Best Free VPN for Mac: Which Free macOS Plans Are Worth Installing
Of 141 services here, every one ships a macOS app with a free plan, yet only 10 have had their no-logs claim checked by an independent auditor. Pick an audited option first, then accept whatever constraint fits your MacBook use: a single device, a short location set, or banners in the app. Streaming and torrenting need a paid tier, and the cheapest here cost €0.36 a month, with a median of €2.80. Read more
Part of Free VPNs.
Sorted by this page’s weighting: ecosystem weighs 35% on this page. Each row also shows the overall score.
141services on this page
10with an independent no-logs audit
€0.36cheapest paid plan, a month
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 | Page score | Data limit | Speed | Locations | Ads | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CitadelVPN | 8.43overall 8.74 | Yes | — | — | No | Data limit: yes; Ads: no | €1.38per month |
| 2 | X-VPN | 6.89overall 6.05 | — | — | 26 regions (UK, CA, AU, 13 US… | Yes AdMob, InMobi, Chartboost,… | Locations: 26 regions (UK, CA, AU, 13 US…; Ads: yes (AdMob, InMobi, Chartboost,… | €2.57per month |
| 3 | Proton VPN | 6.40overall 6.12 | unlimited (no data limits) | medium speed, no artificial limits | 10 randomly selected countries | no ads | Data limit: unlimited (no data limits); Speed: medium speed, no artificial limits; Locations: 10 randomly selected countries; Ads: no ads | €3.00per month |
| 4 | ZoogVPN | 5.66overall 4.36 | 10 GB/month | limited (possible congestion) | 5 locations | Yes in Android app (Google AdMob) | Data limit: 10 GB/month; Speed: limited (possible congestion); Locations: 5 locations; Ads: yes in Android app (Google AdMob) | €2.14per month |
| 5 | LightningX VPN | 5.57overall 4.96 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €4.30per month |
| 6 | Canada VPN | 5.35overall 4.11 | — | — | 6 servers in 5 countries (US, UK,… | — | Locations: 6 servers in 5 countries (US, UK,… | €1.99per month |
| 7 | BelkaVPN | 5.19overall 4.25 | — | — | US; Canada (browser extension… | — | Locations: US; Canada (browser extension… | €2.36per month |
| 8 | Hotspot Shield | 5.10overall 3.94 | 500 MB/day (watch ads on mobile… | up to 2 Mbps | 1 (US, virtual) | Yes ads on mobile | Data limit: 500 MB/day (watch ads on mobile…; Speed: up to 2 Mbps; Locations: 1 (US, virtual); Ads: yes (ads on mobile) | €2.08per month |
| 9 | Symlex VPN | 5.08overall 4.47 | limited bandwidth | moderate | 3 servers / 3 locations | Yes not ad-free | Data limit: limited bandwidth; Speed: moderate; Locations: 3 servers / 3 locations; Ads: yes (not ad-free) | €1.91per month |
| 10 | FreeVPN.com | 4.95overall 3.92 | 1 GB/day | — | 3 | — | Data limit: 1 GB/day; Locations: 3 | €3.43per month |
| 11 | Windscribe | 4.94overall 4.09 | limited | — | some locations | — | Data limit: limited; Locations: some locations | €2.58per month |
| 12 | CactusVPN | 4.84overall 4.17 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €3.41per month |
| 13 | Turbo VPN | 4.75overall 4.05 | — | — | a handful of servers | Yes mobile | Locations: a handful of servers; Ads: yes (mobile) | €2.86per month |
| 14 | StelsVPN | 4.74overall 3.81 | 300 MB/day | — | minimum countries | — | Data limit: 300 MB/day; Locations: minimum countries | €3.99per month |
| 15 | UFO VPN | 4.71overall 4.00 | — | — | free servers e.g. US, UK, IR, RU,… | — | Locations: free servers e.g. US, UK, IR, RU,… | €2.57per month |
| 16 | Hide.me | 4.46overall 3.97 | unlimited data | restricted speeds | 8 | — | Data limit: unlimited data; Speed: restricted speeds; Locations: 8 | €2.69per month |
| 17 | VPN Fast (GREEN DYGITAL CONSULTING) | 4.40overall 3.20 | daily data cap | basic speeds | limited | Yes | Data limit: daily data cap; Speed: basic speeds; Locations: limited; Ads: yes | €3.86per month |
