9 Best Free VPN for Linux in 2024

Do you prefer Linux to other operating systems due to its built-in security, unmatched uptime, or open-source, free nature? If so, you may want to consider using a Virtual Private Networks (VPN) service that can speed up all your activities on the Internet and enhance your online security, offering you secure, seamless streaming from anywhere.

There are many VPNs that claim to work well for Linux; but when we tried them out, we found that many of them were prone to irritations like sluggish speed, extremely busy servers, and other unpredictable problems. If you are looking for the best free VPN for Linux, we’ve got you covered.

Having conducted trial runs on dozens of free VPNs for Linux, we identified 9 that we consider the most user-friendly and safe of the free Linux VPNs, and we will discuss each of them below.

However, before we start, you need to be aware that many free VPNs have serious drawbacks and limitations, exposing free users to security breaches, data caps, or simply providing an ineffective VPN connection. The best way to get access to a reputable free service is to use the following reputable VPN service providers for their free trial periods.

9 Best Free VPNs for Linux 

Whichever Linux distros you choose, you’ll want to use a free VPN provider that offers quick installation, great security features, and top speeds.

We vetted over 40 services to help you access secure streaming and online access from any location.

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Linux, with over 3,000 servers in 94 countries worldwide.

This premium VPN offers the fastest Internet connection, with no data cap, unlimited free bandwidth, and the ability to easily unblock streaming sites with buffer-free quality, such as BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix libraries, and more.

This VPN has top security and privacy features, like an automatic Kill Switch, military-grade encryption, IP and DNS leak protection, and the assurance that they do not keep any user logs.

ExpressVPN has a Linux version that is the same as its versions for macOS and Windows, so it allows you access to its many server locations, giving you access to geo-restricted platforms and sites around the globe.

ExpressVPN provides you with a clear and easy, step-by-step guide to installation and it is compatible with Debian, Fedora, Linux, Ubuntu, Arch, Raspberry Pi, and CentOS. Manual installation is also possible or it can be run with extensions from Chrome or Firefox on your browser. You can also opt for manual setup via the Linux terminal or the Network Manager.

ExpressVPN offers live chat support, all day, every day, to address your difficulties and provide answers to all your questions.

Strangely, this VPN for Linux happens to be a premium paid VPN, so what is it doing on our list of best free VPN services?

Well, because you can try it out for 30 days and get all your money back if you are dissatisfied, we consider this VPN service as good as free.

2. NordVPN

NordVPN is a great, low-cost VPN for Linux, with over 5,000 servers in 60 countries worldwide.

When it comes to streaming geo-restricted content, NordVPN is a great choice, with no data cap, unlimited bandwidth, and a proven record at unblocking sites like BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and more.

This VPN has a dedicated Linux app that is easy to install and use and offers great security features and VPN settings, like an ad blocker, anti-malware filter, automatic Kill Switch, AES 256-bit encryption, and a strict no-logging policy.

If you are trying to figure out the right VPN protocol to use, or how best to use this VPN for Linux, you can contact its support team, available 24/7 via live chat option.

If you need, you can also check out the NordVPN website for help on setting up and using the Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Elementary OS, and Debian Linux distributions, as well as setup guides for other operating systems.

You can connect your VPN using the Linux kernel Network Manager, or the Linux Terminal.

Since this VPN does not offer a completely free plan, you can essentially pretend it is free by taking advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee.

3. Surfshark

This low-cost, dependable VPN allows Linux users to use it for a month as a free VPN for Linux as it offers you a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied.

Surfshark has a command-line app that works with Linux distro as well as Debian and Ubuntu distros. Connections are speedy from any of their many server locations and Shurfshark is a great option if you want to stream content while you are away from home, as it can safely unblock platforms like BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Hulu.

A unique feature of Surfshark is that it places no limit on the number of device connections it allows on your account, so you can use it with your Linux system while anyone else in your family uses the same VPN account to connect to Mac, iOS, Android, Windows, or other devices.

When you use this free Linux VPN, you will also get access to unlimited torrenting and server switching, as well as no data cap.

Surfshark offers a 24/7 chat option to assist and help you any time you encounter difficulties.

4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is included on our list of best free VPN service options for Linux because it provides you with a free, unrestricted 24-hour test-run of its easy-to-use Linux app, in addition to offering users a free plan with its 45-day money-back guarantee.

This free Linux VPN offers a simple way to connect to Linux, with almost 7,500 servers spread across 90 countries, and no limits on bandwidth.

Because it has a large range of server types and locations, users have a huge range of possibilities when accessing geo-blocked content or streaming services, like Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and many more.

The CyberGhost app supports Linux distros that include Linux Mint 20, Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, Kali, and PopOS, as well as Android and iOS operating systems; and users can connect up to 7 devices simultaneously to a single CyberGhost account.

