Best free VPNs for Linux in 2026

Choosing a free VPN for Linux is harder than it sounds. Many VPNs don’t offer a graphical user interface (GUI) app, requiring manual configuration through the terminal. For apps that do offer Linux apps, few of them come with a free plan, so the options are limited compared to Windows or macOS.

To help you find services that actually work without a paid tier, I’ve tested over a dozen free VPN services on Ubuntu. Read to find the best free VPN for Linux based on your needs.

Quick overview: free Linux VPNs compared

To give you a quick overview, I prepared a table of my top choices with the main comparison points. It covers free VPNs for Linux that are completely free or come with a free trial.

All of the VPNs on my list come with a GUI app, so it’s more convenient to use for Linux users. I included options that are best for different use cases, so decide what you will use the VPN for.

My verdict:

Proton VPN took the 1st place in my free Linux VPN tests because it offers unlimited data, servers in 5 countries, a kill switch, an audited no-logs policy, and a GUI app. However, if you need a VPN for streaming geo-restricted broadcasts, I’d suggest getting the free NordVPN trial instead.

Best free VPNs for Linux in 2026

I’ve tested over a dozen free VPNs that offer a CLI or GUI app for Linux. After installing each VPN and testing its features, server network, and privacy measures, I picked the top 3 options that I’d use myself every day. Let’s review the apps in detail.

1. Proton VPN – best free VPN for Linux overall

Proton VPN

1

9.5

/10

Visit Proton VPN

Pros & cons

• Offers unlimited data
• Retains around 80% of initial connection speeds
• Has free servers in 5 countries
• The free version is no-logs

• The free plan doesn’t work for streaming
• Servers are chosen randomly

Proton VPN is the best free VPN for Linux because it’s a reliable, no-logs service that offers unlimited bandwidth and a GUI app for Linux users. It comes with 5 free server locations, including in the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, Poland, and the United States.

The free plan gives you all the features needed for basic security. You get a functional kill switch and DNS leak protection that keep you safe from accidental IP address leaks at all times.

Plus, you can use the WireGuard protocol, which is the current market standard. During our tests in the Proton VPN review, it retained around 80% of initial connection speeds, so speed drops won’t be visible while browsing.

The only thing I didn’t like was that you can’t choose the server country on the free plan. While 5 locations are available, Proton VPN connected me to a random one. It takes quite a few reconnects to finally connect to a server you want.

Plus, my tests with Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and 7Plus Australia showed that bypassing geo-restrictions with the free version doesn’t work. So, the free Proton VPN is only excellent for privacy on the web.

2. NordVPN – paid Linux VPN with a free trial for streaming

NordVPN

1

9.7

/10

Visit NordVPN

Pros & cons

• Unlimited data
• 93% average speed retention rates
• Servers in 129 countries
• Audited no-logging policy

• No free plan
• Free trial is only 3 days

NordVPN is one of the most feature-rich VPNs for Linux, and while it doesn’t have a free plan, it comes with a free trial. You can set a free 3-day trial on Android and use the same account on Linux, whether on a CLI or GUI app. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee on top of it.

NordVPN has 8,300+ servers in 129 countries that are available with the free trial. Unlike with Proton VPN, you can choose a specific country from the list.

During the NordVPN review, we found that NordVPN goes beyond basic features. You get Threat Protection to secure yourself from malicious ads and trackers, RAM-only servers that wipe out your data with each reboot, and more.

Now, it may not be fair to add NordVPN to a free Linux VPN list since it only has a free trial, but I wanted to include it as an option for streaming. Completely free VPNs can’t successfully bypass restrictions, while NordVPN proved to bypass Netflix, 7Plus Australia, BBC iPlayer, and multiple other streaming service blocks during my tests on Linux.

So, if you’re looking for a free option to access a geo-restricted broadcast, NordVPN, its free trial, large server fleet, and the Smart DNS feature are the best choice for it.

3. Windscribe – free VPN for Linux without a device limit

Windscribe

1

9.0

/10

Visit Windsribe

Pros & cons

• Retains around 80% of initial connection speeds
• Has free servers in 10 countries
• No-logs claims tested by police

• Has a 10GB monthly data cap
• Doesn’t bypass geo-restrictions with the free plan

Windscribe is a free Linux VPN that allows connecting unlimited devices for personal use to one account, which is rare to see for a free service.

While it has a 10GB monthly data limit for users who provide an email address, you can get an additional 5GB if you post about Windscribe on X (Twitter). You can also sign up without an email for extra anonymity, but the data cap will be restricted to 2GB per month only.