| 18 | BearVPN | 4.31overall 3.62 | unlimited | standard speeds | random/auto-selected server only | Yes Premium is ad-free | Data limit: unlimited; Speed: standard speeds; Locations: random/auto-selected server only; Ads: yes (Premium is ad-free) | €1.44per month |
| 19 | Betternet | 4.19overall 3.28 | unlimited (claimed) | up to 1 Gbps (claimed) | 5 | Yes | Data limit: unlimited (claimed); Speed: up to 1 Gbps (claimed); Locations: 5; Ads: yes | €5.16per month |
| 20 | VPNEU | 4.19overall 3.78 | — | limited | fewer servers | No | Speed: limited; Locations: fewer servers; Ads: no | €1.08per month |
| 21 | VPN Proxy Master - Safer Vpn (SecureGuard) | 4.18overall 3.62 | — | — | — | Yes | Ads: yes | €3.18per month |
| 22 | ZenMate | 4.15overall 3.19 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €1.99per month |
| 23 | Bitdefender VPN | 3.99overall 2.81 | 500 MB/day | — | 3 or fewer | Yes ads and upsells | Data limit: 500 MB/day; Locations: 3 or fewer; Ads: yes (ads and upsells) | €2.51per month |
| 24 | Norse Labs DVPN | 3.98overall 3.50 | — | — | a few locations permanently free | No policy: no advertising | Locations: a few locations permanently free; Ads: no (policy: no advertising) | €2.86per month |
| 25 | VPN Proxy Master | 3.96overall 3.68 | 500 MB (review | — | — | likely (AdMob, Liftoff, InMobi,… | Data limit: 500 MB (review; Ads: likely (AdMob, Liftoff, InMobi,… | €3.18per month |
| 26 | 12VPN | 3.95overall 3.09 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €9.45per month |
| 27 | Fexyn | 3.93overall 3.98 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €2.57per month |
| 28 | PrivadoVPN | 3.91overall 3.43 | 10 GB / 30 days (then free… | — | 13 (a handful) | — | Data limit: 10 GB / 30 days (then free…; Locations: 13 (a handful) | €0.95per month |
| 29 | TikVPN | 3.91overall 3.43 | — | — | 8: Singapore, Japan, Chicago,… | — | Locations: 8: Singapore, Japan, Chicago,… | €2.14per month |
| 30 | TunnelBear | 3.89overall 3.59 | 2GB/month | — | — | — | Data limit: 2GB/month | €2.86per month |
| 31 | Malwarebytes Privacy VPN | 3.77overall 3.97 | limited | — | — | — | Data limit: limited | €3.33per month |
| 32 | iTop VPN | 3.75overall 3.58 | unlimited (VIP lists unlimited… | slower (VIP 10x faster) | 10+ free servers (US, UK, JP, DE,… | — | Data limit: unlimited (VIP lists unlimited…; Speed: slower (VIP 10x faster); Locations: 10+ free servers (US, UK, JP, DE,… | €2.15per month |
| 33 | Speedy Quark VPN | 3.67overall 2.56 | — | — | — | Yes AdMob, Unity Ads | Ads: yes (AdMob, Unity Ads) | €4.29per month |
| 34 | Malloc VPN | 3.65overall 4.03 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €4.29per month |
| 35 | Trickbyte | 3.64overall 2.48 | — | — | — | Yes | Ads: yes | €1.79per month |
| 36 | URnetwork | 3.57overall 2.75 | 30 GiB/day | — | — | — | Data limit: 30 GiB/day | — |
| 37 | IceVPN | 3.45overall 2.98 | 20 GB/month | — | 3 countries / 3 cities (JP, NL,… | — | Data limit: 20 GB/month; Locations: 3 countries / 3 cities (JP, NL,… | €2.57per month |
| 38 | Cool VPN Pro | 3.45overall 3.20 | — | — | — | Yes | Ads: yes | €2.07per month |
| 39 | FoolVPN | 3.45overall 2.80 | unlimited (claimed) | up to 200 Mbps (claimed) | 10+ countries | Yes ad-supported, very few ads | Data limit: unlimited (claimed); Speed: up to 200 Mbps (claimed); Locations: 10+ countries; Ads: yes (ad-supported, very few ads) | — |
| 40 | VPN One Click | 3.43overall 2.95 | — | — | — | Yes mobile | Ads: yes (mobile) | €1.21per month |
| 41 | SkyVPN | 3.33overall 2.27 | almost unlimited (fair use at… | may be throttled | limited (premium has more servers) | Yes third-party… | Data limit: almost unlimited (fair use at…; Speed: may be throttled; Locations: limited (premium has more servers); Ads: yes (third-party… | €1.71per month |
