Best Free VPNs for Europe in 2023
If you are traveling in Europe and wish to access all your favorite services and retain online security while using public WIFI, you need a VPN.
A VPN encrypts your online traffic and sends it through a VPN server. That’s how your device is assigned a different IP address, allowing you to hide your identity and access various services in any location. Because your traffic is encrypted, nobody can read or use it against you or for their private agenda.
In case you don't want to read the entire article, here’s a quick summary of the best VPN services according to our independent tests and research:
- NordVPN Best VPN for general work and entertainment purposes. I found it to be reliable, high-speed, and easy to set up, and it's one that I use daily for work.
- ProtonVPN (Free Version) Proton is often referred to as the single most trustworthy company in the VPN business. They focus on security over anything else and offer the best free VPN available. This is the company behind ProtonMail.
- CyberGhost VPN was voted as the best gaming VPN for 2023 and is one of the cheapest VPN services among the whole top 10.
VPN Europe
RANK
BRAND
DEVICES
STATS
DOWNLOAD
1
6
6 simultaneous devices.
- ● Fastest VPN 2023
- ● Servers: 5300+
- ● Countries: 60+
WHY I LIKE NORDVPN NordVPN has long been regarded as one of the strongest brands in cybersecurity. With one of the largest server offerings on my list and support for most, if not all operating systems, making NordVPN an obvious choice for many. They have 24/7 customer support if you need help getting started. Their app is one of the most well-designed apps I have ever used. NordVPN even accepts cryptocurrencies as payment for extra anonymity.
2
∞
Unlimited simultaneous devices.
- ● Best Cheap VPN 2023
- ● Servers: 3200+
- ● Countries: 65+
WHY I LIKE SURFSHARK: Surfshark VPN is perfect for those who want a cheap and reliable VPN that also has many extra features. "Camouflage Mode" hides your usage from your ISP, "Kill Switch" suspends your connection and protects your information if you temporarily lose Internet access, "MultiHop" to connect from multiple countries at the same time just to name a few. My favorite feature of Surfshark is "Whitelists" which allow the user to exclude specific apps and programs from the VPN connection.
3
7
7 simultaneous devices.
- ● Best Torrent VPN
- ● Servers: 7400+
- ● Countries: 91+
WHY I LIKE CYBERGHOST CyberGhost VPN is the first choice of many other cybersecurity experts, and the reason is clear; they have the most complete VPN service. An incredible number of extra features that are best suited for the more advanced users but also work flawlessly for every-day purposes like P2P-filesharing. Cyberghost VPN also has the longest stretching money-back guarantee at a full 45 days.
4
∞
Unlimited simultaneous devices.
- ● Best Netflix/Streaming VPN
- ● Servers: 35500+
- ● Countries: 84+
WHY I LIKE PIA VPN: PrivateInternetAccess is at the top of my streaming tests, which is a great combination with their easy-to-use UI, Open-Source software and built in adblocker. PIA is also perfect for those who want to be able to pay with PayPal which for some reason, many other VPN services do not support. 30-day money-back guarantee, multiple Netflix libraries, and extremely affordable are the three main selling points for this VPN service.
5
∞
Unlimited simultaneous devices.
- ● Robust/Security focused
- ● Servers: 750+
- ● Countries: 43+
WHY I LIKE ATLAS VPN: Atlas VPN is one of the best new free VPN services. With the free version, you get unlimited data, no ads and zero logging. During my speed tests, Atlas VPN performed very well and could compete with mainstream services. Kill Switch, Ad-blocker, and P2P support all included with a regular subscription, which is incredibly cheap for such a robust service.
6
10
10 simultaneous devices.
- ● Best Free VPN 2023
- ● Servers: 1713+
- ● Countries: 63+
WHY I LIKE PROTONVPN: ProtonVPN is based in Switzerland and is most known for their e-mail service ProtonMail. They currently offer the safest free VPN services on the market. There is also support for TOR usage and P2P file sharing. I highly recommend ProtonVPN if you are intending to do some extensive online sharing. It goes without saying that Proton does not collect logs of any kind and is completely safe to use.
