The Pros and Cons of Free and Paid VPN

Free and paid VPN services both have their advantages. Most business users or serious personal users, however, will want to go with a paid option. Here are some of the pros and cons to consider about each.

Free VPN

The pros of free VPN services include:

• The price, obviously
• It’s easy to quite using one service and start using another
• You can use different services for different nations
• No contracts

Remember that some free VPN services may not be what they seem and may, in fact, be vectors for viruses and malware. Some paid VPN providers offer small, free accounts as ways of promoting their services. These are usually the safest options for getting a free VPN services.

The cons of free VPN services include:

• Limited bandwidth
• No tech support
• Software may contain adware or malware
• No guarantee of availability when you log on
• Slow service

Paid VPN

Paid VPN services are really the only options for serious users. The benefits, compared to free VPN services, are many. There are sometimes issues with understanding how the billing works. Remember: block accounts allow you to download based on a total amount of bandwidth and must be repurchased once you reach that limit; unlimited accounts allow you to download as much as you want and usually bill monthly.

Pros of paid VPN:

• Reliable service
• Usually much faster than free VPN
• Tech support
• Option to increase/decrease service plan
• Reliable terms of use and privacy agreements
• Software is usually updated and improved regularly
• Generally many more server options than free services

Cons of paid VPN:

• Cost
• Switching providers may be difficult
• Limited bandwidth accounts may not be enough for serious users

Which to Choose?

If you barely use a VPN and just need to have the option, you may be completely happy with a free account. One of the free accounts offered by promotions by the large VPN providers will be the safest bet. If they discontinue the account, just find another provider.

Paid accounts will be necessities for anyone who really needs to have a VPN connection available. If your business or your personal privacy requires that you have some sort of security, then you’ll want to go the paid route. If you have issues with the service, you can call tech support. If you’re not happy with the service at all, you can just sign up with someone else and see what they offer.