Sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing the best VPN for Samsung laptops. But the more the options, the more befuddled you’ll be to make your mind.

That’s why we’ve listed four popular VPNs for Windows, Linux, and other desktop OS available in both paid and free versions. We’ve also categorized them so you can choose based on your priorities—money, speed, data range, and features.

Read on to learn about the trade-offs you’ll make with a free VPN, why you need a VPN, and explore the pros and cons of our recommended products.

Is There a 100% Free VPN?

There are many 100% free VPNs out there; not all are reliable, fast, and functional, though. Some set data, time, and speed caps for users, and others introduce ads, trackers, or malware to your system. So, you must always make a trade-off when using a totally free service.

The infrastructure, network channels, security measures, and technologies used to maintain VPN servers demand substantial investment. So providers can’t just offer them for free. And if they do, they won’t do it for good.

They’ll provide you a free trial to get you familiar with their product and then change it to a premium model.

Some cut back on bandwidth or data allowance to manage their costs, and others display ads to compensate for them. 

Even those with endless free services offer few servers for a wide range of customers. So, your speeds get down in peak hours. 

In the worst-case scenario, VPN providers market as free but tap into secret tricks to make a profit from you. They may gather your online data to sell to third parties, exposing you to identity theft, financial fraud, and many more.

So, it’s better to suppress your frugal side if you want first-rate performance. Most paid VPN services only charge you a few dollars a month. And if you really care about not paying for a VPN, at least choose a limited free service over an insecure one.

What Is a VPN Good for?

A VPN is good for masking your IP address, protecting your online data, and bypassing regional or governmental restrictions. It builds a private tunnel between you and your ISP. So whatever you do online passes through another server, making you anonymous and your data safe.

You should use a VPN when connecting to public or unknown Wi-Fi networks to avoid security attacks.

You can also apply it to access unreachable websites or content, no matter if the censorship comes from your work, school, or country.

Another crucial use case is when you’re performing financial activities on the web and want to avoid spies and thieves. A VPN even guards you against virtual marketers who use your data for price discrimination.

4 Best VPN for Samsung Users

Here are four safe VPNs that extend most of their premium functions to their free plans, too:

ProtonVPN Free—Top Free Streaming VPN

ProtonVPN is the only unpaid VPN with zero gigabyte limits, and that’s why it’s crawled to the top of our list. While most free VPNs are barely sufficient for watching a single movie a month, ProtonVPN makes streaming a breeze.

The Split Tunneling feature lets you bypass government censorship and geo-blocking. Besides, Netflix and Youtube are both welcome.

You can choose between many DNS servers and encryption protocols, which is more than ideal for a free VPN. It also houses a Kill switch and Auto-Connect to optimize your customization. 

Its DNS Leak Protection and IPV6 Leak Blocking abilities are superb. It contains no ads. And its minimal-logs policy means you don’t have to input any data but your email address to create an account.

The provider boasts nearly 500 servers in at least 30 countries. However, with the freebie software, you can only get your hands on three—Switzerland, the US, and Japan. This puts you in competition with other subscribers over bandwidth.

Another pitfall is that torrenting is only an option through the premium version. There’s no handy tool to contact the manufacturer on demand. And you’ll get no ad-blockers.

Pros

• No data limits.
• No surveillance and no-logging policy.
• Compatible with Netflix.
• Great for streaming.
• First-class security protocols.
• Customizable settings.

Cons

• Only three servers.
• Relatively low speeds in the freemium.
• Weak customer service.
• No ad blockers.

What Do the Reviews Say?

With an 8.5 overall rating, customers praise ProtonVPN for its security, performance, and interface.

But a frequently reported complaint is that the company doesn’t let you downgrade to the free version once you start buying a subscription! So, be careful not to switch to the premium plan if you’re not totally satisfied with the VPN.

Also, the free version is more popular among users, with some saying it could be as good as the premium ones.

TunnelBear – Fastest Free Option

If you need a VPN for occasional use and are willing to forgo strict data limits over server variability and speed, TunnelBear is worth your attention.

A rare option among free VPNs, it provides you a whopping number of 1000 servers, spread among 20 countries. So, you’ll benefit from a peerless speed.

Unlike other free VPNs so far, it has round-the-clock in-app customer support. You can share the username between five devices simultaneously. You can choose between UDP and TCP protocols, and you’re free to set DNS configs to your liking.

The app has passed intensive IP and DNS Leak tests. You don’t need to yield more than an email to verify your account. And the fact that it belongs to the known computer security company—McAfee—makes it more trustable than its competitors.

You’ll get firewalls, stealth mode, kill switch, ad blocker, TCP Override, and a virtual map, all in a simple, self-explanatory interface.

