Logging into public WiFi networks can be a risky business. It’s easy to get hacked, and if your data is compromised in any way, you could be in for some big-time headaches, especially when it comes to taking care of business online.
The good news? There’s an easy way to prevent all of this from happening. Virtual private networks, or VPNs, let you browse the web with peace of mind. With a VPN, you can log into public WiFi networks with confidence—no matter where you are.
What is a VPN?
A virtual private network (VPN) is a service that lets you browse the internet without worrying about privacy or security. It works by encrypting your internet connection so that no one else can see what websites you’re visiting.
When you connect to the internet using one of these services, your computer will appear as though it’s located somewhere else in the world than where it actually is—even if it’s right next door. This means that hackers won’t be able to access your data because they won’t know what websites are being visited on their network!
How Do I Get Started With a VPN?
The first step is finding one that suits your needs best. There are many different types of VPN
Chrome Extension For Vpn
For many, a Chrome VPN will tick all the boxes: IP switching capabilities, quick location changes, and access to sites that are blocked by your ISP. All that without having a desktop app installed is hugely tempting.
However, it’s worth being cautious and doing your research when picking the best VPN for Chrome. There’s a huge amount of VPN and proxy extensions on the Chrome Web Store, and when you consider that this small application will effectively see every byte of your internet traffic, picking a reputable provider is vital.
On this page, we’ll run down the very best Chrome VPN extensions, including the most powerful paid options as well as a decent free choice.
What makes the best Chrome VPN?
There are two forms of VPN for Chrome: Chrome-only, and those that control the desktop app. For example, ExpressVPN controls the app you’ve got installed on your device from within Chrome, and while that offers a lot of advantages, it might not suit every user.
If you’re only after basic functions and don’t need full encryption, you may find a free VPN for Chrome that suits your needs, but if you’re after in-depth features, privacy or streaming support, a more premium product will be necessary.
To help you decide, we’ve put together this list of the five best Chrome VPNs available today. Topping the list is ExpressVPN – it’s easy to use, it’s powerful, and best of all it offers full encryption – something no other Chrome VPN does. There are other options that are worth exploring, though, so read on to find the five top VPNs for Chrome available today.
- ExpressVPN – the most powerful Chrome VPN
- ExpressVPN – the most powerful Chrome VPN
ExpressVPN’s Chrome VPN extension offers total control of the desktop app in-browser, and it’s the most fully-featured option available. You can claim three free months through Tom’s Guide, and you’ll also be covered by a fantastic 30-day money-back guarantee.
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The best Chrome VPN extensions in 2021
ExpressVPN’s chrome vpn extension
(Image credit: ExpressVPN)
- ExpressVPN
Best all-round Chrome VPN and beyond
Dedicated Chrome extension: Yes | Chrome Web Store rating: 4.7/5 | Servers/countries: 3,000+/90+ | Maximum devices supported: 5
EXCLUSIVE – 3 MONTHS EXTRA FREE
ExpressVPN 12 month
$6.67/mth
ExpressVPN 6 month
$9.99/mth
ExpressVPN 1 month
$12.95/mth
VISIT SITE
at ExpressVPN
Feature-rich Chrome extensionExcellent 24/7 customer supportWide international server coverageReliable and fastApp required for extension
ExpressVPN is our top-rated VPN, period, so it makes sense that you get an absolutely stellar Chrome VPN extension too. And yes, it’s a full VPN extension, not just a proxy like some others offer.
What’s you get is essentially the desktop app readily available in your browser. While that means you’ll have to have the client installed, if you do, you’ll have a lot of power at your fingertips.
Unlike many Chrome VPN extensions, activating ExpressVPN in-browser will give you full protection – not just your browser traffic, but your whole device. It’s also really convenient that you don’t have to launch the desktop app to use the browser extension – it’s right there in Chrome, ready to go.
You’ll get WebRTC blocking, location spoofing and HTTPS Everywhere (even when the extension’s not turned on) to help keep you and your browsing private, alongside swift connection speeds, other apps for all your devices, and a cracking support system to help if anything goes wrong. Plus, the Chrome VPN blocks HTML5 geolocation from revealing your location – something the desktop app doesn’t do automatically.
Find your way onto a streaming service site through Chrome while abroad and Express will have you covered, as it unblocks Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube and more – impressive when you consider these streaming services are constantly trying to actively block VPNs.
If you want to give the best Chrome VPN a test run, ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, but we think you’ll find it’ll meet – if not surpass – your expectations of what a browser-based VPN can offer.
Get three months free of the best Chrome VPN
Get three months free of the best Chrome VPN
Tom’s Guide readers signing up for 12 months of ExpressVPN will bag an excellent 49% off deal, which includes 3 months additional coverage absolutely FREE. And don’t forget, if you just want to give it a try with no obligation, there’s a 30-day money back guarantee that you can rely upon without any quibbles.
