VPN free trials which ones are real
Most "30-day free trials" are refunds: you pay first and ask for your money back. We read the pages of 15 VPNs to sort the real trials from the refunds and the free plans.
Checked by hand on 2 October 2026, on each company’s own pages.All 19 quotes re-checked yesterday and still there.
The short answer
If you read nothing else, read this.
- Real free trials, where you pay $0 to start: Avast 60 days, NordVPN and Surfshark 7 days on their websites, PIA 7 days and ExpressVPN 3 days in the phone apps only.
- All of them ask for payment details first, except one: CyberGhost's 24-hour trial on Windows or Mac needs no card at all.
- "30-day free trial" usually means a refund. On their websites ExpressVPN, PIA and Proton charge you first, then refund you if you ask within 30 days. ExpressVPN says it plainly: "ExpressVPN does not currently offer a 30-day free trial."
- Free for good, no card: Proton VPN (no data limit, 1 device), Windscribe (10GB a month), PrivadoVPN (10GB every 30 days), TunnelBear (2GB a month), Hotspot Shield (500 MB a day).
- The low monthly prices need years paid at once. Surfshark's $2.49 a month is $67.23 for the first 27 months.
A free trial and a money-back guarantee are not the same thing
- Free trial: you pay $0 to start. If you cancel before it ends, you never pay. Most VPN trials still ask for a card or PayPal, so cancelling is your job.
- Money-back guarantee: you pay the full price first, often for one or two years. If you ask within the window (usually 30 days), they refund you. Renewals are usually not covered, and app store purchases go through Apple or Google.
Many VPN pages call the second one a "risk-free trial". It is a refund. The money leaves your account on day one.
Real free trials
You pay $0 to start. Read on each VPN's own pages on 2 October 2026.
- Free trial
- 60 days
- Payment details
- Needed
- Where
- Website, Windows and Mac
- Then
- $95.76 for the first 2 years
In their own words(2, checked 2 Oct)
- Free trial
- 7 days
- Payment details
- Card or PayPal
- Which plans
- 1 or 2 years, top tier only
Only some countries qualify, the US and UK included. Android has its own 3-day trial through Google Play. Paid plans also have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
In their own words(2, checked 2 Oct)
“Yes - NordVPN offers a free 7-day VPN trial so you can explore every feature of your chosen plan before paying anything.”
“While you are required to enter a valid payment method to begin the trial, you will not have to pay anything until the trial period is over.”
- Free trial
- 7 days
- Payment details
- Card, PayPal or Apple Pay
- Which plans
- 12 or 24 months
- Then
- $67.23 for 27 months
When the trial ends you are charged, and a 30-day money-back guarantee starts.
In their own words(2, checked 2 Oct)
“To activate your free trial, choose a 12-month or 24-month Surfshark plan and provide your email and payment details (credit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay) to verify you are a first-time user. You will pay $0.00 upfront and receive complete, unrestricted access to reliable VPN protection for 7 days.”
“NOTE: We also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Once the trial ends, your payment is charged, and you can still request a full refund within 30 days.”
- Windows, Mac
- 24 hours, no payment details
- iPhone
- 7 days
- Android
- 3 days
- Refund
- 45 days (14 on monthly)
The phone trials need a payment method in the app store.
In their own words(1, checked 2 Oct)
“Windows and macOS users don’t need payment details to start the 24-hour trial. Android and iOS users require a payment method under app store policies, but there’s no upfront payment. Cancel the mobile trial before it ends if you don’t want the subscription to continue.”
- Free trial
- 7 days, phone apps only
- Card
- Not needed, other store payment works
- Website
- 30-day money-back only
In their own words(2, checked 2 Oct)
“You can also get a 100% free VPN trial if you download and subscribe to PIA directly from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. First-time mobile subscribers can try PIA free for 7 days, without any pre-payment.”
“You can get PIA’s 7-day free trial without a credit card by selecting an alternative payment method at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store checkout.”
- Free trial
- 3 days, phone apps only
- Payment
- Store payment method needed
- Website
- 30-day money-back only
In their own words(2, checked 2 Oct)
“The ExpressVPN 3-day free trial is available on Android and iOS. To activate it, you’ll need a valid payment method linked to your App Store or Google Play account.”
“No. ExpressVPN does not currently offer a 30-day free trial.”
Free plans, no card
Free with no end date. Each has a limit, and the limit is the whole story.
- Data
- No limit
- Devices
- 1 at a time
- Servers
- 10 countries
In their own words(1, checked 2 Oct)
“We don’t impose any time, speed, or data limits if you’re on the Proton VPN Free plan. If you want to use Proton VPN on more than one device, you can upgrade to a paid plan.”
- Data
- 10GB a month
- Needs
- A confirmed email (else 2GB)
- Trial
- None, on purpose
In their own words(1, checked 2 Oct)
“Free users can access servers in 10 different countries and with a confirmed email address, with data usage capped at 10GB/month. We don't require an email address from you so if you didn’t sign up with one or you never confirmed it, you will be limited to 2GB/month.”
- Data
- 10GB every 30 days
- Devices
- 1 on free
- Trial
- None
In their own words(1, checked 2 Oct)
“We do not offer a free trial, however you can sign up for PrivadoVPN for free and get 10GB of monthly usage and access to of our fastest global servers.”
