5 Best FREE VPNs for India (Tested in 2024)
It’s not easy to find a free VPN that lets you connect to India — most free VPNs don’t provide Indian IP addresses, and those that do aren’t good for privacy. It’s also difficult when you’re located in India where data retention laws are becoming very invasive.
I tested 75+ free VPNs and shortlisted the best ones for India. These VPNs provide reliable, secure connections to maintain your online privacy. But, you’re always better off using a low-cost premium VPN instead. While the free VPNs listed below are good, none of them offer Indian IP addresses and come with limitations.
My top recommendation for India is ExpressVPN because you can get secure Indian IPs, won’t have limited data, and it’s one of the safest VPNs out there. While it’s not 100% free, you can still try ExpressVPN totally risk-free as it’s backed by a legitimate 30-day money-back guarantee. I tested it and got a full refund with no questions asked.
Try ExpressVPN for India risk-free
Important: due to new government regulations in India requiring VPN companies to store user data, many VPN providers stopped offering their service there, or no longer host physical servers in India. However, you can still get an Indian IP address without a physical server. The top 2 VPNs listed here offer virtual servers that let you connect to India safely.
Short on Time? Here Are the Best Free VPNs for India in 2024
- ExpressVPN — #1 VPN for India with premium security features, fast virtual servers for an Indian IP address, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Try ExpressVPN risk-free!
- CyberGhost — Optimized servers for fast streaming on Hotstar and Netflix India, but it’s free to use only for 45 days with a money-back guarantee.
- Proton VPN — Unlimited data allowance on the 100% free plan, but no torrenting support or Indian servers for free users.
- Hotspot Shield — Fast speeds and unlimited data, but it’s ad-supported and only offers access to servers in the US, UK, and Singapore.
- hide.me — Supports ad-free torrenting from India but can’t access many popular streaming sites, like Disney+ Hotstar or Amazon Prime Video.
2024 update: We no longer recommend TunnelBear for India, since it stopped offering its service in the country.
The Best Free VPNs for India (Tested in 2024)
1. ExpressVPN — #1 VPN for India — Connect to India With Quality Security and Privacy Protection
Key Features:
- Unlimited data and bandwidth on all plans
- 3,000+ servers in 105 countries, with virtual India servers
- Military-grade encryption, leak protection, and audited no-logs policy
- Connect up to 8 devices at the same time
- Works on Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, and routers
- 24/7 live chat and email support
ExpressVPN is the top choice for secure and reliable connections to India. Although it’s not free, you’re protected by a money-back guarantee. If you change your mind, you can get a full refund within 30 days without hassle. I tested it myself and my request was processed quickly — I had my money back 4 days later.
You’ll find ExpressVPN has virtual India IP addresses rather than physical servers in the country. This is due to India’s privacy laws — ExpressVPN won’t log and share user data with the Indian government, so it removed its India servers. However, virtual connections via the UK and Singapore are secure, reliable, and fast (and no free VPN has these).
To keep your connections in and to India private, ExpressVPN provides the following features:
- AES-256-bit encryption — keeps all data secure and away from prying eyes, hackers, and trackers.
- Data leak protection — stops accidental DNS, IP, and WebRTC leaks from exposing your true location.
- Split tunneling — lets you choose which apps are protected by the VPN connection while your other traffic uses your local network.
- Zero-logs policy — states your data is never logged or stored and verified by third-party audits in real-world scenarios (including the seizure of an ExpressVPN server in Turkey).
Every ExpressVPN server I tested produced consistently fast speeds for activities like UHD streaming, torrenting, and online gaming. While every VPN will reduce your baseline connection speeds a bit, with ExpressVPN it was never noticeable that I wasn’t using a VPN at all.
Connecting to India with its virtual servers worked with popular sites like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Hotstar, and Sony Liv. It takes a couple of seconds to connect to ExpressVPN, making it quick to start browsing with an Indian IP address or accessing home services if you travel to India on vacation.
