Free VPN for Reddit?

The Internet is no longer a place where you surf around carefree. Hackers are constantly trying to steal your data, websites use this data ‘legally’ and spyware tracks your activities. Preserving your anonymity online is difficult these days, especially on Reddit. To make this possible anyway, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Like (almost) all social media websites, Reddit collects and sells your data. When you use a VPN, your data is encrypted. In other words, your data is encrypted and no longer accessible to strangers.

This way you can be active on Reddit without fear of being spied on. Later in this article, we’ll tell you more about why you actually want to use a VPN for Reddit. Using a VPN to be safe on Reddit is a must, but which one should you choose? There are countless providers and comparing them all will take you months. That’s why we’ve put together a top 3.

How to choose a VPN for Reddit?

If you want a VPN to use Reddit, you probably don’t want too much fuss. However, you do want your security to be guaranteed and your internet to remain fast. So during our search for the best VPN for Reddit, we took the following points into account:

• Security. To be in our top spot, we require military-grade encryption (AES-256). In addition, we expect reliable connection protocols and a kill switch. Also important are having a ‘no log’policy and a history without data leaks.
• Speed. We were looking for a VPN that could load photo’s and video’s without lag or endless buffering. A large network of servers is therefore crucial, as is the absence of speed limits from the provider.
• Ease of use. The program should be designed as simply as possible and function perfectly.
• Price-performance ratio. No one wants to spend a lot of money, so an affordable VPN is desirable. Of course, the service should still be top quality.

No VPN service scores a 10 on all counts. So when you choose one, you will have to make concessions. It comes down to what your priority is. Do you want a simpler app or more security? Or maybe you want more speed now or just to save some money. In the next section we will discuss our top 3. If you want more information about the individual providers, read our separate reviews. This way you can make the right choice for your situation.

Best VPN for Reddit: our top 3

Reddit users are known for doing extensive research. No matter what the topic, they get to the bottom of it. Of course, they also have a subreddit about VPN services, but we don’t base our top 3 purely on this thread. All the VPN’s we recommend have been tested ourselves.

What we paid attention to are aspects that are necessary for an average Reddit user: speed, security and ease of use. In addition, it is always nice if you can bypass geoblocks and censorship with your VPN. The conclusion of our test led to a top 3 VPN services for Reddit. You can find out all about these providers below.

1. CyberGhost: affordable and user-friendly

CyberGhost is one of the VPN providers with the most servers, namely more than 7400 spread across 90 countries. This service is also known for its strong security and ‘no logs’policy. Even better, CyberGhost has never had a privacy leak. A nice thing about this VPN is that the app is very user-friendly . This is ideal for people who are just starting out with VPN use. The servers are also optimized for torrenting, but support many different platforms, including Reddit. You’ll likely be using this VPN within your Chrome or Firefox browser, so it couldn’t be easier.

• In addition, as a Reddit user, you’re probably happy with the fact that CyberGhost also has an adblocker . This way, you won’t have to deal with annoying advertisements and pop-ups while reading your threads.
• Although CyberGhost is already relatively cheap, they offer even more advantages. You can use a free trial period of up to 45 days. This is time enough to test out whether this is the VPN for you.

2. ExpressVPN: superfast with lots of security

ExpressVPN comes out best in our test in terms of an all-round VPN. With half the servers that CyberGhost has, this service still emerges as fastest. In addition, the connections are stable and the VPN offers ironclad security. ExpressVPN’s ability to bypass geoblocks is also excellent. In fact, the service has servers in more than 100 countries. For Redditors in countries like China this is totally fine, should the country ban Reddit again. The fact that this VPN works on different browser extensions is also useful. So you can follow your thread in Firefox én in Edge.

• If you combine the speed and ease of use with the security they offer, including kill-switch, and their ‘no log’policy, you’ll probably understand why ExpressVPN is number 1 in our list of best VPN services.
• So why is CyberGhost ranked #1 for Reddit users? It’s because ExpressVPN does come at a price. Also, the ‘free trial’period is shorter, at 30 days.

3. Surfshark: unlimited connection

Surfshark is terribly fast, yet affordable. This service has fewer servers than the two providers above, but in terms of security it is not inferior to them. Surfshark also has a strict ‘no log’policy and an immaculate history with no data leaks. Because of the VPN’s impressive speed most people consider Surfshark to be a streaming VPN. However, it has so much more to offer than buffer-free movie watching.

