Due to many reasons, people have to use VPN (Virtual Private Network) services. But free cheese is only in a mousetrap. So we guess most of you are not aware of security dangers of using such services. We understand that some frugal internet users think that a free VPN can do the job without any major drawbacks. But it’s not the case.
Also read: Here’s A Free VPN Service On iOS: Thanks To Opera!
What you need to know is that VPN services need a source of funding in order to provide a quality service. Without one, free VPNs can only deliver mediocre results. Worse, they may be using unethical methods to make money. In this article that is inspired by techguide, we will talk about the advantages and drawbacks of VPN.
VPN Pros
The first and the most vital reason why we use VPN services is their ability to change our IP address and location. Also, a VPN provides encryption to hide our actions from our ISP and any prying eyes.
Connecting to a VPN server reduces our connection speed because your data packets have to travel a greater distance than before. You might think there the sentence above has no sense. But if using the latest tunneling techniques, the VPN will ensure efficiency, driving to a minimal speed loss.
As VPN services can change our virtual location, we can use it to access content that is regionally restricted. For example, most VPN clients use this feature to access more movies and TV episodes on streaming sites such as Netflix.
VPN services work with common internet-connected devices such as laptops and smartphones. But it can also secure other devices if it includes router configuration files.
Many VPN services on the market come with many cybersecurity features. For example, they can protect us from internet trackers, ads and even malicious software.
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At first, sight VPN is a quite useful service and there is no reason to ignore it. But most of these features are available on few high-quality premium VPN providers only.
Free VPN shortcomings
Free VPN services limit the amount of data we can protect. This is largely to prevent abuse and reduce the amount of network maintenance required.
Another problem is that the service lacks the hardware to enable high-speed connections.
It is unrealistic to expect a free VPN to have a global network of servers. Instead, we get only a few choices in a tiny area.
As there are is no revenue stream, free VPN services are unable to create reliable security features against ads and other online threats.
A free VPN will not keep up with the latest cutting-edge technology that ensures good performance in many ways.
Using the app may expose us to full-screen, virus-infected ads. Alternatively, the service collects vast amounts of personal data in the background to sell to marketers and make ends meet.
As you can see, the list of drawbacks is quite long. Furthermore, most of them will make using a VPN on a regular basis a tedious experience. Meanwhile, more nefarious activities will undermine your digital security and put you in even more danger than before. As a result, there is no advantage to using a free VPN over a commercial one.
Wrap Up
There is no shortage of free VPN services on the market, but most of them are useless. The reason is that most of them produce poor results and are dangerous. So even if you decide to use such a service, instead of free VPN, it’s recommended to use a commercial VPN provider.
