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5 Best free VPNs for China Safe to Use in 2022?

Last updated: January 19, 2023

William Sams

Many websites mislead users by giving inaccurate suggestions for VPNs in China. Read on to understand the slippery slope of free VPNs.

If you are traveling to china and looking for a free VPN for China then this is for you. There are numerous free solutions available if you choose not to pay for a VPN. However, it’s not so simple to discover a free VPN that genuinely works in the nation and keeps you safe at the same time.

China is a country where using a VPN is a must to use because of the restrictions they have imposed on many international sites such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Gmail, and more are included in this list. These are the major problem for which you should make preliminary preparations before visiting China.

Every free VPNs have certain drawbacks. Some impose limitations on the amount of data, server list, bandwidth, and security; others may have several unexpected threats.

China is known as one of the highly restricted countries where you can not afford to take risks of using any random VPN. This is why our team has tested more than 30 VPNs and found only 5 best free VPNs for China that work reliably well in all of our testing criteria.

Our top recommendation is ExpressVPN because it’s quick and secure, as well as unblocks websites and services which are restricted in China.

You can check the other 4 free VPNs for China if you don’t have time to read the whole post. Take a quick look at each and decide which best suits your need.

Learn how to Bypass Geo-blocking and Content Limitations from anywhere including China.

Best free VPN for China: Quick Overview

4 Simple Steps to Unblock Foreign Websites in China

Note: China has blocked many VPN websites. So get one on your device before leaving for China.

Learn how to watch Netflix in China using a VPN.

5 Best free VPNs for China: Detailed Analysis

It’s simple to locate a free VPN. It’s not quite straightforward to find a free VPN for China. However, after weeks of testing and investigation, I’ve discovered 5 VPNs that performed well, several of which also offer advanced features.

Keep in mind before going further that free VPNs can not fulfill every requirement. So choose accordingly which free VPN you can comfortably use in China.

1. ExpressVPN– Best VPN for China

Despite being a premium VPN, ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, making it ideal for short-term travel. In comparison to the other free VPNs on this list, it has 30+ regional servers, allowing you to avoid congestion and sluggish speeds in China.

When I tested ExpressVPN’s servers in Hong Kong, which were the closest to China, I experienced the fastest speeds.

With over 3000 servers spread across 94+ countries, you’ll always be able to find a working server to access shows on the platforms you have accounts with, like Netflix US or UK’s BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max.

ExpressVPN conceals the fact that you’re using a VPN by employing obfuscated servers that are active in China. Your IP address and data are encrypted with AES 256-bit encryption which appears to your ISP as regular traffic. This reduces the chance of detection or getting blocked.

It includes other important features such as No-logs, kill switch, and IP/DNS leak protection. These features make sure you are always safe and anonymous, regardless of whether your connection is active or not.

As ExpressVPN supports 5 simultaneous connections and protects all of your devices using one subscription account. Additionally, there is a handy 24/7 live chat if you require assistance.

To discover the complete outcomes of our investigation and testing, go through our ExpressVPN review.

2. Windscribe– Popular Free VPN for China

It offers 10 server locations and 10 GB of free data each month. Users can only access the servers for free in 10 countries: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, France, and Hong Kong.

Windscribe offers AES-256-bit encryption, a kill switch that activates automatically, leak prevention for DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC, as well as a Stealth Mode function. Additionally, you are protected from trackers and hackers by a rigorous no-logs policy and an integrated malware blocker.

With 10 GB of free bandwidth each month, you can enjoy 5 hours of HD streaming. However, if you tweet about Windscribe, you can receive an additional 5 GB of free data, allowing you to browse and stream for longer.

To discover the complete outcomes of our investigation and testing, go through our Windscribe review.

3. ProtonVPN– Free VPN for China with Unlimited Data

ProtonVPN is known as one of the free VPNs that offer unlimited data. It means you can enjoy unlimited browsing and stream over the internet. However, when we try to unblock Netflix using ProtonVPN it couldn’t unblock it. The good thing is that it can access social media sites like Facebook, Google, Twitter, and others.

ProtonVPN free version offers servers in 3 countries (The US, Japan, and the Netherlands). The location of the servers in China is a benefit, but the fact that there are only three servers means that you must share them with many other free users, which can result in poor speeds.

ProtonVPN purposefully limits speeds on their free plan so that you can only enjoy super-fast connections when you upgrade. Although there isn’t much lag when browsing, WhatsApp’s video calling lags.

ProtonVPN offers no logs and military-grade encryption so you don’t have to be concerned about your traffic being stored or seen by others. It even protects you when you are connected to unsafe public WiFi.

It offers multiple device connections and thanks to the integrated ad and malware blocking feature which prevents any advertising from getting in the way and guards your device against security threats.

There is a ticketing system if you require assistance. Although it’s not a live chat, I found their representative quite responsive.

4. TunnelBear– Free VPN for China with Easy-to-use Interface

TunnelBear is a better choice if you want a free VPN with a larger server count. Whether you are using its premium or free version, you can connect to its servers in 48 different countries. There are many servers in close proximity to China, including those in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore.