When we tested CyberGhost’s VPN servers, we found that they were remarkably fast. Because of the quick connections, your streaming will not be subject to lag or load time, and it will be buffer-free on most servers.

CyberGhost’s impressive security features include AES 256-bit Encryption, which is equivalent to that used in the military. It also offers an Internet Kill Switch that acts to cut your connection in the event that your secure VPN connection is interrupted, ensuring that no one can access your information at any point. On top of these, CyberGhost assures Linux users that it does not keep any logs of your data.

5. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA) is another good free VPN for Linux, offering servers spread across almost 80 countries worldwide.

This VPN supports Ubuntu OpenVPN packages, Fedora, Mint, Debian, and Arch, as well as other Linux distros; and you can connect up to 10 devices to a single user account.

To manually configure your VPN on Linux, download the OpenVPN configuration files from PIA and follow the prompts. Since PIA hasn’t provided WireGuard configuration files, you will have to install OpenVPN when configuring manually.

PIA also offers users a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can use this as if it is a free VPN for Linux for 30 days and get a full refund at any point during that period if you choose to do so.

6. IPVanish

IPVanish has over 1900 anonymous servers in over 75 countries around the globe, with over 40,000 shared IPs.

IPVanish has proven to unblock most major streaming platforms, like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and more.

It has native apps for most devices, like Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac, Linux, Amazon Fire TV, and Amazon Fire Stick.

IPVanish has above-average speeds and offers all the important security features, like 256-bit AES-Encryption, SOCKS5 web proxy, a Kill Switch, DNS, and IPv6 leak protection, and a no-logs policy.

It is important to note that, even if IPVanish has a no-logs policy, it is based in the privacy-unfriendly US, which is inside the 5/9/14 Eyes territory.

A really sweet feature – IPVanish includes SugarSync secure cloud storage (250 GB) with all of its VPN plans. This encrypts your Internet connection and files as well as provides secure file management and encrypted data backup for your devices. You can also use this to remotely wipe your data and account information in the event that you lose your phone.

Like CyberGhost, IPVanish allows for unlimited simultaneous device connections. If you aren’t sure you want to go with IPVanish, you can use it for a few weeks and then get a full refund with the IPVanish 30-day money-back guarantee.

7. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a surprisingly unique VPN with a free plan that beats out a lot of its free competitors.

If you want to use the free plan to connect to Linux, you will have to first install OpenVPN and set up your VPN connection.

Despite the fact that there are no data limits on this free plan, ProtonVPN’s free option leaves a lot to be desired in terms of speed, as the connectivity speed is limited significantly on this free plan.

Another limitation that comes with this free option is that you will only be able to connect to up to 3 countries, making it tricky to get past geo-restrictions in other locations, and none of these servers will support torrenting.

If you want more of a range of resources, you can opt for the 7–day trial for the ProtonVPN premium VPN plan and see if it is worth upgrading. In my mind, it is better to start with a Premium plan in the first place, such as ExpressVPN, and opt for the 30-day money-back guarantee in place of this free limited option.

8. Windscribe

If you want to use a VPN absolutely free of cost, you can try Windscribe. To get the Windscribe free service, all you have to do is sign up with a legitimate email address, and you will get up to 10GB of data per month.

This free plan will also offer you the option to connect to servers in more than 10 countries, as well as an unlimited number of device connections, which is a unique feature to see in a free plan.

Windscribe is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, web browsers, and Linux distros like Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and CentOS. Despite its compatibility, Windscribe is simply not the best free VPN for Linux because its Linux connectivity just isn’t as smooth as its Windows or Mac apps, and its data caps are restrictive.

If you want to use one of the above VPNs for Linux that offers you a money-back guarantee instead of a free plan, you will get benefits like unlimited data, which this VPN does not offer. Unlimited data can be particularly important if you are streaming content in HD, which can require upwards of 3GB in just an hour.

9. Hide.me

Hide.me is another free VPN option that may or may not be sufficient at helping you access your Linux kernel.

While free is good, the 2GB of free monthly data that Hide.me offers is simply not enough when you want to stream music or video content.

On top of this, there are only servers that are accessible on this free plan in up to 5 worldwide locations, which makes it hard to unblock content or to torrent.

On the plus side, Hide.me does offer users good safety features, with AES 256-bit encryption, a Kill Switch, IP leak protection, and a no-logs policy.

For more server options and more data available, you will need to upgrade to the premium plan, which you can try with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

How We Analyzed and Ranked These Free VPN Services

When trying to identify the best free VPN for Linux, we tested the security, speed, torrenting, and streaming capabilities of each of the VPNs:

Security

We only rate a VPN as being able to protect your security if it uses 256-bit encryption. Anything from 128-bit encryption has the ability to provide adequate protection for streaming, torrenting, or browsing purposes, but 256-bit is the standard on the VPN market today, which is the standard used by the military.

