Free VPN vs. Paid VPN
The continuous debate for any consumer is: do I buy it? Or should I just get the free one? There’ll never be a winner since it’s hard to argue with free, but then again, you get what you pay for. So here's what a free VPN offers.
Free VPN Experience
So you downloaded your first free VPN that attracted you with a nice logo and fancy description on how they offer UNLIMITED data usage and ultra-high-speed. Sounds like a good deal, but that should be an immediate red flag. A VPN provider’s basic functions keep us safe and hidden when we’re online allowing us to visit certain websites anywhere in the world with full access at a high-speed rate.
Secrecy
Some paid VPN providers offer premium services in which you start for free and then upgrade to the paid packages. Most of these don’t collect your data and sell it to 3rd parties for profit, but instead, provide you with limited services in the chance that you’ll upgrade for the full experience.
But free VPNs don’t protect your privacy and keep data logs on your activities and connections. With no revenue coming from consumers, the only way for them to earn a profit is by integrating ads with the user experience. They target you by analyzing your traffic and activity and selling your browsing data.
That means your data isn’t even 100% secured despite having a Free VPN installed. And just because you’re hiding from your internet service provider (ISP), doesn’t mean you’re completely in the dark. Clever hackers will find a way to track down your activity and steal valuable information. While paid VPN users have the option to hide their tracks and teleport their IP address to any country they want (or what they can choose from), free VPN users are much more limited.
Security
Paying for a good VPN provider means you’re getting your money’s worth by keeping your data safe. A paid VPN provider guarantees secure protocols and complete anonymity, unlike free VPN providers which offer limited protocols. Free VPNs are enough to secure you from your internet service provider, but not enough for hackers to infiltrate your web traffic and eventually steal valuable information.
Free VPNs are enough to secure you from your internet service provider, but not enough for hackers to infiltrate your web traffic and eventually steal valuable information.
Going for a paid VPN provider allows you to explore OpenVPN which is an open-source protocol that uses SSL. The encryption used here is the same one used in banks for security. And what makes this stand out is that it’s compatible with Windows, Linux, Android, and IOS. Another open-source protocol is SoftEther which supports SSL, OpenVPN, IPSec, L2TP, and L2TPv3. StrongSwan, another open-source VPN, uses IPsec or IKEv2, which the latter is quicker than OpenVPN. It’s not the easiest open-source VPN to set up and certainly isn’t a walk in the park when using it. But they know their clients who don’t mind the challenge. It’s in these protocols that you’ll get ultimate security.
Speed
People often forget that VPNs are expensive to run and need a full team working day and night to provide the services and keep them operative. And that’s only scratching the surface. It’s just very unlikely that you’d find a super-fast VPN that’s also free. These companies that provide free VPN services have bills and salaries to pay, and if they’re not getting it from you then they’re getting it from somewhere else. And with not so much cash flow, then you can’t expect the speed to be top-notch.
Tech Support
You’re bound to run into issues when using any VPN provider. It may be from either the user or the provider, however, there’ll always be someone to assist you. Free VPN services aren’t well known for their full customer support. With a lack of funds to properly finance a technical support team, you’ll find limited help when coming across a problem that would require proper assistance. They’ll offer a FAQ page, but that won’t be enough to solve every problem that comes across.
Paid VPN Experience
By now, you may still be convinced that going for a free VPN provider is the way to go. But here are some good reasons to start reconsidering.
No Censorship
Unless you’re in a selected number of countries that block VPN providers like North Korea, Iran, or China (just to name a few), then you can enjoy a full censor-free experience whenever your VPN is on. Not to mention the unlimited bandwidth caps and fast speed that come with it which are ideal for gaming, streaming, and media consumption. And not to mention no ad interruption in between.
Extra Security
Just because you’re running a VPN in the background, doesn’t mean that you’re completely safe. You may have clicked on a malicious link and malware has infected your device. Free VPNs don’t offer extra cybersecurity which comes with ad-blockers, and antivirus, and are prone to leaving you exposed. Paid VPNs can automatically block suspicious sites whenever they detect something threatening.
Another security feature is the Kill Switch which instantly pulls the plug of your internet connection in case it detects a sudden drop or disruption in the VPN connection. It does this so that you don’t accidentally expose your true whereabouts and identity online. In the case of a disturbance, it ceases any access to the internet and then reconnects you to the last VPN server you were using. A VPN disconnection isn’t when you’re in a low signal spot, but when something strange occurs, oftentimes without you realizing it, and weakens the internet connection.
Without the kill switch feature enabled, your device will resort back to the original IP address of your internet service provider making the whole process of having a VPN redundant. Free VPN providers don’t usually have this extra security feature which is something to keep in mind.
You can find almost everything sold on the Dark Web, including personal information. Maybe even your personal information. Some paid VPNs have a Dark Web Monitor which sniffs out any exposed credentials that may be sold without your consent in the shady corners of the Dark Web. It works behind the scenes and allows you to browse the internet without any interruption. But if it detects any of your information swimming around, then it will alert you immediately.
Global
Paid VPN services are designed to offer several global server locations since they can financially support operating each server cluster. If you lived in the United States and wish to watch what’s available on Netflix in the UK, then a paid VPN service will make you feel like you’re there, while the free VPN will lag and hamper your experience. Having this option also increases your chances of getting attacked by hackers since you can constantly change your server location at any time.
Additional Features
Paid VPN services are reliable and are always online whenever you face a problem that isn’t in the FAQ section. Customer support is useful and experienced to handle any situation that follows. And on top of that, paid VPNs have some additional extra features to elevate the user experience.
Split tunneling allows you to customize which apps can run with a VPN activated. If you install a VPN and realize that you’re only using it for one thing, then split tunneling can turn a blind eye on certain apps and keep you on track for the handful of apps. It’s useful if you don’t want the VPN to secure every internet activity you do.
Most VPNs offer you the choice of picking any protocol designed for the activity you desire. If one day you feel like streaming videos, then you can select a protocol fit for that activity. And if you feel like file sharing, then you can connect yourself to a protocol that works perfectly with P2P transfers without any lag or disruptions.
Almost everyone will want to have a VPN installed on multiple devices. Paid VPN providers can let you have a VPN account on more than one device which is especially useful if you want to be secured on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Bottom line
Having a paid VPN subscription will alleviate the risk of having your data stolen, unlike a free VPN. The safest way would be to pay the money to get the money’s worth. However, if you’re in a tight spot, then the freemium approach would be suitable. Some VPN providers offer this package which will allow you to upgrade at your own pace. Using a free VPN is enough for quick browsing, but not enough for complete immunity.
Some free VPN providers have better options than others but that doesn’t make them good. Even if you found a free VPN that fits your needs, you’re still going to be limited and face a lot of setbacks. Let’s not forget the ads constantly interrupting you. It’s always better to pay a little extra for safety and anonymity.