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Windscribe’s Chrome VPN extension
(Image credit: Future)
- Windscribe
Powerful and free Chrome proxy extension
Dedicated Chrome extension: Yes | Chrome Web Store rating: 4.7/5 | Servers/countries: 400+/60 | Maximum devices supported: Unlimited
Unlimited simultaneous connectionsFree 10GB monthly optionClear privacy policyWorks without desktop clientSlightly cramped interface
Windscribe is a great choice if you’re looking for a no-fee VPN, but what really stands out is its excellent Chrome VPN extension. While the service is a proxy, you don’t need to install the ‘real’ VPN client on your PC to get it working. That’s really useful for work laptops and other devices you might not want or be able to install software on, and addresses one of the main issues of the ExpressVPN extension – although you do miss out of full-device encryption.
Beyond that, the extension offers an impressive suite of features. There are tons blocking features, covering ads, social media and other trackers, WebRTC, website notifications and malware. You’ll also get time zone and user agent spoofing, plus advanced cookie controls which can be set to delete any and all when you leave a page.
Like a fully-fledged VPN, Windscribe’s extension can also virtually relocate you and get you access to geo-restricted sites, and by offering servers in 10 countries (over 60 if you decide to pay for a premium plan) you should have a decent selection to choose from, including Netflix-compatible ‘Windflix’ servers.
As an absolutely free service, there are a couple of drawbacks – chiefly that 10GB data limit – but for such a well-featured extension, that’s something we can excuse. If it turns out you do need more than that, premium plans also have unlimited data.
While it can’t compete in true power to ExpressVPN’s extension that controls the desktop client, it’s an entirely different beast. This standalone Chrome VPN extension is one of the best of its kind, and for free, it’s certainly worth checking out.
Private Internet Access Chrome VPN extension
- Private Internet Access
Chrome VPN with tons features
Dedicated chrome extension: Yes | Chrome Web Store rating: 3.5/5 | Servers/countries: 11,000+/74 | Maximum devices supported: 10
+2 MONTHS FREE
Private Internet Access VPN 2 Year
$2.19/mth
Private Internet Access 6 Month
$7.50/mth
Private Internet Access VPN Monthly
$11.99/mth
VISIT SITE
at Private Internet Access
Feature-rich Chrome extensionGreat privacy toolsSimple to useNo live chat support
Private Internet Access – or PIA – is an affordable option that offers a huge amount of features in its Chrome VPN extension for the price. It also does this while remaining very easy to use, making this an ideal option for VPN newbies.
There are some great security features you get with its browser VPN extension including a third-party cookies blocker, Flash blocking or disabling, WebRTC leak protection, hyperlink auditing, credit card auto-filling and more.
Of course, PIA will also take care of the big stuff like blocking your location from websites as well as camera or microphone access, and download speeds remain above average with the VPN running. Also, in our testing we reported that PIA can access Netflix and Hulu – although it does struggle as an iPlayer VPN. However, streaming is unlikely to work through just the Chrome VPN proxy at all.
While PIA doesn’t offer the polish of ExpressVPN and support is somewhat lacking, it’s a genuinely useful Chrome VPN extension available at a great price, and it’s an option worth exploring.
Sign up now on the Private Internet Access website.
CyberGhost chrome vpn extension
- CyberGhost
Great free Chrome VPN
Dedicated chrome extension: Yes | Chrome Web Store rating: 4.2/5 | Servers/countries: 8/4 (free), 7,000/90 (paid) | Maximum devices supported: 7
INCLUDES 3 MONTHS FREE
CyberGhost 3 Years
$2.29/mth
CyberGhost 1 Year
$4.29/mth
CyberGhost 1 Month
$12.99/mth
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at CyberGhost
Good selection of free serversUnlimited free data Unblocks streaming mediaNo kill switch or customer support
CyberGhost is known as one of the top VPNs on the market, and another string to its bow is the free Chrome VPN extension on offer. While not as powerful as the paid VPN, the browser extension can work without installing a desktop client, meaning it’s super simple to use.
With 8 servers in 4 countries, there’s a decent selection compared to some other free services.
If you want the full package, for a very reasonable price you can upgrade to a huge 7,000 VPN servers in 90 countries, plus you’ll get access to CyberGhost’s excellent desktop app with its streaming and torrenting streaming system. You’ll also get a kill switch, customer support and great connection speeds.
While it’s not as great as ExpressVPN, for a free Chrome VPN CyberGhost’s offering is powerful and eminently usable. And if you upgrade, things only get better.