- Data
- 2GB a month
- Speed
- Same as paid
In their own words(1, checked 2 Oct)
“Our free TunnelBear accounts allow you to have access to 2GB of data per month. This data resets on the monthly anniversary of your account creation. Unused data does not carry over.”
- Data
- 500 MB a day
- Speed
- Up to 2 Mbps
- Locations
- 1 (US)
A 7-day Premium trial is listed on Google Play. On the website, the trial link now opens a paid first month at $1.99.
In their own words(1, checked 16 Oct)
“Up to 2 Mbps speed limit Limited SD streaming 500 MB daily data limit No browsing activity logs Military-grade encryption Connect to 1 virtual location (U.S.)”
Refund only: you pay first
No free trial and no free plan. Each gives your money back if you ask in time.
- Price
- €5 a month, one flat rate
- Refund
- 14 days from payment
No free plan, no trial and no discount for paying longer. Cash and crypto are not refunded.
In their own words(1, checked 2 Oct)
“We offer users a 14-day money-back guarantee. The 14-day period starts when your payment is made.”
IPVanish
- Refund
- 30 days, yearly plans only
- Monthly plans
- Not covered
In their own words(1, checked 2 Oct)
“Get a 100% refund within 30 days when you choose a yearly or 2-year plan.”
PureVPN
- Trial
- Paid: $0.99 for 7 days
- Then
- $47.95 for 12 months
- Refund
- 31 days
In their own words(1, checked 2 Oct)
“Pay just $0.99 today. After your 7-day trial, you'll be charged $47.95 for 12 months unless you cancel.”
Read off each VPN's own page by our reader. Open a row for every fact and its sentence.
VPNs in our catalogue 13
VPN and private browsing
7 days freeFree plan
VPN and private browsing
7 days freeFree planthen $3.33/mo
VPN and private browsing
Free plan
VPN and private browsing
Free planthen $9.99/mo
Antivirus and device security
Free planthen $1/mo
VPN and private browsing
60 days freeCard needed
Antivirus and device security
7 days freethen $3.49/mo
Antivirus and device security
7 days freethen $11.95/mo
Antivirus and device security
7 days freeCard neededthen $2.49/mo
Antivirus and device security
3 days freethen $2.99/mo
VPN and private browsing
Free trialthen €11.99/mo
Antivirus and device security
then $2.39/mo
Antivirus and device security
then €5/mo
Their own words, tool by tool (13)
- Hotspot Shield: “Start a 7-day free trial of our premium plan to experience the benefits firsthand.”
- TunnelBear: “Try it free for 7 days”
- PrivadoVPN: “We do not offer a free trial, however you can sign up for PrivadoVPN for free and get 10GB of monthly usage and access to of our fastest global servers.”
- Proton VPN: “Proton Free $0.00 /month”
- Windscribe: “Free forever. 10 GB a month. No credit card, no logs, no catch.”
- Avast SecureLine VPN: “Try it free for 60 days (Pay $0 at checkout)”
- NordVPN: “Yes - NordVPN offers a free 7-day VPN trial so you can explore every feature of your chosen plan before paying anything.”
- Private Internet Access: “You can also get a 100% free VPN trial if you download and subscribe to PIA directly from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. First-time mobile subscribers can try PIA free for 7 days, without any pre-payment.”
- Surfshark: “re-read on surfshark.com/vpn-free-trial, 7 October 2026: 'Start your 7-day free trial today for 0.00' and 'Our free trial is available on all 12-month and 24-month plans'. Payment details are asked for to verify a first-…”
- ExpressVPN: “Yes, ExpressVPN offers a 3-day free trial on iOS and Android when you sign up through the app. For new users who sign up directly through the website, ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with the option to re…”
- CyberGhost VPN: “Start a 24-hour desktop trial without using your card”
- IPVanish: “up – File Sync & Share – Phone Support – IPVanish Essential $2.39 /mo Get Essential IPVanish Advanced $3.59 /mo Get Advanced Best Protection Essential $3.89 /m”
- Mullvad VPN: “The cost for the service is €5 per month.”
Questions
Which VPN has a free trial without a credit card?
CyberGhost's 24-hour trial on Windows and macOS needs no payment details at all. PIA's 7-day trial in the phone apps needs no credit card if you pick another payment method in the App Store or Google Play. Proton VPN, Windscribe, PrivadoVPN and TunnelBear have free plans with no card.
Which VPN has the longest free trial?
Avast SecureLine VPN: 60 days, paying $0 at checkout, but you must give payment details first. NordVPN and Surfshark give 7 days.
Does ExpressVPN have a free trial?
Only a 3-day trial in its iOS and Android apps, with a payment method on your app store account. On the website it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee instead: you pay first and can ask for a refund.
Does NordVPN have a free trial?
Yes: 7 days for new users on 1-year or 2-year top-tier plans, in some countries, with a card or PayPal to start. Android also has a 3-day trial through Google Play.
Is a 30-day money-back guarantee a free trial?
No. You pay the full price first, often for one or two years, and the VPN refunds you if you ask within 30 days. Renewals and app store purchases are usually not covered.
How we checked
Every fact here comes from the company’s own page, with the sentence it is in. The facts checked for this guide show the day we read them. The tables come from our catalogue, which re-reads each price page on its own. When a page does not say something, we write that, and we never guess. How we check