Best free VPN for Mac in 2025
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Mac users can face privacy and security risks like anyone else. A good VPN can help by hiding your IP address and personal details, even with an Apple account. It also protects your online activity from hackers and spies.
But free VPNs aren’t always safe.
Most free VPNs offer only basic protection with limited security and data. Some even sell your data to other companies, putting your privacy in danger.
That’s why I recommend using premium VPNs with free trials or money-back guarantees. They offer better security, unlimited data, and access to blocked content for a safer and smoother online experience.
In this article, I will review some of the most secure free Mac VPNs, discuss their pros and cons, and offer free trial alternatives to premium VPNs.
Best free VPNs for Mac
- NordVPN – the overall best free VPN for Mac
- Proton VPN – the reliable free VPN for Mac
- Hotspot Shield – the secure free Mac VPN
- Hide.me – the best free Mac VPN for unlimited bandwidth
- TunnelBear – the best user-friendly free VPN for Mac
Does Mac come with a free VPN?
Mac devices do not include a free VPN. In fact, none of the macOS devices have a built-in VPN at all. If you’re using a Mac for work, your workplace might have pre-installed a VPN, but for personal use, you would need to look for third-party applications.
Looking for third-party free VPNs can be risky, as not all providers are trustworthy. That is why I have researched and provided alternatives that have already been tested and proven to be secure to download on your Mac device.
Is there a good free VPN for Mac?
For basic VPN use, you can absolutely get a trustworthy and well-functioning free Mac VPN. Proton VPN, or any other that I wrote more about in this article, are notable examples of good quality VPNs that won’t cost you a dime. A free service is not necessarily worse, just more limited than paid alternatives.
Of course, if you want more servers, greater speeds, and a better ability to unblock geo-restricted streaming content, a free VPN is likely to be more disappointing than premium options. That is why in this article, I also included a short list of free-trial VPNs for Mac that you can read more about and decide upon based on your personal needs.
Best free-trial VPNs for Mac
If you’re looking for the best VPN for Mac, it’s worth checking out the free trial deals that some premium providers offer. For your convenience, here are the top 3 free-trial VPNs for Mac in 2025:
- NordVPN – a great VPN with advanced security features, great speed retention, and the ability to unblock the foreign content libraries of all major streaming services. It offers a 7-day free trial (but for Android devices only) and a 30-day money-back guarantee for all.
- Surfshark – another excellent and popular VPN provider. Surfshark offers a 7-day free trial for any macOS, iOS, or Android device. Additionally, you can claim a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Norton VPN – a great VPN option for those who value security above all else. This provider offers a 7-day free trial for all devices that already have a Norton antivirus. Otherwise, you can claim an impressive 60-day money-back guarantee.
Best free Mac VPNs – a detailed list
The test results narrowed the list down to the top 5 free VPNs for Mac. Based on the testing criteria, I further examined each provider to determine their position on the list. Below you can read their reviews and find out more about each free Mac VPN.
1. NordVPN – the best overall free VPN for Mac
| MacOS compatibility: | From macOS 10.12 |
| App store rating: | 4.8 |
| Devices supported: | 10 |
| Premium version (price): | Yes (From $3.39/month) |
NordVPN is one of the best free choices for Mac users in 2025, known for its fast speeds, strong security features, and extensive server network. Although it doesn’t offer a traditional free plan, NordVPN provides a 7-day free trial that offers a full experience of its premium features without limitations. This trial requires registration and a credit card but includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving users nearly a month of risk-free service.
Security and privacy – Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For security-conscious users, NordVPN is an excellent choice for Mac. It adheres to a strict no-logs policy that has been verified by third-party audits, ensuring that your online activities are never tracked or stored. Even during the free trial, NordVPN provides security features, including full AES-256 encryption, DNS leak protection, and a reliable kill switch that automatically disconnects your internet if the VPN connection drops. NordVPN also utilizes modern tunneling protocols like NordLynx (based on WireGuard) for fast and secure connections.
Another advantage of NordVPN is its jurisdiction in Panama, which is outside the Five, Nine, and Fourteen Eyes alliances. This means NordVPN is under no obligation to store or share user data with government agencies, further protecting your privacy. NordVPN’s privacy policy explicitly confirms this stance. Additionally, NordVPN has a solid security record with no known data breaches, providing added peace of mind for its users.
Bandwidth, speed, and servers – Great ⭐⭐⭐⭐
NordVPN’s free trial offers unlimited bandwidth, which is a rare benefit for a VPN trial. This means you can browse, stream, and download as much as you like without worrying about data limits. Speed tests show that NordVPN provides consistent and fast connections, with speed retention above 85% in key locations. For instance, in tests with a 500Mbps baseline speed, NordVPN retained around 90% of that speed, which is impressive. However, users might notice some speed variations when connecting to distant servers, which is typical of most VPN services.