Windscribe also has one of the highest server location counts for a free Linux service – 10 countries. This includes servers in Canada, the US, Germany, and Hong Kong.

But what makes Windscribe stand out is the custom configuration option. You can operate your own servers even if you don’t have an account.

Plus, it’s a great no-logs VPN since it doesn’t keep any logs of your activities, even when you use a free plan. And audits aren’t the only thing that proves it – Windscribe's employee was taken to court over activity tied to a Windscribe server, and the company still couldn’t provide any user data, because it simply didn’t exist.

During my tests, Windscribe retained around 86% of initial connection speeds. It’s a great result for browsing on Linux. However, it couldn’t bypass geo-restrictions on Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, or other platforms I tested it with.

Overall, I’d recommend Windscribe to users who need a privacy-oriented free VPN with a GUI app on Linux.

How to install a free VPN on Ubuntu

Installing a VPN on Ubuntu requires entering just a few commands, which will be different based on the VPN service. However, there are some setup similarities for many VPNs, so I’ll use Proton VPN as an example on how to install it on Linux.

Here’s how to install the GUI app:

1. Choose a VPN with a free plan for Linux. I recommend Proton VPN, since it offers unlimited data.

2. Download the repository package. In the terminal window, enter the following line:

wget https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-all/protonvpn-stable-release_1.0.8_all.deb

3. Install the downloaded repository:

sudo dpkg -i ./protonvpn-stable-release_1.0.8_all.deb && sudo apt update

4. Install the VPN GUI app:

sudo apt install proton-vpn-gnome-desktop

That’s it. Note that if you’re installing Proton VPN, verifying the GPG signature using dpkg-sig –verify won’t work. Instead, you can check the package’s integrity using the following line:

echo "0b14e71586b22e498eb20926c48c7b434b751149b1f2af9902ef1cfe6b03e180 protonvpn-stable-release_1.0.8_all.deb" | sha256sum --check -

How to use OpenVPN with Network Manager on Ubuntu

Aside from using a dedicated VPN app, Ubuntu also supports VPNs through its Network Manager. So, you can manually set up a VPN connection using tunneling protocols like WireGuard or OpenVPN.

Here’s an example of how to do it with OpenVPN:

1. Open the terminal and install the tunneling protocol plugin for NetworkManager. For OpenVPN, use this command line:

sudo apt-get install network-manager-openvpn-gnome

2. Now, log out and re-login to your Linux session.

3. Download the configuration files from your chosen VPN.

4. Go to Settings > Network, then click the “+” button by the VPN section and import the configuration file.

5. Insert the username and password provided by your VPN provider.

6. Connect by toggling on the switch.

That’s all it takes to set up a VPN through the Network Manager – you can confirm if it works by googling “What’s my IP address.”

Free VPNs to avoid

The tricky part about free VPNs is that some of them aren’t reliable – some may serve ads, while others may sell your data to make a profit. My advice is that you always check reviews for any privacy concerns, past data breaches, or reputational issues to prevent getting an untrustworthy VPN.

I’ve listed a few free VPNs I recommend staying away from to help you out:

• Hola VPN – it doesn’t have a Linux app, but you can get it through browser extensions on Linux. We don’t suggest it since it has extensive logging practices in place, collecting data such as IP addresses and browsing activities. This defeats the purpose of a VPN in the first place.
• SuperVPN – it has a very short privacy policy that’s difficult to understand. According to their privacy policy, they may release your data to “law enforcement personnel with the proper documentation and paperwork.” Plus, it suffered a data breach in 2021, exposing user data.
• Turbo VPN – offers a 500MB data limit, and its privacy policy hasn’t been audited. Plus, it has been found that it has ties with both Chinese and Russian domains, so we highly recommend against downloading this VPN to protect your privacy.

Final verdict

Finding a reliable free Linux VPN comes down to which service balances usability and privacy. It’s important to choose a service that doesn’t limit your monthly data cap too much and doesn’t put your data privacy at risk due to its logging policies.

My tests show that Proton VPN is the best free VPN for Linux users. It has a graphical interface, servers in 5 countries, and unlimited monthly data, so you can stay private at all times. Windscribe is a good alternative if you don’t mind the 10GB monthly data cap and want to use one account on more devices. Meanwhile, NordVPN is best for streaming if you’re up for using a free trial.

The best part about Linux is that you can build your own VPN rules, such as creating a system-wide kill switch or automating connections. With the flexibility of this operating system, even a limited free VPN can become a powerful privacy and security tool.