May 06, 2022
3 min read
You’ve decided to start taking your cybersecurity seriously. You’re aware of the online risks, and you want to take steps to protect yourself. That’s great! But what comes next? When you’re looking for the best VPN, you’ll probably notice that NordVPN is a premium service, and it’s only natural to wonder if there’s a similar service you can access for free. But what are the NordVPN alternatives? And are they right for you?
The first thing you’ll notice when you start exploring VPN options is…there’s a lot of them! The VPN market has been growing rapidly in recent years, and there’s no shortage of free services available.
Some will come bundled with other software, like antivirus or browser apps, while others can be downloaded independently. The one thing that unites all of these free options is that they’ll all promise to protect your data without charging you any money. Seems like a good deal, right?
Of course, as you’ve probably already guessed, some offers are just too good to be true. There’s always a catch — or, in the case of non-paid VPNs, quite a few catches.
Three main risks are associated with free alternatives to NordVPN.
A company that offers you a service without charging you a fee still needs to make money. As the old saying goes, if the product you’re getting is free, you’re probably the product.
Many free VPN companies will sell your data and information about your browsing habits to advertisers and other third parties. Your data is extremely valuable to corporations that want to target you with ads, and if you’re funneling all your internet activity through the servers of an unscrupulous VPN company, it can log and sell that information.
That’s why VPN providers with a premium business model are usually more reliable on this front: they make their money by providing a good service, not by monetizing their users.
Free VPNs know that they don’t have to provide a high quality of service since they’re not charging you. Even if they’re selling your data, they probably won’t be making enough money to provide a great service anyway.
A premium VPN invests the money its users give it into maintaining a global server network with multiple IP locations, strong encryption protocols, and responsive tech support. It knows that its users expect fast internet speeds and a stable connection, so it makes sure to provide that.
NordVPN, for example, has more than 5,400 servers worldwide, offers lightning-fast speeds, and continually works to improve and strengthen its systems.
NordVPN alternatives usually can’t compete when it comes to additional features and security measures. Again, they have little motivation to do so, since their one and only selling point is their lack of fees.
While some free VPNs provide basic levels of online security and limited location-changing options, NordVPN comes with built-in Threat Protection, a powerful feature that can limit your exposure to malware, shield you from online trackers, and block ads.
A free NordVPN alternative just doesn’t have the resources or the incentive to go the extra mile for its consumers.
Simply put, a paid VPN is better than a free VPN. Even the best NordVPN alternatives will struggle to match NordVPN, for several reasons. Here are three key strengths that set NordVPN apart.
If you're not convinced yet, check out these NordVPN reviews to see what major publications and review sites have to say about our services.
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