Browsers with a Built-in VPN: Free and Paid Options Compared
A free VPN inside a browser exists in Opera, Aloha, Vivaldi and Edge, but in every case it hides only browser traffic: your messengers, mail and games keep using your real IP address. To cover the entire phone or computer, you pay for a device-wide tier like Opera Pro, Brave or DuckDuckGo Plus. A few of the 18 entries in this catalogue are not browsers at all but phone, carrier or router features; they are explained further down. Read more
Ready-made lists
- Works under heavy blocking
- Anonymous
- Honest free
- Trial without a card
- No price rise at renewal
- Netflix and streaming
- Gaming
- For business
All filters by topic: Price and payment · Anonymity and privacy · VPN security · VPN protocols · VPNs by platform · VPNs by use case · Travel and restrictions · VPN jurisdictions · VPN servers by country · VPN customer support · VPN segments
| # | Service | Score | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brave VPN | not scored | €7.16per month |
| 2 | 1browser | not scored | €4.30per month |
| 3 | Aloha Browser VPN | not scored | — |
| 4 | Apple iCloud Private Relay | not scored | €0.85per month |
| 5 | Avast Secure Browser | not scored | €2.00per month |
| 6 | DotVPN | not scored | €2.57per month |
| 7 | DuckDuckGo VPN (Privacy Pro) | not scored | €7.16per month |
| 8 | Epic Privacy Browser | not scored | — |
| 9 | Google Fi VPN | not scored | €17.20per month |
| 10 | Hoxx VPN | not scored | €1.71per month |
| 11 | Microsoft Edge Secure Network | not scored | — |
| 12 | Opera VPN | not scored | €3.44per month |
| 13 | Proxy Browser (DS tools) | not scored | — |
| 14 | Samsung Secure Wi-Fi | not scored | €2.00per month |
| 15 | SetupVPN | not scored | — |
| 16 | Swisscom Internet-Box VPN server | not scored | — |
| 17 | UPX Private Proxy Browser | not scored | €5.74per month |
| 18 | Vivaldi (built-in Proton VPN) | not scored | — |
Aloha, Opera, DuckDuckGo: the top three compared
| Aloha | Opera | DuckDuckGo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered | Cyprus | Norway (9 Eyes) | USA (5 Eyes) |
| Free tier | unlimited data | unlimited data, 3 regions | none |
| Paid | Premium, $3.99–10.49/mo | VPN Pro, $8 monthly or €3.44/mo yearly | Plus, €7.16/mo |
| Device-wide | Premium only | Pro only | yes |
| Devices | not stated | 6 | 5 |
| Protocol | TrafficMask | Lightway | WireGuard |
| Audit | yes | Deloitte, 2024 | Securitum |
Opera needs no account and shows no ads, so it is the fastest to try. Aloha runs the same trick on a phone and throws in TrafficMask, its own obfuscation protocol, plus an ad and tracker blocker. DuckDuckGo skips a free tier entirely: you sign up without an email, get WireGuard across the whole device, and pay from the start. Its trial, like Opera's Pro trial, wants a card and bills automatically once it ends.
Browser-only proxy or a tunnel for everything
| Entry | Free covers | Scope | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivaldi (Proton VPN) | unlimited, Vivaldi account | browser | $9.99/mo (Proton Plus) |
| Edge Secure Network | 5 GB a month | browser | — |
| Brave | nothing | whole device | €7.16/mo |
| Avast Secure Browser | VPN only in PRO | browser | €2/mo |
| Epic Privacy Browser | encrypted proxy | browser | — |
| Safari + Private Relay | none | Safari | €0.85/mo (iCloud+) |
What costs nothing usually scopes to the browser. Vivaldi locks the location choice and has no mobile version yet; upgrading means buying Proton VPN Plus. Edge rejects work or managed Microsoft accounts. Brave sells Guardian-run infrastructure for ten devices, kill switch included, with nothing free. Avast hides its VPN behind a PRO subscription with a 30-day refund window.
Entries that are not browsers at all
Samsung Secure Wi-Fi ships inside Galaxy phones and gives 250 MB free each month, then asks from $2 monthly for one device. Google Fi, a US carrier, bundles a VPN into the phone plan itself. Swisscom builds a VPN endpoint into its Internet-Box router for home networks. Apple's iCloud Private Relay is a two-hop relay for Safari, not a tunnel for other apps; Apple documents its scope and regional limits on the Private Relay support page.
UPX Private Proxy Browser, Proxy Browser (DS tools) and 1browser change the visible IP through a proxy rather than a full VPN tunnel, and most monetise through ads or paid proxy plans. DotVPN, Hoxx VPN and SetupVPN are extensions that bolt onto Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Opera instead of replacing the browser; the Chrome extension guide covers that route in detail.
Who operates the servers, and who has been audited
Vivaldi's VPN runs on Proton VPN servers, Brave's on Guardian infrastructure. Only Opera, DuckDuckGo and Aloha have submitted to an independent no-logs audit; Epic's proxy runs on its own servers in third-party data centres with no audit at all, and Hoxx's privacy policy never claims a no-logs policy in the first place. Nine of the 18 register in the USA. A kill switch appears in documentation for just 5 entries; 6 have none and 7 do not say, which matters when a tunnel drops on hotel Wi-Fi and your real address leaks mid-session.
Where the free limits bite
Unlimited data comes with Opera, Aloha, Vivaldi and Hoxx. Edge, Samsung Secure Wi-Fi and SetupVPN cap free usage with a monthly allowance (5 GB in Edge, 250 MB in Samsung Secure Wi-Fi) or a daily quota (SetupVPN). Location selection is what paid tiers buy in Vivaldi and Aloha; Opera's free build offers just three fixed regions plus an auto mode. Trials on Opera Pro and DuckDuckGo require card details and convert to a paid subscription unless cancelled.
FAQ
Does Chrome have anything built in?
Chrome is not among the 18 entries on this page, so a Chrome user adds a VPN as an extension.
Which mobile browser ships with a VPN?
Aloha and Opera, both on Android and iOS. Vivaldi's integrated VPN is desktop-only so far.
Is Private Relay a VPN?
No. It relays Safari traffic through two hops; other apps remain unprotected, and there is no kill switch.
How safe is a free browser VPN?
Opera, with a Deloitte-audited no-logs policy and no account required, is the defensible pick. Ad-financed proxy apps deserve more scepticism. For full-device protection at no cost, compare the free VPN ranking instead.
Short answer
Free and unlimited inside the browser: Opera or Aloha. Opera Pro covers the whole device for €3.44 a month on the yearly plan; Brave and DuckDuckGo cost €7.16 a month on a yearly plan. Three of the 18 entries hold an independent no-logs audit, only 5 publish a kill switch, and the cheapest paid option anywhere on the list is Apple's iCloud+ with Private Relay at €0.85 a month.