5 Best Free VPN Extension for Chrome of 2024

The Best Free Vpn Extension for Chrome: VPN browser extensions only protect traffic from web browsers. They allow you to switch to a server in another country with a couple of clicks in order to hide your real IP address or bypass the blocking.

Best Free Vpn Extension for Chrome

5 Best VPN  for Chrome

Some free VPN extension for popular browsers is free to use. However, the list of available servers is limited. To increase the number of options, you need to buy a full VPN subscription. If you use it only in a browser, it is expensive. But if you are setting up a VPN on different devices, then this will be a profitable solution.

There is also a point related to the privacy policy. Even if the VPN homepage says it doesn’t collect any user data, this may not apply to the best free VPN extension for chrome. Some services apply other rules to them – for example, they record the user’s real IP address and record the sites they visit.

Moreover, there may be a clause in the agreement that the VPN has the right to transfer the collected data to third parties, including for marketing purposes.

The 5 best VPN extension for Chrome

  1. NordVPN – is the best VPN browser extension
  2. Surfshark – is a reliable and safe extension for Chrome
  3. HotspotShield – Free VPN with its own traffic encryption protocol
  4. ExpressVPN – VPN extension with 3000 servers in 94 countries
  5. ZenMate VPN – is a free extension to hide your real IP address and bypass blocking

1. NordVPN – best VPN browser extension

NordVPN is the best VPN that offers complete privacy and security across multiple devices. It has clients for popular social networks, router and OpenVPN configurations, and browser extensions. You can install the add-on from the official Chrome store.

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The company is registered in Panama, where there are no strict rules for collecting and storing user data. The project was originally conceived to fight for freedom and privacy on the Internet.

For 8 years of work, more than 12 million users from all over the world have joined it, who value the refusal of the service from keeping logs.

Advantage
  • No bandwidth limitations.
  • Servers in 59 countries on 5 continents, allowing you to bypass any geographic blockages.
  • 256-bit traffic encryption.
  • Built-in malware blocker and phishing attack protector.
  • The ability to disable the WebRTC protocol, through which data about the real IP address is leaked.
Disadvantage
  • Can’t be used for free – there isn’t even a version with a limited number of servers.

Cost:

You won’t be able to use the best free VPN extension for chrome. After installation, it offers to log in or register. Registration means purchasing premium access. The only way to evaluate NordVPN for free is to download the app for Android or iOS. The mobile client has a 7-day trial period.

There is no separate subscription to the extension. To use it without restrictions, you need to buy a general premium.

  • Monthly subscription – $ 11.95.
  • 6 months access – $ 54 ($ 9 per month).
  • 1 Year Subscription – $ 49 ($ 4.08 per month).

When buying a subscription for a year, a refund guarantee is valid within 30 days after payment. You can refuse the service and get your money back.

2. Surfshark – A reliable and safe extension for Chrome 

Surfshark is a reliable VPN. It encrypts traffic according to military standards and uses proprietary data protection technologies. The service is available on all popular platforms. It can be installed in the browser from the Chrome app store.

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Surfshark is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. Local laws allow it not to store user data. This helps to maintain a no-logging policy. The service does not remember anything important about users and does not register their activity on the Internet.

Advantage
  • Logs are not kept, and information about user actions within the protected network is not saved.
  • CleanWeb function to block trackers, malware, phishing attempts.
  • A private DNS service that allows you to hide the real IP addresses of users reliably.
  • Traffic encryption, according to the AES-256-GCM standard.
  • Use of the reliable and proven IKEv2 / IPsec protocol.
Disadvantage
  • Registration and subscription to premium access are required to use.

Cost:

After installing it, authorization or registration is required, that is, the purchase of paid access. The only way to test the capabilities of a VPN is to install it on your smartphone. A test period is valid for 7 days in the mobile client. This is enough to evaluate the performance of different servers.

  • Monthly subscription – $ 11.95.
  • Annual Premium Access – $ 71.88 ($ 5.99 per month)
  • 2 Years Subscription – $ 47.76 ($ 1.99 per month).

When purchasing a plan for 2 years, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.

You can also purchase additional features – checking email for address leaks and cleaning search results from advertising records. The service package costs $0.99 per month.

3. HotspotShield – Free VPN with its own traffic encryption protocol

HotspotShield is the best free VPN extension for chrome that uses a proprietary protocol to encrypt traffic. Organizes secure connections through its servers, assigning their IP addresses to connected devices. Automatically connects to the point that is closest to the user’s real location to reduce speed loss.

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On the official website, the service declares its refusal to collect, store, and transfer user data. However, the free version of the extension uses an advertising pixel through which data leaks were recorded.

The developers claim that the tracking pixel is used solely to control the number of ads shown. The paid version of the extension does not have it.