7
10
10 simultaneous devices.
- ● Best VPN for Gaming and Streaming
- ● Servers: 200+
- ● Countries: 63+
WHY I LIKE PRIVATEVPN: PrivateVPN is the strong underdog in the world of VPNs. With a shy number of servers, it is evident that they are focusing on quality over quantity. Overall, PrivateVPN is a very decent choice of VPN, especially if you had enough of the excessive advertising by some of the other more known brands in this list. Setting up the VPN requires extremely little intervention, and you can even pay with Bitcoin.
8
49%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
30 day money-back guarantee.
- ● Best Mobile VPN app
- ● Servers: 3000+
- ● Countries: 94+
10
77%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
45 day money-back guarantee.
- ● Fastest free VPN
- ● Servers: 3200+
- ● Countries: 80+
11
85%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
7 day money-back guarantee.
- ● Great free VPN
- ● Servers: 1000+
- ● Countries: 26+
12
68%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
10 day money-back guarantee.
- ● Best reputation
- ● Servers: 91+
- ● Countries: 17+
14
79%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
15 day money-back guarantee.
- ★ Great adblocker included
- ★ Servers: 1800+
- ★ Countries: 20+
15
66%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
30 day money-back guarantee.
- ● 5 devices simultaneously
- ● Unlimited usage
- ● 50+ locations
16
70%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
30 day money-back guarantee.
- ● Unlimited traffic
- ● Up to 1 Gbps
- ● Free trial
17
85%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
30 day money-back guarantee.
- ● 10 devices
- ● Unlimited bandwidth
- ● Countries: 60+
19
$5.00 /user
14 day free trial/money-back guarantee.
- ● Simple Cloud VPN Setup
- ● Site-to-site VPN Tunneling
- ● Easy Server & User Management
21
67%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
7 day money-back guarantee.
- ● 5 devices
- ● Locations: 65+
- ● 24/7 live support
22
80%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
30 day money-back guarantee.
- ● 10 devices
- ● Countries: 20+
- ● P2P Optimization
23
66%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
Basic, advanced, and pro plans.
- ● Countries: 22+
- ● Locations: 36+
- ● 24/7 live support
24
79%
DISCOUNT
DISCOUNT
30 day money-back guarantee.
- ● Best multi-device VPN
- ● Servers: 1000+
- ● Countries: 200+
What Are the Best VPNs for Europe?
Your online safety is not guaranteed while you are traveling in Europe. In addition, many of the services you are subscribed to in your country are inaccessible due to geographical restrictions.
Below you will find our list of 5 best VPNs for Europe. They all have outstanding safety features (AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, no-logging policy), and most have several thousand servers worldwide.
NordVPN
Even though NordVPN has 5,600+ servers, more than ExpressVPN, its servers are located in fewer locations (Express 94 vs. Nord 59). Still, 59 is more than enough to provide excellent service for privacy, streaming, and speed.
NordVPN’s headquarters are in Panama, which has no retention laws. Coupled with the fact that the company has a strict no-logs policy, this means that none of your information will be stored or delivered to third persons.
NordVPN allows up to 6 simultaneous connections. Though you can torrent on all of Nord’s servers, its special P2P servers have a better capacity to handle large data transfers, which means much faster downloading.
NordVPN’s special features include:
- Double kill switch: one to disconnect you from the Internet if your VPN connection fails and the other to prevent your access to certain apps;
- Obfuscated servers, which help avoid Internet restrictions and VPN-blocking firewalls;
- Double IP, which allows you to change your IP twice to increase your privacy;
- Onion over VPN is a layered type of encryption that makes it impossible for others to see where the traffic is coming from.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is located in the British Virgin Islands, a good VPN location. With over 3,000 servers in 94 countries and great unblocking ability, you will have no problem accessing your favorite streaming services.