| 42 | FlyVPN | 3.24overall 2.28 | — | — | HK (7); JP (3); KR (5); KZ (1); … | — | Locations: HK (7); JP (3); KR (5); KZ (1); … | €4.27per month |
| 43 | VPN Jantit | 3.23overall 2.82 | unlimited | same as premium (no limit stated) | ~70 countries listed | Yes | Data limit: unlimited; Speed: same as premium (no limit stated); Locations: ~70 countries listed; Ads: yes | €0.86per month |
| 44 | HidzoVPN | 3.22overall 3.58 | session limits | — | automatic server selection only | Yes | Data limit: session limits; Locations: automatic server selection only; Ads: yes | €2.14per month |
| 45 | Teleport VPN (DIGITAL HERO) | 3.21overall 2.91 | unlimited (claim) | — | — | Yes Premium is ad-free | Data limit: unlimited (claim); Ads: yes (Premium is ad-free) | €3.59per month |
| 46 | 7VPN | 3.21overall 2.80 | unlimited (claim) | — | fewer than Premium | Yes | Data limit: unlimited (claim); Locations: fewer than Premium; Ads: yes | €8.59per month |
| 47 | Hiddify | 3.20overall 3.15 | unlimited (own server) | own server | — | No | Data limit: unlimited (own server); Speed: own server; Ads: no | — |
| 48 | VPNHouse | 3.19overall 2.58 | — | standard speed (premium: max… | free servers only; premium… | Yes short in-app ads on free… | Speed: standard speed (premium: max…; Locations: free servers only; premium…; Ads: yes (short in-app ads on free… | €2.19per month |
| 49 | uVPN | 3.17overall 2.04 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 50 | Mudfish | 3.13overall 2.14 | — | no limit (claim) | free public nodes | — | Speed: no limit (claim); Locations: free public nodes | — |
Show all 141Show top 50 only
| # | Service | Page score | Data limit | Speed | Locations | Ads | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | ChibaTunnel | 3.13overall 3.12 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 52 | Ciphra VPN | 3.12overall 2.74 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €2.86per month |
| 53 | SwizzVPN | 3.12overall 3.32 | — | — | 2 servers | — | Locations: 2 servers | €4.30per month |
| 54 | Ryn VPN | 3.10overall 2.54 | — | — | — | Yes | Ads: yes | €1.44per month |
| 55 | WorldVPN | 3.10overall 2.86 | 200 MB/day | — | — | — | Data limit: 200 MB/day | €0.96per month |
| 56 | Tcpvpn | 3.09overall 2.08 | — | lifetime account speed-limited | — | — | Speed: lifetime account speed-limited | — |
| 57 | Blokada | 3.03overall 2.18 | — | — | — | No | Ads: no | €5.00per month |
| 58 | StarVPN | 3.02overall 2.94 | capped | — | — | — | Data limit: capped | €6.88per month |
| 59 | VPN Nederland | 2.98overall 2.51 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €3.99per month |
| 60 | Ratatosk VPN | 2.94overall 2.90 | — | — | standard servers | Yes Premium is ad-free | Locations: standard servers; Ads: yes (Premium is ad-free) | — |
| 61 | PotatoVPN | 2.93overall 3.00 | — | — | 7 servers: SG, US, CA, UK, IN, DE… | Yes AdMob, Chartboost | Locations: 7 servers: SG, US, CA, UK, IN, DE…; Ads: yes (AdMob, Chartboost) | €5.15per month |
| 62 | Geph | 2.90overall 2.74 | — | medium-speed (free); Plus =… | — | — | Speed: medium-speed (free); Plus =… | — |
| 63 | MASQ Network | 2.85overall 2.56 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €6.88per month |
| 64 | Shellfire VPN | 2.84overall 2.46 | unlimited | 1,000 kbit/s | 2 (Germany, US) | — | Data limit: unlimited; Speed: 1,000 kbit/s; Locations: 2 (Germany, US) | €3.26per month |
| 65 | Hola VPN | 2.83overall 1.58 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 66 | FreeVPN.us | 2.83overall 2.27 | 10 GB OVPN quota per account… | — | all 23 servers (10 countries) | Yes | Data limit: 10 GB OVPN quota per account…; Locations: all 23 servers (10 countries); Ads: yes | €1.53per month |
