Is It Good Practice To Use a Free VPN?

Most people cannot or opt not to pay for a trusted VPN service, so they go for a free VPN service instead. A VPN (a virtual private network) that provides top-level encryption protocols and guaranteed privacy indeed comes with a price. This is why many people go for free VPNs; that can be a risky move. Keeping this in mind, if someone cannot afford a paid VPN service, choosing a free VPN pops up as an option, or just simply avoiding it is the best?

Being able to bypass the geo-restricted content and streaming services such as nvidia shield, Netflix, Disney Plus, and Hulu you need a trusted VPN provider to do the job. Trusting a VPN with it is not a good idea. 

What does a VPN do?

The primary purpose of a VPN is to encrypt the internet traffic and IP address. This prevents users from keeping their online activity hidden from the eyes of the internet service provider (ISP), government, and other third parties. This is possible by connecting virtually to the servers placed in multiple locations, which helps change your IP address, so you cannot be tracked by the websites you visit.  

Moreover, VPNs come in handy if you want to bypass the geo-restricted content in your country. For instance, many streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Plus are unavailable in many countries because of geo-restriction. This is where a trusted and best VPN for Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Plus is needed, such as Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, etc.

Some of the top-notch VPN service providers can cost up to $10 a month, which is why people go for free VPNs. However, if you plan to subscribe to a plan for a longer duration, then the per month charges can be reduced. But then again, many people do not prefer to be engaged with a VPN service for this long, although it is the best deal they can get.

Is it a good practice to use free VPNs?

Before going any further, you have to understand that every VPN is different. It varies how each VPN handles your data and provides an encryption protocol that guarantees top-edge security. Other than that, free VPNs have a reputation for being risky which is pretty understandable.

Free VPN companies are well companies, and they need to make a profit. If they do not charge their users, how do you think they get something out of it? This is where ads and logs come into the picture. VPN logs are basically databases that hold information about VPN users. In this case, the IP addresses, online activity, and connected devices are the type of data that is primarily tracked.

There are VPN services that sell this data to third parties. This helps them get a good profit from it without even charging the users. However, this entirely defeats the whole point of using a VPN. At the same time, there is no certainty on whether the trusted and paid VPNs keep track of your data and sell it to third parties or not. Trusted VPN services have a no-log policy to assure their customers that they do not keep track of their data. However, this does not ensure that the logs are not being kept, but when it comes to free VPNs, the water is way murkier.

Should you use a free VPN or no VPN at all?

It depends on which free VPN you decide to use. If you think that paid VPN services are a lot for you to handle, then the only options you are left with are either a free VPN or no VPN at all. There are indeed some free VPNs in the market that handle your online data in the best way and ensure it doesn’t get into the wrong hands. However, most free VPNs fail to handle your personal information, which you should be concerned about. You can try and enter your IP address in an IP lookup tool to see whether it is the same or has been changed after connecting with the free VPN.

If you only want to bypass any geo-restricted website or streaming service, then maybe a free VPN is a good idea. But if you want to ensure a highly secure and private connection, then maybe a free VPN should not be your top choice here. Additionally, free VPNs affect your internet speed negatively. What good is a VPN if it interferes with the internet speed and makes the experience worse for you?

Top reasons why free VPNs are dangerous

Rather than protecting your privacy, free VPNs undermine it. Some of the free VPNs do not even have the resources to guard your data which results in the failure to prevent others from selling it.

1.     Free VPNs collect and sell the data.

When it comes to respecting your privacy, a majority of VPNs are not the paragon of virtue. They do not only collect your data but sell it as well. The only way for them to stay in business is by selling your data. This best fits the explanation of the company making money and paying its employees without charging a single penny from you.

2.     Free VPNs slow down the internet connection.

If you have ever used a free VPN, the lack of internet speed is something you must have observed. It is something that you can find in every VPN service. Spending your valuable time waiting for the internet to work smoothly is not fun.

3.     Free VPNs show intrusive ads.

Think of intrusive ads as the price you pay for getting a free VPN service. Free VPN providers have had this practice for so long. They make the ads pop up or simply redirect you to sponsored pages. This can be annoying for you if you are in a hurry.

Conclusion

While browsing the internet, there is a lot to worry about these days. The ISP-tracking, malware, and third-party cookies are some of the problems you have to worry about. The only way to get a smooth experience using the internet privately is by getting a subscription to a trusted VPN service provider.

Also Read: The Live Video Should Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy For These Reasons.