Best Free VPN for iPhone in 2026: 11 Free iOS VPNs Ranked (iPad Too)

Last verified 4 October 2026. The best free VPN for iPhone is Proton VPN: its iOS app has no data cap and no ads, and always-on VPN is permanently enabled. The trade-offs are one device at a time, an assigned country and a requirement for iOS 17. If you need to pick a country or cover several devices, Windscribe is the better free choice, with 10 GB a month, 10 countries and no device limit. Below are 11 free VPNs we checked against each vendor's own site and App Store listing this week, ranked for iPhone and iPad: data, locations, devices, what the app does when the tunnel drops, and its privacy label.

Toolradar data: of the 35 VPN tools in our catalog, 5 are completely free and another 16 are freemium. That catalog also covers business VPNs, not only consumer apps, so the list of genuinely free iPhone apps is shorter than it looks.

Quick Comparison

Our picks: the best free VPNs for iPhone, ranked

1. Proton VPN Free

Proton VPN's free plan is the one to install first on an iPhone or iPad. The App Store listing promises unlimited data with no bandwidth or speed restrictions, and Proton says the free service shows no ads. Always-on VPN is permanently activated on iOS, and the kill switch, strict no-logs policy and DNS leak protection are free. The privacy label lists contact info and diagnostics, not linked to your identity.

The limits: one device at a time, and no country choice. Proton's pricing page says free users connect to 10 countries, randomly selected. The app needs iOS 17 or iPadOS 17. The NetShield ad blocker, streaming and P2P are paid.

Pick it if you want an iPhone protected all day with nothing to ration, and you do not care which country you appear in.

2. Windscribe Free

Windscribe's free plan gives 10 GB a month once you confirm an email, or 2 GB without one. Free servers cover 10 countries: the US, Canada, UK, Hong Kong, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway and Romania. One account works on unlimited devices, so an iPhone, iPad and Mac can share it.

The App Store listing says the free tier keeps AES-256 encryption, the kill switch and the R.O.B.E.R.T. blocker for ads, trackers and malware domains. Its privacy label reads "Data Not Collected," and the iOS source code is public on GitHub. P2P and port forwarding are Pro features. Posting about Windscribe on X adds 5 GB a month permanently, and each friend who signs up adds 1 GB. Pro costs $9 a month or $69 a year.

Pick it if you want to choose your country, block ads and trackers system-wide, and cover your iPhone, iPad and Mac on one free account.

3. hide.me Free

hide.me's free VPN has no data cap and needs no registration: per its App Store listing, you tap "Get Your Free Plan," then "Enable VPN." You choose from 8 server locations, one device at a time, with no ads. The privacy label reads "Data Not Collected," and the app runs on iOS 12 or later, which covers older iPhones that newer apps have dropped.

hide.me's iPhone page says the app uses Apple's native VPN frameworks and reconnects automatically when you switch between Wi-Fi and cellular. It lists auto-reconnect, not a kill switch. The catch is speed: free accounts do not get unlimited speeds, and streaming servers are Premium only.

Pick it if you want an uncapped iPhone VPN without creating an account, or you are on an older iOS version.

4. PrivadoVPN Free

PrivadoVPN, based in Switzerland, gives 10 GB every 30 days with a verified email and no card. Free servers sit in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK and the US. It says you can stream and download on the free plan.

The free kill switch sits under the country dropdown in the iOS app. You can install the app on unlimited devices, but a free account connects one at a time. After 10 GB, Lite Mode keeps you connected at a reduced speed on an automatically chosen server. The privacy label lists identifiers and diagnostics, not linked to you. The app runs on iOS 12 or later but has about 4.0 stars from 737 ratings, against Proton's 4.6 from 115,000.

Pick it if you want Windscribe-sized data with a better shot at video, and one connected device is enough.

5. ZoogVPN Free

ZoogVPN offers a lifetime free plan with 10 GB that renews monthly and no credit card. Free users get 5 locations, including London, Washington and Amsterdam. The privacy label reads "Data Not Collected."

ZoogVPN's iPhone page says the app uses IKEv2 and VPN on Demand, which reconnects to your last location. The App Store listing mentions a kill switch, though the free-plan page calls it a desktop feature. Its own comparison is candid: free means limited speed, one device and 128-bit encryption, against 256-bit, 100+ locations and 10 devices on Premium, which costs $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year.

Pick it if you want 10 GB with a choice of location and a clean privacy label, and plan to upgrade if the network feels crowded.

6. AdGuard VPN Free

AdGuard VPN's free plan gives 3 GB a month on 2 devices at once. AdGuard's knowledge base lists the other limits: a 20 Mbit/s speed cap and only some server locations (the free-plan page counts 10). After 3 GB your speed drops, and some servers are locked. You sign in with an account, and the privacy label lists your email as data linked to you, used for app functionality.

The iPhone catch: free users on iOS and Android cannot send email in mail apps, because AdGuard blocks port 25. Web mail works. The iOS app has a Kill Switch setting, runs on AdGuard's own protocol, and lets you exclude websites (domains, not apps) or choose a DNS server such as AdGuard DNS to block ads.

Pick it if you already use AdGuard's ad blocker and want a light VPN on an iPhone plus one other device.

7. Cloudflare WARP (1.1.1.1)

WARP is Cloudflare's free 1.1.1.1 app for iPhone and iPad. Setup is short: accept the terms, install the VPN profile and tap the toggle. Cloudflare's launch post says basic WARP is free without bandwidth caps, and the App Store listing says it will not sell your data. The privacy label lists usage data and diagnostics, not linked to you. You can switch to DNS-only mode, or turn on 1.1.1.1 for Families to block malware and phishing. WARP+ is a paid tier.