Regarding server availability, NordVPN provides access to its entire network of over 7100 servers in Panama countries, even during the free trial. This is significantly more than many other VPNs offer for free, and it includes major locations like the US, UK, Canada, and Japan.
User reviews – Very Good ⭐⭐⭐⭐
NordVPN is well-regarded by users, holding a 4.8 rating on the App Store, a 4.4 rating on the Google Play Store, and a 4.5 rating on Trustpilot. Based on user feedback, most people are satisfied with NordVPN’s performance on Mac. The interface is intuitive, making it easy to connect to servers and adjust settings. Some users report occasional connectivity issues or speed drops, but these are typically resolved with the help of NordVPN’s support team. Like most VPNs, while the free trial is adequate for general browsing and streaming, it may not be the best for high-speed gaming due to possible latency. NordVPN’s free trial excels at unblocking geo-restricted content, which is a major plus for users looking to access international streaming libraries.
Personal experience – Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In my experience, NordVPN’s free trial on Mac provides more than enough features for everyday use. Setting up the app was straightforward, and the user interface is clean and user-friendly. The unlimited bandwidth allowed me to stream HD videos and browse the internet without any interruptions or data limits. I felt secure using public Wi-Fi, knowing that NordVPN’s encryption and security features were protecting my data. While the free trial offered a solid performance overall, I noticed slight speed variations when connecting to distant servers. Nonetheless, NordVPN’s reliability and security made it a great choice for my needs.
Premium version – Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For those considering an upgrade, NordVPN’s premium version is worth it. Starting at around $3.39/month with a 30-day money-back guarantee, the premium plan provides access to additional features such as specialized servers for streaming, P2P, and extra security measures. The premium version also supports up to 10 simultaneous connections, making it a great option for families or users with multiple devices. With enhanced speed optimization and the ability to bypass more stringent geo-restrictions, NordVPN’s premium service offers a comprehensive VPN solution that is hard to beat. Whether you’re streaming content from different countries or ensuring secure browsing, the premium version takes NordVPN’s already excellent service to the next level.
2. ProtonVPN – the reliable free VPN for Mac
| MacOS compatibility: | From macOS 10.12 |
| App store rating: | 4.6 |
| Devices supported: | 1 |
| Premium version (price): | Yes (From $3.59/month) |
As far as free versions go, Proton is the most reliable free VPN for Mac in 2025. It offers unlimited bandwidth, a proven strict no-logs policy, reliability confirmed by a no-breach history, and no ads.
Security and privacy – Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For security-oriented individuals, ProtonVPN is one the best options for Mac. It has a no-logs policy, confirmed by third-party audits. Also, even the free version has a full disk, highly secure AES-256 encryption, DNS leak protection, and a reliable kill switch in case of a loss of VPN connection. Modern tunneling protocols, such as OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, and Stealth, further ensure user data protection.
Another great thing about Proton is that its jurisdiction is outside any of the eyes alliance countries. It means that Proton is under no obligation to store user activity data or share it with any government agencies unless specifically required to do so. Its privacy policy confirms it. Also, Proton had no known data breaches, except for DNS leak reports by an occasional Reddit user, which got quickly resolved.
Bandwidth, speed, and servers – Great ⭐⭐⭐⭐
ProtonVPN offers unlimited bandwidth. Only Hide.me can offer the same on this list, and it’s very rare for a free service to offer it in general. However, while still relatively fast, Proton’s paid version has faster speeds than free plan. For example, the baseline network speed was 500Mbps before the test. With Proton’s premium plan, speed retention was 90%, which is very high. But with the free version, the download speeds were about 10 times lower than the baseline.
And speaking of servers, Proton’s free VPN for Mac offers 5 locations, which is average compared to other providers, and an unspecified number of servers in them. The main servers are in the US and Japan, and, like all VPNs, Proton VPN is highly restricted in China.
User experience – Good ⭐⭐⭐
In general, ProtonVPN is rated 4.6 on the App Store, 4.4 on the Google Play Store, and 4.1 on Trustpilot. Based on user reviews, most people are quite satisfied with Proton’s free VPN for Mac. The main complaints tend to be about connectivity and connectivity speed issues, all seemingly resolved by moderators and support teams. Just like most free VPNs, Proton’s free version is not very suitable for gaming, as servers can be quite far away, which can cause lag. Also, compared to other VPNs on this list, Proton’s free version is not as great as unblocking geo-restricted streaming content.
