Every VPN user or internet user who invests in a VPN wants to know the difference between a free VPN and a paid VPN. Free VPN vs. paid VPN is like a new car vs. an old Volkswagon Beatle. Everyone wants to go in a new car from point A to B, but you will probably agree to take your grandma’s old Beatle if it’s the only option available.
However, both cars will probably take you from point A to B, but the new car will be more comfortable and fuel-efficient than the old rusty Beatle. In addition, the Beatle will consume more time to cover the distance, as it’s slower than the new car.
The same goes for a free and paid VPN. The free VPN is like an old Beatle, and a paid VPN is like a new car. Both will probably complete their jobs, but free VPNs are slow, offer ads and limited servers, and sell your data to advertising platforms to generate revenue.
We know everyone wants to enjoy VPNs for free, but in this world, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. You indirectly pay for the so-called Free VPNs by watching ads and letting them access your data.
But don’t make your decision only by reading this above content. We have so much more to discuss. So, let’s dive in and discuss it in detail.
Free VPN: What is it?
A Free Virtual Private Network (VPN) offers VPN service at no cost, making it an attractive service. But here’s the catch. If they offer free services, how does it generate revenue and fulfill all the expenses?
A VPN offers a server network that requires multiple employees and an ex amount of capital to sustain in the industry. But, as noted above, free VPNs offer their services at no cost, so how do they cover these expenses? Let’s find out.
What Methods Free VPNs Use to Generate Income?
Every company runs for a purpose, which is to make money. However, there are some non-profitable companies but they also charge their customers to fulfill the expenses. If a VPN provider claims the service is free, remember they have expenses to meet. They will charge you differently if you don’t pay them, and all the problems start here.
Monitoring and Breaching Your Private Data
Many internet users think their data isn’t worth it; nobody can utilize their online activity because it’s worthless. However, it’s totally wrong. Your data is worth more in this world.
Free VPN service providers collect your private data and sell it to advertising platforms or data broker companies to generate revenue and fulfill their expenses. The data they sell to those platforms include what device you use, your location, what type of content you browse, what you buy, and how much time you remain online.
Showing Ads
Free VPNs offering services at no cost also generate revenue by bombarding users with ads. It is one of companies’ most popular techniques to fulfill their expenses. Advertising companies pay the VPN provider whenever a VPN customer views the advertisement. If a VPN has over a million users, the revenue it gets from ads is enough to bear the expenses.
However, some Free VPNs continuously bombard users with ads after a few minutes, which is annoying. In addition, some ads resist users from closing them, and some contain malware that can damage your device and breach your privacy.
Pushing Users to Upgrade to the Premium Plan
Many Free VPN service providers offer a few features and pressure users to opt for the premium. VPNs are not the only industry that is using this strategy. Many other companies use this technique to get paid users.
Security geeks recommend internet users should enable a VPN always. This measure will help them to stay safe while using the internet. However, if you are using a VPN with limited features and data caps, you will probably need more free data within two days. Therefore, you will either need to boost for the premium version or use it occasionally to save free data.
Free VPN – Cons
Weak Security
VPNs are meant to provide security while using the internet. However, some Free VPNs need better security. Due to fewer servers and infrastructure, free VPNs offer weak data encryption. However, whenever you choose a VPN, ensure it offers robust encryption; otherwise, it will be easy for cyber attackers to prey on you.
Slow Speed
Free VPNs offer limited features and servers due to a lack of capital. You won’t see any of the advanced cybersecurity techniques used in a free VPN like you will get them in a premium VPN. A free VPN’s servers are not good for streaming, gaming, and browsing. The reason behind its slow performance servers is multiple users using the same limited servers simultaneously.
Poor Privacy
VPNs keep you safe while using the internet; however, free VPNs don’t provide the privacy and security we expect from a VPN. They sell your data, like online activity, device information, and location, to data brokers to generate revenue.
Are Free VPNs Safe?