Sign up now on CyberGhost’s website
Hotspot Shield Chrome VPN extension
- Hotspot Shield
Incredible speeds and a decent free option
Dedicated chrome extension: Yes | Chrome Web Store rating: 4.2/5 | Servers/countries: 3,200+/80+ | Maximum devices supported: 5
EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT
Hotspot Shield 3 year
$2.49/mth
HotSpot Shield 1 year
$7.99/mth
Hotspot Shield 1 month
$9.99/mth
VISIT SITE
at Hotspot Shield
Super fast connectionsFree trial optionNot cheapConfiguration limited
Hotspot Shield is a great Chrome VPN extension option if you want something that’s simple to use, runs fast and is free. Yup, the free version works with very few strings, although it is basic with only four location choices – plus, it’s not such a fast VPN as the premium version.
The reason Hotspot Shield is so simple is that when you fire it up with a single click, it automatically picks the fastest server based on your location – you’ll be connected immediately.
For security you have a 256-bit encryption looking after you across the 1,800 servers spread over 80 countries. However, fans of true privacy will be disappointed in Hotspot’s logging policy. While the provider claims not to store anything that can identify you, details like bandwidth used and connections times are.
If you’re looking for a quick, simple Chrome VPN, though, Hotspot Shield is a good choice – and with a 45-day money-back guarantee, it’s definitely worth giving a go if you just want basic privacy when you’re out and about with your laptop.
Sign up now on the Hotspot Shield website.
Best Chrome VPN FAQ
Does Chrome have a VPN?
While Chrome is very well-featured, it doesn’t offer a built-in VPN. However, that’s not a problem as there are a huge number of browser VPNs to pick from – not least the top five above.
Thankfully, Chrome is also the perfect environment for a browser VPN to work in – it’s stable, simple, easy to use and incredibly customisable, so there are some great Chrome VPNs that will work just as reliably as their standalone counterparts.
Is there a free Chrome VPN extension?
A free Chrome extension is a tempting prospect – browsing anonymity and data security for nothing sounds great. However, in practice these free services aren’t as great as they seem.
The first thing to consider is where the free service is making its money. It’s likely that you’ll be seeing ads, or, more sinisterly, it could be skimming your data and selling it for profit. If that’s happening, you’re better off using no VPN at all.
There are some good free Chrome VPNs out there – like Windscribe at number 2 on this list – but on the whole you’ll never be able to get a truly good all-round VPN experience unless you pay.
However, that doesn’t have to break the bank. Surfshark, for example, offers a totally secure and fully-featured VPN service for less than $2.50 a month. While its Chrome VPN isn’t powerful enough to feature on this list, it works well as a lightweight proxy extension – and at a price you’d barely notice, we think it’s worth the investment.
What should the best Chrome VPN extension do?
A good Chrome VPN extension is one that’s not only simple to install and use but also, ideally, offers some in-depth features too. While there are basic proxy versions which simply turn on and off within Chrome – and that’s useful – we prefer more feature-rich options.
The option to pick the location you want to connect from is a really basic but helpful feature – perfect if you’re looking to watch geo-restricted content in a tab and need a certain location selected.
Security features are also really helpful with blocking your location from websites, and blocking camera or microphone access are basic necessities. Extras we like to keep an eye out for are third-party cookie blocking, Flash blocking or disabling, WebRTC leak protection, hyperlink auditing and credit card auto-filling. Being able to use Netflix VPN unblocking is also useful.
Whichever option you go for, a VPN Chrome extension is only ever as good as the VPN behind – it so going for a fully fledged and feature-rich standalone VPN is always a good idea.
free vpn extension for chrome
In today’s world, almost everyone needs access to everything. You can be a person living in a restricted area or can be someone who is researching some content online or is just chilling watching content on Netflix. Whatever the case be, we need a VPN Chrome extension to get access to these blocked content.
Along with unblocking these content, VPN also provides security of hiding your IP address, your internet access log, and your personal information so that you can unblock and access everything being anonymous.
Well, searching for a free Chrome extension that does this all for you can be a tiresome and difficult job. So here to help you, we have come up with a list of the best Chrome VPN extensions you can use in 2019.
- Touch VPN
Touch VPN is a 100% free VPN service currently with 5,000,000+ users. It has no bandwidth limitation, it’s free and unlimited.
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You can unlock and unblock any website from any location and access it with full privacy. With Touch VPN the sites that are blocked or censored by the government, school, or workplace are just a click away.
You will not need to worry about hackers when you are connected to a public Wi-Fi Hotspot, your name, passwords, and personal information everything will be encrypted by Touch VPN, to provide you with banking-level security for the best protection. You can do all this and remain anonymous.
To keep your online identity anonymous, Touch VPN changes your IP address. At the same time, your internet activity is inaccessible to prying eyes and businesses. Most of all it provides a one-tap connection, and no sign-up is required. Just download and install the extension and tap on “connect”.