| 67 | Riseup VPN | 2.80overall 2.82 | — | — | — | No | Ads: no | — |
| 68 | Melon VPN (Wildlook Tech) | 2.80overall 2.85 | — | slower than VIP (implied) | limited (VIP gets all servers) | Yes on Android Play: Contains… | Speed: slower than VIP (implied); Locations: limited (VIP gets all servers); Ads: yes on Android (Play: Contains… | €2.15per month |
| 69 | Urban VPN | 2.79overall 2.44 | unlimited except Android (limit… | — | fewer territories than Premium | — | Data limit: unlimited except Android (limit…; Locations: fewer territories than Premium | €4.26per month |
| 70 | Float VPN | 2.78overall 2.82 | unlimited (claim) | — | — | Yes | Data limit: unlimited (claim); Ads: yes | — |
| 71 | Cloudflare WARP (1.1.1.1) | 2.76overall 1.80 | — | — | nearest Cloudflare data center… | No | Locations: nearest Cloudflare data center…; Ads: no | — |
| 72 | VPN Proxy Speed - Super VPN (TOPAPPS TECH) | 2.75overall 2.79 | unlimited (claim) | — | — | Yes AdMob, Facebook, Unity Ads,… | Data limit: unlimited (claim); Ads: yes (AdMob, Facebook, Unity Ads,… | — |
| 73 | vpnify - Unlimited VPN Proxy | 2.74overall 2.58 | — | no speed regulation (claim) | — | Yes Google AdMob | Speed: no speed regulation (claim); Ads: yes (Google AdMob) | — |
| 74 | Karing | 2.73overall 1.95 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 75 | OnionHop | 2.68overall 2.69 | — | — | — | No | Ads: no | — |
| 76 | V2Box - V2ray Client | 2.66overall 2.66 | — | — | — | Yes Google AdMob, video ads | Ads: yes (Google AdMob, video ads) | — |
| 77 | QubitVPN | 2.63overall 1.99 | unmetered | — | standard VPN locations | — | Data limit: unmetered; Locations: standard VPN locations | €4.30per month |
| 78 | VPN-Cheap | 2.62overall 2.05 | — | medium speed | 3 locations | — | Speed: medium speed; Locations: 3 locations | €1.71per month |
| 79 | Cloudbric VPN | 2.60overall 2.72 | — | — | selected locations only | — | Locations: selected locations only | €1.79per month |
| 80 | OneVPN | 2.60overall 2.53 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €3.44per month |
| 81 | CloudVPN Pro | 2.59overall 2.30 | — | — | Android: LT, NL; iOS: NL, LT, PT | Yes | Locations: Android: LT, NL; iOS: NL, LT, PT; Ads: yes | €3.58per month |
| 82 | V2Box | 2.57overall 2.72 | — | — | — | Yes | Ads: yes | — |
| 83 | Disconnect | 2.53overall 1.71 | — | — | — | No | Ads: no | — |
| 84 | Hide Expert VPN (4K-SOFT) | 2.52overall 2.43 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €3.44per month |
| 85 | VuzeVPN | 2.51overall 2.22 | 50 MB/day (vpnMentor) | — | fewer servers | — | Data limit: 50 MB/day (vpnMentor); Locations: fewer servers | €7.10per month |
| 86 | Meile dVPN (MathNodes) | 2.45overall 2.55 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €2.70per month |
| 87 | FalconLink VPN | 2.45overall 2.37 | — | — | — | No claim: app without ads | Ads: no (claim: app without ads) | — |
| 88 | Yuutto | 2.41overall 1.54 | — | — | — | No ad-free claim | Ads: no (ad-free claim) | €0.36per month |
| 89 | Ultrasurf | 2.38overall 2.23 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 90 | VPNmine | 2.36overall 1.81 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €1.79per month |
| 91 | Panda VPN | 2.33overall 1.25 | 150 MB/day | — | 1 default virtual location | — | Data limit: 150 MB/day; Locations: 1 default virtual location | — |
| 92 | MATE VPN | 2.30overall 2.52 | — | — | — | Yes | Ads: yes | — |
| 93 | Orbot (Tor for Android) | 2.28overall 2.14 | unlimited | — | Tor network exits | No | Data limit: unlimited; Locations: Tor network exits; Ads: no | — |
| 94 | UH VPN | 2.28overall 1.91 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 95 | Shadowsocks | 2.19overall 1.57 | — | — | — | No | Ads: no | — |