• What really sets this provider apart on the market is the ability to connect an unlimited number of devices simultaneously. Even ExpressVPN doesn’t allow that. Surfshark additionally has a handy feature called ‘CleanWeb’. This feature blocks advertisements, malware and trackers. So more than enough reasons to try this VPN, we think. Especially since a subscription comes with a 30-day money back guarantee . So you can use Surfshark’s services for free for a whole month.

How do I install a VPN to use for Reddit?

The exact steps you need to take to start your VPN depend on your chosen provider and the device you are installing the software on. For example, installing a VPN on a Windows computer is very different from installing the same service on your smart TV. In general, you take the following steps when starting a VPN subscription:

1. Create an account on the website of the VPN service. You’ll normally find the button to sign up at the top right of the screen.
2. Download the VPN software. Most VPN providers will automatically take you to the download page after subscribing. Just make sure you choose the right download for your device.
3. Install the VPN software. This is a matter of clicking “install”
4. Log in. Use the login credentials you created on the website to log in to the program.
5. Open the server list and choose a server to connect to.
6. Click the “connect” button to start your VPN. Within a few seconds, your internet traffic will be routed through the chosen server.

If you need more help with setup, you can check out our detailed setup guides for each provider

Can I use a free VPN for Reddit?

You can in principle use a free VPN for Reddit. However, it is important to pay attention. Free VPNs can be divided into two types of services:

1. The free variant of a premium VPN. This is the same service, but with limited services.
2. The exploitative free VPN’s that are actually VPN’s in name only.

Free version of premium VPN’s

Some premium VPN’s, such as PrivadoVPN and ProtonVPN, offer you a completely free, but limited version of their software . Restrictions that the free variants may impose include a limit on speed and access to fewer servers. For example, PrivadoVPN gives you a monthly limit of 10GB and ProtonVPN’s free variant gives access to only three servers. However, these are legitimate providers that offer you adequate security.

• In order to offer the free service, the unpaid versions of premium VPN’s often show advertisements. However, aside from the limitations and advertisements, these services function like the paid variants. They are therefore ideal for testing out VPN providers before you buy one. However, if you don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, then it’s better to buy a subscription.

The dangerous free VPN’s

The free version of premium VPN’s have some limitations, but they are safe. However, you also have providers that are a VPN in name only. In fact, these services offer little to no security and are often only fronts for crypto-mining. They then make you part of their P2P network and use your system to mine crypto currency.

1. Another possibility is that they are companies who want to steal your data to resell it. They unashamedly store your data and resell it to the highest bidder. The data they collect from you includes your activity logs, i.e. a precise description of when you visited which websites and what you did on these sites. An example of such a dangerous VPN is Hola VPN. By the way, don’t be fooled by their ‘premium’ subscription.
2. If you have a small budget, there are free VPN’s that we recommend. All of these providers protect your online activities, including your use of Reddit. You may be limited in your options compared to premium VPN subscriptions, but your data remains secure. This is not the case with many other free services.

Why should I use a Free VPN for Reddit?

There are many different reasons to install a VPN as a Reddit user. We list the main reasons for you:

• Increase your online security. A VPN server encrypts your data and blocks access for malicious others. After all, hackers, your ISP and Reddit itself can’t abuse what they can’t see. When you don’t use a VPN, much of your data is on the street. This is certainly the case if you use unsecured WiFi networks. So with a VPN, you’ll stay safe and anonymous on Reddit.
• Increase your privacy. A VPN server changes your IP address into that of the server. What you do on Reddit cannot be traced back to you. Your own IP address reflects your location and opens up the possibility of all sorts of cyber attacks. With a masked address, you are safe from such attacks. Remember to keep your Reddit profile as anonymous as possible if you want to maintain your privacy. This includes using an anonymous email address when logging in.
• Overcoming geoblocks. Your IP address also contains information about your location. So when you mask this with a VPN, websites don’t know where you are. This is ideal if you want to watch a video on Reddit that is only accessible to viewers from a specific country. It’s also ideal if you live in a country known for temporarily banning Reddit, such as Russia.
• Overcoming IP bans. If you are banned from Reddit, the website blacklists your IP address, not just that one account. A VPN is, of course, ideal for bypassing this ban.

Conclusion about VPN for Reddit

A VPN helps you visit the Reddit website safely and anonymously. It also ensures that you don’t have to deal with geoblocks and that you can bypass (unfair) account bans. The provider we recommend is CyberGhost. However, if you have a bigger budget, go for the real number one, ExpressVPN. Should you want to connect multiple devices to your VPN at the same time, subscribe to Surfshark. If you want even more options, check out our list of this year’s best VPN services.