“Free” is a very tempting price tag, but everything has a price. When it comes to a Mac VPN, “free” doesn’t come without a set of problems that will cost you more in the long run.
You can get most VPN subscriptions for less than $5 a month. Think of all of the things you buy on a regular basis that cost way more than that—not everyone has the same financial situation, but chances are, you’re not going to miss a few dollars once a month in exchange for all of the benefits a Mac VPN offers.
Before we explain why a free Mac VPN is a bad idea, here’s an idea of what a VPN can do. First, security. When you log into a VPN, it changes your internet protocol (IP) address. This is used to identify your location, and with a solid VPN, should encrypt your online traffic from your internet service provider (ISP), hackers, and anyone else who tries to keep track of you.
Next, internet freedom. Since no one can track your location, you’re not only private and more secure, but you have more options as well. Copyright, government restrictions, organizational blocks, etc., means that websites, streaming shows and movies, travel planning, and much more can be limited and blocked entirely. It’s a broad category, but internet freedom is priceless.
With these features in mind, let’s take a look at where a free Mac VPN falls short.
The Data Selling Problem
Every business needs to make money somehow. So, when you pay nothing for a free VPN, how do they make money? It’s certainly not a non-profit. What do they sell?
In short, free VPNs sell you. Not literally—instead, they sell your data. Your browsing habits, location, and interest are all exposed not only to the VPN, but to the third parties they sell it to. It costs money to keep servers up and running, which means tracking and advertising.
Free Mac VPN apps are often full of targeted ads based on your browsing behavior that they track for profit. Not only is the VPN itself full of them, but you may even see repercussions and targeted ads. That’s the “freemium” price for false security.
Security is an Afterthought
Speaking of security, collecting and selling data should automatically tell you that security is not actually the priority of a free VPN.
Building apps with third-party components isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but not removing intrusive permissions and functions is. Yes, believe it or not, a shady free VPN may do far more harm than good and connect to your device’s camera, microphone, GPS tracking, and more.
Your Mac VPN may not even realize it, but with a free Mac VPN, it’s a quick and dirty approach to security. It’s very easy for bad third parties to get involved and exploit these vulnerabilities, even if it was unintentional. And, even if it was an accident, that’s even worse—shoddy craftsmanship behind your Mac VPN means it not only won’t help your security, but may very likely inhibit it.
You Can’t Trust The People Who Run Your Mac VPN
Ownership concerns aren’t limited to the creation of your Mac VPN. Who manages your data as it comes in? Many of the popular free Mac VPNs out there not only sell your data, but may be illegal. If your VPN has any control in China, it is actually illegal.
What does that mean for you? They may have come into some sort of agreement in order to run their services out of the country, and may be compromised, and may even share their users’ data with the authorities.
Ads, Vulnerabilities, and Malware
We’ve already explained how a free Mac VPN can not only compromise but may even sell your data—this leads to more targeted ads. While not inherently troublesome, it does mean that your data is out there.
This process leads to even more vulnerabilities and malware. Even if targeted ads aren’t a concern, vulnerabilities and malware are. Without the same security in place as a paid Mac VPN, it’s possible for a free one to succumb to serious problems, even hacking. Some free VPNs are even fronts for malware distribution.
Inconveniences
Sometimes, even the smallest problems cause the most headaches. Even with the world’s safest free Mac VPN, you’re still going to face issues.
Free VPNs aren’t just good at tracking, storing, and selling data, they’re great at giving you the slowest possible internet speeds as well. It may sound harsh, but free VPNs just don’t really cut it. They don’t use high-quality servers, and they cram as many users onto a few servers. This means more time waiting around for your data to be collected and sold.
A free Mac VPN also doesn’t work well as a proxy. Free VPNs trigger CAPTCHA requests often. CAPTCHA, if you didn’t know, are the buttons or pictures you have to click to prove you’re not a robot. Sure, you’ll come across them from time to time, but free VPNs are far more likely to present as something you’re not.
And, once again, ads. Not only do they give you targeted ads, but it may also show you more ads because of this tracking, slowing you down even more and evidently invading your privacy.
Streaming Problems
If you like to watch videos and other streaming content on your computer or anywhere else, a free Mac VPN definitely won’t cut it.
Streaming sites like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, etc. have entire catalogs of content that are limited based on location. Copyright, government restrictions, and more can prevent you from watching the things you love. But, they’re strict on VPNs. Your Mac VPN needs specific features and functions to work.
In the name of doing the absolute bare minimum, your free Mac VPN doesn’t pass the test. For a lot of people, streaming is one of the biggest draws of a VPN service for many people and missing out on this key benefit will leave a hole in your internet freedom.
With a lack of streaming, speed, and security, a free Mac VPN is a serious no-go.
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