| 96 | Free VPN by FreeVPN.org | 2.18overall 1.92 | — | — | 1000s of worldwide locations… | Yes free access supported by… | Locations: 1000s of worldwide locations…; Ads: yes (free access supported by… | — |
| 97 | RitaVPN | 2.17overall 2.16 | limited data | limited | — | Yes | Data limit: limited data; Speed: limited; Ads: yes | €4.59per month |
| 98 | Touch VPN | 2.17overall 1.57 | unlimited (claimed) | — | 27 virtual locations (developer… | Yes Unity Ads, ironSource,… | Data limit: unlimited (claimed); Locations: 27 virtual locations (developer…; Ads: yes (Unity Ads, ironSource,… | — |
| 99 | MyVPN | 2.16overall 2.12 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 100 | Steganos VPN Online Protection | 2.14overall 2.09 | 500 MB (free version with ads)… | — | — | Yes review | Data limit: 500 MB (free version with ads)…; Ads: yes (review) | €2.91per month |
| 101 | Begzar | 2.12overall 1.47 | free/unlimited (without any… | — | — | No | Data limit: free/unlimited (without any…; Ads: no | — |
| 102 | Avira | 2.09overall 1.84 | 500 MB/month | — | — | — | Data limit: 500 MB/month | — |
| 103 | Hotspot VPN | 2.09overall 2.24 | — | — | — | Yes | Ads: yes | €4.01per month |
| 104 | Bitmask | 2.08overall 2.00 | — | — | — | No | Ads: no | — |
| 105 | Identity Cloaker | 2.08overall 2.22 | — | — | few servers | — | Locations: few servers | — |
| 106 | Super Free VPN | 2.04overall 1.37 | unlimited (claim) | unlimited (claim) | all | No meta claim | Data limit: unlimited (claim); Speed: unlimited (claim); Locations: all; Ads: no (meta claim) | — |
| 107 | WireVPN | 2.00overall 1.89 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 108 | Avira Phantom VPN | 2.00overall 1.70 | 500 MB/month (1 GB/month with… | — | — | — | Data limit: 500 MB/month (1 GB/month with… | — |
| 109 | VPNBook | 1.99overall 1.65 | unlimited (claimed) | — | US; CA; UK; others (list cut off) | — | Data limit: unlimited (claimed); Locations: US; CA; UK; others (list cut off) | — |
| 110 | VPNEER | 1.97overall 1.48 | limited bandwidth | moderate speed servers | 3 countries | — | Data limit: limited bandwidth; Speed: moderate speed servers; Locations: 3 countries | — |
| 111 | Reindeer VPN | 1.94overall 1.66 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €2.80per month |
| 112 | GalleonVPN | 1.93overall 1.43 | unlimited (claim, directory) | — | — | No claims ad-free | Data limit: unlimited (claim, directory); Ads: no (claims ad-free) | €3.44per month |
| 113 | Shecan | 1.90overall 1.20 | unlimited traffic; 500… | up to 4 Mbps | — | No | Data limit: unlimited traffic; 500…; Speed: up to 4 Mbps; Ads: no | — |
| 114 | FreeVPN.me | 1.89overall 1.52 | unlimited | — | 1 (Amsterdam) | site ads (Google DART); no app | Data limit: unlimited; Locations: 1 (Amsterdam); Ads: site ads (Google DART); no app | — |
| 115 | Lagom VPN | 1.86overall 0.93 | unlimited (claim) | — | — | No | Data limit: unlimited (claim); Ads: no (claim) | — |
| 116 | JumpJumpVPN | 1.84overall 1.67 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €1.72per month |
| 117 | Leaf VPN | 1.84overall 1.67 | unlimited (claim) | — | — | No | Data limit: unlimited (claim); Ads: no (claim) | €0.85per month |
| 118 | SpeedX VPN | 1.83overall 1.47 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €0.84per month |
| 119 | Dash VPN | 1.82overall 1.72 | — | — | — | Yes App Store "Contains… | Ads: yes (App Store "Contains… | — |
| 120 | NetShade | 1.75overall 1.99 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €2.08per month |
| 121 | Calyx VPN | 1.73overall 1.59 | — | — | — | No | Ads: no | — |
| 122 | Internxt VPN | 1.73overall 1.58 | — | — | 1 (France) | — | Locations: 1 (France) | — |