Personal experience – Great ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Personally, I found that Proton’s free VPN provides enough features for everyday use. For example, if I were to use public Wi-Fi, Proton would be a good choice for security. The unlimited bandwidth, in particular, is a great feature, but I would pinpoint some areas of improvement, such as more server locations and a better ability to unblock geo-restricted content.
Premium version – Great ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you ever want an upgrade or are simply curious about the difference between Proton’s free and paid versions, it’s worth noting that you can get a more feature-rich Proton version for $3.59/month and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Proton’s premium version includes the ability to unblock streaming service foreign libraries, excellent speed retention, and 10 simultaneous connections – enough for the whole family.
3. Hotspot Shield – the most secure free Mac VPN
| MacOS compatibility: | From macOS 10.15 |
| App store rating: | 4.6 |
| Devices supported: | 1 |
| Premium version (price): | Yes (From $2.99/month) |
For those getting a free Mac VPN for online privacy and cyber threats, Hotspot Shield is the best option in the market. And while it’s not without faults, Hotspot Shield is certainly an attention-worthy free VPN.
Security and privacy – Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hotspot Shield’s user privacy is protected by the kill switch and no-logs policy, which was confirmed by independent auditors. Also, Hotspot Shield never had a data breach, and there’s nothing in the user reviews about potential online security or privacy issues either. Additionally, this VPN comes with a Hydra protocol that uses TLS-256 encryption and DNS leak protection. Those are unusual protocols for a VPN, as most use AES-256 encryption, but certainly no less secure. But, like most free VPNs, Hotspot Shield does not have RAM-only servers.
Bandwidth, speed, and servers – Good ⭐⭐⭐
Unlike ProtonVPN, Hotspot Shield does limit the bandwidth. Furthermore, the limit is quite low compared to other providers on this list, with only 500MB a day. While regular daily activities shouldn’t be affected by this cap, streaming, and gaming would be less accessible.
To, perhaps, make up for it, Hotspot Shield free VPN officially offers up to 1Gbps connection speed. However, due to the limited number of servers, you should know that this speed might be significantly lower. That has less to do with the VPN and more with its overcrowded internet traffic and servers.
In total, Hotspot Shield’s free VPN for Mac only has 4 available locations to pick from, with the main server list being in the United States.
User experience – Great ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Online search did not reveal any complaints – any issues that people mentioned seemed to be temporary bugs. And even if Hotspot Shield is just as lacking for gaming opportunities as other free VPNs, it performed remarkably well at unblocking streaming content. So, you’ll be able to watch your favorite shows without investing a dime extra.
Personal experience – Good ⭐⭐⭐
While I found the limited locations and bandwidth a bit disappointing, overall, the free Hotspot Shield version is still pretty good. I appreciate its numerous security features, which are rare for a free service. And it seems that other users agree with me since they rated Hotspot Shield 4.6 on the App Store, 4.4 on Google Play, and 4.1 on Trustpilot.
Premium version – Great ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you want more advanced features with your Hotspot Shield VPN, such as Up to 10 simultaneous connections, 85 locations, and specialized streaming mode, you can get a premium subscription for $2.99/month with its annual plan.
4. Hide.me – the best free Mac VPN for unlimited bandwidth
| MacOS compatibility: | From macOS 10.15 |
| App store rating: | 4.5 |
| Devices supported: | 1 |
| Premium version (price): | Yes (From $2.29/month) |
Hide.me is one of the best free VPNs for those who seek unlimited bandwidth and enough locations to support streaming needs. While it only supports one device, its premium version has extra features.
Security and privacy – Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hide.me is a very secure free VPN with no history of breaches or user data leaks. Additionally, its no-logs policy is supported by third-party auditors. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Hide.me free version has a well-functioning kill switch and exceptionally secure AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption. Finally, like all reliable VPNs, Hide.me has DNS leak protection, which is great for streaming.
Bandwidth, speed, and servers – Great ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Just like ProtonVPN, Hide.me offers unlimited bandwidth. So, you’ll be able to use this VPN as much as you’ll want, with no daily restrictions. Hide.me also claims not to restrict speed, but, as testing showed, you should expect that the free version will have slow speeds compared to the paid one. On the plus side, Hide.me has 8 server locations (only Windscribe and TunnelBear offer more on this list), with the main free servers being in the US, Canada, UK, and Singapore.
User experience – Great ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Speed inconsistency seems to be the main issue that many users face, as well as issues with billing, but that mostly applies to the paid plans. Nevertheless, the general user online experience with Hide.me seems to be very good, as it was rated 4.5 on the App Store, 4.3 on Google Play, and an impressive 4.8 on Trustpilot.
