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A free Chrome extension that lets you surf the web anonymously via a VPN proxy

A free Chrome extension that lets you surf the web anonymously via a VPN proxy

Vote: (6 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: DotVPN

Version: 2.2.10

Vote:

Program license

(6 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

DotVPN

2.2.10

Pros

  • Free VPN
  • Unlimited data usage
  • Cloud firewall protection

Cons

  • Advanced features require payment

DotVPN is a powerful VPN for Windows that works directly in the Chrome web browser.

A virtual private network serves as an intermediary between a private network, such as your home LAN, and a public network, such as the Internet. This can provide you a number of benefits, including protecting your privacy, enhancing your security and allowing access to geo-blocked content.

Most good VPNs require a subscription. Most free VPNs are unreliable and/or so limited as to be practically unusable. DotVPN is among the exceptions that manages to be free, reliable and feature-rich. It manages to be free by being ad-supported, but those ads are unobtrusive for the most part.

DotVPN even allows you unlimited data usage. There are some caveats. Some of the more bandwidth-intensive online activities—such as torrenting—are blocked in the free service. That and other advanced features require a subscription, which starts at about several bucks a month.

Still, if you want to protect your identity while you surf the Web, you can do that at no cost and in a virtually unrestricted capacity, which is truly impressive in the current market. Even advanced security measures, such as cloud firewall protection, are provided at no charge.

There are some areas where the restrictions for the free service can hinder you. If you’re surfing news articles, you’re good. If you’re perusing YouTube or another video provider, then you’ll have issues since video and audio streaming aren’t supported by the free service. Nevertheless, you can use this to your advantage on sites where video and audio are annoying and difficult to control.

On the plus side, DotVPN has a no logging policy. That means that they don’t track and archive data about you and what you do online. Many VPNs aim to protect your identity from everyone but themselves, and that certainly exposes you to some degree of risk.

A good rule of thumb is that if a VPN would prove useful to you, then a good VPN is worth paying for—especially when it costs less than a cup of coffee a week or even a month. Still, if you want to get your feet wet with a good VPN that’s truly free, then you can’t do much better than DotVPN.

Pros

  • Free VPN
  • Unlimited data usage
  • Cloud firewall protection

Cons

  • Advanced features require payment