fewer users connected to any server at once.
- Banned IP addresses — The servers of free VPNs usually employ reused IP addresses that numerous websites have previously blocked or blacklisted. Consequently, your browsing will be perpetually disrupted by security alerts and endless CAPTCHAs.
- Poor streaming support — You may not be able to watch streaming services with free VPNs, while premium VPNs like ExpressVPN come with excellent streaming capabilities, allowing you to watch your favorite movies and TV shows securely and in HD quality.
A premium macOS VPN like ExpressVPN can overcome these limitations. It offers consistently fast speeds, and with a no-logs policy and strong encryption, your privacy is well-guarded.
Free vs. Paid VPNs for Mac
The best free VPNs for Mac protect your security with essential features like 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and a strict no-logs policy. Some even go beyond the industry standard by offering advanced security features like full leak protection, RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and full-disk encryption to provide better security and privacy.
On the other hand, free VPNs often lack the premium features provided by paid VPNs. They typically have limited server networks, impose data usage restrictions, and support fewer simultaneous connections. Additionally, free VPNs may throttle your internet speeds and may not offer adequate support for streaming and peer-to-peer (P2P) activities.
Here are some examples of the drawbacks of free VPNs: hide.me allows torrenting and boasts decent speeds with ad-free unlimited data, but it restricts you to servers in only 5+ countries, restricts your speeds, and limits you to a single connection. Meanwhile, Hotspot Shield’s free plans both offer unlimited data (supported by ads), but you only get 3 countries to choose from, compared to hide.me’s 5 locations. And while Proton VPN’s free plan also offers unlimited connections, it doesn’t let you choose which server location to connect to.
In contrast, upgrading to a premium VPN service will provide better features and tools. With a paid VPN, you can enjoy unlimited data, access to a large server network, multiple simultaneous connections, blazing-fast speeds, and additional features like split-tunneling and an ad blocker. Moreover, most VPN providers offer competitive pricing and back their services with a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to test the product risk-free.
While there are some good free VPNs, they aren’t great. Paid VPNs are the better option.
Free Mac VPNs to Avoid
- Hola VPN. The free version of Hola VPN assigns you another user’s IP address while giving your IP address to someone else. This could potentially be a bad actor who uses it to engage in illegal activities. Additionally, Hola keeps user logs, doesn’t encrypt traffic, and has leaked user IP addresses in the past.
- SuperVPN. SuperVPN logs a lot of data, including your IP address, operating system, and browser type. Plus, it lacks essential security features and has been involved in data breaches exposing user details like IP addresses, emails, and locations.
- AceVPN. AceVPN doesn’t have a kill switch, only has around 20 server locations, and provides a single P2P server. Its biggest disadvantage, though, is the absence of dedicated apps, which means you’re left with the cumbersome task of manual configuration.
- TouchVPN. TouchVPN collects user IP addresses and browsing histories. This logging undermines the very privacy you’d expect from a VPN.
- Hoxx VPN. HoxxVPN logs your web activities, device details, and location. Its terms even suggest that it keeps your data even after you close your account with it, putting your long-term privacy at risk.
- TurboVPN. TurboVPN’s no-logs policy is very vague. It says that the VPN doesn’t track online activities, but it doesn’t say anything about not logging your IP address, which is a potential privacy loophole.
- Tuxler. TuxlerVPN logs web activities, browser details, and contact information. On top of that, its policy says it shares this data with third parties for business purposes.
- VPNBook. VPNBook requires manual configuration, which isn’t exactly user-friendly, and it stores your IP address and connection information (though it claims to delete them every week).
- Whitehat VPN. Whitehat VPN collects your IP address and allows third-party companies it partners with to use your IP address for business-related tasks, like price comparison, web testing, and market research.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- ZoogVPN. ZoogVPN’s free plan has fast speeds and access to servers in 8 countries. However, it lacks key security features, doesn’t have any cool extras, has lousy streaming support, and only allows 10 GB of data per month.
- Atlas VPN. Comes with a decent free plan that allows unlimited connections. That said, the free plan limits you to 5 GB per month and servers in only 2 countries.
- TunnelBear. It has industry-standard security features, a couple of cool extras, and the most adorable Mac app. It actually has a free plan, but it only includes 2 GB/month, which is only enough to test the service and see if it’s right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a 100% free VPN for Mac?
Yes. But all free VPNs come with some drawbacks, such as data caps, slower speeds, or a limited number of devices. For example, Proton VPN gives you unlimited data but only offers 5 server locations.
The only way to get access to all features is to use a paid VPN like ExpressVPN. You get high-end security, unlimited data, the fastest speeds, and you can try it all risk-free for 30 days with its money-back guarantee.
How do I set up a free VPN on my Mac?
This requires only 3 quick and simple steps:
- Download a VPN. I recommend Proton VPN because it has the best free plan for macOS — it has unlimited data, strong security, fast speeds, and a user-friendly macOS app.
- Connect to a server. For the fastest speeds, choose a server that’s closest to your location.
- Start browsing the web. That’s it. You can now safely browse the web, stream content, download files, and play games.
Is there a free VPN extension for Safari?
No, there aren’t any free VPNs with browser extensions for Safari. But, there are many good VPNs for Mac that can protect your data when browsing in Safari — Proton VPN is the best free VPN for macOS because it allows unlimited data, provides strong security and fast speeds, and has a very user-friendly macOS app.
Can I use a free Mac VPN on all of my other devices?
In most cases, no. Free VPNs for Mac are usually limited to 1 connection at a time, whereas upgrading to their premium versions gives you multiple simultaneous connections.
That’s why I recommend using a paid option — ExpressVPN, for example, allows you to set up its service on up to 8 devices, which is pretty decent.