Personal experience – Good ⭐⭐⭐
While the ability to stream freely is certainly appealing, I found Hide.me to be a bit lacking compared to its premium version. Most noticeable was the difference in speed, with the free version causing buffering that premium Hide.me doesn’t. On the plus side, I didn’t have to worry about reaching the bandwidth cap, as Hide.me does not limit it.
Premium version – Good ⭐⭐⭐
If you enjoy Hide.me, but would like a more improved version of it, you can get a premium subscription for $2.29/month. That’s a fairly good price, but, for example, Surfshark costs around $2.19/month and is much more feature-rich. Still, the Hide.me paid version offers more simultaneous connections, servers, features, and better speeds than the free version, but some users experienced issues with billing, so be aware of that if you want to upgrade.
5. TunnelBear – a great user-friendly free Mac VPN
| MacOS compatibility: | From macOS 11 |
| App store rating: | 4.7 |
| Devices supported: | Unlimited |
| Premium version (price): | Yes (From $3.33/month) |
TunnelBear is a great free Virtual Private Network for Mac for new and experienced users. Particularly user-friendly is its fun interface with beautiful graphics.
Security and privacy – Good ⭐⭐⭐
Theoretically, TunnelBear has everything a VPN might need to be private and secure: no-logs policy, a kill switch, an independent security audit, and yearly transparency reports. Its encryption is also faultless – AES-256 and ChaCha20, the same as NordVPN. TunnelBear also has DNS leak protection. However, in 2023 this free VPN had a minor data breach, proving that there still are areas of improvement.
Bandwidth, speed, and servers – Great ⭐⭐⭐⭐
TunnelBear’s weak spot is its bandwidth. The limit is 2GB every month, which isn’t a lot. Streaming alone can cause the limit to be reached before the month even passes. However, other features somewhat make up for it.
TunnelBear has no speed limit on its free version. That means that this VPNs speed retention is the same on paid and free versions. I found TunnelBear’s ability to provide almost the same service to free version users as it does to paid ones very admirable, especially that the server number is also the same as in the paid version, with the main servers located in the US, UK, and Canada.
User experience – Good ⭐⭐⭐
General user experience with this free Mac VPN seems mostly positive. Some reviews complain about connectivity or interface glitch issues, but overall, customers seem quite satisfied. This is illustrated by the app’s ratings – TunnelBear scored 4.7 on the App Store, 4.1 on the Google Play Store, and 3.4 on Trustpilot.
Personal experience – Great ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed testing TunnelBear’s interface. This is not only due to its unique and fun design but also because it provides a single-click connection without the need for additional setup. And while it’s not great for gaming, TunnelBear is capable of unblocking geo-restricted streaming content, so this VPN has optimal performance.
Premium version – Good ⭐⭐⭐
TunnelBear’s extensive free version makes its paid subscriptions somewhat irrelevant. Since both free and paid versions have the same number of device connections and servers, a paid subscription can only offer unlimited bandwidth. And since paid subscription costs from $3.33/month, it seems a bit much for only one noticeable feature.
Free VPNs for Mac – comparison
| Brand | Rating | Compatibility | App store rating | Description |
| NordVPN | macOS 10.12 or later | 4.8 | The overall best free VPN for Mac | |
| Proton | macOS 10.15 or later | 4.6 | The best reliable VPN for Mac | |
| Hotspot Shield | macOS 10.15 or later | 4.5 | The best free Mac VPN for security | |
| Hide.me | macOS 11 or later | 4.7 | The best free Mac VPN for unlimited bandwidth | |
| TunnelBear | macOS 10.14 or later | 4.8 | The best user-friendly free VPN for Mac |
How we tested the free Mac VPNs
Together with our research team, I tested 43 VPNs to determine which ones were free, reliable, and suitable for Mac devices. The test was performed on a MacBook Air 7.2 with 1.8 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 and 8GB of RAM device. I then rated the suitable candidates and applied their ranking on the list based on the following criteria:
- Privacy (20% of the total score): I investigated if a free VPN for Mac keeps logs of user activity and if the provider had any prior user data breaches. Those that had more features to ensure data privacy and had no previous incidents were ranked higher.
- Security (20% of the total score): I checked if the VPN provider has essential security features, such as strong data encryption, kill switch, if it has modern split tunneling protocols, and so on, that would ensure secure connections.
- Bandwidth and connection speed (20% of the total score): I ranked higher those free Mac VPNs that either had unlimited bandwidth or had a fair data cap that would be enough for regular use. I also checked if using a VPN caused any drop in connectivity speed.