| 123 | Snap VPN (AUTUMN BREEZE) | 1.68overall 1.74 | unlimited (claim) | — | limited vs premium (more server… | Yes AdMob, Unity Ads | Data limit: unlimited (claim); Locations: limited vs premium (more server…; Ads: yes (AdMob, Unity Ads) | — |
| 124 | AppVPN | 1.66overall 1.86 | — | — | — | No ad SDKs removed in v9.0 | Ads: no (ad SDKs removed in v9.0) | €3.59per month |
| 125 | DroidVPN | 1.66overall 1.45 | 100 MB/day, resets at midnight… | — | free servers only | — | Data limit: 100 MB/day, resets at midnight…; Locations: free servers only | €2.57per month |
| 126 | KeepSolid VPN Lite | 1.64overall 1.39 | unlimited | slower than paid (review) | 1 (US California) | — | Data limit: unlimited; Speed: slower than paid (review); Locations: 1 (US California) | €3.44per month |
| 127 | JumpJump VPN | 1.57overall 1.30 | — | — | — | Yes | Ads: yes | €1.72per month |
| 128 | VPN Fast - VPN 2027 (VPN Freedom) | 1.56overall 1.28 | — | — | — | Yes | Ads: yes | — |
| 129 | Stark VPN | 1.53overall 1.68 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €1.79per month |
| 130 | Mobime VPN (في بي ان - فتح مواقع محجوبه) | 1.50overall 1.42 | — | slower than premium | — | Yes ad tracking declared | Speed: slower than premium; Ads: yes (ad tracking declared) | €2.86per month |
| 131 | RelyVPN | 1.47overall 1.38 | 300 MB full speed (one-time),… | 160 kbps after 300 MB | — | No no ads even on free plan | Data limit: 300 MB full speed (one-time),…; Speed: 160 kbps after 300 MB; Ads: no (no ads even on free plan) | €4.30per month |
| 132 | Bright VPN | 1.42overall 1.13 | unlimited | — | 150+ countries | No | Data limit: unlimited; Locations: 150+ countries; Ads: no | — |
| 133 | Freegate (DynaWeb) | 1.41overall 1.07 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 134 | VPN Gate | 1.37overall 1.02 | unlimited (no stated limit) | not guaranteed (volunteer servers) | all listed volunteer servers | No | Data limit: unlimited (no stated limit); Speed: not guaranteed (volunteer servers); Locations: all listed volunteer servers; Ads: no | — |
| 135 | VPN PRO - Unlimited Protection | 1.34overall 1.42 | — | — | — | Yes | Ads: yes | €4.30per month |
| 136 | Decentr | 1.27overall 0.51 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 137 | Tachyon Protocol | 1.24overall 1.50 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 138 | GalaxyVPN | 1.22overall 0.82 | — | — | — | Yes advertising data per privacy… | Ads: yes (advertising data per privacy… | — |
| 139 | MxTunnel | 1.21overall 1.02 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | — |
| 140 | playit.gg | 1.13overall 0.90 | — | — | — | No | Ads: no | €2.58per month |
| 141 | VPN Expert - Internet Access (PL-CON) | 1.00overall 0.94 | — | — | — | — | Not stated | €2.80per month |
Guide3 min read
The three highest-scoring free Mac VPNs and what each free plan costs you
| CitadelVPN | X-VPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Panama | Singapore | Switzerland |
| Free plan | ad-free, plus a 5-day trial of the paid network | Basic, 26 regions | unlimited data, 1 device |
| Sign-up | no email needed | no account | email required |
| No-logs audit | yes | ISAE 3000, auditor unnamed | yes |
| Cheapest paid | €1.38/mo | €2.57/mo | €3.00/mo |
| Money-back | 14 days | 30 days | 30 days |
Each offers a native Mac app and avoids surveillance alliances. What differs is who pays for the free tier. X-VPN removes sign-up and opens 26 regions including 13 US cities, funding this with adverts from AdMob, InMobi, Chartboost and Liftoff; its ISAE 3000 attestation never names the auditor. Proton skips the data meter but confines you to one Mac at medium speed across ten random countries, without streaming, P2P or NetShield. CitadelVPN adds a card-free 5-day trial of its paid network (5 GB, up to 2 devices, once per account).