With short and long-term plans available, you’ll find an ExpressVPN subscription to suit your budget. Short-term plans are more expensive, with the 1-year + 3 months option providing the best price — just $6.67/month for fast speeds and secure connections in India. However, it’s well worth the price as one of the top VPNs in 2024.
2024 Update! ExpressVPN has dropped prices for a limited time to a crazy $6.67 per month for the 1-year plan + 3 months free (you can save up to 49%)! This is a limited offer so be sure to grab it now before it's gone. See more information on this offer here.
2. CyberGhost — Optimized Servers for Indian Streaming Platforms and FREE for 45 Days
Key Features:
- Zero bandwidth or data restrictions on any server
- 11,780+ servers in India and 100 countries, with virtual India connections
- 256-bit encryption, kill switch, no-logs policy, and ad/malware blocker
- Supports 7 device connections
- Native app for Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Linux, Amazon Fire Stick, and routers
- 24/7 customer service over live chat and email
While it’s not completely free, I found CyberGhost’s optimized streaming servers in India are reliably fast for smooth streaming. These dedicated connections let you stream on Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix without lag or buffering. Optimized servers make CyberGhost stand out, as you won’t find streaming-supported connections with any free VPN.
If you’re in India and want to access services outside of the country, CyberGhost also has optimized servers that provide uninterrupted streaming on sites like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer.
I was impressed to find CyberGhost’s regular virtual servers connected to India so you can access streaming services like Sony Liv, Zee5, and Voot. CyberGhost also has optimized connections for torrenting in India, making P2P file-sharing easy and secure.
While CyberGhost’s regular servers aren’t as fast as its optimized servers, I found my speeds were reliably fast across its network — including its virtual India servers. On average, I experienced a slowdown of 24%, with a bigger slowdown over long-distance connections. My speeds were fast enough for smooth streaming, torrenting, and gaming.
All of CyberGhost’s servers are protected by high-level features to make sure your data is always safe. These include:
- Military-grade encryption — ensures all data and online activity are secure within the encrypted tunnel, out of sight of anyone watching your connections.
- WiFi Protection — automatically connects to a VPN server when using unsecured networks or public WiFi, maintaining high-level protection at all times.
- Audited privacy policy — means that CyberGhost never logs or stores your data when you’re connected to its servers, proven by independent audits of its privacy policy.
You can use CyberGhost for free for 45 days as it has a money-back guarantee that works like a free trial — a great choice if you only need a VPN for a short time. Plus, CyberGhost is a low-cost monthly VPN option if you want to continue the subscription, with plans starting at just $2.03/month.
You don’t have to explain why you want to cancel as CyberGhost has a “no questions asked” policy. The whole process took me less than 4 minutes and the refund appeared on my bank statement within 7 business days.
2024 Update! You can subscribe to CyberGhost for as low as $2.03 per month + get an extra 4 months free with the 2-year plan (save up to 84%)! This is a limited offer so grab it now before it's gone. See more information on this offer here.
3. Proton VPN — Totally Free VPN With Unlimited Data and Free Servers in 3 Countries
Key Features:
- No data caps to make the most of your free account
- Free servers in the US, the Netherlands, and Japan
- AES-256 encryption, automatic kill switch, no-logs policy, and IP leak protection
- Allows 1 free device connection
- Dedicated app for Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, and more
- Customer support available through email
Proton VPN has unlimited data and multiple server connections for free users, making it the top completely free VPN for India. With access to IP addresses in Japan, the Netherlands, and the US, you can connect to global content without worrying you’ll hit a data cap.
As Proton VPN is an ad-free service, you won’t see annoying pop-ups or targeted ads when you’re connected to its servers. This is reassuring to me as it means Proton VPN doesn’t rely on ad revenue to support its free plan, so personal data isn’t at risk of being sold to third parties.