We also checked the Privacy Policy for each of the VPNs to confirm its level of encryption and to guarantee that it has a strict no-log policy.

Next, we checked each VPN server to ensure that it protected our IP and correctly routed our DNS requests using a DNS/IPv6 leak test.

Furthermore, we checked each free VPN in terms of other security characteristics that the service claimed to provide, e.g., malware blockers, DNS leak protection, and automatic Kill Switches, rating those that offer all of these the most highly.

Speed

To ascertain the speed of each free Linux VPN, I conducted a speed test for each one, using a variety of servers, and I did so during both off-peak and peak times. My recommendations only include a free VPN if it offered sufficient speed to allow you to stream and torrent in HD.

Torrenting

We checked out the ability of each free VPN for Linux by ascertaining if each VPN offers sufficient security to ensure that it is safe to use when uploading or downloading files through BitTorrent.

We also contacted the Customer Support service for each free VPN to make sure that it offers P2P support for its free version and then used each one to share both private videos and photos with family members, using P2P.

Streaming

We tested each free VPN to determine its ability to unblock geo-restricted streaming sites and to check whether it was compatible with Hulu, BBC iPlayer, HBO GO, and Netflix US.

Drawbacks of Free VPN Service

You can feel confident when using any of the services we have mentioned in this article because they are tried and tested as being safe to use. However, if you use a free version, you need to be aware that using many of the free VPNs can seriously compromise your security. It is far easier to access your data and steal it because they do not offer an optimal level of encryption and they tend to omit elements that protect you online, like a Kill Switch, WebRTC blocking, and leak protection.

The issue that we encountered most commonly when testing free VPN providers was that they provided insufficient speed and bandwidth and did not allow for enough data. As a result, using their free version on any operating system was irritating and we often had to deal with frustrating buffering.

A final factor to bear in mind is that very few of the free VPNs are actually able to configure to a Linux distro as their compatibility is limited to macOS and Windows. It is easy to access help in setting up Ubuntu, but it is far more challenging to get assistance when accessing distros like OpenSUSE, Fedora, and Mint. There is no doubt that a premium VPN offers you far superior support for all platforms, including Linux than any free version is able to offer.

So, if you insist on free, the best hack is to sign up for a premium VPN, like ExpressVPN, and use it for the duration of its money-back guarantee trial period. You can even jump from VPN provider to VPN provider, taking advantage of the free trial on as many as you want consecutively if you insist on not paying for a plan; Believe me —  it’s been done!

VPNs to Avoid

Let’s be honest here —  there are plenty of these! These VPNs are ones that are particularly ineffective, or even harmful, and you should make a point to steer clear if you do not want to waste your time and your resources:

1. itshidden

itshidden is a service that offers free VPNs but, due to the fact that it only offers PTPP connections, it actually offers hardly any security features at all. If you check its privacy policy, it is laughably brief and does not even make sense! It only claims to not have any user logs, which may mean that it will protect user data. We think you would be making a huge mistake to use its free VPN for Linux, or, indeed, for anything else.

2. SecurityKISS

Aside from the fact that the name sounds kind of eerie, there are other issues with this VPN.

If you go online and google Free VPNs for Linux, SecurityKISS is likely to come up as an option. Beware, as this free VPN’s service is known to store the IP addresses and connection logs of its users, which clearly compromises its online security. It also has a data cap, as its free version only allows you to use 300 MB per day, which is not even close to sufficient.

3. USAIP

USAIP is another one that only uses PTPP connections and provides a very second-rate service —  but you could end up on this VPN provider’s website when you Google Best Free VPNs. Further, this VPN does not provide DNS servers of its own, so your Internet Service Provider can still keep tabs on your activity. Oh — and if you are worried about logging, this service does not disclose its logs policy, so your guess is as good as ours.

FAQs

Conclusion

Having researched a large number of VPN companies that claim to offer free VPN options for Linux, we want to warn you against believing that you can access a top-quality Linux VPN without paying anything for it.

In fact, by using a completely free Linux VPN you will very likely expose yourself to a variety of risks that could end up costing you far more than a small monthly charge for one of the premium services. You run a very high risk of having your data stolen and used against you, of frustratingly slow operating speed, and of viruses that could pose a grave danger to your computer.

You could easily be scammed or hacked and it may extremely difficult to solve any problems that may develop as free VPNs tend to place priority on other operating software.

To ensure that your device is safe and able to function optimally, we highly recommend using a VPN that offers you a profile that is dedicated to Linux and which has many servers and a fast download speed.

Our prime recommendation for the best free VPN for Linux is ExpressVPN, which has the additional benefit of a free 30-day trial. This allows you to try its service without any risk, experiencing the full range of its exceptional features, knowing that you can get all your money back in the unlikely case that you are not entirely satisfied.