Free VPN without a credit card

Many "free" VPN trials ask for a card number before you have used the service even once, and then renew on their own. If you only want to try a VPN, or you need one occasionally, that is a poor start. A free plan that needs no payment details at all is easier to trust and easier to walk away from.

#Why does a free VPN ask for a card?

Usually it is a trial of a paid plan. You get a few days free, the card is stored, and the charge happens automatically when the trial ends. That is legitimate when it is stated clearly, but it is not a free plan. A free plan has no end date and no card on file.

#What a card-free plan should look like

When you check a free plan, look for these signs:

• Sign-up needs no payment details. An e-mail address, and nothing that can be charged.
• A clear limit. Monthly traffic or a device count that is written down, not a vague "fair use".
• The same service as paying users. The same apps and the same connection protocols, not a slower or reduced version.
• No countdown. The plan does not expire after seven or fourteen days.

#How to judge any free VPN

Running servers costs money, so every free VPN is paid for by someone. Before you install one, ask:

1. Who pays? An honest free plan is a sample of a paid service, and some users upgrade. If there is no paid plan and no company behind it, the money may come from your data.
2. What does it log? A good policy says what is stored and for how long. The servers should not keep a record of the sites you visit.
3. Can anyone check the apps? Open-source apps let others inspect what the app does on your device. Closed apps ask you to take it on trust.
4. Are there ads or third-party trackers in the app? A privacy tool should not contain them.
5. Is there a named company? You should know who runs the service and who is responsible.

The longer guide Free VPN without logs: what to check before you install one goes through these checks in detail.

#How Colitu's free plan works

• 10 GB every month. The allowance renews on the 1st of each month (UTC).
• No card, no payment details. Sign-up asks for an e-mail address and a verification code that we send to it. Nothing else.
• One device on the free plan.
• The same apps and protocols as paid plans. There is no separate set of free servers or a reduced app. When the allowance is used up, access waits for the next renewal.
• Open-source apps. The Colitu apps are open source on GitHub, so you can read what they do.
• No browsing activity logs. Colitu does not keep a record of the sites you visit. The full list of what is and is not stored is in the security whitepaper.

You can see the current plan details on the pricing page.

#What if 10 GB is not enough?

For occasional use, such as checking a connection on public Wi-Fi, 10 GB a month goes a long way. If you need more devices or more traffic, the paid tiers are:

Upgrading is optional. The free plan stays free and does not turn into a paid one on its own, because there is no card to charge.

#What do I get from the same apps?

Free accounts get the full app: the connection that Colitu chooses automatically for your network, the kill switch on Windows and the other features of the apps. Everything is encrypted, on the free plan too. If you are on a network where a connection is unstable, the app tries its modes in turn until traffic flows.

#How do I start?

1. Create a free account with your e-mail address.
2. Enter the verification code we send you.
3. Pick your platform on the download page, install the app and sign in.
4. Press Connect. You do not need to choose a server or a protocol.

If you are weighing which platform to use first, VPN for Android and VPN for Windows 11 and 10 cover the setup details.