You’ll also find the following high-quality features on Proton VPN’s free connections:
- Automatic kill switch — stops accidental leaks if the VPN connection is interrupted.
- Secure protocols — including WireGuard, OpenVPN, Stealth, and IKEv2.
- VPN Accelerator — performance-enhancing technology that can boost network speeds, particularly useful if your regular speeds are slow (25Mbps or less).
While it doesn’t explicitly guarantee access to streaming services for free users, I found Proton VPN could reliably access Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube. However, you may find it difficult to connect to other services as Proton VPN doesn’t provide streaming support for free accounts.
The downside is that Proton VPN’s connection speeds drop significantly, especially for distant connections. This is partly due to its popularity, as the free servers are often almost full, causing congestion. On average, my speed dropped more than 40%, causing some lag and buffering. Ping is typically over 100ms too, so you may experience lag in online gaming.
You won’t be able to use servers in India unless you upgrade to a paid plan. However, Proton VPN’s pricing is OK, with plans starting at $4.99/month — and you get access to all of Proton VPN’s features and 4,450+ servers. If you change your mind, you have 30 days to request a refund for the unused portion of your subscription.
4. Hotspot Shield — Unlimited Monthly Data for Fast Browsing and Streaming in India
Key Features:
- Unlimited data each month
- Free servers in the US, UK, and Singapore
- Military-grade encryption, IP leak protection, and a zero-logging policy
- Allows for 1 free device connection
- Works on Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Linux, Amazon Fire Stick, and more
- No email or live chat support on the free plan
Hotspot Shield’s unlimited free monthly data makes it easy to stay secure in India when streaming, browsing, or torrenting. Without data caps, you can keep Hotspot Shield connected at all times for constant protection.
Despite reports that it doesn’t work for streaming, I can confirm Hotspot Shield can access sites like Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. My speeds were surprisingly fast using Catapult Hydra, so I could stream lag-free. However, Hotspot Shield restricts Netflix access to premium users and its lack of Indian servers means it doesn’t work with any Indian channels.
Hotspot Shield has robust security and privacy features for your connections from India. These include:
- AES-256-bit encryption — stops hackers, spies, and unwanted third parties from watching your activity and discovering your personal information.
- Catapult Hydra protocol — proprietary from Hotspot Shield, designed for superfast speeds and top-tier security.
- Data leak protection — keeps all personal information secure to avoid accidental leaks.
Interestingly, Hotspot Shield gives you two options when you connect: you can either see ads and have unlimited data or you can not see ads and have limited data (500MB/day). This is not an option on mobile devices — you have to watch an ad both before and after you connect.
The inclusion of ads in its apps means that Hotspot Shield may share some of your information with third-party advertisers. Luckily, none of the information collected is personally identifiable, so your identity is safe.
If you’d like to try it, you’ll need to sign up for a free Hotspot Shield account. The account is free forever, so you won’t have to renew it at any point. To upgrade, plans start at $2.99/month, with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
5. hide.me — Ad-Free Torrenting Supported on Free Servers With 10GB Data Allowance
Key Features:
- No speed or bandwidth throttling and 10GB of free monthly data
- 9 free servers — Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, UK, US East, and US West
- 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, IP leak protection, and split-tunneling
- Works on 1 device at a time
- App available for Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Chromebook, routers, and more
- Customer support via email only
hide.me offers unlimited bandwidth on its 9 free servers, although none are in India. Since hide.me doesn’t purposely slow down speeds, you’ll be able to torrent files quickly — I downloaded multiple torrents with my 10GB allowance.
As a bonus, you can still use hide.me in India for free after the 10GB monthly cap is finished. The only difference is you can’t choose your own server connection. You’ll still be protected by hide.me’s security features, but you’ll be assigned a server by hide.me rather than choosing your own.
To ensure your connections are secure, hide.me provides the following features:
- Server leak protection — stops your IP address and other data from leaking and exposing your location and identity.
- Secure protocols — including OpenVPN, SoftEtherVPN, and IKEv2.
