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3 tools · sorted by overall score
The best free and freemium options — ranked by free tier generosity, not marketing claims.
We scored 3 vpns tools ranked by overall score across all 7 scored dimensions. ProtonVPN comes out on top at 85/100, ProtonVPN edges out Windscribe by a narrow margin, so it's worth comparing both closely against your specific requirements. As with every list on RadarTrek, the ranking reflects our independent scoring methodology, not advertising — use the dimension scores below to check whether the top pick actually fits your specific situation, since "best for best free options" rarely means best for every use case within that category.
Swiss privacy, open-source, and a solid free tier
85
Overall
$4.99/mo
freemium
Based on our independent scoring, ProtonVPN ranks highest for best free options at 85/100. Windscribe is the closest alternative, followed by TunnelBear. See the full ranked list above for the complete breakdown across every scored dimension.
ProtonVPN currently ranks above Windscribe for best free options in our scoring. For a full side-by-side breakdown across every dimension, not just this one use case, visit the head-to-head comparison page for these two tools — it's the more reliable way to decide between them than this ranking alone.
We review category rankings whenever a tool's underlying dimension scores change meaningfully, when a new tool enters the category, or when a tool is deprecated or acquired. The ranking reflects current scores, not a one-time snapshot — check the methodology note below for what specifically feeds into the overall score driving this list.
No — rankings are generated purely from our independent dimension scores, the same scores used across every tool review and comparison page on RadarTrek. Some listed tools have affiliate links, which may earn us a commission if you sign up, but commission has no influence on score or rank order.