Best VPN with a free trial? Reddit help please

VPN
1

I’m looking for the best VPN with a free trial and could use some help from Reddit. I recently started looking for free trial VPNs, mainly to unblock Netflix in other regions and improve my online privacy.

From my research, there are plenty of VPNs that come with a 30-day risk-free trials, but they do require payment. Nonetheless, I could test them out and cancel if needed, still getting a full refund. So that was my plan: test out different free trial VPNs and report the results, but also gather feedback from you.

I’ve managed to narrow down my search to a few services that seem very promising, but I still want Reddit’s feedback on the best VPN with a free trial. I’ll check all the comments, but first, here are my thoughts.

1. NordVPN - Maybe the best free trial VPN?

From everything I’ve seen and read on Reddit, this seems to be one of the most popular VPNs on the market. In my own tests with the NordVPN trial, I found speeds to be really fast and reliable, especially when using the NordLynx protocol. NordVPN let me easily unblock restricted websites and also access different regional libraries from Netflix and other streaming platforms.

  • Based in Panama (great privacy jurisdiction)
  • 7,100+ servers in 118 countries
  • Uses NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPSec protocols
  • Has double-VPN, obfuscated, onion-over-VPN, and P2P servers
  • Protects traffic with AES-256 encryption
  • Apps for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Firestick, routers, and more
  • Advanced leak protection features and a robust kill switch (I tested this during the free trial and there were no data leaks)
  • Audited no-logs VPN with RAM servers
  • 10 simultaneous connections
  • 24/7 customer support through email and live chat
  • 30-day refund guarantee
  • Price:$3.39/month (when you use the 72% off coupon below)

NordVPN 30 day trial offer: https://nordvpn.com/30-day-trial

Test results with NordVPN during the trial (top performer)

Of all the free trial VPNs I tested, NordVPN was the top performer. This was not only the case with speeds (see below), but also with streaming. In terms of reliability and security, it was also solid.

In testing out different free trial VPN services, NordVPN was the overall top performer giving me download speeds of 828 Mbps.

Note on the VPN trial: Nord offers the 30 day trial with all VPN subscription plans, even monthly. But if you want the best overall deal (cheapest monthly rates), you could use the Reddit coupon for 72% off here: https://nordvpn.com/reddit-offer

2. Surfshark - Affordable VPN with a 30-day trial

In my tests, Surfshark gave me good speeds around 500-600 Mbps with US servers. While this is fast, it’s not quite as fast as NordVPN.

While Surfshark has fewer servers than NordVPN, it is also more affordable and lets me connect as many devices as I want. During the Surfshark VPN trial, you can test out all of the features as normal. My only issue is that it has fewer servers than NordVPN and I did have some issues with unblocking remote Netflix regions. Aside from that this VPN is solid and worth testing during the free trial.

  • Situated in the Netherlands
  • 3,200+ servers in 100 countries
  • Uses OpenVPN, IKEv2, and the WireGuard protocol
  • Various servers (P2P, dynamic multihop, obfuscated)
  • Military-grade AES 256 encryption
  • RAM servers and an audited no-logs policy
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
  • Available on Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS
  • 24/7 live chat technical support
  • Refund within 30 days
  • Price:$2.19/month

Surfshark Trial: https://surfshark.com/risk-free-trial

3. Proton VPN - Reliable free trial VPN app

Proton VPN is a Swiss-based security service that has been growing in popularity. It provides a big server network and gave me fast and reliable speeds. I was also impressed by the quality of connection on remote servers.

  • Over 8,700 servers in 112 countries
  • Uses IKEv2, OpenVPN, Stealth, and WireGuard protocol
  • AES 256 and ChaCha20 encryption
  • A VPN accelerator improves speed on remote servers
  • Audited no-logs VPN that operates on RAM servers
  • 10 simultaneous connections
  • Available on Windows, Linux,macOS, Android and iOS
  • Email and 24/7 live chat support
  • 30-day refund guarantee
  • Price:$3.69/month

Proton VPN Trial: https://protonvpn.com/trial-offer

4. ExpressVPN - VPN with a free trial (30 days) – but expensive when signing up

ExpressVPN has a good reputation but is a bit out of my price range. And like the others, you need to pay up front for the 30 day trial. Of course you can cancel on day 30 for a 100% refund, but still, pretty pricey. I found it is perfect security-wise, but its Lightway protocol is slower than WireGuard. I also wished it held more connections.

  • Based in the British Virgin Islands
  • 3,000+ servers in 100+ countries
  • Offers OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec, and Lightway
  • Provides obfuscation
  • Data protected by AES 256 encryption
  • Audited no-logs VPN with TrustedServer technology
  • 8 simultaneous connections
  • Available on Windows, Linux,macOS, Android and iOS
  • Support available 24/7 via live chat
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Price:$8.32/month

5. PrivadoVPN - Free trial VPN in Switzerland

I decided to try out their free trial with 10GB of bandwidth and found it quite limiting. It gave me only 1 connection and a dozen servers. Do you know if the paid version is any better? You definitely do not hear much about this VPN at all, so I think I’ll go with another option.

  • 66 server locations in 49 countries
  • IKEv2, OpenVPN, and WireGuard protocols
  • Servers with P2P and SOCKS5 proxy
  • High-end AES 256 encryption
  • No-logs VPN with no RAM servers
  • 10 simultaneous connections
  • Available on Windows, Linux,macOS, Android and iOS
  • Support available via live chat and email
  • 30-day refund policy
  • Price:$1.99/month

It took me a few weeks to thoroughly test all of these VPNs, but I’m still not quite sure which one to keep using. Do you have any advice on the best free trial VPN?