It is not a location-changing VPN. Cloudflare's FAQ says sites see a Cloudflare IP representing your approximate location, so location-checked games or streaming may fail, and apps using your camera or microphone bypass WARP.

Pick it if you want to keep a café network or your ISP out of your browsing, not to appear in another country.

8. Opera Free VPN

The Opera browser for iPhone has a built-in free VPN with no account, extension, ads or bandwidth limit. On mobile you turn it on in Settings. Choose Ashburn in the US, Amsterdam or Singapore, or let Opera pick. Opera says its no-log policy is audited by Deloitte and the service is funded by search partnerships and paid VPN Pro.

The caveat is scope. It protects browsing inside Opera and nothing else on the phone, while VPN Pro covers every app with 48 locations. The App Store label for the Opera app lists location, identifiers, usage data and third-party advertising, not linked to you.

Pick it if private browsing on public Wi-Fi is all you need and you are happy to use Opera on your iPhone.

9. TunnelBear Free

TunnelBear's free plan gives 2 GB of secure browsing a month, with no ads or tracking by its own account. In December 2025 it announced that country selection and SplitBear split tunneling become paid features, and the pricing page now lists both under Unlimited.

On iPhone, TunnelBear's VigilantBear kill switch is documented for macOS, Windows and Android, not iOS. The iOS app lists Always On instead. The App Store label links your email and a device ID to you, for marketing, analytics and app functionality. Unlimited starts at $3.33 a month.

Pick it if you want the gentlest introduction to VPNs and only need protection now and then.

10. X-VPN Free

X-VPN needs no sign-up and has no data cap. Its per-platform table lists iOS with unlimited daily data, manual choice from 26 locations in 15+ countries, and a kill switch, although its iOS page lists the kill switch under Premium, so test it. X-VPN says a Big Four firm audited its no-logs policy.

The catch is advertising: the table says the iOS app shows ads, and the privacy label lists third-party advertising, location, identifiers and usage data, not linked to you. Static IP, streaming servers, P2P and 5 devices are Premium.

Pick it if you want uncapped data and manual country choice on your phone and can tolerate ads.

11. Planet VPN Free

Planet VPN offers unlimited data with no registration on 6 locations in 5 countries: the USA, UK, France, the Netherlands and Germany. Its iOS listing mentions a kill switch, IKEv2, OpenVPN and the StarGuard protocol, and says the free plan has unlimited devices. Premium adds ad and malware blocking, an app filter and 1,260+ servers in 60+ countries.

Planet VPN says the free version is funded by short ads. The App Store label lists location, contact info, identifiers and usage data, not linked to you: the longest list on this page.

Pick it if you want no cap and no account on a few Western locations, and accept ads and a long privacy label.

How to choose a free VPN for your iPhone

Decide whether you need a new location or just encryption. To keep your ISP or a hotel network out of your traffic, Proton VPN, hide.me and Cloudflare WARP are all uncapped. To appear in a specific country, rule out Proton, WARP and TunnelBear.

Match the cap to how you use the phone. Messaging and email fit inside 2 to 3 GB. Video does not. A phone that stays connected all day needs an uncapped plan: Proton VPN, hide.me, X-VPN or Planet VPN.

Check what happens when the tunnel drops. Proton's always-on is permanent on iOS. Windscribe, PrivadoVPN and AdGuard list a kill switch, hide.me reconnects automatically, and TunnelBear offers Always On.

Read the privacy label. Windscribe, hide.me and ZoogVPN report "Data Not Collected." AdGuard and TunnelBear link an email address to you. The ad-supported apps list the most.

Check your iOS version. Proton requires iOS 17. hide.me and PrivadoVPN run on iOS 12 or later, and WARP and TunnelBear on iOS 13.

Check who pays. For more options, see our broader guide to the best free VPNs, or the PC version if you also need Windows.

FAQ

What is the best free VPN for iPhone?

Proton VPN: no data cap, no ads, and always-on VPN with a kill switch on the free plan. Its limits are one device, an assigned country and iOS 17. Windscribe is the best free option if you need to pick a country or use several devices.

Is there a free VPN for iPad?

Yes. Every app in this guide has an iPad version in the App Store. Proton's runs on iPadOS 17 or later, and Windscribe's listing covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. The free-plan limits are the same as on iPhone.

Is there a free iPhone VPN with no data limit?

Proton VPN and hide.me are uncapped full-device VPNs with no ads in the app. X-VPN and Planet VPN are uncapped but show ads. Cloudflare WARP has no bandwidth cap but keeps your country, and Opera's VPN covers only its browser.

Which free iPhone VPN lets me choose my country?

Windscribe (10 countries), PrivadoVPN (10 countries), hide.me (8 locations), X-VPN (26 locations), Planet VPN (5 countries), ZoogVPN (5 locations) and Opera's browser VPN (3 regions). Proton VPN and TunnelBear assign a location.

Can I use one free VPN on my iPhone and iPad at the same time?

With Windscribe, yes: one free account covers unlimited devices. AdGuard VPN allows 2 at once. Proton VPN, hide.me, PrivadoVPN and ZoogVPN limit free accounts to one connection at a time.

Bottom line

Install Proton VPN on your iPhone if you want one free, uncapped connection you never have to think about. Choose Windscribe instead if you need to pick your country or protect more than one device. If neither fits, hide.me is the uncapped, no-account fallback, especially on an older iPhone. For most people the decision is simple: start with Proton VPN, and switch to Windscribe the day you need a specific country.