Touch VPN Extension
Touch VPN Extension
- SetupVPN- Lifetime Free VPN
SetupVPN is a free VPN with the promise of being free forever, so from nothing lower than 100 servers all over the world, you can access any content that is not available in your country and you can bypass restrictions of any website that has been blocked by your government, school or company.
It provides you with 4096-bit military-grade encryption to secure your browser over public Wi-Fi. As it provides you with unlimited bandwidth, there is no need to meter your usage.
You will not need to be tech-savvy to use this VPN extension, just install, sign up and connect. It’s that easy. SetupVPN does try to keep itself updating to provide you with fast speed than the last time no matter which country server you choose.
SetupVPN Extension
SetupVPN Extension
- Hotspot Shield VPN
Hotspot Shield is one of the world’s most trusted VPN & Proxy, now available on Chrome! Currently, with 2,536,080 users, Hotspot Shield simply lets you access blocked sites from around the world. How to Cast Your Android Screen to TV
It is super easy to use and turns on with one simple click. No sign-up is necessary to get started with Hotspot Shield. Access blocked websites like Facebook, Twitter, and other popular sites while keeping your browser activities safe & private!
With its free version, you get access to 95% of its features. New features also include Ad Blocking, Tracker Blocking, Cookie Blocking, and Malware Protection. You can connect using one of many free Virtual Locations, or become Elite and access premium locations for quick and easy access.
Hotspot Shield VPN Extension
Hotspot Shield VPN Extension
- ZenMate VPN
ZenMate is another simple and easy-to-use VPN service with a free unlimited plan for a lifetime. Other than chrome, it also offers a VPN service for all possible platforms.
ZenMate has over 45 million users and offers over 30 server locations to choose from. You can access unblocked content specific to a country by selecting a specific server.
ZenMate being a German company has a strict law for no-log policy. Just unblock and use the internet with ZenMate VPN and stay safe. It provides the fastest connection and you can use up to 5 devices per account.
ZenMate VPN Extension
ZenMate VPN Extension
- DotVPN
DotVPN is a VPN with unlimited bandwidth and a permanent free plan. With powerful servers at 10 virtual locations, it works with a promise to unblock anything and everything for you. If some content is not available in one virtual location you can simply switch to another virtual location, unlimited times.
If case you can’t access what are you looking for you can even write to them and they will make sure to solve this for you. In their free plan, you get access to 80% of their features which I believe is sufficient.
DotVPN Extension
DotVPN Extension
- Betternet Unlimited Free VPN Proxy
As the name, suggests Betternet is a completely unlimited and free VPN service. No registration is required to start using it, simply install and tap to connect. It is an ad-free extension and so it won’t annoy you with any unwanted pop-ups.
It never logs any data in any form keeping its promise of being a simple, hassle-free, secure, and anonymous unblocker. It automatically connects you to the nearest and fast server. It also lets you select server location if you wish to access anything specific.
Betternet VPN Extension
Betternet VPN Extension
- TunnelBear VPN
TunnelBear is a popular VPN with limited free features. It is lightweight and easy to use. Once you install the VPN, just select a country to get connected and start safe browsing. 7 Best Chrome Extensions for SEO Content Writing
It has servers in over 22 countries and does not log any of your data. It uses AES 256-bit encryption by default. It will unblock content and hide your IP, but for more, you have to opt for a paid plan.
TunnelBear VPN Extension
TunnelBear VPN Extension
- VeePN
VeePN is another free and unlimited VPN service on the list. With 2500+ servers all over the world, VeePN ensures internet privacy and security for everyone.
It is simple and easy to use without any configuration required. It is a cross-platform app with a no-log policy. So you can choose to use this any day to have safe and secure content unblocking.
VeePN VPN Extension
VeePN VPN Extension
- Hola VPN
Hola VPN is easy to use and commits to providing faster and more open internet. To achieve fasted unblocking it uses split-tunneling technology.
It does log some of your data and shares it with the third party to implement a faster network. If you are looking for 100% anonymity, you should avoid this.
Hola VPN
Hola VPN
- ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the no one Trusted leader in VPN. ExpressVPN offers you unrestricted access to any content worldwide with a promise of security and anonymity. It has 160 servers located in 94 different countries.
The groundbreaking approach for ensuring your security is that no data is ever written to the hard drive. It will not even log anything like traffic data, DNS queries, etc, that could be used in your identification.
Although it’s not free it surely can be a great choice for someone who requires a VPN for a short time. You can simply get their 30-day trial and cancel it later. It does provide support and real people are available 24/7 via email and live chat as and when you need any help with setup and troubleshooting.
Conclusion
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