What 141 free Mac VPNs tell you, and what they keep quiet
| Disclosure | Yes | No | Silent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ads in the free plan | 45 | 27 | 68 |
| Publish free data terms | 61 | — | 80 |
| Collect connection IP | 21 | 49 | 53 |
| Kill switch | 56 | 13 | 67 |
Silence is the pattern: 68 never mention whether the free app shows adverts, so you learn after installing. Twenty-one admit logging your connection IP, which defeats the point of a VPN. Only 10 carry an independent audit, 50 say they have none, and 81 stay silent on the question.
Website download or Mac App Store build
When the vendor offers a .dmg on its website, take that route. Store versions sit in Apple's sandbox, and some drop settings such as the kill switch or split tunnelling. The first connection triggers a prompt to allow the VPN configuration and the provider's network extension; refuse it and the client stays dead until you grant approval through System Settings.
The VPN client built into macOS, and why it needs a provider
System Settings accepts VPN profiles based on IKEv2, on L2TP with IPSec, and on Cisco IPSec, fed with a server address, account name and authentication details from a provider, as Apple's guide shows. macOS supplies no servers itself. Here, 37 services work over IKEv2 and 26 publish manual configuration files, so you can skip another menu-bar app.
How this page ranks free VPNs for macOS
Weights: ecosystem 35%, privacy 21.7%, security 14.4%, value 10.8%, censorship bypass 10.8%, network 7.2%. That heavy ecosystem weight rewards apps on many platforms, which puts X-VPN (platforms subindex 9.0) second on this page (6.89), between CitadelVPN (8.43) and Proton VPN (6.40); by overall score the order flips to CitadelVPN 8.74, Proton VPN 6.12, X-VPN 6.05. Familiar names sit lower than expected: ZoogVPN 4th (5.66), Hotspot Shield 8th (5.10), Windscribe 11th (4.94), Hide.me 16th (4.46), PrivadoVPN 28th (3.91), TunnelBear 30th (3.89).
When a free trial or a cheap plan makes more sense
Free tiers cope with airport Wi-Fi and casual browsing. To test the paid network first, take a Mac VPN with a free trial; if adverts ruin the deal, look at free Mac VPNs without ads. Check renewal terms too: X-VPN renews by default on card and PayPal, and Proton doubles its price after the first term.
FAQ
Is there an unlimited free VPN for Mac?
Proton's free plan has no data meter, but it gives you a single device at medium speed.
Can I use a free VPN on a Mac without an account?
Yes, X-VPN Basic needs no sign-up.
Is a Chrome extension the same as a Mac app?
No. It covers what happens in the browser; Mail and iCloud sync travel outside it.
Can I stream on a free Mac VPN?
Rarely. Proton blocks streaming and P2P on the free plan.
Is a free VPN safe on a Mac?
If it is audited and ad-free, yes; a service nobody has checked that records connection IPs, no.
Free VPN for Mac in brief
Among 141 free macOS VPNs, just 10 carry an independent no-logs audit, 68 say nothing about in-app adverts, and 21 admit keeping your connection IP. Use an audited free plan without ads for browsing; switch to a trial or a plan from €0.36 a month for streaming and torrents.
The other 91 on this page: page score under 3.2
Below place 50 the differences are small: most of these services publish little that earns points for this page.
- 00.0
- 00.5
- 111.0
- 221.5
- 232.0
- 272.5
- 83.0