TunnelBear offers 500MB of data per month. You can browse for eight hours on this amount of bandwidth or watch YouTube videos in SD quality for just over an hour. Unfortunately, Tunnelbear cannot unblock Netflix or other streaming services.

Post a tweet to TunnelBear to get an extra 1GB of data.

The security features provided by TunnelBear’s free service, including 256-bit encryption, a zero-logging policy, and an automated kill switch, are the same as that of its premium plan.

Additionally, TunnelBear has a unique feature that is excellent for China. It makes use of GhostBear mode, which makes your VPN connection appear to be regular internet traffic. Any websites you visit or your ISP cannot block you because they cannot tell if you are using a VPN.

To discover the complete outcomes of our investigation and testing, go through our TunnelBear review.

5. Hide.me– Secure Free VPN for China

Whereas some free services limit your bandwidth, Hide.me unlimited data. Although the speeds aren’t quite good enough to stream without any buffering, it’s still possible to watch a couple of Canadian Netflix movies without interruptions.

You can only have one connection active at once, but thanks to strong AES 256-bit encryption and kill switch option, Hide.me for China ensures your connection is secure.

The Hide.me further adds more security to your internet activity from any unintentional breaches with the help of its rigorous no-logging policy and IP leak prevention features.

While using the app, hide.me won’t show you any ads, allowing you to quickly access your social media accounts without being interrupted.

Additionally, a live chat option is available around-the-clock for any support issues.

Testing Methods for Selecting the best Free VPNs for China

It is harder to choose a VPN for China. Even worse is when you have to choose a Chinese VPN free. After spending hours of testing, we have made sure that every VPN on this list is trustworthy and safe to use in China.

Here are the factors that describe what to look for in a free VPN service.

• Ability to get over geographic restrictions: You need a VPN that will actually work in China and allow you to access the websites and streaming services unavailable there. All of the VPNs on this list are capable of unblocking social media sites, WhatsApp, Google, and YouTube.However, free VPN services usually can not unblock Netflix and other streaming services because they offer limited data and speed, which is not enough for streaming.

• Strong Encryption: Only VPNs with cutting-edge encryption are included in this list. The AES-256 bit encryption guarantees your anonymity at all times and reduces the possibility of your data or traffic being compromised.

• Speed: Nobody likes to experience delays or interruptions while downloading and streaming online. Finding a free VPN with the fastest speeds is quite difficult because most free VPNs limit speeds. The VPNs on this list aren’t as quick as premium VPNs, but their connections are steady enough for uninterrupted online browsing.

• Data Allotment: You need a VPN that won’t quickly run out of data. Therefore, I looked for free VPNs that offer as much data as possible so that you won’t have to limit your online activities, such as streaming, downloading, or playing online games.

• Additional Security Features: For your online safety and anonymity, which is crucial in China, features like an automatic kill switch and no-log policy give additional layers of security. These capabilities can be difficult to uncover with free VPNs, but they are crucial for shielding you and your device from dangerous hazards.

What you should know about using Free VPNs in China

Using free VPNs in China involves too many risks. The risk of being penalized by the authorities in addition to being exposed to viruses and unwanted advertisements.

Free VPNs have several restrictions, like server restrictions, bandwidth restrictions, logging rules, and others. These factors make it always preferable to pay for and obtain a premium VPN.

Many free services jeopardize your online security by restricting no-logs rules to paid users. This implies that they will keep your data, such as browser history or personal data. Most of the time, they sell out this info to external parties for marketing objectives, such as targeted adverts.

Other free VPNs might remove ad blockers and automatic kill switches, among other security features. Without access to a kill switch, you run the danger of being exposed if your VPN connection stops in China.

Another drawback of Free VPNs used in China is the limited amount of data which is not enough for streaming and gaming. Imagine running out of data in the middle of your favorite movie.

These are important issues that you should carefully consider while using a free VPN. Every free VPN I’ve suggested has undergone a comprehensive examination to guarantee the highest level of security. Your security won’t be compromised, and considering how inexpensive they are, they provide respectable features and speeds.

VPNs to Avoid in China

1. HolaVPN:

Hola does not keep anything you have secure. It is one of those VPN services which collects users’ IP and data and exchanges it with another person’s IP address.

2. Betternet:

This VPN is famous for disclosing user information and identity to outside parties. Additionally, this VPN is charged with infecting users’ devices with spyware and ransomware. Therefore, avoid using Betternet VPN at all costs.

3. CrossVPN:

CrossVPN is equally as bad as the other VPNs. This VPN injects malware, trojans, and computer viruses via malvertisements which cause harm to your devices.

China Free VPN FAQ

Final Thoughts

If you want to use free VPNs for a short period of time, you can rely on Windscribe to remove needless government restrictions from the Chinese internet if you’re only visiting for a few days.

However, in this guide, we do have mentioned the free VPNs for China, but we do not recommend you to use and instead use ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN will not only let you access restricted websites in China but also provide high-level encryptions to protect your online activity.

Another benefit of using ExpressVPN in China is you can enjoy its services risk-free for 30-days.  You can request a refund if it doesn’t work out within 30-days.