Advantage
  • More than 3200 servers in 70 countries are located on different continents.
  • Automatic selection of the optimal server for establishing a secure connection.
  • High download speed that allows you to watch streaming video on streaming services.
  • Built-in blockers for trackers, ads, malware, collecting cookies, checking for IP leaks via WebRTC.
  • 24/7 technical support.
Disadvantage
  • This flaw is addressed by installing the HotspotShield extension from the Chrome app store.
  • On a free plan, advertising, and the constant appearance of an offer to switch to premium.
  • A loose privacy policy that allows the collection of information about user activity on the network, including cookies.

Cost:

You can use the browser extension for free and without registration. In this mode, 4 servers are available: Russian Federation, Netherlands, Germany, India. There are also traffic restrictions – no more than 500 MB per day. Other locations, as well as additional protection tools, open only after purchasing the premium version.

The premium is available in two tariffs – for one person and a family. They differ from each other only in the number of devices. You can connect up to 5 devices on an individual subscription on a family subscription – up to 25 devices (5 for each family member).

  • A monthly subscription for one costs $ 12.99 per month. If you pay for a year, it comes out almost 40% cheaper – $ 95.88 ($ 7.99 per month).
  • A month of family membership costs $ 19.99. Pay annually for a 40% discount at $ 143.88 ($ 11.99 per month).
  • On wallpaper tariffs, a money-back guarantee for unused services is valid for 45 days after payment.

4. ExpressVPN – VPN extension with 3000 servers in 94 countries

ExpressVPN is a paid VPN service that provides a secure connection at high speeds. Excellent performance is achieved through the use of servers located around the world.

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The company is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, where there are no strict laws on the collection and storage of user data. This allows you to adhere to a no-logging policy. It uses 256-bit encryption to protect traffic, and there is also a kill switch and split tunneling, although the latter two are only available in the standalone ExpressVPN client.

Advantage
  • More than 3000 servers in 94 countries of the world.
  • Refusal to keep logs and store user data.
  • Blocking the WebRTC protocol through which sites can learn your real IP address.
  • Location masking – the data matches the location of the VPN server.
  • Emergency shutdown function.
  • Unblocking streaming services.
Disadvantage
  • The extensions cannot be used for free.
  • No more than 3 devices can be connected at the same time on one subscription.
  • The high cost of premium access even when paying for the long term.

Cost:

You can use browser extensions for free. There is also no test period – instead, a money-back guarantee, which is valid for 30 days after payment of the tariff.

  • Monthly subscription – $ 12.95.
  • 6 months access – $ 59.95 ($ 9.99 per month).
  • Annual subscription – $ 99.95 ($ 8.32 per month).

On one subscription, you can set up a secure connection on 3 devices at the same time.

5. ZenMate VPN – Free Extension to Hide Real IP Address and Bypass Blocks

ZenMate VPN is a VPN extension to hide your real IP address. The free version allows you to choose from 4 locations to connect. Premium access unlocks over 2000 servers worldwide.

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The service guarantees confidentiality. User data is not collected or stored. What’s more, ZenMate VPN makes sure that customer accounts are protected. If the email address to which the account is registered is compromised, the user is notified.

Advantage
  • Servers in 74 countries.
  • 128-bit encryption of browser traffic.
  • High connection speed.
  • Unblock popular streaming services with regional restrictions: Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO NOW, Disney Plus.
  • Refusal to keep logs and store user data.
Disadvantage
  • Unlocking streaming is only available in the paid version.
  • You can only connect to 4 servers for free: Germany, Italy, Romania, and the USA.

Cost:

The extension has a free version that offers 4 locations with a speed limit of up to 2 Mbps and showing ads.

The pro version of the browser extension costs 4.00. dollars per month. It includes access to 74 servers, complete anonymity, unlimited bandwidth, special servers for connecting to streaming platforms.

If you want to protect your connection in browsers and devices, you need to buy a ZenMate VPN Ultimate subscription). With this subscription, you can connect an unlimited number of devices to the VPN at the same time.

To make it easier for you to compare extensions, we have collected their main parameters into a single table.

Which VPN extensions to use?

Many extensions have been developed for Google Chrome Browser that allows you to hide your real IP address and protect the traffic. We have selected the best plugins.

  • NordVPN is the best VPN extension. Does not collect user data, guarantees complete confidentiality, and security.
  • Surfshark is a paid VPN extension with its own protection technologies and additional security tools, such as a malware site blocker.
  • HotspotShield is a free extension with its own data encryption protocol. Shows ads.
  • ExpressVPN is a paid VPN extension that delivers high-speed connections thanks to a huge server network of over 3000 locations in 94 countries.
  • ZenMate VPN is an extension with a free version where you can choose from 4 locations. A premium subscription increases the number of locations to 74.

Often browser extensions are not a full-fledged VPN with encrypted traffic and a no-logging policy. Rather, it is a proxy server whose sole task is to change the IP address. Such extensions may collect personal data from users and transfer it to third parties, including advertisers.

Conclusion

Therefore, if you want complete privacy and anonymity, then use a paid VPN. Leave the best free VPN extension for chrome for simple cases when you just need to change your location to access the site.