Other free trial VPNs I’m forgetting to include, Reddit?

While I’ve been most impressed with the performance of NordVPN during the testing trial, I’m still looking for feedback. I’m sure there are some I’m missing. After all, I will probably choose a totally different service after my regular subscription expires. So what other free trial VPN services are out that that I forgot to include in this Reddit post?

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Good info in this post. I think any of these options are great free trial VPNs. That said, I’d steer clear of ExpressVPN. This VPN was bought out by Kape Technologies a few years back and it has gone downhill since. Kape also now owns CyberGhost and Private Internet Access.

I first ended up going with ProtonVPN, but the speeds were marginal at best, and it wasn’t great for streaming. I’m now with NordVPN and it’s been very good so far. FYI they offer a Reddit coupon here for 72% off: https://nordvpn.com/reddit-coupon

3

Windscribe gives 10 GB of free bandwidth. This should be more than enough for you to thoroughly test it. I haven’t personally used it myself, but heard a lot of good things about it.

4

PrivadoVPN is decent if you just need a very basic free trial VPN. I used it briefly, but the 10GB limit made it hard to use for anything substantial, like streaming or large downloads. The paid version claims to offer better speeds and more servers, but I’d say it’s not worth the trial when other VPNs offer full features for 30 days without limits.

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If you need a VPN for Linux, I recommend getting Surfshark or ProtonVPN. They both have a fully functional GUI, while many other VPNs use a command-line interface, which is very outdated.

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What are you really trying to achieve? To use Netflix around the world or to find more free trials for VPNs? And, are there other things you are using as your selection criteria?

Have you read what other sites (not reddit) say about VPNs - cyber insider, All Things Secured, CNET, etc.?

You’ve tried many of the more popular or well known VPNs. If you just want to be a VPN tester, check Mullvad, hide.me, Perfect Privacy, Air VPN, OVPN, Private Internet Access, and search for others if those don’t work. Most should have a 30-day money back offer.

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I highly recommend Surfshark as it is super fast, secure, and has unlimited connections. Its 30-day free trial will give you more than enough time to test it out.

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Grabbed ProtonVPN and haven’t looked back. It has excellent server coverage and some of the fastest speeds. Just make sure to get a 30-day trial, as completely free version is pretty limited.

9

The best VPN with a free trial is arguably NordVPN when you use the 30 day trial offer. In terms of speeds, it can’t be beat. Like OP, I’ve gotten around 700-800+ Mbps with US servers consistently, with similar speeds on servers in Europe. No complaints so far.

Another advantage you get with NordVPN is the server network, which is now over 7,000 servers spread across 118 countries. In my experience this helps to ensure fast speeds as there are plenty of servers for you to connect to at any time, with plenty of bandwidth (no server congestion). The large network also comes into play when you want to stream content from remote regions. This is very easy to do with NordVPN, not so much with some other providers. And you can test all of this during the free trial, which I recommend doing.

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You forgot to mention Nord’s Meshnet, which is a niche feature I know but extremely helpful. I was on a trip and realized I needed access to some files stored on my desktop at home. Using Meshnet, I securely connected to my home computer through the NordVPN app and was able to grab the files like I was sitting right there. It’s super easy to set up, and now I use it all the time, especially for syncing work between my laptop and desktop.

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I’ve been using NordVPN for a good 2 years now. As a frequent traveler, I’ve never experienced issues in accessing global content, whether it’s my Netflix home library, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney, you name it. I’ve used about 8 other VPNs so far, including all on this list (excluding Privado) and I would rank NordVPN and Surfshark at the top. ExpressVPN is pretty good too but kinda overpriced for the same features

12

I think I would have ExpressVPN at #3. Proton VPN is decent but I’ve had a few speed issues using it. Maybe it was a one off or something

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IPVanish also has a free trial plan and is fairly fast. It has many US servers. The downside is that it is based in the US, which is problematic from a privacy standpoint. If you decide to try it out, just make sure to subscribe to an annual or two-year plan, as only these options come with a 30-day free trial.

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Interesting list. Another good option is TunnelBear, which has completely free version. However, it has a limit of 2 GB per month and its speeds are not the best.

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If budget is your concern, Surfshark offers great value. I tested it using their 30-day trial, and while speeds were slightly slower than NordVPN (especially for distant servers), it handled most streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu without issues. The unlimited device connections are a bonus if you have a lot of gadgets. However, I found its server-switching process a bit slower than others.

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For general use, ExpressVPN is solid, but I found it a bit overrated for the price. I tested it on my Android phone using their 30-day trial, and while it was seamless for browsing and streaming, the Lightway protocol wasn’t as fast as WireGuard on other services. Overall, it feels a little limited compared to Surfshark or NordVPN.

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One thing to keep in mind with these free trial VPNs is their refund policy. NordVPN’s refund was quick and easy when I canceled on day 28, no pushback at all. However, I had a friend who tried ExpressVPN and had to jump through hoops with customer support before getting their refund. So, the process can vary a lot depending on the provider.

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CyberGhost also provides a free trial that lasts anywhere from 14 to 45 days, depending on which plan you subscribe to. I haven’t used it personally, but I know that it has streaming and gaming servers and uses WireGuard.

19

Norton VPN also has a free 30-day trial. I’m not sure how well it compares to other VPNs, but it has great reviews.

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That’s a solid list OP. Btw, even a premium version of Privado VPN is very limited in comparison to other providers mentioned. Sure, it is a bit more affordable than others, but I still don’t think that it is worth using.