No, free VPNs aren’t safe. They use obsolete VPN protocols due to a lack of funding. In addition, they can also leak your data by selling it to external organizations to generate revenue or due to low-quality protocols. If you use a free VPN, hackers can easily access your data.
Moreover, over 38% of free Android VPNs are found to host malware and malicious ads, showing they are unsafe. Therefore, we always recommend using a premium VPN like ExtremeVPN that encrypts your data and offers high-end internet protocols to keep you safe while using the internet.
Why Premium VPNs Beat the Free Ones?
Paid VPNs are much more pleasing than free VPNs. They offer subscriptions and charge their users for using the service. They invest the money collected from subscriptions in introducing new infrastructure, enhancing security, and adding new features to provide better services to their users.
Like other businesses, paid VPNs focus on attracting long-term customers. Therefore, they take care of everything and provide the best user experience to keep them engaged and maintain an attractive reputation in the industry.
On the other hand, free VPNs offer basic features regarding security. However, they can’t beat premium VPNs regarding security, speed, privacy, and accessibility.
Some users opt for free VPNs only because they are free. They don’t know if they indirectly pay for it by compromising their privacy. Free VPN users expect top-notch features for free from a free VPN, but this is only possible if you subscribe to a paid VPN. A high-end premium VPN like ExtremeVPN will provide the most advanced cyber security features, including military-grade encryption, split tunneling, a no-logs policy, round-the-clock customer support, fast-speed servers, and more.
You can subscribe to paid VPNs without fear of losing money. Almost all the top-notch premium VPNs offer a money-back guarantee policy, and you can get your money back if you don’t like the service.
They offer every single thing that they have promised. However, free VPNs don’t offer such advanced features, so they don’t make any promises.
Benefits of Using a Premium VPN
Below are the advantages of using a premium VPN:
Wide Network of Servers
ExtremeVPN boasts over 6500 servers in 78+ countries worldwide, ensuring each server provides fast speed and helps experience a smooth browsing experience. Our VPN also offers multiple servers for various purposes, including:
- Obfuscated Servers: These servers help users from countries with extreme internet restrictions to enjoy the internet freely
- VPN Over TOR: Provides an additional protection layer while accessing websites with .onion domain names.
- Double VPN: They route your internet traffic via two servers for additional security.
- P2P Servers: Helps in sharing files over the internet securely.
Robust Privacy
Unlike free VPN providers, ExtremeVPN adheres to a strict no-logs policy, ensuring users that it doesn’t keep their data nor sell it to advertising platforms or hackers. In addition, it provides DNS and IP leak protection that protects your data from prying eyes.
Our VPN offers unlimited data, allowing users to keep the VPN “ON” on their devices and stay secure every time.
Military-grade Encryption
While using the internet, it is necessary to protect your data using a VPN. It will encrypt your data and safeguard you from third-party attackers while using public Wi-Fi or the internet. Hackers can easily access your data, monitor your online activity, and use it for illicit purposes without encryption.
ExtremeVPN offers 256-bit AES encryption that encrypts the user’s data by creating a virtual private tunnel and changes it into jabbering so no one can exploit it.
Unlimited Bandwidth
There is no such thing as bandwidth restriction in premium VPNs. They allow you to use unlimited data and enjoy high-definition streaming and gaming without buffering or lag issues.
Moreover, paid VPNs like ExtremeVPN offer optimized streaming, gaming, and P2P file-sharing servers. These servers let you enjoy the content and safely share your data.
Bypass Geo-restrictions and Internet Censorship
Many streaming enthusiasts face the problem of geo-restrictions because free and paid streaming platforms are unavailable in some regions. In addition, some streaming platforms, like Netflix, offer different content in different regions. A premium VPN is the only hope for streaming fans to bypass the geo-restrictions and enjoy streaming their favorite content.
Moreover, people from countries like China, Iran, Russia, India, UAE, and more can’t enjoy the full internet. However, by using a paid VPN, they can bypass internet censorship. This will let them enjoy the internet freely.