- Server availability (10% of the total score): since free VPNs tend not to have a great selection of servers, I aimed to rate higher those that did provide a greater number of available locations. I also checked which countries the highly-rated free VPNs for Mac have servers in.
- Usage (10%): I researched if a free Mac VPN works with gaming or streaming. However, it must be noted that free VPNs tend not to provide many opportunities to bypass geo-restrictions.
- User reviews (5%): I checked what rating users of free VPNs gave the provider on Trustpilot, Apple App Store, and Google Play. I also took note of any reported issues.
- Multiple device coverage (5%): most free Mac VPNs only cover a single device, but I aimed to rate higher those providers that support more than one device.
- Feature limitations (5%): it is no secret that free versions of premium VPNs have a lower number of available features. During the testing, I compared paid and free versions to determine the difference.
- Personal experience (5%): as a user myself, I checked the overall performance of each selected Mac VPN, how the interface looked, and if there were any noticeable downsides.
Is free VPN for Mac safe?
Free VPNs for Mac can be perfectly safe if they have the right security features. Some of those features that you should keep an eye out for are DNS leak protection, a functional kill switch, and strong encryption to hide your IP address. Many free VPNs do not have the right security infrastructure to offer all of those features, but there are some that can provide exceptional safety.
Usually, those free VPN services that have a paid version tend to be more secure, as they have the resources to invest in a quality product that can effectively prevent your IP leaks. But if you’re not sure if the free VPN of your choice has the necessary features, checking for information on forums like Reddit or even official websites can help.
Free VPNs for Mac to avoid
When considering VPN options for your Mac, it's essential to steer clear of certain free providers that come with potential risks and limitations. While there are many reliable options, here are some to be cautious of:
- Hola VPN. This provider has been questioned for logging practices and possible security vulnerabilities.
- Betternet. This free VPN service was criticized for involvement in third-party advertising and lack of transparency in data handling.
- Opera Free VPN. This browser’s VPN is actually not truly a VPN but a web proxy and it keeps logs of user activity to then sell to third parties.
- All app-store-only free VPNs. If you can’t investigate the features or the provider and can’t find any information about independent audits or the general safety of the app – do not download it. It might be malware disguised as a VPN.
How to get a free VPN for Mac?
While the method of getting a free VPN for Mac depends on the provider of your choosing, most of the time the process is very similar and straightforward:
- Choose a reliable free Mac VPN
- Create an account and sign up with your email
- Complete the confirmation via the email address that you’ve signed up with
- Download the VPN application
- Connect to one of the servers
Conclusion
Since macOS does not include a VPN, getting a free service is a great alternative to make your Mac more private and secure. Free VPNs tend to be more limited in servers and simultaneous connections, but, as this article has shown, they can be great for daily use, including streaming.
However, you must be cautious about free services in general. Some might be malware in disguise, while others cover their expenses by selling your data to advertisers. The best options are those that have both premium and free versions. I recommend ProtonVPN. It’s highly secure, has an independently audited no-logs policy, and has a fair number of locations to connect to.
But if you don’t mind spending a bit extra to get more servers, greater gaming and streaming compatibility, and the ability to link more devices, then a premium VPN like NordVPN is your best bet. Besides, NordVPN is available on a 7-day free trial, so you can test both this VPN and Proton to determine which one suits you best.
FAQ
Is there a 100% free VPN for Mac?
There are multiple completely free Mac VPNs. The most reliable option is ProtonVPN because it does not keep logs of user activity, does not contain ads, and offers unlimited bandwidth. But if Proton is not for you, there are more reliable options that should be equally good.
How to get a VPN on a MacBook for free?
First, pick a free VPN, such as ProtonVPN or Hotspot Shield. Then, create an account and download the app either through the browser or the App Store. Finally, pick your server location and start using your free MacBook VPN.
Is there a free VPN extension for Safari?
No, Safari does not have a built-in or free VPN extension. Very few free third-party VPNs have a browser extension. However, you can download any free VPN app on your device, and it will automatically work with anything that you might browse on Safari.
Does MacBook Air have a built-in VPN?
No, MacBook Air does not have a built-in VPN. If you want to use a free VPN on your MacBook Air, you would need to get a third-party app like ProtonVPN. You can also get a premium VPN subscription, such as NordVPN.
Does MacBook Pro have a built-in VPN?
No, like all macOS devices, MacBook Pro does not have a built-in VPN. However, it does not prevent the use of third-party VPN apps, so you can download a free app, like ProtonVPN, or get a paid subscription.
Is there a free Mac VPN to change location?
Yes, ProtonVPN is a free VPN for Mac with servers in four different locations. It allows you to change your IP virtual location and access geo-restricted content, such as foreign streaming service libraries.
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