However, the data allowance is so meager at 500MB per month, making streaming nearly impossible in the freebie version. The reasonable prices of the subscription packages—up to ten dollars a month—might make you forgo this pitfall. But not that the payment options are not so varied.

Also, you’re out of luck with this VPN if you’re running Linux on your Samsung laptop. And split tunneling isn’t available in the desktop version.

Pros

• Up to 1000 servers.
• Satisfactory speeds.
• No IP and DNS leakage.
• Easy-to-adjust intuitive interface.
• A handful of customizable features.
• Supports five devices at once.

Cons

• Not compatible with the Linux OS.
• No split tunneling.
• Minimal data allowance for the freemium version.

What Do the Reviews Say?

Most desktop VPN users report they haven’t encountered a sole glitch with TunnelBear, giving it an average rate of 9 out of 10 for its performance. The mobile users, however, say it randomly disconnects.

The lack of money-back policies is another thing that bothers the customers. Other than that, they love the interface coupled with the non-step functions.

ExpressVPN—Best Paid

With 3000+ servers in 94 countries and 160 locations, ExpressVPN has the largest network on our list. And unsurprisingly, it promises a stellar speed—up to 630Mbps reported! This is while most competitors in the same price range barely reach 250 Mbps. 

You can download as large as 100GB files, stream movies without a hassle, and even play online games in the shadows with this VPN.

Their no-logging claims are strict, and your IP stamps, browsing data, or DNS queries all will stay obscure. Also, the app works with all security protocols, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, and OpenVPN (UDP and TCP), from which you’re free to choose.

Regarding customer support, you can contact their agents through live chat, phone, and email, receiving replies in a matter of minutes.

You’ll receive a kill switch, split tunneling, and torrenting. But you’ll miss out on the ad blocker or browser extensions.

Also, be aware that their free service isn’t an option unless you commit to subscribe to the premium version. Upon registration, the ExpressVPN manufacturer gives you a month of free service with a refund guarantee. It also greets the new users with a three-months free plan.  

A unique advantage, it lets you pay the subscription via bitcoin, PayPal, credit card, and a myriad of other options.

Pros

• Money-back guarantee.
• Supports five devices per account.
• Versatile customer service.
• Outstanding speeds.
• Accepts cryptocurrencies as a way of payment.

Cons

• Free trial only comes as a bonus to the subscribers.
• No ad blockers.
• Doesn’t include extensions.

What D the Reviews Say?

ExpressVPN earns an impressive satisfactory score—8.8/10—on customer forums. However, a few reported getting buggy apps and that certain content/websites were still invisible with this VPN.

The most compelling advantage in the user’s eye is that it doesn’t slow down their internet despite other VPNs.

Windscribe—Best Freebie Data/Speed Combo

Seek no further if you want a free VPN with generous data allowance, decent bandwidth, and endless service: Windscribe gives every user 10GB of data a month, as long as you agree to give up your email address. And if you don’t, you can still benefit from a 2GB usage.

It boasts up to ten servers across North America, Hong Kong, Europe, and Turkey. So you’ll be less likely to face speed lags in rush hours.

As for privacy, the app doesn’t accumulate any info such as your browsing history, log-ins, or IPs. It just saves your username and keeps track of how many bytes you’ve transferred. Not only it’s ad-free, but it also impedes ads from other sites. Having a built-in firewall also means you’re guarded against third-party spyware and data monitors.

There are dedicated versions for Windows and Linux. You can also download the browser extension for your Chrome, Opera, Firefox, etc. 

One downside is that you won’t get app-based customer support, and you can’t connect to a username through several devices at a time. Besides, Netflix is only accessible in the paid version.

Pros

• Top-notch privacy.
• 10G data allowance.
• Over ten servers and locations.
• Ad-blocker.
• Ad-free.
• Firewall.
• All-compatible.

Cons

• Doesn’t work with Netflix.
• Only pairs with one device.
• No in-app chat bots.

What Do the Reviews Say?

Taking into account both customer feedback and reviewer’s tests, Windscribe earns an average of 8/10 rating.

Users say you have to wait long seconds before it connects to a server. Also, its interface isn’t so user-friendly meaning you must go from pillar to post to find a certain setting. But most of them love the way it lets you customize the paid options to fit your budget. They also confirm the app is true to its word.

Final Words and Best Pick

VPN options for Samsung laptops are endless. But if you want a safe and free option with no data limits, ProtonVPN may be your best bet. Among other free VPNs, it nails the streaming services. It’s passed the test of data leakage and comes with a simple interface.

If you can’t live with low speeds, choose TunnelBear instead. But remember that its free version is designed for only casual use due to the limited data cap. Want a balance of both worlds? Give ExpressVPN a quick try unless you want to avoid payments altogether.