- Stealth Guard — lets you customize apps so that they work only when the VPN is connected — ideal for secure torrenting in India.
Unfortunately, hide.me’s free servers don’t work with popular streaming sites like Hulu or Disney+ (although it does sometimes work with Netflix). This is disappointing, as I know the paid plan comes with optimized servers specifically for streaming.
If you just need a VPN in India for browsing the internet or downloading, it’s a good choice. You can download hide.me for India for free — once you sign up, you’ll receive an activation code through email. Type this into the hide.me app to log in and connect to a server.
If you want to use hide.me without any limits, it’s an affordable long-term option, with plans starting at $2.69/month. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund if it’s not right for you.
How I Tested and Ranked the Best Free VPNs for India in 2024
To shortlist the best free VPNs for India, I checked whether each provider offers:
- large global server network, including virtual servers in India to access local content from anywhere
- fast speeds to browse, stream, torrent, and play online games with minimal interruptions in India and abroad
- reliable access to popular streaming content on Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Hotstar, and more
- top security and privacy on the free plan, including a no-logs policy, so you won’t be blocked in India or put your data at risk of exposure
- generous bandwidth and data allowance to allow you to participate in your usual online activities
- responsive customer service for free and paying users, so you can always get help fast
Easy Comparison Table: 2024’s Best Free VPNs for India
| VPN | Completely Free | Indian IPs? | Data Limit | Server Locations | Speeds | Streaming |
| ExpressVPN | ✘ | ✔ | Unlimited | 3,000+ in 105 locations | Very Fast | Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and more |
| CyberGhost | ✘ | ✔ | Unlimited | 11,780+ in 100 locations | Fast | Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and more |
| Proton VPN | ✔ | ✘ | Unlimited | Japan, Netherlands, and US | Good | Netflix Originals, Peacock, Sling TV, and more |
| Hotspot Shield | ✔ | ✘ | Unlimited | 1 US connection | Fast | Peacock and more |
| hide.me | ✔ | ✘ | 10GB/month | Canada, Germany, Netherlands, and the US | Good | Netflix Originals |
Quick Guide: 3 Easy Steps to Set Up a VPN for India
- Download a VPN. For fast connections both in India and abroad, ExpressVPN is the top choice in 2024.
- Connect to a server. If you want to access Indian content, use ExpressVPN’s virtual servers. To overcome Indian censorship, use any server outside India.
- That’s it! Now you can watch popular Indian shows and browse without restrictions.
Avoid These Free VPNs for India — Here’s Why
Even the overall best free VPNs in 2024 restrict your server access, monthly data, and bandwidth. This causes big speed drops, making your connection unusable for browsing, gaming, torrenting, or streaming.
However, the worst free VPNs collect your data and sell it to third parties. I discovered multiple free VPNs you should never use:
- Betternet VPN — 13+ antivirus programs reported Betternet as malicious software that contains trackers and malware.
- CrossVPN — Ranked as the 5th worst VPN for taking advantage of its users, CrossVPN infected multiple devices with trojan viruses.
- Opera VPN — I found Opera VPN actively collects your information, such as websites you visit and general location. Then, it uses this data to personalize your ads.
- Yoga VPN — The provider’s T&Cs state that Yoga VPN logs your identifiable data and reserves the right to share it with government agencies if needed.
The “freemium” VPNs in this article have paid plans alongside a free subscription, so they don’t rely on selling your data to earn money. The major flaw with these services is their free plans are limited by data caps and slow speeds, and they don’t have server connections in India.
However, it’s possible to avoid restrictions for free with CyberGhost as it has a 45-day money-back guarantee. This works like a free trial, giving you access to hundreds of secure optimized servers in and out of India. Just ask for a refund through the 24/7 live chat within the 45 days and you’ll easily get your money back.
FAQs: Free VPNs and India
Is there a free VPN that offers servers in India?
