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Streaming or browsing the web without protecting your privacy is never a good move. Such a carefree action might cause irreparable damages to you if cybercriminals intercept your personal information. That’s why we always recommend a reliable VPN service to protect your identity by encrypting your data online. But those services can be costly unless you opt for a free VPN service.
Free VPNs are usually not the trend amongst privacy savvy internet users. Many people run away from them to avoid being compromised. Moreover, it’s hard to find a free service that can break the tough geoblocks on Netflix.
So, if you’re at a crossroads now about all this, let’s help you out. In this article, we present the best free VPNs for Netflix. We will also share some details about how they work, how you can watch Netflix through them, and the downsides of using the free VPNs.
Keep reading!
How Does a VPN Work?
A virtual private network (VPN) is a service that ensures online privacy for users. It protects you by routing your connection through its servers so that no one can identify your IP address. A VPN also protects your data with robust encryption protocols to render it unusable for any malicious third-party that intercepts it.
According to PrivacySavvy.com,
“As an encrypted connection, a virtual private network or a VPN ensures the user’s connection over the internet from their device to all the networks is safe and secure.”
With a VPN, you can browse the web anonymously and also change your geographical location to any country you want.
There’re two available VPN services for anyone to use-paid and free VPNs. While the premium services provide optimal user experience, the free versions may offer limited functionalities. But whether you use the paid or free version, you can still do a lot of things like masking your identity and browsing anonymously.
When it comes to using VPNs for Netflix, it all depends on the country you live in. Netflix has some country-specific content that is only available to the specified countries. It means that there’re some contents you may not access from some countries in the world. It may be that movies or TV shows are censored or blocked due to your location.
This is why you need a VPN to bypass the restrictions and enjoy your streaming. The truth is that free VPN services are not reliable when it comes to bypassing restrictions on Netflix. The site identifies them quickly and blocks them too. So, it looks like you need the top giants in the industry to achieve this goal.
But some freebies can actually work against Netflix and give you access to the content you want. However, you will be violating Netflix’s Terms & Conditions if you do it. So, think about it well.
Disadvantages of Using Free VPNs
One of the reasons we always recommend premium VPN services is that they offer all the functionalities you need. But when you rely on free VPN services, you’re exposing yourself to many problems and possible cyberattacks. So before you decide to use a free Netflix VPN, consider the following dangers.
Free VPNs offer limited data.
You should know about free VPNs because they won’t give you the right amount of data for your needs. They’ll offer little and ask you to subscribe for the full package. Some can even limit your monthly data to 500MB just to frustrate you into paying for the premium version.
Lack of security
A VPN is supposed to protect you online so that cybercriminals won’t steal your data. But it’s unfortunate that most of the free services you find today contain malware.
Some of them also contain bugs that will further compromise your devices and open them up to malware and viruses. You may not know this, but those free VPN services you use can only make money through ads. If you don’t want to be a victim, thin twice before using such services.
Free VPNs can’t bypass Netflix geoblocks
It’s hard to find a free VPN service that is capable of unblocking Netflix. Many streaming sites use hardcore geoblocks to protect their contents. Sometimes to access such restricted content, you must subscribe to a strong VPN service because many premium ones can’t unblock the site. Bypassing Netflix geoblocks is not easy unless you have the right resources, which you can’t find in a free VPN service.
Free VPN tracks your activity online
Here is another danger you face while using a free VPN. They track your online activities with third-party trackers, which they hide in the software. Once you download and install the VPN, it records everything you do online and sells the data to online advertisers.
They’ll frustrate you with ads
These free services make money from ad revenue. That’s why they can’t leave you alone while using their network. So, if you don’t want to face such bombardment, don’t go near them. Moreover, if you’re getting specific ads tailored to what you search for online, it means that the VPN is selling your browsing data to third parties.
Free VPNs slows down your browsing speed
Most of these free services can frustrate you into an unwanted upgrade. They’ll prioritize the needs of their paying clients and bring down the speed of other freeloaders. So if you’re using a free VPN and wonder why you’re browsing at a snail-pace speed, know that the service is targeting you for an upgrade.
What Can you do to watch Netflix with a VPN for free?
There’re three ways you can try if you want to watch Netflix with a VPN.
Use a free Netflix VPN
Netflix easily identifies the IP addresses of many VPN service providers. That’s why it’s easy for it to block the free services because those IP addresses are widespread and easy to identity.
But it may surprise you that some free VPNs have in time past successfully unblocked Netflix for some users. So, if you want to try them, by all means, do. You may be surprised that they’ll work but if not, better go for a reliable and strong premium service.
Utilize the Free Trial Periods
Did you know that many big shots in the market actually allow people to test their services before subscription? This means that you can use their servers for some specific period of time before you need to subscribe. Why not give this option a trial? But bear in mind that some will require your payment details, but they’ll not charge you during the free period.
Explore the money-back guarantee option
If you want to use a strong VPN for a long time without paying, go for the services that offer money-back guarantee opportunities. How does it work? You’ll subscribe to a plan and cancel it before the time elapses to get your money back.
Some quality VPNs can offer from 14 days to 45-days money-back guarantees. So, you can use the service for the allowable period and still get your money back. With this method, you can stream Netflix for up to one month before you cancel or pay if you’re up for it.
Best Free Netflix VPNs
If you don’t want to utilize the free trial periods or the money-back guarantees, you can try these free Netflix VPNs.
One of the selling points of this free VPN is that it gives free unlimited data to users. Many services that offer a free version will reduce your monthly data limit to something you can’t imagine to force you into subscribing.
But ProtonVPN is not like that. However, it has a downside, which is bandwidth throttling. This means that even if you access Netflix with Proton, you’re not watching any movies in HD. Your speed will be frustratingly slow, and you can scream for all the buffering you have to bear.
Also, ProtonVPN is not reliable when it comes to unblocking Netflix. It’s true the service has servers in the US, Japan, and the Netherlands. But there’s no guarantee that you can access Netflix in those countries. If you’re lucky, you may get Japanese Netflix, but this may not be possible for everyone or available every time.
So, we recommend that you subscribe to the premium version for an optimum experience.
Here is another free Netflix VPN service you can try if you want. There’s no guarantee that you’ll access Netflix, but a trial won’t harm anyone. Windscribe is very easy to install, and you don’t have to spend a cent trying it out.
One of the high points of this VPN service is that it offers lots of premium features without asking for payments. Users get a monthly 10GB of data, a firewall, 10 servers, and a chance to choose between IPsec/IKev2 and OpenVPN. But it doesn’t give users access to “Windflix servers” that can allow them to bypass Netflix geoblocks in some countries.
Final Words
Virtual private networks are vital to internet users. A strong VPN can shield you from spying, internet throttling, cyberattack, and doxing. It’s very risky even to stream your favorite sites without a VPN. Some streaming sites like Netflix won’t even be accessible in some locations without a VPN.
Unfortunately, you may need to pay some money to utilize the premium features of robust VPNs. But it doesn’t mean that free VPNs are entirely useless. They have their downsides, but you can still use them to watch Netflix occasionally if you’re lucky.