ExpressVPN has apps for all operative systems and devices and allows up to 5 simultaneous connections on one subscription. In addition, Torrenting is allowed on all its servers.
ExpressVPN also boasts various additional safety features, which include:
- Split tunneling, which allows you to use a VPN only on some websites while others are accessed directly;
- TrustedServer technology, which ensures that your information is not stored on the hard drive;
- Private DNS, which means that every server has its private and encrypted DNS;
- Threat Manager, which protects your device from ads and malicious content.
One of ExpressVPN’s biggest disadvantages is that it only allows up to 5 simultaneous connections.
Surfshark VPN
Founded in 2018, Surfshark VPN is a relatively new VPN provider. It is also more affordable than the previous two: for example, its two years (+2 months free) plan costs only $2.05/month.
With 3,200+ servers in 100 countries and top-notch protocols such as OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2, Surfshark will readily provide safety and entertainment when traveling abroad.
One of Surfshark’s advantages is that it offers an unlimited number of connections. Although it may not have that many additional safety features, it does have some rather useful ones:
- The Bypasser, split tunneling that allows you to access certain sites and apps without VPN interference;
- Camouflage Mode, so your provider cannot see you are using a VPN;
- NoBorders Mode, which detects network restrictions and offers a list of servers that perform best under the restrictions.
CyberGhost VPN
It is hard to know exactly how many servers CyberGhost has in its fleet as the provider mentions several figures in the 6,000 to 9,000 range. Even if we go with the lowest estimated number, this is much more than ExpressVPN and NordVPN have.
Despite the large server fleet, CyberGhost’s servers are frequently crowded, and you may experience some slower speeds.
The company is located in Romania, which, although an EU country, does not deal with torrenters. You can connect on up to 7 devices and get their 45-day money-back guarantee (longer than the standard 30 days).
CyberGhost’s biggest downfall is that it does not have many additional safety features. Here is what it does offer:
- Dedicated IP address, used only by you to provide maximum security;
- Proxy servers, to assign you a new IP for accessing the web wherever you are;
- Blocking of ads and malicious content.
ProtonPN
ProtonVPN has 1,831 servers in 64 countries, less than ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or even Surfshark. Additionally, the service is a bit expensive owing to the high cost of running the company in Switzerland. For example, its 2-year plan with a 50% discount costs $4.99/month. On the upside, ProtonVPN offers a free plan, which is good enough for basic security, but not good enough for when you are traveling.
Here are some additional features that make ProtonVPN worth considering:
- Proton VPN Plus is excellent at accessing geo-blocked content, and you can watch 4K movies without buffering;
- Secure Core VPN allows you to transmit the traffic through servers in ‘safe’ countries (Switzerland, Iceland, and Sweden);
- NetShield AdBlocker keeps ads, trackers, and malware away from your device;
- VPN Accelerator is a feature that can increase your VPN speeds by 400%.
Final Thoughts
Traveling is frequently stressful without considering practical issues such as online safety.
The truth is the Internet is not a safe place. A lot of times, travelers use unsafe public WiFi. With experienced hackers roaming the net, the contents of your e-mail, bank account, and other private information can easily fall into the wrong hands.
If you want online safety and the comfort of accessing your favorite shows when traveling, make sure to purchase a reliable VPN.
FAQ
What are the most important VPN features to consider when choosing a VPN for Europe?
Opt for a VPN with an extensive server network, AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and a strict privacy policy. All our VPN choices above will guarantee your safety and privacy in Europe.
Can I access US Netflix while in Europe?
Yes. All you need to do is enable your VPN and connect to a server in the US.
Is it safe to use a free VPN in Europe?
No. Many free VPNs offer limited service, so the level of protection could be higher. Also, some VPN companies sell user data to third parties.
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