Additional Features
- Paid VPNs offer an automatic kill switch to protect users’ data.
- ExtremeVPN’s split tunneling feature lets users decide which application or website to route through the VPN.
- Premium VPNs provide DNS & IP leak protection. This protects your IP address and DNS from exposure and allows you to enjoy the internet anonymously.
- ExtremeVPN is compatible with multiple OS and devices. In addition, you can use a single account on up to 10 devices simultaneously and keep yourself secure.
Easy Accessibility to Platforms
Several countries, including China, Russia, Iran, Iraq, UAE, and more, restrict access to social platforms, streaming services, multiple apps, websites, and Western news. You can bypass the restrictions using a VPN. However, free VPNs sometimes fail to bypass the geo-restrictions and don’t provide strong privacy.
In contrast, paid VPNs like ExtremeVPN let you access any geo-restricted website from anywhere around the globe without compromising your privacy.
Difference Between Free VPN and Paid VPN Regarding Security & Privacy
| Free VPN | Paid VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Extensive Server Network | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Masks IP Address | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Fast and Reliable Connections | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Robust Data Encryption | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Unlimited Data | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Special Servers | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Simultaneous Connections | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Live Customer Support | ❌ | ✔️ |
What is the Best VPN for You?
People who need more money prefer a VPN for free, but some are also unaware of the privacy and security risks of using a VPN, providing services at no cost. They generate revenue through other ways.
Many free VPNs offer limited services in the free versions, forcing you to upgrade to the paid version. In addition, they also earn by bombarding you with ads and selling your private data to advertising platforms or data brokers.
In contrast, if you don’t want your privacy to get compromised and want to save yourself from a huge loss in the future, opt for a paid VPN, like ExtremeVPN. They are subscription-based platforms, but remember; premium VPNs charge customers to fulfill the expenses of the advanced infrastructure they provide for the premium service.
Is it Better to Opt for a Free VPN Rather Than No VPN?
If you want to access geo-blocked content, having no VPN won’t help. You can use a free VPN to access it. However, users can bypass the geo-restrictions using a Tor browser as well.
Below is the comparison of a no VPN and a free VPN and analyze which saves you from privacy threats:
| No VPN | Free VPN |
|---|---|
| Doesn’t offer high-end encryption. You can only use basic encryption from the HTTPS websites you access. | Provide some VPN encryption, but don’t like paid VPNs. |
| The websites you access and other third parties can monitor your online activity. | Only the VPN can see your online activity and other data. |
| You will encounter ads, and some ads might contain malware. | It also shows ads that may contain malware, but to generate revenue, it can sell your data to hackers or data brokers. |
Is ExtremeVPN Free?
ExtremeVPN is a subscription-based VPN service that offers a 7-day free trial for newcomers when they download the ExtremeVPN app on their devices through Google Play or Apple App Store. In addition, for your ease, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee policy. So you can subscribe to it without any fear of losing money.
Our VPN offers various subscription plans, including a 1-month, 6-month, and yearly plan. You can subscribe via PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, and other payment methods.
This investment is many times better than the loss you will face in the future, which are data or privacy breaches, ransomware, and more. ExtremeVPN continuously adds more features and enhances its services due to its high demand. We are sure you won’t regret this investment.
Conclusion
You can use a free VPN when you don’t have a paid VPN and want to access a website or application. However, premium VPNs always win when it comes to free VPNs vs. paid VPNs. The subscription plans of top-notch paid VPNs like ExtremeVPN are affordable enough for a person with a smartphone.
Going for a free VPN isn’t safe. They don’t offer features like paid VPNs and have data caps. In addition, free VPNs use other ways to generate revenue, including showing ads, forcing users to upgrade to the paid version, and selling your data to third parties. Therefore, we always recommend opting for ExtremeVPN.
After investing in ExtremeVPN, you can enjoy the internet freely without showing your identity and keep your data safe. With its fast-paced servers and unlimited bandwidth, you can experience smooth streaming and gaming without buffering or lag issues.
FAQs