Not one you can trust with your data. There are no safe free VPNs offering Indian IPs that I could find, so your best bet is to get a low-cost premium service with virtual Indian servers instead. If any VPN hosts a physical server in India, then they need to collect and share your personal info by law.
The top low-cost VPNs recommended come with legitimate money-back guarantees. Even though you have a pay upfront, you qualify for a full refund if you request your money back within the guarantee period (usually 30 days). This acts as a sort of free trial period.
Are VPNs legal in India?
You are legally allowed to use a VPN in India, including any of the VPNs listed here. However, you’ll find that none of these VPNs have physical servers in India. ExpressVPN and CyberGhost provide virtual connections, while the others don’t have servers in India for free users to connect to.
The reason there are no physical servers in India is due to a change in the law that mandates all VPNs must store user data to share with the government if demanded. To ensure your data and activity are always private and secure, many high-quality VPNs have shut down servers in India to avoid being forced to store and share your information.
Why do I need a VPN for India?
Using a secure and private VPN in India has many benefits, including:
- maintaining high-level security to ensure your data isn’t discoverable by hackers or third parties, especially when using public WiFi.
- keeping your online activity private by stopping trackers from watching which websites you visit.
- avoiding network restrictions that block you from accessing online content that isn’t available in India (like your local streaming account when you visit the country)
Not all VPNs will provide the features you need to keep your connections safe and anonymous in India. Make sure you choose a tried-and-tested VPN with high-quality encryption, a zero-logs policy, fast speeds, and a generous data allowance for the best experience.
How can I watch cricket from outside of India?
A VPN gives you easy access to platforms that broadcast sports like cricket, including Sony Liv, Sky Sports, and BCCI TV. However, only premium VPNs work reliably with Indian cricket-streaming platforms.
Which free VPN works with Netflix India?
No free VPNs work with Netflix India. Free VPNs restrict you to a handful of servers, and India isn’t included in the list. That’s why I recommend you choose a premium VPN that comes with a money-back guarantee. This way, you can access dozens of Netflix regional libraries, including India, without hassle — and get a full refund if you change your mind.
What’s the best free VPN to watch Disney+ Hotstar?
No free VPN works with Hotstar. Free VPNs don’t offer Indian IP addresses, so you simply can’t use them to access Hotstar. That’s why I recommend using a low-cost premium VPN with a legit money-back guarantee instead. While you have to pay upfront you can get a full refund within the guarantee period.
Is there a good free VPN Chrome extension for India?
Yes, some of the top free VPNs for India have good Chrome extensions. Overall, ExpressVPN has the best Chrome extension. With ExpressVPN’s extension, you get full VPN security and privacy features for your entire device (not just your Chrome browser), plus access to all 3,000+ servers — including virtual connections in India.
CyberGhost also offers a completely free proxy extension with connections in 4 locations. CyberGhost’s extension is useful for securing your IP address when streaming and browsing, but it doesn’t provide VPN encryption and has no server connections for India.
What is the best VPN for PUBG and BGMI in India?
Based on my tests, ExpressVPN is the best VPN for gaming in India — whether you play PUBG, BGMI, or other popular multiplayer games like Fortnite, Counter-Strike: GO, and Call of Duty. ExpressVPN has fast speeds and low ping, both of which are vital for lag-free, uninterrupted gameplay.
While ExpressVPN isn’t free, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means you can buy ExpressVPN in confidence — if you’re not happy, getting a refund is simple.
Don’t Limit Yourself With a Low-Quality VPN for India
Many free VPNs don’t work as well as they promise to and can put you at risk of identity theft. I found the best free VPNs that keep your data secure, but even these come with annoying limitations like slow speeds, small server networks, and no connections to Indian IP addresses.
If you want to avoid restrictions, I suggest you download ExpressVPN to browse the Internet freely in India and other countries. ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you won’t struggle to get a refund if you change your mind. I used it and received my money back in only 4 days — no questions asked.
