Anonymity, privacy, bypassing geolocation limits... the needs are many. The Web is supposed to be a free place, but today users must take more effective measures not only to protect themselves but also to access content blocked for incomprehensible reasons. That's where virtual private networks come into play, and there's nothing better than a total of five free VPNs to dip your toes in and get to know these services better.
Calling a user who pays for access to a service a 'pirate' is definitively absurd... unless it comes from a company like Sony, or another film giant. More and more Netflix users are using virtual private networks to access content available in other regions, and despite paying their monthly fee, the industry hawks want to force these users to consume content 'their way', in addition to having to pay for it, obviously. VPN access is one of the most important allies every user has at their disposal. If you need to transfer large volumes of information (streaming, BitTorrent, etc.), the best recommendation is to look directly for a service with full features, but if the idea is to browse, connect with others, and access content in a 'lighter' way, a free VPN should be sufficient. These are our five picks.
Hotspot Shield
Probably one of the most media-savvy services, Hotspot Shield has helped millions of users evade government restrictions (including the Great Firewall of China) and access restricted portals such as social networks and communication services. The free version of Hotspot Shield is funded by injecting ads during browsing, but its effectiveness and performance strike a more than acceptable balance in complex circumstances.
SecurityKISS
A simple interface, several servers to choose from, and the ability to manually control the path of all traffic through the encrypted tunnel make SecurityKISS a very interesting option. Its only limitation is that the free edition enables 300 megabytes of daily transfer. With enough discipline, we're talking about nine gigabytes per month, much more than needed for casual anonymous browsing.
Tor
Yes, I admit I'm cheating. Tor is not by definition a VPN service, however, its privacy and anonymity parameters place it at least on par with any traditional VPN. Accessing Tor requires a dedicated browser and a lot of discipline in using certain portals, not to mention the occasional dip in performance, but its popularity is irrefutable proof of its effectiveness.
proXPN
The first time we talked about proXPN was in July 2012, and it never completely left our radar. Unlike options like SecurityKISS, the limits for the free edition are not on data volume but on access speed. With a basic account, the user browses at about 300 kilobits per second, and the exit point is a single server in the United States.
VPNReactor
Our list closes with VPNReactor, and we leave it for last not because it's the best, but because it should be considered an emergency resource. In addition to requiring user registration and account validation once a month, VPNReactor splits its connectivity into 30-minute blocks. In other words, it's half an hour of VPN access and half an hour of waiting.
As you can see, in all examples, 'free' comes with some extra package. Data, time, or speed limits are the order of the day with free VPNs. Anyway, it would be madness to ignore their usefulness, and if you have other services in mind, the comments are open. Good luck!
